Credo Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Who is God Anyway?

Chapter 2 Outline

1. Introduction: God was always just a fact of life
2. Who is God Anyways?
1. God is One but there are three persons? (Trinity)
2. Describing an infinite God with a finite language (Attributes)
3. What is God up to in this world?
1. How did this whole world come to be? (Creation)
2. Is God still involved in this world today? (Providence)

Introduction: God was always just a fact of life

The question of who is God is one that has brought about a wide array of reactions throughout history. Some become repulsed by the idea of a higher power, some are comforted, some become defensive about a certain religious perspective, and then there are some who are left in awe, pondering this question at its deepest levels. I think there have been times in my life where I have had many of those reactions, and yet today I believe on my best days, I more resemble a position of awe and reverent humility in trying to answer this question. Part of the reason for this humility is that I truly believe that fully and completely answering this question is impossible. How could I know who the infinite creator of this universe is? I really do not think I can ever truly answer this question. The good news is I do think we have a window into the reality of God so we are not completely in the dark. The only reason I believe I can even begin to consider this question is through the gracious revelation of the Spirit, through whom God actually seeks after his chosen people to reveal God’s self to us. God has given us a Holy and Living Scripture, which we discussed in the previous chapter and through these words and the Spirit’s work a glimpse of the divine is revealed. In describing this divine glimpse, I do not I intend to limit or bind up the infinite God whom, on my best days I try and love with all my heart, soul and might.[1]

Who is God Anyways?

This is the big question that we’ll reverently explore briefly (considering the impossible task). Together we will look at some of the core images, doctrines, and words with which that I can best begin to comprehend and then try and explain God. Before we get into that I would like you to travel back in time with me to a time when I was much younger and much more innocent.

As you already know I was raised in a family where I found one of my many designations as a child included the title of “PK,” which fondly stands for “preacher’s kid” or “pastor’s kid.” If I close my eyes and think of some of my earliest memories and try and imagine a time prior to my belief of God, I draw a big, profound blank! There is not a time in my life when I did not have some concept that God was real to me. God was just part of my reality. One time in Sunday school class we were asked to drawn a picture of God. So as a nine-year-old fairly comfortable with advanced tools of my trade, I grabbed a Crayola crayon and began to draw a picture of God. In my innocence and with little thought of whether I might not get it right or toe the line of heresy I just went for it. In my depiction of the divine I drew a picture of an older looker man in a cloud with rays of light shooting outward with all the brilliance a nine year old wielding a crayon can portray! This is how I pictured God: a man, similar to my dad, who was in heaven, maybe on a throne, and for whatever reason he was glowing like shiny gold. Now my picture would look much different and would be far more abstract, mostly because I do not think my artistic skills have changed much since I was in 3^rd grade! Therefore instead I will use words to shed light on who God is and the first word that I can think of that most encompasses who I believe God to be is Trinity.

A Lesson in Poor Arithmetic and Good Christian Theology: God is three in One (Trinity)

The central confession of Ancient Israel is this, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is alone.”[2] Literally the Hebrew here could be read simply as; the Lord (is) God of us, the Lord (is) one.[3] This means that one of the central confessions of the ancient Israel is that God is one; or that there is only one God. This is what many would refer to as classic monotheism. This same monotheism gave rise to Christianity in the first century in the man Jesus Christ. Christianity, in turn has a new twist to traditional monotheism; Trinitarian Monotheism. Jesus Christ prayed to his Father in heaven, which is what he called the Lord that all other Jews also worshipped in his time (spoken of in Deuteronomy 6:4). As a Christian I not only confess that the God of Judaism is Lord but I also confess (by the power of the Spirit) that Jesus is Lord.[4] Then to make matter a little more confusing, there is one other thing; Jesus speaks of the Advocate[5] whom the Father sends in Jesus’ name to the earth. This is the Holy Spirit who I also confess as Lord. It only takes some basic elementary arithmetic skills to realize that to confess Jesus as “my Lord and my God,”[6] and to confess the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 seems to bring about a mathematical contradiction. Can Jesus be Lord and the Father be Lord and the Holy Spirit be Lord?[7] The Trinity became the language the church formulated in order to try to understand how the answer to this seemingly contradictory question could be YES! Trinity was a new word to describe God. It is not in scripture and yet when we read scripture it best captures what the testimony of the living word describes.

