Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!columbia!topaz!hedrick From: hedrick@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (Charles Hedrick) Newsgroups: net.religion.christian Subject: Re: the need for correct doctrine Message-ID: <3762@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 00:03:40 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.3762 Posted: Tue Sep 24 00:03:40 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 06:31:14 EDT References: <304@cylixd.UUCP> Reply-To: hedrick@topaz.UUCP (Charles Hedrick) Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 56 On the Athanasian Creed: You've got to be kidding. If the creed can be read as teaching faith as a work, the best approach is for theologians to say that the 20th Church does not read it in this way. The last thing we need is to go around modifying historical documents. Look at what a seemingly innocent change like filioque did to us. As I am sure you know, the whole issue of faith and works has been one of the most difficult issues between Protestants and Catholics. I think there has been a remarkable convergence in recent decades. Catholic comments on Romans (e.g. in the notes to the Jerusalem Bible) can look amazingly Lutheran. And books such as Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship" make it clear that Protestants cannot be satisfied with bare faith. But I am not convinced that we are yet to the point where we could agree on common language on this subject. I am believe we are seeing roughly the same thing, but I am also conscious that we are seeing it from somewhat different viewpoints. On the importance of right faith and right doctrine. I think "The Cost of Discipleship" has the right emphasis here. In it, Bonhoeffer continually directs our attention to the call of God and our response to it. In commenting on "The Rich Young Man" (Mat. 19:16-20) Bonhoeffer says: "The young man is trapped once more. He had hoped to avoid committing himself to any definite moral obligations by forcing Jesus to discuss his spiritual problems. He had hoped Jesus would offer him a solution of his moral difficulties. But instead he finds Jesus attacking not his question but himself. The only answer to his difficulties is the very commandment of God, which challenges him to have done with academic discussion and to get on with the task of obedience." Faith and doctrine are very important. If we misunderstand God, we may react inappropriately to him. A widespread misunderstanding may cause large numbers of people to reject God. But we should not imagine that the power of the Educational Testing Service extends to the point where entrance through the pearly gates is controlled by a multiple-choice exam in theology. I believe that God will call every person. This call may take very different forms for different people. In some cases the Church may have botched things so badly that God's call will actually be away from Christianity. (Consider for example the case of a Jew being persecuted by Christians, wherein accepting Christianity may in fact be giving in to worldly pressure and rejecting God.) There are two extremes to avoid. One says "it does not matter what you believe so long as you are sincere." It does matter. If you do not believe you stand in need of God's forgiveness, or if you do not accept God's way of dealing with your sins, this is obviously a grave handicap in dealing with God. In certain cases the handicap can even be fatal. On the other hand, we do not want to go so far in our orthodoxy that we limit God's freedom to call who he wants. God can get around the stumbling blocks set up by our misunderstanding or incorrect beliefs. After all, he gets around the stumbling blocks set up by our sin, and surely that is a more serious problem than any theological errors. In a book called "Christian Doctrine", Guthrie suggested an interesting analogy. Consider a doctor. If you want to find the doctor to help you, you go to his office. This doesn't limit the doctor. He can still react to emergencies whereever they may be found. But only a fool would look for the doctor by running around the countryside at random hoping to run into him.