# Trusting the Teacher's Judgment



## blhowes (Dec 15, 2004)

Most pastors that I've sat under have said that we shouldn't believe something just because they said so. We need to search the scriptures for ourselves and believe because its scriptural. That's good advice, but is it ever wrong to believe something just because the pastor says its so? If you don't understand something, is it wrong to decide its true because you trust the pastor's judgment and/or scholarship? Must everything be understood before it is accepted as truth?

I have to laugh sometimes when I think of myself trying to figure out CT vs baptist theology. I'm an electical engineer turned technical writer with no formal seminary training,etc. I love the Lord and I have a desire to learn, but sometimes I ask myself "Who are you trying to kid?" 

Check out this list from Matthew's Prefatory Notes on Infant Baptism:


> I do not believe in Paedo-Baptism because John Owen believed it, or Dabney, Edwards, Calvin, Turretin, Ames, Adams, Goodwin, Manton, Caryl, Charnock, Bridges, Trail, Newton, Flavel, Watts, Case, Robinson, Gurnall, Boys, Burroughs, Love, Perkins, Murray, Hodge, Berkhof, Luther, Augustine, Heywood, Baxter, Jenkyn, Cunningham, Henry, Bolton, Swinnock, Rutherford, Gillespie, Knox, Wickliffe, Sibbs, Watson, Clarkson, Brooks, Hus, Toplady, Alexander, James, A´brakel, Whitaker, Van Til, Brown, Scougal, Hall, Lloyd Jones, Vincent, Dyke, Alliene, Steele, Mead, Bayly, Pearse, Ranew, Symonds, Shepherd, Doolittle, Miller, Ainsworth, Shaw, Greenhill, Warfield, Willison, Stoddard, Hopkins, Plumer, Gouge, Beza, Tyndale, Foxe, Greenham, Hooper, Dod, Kuyper, Ridderbos, Dering, (can we think about thousands of others?!) believed it. I unquestionably do not adhere to a theological formulation because it is "œvogue" to do so, and neither did these men; otherwise they are daft for doing so, and I would have given into it 15 years ago on the basis of its "œhistorical fashionableness."



For me to say that CT is wrong, I would have to say that I knew better than all these guys listed above. I'm sure a similar list could also be developed for great baptist theologians now and from history who taught baptistic theology. Is it wrong to just select a theology, regardless of whether you can understand or defend it? Or should you just live with "I don't know"?


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## Scott Bushey (Dec 15, 2004)

Bob,
You should take your time and study. Pray. Be patient, God will answer and deliver you peace.


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## Irishcat922 (Dec 15, 2004)

"but sometimes I ask myself "Who are you trying to kid?" "

Me too!:bigsmile:


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## blhowes (Dec 15, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Scott Bushey_
> Bob,
> You should take your time and study. Pray. Be patient, God will answer and deliver you peace.


Scott,
Thanks for the advice, which I will certainly follow.

I especially like your advice about praying (which should be common sense). I guess I've sort of approached it as something intellectual that I have to figure out, instead of something that God will reveal to me. Back to basics again.

Thanks again,
Bob


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## Preach (Dec 17, 2004)

But what if we are all praying with sincere hearts? Then do we trust what we believe God is speaking to our hearts? There must be study. So, how and where does prayer come into the picture? Both sides of the issue are confident (to a greater or lesser extent). So, what do we do.

Personally, I do not recall more theological freedom than when I am ignorant on a position. That way I do not have a "dog in the fight".


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