Learning from Dead Guys

So, I'm back in class and that means we're digging deeper into the book of Ephesians. As I read it through and through again over the winter break one phrase caused considerable contemplation, "being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). There are at least two senses in which this is true: 1) these men have gone before us in the faith, 2) these men have laid down inspired, life-giving texts for us to be built upon. But what about other men of God throughout history? How much stock should we put in their teaching?

This last question came up again and again at the recent Desiring God Pastor's Conference we attended here in Minneapolis because of how much influence various Puritans and C.S. Lewis seemed to be having on the theme. It came up in my mind too because for three semesters of my time here at Bethlehem Seminary I'll be devoting myself to the study of Jonathan Edwards' works and theology. Why? Why not just study the Bible? It's a worthwhile question to consider.

Just like the first apostles and prophets God chose to use for laying the foundation of the Church, so I believe he uses other believers throughout time for similar building purposes. Granted, these men are not inspired in their writings and often time reveals many glaring errors in their life, ministry, etc... But should we simply skip over their titanic thought and insights of interpretation because of these pitfalls? The answer at the conference was "Yes" and "No"!! YES, we should always be as the Bereans of Acts 17 and search the Scriptures to see if these things are so. But, NO, NO, NO we must not neglect the gift of these human teachers.

Just as we don't despise bridges built by past generations because we must find our own way across the river, so we must not neglect the great wisdom of the past. Certainly, let us test the soundness of the bridge before crossing. Let us examine the infrastructure and undergirding but when this is done, let us joyfully cross over!! Thus, as we spend three semesters studying the works of Jonathan Edwards we are not idolizing a man, we're not deviating from the Bible, we're not building little religious kingdoms on earth. What we are doing is joyfully yet attentively crossing a bridge to greater glory than we have yet seen on our own.

May the Lord bless you with godly and wise teachers, even dead ones, as you seek hard after Him in the Scriptures. Soli Deo Gloria