Duhovno zdravlje

U predgovoru svoje knjige pod naslovom “Toward an Exegetical Theology” (Prema egzegetskoj¹ teologiji), priznati biblijski stručnjak Walter Kaiser je napisao sljedeće:

1742. godine, John Albert Bengel je primijetio: “Pismo je temelj Crkve; Crkva je zaštitnik Pisma. Kada je Crkva snažnoga zdravlja, svjetlo Pisma sjaji žarko; kada je Crkva bolesna, Pismo se raspada zbog zaborava; i, tako se događa da vanjsko obličje Pisma i Crkve obično istovremeno prikazuju ili zdravlje ili bolest; a pravilo nalaže da je način na koji se odnosi prema Pismo u izravnom odnosu sa stanjem Crkve”. Nakon više od dva stoljeća možemo potvrditi ispravnost Bengelovog upozorenja. Crkva i Pismo stoje ili padaju zajedno. Ili će Crkva biti othranjena i ojačana hrabrim proglašavanjem njezinog biblijskog teksta ili će njezino zdravlje biti ozbiljno narušeno.

Drugim riječima — duhovno zdravlje bilo koje zajednice kršćanâ vidljivo je po načinu na koji ona postupa prema Bibliji. Crkva ovisi o Božjoj riječi, ako želi biti zdrava. Zanemarivanje, prijezir, ravnodušnost, pa čak i neozbiljnost u odnosu na propovijedanje Božje objave, prijetnja su Božjem narodu.

Kaiser nastavlja tako što opisuje današnje zdravstveno stanje Kristove nevjeste kao slabo, što je uzrokovano stalnim unosom “brze hrane” (eng. junk food). Današnje propovijedanje Kaiser opisuje kao unos raznih umjetnih konzervanasa i neprirodnih dodataka, što rezultira u “teološkoj i biblijskoj neuhranjenosti” duhovne naravi, upravo one generacije ljudi koja poduzima sve što može kako bi “osigurala da njezino tjelesno zdravlje ne bude oštećeno korištenjem hrane i proizvodâ koji su karcinogeni ili drugačije štetni”.

Nije li, zaista, tako i u našoj državi? Razmislite malo… Koliko vremena ste prošli tjedan uložili u svoje tjelesno zdravlje? Koliko ste trčali, kupovali light proizvode s manje masnoće, koliko ste tekućine pili da ne biste dehidrirali, koliko voća ste pojeli umjesto čokolade, itd.? Čak i ako niste aktivno radili na očuvanju ili poboljšanju svojeg zdravlja, koliko vremena ste potrošili razmišljajući o tome? Sigurno ste svjesni da ovakav stil života nije zdrav. Sigurno niste zadovoljni time što stalno sjedite za računalom ili pred TV-om. Sigurno smatrate da imate nekoliko kila previše. Sigurno mislite da biste se trebali češće prošetati susjedstvom umjesto da u trgovinu idete automobilom. Nisam li u pravu? Ne razmišljate li često o svojem tjelesnom zdravlju?

S druge strane, što je s vašim duhovnim zdravljem? Pavao je Timoteju napisao da “Tjelovježba donosi malu korist, a pobožnost donosi potpunu korist, jer joj pripada obećanje života — života sadašnjega i budućega” (1.Timoteju 4:8). Razmislite o ovome stihu. Punina i kvaliteta sadašnjeg života, kao i budući život nalazi se u pobožnosti. 

Tjelesno zdravlje je važno, nemojte me krivo shvatiti. Osobno, trebao bih više vremena uložiti u njegovo očuvanje i poboljšanje. Ipak, duhovno zdravlje je mnogo važnije. 

Pavlova poanta je da se moramo vježbati u pobožnosti. Moramo jačati svoje duhovne mišiće. Povezano s citatom Waltera Kaisera s početka ovog članka, moramo zgrabiti Božju riječ u svoje ruke i vježbati. 

Pažljivo pazimo s čim hranimo svoje tijelo; no, koliko smo ozbiljni i oprezni glede svoje duhovne prehrane??? Da budem jasniji — čitate li “deklaraciju” na svakoj propovijedi koju čujete ili pročitate; na svakom članku, svakoj knjizi, … Da budem još jasniji — provjeravate li duhove, kako to piše u 1.Ivanovoj 4:1, jer nisu svi od Boga iako to tvrde? 

Jedan biblijski odlomak kojeg se često pogrešno razumije i pogrešno tumači je 1.Solunjanima 5:20,21: “Proročanstva [propovijedi] ne prezirite, nego sve provjeravajte; što je dobro, čuvajte. Od svakog zlog izgleda [oblika] se klonite!” (doslovni prijevod).

