WHAT'S YOUR OPINION?
To have an opinion is to have a viewpoint; to have a belief about something. A person's opinion can be based on various factors: their feelings, what they've been taught, what the people they admire say, etc. Sometimes opinions are valuable and sometimes they're not. Sometimes opinions have nothing to do with right or wrong but merely preference. Then there are times when our opinions have more significance.
When you bring up the taboo subjects-politics and religion, everyone has an opinion. But what are those opinions based on; how are they formed? How accurate are they? How substantial are they? When it comes to politics, opinions can be based on rumors, feelings, what my friends think, what the news says, etc. But these sources can be biased so we can't always trust them.
The same is true when it comes to religion; everyone has their own opinion but what is it based on? How is that opinion developed? Should opinions even be involved when we're talking about God, the bible and salvation? Let's get into the subject and see what opinion we come away with.
1) Opinionated.
One definition of opinionated is to be dogmatic; fixed in how you look at things without entertaining another opinion. It can also refer to someone who seems to have an opinion about anything and everything. Have you ever known someone like this? How are people like this usually viewed by others?
Pr. 18:2, "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."
Some opinions are reasonable and worth listening to. Why? Because the person knows what he's talking about. Some people, however, fit more in the category of Prov. 18:2. Their opinions are not based in understanding but rather thoughts, feelings or what they've been told. Christian Standard Bible-"only wants to show off his opinions".
The right motive in sharing my opinion stems from the desire to help. The Prov. 18:2 type person shares his opinion to show off; it's about him. Sometimes he just pretends he knows what he's talking about. He'll use fancy words or speak philosophically. The irony is, though he thinks he's convincing people he's smart, he's actually doing the opposite. And if he has a circle of friends they may put up with him but they're not agreeing with him; they're seeing him in a foolish light.
A person who's opinionated interjects his opinion when no one is asking for it. He'll involve himself into conversations he's not a part of; prompting people to think or maybe even say, "who asked you"? Sometimes it's not easy to keep silent when you feel you have something to add to a conversation. But if it's unsolicited, although you'll think you're doing people a favor by interjecting your "wisdom", in reality you're turning people off.
The opinionated type of person would fall into the category of what the bible describes as a chattering fool. And Proverbs teaches that a chattering fool comes to ruin. If you feel you have something worthwhile to add, politely interject, letting them know you overheard the conversation and you think you have something valid to say if it's ok. Most people will probably allow it and will be more receptive to it if they see you're not just butting in but are politely asking permission to offer your opinion.
When a discussion is taking place, an opinionated person can feel like they always need to say something; it's uncomfortable for them to just listen. I believe this stems from either thinking he really is that smart or deep down he knows he's not but wants to be thought of that way.
So, instead of being quiet if he has nothing valuable to say, he feels he always needs to come up with something to throw into the conversation so he doesn't look so foolish just standing there in silence. Ironically, though, the opposite is true. Proverbs 17:28, "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."
It's better to be a person of few words; especially if you really don't know what you're talking about. And if your opinion is unsolicited, it's better to keep silent even if you do know what you're talking about. Instead, allow someone to notice your silence and ask, "so what do you think?" Then, you have the floor to share your opinion. But, don't show off, just share.
And if you don't know the topic, there's no shame in saying, "I don't have an opinion on that." Saying that can actually show how smart you really are.
2) "That's your opinion!"
"That's your opinion" is commonly thrown out there by anyone who is getting worked up with what we're saying. This happens a lot when we're talking about the bible. But the bible isn't full of opinions, it's full of truth. However, it's not easy to convince people of that. Sometimes-if we're not sure what a verse or passage is saying we can explain what we think it means.
But what is our opinion based in? How can we back it up? If you don't have something solid to back it up then you should say, this is my opinion and not present it as the truth because you could be wrong. And just because I'm sure about something doesn't make me right but that's where having other scriptures to back up what I'm saying is a valid defense that proves that it's not what I think, but what I know. We need to go from having opinions to having truth.
Acts 17:16-23, "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.
Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you."
It says Paul reasoned with them about Jesus' resurrection and the gospel. The Greek word here can mean discuss, argue, dispute. Paul discussed it, he argued and defended his points and he would've questioned and disputed their beliefs and position. His words were sound, logical and rational. Nonetheless, there were differing opinions about him.
Some considered him to be just a babbler (talking nonsense), others felt he was advocating foreign gods (which in one sense was true since the real God was foreign to them), and who knows what other opinions were floating around about Paul and his words before he was brought before the Areopagus.
Vs. 20-you're bringing some strange ideas (opinions). We see in vs. 21 that the people liked to sit around and share ideas, thoughts and opinions about all sorts of things. I wonder how many of them were opinionated?
Paul stands up and acknowledges the fact that they were religious. That wasn't an opinion since there were many idols of worship around, Paul saw them himself. Paul didn't say this as a compliment since we saw in vs. 16 that he was greatly distressed over this. He said it as an observation, along with using it to set the stage for introducing them to the one, true God.
If you read on in the passage you see that Paul gives many facts that overrode their previously held beliefs. The Athenians had idols and temples where they felt their gods resided but Paul tells them that God has made the heavens and the earth and doesn't live in temples made by the hands of men.
He tells them God is the giver of life and he wanted them to understand their great need for God as he communicates so concisely in vs. 28, "In him we live and move and have our being." Multiple gods for multiple purposes-no-one God for everything because he can do anything.
Paul goes on to say that God is not a gold or silver statue and that up until now he has overlooked all such ignorance. But now, because Jesus, God in the flesh, has come, died and for the sins of mankind and resurrected, he looks for mankind to repent for there will come a day when judgment will take place.
