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Clay-Potter Imagery in the Bible: Theological and Practical Implications for Daily Christian Life

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Clay-Potter Imagery in the Bible: Theological and Practical Implications for Daily Christian Life LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY CLAY-POTTER IMAGERY IN THE BIBLE: THEOLOGICAL AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR DAILY CHRISTIAN LIFE A Thesis Project Submitted to Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF MINISTRY By Karl Alan Stelzer Lynchburg, Virginia March, 2013 Copyright © 2013 by Karl A. Stelzer All Rights Reserved i LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THESIS PROJECT APPROVAL SHEET GRADE MENTOR: Dr. Charlie N. Davidson Director – Doctor of Ministry Program Assistant Professor of Counseling READER: Dr. David W. Hirschman Associate Dean Assistant Professor of Religion ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to my wife, Debbie, who has patiently and persistently by my side in ministry and typed the various drafts of this thesis. Thank you to my daughter-in-law, Becky, for proofreading of the text and her expertise in addressing grammar and formatting issues. Thank you to Becky Bucy for proofreading and assisting in the technical formatting of the Bibliography. Thank you to Dan Hoeflinger for his technical assistance in the computer formatting of my thesis. Thank you to Dr. Charlie Davidson, my Thesis Mentor, and Dr. David Hirschman, my Thesis Reader, for their expertise and encouragement in the completion of this project. Thank you to family, colleagues, and friends for their unceasing prayers on my behalf while completing D.Min. course work and this thesis project. Thank you to my professors at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary for your input into my life and ministry through the various D.Min. classes I took over the past two years. iii ABSTRACT CLAY-POTTER IMAGERY IN THE BIBLE: THEOLOGICAL AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR DAILY CHRISTIAN LIFE Karl Alan Stelzer Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary, February 2012 Mentor: Dr. Charlie N. Davidson God, the Master Potter, uses clay-potter imagery to explain spiritual truth. These passages are ignored, explained superficially, or misinterpreted and have not had the divinely intended impact. Theologically, doctrines of Theology Proper, Bibliology, and Anthropology have been compromised. Practically, the Holy Spirit has been hindered. To demonstrate the need for clay-potter instruction, research will include a comparative analysis of information gathered through questionnaires to churches that have held a clay-potter conference and those that have not, and an examination of written material and popular presentations. This author combines professional pottery expertise and biblical training to present accurate exposition. This thesis vindicates God as Master Potter, sensitive and skilled in working with man, recovers the integrity of Scripture’s use of the clay-potter metaphor, and provides a balanced view of man, mere clay but fashioned by God. Practically, this thesis frees the Holy Spirit to use the clay-potter metaphor in believers’ lives. Number of words: 150 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv TABLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS .................................................................................................2 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................3 Statement of Importance and Purpose of Research .............................................................4 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................................5 Special Terminology ............................................................................................................8 Statement of Limitations ....................................................................................................10 Theoretical Basis for the Project ........................................................................................10 Statement of Methodology .................................................................................................11 Review of the Literature ....................................................................................................14 CHAPTER 1. ASSESSMENT OF THE CLAY-POTTER KNOWLEDGE OF INDIVIDUALS IN CHURCHES ...........................................................................25 CHAPTER 2. ASSESSMENT OF FORMAL LITERATURE .....................................................45 CHAPTER 3. ASSESSMENT OF POPULAR LITERATURE ....................................................59 CHAPTER 4. SUMMARY OF PROBLEM AND PROPOSED SOLUTION .............................73 CHAPTER 5. MODEL PASSAGE: EXPOSITION OF JEREMIAH 18–19 ................................94 APPENDIX A ..............................................................................................................................109 APPENDIX B ..............................................................................................................................121 APPENDIX C ..............................................................................................................................132 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................144 VITA ............................................................................................................................................155 IRB APPROVAL/WAIVER ........................................................................................................156 1 TABLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS TABLES Table 1 Group A’s Answers to the Questionnaire ...................................................................29 Table 2 Group B’s Answers to the Questionnaire ...................................................................30 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1 Question One: Group A Answers .............................................................................31 Figure 2 Question One: Group B Answers .............................................................................31 Figure 3 Group A: Correct Answer Compared to Composite Incorrect Answers ..................31 Figure 4 Group B: Composite Incorrect Answers Compared to Correct Answer ..................31 Figure 5 Question Two: Group A Answer ..............................................................................32 Figure 6 Question Two: Group B Answer ..............................................................................32 Figure 7 Group A: Correct Answer Compared to Composite Incorrect Answers ..................33 Figure 8 Group B: Composite Incorrect Answers Compared to Correct Answer ..................33 Figure 9 Question Three: Group A Answers ..........................................................................34 Figure 10 Question Three: Group B Answers ........................................................................34 Figure 11 Group A: Correct Answer Compared to Composite Incorrect Answers ................35 Figure 12 Group B: Composite Incorrect Answers Compared to Correct Answer ................35 Figure 13 Question Four: Group A .........................................................................................36 Figure 14 Question Four: Group B .........................................................................................36 Figure 15 Question Six: Group A ...........................................................................................36 Figure 16 Question Six: Group B ...........................................................................................36 Figure 17 Comparison of Group A’s and Group B’s Answers to Questions 4 and 6 .............37 Figure 18 “Slow Wheel” .........................................................................................................79 Figure 19 “Fast Wheel” ..........................................................................................................79 2 INTRODUCTION As a professional potter of nearly forty years and a trained student-teacher of the Word of God, the writer has been blessed with unique insights into specific passages of God’s Word, namely the clay-potter metaphors. The multifaceted relationship of the potter to the clay provides a significant contribution to both theological and practical truth. Many of these insights have been shared in previous ministries both to youth and adults over the past decades. After several years of the Bible and pottery occupying distinct areas of this writer’s life, in the mid-eighties he realized that he should share the multiple insights that the pottery brought to the Scriptures. The relationships of the Bible and pottery are not accidental but divinely planned. The relationship discovered in personal study and observation should be shared in a formal ministry context. Since then, this writer has had the privilege of communicating the clay- potter life changing truths with both young people and adults. Preaching-teaching demonstrations and conferences have been conducted at Christian camps, schools, and many churches as well as Christian college chapels. God’s Word is a unique and wonderful book full of a variety of means to communicate its life-changing message. Man has a variety of life experiences as well, but not all men have the same life experiences. Thus, not all men can relate to the same degree to the Bible’s wide variety of metaphorical
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