I am often troubled by the tendency to attack one another in the church. I'm using the term church in the broad sense. If you view the church as a family then I suppose it is not unusual to fight amongst your loved ones, but in the family of God this ought not to be.
What am I talking about? There is a tendency for individual churches to view themselves as the last bastion of faithfulness to scripture and to point out the perceived evils of other churches. There is the tendency for one system of theology to set up arguments against another by either willful mischaracterization or finding an extreme view and representing it as mainstream. Both of these examples are unconscionable. I believe we play into the devil's hand when we do not take an honest account of another's view and measure it against... our own view? No. Scripture! In fact, measure not only your opponent's view, but hold your own up to the light of Scripture. Get rid of presuppositions; you might just as well read a book about the Bible that you know you will agree with if you're not willing to let the Bible speak for itself.
Easier said than done? You're right. It is much easier to read a book or listen to a preacher or theologian then formulate an opinion based on other's study and teaching with your own dabbling here and there in the Bible. Unfortunately, the conclusions you draw will not be your own if you rely solely on others for biblical knowledge. Only by a careful study of the entire counsel of Scripture guided by the Holy Spirit, supplemented by the studies of others, can one be able to "rightly divide the word of truth." A large part of the human race has been blessed with access to the Holy Bible for the last 400 years. What a shame to shrink from the task of studying this immense book that others before us (and even today!) could only dream of doing.
I would encourage my friends and kinfolk to go to the following link: http://kimriddlebarger.squarespace.com/a-reply-to-john-macarthur/ and carefully read this reply to an attack made by John MacArthur on amillenialism. Eschatology is one of those areas in my opinion where the church has engaged in hyperbolic attack instead of fully understanding the case for a particular doctrine and then holding it to the light of Scripture. Read this essay, then avoid the temptation to reject it because of a book you read or "party affiliation." Reject it because you searched the entire counsel of Scripture without presupposition and found his case wanting.
Christine's 1st Birthday Blog
9 years ago
2 comments:
As much as it bothers me when people do what you are addressing, I'm sure I've done this countless times myself.
And when we do this, when we assign a minority view on a doctrine to the mainstream view, it really does look foolish when we attack the straw man.
People are more than welcome to disagree with my view, but please know my view of which you disagree.
p.s. nice re-design on your blog.
I am guilty of doing the same. At times I even climb my soap box and rail against it to myself. I debate scripture with friends and non-Christians, but I hope I have never attacked one for a opposite view. I certainly have judged their thoughts and conclusions to discerne if they are right or I am wrong. Sometimes I think our prefrences blind us to truth and harden our hearts. It can be in various forms of worship, types of services or doctrine, but doesn't God look past all our wrongs and into our heart? Doesn't he want us to want to know him more and fuller?
Regardless of a calvinistic view or Armeniist view, I must have a biblical view. Wether I am sound in my eschatology or weak in my conclusions, do I live my life to Glorify Christ? If so, apply myself to understanding and pray, seeking the Holy Spirit to fill my understanding and my life to overflow with his peace, joy and love.
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