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Faith & Reason vs Orthodox Absurdities
by Phil Maxwell, August 1999
Have you ever heard statements to the effect that you must accept “on faith”
things that make no sense or don’t seem to be in perfect harmony with the entirety of
Scripture? Most have, and if there’s anything in you that considers this a viable
view of the faith that is taught in the Bible, I would like to challenge you to examine
your understanding of the concept of faith. Particularly, I challenge that the faith of
the Bible is NOT believing in things that are not understood or understandable, and,
furthermore, that such a notion is in direct contradiction to the true faith of the Bible.
As I will seek to demonstrate, such a thought is utter nonsense that represents nothing
more than foolishness, and most certainly not faith. True faith is, rather, rooted in
understanding, albeit enlightened understanding. There is no contradiction between the
operation of faith and the operation of reason or logic.
We understand that faith is an essential ingredient of salvation, so this is no trivial
subject. The Scriptures say that we are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) and that it
is impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). Without dispute, this is a
fundamental point that all who seek reconciliation with God must grasp. But what is faith?
Or, more to the point, what if an individual seeking to find grace is given a false
perception of what faith is? Can we be saved through a false, pseudo-faith, or is real
faith necessary to please God? It should go without dispute that artificial substitutes
for faith or anything else are unacceptable to the one, true God and Father of all.
Let’s take this one step further. Consider the typical person who seeks entrance into
the kingdom of God. Like the eunuch Philip was sent to, they generally seek direction from
others who supposedly know the way. Philip asked this man who was reading the book of
Isaiah, “Do you understand what you are reading?” and the man answered,
“Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” Of course, Philip faithfully and
accurately preached the gospel to the man resulting in the man confessing that he knew
Yahshua was the Son of God and being baptized. (Ac 8:30-37)
Now consider similar circumstances where someone preaches a corrupted gospel to a seeker
such as this Ethiopian eunuch. The would-be convert knows that they must believe what the
Scriptures say to be saved, but doesn’t have a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures
themselves. Instead of having Philip preach the true gospel, however, someone else
presents a gospel that seems to align with the Scriptures, but that is really a mixture of
truth and error. Perhaps the gospel message they are given at this point is even true, but
in any event, for purposes of this illustration suppose the individual seizes the moment
and consents to what they truly believe is the way to salvation.
At some point, however, they are likely to find themselves confronted with doctrines that
either don’t make sense to them or that don’t seem to align perfectly with the
Scriptures. No doubt, efforts will be made to instruct them. Perhaps they will ask some
questions. Ultimately, however, their continued fellowship with whatever group they have
come to will one way or another come down to their affirmation of the doctrines held by
that group as essential to the faith. Whether they understand and see harmony with the
Scriptures in these teachings or not, they will face this often difficult decision. They
already know that they must have faith to please God and be saved, and the message is
clear that if they do not affirm that which is claimed to be Biblical truth, they are
demonstrating a lack of faith. After all, the message often resounds, all you have to do
is have faith: You don’t have to understand, you just have to believe, or so the
story goes.
This scenario is typical, and it presupposes an assumption that faith and reason are
contrary to each other. The would-be or new convert, knowing that faith is necessary for
salvation, is placed in a position of choosing between their own reason and understanding
of the Scriptures, or (so it seems) having faith. The choice they face is coercive, as
well, since their very salvation or at least fellowship with those whom they generally
regard as messengers of the gospel depends on their decision. To refuse to affirm what is
presented as essential Christian doctrine is to be a faithless rebel, but to accept even
that which doesn’t make sense, as long as it aligns with the church’s teachings,
is considered faith.
