{"id":2337,"date":"2021-07-27T01:33:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T01:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/2021\/07\/27\/exploring-difficult-topics-while-keeping-your-head\/"},"modified":"2023-06-02T06:59:28","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T04:59:28","slug":"exploring-difficult-topics-while-keeping-your-head","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/exploring-difficult-topics-while-keeping-your-head\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Difficult Topics While Keeping Your Head"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span> It seems fair to say we Christians do not do very well when it comes to hashing out difficult topics\u2014at least without descending into quarreling or acrimony. This is largely (I believe) because we lack training in how to interpret Scripture. Simplistic viewpoints (\u201cThe Bible just means what it says,\u201d or \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t interpret, just obey!) fail to take into account the nature of God\u2019s written revelation. He requires us to think\u2014to use our minds (Matthew 22:37). <\/span><\/p><p><span> The subject of this series (originally taught for a church in Albania) is so important, with relevance for the Christian church globally, that I was eager to share it with a broader audience. <\/span><\/p><h2><span> Major Principles <\/span><\/h2><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Humility. <\/span><span><span> Phil 2; 1 Cor 13. No one is 100% objective. Nor is certainty always possible. The mind of Christ (1 Cor 2) is a spiritual attitude, wisdom for following God, not omniscience. Wrong thinking here is a major threat to Christian unity! Scripture has a \u201ctopography.\u201d Some commands are more important than others (Matthew 23:23; 22:36-40). Some sins are more serious than others. Some passages are more relevant (at this time of my life, and in this cultural setting) than others. It is okay to say \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d Some degree of wrong doctrine, or doctrinal imbalance, doesn\u2019t mean one is a false teacher \u2014 a term reserved biblically for those who reject the authority of the Lord and embrace immorality. Is there no \u201cdoctrinal forgiveness\u201d? See Harris &amp; Jacoby, <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-style: italic\"> Informed<\/span><span>. <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Both testaments<\/span><span>. Rom 15:4; 2 Tim 3:14-16) Most early Christians didn\u2019t have a New Testament until the 3rd or 4th century. The Old Testament is still God\u2019s Word for us, yet the Torah is not his law for us. The notion that we are saved or matured by holding to Torah (\u201cMessianic Judaism\u201d) came into existence in the 20th century. Paul vigorously opposed such thinking in Galatians. There are 1000s of connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It takes training to understand these, just as Jesus trained the Twelve in how to handle the Word during his three years with them (Acts 4:13). To engage difficult subjects, we need to be grounded in the whole of Scripture. <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Context is king<\/span><span>. Biblical context and cultural context. Appreciation of both is necessary if we are to interact graciously with fellow believers who may think differently than us, and also if we are to wisely and sensitively advance the faith in our increasingly secular world. Determine not to take any passage out of context\u2014a violation of biblical integrity.<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Fairness \/ examine all sides<\/span><span>. Proverbs 18:17; 18:2. Know the best arguments of those with whom you disagree! If you don\u2019t, then you haven\u2019t sufficiently thought the issues through! Read widely and don\u2019t read only those you agree with. That isn\u2019t honest or fair. Have we jumped to conclusions, or embraced certain positions, without doing our homework? <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Patience with others <\/span><span><span> (2 Tim 2:14-15, 23-26; 4:1-2) and also patience to do the hard work of study. Study the Bible primarily, but also delve into the works of others who have done the hard work of research. Realize that some issues will take people months or even years to think through. Many Christians lack this sort of patience. Which makes discussion of hot issues highly problematic. <\/span><\/span><\/li><\/ul><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-scaled.jpg?resize=1707%2C2560&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-scaled.jpg 1707w, https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\"><br><br><h2><span> Minor Principles <\/span><\/h2><br><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Beware novelty <\/span><span> . Hebrews 13:8-9. Examples: \u201cProphecies,\u201d Red Letter Bibles, Black Israelites, Messianic Judaism, baptism \u201cin Jesus\u2019 name.