As Christians in the West there is propensity to intellectualizes God into theology, history, soteriology (study of salvation), and more. Many Evangelicals, Baptists, and prominate Protestant churches have an answer for every question regarding the Lord and His ways. There are bullet point explanations, Aristotelian arguments, and carefully drafted descriptions and details about every point of Christ divinity, humanity, and sanctity. These studies are not in themselves wrong, the councils were paramount in settling points of doctrine and genuine orthodox faith. We need to understand and at least grasp what we believe or how else can we believe it?
The problem has become that this academic or scholastic approach to the faith has passed its usefulness for posterity and has become a religion of its own. Pastors, teachers, and theologians try to regale and give riveting rhetoric to excite and "tickle the ears of people." (2 Timothy 4:3). From the pulpit to today's parchments (books, e-readers, and mass media), there is a plethora of information about every minute detail of God's nature, what it means to live the Christian life, and explanations for the complicated questions like, "why did God let my child die," or "Why did God let me get raped?" While there is nothing wrong with providing answers, can we become so focused on the answers that we miss the Almighty? The answer is yes.
Our Greco-Roman-Anglo approach to our faith has created a Church of ideas and intellect. Pastoring, where a priest or minister actually sees to the needs of God's flock in practical ways is less common. Instead, there are giant flat screen TVs in the sanctuary, smoke and show worship, and a man or woman who needs to recite information like professor at the pulpit. The problem with completely intellectualizing the faith, is that its a relationship not a religion. Jesus did not say, "know God with all your heart, mind, and soul," He said, "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." (Matthew 22:37). Turning the relationship into remembering facts and theological concepts robs us of actually connecting with Christ. The end result is head knowledge, but not knowing (familiarity, connecting, closeness) God. Jesus said a striking statement to some believers, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS." (Matthew 7:22-23). Notice that these people preform deliverances and miracles, greater wonders than theological studies, and they are rejected, why? Because Jesus says, "I never knew you."
Our Western culture has become content with putting the Almighty in a box. We behave with irreverence and treat the Lord as if we fully have seen beyond the curtain and can grasp everything about Him. How did such a strange and proud notion enter our Greco-Anglo minds? Two humans can never totally know everything about each other. Even a married couple of fifty years have secrets, desires, histories, and thoughts that were never been expressed. And yet we the creation think we can fully fathom the Creator?! What arrogance! We are to know Jesus, as in be close to Him and become One with Him (John 17:21), not know (gnosis) or intellectually understand everything about Him. The Trinity and the relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit still baffles the most astute and skilled theologian; and thus my question is how can we possibly believe we can get the Godhead down to a fine science and a five bullet point sermon?
There is another folly on the other spectrum of the field of spiritually and it is connect to the Scholastic or intellectualism. It can be argued that it is an answer to the Greco-Roman-Anglo thinking-centric approach to faith, but that probably was not the reason for its advent. Charismatic Christianity is less interested in arguments, theorems, and ideas; and more about connecting with Christ, feeling God's presence, and moving in signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit. The Charismatic approach has more in common with the Judeo or Jewish tradition than the Greco-Roman one. In fact, the Apostle Paul makes the distinction himself, "For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom." (1 Corinthians 1:22). The Apostle makes an astute observation. He sees the Jew wants to see God move, to prove the truth of the gospel with signs, miracles, wonders, and a presence. The Greek instead is more interested in the "Wisdom of God" than the "Power of God." But as Christians are we suppose to be one or the other? And does the Apostle actually speak of a third option? Yes he does. The Apostle Paul began as Greco-Jew, in that he was Pharisee of Pharisees (Acts 23:6) and studied under foremost theologian and scribe Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). The Apostle to the Gentiles has an impressive resume, he has been to seminary and rubbed shoulders with the top echelon of scholars, but what does He say of it all? He says strikingly, "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8). Interesting, all of Paul's former education, insight, and Torah knowledge he considers as lost, and even garbage compared with knowing Christ. This confronts both the Greco-Roman-Anglo Christian and the Charismatic-Pentecostal Christian.
The Apostle Paul again puts aside logic, philosophy, and ideologies of the world when He says, "And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:1-2). These verses confound the thinking of our times. To equip missionaries today, many churches have missionaries attend Bible colleges or at least learn a rudimentary method on how to reach lost souls in the country or city of outreach. Some missionaries take it upon themselves to learn the intricate and complicated beliefs of the people they are going to reach, and there is nothing inherently wrong with this. It helps to be respectful and not speak ignorantly about someone's religion; but Paul did not bother in the case of the Corinthians, who were highly intellectual. He chose to know "Christ and Him crucified." The Apostle says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe." (1 Corinthians 1:18-21). What a strange paradox of words! God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and frustrate man's intelligence, but be pleased with the foolishness which is the cross? What an incredible stumbling block! Indeed, Paul calls it stumbling block, "we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.." (1 Corinthians 1:23).
Here is the rub, The Jews are the Charismatics today and the Gentiles (or Greeks) the Intellectual Evangelicals to Baptists. Christ and His cross is stumbling block to Charismatics because the process of crucifixion, dying to yourself, and denying yourself is not a pleasant experience. Suffering is not what many sign up for and yet that is what Paul says we preach. The same cross confounds the wise intellectual, because they want spirituality that is based in philosophy and thought; not an application or lifestyle, not bonding with God through hardships, trials, and tribulations. Neither the Feeler or the Thinker likes the cross, and yet Jesus said, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, and Luke 9:23). The failure to embrace the cross has left Christians on both sides: Charismatic and Intellectual to make gods out of feeling God and understanding God. In effect, both the Charismatic and Intellectual are in danger of, "having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2 Timothy 3:5)
The reason the cross is so often not featured in churches today is telling. Many Evangelical, Emergent, Emerging, Charismatic, Baptist, Pentecostal, and Protestant Churches feature modern interiors that often have no cross. While some claim it as a rejection of Catholicism, we are called to take up our cross and follow Christ whom was Crucified. The great mystery of this journey as a Christian is that we draw closer to Christ through suffering and crucifixion. Many want to feel God or understand Him, which are not wrong, make no mistake the presence of God is refreshing and having Biblical knowledge is crucial to not falling into heresies and growing spiritually. But we must be careful to not despise the cross and sufferings of our Lord.
As intellectualized Christians we think if we can present the message of the gospel with great eloquence and scholarship, that people will believe. But there is another Scripture that says, "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." (1 Corinthians 13:1). It is through embracing the cross, through suffering, that we both learn to "love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength," and "love our neighbor." (Matt 22:39). Love is the greater wisdom, and expression of feeling. Love of Christ and our fellow Christian is the path in the Mystery of God. Preaching the Gospel is an act of love, it proclaims, "God so loved the World, that He gave his Son, and who ever believes in Him (Jesus, the Son) shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The Mystery of God is found in His love, not in an obsessions with emotions and eloquence. To be clear there is nothing wrong with feeling God's presence, preforming signs and wonders, and have deep knowledge of Bible, Christian theology, history, and other studies. I am not declaring war on these practices, but rather illustrating that we must be careful to not make God the feelings, signs, ideas, and dogmas; but that those are second to Christ's Love and Knowing Him personally. We must be balanced, allow the Mystery of God while still learning and growing. Take up the cross, and champion Christ above all feelings and philosophies. Count all things lost, but knowing Christ and you will realize there is greater wisdom there and greater signs and wonders found by knowing Him.
Addendum:
I apologizes if anyone was mislead into Eastern Orthodoxy. I have edited this post to proclaim the actual message that really was prevailing. I have changed the title and picture to better capture the message. Please re-read.
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