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Monday, November 22, 2010

Christianese - Quick Terms 2

The Heart: No, not that organ beating in your chest. No, not even the seat of emotions. It's not like the fabled body part left in San Francisco or given to that wonderful man. The term refers in Christianese to the innermost self. It is that which ... produces the fruit.

Repentance: You would think I wouldn't have to explain this term, but I suppose I must. It doesn't mean "Sorry" either in word (often spoken to dodge consequences) or emotional response. It means to turn around. Without turning around, you may be sorry -- even deeply sorry -- but it isn't repentance.

The Trinity: Still argued about today, this is a fundamental position of Christianity. It is not the belief that the God of the Old Testament became the Christ of the New Testament and then the Spirit of today (modalism). It is not tri-theism -- three separate gods. It is not a host of heresies offered today by people who refuse to see. It is the biblical doctrine that God is three persons in one, the hypostatic union of Father and Son and Holy Spirit, distinct but not separate, One God in three personas. Without taking the time to explain fully, it is absolutely necessary to Christianity. Without it the Scriptures become unreliable and incoherent, salvation breaks down, and we are without hope.

Witnessing: We've used this one so poorly for so long that we don't even understand it ourselves. You know ... it means when we get together and go door to door with tracts and speeches to try to share the Gospel. You may have learned Evangelism Explosion or the Four Spiritual Laws or whatever other canned method (and I'm not suggesting they're bad). This, however, is not witnessing. Evangelizing, yes, but not witnessing. In the New Testament you see "witnessing" when John writes, "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life ..." (1 John 1:1). It is the expression of what we have witnessed. It is the eyewitness accounts -- "This is what God has done." Can I get a witness?

Spirit-filled: Okay, here's an exception. When most Christians use the word "Spirit-filled", they are referring to the idea of the Charismatics or Pentecostals where there is some sort of "second filling", a special event, "something extra". No such thing. All Christians are "Spirit-filled". Period. The amount of that filling that works its way into your life may vary, but all Christians have the Holy Spirit and need nothing more.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good start to a layman's dictionary.

I would say that the Trinity is three persons, not personas. That might lead to the idea of three personalities. God is three distinct persons, but the One in essence. Essence being what makes them One God, however, very difficult to explain.

Blessings

Stan said...

Interestingly, when Tertullian (the one that coined the "three persons" terminology) used the word, he used the word for "personas", not "persons". In my experience a step too far in just about any direction will result in heresy when discussing the Trinity.