Done Arguing

That's not me in the photo. I just like the tape effect.

Anyway, I'm done arguing. Specifically, I'm done arguing about theology in general and the church specifically. I've had enough. It's pointless, goes nowhere, and accomplishes nothing. Like the guy in the photo, I'm not arguing (of course, he can't talk at all, but that's his problem).

I've managed to avoid arguing about the church in person for quite a while now. If people want to know what I think, I tell them. If they object, I just leave it at that. No more arguing. I have a young Christian co-worker who believes many things about the church that I do not. Fine. I've avoided arguing with him. "It takes two to tango," so to speak. I'm not tangoing on this topic.

I've decided to avoid all arguing on other websites. It's all too easy to go to blogs by men such as Kevin DeYoung and Justin Taylor and stir the pot. They are firmly entrenched inside the institution as are most of their commenters. I have attempted to argue on these types of blogs for biblical church principles. It is to no avail. Defenders of the institution, who wrongly think they are defending the church, will not listen and only become angry. Nothing good comes of it. I'm done.

I will continue to blog about (what I think are) important issues related to the church. I hope for engaging, lively debate and discussion here on this blog. It may border from time to time on argumentation, but that's as far as I'll let it go. No more arguing.

This is somewhat of a revelation and relief for me. You may have already reached this point. I hope so for your sake.

One Good Reason for Women to Remain Silent

In my previous post I offered one good reason for women to speak during church gatherings. In this post I’m offering one good reason for the ladies to keep silent.

The reason: If a woman speaks incorrectly or inappropriately, there is no good method for correcting her.

Let me explain by backing up a bit.

During a gathering of the body, a brother may offer an incorrect teaching, inappropriate rebuke, faulty application, etc. When he does this the other brothers there have the responsibility to lovingly correct him. This should be done in whatever manner is best for the health of the body. It may be publically or privately. Whatever the case, the brothers have the responsibility to take action.

Let’s now turn to the ladies. What happens if a Christian sister offers an incorrect teaching, an inappropriate rebuke, or a faulty application? She must be corrected, but who is going to do it? The other ladies present may very well feel that it is beyond their role to correct their sister in a mixed-gender assembly. The men may not feel comfortable correcting someone else’s wife (if she's married). Ideally, the husband would correct his wife, but what if he does not have the nerve to do it or simply thinks she is correct?

At that point it falls to one of the other brothers to correct his sister. The problem is that this immediately brings up complications. When the brother begins the correction, the husband may very well sense an attack on his wife and rush to her defense. Since one role of the husband is to defend his wife, he may react sharply against his brother even if the brother is attempting to speak lovingly and gently. It is a sort of no-win situation.

If women do not speak in the gathering, then this is never a problem. The men can confront the other men when needed, but the wife-defender issue never comes up. Maybe this is one of the reasons Paul wrote I Corinthians 14:33-35, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.”

The application of the above passage is the tricky part. Does this apply to any gathering, an entire body gathering, a time of bible study, or only specifically to the judging of prophets? The debate, as we know, rages on.

To sum up, one good reason for women’s silence in gatherings is that it cuts out the possibility of an ugly scene with brother defending his wife against another brother.

What say you? Again, ladies please join in.

One Good Reason for Women to Speak

One lively and important discussion that flows around in Christian circles is whether or not women should speak during church gatherings. Passages such as I Cor. 12, I Cor. 14:33-35, and I Tim. 2:11-15 among others are critical to this conversation.

It is not my intent here to delve into an exegetical analysis of these key passages.

Rather, in this post I’m simply going to offer one good reason for women to speak during gatherings (in the following post I’ll offer one good reason for women to keep silent). I’m not claiming that this is the only good reason for women to speak, but it is a good one.

The reason: women offer a different perspective than men do.

If we are honest we will all admit that men and women are very different. This is how God made us. These differences were apparent before the fall, thus ensuring that these differences are a good thing. God has designed men and women to complement one another, not to be carbon copies of each other. Frankly, life would be a lot duller if we were all the same.

