Proverbs: The Way of Wisdom

We are starting a preaching series through the Proverbs and one of our pastors gave this to us as a topical index for us preachers. It is nice and concise and one that will aid people in after the understanding of the depth and cornerstone of wisdom, namely Christ. I thought it would be helpful to put it here: (If you'd like to hear our sermons on wisdom for the next 10 weeks you can check it out here: Renton; Tacoma; Issaquah)

The Human Heart - Advising the humble versus the fool.

3:11-12; 9:7-9; 12:1, 15; 13:1, 10, 13-14, 18; 15:5, 10, 12, 31, 32, 33; 17:10; 18:2, 15; 19:25, 27; 21:11; 23:9; 24:5-6; 25:12; 26:11; 27:5-6, 22; 28:13, 23; 29:1,9.

Negative influences pulling us away from wisdom - The compound effect of the fool

11:11; 14:34; 16:29; 20:7; 25:4-5; 28:10, 12, 28; 29:2, 8,16

Alcohol (and other drugs) – The danger of heavy drinking

20:1, 21:17; 23:19-21, 29-35; 31:1-9

Emotional Expression (both positive and negative - anger) - Controlling destructive emotions

15:18; 16:14; 19:11, 12, 19; 21:19; 25:23; 27:3-4; 29:8, 22

Words (Rumors, Gossip, Slander, Lies) - The destructive power of words

6:16-19; 9:7; 10:14, 18; 11:12, 13; 12:17-19, 22; 13:3, 16; 14:5, 25; 15:28; 16:28; 17:4, 27, 28; 18:3, 8; 19:1, 5, 9, 28; 20:18-19, 25; 21:6, 28; 24:28-29; 25:8-10, 18, 23; 26:4, 20, 22; 30:7-10.

Business ethics - Dealing with honesty and generosity

6:1-5; 10:2; 11:1, 15, 18, 24-26; 13:11; 14:23; 15:27; 16:8, 11, 13, 26; 17:18; 20:10, 14, 16, 23; 21:5; 22:7, 26-27; 26:10; 27:13, 18; 28:8, 16

Family Relationships (including the role of discipline in raising children) - The locus for instruction

6:16-19; 10:1; 15:20; 17:2, 6, 17, 21; 19:13, 18, 26; 20:7, 20; 22:6; 23:13-14, 22-25; 27:8; 28:7, 24; 29:3, 15, 17; 30:11, 17, 21-23

Conflict (including speaking/listening) - Speaking wisely at the right time

6:16-19; 8:6-9, 12-14; 10:6, 12, 18-21, 31, 32; 11:11-13; 12:6, 13, 14, 25; 13:2, 5, 16; 14:3, 5, 25; 15:1, 2, 4, 7, 18, 23, 28; 16:10, 13, 24, 28; 17:4, 7, 14, 19, 20, 27, 28; 18:4, 6-8, 13, 19-21; 19:5, 9, 11; 20:3, 19; 21:23; 22:10-11; 23:15-16, 29-30; 24:7-9, 26; 25:10-11, 14, 24; 26:17, 20, 21, 28; 27:14; 28:25; 29:5, 20, 22; 30: 5-6, 10, 14; 31:26

Friendship/Neighbors - The value of friendships

3:27-31; 6:1-5; 11:9, 12; 14:20; 16:29; 17:9, 17, 18; 18:17-24; 19:4, 6, 7; 20:6; 21:10; 22:11; 23:10-11; 24:28-19; 25:8, 9-10, 17, 18; 26:18-19; 27:9-10, 14, 17

Planning (including hard work) - Planning and working hard as a way of the wise

1:5; 6:6-11, 18; 10:4, 5, 26; 11:14; 12:5, 11, 20, 24, 27; 13:4; 14:22, 23; 15:19, 22, 26; 16:1-3, 9, 33; 18:9; 19:15, 21, 24; 20:4, 13, 18, 24; 21:5, 25; 22:13, 29; 24:6, 27, 30-34; 26:13-16; 27:1, 23-27; 28:19; 29:18; 31:27

Illness and Health - The relationship between spiritual health and physical health

3:7-8; 12:4; 13:12; 14:30; 15:30; 16:24; 17:22; 18:14

Authority - Leading in godliness and wisdom from God

8:15-16; 14:28, 35; 16:10, 12-15; 17:7; 19:12; 20:2, 8, 26, 28; 21:1; 22:11; 23:1-3; 24:21-22; 25:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; 27:18; 28:2, 15, 16; 29:4, 12, 14, 26; 30:21-23; 31:1-9

