Personality type and theology

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Ah Stephen, you have forgotten that Gareth Edwards was knighted as the greatest rugby player of all times. Now that takes personality!! And it is the common opinion of all rugby nations, that to play in our stadium is the greatest emotional atmosphere to experience in the world let alone middle earth! Now that's national personality.
 

These personality tests are nonsense and don’t reflect anyone on this board whatsoever.

INTJ
“INTJs often have a very snarky sense of humor. They enjoy using sarcasm and wit to create a well devised response. They have a natural way of seeing the humor in things that other people may actually miss. INTJs often enjoy the use of a good pun and can take pleasure in the skill behind it. Often their deadpan sarcasm can come across as serious, when the INTJ is actually very playful and just trying to be funny.“
 
I read that the 2% of population that are INTJ types are the least likely to hold to a religious belief.

So maybe those INTJ’s that have been saved are more aware of God’s sovereignty in their salvation. And since INTJ’s might read the Bible more scientifically they become Reformed as a result.
 
The Bible does not box people into personality types, and giving any kind of serious credence to these boxes of classification automatically puts people into false constructs. The Bible speaks of fallen men, and a portion of those fallen men being chosen for redemption, secured by the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. ENTJ, INTJ, ABCD, TOMFOOLERY, never gets a single person 100% correct and thus provides nothing substantial in helping fully to understand them.

The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that every one born of Adam is corrupt in every part of his being. And we see this illustrated from the scriptures, that the thoughts and hearts of men are only evil continually, and that we are born children of wrath, hating God, despising His commandments, enslaved to our lusts, and that even our best intentions and works are still much tainted with sin by way of wrong motives, wrong methods, wrong matters, whether in thoughts, words, or deeds, and that they, still, are nothing better than filthy rags. Most of the time, these 'personality type' denominators serve to excuse an individual's wrong behavior, because "that's just how they are." Yet, the Bible gives no such leave, instead, bidding us to be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect.

So do we playfully scoff at such things ginned up by the brains of "psychologists" (studiers of the soul, most of which in our day, deny the validity of a "soul") and deride their knowledge-falsely-so-called as comprehending all or most of the truth? Well, we should. They have taken characteristics of people that apply to all mankind in general, some to a greater degree and others to lesser, and then systematized them to say "This person that has these dominant attributes is this personality type." Then, they work toward everything from there. But this is not how we must think. We must think biblicallly. We must take the revelation and commandments of God, and order -not only our behavior- but also our thoughts and words accordingly, making no excuses for our sins and infirmities in leaving off the responsibility thereunto.

So, I reject the notion that my "personality type" has an affect on my understanding of theology, because I reject being boxed into a "personality type." We get our theology from the study of the Scripture, comparing Scripture with scripture, since it interprets itself, and finally, by the blessed illumination of the Holy Ghost, and this by degree over the course of our lives. If we are misinterpreting Scripture, it is due to our ignorance (often willful ignorance), not something due to some figmented personality type foisted upon us. Can these things affect our interpretation of Scripture? Yes, but sinfully so. And I don't think it's according to some "personality type" that applies to multiple groups of people. We were all born depraved with our own particular proclivity or penchant toward certain sins and weaknesses, etc. They vary person to person. I think it's simply a wrong approach to give credence to the whole "personality type" limitation/distortion.

WLC:

How doth the Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God?

The Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God by their majesty and purity; by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, comfort and build up believers unto salvation. But the Spirit of God, bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able fully to persuade it that they are the very Word of God.
​
Jesus Christ is the light which lighteth every man that comes into the world. That is, we have logic, reason, etc. But a saving knowledge of God, a theology unto life, is that which is imparted by the Spirit of God in the preaching, teaching by those Gifts God has given to the church (Eph. 4), or in our private reading (with right understanding), etc. If anything, it should create our personality types. Of course we, have temperaments, tendencies, and infirmities which affect how we behave, but we must subdue those for Christ and His Kingdom. The problem is thinking we can take up sets of these aforementioned temperaments, tendencies, infirmities, put them in a nice little box, and test people to place them in one, and filter everything through that. Far too complex for that.
 
