¶ 324.9—Each candidate shall respond to a written and oral doctrinal examination administered by the conference board of ordained ministry. The examination shall cover the following:
a. Describe your personal experience of God and the understanding of God you derive
from biblical, theological, and historical sources.
I do not remember a time in my life when I did not know God. My earliest memories are at the ages of three and four singing “Jesus Loves Me” with my mom, going to church with my grandparents, and singing hymns while riding on the tractor with my grandfather. My favorite bedtime storybook was the children’s Bible. Because of my family and their faithful discipleship, I grew up knowing God. When I was eight, I had a very profound experience with God that shaped who I am and my relationship with Him. I was very sick, nearly dying in the hospital. My parents were scared and praying without ceasing, and I distinctly remember being in the operating room and experiencing abundant love and peace as I prayed. As I fell asleep on the table, I felt God’s presence overcome me. This personal connection with Christ has never left me, and words fail me when I try to describe it.
Throughout the next 10 years, as my parents divorced, as I spent even more time in the hospital, and as I navigated teenage angst, I never felt alone as I was connected with Christ. God had placed His hand of peace and anointing on my heart, and because of this, I came to fully rely upon Him for all things. With this being said, have I always been perfect? No. Have I always completely followed God, and His will for my life? No. Just like the Israelites, I tend to have short-term memory loss. I had many moments, especially through the teenage years, where I spent a significant amount of time running from God’s calling. What God taught me during that time, though, is that He is faithful, even when I am not.
Several themes have emerged in my journey through life including knowing God as One who heals, provides, brings peace, offers salvation, and extends forgiveness. I embrace the truth of Psalm 103, as I believe it to depicts the experience of God in my life by picking up on these themes:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed life the eagle’s (103:1-5).
The Lord has forgiven my sins, and as a new creation in Christ, there is no condemnation. My journey has shaped who I am today, and it propels me onward to perfection. Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, I can stand confidently before the Lord. I understand that apart from Christ, I am in a desperate and hopeless condition, but in Christ, I am renewed, justified, and made perfect in His love. Because of what Christ has done for me, I live with the inner light of love and joy, and feel compelled to share with others God’s grace that is powerful to cover sins and restore lives.
God is the Creator and Sustainer of all life. I believe the Bible is the written account of God’s interaction with creation, particularly as God covenants with a specific group of people for the redemption of the world. The people of God respond to God’s covenanting activity with both obedience and rejection. At times there is faithful response, which leads to nations seeing the glory and majesty of God, while other times people turn away from God as they seek foreign idols. In these times of separation, God often sends judgment to cause people to repent and return to God. Ultimately it was God coming in the person of Jesus Christ who provided for the complete restoration of fallen humanity. In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God reveals the true nature of humanity, the depth of His love, and ultimate victory over sin and death. We are invited to participate with God in the redemptive activity of the world, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to live life in a manner that glorifies God through faithful obedience to His call and commands.
Throughout history, God regularly and intentionally engages in the lives of people, making Himself known in ways that reveal specific attributes of God. In Exodus 15, we read about the Lord who heals. In Matthew 8, there is the account of the leper who asks Jesus to heal him “if he chooses.” Jesus responds, “I do choose. Be made clean.” In these we see the heart of God for cleansing and healing for the sick and destitute. In my own life I have received this cleansing of my heart, mind and soul. By God’s grace I have been allowed to participate in prayer for people who have received a healing touch physically. What I have learned is that sometimes the healing that we experience is physical, emotional, relational or social. But even in these, the true healing offered is spiritual as people are drawn into a closer relationship with the Living God.
In Genesis 22:14, God provides a ram to take Isaac’s place on the alter Abraham has built for a sacrifice. As a result Abraham named the place, “The Lord will provide.” God continues to provide for His people, and in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus affirms that we should not worry about what we wear, or what we eat, for God is faithful to provide for even the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. At numerous times and in numerous ways God’s provision has been perfect in my life and ministry including emotional, relational, physical and spiritual.
