Last week on our Biola Apologetics Facebook page, Alfonso agreed that apologists must be humble but added that, hopefully, the mere giving of advice wouldn’t be immediately discredited as a sign of arrogance.
Indeed.
And this brings up a much larger issue that applies, not only to those we might advise, but to ourselves. Every Christian, whether in ministry or not, regardless of how long they’ve been Christians, should learn to love the advice of others! To do otherwise is to reveal that we are stupid.
Does that sound harsh? Perhaps, but I get it straight from the Bible. Proverbs 12:1: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” That’s pretty clear, right? If we hate correction we are… stupid. In Psalm 141:5, Solomon’s father David, always the warrior, expressed the same idea: “Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.”
The general principle is clear: if Christians offer us advice—we should hear them out! Whether advice comes from family members, congregants, other apologists, our pastor—we should listen to their advice. And, yes, of course, hopefully, they will listen to us. To do otherwise is stupid. I should add, that it doesn’t say that we should automatically take their advice—after all, their advice might be stupid. But we need to hear it out.
Charles Spurgeon directed the following towards pastors, but it surely applies to anyone in ministry:
You must be able to bear criticism, or you are not fit to be the head of a congregation; and you must let the critic go without reckoning him among your deadly foes, or you will prove yourself a mere weakling. It is wisest always to show double kindness where you have been severely handled by one who thought it his duty to do so, for he is probably an honest man and worth winning. He who in your early days hardly thinks you fit for the pastorate may yet become your firmest defender if he sees that you grow in grace, and advance in qualification for the work; do not, therefore, regard him as a foe for truthfully expressing his doubts—does not your own heart confess that his fears were not altogether groundless?… No money can purchase outspoken honest judgment, and when we can get it for nothing let us utilize it to the fullest extent.
So, let us beware of being stupid weaklings. Of course, and this relates to last week’s post, the underlying principle is humility. Humble people realize that they have not cornered the market on truth, that other people often see things that they don’t, and that they can gain from the instruction of others.
Proverbs 9:8: Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
Proverbs 13:10: Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.
Proverbs 19:20: Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.
Amen.
Hello Dr. Jones. Thank you for your advice. I would hope though for continuous dialogue. There’s much that is being discovered now, with major improvements in technology, that allow us access to more resources available. I, for one, desired to learn more about the substance that undergirds our faith, have gleaned much from the writings of Dr. William Lane Craig, Dr. J.P. Moreland, Dr. Gary Habermas and Dr. Mike Licona, and Dr. Michael Brown to name a few.
Sadly, many of the traditional and even the newer church congregations that I’ve encountered still resist considering readjusting their faith view simply because it’s deemed either too complicated to foist on the congregations or it runs contrary to what they’re used to.
Much has been lost since the 3rd century, the time when the virtual ax was applied to our being grafted into the Hebrew roots of our faith, and most of the mainstream Christian churches lost the capability to tap into the Kingdom and it’s power. Happily, it’s not so in other parts of the world that aren’t that attuned to the culture of the West, and can experience a real move of the Lord God as they move forward. Persecuted, true, but that’s part of the package.
I’m not surprised that the Lord Jesus wondered if He would find faith when He comes back.
This is why I desire continuous dialogue. Hopefully minds and hearts will open and we can see a great move of God in the body once again. Thank you for your writing.
Thank you for the advice, Dr. Jones. I needed that wisdom. Accepting criticism is something I do with difficulty.