IS IT WRONG FOR CHRISTIANS TO DISAGREE? ~ Yes and no! "Bill, are you confused?" No, not really.
YES, it would be wrong if Christians disagreed on Essential Christian Beliefs, i.e., the Trinity - the Bible is the Written Word of God - the deity of Jesus Christ - the Resurrection of Christ - Salvation by grace through faith alone - the Gospel of salvation - heaven and hell are real.
NO, it is not wrong for Christians to disagree on Non-Essential Christian Beliefs such as eschatology or end times prophecies, baptism timing and method, speaking in tongues, the frequency of communion in our fellowships, homosexuality, marriage, and many more issues which are Biblical, but do not affect our eternal salvation. These issues are interesting, and vital, for us to discuss - for discussing them should cause each of us to dig deeper in our own personal Bible studies. Yet, our eternal salvation does not depend upon our views and beliefs on those teachings.
"Then, Bill, why are those things in the Bible?" Good question. And I suppose the best answer is that God wants to give us His full revelation of why we need salvation - how He prepared the hearts of our Old Testament saints for their coming salvation - and how we, and the Old Testament saints, gain eternal life only in and through Jesus Christ - the once for all Perfect Lamb sacrificed to take away all the sins of all who will believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior.
In teaching us why we need salvation - God has shown us, warts and all, how man, Adam, was created perfect - and then through free will disobedience - blew it for all mankind. As part of Adam's legacy even the nation of people specifically picked by God to be His Chosen People, Israel - continued, over and over and over, to defy God, to break His laws, and to worship demonic idols and gods. Because of that Adamic legacy, that is why we today still need salvation. And, Jesus Christ is how we attain that salvation.
And, we Christians do disagree, often. That is why we have so many different Christian denominations. And here I am speaking of true Christian denominations, not those who wear the Christian mantle - but teach doctrines which are antithesis to the Essential Christian Beliefs, through teaching doctrines which deny any, or all, of those Biblical teachings.
YES, my wife disagrees with me at times. I will admit to being a wee bit naughty. For, at times, I will ask her a question which I know will get her dander up. Okay, so I am just as kid at heart!
Over the past thirty years that I have been a believer - I have seen many changes in methods of teaching God's Word. I have seen churches which, today, will only teach topical messages and devotionals - never wandering into the more fertile ground of expositional Bible teaching. Why is this?
It is my belief that this is done by churches who have a predetermined theology - and want to avoid any Scripture passages or verses which will disagree with that theology. Teaching the Bible expositionally, i.e., verse by verse through the Bible will not allow those churches to avoid Scripture verses which would invalidate their predetermined theology. So, they can avoid that possibility by avoiding those verses.
Bible study is another area which has been drastically changed over the years. When I was saved in 1987, praise God our pastor and our church believed in weekly Family Bible Study. Each Friday we gathered in a home, read Scripture, and discussed what we had read - verse by verse. And we did it as a family: mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and all the children - from toddlers and up through college age and young professionals.
I have personally witnessed a number of pastors, pastors wives, and other strong Christians who have emerged from that early youth and young adult teaching in our early Bible studies.
Some will tell us that young children can be distracting in Bible studies, that they have short attention spans. Yes, that is true and if the children have shorter attentions spans - shorten the study, but don't exclude the children. Right now I am seeing in beautiful memory two small sisters, Gabrielle & Chantelle, who were 3 and 5 years old in our early Bible studies. Today both have graduated from Christian colleges and are strong Christian witnesses to all around them. Was that seed planted in our early Bible studies? I say, "Yes!"
Then, churches began to separate us into groups - men, women, young marrieds, old marrieds, divorced, youth, college, young adult, seniors, and on and on. Folks, isn't that a form of "segregation" - separating people by their traits? Growing up in the South I did not believe in, nor like, segregation. In the 1940s/50s I saw racial segregation all around me - but, praise God, it was not taught in my home. My mom respected all people, regardless.
The Christian church was begun on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD, and within a couple of weeks it had grown to over 5000 believers - men, women, children. And, yet I do not find anywhere in this passage where it tells me they started to segregate or separate people based upon their age, gender, or anything else. It just tells me that they continued, daily, to gather in homes to learn Scripture, to pray, and to fellowship - as one body of Christ.