After Jesus was crucified and the disciples were huddled in the upper room, Jesus came among them and spoke peace to them (John 21:19-23). When God called Gideon to lead the Israelites out of the hands of the Midianites, Gideon declared that place, “The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:24). In the midst of chaos, those who know God will experience peace in the depth of their soul. The earliest Christians experienced this as they refused to deny Christ, and were subsequently killed. While the circumstances may remain troublesome, followers of Christ can take refuge that the presence of God will give them the confidence, strength and peace necessary to move forward in life or death.
God says through the prophet Isaiah, “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no Savior” (Isaiah 43:11). Jesus tells His followers, “I have come to seek out and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). And when speaking before the rulers, elders and scribes in Jerusalem, the apostle Peter boldly proclaims, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the Savior and Redeemer of the world, and freely offers salvation for all. Those who accept this gracious offer of love and hope in Christ, discover the presence of God to powerfully touch every area of life. God can restore relationships, heal physical bodies, speak peace into tumultuous situations, offer hope to the hopeless and reclaim lives for His glory. In its truest sense then, salvation is personal, communal, spiritual, social, emotional, relational, and involves healing, restoration, and redemption.
At the heart of the Christian message is forgiveness. Though we have turned our backs on God, effectively wishing him dead, God has graciously and effectively forgiven us from our sins and restored us in a loving relationship through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:21-23). Furthermore, we are commanded by Jesus to forgive others (Matthew 18:21-22). Every Sunday morning in the United Methodist Church, millions of people recite the same words, “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” Our tradition has an established reminder of God’s command, and the basic need to receive forgiveness from God and give it freely to others (Matthew 6:12-15). By forgiving we learn to love more perfectly as God has perfectly loved us (Matthew 5:48).
Jesus invites us to participate in bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth, and if we are to participate with him, then we have to pursue heaven with every fiber of our being. We must believe that God has called us to a lifestyle of holiness, or holy living, which includes learning to love God and neighbor. Holiness is not about learning a list of rules and regulations that outline what cannot be done in life. Rather, holiness is about being set free in life to love with passion in the same manner that we have received love from God. This is what it means to, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Perfection, as John Wesley taught, is about loving the way God loves, and that is only possible by being with God personally and corporately. The natural result of an authentic love for God will be an outward expression of loving our neighbors. In the end, what matters is I have loved God deeply and loved my neighbor deeply because of Jesus’ love for me.
b. What is your understanding of evil as it exists in the world?
At a fundamental level, evil is that which is working in opposition to the will and purposes of God. Evil manifests itself in a variety of ways. As humans who are given the will to choose freely, we oftentimes make choices that cause pain and suffering for others. Jesus proclaims that Satan is constantly working against the things of God, seeking to “steal, kill and destroy” God’s creation—from humanity to the entire created order (John 10:10). Evil is manifested in the neglect of children, the starving of people, genocide, destruction of family units, cycles of poverty and oppression, and so on. It is something we struggle with personally as well as corporately. It is at once private and social, local and global. As Christians, we strive to make choices that not only resist evil, but serve to advance the kingdom of heaven on earth. In our profession of faith, we admonish that we will resist the powers of darkness in the name and power of Christ.
As Christians, we celebrate because we know that evil has been defeated through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We understand that evil is very real, and is still working to destroy God’s creation. As Christians, we willingly choose to participate with God in the eradication of diabolical forces from this earth, and we join with God, standing opposed to evil in all of its forms. We seek to “overcome evil with good” through loving our neighbor, demonstrating compassion and proclaiming truth. As Christians, we understand that we are called to proclaim release to those who are imprisoned, restore sight to the blind and heal those who are suffering. By faithfully living in obedience to Christ, we will see that God is victorious over evil, and love wins.
c. What is your understanding of humanity, and the human need for divine grace?
In creation we see the splendor and majesty of God’s creativity. The psalmist declares,
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them. Yet you have made them a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor ” (Psalm 8:3-5).
