By Martin G. Selbrede

The premise of semper reformanda is that the people of God are to be continually reforming and revising their viewpoints ever closer to the teachings of the Scriptures and away from unbiblical formulations and conceptions that have crept into both doctrine and practice. This is a process that could entail swinging the pendulum back, away from one extreme to another: the truth might possibly lie in the middle. Those who swing the pendulum away from an erroneous position do the church a service, even if they should swing it too far. They have at least opened up a crucial dialogue and ignited a reexamination of what may have been a long-closed matter.

When the pendulum is stuck and nobody knows any different, an error may prevail for centuries. But if the pendulum is forced loose and begins swinging, all observers instinctively know that we will need to exert some effort to prayerfully determine its correct position. Those with vested interests may wish the pendulum put back where it was, and may resist such reforms. If the pendulum was in the Biblically correct position to begin with, that will also come to light.

It is now time to swing a time-honored pendulum away from its traditional position. Pains will be taken not to swing it too far in the opposite direction, but because this particular pendulum has rested for several centuries in a place near and dear to Christian leadership, any attempt to move it will be disconcerting. Moving it may invite strong denunciations in protest. It is very important, therefore, to preempt any misunderstanding or misrepresentation of what will be asserted here. Anticipating and correcting any faulty interpretations of our thesis is the crucial first step. Read the rest of this article...