Thursday, January 3, 2013

Show Me - A Repost

(An old post, posted again)

It's a very personal, a very important thing. Hell, it's a family motto. Are you ready, everybody?

SHOW ME THE SCRIPTURES!

I don't care about your wisdom, your thoughts, your citations from the theologians old or new. I don't care whether you say it's nature or reason, new or dye-in-the wool. Say it again.

SHOW ME THE SCRIPTURES!

I don't care if it will fix the world in a jif. I don't care if everyone else is doing it. I don't care if you are published, trusted, or Confucius. I don't care if people applaud your every idea and thought. I don't care if your plans are the best, if on the Word they do not rest.

Say it again.

SHOW ME THE SCRIPTURES!

If you cannot cite it, I will not buy it.

Say it again.

SHOW ME THE SCRIPTURES!

I don't need Athens, I don't need Rome. I don't need some guy sitting under a tree alone. I don't need wisdom from the east or wisdom from the west. In theology, none of them pass the test.

Say it again.

SHOW ME THE SCRIPTURES!

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In all seriousness - if we people were as focused on studying the Scriptures as a good agent is in tracking down a good deal for his player, we'd all be much richer spiritually. Not the latest theory. Not the latest trend. Not the latest refurbishing of Aristotle or Pharisaism or any of that. Not the dreams of that great time back in the day of when things were great and how we can get back there.

Just the Word. Showing us our sin. Showing us our Savior. Showing us that this world is judged and that we will rise.

You know, all the things we focused on back when we weren't bored of being Lutheran and decided that we would find that magical theological twist that would change the world.

As though anything other than the Gospel of Christ Jesus ever really changes anything in a sinful world. Here we get nothing but death... people left without any excuse but dying anyway. One Man, the Word of God, is the exception. He proclaims Himself, gives Himself to you in His Word - and that actually changes things. Brings life to death - and Him alone.

Show me the Scriptures.

5 comments:

Myrtle said...

Thanks for re-posting!

Often, though, I find myself saying, "Show me the doctrine." Seldom is a reference made in things written about doctrine. When I find a reference, it is usually a reference to a church father, but not our confessions.

We believe, teach, and confess...I read in the Christian Book of Concord. But, well, I do not oft read such elsewhere.

So, could I join my SHOW ME THE DOCTRINE to your SHOW ME THE SCRIPTURES?

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

You may if you wish... although I might say "cite me the Confessions" instead.

I'm a historian... I've seen plenty of weird doctrine

Myrtle said...

Just curious...why then would you not say CITE me the Scriptures?

It is not as if I am not interested in the writings of our Church fathers, but I am first interested in the texts of the Christian Book of Concord and I rarely see them referenced, explored, cross-referenced (since there is so much repeated teaching naturally woven within them), and otherwise the foundation upon which the "theology" at hand is being written about.

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

Because Confessions has three syllables, and I was playing off of Jerry Mcguire's "show me the money", which is two syllables?

Myrtle said...

Oh! I totally forgot the two syllable vs three syllable rule!