There are 2 Bible teachers I go to.
one is a Baptist and the other is a Pentecostal, and they both are contradicting each other.
1. The Baptist one says use the KJV, the Pentecostal says use the ESV
2. The Baptist says don't go seeking the spiritual gifts since they ceased, the Pentecostal says to seek the spiritual gifts because they are still here for today
3. The Baptist says I am eternally secure, the Pentecostal says that it is possible for me to later on reject Christ and be cut off forever.
Ok how do I know which one is lying to me? Why did God make finding truth so difficult?
Many years ago when I began to seriously question what it is I believe, what I should believe, why (etc) I became very interested in several different things, two of those things were:
1) Reading and studying the Scriptures for myself, and reflecting on what I was reading with what other wizened voices in the Christian Church have said, not just modern ones, I mean ancient and historic voices. It seemed natural to me that if what I was reading seemed to be saying something, and that something is what was consistently being found throughout the various generations of Christians over the last two millennia, then I was quite probably on the right track.
2) A thorough study of Church history, and reading ancient Christian sources, i.e. the Church fathers. Reading the history gave context to the writings of the fathers and to the historic Creeds of the Church. My understanding of where I came from as a Christian grew exponentially.
I also spent a lot of time discussing (and debating) with Christians from a wide variety of backgrounds. Learning about what other Christians believed (as opposed to what others simply told me what they believed), discovering insights I hadn't considered before, learning to find common ground on many issues, and letting myself be challenged to learn more, dig deeper.
That was a journey that began for me about 16 years ago, and it is still ongoing. I am still being challenged, I am still finding common ground, I am still learning new things, I am still being educated by others. I am still a student.
I won't tell you what to believe, I could tell you what I believe but that wouldn't be helpful for what you are asking here. Instead I want to offer some advice based on my own experiences.
Investigate. What are things which have historically been believed? What are the common beliefs among most Christians? If something is ancient and also accepted by the majority of Christians even today, then that's a good thing. While old and common does not mean something is automatically true, it's certainly a better marker than someone just saying something new which nobody else has ever believed before. Just a little common sense and critical thinking can go a long way.
Nobody is infallible, neither are you--so if you come to different views than someone else that's fine. It's okay to disagree, it's okay to argue, it's okay to even get into heated debates on these subjects. But always be willing to challenge your own beliefs, and look into these things. Find the confidence and verity of your beliefs through diligence, prayer, and a willingness to be wrong. No one gets everything right, all of us are wrong about some things, that is inevitably going to be the case because we are only human.
Be curious. Stay inquisitive. Let yourself learn. And remember it's okay to be wrong.
-CryptoLutheran
