I really need to be working through some theological issues on a more detailed level, so I will be posting here my intial thoughts in hopes that people can correct me where I'm wrong. My first post here is on faith, though it will deal significantly with the notion of works as well. Faith must be, to some extent, a cognitive phenomenon; after all, "we walk by faith and not by sight." But I think that making it predominantly cognitive (even if we're talking "heart-knowledge") is incompatible with Scripture and creates a host of problems in actually living it out. The latter has do with most of my earlier rants concerning the church, so I won't repeat it here unless someones wants a summarized, cleaned-up form.
Faith cannot be equated with our acts, but it stands in a tighter relation to them than simply a sufficient condition. Paul, in the final chapter in Galatians (of all books), says that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love. The passage in James which talks about a person showing his faith by what he does is well-known. The faith of Abraham is his journeying, and the faith of the people coming to Jesus to be healed is their coming in the first place.
The point is that the model cannot be (a) have faith, (b) do good works. It can't be simply the works either, but the works are non-dual with the faith. They are the expression of that faith, without which there is no faith; not as in the contrapositive to "faith implies good works," but in the direct removal of faith. The works are the particulars in which faith is embodied, and in which faith exists, though it could also have existed in other works.
Lest this point seem to be simple hair-splitting, I'll jot down my thoughts on why the distinction is important. If faith is just the condition for works, then our response should be one of quietism. We should put aside our human efforts in order to let God work. If works are the direct expression of faith, then we must exert effort in trust that God will come alongside and work with us in the exertion. This leads to the (planned) next discussion, on usage of "human effort," "works," and "flesh."
2 comments:
(1) What the heck is "heart-knowledge"? I've heard the expression occasionally, but never understood it.
(2) "Faith cannot be equated with our acts, but it stands in a tighter relation to them than simply a sufficient condition." That sounds right.
(3) "The works are the particulars in which faith is embodied, and in which faith exists, though it could also have existed in other works." Right, like chicken pox!!! (or were you in that class?) ;) To stretch the analogy, I suppose we should make faith a virus that always (in a law-like way) manifests itself in a certain range of symptoms, but with variety in just what symptoms are manifested.
(4) Following on the thought in my (3), (a) is faith quantifiable, and (b) if so, is there a direct relation between the quantity of one's faith and the type or degree of one's works? What is the meaning of the "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can tell this mountain to throw itself into the sea" saying?
(5) "If faith is just the condition for works, then our response should be one of quietism. We should put aside our human efforts in order to let God work. If works are the direct expression of faith, then we must exert effort in trust that God will come alongside and work with us in the exertion." I think I have generally interpreted your uncle's position as the former, and I think that my interpretation is quite close to the latter. I take it that you would prefer a third option?
Conclusion: I won't be voting for your being burned as a heretic today. :) :-p
(1) "What the heck is 'heart-knowledge'?"
I'm not quite sure myself, but I hear it often enough so I figured that it needed to be included. As closely as I can figure out, it is an inner experience rather than a logical argument. Which, as far as I'm concerned, places it within the "cognitive" category. If it means rather "embodied knowledge," then it may not be too far off the mark from what I mean.
(2) "Right, like chicken pox"
Actually, by your point #5, I am trying to get an even closer connection. A chicken pox virus still only fulfills the conditions which cause the symptoms; I would want to talk about faith and works being between a real distinction and a conceptual distinction. Some works could exist without faith, though I'm not sure if two people could act in the same way with only one having faith; however, when faith is there, the works are non-distinct from it.
(3) "What is the meaning of the 'If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can tell this mountain to throw itself into the sea' saying?"
I have absolutely no idea.
(4) "I take it that you would prefer a third option?"
Actually, I'm leaning toward the second option currently.
(5) "Conclusion: I won't be voting for your being burned as a heretic today."
That's awfully kind of you.
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