Word Weld

There are many things in this life that can be understood easily enough with head knowledge. You read a book, see a documentary, speak to someone who has experienced something, and that is enough. However, there are other things, things which cannot be completely understood without being personally involved in that experience. A good example I often use is miscarriage. I know people who have had miscarriages, and I understood everything about miscarriage, and I always thought they behaved a bit peculiar about it. Then my wife miscarried for the first time. I quickly realized there was something beneath all of the head knowledge. Just as only a small portion of an iceberg breaks the surface of the water, I realized that I had no idea what miscarriage was really like. I myself had crossed a threshold and was on the other side, understanding completely. I had plunged beneath the frigid barrier of the water’s surface and could suddenly comprehend the vast size and depth of the berg I had been staring at smugly for so many years. It is the clearest example of an epiphany.

The Moral Stand

Another example of such an experience, the one that I want to consider in this article, is taking a moral stand. There have been numerous times in my life when I have had to take a moral stand, to act on a conviction that was deep-seated. Many times I have been able to do so without significant loss to me personally, such as when you debate someone online or even in person. You can take up a moral position and defend it and they can conversely do the same, and very little is lost, unless it turns into an argument and the person is someone you care about and respect.

But I am not talking about that. Nor am I talking about a stand that, while it costs you something personally, tends to be impersonal by nature. For example, we refused to take the Covid shot during the pandemic, and in almost all cases refused to wear a mask. We believed we had good reasons for doing so and stood by them. There was some personal cost, including ridicule and contempt, as well as simply not being able to go to certain places, or do certain things that we had before. But again, I am not speaking about this.

I am speaking of a moral stand that by its very nature causes division, hurt, and pain. This type of stand is the hardest of all, in my estimation, because the loss can be deep and cutting. It can involve broken fellowship, spoilt friendships, loss of mutual respect, and a host of other unpleasant things. In all things in life, we rely upon Scripture for it is our anchor and the standard by which we live our lives: our guidebook. And it is filled with examples of men and women who stood up and said, “I am going to state my position regardless of consequences. I have a conviction and I am going to stand on it.” You have to be careful when you do. You have to be honest with yourself and open to opposing views. You have to be sure (as sure as you can possibly be) that what you are doing is the only possible choice. No one can make this determination but you. Christianity itself does this by its vary nature. Jesus Himself stated:

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” – Luke 12:51-53

Jesus knew that His doctrine, though true, would cause division even amongst the Jews. And it is so, for we see in Scripture that when Christ healed the blind man, that his own parents washed their hands of him and watched him be thrown out of the synagogue. That was a painful thing to endure, but the blind man knew the truth and stood on it. He took a personal stand, and suffered what Jesus stated in Luke 12. If we haven’t experienced that kind of thing yet, we can count ourselves grateful, but always be vigilant because the time may come when such a stand must be taken, or else ignored. And if it is ignored, there will be consequences, as many as if the stand is taken.

As a professional engineer for over 30 years, my father had people attempt to get him to stamp things that he could not in good conscience approve, and he took stands that had personal consequences for him. I have had to take a stand against unsafe practices on the job. All of these could have dire consequences if ignored, or if taken. Taking a stand on a moral position is hard to do, but one of the many consequences of refusing to take a stand is the weakening of our character. The more you allow, the more you are willing to allow. Paul talks about this in Romans:

“It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” – Romans 14:21-23

Notice the critical sentence “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” The word translated “alloweth” is a Greek word meaning to test or to approve. By not taking a stand, you are approving what it done, and when you have approved something, you have made yourself a party to it. Just as someone who stands by and allows a theft to occur is party to that theft, someone who does not take a stand that they know they should take is damaging their own conscience. Perhaps this is not deep, and to that I say, “Indeed, it is not deep.” This should be what we teach our children, but when the gray areas seep into our lives as they inevitably do, it becomes harder and harder to take a stand, especially when there are painful results, and especially when we receive push back, especially from people we know, love, or respect.