While we understand that the Scriptures reveal that there are things that pertain to
reality that are not discernible by the natural senses and mind, there is nothing in the
Scriptures that instruct us to believe in things we don’t actually perceive on a
rational level. Actually, quite the contrary is true, as can readily be seen in the
following:
Come now, and let us REASON together, saith Yahweh... (Is 1:18)
Hearken unto me every one of you, and UNDERSTAND... (Mk 7:14)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1Th 5:21)
...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Ro 12:2)
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all
judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and
without offence till the day of Christ; (Ph 1:9-10)
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is
in Christ Jesus. (2Ti 1:13)
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. (1Co 14:29)
For a bishop must be .... Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he
may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (Tit 1:7,10)
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of
light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. (Ep 5:8-10)
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which
are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast
found them liars: (Rev 2:2)
Clearly, it is the will of God that His people prove all things, that they understand what
they believe. This is not to say, however, that true faith is rooted purely in logic and
reason, as though a man can come to a saving faith through some sort of rational process
alone. We know this is not the case at all, because the Scriptures clearly state that the
natural mind is incapable of perceiving spiritual things, and we can hardly disassociate
spiritual discernment from faith:
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
(1Co 2:14)
This is where many people miss the mark. In recognizing that the natural mind cannot
discern spiritual things and that believing spiritual things is necessary for salvation,
they conclude that we must, therefore, believe things we cannot see or understand in order
to be saved and please God. While this may seem reasonable enough, it is an absolute lie
that threatens to derail the faith of those who accept it.
Our minds typically work towards drawing rational conclusions following a pattern of
logical deduction, which by definition is “the process of reasoning in which a
conclusion follows necessarily from the stated premises.” The key here is that our
logical conclusions are only as valid as the “stated premises” upon which they
are based. In other words, we judge according to what we know, so, therefore, if our
knowledge or discernment of related factors is incorrect or incomplete, our conclusions
will be flawed. This is why I stated earlier that faith is not contrary to reason, but
operates from a premise of enlightened reason. For example, if we consider only the
factors stated above regarding the limitations of our natural minds and the necessity of
faith, we could well conclude that faith is indeed contrary to logic and that one must
choose between what they consider reasonable and exercising faith. However, if we also
consider that our minds are capable of being enlightened to spiritual realities by the
Spirit of God, we see an altogether different set of “stated premises.” We can
then see that the obstruction to faith in our minds is not the process of logical
deduction we naturally follow, but the fact that we do not perceive spiritual realities
without the interaction of the Spirit of God revealing them to us.
No clearer definition of faith can be found than offered by the writer of Hebrews, and
here we can see very plainly the part that perception of unseen things has in faith,
though we will be hard pressed to find faith represented as a belief in anything that
defies our natural, God given sense of reason:
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (He
11:1)
Following in this chapter are many examples of faith, but there are no examples of
irrational behavior, though to those who do not see or perceive the reality of
Yahweh’s Word, their works of faith may have seemed quite irrational. Consider Noah,
for example:
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared
an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of
the righteousness which is by faith. (He 11:7)
As we know, Noah built a huge boat in the midst of dry land over the course of 120 years.
He was preparing for an unprecedented calamity without a shred of tangible evidence to
indicate that such a flood would occur. His behavior was no more irrational than those who
flee their homes in the face of impending disasters like forest fires, hurricanes, and
floods, though. Noah exercised a process of reasoning that drew a conclusion based upon
known factors. The difference between Noah and his contemporaries was that his reasoning
was enlightened by the Word of Yahweh, which he believed. In contrast, their reasoning was
darkened by their blindness to the reality of Yahweh’s Word, so they continued on
with their ordinary lives without regard to the forthcoming disaster. Noah and his
contemporaries who were destroyed in the flood both exercised logical deduction in their
actions, but they did so from a different set of stated premises.
Abraham, who is called the father of faith, nearly killed his beloved son, Isaac, in
another demonstration of enlightened reasoning, or faith. He believed the Word of God to
be more certain than even the life of his son, as that Word included unfulfilled promises
pertaining to Isaac. While he may have gone against his instinctive desire to protect his
son, he acted very reasonably when one considers the stated premises upon which he charted
his actions.
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy
seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from
whence also he received him in a figure. (He 11:17-19)
Over and over again, the foundation of faith is shown to be rational judgment with a
perception of the unseen things of Yahweh’s creation. True faith doesn’t defy
reason, it only correctly factors in the unseen realities that can only be perceived by
the Spirit’s work in renewing our minds. True faith recognizes that the most certain
thing in existence is the Word of Yahweh, by which the “worlds were framed...so
that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (He 11:3)
Therefore, true faith logically concludes that, given a choice between judgment based upon
tangible evidences and the clear Word of the Creator, the Almighty God’s Word is more
reliable. Again, the fact that the faithful conduct themselves on a basis of enlightened
reason, does not make them irrational except in the eyes of those who are not so
enlightened.
