Are too many "Christians" afraid to be wrong?

The greater peril is the fact that too many Christians are not able to mobilize courage enough to be right. We have come to a sequence of time and development in which truth stumbles in the streets and uprightness cannot enter – Isa 59:14.Too many are vigorously defending their right to be wrong, and on top of that encouraging each other to guard the unity.Lars

Something that comes to mind, mostly from experience, is that 22,000+ is way too low a number if we're trying to estimate the number of different views of Christianity. I think 6 billion is a bit closer, if you count non-believers but only living people (well, less if you don't count those who've never heard the Gospel).It seems that no two people, when they read the Bible, interpret everything the same way. Even "strict-subscriptionists" in Three-forms-of-unity denominations probably have small differences (whether or not they are articulated or even conscious).Personally I know of noone with whom I do not have very significant differences of opinion on when it comes to theology. In some areas I probably look like a hyper-Calvinist, in others I likely resemble Pelagius. I fellowship with Holiness Pentecostals and with very Presbyterian Presbyterians (among others). I have several points of strong agreement with each on their distinctives (Holiness, certain gifts, getting nearer to hard-line covenantalism, etc.) To my sense of irony, this is appealing, but something does seem fairly off about this picture.What ever happened to "they were of one accord?"

I suppose I rambled abit but hey I have allowance to do so once in awhile, I think Mike has ran his limit and is taking a break.Hehe, at least my reputation is intact!Having a mind that runs like the Energizer Bunny, it keeps going and going...How appropriate this topic is, at least as it attracted my attention originally.My first reaction was that of perhaps a misreading of the question:'Are too many "christians" afraid to be wrong?Taking it to imply a reluctance to admitting they may be wrong when challenged by a member of the body over an interpetation of scripture, an issue of pride or lack of hummility, a reassesing of a particular train of thought. How often have we let go of either 'dogmatic' theories held to by tradition without investigation or just plain ignorance as we held sway with a particular group, buying into whatever is feed to us? In that regard I hope that we as Truth seekers and Christians (one in the same, how's that for holding the line?)we would be 'open' to further light that dosen't contradict the Word of God in a non-essential way.We most certainly will be debating 'secondary issues' till the cows come home (Where did they all go in the first place?) :-? And in fact it seems that this must be a most grievious area to the Holy Spirit that some want to make these very issues Majors over minors (Straining out gnats and swallowing Camels). We have seen and have had a few come through here, agendas in tow, uncourtious, unbending wanting everyone to squish into their little dogmatic boxe's or otherwise be cast out as heretics and blashphemers. It just ought not to be so.If we are to be 'teachable' it supposes that we will be wrong and in need of correction. I know that it is a difficult thing for some to 'admit' that they are/were wrong, either because of pride or a concern over 'what men may think' of them, embarrasment, humility...seems rather silly to me, especially being the poster boy of much 'foolishness' often times around here. It would be dishonest not to say that I don't feel rather stupid on occasion for jumping the gun and not thinking things through, but it's not an act even if I poke fun at it...But I could be 'wrong' here :-) In that I am missing the whole gist of this question. Am curious about:Too many are vigorously defending their right to be wrong, and on top of that encouraging each other to guard the unity.The second part certainly agree with if unity is the result of compromise of key truths, which I think frankly deep down we know what they are and perhaps that is where the "be of one mind and one spirit" comes into play and I believe that is what we have predominately here amongst ourselves and I Praise God for it! But I am little confused Lars on what you meant by that first part, in what way? Did you mean in a 'sloppy agape' manner?"All roads lead to Heaven' fashion?I put in new batteries this morning so... :-P

