{"id":144,"date":"2007-12-19T10:17:11","date_gmt":"2007-12-19T17:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/blog\/2007\/12\/19\/the-heretic-in-me\/"},"modified":"2015-03-26T14:11:41","modified_gmt":"2015-03-26T21:11:41","slug":"the-heretic-in-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/the-heretic-in-me\/","title":{"rendered":"The Heretic in Me"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TheI’m beginning to scare myself.<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

Long-held doctrines that I’ve held unswervingly to for years are beginning to teeter in my mind.<\/p>\n

I can’t decide if this is good or bad, but one thing is for sure…it’s making me more humble. (You know you’re humble when you can brag about it.)<\/p>\n

The Subtle Shift in My Theology<\/h2>\n

I’ve been noticing this shift for a while, but I was bowled over by it this morning on my walk to work. I was listening to a message by Donald Miller<\/a>, author of Blue Like Jazz<\/em><\/a>\"\" and I found myself agreeing with nearly everything he said (He is a fantastic speaker, by the way).<\/p>\n

I remembered the first time I was introduced to this book. It was about 5 years ago. I was the Senior Pastor of a church, and someone gave it to me and told me I must read it.<\/p>\n

I got through twenty or thirty pages before I tossed it in the garbage can. Literally. I think his book is the only book I have ever thrown out. I have books on my shelves written by Muslims and Mormons, none of which I have thrown out. Miller’s book got thrown across the room as hard as I could and into the garbage can (True story!).<\/p>\n

Now, I find myself laughing and agreeing with what he is saying.<\/p>\n

What Happened to Me?<\/h2>\n

So I asked myself this morning, “What has happened to me in 5 years?!?”<\/p>\n

Some would answer “You went to seminary.”<\/p>\n

That might be true. Seminaries (sometimes) have a way of making heretics out of us all. But just as one person’s garbage is another person’s treasure, so also, one person’s heresy is another person’s cardinal doctrine.<\/p>\n

It is just that I seem to have fewer and fewer cardinal doctrines. Several of my “Doctrines to die for” are no longer so important.<\/p>\n

Fewer Doctrinal Hills to Die On<\/h2>\n

\"Hills“What doctrines?” you ask?<\/p>\n

Not the “core fundamentals” like the Trinity, the inerrancy of Scripture<\/a>, the deity of Jesus, and justification by faith alone in Christ alone. If I ever start to have misgivings these, please, somebody come kick me in the head…hard. I will defend these to my grave.<\/p>\n

No, I am raising questions about various doctrines within ecclesiology, eschatology, angelology, and a few others.<\/p>\n

How is this happening?<\/p>\n

Some of these beliefs of mine are being undermined by the weight of exegesis. In other words, Bible study is making me doubt some of the theology I have been taught.<\/p>\n

Below are a few areas I feel toppling.<\/p>\n

Note that they haven’t toppled yet;<\/strong><\/em> they may right themselves, or like the Tower of Pisa, just lean over a bit. But I do not hold to these things as firmly as I once did.<\/p>\n

I still believe these things to be true and biblical, but I am now aware of different ways of approaching these doctrines which require further study on my part.<\/p>\n

My Current Leaning Towers of Pisa (why some might call me a heretic)<\/h2>\n

\"LeaningHere is my current list of doctrines which I am questioning, and which might cause some to label me as a heretic:<\/p>\n