Word Wranglers

"If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain." (1Timothy 6:3-5 NAS95S)

Observation: In 1 Timothy, we are warned not to take a morbid interest in controversial questions; not to be sucked into disputes about words. In his second book to Timothy, Paul also writes:

"Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:14-15).

Part of correctly handling the word of the truth is not to get into senseless disputes. We are essentially instructed: "Don't sweat the small stuff..." I.e., don't get caught in debates over minutia; don't major in the minors.

Application: Last night I was at a church member's house and we were having a discussion about truth. They were of the conviction that there is a right interpretation of Scripture and we can find it if we let the Bible interpret itself; along with added insight from Ellen White when needed (And while I believe this is generally true, it does have its limits).

To back up their point they posed the question to me: Who is the bride of Christ? Because I had been in conversation with one their children, I knew the answer they were looking for: The bride of Christ is the New Jerusalem. This is based on Ellen Whites comments in The Great Controversy, p. 426, 427. She refers to the parable of the ten virgins, and the book of Revelation to make the case that the bride of Christ is the New Jerusalem and the church is the five wise virgins. And my friend even pointed me to this portion of The Great Controversy when I suggested that I still believed the bride of Christ could also be the church.

When I got home I was still perplexed by our conversation... Feeling like: "Am I crazy. When Jesus says husband's love your wife as Christ loved the church... does that not make the church his bride..." There is a part of me that felt like... I must be loosing my mind here. I was certainly perplexed by his suggestion that it could only be the New Jerusalem. And I couldn't go to bed until I did a little word query of the terms "Church" and "Bride" in my Ellen White electronic library. And part of what I found was a Review and Herald article dating back to 1899, in which she referenced the same 10 virgins parable. In this article, she says in no uncertain terms: "The bride is the church who is waiting for the second appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (see Review and Herald October 31, 1899 The Parable of the Ten Virgins.)

How can she do both? Well, maybe she wasn't worried about words half as much as we are. Maybe she was more concerned with meaning and message. See, while a message is made of words... It doesn't necessarily hang on one or two words any more than a digital photograph hangs on one or two pixels. It is the sum total of the words that makes the message. So depending on the point trying to be expressed, the bride of Christ might be the New Jerusalem, and in another case might be the church.

Anyway, what I think I hear God saying to me this morning is...

You didn't need to send an email last night to your church member showing them what You found... You didn't need to have the last word about the words "the bride of Christ."

I mean I really wonder if that was the best thing to do because... Was I starting to wrangle over words? Was I really trying to help my friend? Or did I just want to be right?

Prayer: O God, save me, save us from being right just for the sake of saying we're right. This is a right that can end up going so wrong. Lord, let us pursue righteousness; which can mean silence at times; i.e. avoiding controversial questions and disputes about words...

Wow... I need Your Spirit Jesus. I need Your presence. How am I going to be humble around people who feel they are right if I don't have the righteous presence of Your Holy Spirit? I don't need to be right as much as I need to be right with You Lord God. I don't need to have the last word as much as I need the Word who became flesh to indwell me, guide me, and minister through me. Lord Jesus please... Be The Last Word in my life. A Word who will often lead me to keep silence. A Word which will often lead me to be righteous rather than just being right. And O what a difference there can be between the two. Yes, You are my righteousness Jesus. That is what I need a hundred, yea a thousand times more than being right!

Other texts about wrangling over words:

But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness."" (2Timothy 2:16-19 NAS95S)

"But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned."

(2Timothy 2:23-26; Titus 3:9-11 NAS95S)