Too often we hear a ”You may not judge”, even a ”Who are you to judge” implying that there is no room for discernment and truth-seeking, no room for correction and a reaching out for spiritual maturity. The worldly Christian is as good as any other in regards to life and ministry.The “no rocking of the boat” is an expression of modern spirituality, but not a valid testimony of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Yet, holiness is not harsh. The one willing do what it takes to attain to maturity will find great help among men who walks the paths of the cross. Rocking the boat certainly reveals where true spirituality has been allowed to root itself, and that expressed in willingness to communicate, to open up for solutions to the needs of other people, to pray together, to set ones mind to work for the salvation of friends and enemies. Rocking the boat reveals where Christian faith is reduced to theology, a philosophical set of tenets and where it grows as the way of expressing Heavenly life.This category of life and living is the true fundament of Christian fellowship, and is recognized across denominational borders and behind theological masks and clichés. It comes out in a quite different way than the most which is produced in the modern Church. The life of Christ confronts what is not of Christ.Too many among us are too afraid to grow unto being right.Lars

Here is a quote which in a sense brings us closer to the original question:We will put it this way. The great need of Christians today is to be recovered for the full heavenly thought of God. They have settled down to something less. They have become involved in something less and largely other. It has always been like that. The New Testament was written almost entirely because of it. The Lord's people are always at least in peril of doing that - at least in peril. They do gravitate spiritually toward this world and lose their heavenly testimony in one way or another. The pressure is always there to bring down, and the Lord needs lives that have seen - that have become like those of whom we were thinking in our last meditation, for whom the centre of gravity of life has been transferred from this world to heaven, within whom there is this sense - whether they can interpret it or not, whether they can put it into a system of truth, doctrine, Bible teaching, or not - there is this sense that they are in the line of some great destiny which is beyond what this world can provide, that they have been gripped by something that they can only say is the heavenly calling, which has held them. I am going to say more about that later on; but the Lord needs a people like that, who just cannot be satisfied with things as they are: it is not just a matter of the mind, of the reason at all. It is inside of them; they know that God has done something. Because God has done something, they are committed to something far greater than the poor limits of this life and this world. They have been inwardly linked on with something tremendous. I say again, they may not be able to preach it, but they know it. We shall never be useful to God beyond our vision, our true God-inwrought vision, beyond our own reach of heart. Our measure of vision will determine the measure of our usefulness. Oh, for the immeasurable measure of heaven in the heart of a people! That is the need today. T. Austin-SparksPioneers of the Heavenly way

I couldn't agree more.This is outstanding, and the other as well, much thanks Lars and thank you for clarifying.

The Pharisee's sought in time to discover truth apart from God's direction at Jamnia and had very crafty ways of doing it in order to give the pretense that they were pious in their truth seeking. The reality was, they utterly locked God out of interpretation of His Word and threw away the key. They denied every supernatural means of God revealing truth. When a bath-kol (Heavenly Voice) was once considered authoritative- they denied it. Many such things they did. This allowed and still allows men to be utterly subjective in their persuit of truth and shuts God completely out of the equation. They give great reasons for this- but the bottom line is, the Rabbis supplanted the Prophets of God and in so doing there would never again receive a "thus saith the Lord" as authorative. There is an article on it in the Jewish Roots thread titled, "It is not in Heaven."Any time we teach in Christ's stead there is cause for fear. James says, "Beloved be not many masters (teachers), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation." The NIV captures 3:2... "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check." As a preacher of God's word, we must strive- not just to rightly divide the word of God- but to offer what God is saying to the people at this hour. That is an AWESOME responsibility. It requires not just the ability to rightly divide God's word, but to also have a word in due season. By our words we shall be justified and by our words we shall be condemned. The fearsome thing is that we would speak from the abundance of our own hearts and package it as God's truth for the hour.As a final thought, Paul said that he would not know the speach of them that were puffed up- but the power (dunamis). Paul discerned the presence of God in their midst as to ascertain their spiritual condition. He did not listen to the words- but the approval of God manifest in the manifestation of His dunamis. Words linked together supposed to be truth are measured in a balance by God and the proof is in the dunamis. If God's Holy Spirit ordered those words at that moment God will show up and confirm it. Moreover, Paul could detect things that did not please God by walking into their company. If sin is present TRUTH is always FIRST to suffer. Therefor, being 'wrong' carries with it a lot more significance than we may first apprehend. In Paul's writings we read, "But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?" (I Corinthains 4:19-21 NIV)To Paul it was not about nouns, verbs, and syntax it was an issue of AUTHORITY. What is the litmus test of TRUTH- does God back the words?

