Reason and Revelation 8.15.2024

        Every human being is born with the hardware to think. Our ability to reason is largely dependent upon each of us providing the software. What we think becomes how we think. If we choose not to think or refuse to develop the “muscles of our mind”, that’s really on us, not God. While it is true that not everyone (sorry about the mixed metaphors) will have the same horsepower, we do each have the same opportunity to maximize what we have. Intelligence maybe hardwired, ignorance is a choice. Much of what I write in this space is about choosing wisely the form and content of our thought, specifically in the domain of preparing to preach and teach. 

    We have God’s Word. That is revelation. He has provided us with what He wants us to know to be saved and to honor Him with a devoted life of discipleship. The reasoning part…It’s on us. The question will always be “How do I maximize my reasoning skills to honor God, particularly with respect to understanding Scripture?” Let’s consider that for a bit, shall we?

    It is not uncommon to begin learning to read prior to kindergarten. We learn elementary shapes and sounds, begin to form those sounds into words and thus begin the process of reading. Reading is an both an intellectual and a motor skill. We get better at reading, throughout the whole span of our life the more that we do it. The more we read the better our muscles become at scanning a page, the more readily our minds become at assembling the words we read, the more efficiently our thinking assimilates new information. When we stop learning, the information we already have begins to atrophy. 

    When this happens to our understanding of Biblical truth and application this is not just tragic it is potentially an act of faithlessness. Knowledge, like a building, rests upon a foundation. If it is to be suitable for long-term habitation you’ve got to maintain that foundation even as you build upon it. Reason allows us to know more of the content of Scripture and more of the mind of the God who inspires it. This requires a thoughtful believer to accept the challenge of learning new things, even those that we have difficulty fitting into our prior knowledge. 

    This requires good guides. We will and should disagree with some of those guides and the books they write. If all that we do is read things we already agree with we will become like a weightlifter who never adds more weight to the bar. We will become ever more proficient at doing something that does not actually make us stronger. Disagreeing with the content and conclusions of a book is a part of growing and learning. As we mature, we become more capable of assessing the arguments an author presents and making reasoned judgments. It’s OK to disagree. Maturing disciples grow in the discipline of being able to say why they disagree with something, where the argument went astray, how it can be improved and (this is essential), what can I learn anyway? 

    Every commentary, study, journal article, and monograph you will ever read shares the distinction of being written by someone, just like you, who is trying to come to grips with what is found in the Bible. For every halting step forward, very smart people have made numerable mistakes in interpretation and drawn inconclusive or erroneous conclusions. The best, most humble, faithful Christian scholars are constantly correcting themselves by renewed readings of the text itself. To be a well-read believer is a constant process of recalibrating and rethinking our conclusions as we access new information. This is an act of faithful devotion. The last thing the Church needs is preachers who have an unwillingness to learn and grow. The church is called to make disciples. If our disciple-makers are not growing, then how shall they contribute to the maturity of others?

    A greater breadth of reading content also helps us to understand the wisdom to be found in other faith traditions. I cherish the Restoration Movement and believe that we get a lot of things right. But there are many other Bible-loving traditions whose orthodoxy is not in question that can contribute to our pilgrimage. Again, you won’t agree with everything you read from a Baptist or a Presbyterian. That is, in some ways, the point. 

    Wisdom is not acquired overnight, nor does it come from hunkering in the bunker with a few favorite tomes that make you feel good about what you already know. Even when we re-read our perennial favorites it should be to see things we may have missed before, always growing, always adding to the inventory of information that will help us understand the Word more accurately and preach it with greater authority. 

    Throughout Christian history there is a recognition that reason and revelation work together informing our understanding of who God is and what He expects of us. We cannot get there purely by some disembodied knowledge, nor can we get there without accepting and comprehending the Bible. As I often say, this takes work. Work is not always fun. Work is productive. Work is necessary. Work is an act of devotion, without which both reason and revelation are empty.