\u201d Don\u2019t be na\u00efve. Don\u2019t get sucked in. What is the historic position of the Christian church? Do we really think we\u2019re the first people in history to wrestle with some of our modern issues? <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Biblical languages <\/span><span> : Go easy on the Greek &amp; Hebrew. Either develop true expertise or rely on those who have it. If you want to become proficient, (1) master English grammar, (2) study a few years at the university level, with exams \/ accountability, (3) and continue to learn the rest of your life. If you\u2019re teaching and mention a Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic word, state your source. Do not leave others with the impression you\u2019re an expert\u2014unless you are. <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Avoid patternism <\/span><span> . This is common in \u201crestoration\u201d churches. (Acts 2:42; Acts 17:2; Mark 1:35; Acts 11:26). We may be finding a pattern in scripture that\u2019s not actually a pattern. And even if it is, that doesn\u2019t prove we must follow it. (Wear sandals, pray before sunrise, etc.) Just because something\u2019s \u201cin the Bible\u201d doesn\u2019t necessarily mean we need to slavishly imitate it. <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Principles vs. practicals <\/span><span> : Distinguish them. Specific commands (pray, use our gifts, sing, make disciples\u2026) seldom include the practicals. Our \u201cpracticals\u201d (traditions) do not have the authority of God\u2019s Word! Sometimes we need to distinguish form and function (e.g. Rom 16:20). Read carefully. Failure here easily leads to legalism, judgmentalism, and going beyond what is written. There may be more than one valid way to address and resolve an issue. <\/span><\/li><\/ul><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/love.jpg?resize=800%2C534&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/love.jpg 800w, https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/love-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/love-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"><br><br><h2><span> Strong Cautions <\/span><\/h2><ul><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Conviction should be proportional to knowledge<\/span><span>. Romans 12:3; Proverbs 26:16; James 3:1-2. We aren&#8217;t going to be experts on every topic! We need a realistic appreciation of our strengths and weaknesses\u2014about what we know and what we don&#8217;t know. When we have strong opinions but little supporting them, something is wrong. <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Watch out for ego<\/span><span>. 1 Cor 8:1; Proverbs 18:2. Information mustn&#8217;t be used as a weapon, or to compensate for low self-esteem. Be like Demetrius, not Diotrephes (3 John). Given that ego plagued the professional religious establishing in OT as well as NT times, we need to be careful! <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: bold\"> Stay connected with people. <\/span><span><span> This affects how we process things\u2014and how successfully we explore difficult topics. The NT assumes Christians will be part of an organic faith community. Rom 12; 1 Cor 12. It also assumes we are connected with outsiders. When we are, this keeps us anchored. It also helps to filter out ungracious, legalistic, or impractical ideas. <\/span><\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-style: italic\"><span style=\"font-style: italic\"> Click <\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.douglasjacoby.com\/exploring-difficult-topics-while-keeping-your-head\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-style: italic\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><span style=\"font-style: italic\"><span style=\"font-style: italic\"> for the audio version of this lesson and find many more resources at <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/douglasjacoby.com\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"font-style: italic\" rel=\"noopener\">douglasjacoby.com<\/a><span style=\"font-style: italic\">. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It seems fair to say we Christians don\u2019t do very well when it comes to hashing out difficult topics\u2014at least&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":2338,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[151],"class_list":["post-2337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-study"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-scaled.jpg?fit=1707%2C2560&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"dtadmin","author_link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/author\/dtadmin\/"},"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phsvEw-BH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3302,"url":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/letter-from-the-teachers-service-team\/","url_meta":{"origin":2337,"position":0},"title":"Letter from the Teachers Service Team","author":"dtadmin","date":"April 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"At this time the Teachers Service Team is collaborating on a project discussing the role of women in the church. We know that many have pressing questions, for example, on the difficult Bible passages relating to the public role of women in the church. We are conducting in-depth biblical exegesis\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Women's Ministry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Women's Ministry","link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/category\/womens-ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3088,"url":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/sydney-church-of-christ-toolbox-series\/","url_meta":{"origin":2337,"position":1},"title":"Sydney Church of Christ &quot;Toolbox&quot; Series","author":"dtadmin","date":"April 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Sydney Church of Christ have created a new YouTube \u2018Toolbox Series\u2019 covering topics such as prayer, peace, bible study and evangelism during self isolation. Keep yourself spiritually