We proclaim with the psalmist the majesty and mystery of humanity created in the image of God. In humanity we see the pinnacle of this creation, for into humans God breathed His Spirit, giving life. The apostle Peter even states that we “may become participants of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). These are glorious truths that call humanity to the highest of possibilities.
Although most resembling the divine image, humanity also has the capacity for immense rebellion resulting in immeasurable pain and suffering. Having been given the ability to make our own choices, humanity has wrought on itself great destructive forces. Originally created good and reflective of God’s glory, humans rejected the gifts and presence of God, resulting in a catastrophic separation from God’s presence. Death ensued in all of its forms: emotionally, spiritually, relationally and physically. This fallen human condition has created a spiritual chasm that only God Himself can restore. Humanity stands in desperate need of a generous and loving God, and in the person of Jesus Christ we find this hope. We celebrate the reality of God’s extravagant grace freely offered to humanity for the purpose of restoring the broken relationship with God. Through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, God grants the forgiveness of sins, restoration of lives, victory over death, abundant life and joy that satisfies the soul. In Christ we see the true nature of humanity, and we learn how to live and to love like God. These gifts of true life are freely offered, and cannot be earned by any of our own efforts. By accepting the love of the Father, embracing the truth of Jesus Christ and committing to follow him, we receive the presence and power of the Holy Spirit and enter into eternal life.
d. How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?
The statement “Jesus Christ is Lord” is a basic affirmation of Jesus as the second person of the Trinity. By saying Jesus is Lord, we affirm that Jesus is God the Son, who came to earth and revealed the true nature of humanity. Embracing his identity as the Son of God, Jesus resisted temptation, lived without sin, demonstrated generous compassion and inclusion in ministry, performed miracles that point to the glory of God, and willingly sacrificed his life so that we might find true life. This statement is also supremely counter-cultural. In the first century to utter these words went against the notion that “Caesar is Lord,” and indicated a loyalty to a kingdom other than the Roman Empire. Culturally speaking, proclaiming, “Jesus is Lord” implies the same today as it did back then, and by making this statement, we align ourselves with the kingdom of God, which transcends the kingdoms of this world.
Jesus is the Lord of creation. The apostle Paul states, “[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God” and “all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all thing hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). Jesus is Lord of the created order. He rules over everything that exists and all creation worships him. Paul declares in the letter to the Philippians that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am.” Our response must echo his. “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Peter also declared that Jesus had the words that give life, and Jesus himself stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord is fundamental for the believer. By this statement, the believer asserts the releasing of their life for the glory of God. No longer will the believer strive for personal gain at the expense of their neighbor. They are willingly yielding their own personal agendas to God. They are refusing to be conformed to the things of this world, and instead they are seeking to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Philippians 2 also provides a good framework for living out “Jesus is Lord.”
Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:2-5).
Colossians affirms that Jesus is Lord of the Church. The Church in all its manifestations, ministries, and worship services, exist for the glory of God in Christ. By allowing Jesus to be Lord of the Church, the Church is able to passionately engage the world with the good news of God’s redeeming love. Like the river that flows from the temple in Ezekiel 47, the Church is called to move towards the dead places of the world. When the Church is truly engaged in the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, submitting to his authority and vision, then the dead places of the world will experience new life by the presence and power of God working through it. Ultimately by submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ, the individual becomes part of the larger family of God. On both a personal and corporate level, followers of Christ are compelled to work for the advancement of the kingdom of heaven on earth that is at once spiritual and practical.
e. What is your conception of the activity of the Holy Spirit in personal faith, in the community of believers, and in responsible living in the world?
As the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is actively engaged in the world, prompting people to respond to the good news of God’s love and grace, convicting people of their sins, challenging people to faithful and obedient living, empowering believers to overcome struggles and temptations, and offering the assurance of salvation for those who believe. The power and presence of the Holy Spirit compels a person to realize their sins and their desperate condition of life without Christ. The Spirit works in the individual to orient their minds, hearts and souls towards God, resulting in life transformation. The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit encourages believers to faithful living in all areas of life, including power to resist temptation. As believers, we have available to us the same Holy Spirit in whose power Christ was raised from the dead. The Holy Spirit secures our identity as disciples of the Living God, and empowers us to speak the truth in love to the world.
