Latest / Eurasia Region Podcast / S2-E1 | Everyday Eurasia |  Antonie Holleman

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S2-E1 | Everyday Eurasia |  Antonie Holleman · Eurasia Region Podcast

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  This first week of Season 2, they'll be joined by the Co
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  Regional Education Coordinators for the Eurasia region.
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  On this first day, we'll hear from Antoni Holloman.
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  Antoni also serves as District Superintendent of the Benelux
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  District, which includes Belgium, the Netherlands and
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  Luxembourg, and as the Field Strategy Coordinator for the
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  Northern Europe field. Together, we'll explore the
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  question does our theology arise from our own thinking, or does
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  it emerge from Scripture? I'm reading from Paul's first
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  letter to Timothy, chapter 1, verses 3 to 6.
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  After the greeting, Paul writes, As I urge you upon my departure
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  for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, so that you may
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  instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to
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  pay attention to myths and endless genealogies which give
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  rise to more speculation rather than furthering the
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  administration of God, which is by faith.
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  But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a
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  good conscience and a sincere faith.
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  For some men, straying from these things have turned aside
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  to fruitless discussion. The task that Paul gave Timothy
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  is not an easy 1. He needs to rebuke certain
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  leaders in the church and keep them from teaching a theology
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  that leads to nothing but fruitless discussion.
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  That is a heavy task for any young leader in the church.
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  Paul does not say much about the content of the teaching of the
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  opponents of Timothy, yet focuses more on the outcome of
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  their teaching. It is mere speculation and leads
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  to fruitless discussion. In chapter 6, verses four and
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  five, he states that these teachers have a morbid interest
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  in controversial questions and disputes about words.
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  Other wit arise envy, strife, abuse of language, evil
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  suspicions, and a constant friction.
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  As I reflect on these words, I wonder to what extent is this
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  also true of our theological conversations, From what we
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  teach and preach to the discussions we have among
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  believers, as well as the books, articles, posts we read, or
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  podcasts we listen to. Our focus may not be on myths
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  and genealogies, but there are plenty of other topics
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  theologians and Christians argue about that do not bring anything
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  but strife, abusive language, evil, suspicions, and constant
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  friction. Just observe the division among
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  believers, heated discussions, and church splits.
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  I'm afraid we have a lot of wrong theology according to the
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  criteria of Paul, even though it may be orthodox in content.
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  So what are Paul's criteria for correct theology?
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  First of all, right theology needs to further the
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  administration of God according to our reading.
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  Other translations say the stewardship of God, or simply
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  God's work. A literal translation is the
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  economy of God, meaning the order in his creation and the
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  way God acts. The contrast here is between
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  theology as human speculation and theology as description of
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  God's way of working. And so the question for all of
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  us is, are we focusing on our own thoughts and on the things
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  we find interesting and appealing, or do we focus on
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  what is revealed in Scripture concerning how God is working?
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  Put differently, does our theology pop up out of our
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  thinking or does it emerge out of Scripture?
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  What I observe is that the human mind has a certain curiosity
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  that pushes our thinking beyond the needed information
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  concerning God's economy or to quote an article of faith
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  concerning all things necessary to our salvation.
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  It is OK to reflect on things not essential to the necessary
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  knowledge of God's economy, but it becomes the source of tension
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  when we become too passionate and start convincing others as
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  if our thinking is the truth they need to adhere to as well.
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  In chapters one and two, Paul gives 2 criteria of what is
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  essential concerning God's economy.
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  First, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners,
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  chapter one verse 15. And second, God desires all men
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  to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
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  Chapter 2 verse 4. This is the good news people
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  need to hear and the essential focus of our theology.
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  Lord, help us to discipline our thinking and focus on the things
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  that are essential to what you want to accomplish.
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  Help us to focus on the Scriptures as our source of
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  knowledge and not on our own elevated thinking.
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  Help us to create unity in Christ and not diversity based
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  on human thinking. Thank you for listening to the
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  Everyday Eurasia podcast, Inspiring Fate for everyday.
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  For more Everyday Stories, subscribe on this podcast
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  channel, follow our socials, Facebook and Instagram, or our
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  newsletter Snapshots. For our newsletter and further
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  information about the Eurasia region, visit our website,
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  eurasiaregion.org.