And while there are differences,
some more significant than others, there must also be the realization that in
the ultimate sense none of us have the complete answer. In our earthly
existence it is impossible for any of us to be totally right on every point or
totally wrong. We have all managed to scoop up both truth and error. And the
upshot of that fact is that we can learn from each other. But that learning can
only take place if we manage to deal with our differences in the spirit of
God’s love.
These thoughts bring me to what I
used to tell my students were the eleventh and twelfth commandments. The
eleventh is “Thou shalt never trust a theologian,” defined here as anyone who
develops a theological position. No one has all of the answers….It is the Word
of God that is the ultimate authority. And in that testing we need to do our
best to put aside our theories and let God speak.
The twelfth commandment is “Thou
shalt not do theology against thy neighbor.” The problem is that if theology is
done primarily against one’s opponent we will end up in opposite, polarized,
extreme corners and find ourselves with less and less understanding of the
other’s true position and more distortion in our own understanding. Perhaps it
is better to begin with a focus on agreements rather than differences, and then
to discuss differences from the platform of shared beliefs. We just might
discover, if we can dialog in a Christian spirit and an open mind, that we
share more ideas than we differ on.
We will most likely continue to
differ, but we can do so either in the manner of Christ or in the way of the
devil. The bottom line is that in the end “all men will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35
I was blessed in reading this new book by George knight. You
can read the first chapter on line for free by clicking here.
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