I’ve seen some on social media go into a tailspin over the recent revelations about Ravi Zacharias. The revelations have hit many hard—they’ve hit me hard. The trouble is that this kind of disappointment in a renowned spiritual leader can make some wonder, if they can’t trust that leader, what else might they be wrong about when it comes to Christianity? Some may think: If I can’t trust Ravi, then what else isn’t true? This can lead some Christians into a crisis of faith. A similar crisis happened to me.
“What Else Isn’t True?” Happened to Me
In 1977 I was a youth minister in a church of about 12,000 in regular attendance and I held the senior pastor of that church in the highest esteem. But then revelations surfaced that his character was flawed. That hit me like a ton of granite counter tops. Before then, certain things seemed ultimately clear: I could trust this pastor, I could trust the Bible as the Word of God, and I could trust Christianity as being thoroughly true. I know this might sound strange to many, but since I never doubted the pastor (I was only twenty years old), when I found out he was morally flawed, I wondered, “What else isn’t true?” I wondered if even Christianity itself might not be true. As I say, some may think that silly, but I didn’t think it silly and I still don’t. Terribly, horribly, unmistakably misguided, yes, but not silly.
My trouble was that I had thought much too highly of a “man.” A Christian man, yes, but still a man. I literally had to reexamine my beliefs and decide what was true—the Bible and Christianity—and what wasn’t—that this pastor was completely trustworthy.
“What Else Isn’t True?” Happens to Many
One of the benefits of having taught the MA students at Biola has been that every semester I was involved in discussion boards where I saw many students struggle when they were confronted by doctrines they previously dismissed as blatantly false. One of the things that happens in these discussion boards is that some very smart students, who are probably the biggest apologetics fish in the small pond of their church, suddenly are swimming with dozens of others who were also perhaps the biggest apologetics fish in the small ponds of their churches. In other words, when students enter our program, for the first time a lot of apologetics students are swimming with a lot of apologetics fish as large, or larger, than they have ever swam with before.
In an MA in apologetics lake of big fish, I’ve seen a lot of fish who thought they were “all that,” get logically and Scripturally knocked around by the other apologetics fish (this is almost always done respectfully—and it’s good, “iron sharpens iron”). Anyway, I’m not going to mention particular doctrines, but some of these apologetics students have found that some of their dearly held, unassailable beliefs, were not only assailable, they couldn’t stand up under intense scrutiny. One student agonized, “If this isn’t true, then what else isn’t true?” In other words, this student was having a crisis of faith over a non-essential doctrine not being true.
A Corrective for Many Christians
Sadly, many Christians over the centuries have turned Christian leaders into heroes who in their verbal gladiatorial splendor represent them as their champions. Paul condemns this in 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 where some said: “‘I follow Paul,’ or ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Cephas,’ or ‘I follow Christ.’” Stop, stop, stop, stop talking about how wonderful this apologist is or this theologian or that pastor. It saddens me that one organization actually has Christians vote on their favorite apologist. They put me on the list and I immediately contacted them and told them that this was worldly and sinful.
Don’t Judge by Worldly Standards
The Lord doesn’t judge people by worldly standards: who has the most books, has the biggest audiences, writes or speaks or debates the most eloquently. Rather the Lord says in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5:
This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
You are going to be judged by the “purposes of your heart,” not by things which can be seen. So, who is going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God? Will it be [fill in the blank the name of your favorite Christian leader] _______________, or the not very pretty woman who didn’t go to college but who takes care of people in a convalescent home, and she loves those people and shares Christ with them as she has the opportunity? Who will be the greatest in God’s kingdom? There’s only one possible answer. And the answer is “You and I don’t know.” We do know that no one can say, for sure, that it will be this or that favorite Christian leader.
Be Humble about Non-essential Doctrines
Beware one other thing: outside of the essentials of the Christian faith, have doctrinal humility. One of the things we have tried to instill in apologetics students is not to believe that everything you think is true is worth fighting for. It isn’t. Sadly, some pastors never, on any doctrine, actually point out that there are multiple views. They see themselves as speaking the unimpeachable truth in everything that they say. Think about it, is that your pastor? Does your pastor ever mention a view contrary to his own except to condemn it? If so, you should probably go to another church. That being said, the essentials of the Christian faith are essential and we need to stand for them even if it ends in our own martyrdom (we aren’t to kill for correct doctrine but we must be willing to be killed for it).
Summary
In sum, let’s be humble regarding our leaders and non-essential doctrines. If we do we’ll save ourselves and others a lot of grief, and the Lord may pronounce about us, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). After all, at the end of the cosmos, the only opinion that matters will be His.
Related Posts
- For where Ravi probably went astray see: Sexual Misconduct and Keeping a Good Conscience.
- Regarding not judging by worldly standards, here’s the link to the first of a five-part series I wrote entitled Self-Worth, Ministry, and Misery.