State of the Church: The Celtic Revival (16)
What, I ask, is this so frivolous and so uneducated judgement, which is based on no proofs from holy Scripture?…if men are permitted to add anything of themselves to the divine appointment, I question whether it may not perhaps seem contrary to the judgement of Deuteronomy: Behold, it says, the word which I command thee, thou shalt neither add to it nor diminish it.
– Columbanus, Letter to Pope Gregory
You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
– Deuteronomy 4.2
From Ireland to Gaul
Columbanus, the great teacher at the monastery in Bangor, Ireland, sailed with twelve companions to Gaul—modern day France—in 587, smack in the middle of the Celtic Revival. They were aware of the situation of the Church in Gaul, and they hoped to provide support and training for young men.
It was not long before opposition arose to their mission from within the Church in Gaul. The first issue of difference was the date of Easter. Columbanus and his team followed the Irish tradition, which they firmly believed adhered to the teaching of Scripture. (They believed it, but they were not necessarily correct.) The churches in Gaul followed the Athanasian schedule which was adopted by churches in the West in the mid-fourth century (Though the Eastern churches were more in line with the Irish reckoning). The dates did not align, and Columbanus determined not to give in to the pressure to deny what he had always believed was a Biblical teaching, unless he could be persuaded by Scripture. The Catholics could not.
As there was no reasoning with the clergy in Gaul—everybody knew they were right—Columbanus decided to write to their boss in Rome, Pope Gregory. Not that Columbanus considered himself under the authority of the pope in Rome. He did not. The Irish Church was an independent catholic Church which had no titular head. Columbanus wrote to Gregory because he thought the pope might be amenable to an argument from Scripture. He was not.
This first controversy led to many others, all based on the Irish determination to stand on the Word of God. The end of these controversies, after more than thirty years of ministry, saw the expulsion of Columbanus from Gaul. The clergy in Gaul would not listen to the teaching of Scripture. They were comfortable in their callings and in good standing with local rulers. Why risk tipping the boat?
So, with the help of the local king, they put Columbanus and his team on a boat and shipped them anywhere east out of Gaul.
Whatever it costs
This expulsion was not the first. Shortly after his arrival in Gaul—and after he had founded two monasteries filled with eager young scholars—Columbanus was exiled back to Ireland by a local monarch. He had offended the king by being a stickler about his marriage and concubines and illegitimate children and why couldn’t Columbanus just go along with everyone else and baptize those kids?
He was put on a ship and sent homeward. Except that the ship ran aground and Columbanus and his fellow exiles took up residence in anther the jurisdiction of another local king, where his ministry continued to flourish.
Columbanus would not compromise what he understood the Scriptures to teach. He demanded strict adherence to the Word of God in all things—of himself, his team, his students and monks, the local Catholic clergy, the kings of Gaul, and even the pope.
Taking our stand on Scripture can be costly. People might sneer or mock our “out-of-date” beliefs, views, and ways. Compromised fellow Christians might try to cool down our ardor for truth. Rejection, denunciations, and worse can happen when we proclaim the Word of God or take our stand squarely on its truth.
But, like Luther would say nearly a thousand years after Columbanus, “Here I stand, I can do no other. God help me.” And God will help us when we stand on His Word, when we insist on the truth of the Gospel, when we speak out against the lies and deceptions and corruptions of our day.
But speak out we must. And to that end, immersing ourselves in God’s Word—just as Columbanus did—must also be our daily practice.
For Reflection
1. How should you prepare to deal with any opposition to your Biblical views and beliefs?
2. Is your time in the Word sufficient to prepare you to face adversity?
Psalm 119.23, 24
Open My Eyes: Open My Eyes, That I May See
Princes oppose me day by day, for I continue in Your way.
I will Your statutes hold in my mind. What great delight in them I find!
LORD, let Your testimonies be light on my path to counsel me.
LORD, what delight You bring to me out of Your Word!
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision series on “The Church” we look at David as an example of a visionary leader. Our Read Moore podcast is working through our book, The Kingdom Turn. The focus of our Scriptorium daily study is on “Matthew: The Coming of the Kingdom.” Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
