26. While God’s truth is unchanging, the specific application of that truth may vary depending on facts and circumstances unique to each believer. Also, those who are further along in sanctification will see some issues more clearly than those who are less mature. For these reasons great charity must be maintained between believers who have differences of application, and liberty of application must be respected. However, an appeal to the doctrine of Christian liberty must never be used in an effort simply to avoid submitting to what Scripture plainly teaches. Believers should also bear in mind that things which are lawful may not be expedient if the goal is personal and family holiness. The biblical rule in judging behavior is charity toward others, strictness toward oneself. (Gal. 5:2-3 with Acts 16:3; Phil. 3:15; Rom. 12:10; 1 Cor. 1:10; 6:12; 9:27; 10:23; Gal. 5:13)
Gal. 5:2-3 – Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
Acts 16:3 – Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
This text attempts to support that the specific application of a truth may vary depending on circumstances. Although Paul did not find circumcision important, he let Timotheus be circumcised on behalf of spreading the gospel to the Jews. Another possibility may be that the teaching in Galatians is inspired by God, and Paul did something unwise in Acts because God did not yet reveal His truth about the matter to Paul.
Phil. 3:15 – Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
The mature knows that outward religious signs are unimportant compared to Christ and His calling, but God could reveal it to the legalists too. (See Phil. 3:1-14 for this being about outward religious things like circumcision and being born into the right, godly group, vs. knowing Christ.)
Rom. 12:10 – Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
I Cor. 1:10 – Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
I Cor. 6:12 – All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
I Cor. 9:27 – But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
I Cor. 10:23 – All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.
Gal. 5:13 – For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
These are all important Christian truths.
26a) While God’s truth is unchanging,
The nit-picker in me says this is not defended from the texts. But I believe His truth is unchanging. It is easy to misapply, though.
b) the specific application of that truth may vary depending on facts and circumstances unique to each believer.
Scripture don't spell it out in a teaching. (Gal 5/ Acts 16 is an example and not a teaching. From examples, like from stories, you could make wrong applications.) But it is reasonable to believe application of truth varies. What a Christian ditch digger will do, and what a Christian CEO will do, if both believe the principles of honesty and giving his best as to Christ, will look different. It will look different because their circumstances vary.
c) Also, those who are further along in sanctification will see some issues more clearly than those who are less mature.
From the text, “some issues” that those further along will see is clearly is “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” gaining Christ and being found in him, having -through faith of Christ-- the righteousness that is of God, knowing Him and following His high calling. They will see that circumcision, the group of people you belong to, keeping laws, and zealously working things you think is for Him, are not important. But yes.
d) For these reasons great charity must be maintained between believers who have differences of application, and liberty of application must be respected.
Yes.
e) However, an appeal to the doctrine of Christian liberty must never be used in an effort simply to avoid submitting to what Scripture plainly teaches.
I agree. And none of the things that make patriarchy different from other forms of Christian expression, is what the Bible clearly teaches. Between d) and e), patriarchists should never try to curb non-patriarchist believers.
f) Believers should also bear in mind that things which are lawful may not be expedient if the goal is personal and family holiness.
Yes. But what about congregational holiness, or the holiness of those in your town/ city, or the holiness of those at your work place? Why family holiness, and none of those forms of holiness? The texts don’t mention “family” or “personal.” I will still concede personal as biblical, since it is completely in context with the rest of scripture. Taking responsibility for your family's holiness by restricting the freedoms of your children/ spouse, however, is against point d) and g) of this tenet. It is also against every Christian message that say Christ is the only mediator, or say everyone will stand before God's judgment seat for themselves.
g) The biblical rule in judging behavior is charity toward others, strictness toward oneself.
g) The biblical rule in judging behavior is charity toward others, strictness toward oneself.
Yes. And your wife and children are "others." They should be treated with charity, and their freedom to disagree from you over non-essentials like patriarchy or courtship should not be curbed.
Other ways Christians understand this:
Some Christians believe Patriarchy itself is a form of legalism, which those further along in sanctification see is not gospel-centered. And their view of Christian liberty mean that adult offspring should not be made to stay in their parents' home until marriage, or to do courtship.
Summing it up
How reliable is this tenet? I will use a color code:
The color code:
This is adequately Biblically defended
26. While God’s truth is unchanging, the specific application of that truth may vary depending on facts and circumstances unique to each believer. Also, those who are further along in sanctification will see some issues more clearly than those who are less mature. For these reasons great charity must be maintained between believers who have differences of application, and liberty of application must be respected. However, an appeal to the doctrine of Christian liberty must never be used in an effort simply to avoid submitting to what Scripture plainly teaches. Believers should also bear in mind that things which are lawful may not be expedient if the goal is personal and family holiness. The biblical rule in judging behavior is charity toward others, strictness toward oneself.
No comments:
Post a Comment