Warning - philosophical bit ahead.

Better get the caffeine ready then.

This may come out as a mishmash, because that’s how the data has been fed in – a right ole mess.

I was provoked by Leighton’s discussions last year about Eastern Orthodoxy (EO) and the assertion by some of the posters there that the EO was the only authentic church. My comment early on about not being certain they had any validity apparently caused some amusement. Actually I’ve not seen anything yet to completely counter that view, but bear with me.

I was also provoked recently by a further discussion on Leighton’s blog where the word ‘Theodicy’ (the justice of God IIRC) was used.

I also seem to remember reading a post somewhere about how the church was being made less by simplification of the gospel for simple people. The discussion went on to use lots of silly words, all with their own special meaning known only the educated few.

Finally, this morning I was reading in Job. Now this is a book that I don’t normally relish, and having plowed my way through it before, read the opening few chapters yesterday. I was in mind to skip the rest and move on, when I felt God indicate that I should read a bit more, so I skipped the tedious bits of Jewish legalistic theology and went straight to the end where God starts talking to Job. Now I’m lucky enough o have an NIV study bible, and in this, under the scripture is a section offering a brief explanation or commentary. After completing the last chapter I then had a quick scan through the commentary, as I often like to. The words for 42: 7-9 leapt off the page at me:

“Despite Job’s mistakes in words and attitude while he suffered, he is now commended and the counsellors are rebuked. Why? Because even in his rage, even when he challenged God, he was determined to speak honestly before him. The counsellors, on the other hand, mouthed many correct and often beautiful creedal statements, but without a living knowledge of the God they claimed to honour. Job spoke to God; they only spoke about God. Even worse, their spiritual arrogance caused them to claim knowledge they did not possess. They presumed to know why Job was suffering.”

What’s this all about?

It reminded me about how things were in the Baptist church I grew up in. We had all the great and good through the doors from Spurgeon’s college, most of whom seemed to talk about God as the object of their life’s study, but not as if they knew him and knew what he was saying. The similarity to some of the discussions I’ve read were quite striking, with clearly clever men explaining things in eloquent ways using specialist language. Just as it was then for me, so it was again – it sounds correct, and working the logic through it looks OK, but something in my spirit says “this isn’t quite right”.

What does the bible say about the early Christians? Not many of you were wise, not many of you were noble. But you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified through the blood of Christ. I hope and pray that in my foolishness I may be one who talks to God, rather than about him.

It does, however, seem to me that a theology that does not build up the ordinary Christian isn't worth a wet slap. But that's just me talking now.

I have more thoughts, but it’s 12.15am, and that’s enough for now.