Reliable Messengers (and how this directly applies to us speaking the Gospel ) - Delivering messages with accuracy and in a timely manner

10:26; 13:17; 25:13, 25; 26:6

Protecting the Vulnerable - God’s concern for orphans and widows

15:25; 23:10-12

Shame - Praise belongs to the wise and shame to the proud

3:35; 6:32-33; 9:7; 11:2; 12:8; 13:18; 14:35; 18:3; 22:10; 25:8; 28:7; 29:15

Wealth and Poverty - The wealth of the fool is temporal; the wealth of the wise is in wisdom itself

3:9-10; 6:1-5; 8:18-19; 10:2, 3, 4, 15, 16; 11:4, 7, 15, 24, 28; 12:9; 13:7, 8, 11, 22, 23, 25; 14:20, 21, 24, 31; 15:15, 16, 17; 16:8, 19; 17:1, 5, 18; 18:11, 23; 19:4, 7, 10, 14, 17, 22; 20:17, 21; 21:6, 17, 20; 22:2, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 22-23; 23:4-5; 24:3-4; 27:13, 23-27; 28:3, 6, 8, 11, 16, 20, 25, 27; 29:3, 7, 13, 14; 30:7-9

An honorable wife - Avoid woman folly and seek woman wisdom

5:1-23; 6:20-35; 7:1-27; 11:22; 12:4; 14:1; 18:22; 19:13, 14; 21:9, 19; 22:14; 25:24; 27:15-16; 30:18-19, 20; 31:1-9, 10-31

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The Spiritual Gift of Criticism, Not Discernment

I was having coffee with a friend the other day and we were speaking about life and what's going on with our walks with Jesus, etc. He brought up the fact that he, and another one of my friends, had a meeting with someone who disagreed with them highly on how they are serving Jesus in a particular area. This guy started off like this...first thing out of his mouth:

I have the spiritual gift of discernment

My buddy said..."I knew it was going to be a long meeting after that first remark." When my friend was speaking to his pastor about this, his pastor remarked, "This guy doesn't have the spiritual gift of discernment, but the spiritual gift of criticism." I thought that was actually a very good observation and figured I would put out some thoughts on those people who believe they have some magical gift of discernment.


1. You Are Not the Holy Spirit's Bat Phone

The first thing is the fact, unless I am overlooking a verse in the bible, that there is no such thing a special gift given to some for discernment. It is actually given to all believers and Hebrews speaks to those who are "mature" in the faith.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Hebrews 5:13-14

We are all called to discern. It is not only given to those who have some special gift, so the Holy Spirit can use you to be the bat phone to the world to spew forth what is good and what is evil. It is for all believers, because all believers have the Spirit. Look what Paul says to all the believers in Philippi:

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11

One of the marks of an elder is to make sure that he is mature in the faith, so that he can discern and defend the truth (Titus 1:9; 1 Timothy 3:6-7), but this doesn't mean that they are the only ones with this understanding of discernment. Maybe you should realize that you are God's gift to the world, but the Holy Spirit actually does guide and direct other saints within the fold on how to serve their culture for the glory of God. You might want to get over yourself, and submit yourself to God's wisdom and glory.

2. Discernment is Grace Filled, Not Spiteful

The one thing that has been blatantly obvious to me with every single person who says that they have this "gift" or are a part of discernment "ministries" is that they all come across very angry and spiteful. Know that when you tell someone you don't agree with how they are living their life, it is always going to be difficult to do, but it shouldn't be with the spirit of hatred. Actually, because of the spirit of hate that comes across with these "ministries", it just shows how much they aren't filled with the Spirit, but with something else.

