Google can be one of the biggest time sinks.
I was looking up a person to learn a little about him. In reading his story, references were made to words I’ve long since forgotten. Dispensationalism, Covenant theology, New Covenant theology.
So, I started refreshing my memory of these theologies. And each has one or more sub-groups. And I lost an hour of productive time.
There are many people who are much smarter than I who have way too much time on their hands who begin with an arcane assumption and build a huge edifice on the assumption. And people go to war over these ideas.
And I think, why did they try to make things so complicated.
We have four Gospels who each tell us two things. First, there was this guy called (in Greek) Jesus who took Jewish Wisdom teaching and the Laws and gave them a new interpretation in teaching us how to live. And, second and most important, this Jesus was killed and yet came back to life after death.
Then there was Paul who explained the Jewish scriptures in light of this new teaching and resurrection. And James and Peter who taught us how to live in this new Dominion of God.
I’ve been down all these paths of theology and more. Yet, I’ve not seen how they help me become a disciple of Jesus. And that’s the real point.
I feel like the guy in Noel Paul Stookey’s song, Hymn (Sunday morning), where the guy visits a church.
Passing conversations where they mentioned Your existence
And the fact that You had been replaced by Your assistants.
The discussion was theology,
And when they smiled and turned to me
All that I could say was “I believe in You.”
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