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This page revised and Copyrighted: Theon Doxazo |
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03.1.2 |
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One of the major commitments of the Second Peter Theory is to emphasize exegesis of the text of Scripture and to theorize in a way that is consistent with the revealed Word of God. It is hoped that a rigorous exegesis of the Scriptures will be compatible with both the 2 Peter Theory and theology broadly. To the degree that both are faithfully executed we should expect to find major agreement between them.
To the degree that the Second Peter Theory is consistent with the Scripture, Christians should find it to be readily understandable and acceptable. Even if the goals for the Christian life proposed are not readily or easily 'do-able', they can still be accepted as long-term goals to work toward. To the degree that the theory is not exegetically-consistent with Scripture it should be considered hesitantly or rejected outright. It is God's will as revealed in His Word that is to be our judge. If the works of a man are not compatible with His Word, He will prevail.
In addition to striving for an exegetically-consistent understanding, the Second Peter Theory also recognizes individual variability. When one actually looks at real Christians and how they live their real lives, it should be readily apparent that some persons may not 'add' all the qualities the Scripture speaks of. Also, individual people may seek to 'add' the qualities in different sequences from the one described in 2 Peter. Individual variability should be expected in applying abstract concepts to concrete situations.
In addition to the theorized qualities enumerated in the Second Peter text, one should also expect to discover a large number of other characteristics as well. Any life will have a multitude of events and abilities that 2 Peter will simply not reference. Those individual differences should come as no surprise. They are inevitable. So, we expect to see them and, when we do, we know that they do not automatically invalidate the Second Peter Theory.
The Second Peter Theory assumes that most Christians will 'naturally' want to grow in a given way. It assumes that personal motivations should spontaneously parallel the theory. It assumes that, at key points on our lives, the Holy Spirit will direct us in certain ways consistent with God's Word. Thus, the theory should describe how, at least some, Christians spontaneously develop spiritually. At the same time, the Theory acknowledges that people control their choices and, sometimes, make less-than-optimal choices. Thus, variability in observed behavior is to be expected.
If, however, the Spirit is clearly seen to be leading in a way different from the theory, then, by all means, ignore the theory and follow the Spirit!
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