I have written extensively on the pitfalls of Eastern Christianity, particularly the traditions of Eastern Orthodox that contradict the Scriptures. However, there is one area that I feel Eastern Christians get right that I wish we in the West would import. The concept of Mystery, that God is mysterious, that He has a right to conceal a thing, and that we need not always understand but have faith and trust His Ways. In the West, we want answers, exegesis and Bible answer men. Interestingly, the famous Bible Answerman, Hank Hanegraaff left Protestantism to become an Eastern Orthodox, he left having to give answers for the Mystery. On a slavic level I find that troubling, because the Eastern Churches do not espouse the Gospel according to Romans 10:9-10, John 3:16-18, Philippians 3:9, Acts 15:1-11, Acts 4:10-12, and Ephesians 2:4-11. Theirs is similar to the Roman Catholic Church, with all its penance and works, which is not the gospel, but a different one (Galatians 1:8-9). It is by Grace we are saved, this the Apostles agreed at First Council of the Church (Acts 15:7-11). However, I do understand Hank’s exasperation with always having the answers and not being able to refer people to accepting some things remain mysterious to us, like how The Holy Trinity fully operates as One God in Three Persons, we know its true and believe it, but understanding how it works is beyond fully divining, we instead must trust and be content with what we can grasp about The Godhead in Scripture.
The Western quest for answers is probably not truly western, rather it comes from Greece and Roma, that philsophers like Philo, Cicero, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and so forth all seeking answers to big question such as existence, and soul mates. When I say Eastern, I mean more the Middle Eastern Fathers, and Slavic churches. They have a greater contentment in not having all the answers, and find a delight n mysterium, that God conceals things and there is a never ending learning from the Lord. This attitude gives them less turmoil, because on matters the Scripture is silent on they hold to the adage, “God said it, that settles it,” and “on the things the Scriptures are silent on, we are silent.” Instead we Westerns strain the Scriptures as if panning for gold, and want our answers! Some teachers going as far as to take Scriptures out of context to make doctrine. For instance when Jesus says, “anyone who looks at a woman with lust in his heart commit adulterey,” (Matthew 5:28). We Westerns like to say that is broad rule that can encompass everything from pornography to impure thoughts of a woman we see, but in context Jesus was talking to Jewish Men about divorce, men who wantonly divorced their wives, and he wanted to make divorce more serious, and difficult, and that verse about “looking at a woman with lust is adultery” was said in that regard to remind them how easy it is to commit adultery. So how do we apply it? Broadly or in context? That is the great trial for all Christians to discern, is it for all Christians for all time or in the context of who Christ was addressing and you must meet the criteria of the in context verse for it to be applied to you?
The strain of deciding what is a Universal rule for the Church in all ages and what was for one person or one type of person, a married man for instance, requires great discernment and can exasperate people. That is why people like Hank Hanegraaff have fled to the Mystery of the East, wanting God to judge these matters, “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God..” (1 Corinthians 4:4-5). Now that can be a other pendulum swing, because the same apostle one chapter later says ,”It is not my business to judge those who are ·not part of the church [outside]. God will judge them. But you must judge the people who are ·part of the church [inside]..” (1 Corinthians 5:12). We cannot throw up our hands and say, let God decide when it comes to those in the Church. At the same time we need to take a lesson from our Eastern cousins, that some things need to remain mystery and we may not have the answer, and be comfortable with that.
I am part of Bible Answer Folk, and I can tell you there is times when it takes it toll. People approach me an want answers about Scripture and what God says;. I do not abandon this calling as Hank Hanegraaff did, but I do find at times it overwhelming, people expecting me to play Vicar of Christ and speak on behalf of God; to be a living and breathing Bible is hard, when I would like a relationship and friendship too. In many ways, I can feel used and taken advantaged of, like I am simply a search engine of the Bible.. and that makes me envy these priests who get to say back things like the Jesus Fools, that confronts people with enigmatic words that forces people to do the work themselves, and consult the Spirit of God, rather than seek a quick answer for their problem. Though I refuse to hang up my keyboard and not keep preaching the Scriptures for Paul says, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?,” (Romans 10:14) and honestly, the words of Scripture pour out of me, and I could not stop if I wanted to. I merely wish our Western brothers and sisters could find a balance between wanting answers (which is normal human nature) and being content with some mystery and even silence with God. He maybe the Word of God, but sometimes God is silent and that silence can teach us as much as answers if we let it, even is the answer sometimes. Amen.
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