The Trinity tells me that the God whom I love is in God’s very nature relational. God is defined by the relationship within the God-head. A perfect divine relationship best described by our limited language by the word love. Love in its purest sense always involves more than one. Love is given. Love is received. This means then that love happens in relationship; therefore, since God is love it makes sense for us to view God as a relational God. God desires to be in relationship to us and yet his relational nature is not dependant on us since there is relationship within the God-head. Ok, that was exciting, but let’s take a moment to ponder and wonder. As a young person I just accepted the idea of the Trinity. It was not until seminary that I really began to ponder this idea and investigate how scriptures testify to this truth. One concept really stood out for me as I began to better understand the Trinity. The balance of three characteristics of the Trinity that include; unity, equality, and distinction.

The Trinity is the belief that God exists in divine relationship characterized by perfect unity, equality and distinction in three persons most often referred to as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The idea that these three characteristics are all crucial in Trinitarian belief was transformational. Sometimes Christians begin to lean toward one or two of these characteristics and thus fall into lesser truths about the God to whom we belong. For much of my life I did not recognize the distinction characteristic and found myself practically thinking of God through a lens of Modalism. This way of viewing God believes that there is one God who “throughout biblical history, has revealed Himself in three modes, or forms”[8] This perspective may solve the mathematical puzzle of the Trinity but it denies the persons of the Trinity’s unique roles and distinction[9] throughout the Biblical testimony and today. It is important in my opinion to keep all three of these characteristics in equal balance as much as my fallen nature will allow. There are also several analogies and illustrations that are often helpful whether trying to get a grasp on the Triune God of love.

These illustrations or analogies are helpful to a point and yet like all analogies they break down at a certain juncture. There are two main kinds of Trinitarian analogies; psychological and sociological analogies. Psychological analogies start with one and try to explain the three parts, while sociological analogies start with the three and try and explain how they are one. An example of a psychological analogy would be the idea that one woman could be a daughter, a mother, and a sister. It is easy to see however this can easily evolve into a kind of Modalism, where it is one singular being fulfilling three different roles in life. An example of a sociological analogy would be the idea that all (or three individuals) the people of the earth are all members of one humanity. This obviously can lead us to over-look the characteristic of unity, and we slip into a kind of polytheism.[10]

Again it is so crucial to keep in mind that when discussing, debating, and learning theology, we should do so on bended knee. This posture will help us to remember our place in this world as the creature and not the creator. I love how God reminds Job of this, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements - surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?”[11] We must remember our place in the order of the universe. When we try to understand and deduce God it is comparable to a colony of ants undertaking organic chemistry; it’s quite laughable. Lucky for us God gives us enough knowledge and faith to be in welcomed into this divine communion of the Trinity! More on that later!

Describing an infinite God with a finite language (Attributes)

Drawings done by 3^rd graders in Sunday School class or the doctrine of the Trinity obviously are not the only ways in which we can describe God. The Bible also gives us words in order to better capture who God is. These words are commonly referred to as the attributes of God. In a similar way, analogies and even the Trinity are ways in which we can better understand God, but they are not perfect. God, because of his loving grace, has given us these means (attributes and doctrine) by the revelation of the Holy Spirit through the Holy Scriptures in order that we might have a comprehendible glimpse into who God is. Language has its limitations but the Bible gives us the best language to use when referring to God. There are many attributes that I could discuss but I have only selected a couple that have been enlightening in my life.

The first words that stand out when I think of the Triune God are holy, righteous, and sovereign. God is holy and righteous. In other words God is pure and set apart. I think of a number of Psalms[12] and the chorus of Revelation 4:8 which sings, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."[13] God is set apart and God is good and righteous in a way that demands our worship and praise. It is a gift to be able to delight in the name of the Lord. Since the Triune God revealed in scripture is Holy, righteous and good, we can find comfort in his Sovereignty and power. We will discuss this more in depth when we explore God’s providence over the earth.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son”[14]… “The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord”[15]… “And these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”[16]… “God is love.”[17] In my opinion love is the attribute of God that stands above all others. It is so crucial in fact, that all other attributes flow from this one attribute that cannot be contained in this four letter English word. Out of God’s love for this earth and his people comes forth other attributes including God’s justice, wrath, salvation, faithfulness, peace, redemption, and hope. God’s interaction with the world can be best understood through the lens God’s love for the world.

