Homo Unius Libri...

When John Wesley was trying to clarify a position to a correspondent about the importance of Scripture, he cried out, “God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God! I have it; here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri (literally, “a man of one book”).”


Wesley’s point was simple. When one looks at all the possibilities from which to base one’s life upon, all the writings, all the research, all the learning, for him, Sola Scriptura was all that was necessary. The primacy of scripture is all one needs in order to find the plumb line of faithful living. (Wesley would later define the importance of reason, tradition, and experience as substantive in the formation of Christian character; but Scripture would always be primary.)

In a conversation with some colleagues a few years back, a question was asked about what sources one should use to begin a dialogue between Islam and Christianity. The obvious answer to the one who posed the question was to take the Koran (to represent the views of Islam), and the Gospels for Christianity. The response we received from the one whom we believed had the knowledge we sought was rather surprising.

“Don’t use the Gospels to define Christianity. Use Jesus Christ himself. He is the truest representation of the Christian Ideal. Nothing else will do. All others fall short.”

The concept of placing Jesus himself up against the Torah and the Koran as a plumb line hadn’t ever occurred to us as an option. However, the more we thought about it, the more we came to realize that any other depiction of Christ would obviously fall short. Jesus is the only one who can stand up to the arguments of other world religions. His life, teachings, healings, miracles, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension are unparalleled in every other religious tradition. Others come close in a few areas, but all fall short.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…full of grace and truth.” The living presence of God; the divine Reality, manifest in the flesh; the Real Presence. These are but a few of the experiences of the living, breathing, suffering, dying, rising, eternal love of God; incarnate for you and me – to raise us from sin and death.

These are not just theological ramblings – this is the love of God, that it should be made manifest in the form of an infant born to an unwed couple in a distant village in a backwoods section of the world. God’s love became flesh, and dwelt among us. To give us grace, hope, love. LIFE. Eternal. Everpresent. Now that’s what I call Christmas.

See you in Church!

Grace and peace,

Brad