He ventured to mention some doctrines he wanted me to believe. So, naturally, I raised some questions and objections to what he was saying. But confidently, he promised he would bring me a book that spells it all out in good order.
The book did nothing of the sort. Within a few days, I had its margins filled with notes about contradictions―and with references to passages of scripture that seemed, at a plain reading, to refute what the book says―and with questions that could not well be answered while maintaining the book’s various teachings.
So I told my friend about all that, hoping for a rigorous discussion, but to my surprise, he punted the ball, suggesting that I should speak with his pastor, who could explain it all just fine.
But wait a minute, weren’t you the one who ventured to teach me in the first place? If you cannot explain these things, then why are not you and me both in need of going to get help? Why are you not inviting me to go with you to see your pastor?
And wasn’t the book itself supposed to be some reliable authority? If I have questions about the book that you cannot answer, ought you not be pulling up a chair next to me, so that we can dig into this together? Am I missing something here? Are you not a student yourself, but only a book-passer-outer?
Why pass out a book you do not understand, as if for the purpose of helping people to understand? Am I the only one here who finds something amiss in this scenario?
If you have read the book at all, it doesn’t appear it was for the purpose of thinking it through, but, perhaps, of checking it off some to-do list. And it seems you have assumed that I am like you, and would be contented to take somebody else’s word for things he cannot well explain.
You put yourself forward for a moment, and then hid again when the questions started. And it is difficult for me to express how much I disrespect that. Why should you not be responsible for understanding what you promote to others?
