Open-Minded?

 Open-Minded?

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Are you open-minded? Or closed-minded? It’s a trick question, since our culture tells us to be open-minded, unless, of course, “they” disagree with me, then they don’t seem so open-minded themselves. But it’s a cultural virtue. Is it a Biblical virtue? I got to thinking about this during last week’s Sunday School class (attending Sunday School can get you thinking about things - you should try it!) - Bob has been working his way through 2 Corinthians, and the elite in that church were comparing Paul, unfavorably, to false prophets. The Corinthians were open-minded toward these popular, successful, fast-talking preachers (and they probably had really good hair). Paul, on the other hand, was closed-minded. That is, he had been grabbed hold of by God, convinced of the truth of the Gospel, and committed to making Christ known instead of himself. He was close-minded in that he had settled on this Truth, and built his life and ministry on that foundation.

Is it better to be agreeable, or disagreeable? That also is a trick question, and of a little different flavor. To agree means that we concur with a particular point of view. To be agreeable seems to have more to do with how we concur (or object). The Corinthians found Paul to be disagreeable, and the world finds Christians to be disagreeable, because we - you know what’s coming - because we disagree. Can we disagree without being disagreeable? You know by now, it’s a trick question.

In our world these days, you are disagreeable if someone finds you disagreeable, and many people find anyone that disagrees with them disagreeable. Paul could have been as gracious as apostles can be, and yet be charged with being disagreeable, just because many people cannot handle objections. 

And further, the subjects being debated were not insignificant (like whether a person should part their hair on the right or left) (for those that have an option). No, these statements have to do with the truth of God and His Son Jesus, and the truth of the Gospel. These truths have eternal significance, and these false apostles were trying to lead people away from heaven and straight to hell. Just exactly how “agreeable” or even “gracious” should Paul be in those cases (not a trick question)? A firm, impossible-to-be-misinterpreted statement of objection was definitely in order. 

Open-mindedness can lead to apostasy. Apostasy is bad, very bad.