There was once a man in San Francisco walking along the Golden Gate Bridge, and he saw a second man about to jump over the edge. He stopped him and said, "Surely it can't be that bad. You know God loves you." The man about to jump got a tear in his eye. He said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew or a Hindu?" The fellow said, "I'm a Christian."
"Me, too. Are you Protestant or Catholic?"
"I'm Protestant."
"I am, too. What Denomination?"
"I'm Baptist."
"So am I. Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?"
"Northern Baptist."
"That's a miracle! I am, too. Are you Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"
"Northern Conservative Baptist."
"Me, too. Are you Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist or Northern Conservative Reformed Baptist?"
"I'm Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist"
"Me, too. Are you Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes region or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Eastern region?"
"I'm Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes region."
"So am I. Are you Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes region council of 1897 or Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes region council of 1912?"
"I'm Northern Conservative Fundamentalist Baptist Great Lakes region council of 1912."
With that, the would-be rescuer screamed "Die, heretic," and threw the poor man over the bridge!
You might have heard one of the several versions of this humorous story. It serves to remind us of the extremes that some Christians go through to preserve what they regard as theological purity! We find humor in this story because it exaggerates the propensity that we have to take matters of essential doctrine too far.
I am preaching this today especially for our young people and for those who are new Christians. As you have come to learn, theology is important at Faith Bible Church. Yet we live during a time when many scoff at the Christian faith and our belief in absolutes that are derived from the Bible. Not only is there strong disagreement about our belief in biblical absolutes, Christians themselves disagree on points of doctrine. Some scoffers point to theological disagreements among Christians as one more proof that Christianity doesn’t work.
Today I would like to demonstrate why theology is important and how we should treat those who disagree with our understanding of the Truth.
We begin with Paul’s First letter to Timothy. This Epistle is regarded as one of Paul’s “Pastoral epistles” because it was written to Timothy, a pastor. There is also a very strong emphasis on the local church. Paul’s purpose in writing to Timothy was to encourage him to stand up to false teachers who were a threat to the church in Ephesus, where Timothy was sent to lead a local congregation. We see this admonition in the opening of the epistle:
“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:3–7, ESV)
As Paul continues his letter, he lists a series of serious sins that Timothy was to preach against. These include “lawless, disobedient, ungodly, sinners, unholy, profane, those who strike thier fathers and mothers, murderers, sexually immoral, homosexuality, enslavers, liars, purjurers, whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.” The importance of sound doctrine (verse 11) is at the same level as other sins that we might regard as more notorious. Doctrine is important.
But how do we ensure that we are holding to sound doctrine?
Before we get to the specifics about how to be certain of our doctrine, it is important to recognize that God expects that we know the Truth with certainty!
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV)
There are some things that only God knows, but he intends that we know the things that he has revealed to us in His Word.
Israel was expected to obey God’s Word and to disregard anyone who mis-represented it.
God provided a test to know whether or not a prophet was speaking for God. “ When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:20–22, see also Deuteronomy 13:1-5)
In the New Testament, the BEREANS were commended because they searched the Scriptures to see if Paul’s message was true. “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:10–11)
And the Jews that rejected Jesus were held accountable because they rejected the evidence from Scripture that Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies.
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”” (John 5:46–47)
So if God expects us to understand his written Word, how do we know that we are interpreting it correctly?
Dr. David Mappes from Baptist Bible Seminary provides some guidelines in his article “How to Think About and Practice Theology,” Journal of Ministry & Theology 18, no. 1 (Spring 2014): 65-85. These guidelines provide a guide for Christians to apply so that our interpretation of Scripture is accurate.
FIRST - we must be sure that the SOURCE of our teaching is Canonical Scripture
The Bible is the PRIMARY source of our doctrine.
Secondary sources can be used, but only as they assist us in understanding the Bible
For example, a Church Constitution is a secondary source. It comes under the authority of Scripture.
Commentaries and books about the Bible are also Secondary sources.
SECOND: We must be sure that our study of the Bible is Comprehensive
By this we mean that we take all of the Bible into consideration, not just one verse. This avoids proof-texting, where we find a verse that fits out theological idea and claim that verse as authoritative. The problem is that we can be guilty of taking verses out of their original, intended context.
