ReimagineEVANGELISM...Terminology Matters

Monday Morning Manna

Featued Contributor Dan Crawford

Heart or Life: Terminology and Theology

A friend’s recent successful heart transplant caused the resurfacing of an old question.

Many years ago, when my daughter was a little girl watching the evening news with me, there was a report of a heart transplant at a nearby hospital. Danna asked, “Daddy, now that he has a new heart, does he need to invite Jesus into it too?” Good question, based on inadequate terminology.

What if a Christian gets a transplant from a non-Christian? Do they need to make a new decision? If indeed, we only invite Jesus into our heart, what if a non-Christian gets a transplant from a Christian? Does that make them a Christian? Perhaps we need to match our terminology with our theology. Salvation comes when we invite Jesus into our entire life, not just into the pump organ for our blood. Paul encourages folks to be, “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). M

aybe it’s not an issue worthy of discussion, but old professors are experienced at asking thought provoking questions, so here’s another one. What think ye?

The God of the Bible cannot be reduced to a syllogism. But those who try to do so can easily replace a confession of faith for faith itself; ideology for the gospel; a theological tribe for the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church; or, worst of all, Christology for Christ Jesus himself.

Theology Cannot Save Us

Theology matters. Obviously, I still believe that, or I wouldn’t spend my life connecting Christian theology to culture. But if we’ve seen anything in the evangelical meltdown of the past five years, it’s that theology is not enough. And left on its own, theology can become just as much of a prop for a cultural, politicized Christianity as anything else.

We cannot, as scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski put it about a very different matter, confuse the map for the territory—just as we cannot confuse our weather app for what’s actually happening outside. Theology is a word about God, which always points us back to the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.

Russell Moore

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Reimagine Curator April 28, 2022 23:06

The God of the Bible cannot be reduced to a syllogism. But those who try to do so can easily replace a confession of faith for faith itself; ideology for the gospel; a theological tribe for the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church; or, worst of all, Christology for Christ Jesus himself.

Theology Cannot Save Us

Theology matters. Obviously, I still believe that, or I wouldn’t spend my life connecting Christian theology to culture. But if we’ve seen anything in the evangelical meltdown of the past five years, it’s that theology is not enough. And left on its own, theology can become just as much of a prop for a cultural, politicized Christianity as anything else.

We cannot, as scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski put it about a very different matter, confuse the map for the territory—just as we cannot confuse our weather app for what’s actually happening outside. Theology is a word about God, which always points us back to the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.

Russell Moore

Origina post >>>

Theology Cannot Save Us

The recent splinters in evangelicalism arise more from tribal loyalties and political rhetoric than doctrinal differences.

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