Spiritually Uncertain Things
Some things in the Bible are rather plainly stated, but not all things are. In fact, in Simon Peter’s second letter he even says, “There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures.” So we know that indeed, not everything in the Bible is easy to comprehend.
Some beliefs that we come to hold not only fall in the “difficult to understand” category, but may not be plainly stated anywhere. Sometimes the understanding we develop may come from reading a passage here, a page there, and so on. Other times we may not only have a patchwork of reading that must be assembled, but we must build our understanding even then on underlying premises which are themselves developed through patchworks of reading.
The further we get from the “easy to understand” and “plainly stated” categories, the wiser it is for us to be honest and forthright about our levels of certainty, any confounders to our understanding, and potential challenges to our point of view being correct. We must be honest about our convictions and reasons for them. I’ve seen (and have done this myself) people hold a certain view and proclaim it, while at the same time ignoring any evidence to the contrary, or even sweeping the contradictory evidence under the rug. (I did this with alcohol in the Bible.)
Sloppy and weak arguments are bad enough, but when you present your opinion as “plain” and “without debate” when it is anything but, or even worse, when you hide arguments or evidence which might make people question your position, you damage the trust people have in you. Sure, you may present a strong case, but what about later when someone finds out that you hid evidence that would undermine your belief? “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.” (Pro 18:17)
Do any topics spring to mind for you which require the injection of a lot of human reasoning to reach a conclusion that is nowhere plainly stated?
Some responses from readers:
Age of accountability
Spiritual gifts
Whether you’re in/out after baptism
–LAS
Musical instruments.
What worship is and isn’t.
–CSM
1. Capitalism is the most moral economic system.
2. The 1950s version of dad goes to work and mom stays home is what the Bible intended for us to do.
–Helene