Take Moses, who forsook the benefits of royalty for the sake of defending the servant
class Israelites. He chose between facing the wrath of Pharaoh and the wrath of Yahweh,
but was he a lunatic? More to the point, did his mind work in some foreign, strange way?
Hardly, he simply perceived the reality of Yahweh’s faithfulness to the promises he
had made to His people. He invested the rewards of royalty in the king of Egypt’s
house into something he knew to be a greater reward, and he feared the inevitable judgment
of Yahweh more than the wrath of an earthly king, even the most powerful king in the
world.
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's
daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the
pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the
treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he
forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is
invisible. (He 11:24-27)
Earlier I quoted a verse from a passage in 2 Corinthians that contrasts the difference
between the carnal mind and the spiritual mind. I’d like to revisit that passage now
to show how these things I assert about the essence of faith are true.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath
REVEALED them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep
things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so
the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might KNOW the things that
are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost TEACHETH; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither
can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who
hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
(1Co 2:9-16)
Many people have used the above passage or portions thereof to support the foolish notion
that spiritual things just cannot be fathomed within the framework of our natural mind.
That isn’t what Paul was saying at all, as any honest reading of the passage will
show. We cannot naturally perceive the things “which God hath prepared for them that
love him,” but we can perceive them by the Spirit. If, indeed, we have the Spirit
which is promised to those who truly repent and are baptized in Yahshua’s name, we
have the “mind of Christ” within us! Without the Spirit, the deep things of God
seem to be meaningless, even foolish gibberish, but by the Spirit, they are searched out,
revealed, and proven to be true by those who have the Spirit. To ‘discern’ in
the above context means to examine, investigate, or search out, and that is exactly what
the children of God are expected to do, not to accept what they don’t understand on
the basis of some false notion of what faith is.
We might also do well to look at the method we are given to examine spiritual things. This
is important because, according to John’s epistle, we can surmise that just because
something is spiritual doesn’t necessarily mean that it is of the Spirit of God. He
wrote, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of
God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (I Jn 4:1) Then,
we read in Paul’s discourse to the Corinthians that we should compare spiritual
things with spiritual, which was demonstrated by the Bereans who were commended for
searching the Scriptures to prove out the things Paul was telling them (Acts 17:11). The
Scriptures form a spiritual standard by which we can and should faithfully measure the
things that we encounter that seem spiritual. Furthermore, our growth in knowledge and
understanding of spiritual truths follows a very logical pattern according to Isaiah
28:10, which says, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line
upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” In this, we can
see that even the ordinary process of discerning the truth of spiritual matters follows a
pattern that makes sense. Let others seek spiritual knowledge through soothsayers, phony
psychics, and visualization techniques; the child of God is not directed down such
haphazard paths. We are to seek out, receive, and prove spiritual things in a manner not
at all unlike we pursue knowledge and understanding of worldly things. The primary
difference is that we are given insight to spiritual things that we wouldn’t
otherwise have by virtue of the Spirit of God within us, and that we depend upon the Bible
as the spiritual standard of proof for the same.
The body of Christ has people within who are called and anointed to teach, but we are
never, ever instructed to believe anything on the basis of another’s word, no matter
how impeccable their credentials are. Even the great apostle Paul told those he ministered
to wrote things like, “I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.” (1Co
10:15), and, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:8)
Clearly, while a good portion of Paul’s ministry was to teach others on spiritual
things, he never expected others to simply take his word for anything. He instructed
others with an understanding that his words meant nothing in and of themselves, for he
counted on the Spirit of God to reveal and the Scriptures to uphold the spiritual things
he taught.
It is not faith to believe that which one doesn’t understand, but it is faith to
believe what one understands by virtue of the Spirit of God. Spiritual realities may
supersede the laws of nature, but nowhere are spiritual realities depicted as defying
reason. Truth may exceed our natural ability to comprehend, but never goes against our God
given sense of reason, and I defy those who propose or presuppose such things to justify
their positions. As it is written, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, saith Yahweh. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa 55:8-9)
Let us, therefore, shun efforts to persuade us to believe things we do not see for
ourselves as reasonable and in perfect harmony with the Scriptures, and be noble like the
Bereans, searching the Scriptures daily.
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