"God, who is the pinnacle of truth, never asks us to believe anything that is irrational. There are no contradictions in the Christian faith. However, because we are dealing with a God who inhabits a transcendent level of reality; at every turn we are confronted with truth that is suprarational. No matter how carefully we study the Bible and logically piece together our theology, there will always be something left over, something we can't easily understand, when were done...
...These questions, good ones all, are signs that we are approaching the boundary between God and His creation. Because we inhabit the lower creaturely level of this dualism, there should be many such questions that we can't begin to answer. They may be entertaining brandishes, appropriately aimed at the poor fellow fielding questions from his ordination council, but in the end we have to admit that we just don't know. That's okay, for the same ontological distinction between God and creation that prevents us from knowing the answers also informs us where the answers lie and why we can't know them. The answers lie with God, and we can't know them because we're not Him."
(Heaven Is a Place on Earth, Michael E. Wittmer (Zondervan, 2004) Pgs. 48-49)
Two years ago, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Wittmer give an abbreviated account of the thesis of this book during several adult Bible school classes at our church.
The above comments are actually a kind of side bar to Wittmer's main point; that is our confusing the ontological nature of created things with the ethical use of those created things, and the full cosmic nature of Christ's redemptive work. Are you letting a Neo-Platonic world view color your view and understanding of God , His Word, and the Christian life? In your theological constructions are you inadvertently worshipping at the baal of your own reason?
Sola Deo Gloria!
~ The Billy Goat ~
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