What is God up to in this world?

Now that we’ve explored how I understand God, the question quite naturally moves to “What does this mean for us here on earth?” So many people have the perception that God is in heaven on a chair watching the earthly theatre from his heavenly box seats. I completely reject this notion of a God who wound up the earth and set it in motion for just to see what would happen. This image not only does not align with what I read in scripture, but it also does not fit with my own experience with God. I cannot believe that God in some fatalistic sense just watches the tragedy on earth un-fold like a sad independent film. I believe God is near. God is present. God is actively involved in and with his beloved creation.

When I look back at my life, I cannot help but see God’s hand guiding and sometimes carrying. It only takes serious pondering over the question, “How in the world did I get here today?” I know it is not an accident. I know and I believe that God’s hands have left their mark all over my life. This is not to say that God’s involvement in this world only involves me or other Christians. I believe it all started before the foundations of the world. God’s continual involvement in this world starts at the beginning of this created universe.

How did this whole world come to be? (Creation)

During a span of three years I became incredibly passionate about the apologetics of creation science. I whole-heartedly rejected the theory of evolution and I even wrote a paper in High School arguing for this position. I read books and went to bible studies that sought to prove that God created the world. I used the research of creation science and sought to refute evolutionary theory. This passion was a huge part of my faith journey even though today I do not hold this same vigor towards the subject surrounding the same issues. My love of the sciences created an easy entry point for igniting a desire to read the scriptures. Years later I can look back and appreciate this time of my journey.

During my time in college I helped out with a high school Christian organization, called Intervarsity and during one lunch time session I recognized a similar fervor in a student presenting on creation science. A very intelligent young man was giving a thorough presentation on creationism and laid out convincing arguments that bashed Darwin’s evolutionary theory. For him, biblical chronology was a high priority and at one point he taught that Genesis’ literal accuracy was the foundation of the entire Biblical story; if it was not true than the validity of the entire scripture was in jeopardy. These assumptions made me nervous as a young religion scholar at Hope College but there was another creation science tendency that I also soon would reject. The emphasis turns to proving the Genesis account to be the exact way in which God created the earth. This causes some to draw the conclusion that God created the earth in seven days and then went back to heaven for all history. This implies a God who is far away and far too passive to put in him, all my trust and hope.

Today I fully believe that the connection between creation and Creator is intimate and dependant, for all time, because I believe all life comes from the hand of God. God did not create the earth in seven days and then leave, only to watch his drama unfold; nor did God set up a world with an evolutionary inkling only to leave and watch species adapt to eventually bring about human life. I believe all life comes from and is sustained by God. Apart from God, without his constant outpouring of grace I believe that I would die along with all else in this world. Here is the shift that has occurred in my belief. I used to think that the earth was placed on its perfect axis. Today I believe not only that God place the earth at the perfect angle circling the sun, but God holds it there. Not only did God know me before the foundations of the world,[18] but it is only because of God that my heart beats and my lungs fill with oxygen.[19] All life flows from God. What I mainly reject is that God is passive in creation throughout time. I maintain that God is actively involved in creating, sustaining and holding life. Psalm 139: 13 says, “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”[20] Psalm 147:8-9 reads, “Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. He gives to the beast its food, and to the young ravens which cry.” This is not a picture of a God who is passive in relation to his creation but rather a God who carefully, and actively provides for all of creation; a God who knows what creation needs and provides it.

Is God still involved in this world today? (Providence)

As I mentioned in the previous section I whole-heartedly believe that God is in no way passive and just lets things happen by chance. God is not sitting in heaven, looking down as the drama of the earth unfolds. In fact I love how the Belgic Confession states this, “We believe that this good God, after creating all things, did not abandon them to chance or fortune but leads and governs them according to the holy divine will, in such a way that nothing happens in this world without God’s orderly arrangement.”[21] This means that I am not left to cruel chance/fate but rather I rest in the arms and providence of my creator God.