Well said Robert and another great point. It brings to memory a message from Art Katz in which he was brought to hear this 'great preacher' that an acquittance insisted he must hear. Edit: "The words were correct. Then why this strange uneasiness rising in my soul...till my innards were knotted in an inexplicable anguish?At last I realized my dilema: My mind was approving the biblical correctness of the word preached, but my soul was recoiling at the spirit of the speaking. The words were calling to a radical commitnent while the spirit was saying,"No need to panic, this needn't be taken seriously; remember, it's only a sermon."In that moment, I realized that the truth is the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, or it is not the truth at all."Art KatzThe Spirit of Truth

The fear to be wrong stems from a greater fear – the fear to be cut off from the crowd, the fear to be cut off from ”What God does today”, from the contemporary scene of Churchianity.God needs men who dare to be different for the sake of the Kingdom.The Cross cuts you off from the living and moving with the crowd, to be positioned in the paths of the Spirit to have life.Lars A quote:“God-hungry men find God. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so the souls of the Upper-Room gathering panted for the living God. Spiritually naked, they fled to Him that they might be clothed upon with the blessed Spirit. Empty, they craved to be filled. Powerless, they tarried until they were endued. Bankrupt and beggar-like, they pled the riches of His grace. Then this fear-filled gathering became fire-filled messengers. Though swordless, these soldiers of Christ fought the might of imperial Rome and won. Though without ecclesiastical prestige, they opposed the frozen orthodoxy of sterile Judaism and pierced it to the heart. Unlettered they unblushingly declared the whole counsel of God and eventually staggered the intellectual Greeks.Leonard RavenhillMeat for Men

One of the things that God has blessed me with, while attending this site, is a healthy respect for the diverity of different denominational backgrounds here. It reminds me of a small group leader, who once discipled me. His name is Lawrence and he was a Scotsman...not that that is overly outstanding, in itself, but he was born again in an underground church in Saudi Arabia, while serving in the Scottish Airforce which was based there.There were times when he'd tell stories of how, in spite of the fact that there were prodestants, catholics, pentacostals, baptists, prespytarians, etc (please don't be offended if I left out your denomination, I'm sure they were there too :-)), they had to overcome their doctrinal differences, and major on the "majors", as a matter of survival. All the minor doctrinal issues just seemed to pale into insignificance.This has been the major thing that I've seem in this site. It is such a melting pot of different interpretations of the same Word. Often times criticsms have been made toward "vocabulary used" as opposed to heart sentiments. I have proven this through some forums, where I have intentionally changed my "charismatic terminology" with words that are more palatable for more people of more "traditional" denominational backgrounds....when there really shouldn't be a distinction.Not long after coming to this site, I asked Greg, "What church do you go to?" in a MSN conversation. He responded "The church of Christ...just kidding...Knox Prespytarian...(i'm paraphrasing)". I found that to be an excellent way of stating the obvious (and no, I'm not using sarcasm ay all). What I took him to mean, by that was, "I attend a Prespytarian church, but first and foremost, I'm part of the BODY of Christ."I attend a church called Chritian Outreach Center. We are essentially what one would call a pentacostal charismatic denomination, based in Australia. However you want to classify us, we're simply (as the name implies) about "chirstians reaching out to a broken world for Jesus". Our mission statment is simply "Leading people to Christ, Making disiples, Raising leaders, and multiplying healthy churches to reach Australia for Christ." Now someone may criticise us for using terms that pertain more to "secular" business than "sacred" truthes of the great commision (and you may be right), but we say that we are trying to explain what God is calling us to do, in practical terms, so that we can all march under to the same drum, leaving each member to seek God as to where they fit into that. If they don't feel they do, they're welcome to go or stay until they feel that way, with no hard feelings.Does every Center operate this way? In theory, yes...however, it is the responsability of each member, and ultimately the pastor, to see this happen. Do we tolerate "wolves" in our flocks? Of course not...and we follow Jesus clearly taught church discipline. One hole we do have, is that many of our people (some of them pastors) take on an "arrogant" approach to denominationalism, thinking that they have the corner of the truth. This kind of thinking grieves my heart no end. This kind of thinking attempts to cram the Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient Creator of the heavens and earth into a neat little package, where He is only allowed to come out and "testify to our integrity". Normally I try to avoid emotive comments, while dealing with sensitive topics as this, but I can hold back. This kind of thinking is the stench of hell that was first secreted upon the serpant saying "Did God say..." to Eve. This is the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of God and evil.We need to accept that truth belongs to God, and we have no business making judgments based upon "partial facts". Does that mean that we just let people say any old thing? OF COURSE NOT!!!! (Many who know me would never have thought that this is how I feel about reproof.)The question is, why are we saying what we are saying? Do we have a firm grip on what is being said? Is the person speaking having trouble expressing their point, due to cultural differances, or limited vocabulary? Perhaps they're still trying to get their head around a "deep truth" in scripture, that God is using to "decrease" them even more.Cultural differences can be as much generational and denominational as national. Pentacostals tend to greet each other with bear hugs, and Prespytarians tend to greet with hand shakes. Should the Pentacostal be offended if the Prespytarian feels uncomfortab;e in his manner of greeting? Of course not...yet many do. What ever happened to "to the Greek be a Greek, and to the Jew be a Jew"? If we reject people on the basis of terminology, without seeking to humbly seeking to know the meaning of what they are saying, then we may miss something that God could use this person to challenge us to deeper relationship with Him.

