Rev. Don Campbell
Paul spoke with approval of the faith that had been handed down to Timothy. But we must never assume that our only task is to be zealous for the traditions handed down by the fathers and to keep these traditions intact for the next generation.
Our minds need to be open to the possibility that they may not have arrived at all the truth. The assumption that a particular person or group of persons arrived at all truth at some point in history is the father of human creeds. Since all truth has been arrived at, why not put it all into writing so that the truth may be preserved.
Not all creeds are formal, written documents. They are as firmly entrenched as the written documents, however.
It is fatally easy for one group to mark all others off as insincere perverters of the word of God and champion themselves as the repository of truth. This we-are-all-right-and-you-are-all-wrong attitude blocks our efforts to reason together on the Scriptures.
If I am perceived as saying, “Set at my feet and learn from me,” you will not likely want to sit down beside me and explore with me. And that deprives both of us of a golden opportunity to enrich our understanding of the Word.
However, as we sit down together to study God’s word, we cannot adopt an I’m-ok-you’re-ok philosophy toward one another. We must be willing to be examined, cross-examined, crossed, and maybe even nailed to a cross for the truth to be victorious. If it is my desire that truth, not I, prevail, and it is your desire that truth, not you prevail, truth will prevail.
