The Theological Pillow Fight from the Nosebleed Section
The result is that “Strange Fire critics use unequal weights and measures, attacking charismatics with one standard while defending the Reformers (and those in their own camp) with another standard” (p. 110). I am thankful for Michael’s gracious tone in answering and dealing with a particularly troubling set of paragraphs on pages 110-111 that had me furrowing my brow in frustration. As I noted in the margin, “It takes a great deal of grace to deal graciously with people who boldly make such intensely ungracious statements like this.”
Going back to “Shall We Burn One Another?” in pages 236-240, Michael lists five simple principles by which “we can avoid unnecessary casualties.”
- We really do need each other. “Rather than despise others who appear to be weak where we are strong, we should instead ask, ‘How can I serve that brother or sister? And what do they have that I need? How can I learn from them?” (p. 237)
- Surgeons cut carefully. “If I start my sentence with, ‘Let me tell you something about those Baptists,’ whatever I say afterwards is virtually guaranteed to be inaccurate, since not all Baptists are the same [except on the most basic of doctrinal points]. It would be the same if I said, ‘The problem with those charismatics is that…’ Whatever comes next is not going to be accurate, even if it applies to many. And that means I will be guilty of speaking falsely against many others at the same time. Why can’t we be more nuanced in our words? Wouldn’t that better honor the Lord?” (pp. 237-8).
- Don’t be hasty to call others false prophets or false teachers. “It is therefore unbiblical to use the ‘false prophet’ or ‘false teacher’ moniker for believers who are in error, and we can deal with their error effectively and strongly without damning them to hell.” (p. 238).
- Before we differ with each other we have to understand each other.
- Major on the majors. “We might have different burdens and callings …but that doesn’t mean we’re not part of the same Body, saved by the same Lord, working against the same devil, trying to reach the same world, and going to the same eternal destination. If you keep the main things the main things and concentrate on driving down the center of the road, you’re far less likely to fall into a ditch” (p. 240).
Loving People is a Part of Sound Doctrine
A significant part of the DNA of fundamentalism seems to be the belief that truth must be honored over everything else, including people. If I heard that sentiment once in my previous camp, I heard it a thousand times. It is as if truth is this esoteric-but-intellectual, intangible-but-concrete, expositional-shekinah-glory where all of God’s people sit and bask and soak in the information in Scripture? I personally believe that the lie which abounds too much in western Christianity is that information leads to transformation. It doesn’t. That’s not a good interpretation of Romans 12:2. The transformation that occurs as a result of renewing the mind is something that we are led into by the Holy Spirit. If one could be transformed by an exposition of the Scriptures, then the Pharisees would all have been Christians and some other group would have had to kill the Savior. The Holy Spirit transforms us and He certainly uses Scriptures to do that. But here’s the kicker: we know the Holy Spirit is transforming us not when we know more Bible but when we love one another. After all, Jesus made it pretty clear in John 15 that loving one another is the goal of our transformation.
Category: Spirit, Summer 2014