How to Discern OPINION and FACT in Theology

‘Theology’ means the study of God. In Christian theology, how do we distinguish what’s true and what’s not true concerning anything related to God and the things of God, including Church doctrine and practice? Is it “all just opinion,” as I heard someone argue? Absolutely not. Notice what the Bible says:

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

This shows that the basis for teaching and correction in Christianity is the God-breathed Scriptures. If what a denominational handbook or minister teaches cannot be substantiated by rightly-dividing the Holy Scriptures, then it’s not a valid doctrine or practice. I said “rightly dividing” because the Scriptures need to be correctly interpreted in line with the common sense hermeneutical guidelines (2 Timothy 2:15). (After all, if the Scriptures can be rightly divided, they can also be wrongly divided). This explains Paul’s rule “Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6), which you can read more about here.

It also explains the wise response of the Bereans to Paul’s gospel message when he shared it with them:

10As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Acts 17:10-12

The Bereans went to the Scriptures to determine if what Paul taught was true. They viewed the Word of God as the basis for truth, not the word of a religious organization or the word of man — even an apostle as great as Paul. Understanding this is especially important today when there are hundreds of sects of Christianity with each group usually insisting that they’re the most correct version of Christianity and, in some cases, “the one true church.”

Notice what the Lord said to believers:

30As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him. 31So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

This tells us three things:

There most certainly is truth to discover in God’s Word, which proves that theology isn’t “all just opinion.”
You have to continue in God’s Word, if you want to know the truth on any given issue. ‘Truth’ is alétheia in the Greek, meaning “the way it really is.”
This is a prerequisite to being set free, including being set free of false doctrines that may be religious and popular, but they’re not actually correct, at least not fully correct (in other words, they may be partially accurate, which also means they’re partially inaccurate).

Now observe what some disciples of the Pharisees and Herodians — two Judaic sects — said about Jesus Christ:

“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.”

Matthew 22:16

This reveals what set Christ above His religious luminaries in the 1st century — He taught the way of God in accordance with the truth as opposed to in accordance with this or that sect and their biased sectarianism. Shortly later, Jesus responded to another sect of Judaism, the Sadducees:

“You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”

Matthew 22:29

The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection, which is error. (This, by the way, reveals the power of sectarianism, which can convince masses of people into believing something isn’t scriptural even though it’s blatantly scriptural; and vice versa). Christ said the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection because they did not know the Scriptures. In other words, the answer to doctrinal error is to know the Scriptures. The more you get to know the Word of Truth and rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15), the more easily you’ll be able to screen-out error, whether totally false doctrine or partially false doctrine.

Speaking of partially false teachings, two believers may be right on a certain doctrine in a broad sense, but one will be false in the details whereas the other will be accurate because s/he is more faithful to the specifics of Scripture. Here’s an example:

Two Christians rightly believe that eternal life is one of the main benefits of Christianity (e.g. John 3:16 & Romans 6:23). While they are both correct on this, one is off on the details and the other more fact-based and therefore correct. For instance, the former may think that eternal life revolves around living on a cloud playing a harp forever while the latter understands the truth about the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-20) and the New Heavens and New Earth (2 Peter 3:13).

Each of them are sincere believers, loved of the LORD, and both rightly believe the truth about eternal life, but one is mistaken on the particulars while the other is more scriptural and therefore more accurate. One is tripped-up by false religious ideas whereas the other knows the truth and is therefore set free by it, at least on this specific topic. It all comes down to who is more detailed in their studies and rightly divides the God-breathed Scriptures free of sectarian bias. This is the person who knows the truth and is therefore set free on the issue.

The average believer will, of course, side with the official doctrines of their sect, whatever group that might be. It’s just the way it is and this explains why God holds those who teach the Scriptures to stricter accountability:

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

James 3:1

Since the average believer tends to just go along with whatever their favored minister teaches, like their pastor, I generally don’t debate the Scriptures with them because it’s unprofitable. You could say it’s a waste of time.

Here are a few relevant passages about the uselessness and potential damage of such debates:

9But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.

10Reject a divisive man after a first and second admonition, 11knowing that such a man is corrupt and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Titus 3:9-11

23Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

2 Timothy 2:23-26

It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.

Proverbs 20:3

Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

Proverbs 17:14

Unless a certain topic comes up, by the Spirit, and the other person is interested in discussing it with an open mind as to what the Word of Truth actually teaches (2 Timothy 2:15), I don’t try to convince believers of this or that doctrine. Their pastors will be held accountable for what they believe or don’t believe (1 Corinthians 3:8-17). In light of this, this article applies more to those who have grown past the confines of pastoral-dependency and sectarianism (or are in the process of doing so). How do believers “grow past” these? See this article.

Wrapping this up, how do you separate opinion from fact on any Judeo-Christian doctrine? By being as biblically-accurate as possible along with discarding the bias of a particular camp/sect, as well as popularity. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32). Amen.

This article is available in book form in chapter 4 of…