Experience is alive

This website offers me the opportunity to publish studies and experiences that I have gathered over the past decades: Experiences in free churches, theological trainings, national churches, house churches, in countless Bible groups, at conferences, in forums, and as a reflection of many conversations. I have dealt with some issues more than others. You can tell by the selection of items on this page.

Almost always, this is about fundamental issues. Not infrequently, these are theologically explosive topics, as they have been controversially discussed for 2000 years. And that’s a good thing, because we can only gain valuable insights by thinking for ourselves.

In these last decades I had to correct my biblical understanding again and again. Sometimes it was profound personal experiences that forced me to rethink what I had previously believed. Sometimes it was an in-depth study on issues that were of burning interest to me. Sometimes it was comments from other travelers on the faith journey that encouraged me to expand my horizons. In many cases, however, it was only in conversation with others that the lively debate, the weighing of text and interpretation, of application and outlook, emerged. What came out is – I think – a better differentiation in understanding, and a greater independence of opinions – including my own.

The alignment

Occasionally I am asked what I stand for. On the one hand, I’m a bit surprised, since I write regularly and in detail about various topics. If one is somewhat versed in the various views, then it is easy to see the direction. On the other hand, I must also concede that it can be helpful to set a few cornerstones. But that a classification is not so simple, and that it happens to many others as well, I have shown here above exemplarily at my own circles of experience. The understanding of life and God is not linear, nor is it static, and it is certainly not fully graspable – not for me and not for anyone else.

Living faith is just that: Alive. That’s why it doesn’t work to fix someone on something, such as a particular theology or church affiliation. I have encountered living faith in all the places I have been and people who are open to reflection and to invigorating community. People who know they are called and loved by God. They live out what they were called to do in Christ Jesus. Greater things can not happen. See also the articles “Being known by God” and “Conformity in the church”.

I now consider myself “post-evangelical” and “post-denominational.” Institutions are far less important than actual community, and there are more and more Christians who no longer belong, nor want to belong, to any institution. New forms of community and congregations are emerging that focus more on lived faith. I think this can be better justified from the Bible. In addition, many leave the existing structures because they feel the preaching is powerless, dogmatic, and no answers are offered to burning questions. Post-evangelicals therefore sometimes coin the idea of an “evangelical, version 2.0.” This is to indicate a reflective engagement with the Bible, with community, and with one’s own beliefs, whereas in the experience of many in existing communities (churches and free churches alike) this is often not cultivated. The promotion of a learning culture as a new concern should be specifically mentioned here.

Understanding the Bible

The Bible is God’s Word, namely it is permeated by God’s Spirit (Gr. theopneustos, God-breathed, 2Tim 3,16-17). It also includes human word (e.g. Acts 17:28) and human traditions. Furthermore, it contains things that were valid in certain times but not afterwards (e.g. Gen 9:3 in contrast to the previous chapters).

God’s Word is fundamentally true in my understanding, but the context alone determines the scope of the statement. In general, we are urged to “rightly cut the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Paul explains this statement in context so that a biblical truth cannot be assigned to a false time, as Hymenaeus and Philetus did when they claimed “the resurrection has already happened” (2 Timothy 2:17-18).

What is undifferentiatedly defined as “biblical” or “unbiblical” in some circles always deserves a closer look. Because not everything in the Bible applies to our situation today. While I can take personal gain from the whole Bible at any time, and I can learn from it about God and the world, not every verse in the Bible speaks directly to me. The short version is: Everything is for me, but not everything speaks of me.

Everything is for me, but not everything speaks of me.

I learned the most from a dispensationalist view of the Bible, whose core message is this: God is always the same, but He does not act the same in all times. The Bible speaks of an evolving history and each statement has its own place on this timeline and within the revelation that is taking place. Thus, many contradictions in the Bible can be explained understandably in their own context. Dispensationalism comes in many forms, not all of which I endorse. Even if the basic idea is good, it is still not necessary to blindly accept all the conclusions. Differentiation and examination are also required here – as with any theology and teaching whatsoever.

