As we grow in our walk with Christ, knowing God’s word (and seeking it with zeal) is one of the most important things we can do. After all, he’s revealed himself to us in two primary ways: Through his Holy Spirit, which we received as a gift when we became Christians, and in his Word.
This post is the seventh of 15. In each post, I’ll be examining my personal “Top 15″ things leading to successful bible study. This series of posts can be filed under “Going Deeper.”
Click the link to view Tuesday’s post on Bible Doctrine.
Going Deeper: Across the Spectrum by Gregory Boyd and Paul Eddy
Boyd and eddy take the exploration of doctrine to a new level … And do so in a way that I really appreciated, because they are not taking or advocating one position over another. As mentioned in yesterday’s post, there are many issues that are really open for debate, and worthy of exploration. In “Across the Spectrum,” Boyd and Eddy present at least two (but often three or four) different sides of the thorny issue.
Here are some examples of issues that they tackle, with examples of the multiple positions involved:
The Foreknowledge Debate:
– God foreknows all that will come to pass
– God knows all that shall be and all that may be
The Charismatic Gifts Debate:
– The gifts are for today
– “Tongues shall cease”
The Women in Ministry Debate:
– Created equal, with complementary roles
– The Irrelevance of Gender for Spiritual Authority
The nice part is that of all the viewpoints they represent, there really aren’t any wrong answers … In other words, they are legitimately up for debate. And the authors remain so objective that they really don’t lead you in one direction over another.
The not-so-good part is that, while I am much more effective at articulating all sides of an issue, I almost always found myself in a complete quandary about which position *I* believe. Which is a good reminder not to get hung up on doctrine, and remember Jesus’ “greatest commandments” – to love God with all of our heart, soul and strength and to love others (ALL others!) as ourselves.
Finding Approval 
Hey – I’ve read that book too!!!! Actually, I even thought it’s a good book for a non-beliver, or “seeker”. For example, a non-believer might want to know how Christians approach the Bible and one chapter in there discusses the infallibility versus the inerrancy of Scripture. It shows the non-believer that even Christians can (and are willing) to disagree and discuss different viewpoints while maintianing the same core beliefs of their faith. Some of it will get more technical than they need, but certain parts are good for explanation and exploration.
Totally agree, Brian. I think that people both inside and outside of the faith can get tangled up in some of these more esoteric issues … it’s nice to have a resource that a) makes it clear that there is room for more than one point of view on many doctrinal issues and b) helps to challenge one’s own thinking and assumptions as we grow spiritually. Thanks for being out here, my brother. By the way, the DC group is going to be making a cameo appearance in tomorrow’s post!
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