Discernment should be used in accordance with the idea that Paul brings across in the term "admonishment." This term doesn't mean to yell at people and tell them that they are simply wrong. The term means to walk alongside someone and show them the truth within relationship, not by yelling or provoking someone from afar. The term is closely related to the term "exhort" which literally means to "summons to one's side." Here is how the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament puts it:

His (Paul's) pastoral work in a congregation is retrospectively presented as a special, inwardly motivated cure of souls by means of indefatigable exhortation with a view to correction and amendment (Ac. 20:31). His sharp criticism in letters is simply the corrective word of a father to his children (1 C. 4:14 f.). Similarly a congregation admonishes or corrects whether by its pastors (1 Th. 5:12: τοὺς … νουθετοῦντας ὑμᾶς) or by the reciprocal brotherly ministry of the members exercising pastoral oversight with a sense of congregational obligation (1 Th. 5:14; R. 15:14;16 Col. 3:16).
Kittel, Gerhard (Hrsg.) ; Bromiley, Geoffrey William (Hrsg.) ; Friedrich, Gerhard (Hrsg.): Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. electronic ed. Grand Rapids, MI : Eerdmans, 1964-c1976, S. 4:1022

Paul shows this clearly when he is about to correct the Corinthians. This church in Corinth is jacked, yet look at his opening remarks to this church...it exudes love and grace:

Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

This is how discernment should be handled...in love and grace, not hatred. If you desire to just tear down brothers and sisters in Christ...then you don't have the gift of discernment, but of criticism.

3. The Gospel is What We Are FOR, Not What We Are Against

What defines you? Do more people know what you are for or what you are against? I still remember when a friend was teaching about the dangers of the "Purpose Driven" movement and he started with this:

When in heaven and you are sitting down and speaking to Paul and Rick Warren, you don't want it to go like this:

Paul starts to speak about his ministry to the Gentiles and the ways that he gave up some of his freedoms for their sake, how he journeyed all over for their salvation, and how he was serving the church. He then looks to Rick Warren and asks him to share. Pastor Warren speaks about the different ways he was desiring to see people saved and bringing them in to hear the word of God, how he was trying to take the AIDS epidemic head on and his work overseas and also in his own culture. Then Paul looks to you and asks for you to share how you were desiring to call people to follow Jesus. You simply point at Rick Warren and say, "My ministry was to fight against him."

The Gospel is good news to be given in both word and deed. Followers of Jesus are called followers because this is an action. It is something we do, He is someone we are for...fully. We need to be more about who we follow, not what we disagree on. If you read the New Testament, especially Paul's writings, you'll notice that most of his epistles start with everything he is for and it is mostly about Jesus and his death and resurrection. This should be what defines us, not what we are against. So called "discernment ministries" are defined by what they hate and are against...this is not the Spirit of God, but something totally different. We are told to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and have the spirit of unity ...I am not sure how any of these discernment ministries defend their actions with these teachings in mind.

　
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3

Notice, what the fruit of the Spirit is:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:22-26

I would hope that when we look to correct each other, we do it with the understanding of how Paul corrected. Let us truly show the gift of discerning what is good and evil and how to come along side each other to show them the truth. Let us trust in the Spirit and the sovereignty of God and not become mere critics, but true family who cares for one another. Also, if you read these discernment websites or ministry newsletters, start to truly discern yourself whether or not they have the Spirit of God, or another spirit...one of hate. Do not give them an ear, but ask that God would unify all of us and that He would make us peacemakers of the truth, instead of divisive.

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Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin?

I have been having a little discussion with James in my post on the 10 Steps to Become a Legalist. He is doing well with the 10th point of becoming a legalist. He is following it well and even trying to state his case on why he is allowed to be a legalist in this area. Instead of answering his questions in the combox, I decided to make a post answering his last questions. You can check that post to see our discussion, but I wanted to get these answers to these common objections to drinking alcohol in post form. Again, I want to stress that if you have a conviction to not drink yourself, more power to you, I respect your decision. My problem comes when someone calls it sin or then tries to put that yoke on others. Below is the Q and A that we have been discussing. Sounds like a lot of my readers will be reading it while drinking and smoking a good cigar. Hope they both go down well.

James: Ok, here we go Seth:

I start with this verse.
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: Whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise
Proverbs 20:1

Seth: This verse is one that is not that difficult when you look at its intent. The reason is that the first part of the verse gives the conclusion to what happens in the first part. Wine can become a mocker and strong drink is raging if someone is "deceived" or better put in what the original Hebrew is getting across, the NASB states that these things happen, when you are "intoxicated" by it. Here is how the NASB reads: Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. Which I agree with, don't get drunk with wine or strong drink because then you become mocked and beyond angry.

