Informed and Unashamed
I attended a public meeting
where the organization’s members did not know their by-laws, or rules of order,
and the leader was able to make up rules on the fly. Sometime later I
attended a discussion-type worship service where everyone’s opinion was taken
as gospel and the comments in the room were not measured against the Gospel. Whether
in the world, or in the church, Paul’s words of warning are applicable, “Do
your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not
need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become
more and more ungodly” (2 Tim 2:1516 NIV).
1 comment:
Gail;
-----That advise wasn’t taken by most. So the church filled up with knowledge of God by proxy, instead of knowledge by His Word applied to thoughts, feelings, and actions. And it is particularly frustrating how much of what can be known about God through viewing historical, archeological, and even scientific knowledge in the light of the Bible is considered “godless chatter”. For example, many preachers and church leaders consider much of the ancient Jewish literature to be the “Jewish myths” Paul mentions at Titus 1:14. It is a sad thing, because many of these works they misclassify as such were so foundational to the first century religious mindset that their concepts often show up in scripture. For instance, the fallen angels kept chained in the nether regions of gloom for judgment as found in both Peter’s and Jude’s letters is directly from The Book of Enoch, as is Christ’s return with ten thousands of His angels.
-----Taking everyone’s opinion as gospel is obviously one end of the same continuum of which ascribing any talk short of direct scriptural quotation to “godless chatter” is the other end. Between these two ends must be the proper mix of attitudes for enabling the “forensic” sense of doing or making right that is an important part of righteousness. By that forensic sense of righteousness we are led to a more Beroean approach.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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