I do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Bible, the Word of Yahweh, against ALL enemies, foreign (non-believers) and domestic (believers);* that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of a faithful disciple committed to the Lord Jesus: So help me Yahweh.
Spiritual and intellectual honesty should come naturally to all Christians! This is the willingness to be totally objective in the pursuit of Yahweh's truth. Yahweh formed me to love the truth, and He gave me a compulsion to pursue it regardless of how I was raised, what I was taught, or what I might presently believe. Yahweh gave me the desire and ability to see all sides of any spiritual or theological issue and to cut through them like a skilled surgeon. I am far more concerned about finding out what is true than I am about defending my personal positions or the positions of any particular denomination.
The pursuit of truth is not easy. No human mind can be trusted to discover the truth on its own. Every subject I write about has been set carefully upon and tested by what the Scriptures call "the pillar and [foundation] of the truth": the Congregation (1 Tim. 3:16). I will confront and transgress custom—the traditions of men—but I dare not defy the Congregation of the Lord, which held to and taught "the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 1:3). King Jesus is the ultimate truth, and it is only those who follow Him in the Spirit who can also follow Him in truth.
I am not a contentious man; I would prefer to avoid confrontation if I could. Like Jude, I would prefer to speak about our common salvation than to battle error. Nevertheless, I will run without hesitation to the front-lines and defend biblical and historic Christianity when the need arises.✝ Most congregations today are more concerned with perpetuating their denominational subculture and/or keeping their attendees adequately entertained than making them think. They are more concerned about their theological dogma than about their fruit. In my experience, every congregation has a handful of people in it who are desperate for content, withering from content malnutrition. The rest of the people are not even aware that they are malnourished. I believe this is a critical need, and so by the grace of Yahweh I am here to help. Whenever I write something, I always have three purposes in view:
- to exalt (glorify) Yahweh and esteem (honour) His Son (Romans 15:6; Colossians 1:18),
- to educate and edify (build up) the Body of Christ regarding truth (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16; Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 2:13), and
- to evangelize the lost (Luke 19:10; Romans 1:16; Matthew 9:37-38; 28:19-20).
Scripture tells us that Yahweh is a God of truth (Psalm 31:5). A person who is truly reborn of Yahweh intensely desires to imitate his Father. As Jesus stated, "Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24, italics mine).
"Ecclesia, semper reformanda secundum verbi Dei."
("The Congregation, always reforming according to the Word of God.")
* Yes, even believers can be enemies of the Word of Yahweh. By denying or rejecting clear teachings in Yahweh's Word, or making it say something it clearly does not say, believers can be enemies of the Word of Truth. This does not make them enemies of the brethren, however. While this has no bearing on their salvation, nevertheless it is still a serious concern and needs to be addressed.
✝ To be clear, I am speaking of the first 3 centuries; not the past 1,700 years.