As an example, some parents use the following verse to teach their children why they shouldn’t get a tattoo. “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the Lord.” Lev 19:28
The problem with using this verse is that it is part of the commands given to Israel to remind them of their distinctiveness from their pagan neighbors! If we are to obey the command against tattoos, then we must also obey the command to not cut the corners of our fields (19:9); or not wear garments made out of more than one fabric (19:19)!
THIRD, we must apply the Right Method of Study. This is called hermeneutics, the theological word that relates to how we study the Bible. Believe me, the method that you apply will determine the outcome of your study!
Some Christians eagerly apply an allegorical method as the rule of how to interpret Scripture. This makes God’s Word mysterious and allows the interpreter to create almost any meaning that he or she desires.
Since God intends for us to know his Word (Deuteronomy 29:29), we should approach the Bible as a reliable source that makes sense. Therefore, we practice inductive study methods whereby we derive our meaning directly from the text. In this methodology, the Bible is interpreted literally. That means that we believe what the Bible says. Literal interpretation accepts that there are figures of speech used in the Bible, but even these figures of speech have meaning that can be known.
We also interpret the Bible in its historical setting. We interpret the Bible taking time to study the grammar and original languages.
FOURTH, in order to interpret the Bible correctly, we must Compare Scripture against other Scripture
This avoids taking one passage to an extreme
For example, In his book “Love Wins,” Rob Bell promotes God’s attribute of love but Ignores God’s Justice and Wrath. The result is a false teaching of universal salvation that makes Christ’s death on the cross meaningless.
We do the same sort of thing when we question God’s purpose. We say something like this: “If God loves me, then why did he allow this thing in my life?”
The ACCEPTED TRUTH is that God loves me.
The IGNORED TRUTH is that God is Sovereign. We must examine all of Scripture to be sure that our teaching is correct.
CONCLUSION
When we study according to these principles, we arrive at certain ESSENTIAL TRUTHS about God, Salvation and the Christian life. Some examples of that meets these criteria include the Character of God, the Trinity, the Virgin Birth, the Sinfulness of people, Salvation by grace through faith and God’s view on sexuality and marriage, to name just a few. These teachings are sufficiently clear in Scripture. To deny them is to be in the same category of the false teachers that Paul so strongly warned Timothy to refute.
In Dealing with Doctrinal Differences, we must have love all. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44, ESV)
“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10, ESV)
We must obey the governmental authority God has place over us.
“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,” (1 Peter 2:13, ESV)
But with love for all, and respect for those in authority over us Bible believing Christians must clearly warn about false teaching and reject those who attempt to tag the name of Christ onto false doctrines.
Note the following verses about the seriousness of false teaching:
“the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,” (1 Timothy 1:10, ESV)
“Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6, ESV)
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8, ESV)
“For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.” (Titus 1:10–11, ESV)
Some have wrongly stated that “Doctrine Divides but Love Unites”
There is no love greater than God’s love, but his love alone could not unite him to fallen creatures like us. We are united to God through the Truth of Christ’s sacrifice. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1, ESV).
When we understand DOCTRINE, we know that Truth that unites us to God! So doctrine unites because it is a proper expression of the Truth that brings us into fellowship with God and then into true fellowship with one another.
Every local church should practice Civic cooperation with the agencies and churches in their community. This could mean anything from helpign the homeless to sponsoring a flat for your church in the Fourth of July Parade!
But we must maintain Ecclesiastical separation from churches that do reject the essentials of the Bible.
Some Christian accept the essentials but differ non-essentials such as baptism, church government and prophesy. We should show appreciation for these ministries but maintain the truth that we believe with conviction. Faith Bible Church, we should be kind and humble about our doctrinal beliefs, but we should not abandon them for the sake of ecclesiastical harmony!
How do deal with Theological differences?
Theology IS important
Study to know the Truth - we are accountable
Although we are all FLAWED, God gives us his PERFECT Word and expects us to understand and apply it.
We must hold to the TRUTH with CONVICTION and HUMILITY
