Faith is not the Opposite of Reason

Have you ever been challenged by someone about what you believe? Have you ever heard the words, “Oh yeah? Prove it!” when it comes to your Christian beliefs? Have you ever been at a loss for words in the face of these and similar charges? Have you wondered if faith is real?

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to know, brethren, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish: so I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:1-7,13-17

Our daily readings of Scripture begin a new section today. With the feast of Pentecost in the rearview mirror, the Church now turns our attention to the daily life of Christians. Since Pascha the readings from the Acts of the Apostles outlined the organization and faith of the ancient Church.

Now we move to the ‘Pastoral Letters’ of Saint Paul, beginning with Romans. His letters were not some ‘pie in the sky’ philosopher’s dream about life. The Letters of Saint Paul were written to guide and often correct the belief of Christians. His letters inspire us, not condemn us.

We can only be inspired if we believe. I have written elsewhere about how the Scriptures are not meant to convert unbelievers, but to guide believers. This first lesson helps understand his meaning and shape our attitude while we read.

We were called to this life by God, so it only makes sense that we understand our calling to “live by faith.” When our belief is challenged, it can be difficult to put into words what our heart feels about God. It is difficult to explain, but it is not unexplainable.

When Saint Paul says, “The righteous shall live by faith,” he does not mean we live without reason. Our belief in God, our way of life in the Church, and our commitment are not without reason. This is why Saint Paul wrote his letters in the first place. He uses reason to explain the unexplainable.

Here’s an example. I was recently challenged to discuss the ever-virginity of the Mother of God ‘scientifically’ which is impossible. The best answer I could give was, “It isn’t about science. It is about faith.” The Holy Spirit did it. We don’t know how, but we believe it happened.

I reasoned that the Church understands that Joseph was an old man (approximately 75) and the Bible calls him righteous. I reasoned that Joseph knew that the Holy Spirit was making Mary pregnant. I reasoned that no righteous man would ‘ever’ desire to have sex with the woman who just gave birth to God.

At no time did I abandon reason in my answer. Faith allows me to accept that ‘somehow’ God did it. I don’t know how the Holy Spirit ‘scientifically’ made the Virgin Mary conceive. That doesn’t mean the truth of it changes. It just means we believe what we cannot prove.

Church history is loaded with examples of using reason to explain the unexplainable. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is one famous example. The ‘reasons’ who God is despite of the fact that we do not understand every little detail.

The expression “blind faith” does not exist in Scripture. To believe blindly is devoid of reason. Not only does God have ‘a’ reason to do what He does. He helps explains it to use in the Scriptures. He leaves some of the ‘how’ out of the story, but we will eventually learn that too.

The relationship between reason and faith is what the Church calls mystery. We know what God did. That is the function of reason. We don’t always know how He did/does it. That is the faith part. One is not the opposite of the other.

Now, go back and read the introduction to Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans again. This time, understand that Saint Paul is explaining to you ‘why’ God does what He does. He is telling you ‘why’ we are called by God to “live by faith.” This new point of view will change the way you read Scripture.