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   Hello, my name is Ed Nill and I will be writing a monthly article entitled: “Can You Tell Me Why?”  In-other-words, can you tell me (or anyone else for that matter) why you believe what you believe in regard to Christianity?  Telling someone what you believe may be easy for some, but “why” you believe it can be much more difficult.  If you cannot tell someone why you believe what you believe, do you truly believe it?  

   Think about that for a moment.  As we go forward in this series, I’ll be putting forth various doctrinal issues and explaining why I believe my position on those issues are reasonable.  Sometimes overtly, at other times more subtly, I’ll ask if you agree with what I write.  If you do not agree, can you reference Biblical passages to refute what I write?  And if you do agree with me, can you go beyond what I write and tell me more?  I’m going to ask that you hang onto each monthly article because from time to time you will find it necessary to refer back to an earlier one.  For the remainder of this article, I’m briefly going to mention some guiding principles that I follow in all of my writing.    

   As you read my articles, I want you to assume that you and I are sitting at your favorite coffee house enjoying a good cup of coffee and our conversation turns to a religious topic.  Discussing “religion” can go south in a hurry unless we agree to follow something that has become known as “Socratic discussion.”  If we engage in Socratic discussion, we will not attempt to impress each other with how much we know; rather, our goal will be to clearly explain to each other the “why” of the “what” we believe and then allow the other person, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to determine the validity of what was said after we have left the coffee house.  If either party has the attitude of: “it’s my way or hit the highway” or “I’m right and you’re wrong,”  we will alienate each other but we won’t make any progress.
 
   Let’s be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians…they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul (Ed in case of these articles) said was true.”  In Acts 17:17 Paul “reasoned” with the people, Paul did not make assertions, he reasoned with them, he told them WHY.  I also like the advice that Paul gave to the people in Colossians 4:6 where he said, “Let your conversation (or my writing) be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you (or me) may know how to answer everyone.”  Like salt enhances the taste of food, so the choice of words that an author uses as he writes can either encourage or discourage.  Another Scripture along these lines is Galatians 5:15.  Paul, in talking to the Christians at Galatia makes this statement, “If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”  Bring this admonition into today’s setting.  Religious group “X” bites religious group “Y”.  Are these two groups devouring each other, and in the process, also damaging Christianity in general?  Sometimes it is incumbent upon us that we teach or correct, but let our teaching and correcting be always full of grace and seasoned with salt.  

   Here are four additional guidelines that I intend to follow.  1) Authority.  Who or what is our final arbiter in the Christian religion?  Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”  If I quote various people or look at history, it is only done as a support to scripture and not to replace or contradict it.  2) Key words must be properly defined.  When the writers of the New Testament used words such as “faith,” “repent,” “baptize,” etc., they had a very specific meaning at the time they were written.  I will follow the definition of words as used at the time they were originally written.  3) One’s conclusion must allow all inspired writers to be in harmony.  For example, Ephesians 2:8-9 (which addresses “grace”) appears to contradict James 2:24 (which addresses “works”).  This apparent contradiction collapses when we understand what James meant when he used the Greek word “ergon” which was translated into our English word “works” (KJV).  In this example, we need to understand that the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of Paul was equal to but not greater than His inspiration of James.  4) The study of the Bible is unproductive if we are not willing to allow Biblical evidence to lead us to our conclusion.  Jesus, in John 17:17 said, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.”  The definition of the word “truth” is that it correctly describes realty!  When we read the Bible, we are reading authoritative statements that cannot be denied or altered.

   See you next month.

   See the ad in this issue if you are interested in my latest book entitled: Christianity – Why I Believe What I Believe – Why Do You Believe What You Believe?”  My goal in the book is to make you think.  It can be ordered directly from the publisher by using email address: edbosspub@gmail.com.  This same email address is routed directly to me if you wish to communicate in regard to this article.

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