connected and fed by watching these videos every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm. AEST","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/SydneyChurchofChrist.png?fit=700%2C241&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/SydneyChurchofChrist.png?fit=700%2C241&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/SydneyChurchofChrist.png?fit=700%2C241&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/SydneyChurchofChrist.png?fit=700%2C241&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3809,"url":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/caribbean-school-of-ministry-reaches-milestone\/","url_meta":{"origin":2337,"position":2},"title":"Caribbean School of Ministry Reaches Milestone","author":"dtadmin","date":"December 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Damian Jean-Baptiste Caribbean School of Ministry (DJBCSM) was launched in April 2014 and in October 2019 reached a significant milestone by completing its first round of training.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Study&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Study","link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/category\/bible-study\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/damianjean-baptistecaribbeanschoolofministry.jpg?fit=1200%2C569&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/damianjean-baptistecaribbeanschoolofministry.jpg?fit=1200%2C569&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/damianjean-baptistecaribbeanschoolofministry.jpg?fit=1200%2C569&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/damianjean-baptistecaribbeanschoolofministry.jpg?fit=1200%2C569&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/damianjean-baptistecaribbeanschoolofministry.jpg?fit=1200%2C569&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28885,"url":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/teachers-conference-registration-extended-through-sept-9\/","url_meta":{"origin":2337,"position":3},"title":"Teachers Conference Registration Extended through Sept 9","author":"Sunday Awolowo","date":"September 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"If you haven't yet registered for the North American Church Builders Teachers Conference, there is still time!","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Study&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Study","link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/category\/bible-study\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/north-american-church-builders-teachers-conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/north-american-church-builders-teachers-conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/north-american-church-builders-teachers-conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/north-american-church-builders-teachers-conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/north-american-church-builders-teachers-conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4980,"url":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/understanding-what-you-read\/","url_meta":{"origin":2337,"position":4},"title":"Understanding What You Read","author":"dtadmin","date":"October 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A passage should always be read in its current context. It is so tempting to read a verse or even a few words of scripture and take it as gospel, but this is not the way the Bible is meant to be read, studied and applied.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Study&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Study","link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/category\/bible-study\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/study_POVhOriEQ0uCuy52URpu-825x510-1.jpeg?fit=825%2C510&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/study_POVhOriEQ0uCuy52URpu-825x510-1.jpeg?fit=825%2C510&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/study_POVhOriEQ0uCuy52URpu-825x510-1.jpeg?fit=825%2C510&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/study_POVhOriEQ0uCuy52URpu-825x510-1.jpeg?fit=825%2C510&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":30192,"url":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/call-for-papers-north-american-church-building-teachers-conference\/","url_meta":{"origin":2337,"position":5},"title":"Call For Papers: North American Church Building Teachers Conference","author":"Sunday Awolowo","date":"April 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A call for papers at the 2026 Church Building Teachers Conference, The Teacher's Spiritual Life in Raleigh, NC.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Study&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Study","link":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/category\/bible-study\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-Church-Builders-Teachers-Conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-Church-Builders-Teachers-Conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-Church-Builders-Teachers-Conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-Church-Builders-Teachers-Conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2026-Church-Builders-Teachers-Conference.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-1533162507191-d90c625b2640-scaled.jpg?fit=1707%2C2560&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2337"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/disciplestoday.org\/clone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=2337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}