I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offenses, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them.
Paul is one complicated guy. In one part of his letter to the Romans he writes “Welcome one another, as Christ welcomed you”, and “Who are you to pass on another?” And then he concludes the letter with this warning, that the faithful should keep an eye on those who cause dissension, in opposition to the teaching you have learned. These people are to be avoided. But doesn’t that very urging require judgment? Doesn’t it preclude welcome?
I suspect it’s Paul’s statements like this that are the defense of all of the disagreement – sometimes violent disagreement between Christians. I suspect most every kind of genuine faithful Christian tradition has something good to it, welcomes one another and does not judge others as wrong. I also know that most every kind of genuine faithful Christian tradition has parts that follow Paul’s more testy counsel – keeping an eye on those who cause offense in opposition to the teaching, and those offenders are avoided. How do I reconcile these seemingly inconsistent messages from Paul?
First, I need to acknowledge that there is probably some rightness in both sentiments, despite the fact that I fall squarely in the ‘welcoming and no judgment’ camp. I say that just to acknowledge my bias, and to recognize that I will need to be cautious not to dismiss the other bits.
So here’s the rub. For those who fall in the “avoid them” camp, their read of Scripture will probably put me in the category of those who ‘cause dissension and offenses in opposition to the teaching you have learned.’ I will be the one avoided. And for me and those like me who fall in the ‘don’t judge’ and ‘welcome’ camp, I’m asked to avoid those who cause dissension in opposition to the teaching I have learned. That would be the people who fall into the “avoid them” camp. Paul has created a division in the church, with his seemingly simple warnings and counsel.
More troubling for me is what Paul’s counsel about avoidance does to me. I will always read Scripture and hear first the Love parts. Love your neighbor, love God. Do not judge. Care for the unlovable. That’s what I hold dear when I read Scripture. When I try to act on Paul’s counsel to avoid those who oppose the teachings, I will avoid those who judge, avoid and do not love the unlovable. That makes me one of them, doesn’t it? Haven’t I become one who avoids, and judges? That feels inconsistent with Paul’s message to welcome and not judge, let alone Jesus’ message to love.
I know that “keeping an eye on” and avoiding are not necessarily mutually exclusive to no-judgment, welcoming, and loving. But they seem to me like the first step on a very slippery slope to positions that are mutually exclusive.
Given my bias towards one side of this chasm, this morning I’m thinking about possible value in keeping an eye on others, and avoiding them. I’m not sure where it lies, but I shouldn’t just dismiss the admonition.
No comments:
Post a Comment