Ovdje nas Božja riječ ne uči da slušamo svakoga bez imalo diskriminacije, pozorno slušajući i uzimajući ono dobro, dok odbacujemo ono loše. Ipak, to je kako mnogi vjernici shvaćaju ove stihove. Zamislite da na ovaj način pristupate svojoj tjelesnoj prehrani — sve i svašta jedete, korisno zadržavate u želucu, a otrovno izbacujete iz njega. Ne bi li to bilo opasno i ludo? 

Način na koji je Pavao napisao ove stihove, ukazuje na sljedeće tumačenje: Ne prezirite propovijedanje, nego provjeravajte propovjednike. One koji vas uče u skladu s Pismom, nastavite slušati i čuvajte ono što vas oni uče. One druge propovjednike, čije učenje nije položilo ispit Biblije, izbjegavajte!

Duhovno razlučivanje vještina je koja polako pada u zaborav. Ali, koliko je samo nužno… Kao što je opasno jesti svašta, a otrov izbaciti (upravo zato jer bi moglo biti prekasno, jednom kada otrov dođe do želuca), jednako je opasno i izlagati se skakakvom učenju, jer bi moglo biti prekasno, jednom kada ono uđe u naš um… 

Provjeravajte sve i svakoga koristeći Božju istinitu Riječ! 

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¹Egzegeza se odnosi da otkrivanje značenja biblijskog teksta.

Poznavati i voljeti Boga

Slijedi dio članka iz ESV Study Bible:

"The study of theology is considered by many to be dry, boring, irrelevant, and complicated. But for those who want to know God, the study of theology is indispensable. The word “theology” comes from two Greek words, theos (“God”) andlogos (“word”). The study of theology is an effort to make definitive statements about God and his implications in an accurate, coherent, relevant way, based on God's self-revelations. Doctrine equips people to fulfill their primary purpose, which is to glorify and delight in God through a deep personal knowledge of him. Meaningful relationship with God is dependent on correct knowledge of him.

Any theological system that distinguishes between “rational propositions about God” and “a personal relationship with God” fails to see this necessary connection between love and knowledge. The capacity to love, enjoy, and tell others about a person is increased by greater knowledge of that person. Love and knowledge go hand in hand. Good lovers are students of the beloved. Knowledge of God is the goal of theology.

Knowledge without devotion is cold, dead orthodoxy. Devotion without knowledge is irrational instability. But true knowledge of God includes understanding everything from his perspective. Theology is learning to think God's thoughts after him. It is to learn what God loves and hates, and to see, hear, think, and act the way he does. Knowing how God thinks is the first step in becoming godly.

Many would like to think that just being a “good” person and “loving” God, without an emphasis on doctrine, is preferable. But being a good person can mean radically different things depending on what someone thinks “good” is, or what constitutes a “person.” Loving God will look very different depending on one's conception of “God” or “love.” The fundamental connections between belief and behavior, and between love and knowledge, demand a rigorous pursuit of truth for those wanting to love God and to be godly. Hebrews 5:11–6:3 teaches that deepening theological understanding equips one to be able to differentiate good from evil, and it exhorts believers to mature in their knowledge of God and his ways:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity (Heb. 5:12–6:1).

Good theology is based in the belief that God exists, is personal, can be known, and has revealed himself. These presuppositions motivate theologians to devote themselves to a passionate pursuit of knowledge from God's Word. Unfortunately, the word “theologian” is used almost exclusively for vocational theologians rather than for anyone earnestly devoted to knowing God. On one level everyone who thinks about God is a theologian. But a believer whose life is consumed with knowing his Lord is most certainly a theologian, and theologians are committed to truth.

Loving God means loving truth. God is a God of truth; he is truth. In Scripture, all three persons of the Trinity are vitally related to truth.

In light of this relationship between God and truth, it should be no surprise that the Great Commandment includes loving God with one's mind: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30, quoting Deut. 30:6). Fully loving God and obeying the Great Commandment requires actively engaging the mind in the pursuit of truth.

The second half of the Great Commandment—love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31)—also requires a great commitment to truth. Love, kindness, and compassion must include profound concern that people understand the truth, since their lives depend on it. God meets man's greatest need of relationship with him through an understanding of truth: “Of his own will [God] brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures” (James 1:18; cf. 1 Pet. 1:23). Sanctification also happens by means of the truth: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17; cf. Rom. 12:2). Authentic discipleship is marked by knowing and obeying truth: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). Therefore, loving others involves having a deep desire that they understand truth. This is the reason the Great Commission has a vital teaching element. Making disciples of Christ involves teaching them to observe all he has commanded (Matt. 28:20). Jesus wants people to understand and obey truth and thereby find life in him. Failure to care whether or not loved ones understand the truth is failure to care about their abundant and eternal lives. People are judged and go to hell because they fail to love and obey God's truth (2 Thess. 2:11–13; cf. Rom. 1:18, 21, 25; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23)."