7/10/78; 8/6/78; Rev 329 1/25/83

DOCTRINE OF TRAGIC FLAW

A. Definition and Description.

1. Fifth century B.C. Athenian Greek drama used the term tragic flaw for the weakness of the main character. It referred to a weakness which led to the tragedy of the drama.

2. In doctrine, the term is used for the flaw in the character of the believer who thinks he is positive, but the flaw hinders him from learning doctrine. Whatever keeps you from the intake of doctrine is your tragic flaw.

B. The tragic flaw is based on failure to distinguish between essentials and non-essentials in life.

1. Essentials of the Christian life are related to Bible doctrine and its application. The non-essentials of life include all other subjects, concepts, ideas, and actions.

2. Reality in the Christian life is defined as being inflexible where the essentials are concerned and being flexible where the non-essentials are concerned. Lack of reality comes from being flexible in the essentials, and inflexible in the non-essentials of life. 3. Only perception of doctrine can sort out the essentials from the non-essentials and provide the true perspective.

C. Tragic Flaw #1: The Non-Essential Image.

1. By the time people have become physically mature, they have erected a system of emulation, an idol in their soul, an image they admire. This sets up false norms and standards in the soul.

2. This image is related to the norms and standards of conscience in such a way as to be their goal in life, and system of emulation. They seek to gain their norms and standards from this image in their soul.

3. This can be illustrated by the woman who creates an image by being stage struck. She emulates to the point of distraction from the realities of life. Or a male through arrogance creates an image of masculinity through some stupid and strong clod he admires.

4. Being inflexible about such a non-essential image results in distortion in life. A kind, thoughtful man becomes insensitive and thoughtless by emulation of the image he worships in his soul.

5. By becoming inflexible in the non-essential image, arrogance begins to rule the life. The victim of arrogance divorces himself from reality. He abandons his own norms and standards of morality and establishment as he charges the windmills of inflexibility in non-essentials.

D. Tragic Flaw #2: The Arrogant Presumption Pattern.

1. This is an arrogance problem in areas where people are successful. Because of their success, they make erroneous conclusions that they are experts in fields in which they aren’t even qualified to express an opinion.

2. They become arrogant over their success in one field, and their arrogance forces them into opinions about subjects they know nothing.

3. It is difficult for successful people to put themselves under discipline and learn doctrine.

4. The news media has contributed to this by interviewing people on subjects they know nothing about.

5. Greatness in one category of life does not mean greatness in another area of life, and only arrogance presumes this unreality. This is why a general has a staff.

E. Tragic Flaw #3: The Assumption that a Good Personality Equals a Great Person.

1. The real person is in the soul. Personality may hide or reveal what is in the soul, but it is no index to anything. A good personality is not greatness.

2. Personality can disguise the real person.

3. Personality is not to be downgraded, just put into proper perspective. Personality is not an index of the soul. Good personality is a non-essential.

4. The essential is the function of the soul in honor and integrity. The essential is the thought content of the soul. The believer must be flexible about the non-essentials of personality and inflexible about doctrine in his soul.

5. This attitude toward what is essential and what is non-essential provides the person with a low-keyed personality, and the same opportunity in evaluation as the “good personality” type.

6. This applies to how you rate a pastor and his message. The message is the essential, not the personality. Many a pastor with a great personality never settles down and perseveres in studying.

F. Tragic Flaw #4: Arrogant Subjectivity in Overemphasis of Personal Problems when Listening to Bible Doctrine Being Taught.

1. If your problems are on your mind while listening to doctrine being taught, you won’t hear anything; you’ll just be trying to make the doctrine fit into your problems. You must have self-discipline to set your problems aside before listening to the teaching of the Word of God.

2. Bible doctrine is the essential of life, which demands perception and inflexibility in determining the reality in life. What Bible doctrine says is reality to you, 2 Pet 1:20-21. Experience is wrong. Reality can only be determined by what is taught in the Word of God. 3. Personal problems are non-essentials, which demand the application of doctrine, and at the same time flexibility, regulation, and restraint when involved in the function of GAP.

a. You must restrain yourself, and not think about your problems when listening to the teaching of Bible doctrine. You don’t learn doctrine when thinking about your problems.

b. If you think your problem is more important than anything else in life, you are inflexible about your personal problem, therefore disassociated from reality.

