During times of crisis (whether perceived or real isn’t the issue) there’s always two camps that unbalanced perspective produces. I have dubbed them “The Hysterics” and “The Gnostics.” Let’s consider these individually and then we’ll wrap up with a Bible-based conclusion. At the writing of this blog, the world is just coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, where countries are now trying to get back to some state of normalcy again. While this has all been an inconvenience, I’ve learned to love times like this because they reveal the estate of mankind and what the pus looks like when you squeeze him like a pimple (I know that’s gross and some of you are reading this over breakfast on a Saturday morning, but it’s a great analogy, sadly).
First, we have The Hysterics. These are the folks who, at the slightest sign of pressure, fold like a house of cards. If you observe their lives, they essentially remain in a state of constant fear, worry, and anxiety. In a sense, they are addicts to their own hysteria – it’s all they’ve known and so it’s become their norm. There’s a stickiness to it. For believers, this is very much contrary to the Word of God. For example:
Cast your burden on the LORD,and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
— Psalm 55:22
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:6-7
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
— 1 Peter 5:7
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
— Matthew 6:34
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
— John 14:27
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,but a good word makes him glad.
— Proverbs 12:25
The Bible is full of reasons why hysteria isn’t a good option under distress; it only proves that a person lacks faith in God’s Word. That lack of faith can be the result of several things, beginning with willful ignorance (as mentioned earlier, for some of the folks in this camp, this high-tension estate is all they’ve ever known), but it also may be that they are just immature in the faith, being new believers. Whatever the case may be, without any condemnation in my voice, my advice is they humbly submit to the Word of God and be delivered from their fear and anxiety. Over time, as God sanctifies them in the Truth (ala John 17:17), they will surely be set free from their bondage to hysteria.
To me, The Hysterics are easy to understand and even sympathize with – we humans tend to fear the unknown or things we just don’t understand. It’s The Gnostics that drive a pastor like me berserk. The Bible speaks to this erroneous camp as well. In fact, the Apostles of Jesus Christ were constantly having to fight against these types of people. What makes this group particularly gnarly to deal with is that they are equipped with enough Bible doctrine to be dangerous. The word “sophomore” comes immediately to mind (sophos means “wise” + morosmeans “moron”) – “wise morons.” The Gnostics are the wise morons in the unbalanced group during times of crisis.
The Gnostics reveal a base truth about themselves; they strive to be relevant. But here’s the thing – their folly renders them irrelevant on the grand stage, becoming merely white noise to folks who truly understand what the Bible has to say about peace and contentment. Shouting from the rooftops that you know when Jesus is coming back because of a string of earthquakes or a pandemic simply proves your ignorance. Here’s what Jesus, the Messiah, had to say about that kind of speculation, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Some of these wise morons have the audacity to disturb the Body of Christ with their vanity, for they proclaim to “see” things that even Jesus, Himself, said he didn’t have insight into.
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
— 1 Timothy 6:3-5
When it comes to The Gnostics, Paul hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing” (v4). That’s pretty much the epitaph of every vain profession of spiritual insight and knowledge of God that the typical gnostic makes. In their search for relevance they discredit themselves. In fact, the original Greek language translated “unhealthy craving” in v4 means “mentally or spiritually diseased” (Strong’s).
Such men are proud. They profess to have superior knowledge, but actually they know nothing. As Paul mentioned previously, they do not know what they are talking about…The word obsessed [“unhealthy craving” in the ESV] literally means to be sick. These men are not spiritually healthy, and instead of teaching healthful words, as in the previous verse, they teach words that produce sick saints. They raise various questions that are not spiritually edifying…Since the things they talk about are not matters of Bible doctrine, there is no way of settling them decisively. As a result, their teaching stirs up envy, strife, reviling, and evil suspicions.
— MacDonald on 1 Timothy 6:4
Beware of gnostic thinking, my friends. I’ve got a few folks in my church who get carried away themselves and it drives me crazy. God squeezes a pimple and everyone becomes an expert regarding prophecy and conspiracy theories. Geez, and all this time I thought Jesus knew what He was talking about (wink-wink). Not every plague or natural disaster is a “sign of the times,” my friends. Stop looking for things that aren’t there. Might certain goings-on be judgments from God? You bet; but even if that’s true, we don’t know specifically what God is responding to, only generally, namely sin. As Paul wrote, the “disease” exists in the heads of this camp. Am I condemning anyone here? May it never be! I’m just doing my God-ordained job of shepherding unsuspecting sheep away from moronic thinking. God is using yours truly as an instrument of righteousness to protect you from ungodliness that leads to bondage.
As we look back on this era of our lives, I encourage you to remember this blog. There are always two camps that stray from the balanced truth we find in the Word of God, The Hysterics and The Gnostics. Both lack faith and wisdom, which means that both are dangerous to your peace. Do not partake in their folly, lest you be sucked in and robbed of the blessings that God has reserved for those with true wisdom living happily and faithfully.
I guess maybe a practical way of thinking about this is in terms of fruit. Hysteria stirs up fear and gnosticism stirs up strife. Are either of these fruits godly???
Isn’t it good fruit that we’re seeking to produce? Don’t let the simple fact that God doesn’t disclose everything to us, including every reason why certain things happen in this world, drive you to fear or strife; rather, do as the Word of God suggests – have faith. If you really want stability in your life, you’ll do as Paul suggested, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). In other words, find the centerline, my friends, and avoid falling into either ditch on the sides of the way that leads to life, for this is profitable for you and for the Body of Christ.
The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
— Titus 3:8-11
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins