Chapter 13: What about divisions in the body of Christ? Now I'm going to respond to the objections that the Greeks and Jews make. They say they shouldn't believe in Christ because different Christian sects teach conflicting things. For, as they point out, the truth is warped when some teach one set of beliefs and the others teach another set. My response is that quite a few sects have also sprung up among the Jews, and the same is true of the most famous schools of Greek philosophy.
Yet the Jews and philosophers don't think anyone should hesitate to become a Jew or a philosopher just because of these conflicting sects. Furthermore, the Lord foretold that heresies would be sown among the truth like weeds among the wheat (Matthew 13:28), and what the Lord predicted must take place. All good things are invariably stained by some foul blot. For example, someone may violate his commitment and leave the faith. Should we forsake the truth simply because he has failed to live up to his beliefs?
No, but a godly man keeps his promises even though others may not do so. In the same way, we are obligated not to transgress the rule of the Church in any way. We particularly hold to our profession of Christianity in those points that are most essential, but the heretics transgress those very things. So the Jews and Greeks should believe only those Christians who hold firmly to the truth. To illustrate, physicians hold conflicting opinions, yet they still all treat patients.
If someone is ill and needs treatment, if someone is ill and needs treatment, does he refuse to go to the doctor because of the differing schools of medicine? Of course not. In the same way, he who is sick in soul and who worships idols can't use the existence of heretical sects as an excuse to delay turning to God and receiving treatment for his soul's health. Moreover, it was said that heresies exist on account of those who are approved (1 Corinthians 11:19).
By approved, the apostle means those who apply the teaching of the Lord with discrimination. To illustrate, money changers are not considered approved unless they can distinguish real money from counterfeit. For this reason, it requires great attention and consideration to investigate how we should live and to determine what is true righteousness. The very fact that truth is difficult to grasp causes people to ask questions, and from such questions heresies spring up (1 Timothy 6:3-4).
The teachers of heresies are those who have not accurately learned or understood. They have only the semblance of knowledge. Self-love and vanity are their trademarks. So the real truth should be examined with great care. Only real truth searches for the true God, but the toil for truth is followed by the sweetness of discovery and contemplation. We must undertake the toil of discovery because of these heresies, and we must never abandon this quest.
Suppose someone set before you a bowl of fruit and assumed some of the fruit was real, but the rest was actually made of wax. Even though it looked real, would you refuse to eat either kind of fruit just because it was difficult to tell the two apart? Of course not. In the same way, when eating from the bowl of truth, we must distinguish the true from the counterfeit. We do this by exercising understanding through contemplation and by deep reasoning.
To use another illustration, there is only one imperial system of roads, but there are many other types of roads. Some of these other roads lead to the edge of a cliff, others lead to a rushing river or a deep sea. Yet no one refuses to travel simply because of the diversity of roads. Instead, they make use of the imperial roads, which are safe and well-traveled. Likewise, even though some say one thing about truth and others say something different, we must not abandon our search.
Instead, we must seek out the most accurate knowledge of truth. Just because weeds spring up among garden-grown vegetables, should the gardeners refuse to garden? Obviously, there are many good examples from nature. From these, we ought to discover the way of truth. So we must accept and obey the truth. We must distinguish the false, unnatural, hostile, and unseemly from that which is true. This truth is in accord with nature. It is consistent and becoming. If we don't accept this truth, we are justly condemned.
So the excuse the Greeks make is useless. Those who are willing shall find the truth, but those who make unfounded excuses face certain condemnation. I believe that every sincere person will acknowledge the fact that truth can be found. Since truth can be demonstrated, it's necessary to answer sincere questions and to demonstrate from the scriptures the fallacy of various heresies.
It's also necessary to show that we can find the most accurate knowledge and the best set of principles only in the truth and in the testimony of the ancient church. Some who leave the truth deceive only themselves. Others try to deceive their neighbors also. Some are called wise in their own opinions. They think they have found the truth, but they have no real evidence for their beliefs. They deceive themselves into thinking they have reached a resting place.
Many of them avoid investigation for fear they will be discredited. They reject instruction for fear of condemnation. These deceivers are very clever. They are aware that they know nothing, yet they darken the truth with arguments that sound plausible. However, in my opinion, the very nature of their arguments differs from those that are true. Therefore, heresies should be labeled by the manner in which they differ from the truth. The deceivers teach things for the destruction of men.
They bury themselves in human teachings that they themselves invented. They would rather be the head of some heretical school than to serve in the church.