There are points in life when the loving guidance of God seem so apparently clear. Mostly this is true when looking at life. I know when I look back at my life and see how God brought me to the place where I am today it is a miracle. Even when I think about how I met my wife Evonne, it is a miracle! I can tell you that a flippant descision to try-out for an improvisational comedy team, my sophomore year in college eventually led me to California 3 years later where I met my wife, Evonne. It wasn’t like we were going to bump into each other in a local grocery store! God brought us together and was working to make that happen years before we even had a notion of one another. When I look back at these moments where God has blessed me with good gifts, it is natural and easy to remember and trust in his providence, but I will be the first to admit though that this is much easier to believe at some moments in life than others.

When I was in 3^rd grade my teacher had us practice our writing skills by keeping a journal that she would respond to everyday. I can only imagine the work and time this took her every not, but this was why she was an excellent teacher. I remember specifically when she asked us to start writing three sentences and on some days I would manage this feat in under 10 words (pretty impressive lethargic tendencies). Aside from practicing my penmanship it offers a beautiful lens into my 3^rd grade mind. When I read through bits of it with Evonne some moments were more memorable than others. About half-way through there is an entry that says, “There were ambulances at my neighbor Tiffany’s house last night. She went to the hospital. I think she will be ok.” The next day I wrote, “Tiffany died last night. She committed suicide.” I will never forget this moment in my life because Tiffany was my friend. She had a terrible time in High School but in my 3^rd grade mind, she was a princess! Yet something made her take her own life…how could this be?!? “In such a way that nothing happens in this world without God’s orderly arrangement.” There are times when this is hard to believe and yet it is a far better option that to consider to alternative.

The Belgic Confession makes it very clear and I would agree that God is NOT the author of evil. This is a huge point of tension that I recognize and embrace. I believe that God is sovereign over all the earth. This means then that God is all powerful and in control of everything in heaven and on earth. Jesus says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”[22] This means yes that nothing can happen outside of God’s providence! It may make us angry at God and question God, but he can handle that. The point is that even when loved ones are dying and things seem to be spinning out of control; the truth is they are not. God is in control. The God who loves us is in control and with us. The Christian hope is not that God will never allow evil to happen, but rather the Christian hope is that God’s children are never alone.

When we explore such matters it is crucial to again remember our place. We are creatures pondering the infinite creator God. Much will not make sense to us. Belgic speaks on this as well in the same article, “We do not wish to inquire with undue curiosity into what God does that surpasses human understanding and is beyond our ability to comprehend.”[23] This doctrine of God’s providence, which at times is incredibly difficult to believe also is a source of unspeakable comfort for me, “since it teaches us that nothing can happen to us by chance but only by the arrangement of our gracious heavenly Father.”[24] I must take a humble approach to God who is beyond my understanding and at the same time I trust that God’s good purpose in my life will always prevail.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

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[1] Deut 6:5 (NRSV) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.

[2] Deuteronomy 6:4 (NRSV)

[3] In Hebrew class we spent a semester in this passage memorizing it and putting these words on our hearts. The word in Hebrew [dj2a6], which is translated in the NRSV as alone is literally the word for the number one.

[4] Romans 10: 9 and 1 Corinthians 12: 3 (NIV)

[5] John 14: 26 (NRSV)

[6] John 20:28 (NRSV) This is the same confess Thomas declares after the resurrected Jesus appears to him at the end of the fourth gospel.

[7] This language is used purposefully because this trinity conversation was birthed out of a confession found in scripture and out of the worshipping life of the early church.

[8] Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry: Modalism, http://www.carm.org/modalism, Accessed January 29, 2010.

[9] In later chapters we will explore more in depth the person’s roles within the Godhead.

[10] Polytheism is the belief that there are many Gods and of course is contrary to the strict monotheism at witnessed to throughout scripture.

[11] Job 38: 4-5 (NRSV)

[12] Ps. 30; 33; 99 (NIV)

[13] Revelation 4:8 (NIV) and also remember Isaiah 6:3 - “And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’” (NIV)

[14] John 3:16 (NIV)

[15] Psalm 33:5

[16] 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

[17] 1 John 4:8 (NRSV)

[18] Jeremiah 1:5 (NRSV) "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Cf. Matt 25:34 (NRSV)

[19] Acts 17: 28 (NRSV) For In him we live and move and have our being,

[20] Psalm 139:13 (NRSV)

[21] Belgic Confession [Article 13]

[22] Matthew 10: 29-31 (NIV)

[23] Belgic Confession [Article 13]

[24] Ibid.