A great reason for women to speak during church assembles is that they often provide differing perspectives than men do on all sorts of things. This might mean a somewhat different interpretation of a scripture passage. More often than that, it is the application of the passage that is different. Women are usually more nurturing than men, and therefore have important things to say about passages containing the "one anothers."

When I hear a brother in Christ speak I frequently know where he is going with what he’s saying. When a sister speaks, I often have no clue. This does not mean that the ladies are incorrect in what they are saying. Rather, it just means that they see things differently.

This reminds me of I Corinthians 12:14-20. Paul writes, “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.”

The above passage pertains to all of body life, not just gatherings. However, it still seems to have application to gatherings. The sense is that all parts of the body are needed. If women are silent, then only about half the body can speak. I know that if all the women in our small fellowship kept silent it would subtract from the depth of the conversation.

To sum up, women add a different perspective to the gathering than men do. This is because God made us different. These differences add much to the discussion.

What do you think? Ladies, please feel welcomed to add to the discussion.

Awe in the Conversation

“How does a simple church gathering bring about a sense of awe of God?”

I’ve had the above question posed to me in different ways a number of times. Some folks ask it as a sort of objection, while others inquire out of straightforward curiosity. Either way, it is a valid question.

Before answering the question, I’d like to point out that it normally presupposes that some sort of ceremony is needed/is best for creating a sense of awe among the people. If this is assumed, then it is understandable that it would lead to questions and even objections about simple gatherings.

I’d like to suggest that the need for a ceremony is simply a cultural norm. It is what we are generally used to; therefore, we believe it is necessary for creating an atmosphere of seriousness. This is fine for a wedding or funeral, but it is not necessary for church gatherings.

It all comes down to what causes us to stand in awe of God. Must we take part in a crafted ceremony to feel in awe of God? This seems contrived to me. It should be God Himself who brings about this awe. This can certainly occur during a ceremony, but it does not have to.

As followers of Christ, we ought to stand in awe of who God is, what He has done, and what He is doing. In simple church gatherings, we generally hear all these things. Someone offers a teaching from scripture about attributes of God. Someone else might talk about what God did as seen in the bible. My favorite part is usually when someone shares about what God is doing in their lives or someone else’s that they know. When I hear these things, I stand (not literally) in awe of God.

I love hearing from multiple people about how they have seen God act during the previous week. Usually it is in the little things. Occasionally, it is the bigger stuff. Either way, my faith is strengthened through it. My hope is that others are encouraged as I speak. Sometimes we all just sit in silence after someone has spoken of what God has done and is doing.

This sort of gathering finds awe in the conversation. Someone might speak about a passage of scripture from an angle that I have never even considered before. When a light bulb comes on in my brain, the response is usually awe of God and thanks to Him. Someone else might speak about being stuck in a situation where there seems to be no way out (whether it be big, small, or somewhere in between), only to then find God delivering them from it.

As we gather, I’m usually sitting on the floor or on a couch. Literally, then, I’m sitting. Emotionally and spiritually, however, I’m standing. I’m standing in awe of God because of what I’ve heard in the conversation.

This might happen during the week during a phone call, but usually the scene is our larger gathering in somebody’s home. We talk, we listen, and we grow. All the while, we’re in awe of our great God.

Edification Necessarily Leads to Mission

The church comes together for edification. The church goes forth in mission. The two are linked. In fact, edification that does not lead to mission is not biblical edification.

Edification necessarily leads to mission. How do we know this?

The bible instructs us to edify one another within the church. This is to occur whenever we come together, regardless of size or type of gathering. To broaden out our thinking, Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Every word spoken by us should be for the building up.

But what happens when we are built up? What change takes place? The answer is that we simultaneously grow closer in relationship to Jesus Christ and become more in our character like Jesus Christ. Mutual edification within the body leads to everyone changing to be more like Jesus and to love him more. We read this beautiful passage in Ephesians 4:11-16:

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

As we are edified, we become more like Jesus and more devoted to him. This strongly implies becoming more missions-oriented. Why? The reason is that Jesus Christ was the ultimate missionary. He came to earth from heaven to not only share the gospel, but to be the gospel. He came as both high priest and sacrifice. He came to proclaim his substitution on our behalf. If anyone ever cared enough about others to go and tell, it was Jesus Christ.

