Make Use of Any Human Author

This exceptional Richard Sibbes quote was posted over at Miscellanies today (to contribute, I added a photo):

 

Puritan Richard Sibbes, in a short book titled A Christian’s Portion [Works, 4:2–38], fleshed out 1 Corinthians 3:21–23. At one place he makes the point that the Church possesses all truth, even that of non-Christian authors. In one passage Sibbes writes [page 18]:

Again, ‘all things are ours’ [1 Cor. 3:21]. Therefore truth, wheresoever we find it, is ours. We may read [a] heathen author. Truth comes from God, wheresoever we find it, and it is ours, it is the church’s. We may take it from them as a just possession. Those truths that they have, there may be good use of those truths; but we must not use them for ostentation. For that is to do as the Israelites; when they had gotten treasure out of Egypt, they made a calf, an idol of them. So we must not make an idol of these things. But truth, wheresoever we find it, is the church’s. Therefore with a good conscience we may make use of any human author. I thought good to touch this, because some make a scruple of it.

Yes, some do even to this day.

HT: Tony Reinke

The Long Thread of Ancients

Over at Tony Reinke’s (most excellent) blog, he has had a great discussion going on about whether or not Christians should be reading ancient (B.C.) literature that is secular, well alright, pagan in nature . There is some great banter going on over there.

The philosophers, while very deep in their search for truth, looking but never finding ‘The Truth’ still stumbled upon what I would call correct assessments in certain areas. This is a comment I wrote to throw in my two cents! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

We might be able to relate this on a more intimate level. We may know people, who not being Christians, hold many beliefs which will certainly conflict with our convictions as Christians. This could have a negative influence on us. So, does that mean we are to simply ignore them or just never listen to them? Or if we have the opportunity to dialog with someone like Richard Dawkins (who has been heavily influential in the cause for atheism; which is just a belligerent form of idolatry) should we pass it up? I think we are to be vigilant and have an understanding of certain systems of belief as long as we have kept our center, which is Christ. To read the ancient, “profane authors”, I think (in my humble opinion) should be treated with the same caution as listening to people we know on what they believe. Many people still highly value these philosophers as to find what they consider to be ‘truth’. And some truth there may be in the philosophers, but not ‘The Truth’. Perhaps the ‘truth’ which can be gleaned from these lovers of wisdom should be considered as ‘correct assessments’ and not necessarily ‘The Truth’. I can see water falling from the sky and assess that it is raining. If I see a man being nailed to a cross, I can assess that he is being crucified. But if I know it is Jesus being nailed to a cross, He is paying for my sins and that is The Truth.