Who Is Right?
There are many questions that are brought up today that require an answer; many of the questions have only one possible answer. In many cases questions arise between people in religious settings about matters pertaining to their salvation or manner of life. The concept that often arises relates to questions of whether or not my understanding of a point of Holy Scripture is correct or flawed. The question is often answered satisfactory to one person and unsatisfactory to the other. Why is this so? Simply because one of the disputants or perhaps both of them misunderstand the nature of the question under consideration. Consequently, the answer becomes a source of friction between them that may never be resolved. This is a serious problem to at least one of the disputants or perhaps both of them because agreement cannot be gained between them on a Biblical point. Now, this may be unimportant in matters of secular nature but whenever questions that have a biblical origin are disputed there is much more at stake.
Whenever we are dealing with a Biblical question there is only one answer that will fit, that answer is not dependent upon a person’s personal feelings, their current lifestyle, their level of knowledge, or any other ambiguous concept; it is dependent upon the absolute truthfulness of the source (i.e. God’s Written Word). The source of the Bible is God, God cannot make mistakes and God is always perfectly clear in his instruction. Therefore if one has found two completely different answers to the same Bible question they have accused God of imperfection, which is impossible, Consequently, whenever two or more solutions are sought to a passage in God’s Word at least one of the seekers is indicating that they do not believe that God is infallible.
Some facts we need to know about the unanswered questions that may cause us some concern follow:
1. IS MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE QUESTION GOD’S FAULT?
1 Cor. 14:33, For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
Col 4:12, Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Rom. 12:2, and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2 Tim. 3:16-17, 16 all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
James 1:25, But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
2. IS MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE QUESTION MY FAULT?
3. IS MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE QUESTION MY OPPONENTS FAULT?
4. IS MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE QUESTION DUE TO BOTH OF OUR BLINDNESS?
James 1:25, But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Matt 13:15, For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (KJV)
John 8:43-47, 43 why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
John 12:42-43, 42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Eph 3:2-4, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) (KJV)
2 Peter 2:12, But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
CONCLUSION:
The four possibilities to the questions that arise among two or more persons about Biblical concepts is to be found under one of the headings; indeed, either God has made a mistake (i.e. which is impossible) or one of the persons are mistaken or both are mistaken. There is a matter of fact regarding Biblical questions that must be absolute, both of those involved in a dispute over the Bible’s teaching cannot be correct. Ultimately, man is at fault whenever there is an unsolvable question over Bible teaching on any subject. For this reason, we find that true unity between differing positions cause division and there can be no unity where men cannot find common answers to the same Bible question, where they cannot agree that one of them has a wrong understanding and must give it up or that they both need to restudy the problem between them and arrive at agreement. There cannot be two different answers to the same question.
EXAMPLE:
Acts 2:38 either teaches that Baptism is for remission of sins or it does not teach it. If one insists that baptism does not remit sins, that person cannot ever be united with the believer that baptism by immersion results in a person’s forgiveness of sin – cf. 1 Peter 3:21.
“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).