No one image or metaphor is adequate to describe conscience. As much as anything else, conscience is the ability to put yourself in the place of others and to look at yourself through the eyes of others. This ability is presupposed by Jesus’ injunction, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and Prophets." (Mt. 7:12 NIV)

Jesus‘ "Golden Rule" commands that our human capacity to assume a standpoint outside ourselves be exercised with humility (looking back on ourselves) and not with arrogance (looking down on others).

Arrogance was the chief sin of the Pharisees. They put themselves in the place of God and presumed to look down on others through the eyes of God. They succumbed to the temptation to "be as gods" in the eyes of others. (Gen. 3:5 KJV). Jesus set explicit parameters on this, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Mt. 7:1-2 NIV).

look at yourself through the eyes of an Other.

The source of the Pharisee’s sin was their pride in the law. History demonstrated that neglecting the law would lead to judgment. The Pharisees were determined to defend the law. Forgetting the Spirit of the law, they adhered to its letter. That is why their eyes were veiled. Their consciences were shaped by the letter of the law and not by a Spirit of love. (2 Cor. 3:1-18)

For Pharisees, the law became an idol. It was their standard of perfection. Measuring fidelity to the law required increasingly detailed and narrow interpretations of its meaning. Then the interpretations were enforced as law. By the time Jesus came, their consciences were so insensitive to the Truth that they refused to believe that the age had come when the law would be written on human hearts. Jesus had rejected their interpretations and claimed to fulfill the law. Impossible, in Pharisee eyes, and dangerous. With the certainty of consciences shaped by law and measured by reason, they judged it better that "one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." (John 11:50 NIV)

With this in mind, it may be possible to identify the distraction that could be diverting Baptists’ attention from God’s voice in our consciences. Baptists are people of the book. The Bible is the world in which we live and move and have our being. We take pride in the Bible. Too much pride.

The chief sin among Baptists is our inordinate pride in the Bible. History, we are told, demonstrates that neglecting the Bible leads to judgment. Baptists have determined to defend the Bible. Forgetting the Spirit that gives life, we adhere to the letter that kills. (2 Cor. 3:6) Now, our eyes are being veiled because our consciences are being shaped by the law more than by the gospel.

to assume a standpoint outside ourselves

be exercised with humility (looking back on ourselves)

In essence, for Baptists, the Bible has become an idol. The Bible, more than Jesus, is our standard of perfection. Measuring fidelity to the Bible is requiring increasingly detailed and narrow interpretations of its meaning. These interpretations are being approved as confessions and enforced as creeds. We are in danger of becoming so insensitive to the Truth that if the Lord were to lead some professors to reject an approved interpretation, we would deny them an opportunity to teach.

How can we be sure that has not already happened?

Does it matter?