There is a new comment after the August blog that is exactly what I was hoping for on the Leader’s Guide dialogue. Of course, it is not always joyful for someone to point out an error in one’s thinking, and especially if it is published for the world to see. But Char’s comments helped me realize how my methods of trying to get people to think about a passage in new ways can lead to false conclusions. I am so glad she said that their group would always ”search the Scriptures more for correct truth” when something I said raised red flags. That is what I am after.
It is also why I would rather respond to direct questions than try to imagine what people might think. Actually, I have trouble enough figuring my own thoughts out. For example, let’s look at the question that Char brought up, “One example is page 115 where you indicate that Christ lived to please His neighbor. Scripture teaches that He came ‘to do the will of the Father who sent Him’ (John 4:34) and to please Him (John 5:30, 8:29). I’m sure that is what you believe also, and it would be very helpful to include that in your comments.” Until I looked at the context of my comment, I thought “Of course I agree with her. Did I say that? What was I thinking? That’s gotta be wrong. How did that get by all the editors?” I see now, instead of making such a bold statement, that can easily be pulled out of context, I should have phrased it in such a way that the reader would have to grapple with what Paul meant by using Christ as his example of how we are to “please our neighbor.” Or maybe ask a question about how living to do the Father’s will and always pleasing Him would at times please His neighbors, and other times offend them, but always be working for their good and edification. That could lead to a better understanding of what Paul meant by “let each of us please his neighbor.” (Romans 15:2) Maybe the key idea is one of getting away from our natural bent of living to please ourselves.
Anyway, I would love to know what other red flags were raised, and have a chance to dialogue about them. I know my editors did their best to catch the fallacies and wrong directions I can be tempted to take, but I welcome comments from my readers. My publisher once said, “The first edition is really a rough draft, and it is your readers who will help to find all the mistakes.” So, please write and tell me more about those red flags. If this study ever goes to a second printing, I would love to correct the mistakes and misleading statements, to make it a better tool for God to use in the lives of my readers, as well as my own.
