I finished week one of my first class in Seminary. Reflecting upon this week, I believe that seminary is like a theological theme park.
In a theme park you experience things which would be terrifying if not for the "safe" environment. In any other context going 120 miles an hour with your hands in the air is cause for panic, but on a roller coaster it's a blast.
So in seminary, we get all the thrills of debating and discussing theology which could be terrifying outside of this "safe" environment. The thrill is that of a philosopher building his world view, yet in any other context these truths have wonderful and terrifying consequences, to the degree that I tremble at the thought of getting one wrong.
So if these truths are so volatile, I'm wondering what the terrifying consequences are. Are they only for you? Because I will almost certainly never go to seminary and formulate my theology in a safe environment. So I'm wondering if these consequences are only for Pastors or are they for everyone?
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe the consequences of poor theology are vast and devastating to every individual person because they affect your relationship with God. In Romans 10:1-2 Paul communicates that the Jews needed to be saved because their zeal for God was not based on knowledge. So it seems to me condemnation rests in the balance.
ReplyDeleteStill, I was speaking more to the volatile consequences of the mother whose child has died and turns to a pastor for comfort asking "is my baby in heaven?" To not know what the bible has to say to an issue such as this would reap volatile consequences in such a situation. One could attempt to answer without knowledge and give false hope or false pain... or one would simply be left breathless, which is also painful for a mother.
Just an example of something I might get to discuss in seminary. I could talk through the possibility that babies don't go to heaven automatically and get to form my belief on this topic without having a hurting mother hanging on my every whim.
Ah, now I see
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