Does anyone know Louis Berkhof?

[EdSutton]

Man, I don't know the "truth". When I read the bible most things are totally unclear to me. It's not that I open the bible and everything jumps out at me and explains itself. I think even expecting something like this is illusionary. The bible isn't easy to understand at all, for me it's a very frustrating book.
Ask 100 christians and you get 200 different opinions...

I am also not interested in learning all kinds of different theologies and all this. Schleimermacher and how they are all called.
It's too late for this. I'm not going to become a theologian and study all different kinds of theology and how they influenced each other, this is way too much over my head. I think I should simply accept that I'll never have as much knowledge and understanding as others which have been studying theology for years, it's impossible. Somebody who plays tennis in his free time also can't be as good as a professional tennis player. There's no way I can learn all this stuff and I also don't know if you really have to know all these things. All the different schools of theology and their views and all that.
This is really frustrating when you realize how little you know and I also don't think that it'll ever be different. Even if I tried to understand the bible I might draw totally wrong conclusions from the bible and then I'm not better than all those lay preachers which simply start teaching what they think is correct but when you compare this stuff to conservative theology then it's totally different. I think most charismatic lay preachers lack this deep understanding which real pastors have which studied theology and have a degree. They simply teach their own stuff, their own "revelations" and the people accept it as truth. And then this argument that it's all in the bible, lol. You can interpret so much into the bible. You can also say that it's in the bible that God has wings like a hen, this means he's a bird....
Somehow all this stuff makes me sick. Where's the sense of even trying to understand the bible when the opinions are so contrary? Then it's only frustrating because you simply can't figure out what it really means. Or you simply read the bible and think that you understand everything correctly but this would also be a bit delusional or arrogant because why should you understand everything correctly and all the other christians which have a different opinion should be wrong?

I'll now become the 101st of the "christians" (sic) and give you the 201st, 202nd, and 203rd opinionS. And they happens to be shared by some other, as well. Here they are:

1 Then they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As usual, Paul went to them, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and showing that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, and saying: "This is the Messiah, Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you." 4 Then some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a great number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.
5 But the Jews became jealous, and when they had brought together some scoundrels from the marketplace and formed a mob, they set the city in an uproar. Attacking Jason's house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly. 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, 7 and Jason has received them as guests! They are all acting contrary to Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king—Jesus!" 8 The Jews= stirred up the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. 9 So taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.
The Beroeans Search the Scriptures

10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that God's message had been proclaimed by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, agitating and disturbing the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go to the sea, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
Paul in Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, "What is this pseudo-intellectual trying to say?" Others replied, "He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities"—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, "May we learn about this new teaching you're speaking of? 20 For what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these ideas mean." 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new. (Acts 17: 1-20 - HCSB, text, with most notes removed)

Are you with me and the writer of Acts, so far? I would urge one to especially consider verses 11-12a which again read -

11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12Therefore many of them believed; (Acts 17:11-12a - KJV)

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31 - NKJV)

John's Gospel is the only book in Scripture that specifically claims to be written in order for us to believe, and therefore to have "life in His name" i.e. "eternal life". (John 3:13-18, 36 5:24; 6:47 among others).

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (I John 5:9-13 - NKJV) [/quote]

John's first Epistle is the only book in Scripture that specifically claims to be written in order that we may be certain (know) that we have this eternal life, and that we may continue therein, in faith.

Now I tack on the 204th opinion, here. I'd say these are good places to start, for until one has believed, and then is also assured, because of that, one can never be assured about anything else. Once that is done one has a good place to start from. Miss these, and one can do little other than what was done in Athens, in the first passage listed - that of listening and telling what amounts to the latest gossip!

In His grace,
Ed

P.S. " But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. " (Heb. 6:9 - NKJV)