Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy

Recently I’ve been confronted with reading material and a seminar that has challenged my long term belief systems. No, I’m not throwing everything out and redefining my theology. Instead, my theology has been expanded, stretched, and challenged to make me look at my religion in a new way. The title of this week’s blog is from a sermon I did a couple of weeks ago and since I that time, I’ve read two different books that have used the same concepts.

Let me first deal with definitions. Orthodoxy, as found in the term Orthodox Church, means right thinking. Orthopraxy on the other hand means right doing. These two are not in contrast to each other but should be in harmony. Unfortunately Christians today spend most of their time and energy on orthodoxy. Let me share a quote from one of the books I recently read regarding the three great religions that have descended from Abraham: “It must also be recalled that beliefs and doctrines are not as important in Islam as they are in Christianity. Like Judaism, Islam is a religion that requires people to live in a certain way, rather than to accept certain creedal propositions. It stresses orthopraxy rather than orthodoxy." (Armstrong 2002, 66)[1]

Othropraxy, or right doing or behaving seems to be a missing element in Christianity. But it is and was a major component of Judaism, or the chosen people of God; the people to whom the Messiah came. Modern Christians have a hard time understanding how the Pharisees and Sadducees could work together in the Sanhedrin with such differing theological positions but this view helps us to see that what they believed was less important than how they lived their lives.
It seems that what you do is more important than what you believe! How you live your life speaks volumes regarding your belief system. The interesting thing about this is a Bible verse that comes to mind. Revelation 20:13 (NIV) says: “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.” Notice it doesn’t say you are judged by what you know, it says you are judged by what you do!

Another verse that comes to mind is dealing with a parable Jesus taught regarding the second coming and judgment. The parable is found in Luke 12 starting in verse 37. But I want to reflect on the commentary that Jesus gives regarding this parable found in verses 47 & 48. Jesus says: “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. "

To whom much has been entrusted, much will be asked. In this parable Jesus is speaking of both orthodoxy (knowledge given to people through God’s revelation) and orthopraxy (what you did with that knowledge). From this I must conclude that the pagan who lives and behaves up to the level of knowledge he is given through nature (Romans 1:18-20 speaks clearly of this) is better off than the Christian who has access to Scripture but refuses to do what Scripture says.

This is pretty heavy for a blog I know, but it is Biblical and this is where I’m being stretched. As Christians we have an obligation to live what we have been shown through Scripture. In fact, the parable of the sheep and the goats is quite clear on this matter. The separation of the sheep and goats is not based on what they believed, but on what they did with what they understood. How does the Gospel impact your actions? That is the question in the judgment. To say you are a Christian and to act like a heathen is misrepresenting God.

Why is this line of thinking pressing me at this time you might ask? Well it has a lot to do with a seminar I attended and the subsequent reading I did afterward. The seminar was on Islam and a Christian’s response. I was blown away by some of the concepts presented. Imagine that God loves Muslims and is working right now in their culture for their salvation! This is where the rubber meets the road. Many Muslims are living their faith (orthopraxy) better than most Christians!

We look down on some customs and teaching of the Islamic faith as barbaric; but what do they think of us? When you mention a Christian to a Muslim, they think swine eating, wine guzzling, adulterers. That’s their definition of a Christian. What does that image convey to you? What image should they have of Christians? Maybe Christians should be known for our modesty, our temperance and our healthy life styles as indicated by our Holy Book.

I want to use an illustration that might shock or trouble some of you. It has to do with the Catholic Church’s teaching on lent and the eating of meat on Friday. Whether you agree with this teaching or not is not the issue or the point I’m trying to make. Below is the news article found on the web on Tuesday, March 13, 2007. Read it and see if you can find out why this illustrates my point.

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Catholics Denied Hot Dogs For Home Opener
First game falls on Good Friday. Bishop won't grant dispensation to eat meat at Jacobs Field.
By Darren Toms, Newsradio WTAM 1100Monday, March 12, 2007
(Cleveland) - What's a Catholic to do on opening day? Enjoy a fish sandwich. Cleveland Catholic Diocese Bishop Richard Lennon tells Newsradio WTAM 1100 he will not grant dispensation for Catholics to eat hot dogs at Jacobs Field on opening day. This year, the Indians home opener falls on Good Friday. There was a similar case last year when St. Patrick's Day was held on Friday. Then Bishop Anthony Pilla allowed Catholics to eat corned beef on St. Patrick's Day. This is a tradition that goes back to the 1880's. It varies by diocese on whether to grant dispensation. But while St. Patrick's Day celebrates a saint, the same can't be said for the Cleveland Indians. So for the home opener, Catholics need to limit themselves to things like peanuts and cracker jacks.
(Copyright © 2007 Clear Channel. All rights reserved.)
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It appears from this article that when a teaching of the church or the Bible interferes with our desires or passions, we look for a dispensation. A dispensation only means an exemption from a law or oath. Christians spend all their time looking to define their orthodoxy only to request dispensations as to why they don’t need to practice orthopraxy! Let’s stop looking to define and let’s start living our faith. It seems to me that we should use both orthodoxy to listen to what God says and then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, use orthopraxy to do what God is calling us to do. Let’s hear the voice of God and obey. Not obedience that attempts to gain salvation, but obedience because of the great salvation we have been given. Recent trends in Christianity denigrate obedience as legalism. Was Jesus a legalist? He was obedient to His Father in far greater ways than we can conceive. Shouldn’t Jesus be our example? Having a faith relationship with Jesus is not a dispensation to live a life of rebellion and sin, defining what we want or do not want to do in our lives.

“All of life is a test, a test whether we will do it God’s way, or do it our own way!”

Remember, the issue in the judgment is not how much you know, it’s what have you done in practice with the knowledge you have. Are you following the Lamb wherever He leads or are you following your own sinful desires? There is only one path that leads to eternal life and the Bible says that path is narrow and few will find it (Matt. 7:13, 14).

[1] Armstrong, Karen, Islam; A short history. Chronicles book, 2002