James: There was a day & time when it was commonplace for Christians of all denominations to abide by the Biblical conviction that no person should drink alcohol. In recent years, the radical grace movement, with it's extreme teachings concerning Christian liberty, has spread across America. With this self-centered view of Christianity many Christians have left behind their convictions concerning intoxicating drinks. The sale of Alcoholic beverages has risen by 40 percent, in the last 25 years, which is an epidemic problem that has made it's way into our churches.

Seth: This is almost a completely made up statement. History tells us that most Christians, for 2000 years, have always drank wine, beer, etc. It is only since the prohibition where people started to go against it, which they should have not taken drinks when it was illegal.

James: Leaders should avoid alcohol.
Proverbs 23:31 says,Look thou not upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth it's color in the cup, When it moveth itself aright. (fermenting) It says NOT to.

Seth: I wonder if you read context. The reason that it says to stay away from it, is because of the previous verses of those who misuse alcohol. Who get drunk with it. He just got done talking about those who "linger" over it. And then afterwards talks about wine making people see strange things, uttering perverse things, etc. Meaning that the person is drunk, not merely drinking some wine. The term "do not look at it when it is red" is speaking of it being inticing to a drunk that can't wait to get his hands on the drink. This comes from the most respected Hebrew scholars in Keil and Delitzsch. It could be this or just the use of hyperbole, because the context is clearly speaking of a drunk. Think of when Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:13 that he would never eat meat again if it were to make his brother stumble.

James: There are many spiritual leaders who abstained from drink.
1. Nazarines (Nazarite vow) Numbers 6:1-4
2. John The Baptist (He followed the Nazarite vowel.) Luke 1:15

Seth: Are you going to also never cut your hair, pledge not to touch a dead animal or eat locusts and wear camel hair? Or can we be more knowledgeable and try and understand that the Nazarite vow is no longer a vow to be followed and John the Baptist was a special prophet among God's people? If not, can I be the first to buy a ticket to your circus in the desert while you wear camel hair, eat bugs and drink grape juice?

James: 3. Deacons/I Timothy 3:8

Seth: This verse says that deacons shouldn't be addicted to wine. What is your point? You can drink wine without being addicted.

James: Leaders should not encourage others to drink. (Habakkuk 2:15-16)

Seth: Did you read this verse? It is speaking of drunkenness. I don't remember the last time I saw someone sip on some wine at dinner and then get naked. Maybe our experiences have been different.

James also lists off Isaiah 5:11 & Proverbs 31:4,5

Seth:

1. Isaiah 5:11
Again, this is speaking of pursuing strong drink and being inflamed with wine, both showing an uncontrollable urge with drinking instead of fearing the Lord. Again, context. Look at verse 12...these people cared more about getting drunk than keeping the deeds of the Lord.

2. Proverbs 31:4-5

Again, keep reading. I never have known people to forget what they have said, when drinking in moderation. This again, is speaking of the dangers of getting drunk. Verse 5 speaks of someone forgetting what is decreed and perverting the rights of the afflicted. Again, drunk, not simply drinking.

James: * in ancient times, wine (as we would call it) was mixed with water in an eight-to-one mixture for purification purposes. The Bibles word wine does not have the same connotation as alcoholic beverages. When water purification was a problem, people would add crushed composites of a grape-type syrup called wine for the purpose of purifying water from parasites. When the Bible talks about wine it is not talking about intoxicating substance at all; it is speaking of treated water in some instances.

Seth: Where did you find this material? I have heard this to try and be explained, but just read the Bible to find it to be false. Because I find it interesting that you keep saying that the wine was not intoxicating, yet you just listed off many verses that speak of wine being intoxicating, making one forget, perverting justice, being a mockery, etc. So, which is it? Intoxicating or not?

James: In reference to spiritual leaders read I Timothy 3:3- Not given to wine...

Seth: Do you know what "given" means? It is the Greek word "paroinos" which means addicted or drunk. So, this isn't speaking of abstinence either.

James: More of what scripture says:
1. Condemns drunkenness/Eph. 5:18

Seth: We are speaking of drinking alcohol at all, not getting drunk. I agree that to get drunk is wrong.

James: 2. Warning/Pro. 23:19-21

Seth: Be consistant. It also speaks of gluttons here. So, are you going to abstain from food too? Just because some abuse it doesn't mean that you MUST abstain. Your logic is very flawed at this point.

