Problems In Theology

PROBLEMS IN THEOLOGY
1. The Finite Versus the Infinite.

God is infinite. Man is finite. We cannot grasp the concept of the infinite. We do not even have a separate word for “infinite.” Our word “infinite” is merely a negation of the positive term “finite.” When we say that something is infinite, we are merely saying that it is not finite. A finite mind cannot possibly comprehend an infinite being. This will of necessity limit our understanding of God. We are like fleas on the back of a dog trying to understand the psychological makeup of his owner. It is simply beyond our natural understanding.

It should not greatly surprise us when the infinite God of the universe does not fit in the space between two eardrums.

2. Holy Versus Sinful.

God is holy and righteous. His holiness and righteousness are infinite. There is no such thing as being “almost infinite.” Anything less than infinite holiness and righteousness is separated from God by an infinite degree.

Man is sinful. This is not just a matter of what he does, but reflects what he is. By nature, man does not want the things of the Spirit of God. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1 Corinthians 2:14).

What is meant in this passage when we read of a “natural man”? The phrase is the Greek text is yucikoj avnqrwpoj (psuchikos anthropos)— literally, the “soulish man.” He is the unbeliever. It takes the miracle of the new birth to turn a man's heart to God. This does not mean that Christians are smarter than pagans. Quite often the opposite is true. What it does mean is that God has worked faith in the heart of the one who belongs to Him so that we can hear the things of the Spirit of God and respond in belief.

3. Reality Versus Description.

We must understand that there is a difference between God as He exists versus the theological descriptions that we give to God. This does not mean that those theological descriptions are inaccurate, but merely that they fall short of embracing the God who is there. C.S. Lewis describes it this way:

...if a man has once looked at the Atlantic from the beach, and then goes and looks at a map of the Atlantic, he also will be turning from something real to something less real: turning from real waves to a bit of coloured paper. But here comes the point. The map is admittedly only coloured paper, but there are two things you have to remember about it. In the first place, it is based on what hundreds and thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic. In that way it has behind it masses of experience just as real as the one you could have from the beach; only, while yours would be a single glimpse, the map fits all those different experiences together. In the second place, if you want to go anywhere, the map is absolutely necessary. As long as you are content with walks on the beach, your own glimpses are far more fun than looking at a map. But the map is going to be more use than walks on the beach if you want to get to America (1996:135-6). In a similar way, theology is our map. It tells us what God is like. That does not mean that we ought to be content with the map. The map is not an end unto itself. It is only a means to help us to understand and to appreciate the world it portrays. There is the admitted possibility that we might become so attached to the map that we fail to appreciate the world that is depicted by the map. But this would be the fault of the map and neither should it stop our utilization of maps.

Steve Brown, professor of homiletics at Reformed Theological Seminary, likens our theology to refrigerator art. When my grandchildren painted a work of art, it often ended up on our refrigerator. The quality of the artwork was not particularly adept, but we put it up there because we love them. Our studies in theology attempt to tell us what God is like and how He works in the world. That is a good thing and we are diligent to construct an accurate system of doctrine. But we also recognize that our best efforts will be less than the sum total of what God is. At best, our efforts will be His refrigerator art. There will come a day when we will grow past that artwork to see the Lord face to face.