Paradigms

What is a paradigm? A paradigm is a pattern, or model; a framework from which one learns and understands. We all have them. They are given to us by our parents or friends - society in general - and dictate, to a large extent, how we interpret what we read, what we see, and what we hear.

I was raised by Christian parents. We attended Church regularly every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evenings. Anytime there were special meetings, revival services, etc., we were there as well. My parents always insisted that I go with them. The Church we attended was part of a large, well known, pentecostal denomination and, oddly enough, I am still a member of the Church I grew up in, and now serve as a deacon and member of the praise band. The teaching of my parents and doctrines of my Church became my paradigm!

I want to say up front that I am grateful for the example of my parents, and the fact that they insisted on my Church attendance. As I was growing up, there was never any doubt about where they stood, spiritually. They lived their faith every day, consistently. And although I no longer agree with some of the things I was taught to believe, I have great respect and admiration for their unwavering faith. Both my father and mother were, in my opinion, excellent examples of what Christians should be. They were not perfect, but they were faithful to each other and to God, as they understood Him. However, they were, as are we all, most definitely victims of their paradigm, and the Biblical and world views they learned and practiced were the views they passed on to me and all my siblings.

So then, my religious upbringing - my paradigm - was pentecostal, evangelical, and fundamental. To break that down a little more, I was taught that...

• Jesus was the Son of God, but also "God the Son" (the 2nd person of the trinity);
• that Jesus was fully human, yet at the same time fully God;
• that Jesus was "God Incarnate" who came to earth in the form of man to die for sins so we could go to heaven when we die;
• that all who reject Jesus will go to hell when they die, and suffer unimaginable torment in a burning lake of fire for eternity;
• that, as a born again Christian, the Holy Spirit (the 3rd person in the trinity) lives inside of me, giving me power to live a holy life and be a witness for Christ;
• that "speaking in tongues" was the initial, physical evidence that one is actually "filled with the Holy Spirit.
• that as a Spirit filled believer, I could be a witness for Jesus not only in word, but in acts of power.

The last two bullet points above are peculiar to Pentecostal believers, but the rest are shared by all evangelical and fundamental Christians, in some fashion, as part of the Reformed Christian tradition.

In future posts, I will begin to share some ideas with you that have come from my personal study of Scripture and the reading of other informed Bible students and theologians, which reflect the changes in my belief system. But here they are, in a nutshell.

• I have come to the understanding that the doctrine of the Trinity is false;
• that men do NOT have souls that separate from their body at death;
• that heaven is NOT the destination of those who die in Christ;
• that hell is NOT currently occupied by the wicked dead, nor is it a place of eternal conscious torture.

Now at this point you may be thinking that I have really stepped off the deep end. But I assure you, I have not lost my faith; I have not lost my mind; and I most definitely have not become an atheist. You may call me a heretic if you must, but the fact is, my faith is stronger than ever! I love God, and I love Jesus, with all my being. I also have a renewed respect and awe for the Word of God, the Bible.

What has happened to me can best be described as a paradigm shift. I now see the Bible from a different angle. I view my faith through "new eyes" that have revealed a new pattern of understanding. To be sure, it has put me in a difficult position with my Church, and I have not yet decided how I am going to proceed. But to the best of my understanding, this new paradigm provides a more consistent, logical, and coherent view of what the Bible actually teaches about the doctrines mentioned above.

I am increasingly convinced that the doctrines I now hold are more true to the those received by the early Church. I must be true to my convictions. I serve God with a clear conscience.

God bless.

Keith