Private Judgment # 1

Private Judgment # 1

"Prove all things - hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

There were three great doctrines or principles which won the battle of the Protestant Reformation. These three were:

1. the sufficiency and supremacy of Holy Scripture.

2. the right of private judgment, and

3. justification by faith only, without deeds of the law.

These three principles were the keys of the whole controversy between the Reformers and the Church of Rome. If we keep firm hold of them when we argue with a Roman Catholic, our position is unassailable - no weapons that the Church of Rome can forge against us will prosper. If we give up any one of them, our cause is lost. Like Samson, with his hair shorn - our strength is gone. Like the Spartans, betrayed at Thermopylae - we are outflanked and surrounded. We cannot maintain our ground. Resistance is useless. Sooner or later we shall have to lay down our arms, and surrender at discretion.

Let us carefully remember this. The Roman Catholic controversy is upon us once more. We must put on the old armor, if we would not have our faith overthrown. The sufficiency of Holy Scripture - the right of private judgment - justification by faith only - these are the three great principles to which we must always cling. Let us grasp them firmly, and never let them go.

One of the three great principles to which I have referred, appears to me to stand forth in the verse of Scripture which heads this paper. I mean the right of private judgment. I wish to say something about that principle. The Holy Spirit, by the mouth of Paul, says to us, "Prove all things. Hold fast that which is good." In these words, we have two great truths: 

1. The right, duty, and necessity of private judgment: "Prove all things."

2. The duty and necessity of keeping firm hold upon truth: "Hold fast that which is good."

In this paper, I propose to dwell a little on both these points.

Let me speak first, of the right, duty, and necessity of private judgment. "Prove all things."

When I say the right of private judgment, I mean that every individual Christian has a right to judge for himself by the Word of God, whether that which is put before him as religious truth, is God's truth, or is not.

When I say the duty of private judgment, I mean that God requires every Christian man to use the right of which I have just spoken - to compare man's words and man's writings with God' revelation, and to make sure that he is not deluded and taken in by false teaching.

And when I say the necessity of private judgment, I mean this - that it is absolutely needful for every Christian who loves his soul and would not be deceived - to exercise the right, and discharge the duty to which I have referred; seeing that experience shows that the neglect of private judgment has always been the cause of immense evils in the Church of Christ.

Now, the Apostle Paul urges all these three points upon our notice when he uses these remarkable words, "Prove all things." I ask particular attention to that expression. In every point of view it is most weighty and instructive.

Here, we must remember, the Apostle Paul is writing to the Thessalonians - to a Church which he himself founded. Here is an inspired Apostle writing to young inexperienced Christians - writing to the whole professing Church in a certain city, containing laity as well as clergy - writing, too, with especial reference to matters of doctrine and preaching, as we know by the verse preceding the text; "Despise not prophesyings."

And yet mark what he says, "Prove all things." He does not say, "Whatever Apostles - whatever evangelists, pastors, and teachers - whatever your ministers tell you is truth, that you are to believe." No! he says, "Prove all things." He does not say, "Whatever the universal Church pronounces true, that you are to hold." No! he says, "Prove all things."

The principle laid down is this: "Prove all things by the Word of God - all ministers, all teaching, all preaching, all doctrines, all sermons, all writings, all opinions, all practices - prove all by the Word of God.

Measure all by the measure of the Bible.

Compare all with the standard of the Bible.

Weigh all in the balances of the Bible.

Examine all by the light of the Bible.

Test all in the crucible of the Bible.

~J. C. Ryle~

(continued with # 2)