4. Personal problems must not be a distraction to objectivity when under Bible teaching.

a. You can’t think about your problems and hear doctrine at the same time. Everyone has problems. You must be flexible with your personal problems.

b. You’ll always have problems, so you have to be flexible. Use your self-discipline to check them at the door before entering Bible class.

c. Self-centeredness is training yourself to think only about your problems. You must learn when not to and when to think about your problems. The Holy Spirit provides the self-discipline.

5. Under the principle of self-discipline, the believer must be regulated by the filling of the Holy Spirit to approach doctrine with objectivity and concentration.

6. Authority orientation demands that Bible teaching overrule preoccupation with personal problems.

7. The filling of Holy Spirit restrains occupation with personal problems as a non-essential during Bible class.

a. Rom 12:3, “Stop thinking of self in terms of arrogance beyond what you ought to think...”

b. When you think of your problems during Bible class, you are an arrogant person and have distracted yourself. Subjectivity indicates negative volition. You need what is taught every night. It is a system of doctrine.

c. “But think in terms of sanity [objectivity] for the purpose of being rational without illusion.” This means being inflexible in the essentials and flexible in the non-essentials.

8. In church, all personal problems become non-essentials. Personal problems are a distraction to your objectivity. You become an opportunist seeking to distort doctrine, so that you can rationalize and therefore remove your problem.

9. Concentration on personal problems is tantamount to inflexibility in non-essentials.

10. In fulfilling the function of GAP, the believer must understand the interpretation of a Scripture in terms of grammar, syntax, exegesis, isagogics and contextual application rather than personal application.

11. By failure to set aside your problems, you inject arrogance into the function of GAP and the result is subjectivity in your approach to the Word of God.

12. Inflexibility in the non-essentials divorces you from reality of what the passage is actually teaching, not what you would like it to teach.

13. Correct interpretation of doctrine is an essential. Subjective distortion of doctrine to justify self or to solve personal problems is a non-essential.

14. It becomes arrogant presumption and subjectivity to presume that every Scripture is related to your current personal problems.

15. Consequently, instead of objectivity in approaching doctrinal teaching for the purpose of receiving the correct interpretation, you subjectively distort what you hear to relate it to your immediate problems, so that your approach to teaching is subjective and you do not profit from the teaching.

16. This tragic flaw neutralizes your positive volition and hinders your spiritual advance. It produces both self-centeredness and sociopathic reversionism.

17. To be inflexible about the essentials and flexible about the non- essentials, the believer must comply with 2 Cor 10:5. “Assaulting and demolishing cosmic thoughts and every obstacle of pride which attacks the objective knowledge of God. Even making a prisoner of every human viewpoint system of thought to the authority of Christ.”

18. It is negative volition to not concentrate when doctrine is taught. You are saying that your problems are greater than God’s ability, and that your problems are more important than Bible doctrine. You have set yourself above God, which is arrogance.

G. Psychological Recognitions of the Tragic Flaw.

1. A sociopath. The norms and standards of conscience are necessary for orientation to reality. The sociopath is devoid of true norms and standards of conscience. His often anti-social behavior becomes a tragic flaw in which reality is the illusion of his self-centered modus operandi.

2. The neurotic is distorted in his disorientation to reality. He fantasizes. He relates to reality, but always it is a relationship to interpersonal conflict, therefore not quite with the concept of reality. The emotional instability of the neurotic becomes his tragic flaw. He doesn’t have the perseverance to stick with doctrine.

3. The psychotic. He is totally divorced from reality. He cannot tolerate the demands of his environment. The resultant stress becomes his tragic flaw.

4. Abnormal types see reality as a non-essential. Therefore, they are out of touch with it. Christians divorce themselves from reality by expecting God to instantly stop the problem. They want instant solutions. Therefore they are abnormal.

5. Abnormal Christians do not see the problems of life as being just as much a part of life as the blessing of life. They want everything done their way. They are self-centered. 6. There are two kinds of abnormal Christians.

a. Those who although divorced from reality can carry on with their jobs.

b. Those who cannot.

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