How to Read the Bible Without Blind Faith (or Cynicism) - Worldview Study Part 3

Think Well

Christians believe that God has personally, truthfully, and sufficiently revealed himself in the Bible. This should not be a blind following but is the result of the deep intellection tradition of biblical and theological studies. However, "pragmatism, consumerism, and an entertainment mentality have shifted the priorities of some churches away from our primary calling to devote ourselves to knowing God deeply through his Word." Why does theology matter? "Knowledge without devotion is cold, dead orthodoxy. Devotion without knowledge is irrational instability... The study of theology is learning to think God's thoughts after him so that our minds and hearts and actions are conformed to his image." Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 5:05 Announcements and future shows 10:32 Why cover biblical and theological studies? 19:00 Attitudes for doing biblical and theological studies 27:15 Christian Assumptions or presuppositions when studying the Bible 35:29 CALLER: Cynical vs Critical, Bias, and the Authority of Scripture 49:01 Functional absolutes regarding Scripture 51:50 Jesus's view of the Bible: Internal evidence for the reliability of the Bible 54:46 Sub-Disciplines of biblical studies 1:01:25 The Interpretive method 1:06:02 The process of theological studies 1:07:45 Areas of study in theology 1:10:32 Essential vs peripheral doctrines 1:13:05 Using reason, experience, and tradition in doing theology 1:20:29 CALLER: Knowledge vs lived experience 1:34:36 CALLER: What happens to those who die with wrong information or don't know about God? 1:44:58 LIVE QUESTION: How does one make sure they aren't deceiving themselves with their bias and presuppositions? 1:47:26 CALLER: Will Christianity become an extinct religion in the next 100-200 years if it doesn't adapt to culture?