Today we have thousands and thousands of Christian factions and denominations, all divided over claims to the "true" interpretation of the New Testament. This is because each interpreter has their own creed and dogma-goggles on as they interpret the text. This result is endless subjectivity and interpretation wars. The solution is practical Christianity, which engages in science-based scholarship and focuses on actually following the spirit of the teachings of Jesus which emphasizes embodying his character and living with actual love and proving you're a true disciple by your good "fruits" and not being a mere faker and bearing rotten fruit or no fruit at all.
Jesus presented an ethical pattern that shows you are tapped into the Good Operating Dimension (G.O.D.). The following is from the abstract of the thesis document, Christ as the Telos of Life: Moral Philosophy, Athletic Imagery, and the Aim of Philippians by Bradley Arnold (2013):
Paul’s pattern of thought in Philippians is structured similarly to the broad structure of thought in ancient moral philosophy, which is oriented toward an ultimate τέλος [telos, aim, end goal] and views the virtues as necessary in attaining this goal. Paul’s use of athletic language, framing his argument in the letter (1:27–30; 4:3), fills out this perspective on life by presenting the nature of Christian existence in terms of a contest of virtue, which is similar to how moral philosophers used this language. This perspective on life is vividly depicted and summed up in the image of the runner in Phil 3:13–14. As a vivid description this imagery would have had a powerfully persuasive effect and rhetorically plays a significant role in Paul’s argument. With this imagery, Paul is presenting himself as striving toward Christ, the τέλος [aim] of life, which entails thinking and living in a particular way to make progress toward this goal—the final attainment of which is complete transformation to become like Christ. It is this vivid description of the runner that encapsulates Paul’s overarching argumentative aim in the letter, persuading the Philippians to pursue Christ as the τέλος [end goal] of life.A Christian who is a psychiatrist, Timothy Jennings MD, does a good job showing the logical and practical cause and effect nature of the practical path of Christinaity in the following slide from one of his lecture The Human Brain - God's Design (Mar 8, 2019):
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... see also Matt 5:25 ... It seems clear to me that Jesus desires us to follow his behavior, not to focus on the distinctive beliefs of our theological systems. The message of the New Testament to me is that Jesus is more interested in right actions than in “right beliefs.” He centers on individuals and their behavior. He asks that we come unto him and partake of his divine nature, challenging us to conduct an empirical test to determine whether he and his teachings are of God. Jesus promises in his Sermon on the Mount, that “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, . . . [they are] founded upon a rock,” “and that Rock [is] . . . Christ” (Matt. 7:24; emphasis mine. See also 1 Cor. 10:4).
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Jesus is the Sermon on the Mount[:] Rather than advocating a controversial metaphysic or a highly subjective methodology of “feeling spiritual” by which we may know him and his teachings, he emphasizes: “If any man will do his [the Father’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17; emphasis mine; see also Matt. 7:21–25). This is the epistemology of Jesus: To “do” is how one “knows.”
[[See 2 Pet. 2:2, 15, 21]] ... Jesus displayed “diligence” in revealing his Father’s “divine nature,” manifested strong “faith” in God, was “virtuous,” and demonstrated “knowledge” of the [Hebrew] scriptures. He exhibited “temperance” (meaning self-control, moderation, and balance) and “patience” with others. He also demonstrated “godliness” (goodness), “brotherly kindness” (gentleness), and enormous “charity” (love and compassion) for his fellow beings. Peter then explained that when these nine qualities “be in you, and abound” then we have “knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Nine small words but in them reside eternal life! [[(2 Pet. 1:4–9, 10)]] [[Note: compare the knowing here in verse 8 to John 17:3 and 1 John 5:20; and how its not about legalistic dogma per 1 Cor. 2:2 and Gal. 4:19; 5:22–23]].
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Taking upon us the name of Christ and his character, as Jesus said in one of his recorded prayers, is to “know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” and thus receive “life eternal” (John 17:3; cf. 10:27–28; emphasis mine). Being like Jesus is far more ambitious than saying that we know he lives.Location: 177
[[See John 6:51; 8:12, 10:9, 14, 36; 11:25; 15:1]] ... Instructing his disciples in desirable behavior, he focused them on him: “Come unto me,” “learn of me,” “continue with me,” “draw nigh unto me,” “come after me,” “watch with me,” “hearken unto me,” “look unto me,” “follow me,” “hear me,” “confess me,” “gather with me,” “remember me,” “seek me,” “believe on me,” “find me,” “live by me,” “know me,” “serve me,” “see me,” “receive me,” “love me,” “dwell in me,” “honour me,” “abide in me,” “ask me,” “testify of me,” and “be witnesses unto me” (Matt. 11:28–29; 15:8, 32; 16:24; 26:38; Mark 7:14; Luke 7:20, 22; 10:16; 11:23; 12:8; 22:19; John 6:26, 47, 56–57; 7:34; 8:19, 54; 12:26, 45; 13:20; 14:23; 15:4, 26; 16:5; Acts 1:8; some verb forms adapted). Jesus uses the phrase “follow me” more than fifteen times when speaking to different individuals and groups in the four Gospels.Location: 190
Think of the quality of interactions that will occur both at church and at home when a teacher incorporates examples of how Jesus resisted temptation, settled disputes, improved relationships, what he asked for in his prayers, why he returned good for evil, and his way of doing service.
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[[In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said:]] .... Blessed are the meek: [humble, gentle, long-suffering, not easily offended, self-controlled] for they shall inherit the [new] earth [which will be the kingdom of heaven]. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled [with the Spirit, the love of God, wisdom and knowledge in the kingdom of heaven]. Blessed are the merciful: [who are more forgiving than justice requires] for they shall obtain mercy [in the kingdom of heaven]. Blessed are the pure [honest] in heart: for they shall see God [daily, in the kingdom of heaven]. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children [sons and daughters] of God [and inherit all things, in the kingdom of heaven]. .... [[(Matt. 5:5–9)]]
Note: Words in double brackets are my own. Words in brackets in the original.
