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Originally Posted by bookslover  If this is your basic attitude, then you're going to have a frustrating Christian life, I think. Is it not possible to believe in the Trinity without completely understanding it? |
I believe in so far as I understand it. I understand the Godhead is three persons. In so far as this is clear to me, I believe it. I believe the Godhead is "one being". But what does "one being" mean. What does "one substance" mean. I understand this to mean the same in power and eternity - and that helps. I also categorically reject the idea the "one being" implies one person. So this helps me understand some more.
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Originally Posted by bookslover Why must you demand that you completely understand something before you believe it? |
I don't. But I want to be clear what I do and do not understand, and not say I believe something I do not understand. If I had to "fully" understand everything, I'd believe very little. But I can believe to the degree I understand, and no more. This is not a matter of attitude, but necessity.
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Originally Posted by bookslover I use electricity all the time and believe that it does what it does, but I can't say that I understand what electricity is. |
Are you saying you believe "in" electricity? It seems you are only saying that your belief consists of your understanding of what electricity can do. You don't have any belief regarding what electricity actually is. I also believe things about what electricity does, and how I can use it. I believe certain propositions about electricity (such as the relationship between current and voltage). But I don't believe anything about electricity that is contradictory or I don't understand. I have some notion about what electricity is (the flow of electrons) and that's about all.
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Originally Posted by bookslover It was one of the early church fathers, Ambrose, I think, who said, "I believe in order that I may understand". When it comes to spiritual things, this is the proper attitude for a Christian to have. |
I don't think this is a statement about attitude. As believers in Christ, we in general should understand Scripture better because we have the Holy Spirit. But one does not have to be a "believer" to understand anything. There are unbelievers who "know" the bible better then some Christians - but they do not believe what it says. So "I believe in order to understand" only makes sense as far as better understanding follows from belief in Scripture in general. It doesn't mean that I don't understand proposition X until I believe proposition X. Nor does it mean we should believe against reason. Faith is necessary for reason and knowledge, but it is in no way antithetical to reason and knowledge.
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Originally Posted by bookslover I don't have to completely understand everything the Bible teaches in order to believe. Remember, we walk by faith, not by sight. |
We walk by faith because we believe in Scripture, and this belief should determine our actions and decisions. We do not walk by sight because that is a rejection of God's Word. To walk by sight would be to say we can determine truth apart from God's Word - this is a rejection of rationalism and empiricism and all other worldviews that believe they can find truth apart from God and his Word. But this in no way implies a implicit or blind faith. We are to reason through the Scriptures to understand the truths therein.
[bible] Isa 1:18[bible]
We are to understand Scripture because a failure to understand makes us vulnerable to heresies: