Questions of Truth and Charity
The more I grow as a Christian, again and again I am
awestruck by the complexity of understanding the person and work of Christ. And
why wouldn’t it be complex? God came and walked among us! That is one phenomenon
sure to be plied with intricacies.
In reading the next section of Know the Creeds and Councils
by Justin S. Holcomb, I was struck most by two issues: this complexity in
understanding the person and work of Jesus, and that the task of discussing it
with those who understand Him differently is a delicate one. With our faith
being founded on a triune God revealed to us in Christ, this is a doctrine to
work at grasping and graciously discussing what’s true.
Chapters three to seven cover a handful of the major creeds
and councils of the early church, from the fifth through to the seventh
century. At Ephesus, while the turbulence of politics muddied the waters of
theological debate at each of the three councils, both sides were still
ultimately committed to the pursuit of understanding Christ and how he saves
humankind.
The council of Chalcedon then weighed the complexity of
Jesus’ divine and human natures existing in the one person and in doing so,
employed extra-biblical ideas and language to communicate what the council
interpreted of scripture.
Next the Athanasian Creed was developed, primarily
reiterating the decisions of the previous councils. It takes the trinity and
one’s confession of it seriously, as Holcomb writes, ‘It is refreshingly straightforward in that it challenges the reader to
believe these things or face eternal damnation.’
Following this, Holcomb covers the three councils of
Constantinople, all of which were concerned with separate issues. ‘Different though they may be, a common
thread of “generous orthodoxy” appears throughout the councils.’
There are some common threads to these creeds and councils that,
for better or worse in their time, we can still learn from. A step back to
consider these events in their context among one another speaks to those two
striking questions – how are we to understand Jesus in all his facets, and what
makes for a godly discussion of truth?
Where the councils of Ephesus are an example of problematic
discussion among brothers, with political motives playing a part, the councils
of Constantinople instead serve as a reminder about godly dialogue over
doctrine. At the end of chapter six, Holcomb describes that, ‘For modern Christians, the councils can
serve as a reminder to extend all possible charity to those who disagree with
us, but also to maintain strong views in the face of opposition.’
But what does it mean to do this, to extend all possible
charity in discussion about truth? Much like the principle of innocent until
proven guilty, our discussions should begin from a place of seeing our brothers
and sisters in Christ as rightly understanding Him, rather than presuming that they
hold beliefs that can’t be reasoned. As at the councils of Constantinople, we
want to prioritise the truth, but discuss it in a way that dignifies others as
also being thoughtful and rational readers of Scripture, rather than presuming
that their beliefs are unorthodox.
Perhaps something for you to keep working through, or
discussing with friends if you’re reading this month’s book together, is how
this can play out in your life, in the relationships in your sphere. How do you
hear Jesus and the trinity represented by those around you? What traits of
godliness should characterise your discussions about Jesus with those whose
interpretation of scripture seems counter to what we hold as true?
About this month's contributor:
I’ve been a
Sydney girl all twenty-four years of my life and have just moved from the leafy
'burbs of Northern Sydney to the narrow streets and terraces of Newtown.
I grew up
being taught about Jesus from a young age, and while I always thought there was
a God and that the God of the Bible seemed to be Him, it was in my early years
of high school that I truly understood the Gospel and put my trust in Jesus.
In 2014 I
started studying at Moore Theological College, in the hope of completing the
Bachelor of Divinity. So far it has been thoroughly stretching my understanding
of God, His Word, and how to bring it to bear on people’s lives. I’m also
serving with the team at MTS as the Communications Officer (aka the kid with
the Twitter password) and am part of the community at Summer Hill Church.
I’ve had a
long-standing affinity for reading, writing and the English language, and I was
able to indulge this for three years studying media and writing at Macquarie
Uni before I started an MTS apprenticeship at St Paul’s Anglican Church,
Carlingford. It’s a great gift to have access to the Bible and know God through
it, and I love poring over it to soak up what it reveals about God and His plan
for us in Jesus Christ. I also love reading novels and quirky short stories,
and in recent times I’ve come to really appreciate the availability of good
Christian books and their value in helping us understand the scriptures.
As well as
this I love cooking, watching The Office (US, of course!), sewing,
going out to see bands, and generally exploring the Inner West!