2. Gravity: Semnotēs
the age. The call to uncorruptness is a call to fidelity. The teacher is not a creator but a steward, and stewards are required to be found faithful.
2. Gravity: Semnotēs Semnotēs carries the idea of dignity, seriousness, and venerableness. It stands opposed to frivolity, triviality, and flippancy. Doctrine is weighty because it deals with eternal matters: the character of God, the problem of sin, the work of Christ, the destiny of the soul. To treat such themes casually is to profane them. This does not mean doctrine must be delivered with somber austerity devoid of joy. Rather, it means doctrine must be delivered with the sobriety that its content demands.
The gravity of doctrine is lost when the pulpit becomes a stage for entertainment and the exposition of Scripture becomes a catalyst for selfhelp tips. When weighty truths are reduced to bite-sized, practical suggestions, the effect is the trivialization of the divine. Paul's doctrine was never trivial. He dealt with "the deep things of God" and he expected the church to have its understanding exercised by them. A congregation that