Humble Orthodoxy: Holding the Truth High Without Putting People Down

Summary:Having a correct understanding of doctrine does not entitle us to be jerks with our knowledge. On the other hand, we should not be wishy-washy with truth for the sake of being nice and accepted. It is vital that we both know the truth and be humble about it. Josh Harris writes more in-depth about this topic in his book “Humble Orthodoxy”.This was a very short book, having only roughly 60 short pages of reading content. It is certainly reasonable to finish this book in one sitting.Josh defines orthodoxy as thinking rightly about God. Too often we pursue knowing about God simply for the sake of having knowledge. When the goal of our orthodoxy is to gain knowledge only, then we become prideful and arrogant. When the goal of our orthodoxy, however, is to gain knowledge so that we might better worship God, then we should be humbled by His holiness and mercy. We need to stand firm on the core truths of the gospel, but we need to do so with grace and gentleness. Simply proving others wrong does not please God. We also need to avoid quarreling over non-essential truths (2 Tim 2:23-25). In the end, it’s not about what we know, but it’s about our attitude in light of what we know.Things I liked about the book:I appreciated Josh supporting his writing with Scripture. Actually, it would be more accurate for me to say that Scripture is the foundation of his writing. I like his way of quoting Scripture and then summarizing it in his own words or re-wording a passage in order to help display its relevance to today. It was very easy to see how his main points were coming directly from the Scriptures referenced.Josh helped me understand that good orthodoxy or good doctrine should lead to humility. When we truly understand doctrine (such as the attributes of God as an example), it should result in us realizing the seriousness of our sin. When we have a solid understanding of the truth in the Bible, we will have nothing to boast about. He made an excellent point that our knowledge is a “dependent knowledge”, meaning that we can only understand anything because God has graciously given us the ability to understand and retain knowledge. Knowing that our knowledge is a gift from God, we should be reluctant to use it to tear others down.Things I did not like about the book:I think the book could have been more effective if Josh had written more stories about actual experiences people had regarding the topic. For example, he could have interviewed people who were impacted in a positive or negative way by the orthodoxy of others. Interviews like this could have helped readers better understand how the concept of “humble orthodoxy” has played a tangible role in other lives.Quotes:“truth matters…but so does our attitude. This is what I mean by humble orthodoxy: we must care deeply about truth, and we must also defend and share this truth with compassion and humility.”“There is nothing more unloving than to be silent in the face of lies that will ruin another person.”“if we make a good thing like correct theology the ultimate end – if being right becomes more important to us than worshiping God – then our theology is not really about God anymore. It’s about us.”“Do you want to keep your orthodoxy humble? Try to live it… Don’t measure yourself by what you know. Measure yourself by your practice of what you know.”Final Thoughts:While I did not find this book ground-breaking, I did find it very helpful, applicable, and humbling. I also believe that the practice of humility discussed in this book can and should be applied to all types of knowledge, not just doctrinal knowledge.I would suggest the following when approaching this book: read the book, underline or mark important sentences or passages as you read, then frequently (or before you read a book about doctrine) pull out this book and review the passages you marked. Reviewing will take just a few minutes and be a good way to remind oneself to remain humble as he/she learns and gains knowledge.

Three years ago, I wrote that "Humble Orthodoxy," the final chapter of Joshua Harris' book  Dug Down Deep: Building Your Life on Truths That Last , was worth the price of the book all by itself. Evidently, I wasn't alone in thinking so!By popular demand, Harris has finally expanded and expounded the contents of that great chapter into its own book, and I'm so glad he did! Humility is sadly lacking in modern discourse, particularly in the realm of theological convictions. While the abundance of attention being given by evangelical authors to getting our doctrine right is a good thing, far less attention has been given to how we ought to contend for the faith.Does God care about the attitude with which we stand for truth? Of course he does! Yet, as Harris points out, "orthodoxy has gotten a bad reputation." We Christians are not exactly known for our compassion and humility when it comes to defending our beliefs.Something has to give. As Harris argues, that something is our pride. We need to stop seeking the approval of men, and start living for the only approval that matters---God's. When we understand that our deeds merit nothing but damnation, and that God's approval is based solely on the obedience of Christ, we cannot be arrogant. This is the heart of true orthodoxy, and it can only be realized in true humility.We don't have to choose between humility and orthodoxy. We need both, and, in fact, each leads to the other. Humble orthodoxy changes the way we relate to others. Instead of puffing ourselves up through comparisons with those we see as more sinful, we should see God's grace as something to be extended to others. Harris writes, "Instead of looking down on the unorthodox, how can we NOT want to humbly lead them toward the same life-giving truth that has changed our lives?"This book is tiny---its 61 pages weighing in at under five ounces---but exhibits an incredible economy of words. Nearly every sentence is worthy of highlighting... no filler material here! Throughout its four chapters, Harris gives examples from Scripture of men who exhibited humble orthodoxy, and shows readers how to develop this godly character in our own lives.There is quite a bit of overlap with the last chapter of Dug Down Deep, but there is easily enough new material to make this book stand on its own merits, even if you have read the "Humble Orthodoxy" chapter that led to it. Its small size and easy readability means this book lends itself to many repeat readings, something I'll be certain to take advantage of whenever I need a good dose of conviction about my pride (which is often!).This is also a perfect little book to give away to young Christians and new theologians, whose "newfound zeal for truth often makes them dangerous," as Harris points out. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open down the road for deals on bulk purchases of this book to go in the giveaway box in my office. It's important to note, though, that as this book is primarily concerned with exhorting readers toward humility rather than establishing orthodoxy, this book alone would not be sufficient to help a new believer achieve humble orthodoxy. To get a good grasp on what orthodoxy is, they will need to consult other resources. For this purpose, Harris' earlier book remains one of my top recommendations.Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Humble Orthodoxy. Reference it frequently. You won't regret it!

I haven't finished it yet but, I believe it has very challanging points that is not only touching leaders, but the Christians who have been long in faith. It certainly touched me

Short, succinct, and well needed message to the evangelical church today. We need to hold onto truth, but that truth should drive us toward humility. We need to love like Jesus did. That love for Jesus ought to drive us to want to know and learn more about Him.

Well worth the read. Very current thinking!