Credo Entry 1

I thought it would be cool to post my Credo on my blog since in many ways it represents 3 years of seminary learning. This is a good marker of where I am at theologically in this moment. Not all of it is in stone and unmovable but it is worth posting... feel free to comment or add insights... i will post more chapters latter!!!

Chapter 1: Who Do I Think I Am?

Chapter 1 Outline

1. Introduction: Where do I get off writing a Credo?
2. I am not my own… My Personal Life of Faith
3. God’s Revelation: General & Special Revelation
4. Interpreting God’s Revelation
1. Hermeneutics
5. Conclusion

Introduction

There I was, a twenty-two year old Wisconsin boy in Chino, California standing in front of thirty high school students who could give a rip that I was a preacher’s son. It strikes me, as I am standing there to tell them about the Bible, why would they listen to me? They don’t know me nor do I know them. At the time I could not come up with a good reason why they would listen. If I am honest I probably just thought that it was up to me to earn their ear. If I could relate to these kids just enough and earn their trust, then they would listen to my advice and be transformed. Five years later I have realized something much deeper about why anyone would listen to what I have to say. The reason is simply because “I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”[1] It is true that I cannot expect a student to actually listen to me without first gaining their trust, but I can gain someone’s trust and still tell them a lie! That happens all the time. It is only because I am Christ’s own that I know that I actually have something of value to share with people! It only makes sense then to share with you a little bit about my journey as Christ’s own, so let me tell you a little story…

I am not my own…

On March 1, 1983 I was born in the Cook County Children’s Hospital in the Chicago area. I was the second son to Paul and Becky Wernlund in an eventual trio of boys (Joel, me, and Corey). My Dad, a pastor in a midsized congregation in the RCA and my mother would eventually go back to work several years after my little brother was born. My Dad is a strong man, both slow to anger and speak out and my Mom is an independent woman who will always speak up for those she loves. This is the family I have been given and I feel so blessed to have them all in my life. I am not my own…

Shortly after I was born my parents had me baptized in our church in Alsip, IL. I obviously cannot recount the events of this day since I was far too young, but since coming to seminary, it is a day I remember often.[2] It was on this day that God brought me into his family under the covenant he first made with my parents. God will be faithful to this covenant throughout my life, which I hope you’ll see as I tell my story. I am not my own…

It was shortly after my baptism that I gave my parents quite a scare and God was faithful. When I was one I came down with a very high fever and ended up in the hospital to undergo a variety of tests. It was found that my left kidney had been destroyed and my body was slowly being poisoned because of urine that was backing up. The only cure was an incredibly dangerous surgery to remove the atrophied kidney. Talk about some earth shattering news for some young parents! When the day came for surgery I had gotten chicken pox from my older brother, Joel and the anxious waiting had to continue another couple of weeks. On the day of my second scheduled surgery my dad walked into the hospital holding his baby boy. This time he had a limp in his step because of a sciatic nerve in his back. Both of my parents were terrified and incredibly anxious. They handed over their son to the doctor for a last round of testing before surgery. A short while later the doctor handed me back to my dad. He told my parents that they could take their son home; he no longer needed this surgery! The problem had “corrected itself” and surgery was no longer needed. I am not my own…

Throughout my childhood I have had people from my home church that taught, loved, and supported me in this spiritual journey. I remember flannel graphs in Sunday school and I remember learning about the parables in children and worship. Some of my earliest memories are with my parents and of them praying with me. We would have family devotions after dinner and I remember both my parents praying with all of us kids before bed. My parents and my church taught me about Jesus and because of this God was always in my framework of reality. . It was during this stage of my life that I asked Jesus into my heart. I am not my own…

As I entered junior high my faith was still pretty simple. I knew I had Jesus in my heart and soon I fell into this pattern of thinking that I had to keep making sure he was in there! I would recommit my life to Christ anytime I was given the opportunity because I wanted to make sure Jesus was with me. Later on someone told me this idea of having a relationship with Jesus. This was so helpful at the time because Jesus became a person instead of a possession to hold on to. In all of this God was at work in my life keeping His covenant promise he made at my baptism. I am not my own…