James: 3. Recommended to go ahead and drink wine. Don't think this is a loop-hole. I Timothy 5:23- In this verse where wine is mentioned it is commended for medicinal use. Because of the condition of the water in that day, it is believed that Timothy suffered from infirmities relating to his stomach and intestines. so Paul told Timothy to use a little wine for his stomachs sake. Again, this instruction was related to the syrupy grape juice mixed in with water for purification and medicinal purposes.

Seth: This does nothing for your point. This same term of "oinos" which is the same term that people could get drunk on in Ephesians 5:18. Again, I will trust the original Greek instead of your thoughts on the matter.

James: Scripture warns of Alcohols dangers.
1. It hastens ruin/Pro. 23:31-32
2. It enflames lust/Pro. 23:33
3. Destroys families/Genesis 9:20-25

Seth: Correction. This isn't the dangers of alcohol, this is the dangers of the abuse of alcohol. There are also dangers of eating too much and overindulging in money as well (greed) are we supposed to abstain from these as well? How do you get around this?

James: Is today's wine the same as Bible times?
1. No it is not. The majority of the O.T. usages of the word wine comes from a Hebrew word that means "boiling up". Does that sound like intoxicating beverages, yes it does. But that is not what it means. "Boiling up" comes from the idea of boiling grape juice into heavy syrup to use as a mixture in water.

Seth: According to actual scholars in this area, which I quoted to you before, you are not correct here. The Hebrew word that is used speaks of being drunk with wine...again, how do you get drunk from grape juice? I mean, you just quoted a lot of OT verses where people get drunk, is this supposed to be people overindulging in grape juice? Just wondering. Also, for your information, the noun used in the Septuigant for the Hebrew word for "wine" was translated into the Greek as...yep...oinos. The same that is used throughout the NT.

James: Proverbs 23:30- They that tarry long at the wine; they go to seek mixed wine.

According to this verse, some people would drink to much of this mixture deliberately seeking to become intoxicated; but the original intent was for water purification. The second Greek word used for wine simply means "nonintoxicating syrup". We often read about wine in the Bible. When Jesus turned the water into wine, I do not believe that he turned the water into rotten grape juice(fermented wine)that would intoxicate any who drank it. He turned the water into a safe, purified, and refreshing beverage that was non alcoholic. I believe in John 2 when the scripture speaks of Jesus' good wine, it speaks of the drinks mildness as a water like substance. In ancient times the process of fermentation may have begun because of lack of refrigeration. Today's wines, beers, and mixed drinks are highly intoxicating and very dangerous for families, and they are processed to be such. This is definitely different from what the Bible refers to when it teaches about wine.

I hope this enough scripture and evidence for you Seth.
James

Seth: This is completely unfounded with what we find in the Scriptures. The original Greek could not be more clear in this area. Context and the many usages of wine speak of us enjoying wine in heaven (Isaiah 25:6-9; Jeremiah 31:12-14), that wine was given to us for our joy (Judges 9:13; Zechariah 10:7; Ecc 10:19) and that Christ drank this wine at the Last Supper and turned the water into wine at Cana. The warning is that this same wine, this same "oinos", if overindulged is a sin and is very dangerous. We see this in many other ways in the Bible with food, sex, money, anger and the tongue. But we are not told to abstain from eating, sex, making money, righteous anger or talking. Why do you think it is okay to present a double standard where your logic is completely fallacious? If you think it is wrong to drink because it leads to drunkenness, which is exactly what all of the verses you listed are saying, you then better live consistantly and stop having sex with your wife, stop eating, making money or talking.

At least be consistant.

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Common Mistakes When Reading Theological Books

I like to read. If you have known me for any period of time that sounds like Driscoll saying Joyce Meyer is his hero. I used to hate reading. Actually, up to college I had only read one book. One would have thought that I was illiterate. It seriously was that bad. You ask which book? Where the Red Fern Grows. I read it when I was like 15 and cried. If you haven't read it yet, the dogs die in the end. Sorry, I am a jerk. The one thing that I have noticed since becoming an avid reader is some common mistakes that I make when I read and then notice them in others as well. I just wanted to point out some so that we can hopefully read and discern well as we look to extra-biblical sources for a deeper understanding of God.

The first mistake that I notice when I read is that am really harsh on myself and others around me as I read a book.

