Paul's Passing Thoughts

If our Lord came back today, things wouldn’t be much different. I firmly believe this because of what I read in the Sermon on the Mount. Like today, the theological brainiacs of that era were saying that Christ came to abolish the law (Matthew 5:17).

Something else would be the same as well. He wouldn’t even meet with the academic theological brain trust of our day. I’m sure they would be incredulous in even considering it, but Christ would not seek them out, nor would he agree to make an appointment with them.  Like the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Lawyers of that day, they would have to catch up to him in the ghetto and wait their turn. If Christ stopped by in April, one can only imagine the perplexed looks on the faces of Al Mohler, Ligon Duncan, and CJ Mahaney when Jesus fails to appear with them at this year’s T4G Conference.

We are in the same kind of crisis today that was present then: the opinions of theologians ruled the day. Saints were reading the Scriptures through the established prisms created by men (notice how many Sunday Schools and Bible studies are based on periodicals and popular Christian books of our day).  The apostles and the common people were shocked at our Lord’s plenary dismissal of the theological giants of that day:

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes (Matthew 7:28,29).

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” (Matthew 15:12).

And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23).

Truly, we are a church culture enslaved by the musings of men who lust for worship from the church peasantry. Their clamoring of compromise to be invited to the next big gig is shamefully obvious. And has anybody noticed how many Scripture references appear in 200+ pages of the most popular Christian books of our day? Forgotten is the fact that our Lord is speaking directly to us in His word. And we are not only born again into completely new creatures, he has also given us an indwelling Illuminator, Counselor, and Helper. This emphasis is conspicuously missing from the theological rock stars of our day. What could be more obvious than their own wonderment of what we would do without them?

I have learned 90% of what I know that matters during two major trials in my life. In the second, God has shown me how dependent I have been on the opinions of men in my understanding of truth. So now I embark on a journey with just me, the Holy Spirit, and God’s word. I intend to start at the very beginning, Genesis 1:1, and these will also be  devotions for my family. Please comment, for you can also add fruit to this endeavor. But there is but one rule: share what God has taught you from these passages and DO NOT quote dead scholars or live ones!

Here I go. And I am free. Teach me Lord, because only truth sanctifies.

paul