As I entered high school it didn’t take long for me to figure out that it was when I was with other people that I most felt alive, especially spiritually. It was during youth group, during worship, mission trips, and camps that I felt most alive. During this stage in my development, friends, family and pastors played a huge role. It was then that I realized that my relationship with Jesus Christ was not merely a private matter. This relationship had to impact my entire life. I am not my own…

Then during my senior year of High School I learned that my parents were not indestructible. I learned that tragedy can strike a household such like mine. My dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and although he survived and is now cancer free, I can never forget when I saw him after surgery needing morphine every several minutes to drive away the pain. The man I saw as superman now I realized was only a man. The world was no longer black and white even though I fought to keep it that way. This event rocked me because I had to hold it in due to my dad’s position as pastor our church. So I denied it and kept living life as it if it were normal. Even still, I remembered that my dad could actually die! Then it all came spilling out during a boys Bible study. These guys were there for me and just let me weep there and express all the emotions I was holding inside. God taught me to cherish those people I love in this life and he was faithful. I am not my own…

Even after all this I still was not really grasping the reality that I cannot control my own destiny. It was not until college that God taught me about my own finite nature. This was a huge humbling step toward understanding that I am not my own…

During these college years I began serving in a youth group as the worship leader. I loved leading worship and they offered some compensation that this poor college student desperately needed, so it made sense. It was in this time that I started to more fully realize the passion God had put in my soul to serve youth in a pastoral role. After a full year of helping out I went on the group’s summer mission trip to Montana. It took 40 hours to get their while riding in a school bus that could barely make it up steep inclines. I found rest by sleeping on the luggage rack, but also had the chance to talk with many students. I realized the call God had place on my life to serve in ministry on this trip and I shared with the group that I would become a youth pastor. When I shared this with my parents they were supportive despite the fact that I had already paid for two years of Hope College with a focus on the natural sciences. I changed my major to religion and continued to serve as the worship leader at this same church. God put a passion for youth in my heart and called me into the ministry. I am not my own…

When I graduated from Hope College, this same church was looking for a new youth pastor and I thought it would be the perfect spot to start to serve out this call to ministry. I knew them, they knew me, and it would be a perfect transition. God had a different plan though, and a month later I found myself in Chino, CA, as the youth intern at a church with a thriving community focused youth program. I had never been to California before! I am not my own…

Now we are back in Chino, CA and I have recently become the youth pastor at the church. I am standing in front of these students and I am trying to figure out why they should listen to me. It did not take long for me to experience severe doubt about my ability to lead and pastor these students. Most of them were from the community and several had behavioral problems that stemmed from a harsh environment at home. I had some leaders call me out and question my authority and ability. In some ways I felt beaten up and inept. Then a friend and youth pastor hinted to the greater reality. He said to me, “J.B. you are here because God has brought you here to be the youth pastor at Oaks Community Church. God has called you here and doing his work through you!”[3] The only reason I could be these students’ youth pastor; the only reason I could come to seminary and be minister at a church is because “I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.” He has called me to this joyous and difficult work and I will be faithful to his call. The only reason I feel confident enough to write this credo is because I believe that God is gracious enough to reveal God’s self to me by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who has been and continues today to actively reveal God’s self to people throughout human history. This work of revealing is called revelation.

God’s Revelation: General and Special

After coming to seminary I was a little bit surprised when I got to know John Calvin a little bit. Granted, my positive experience probably had something to do with the fact that I attend a Reformed seminary but still I realized I had gotten the wrong impression of the man. One of those things that actually surprised me was his view of God’s revelation to humanity. I thought that the obvious location of God’s revelation would be through the Bible, but John Calvin leaves room for the Spirit to reveal God’s self outside of the divine book all while holding the book on a very high level. Calvin writes,

He not only sowed in men’s minds that seed of religion of which we have spoken but revealed himself and daily discloses himself in the whole workmanship of the universe. As a consequence, men cannot open their eyes without being compelled to see him. Indeed, his essence is incomprehensible; hence, his divinenss far escapes all human perception. But upon his individual works he has engraved unmistakable marks of his glory, so clear and so prominent that even unlettered and stupid folk cannot plead the excuse of ignorance.[4]

Calvin is saying that there is evidence of God’s glory in throughout the universe in a way that every person on earth could not open their eyes without taking notice. He goes on later to talk about how we cannot fully see God’s glory because sin clouds our vision. It is only by grace that we can take notice of what is clearly God’s glory that is all around us. Furthermore we need the Bible as an inspired word by which we interpret all that we see by the power of the Holy Spirit. In short, God’s glory is all around us but we must understand it through the guide of scripture and we cannot see God’s glory in either scripture or nature, except by the grace of the Holy Spirit’s revelatory action and power.

