Why You Believe Your Theology is Correct
It’s pretty simple–certain personality types tend to be drawn to certain types of theologies.
Not to pick on Pat Roberts, but as author Donald Miller so brilliantly pointed out, “Many controlling personalities are drawn to the idea of a severe, vengeance oriented God.”
If you tend to be a Type A personality, you will more than likely see God as a Type A God. A Book of Job type of God.
Conversely, if you’re not a Type A–let’s say a Type B/right-brain/free spirit-type person–you will tend to view God in this same manner. A John 3:16 type of God.
The real trick is understanding this personality-based bias as you enter into the Scriptures. As long as you’re aware, you can better understand why you’re attracted to (and repelled from) certain passages, interpretations, translations, preachers, etc. This discipline leads us to a fuller understanding of who this great God truly is.
The bottom line is this: everyone thinks they’re right when it comes to formed opinions about God:
- My interpretation is the correct one.
- My theology is the correct one.
- My take is, of course, the correct one.
Except when it’s not. And that’s most of the time. Not because I’m a dope (although that’s debatable), but because I have such a limited picture of the reality that is God.
Know that your life experiences, your personality, your family, your friends and everything that is unique to you as a person shapes the way that you see God. Understand this, and proceed with caution.
I appreciate the thought Justin, but my theology IS correct.
Well said, Justin, this is why I refuse to enter into theology debates – because I feel like I'm just as likely to be wrong than right because I really DON'T understand God, even when He's managing to fit into my theology box and be semi-understandable. What a waste of time as Christians, to argue about what we think God is like. God isn't that clear on those things, but He is VERY clear on what He would have us do…and we avoid obeying by arguing.
Thank you, this was a good encouragement to me.
So true, Justin. This is why I hate getting into arguments about theology. Because Christianity is so right & wrong oriented, we think that there HAS to be a right and wrong. Because if your thoughts opposed mine, you're wrong, sarcastically speaking.
I'm for debate; an honest searching and discussion between parties, but arguing gets people no where besides angry.
Some of God's truth can be extremely simple, but others, I don't think the human mind was ever intended to comprehend (which is possibly a sign to show us how much we don't know).
ps. Here's a Type A personality in a funny, yet true comic rendition: Enjoy~ http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png
“My idea of God is not a divine idea. It has to be shattered time after time. He shatters it himself. He is the great iconoclast.” – C.S. Lewis
I think this is why people have a hard time seeing anything as total truth and why truth can be subjective.
very difficult line to find here
Interesting! It seems to me that thinking you're absolutely right is the biblical definition of foolishness, and knowing you need help is the foundation of wisdom. Hmm.
Of course!
You bet, Kenny. Although I would say that having debates with proper parameters in place can be beneficial. Otherwise, no one would change their mind!
That picture is priceless. Thank you!
I live with this understating:
I have wrong beliefs about some things, I just don't know what they are yet.
“Subjectivity is all there is, my friend.” – Jake Bouma
+1
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….hmmm….i am thinking because of this post rather than falling back on my tried and true understandings that i consider correct. Seriously, i am surprised. good job!
Also reminds me of Karl Barth who said that the God of the Bible is shocking…conforming to single picture that we'd want to paint…
Maybe I'm missing something cause I'm not sure I really agree here. G-d is a knowable G-d, though He exists beyond knowledge. He chose various means to bring about understanding of Himself, not the least of which is our personality type – so to say truth embraced as a result of its resonancy with our core traits is to negate the beautiful diversity of means through which G-d expresses Himself to us.
Interestingly enough, since our sense of self is the reflection of all others selves in our life filtered through the innate mental constructs G-d manifested in us when He wrought us out of the ether, our personality type is not a personal bias but rather a collective consciousness of sorts. As it is a collective consciousness of sorts, it would then remove it from a particular individual bias to a place where the truth revealed and embraced by the individual should be seen as a collective truth, not one that is cherry picked because of a particular brand of personality that developed in a vacuum. So I think it is more important to be humble and self aware when your truths intersect with other truths rather than to practice a false self-effacing facade, as so many Christians do.
Last, as a Messianic Jew, I think I am at a place where I am comfortable saying that though there is only one path through which salvation can be known, there are a myriad of avenues through which truth is revealed. We then must embrace this truth and all truth as G-d's truth.
(hopefully I wasn't too convoluted… it is Monday morning… I'm not always coherent but this makes sense to me)
Good point Justin. Hey, you might want to check our seminary .
Good point Justin. Hey, you might want to check our seminary .