*** SHOW NOTES (not a transcript) ***

Lead:

What is the definition of “orthodoxy?” And what really matters?

Intro:

A couple quick notes before diving in today:

My podcast hosting service had a mess up and a the last couple days podcasts didn’t post. I schedule each a day in advance, and it slipped by unnoticed. But they’re there now. Enjoy.

One other before I dive into a pile of reading…I forgot to mention yesterday that, related to our topic of suffering, I found a video of Tim Keller talking about living when life gets hard. Besides making some good points, it’s a great example of a talk geared toward an audience that may include people who don’t speak Christian-ese. I added it to Resources section at the bottom of both yesterday’s and today’s pages, programs number 900 and 901.

So…let’s get to it.

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Bible Segment:

Passage: Luke 21-22
Translation: NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Verses: 109
Words: ~2330

All Our Minds Segment:

In Pauls first letter to his young protege’, pastor Timothy, his very last words are: “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding irreverent and empty speech and contradictions from what is falsely called knowledge. By professing it, some people have departed from the faith. Grace be with you all.” (1 Ti 6:20–21, CSB).

The Oxford Dictionary defines orthodoxy as, “authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice.” (Oxford Dictionary).

Notice the first word of this otherwise secular definition…authorized. As in author. As in authority.

For Christians, of course, that’s God.

The important thing to remember is that “Truth” is not only a person, but it’s “out there,” not “in here.” Whether or not we understand or get it right, it starts from the position that the grand weaver of the cosmos determines what is true, not us.

So the historic definition in Christianity is super-simple to remember: Orthdoxy is “right belief.”

As theologian Donald Bloesch puts it

Orthodoxy signifies not the ideological center of the church but its theological center.(1)

The bottom line

One thing to remember: Many in today’s culture don’t think you should ever say someone else is wrong. But orthodoxy, or “right belief,” does include a right — and a wrong — which is what Paul is arguing for. So if someone says, “That’s your truth,” it might be useful to know that you may be defending where Truth comes from.

Wisdom Segment:

Passage:
Translation: NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Verses:
Words:

Love you!

-R

ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.

Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.

Sources and resources:

Thank you for supporting this ministry should you choose to use the Amazon affiliate link behind the citation.

(1) Donald G. Bloesch, A Theology of Word & Spirit: Authority & Method in Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 140. (link)

#902: Luke 21-22 | Orthodoxy