A Triad of Trouble: Topics for Testing the Truth

by Paul Sue

Most Christian churches loudly profess to uphold the Bible as the ultimate authority in all matters of doctrine and practice. However in actual practice, traditions, personal prejudices, emotions, fear of men, and a whole host of other factors come into play that in the end effectively nullify that claim.

In my many years of observation and experience, there are three topics in particular that serve as a litmus test of our profession that we hold the Scriptures as our final arbiter of Christian truth. These were brought to my attention again recently by a brother who is part of a small assembly of believers. A division had recently resulted in the loss of a few people because of disagreement over three main topics, namely: Calvinism, charismatic gifts, and the role of women.

More often than not, discussions on these topics have generated more heat than light, and have often been based more on emotions than exegesis. Consequently, some churches have avoided or banned any discussion of these and similar "hot potatoes". This is sad, for how can we say with the apostle Paul that we have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God? It seems that trying to skirt around the issues is not the correct approach, and that doing so is, in the end, counter-productive to Christian maturity and growth in biblical understanding.

If we survey church history and witness the fallout from all the doctrinal debates, one cannot help but sympathize with those who feel that more harm than good can come out of such disputes. Furthermore, many are also turned off by those who constantly ride their hobby horse at the expense of more important matters, such as love and unity.

What then? How can we steer a middle course between the Scylla of schismatic dogmatism and the Charybdis of compromising cowardice? Obviously I don't pretend to have all the answers, or that the answers will be easy and "practical" in real-life conflicts.

Allow me to make a few suggestions for what they're worth.

First of all, we must keep priorities in mind. Love for the brethren and striving to live in peace and unity must remain uppermost. Maybe we should all engrave John 13:34, 35 on our foreheads so that when we clash with each other, we will be reminded. Ah, but some will say that standing for the truth at all costs and "contending for the faith" must take precedence. But I think this is to draw a false dichotomy. Love is vital; truth is equally vital. Hence Paul's charge to "speak the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15).

Furthermore, the context of Jude 3-4 has to do with false teachers that have crept into the church. The "faith" spoken primarily has to do with core central beliefs concerning the Gospel, viz., the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the work of salvation accruing from that. It has nothing really to do with peripheral issues, however important they may be.

In the midst of heated debate, we can quickly lose sight of loving one another. Let us not forget Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13. If we remember that our "opponents" are our fellow believers for whom Christ died, perhaps we would be less prone to malice and ill will.

Secondly, none of us fully understands the scriptures, no matter how long we've studied them. Therefore, humility is called for, and hence, a willingness to listen to and learn from others. We can certainly enter into vigorous discussion, but we must do so apart from narrow-minded dogmatism and an attitude of know-it-all superiority. We mustn't forget that faithful believers have struggled to reach consensus on many doctrinal disputes over the centuries, so who are we to think that we know better? We must hold to some of our convictions tentatively and manifest a teachable spirit, being ready and willing to change our views when shown the error of our ways.

I find that this strong desire to protect one's doctrinal convictions often reflect other motives and attitudes than just the putative commitment to "the truth". Often it reflects a strong-willed personality, a distaste for uncertainty, an argumentative nature, and pride. As a result, disagreements are taken personally and people start getting defensive. What often results too is that we confuse God's truth with our faulty and fallible notions of that truth.

Thirdly, we must be diligent to keep on studying and re-studying the scriptures. We can't just assume that because we studied a topic before and reached a conclusion, that it's settled. Often too, I find that people end up speaking past each other because they haven't taken the time and care to clearly articulate their own viewpoints nor to understand the other viewpoint. Personal prejudices, traditions, and a lack of a common ground often leads to unfocused discussions.

To counter this, I would propose that Christians read one or two good books on biblical interpretation; there are many helpful ones available. This at least will provide a starting point for careful scriptural interpretation and allow one to see some of the flaws and folly in one's own presuppositions.

As well, avoid unnecessary theological labels and jargon. While they can be helpful at times, they can also result in caricature and over-simplification. It's best just to use biblical terms (of course, one has to be careful to ensure that we are understanding and using the terms correctly). For example, "Calvinism" for some people brings to mind ugly images of Servetus being burned, or the "horrible" teaching that a partial God has arbitrarily predestinated some people to eternal damnation. This is neither helpful nor totally accurate in trying to understand the doctrines that have been labeled Calvinism. Whether one agrees with Calvinism or not, it is sad that some have resorted to straw man arguments and distortions in order to paint the worst portrayal possible of "Calvinism". I'm thinking especially of Dave Hunt's diatribe, What Love is This?. See http://www.whatloveisthis.com/home.html for more information.

Many sheep have been spiritually battered by well-meaning zealots, who have also done a disservice to those who share their views, but not their tactics. When will we realize the damage and hurt we're causing to our fellow believers, but also to the cause of Christ? Christians must learn the art of calm dialogue. We must manifest gentleness and a meek spirit. After all, we mustn't forget that God ultimately doesn't need us to defend his truth.

Over the course of church history, one or more of these "controversial" topics have been the cause of many needless divisions. A challenge to all of us: would your church be able to deal with the "Triad of Trouble" (Calvinism, charismatic gifts, and the role of women) in a loving, fair, honest and open-minded manner?