As we grow in Christ, it should be that we become more concerned for the eternal well-being of others. If we are becoming more like Jesus, this has to be the case. He died for people we live near and who live all over the globe. As we transform through edification to be more like Jesus, our care for these people ought to grow as well.

If edification has its intended outcome, we will all mature in Christ. Part of that maturation is desiring for others to know the Jesus who is transforming us. As Christian maturity goes up, a desire for others to come to Christ ought to naturally rise as well.

The author of Hebrews tells us in 10:24, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." Edification leads directly to love and good works. What more loving work can there be than proclaiming the life-giving news of Christ crucified and resurrected?

How we specifically live out a missional life will vary from person to person. Some will go to the far reaches of the earth sharing the good news, while many more will do so near home. Whatever the case, as we grow, a fruit of this growth should and will naturally be a deeper longing for others to experience the person we experience in joy each day - the God-man Jesus Christ.

There ought not be any tension in the church between edification and missions. As we come together as Christ's saints, the purpose is to build one another up in Christ for Christ. As we go forth into the world, having grown because of the building up, our zeal for Christ should show itself in our care for others. This care will take the form of meeting basic needs and sharing the best news in the world - the gospel.

On the Power of Language

I work in an environment where the language is, well, not the best (understatement of the year). The curses are a general part of everyday language. Most of the folks don't even seem to notice it. The company has a policy against it, but no enforcement exists. Frankly, I'm not surprised when lost people use foul language; they're lost. I shouldn't expect anything else. As for me, I try as best I can to filter what they say to hear the message without the colorful additions.

Since I don't curse, I also stand out. I don't think about it, but others have mentioned it to me. I'm glad if it makes me look different if it will lead to discussions of Christ and his gospel.

I bring this up because each day I am reminded of the power of language for both good and evil. I hear a lot of evil at work. Good is possible as well. It's amazing what a word of encouragement can do even in a factory. I make an attempt each day to be a positive influence on others through my speech.

We are made in God's image. He spoke the universe into existence. It makes sense that our speech would be powerful. We have a choice each day to use it for his glory or for other lesser purposes. I hope to use it for the good.

I'm reminded yet again of a simple yet profound verse that has deeply impacted me:

Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

We Need Each Other

"For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged." I Cor. 14:31

What an amazing verse this is. As the church gathers, we can all speak. The specific context here is giving a word of prophecy, but it likely applies to other forms of speech as well.

We see here our need for each other. The spoken word, given by a brother or sister in Christ, is designed to benefit the hearers. We don't speak to simply fill the time, but rather in order that something will occur. That something is the learning and encouragement of others.

As the church comes together, God's plan appears to be that His children will speak in an orderly manner in order to help others. We see a specific cause-effect relationship.

In order for this to happen, we need to speak. For those who struggle to speak in group settings, I encourage you to do so - for the edification of the group. You will probably see that what you have to say is very well received.

Not only do we need to speak, but we also need to listen - a lot. This is a gift from God to us. His plan is that we will be built up in Him through what others have to share.  If we are too busy thinking about the next thing we are going to say, we might miss out on something wonderful added by someone else.

This blog post may seem extremely basic.  That's fine. I'm simply pointing out the scriptural idea that we really do need one another. This is, of course, true at all times. However, here we see it in the context of the gathering of the body. We need to speak and we need to listen in order to bring about mutual edification.

Slow to Speak

We live in an increasingly self-focused, rash, impulsive society.  The general rule for speech has become one of, "I'll say what I want to say and let the chips fall where they may."

I hear other folks say that they don't care who they offend.  They are going to speak their minds.

As in all things, we should ask how Jesus Christ would have us talk. I think we all agree that speech is powerful. What does Jesus think about it? James and Paul help us in this:

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29

We can see that James is writing with the specific context of anger in mind. However, there does seem to be a general principle in place. We ought to be quick to hear, but slow to speak. We can see the obvious contrast between the two. Unfortunately, in much of society today we see the opposite taking place. We've all been guilty of this. How often have we not listened, spoken quickly, hurt someone else, and then regretted it later?