Taking a Stand on Scripture

We can take stands on our parenting philosophy. We can take stands on our financial strategy. We can take stands on our moral convictions about abortion, or who to vote for. But there is no greater stand than to stand on the Word of God. The Bible has many passages that are difficult to understand completely. There are passages that seem heavily dependent on Jewish culture or antiquated traditions. There are linguistic differences in the original text that add ambiguity for people reading a translation, as most people do. But there are times when the Bible does not require a deep study, it does not require extensive research or listening to experts, though there is certainly nothing wrong with those things. There are things that, rather than entering a so-called “gray area,” are standing clearly in a monochromatic light. Things like God’s standard on murder, or stealing, or homosexuality, or abuse. There are things that are so clear in Scripture that to even suggest that a passage might mean differently from its obvious meaning could easily be taken to be a perversion of the text, were it done purposefully and unapologetically.

The word eisegesis is the learned-man’s way of describing this. And it is rampant in churches and in “churches” across our land and the world. Speakers want to make a point, so they search the Bible for verses to back them up, but they don’t first ask, “Is this something the Bible teaches? If not, then I shouldn’t be teaching it. And if yes, then is the passage I am using actually saying what I want it to say?” This involves honestly evaluating the passage. But they just want to add the Bible’s authority to their opinion.

A good example of this arsenokoitai, a Greek word coined by the apostle Paul and which he uses to refer to the behavior of homosexuality. The word is a combination of two words, one meaning man, and the other meaning couch or bed. While the English may be somewhat strange to us (“abusers of themselves with mankind”), the Greek meaning is obvious, “Men who go to bed with men.” The context of Paul’s letter confirms and compounds this understanding. Yet there are those who are literally attempting to prove the opposite is true, that Paul did not intend to condemn homosexual behavior. They take the point they are trying to make, and seek to form Paul’s letter like Playdough to fit into their idea. This is eisegesis, which means to read meaning into a text, rather than exegesis, which means to read the meaning out of the text. Eisegesis is a deceptive technique that only works to further the speakers own viewpoint, and thus using it is deliberately malicious at worst, but at best is simply ignorant. Those who try to reconcile homosexuality with Christianity try to change the meaning of Paul’s words through linguistic or verbal gymnastics. Some things are complex by nature, but if a thing seems simple and someone is making it complex to make a point, consider why, and look closely, because there are things that are not a matter of debate or personal opinion, but are emphatically clear in Scripture.

The Cost of Standing on God’s Word

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. – Daniel 3:16-18

Standing on God’s word will cost you something. And the more closely you hold to it-the more firmly you stand on it-the more it will cost you. The stories in the first few chapters of the book of Daniel are a perfect example of men who stood upon their convictions. They were Jews, who had been raised in an Israel that no longer cared for God’s word. Their kings had long ago abandoned the Mosaic Law, though they claimed to still reverence it. And yet, Daniel and his three companions decided for themselves that they would stand upon the Word of God they had received, which at that time was nothing but the Law of Moses. Daniel could have just eaten the king’s meat. He was not the only young man brought to Babylon during the captivity and doubtless (though it is admittedly conjecture) there were other Jewish eunuchs who simply ate the king’s food just to stay out of harm’s way, or because they didn’t see it as a big enough deal to fight over. But Daniel did, and God blessed him for it.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have just bowed to the statue, knowing in their hearts that the worship was forced and fake, as it was for likely everyone around them, and therefore meaningless. Certainly it was not worth making waves over. And yet, God Himself came and stood with them in the consequences that they endured thereafter. Israel had been all but destroyed, the temple in ruins, and the nation in captivity. What purpose was there in standing upon the Law then, in that dark time? Those three men stood firm on what part of God’s Law they could. Upon the Word of God that they knew, they chose to stand, no matter where they were, no matter if there was no temple, no daily sacrifice, no priest and no Israel itself. There was still them and God, and they stood upon God’s Word, to have no other God’s before Him.

