Paradoxical Theology

A paradox is when a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory is actually true. Humans don’t do well with paradox, and I think it leads to bad theology. We want things to be clear and simple, so we take extreme and polarizing positions. You end up with half of Christianity on one side and the other half on the other side, and the truth is probably “both” and “neither.”

There’s a great paradox in today’s reading (Philippians 3): Only let us live up to what we have already attained. If you read the whole chapter you’ll see the seeming contradictory nature of it. It’s like, “We’re already righteous! So try with all your might to be righteous!” Weird, but true. In Christ, our position with God is that we are totally righteous and holy. But God wants our actual lives to match up, and so we need to “live up to” and “press on to” and “strain toward” living each day in a righteous and holy way.

Probably someone out there disagrees, but I will pull the Philippians 3:15 power play on ya and say: All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. (Aahh, that feels good.) (So let me also add: Cream Soda is the best drink, Chinese the best food, Snow Patrol the best current band, and the Yankees are Hell’s team. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.) (I could do this all day.)