Somewhere along the way, we accepted the idea that we need an intermediary. Not Jesus — we’re fine with that one (mostly). I mean the other intermediaries: the pastor who tells you what the Bible really means, the denomination that defines the boundaries of acceptable belief, the theological system that pre-answers every question before you’ve had the chance to wrestle with it yourself.

The mediator problem

The Reformation was supposed to fix this. Sola scriptura. The priesthood of all believers. Direct access to God through Christ, no human gatekeepers required.

And yet, five centuries later, most Christians still outsource their theology to someone else. We just swapped out priests for pastors, magisteriums for megachurches, papal bulls for podcast hosts.

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5, ESV)

Paul’s words to Timothy are striking in their simplicity. One God. One mediator. The architecture of access is remarkably uncluttered.

The comfort of delegation

It’s understandable, of course. Thinking is hard. Uncertainty is uncomfortable. And there’s genuine value in learning from those who’ve studied more deeply than we have.

But there’s a difference between learning from a teacher and outsourcing your conscience to one. The first is wisdom. The second is abdication.

What the prophets warned about

The Hebrew prophets had a recurring concern: the people’s tendency to substitute religious systems for genuine relationship with God.

“I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6, ESV)

Hesed — steadfast love, covenant faithfulness — was what God wanted. Not more sophisticated systems of compliance. Not better theological frameworks. Relationship.

The question worth sitting with

Here’s what I’d ask: If your pastor, your denomination, or your favourite theologian turned out to be wrong about something significant, would you be able to recognise it?

Or have you built a system where that’s structurally impossible — where disagreement with your authorities is, by definition, error?

If the latter, then someone is standing between you and God. And it’s worth asking whether they belong there.

A direct line

None of this means we should be theological lone wolves. Community matters. Teaching matters. Tradition has wisdom in it.

But the relationship is yours. The scriptures are available to you. The Spirit is given to you. Nobody gets to stand in that space and charge rent.

The question isn’t whether you need help understanding God. You do. We all do.

The question is whether the help has become a wall.