Sunday, December 6, 2009

Brothers, Not Enemies


Some good advice from Dr. David Field concerning brothers who do not agree on ecclesiastical issues:


1. Treat a disagreeing brother as a brother and not an enemy.


2. Sit in a room with a brother you disagree with and pray with him.


3. Open up your Bible with him.


4. Define your questions clearly.


5. Play the ball, not the man.


6.Don't play "guilt by association."


7. Don't decide theological questions by a head count.


8. Be transparent and abhor politics.


9. Keep perspective: If your brother says, "I believe the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Calcedonian Definition, and the Reformed Confessions of the 16th, and 17th Centuries," and then unless you've got blatant, repeated and demonstrable, reasons for doing so, don't doubt his confession.


10. Don't entertain gossip. Don't play games with pious language. Don't tell me your problem with him unless you've gone to him first.


11. Don't turn "quirky" brothers into the problem or the enemy.


12. Slow down.....calm down.....check you facts. Look at the boundaries of ecclesiastical jurisdiction.


13. Check when you say, "Do you know what he thinks?" with what he says and see if that is a true representation of what he believes.

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