Is it good to challenge our doctrinal beliefs?

[JohnB445]

For example I learn doctrine "A", but I am ignorant to the fact that there are many different doctrines such as "B" and "C".

Would it be good to learn doctrines "A", "B" , and "C" view and compare them with scripture to see which one fits best?

I haven't been doing this.

For example I hold to pre-trib rapture, but I barely looked at the mid or post-trib positions. And I have been ignoring those positions.

But how will I know for certainty if my position is true if I don't compare and challenge?

 

[Jonaitis]

At some point in your walk with Christ, after your early stages, you should be exposed to more perspectives than the one you began your faith with. Many people stick to the beliefs that their church holds to and remain ignorant/divisive toward anything contradicting it. I use to be this way when I came to the faith as an Arminian, Dispensationalist, Southern Baptist. I was seriously all over the place, until I began studying for myself by reading other men and challenging my own beliefs. I can tell you that I have been refining and retuning my understanding of God's word for years by my exposure to more books, more discussions, more of the meditations of other men who have beat a verse to pulp until there was nothing left to learn from (if that is even possible).

I encourage learning beyond what you already know, this is one of the ways God uses to mature us.

 

[Foxfyre]

For example I learn doctrine "A", but I am ignorant to the fact that there are many different doctrines such as "B" and "C".

Would it be good to learn doctrines "A", "B" , and "C" view and compare them with scripture to see which one fits best?

I haven't been doing this.

For example I hold to pre-trib rapture, but I barely looked at the mid or post-trib positions. And I have been ignoring those positions.

But how will I know for certainty if my position is true if I don't compare and challenge?

I once really concerned myself with accuracy on fine points of belief. Your example of whether it will be a pre-trib or post-trib rapture is a good example of things I thought about a lot. I did arrive at a point though that I realize such things are interesting to study and ponder and debate in a good way, i.e. kind and friendly, and I still enjoy doing that. Ultimately, however, I arrived at a point where I think the most important thing to know and believe is that God loves us and, when our time is ended here on Earth, He will take us to Him. Jesus counseled us to be ready.

Whether that is a minute or hour or day or many millenia from now and exactly how it will happen is pretty unimportant. As Doris Day once sang a wisdom: What will be will be and, for the most part, our future is not for us to see. We are just supposed to be ready.

 

[timewerx]

For example I learn doctrine "A", but I am ignorant to the fact that there are many different doctrines such as "B" and "C".

Would it be good to learn doctrines "A", "B" , and "C" view and compare them with scripture to see which one fits best?

I haven't been doing this.

For example I hold to pre-trib rapture, but I barely looked at the mid or post-trib positions. And I have been ignoring those positions.

But how will I know for certainty if my position is true if I don't compare and challenge?

Yup, compare and challenge (scrutinize). Careful not to be biased if you wish to know the truth. Biased thinking is the biggest enemy of the Truth. Consider all possibilities.

Avoid the Pharisee-like thinking where they are so hung up with their dogmas and so afraid / overcome with pride to accept the possibility they are wrong.

 

[football5680]

Yes.

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (1 Peter 3:15)

You should always seek the truth and if you believe in something, you should be willing and able to defend your position. You should start with more major doctrinal beliefs that actually have an effect on us before moving on to more minor issues. I don't think eschatology is as important because in all likelihood, we will all be dead before the end times begin so it doesn't have a practical effect on us. It is definitely a topic that should be discussed because we should always seek the truth but other beliefs should be prioritized.

 

[_Dave_]

Does everybody remember the ancient tale of the blind men and the elephant?

In that story several blind men come upon an elephant. One feels the trunk and declares the elephant a snake. The story goes on in a similar vein, but the main theme is that none of them "see" the elephant for what it is.

Now, consider someone with eyes to see standing off a bit and taking in the whole elephant. "Ah," he declares, "It's clearly an elephant."

In biblical interpretation of doctrines there are many "blind" men groping all over Scripture declaring this and that false doctrine based on their pre-suppositional mis-interpretations. But, there are those with eyes to see who apply the best hermeneutical practices who rightly divide the Word of God.

The reason why it is important to stand back and see the whole "elephant" and not get hung up on just looking at the trunk and declaring it a snake, for example, is because despite what some say there is only one right interpretation of the Word. God means what He says, and says what He means.

If we don't understand a passage of Scripture, or we find what we think is a contradiction or anomaly, then it merely means we need to stand back and take in the whole counsel of God to arrive at the right interpretation.

To answer your question, John, to decide if you are interpreting Scripture correctly concerning doctrine you need to examine yourself. Are you a "blind" person groping around following some other blind person's false interpretation? Or, are you the guy standing off with eyes to see who uses sound interpretation practices who is rightly dividing God's Word?

 

[bling]

Before you get caught up in the little stuff, study with someone who has major differences and work toward an agreement.