Every time I log on to Facebook, Twitter, etc. I am surprised by the information that people publish on the internet.
There were a couple things this weekend that really got my attention. I participated in a debate on someone's status about parental authority as it concerns matrimony. It was an interesting debate, and like all good debates – I hope I learned something new in considering a perspective that wasn't my own and hearing the wisdom and experience of others. However, there were a couple of statements made that truly concerned me.
"Every marriage in the Bible requires the dad giving his blessing."
"I can say that the only marriages that went against the parents turned out bad." (Author was referring to marriages in the Bible)
The author quoted above holds a differing view than I do. This however, is not what concerned me. Below is another quote by someone else who was debating this question. He also held a differing view than mine. Though his opinion agreed completely with the statements made above, I had much more respect for his comments.
"As best as I can understand, scripturally, a woman is under the authority of her father until she is married."
"As best as I can understand" Those are important words to include. He's implying that his statements are conclusions he has personally drawn. They are not direct statements from God's Word. In the other quotes I've noted above, the author is attributing all of her own conclusions to be Scripture. To be fair – I do not believe AT ALL that either of these authors were attempting to rewrite the Bible to accommodate his/her own preferences. To the contrary, I believe them to have been sincere. More than likely, I think this young lady was guilty of probably not communicating her thoughts by the best means than anything else. Later on, she also said:
"I agree there is no stated commandment…" She went on to explain the Biblical principle from which she drew her opinion, (in case you're curious – the principle was that we should always seek Godly counsel before making important decisions).
If you know me personally at all, you know that I give everyone the right to have and voice his/her opinion. I won't fault you/ dislike you/ or get angry at you for yours. I'll even admit that maybe my own opinions are the more irksome ones. What I want to talk about today is not matters of opinion. It's about the serious act of calling something Scripture that isn't.
It's a BIG DEAL to call something Bible, when it's not. Even if you're conclusion is right. The Bible is holy and sacred. Our own standards are rules for personal conduct that we use as a tool to help us avoid sin. In other words – we come up with those ourselves.
Example – I have a certain standard for the clothes I buy. (I'm not going into modesty standards – that's a blog for another day.) However, just because that is the rule I choose for myself, doesn't mean that it's Bible. It's my personal standard. I base that standard on Biblical principles. But if someone asks me, I'm not going to tell them that the Bible says that your skirt has to be a certain length. I'm going to tell them that the Bible says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel…" (1 Timothy 2:9a) along with all the other Scriptures I base my personal standard on. Why? Because my opinion comes from me, and the Bible comes from God. One is reliable and the other just isn't worthy of being compared.
So as we navigate this new world, of internet opinion publishing, here are a few tips that are always good to go by, to help us avoid taking God's Word lightly.
1. Go to the Source
Have you ever played telephone? You know that game, where a bunch of friends stand in a line. The first person makes a statement that they whisper into the ear of the person next to him, who in turn, whispers it into the ear of the person next to him. This continues down the long line till finally the last person says the sentence out loud. Usually it is such an altered version of the original statement that everyone gets a good laugh. Don't play telephone with the Word of God. Your pastor, parent, teacher, friend, or spouse does not replace your responsibility to learn the Bible. It's your job to learn what the Bible says, and to learn it directly from the source. I know sometimes that is a lot of work, but get over it. If you learn other people's opinions instead of Scripture – you're lazy and foolish.
2. Use His Words
The best way to present, phrase, or explain something – is the way God already did. I took a songwriting class in college, and we spent a lot of time learning about "hooks" – phrases or words that drew the listeners in for the song, often also the title. In my songwriting experience, I have found the best hooks are found in Scripture. Some of my own were "He can heal the wounded heart" (Psalm 147:3), "But We See Jesus" (Hebrews 2:9), "We Will Not Bow Down" (Daniel 3:17,18), "Is There Anything Too Hard for God?" (Genesis 18:14). Isn't it foolish to think that we can possibly find a better way to express God's truth than the way He already has??
3. Trust His Power
If I tell someone that they should go to church – that's my opinion. And my statement will affect that person's life with all the strength my opinion can bring (in case you're wondering – that's not a whole lot). But if I say that God said in Hebrews "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching." this will affect him as ONLY God's Word can. I need to trust the God's Word will do Its job without interference from me. If this is something that you have a problem with – ask yourself – where is your faith? Do you doubt that the Bible is powerful? Do you doubt It so much that you believe your own fallible human words are a more effective substitute? I urge you to trust the LORD. His Word is more powerful than you believe. One more thought on this subject – if you believe your opinions and thoughts are strong enough to alter another person's behavior – were they even enough to alter your own? Didn't you need the Bible to show you your sin? Wasn't it God's Word that showed you, you didn't measure up and not other people's standards?
In conclusion – our standards should NEVER take the place of God's Word. In such a contest – the Bible is always right! (And we must change OUR ways!)
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