As the community of believers, we must privately and corporately seek “Life in the Spirit.” Through spiritual disciplines, we position ourselves to experience and be led by the Holy Spirit. Pursuing the heart of God in prayer, study, solitude, worship, fasting, and the sacraments allow the Spirit to move in and through the Church. We learn to worship together, pursue holiness, speak truth, seek reconciliation, and experience healing in the context of community. We realize our actions have extensive implications for those around us, and we seek to live in a manner that reflects our belief in God. As the Holy Spirit forms the Church, justice is sought, mercy is extended, and righteousness is pursued. Each of these holy practices takes on practical implications in our local and global communities, compelling us to ministries of compassion, mission, and a pursuit of God’s kingdom coming on earth.
f. What is your understanding of the kingdom of God; the Resurrection; eternal life?
Kingdom of God
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus’ first words in ministry are, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17). (Interestingly, found in Matthew 3:1, this was also the teaching of Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist prior to Jesus coming on the scene.) As a child, I thought of the Kingdom of Heaven as the location of where I was going after I died. The more I study and grow, I have come to believe that the Kingdom of Heaven is very much associated with what is going on in this world right now. I believe that from the moment Jesus stated the words, “the Kingdom of Heaven is near,” He set out to demonstrate what the Kingdom of Heaven really is. It is inclusive, loving, and accepting of all who will receive the loved offered to them in Christ.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus publicly announces the beginning of his ministry by reading the Isaiah scroll,
The Lord has put his Spirit in me, because he has appointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to tell the captives they are free, and to tell the blind that they can see again. God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly and to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness (Luke 4:18-19).
This passage indicates the type of ministry in which Jesus intends to lead. Jesus says plainly, that as He moves, good news moves with and through Him to all peoples. Through Him, the poor will receive hope, the blind will receive sight, captives will be set free, and all will have the opportunity to experience the favor of the Lord. He has broken the chains of sin and bondage. Through his death, Jesus has provided for us the opportunity to come before the Father as holy and blameless. Our souls can be at rest because of the peace we experience in Christ. We do have power to overcome the temptations we face.
While this message certainly has spiritual significance and implications, it would be wrong to limit our understanding to the spiritual realm, for the ministry of Jesus is also intensely practical for life today. We can see why when we begin to follow Jesus beyond this moment. As we unpack the teachings and actions of Jesus, we discover they are full of meaning spiritually, socially, and economically. Jesus is interested in bringing good news to those in need in an incredibly practical manner. Consider the company Jesus kept. He often spent time eating and hanging out with prostitutes, tax collectors and other sinners. Why would he repeatedly place himself in the company of such reprobates? The answer is found in the proclamation, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The good news of the passionate love of God is freely available to, and accessible by, anyone who is interested. For each of the prostitutes, tax collectors and other sinners, Jesus offers dignity, hope, joy, love and a sense of peace. He reminds them of their true identity (being made in the image of God), and as such he offers them new life and a chance to be reborn with a sense of purpose and passion to live for the glory of God. He provides food for the poor when they become hungry on the hillsides. He offers healing to the sick, lame, and diseased, and social restoration to the alienated. In doing these things, He is proclaiming the power of God to transform lives and making it available to everyone, everywhere, and at any time. He revives the son of a dead widow and simultaneously restores her to society as a complete person. He engages women in conversations and treats them as equals, thereby shattering common social structures that previously alienated them. He lived his life counter-culturally to model how we should live. Jesus, through His life and teachings, acted out what God had intended for the nation of Israel to be from the very beginning – a people would would reveal the goodness of a loving God to the entire world. This is what was proclaimed from the Isaiah scroll. This is the Kingdom of Heaven brought near. And when we can imitate Jesus, we can bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
The Resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the fundamental historical reality that validates Christianity. Jesus was a great teacher, leader, visionary, prophet, and more, but without the resurrection, He remains just those things. The resurrection validates His claim as the Son of God. In the resurrection, we see Jesus conquer death in all of its forms. Jesus indicated that He would die and rise again. Without the physical, literal, resurrection, His claims are exposed as lies and Christianity cannot stand. The resurrection gives us hope and victory in the face of sin and death. Having conquered life and death, Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit, in whom we are given power and strength to face and overcome the struggles of this world. Having witnessed the resurrection, and being given the Holy Spirit, the first apostles moved into bold proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul made this abundantly clear when he said, “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). However, because of the historical reality of the resurrection, we can place our faith in Jesus. We can trust the Lord to deliver us from sin and death. We do have hope and victory in this world and the next, and we are given the presence and power of the Holy Spirit as the seal and strength for our souls. This would make sense then, that the resurrection is the primary issue that those opposed to Christianity attempt to refute, because without the resurrection, the claims of Christianity fall apart.
