(Note: The context of this post is in regard to reading Christian writing and material related to understanding God’s Word as well as the thinking of the world around us. It is not in reference to fiction, entertainment, and other reading contexts.)
I have two adopted Cambodian brothers. Their family escaped communist genocide in Cambodia in the early 1970’s. During those years, 3.5 million Cambodians were murdered—slaughtered. Do you know who the communists targeted? The educated. The leaders. The readers. The informed. They killed anybody that could think through the dangers of their movement. And along with it, they burned books, destroyed educational institutions, and armed rural, uneducated children. Communism didn’t want people to think.
Recently, someone asked me about a few voices promoting a new doctrine—”Don’t read anybody but …” This is not a biblical message. Over 38 years of Christian life, I’ve been taught by thinking, biblical, godly men (that number in the hundreds.) All of them taught me “You can learn something from everyone!” They taught me to read everything I could. And they taught me biblical discernment. They gave a solid foundation of good doctrine, and encouraged me to be widely read, but also wisely read! They taught me to allow God’s Holy Spirit to give discernment and to guide into all truth. (John 16:13.)
This new doctrine goes something like this, “Don’t read anybody but… (fill in the blank with your group.)” If you ever hear or see this—DANGER WILL ROBINSON!! DANGER!! Someone is attempting to be God to you. Someone, other than Jesus, is attempting to govern your thinking rather than equip your thinking. This is a HUGE overreach of biblical authority and influence—and men who teach this tread on God’s heritage. Biblical thinking is not reclusive or segregated—it’s immersive and discerning. Biblical thinking doesn’t think LESS it thinks MORE! It doesn’t read LESS, it reads MORE!
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
Don’t fall for this. It’s not old, it’s new. Ground yourself in God’s Word. Then READ! Read agreeing arguments. Read opposing arguments. Read everything in the light of God’s truth and with the discerning guidance of His Holy Spirit. Have an ANSWER for every man! Know their arguments and answer their arguments with TRUTH. Study their positions, know their beliefs, and at the same time wrap your brain around biblical truth that answers false teaching. Be available to be questioned!
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:5, 6
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” 1 Peter 3:15
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11
If I am threatened by questions, I’m merely advertising that I don’t have a good answer. The Bible always gives a GOOD ANSWER for anything that’s TRUE.
The reason many walk away from good doctrine is that they were not equipped to answer bad doctrine—they were taught NOT to think. “Not widely reading” is a sure way to kill your ability to discern and to ground yourself in truth. Being told “not to read… (fill in the blank)” is remarkably like Communism in 1970’s Cambodia.
There are TWO ways to fall into error. The first is to read WITHOUT biblical discernment. This will leave you intellectually weak and easily deceived. It will lead into biblical error, not away from it. The second is to read only those with whom you agree. This leads you into an inbred error—an increasingly myopic, gradually diminishing world of “not thinking” and “not learning” where you have no choice but to stagnate and turn inward. Both are erroneous paths.
The biblical path of Christian wisdom is one of continued growth in God’s Word—which is in exhaustible—and continued understanding of the thinking/arguments of others whom you may persuade to embrace biblical truth. If you read only “your own”, how would you ever be salt and light to arguments you have never encountered and bad thinking for which you have no answer? How could you ever learn that which a “small, inner-circle of influence” does not know?
Great Christian leaders of decades and centuries past—those whose biblical thinking shapes our heritage—were readers, widely read, wisely read. They were discerning and persuasive in their arguments. Why? Because they read.
One of the BEST ways to LOSE an entire generation of Christian leaders, making them susceptible to every wind of doctrine, is to attempt to control or restrict their thinking, or their reading. Refusing to engage with threatening dialog is a cowardly, fear-driven tactic. It shows that I am not equipped with a good answer. It shows tremendous insecurity. It shows a real lack of dependence upon the Holy Spirit’s ability to give discernment. And it’s a sure way to ultimately weaken one’s faith and doctrinal stability.
Searching the scriptures is what strengthens our belief in good doctrine. Facing questions we can’t answer is a great way to force us into God’s Word for final answers. And the Christian faith is built on VERY GOOD answers. Furthermore, learning how to think biblically is a life-skill that every generation needs—and good thinking is only strengthened when it is well-equipped and well-versed with biblical discernment.
Telling someone “only read (fill in the blank)” is a veiled way of saying, “Let me do all your thinking for you.” And that’s plainly unbiblical and unhealthy. Don’t fall for it! You will hurt yourself and the faith of Jesus Christ. You will greatly limit your ability to bring others to the gospel. Be widely read and wisely read!
These thoughts remind me of a post from early last year, entitled “Who’s Doing Your Thinking?” I close with that, in hopes that it will stir you to think, study, read, and refuse to hand your brain over to anyone but Jesus.
Repost—Who’s Doing Your Thinking?
Pharisees say “Don’t think!”
A manipulative person says “I will think for you—listen ONLY to me.” A spiritual leader leads you to think biblically for yourself, with discernment.
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men…” (Matthew 23:13)
“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:9)
Jesus says, “Think deeply!”
Come and see! Search the scriptures—see for yourself! Jesus is not afraid of your questions. He expects you to use the brain that He created.
“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)
“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)
Apostles Paul and Peter say, “Think out loud with others!”
Dogma demands that we quit thinking. Dialogue invites us to increase our thinking and deepen our faith with solid logic and truth.
“And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,” (Acts 17:2)
“And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” (Acts 24:25)
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” (1 Peter 3:15)
A few questions worthy of consideration:
Are you afraid to think or to let others think? Why? Is your belief threatened by thought? Biblical truth thrives with deeper thought.
Is someone else asking you not to think? Why? What do they have to lose? Be sure Jesus is your Lord.
Are you thinking biblically and willing to be honest with Jesus, with the scriptures, and with yourself?
Are you threatened by those who think? Do the questions of others irritate you? Why? What does this say about your belief system or position?
Are you leading others to think biblically and become deeply grounded in their own faith? Or are you trying to do their thinking and expecting them to follow? Intellectual or emotional dependence makes for a very weak faith.
Are you equipped to reason intelligently and persuasively about Jesus and His truth? God calls us to reason, or to dialogue—to “think out loud” with people about intelligent gospel truths.
Thinking is a great gift! Don’t let others do your thinking. Don’t try to think for others. Don’t be afraid to think. Don’t be afraid to help others think biblically.
In closing, God gives a principle to protect you from any “one person” doing the thinking for you.
“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14)
“Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” (Proverbs 15:22)
“For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 24:6)
Who’s doing your thinking?
Hopefully your answer is JESUS!
