manifesto. That figures. You confident types are so
cock-sure of everything -- you are ideally suited to tell us what to believe
about this, and what to do about that. Don't you guys ever have
self-doubts? Don't you think it is possible that you could be wrong about
anything?
We have been wrong about many things.
So you admit that you could be wrong about God's sovereignty?
Certainly.
I'm glad to hear you say that. Finally.
We could be wrong in our doctrine of God. You could be wrong in your doctrine of God. The only One who cannot be wrong in His doctrine of God is . . . God. Fortunately, He has revealed Himself on the subject. If He had not done so, one man's guess would be as good as any other man's.
There you go again! That just pushes the question back one step. Why do you think you cannot be wrong in your interpretation of His revelation?"
The real question is not whether "we can be wrong" in our interpretation of Scripture. The real question is whether God is great enough to reveal truth about Himself to sinners and blockheads -- just like us. We acknowledge, with gratitude, that He has done so.
That sounds really good at first -- really humble, in fact. But what it means is that you think that your interpretation of Scripture is the right one, right? And isn't that a little arrogant?
You are right in thinking that we believe our interpretation of Scripture is correct. Did you want us to think our interpretation of Scripture was not the correct one?
Fine, fine, but you know what I mean. The problem is with attitude. Certainty and assurance are all very well, but doesn't the Bible require a little humility?
Perhaps.
Okay, what do you mean by perhaps?
That sounds really nice to say we should be humble, but if we were to say this with certainty and assurance, couldn't someone accuse us of arrogance?
Do you sit up nights thinking up these word games?
Our only real protection is a humble submission to what God has revealed to us in the entirety of Scripture. Our standard is to be only Scripture and all of Scripture -- the whole counsel of God.
And there's another thing! This "whole counsel of God" business -- your systematic approach is simply unbiblical. You are trying to force scriptural truth about God into a man-made doctrinal system.
Is that a bad thing to do?
Of course it is a bad thing to do!
How can we tell if something like this is bad or not?
The Bible tells us.
So where does the Bible warn us about systematics?
Well, it doesn't forbid it in so many words.
So what you have is a systematic case against systematics. You are carrying a sign, and the lettering on the sign says, "Signs are bad. Don't carry them." You say that our fundamental convictions should come from plain Scripture texts, not "reasoning," but you arrived at this conviction about systematics through systematic reasoning.
Okay, let me change the subject for a minute. You obviously are into word games, so let me ask you about how you use them. Why do you describe God in words that are so confining? When you say that God is sovereign and omnipotent, doesn't that put God in a box? Such words limit God -- God is bigger than your words, isn't He?
God is not bigger than my words. He is bigger than all words -- including the words He gave in Scripture to use in talking about Him and communicating with Him. But you cannot say that God is bigger than words without using words. Look at the sort of thing we pitiful creatures do. When we capitalize pronouns which refer to Him, we are showing honor to Him. But what a paltry honor! But it is the glory of finite creatures to worship God inadequately.
What are you talking about?
He is holy, but much greater than the word holy. He is love, but much greater than the word love. God is infinitely glorious, but we speak all our words about Him as finite creatures. So no Christian can honestly speak about God for more than a few minutes without realizing that all words quickly come to the end of their tether. We cannot abandon theological words -- they are an inescapable gift from God -- but it is our duty to realize when we are at the end of our tether when we talk about Him.
But when you say that God is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, and so on, you are putting Him in a box.
Can anyone play this game? Why could I not say that to say God is bigger than words puts Him in a box?
Well, it seems that you are just playing more word games, and you should probably get serious.
I am deadly serious. The most glorious words, even the words of Scripture, considered in themselves, can be made into idols. Like ourselves, they are creatures, and it is idolatry to worship any creature. We mouth the "attributes of God" because we think that in them we have eternal life. But these words bear witness to something Outside. As words they have a referent outside themselves -- properly understood, they bear faithful witness to the God who dwells in unapproachable light.
Well, you talk a good line. But don't you see that many like you have fallen into this trap of word-idolatry?
Of course we have. We have sinned horribly in this.
I don't get you at all. How can you say that?
Their sin is the greater because they say they know better.
"Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, `We see.' Therefore your sin remains" (John 9:41).
