| OPINIONS In the Post Modern world, opinions have replaced truth as the source of our value system. “Everyone is entitled to his opinion” is the mantra of pundits, talk shows, politicians, and citizen. We all are entitled to our opinion, but to equate opinion with truth is to step into darkness. As Tolstoy said, “Some people live and act according to their own thoughts, and some according to the thoughts of other people. There are no guides more false than the opinions of other people, because people do not have a constant opinion about what is good.” A Simpleton is “wide open to every opinion.” “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” [Rom 14:1] Opinion: “A belief not based on absolute certainty or positive knowledge but on what seems true, valid or probable to one’s own mind.” It seems to me that modern discipleship has become the art of talking people into our point of view rather than encouraging others to follow Jesus even if it leads them away from our viewpoint. [Jim] “The New Yorker Magazine laments about what is lost in the brave, new ‘audience-driven’ preaching of our day: ‘The preacher, instead of looking out upon the world, looks out upon public opinion, trying to find out what the public would like to hear. Then he tries his best to duplicate that, and bring his finished product into a marketplace in which the others are trying to do the same. The public, turning to our culture to find out about the world, discovers there is nothing but its own reflection. The unexamined world, meanwhile, drifts blindly into the future.’” [Os Guinness] “The opinions of a great writer that are accepted by the majority of people can have a deep influence and may be an obstacle to the understanding of real truth. Divine truth may be revealed in the chatter of children, or in the ravings of madmen, or in the conversations of simple people. Conversely, degenerate thoughts can be found in books which are considered great, or even sacred.” [Tolstoy] “The super train from “Let a man do right, not trouble himself about worthless opinion, the less he heeds tongues, the less difficult will he find it to love men.” [George MacDonald] Opinions are like belly buttons – everyone has one. [Jim] Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ...it is no longer that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me.” [Gal. 2 “The Message.”] “He is a man of an unbounded stomach, ever ranking himself with princes; His own opinion is his law; in thy presence he would say untruths, and be ever double both in his words and meaning.” [Shakespear, Henry VIII] “One must judge men, not by their opinions, but by what their opinions have made of them.” [Lichtenberg] “The world is ruled by force, not by opinion, but opinion uses force.” [Pascal] “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.” Prov 18:2 KJV “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions.” Prov 18:2 NIV He has no good design in it, only that his heart may discover itself, that he may have something to make a show with, something wherewith to varnish his folly, that that may pass off the better, because he loves to hear himself talk. [Matthew Henry's Commentary] Another form of egotism. In "understanding," i.e., self-knowledge, the "fool" finds no pleasure; but self-assertion, talking about himself and his own opinions, is his highest joy. [Barnes' Notes] The verb chaapeets to bend oneself to something, to be inclined to something is here the intelligence which consists in the understanding of one's own deficiency, and of that which is necessary to meet it. The inclination of the fool goes not out after such intelligence, but only that his heart, i.e., the understanding which he thinks that he already possesses, may reveal itself, show itself publicly. He thinks thereby to show himself in his true greatness, and to render a weighty service to the world. This loquacity of the fool, proceeding from self- satisfaction, without self-knowledge, has already, Prov “People are usually more firmly convinced that their opinions are precious than that they are true.” [Santayana] “Opinions have vested interests just as men have.” [ “The three most important things to a man are: his private parts, his money and his religions opinions.” [ “If you want to discover your true opinion of anybody, observe the impression made on you by the first sight of a letter from him.” [Schopenhauer] “The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye; the more light you pour upon it, the more it will contract.” [O.W. Holmes] “Most ignorance is vincible ignorance. We don’t know because we don’t want to know.” [A. Huxley] “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” [II Cor. 10:5] “Imaginations” is probably used here in the sense of device, and refers to all the plans of a wicked world; the various systems of false philosophy; and the reasonings of the enemies of the gospel. The various systems of false philosophy were so intrenched that they might be called the stronghold of the enemies of God. The foes of Christianity pretend to a great deal of reason, and rely on that in resisting the gospel “Every exalted opinion” respecting the dignity and purity of human nature; all the pride of the human heart and of the understanding. All this is opposed to the knowledge of God, and all exalts itself into a vain self-confidence. People entertain vain and unfounded opinions respecting their own excellency, and they feel that they do not need the provisions of the gospel and are unwilling to submit to God. |