due to their mentors, seminary teachings or by their individual or respective perceived callings?
i'd rather not doubt their calling as their understanding of their calling
perhaps more apt to consider application of truth to a certain set of circumstances for the better/greater good of the congregation ... which inevitably calls for judgement calls to be made
which brings us to the question:
truth OR unity to keep the church together ?
and if it's the latter, how far would one be willing to bend the truth, ignore the truth, twist the truth for the sake of unity ?
does family unity and family practices apply across the board to all other families ?
and if this is the case, what happens to the truth as expounded by the Living Word of God ?
would this not give rise to double standards, hypocrisy, 'you don't know so much', 'we can't tell you everything for it is personal and confidential', etc etc etc
for the sake of unity, truth is abused ?
either some people are missing it or i am totally wrong ....
Family Shepherd seem to have laid it out quite decently with its list of of 9 reasons as to why discernment is necessary and explains how sentimentalism hinders truth
Some sincere Christians ask, “What about love and unity in the body of Christ? Doesn’t the practice of truth circles violate Christ’s appeal and prayer for love and unity among the brethren (John 13:35; 17:21ff)?”
That depends upon what sort of love and unity Christ was appealing for in His church. Human sentimentalism defines love as the warm fuzzies that make us feel good toward another person. Yet God describes agape love as selflessly doing what is best for another person regardless of our feelings. It is agape love that Christ commanded in the body of Christ, not human sentimentalism. And it is unity in truth that Christ prayed for, not unity in error. Even so, someone might argue, when we must draw truth circles that define our levels of fellowship with others, aren’t love and unity more important than truth?
The ecumenist tells us that truth in doctrine and lifestyle must be ignored for the sake of love and unity. Is that what Scripture says? No, the Bible teaches that believers are perfected in unity (John 17:23) as God sanctifies them in the truth (John 17:17; cf. Eph. 4:17).
First, the Bible proclaims that truth and love are absolutely essential to each other. Scripture tells us that God is love and also that God is truth (1 John 4:16; 1:5-7). These two completely compatible virtues were perfectly and fully manifested in our Lord Jesus Christ (“full of grace and truth” — John 1:14) and, ultimately, in the Cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Someone has said, justice (truth) and mercy (love) kissed at the Cross.
Second, the Bible indicates that truth is prior to love and is thus the highest virtue. Can a person believe that God is love if he does not first believe that God is truth? Of course not, for God’s truth, the Bible, tells us of God’s love. Apart from truth, we would know nothing of love. Truth, then, is prior to love because it declares and defines love. One author has said that truth is the foundation upon which love stands. But doesn’t 1 Cor. 13:13 say that love is the greatest, that all other virtues are subservient to love? Let’s read that verse again: “But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of THESE is love” — that is, the greatest of these three. The greatest of ALL virtues, however, is truth. Look back a few verses to 1 Cor. 13:6. What does it say? Love rejoices in the truth.
Third, the Bible reveals that truth defines love. In truth’s greatest description of love, the love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, truth gives love its boundaries of operation: Love is patient, kind, not jealous, not arrogant, not rude, or selfish, or irritable, or resentful; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Without such boundaries, love will devolve into nothing more than human sentimentalism. It is God’s definition of selfless love (agape), not man’s definition of sentimental love, which must control our ministry and fellowship.
Fourth and finally, the Bible tells us that truth is promoted by love. Biblical love never minimizes truth but rather motivates truth as Paul explains in Eph. 4:15: “speaking the truth in love.” This verse suggests that there are two different ways to speak the truth: either in love (patient, kind, humble, etc. — 1 Cor. 13) or not in love (nagging, harsh, arrogant, etc.).
the article continues with concentric circles of truth ... starting with one big circle for the nation of Israel, reducing in size until it reaches the apostles, as our Lord Jesus had done
we see this all the time with groups and cliques be it at school, at work or especially in politics
but, does maintaining such circles for the sake of congregational unity allow or encourage truth be bent, ignored or twisted for the sake of unity?
does it ever justify the grip on power or reducing accountability or avoiding questions?
Paul practised what our Lord Jesus did, ie applying circles of truth, "For Paul, friendship could never be an excuse for compromising the purity of God’s truth."
i like to believe by the same token, neither is family an excuse or good enough reason for compromising truth - but how many are able to do so?
something i personally would prefer not to be tested with ... and if even Paul had disagreements with co-workers, how much more us laity?
and when such disagreements arise, as they inevitably will
will the parties submit to truth or use 'love' as an excuse to cop out, avoid responsibility and not face the truth?
to be continued ... ?
something i personally would prefer not to be tested with ... and if even Paul had disagreements with co-workers, how much more us laity?
and when such disagreements arise, as they inevitably will
will the parties submit to truth or use 'love' as an excuse to cop out, avoid responsibility and not face the truth?
to be continued ... ?
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