I’m Sure of This

“Of this at least I am certain, that no one has ever died who was not destined to die some time.”—Augustine, Chapter 11, City of God.

Occasionally, one has to state the obvious to make a point. Augustine is revered as a saint, a thinker, and a theologian. Yet, even he could not be sure about everything. Still, there are many who come across as all-knowing. I’m sorry—they’re not.

[image error]Augustine of Hippo

Years
ago while sitting in a church history class, I listened as the professor touched
upon the thought and contributions of some of our twentieth-century, Christian
theologians. As he did so, he mentioned one of my philosophical heroes during a
startling statement—startling to me, at least. He said, “I wish I was as sure
of anything as Francis Schaeffer is of everything.” Schaeffer was, indeed,
pretty sure of himself; but at least he never sounded arrogant about it. I wish
I could say the same for others.

“It’s Just Not Biblical”

I
remember once speaking with a colleague of mine about a current theologian. He
made a comment I never forgot. He said, “His theology is really tight, but it’s
just not Biblical.” I suppose the opposite can be said of others. Their
theology is really Biblical, but it’s not very tight. In other words, it’s not
very well thought out.

Then, of course, there are those whose views are quite Biblical and extremely well thought through. They have spent years getting to the point at which they’ve arrived. Their journey has taken them to a place where they’re comfortable (both intellectually and spiritually). Yet they find themselves at odds with others who have done the exact same thing and landed at a very different position (both intellectually and theologically). It’s a conundrum we Christians have to deal with on a daily basis if we’re serious about our convictions.

The question always comes down to a simple question. Who’s right? Which of us has mastered Scripture, reason, and Biblical interpretation to the point that we can ascend the throne of correctness? After all, someone has to be right, don’t they? If they’re spot-on, everyone else is spot-off. Well, not so fast.

All Our Gyrations

I’m
guessing, despite all our gyrations and well-meaning postulations, none of us
is entirely accurate in the final analysis. There’s a verse in Romans (3:4)
that states, “Let God be true, and every human being a liar.” I’m taking it a
bit out of context here, but it strongly implies that God is the One with the
truth. In our human frailty, we do our best to discover and live that truth.
But our best efforts inevitably fall short. We’re left with imperfect
understandings and biases as guidelines to serve a perfect God.

Fortunately for us, I’m pretty sure He understands our plight. We’re all sinners trying to be led by a sinless Spirit. Maybe we need to come before Him humbly with a prayer similar to the Publican’s, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)

[Dave Zuchelli is a graduate of
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and currently resides in Aldie, VA.]