June 15, 2005, Vol.4, No.12.

Faith & Opinion

A number of years ago I listened to a preacher contend from the pulpit for a solid hour that Cain was born before Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden of Eden. When he announced his topic, I wondered, "How is he going to prove that?" and "What does this have to do with my salvation?" An hour later, I still wondered. He had preached his personal opinion rather than the faith.

This man failed to distinguish between faith and opinion. He elevated his opinion to the level of the faith by preaching it as the word of God. Others lower divine revelation to the level of human opinion by rejecting plainly revealed biblical truth for their own preconceived notions. There is a vast difference between faith and opinion, between divine revelation and human thought, between God’s say so and man’s think so.

‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

What is the difference between faith and opinion?

I here employ the term "faith" in the objective sense rather than the subjective. Subjective faith is conviction and trust within the heart (Hebrews 11:1,6). Objective faith is outside man and produces the faith in one’s heart. It is "the faith." Jude exhorts us "to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude verse 3) Paul demanded that we preach nothing other than the gospel which "came through the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:6-11). Yet he preached "the faith" (verse 23). The faith, therefore, is the gospel of Christ. The apostle also call it "the word of faith" (Romans 10:8), because it produces faith in men (verse 17). When I speak of "faith" in the objective sense, I refer to the word of God, the revelation of the mind of God to the mind of man.

Faith is that which determines the bounds of fellowship (2 John verses 9-11) When men preach doctrines that contradict the revealed will of God, we must not encourage or aid them in their work. A beloved teacher of mine taught that alien sinners who were unscripturally divorced and remarried could continue in their marriages if they were baptized for the remission of sins. This doctrine cannot be harmonized with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 19:9. It became my sad duty to refuse to help or endorse him in his preaching and teaching.

The faith is the basis of our unity in Christ (Ephesians 4:1-6,13). Thus, to have the true "unity of the Spirit" we must "be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10). The term "mind" refers to attitude, whereas the word "judgment" pertains to the conclusions we draw. If we all go to the same book, the Bible, with the same attitude, faith, we will come to the same conclusions. We will believe and teach the same thing. We will continue to have differences of opinions over things not clearly revealed, and it may take a while to lovingly study and work through our differences. But if we each have "an honest and good heart" (Luke 8:15, King James Version), we will eventually be one on the things that pertain to salvation.

The Lord requires that we make judgments of one another on the basis of faith (2 Thessalonians 3:14). We must preach and teach the faith. Paul preached "the faith" (Galatians 1:23). If we have faith in our hearts (subjective) in the word of God (objective) our preaching and teaching will consist of "the faith," the word of God (2 Corinthians 4:13; 1 Peter 4:11). We must with humility, gentleness, courage, and love "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude verse 3).

The word "opinion" is found twice in the New King James Version of the New Testament (Romans 11:25; 12:16). Each time it is the translation of a reflexive pronoun ("himself," etc.) that is rendered "conceits" in the King James Version.

However, there is an interesting term that, though not translated "opinion" in the New Testament, primarily does refer to opinions. The Greek word "hairesis":

... denotes (a) a choosing, choice...; then, that which is chosen, and, hence, an opinion, especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects....(Vine. 2:217).

Everyone has opinions, what they think about matters not clearly revealed in the Bible and essential for salvation (cf. Romans 14:5). I’m just full of opinions about sports, politics, health, finances, and even spiritual things. I try very hard not to trouble anyone (except my wife and children) with them. But some people preach, teach, and trouble brethren with their opinions. Their opinions may contradict the faith, or they may just be about unrevealed matters. They thus become "heretics," divisive, opinionated folks (Titus 3:9-11). What they teach is "heresy," human opinion elevated to the level of divine revelation (2 Peter 2:1). They gather around them a "sect" or "party," groups of people loyal to opinions or loyal to people (1 Corinthians 11:19). The Jewish sects were just such parties (Acts 5:17; 15:5; 26:5). Since they thought only in terms of sectarianism, they considered the disciples of Christ a sect (Acts 24:5; 28:22). Indeed, sectarianism had surfaced in the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:10-13) and is a danger everywhere (1 Corinthians 11:19).

We must never let our opinions determine whom we will fellowship, i.e., accept as brothers and sister with whom we share spiritual blessings and work in Christ (Romans 14:1-3; 1 John 1:3,7).

In fact, in matters of opinion, we may have all kinds of diversity (Romans 14:1-9). I may even feel so strongly about my opinion that it would violate my conscience and thus cause me to sin to do otherwise, but, unless I can show the Bible clearly reveals and demands it, I must not demand that others agree (Romans 14:22-23).

Thus, we must not judge the faithfulness of others on the basis of our opinions (Romans 14:13), we should not preach or teach our opinions (Romans 14:22), and we dare not contend for them (Ibid). We should just keep them to ourselves (Ibid).

The failure to distinguish between faith and opinion, between God’s say so and man’s think so, is the source of most of the trouble in Christendom and between brethren. We must never arrogantly treat our opinions as divine revelation or lower God’s word to the level of human thought. "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11).