They gathered as ONE body of Christ to study His Word, to pray, and to fellowship - and He blessed them spiritually and numerically. Isn't that what we want for all our church fellowships - to grow spiritually and numerically? If your answer is, "Yes" - then shouldn't you and your church be following the guidelines He established in His first Christian church, on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD?
"But, Bill, what do you still ask Dory such questions when you know she will disagree with you?" Glad you asked. Actually, because I know that Dory, like me, likes Family Bible Studies - I ask one simple question: "Did God create ONE Bible ~ OR ~ did He create a Women's Bible, a Man's Bible, a Youth or Young Adult Bible, a Senior's Bible, a Prison Bible, a Divorced Bible, etc.?"
And, the reason that seems to bother her is because of her Filipino culture. Oftentimes I have been told, and have experienced, that when a Filipino disagrees with you, he/she will not say anything - preferring to be quiet rather than disagree. In other words, Dory would prefer that I not ask that question of other people - for it might seem that I am being disagreeable. When, in fact, I am just being my good old Alabama American self - and raising an issue which I believe could effectively be discussed.
And, of course the answer to that annoying question is that we have ONE Bible, the Inspired, Inerrant, Literal Written Word of God. Is there anything in the Bible that cannot be discussed and studied when all those groups are gathered as one body of Christ? No, not really. Then, Dory will tell me, "Well, women, men, youth, young adults, etc., have different thoughts and discussions on the Bible."
Really? If we read John 1:1-2, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." - just how would a woman's view, or a young adult view - differ from my view of that Scripture passage?
Then she tells me, "Well, we have different things to discuss that don't pertain to men." Really? Aren't you really talking about a "social meeting" - and not a Bible study? And that is okay if women, or young adults, or any other group wants to gather for a social - that is great.
But when we gather for "Bible Study" - the sole purpose of that gathering should be to study the Bible, to learn from God's Word, to grow more mature in our knowledge of His Word - and to help those who are newer in the faith to grow more mature. There is no other reason for a Bible study. And we do that more effectively in a Scripture reading and discussion style study.
And, finally, Dory must still love me - for in one week, September 2, we celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary. So I suppose I have not made her too mad.
However, if I have upset you a wee bit, good. Hopefully that will cause you to give thought to my suggestions.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
YES, it would be wrong if Christians disagreed on Essential Christian Beliefs, i.e., the Trinity - the Bible is the Written Word of God - the deity of Jesus Christ - the Resurrection of Christ - Salvation by grace through faith alone - the Gospel of salvation - heaven and hell are real.
NO, it is not wrong for Christians to disagree on Non-Essential Christian Beliefs such as eschatology or end times prophecies, baptism timing and method, speaking in tongues, the frequency of communion in our fellowships, homosexuality, marriage, and many more issues which are Biblical, but do not affect our eternal salvation. These issues are interesting, and vital, for us to discuss - for discussing them should cause each of us to dig deeper in our own personal Bible studies. Yet, our eternal salvation does not depend upon our views and beliefs on those teachings.
"Then, Bill, why are those things in the Bible?" Good question. And I suppose the best answer is that God wants to give us His full revelation of why we need salvation - how He prepared the hearts of our Old Testament saints for their coming salvation - and how we, and the Old Testament saints, gain eternal life only in and through Jesus Christ - the once for all Perfect Lamb sacrificed to take away all the sins of all who will believe and receive Him as Lord and Savior.
In teaching us why we need salvation - God has shown us, warts and all, how man, Adam, was created perfect - and then through free will disobedience - blew it for all mankind. As part of Adam's legacy even the nation of people specifically picked by God to be His Chosen People, Israel - continued, over and over and over, to defy God, to break His laws, and to worship demonic idols and gods. Because of that Adamic legacy, that is why we today still need salvation. And, Jesus Christ is how we attain that salvation.
And, we Christians do disagree, often. That is why we have so many different Christian denominations. And here I am speaking of true Christian denominations, not those who wear the Christian mantle - but teach doctrines which are antithesis to the Essential Christian Beliefs, through teaching doctrines which deny any, or all, of those Biblical teachings.
YES, my wife disagrees with me at times. I will admit to being a wee bit naughty. For, at times, I will ask her a question which I know will get her dander up. Okay, so I am just as kid at heart!
Over the past thirty years that I have been a believer - I have seen many changes in methods of teaching God's Word. I have seen churches which, today, will only teach topical messages and devotionals - never wandering into the more fertile ground of expositional Bible teaching. Why is this?
