As the Spirit Leads Us
Introduction
I know that you are all aware, or at least I hope you are, that I will occasionally say, “This is according to the Gospel of Ben.” At other times, I will say, “This is how I understand this passage.” or “It's my opinion.” and will follow these phrases with some word about the scriptures before us. In all of these cases, this is indicating that what I'm about to say or what I've said is my opinion.
You see, I don't think we can get beyond our opinions about scriptures. Whenever any of us make any kind of statement, it is our opinion. However, I do want to say that I don't mean to say that “It's just an opinion.” For even if one judges another's statement as just an opinion there is much more there than you might first imagine.
Ranking Opinions
One of the interesting things about us humans is how we rank opinions so that some are more acceptable than others. Our ranking levels are pretty much as follows:
We could go on with this list for a long time but this gives us something to at least give some thought to about how we judge one another opinions.
Authors, especially those we like, are often seen as those who tell the truth rather than having an opinion.
Mother & Aunt Frances
Mother and her sister, Frances, would visit with us when the kids were young and would join in the reading time at night. Often, one of the kids would say, “I don't agree with what that author said.” Well, mother and Aunt Frances just could not tolerate a child disagreeing with an author of all things. They would fidget as the disagreement was discussed and finally get up and leave the room. Their generation was certain that authors always wrote the truth.
Preacher Friend
A preacher friend and I were talking about books we have read. Actually, I was talking about the books I have read because he told me that he does not read books other than the Bible. He explained that what others wrote is just their opinion and he doesn't need others' opinions. You can see that opened our discussion on the Bible but closed the discussion on what others had to say.
The Difficulty
No doubt, you have all surmised that your pastor will have an opinion on any subject whether he knows anything about it or not. If that's not clear this is a good time to make it clear. I have opinions on most everything. Often, my opinions are based on articles or books that I've read. At times, they are birthed by conversations with others or participating in events such as the prayer summit where many are sharing their faith through prayer. There are times when I allow the words to flow from my mouth because those were the ones that I thought at that moment.
When I, however, speak my opinion theologically it is based on scriptures, what is written by other men and women concerned with scriptures or conversations with our Bible Study groups, etc. There are those times that my opinion will not agree with your opinion or the opinions of even a majority of Christians. But I want you to know that I believe that God's Spirit guides my thoughts and opinions as much as anyone's. I believe that God's Spirit guides your thoughts and opinions as much as anyone's.
So, who's opinion shall we follow when there is a difference?
Peter's Second Letter Provides Clues
Peter is writing “to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, have been granted a faith just as precious as ours.” (II Peter 1:1) This is a group of first century followers who have become concerned about who to listen to and what to believe. Our text came from his second letter to them. Apparently, they are not sure what to make of the scriptures as well as what has been taught them, or preached to them by Peter. Peter responds to their concerns in a manner that I believe is useful today.
No Clever Myths
Peter states that what they have taught and preached to this group is not some clever myths. The issue appears to be that some are questioning the resurrection of our Lord – an issue that continues to this day. And it is clear that Peter has preached the resurrection and some say, “That’s just his opinion.”
Eye Witnesses of the Resurrection
Peter writes they preached what they actually witnessed themselves. He makes it clear that not only did they recognize the risen Jesus but that they knew he was the Christ even before the resurrection – they saw him with Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration. Peter and others are eye-witnesses of who Jesus is and what happened during this ministry that included his crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
The Importance of the Scriptures
Peter then provides them and us a view of how important the scriptures are to those who speak of Christ. Seeing Jesus transfigured, hearing God's voice claiming Jesus as his Son, being around for the crucifixion and then the resurrection provided them with a certainty of the truth of the prophets – or the prophetic writings of the Torah.
Wesley's Quadrilateral
John Wesley understood the importance of scripture and of the abilities given to humans by God so that we are able to interpret and speak of life. He taught what he called the quadrilateral and as Bishop Willimon so aptly points out, Wesley did not mean equilateral. The path of faith, according to Wesley, and to me, is:
Reason, Experience and Tradition are to be seen through the lens of scripture but they are very important in having a living faith today.
But I Just Believe What the Bible Says
Often, I'm confronted with folks who tell me they believe only what the Bible says as if that is something that others would not say. However, it is clear that what the Bible says to one it doesn't say to another. If the Bible said the same thing to every reader there would be no denominations. But that is not the reality of the Christian faith. As far as one goes back we find that scriptures mean this to this person and that to that person. In the past, the differences in meaning often led to bloodshed and death. Today, we are a little more tolerant and just find ways to place barriers between ourselves and those who hear the Bible differently.
Not My Father
I was talking with a group of persons addicted to alcohol about their understanding of God as Higher Power, a term used in self-help groups. One of the women said that she would not ever be able to believe in God the Father even though she had tried. She had read the Bible and every time she read the word “Father” used for God she had to stop. As she talked about her experience with her father it was easy to understand her difficulty with Father being God. Her life was not a pretty life and she was attempting to do something about it but she was not ready for the concept of God being her Father. Perhaps some day she will get there, I don't know.
Word Meanings that Change
The words we read today and take the meaning for granted may have an entirely different meaning than when it was first written. For example, “Awful.” When we read the word awful in the Bible we think of something terrible happening. It is my understanding, originally the word awful meant full of awe. Certainly, a different meaning.
Conclusion
Peter wraps up this part of his letter to those new followers with an amazing statement, “First of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever originated through a human decision. Instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (II Peter 1:20-21)
The prophets and prophecies are not a matter of the prophet's thoughts but a result of being carried along by the Holy Spirit. I believe that Keith, me and all of you are carried along by the Holy Spirit. When we open our mouths to speak of the Lord we are doing so with the help of the Spirit.
Does that mean that we cannot be mistaken? I don't believe that for one second. I do believe, however, that even in our mistakenness the Spirit is at work and will help us all discern God's will. This is the reason we can be differ. It is because the Spirit is always involved in our coming and going. We are called to be honest with ourselves as with one another as we experience being led. Rigorous honesty is demanded above our personal preferences or comfort or even what we have believed to be true. It is in that way that the Spirit can take charge so that we are led by the Spirit.
I encourage you all, as well as myself, to follow where the Spirit leads.