Joshua said:
The Bible does not box people into personality types, and giving any kind of serious credence to these boxes of classification automatically puts people into false constructs. The Bible speaks of fallen men, and a portion of those fallen men being chosen for redemption, secured by the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. ENTJ, INTJ, ABCD, TOMFOOLERY, never gets a single person 100% correct and thus provides nothing substantial in helping fully to understand them.

The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that every one born of Adam is corrupt in every part of his being. And we see this illustrated from the scriptures, that the thoughts and hearts of men are only evil continually, and that we are born children of wrath, hating God, despising His commandments, enslaved to our lusts, and that even our best intentions and works are still much tainted with sin by way of wrong motives, wrong methods, wrong matters, whether in thoughts, words, or deeds, and that they, still, are nothing better than filthy rags. Most of the time, these 'personality type' denominators serve to excuse an individual's wrong behavior, because "that's just how they are." Yet, the Bible gives no such leave, instead, bidding us to be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect.

So do we playfully scoff at such things ginned up by the brains of "psychologists" (studiers of the soul, most of which in our day, deny the validity of a "soul") and deride their knowledge-falsely-so-called as comprehending all or most of the truth? Well, we should. They have taken characteristics of people that apply to all mankind in general, some to a greater degree and others to lesser, and then systematized them to say "This person that has these dominant attributes is this personality type." Then, they work toward everything from there. But this is not how we must think. We must think biblicallly. We must take the revelation and commandments of God, and order -not only our behavior- but also our thoughts and words accordingly, making no excuses for our sins and infirmities in leaving off the responsibility thereunto.

So, I reject the notion that my "personality type" has an affect on my understanding of theology, because I reject being boxed into a "personality type." We get our theology from the study of the Scripture, comparing Scripture with scripture, since it interprets itself, and finally, by the blessed illumination of the Holy Ghost, and this by degree over the course of our lives. If we are misinterpreting Scripture, it is due to our ignorance (often willful ignorance), not something due to some figmented personality type foisted upon us. Can these things affect our interpretation of Scripture? Yes, but sinfully so. And I don't think it's according to some "personality type" that applies to multiple groups of people. We were all born depraved with our own particular proclivity or penchant toward certain sins and weaknesses, etc. They vary person to person. I think it's simply a wrong approach to give credence to the whole "personality type" limitation/distortion.

WLC:

How doth the Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God?

The Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God by their majesty and purity; by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, comfort and build up believers unto salvation. But the Spirit of God, bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able fully to persuade it that they are the very Word of God.
​
Jesus Christ is the light which lighteth every man that comes into the world. That is, we have logic, reason, etc. But a saving knowledge of God, a theology unto life, is that which is imparted by the Spirit of God in the preaching, teaching by those Gifts God has given to the church (Eph. 4), or in our private reading (with right understanding), etc. If anything, it should create our personality types. Of course we, have temperaments, tendencies, and infirmities which affect how we behave, but we must subdue those for Christ and His Kingdom. The problem is thinking we can take up sets of these aforementioned temperaments, tendencies, infirmities, put them in a nice little box, and test people to place them in one, and filter everything through that. Far too complex for that.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. But there are a lot of scientific truths not contained in scripture. They aren't saying that there are 16 types of people period. All of these traits are on a varying scale and are describing behavior.

You are unique Joshua and for that we are thankful that there aren't more of you.
 
Joshua said:
The Bible does not box people into personality types, and giving any kind of serious credence to these boxes of classification automatically puts people into false constructs. The Bible speaks of fallen men, and a portion of those fallen men being chosen for redemption, secured by the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. ENTJ, INTJ, ABCD, TOMFOOLERY, never gets a single person 100% correct and thus provides nothing substantial in helping fully to understand them.
Click to expand...
The results of these various personality types remind me of decades ago when I used to read my Scorpio horoscope. The characteristics were designed to be basically attractive to the reader no matter which 'sign' they fell under. When I took the test in 2013 I posted that I came up INTJ, this time I have identical characteristics for that and ISTJ. The questions are many times ambiguous and it is indeed a bit of tomfoolery. As I said in the last thread, quoting Popeye the Sailorman, "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam." :)
 
Horoscopes are based on which month you are born and personality types are based on your behavior. They are simply classifying types of people by their behavior. Some people are less agreeable and pessimistic than others for example.

