God: An epistemological certainty

Knowing and doing are two different things altogether. Yet, we all know that with God, there is no division between the two. Thomas A. Kempis, a monk who wrote during the Middle Ages, once asked, "What doth it profit thee to dispute deeply abut the Trinity, if thou be wanting in humility, and so be displeasing to the Trinity?"

Then with wisdom, he went on to say, "I would rather feel compunction [remorse] than know how to define it."

Sometimes, as an aspiring theologian (which at this point in my life I must say that a heavy emphasis should be placed on the word, aspiring) I find it much easier to wax eloquent on a holy concept than to live a life of holiness.

May God grant us the desire to become doers of the word, and not hearers only. Sometimes I think we hear, or think we hear the word of the Lord, but do not really understand because our perception of what God is saying and what God is really saying are altogether different. So, we expound on nuances and trivialities, and many times just outright falsities.

Paul cautions us to,

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NASB ©1995)

Personally, I think we need to take a very close look at that verse. Philosophy, all philosophy, is deceptive. Why do I say that? Well, primarily because it is!

Now, allow me to explain.

Philosophy originates on the grid of human intellect. It is the expressed thoughts of man as he gazes inward, outward and upward through a filter of inadequate language patterns, paradigms, illusions, and experiences. Therefore, it is faulty. We cannot trust it for ontological certainty.

So, my policy when reading theology is square it up with Scripture. This in my opinion, eliminates dialectical theology—pitting God over against nature and reason, and searching for understanding in that. "Not at all!" as Paul says, "Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." Romans 3:4 (NIV ©1984)

In light of this, I feel that a good hermeneutical for us to follow is to allow God to speak for Himself. We do not define God. God defines himself. Or in the words of Martin Luther, we must "let God be God." Really, we have no other choice.

This would also rule out the silly illogical theology of evolution as espoused by men like Michael Dowd; or Christological monism (which sounds good, but in fact is just monism with a theological twist); or liberalism; or conservatism, and so-forth. Why? Because God does not fit into any of these boxes. God is God, period. Describing him does not make him better, or different, or changed in any way. God is what He is. I AM, He said. Nothing more; nothing less.

Therefore, in my opinion we do not discover who He is, or describe Him. He tells us. Naturally, that involves words; but primarily The Word, His Word, His Son, and our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord of all things created.


May God grant us the clarity of vision to see Him as He is; and ears to clearly hear His voice at all times and in all of His purposes..

 Jim R