Comments on: Worshiping the Missional God

By: Jonathan Rowe

Jonathan Rowe — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:27:50 +0000

I’ve been reading and lurking for a while now, having drifted this way from the Mayberry Driven Church, but I finally felt moved to comment.

Well done on an excellent post! The narrative approach to what the Abraham story *means* is very effective. In preaching and teaching in my own church, I’ve done a lot of that kind of narrative teaching.

Scripture is so full of good, compelling stories, and part of our work of evangelism is sharing those stories. If we don’t do a good job of sharing the stories with the people who need to hear them, what are we doing?

By: jmanning

jmanning — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:37:22 +0000

Just for clarification on my previous post, I think a non-saved average reader can understand the Bible just like a Bible scholar. But I don’t think they can love the message without conversion. I think revelation is the changing of our affections to the word by the word. That drawing may bring us to propositional truth, but it doesn’t come from blind propositional truth.

By: jmanning

jmanning — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:34:55 +0000

Because propositions are information. Anybody who has fair reading skills can exegete Romans as well as a biblical scholar can if they spend time on it. Not everyone who reads Romans is encountered by God’s Spirit through it. It doesn’t seem the propositional truth is the revelation, more like the vehicle. I don’t think revelation happens apart from it though (like all the people asking Barth why he didn’t preach from a phone book if the proposition wasn’t revelation)

I think the propositional due to the incarnational aspect of Christ can house revelation if the Spirit of God inspired it, preserved it, and channels through it to enlighten the affections of the reader to His claims. But I don’t think basic words on the page are effectual.

By: Greg Laughery

Greg Laughery — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 06:35:49 +0000

jmanning,
If indeed Barth holds this position I would ask, Why the rather? The Bible is not less than propositional, but it is far more in that these propositions have a referent and directedness that leads to an encounter with God.

By: Michael Spencer

Michael Spencer — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 01:40:59 +0000

I’d have to give that some thought jmanning. Don’t have an answer.

By: jmanning

jmanning — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 01:27:39 +0000

Michael, is this why Barth would say God confronts us in the Bible with revelation in an I-Thou encounter rather than propositional information?

By: Pastor M

Pastor M — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 20:12:15 +0000

So many people seem to me to speak with almost absolute certainty about God, what God wants, what God says, etc. I always wonder how they know, but, then I remember Abraham who just left his home not even knowing where he was to go, only that God would tell him when he got there. He couldn’t even call AAA to ask for directions to his destination, as he didn’t know. It seems to be that we believe, have faith, or however you want to put it. We may be right, or we may be wrong. We do as Abraham did, we move forward trusting God, never having all the answers.

By: Nathanael

Nathanael — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:19:59 +0000

Wonderful post, brother.
I am actually going to be teaching on the 24th from Hebrews 6:13-20. And this is a wonderful perspective to help me as I study.

Thanks.

By: brad brisco

brad brisco — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:26:06 +0000

Michael, very good post, thank you for the post and the site! Greg, just got a copy of your book and hope to begin this weekend.

By: Gene Thomas

Gene Thomas — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:02:27 +0000

You said, “He told him [Abraham] nothing else. There had to be dozens- hundreds- of questions, all unanswered.” Actually, we don’t know that, but assume it becasue the story doesn’t tell any more. But for all we know to the contrary God had a lot more to say to Abraham. We must remember that Abraham didn’t record the story for us, and we only know what God gave Moses to say.

I don’t bring this up to question the depth, or value of Abraham’s faith. Mine should be so strong. I think the main point of the story to us is given by Paul. Faith is saving. We must simply believe God, and act on that belief.