He finishes his discourse with a crescendo in vs. 31 when he said that God has given proof of this to all men by raising Jesus from the dead. It's like Paul is saying, 'you want to know how I can prove to you that everything I've just said isn't just my opinion? The proof is in the resurrection of Jesus'.
No opinions, no ideas, just evidence of the truth. Paul would tell them, 'it's time to forsake all the ideas, thoughts and opinions you've had about God and listen to the truth about who God is, what he has done, what he will do and what he wants you to do as a result of knowing all this'.
What was their reaction? Vs. 32, "When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered but others said, "we want to hear you again on this subject."
Some of them were willing to entertain that this 'strange idea' was perhaps more fact that fiction. And vs. 34 says that a few of them became believers. But those who were sneering (scoff, mock, laugh at) were still holding onto their previous beliefs and basically saying to Paul, "that's your opinion".
I guarantee if they had asked Paul to back up what he just said, he would have, but they didn't give him the time of day to do that, they chose to sneer and walk away. They had no interest in gaining more understanding. They would fit in the category of what we read earlier in Pr. 18:2, "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."
Gaining understanding and separating facts from opinions was what convinced Lee Strobel, who wrote, The Case For Christ. He had heard about the resurrection, but he didn't believe. He felt what he was being told were opinions, not truth. That is, until he was challenged to disprove it. He took an investigative approach and looked at the facts.
He became convinced that the resurrection of Jesus wasn't just something that people believed had happened but that it was something that actually did happen. People are not swayed by opinions and ideas; they are swayed by truth. People can say, "that's your opinion", but it's not our opinion, it's the truth...and it can be proven.
3) Make up your mind.
Sometimes our opinions are divided. One side presents a good case but the other side has some good points too. So, we're undecided. That's understandable, we don't want to be hasty, we want to weigh things out and come away with a solid belief. However, continuing to flip-flop can show that a person is indecisive; unwilling to come to a conclusion and make a commitment. That's not good-especially when it comes to religion.
In 1st Kings 18, Elijah has some words with King Ahab. He tells him that he has abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals. He told Ahab to summon all the people of Israel to meet him on Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah. When the people of Israel were assembled, Elijah challenges them to make up their minds.
1st Kings 18:21, "Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing."
Some translations, "how long will you go limping between two different opinions?" I that's a good description of what going back and forth is like; it's debilitating. One issue with going back and forth is trying to be on both sides of the fence. But this is not acceptable; nor is it possible. You can't worship God and Baal; you must choose. Unfortunately, their hearts weren't solid on which one was really God; not yet anyways.
Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to see if their god would send fire down and burn up the animal sacrifice. After hours of chanting, nothing. Then Elijah prays to God once and the fire came down and consumed everything. After that the Israelites were not undecided anymore.
Vs. 39, "When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "the Lord is-he is God! The Lord-he is God!"
Sometimes it takes a dramatic event to get people to wake up and stop wavering between two opinions. People who waver are not convinced what's true and what isn't. They go back and forth. In Eph. 4:14, Paul refers to this as being, 'tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching'.
James said that those who doubt are like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. He calls them double-minded and unstable. Part of the problem in wavering between two opinions is you're not solid on which one is totally true. When I'm not absolutely sure, I'll continue to waver.
Jesus said in John 8:32, "If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." Being solid on the fact that the bible is the truth will free me from wavering between opinions. I will no longer be unsure about what the truth is. I won't wonder if it's really true, I'll know that it is.
And I won't be swayed by other teachings or philosophies, no matter how good they sound. Any worthwhile principle found in other teachings can be found in the bible so why go anywhere else when the bible already has it? When I hold firmly to the teachings of the bible, I don't have opinions, I have truth.
4) God doesn't give opinions.
God doesn't give his opinions-he gives truth. God doesn't go by what others think, what the popular opinion is; he doesn't go by his feelings-none of that. He goes by what is right and true.
Matt. 22:15-22, "Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away."
The Pharisees figured whichever response Jesus gave would trap him. If he said paying taxes was right he would incite the Jews, if he said it wasn't right he would incite the Romans. Jesus knew what they were doing and answered, not with an opinion-but the truth. 'I'm not going to tell you what I think, I'm going to tell you what is right'.
When it comes to Jesus-we don't get opinions-we get truth. We don't get what he thinks-we get what is right. People give opinions based on what they think; but Jesus gives us the truth because it's what he knows; it's what he is. Sometimes we're not clear-but God is.
Phil. 3:15, "All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you."
Sometimes we're not clear on what the bible means; we have differing opinions. Sometimes certain things are clear to some but not others. Paul says don't worry about that because there is one for whom everything is clear-God. So pray for him to make things clear to you. People have opinions-God has truth.
Some people think truth is relative; that there's no such thing as absolute truth. What's true for you isn't necessarily true for me. But that's a flawed concept. Truth doesn't change; if it's true it's true no matter what. Two-plus-two is always going to equal four-if you're using common core math it will take you longer to get to the answer but the answer will still be four. To hold the opinion that truth is relative is dangerous.
God doesn't give opinions, he doesn't say what he thinks-he brings clarity to what we're thinking. People have opinions but only God has absolute truth.
An umpire named Babe Pinelli once called Babe Ruth out on strikes. When the crowd booed with disapproval, the legendary Ruth turned to the umpire and said, "How could you call that a strike? There are 40,000 people here who are of the opinion that the last pitch was a ball!" The cool headed umpire replied, "That may be true, but my opinion is the only one that counts. Take a seat."
When it comes to the truth, there's one voice that matters over all the others. Even if 40,000 feel something is right, if God says it's wrong, then it's wrong. Why? Because only he is all knowing. We have thoughts, feelings and opinions; he has the truth.