We Talk a Lot

We had another church gathering yesterday. I had a great time and I hope everyone else did, too.  I was encouraged in Christ. I think others were as well.

It struck me as I looked around that we do a lot of talking when we get together.  As soon as we arrived, our family split in different directions. We began talking with adults and kids immediately after coming through the front door. For about the first thirty minutes or so I was engaged in three or four different conversations.

We gradually moved to the living room. The meeting took on a bit more structure as we sat down on couches, chairs, and the floor. We were all invited and encouraged to speak words of testimony, read from scripture, sing, pray, give praise, etc. Not everyone did speak, but everyone had the opportunity to do so. As is usually the case, the dads (who function as elders) did most of the talking.  I'm not suggesting that elders have to talk the most, but this is how things tend to go in our gatherings.

What Do Families Do?

In the New Testament we read the church pictured as a family. This is an extremely important metaphor. In response to this, we should ask what families do. So, when they are functioning properly, what do families do?

Families share their lives with each other.

Families spend a lot of time together.

Families talk, and talk, and talk.

Families support one another.

Families encourage one another.

Families care for each others' needs.

Families challenge one another.

Families practice discipline for the good of the individual and family as a whole.

Families teach one another.

Families exhort one another.

Families share their struggles with one another.

Families relax together.

Families eat together (a lot).

Families give to one another.

Families sacrifice for one another.

Families stick together during the hard times.

Families serve each other.

Families work together to help other people not in the family.

This is obviously not a comprehensive list. However, it does provide a picture of how families share life together. Since this is the case, it seems that the church should look like this as well.

What can we do as individuals to encourage the above? That's probably a good question for all of us to ponder.

On Saying "The Church"

The language we use reflects what we think about things. It also impacts what other people think we believe.

Sometimes even the small words that come out of our mouths say quite a bit. As it relates to the church, the word "the" carries a great deal of meaning.

When we say "the church," we instantly imply unity, togetherness, brotherhood, and oneness in Christ. We are focusing on all the people of God. In this case, the word "the" is all-encompassing. It creates a picture of all of the redeemed in community and togetherness before our Lord Jesus Christ. "The church" suggests harmony, brotherhood and sisterhood, joy, peace, encouragement, and support.

What Sort of Dialogue?

As we look at church gatherings in scripture, we see much dialogue taking place. This falls within the context of new covenant family relationships and is designed to edify the body as a whole.

As we think about getting together with the church, whether the setting is more or less formal, what should our dialogue look and sound like?  What should our focus be? What's the goal?

These questions are important because if we give them no thought, we may end up doing a lot of talking with the church but accomplishing very little. So, what sort of dialogue should we aim for?

On Hebrews 10:24-25

Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

These are fascinating verses both for what they say and what they don't say.  In general, what strikes me is that the author to the Hebrews cares more about mutual encouragement during the church gathering than he does about any specific activities that may take place.

When we think about the assembled body of Christ, we often fall into a bit of a trap.  We tend, myself included, to think through various things that are going to happen: praying, singing, teaching, eating, testifying, giving a revelation, reading scripture, etc., etc.  In these two above verses, the author doesn't speak about any of those things.  I'm not suggesting that they aren't important, but the author of this letter appears to believe that the specific activities are less important than the overall building up of the body.

Shut Up Already!

This is a letter to myself from myself:

"Dear Eric,

When we gather together as a church family, you simply talk too much.  I realize you have good intentions, that you love the people present, and that you want to glorify God through what you say.  Despite this, I need to lovingly tell you that you tend to dominate the conversation.  If 25 people are present, you shouldn't be speaking 25% of the time.

God has gifted us all with the ability to edify one another through our speech.  If you, the former pastor, talk too much it will intimidate others. You may inadvertently be giving them the message that you know more than they do and should, therefore, get to talk more than others.

Preaching for Edification

II Timothy 3:16 - 4:2, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

The above familiar verses are interesting when we view them together.

In the II Timothy passage, Paul instructs Timothy about the inspiration and usefulness of the scriptures. The apostle continues by charging Timothy to preach (or proclaim) the word. We can see from these verses several specific uses for the preaching of the word: teaching, reproof, correction, training, rebuke, and exhortation.