Eternal Life
Much like the Kingdom of God, I once believed that eternal life begins after death. The more I studied, the more God transformed my thoughts. In the Gospel of John, Jesus prays, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). For the apostle John, and for Jesus, eternal life began with knowing God, which is a present reality. By following Christ, we enter into eternal life now. Similarly, in the Gospel of Luke, the kingdom of heaven is a present reality as much as a future one. Knowing God begins when a person orients their life towards God in Christ, and in that time of transformation, eternal life begins. I believe eternal life is both a present reality and a future hope rooted in knowing God in the person of Jesus Christ. Eternal life starts now.
g. How do you intend to affirm, teach, and apply Part III of the Discipline (Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task) in your work in the ministry to which you have been called?
I believe in the Doctrinal Standards and the Theological Task as stated in the Book of Discipline. The Standards are deeply rooted in Scripture, and provide a powerful theological framework from which we can grow in our understanding of who God is and who He is calling us to be as His Church. As a person called to ministry within this tradition of the Church universal, I expect to lead and teach the Christian witness in a manner consistent with the Theological Doctrines as established in the United Methodist Heritage. I will strive to create an environment where people can experience the presence of God as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in their lives today. Emphasizing the articles of religion and the confession of faith, I will strive to call people towards a life of holy living that is marked by love of God and love for neighbor. The theological doctrine of the Wesleyan tradition, including prevenient grace, justification and assurance, sanctification and perfection, faith and good works, mission and service, and the nurture and mission of the church, provide a framework from which to pursue God and engage the world for life transformation. These both edify the body of believers and initiate a call for moving beyond established and comfortable boundaries.
The theological tasks of the United Methodist Church push us to consider the world as we learn to think theologically. Theology cannot simply be an assent to intellectual truth; it must also translate into practical, tangible ministry efforts that influence and inform the world for the glory of God. We must strive for biblical integrity in our emerging theological expressions, and ensure that they are matched with practical, incarnational ministry efforts. Certainly we must use reason as we think theologically and maintain orthodox beliefs, for faith in Christ must address the intellect. But it must also address the heart, and issues of the heart. As the Book of Discipline states, “While the highly theoretical constructions of Christian thought make important contributions to theological understanding, we finally measure the truth of such statements in relation to their practical significance.” It is not enough to simply believe; inward belief must translate into outwardly action.
As Christians we desire that all people come to salvation through faith in Christ, which entails a transformation of the heart, mind and soul of a person, as their entire being is reoriented towards holy love of God and neighbor. As leaders in the Church, we must consider how our worship, our teaching, our mission, and our community serve to glorify God and impact the world through a working out of what Wesley called “holy love.” To glorify God with our lives necessitates world impact. We must love God and love our neighbor. True salvation, or redemption means we have a passion for the things of God, such as personal and social holiness, and caring for others. We must strive to hold in tension a life marked by holy living and grace. The believer will see the needs of the world, both temporal and spiritual, and will seek to meet those needs as much as possible. If we say that we love God, but do nothing for our neighbor, then we have a misunderstanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. Our faith must be essentially practical, as much as it is intellectually orthodox.
h. The United Methodist Church holds that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. What is your understanding of this theological position of the Church?