Practical Christianity takes seriously Bible passages like:
Matthew 7:16-18 (NRSV):
You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
Luke 3:8 (CEB):
Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. ...
John 21:17 (NET Bible):
Jesus said a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep.
James 1:22 (NRSV):
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
1 John 4:20 (NRSV):
Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.
Philemon 1:9 (NRSV):
yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
Galatians 5:6 (NET Bible):
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight—the only thing that matters is faith working through love.
Galatians 5:22-26 (CJB):
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.
24 Moreover, those who belong to the Messiah Yeshua [Christ Jesus] have put their old nature to death on the stake, along with its passions and desires. 25 Since it is through the Spirit that we have Life, let it also be through the Spirit that we order our lives day by day.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
1 Corinthians 13 (CJB):
1 I may speak in the tongues of men, even angels; but if I lack love, I have become merely
blaring brass or a cymbal clanging.
2 I may have the gift of prophecy,
I may fathom all mysteries, know all things,
have all faith — enough to move mountains;
but if I lack love, I am nothing.
3 I may give away everything that I own,
I may even hand over my body to be burned;
but if I lack love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful,
5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered,
and it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not gloat over other people’s sins
but takes its delight in the truth.
7 Love always bears up, always trusts,
always hopes, always endures.
8 Love never ends; but prophecies will pass,
tongues will cease, knowledge will pass.
9 For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial;
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child,
thought like a child, argued like a child;
now that I have become a man,
I have finished with childish ways.
12 For now we see obscurely in a mirror,
but then it will be face to face.
Now I know partly; then I will know fully,
just as God has fully known me.
13 But for now, three things last —
trust, hope, love;
and the greatest of these is love.
Colossians 3:12 (CJB):12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
2 Peter 1:2-11 (CEB):2 May you have more and more grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.3 By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory. 4 Through his honor and glory he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, that you may share the divine nature and escape from the world’s immorality that sinful craving produces.5 This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love. 8 If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they’ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Whoever lacks these things is shortsighted and blind, forgetting that they were cleansed from their past sins.10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be eager to confirm your call and election. Do this and you will never ever be lost. 11 In this way you will receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:9-15 (NRSV):9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.[a] 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.Romans 14:1-7 (NRSV):14 Welcome those who are weak in faith,[a] but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2 Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord[b] is able to make them stand.5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.7 We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NRSV):
4 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Paul taught nothing but Jesus crucified as an at-one-ment that ended separation from The Holy One (what I term G.O.D.) and the need for Jewish temples that contained animal sacrifice rituals and a priesthood reserved for only those born into it through the right bloodline; with God offering instead the spirit of the resurrected Jesus as now reigning Lord (in contrast to Caesar as Lord). Jesus as the embodiment of the God of Love, not hate and Roman wars; with Christ in you as your salvation/deliverance from death and vice, by putting on Christ and becoming virtue-centered through imitating Jesus (See 1 Cor. 15; 2 Cor. 11:3 and Colossians 2 and Hebrew 13).
It is clear that the radical Paul rejected doctrines and dogma and spoke exclusively about the crucified Messiah-as-exalted-King and putting on Christ. Paul did not demand belief in a particular version of the Godhead like the trinity or any particular atonement theory or what to wear to church (shirt and tie or slacks, etc.) or how to exactly participate in the Eucharist. The Radical Paul (per Marcus Borg and John Crossan) wanted nothing to do with conservative dogma and top down pyramid structures and vacant podiums for clergy to speak for God for all and produce rule-based authoritarian legalistic churches and creedal dogmatism. Paul would reject most of what we seen modern Churchianity.
Practical Christianity follows the scholarship of Mathew Bates' in his book Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Joshua Jipp's book Saved by Faith and Hospitality, and Jonathan Pennington's The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing. All of whom combined argue against mere beliefism or say these magic words "or else," but actually being in Christ by acting out his spirit-way within you and pledging one's allegiance to the way of Christ: a way of hospitality , the will to embrace, and practice virtue-centeredness and growing toward human flourishing in the here and now to produce the Good in your midst.
Practical Christianity is about actually practicing the teachings of Jesus and embodying "the spirit of Christ," what Paul calls Christ in you. For what good is it to have all the alleged "right beliefs" in your head and going around spouting this or that doctrine or dogma, if one does not embody the character of Christ? As we read in Mathew 7:21 (NET Bible), “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven." What good is it to believe/imagine all the right abstractions and imaginary forms in your head and recite the right medieval creed but not have the mind of Christ? As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV), "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." Compare this verse with 1 Cor. 2: 16. The mind of Christ would have been the mind of a first century Jew, not a Protestant Fundamentalist, and Jesus made it clear that his way was easy and light and about a transformed heart and acting out his way to manifest the Good.
Paul doesn't spend his time focusing on correct creeds and dogmas, but instead the spirituality of Paul is what author Frank J. Matera calls the call to imitation. Paul wants all thoughts aimed at Christ's selfless life of agape love and hospitality; Paul said Jesus went around doing good and healing people (See Matthew 9:35 and Acts 10:38). Paul preaches one simple gospel message of Jesus' atoning death to end temple religion and the resurrection (within a Jewish context) and Christ-in-you, period. He doesn't offer a systematic theology or a long doctrinal litmus test like many churches today; just believe in Christ crucified and his making atonement (which, in part, acted as an end to authoritarian top-down temple religion); and giving one's allegiance to the resurrected Lord (not Lord Caesar) and being in Christ; so that Paul ends up saying, "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20) and "I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13 NET Bible).