Sorry...what did all that have to do with the topic at hand? Simply this, for many it's more important to be "right" about what tehy "believe" God is saying in His Word, than to allow themselves to be challenged by it. I apply a simple test to every doctrine I hold onto, when something comes to challenge it. It revolves simply around this one premise, "What if I'm wrong?" Since attending this site, I have been deeply challenged regarding several "doctrines" that I have taken for granted. One example has been tithing. I went from "blindly accepting" this on "principle"; to utterly rejecting it as "old covernant", free to choose whether I want to do it or not; to seeing that it's not soley part of the old "Mosaic" covenant, but part of the "Abrahamic" covenant, and is endorsed, in Hebrews, by Paul (you'll have to look it up yourselves). If I had never "questioned" my opinion of this "princple" in my heart, I would never have taken owership of it as an evidence of faith of God, as displayed by Abraham.Beliave what you want about tithing, just let God set your opinion, not man. At the end of the day, "he who knows to do right, and does not do it, to him it's sin."Healingwaters wrote:If your a Baptist, you'll never cross Jordan, if your a Pentecostal, you'll stay in the Jordan, but if your a seeker of the Kingdom of God, you'll go all the way, and you won't stop until Christ is formed in you, in this life and the life to come.Right on bro. Couldn't have put it better myself.

I think of Paul when he admitted that he was once wrong, "I did it ignorantly in unbelief." This takes humility and a desire to know the truth no matter what that truth may be. He was not interested in being right- he was interested in knowing truth and there is a great difference. Solomon addresses this over and over again. The contrast is that between the wise- seeker of wisdom and the fool and their folly. Are we pliable in the hand of God? Are we hardened in our beliefs? If God were to show us a different facet of His glory would we react rightly? Moreover, do we define our beliefs based on the anthesis of people we envy? Do we base our beliefs upon pet peeves that we have that are not Bible based and therefor HATE to be wrong- because it is to give the spoil and booty of our humiliation to our hated things? This is why we are not to hate our brother or sister- because what you may hate about them may actually be a characteristic of God that He has worked out in their life. How can you love God who you have not seen? Our fear of being wrong ought to be summed up in this saying, "By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." The heart and all its depth of deceit proves to alter our behavior towards facts based upon our love and hatred of people (for example). This is why God is going to bring to light the hidden counsels of the hearts. It is a fearful thing because we don't even know our own hearts and the mechanisms that are playing into our weighing of truth. Search me Oh God and reveal to me those hidden things! Every once in a while God will catch us in a contradiction of our own selves- and the question then will become for us- what will we do? Will we pray for mercy and that God will change our heart or will we ignore it and deceive ourselves?

