Theology - and Rocky Road Ice Cream

When you first read the Bible, just on the surface, you notice the stories and some history.

When you first bite into Rocky Road Ice cream,
you notice the creamy coldness of it.

Then upon a more careful reading, line by line, word by word, you might discover some subtle things you missed on first reading. Like, in Matthew's account of turning the other cheek, Christ said "on the right cheek."
Soon after you begin to savor the ice cream,
you notice the chocolaty goodness of it.

As you look at the context and historical background of the writings, the sinfulness of Corinth, or the vast grandeur of Herod's temple, you may find some nuggets of thought that contrast with what first appeared to be the flow of the surface text. You also can find "types" (we lay people call them prototypes) of Christ and The Church in the Old Testament.

Savoring the ice cream,
you then notice the crunchiness of the pecans.

As you begin to look at the scriptures, less as a series of stories, and more as a lens through which you can view history, and current events, you can see how God's Hand is always in control, always guiding events for our good and His Glory.

Then you notice the
sweetness of the marshmallows.

The fact that the ice cream is chocolate does not negate that it is creamy and cold. Nor does the crunchiness of the pecans. And the sweetness of the marshmallows does not conflict with or contradict the nuttiness of the pecans. They all work together to make up the whole.

The richness, the subtleties, the allegories, the types, the irony, and the sweetness of the Bible do not contradict each other. They all work together to make up the whole.