The evidence of the Spirit’s work is found throughout history and the Spirit continues to be active in Christ’s church and in the world. The two-fold work of the Spirit in the revelation of scripture is the first gift of grace I would like to explore. As the Biblical authors were writing and the patriarchs were compiling the canon, the Holy Spirit was intimately involved in this sacred process. Then as a person reads the scripture it is the Holy Spirit who offers revelation to the reader that allows them to see some truth about God in their reading. This is what has allowed believers to continually read the scriptures for ages and still find truth and revelation. It makes this book something unique in its forming but also in its reading. All the truth of God that believers need to know or can know are found in the Bible, but only the Spirit can reveal this truth.

Another activity of the Spirit occurs in the Spirit’s work in a person’s heart. People on earth experience God in real and often life-changing ways through what Jonathan Edwards called religious affections. In fact, Edwards argued that experiencing God through the Holy Spirit is required if one should claim they have true knowledge of God. However this does not mean that any emotional, “spiritual” experience is necessarily the work of the Spirit. Edwards notes the important work of discernment when trying to determine if an experience is gracious or inauthentic. One way of knowing whether the Spirit is at work is that fruit will be evident. In the book of Galatians Paul outlines what this fruit looks like when he writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5: 22-23)

It is important to also note the Spirit’s work continues to reveal and point to God’s glory in places other than the scriptures or the church. Wherever these fruit are evident it is by God’s grace through the power of the Holy Spirit. When people act in patience or kindness it is the work of the Holy Spirit. When a truth of God is revealed it is the Holy Spirit who reveals. The Spirit is intimately connected also to creation. It is only the power of the Holy Spirit that can empower the creation to give praises to their King. Isaiah 55:12 says, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (NIV) Furthermore, Genesis 1 gives a beautiful image of the spirit of God “hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) This shows that the trinity, including the Spirit, was involved in the creation of the world and continues to be deeply connected to creation today. This is the one true God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All praise and glory to you, Amen.

Interpreting God’s Revelation

Interpreting this revelation from God is not always an easy task. Whether it is the book of nature or the book that we love, Christians have been wrestling with how to interpret each book’s meaning for centuries. If it snows on my birthday and it’s May does that mean God is mad at me? Or does an earthquake mean that God is judging a certain people group? In junior high school a couple of friends and I, along with my brothers built this amazing fort in the woods behind our house. We had several possible locations for the fort but finally we settled on a sweet hidden location just outside the woods where some drainage ditches had been dug years prior. The ditches were roughly 5 feet deep and maybe 10 to 12 feet wide. The field in which these ditches were located had long grass so from any distance away you could not see the ditches or our fort. We took weeks bringing over branches, tree, and anything else we could find in the woods to build our fortress. The design was simple. We would lay branches over the ditch for our framing. Dug out the sides of the ditch for seating. Used stones and mud to seal up the opening of the ditch and then used chicken wire, tar paper and sleeping bags to cover our roof. By the end of our build the fort was complete with a stone oven, skylight, carpeted seating, a linoleum floor, steel door and my very favorite outdoor bench.[5]

