J.I. Packer wrote in 1987:
“The late W.H. Griffith Thomas entitled one of his books Christianity is Christ. He was right; so it is. To describe Christianity as a creed plus a code would be more usual, but would not go so deep. That Christianity involves both a creed and a code is a truth that none should query. Where basic beliefs about Jesus are denied and Christian behavior is not practiced, Christianity does not exist, whatever may be claimed to the contrary.
But Thomas's point was that you can know the creed and embrace the code and still be a stranger to Christianity. Martin Luther, George Whitefield and John Wesley, to name but three, had to learn that through humbling experiences; so did I; and so have many more. For the essence of Christianity is neither beliefs nor behavior patterns; it is the communion here and now with Christianity's living founder, the mediator, Jesus Christ.” (The J.I. Packer Collection, 184)
I'm on that list.
“The late W.H. Griffith Thomas entitled one of his books Christianity is Christ. He was right; so it is. To describe Christianity as a creed plus a code would be more usual, but would not go so deep. That Christianity involves both a creed and a code is a truth that none should query. Where basic beliefs about Jesus are denied and Christian behavior is not practiced, Christianity does not exist, whatever may be claimed to the contrary.
But Thomas's point was that you can know the creed and embrace the code and still be a stranger to Christianity. Martin Luther, George Whitefield and John Wesley, to name but three, had to learn that through humbling experiences; so did I; and so have many more. For the essence of Christianity is neither beliefs nor behavior patterns; it is the communion here and now with Christianity's living founder, the mediator, Jesus Christ.” (The J.I. Packer Collection, 184)
I'm on that list.
No comments:
Post a Comment