This week in our lesson from Matthew 26, we learned a lot about the Christian practice of celebrating and partaking in Communion together. We learned about what Communion is, the terminology surrounding Communion, and different views on Communion (and the divisions and disagreements that have arisen amongst believers concerning those different viewpoints). Cody provided us with a lot of valuable information. Honestly, there isn't much I could add at this point without running the risk of just simply putting everyone on information overload. Instead, I want to focus my thoughts this week on that last point above...disagreements among believers over doctrinal issues.
If you have spent any significant amount of time in church, particularly within a variety of Christian denominations, then you surely know that there are many, many points of doctrine where Christians disagree. Heck, this isn't even the first time that Cody has devoted a portion of his sermon to discussing different doctrinal viewpoints or disagreements over Biblical interpretation. True indeed, there is much that Christians do (and must in order to actually be Christian) agree upon. However, there are an equal, if not larger, number of items upon which views differ. It is a common criticism of Christians and Christianity. "Don't you guys agree on anything?!?!"
So, why all of the disagreement, and how should we, as believers, approach disagreements like these?
Let's begin with the first question, because I believe that is the easier one to answer (at least in a general sense). In my humble opinion, all doctrinal and scriptural disagreements boil down to one thing...the Bible can be REALLY hard to understand sometimes! Anybody who has sought to engage and interact with God's word must admit that there is just a lot in there to absorb and seek to understand, and some of it is just plain tough to get through. There are many portions that are explicit, direct, and crystal clear. The Ten Commandments or God's plan of salvation (a.k.a. the Gospel) for example. On those points, there is unanimous agreement among orthodox Christians...and rightly so. On the other hand, there are plenty of issues that are rooted in passages that are far more opaque and open to interpretation. This is where we run into issues.
So, why did God make the Bible so hard to understand? That question is harder to answer, but one that requires and deserves our contemplation. I think the important thing for us to remember is that all of Scripture is revelation from God. It was written by men, just like you and me, who wrote under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We have to understand that scripture was written with a meaning and purpose, and that meaning and purpose is still the same today as it was on the day it was written. True, culture and society have changed immensely over the years and vary, even today, around the world. So, our understanding and application of that meaning and purpose can look different, but the meaning and purpose still remain the same. God has intended to reveal himself and his purposes to us through the scriptures. It is part of his plan that we should seek to know him and that he should be known by us. It is only by regularly reading, studying, and meditating upon God's word, that we uncover the truth of who he is. It is revealed to us through the Holy Spirit...in a supernatural way. We cannot neglect the role of faith in the lives of believers, but must also recognize that the type of faith God desires for us is an informed faith...not a blind one.
Therefore, we have to be willing to admit that, if our understanding of scripture is empowered through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, then it stands to reason that not all of us are "on the same page." Correct? We all know and recognize that we don't all grow at the same rate or on the same timeline. The truth of the matter is, in every doctrinal and scriptural interpretation disagreement, someone is right...and therefore, everyone else is wrong (again, because a passage only has one meaning and purpose). We have to be open to humbly admitting that, on any issue, we could be on the side that is wrong, and therefore should be open to changing our position when/if our understanding of God's word changes.
Now, that brings us to the second, and significantly more difficult to answer question...how to approach and handle these disagreements as believers?
I've already begun, I believe, to answer that question in the previous paragraph. The key is for our disagreements to be salted with grace, and the key to extending grace to others is a humble spirit. As Christians, it is alright to disagree over what we believe God's word is teaching or revealing to us (as long as the teaching/revelation isn't one of those explicitly clear points). But in order for us to disagree well, we have to continually be checking the motivations of our heart in those disagreements. Is our motive focused on ourselves, or others? What I mean by that is, does our disagreement seek to prove ourselves right for our own pride and glory, or does it seek to edify the body of Christ by pointing people towards a greater understanding of who God is and what he is doing in the world, so that they can love him more deeply and worship him more fully...all for his glory? That is an important question and makes all of the difference in the world.
In Grace,
Chris Morris
If you missed this week's sermon (or just want to listen again), follow the link below to listen. Or subscribe to our podcast in iTunes.
Part 89 - What is the Lord's Supper?
Questions discussed in this sermon:
1. Why do we have so many names for the Lord's Supper?
2. What are the different views of the Lord's Supper?
3. Why is there so much division concerning the Lord's Supper?
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