So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.
- 1 Corinthians 14:9
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
- Colossians 4:4
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
- Ephesians 4:29
“ ‘It is a poor objection to a philosopher that he is unintelligible. ’ – Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling”
- Bryan Magee, The Story of Philosophy
“Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.”
- C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling (1775-1854), was a German philosopher who developed German Idealism beyond Fichte. He is thought to be the bridge between Fichte and Georg Hegel (once his roommate).
Schelling’s writings were difficult to understand because they were continuously evolving. Have you ever talked with someone who ended each sentence with “And another thing…”? After they go on for a half hour, you have no idea what the subject was when they started.
Another Schelling quote is “Architecture is frozen music.” I could have a lot of fun with that one.
But Schelling, for a time, was forgotten, even in Germany. Hegel basically eclipsed him. But when you have to read what he said a few times before you get the concept, and then you are not sure about what you think he said, you would much prefer going on to someone who made sense.
But Schelling’s point is that when your philosophy goes beyond the language that you are stuck with, it might not make sense. That is not the writer’s fault – for there are no words yet to express it. It’s not the listener’s fault – for how can you imagine someone describing something that has not yet been defined?
When we are explaining the things of God, we need to use language that anyone can understand, but when we read Ezekiel’s wheels within wheels (Ezekiel 1:14-51) or some of the creatures in prophecies from Isaiah to Revelation, the words used in the description can make no sense at all. The reason for it is the reason for Schelling’s comment. There are no words to describe what they saw. As I have said, and I have heard others say, “Don’t worry about what Heaven is like. It is beyond your wildest imagination and no words that we have today can describe it. But you will love it.”
And as for God’s love? We can get just some of that feeling. We can describe it in actions in that Jesus came to earth and died so that we might be able to be saved. But then when we see Him face to face, it will be so wonderful that our concept of love could not cover one percent of what His love is.
We need to be able to speak in common language when telling others about Jesus, even when the reality of Jesus is so much more.
And when we realize that fact, we are ready to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.
If you like these Tuesday morning essays about philosophy and other “heavy topics,” but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Tuesday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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