Was Kierkegaard right?

[Guest]

Soren Kierkegaard:

The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined.
Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.

I found this quote of Kierkegaard's in a book I was reading (The Secret Message of Jesus - Brian McLaren).
Do you agree or disagree with Kierkegaard's assessment?
Do you find a gap between comprehension of the message of Jesus and a willingness to commit to action regarding it?
Can theology distract from obedience in simplistic faith?

Your thoughts please.
Dave

[Guest]

i think that soren was right on. i really do-- which is probably the primary reason that the american church is, by and large, weak and ineffective.

at www.fireonthealtar.com, there is a comp called "One thing you lack". in that comp, art katz decries exactly what soren kierkegard is talking about. if we truly lived biblical christianity, we would be considered fanatics-- not only by the world, but by other people w/in the church.

i know that i, personally, have much growing to do in this regard.

TK

[Guest]

I think he's overstating a true statement

[Guest]

Mattrose said:

I think he's overstating a true statement

I agree with Matt.

Jesus said "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.....If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off...". I'm wondering how many body parts Soren had left doing exactly what Jesus taught! He was probably nothing but a stump. No tongue for sure if James can be believed!

Are Jesus' teachings principles to live by or a bunch of rules, far more onerous than The Law?

The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly.

I am reminded a story I read about the Apostle John when he was very old. It was said they had to carry him to the front and set him up to speak. Over and over again he preached about love, and they inquired about why he never spoke about anything else. John is said to have replied "If you do that, that is enough". If this is what Kierkegaard had in mind, I would have to agree with him.

[Guest]

if we truly lived biblical christianity, we would be considered fanatics-- not only by the world, but by other people w/in the church.

In a sentence or two, how would you describe Biblical Christianity?

[Guest]

Are Jesus' teachings principles to live by or a bunch of rules, far more onerous than The Law?

This is the question asked and answered by Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy.
The premise of the book is that the Sermon on the Mount is usually misunderstood as Jesus dictating new laws for the Christian that are approached as stand-alone statements.

Willard demonstrates that the statements in the Sermon on the Mount should always be viewed contextually connected to the statements before and after, and that the discourse is a single stream of thought. This understanding will lead to the conclusion that Jesus is painting a picture of a follower of Christ and his or her actions based on the principles of the Kingdom of God.

As far as I can tell, this view answers more details of the text than any others I've read. I recommend this book highly.

I am reminded a story I read about the Apostle John when he was very old. It was said they had to carry him to the front and set him up to speak. Over and over again he preached about love, and they inquired about why he never spoke about anything else. John is said to have replied "If you do that, that is enough". If this is what Kierkegaard had in mind, I would have to agree with him.

Did Jesus sum up the Sermon on the Mount (and the Law and Prophets) in this passage:

Luke 10:25-37 -(ESV)
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Dave

[Guest]

schoel wrote:

In a sentence or two, how would you describe Biblical Christianity?

i am not sure that i can. however, after listening to steve g's "radical christianity" series, i am fairly confident that fairly few are radical christians, in the USA at least.

TK

[Guest]

Dave,

This is the question asked and answered by Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy.

As far as I can tell, this view answers more details of the text than any others I've read. I recommend this book highly.

I couldn't agree with you more! Willard is excellent. You could probably see his influence in my post.

[Guest]

Good morning Dave,

Do you happen to know which book or tract of Kierkegaard's Brian McLaren was quoting from in the book you mentioned? Thank you for any help you can give.

Stephen

[Guest]

Good morning Dave,

Do you happen to know which book or tract of Kierkegaard's Brian McLaren was quoting from in the book you mentioned? Thank you for any help you can give.

Stephen

McLaren's book cites -
Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Soren Kierkegaard
...for this particular Kierkegaard quote.

I googled a while looking for a specific Kierkegaard writing or text that this quote would come from and couldn't find anything.

Dave