As winter got closer two of my friends thought it would be great to have a Christmas tree for the fort. A noble thought for two thirteen year olds. I suppose they wanted to fort to feel more like a home. So they did what any normal person with no fluid income would do, they prayed for a Christmas tree. We were in the woods but there were only deciduous trees, no Christmas trees. When they finished their prayer, they started walking and looking for signs from God to show them where to search. The signs were a variety of things including hearing movement in the leaves or a gust of wind. Then suddenly they saw a rabbit and one said, “Follow that rabbit!” They did and finally when they lost the rabbit, there in front of them was a perfectly sized pre-cut, green Christmas tree. They picked it up and brought it to the fort and our fort became a home that day. The prayer was answered and the book of nature spoke to us! Now, I do not know if that was truly God’s intent in that instance but he sure impressed a group of kids. The point is, how we interpret even the book of nature is important. I would suggest that we should not make such grand conclusions based on natural disasters. It is poor pastoral care, in poor taste and based on even worse theology. However I do believe that you can see the glory of God in the mountains, or his artistic mastery in the brush strokes of a sunset. It’s also true there might be something of God’s wrath in the crash of thunder or his devotion and companionship in a family dog. I do not doubt any of this, but it is important that the only tool used for interpreting this book is the book that we love, the Bible. The book of nature cannot teach us something beyond or outside of the living book of scripture.

Hermeneutics

This raises an important question then. How do we interpret the Bible? Or do we read with pure objectivity like some have suggested? As a teenager I remember gravitating toward the letters of Paul because I just read his letters like they were written to me. This was an easy way for me to apply it to my life. Paul was giving me an instructional guide on how to live my life and it was pretty straight-forward. Today after three years of seminary my understanding of scripture has shifted some and now I love reading the narrative of scripture. I believe that God accommodated the words in the Bible to the people. God did not include lessons in organic chemistry in the book of Genesis because that would have been beyond comprehension to ancient people. God helped them understand who God was within their own social context. If this is true, then when we interpret scripture we must take that accommodation in account to get at the deeper meanings of each text. Those deeper meaning and deeper truths then can applied to our own context, which then should shape, challenge and form our way of life today. This, I believe, is a deeper understanding of scripture and interpretation. Truth then becomes something broader that the modern definition that limits it to something that is factual. There is something profound that we can learn from the parable of the Good Samaritan even though it is a parable. This is not to say that events in the Bible are not historical in nature. The truth in many of these stories, however, is not found in their historicity but rather from some deeper truth that can penetrate into our lives today. We would be much better off spending our time in search of God in these stories than trying to prove their historical accuracy.

In college, I had the privilege to take New Testament ethics with a renown scholar in the field of biblical ethics. This is when I heard the word hermeneutics for the first time. I just kept thinking of the word hermit or hobbit or something in that nature. To be honest, I did not even know what it meant till about mid-way through the semester. Most simply hermeneutics is “the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially of scriptural text.”[6] I soon began to understand hermeneutics similarly to putting on a pair of glasses. When I put on glasses the lenses change how I see; things become clearer assuming I have the correct prescription. When reading scripture I always begin with a prayer so that the Holy Spirit, my optometrist, can provide me with the correct prescription. The hermeneutical lens I use changes how I interpret what I am reading on the pages of my bible. I take my cues for my hermeneutical lens from a conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees,

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."[7]

This is the lens I look through when I read scripture and it also guides how I live my life. When I read a passage of scripture I seek to understand how this passage is telling me “The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord!”[8]

Conclusion

Why do I feel comfortable writing this credo paper? Because I trust God to reveal just what I need to see in order that I might understand the grace he has offered. I have seen God work in my life and I trust that his hand will continue to move in my future. I will continue to draw on my life experience throughout this paper because I truly do believe that God teaches us things throughout the course of our lives. It is through these experiences that we will engage a variety of topics regarding God and God’s deep love and involvement in the world. After all, it was through these experiences I learned more about myself and about God. Something Calvin said is still true, “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”[9]

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[1] Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 1

[2] I remember my baptism as a way of remembering the covenant promises God made to my parents and me. You will hear more about this in Chapter 4… Call this the teaser J

[3] This was not the exact quote but it was the gist of what he told me and it was one of the things that helped me through that first year.

[4] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion; 1.V.1, Library of Christian Classics, ed. John T. McNeill, (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975) p. 51-52.

[5] These are generous descriptions of specific elements of our fort. Our “oven” had a radiator from a car as a chimney. Pretty gross. My favorite bench just consisted of branches wedged into the ditch at specific depths to form a bench with back and foot rests. It was awesome!

[6] http://www.answers.com/topic/hermeneutics

[7] Matthew 22: 34-40 (NRSV)

[8] Psalm 33:5 (NRSV)

[9] Ibid, Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion; 1.I.1, p. 35