Why I love this fellowship and the spirit that prevails here...Aaron:The question is, why are we saying what we are saying? Do we have a firm grip on what is being said? Is the person speaking having trouble expressing their point, due to cultural differences, or limited vocabulary? Perhaps they're still trying to get their head around a "deep truth" in scripture, that God is using to "decrease" them even more.Yes! Precisely and this goes much toward the thought of our having patience with each other.If we reject people on the basis of terminology, without seeking to humbly seeking to know the meaning of what they are saying, then we may miss something that God could use this person to challenge us to deeper relationship with Him.Well said!Robert: think of Paul when he admitted that he was once wrong, "I did it ignorantly in unbelief." This takes humility and a desire to know the truth no matter what that truth may be. He was not interested in being right- he was interested in knowing truth and there is a great difference. Absolutely! Trying to give expression sometimes is often very difficult for myself, bumbling and stumbling and rambling on and on...Think the T. Austin Sparks outtake was succinct, a great expression that I instantly said "Yes! That's it!" Seem to have a better grip on what is...Put it this way; "No, that's not it...em, ah, no. That's not right...that can't be true, ...that's close but only partial...hmmm, not sure about that" etc.etc.Again it makes this unique in the sense that there is an allowance in spirit to 'work out our salvation with fear and trembling' so to speak. There's some breathing room here. And a pretty high tolerance for the ignorant (Thats not an accusation, but an indictment applied to the writer...whew...close one there) as long as there is some proper table manners. :-) Are we pliable in the hand of God? Are we hardened in our beliefs? If God were to show us a different facet of His glory would we react rightly? Moreover, do we define our beliefs based on the anthesis of people we envy? Do we base our beliefs upon pet peeves that we have that are not Bible based and therefor HATE to be wrong- because it is to give the spoil and booty of our humiliation to our hated things? This is why we are not to hate our brother or sister- because what you may hate about them may actually be a characteristic of God that He has worked out in their life. How can you love God who you have not seen? Again, yes!Are we teachable?For the most part, I think so...praise God!One other note, Aaron, I am in complete agreement and use that very same philosophy: "I could be wrong"

