Paul wrote these letters to Mediterranean peasants. People tell me—you know, all the preaching seminars say—not to use any of that technical jargon, like
Richard D. Phillipsinspirationoratonementorpropitiation—those, you know, words that are in the Bible. And I go, first of all, you all are people who know twenty-digit passwords. I mean, if you are interested in something—you want to look at the computer stuff with young people—I do not know what they are talking about, but it is all the new language. Everybody gets it immediately. No, if we are interested, we want to know the terminology. There is a world of thought and truth. I want to know what propitiation means. I want to know what the incarnation is. And if the Mediterranean peasants of the early church could be—and needed to be—taught this, my friends, you can be, and you need to learn it as well. We are all to be theologians. We need to have a solid understanding of the whole range of biblical doctrines, not just inspiring stories week to week to charge you up.1
10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?