The Superiority Of God's Truth Over Man's Opinions
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesThe above titled Montana Street bulletin article was written by Brother Charles Pogue in June, 1996. The article‘s content is much needed in the church today, because it stresses our need to critically “think” about God’s truth rather than merely offer our “opinion” in spiritual matters (cf. Matthew 22:23-33 ASV; Mark 12:18-27 ASV) .
In his autobiography, The Education of a Wandering Man, well-known western novelist, Louis L’Amour, wrote:
“We do not at present educate people to think, but rather, to have opinions, and that is something altogether different.”
It certainly is! All that is necessary to have an opinion, is an internal belief with little or inadequate reason for holding it. Or, it could be the case that one is not only taught to have opinion, but even told what opinion he is to hold. That is very common today as well. One thing is certain, holding an opinion is easy and does not demand the presence of a body of overwhelming evidence, and it disregards, even rejects, absolute truth.
1) Opinions can blind one to truth — When one is taught to have opinions rather than to think, if he hears the truth, he may not accept it over his opinion. He is trained to believe in his opinion, therefore he views truth as just another opinion. While we defend one’s right to his opinion in matters of indifference, we affirm that no one has the right to an opinion when truth is known — man’s opinions are inferior to God’s truth!
2) Man’s opinions are inferior to God’s truth, because truth requires greater conviction than does opinion — Christians are commanded to contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 3 ASV). Gamaliel did not believe Christianity was truth, so his counsel was, “let them alone” (Acts 5:38 ASV). That did not take any conviction on Gamaliel’s part. The apostles knew they were teaching the truth. Therefore, after being commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, they continued to teach in the temple daily, and in every house (Acts 5:40,42 ASV).
3) Man’s opinions are inferior to God’s truth, because truth welcomes evidence; opinion fears evidence, or is at best suspicious of it — One who knows that God exists is not apprehensive of the evidence; the evidences concur with the fact. God is! Jesus built His church (Matthew 16:18 ASV). It is His body (Ephesians 1:22-23 ASV). Christ is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18 ASV). There is a body of specific doctrine governing the church (1 Corinthians 4:17 ASV; 1 Timothy 1:3 ASV; 2 Timothy 4:1-4 ASV). Since these matters are a part of a larger body of evidence which proves the church must not change, we say without hesitation, those who would change the church today, are the opponents of truth. Knowing that is true, we state it, extending a warm welcome to all the evidence.
4) God’s truth is superior to man’s opinions, because man’s opinions are not part of the gospel — The gospel saves (Romans 1:16 ASV), opinions do not. Sometimes men hold opinions in areas where they have no right to one.
Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16 KJV). Man has no right to an opinion concerning what God’s Word reveals. What God says is truth (John 17:17 ASV), and not open to acceptance or rejection on the basis of man’s agreement or disagreement.
5) Both truth and opinion have the capacity to offend — If truth offends, one must believe and obey it anyway, because truth saves (1 Peter 1:22 ASV). If opinion offends, it ought to be dropped, because opinions do not save, but they can cause men to be lost. O, the heartache that would be avoided if all those who support change, would apply both of these principles.
Without fear of contradiction, one could say that the process of teaching one to have opinions, rather than thinking, is dominate in the church, and a definite hindrance to God’s people. Everyone has an opinion. There is only one body of truth (John 17:17).
Conclusion:
Unless we revert to educating people to think, and drop the process of teaching them to have opinions, we will never be able to solve one problem. Since we all have the same body of evidence, if people would think, we would come to the same conclusion about every doctrinal issue, and even far more often in those areas that really are matters of opinion. The burden of concession lies with the one who offends his brother’s conscience by what he allows on the basis of his opinion that there is nothing wrong with it.
Now, that’s a thought!