No private interpretation V. Refining Truth in the beleiving community

Years ago I observed a mother wearing a face mask with her baby when she fed her, or changed her diaper. She was of course trying to protect the child from harmful bacteria. What she did, was to so overprotect her daughter, that the girl did not develop a natural immunity to everyday bugs. The result was that when this young girl eventually got out into the world, into school, she was constantly sick, as her body sought to catch up with the immunities that the other children had developed.

We in the Western Church have done a very similar thing with truth. In particular we have failed to “truth proof” our young people by allowing healthy debate. As I will argue below, healthy debate sharpens the truth, and takes us into a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Scriptures, and in fact of each other. The nature of our God and very often of His truth, can only be understood in terms of unity in diversity. The Sovereignty of God and the free will of man, or the Word and the Spirit are not things to be settled in terms of 'either or', but of 'both and'. Too often our unity is more like conformity, where we are not even allowed to question the teaching of the group, let alone disagree and still be in good standing. This results in a bland and boring uniformity, rather than, as is intended, a rich and haunting harmony.

We have been so concerned that our people should not embrace error, that we have isolated them both from the World, and other expressions of Christianity. The Scripture has something to say about this. As I have quoted before “The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbour comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17). There are many persuasive arguments out there, and when having heard nothing but your group's teaching, you are suddenly exposed to other views, you are likely to be defenceless in the face of them. Part of the problem here is that even when some small understanding of the faith is challenged, and doubt entertained, the person who is not used to the give and take of debate, is likely to throw the whole thing our. Many times, in reality all that needs to happen is to make a small adjustment. But we present our theology as complete package deal systems, where if you discover but a single error or imbalance, the whole pack of cards collapses. I am convinced that this is one of the reasons why so many of our young people loose their faith at University. This and that many times our Christianity is not real, and/or lacks the demonstration of the power of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 2:4; 4:20, 1 Thessalonians 1:5)

One of the objections I hear when I talk about these things is “Yes, but people get confused”. I admit that it is quite easy to confuse people when they have been sheltered over and over from even hearing a different point of view. But sheltering people from different points of view is unBiblical, and in fact it is very dangerous. Paul was well aware of the problem of “infants” being “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching” (Ephesians 4:14), and we are all infants at the beginning. From Hebrews, it seems that many were “infants in Christ” much longer than they should have been (see Hebrews 5:12; 6:1). Coming out of infancy in our faith and knowledge has to do with study and disciplined reading of the Word (2 Timothy 2:5; Psalm 1). It has to do with learning (under the direction of the five fold ministry of the wider Church) to discern all things including truth and error (1 Corinthians 2:15). It has to do with taking ownership of our faith and knowledge, and while still listening, learning not relying solely on the faith of our pastor or our parents.

So then how exactly are we to deal with the problem of people getting confused? Certainly not in isolation and arbitrary proud exclamations that our group alone has the truth. In the context of Ephesians 4 Paul is saying that the exercise of the five fold ministry gifts, are intended to “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12,13). He is saying that the solution to the “being tossed to and fro” problem, to the “people get confused” problem is that through the process of the five fold ministry in the wider Church, we are to enter the process of being equipped to grow up into unity of faith and knowledge. Note that this is a process “until we all reach unity...and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”, until we all reach “unity of faith and knowledge”. We do not do this by isolating ourselves from the wider body of Christ, nor by allowing only our denominational views and expression of Christianity. “But what” I hear you ask, “if some of the things that the people are hearing are wrong”? In these days of the internet, can you even begin to prevent it? Look at what is happening in the Middle east! But Paul has something rather interesting to say on the place and role of error.

In 1 Corinthians 11:19 he says “there must also be differences (NIV )/ - factions (NJKV)/ - heresies (KJV) among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you”. What Paul is saying is that if we are going to grow up into the unity of faith and knowledge, it is will be as that faith and knowledge and understanding of what God has revealed is tested and refined, through the process of interacting with each other in the believing community. What do we have to fear, if we have the truth? It will become clear in debate, as we allow God to “approve” the truth, and to reveal His teachers among us. If we are wrong, or out of balance, we need to see that too. Remember no one has all the truth (see 1 Corinthians 8:2). Still more to come.