Does this analogy work?

[Notthemama1984]

Last night I was talking with my grandma and brother in law about what I had been studying in class that day (athematic conjugation verbs and analogous names). At one point my brother in law stated that this was basically a waste of time. The only thing someone needed was the Spirit to teach them what the Scriptures say.

The discussion went on for a bit, but I want to get to an analogy about the need for preachers and see what you think.


Albert Pujols has the ability to hit home runs, but he cannot do it on his own. He needs the proper tools. The tool that he chooses is a wooden baseball bat. With this tool, he can accomplish his goal (hit home runs).

Similarly the Holy Spirit has the ability to change the heart of men, but He too needs the proper tools. He has chosen preachers and other men to be his tool. With this tool, the Holy Spirit can accomplish His goal.

I am just trying to come up with little analogies that can help explain concepts to young kids and those who have no theological background or vocabulary.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Michael]

I'd probably go with the 3rd base coach relaying signs from the dugout...but that's just me.

 

[Notthemama1984]

Except the coach is telling Pujols what to do, how can we tell the Spirit what to do?

 

[greenbaggins]

I admit it is difficult for me to be patient with people who think that the Spirit never seems to work through the scholars of the church. How do we even have the Scriptures available to us in our own language without the most scrupulous scholarship and attention to detail that the translators must have? Any competent translation of the Scriptures is the result of countless man-hours of labor. No doubt that is a waste of time.

Let's not forget just how many heretics in the church have claimed that all they needed was a direct revelation to them from God. They didn't need the church.

One more thing: would your brother-in-law admit that he needs the church? If he needs the church right now, then why doesn't he need the church of the past? The two are organically related. Why should we make all the same mistakes that have already been made in the past? And how are we going to know what orthodoxy is without the history of the church?

 

[Notthemama1984]

He goes to church for the music, so..........

 

[torstar]

He goes to church for the music, so..........

This view will constitute about 95% of your future flock?

 

[Jack K]

As for the baseball analogy...

Talking about the Spirit's tools is good, I think. The baseball analogy might only work, however, if we acknowledge that the Spirit could be hitting home runs with any tool he had chosen. He is in no way dependant on human preachers the way Pujols is helpless without his bat. The Spirit chooses to use specific sorts of tools, and the Bible tells us which sorts of tools these are (gospel preachers are surely near the head of the list), but this is because it is God's will to work salvation using such tools.

 

[TomVols]

A better example would be to use Joey Votto

Go Reds!

 

[Romans922]

The Holy Spirit needs nothing, He is God.

Rather our God chooses to use instruments (2 Corinthians 1-4 --> foolishness of preaching).