Standing against the world when it hates God can be difficult. It could mean losing “friends” or the ridicule of coworkers, depending on where you live. It could mean losing a job or your business, as it has for many who have stood upon their principles. That can hurt, and it can be costly, but in a way it is easy because as Peter says:

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. – I Peter 3:13-15

You can have a kind of happiness, knowing that you are standing firm on God’s Word against the Enemy and those who are his children. Christ Himself said that we would be reviled of men if we hold to His doctrine and confess His name, so taking a stand against the world for a Christian, while difficult, should not be that painful. Unless we have become so enamored with the world that we cannot part with it, and are thus carnal, as Paul says, then the enmity of the world is expected, even wanted.

But there is one stand that is not so painless. It cuts deeper and it bites harder. And that is when you must take a stand against another brother in the faith. There are not as many examples of this in the Scriptures, but they do exist. There are passages that teach one how to deal with a brother who has erred. We hope that such situations do not come between the brethren, but when they do come, it is just as important (if not more so) to stand firm upon your convictions. It is also important, however, to be sure of yourself, and by that I mean to be open to the possibility that you are wrong, to listen to their view honestly and decide after prayer, deliberation, and the seeking of counsel, “Which of us is really on God’s side, here? Do I really just want to prove my point? Are my feelings hurt? Am I in the flesh, perhaps without even realizing it?” You do your homework, you stay humble, and if the Spirit of God gives you leave, you take it to them personally in humility, but you stand firm in love and truth.

Paul did this when he confronted his fellow Apostle Peter:

But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? – Galatians 2:11-14

Paul says in verse 9 that James, Cephas (Peter’s other name), and John “seemed to be pillars.” Paul said he respected them, reverenced them even, and considered them to be of the highest caliber. Yet even so, even a good man and strong Christian, even an Apostle such as Peter, the outspoken Disciple of Christ, fell into the flesh. He needed correction. This is a hard thing, for these are servants of God calling out other servants of God for something that was against God. But Paul did not hesitate. He said that when he “saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all…” Notice that Paul stood up immediately and called out Peter for what he did wrong. Notice also that this is not how we are to handle things against a pastor or teacher. We are not Paul. We are not apostles. We are not equals as Paul and Peter were in office. It was right for Paul to call Peter out immediately and publicly. And we may call out one another as Christians if the spirit of God so leads us, but with love. Yet, when someone of authority, a pastor, deacon, elder, teacher or evangelist does something that goes against the Word of God, it is not our place to speak openly of their fault.

Jude, after all, condemns the false teachers who do so:

Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. – Jude 8-9

Notice that in his example, Jude says that Michael, who was an archangel, would not speak evil even of the Devil himself, because he was considered to be higher in rank, a “dignity.” And Paul did not speak evil of Peter, but he did respectfully take him to task for his error.

As laymen, when a “dignity” goes astray, or engages in error, it is not for us to speak evil of them, but it is important to take them to task, privately at first, and then with witnesses if necessary. That is the same as it is with any brother.

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. – Matthew 18:14-17

Combine Paul’s encounter with Peter, the Archangel Michael’s confrontation with the Devil, and Jesus’ teaching on a brother being at fault, and you will quickly see how we should handle dealing with an authority in the Body of Christ who is in error. There is humility, there is an attempt to settle things out of the public eye, but when that individual will not admit their error and fall back onto the established Word of God, then comes the difficult part. Verse 17 says to let him be as a non-believer. That is the breaking of fellowship that comes at times with taking a stand on the Word of God, whether it be a fellow layman, or a teacher, or a pastor.

All of this Scripture must be seen together and when it is, a clear picture is presented as to the kinds of things that should be done and said when we must take a stand against a brother in Christ due to a critical error. This is not over a difference of opinion. This is not over some vague passage of Scripture, but it should be on solid ground, on a firm understanding of Scripture and a clear departure from it. When such a brother will not hear you, there can be no fellowship, for the one thing that must bind all believers together is a firm understanding of the Pillars of God’s Word. Taking a stand like this can mean a painful loss of fellowship, but it must be done. It can mean a profound hurt and loss, with people you deeply love and care for, but no relationship is more important than the one you have with God. And He will help you through the hurt, for He is all we need. If you have lost a friend, and need one, God will provide what you need. If you have lost a church, God will provide you a church. If you have lost fellowship with a family member, God will meet that need, and every need you have.