Head-dibs

"In religion, the things about which men agree are apt to be the things that are least worth holding; the really important things are the things about which men will fight." (J. Gresham Machen, 1881-1937)

"Doctrine and doing are like the two parts of salt: salt is composed to 2 poisons, sodium and chlorine. If you should take either of the two poisons, you would die. But if you combine them properly, you have sodium chloride, and that is common table salt, without which there is no savor for our food, and indeed, no life and health to our bodies." Donald Gray Barnhouse, "Romans."

Dr. William "Bill" Larkin , professor of Greek and New Testament in the Seminary and School of Missions at Columbia International University , teaches a class at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia (MP3s and some outlines). 1) Here is an extensive list of audio lessons taught by Dr. Larkin. 2) Spring 2008 - The Doctrine of Scripture (new lessons added as they are recorded). He really wants to you listen.

The IrishCalvinist ran this great piece yesterday. Fits in great with our thoughts on "Does it matter what I believe?": Can we become so obsessed with making our theology work or pursue the “correct” theology with such fervor that it subtly becomes the thing we worship and not the Creator behind it? This is indeed a danger. Our sinful hearts can even use good things like the study of theology as an altar for the personal worship of self. This is tragic. The pursuit of and growth in the knowledge of God is not bad, in fact it is commanded (Matt. 22.37; 2 Pet. 3.18). However, it is true that knowledge in general and theological knowledge in particular may puff up believers (1 Cor. 8.1). So there is a command to learn and a caution toward the growth of pride. Read the rest here in " Can Theology become Idolatry? ".

When I hear the question, “Does it matter what I believe?” I also hear in another question in the background, “does it matter what I don’t believe?” You’ve heard the old saying, “ignorance is bliss,” and the other saying liked unto it is, “what you don’t know can’t hurt you.” What do you think? Is this true? I wish it were true. Speaking from childhood experience, I could not begin to tell you how much it hurt when I crashed into that curb while riding my bike—I did not know I was going to crash, nor did I know how I was going to crash nor did I know how much skin would come off my arm and my leg--how I wished the axiom would have held true that day! I did not know how much I would bleed and I certainly did not know what it would feel like to walk all the way home. Believe me when I say, “what I did not know DID hurt me!” When it comes down to what we believe, will God hold us accountable for what are not motivated to learn, especially in matters concerning Him? A few nights ago I was ...

Millard Erickson mentions three objections to the study of doctrine early in his book " Does It Matter What I Believe? " [i] First, "the study of doctrine unduly complicates the Christian faith;" second, "doctrine divides Christians;" and third, "doctrine may distract us from other aspects of the Christian life." Erickson does not hold to these objections, but we are well served to answer them, for if these objections are not answered we might as well worship dust bunnies because nobody enjoys complications, everyone is persuant of unity and the last thing we really need are distractions from those thing that make us feel good. A happy home is one where everyone is able to sit and watch the same TV channel without bickering, right? Doctrine is a strange word. I distinctly remember hearing it for the first time when I was small and how the sound of it stuck with me like grit does after falling on a hard cold tile floor. Not exactly a word ma...

I think the best answer one could give would begin by turning this question into a statement: “What I believe matters because loving Jesus is enough;” or, “Love for Jesus matters for what I believe.” The problem this question exposes is that as God has put within mankind the knowledge of Him, and mankind must acknowledge He is there; however, mankind does not want to bow to anything above him. Man would rather take something from below him and worship that instead. The difficulty lies in the attempt to place something from below into the place above, between him and the Highly Exalted One who deserves all worship. One wants to believe, only not “Him.” One wants to believe, only one does not want to do what He says. The other problem this question exposes is that one wants to be as religious or devoted to the object of worship as possible, only one feels threatened by the doctrines associated thereunto. What must one know in order to believe effectively? Jesus actually addressed our que...