Well said. I like your approach of stating principles and practices rather than naming names because whilst the latter are constantly changing, erroneous principles and practices are always so and should be identified as such, no matter who is practising them.
Saw a video of Josh Howerton preaching the other day. His skinny jeans looked like they were spray painted on. Skinny jeans have become a thing with some preachers these days and I’m all in on naming names and denouncing skinny jeanism. Well meaning people can disagree about things like paedocommunion, but there is no excuse for a preacher strutting around in what are essentially yoga pants.
I think people sometimes demand “naming names” but what they are really asking is, “I might fall into that category, but the line is fuzzy, can you help define the line?” In their minds, naming names would be an expeditious way of drawing that line, but that would assume you know everything everyone believes precisely on every point of doctrine. An easier way would be to ask you what “speculative theology” is, where the line is between an appropriate correction and an overcorrection to gnosticism, and maybe some generic (without names) examples to help look out for these things.
Excellent treatment of an issue that requires wisdom. One aspect of that passage is that Paul named names of those who had already been dealt with by the church, whereas he did not name those who it might have been hoped could still be brought to repentance through admonition and instruction. If we are too quick to name names, we may polarize camps and push away brothers who might be saved from danger. But if we never name names, then the Church will not be able to identify known wolves when they enter the flock.
Well said. I like your approach of stating principles and practices rather than naming names because whilst the latter are constantly changing, erroneous principles and practices are always so and should be identified as such, no matter who is practising them.
Saw a video of Josh Howerton preaching the other day. His skinny jeans looked like they were spray painted on. Skinny jeans have become a thing with some preachers these days and I’m all in on naming names and denouncing skinny jeanism. Well meaning people can disagree about things like paedocommunion, but there is no excuse for a preacher strutting around in what are essentially yoga pants.
I think people sometimes demand “naming names” but what they are really asking is, “I might fall into that category, but the line is fuzzy, can you help define the line?” In their minds, naming names would be an expeditious way of drawing that line, but that would assume you know everything everyone believes precisely on every point of doctrine. An easier way would be to ask you what “speculative theology” is, where the line is between an appropriate correction and an overcorrection to gnosticism, and maybe some generic (without names) examples to help look out for these things.
Excellent treatment of an issue that requires wisdom. One aspect of that passage is that Paul named names of those who had already been dealt with by the church, whereas he did not name those who it might have been hoped could still be brought to repentance through admonition and instruction. If we are too quick to name names, we may polarize camps and push away brothers who might be saved from danger. But if we never name names, then the Church will not be able to identify known wolves when they enter the flock.
Well said!
What do you mean by the term "speculative theology"?