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Life's Questions and Christian Belief

Discover From the Bible

03-2. What Do We Rely Upon? XX INCOMPLETE XXX

Alternative sources of authority for belief
03.2 - Alternative sources

The questions are the title of the above painting by Paul Gauguin, explained in Wikipedia as follows:

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (French: D’où venons-nous ? Que sommes-nous ? Où allons-nous ?) is an 1897–98 painting by French artist Paul Gauguin. The painting was created in Tahiti and is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts. Viewed as a masterpiece by Gauguin, the painting is considered “a philosophical work comparable to the themes of the Gospels”.

Wiki explains that Gauguin attended a Catholic boarding school with a strong religious focus, and although he became anticlerical, these questions stayed with him.

See more in Wiki

1. Alternative sources of authority for belief
Human Reason
(1) What do the following verses say about relying on human logic and reason as the ultimate source of guidance in life?
Colossians 2:8
Proverbs 16:25
Proverbs 3:5-6
1 Timothy 6:20
Job 38:1, 4-11
(2)  How do we reconcile these verses with what we see in the world around us, where human intellect is held as our reference base, and we are constantly encouraged to be self-reliant, to “do it our way”?
(3)  What is the appropriate role for human reason according to the above verses?
(a) What does the Bible say?
(b) What do you think?
(4)  The basis for modern Existentialist philosophy can be found in the statement by seventeenth-century French philosopher René Descartes, who said, “I think; therefore I am.”
Given that “I am” is the name God claims for himself (Exodus 3:14), was this a claim by Descartes for humanity to supplant God?
Has it been used in the modern world in that way?
What do you think?
Exodus 3:14
Human Organisations
(5) What do you learn from the following verses about relying on visible human organisations and traditions as the ultimate source of guidance in life?
1 Timothy 4:7
2 Timothy 2:20
Psalm 146:3
1 Timothy 5:19-20
Mark 7:9
Hebrews 13:17
(6)  No matter where you worship, you will find people come to rely on others in offices or authority to lead in specific areas. You may also find patterns of worship become ingrained and form rigid traditions, and how people take comfort in that.
Are there risks in these behaviours?
(a) What does the Bible say?
(b) What do you think?
to do
The Creeds and Doctrines
(7) What do you learn from the following verses about relying on the creeds and doctrines as the source of authority for belief?
(a) What does the Bible say?
(b) What do you think?
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
Psalm 146:3
1 Timothy 5:19-20
Mark 7:9
Hebrews 13:17
(8) Under the “Belief” page in this website, there is a section on the creeds and other doctrines. What purpose do these creeds and statements of faith serve, how should they be used?
Christian Literature and Websites
(9) How should we regard non-biblical literature, and material on the internet?
1 Timothy 4:7
2 Timothy 2:20
Psalm 146:3
1 Timothy 5:19-20
Mark 7:9
Hebrews 13:17
(10) During sermons in church, you may sometimes hear quotes from Polycarp and other leaders of the early church. What weight is to be given to their writings?
(11) How do we regard the proliferation of Christian literature?
When I walked into the local Evangelical bookshop, I had a hard time finding the bibles amongst the mass of other books!
I have heard that a few of the popular books from 10 years ago are now regarded as misleading. But I have also heard that popular non-Christian literature is now packed with dubious assumptions and messages.
Can this proliferation distract us from our focus on the Bible?
Record answers - not yet

Although I would like to have a pop-up form which allows you to keep your personal answers here, I haven't found how to do that within budget.  So, I plan to prepare downloadable pdf files with fillable spaces for your answers - yet to be done.

Index

Different churches vary in their emphasis upon:

  1. The Bible;
  2. The "Church" as a visible and human organisation;
  3. Human reason.

I have seen a mixture of these sources in most churches, but you will generally find that:

  • Protestant Evangelical churches focus on the Bible, as an unchanging source for people everywhere;
  • Catholic and Orthodox churches place more emphasis on the visible "Church" organisations, and their traditions;
  • "Liberal" churches place a greater emphasis on human reason.

My personal experience leads me to rely on the Bible - not as a legal or scientific thesis, nor as poetry or drama; but as a way of being drawn closer to God, and being given ever new understanding as I read it.  In that sense it is a living book.

I find it important to share in worship and fellowship with other believers, but I have also found all visible human organisations are flawed in some way.  The media have more than enough material to use in their attack upon visible church organisations.

And while we rely on human reason for so much, it is very flawed as a source of guidance.  You may find the "Liberal" churches to be subject to the latest social fads and causes, and most illiberal in their application of them.  Human logic alone can lead us to some illogical places, and the Age of Reason ended in the Age of the Guillotine!

Let us explore what the Bible says.

Next: 2-04

All bible verses used in this website are from the New King James version.

The copyright is owned by HarperCollins Publishers, who allow for the printing of up to 1,000 verses.

Reflections on Life’s Hard Questions, and Christian Belief

Basic themes

1. Why are we here? 2. Who is God? 3. What is the Bible? 4. Why does anything exist? 5. Why the pain and suffering? 6. Where is hope? 7.1 Who is Jesus? - Birth 7.2 Who is Jesus? - His nature 7.3 Who is Jesus? - His death 8. Who is The Holy Spirit? 9. What is the Law and Grace? 10. What is Faith? 11. What is Prayer? 12. What is the Church? 13. What of the Future?

Second questions

2-1. Why are we here? XXXX 2. Who is God? XXXXX 3. What is the Bible? 4. Why does anything exist? XXXXX 5. Why the pain and suffering? 6. Where is hope? XXXXX 7. Who is Jesus? XXXXX 8. Who is The Holy Spirit? XXXXX 9. What is the Law and Grace? XXXXX 10. What is Faith? XXXXX 11. What is Prayer? XXXXX 12. What is the Church? XXXXX 13. What of the Future? XXXXX

Third questions

3-1. Why are we here? 2. Who is God? 3-3. Bible structure 4. Why does anything exist? 5. Why the pain and suffering? 6. Where is hope? 7. Who is Jesus? 8. Who is The Holy Spirit? 9. What is the Law and Grace? 3-10. What do we rely upon? 11. What is Prayer? 12. What is the Church? 13. What of the Future?

More questions

4-1. Why are we here? 2. Who is God? 3. What is the Bible? 4. Why does anything exist? 5. Why the pain and suffering? 6. Where is hope? 7. Who is Jesus? 8. Who is The Holy Spirit? 9. What is the Law and Grace? 10. What is Faith? 11. What is Prayer? 12. What is the Church? 13. What of the Future?