SHOW ME IN SCRIPTURE

I have spent the last two or three years tracing the connections linking commonly held Christian doctrines back to the Scriptures. I have been surprised at how often those connections are little more than threads. Sometimes they are nothing but a "rope of sand", to borrow a phrase from George Whitefield.  

In taking a "show me in Scripture" attitude toward various doctrines, I have learned more in these past three years than in three years in seminary. (It's cheaper, too!)

I started with Calvinism. That was fairly easy to let go of as unscriptural because, although I was tempted by it a few times throughout my life, I never  bought into it. Still, some of Calvinism's frameworks have seeped into Christianity as a whole, so I still find some Calvinist gunk gumming up my inner theological gears.

Next I moved on to Eternal Conscious Torment in Hell. The picture of God pouring out unlimited wrath on his own creatures just never sat right with me. I hoped it was unfounded in Scripture and I believe now that it is. (Of course, that means I have to be open to the possibility that my rejection of "ECT" isn't just an exercise in confirmation bias.) 

Lately I am taking a closer look at Penal Substitutionary Atonement. This one has caught me off guard because I wasn't aware that there was any disagreement on this. PSA is the idea that Jesus purchased humanity's pardon by taking all our sin upon Himself and suffering the Father's wrath on the cross in our place. I am sure I will be writing more about this in coming days, since writing is how I process my own thinking these days. Suffice it to say for now that I am finding PSA has some major philosophical baggage while also enjoying less clear support in Scripture than you might suppose. 

Anyway, in one sense my newfound spirit of investigation has been scary.

But mostly it has brought new vigor to my spiritual life. 

And for that, I am thankful.