and by tribute, I mean in relation to that song…
Getting a grip on theological terminology is not about looking smart. Granted, many people, myself included often fall prey to making those things like pokemon badges which we wear on our chests and flaunt before our friends. Don’t do that. However, on the flipside, when you can read a passage like Romans 3 and understand the words and catch even a glimpse of the depth of their meanings it will change your life. Now for example, Propitiation is a common word we use and also a word rarely understood, as is justification, condemnation, and imputation. Let me give you an example, read v.23, many people read it and for lack of understanding translate:
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, being justified as gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation by His blood through faith.”
as
“For all have done wrong and fallen short of some sort of …Holy requirement, and are somehow made… innocent, by God’s unmerited favor by means of the …salvation in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed in public as a…something…by His blood to be received by faith!”
Is that your translation? it’s vague huh. it’s okay, we all start somewhere. But dig deeper!
Just this last sunday, the sermon given by professor Andy Snyder was excellent. Though it was something more of a lecture than a sermon, it was more devotional than many of the expositions of the Scriptures that I have heard before. Why?
Professor Snyder did not preach on a new text. He did not go off explaining some obscure theological concepts. Neither did he bust out the language stick and whack people on the head. There was no self-assured shining of his theological armor. All he did practically was to lead us through Scripture and dwell upon what was there. But how did he dwell? by taking the time to understand the words and to work hard at feeling! that’s right, feeling!!! the appropriate impact of the Scriptures. You can go read all you want but until you work at feeling the impact of the text, all you are doing is reading. It’s not transformation until your heart says “Yes! I love it, I feel it, it’s real to me!”
We often leave the text vague. It’s true. Nobody seems to care that there are words floating in the Bible that they don’t understand. We don’t work very hard at digging deep. Yes we dig wide, but not deep. Yet we all know wellsprings are not found 2 inches from the surface. Even if you dig a mile radius, all you’ll get is dirt. But if you dig even within just one square foot and get deep enough, you’ll get more water than you can handle.
Likewise. Take time to learn what the words of Scripture mean. You don’t have to know formalized definitions, but you need to know the Biblical meanings. Studying the Bible is not about becoming a theologian, it is so that you might become a worshipper (yes yes, there are other benefits too I know.) But the best and most mighty motivation is so that you might worship the Living God with a heart more full of joy than yesterday.
hm. very good point! it is very hard but very rewarding