Presbyterion

Priorities and Peace

Douglas Wilson

high view of Scripture would seem to some to indicate that everything in the Word of God is of equal importance. While honoring the Word in form, this "high view" denies it in substanceindeed, this view denies the teaching of Scripture on Scripture. When Jesus tells us that two commandments are the greatest commandments, He is saying that some commandments have lesser importance (Mk. 12:29). When Paul comments on how he delivered to the Corinthians that which was of first importance"first of all"he intimates that some things are not of first importance (1 Cor. 15:3). And, of course, love is greater than faith and hope (1 Cor. 13:13).

Careful students of Scripture understand this. "As for the Parbar on the west, there were four on the highway and two at the Parbar" (1 Chron. 26:18). Such a passage from the Word is not as important as the following: "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty" (1 Cor. 15:13-14). Both are true , and both are God-breathed , but both are not equally important. This is no disparagement of any portion of the Word; the Word contains such things in part to teach us our doctrinal priorities. David ate the showbread because he was hungry, and because God wanted to exasperate tidy-minds (I Sam. 21:6).

Now it would be nice simply to affirm the general principle, and have done with it. Unfortunately, this would be empty teachingclouds without rain. There once was an old country preacher who used to preach on heaven and hell constantly . When asked why he did so, he replied that he had preached on chicken-stealing once, but it had dampened the enthusiasm. In the same way, in order to keep peace in the church, those things which are truly important must be taught and insisted upon, while those issues of lesser importance must be discussed and named . Unless they are named, we cannot repent of our foolish disputes.

In order to maintain the peace of Christ's church, we must not only know what is true , we must also know the relative importance of each truth. The Deity of Christ is important; head coverings for women are not important. Justification by faith is important; whether Pastor Smith ought to be drinking Michelob is not. The doctrine of sola Scriptura is important; whether the church baptizes by immersion only is not important. Election is important; wrangles over paedocommunion are not. Christians often quarrel, and part ways, over things which ought not separate them. Preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is important; whether it is lawful to keep the refrigerator plugged in on the Lord's Day isn't.

The Bible contains a great deal about doctrinal priorities. Some of the most withering criticism leveled by our Lord was directed at religious meatheads who did not know that the altar was more important than the gold placed on it, and honoring parents was more important than contributing to the current pledge drive for the church parking lot. He also had some things to say about people who forgot justice and mercy while tithing out of their spice racks. The Pharisees used to strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. In the last two thousand years, the church has perhaps advanced a little. Now we strain out a June bug and swallow a camel.

In order to avoid this problem, we have to ask two questions about every doctrine we learn. The first concerns whether the teaching is true. Having established that something is true, it is crucial to determine the relative importance of that truth. Knowing what is important, and what is not as important, is central.

We must consequently know our Biblesbecause sometimes doctrinal issues of the greatest moment can hang on apparently trivial matters. Paul faced down Peter at Antioch because the gospel was at stake in Peter's avoidance of certain dinner companions. Other issues are apparently trivial because they are, well . . . trivial. When forbidden to destroy our brother in a dispute over vegetables, we sometimes obeyand then seek to destroy him over some other food group. "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls" (Rom. 14:4).

"Ah," we say, "but our doctrinal hobby horse isn't in view in Romans 14. The Greek indicates . . ." Whatever the secondary issue we use to harass our brothers may be, we must guard our hearts. "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom. 14:10). These squabbles and disputes are going to follow us into the throne room of Christour Greek had better be pretty good.

Of course this is not to say we must have no convictions on secondary matters. No problems result from being fully convinced in our own minds. So how are we to determine what is of less importance, and what is only apparently unimportant? These sorts of disputes exist in Scripturewe must study these disputes to discover what they had in common, and then apply what we have found, by analogy, to our own squabbles.

The Christian faith has a center . When Christians gravitate to the periphery in order to conduct their fights along the fence, it betrays a lack of love for that center, and perhaps reveals a desire to get over the fence entirely. As we seek to live together in the congregation of God's saints, we must be mindful of what the Lord is seeking to perform in our midstand be jealous for the protection of it. "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food" (Rom. 14:20).