KNOWLEDGE, FAITH & OPINION

By Bob Myhan

Faith is different from knowledge and opinion. We know that which we have learned through our physical senses and/or mental faculties. As stated in a pre­vious article, it is through the use of his physical senses that man knows of the ex­istence of matter. He can handle it, taste it, see it, smell it, and hear the sounds pro­duced by it. And it is through use of rea­son that man knows of the existence of spirit. A man knows that he is not his body; there is matter—the elements which com­pose his body and there is spirit—the man within the body.

Faith is derived from dependable testi­mony. Jurors in a criminal trial, for example, do not know whether the defendant com­mitted the crime with which he has been charged but have to decide—on the basis of evidence—whether a verdict of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt is warranted. What they decide is a matter of faith, rather than knowledge. That is, they either come to believe that he is guilty or they continue to have reasonable doubt as to his guilt.

Opinion is a position that is held in the absence of sufficient evidence to warrant knowledge or faith; there is no experience to evaluate, no premises from which to reason conclusively, and no reliable testi­mony to accept. To continue the analogy, one or more jurors may have an opinion as to whether or not the defendant committed the crime but can neither know nor believe that he did so, prior to hearing the testi­mony or seeing the evidence. A Bible ex­ample would be the case of Nicodemus. I know the Bible says he “came to Jesus by night” (John 3:1-2). I believe he “came to Jesus by night” because the Bible says so. But I do not know why he “came to Jesus by night.” Nor does the Bible provide testi­mony sufficient for me to believe he had this or that particular reason, though he must have had one for no sane person acts without reason.

Another example is Abraham. He had no earthly reason to think his descendants would be as innumerable as the stars. But he believed that they would be.

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is writ­ten, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he be­came the father of many nations, ac­cording to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through un­belief, but was strengthened in faith, giv­ing glory to God, and being fully con­vinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteous­ness." (Rom. 4:16-22)

It is truthfully said that “faith comes by hear­ing.” (Rom. 10:17) &

ATTITUDES TOWARD GOD’S WORD

By Bob Myhan

It is, indeed, sad that there is division among churches of Christ over what is and is not the work of the local church. But it is sadder, still, that this division is the result of far different attitudes toward the word of God. There are basically only two attitudes from which to choose. They are conservative, “tending to preserve estab­lished institutions and methods and to re­sist or oppose any changes in these,” and liberal, “favoring reform or progress.” Both these attitudes can be seen in ancient Israel. Initially, they had a conservative atti­tude that was pleasing to God. Notice Ex. 19:1-8 (see also Deut. 5:23-28).

In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wil­derness of Sinai. For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilder­ness of Sinai, and camped in the wilder­ness. So Israel camped there before the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

So Moses came and called for the eld­ers of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord com­manded him. Then all the people an­swered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.

Eventually, however, they developed a liberal attitude, which displeased God (see 1 Kings 11:1-13; 26-38; 12:25-33).

Those who love God, of course, know that any attempt to reform His revealed will is not progress but the opposite. Those who love “the praise of men more than the praise of God” will sacrifice the doing of God’s will in order to gain or hold the favor of men (Matt. 6:1-5; John 12:42-43). And, more often than not, they will come to despise any and all who refuse to do like­wise. Notice the Lord’s words, as recorded in John 15:18-19.

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Thus, we see that the words, “liberal” and “conservative,” are not merely party names but contrasting attitudes toward the revealed will of God. &