August 06, 2007
Philosophically Correct
More and more I hear of ministers and ministries rising and falling on the basis of one man’s philosophy. Today’s religious environment is such that men and programs are expendable if they aren’t on board with the senior pastor’s direction for the church. Acts 18 tells us that Apollos, “…a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures… taught about Jesus accurately…” When fellow believers Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos speaking in the synagogue, “…they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.” Thankfully they didn’t demand that Apollos accept their philosophy or insist he discontinue his ministry.
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Gail;
-----Thank you for pointing out that Priscilla and Aquila explained to Apollos THE way of God more adequately, not THEIR way of God. Paul tells us to be convinced in our own minds about particular beliefs relative to the way. The example he gives in Romans 14 is the esteem for one day or another. That seems to cover well the worship on Saturday by the Seventh Day Adventists and a few other churches, while the most of Christians worship on Sunday. He also uses vegetarianism and regards to the taint of the market upon meat as examples of allowing one another differences in our new lives. In Colossians Paul sets straight what these matters really are, “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting rigor of devotion…but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh.” (Colossians 2:23) If such allowances for major differences in doctrinal belief as these are given by the Word, then how much more are small matters covered by the same principle?
-----The personal freedoms Paul gives to the individual Christian are great. They have to be, because the Bible puts major emphasis on unity without nullifying the room given for personal conscience. Evidently, that unity is based in something other than doctrinal, ritual, and practical detail. This is why the fruit of the Spirit is not small groups, contemporary music, agreement with the elders, saving for a big church building, pledging of one’s money, being a door greeter, attending all church meetings, submission to what’s preached, and the ability to march in lock-step.
-----Paul does indicate there are teachings, traditions, and doctrines that are to be insisted upon. If any of these are not clearly expressed in the Scriptures, then such insistence would contradict the freedom of conscience the Bible stresses elsewhere. Wherever there is not clear expression there is going to be debate, because one man’s formulated expression is no more relevant than is another’s. Nor does the greater consensus reveal these unexpressed definitions, because consensus is popularity of believe rather than logically reached conclusion.
-----The teachings, traditions, and doctrines Paul insists upon are those that are clearly expressed in the Word. And the most of those are such as, “….love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Gal 5:22-23.) Yet leaders wall their churches off from one another on the basis of this doctrinal scruple, that detail of ritual, and some other way of speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. I assure you, although the lay-people participate in those walls, it was not the lay-people who constructed them. It has been multitudes of men taking advantage of opportunities to puff up their own ideas and devotions before the others, becoming little Kings of Id, filling the generic terms of the Bible with their own personal preferences, and ignoring the spiritual nourishment which grows true vitality into each life built into the holy temple - the love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
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