More on Faith and Reason

I want to visit this topic once again. This is not, I'm sure, the last time however. I've been reading two seemingly unrelated pieces of literature; The Brothers Karamazov and the works attributed to Gregory Thaumaturgus, a third century Bishop at Neo Caesarea. Although one is fiction and the other non-fiction, they both have philosophical underpinnings.

Novels having foundations in philosophy are common. What the author has to say, about any topic, will come out in the story. What I find disturbing is that Gregory relied heavily upon Greek philosophy to teach what he considered the truth of Scripture. He often gave philosophy the preeminent position against Scripture.

Here is where the necessity for being separate from the world, and its wisdom, is very important. Because it is vital to know from where the direction for our lives comes from. We may not be students of Greek philosophy, but we may be students of the world's wisdom, nonetheless.

I'm of the opinion that we can use the world's wisdom as a way of illustrating Scripture, but by no means use it to interrupt it. Scripture always trumps the world's wisdom.

Humans like to be recognized for their ideas (don't we!). When a problem or question comes up it feels good to be the one with the solution or answer. That's natural, but the problem comes when we give answers to the "unseen" issues of life from human wisdom and not scripture. Human's wisdom will inevitably lead us astray.

These unseen issues are matters of salvation, who we are and how we are made, our conscience, life in the age to come, questions about God, and such things.

Institutions of higher learning tend to excite our power of reason against Scripture. The movie industry tends to excite our emotions against God's truth. Television personalities tend to excite our practicalities against what God has said. These are the things we should be aware of. The new ideas are not always the best ideas.

Scripture tells us that the wisdom of men is foolishness to God in comparison (1 Corinthians 1:20-25). All the new ideas that can be reasoned from man's intellect are empty compared to what God has revealed. In fact we are told that we don't need another source for life and godliness but the scriptures. "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" So for me there is no need to look elsewhere.

As for my reading. It is for entertainment and understanding. Not that I agree with all that I read, but I do gain knowledge of how and why others come to their conclusions. So I'd encourage you to read. Not just the fiction, but what Christian non-fiction authors have to say. As you read their works don't take everything as the gospel truth (myself included). Try to gain an understanding of their wisdom (philosophy) and if it is fully grounded on Scripture.

This is what Paul says: "And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).

Pastor Chuck