What I mean is that if I read a book on holiness, or a book dealing with character traits as a Christian, I start to get really harsh on myself. This happened when I read Mahaney's book on Humility and Owen's book on Mortification of Sin. After both of these I just hammered myself on my many shortcomings. This also has happened after reading books on ecclessiology. I start to look at my church and expecting it to be just as good or expect change to happen right away. I found this happening when I read Simple Church, Radical Reformission and The Master's Plan for the Church. Also, as I read books on parenting, like Age of Opportunity and Shepherding a Child's heart, I started to be harsh on myself, but then turned that harshness on others, expecting them to be the perfect parent. These are terrible ways to respond to books that we read. I was recently at the Shepherding a Child's Heart Conference at Mars Hill and Dr. Tedd Tripp said something very well. He said,

"Don't be too harsh on yourself when hearing these things. Know that you are a sinner and do not spend too much time on your short comings, but look to how God desires you to change at this time and what he has in store for your future. If you spend too much time on your shortcomings, which there are probably many, you will not move forward."

This is really good advice as we read books as well. As you read books, it is good to notice your shortcomings in your theological knowledge, in your theological practice, in your church, and also shortcomings in others. But, we must know that God is in control and we must ask God how He wants us to grow now. How he wants our church to grow now. How he wants others to grow now. We cannot expect a perfect self, perfect church or perfect friends, that is actually very bad theology and will drive you to live in a cave somewhere in the corner of the earth.

As you read books, look to see the ways that God desires you to grow, and also praise him for the ways that he has been growing you and do the same for others. I am reminded by a sermon I heard from C.J. Mahaney, at the Resurgence Conference, when he preached on seeing the grace of God in others. This is exactly what we need to do as we read books, see the grace that God has given us, our church and others. Don't make the mistake of reading books and becoming overly critical of all those around you and yourself. That makes reading a hindrance and not a positive influence for the gospel.

The other major mistake that is often seen, is the hero and goat mentality of the author's presenting the material.

What I mean is the fact that if our favorite pastors or authors write a book, we are all about praising them with little discernment. On the other hand, if someone we find brutal in theology or an irritant as a whole, we dismiss all they have to say. The lack of discernment is frightening. When reading a book recommended to me I always try and be extra discerning as I start to read. It is very hard. Usually the recommended book comes from someone I respect and from an author I respect. The hard thing is not to pander to these two facts and come out with a heart of wisdom and discernment. When we read books by those that we deeply respect we must be Bereans with them. We must be critical to make sure that the book aligns with Scripture and that we don't give them a free pass to theological understanding. I have found this happening many times as I write reviews for books and disagree with some of those that I respect or with those that other's respect greatly. Meaning, if I say anything in the negative people jump all over you like a fat kid on cake. It is quite interesting.

The same happens in another way with those that we disagree with as a whole. I have found this with guys like Rob Bell and Donald Miller. I honestly don't agree with a lot of what these two have to say, but I do believe that some of the things that they say is very revealing of contemporary Christianity. The way that they carry out their theology in response is not very good (huge understatement), but I can glean some truth in what they do point out. We need to be careful to be discerning with those we don't agree with too, to see if we can get any learning from their thoughts. This aligns with a thought from a pastor friend of mine. He once told me that when he gets someone pointing out many of his faults in anger, instead of throwing out the person's negativity, he first prays to ask God if any of this is true. What he has told me is that even though the person might have come to him in the wrong way, that if any of the problems that are pointed out to him are true, he would like to know so that he could change for the betterment of the Gospel and God's glory. That is real maturity. Same could be said when we read those that we do not agree with. Glean what you can. Be discerning and try and understand where they are coming from and see if you learn from them in any way. Pray that God would show you where they are right, and where they miss the mark.

I think that if we can keep these things in mind, the reading process will be much better. I think we will be able to glean from the books to better help us with biblical understanding. I think if we do not change and continue down these paths, we start to worship the authors more than Jesus and they become our rule of faith more than the Scriptures. If we are able to keep this all in right perspective we will be able to grow ourselves, learn from other churches and aid those who need to mature in their faith. If we do not see these tendencies happening within ourselves we become legalists who demand change not only from others, but so much within ourselves, we will live a joyless life that is wasted, instead of a life full of joy pointing to the glory of our God.

Now that you have this in mind, go find a good book and enjoy the reading. Here are some helps:

Contend Earnestly Book Reviews

Westminster Bookstore

Discerning Reader

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