Job 34:10 (ESV)

“Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding:

far be it from God that he should do wickedness,

and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.

Job 34:34-37 (ESV)

Men of understanding will say to me,

and the wise man who hears me will say:

‘Job speaks without knowledge;

his words are without insight.’

Would that Job were tried to the end,

because he answers like wicked men.

For he adds rebellion to his sin;

he claps his hands among us

and multiplies his words against God.”

A little bit of theology can be a dangerous thing. It is amazing that Elihu can understand everything correct about the character of God, yet totally misapply it to Job. Everything Elihu says about God is correct. There are some powerful words in this chapter. Speaking of God, Elihu observes, “If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust” (Job 34:14). What an amazing picture of the power of God and the absolute dependence of every living thing on that power.

Elihu takes his understanding of God and misapplies it to Job. He accuses Job of speaking without knowledge and rebelling against God. Elihu applies eternal principles in a temporal way that brings him to faulty conclusions. Just yesterday I read another article attacking Christianity. The proof offered that Christianity is ignorant and evil were several verses taken out of context and misapplied. Yes, there are some difficult verses in the Bible, but everything must be understood in context. Similarly, Elihu takes his theology and misapplies it.

We get upset when people put words in our mouths that are not accurate. Yet, we do the same thing. We turn around and draw conclusions about our brothers and sisters in Christ based on our understanding of Scripture and theology. But do we truly know their heart? Aren’t we doing the same thing we accuse our attackers of doing? Perhaps the problem lies in the reality that we have turned Christianity into a series of truth statements that we all agree on. If you agree with me, then we can fellowship. If you disagree, then we cannot worship together. But Christianity is more than that.

The real problem occurs when we agree on all our theology, but disagree on its application. Or, perhaps more correctly, when we agree, but realize that none of us have arrived at maturity yet. So, when the areas in which I have matured are different than the areas in which you have matured, that is evidence that you are not as mature as I am. We neglect to understand that common faith is not about agreeing on every point of theology. It is about coming together around the essential theology of the gospel. Maturity is not about looking like me. It is about believers working together to become more like Christ. When we start with our understanding of theology, it often involves arrogance, pride, and a judgmental spirit. Theology is important, but true faith starts with humility and grace.