Scripture
For Christians, the Bible is the main point of reference around and through which every point of discussion must eventually find its fulfillment. It is both the source and culmination of discussion. Scripture holds such a place of authority because it is the written account of God’s interaction with the people of God, as contained in both the Old and New Testaments. We learn about God’s nature, holiness, compassion, and desire that all people would know of His extravagant love and grace. Furthermore, it contains the direct witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, whom we profess to be the very presence of God in the flesh, and which is historically verifiable by the apostles and the early church. So while there is an element of faith as it relates to accepting Jesus as the all-satisfying desire of the soul, one can reasonably substantiate the historical reality of the events testified to in Scripture. Most significant among these events, is the account of the resurrection of Jesus from death. In the resurrection, we see the entire life and message of Jesus vindicated and God’s covenant to redeem humankind fulfilled. In the Scriptures we see Jesus is worthy as one in whom we can place faith for salvation, and who truly has the “words of life.” Because of the truthful and trustworthy nature of Jesus, the bible holds a place of authority around and within which theological discussions must be oriented. Questions about life, God, and how the two intersect will have no lasting or truthful impact apart from being rooted in Scripture.
Tradition
Any interpretation of Scripture is by default influenced by the particular tradition in which persons find themselves. Tradition includes a number of elements, many of which overlap with culture. No one is immune to tradition or cultural experience, as family, community and church dynamics affect our interpretation of faith, God and life. In many cases, looking to tradition can bring clarity on challenging theological issues. Generally speaking, there is something beautiful about connecting with thousands of years of Christian tradition, and sharing in a faith that has, at its core, withstood the paradigm shifts and cultural upheavals of two millennia. Tradition, therefore, is significant as it provides insight into culture, helps interpret Scripture and can even guide church by reflecting on our past.
Experience
Experiences can provide a powerful witness to the work of God in a person’s life. Many people are moved to a deeper understanding of God through a dynamic personal experience. But experience alone is also insufficient as the foundational source for theological discourse. Although experience provides opportunity to verify biblical promises and testimonies, each experiential claim to truth is ultimately subjective to interpretation and verification under the scrutiny of the biblical witness. The apostle Paul encourages believers to “test everything,” and the apostle John likewise says to “test the spirits.” The reason the biblical authors instruct us to test things against the Word of God is because they know that experiences, even those claiming to be born of God, are implicitly subjective and run the danger of misrepresenting Christian truth.
Reason
Any honest examination of Scripture, will implicitly involve the exercise of reason, the history of traditional sources, and the influence of cultural experiences. Each of these significantly influences a person’s assessment and interpretation of biblical principles, as they engage real questions about real life. The use of reason forces us to think seriously about God and life, but reason alone is insufficient as a means of substantially and definitively expressing the deep mysteries of nature, man and God. We must be careful that we do not elevate reason to a state of rationalism whereby the mind reigns supreme at the expense of the mystery of God. But neither should we discard reason as essentially negative, for the pursuit of reason has yielded numerous benefits that have positively impacted the social and scientific world. Reason is best seen not as the defining source of truth, but ultimately as a servant of Scripture, that helps point the way to the Truth, Jesus Christ.
In the end, reason, tradition and experience are integrally intertwined in the process of theology. Scripture is born out of the tradition of the early apostles, who experienced the presence of God through the resurrection of Jesus. Christian belief is simultaneously an exercise of faith, intellectual integrity, and rooted in Scripture. It is experienced in the lives and hearts of believers who practice their faith in the context of tradition. Each component of the quadrilateral influences and enlightens the others, either substantiating or correcting a particular interpretation. Even though there can be no completely objective theological explication of truth based solely on any of the quadrilateral sources, Scripture remains primary as the source through which others must be filtered.