It is my belief that this is done by churches who have a predetermined theology - and want to avoid any Scripture passages or verses which will disagree with that theology. Teaching the Bible expositionally, i.e., verse by verse through the Bible will not allow those churches to avoid Scripture verses which would invalidate their predetermined theology. So, they can avoid that possibility by avoiding those verses.
Bible study is another area which has been drastically changed over the years. When I was saved in 1987, praise God our pastor and our church believed in weekly Family Bible Study. Each Friday we gathered in a home, read Scripture, and discussed what we had read - verse by verse. And we did it as a family: mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and all the children - from toddlers and up through college age and young professionals.
I have personally witnessed a number of pastors, pastors wives, and other strong Christians who have emerged from that early youth and young adult teaching in our early Bible studies.
Some will tell us that young children can be distracting in Bible studies, that they have short attention spans. Yes, that is true and if the children have shorter attentions spans - shorten the study, but don't exclude the children. Right now I am seeing in beautiful memory two small sisters, Gabrielle & Chantelle, who were 3 and 5 years old in our early Bible studies. Today both have graduated from Christian colleges and are strong Christian witnesses to all around them. Was that seed planted in our early Bible studies? I say, "Yes!"
Then, churches began to separate us into groups - men, women, young marrieds, old marrieds, divorced, youth, college, young adult, seniors, and on and on. Folks, isn't that a form of "segregation" - separating people by their traits? Growing up in the South I did not believe in, nor like, segregation. In the 1940s/50s I saw racial segregation all around me - but, praise God, it was not taught in my home. My mom respected all people, regardless.
The Christian church was begun on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD, and within a couple of weeks it had grown to over 5000 believers - men, women, children. And, yet I do not find anywhere in this passage where it tells me they started to segregate or separate people based upon their age, gender, or anything else. It just tells me that they continued, daily, to gather in homes to learn Scripture, to pray, and to fellowship - as one body of Christ.
Acts 2:38-39, 42, 46-47,"Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." . . . And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. . . . So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
They gathered as ONE body of Christ to study His Word, to pray, and to fellowship - and He blessed them spiritually and numerically. Isn't that what we want for all our church fellowships - to grow spiritually and numerically? If your answer is, "Yes" - then shouldn't you and your church be following the guidelines He established in His first Christian church, on the Day of Pentecost 33 AD?
"But, Bill, what do you still ask Dory such questions when you know she will disagree with you?" Glad you asked. Actually, because I know that Dory, like me, likes Family Bible Studies - I ask one simple question: "Did God create ONE Bible ~ OR ~ did He create a Women's Bible, a Man's Bible, a Youth or Young Adult Bible, a Senior's Bible, a Prison Bible, a Divorced Bible, etc.?"
And, the reason that seems to bother her is because of her Filipino culture. Oftentimes I have been told, and have experienced, that when a Filipino disagrees with you, he/she will not say anything - preferring to be quiet rather than disagree. In other words, Dory would prefer that I not ask that question of other people - for it might seem that I am being disagreeable. When, in fact, I am just being my good old Alabama American self - and raising an issue which I believe could effectively be discussed.
And, of course the answer to that annoying question is that we have ONE Bible, the Inspired, Inerrant, Literal Written Word of God. Is there anything in the Bible that cannot be discussed and studied when all those groups are gathered as one body of Christ? No, not really. Then, Dory will tell me, "Well, women, men, youth, young adults, etc., have different thoughts and discussions on the Bible."
Really? If we read John 1:1-2, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." - just how would a woman's view, or a young adult view - differ from my view of that Scripture passage?
Then she tells me, "Well, we have different things to discuss that don't pertain to men." Really? Aren't you really talking about a "social meeting" - and not a Bible study? And that is okay if women, or young adults, or any other group wants to gather for a social - that is great.
But when we gather for "Bible Study" - the sole purpose of that gathering should be to study the Bible, to learn from God's Word, to grow more mature in our knowledge of His Word - and to help those who are newer in the faith to grow more mature. There is no other reason for a Bible study. And we do that more effectively in a Scripture reading and discussion style study.
And, finally, Dory must still love me - for in one week, September 2, we celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary. So I suppose I have not made her too mad.
However, if I have upset you a wee bit, good. Hopefully that will cause you to give thought to my suggestions.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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