Read the description of another personality type (ENFP for example) and see if it describes you to prove that they aren't all fortune cookies.

My original point was that our personality type does effect our reading of scripture and how we relate to people. Being aware of it might benefit us and help us understand other types of people more effectively.
 
During my time at Covenant Seminary it seemed like all I heard was "What's your Myers-Briggs?" It seems like it's the main diagnostic the PCA uses for church planting, although I'm positive someone will come and correct me. I'm not a fan of that kind of pigeonholing as it's pragmatism masked with "science" but it seems like it's the "in thing."

I agree with Josh's comments above. But then again, I know his pastor well and we're of like mind on these things, so I'm not surprised that Josh's comments are what they are.
 
USNCerGuard said:
During my time at Covenant Seminary it seemed like all I heard was "What's your Myers-Briggs?" It seems like it's the main diagnostic the PCA uses for church planting, although I'm positive someone will come and correct me. I'm not a fan of that kind of pigeonholing as it's pragmatism masked with "science" but it seems like it's the "in thing."

I agree with Josh's comments above. But then again, I know his pastor well and we're of like mind on these things, so I'm not surprised that Josh's comments are what they are.
Click to expand...
So, Mr. Lacy, what IS your Myers-Briggs? ;) :lol:
 
Nice one Jimmy, now there's a personality. Fitted by upbringing to be a Harley Street specialist, but fitted by God to be a preacher. Never received a knighthood off the Queen, but crowned by the King of Kings. Even NZ recognised him!
 
I don't believe in pigeonholing people as "Welsh people" because its not in scripture.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Personality tests are humanistic tools with no biblical warrant or justification. I don't like them in the secular realm, but I acknowledge their statistical efficacy as predictors of success in particular vocations. In my career I have seen them misused as often as I have seen them properly applied.

I vehemently oppose them as screening tools for church office or ministry positions.
 
Post Tenebras said:
Personality tests are humanistic tools with no biblical warrant or justification. I don't like them in the secular realm, but I acknowledge their statistical efficacy as predictors of success in particular vocations. In my career I have seen them misused as often as I have seen them properly applied.

I vehemently oppose them as screening tools for church office or ministry positions.
Click to expand...

I agree with you and don't think they should be used for any other purpose other than to help us understand and deal with other people effectively. I am opposed to "spiritual gift" assessments as we probably all are, but I don't view personality types the same and I don't think that is their intended purpose anyway. They can be useful to a degree in understanding our fellow man and why he does what he does.

Before the Myers-Briggs test existed, there were personality traits which could be observed. I don't think measuring these traits is witchcraft. It's simply assigning a value to a behavioral trait. All scientific observation is man-made and of course subject to error, but interesting all the same.
 
INTP-A Logician. Perhaps that is why Reformed theology makes the most sense to me.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
 
I was recently reinstalled to active duty as a deacon (although I never really was inactive) and I have to take one of these stupid tests soon. Leadership wants all officers to take it. I thought about abstaining but I'll go ahead and do it to keep the peace. I will however voice my opinion, respectfully of course. I may post my results here, unless I flunk the personality test. That would be embarrassing.
 
I believe the worst test out there is the four personality types by Littuar with- sanguine, choleric, melancholy, and phlegmatic. This is based on the Greek temperaments which is not scientific at all. The concept of the four temperaments dates back to the days of the Greek physician Hippocrates (400 BC). He postulated that our personality traits were based on the levels of our bodily fluids.
The Brigs Meyer is based more on modern physiology which is not a precise science.
 
Cymro said:
Nice one Jimmy, now there's a personality. Fitted by upbringing to be a Harley Street specialist, but fitted by God to be a preacher. Never received a knighthood off the Queen, but crowned by the King of Kings. Even NZ recognised him!
Click to expand...

And he never put ketchup on his French fries, like a true Christian.
 
Cymro said:
And it is the common opinion of all rugby nations, that to play in our stadium is the greatest emotional atmosphere to experience in the world let alone middle earth!
Click to expand...
It sounds a bit like Dr Lloyd-Jones comment that the Welshman likes his singing in a similar way to the Englishman liking his beer :D
 
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