"An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God Himself and His grace. It is a subtle and deadly mistake."
- From Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller, p. 131
"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5.21
Looks like a good read. I am curious what you think of Israel's henotheism and how that fits in with idolatry/Christian spirituality. What does it mean that Israel, God's chosen people, believed in the existence of many gods, while maintaining YHWH as the supreme God? God reveals God's self over time to God's people, what does this mean in the face of pressing questions like the sanctity of homosexuality and the rejection of women in ministry? Paul seems to be struggling with what it looks like to truly have no difference between male and female in his epistles. Are these issues which are based in doctrine/fear rather than in God and God's grace? If God is continuing to reveal God's self over time, what does this mean?
ReplyDelete-CJ