Iron Sharpens Iron (Unless You Disagree with the Pastor) Why Critical Thinking Is Unwelcome in Most Churches Today

Iron Sharpens Iron (Unless You Disagree with the Pastor) Why Critical Thinking Is Unwelcome in Most Churches Today 

You’ve probably heard the slogans:

“Iron sharpens iron.”

“Semper Reformanda.”

“Be a Berean.”

They sound bold and biblical. They're plastered on church bulletins, bumper stickers, and men’s ministry banners. But for most congregations, they’re just empty phrases—cool to say, but completely ignored when it counts. Because the moment you actually think critically, ask hard questions, or—God forbid—disagree with the pastor, you find out real quick: you’re not sharpening iron. You’re being a problem.

The Real Church Culture: Regurgitate, Don’t Reflect

In most churches, critical thinking isn’t encouraged. It’s tolerated only as long as it stays within the boundaries of what's already been approved from the pulpit. The unspoken rule is clear:

“You can ask questions... as long as the answers don’t challenge our statement of faith, denominational tradition, or how we’ve always interpreted this passage.”

Which means you're not thinking—you’re regurgitating. You're not growing—you're just getting better at defending someone else’s conclusions.

“Be a Berean”—As Long As You Don’t Question Anything That Matters

Acts 17 praises the Bereans for checking Paul’s message against Scripture. But let’s be honest: today, if you took a pastor’s sermon and actually held it up to Scripture—and found something off—you’d likely be labeled divisive, rebellious, or “on a dangerous path.”

People love the idea of the Bereans… until you 

start acting like one. In practice, most churches treat “being a Berean” like this:

✔️ Cross-reference a verse in your devotional.

❌ Re-examine eschatology, ecclesiology, or the nature of the gospel.

❌ Suggest maybe the church’s end-times chart or their view of Hell might need rethinking.

Then you’re no longer a Berean. You're now a threat.

“Semper Reformanda”—A Reformation No One Wants

“Always Reforming” sounds powerful. But the modern church isn't interested in reformation. It’s interested in maintenance. It wants a reformation that happened 500 years ago and froze in time—something we can honor in a creed or a conference, but not something that upends our assumptions today.

Try reforming your view of:

Hell (maybe it’s not eternal conscious torment).

The Second Coming (maybe it’s already been fulfilled).

Salvation (maybe it’s not about escaping earth but embodying Christ here and now).

You’ll quickly find out that “Semper Reformanda” doesn’t actually apply. The church wants a polished echo chamber, not a genuine conversation.

Real Iron-Sharpening Feels Like Friction

Let’s remember: iron sharpening iron is violent. It causes sparks. It involves heat, pressure, resistance—not polite nods in a Sunday school circle. If nobody’s uncomfortable, nobody’s sharpening. So let’s stop pretending we want critical thinking if we’re not willing to engage with it. Let’s stop parroting slogans about iron and Bereans and reformation if all we really want is tradition dressed up as spiritual maturity.

Time to Choose: Comfort or Growth?

You can either keep your seat warm and your theology safe…Or you can start asking questions, challenging assumptions, and walking the narrow road of spiritual integrity—even if it costs you your place in the club. Because at the end of the day, truth isn’t afraid of questions.

And if your church is, maybe it’s not truth they’re protecting—it’s the system.