A Temptation in Zeal Purely for Orthodoxy

[Grant]

Amidst all the current verbal spewing, which satan is even using to attack the visible church, I found Matthew Henry very sobering this morning in commentary published under James 3:

"If you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, etc., v. 14-16. Pretend what you will, and think yourselves ever so wise, yet you have abundance of reason to cease your glorying, if you run down love and peace, and give way to bitter envying and strife. Your zeal for truth or orthodoxy, and your boasts of knowing more than others, if you employ these only to make others hateful, and to show your own spite and heart-burnings against them, are a shame to your profession of Christianity, and a downright contradiction to it. Lie not thus against the truth." Observe, 1. Envying and strife are opposed to the meekness of wisdom. The heart is the seat of both; but envy and wisdom cannot dwell together in the same heart. Holy zeal and bitter envying are as different as the flames of seraphim and the fire of hell. 2. The order of things here laid down. Envying is first and excites strife; strife endeavours to excuse itself by vain-glorying and lying; and then (v. 16) hereupon ensue confusion and every evil work. Those who live in malice, envy, and contention, live in confusion, and are liable to be provoked and hurried to any evil work. Such disorders raise many temptations, strengthen temptations, and involve men in a great deal of guilt. One sin begets another, and it cannot be imagined how much mischief is produced: there is every evil work.

 

[CathH]

"Your zeal for truth or orthodoxy, and your boasts of knowing more than others, if you employ these only to make others hateful, and to show your own spite and heart-burnings against them, are a shame to your profession of Christianity, and a downright contradiction to it."

Thanks for posting this, Grant. It's very convicting.

I've recently been looking at Durham on Revelation (HT: Naphtali Press) and his treatment of the church at Ephesus. They were orthodox and orthoprax, but they had left their first love, and that made all the difference in Christ's assessment.

 

[Grant]

Sometimes it just feels so good and humbling to receive one of Matthew Henry’s spiritual bricks to the face

 

[CathH]

He had a gift for it!

I was also refreshing my memory recently of John Newton's letter on controversy (On Controversy)
" Of all people who engage in controversy, we, who are called Calvinists, are most expressly bound by our own principles to the exercise of gentleness and moderation."

"And yet we find but very few writers of controversy who have not been manifestly hurt by it. Either they grow in a sense of their own importance, or imbibe an angry, contentious spirit, or they insensibly withdraw their attention from those things which are the food and immediate support of the life of faith, and spend their time and strength upon matters which are at most but of a secondary value. This shows, that if the service is honorable, it is dangerous. What will it profit a man if he gains his cause and silences his adversary, if at the same time he loses that humble, tender frame of spirit in which the Lord delights, and to which the promise of his presence is made?"

(And basically all of it!)

 

[Grant]

I highly recommend to all PB members to consider, especially during this time, to read Matthew Henry’s full commentary on James 3. I will put a link below:

James 3 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (complete)

Study James 3 using Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete) to better understand Scripture with full outline and verse meaning.

www.christianity.com

If only we would be reminded of this portion of scripture before engaging any form of differences.