We know that some type of false teaching was occurring in the church at Ephesus. This most likely led to unbiblical beliefs and practices. Timothy, whose specific role in the church at Ephesus is unclear, is commanded by Paul to preach the truth of the scriptures to the church. This is significant because it shows us preaching taking place within the context of the church. The goal of Timothy's proclaiming was the promotion of truth and correction of this false teaching.

As we read this passage we must be careful about what we know and don't know. We know that Timothy was to preach to the church. We do not know that he was a pastor or that he preached sermons to the church body as a whole (I mention these here because I've heard them many times before).

Paul obviously hoped that Timothy would preach the truth in Ephesus and that the people would embrace this by following the truth and changing whatever needed to be changed in terms of both what they believed and how they lived.

Keeping all that in mind, we turn to Ephesians 4:29. We see that all our speech is to be for the building up. Especially in the context of the church, our words are to be filled with grace in order to help others mature in Christ. This was essentially what Paul was telling Timothy to do. Paul desired that Timothy's preaching would counteract the false teaching in Ephesus and build up the church in Christ Jesus.

How does all this apply to us today? As we speak to others within the church, our goal should always (in one way or another) be their edification. Our hope should also be that we will be edified.

One way we can edify others is by preaching the word to them. We need to "think outside the pulpit" in discussing this form of preaching. Simply put, we can powerfully edify others by preaching to them. This can take the forms of teaching, reproof, correction, training, rebuking, and exhorting. All these build others up in the faith.

I believe that God desires that we all preach to one another on a regular basis. The foundation and content of this proclaiming should be the word. I think we've all experienced the power of the spoken word from other Christians. We all have the joyful responsibility of preaching this word to one another in order to bring about mutual edification.

In light of all this, as Christ-followers we are all preachers. Let's all preach the truth to one another.

Freedom and Restriction in Discussion

We met yesterday in our home with a couple of other families. We discussed scripture together, sang songs together, prayed together, encouraged one another, and challenged one another. After an hour or so in the living room, we all moved into the kitchen to celebrate the Lord's Supper. We partook of it as a full meal, remembering what Christ has done for us. As we ate, we continued to discuss a wide range of topics.

As I think back on yesterday's gathering, one aspect that strikes me was the freedom we all had in our discussions. Everyone was allowed to speak. No one was limited by age, education, position, status, occupation, knowledge, or even time. No one person was in any way elevated above anyone else. We were all free to build up the body through our words.

As we began, I turned to I Cor. 14:26 to make the point that all things needed to be said for the purposes of the building up of the body. This was the overriding principle for speech: everything said was to be done for edification.

This provided us all with a freedom that was exhilarating. Right there in the middle of the church gathering we could say anything the Holy Spirit had led us to say - as long as it built up others. This restriction has a scintillating effect: it causes those speaking to always look to the good of others instead of themselves.

Freedom in speech forces people to come out of their comfort zones. Those who would talk a lot (like me) need to learn to talk less. Those who are naturally shyer need to try to speak up. This freedom carries a responsibility to be actively involved. The body needs each member to contribute. I suppose this is why Paul says in 14:26 that "each has a hymn..."

So there is freedom and there isn't. There isn't in that we are not allowed to say just whatever might pop into our heads. This would probably lead to self-centeredness, blabbing, or chaos. We must only speak what will build up others. On the other hand, there are no man-made restrictions placed on speaking; each one is free to speak at any time. No one person or small group of people does most of the talking.

I noticed something else related to all this. During the discussion, we all had to exercise self-control. Or, better yet, Spirit-control. We all know that impulsivity of speech can lead to big problems in life. This is certainly true in church fellowships. Therefore, we must continually ask ourselves what the motives are behind whatever comes out of our mouths.

For our family the learning experience continues. I love to speak during gatherings, but even more I love to hear others speak. It is wonderful to mutually build one another up through words of grace proclaimed in the gathering.

I'm happy for freedom to speak. I'm happy for freedom to listen.

I'm happy for restriction for the purposes of edification.

