February 11, 2011
God’s Approval
Every once in awhile I’ll be around a person that I don’t see eye to eye with. When our attempts to win one another over fail, it often becomes a matter of agreeing to disagree. Believers are told to strive for unity, but apparently our differences can be very telling...if we know what to look for. Paul says, “No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval.” (1 Cor 11:19 NIV)
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2 comments:
Gail;
-----So how is it that knowing differences between us will show which of us has God’s approval? If I know your measure is two inches and my measure is an inch, how does that tell us whether an inch is the correct measure, or two inches? Of course, God knows the correct measure, and it may be half an inch or two and a half inches, or it could be an inch and a quarter. But, except for the general basics (such as Jesus is the Christ), the correct measure known by God isn’t usually going to be one inch or two inches. Before knowing differences can show who has God’s approval, either you, or I, or both of us must know what God knows.
-----For as much as we can know of that God has given us His Word. Several simple basics can be unequivocally known from it. But we get in trouble with each other when we try to know more fully. That is when differences fail to show who God approves because the Bible often does not clearly pin details only to one conclusion. These are the areas people will resign to agreeing to disagree, which I think is adding another error to the equation.
-----”Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace...” (I Cor 13:11) I have never found a way to read this passage to be saying, “...heed my appeal, agree to disagree with one another...” Paul was even more clear when he previously wrote to the Corinthians, “I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (I Cor 1:10) Having this emphasis upon the same mind and judgment, what do we make of his admonition to the Romans, “One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike. Let every one be fully convinced in his own mind.” (Rom 14:5) Isn’t esteeming one day a different mind and judgment than esteeming all days?
-----This is just a sample of Scriptural reasons why I do not believe the unity to which we are entreated is a doctrinal unity, or a unity of policy, procedure, or technique. Beyond the basics, like Jesus is the Christ, the Bible just is not definite. So, on whether we must baptize three times forward in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, or three times backward, and whether it must be done in running water or can be done in a pool drawn from running water (an issue within the first century church), we do not know if God’s measure is an inch and a quarter or two and three quarters. All we know beyond “baptize” is that your measure may be two inches and mine one. The agreement we must have is that neither of us truly knows, so the differences, which remain, truly can not matter. That is the truth we can agree upon; the same mind and judgment we can have. It is an agreement that humility is real and can be had. Agreement to disagree is agreeing we each get to think the other is wrong and I am right, even though in the truth of the situation neither one knows. It is the drawing of a line for non-crossing; shall we call it a silent dissension?
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-----“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself...” (Phil 2:1-7a) It is not a mind and judgment of doctrinal issues Paul bids us to hold in common. It is a mind and judgment of attitude towards the Word and one another. An attitude which knows the boundaries between the truly knowable and the seemingly knowable. An attitude which knows boundaries are not for being between us, yet places boundaries around the self for never offending or injuring another. This is how having differences between one another can show who God approves when neither have the ability to know the true measure. Those whom God approves will not insist they are right (I Cor 13:5b), nor will they imply they are right by agreeing to let those they think are wrong think they are right too. They know knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. They know grace and mercy and forgiveness are far more important than errors and stumbling and mistakes. So the thought that someone else might be in error does not panic them to the need of potentially divisive correction. They simply know that, “...the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, he who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.” (Rom 14:17-18) Their joy is the peace of doing right to God and others the best they know how. When doctrinal, policy, technical, and other differences having no definite measure arise, they see alternatives instead of dissensions. To them, unity is not in knowledge. It is in welcome. To those who have not God’s approval, being right is more important than anybody else.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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