Doctrinal disagreement

[Jeff]

Hello, my name is Jeff Brown. Some of you may know me already. I go to the University of Michigan, and I have attended University Lutheran Chapel during the last two school years. I am also involved in Campus Crusade for Christ, and I have done a few odds and ends with 40 Days of Prayer.

So, with the intro out of the way, here is my question:

As I'm sure you guys know, although Christians are united on fundamental core beliefs, they often disagree on a lot of doctrinal issues. While these issues are not as important as the essentials of the Christian faith (ie: Salvation by faith in Christ alone), they are still very important in and of themselves.

Granted, some of the things that Christian denominations disagree on are easily solvable by simply reading Scripture. For example, some denominations disagree on whether or not abortion should be legal, but any Christian who searches the Scripture with an honest heart will come to the conclusion that abortion is wrong.

However, there are other issues that Christians can and do disagree about out of good conscience. Some of these issues, such as the age of the earth or the nature of free will vs. predestination, are disagreements that I can live with. However, other issues that Christians honestly disagree about, such as the death penalty, contraceptives, and the nature of Holy Baptism, are VERY important IMHO. To put it short, this is stuff that I don't think that we want to be wrong about.

So, my question is, how do you guys think Christians are to come to the right conclusions about these issues? How do we know, from Scripture, which interpretation is right, which doctrine is correct, and which conclusion is the one that God is leading us to?

Thanks for reading my post, maintaining this web site, and doing so many other wonderful things in His name :)

--Jeff

[Billy Kangas]

I tend to believe that there is no interpretation that we can know as "right." Even if it is right from our own perspective God is always going to be bigger. I have been trying to live in the tension of God's paradoxes. If I can believe in a God who is three and one, merciful and Just, Human and Divine, and so much more that seems so beyond compatibility why can't I experiance doctrine in a context that is more a response to God, and less an attempt to fit God into my own understanding.

Death Penalty
Contraception
Baptism

None of these can be understood by us fully...
...I have strong beliefs on all of them, and my wife has a different opinion on all of them from me...

She Still inspires me to Follow Jesus every day

I think every side of these issues has a unique view of God that expresses truth

The main thing is to respond to those who disagree with love, humility, love, gentleness, and love

1 John 2: 9-10 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.

[Jeff]

Hey Billy, thanks for responding to my question :)

I believe that you are very right in saying that we can never hope to understand these issues fully. Each of them involves a good amount of theology. The death penalty requires an understanding of God's judgment and God's mercy, contraception requires us to carefully consider God's action of creating human life and what role we play in it, and Holy Baptism involves a deep understanding of how God claims a person as His child spiritually. These are issues that one could meditate on for the rest of his life.

However, I don't think that because these are complicated issues, it is impossible to know God's will on these issues. Take this analogy: let's say a mother tells her young daughter not to touch the stovetop, because, of course, she will burn her hand if she does so. Now, this child is very young. She does not even begin to grasp the inner workings of the stovetop. She knows nothing about how the stove coils turn electrical energy into heat energy, how the stove operates on alternating current as opposed to direct current, or any of the other ways that a stove works. She only has the warning from her mother, along with a basic explanation that she can understand: "Don't touch that, honey, or you'll burn your fingers."

In the same manner, I believe that even though we may not understand important doctrinal issues fully, God, being the loving Father that he is, allows us to know enough to come to the right conclusion on these issues, for our own good. I'm just wondering how, exactly, he leads us to the right conclusion. Ultimately, many of these types of issues have two mutually exclusive sides, so there are definitely right or wrong answers. For example, contraceptives are either morally permissible or they are not. One can be in favor of them or against them; there is no middle ground. The same can be said with the death penalty. Of course, there is disagreement over when to use the death penalty, but ultimately, when the death penalty is debated as a moral issue, the question is, is it right or wrong for us to use death as a form of punishment? Again, either it is right or it is wrong.

You're definitely right in saying that we should approach these disagreements with an attitude of love. As 1 John 4:7-8 says, “7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” So I agree, we should be careful to love one another to the fullest.

[Isaac Kosel]

I noticed this thread before and never got around to responding to it. I do have something to add. There was a point in my life when I wanted to know who had the right doctrine, mostly because I am that kind of person. I want to know why and be right. So naturally it was very tempting for me to think that way. God put a phrase into my head which has helped me in this respect.

-"it's not about "who is right?", it's about "where is God?" I believe God does want to give us the answers to our questions of doctrine, but we aren't quite ready. Jesus said, "I have many things to tell you, but you are unable to bear them now."(John 16:12-13) A short time after He rose again He did tell them one of those things, which I personally am a fan of.

The Gentiles being granted salvation! Yay! They couldn't handle it yet because they were huge racists. They thought Gentiles sucked and God didn't love them, even Peter (Acts 10, 11:1-19). However, because he determined to obey God in spite of this God was able to do His will. Then everyone else heard about it and said, "Peter, you went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!?!? WTF?" However, when it became clear it was of God and not Peter's idea of what would be cool or relevant or best fit his idea of what God was doing, they glorified God and changed.

I like what Billy said, "why can't I experiance doctrine in a context that is more a response to God, and less an attempt to fit God into my own understanding?" To know God and then respond to Him is, if I may be so bold, true Christianity.

I believe those things God has spoken of can be known fully, because He is able to lead us into all truth. However, can we deal with 1)being frequently offended by it and 2)can we walk in humilityinstead of getting puffed up with pride (aka "do you want to know this just to tell your friends how bad they are/how smart/awesome/wise you are?") The way to these things is not studying, having councils or confering with flesh and blood (Galations 1:11-2:10 and Phillipians 3:3-16), though certainly we need the Body.

The way forward is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and to grow in the knowledge of Him. 2 Peter chapter 1 talks about how God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness, in the knowledge of God. Truth is always revealed to those who seek it, truth is continually revealed to those who humbly submit to God and walk with Him. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life."

My thoughts at any rate, sorry this was so long