Standard evangelical theology seems to emphasise some things
which appear very marginal in the Bible, and to ignore some
things which seem to be spelled out very clearly.
One key principle I seek to follow is:
God wants
us to concentrate on the most important things.
This is a simple re-statement of a standard hermeneutic
principle, that we should interpret the unclear passages in the
light of the straightforward ones. You will find
this in all the standard textbooks.
The point is, God is quite capable of communicating with us -
and He not only tells us facts, but He also tells us about their
relative importance. Sometimes we are taught this
explicitly (as when Jesus describes the Scribes as 'straining at
gnats'), but sometimes it is made clear in other ways.
If something is taught clearly and repeatedly in the Bible, it is
probably important; if something is unclear and only found in a
few places, it is probably much less important. He wants
us to concentrate on the important truths.
Let us look briefly at two examples of this principle being
worked out.
Organising Ourselves
- Church Government
I am not too worried about arguments between supporters of
different forms of church government: most positions have some
degree of scriptural support, so the case for any of them is not
clear cut. If God chose not to make it clear that
one form of church government is the right one, then it is
probably a practical question (what can be implemented? what is
effective and acceptable to the people involved?) rather than a
question of faith and doctrine.
- The Nature of Ministry
But however we organise ourselves, it is very clear that ministry in
the New Testament church was based on gift and calling, and not on
hierarchy or appointment. In order to function, we need to
appoint people to positions within an organisational structure -
whether this appointment is made by a bishop or through democratic
elections - but people (should!) hold positions and exercise
ministry because of the gifts God has given them and His call on
their life, not the other way round.
What Happens After Death?
- The State of the Soul
Similarly, it is not clear to me what happens to people after
death. Believers who have died are described as
'sleeping' but Paul wants to be 'with Jesus'. I am
not interested in arguing for one theory about how to hold these
passages together, against any other theory.
- Degrees of Glory
On the other hand, in thinking about what happens after death,
the doctrine of 'degrees of glory' is taught in many places,
both explicitly and implicitly. It is used as the
basis for instructions on how to live. So I have to
conclude that this one is important. Whether I like
it or not, I need to allow this truth to affect the way I
live.