Systematic Theological Illusions
Today I hope to demonstrate visually a common problem inherent in many theological views promoted by various Christian leaders today, as well as throughout church history. Taken in isolation, many doctrinal positions formed by interpreting various Scriptures in certain ways sound plausible and seem to make sense. However, when several of these doctrines are then placed side by side in an attempt to assemble a systematic, logical picture of who God is, and how exactly He interacts with us and all of His creation, we often find that the various parts of the puzzle just don't quite fit together. Many theologians, instead of humbly admitting there might be something wrong with their view of God and attempt to find a true solution, resort instead to various ways of twisting or shaving their pieces to make them appear to fit. Other theologians simply pull out of context their trump card Bible verse that conveniently answers all difficult questions, usually Isaiah 55:8-9.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." (NKJV)
As a typical example, Calvinists often use certain Scripture passages to teach that God has sovereignly caused every single event that has ever occurred throughout the world's entire history up to this present moment, including my writing these words and you reading them. They claim He has pre-ordained all events, including the past, present and future forever and ever. Everything in the entire universe is under His total, absolute control. Nothing ever happens that God has not already determined will happen. Our free wills are just an illusion He has purposed us to think we have. Allow me to begin drawing this picture in this way...
As you can see from this drawing, something is beginning to take shape with the bits of information we have assembled so far. It looks like three rods forming, which in this case represents several ideas forming about God, mainly that God is in control of every single thing that happens. Many people find this plausable and comforting, especially if life is good for them. But let's move on a little further.
Calvinists also claim the Bible teaches that we are responsible for our own actions, that God expects us to obey Him, to evangelize the lost, to pray, etc. These ideas begin to paint quite a different picture of God. They imply that we ourselves are to choose how we live our lives, and that we play a huge part in determining not only our own futures, but also of those around us. Let me illustrate these additional concepts with the following drawing.
Obviously, this drawing seems to be taking a different shape and direction than the other one above it with the three rods forming. At this point after hearing these different teachings from the same leaders, some people begin getting confused and start asking good questions, such as the following...
"If God has sovereignly pre-determined every decision I ever have or will make, why should I be concerned about obeying Him? After all, He's the one making me do whatever I do!"
"If God already knows ahead of time every person who is going to end up in heaven or hell, either because of predestination or if He can see the future, then why should I be concerned about evangelism? What will be, will be. Right?"
"If God has already decided how, where, and when my cancer-stricken father will die, what is the point of me praying for Him? If God already knows what will happen, how will my prayers change anything?"
Here's where some theologians really begin to do their magic. Through wordy explanations using terminology very few can understand, and emotional appeals to classical tradition, they skillfully re-arrange and paint a picture that puts all these incompatible, incoherent ideas together, and present it all back to us in a seemingly reasonable package. They then label it a "paradox". Below is the final picture they present back to us.
At first glance, this does indeed look like a reasonable object. Unfortunately, it's a just a nice, clear representation of nonsense. It appears to be a real object, but in fact it is just an illusion, just like many ideas about God that are held today. It doesn't matter who says the picture above is real, the fact of the matter is that while the picture can be drawn cleanly on paper, it cannot ever be formed into a real, three-dimensional object. It just doesn't work in the real world. In the same way, numerous theological perspectives have been assembled over the centuries in thick multi-volume sets and look good on paper, but they just don't make any sense when applied to real life.
One more thought. When some people's incoherent and illogical ideas about God are challenged, they sometimes rely on a strange defense. They claim a God who is understandable wouldn't be God to them. They say God would be too small if they could understand Him. I disagree with this. While naturally I expect Him to have knowledge and abilities that go way beyond my present comprehension, I also believe that God created us in His image to be like Himself, so that we actually could have real fellowship, and that we could have mutual understanding. Otherwise, what does it mean to be made in His image, if He is nothing like us and is incomprehensible?
Let's all make a point of taking the time necessary to study God's Word completely by ourselves, before blindly accepting the first or the most popular theological positions pushed our way. Let's read His Word prayerfully and carefully, asking the Holy Spirit to teach us all things. It's better to be ignorant about certain issues and say so, than to embrace and spread doctrines that just aren't true.
In conclusion, I would like to say that I recognize that systematic theology has been the grueling life's work of many learned men. While some of that theology has proved to be flawed, I believe that most theologians in Christendom have been sincere and godly men, devoted to serving God and man in the best way they knew how. It is a huge and worthwhile task to try to put together a comprehensive, coherent theology that clearly portrays the God of the Bible as He truly is. I am looking forward to seeing it happen one day, if and when anyone on earth is in fact able to accomplish it. Toward that end, I believe that Open Theists have much to contribute. Eventually, though, we will all certainly get to know Him exactly as He is, when we get to fellowship with Him eternally in heaven. In the meantime, the drawing below perhaps represents just about how far systematic theology has come to date...
-nOFuTuRe
Hi I want to know where you found this template from I love it!
-Anonymous
The blog template is from GoDaddy.com, and the illustration used in my blog depicting the optical illusion came from a Google search.
-nOFuTuRe
Reply to this