by Alan Langstaff

When I grew up in the 1950s, there was a popular song, “It Takes Two to Tango.” It was recorded by Pearl Bailey in 1952, and it became part of our culture and swept into common use. It was originally linked to dancing, but in common usage, it referred to joint responsibility; a dual effort where both parties are involved.

It may come as a surprise to some people that the same concept, “it takes two to tango” also applies to Scripture and theology. On those occasions, you have to hold two concepts together that at first sight are two separate concepts: in the picture of a ranch fence, either you are on one side or the other. But in actual fact, you have to hold the two together; you can’t sit on the fence. It is not one or the other; it is both. 

So let’s look at some of these cases where “it takes two to tango.”

LOVE & TRUTH

This is one of the cases where it happens to flow over into society. There are many people who want to justify “love” by stating that love is the key. It doesn’t matter if you marry, it can be two males, or two females, the essence of it is “love between two people.” But Scripture teaches both Love and Truth, and we need both. The Truth of Scripture is that male and female together make the basis for marriage.

FAITH & WORKS

This has been an argument going back into Church History. Indeed, the great reformer Martin Luther had such a revelation on faith being necessary for salvation that he played down the concept of works, which at that time was proclaimed. Luther, in turn, wondered why the book of James was in the Bible and described it as a “strawy” epistle. But we need both. We are saved by faith, but we are saved for good works.

FRUIT & GIFTS

Some people will emphasize one or the other. The idea that we need fruit today, but think Gifts of the Spirit were for the early Christian days. John Calvin, another great reformer, did not believe in the spiritual Gifts of the Spirit being for today. He was a cessationist opposed to those who see them as valid for today – continuationist position. In actual fact, we need both.

TIME & ETERNITY

Once again, some people will emphasize living in the present time and consequently do not have a place for prophetic teaching regarding the end times and the concept of heaven and eternity. In actual fact, we have to live our lives out in this present time, but we also have the belief that there is more to life than that. Eternity waits for us all (heaven or hell).

LAW & GRACE

This conflict occurs even in church life. There are people who emphasize law, and life is made up of dos and don’ts, of rules for what to do and what not to do. On the other hand, there are those who emphasize grace and take it too far, and consequently condone all sorts of behavior.

In actual fact, we need both the law that points us to a Savior of grace that makes salvation possible through Jesus Christ and His death on the cross.

HOLY SPIRIT & THE WORD OF GOD

There are those who emphasize the place of the Bible as the foundation of our Christian life. On the other hand, there are people who so value the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit that they go beyond what the Word declares with gifts such as prophecy.

In actual fact, we need both. A bit of doggerel says it all:
“If we only have the word, we will dry up.
If we only have the spirit, we will blow up.
But if we have both, we will grow up.”
Yes, we need both to be emphasized.

So we could go on and see that “it takes two to tango,” often that means holding two apparently opposite concepts together.

EXAMPLE FROM MY LIFE

Let me give you a personal example. I grew up in a Methodist Church, and the Methodist heritage is an emphasis on “free will.” This goes back to John Wesley, and indeed, there were differences between him and George Whitfield, and one was an Arminian and the other was a Calvinist. So I grew up to be an Armenian who believed in the free will of man.

It is as I have grown older that I have come to look back at my life, and I have realized that I also experienced the Sovereign hand of God in my life. So I am now an Arminian Calvinist as I seek to embrace both. Now, to some people, that is “not possible,” but to me, it gives meaning to my life. Let me give you an example.

In early 1971, I received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and I entered into what was called then the Charismatic Renewal. I was soon after involved with some people who had read the book “The Cross and the Switchblade,” which was to story of David Wilkerson and the birth of Teen Challenge. It was felt that someone should go to New York and see Teen Challenge for himself. That lot fell on me, and I planned to go to New York. God supplied a travel companion, an ex-homosexual, and we made plans for the trip.

Then, a number of people contacted me and said they felt I should go to a Catholic Prayer Meeting at Sydney University to hear an Anglican minister who was going to England to work with someone called Michael Harper, who had started a charismatic ministry called “Fountain Trust.” The Anglican minister was from New Zealand, and he was just in Sydney for a few days. In turn, I felt I should go, and I met the minister and arranged to talk to him on the phone the next day.

He told me about Michael Harper and the first European charismatic conference to be held in Guildford that summer, and he urged me to attend. Through that conversation, my life was changed as I revised the plans for the overseas trip, and instead of going simply to New York, we ended up going on a trip around the world.

It was on that trip that the vision for the Temple Trust began, which in turn became the major restoration ministry in Australia. God, I believe, sovereignly arranged that meeting with the Anglican Minister from New Zealand. Consequently, on looking back on my life, I have seen a number of such accounts when God sovereignly acted in my life and ministry.

BEING BALANCED

Even if we have a particular emphasis we should be open to the whole counsel of God. Next week I will repeat an article I wrote on “Balance,” but meanwhile, learn that “it takes two to tango.”