"The Jesus You Can't Ignore"

There is a semi-famous song performed by Depeche Mode entitled, "Personal Jesus." In our society today, many of us have created what amounts to our own personal Jesus. This Jesus is not the Jesus of the bible, but instead is a creation of our minds to fit our own felt needs. This man-created-Jesus is a meek, mild, and loving Christ who is emptied of any forceful words, judgment, and wrath.

We need to be careful that we follow the Jesus we read about in scripture instead of one of our own imaginations.

In The Jesus You Can't Ignore, John MacArthur reminds us of who Jesus is. In this book, MacArthur focuses specifically on portions of scripture where Jesus deals directly with the religious leaders of His day. We read of the hard confrontations Jesus had with the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, etc. The Jesus we read about speaks very clearly and forcefully to those who had perverted the message of the Old Testament.

It is always fascinating to read about Jesus. He is the only person who speaks the way He does. This makes sense since He is, after all, God. This book was a good reminder that Jesus does not mess around when it comes to speaking the truth. While He was gentle with the truly repentant and downcast of society, Christ "took no prisoners" when it came to the religious leaders.

I liked this book a great deal and highly recommend it. It served as a stark reminder to me that Jesus speaks the truth in love, but He does speak the whole truth!

In these pages, MacArthur reminds us of the Jesus who is (as opposed to the one so many have created ).

5 Things That Agreeing-to-Disagree Doesn't Mean

The bible speaks of many important truths. Core gospel truths (such as the virgin birth, the substitutionary atonement, the resurrection) are worth dying for. As followers of Jesus Christ, there is no room for agreeing-to-disagree on these issues.

The bible also speaks about other important issues that are secondary to the gospel. These issues (such as baptism, spiritual gifts, the church in general) are serious ones and should be discussed. Despite their importance, these issues are not worth dying for. In fact, they are not worth dividing over either. We know this because the bible never tells us to divide from other Christians. The dividing line is the gospel (Galatians 1:6-9).

As Christians, when we are discussing secondary issues, we should agree-to-disagree when we cannot come to a resolution. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, it shows both unity and humility.

I have heard the idea of agreeing-to-disagree criticized by some Christians. I believe they view this as theological compromise. I disagree.

Part of the problem is a misunderstanding over what agreeing-to-disagree actually means. On the positive side, it means that Christians can remain united while disagreeing over important issues.

On the flip side of the coin, below are five things that agreeing-to-disagree does not mean:

1. The issue isn't important to you. Just because you remain united with someone who disagrees with you, this does not mean that the issue isn't important to you. For example, I strongly believe that only believers in Christ should be baptized. Despite this, I'm not going to divide from those who hold to infant baptism.

2. You don't care about the issue. This is closely related to number 1. You may care deeply about it. Agreeing-to-disagree does not show apathy. It does not equal compromise.

3. All ideas are relative. Some people will say that everything is relative and that truth doesn't matter and/or exist. When you agree-to-disagree, you are not saying this. You are not caving on the truth by remaining united with those you disagree with.

4. There is no absolute truth. This is, obviously, closely related to number 3. In our postmodern society it is fashionable to insist that, especially in religious matters, absolute truth is nonexistent. That is simply not what you are implying when you agree-to-disagree.

5. You don't hold strong convictions. This is one of the primary charges against those who don't divide over secondary doctrines. It is simply false. You may hold very strong convictions about these doctrines. When you agree-to-disagree, you are also showing that you hold strong convictions about the doctrine of the unity of the church. Those who divide over secondary doctrines cannot say the same of themselves.

I strongly encourage you to think about what doctrines/issues are worth dividing over. In other words, what issues does the bible instruct us to divide over? The bible tells us that it is the gospel and the gospel alone. In light of this, we must ask why denominations even exist. We know that Christ prayed for His church to be united. He never prayed for denominations.

When you desire to remain united with brothers and sisters in Christ, you will have to sometimes agree-to-disagree. When you do this, you show both humility and unity. Also, you are not caving on the truth or implying that you don't have strong convictions.

Hold to the truth. Know what you believe. Unite with other Christians. Be humble. Be willing to agree-to-disagree.

A (Challenging) Word to Live By

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29