You know my discernment tell me that to some of you i've become per·so·na non gra·ta, but i love you anyhow in Jesus name ... Amen ... So to the very good question at hand ...Brother Greg you posted--- Are too many "christians" afraid to be wrong?This question was raised in a conversation with a brother and the paticulars perhaps of what the question is referring to is of no consquence I think. But rather the actual premise needs to be reflected with the scriptures to see if it holds ground. ---Personally i'd like to know the particulars of what inspired this great question, but in its absence i'll address the broad premise from this angle ...i think too many Christians are "afraid" period, on so many levels, and have no idea what the scripture means when it says "He did not give us the Spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind" ... with emphasis on "sound mind" ... A saint renewed in the Spirit of his mind doesn't have any room for fear (being afraid), but can only be full of faith, because "faith and fear cannot occupy the same space", or "one cannot serve faith and fear at the same time, for he'll either love the one or hate the other" ... i hate fear, but being human am prone to it, so whenever i feel it creeping in i make a mad dash for scripture, and prayer ... But when it comes to my walk with the Lord and the understanding of His Word, i've been wrong before, but i know that we all see thru a glass darkly, and so that makes me ever reliant on Him to show me the truth ...i speak to so many Christians everyday who are "afraid" about this, and "afraid" about that, and have no idea that being afraid is tantamount to worry, and worry is nothing but a substitute for prayer ... Blessed assurance is our prayers to God and says to God that in Him we're not even afraid to be wrong in our pursuit of Him, unless what were doing is not out of pure faith, and as unto Him, at which point we should be afraid, very afraid ... But the blessed assurance is that even if we are wrong, He'll eventually straighten us out, because He began the good work in us, and if we're possessed of the right heart condition will allow Him toward it's completion, to weed out and plant in as He sees fit ... i know so many saints with stress/fear related illnesses who on the outside proclaim "faith", but their bodies give them away in that "whatsoever the mind can't contain, it imposes on the body" ... It's like i heard Brother Bernard say one Sunday, "Lord i believe, help thou my unbelief" ... Well God has given we saints a cure for being afraid of anything, it's called "faith" and "prayer", not "fear" and "worry", as the heathen secumbs to ... But i think the major fear Christians have is not for us to be wrong, but for others to be right, and i think this is the major cause of saints rejecting one another personally, and denominationally, so there is no means of fellowship one amongst the other ... So it is no wonder why amongst His body we have so many cliques of like minded thinkers, and goo-gobs of schizmatic denominations ... i used to be very fearful of others being right about a particular doctrine, and/or way of worship that i was closed to, but not anymore ... i study to show myself approved, i totally believe in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and His discernment working in me lets me know when to grasp or let go of a teaching, but to never let go of a fellow saint if they're caught up in that teaching ...It's only when a saint ceases in "FEAR" of our being wrong, or others being right can we fully understand the following solution Paul describes ... Cor.12[1] Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.[2] Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.[3] Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.[4] Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.[5] And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.[6] And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.[7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.[8] For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;[9] To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;[10] To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:[11] But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.[12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.[13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.[14] For the body is not one member, but many.[15] If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?[16] And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?[17] If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?[18] But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.[19] And if they were all one member, where were the body?[20] But now are they many members, yet but one body.[21] And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.[22] Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:[23] And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.[24] For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:[25] That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.[26] And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.[27] Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.[28] And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.[29] Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?[30] Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?[31] But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.It's our "FEARS" that keep us from being His Body ...It's our fears that keep us from loving one another as He loves us ...

You know my discernment tell me that to some of you i've become per·so·na non gra·ta, but i love you anyhow in Jesus name ... Amen ... Well, how appropriate!Rahman, what an opportunity to put this into practice.Where this came from is far beyond me, my discernment tells me in no uncertain fashion that you are wrong! And you are gonna have to fly out here and wrestle me to the ground until I shout 'uncle' to change my mind! (of course you would have to catch me first!)Rahman, persona non grata?Nonsense!edit: Correction, I realize that the word "some" was used here, so to restate and clarify...somebody is wrong here..'dems fighting words... :-x

Brother Robert wrote:When a bath-kol (Heavenly Voice) was once considered authoritative- they denied it. Many such things they did. This allowed and still allows men to be utterly subjective in their persuit of truth and shuts God completely out of the equation. They give great reasons for this- but the bottom line is, the Rabbis supplanted the Prophets of God and in so doing there would never again receive a "thus saith the Lord" as authorative. There is an article on it in the Jewish Roots thread titled, "It is not in Heaven."I have read a similar account explained by Rabbi Telushkin. The Rabbis knew that God spoke to their forefathers. Yet they had not experienced His voice. So they supplanted His voice with their oral law. The supernatural was replaced by the carnal.David writes,"To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock, do not be silent to me, lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit." Psalm 28:1 David was fearful when he did not hear from God. Read Psalm 119, then imagine the rabbi reading the thoughts of David. The rabbi understood that God speaks because David repeatedly declared so. Yet the rabbi has not experienced God as David has. So the rabbi, who lacks understanding fill the gap with the futility of men's thoughts. Today, it is no different. David gives us insight into the essence of the relationship between God and man. David knows that he will fall back into condemnation without hearing God. He knows that in his carnality he cannot satisfy the law. He would not know how to love God with his whole heart, mind soul and body, and then love his fellow man. Only through the Counselor can we know the righteousness that comes from our Lord and Savior Messiah Jesus.In ChristJeff