Biblical teaching is by definition limited. One’s own or common understanding of the Bible remains fragmentary. Biblical teaching is useful, just as a map is useful when consulted on a hike. However, the map is never the country. See the article titled “Maps”.

Community understanding

In my search for exegesis that is close to the Bible and answers to personal questions, I have compared many interpretations. As far as a coherent and concrete understanding of the Bible was concerned, I rarely found conclusive answers in only one direction. One recognizes this, the other that. Whoever explains the text best in context will have my full attention.

The understanding of Israel and the church is the pivotal point of self-understanding in many theologies. It is worth comparing the assumptions and conclusions of different approaches. The matter-of-factness with which some traditions attribute the Old Testament to Israel, and reserve the New Testament entirely for the contemporary church, inevitably leads to conflicts with the biblical text. Thus, it is common to think that the Gospels speak of the church, although at the same time it is also assumed that the church of all nations did not actually come into existence until the Acts of the Apostles. This is lived discrepancy that is bound to confuse. If there is an expectation for Israel, where is it mentioned in the New Testament? And if there is a calling for the nations that takes place without Israel’s mediation, where exactly do we read about it in the New Testament?

Although proselytes are repeatedly added to the Jerusalem church in the early chapters of Acts, not much changed for the Gentiles until Paul was called as the 13th apostle. While the 12 apostles addressed exclusively Jews and proselytes (as far as we can read the testimony in the Bible), Paul is called as an apostle to the nations (Rom 11:13). Today’s church from all nations is founded by Paul, while the church in Jerusalem (with the 12 apostles) is the vanguard for the renewed Israel (Jer 31:31). Both churches are called by God. Both churches are built on the testimony of Christ (see also Gal 2:7-9). Both communities have their own task in the future. One task concerns Israel’s future and that of the nations on earth (a priestly nation, 1Pet 2:9), the other concerns the church from all nations, with a task in the midst of those who are above heaven (Eph 2:6-7).

Then there are details to talk about. Some more thoughts can be read in this article, “Jesus and Paul – are they saying the same thing?”.

Understanding God

Here I quote Paul, who wrote:

“For although there are so-called gods (whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many gods and many lords), for us only One God, the Father, from whom is the universe (and we are turned to Him), and only One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom the universe has become (and we are through Him). But not in all of them is that realization.”
1Cor 8,5-7

A Trinity is nowhere attested in the Bible and must be interpreted into it with much uncertainty. There is no need for the tension, because the Bible leaves no doubt that there is only one God, and this is the Father. See also this article entitled “Turned to God,” about the opening verses in John’s letter, as well as the articles “Thanks be to God!” and “Why Jesus?”

Here, too, the text can only unfold its meaning in context. Dogmas are interesting because they reflect well the understanding at a particular time. Dogmas, however, are never to be confused with Scripture itself.

The aim of this website

More could be said here about other topics. However, I invite everyone to read the Scriptures for themselves and simply share with others. Creeds of all kinds have tried to redefine the cornerstones all the time. Over time, the creeds have become more extensive and have always integrated more interpretation. Trying to codify living faith is a human endeavor. Paul, however, was able to summarize the basis of the gospel in a few verses (1Cor 15:1-4 and 1Cor 15:11).

Although I attach great importance to a sound biblical justification of my views, this is not an ultimate goal. It is only a means to an end. Living faith is only defined by Christ dwelling fully in our hearts through faith. Paul adds that, thus rooted and grounded in love, we are strengthened,

“to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height (to know also the love of the Christ that surpasses all knowledge), that ye may be perfected unto the entire completeness of God.”
Eph 3:14-19

This website is intended to convey something of the richness for which I myself have often struggled for years. In the articles I take up the topics and questions that I have encountered again and again and still hear today in Bible studies and in conversation. My attitude has also changed over the years. Today I know that it’s no use not talking about important issues. This has to do with healthy growth, as Paul describes:

“But if we are true, we should make all things grow in love, into Him who is the head, Christ.”
Eph 4:15-16