Our local "evangelical" radio station apparently has a Harvest Church preacher on at 2:00 PM. I thought "hey why not," and not to my surprise, he was preaching on the day of Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit, just confirming my suspicions that that's only what they preach on.
I kid. Although it did drive home in my mind that statement, "The text without a context is your pretext."
He was doing a mediocre job, mostly because he was jumping around a lot and saying "some people believe X and some believe this means Y, and still some others..." without preaching with authority.
But he did bring up a few good points. Like why is there a gap between Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit on His disciples, and the day of Pentecost. Why is there a gap? Why shouldn't that gap exist for today?
Now I think the answers are pretty straightforward here and there are good answers but I will say I did enjoy being challenged. Until he wrapped up the sermon.
When he came to the 'so what,' the take home, he said, "Now we are westerners, we like reason, and rational understanding, we are scientific, and so we want to sit down and think this stuff out. Don't do that. Come like a little child and don't think, but trust... Then, when it's God's time you will begin speaking in tongues."
Because that's what Paul said in 1 Cor 14:20 I believe... ah yes, here is the passage, and look just what the preacher said, "Brothers, do not be... thinking. Be infants."
Oh no wait a minute, it actually says this "Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature."
Wrong and way wrong. Wildly, stupidly wrong, I mean, what does it say when I have to side with the Atheists on this one? If Christianity means do not use your brain then how do you know you are not supposed to use your brain? Doesn't it require brain power to reason that statement through, then follow it?
Please, no. Just no.
2 comments:
A very nice play on I Cor. 14:20, Philip! Even as a continuationist, I have to agree with you here. That preacher's advice was way wrong.
Of course, we can over-intellectualize and miss out on God's blessings as a result. This tendency can be a side effect of unbelief. Divine works can defy our ability to logically reason and compartmentalize things.
So I get his point. If only he had said it that way.
Blessings,
Derek
You are right Derek, over-intellectualizing is pretty destructive, and is a result of unbelief. It's like memorizing the menu at your favorite restaurant, but never ordering their food.
The rule as I see it is that we think as much and as hard as we can that we may honor and glorify and love God, and then stop when it doesn't. But thinking through Scripture is almost always a good thing and should almost never be discouraged. I can't believe we have people telling us to turn off our brains and just accept stuff. I mean isn't it by definition that once you turn off your brain you can't accept things?
Post a Comment