One more point for your consideration regarding this subject: I had an eye-opening, vision-enlarging experience during a time when I considered the King James Version to be the absolute end in Bibles. Someone asked me if I understood clearly what God was saying in King James English. I told her I thought I did; she proceeded to ask me if I knew God said this, and this, and this.... I said no, I wasn't aware of that. When I looked it up in the KJV (she gave me the references), sure enough it was there, but I had to work hard to understand it. To be honest, I'd always passed over it before. When I talked with her again, this Christian said the reason she read other versions was to clearly understand what God was saying so she could obey. That got me thinking...I had to repent, not for the first time, for my judgment of my brothers and sisters who disagreed with me. As the KJV puts it, Selah (it means, "Think about that" in plain English)!
"Different Stripe" Christians
Our Lord doesn't divide His Body the way we do. One sign of maturity is the ability to welcome and listen to other Christians who think differently than we do (yes, be discerning, but that is not the same as suspicious and closed!), and taking what we hear back to the Lord. In fact, I believe we must learn to listen to each other, because we aren't going to come to unity of the faith without being nourished by the gifts the Lord has given other branches of the Vine.
The Holy Spirit uses our intermingling to stretch us. However, we are never to follow people. The Lord will show us what He wants us to believe after He's opened our eyes to new possibilities. As God's people we are called to hold our doctrine lightly, and to let the Lord re-form our thinking by His Spirit.
One final thought - If my beliefs aren't being stretched, I'd wonder if I really had my opinions on the altar, since God says His ways and thoughts are higher than mine. Once my opinions reach the altar, it's easier to keep them there if I remember I'm only called to know that the things others say are in the Bible. I may have interpreted those Scriptures differently, but if they're in the Bible, I need to ask the Spirit to show me if my interpretation is His interpretation or a doctrine of men. The other measuring stick I have is the fruit of those doctrines in the lives of others. Do they bring the fruit of the spirit or division? If they bring division, another question needs to be asked - is the division because the person is immature, because I am closed, or because his doctrine is wrong? Selah!
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