Uncertainty and Doctrine

There are certainly some theological beliefs that are at best uncertain from the standpoint of Scripture. However, many people teach and act as if most of the doctrines we talk about in church are really not clearly taught in Scripture. Many would quote Romans 11:33, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" (NASB), and conclude that when it comes down to it, we can't really be sure about anything in the Bible.

Martin Luther does an excellent job countering this idea in His book, Bondage of the Will. He is in debate with Erasmus over the issue of free-will. One of Erasmus' arguments is that the Bible is beyond us, many times too difficult for us to understand. Read Luther's counter:

All the things, therefore, contained in the Scriptures, are made manifest, although some places, from the words not being understood, are yet obscure. But to know that all things in the Scriptures are set in the clearest light, and then, because a few words are obscure, to report that the things are obscure, is absurd and impious. And, if the words are obscure in one place, yet they are clear in another. But, however, the same thing, which has been most openly declared to the whole world, is both spoken of in the Scriptures in plain words, and also still lies hidden in obscure words. Now, therefore, it matters not if the thing be in the light, whether any certain representations of it be in obscurity or not, if, in the mean while, many other representations of the same thing be in the light. For who would say that the public fountain is not in the light, because those who are in some dark narrow lane do not see it, when all those who are in the open market place can see it plainly?... With the same rashness any one may cover his own eyes, or go from the light into the dark and hide himself, and then blame the day and the sun for being obscure.

Did you follow his argument? His point was that if something is clear in one place it Scripture, that is enough. If it is unclear in another place in scripture, it was still clear in the first place. The unclear passage doesn't nullify the clear passage. All this to say, most doctrines are clear somewhere in the Bible. When people seem to have the idea that we, as humans, are too stupid to understand anything about God I have to wonder what Bible they are reading.

If God was too far beyond us for us to know Him, why would have given us a book that teaches us truths about Him. God is not unknowable. Surely there are things we may never understand, but God has given us a book that clearly teaches us truths about Himself. We can be confident that the things we believe about God are correct, so long as we find them in the Word of God.

Do not shy away from the deeper issues of the faith. Nearly all of them do have answers.