📖 Biblical Definition
Scripture teaches that truth is not defined by whether it "works" but by whether it corresponds to reality as God has revealed it. Jesus said "I am the truth" (John 14:6) -- truth is personal, objective, and grounded in God's nature, not in human utility. Pragmatism's fatal flaw is that evil often "works" in the short term: Pharaoh's oppression built cities; Judas's betrayal fulfilled prophecy. But effectiveness does not equal righteousness. God calls His people to faithfulness, not to results. "Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2) -- not successful, not efficient, but faithful. The biblical alternative to pragmatism is obedience that trusts God with the outcomes.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Not found in Webster 1828 (coined late 19th century).
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Pragmatism as a formal philosophical system was not established until the late 1870s by Charles Peirce and later popularized by William James. Webster 1828 does not contain the term. However, the pragmatic impulse -- "does it work?" as the test of truth -- is as old as the serpent's argument in Eden, where the practical benefit ("you will be like God") was used to override the clear command of God.
📖 Key Scripture
• John 14:6 — "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."
• 1 Corinthians 4:2 — "It is required of stewards that they be found faithful."
• Proverbs 14:12 — "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."
• Isaiah 55:8-9 — "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Pragmatism is the operating philosophy of the seeker-sensitive church movement.
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Pragmatism has deeply infected the modern church. The seeker-sensitive movement explicitly adopted pragmatic methodology: survey the community, find out what people want, and give it to them. If it fills the building, it must be from God. If it grows the budget, it must be blessed. This replaces the question "Is it biblical?" with "Does it work?" The result is churches that are effective organizations but unfaithful to Scripture -- broad but shallow, popular but powerless. Jesus did not measure success pragmatically. He said things that drove crowds away (John 6:66). He chose a path that led to a cross, not a throne. Faithfulness to truth, not effectiveness of method, is the measure of Christian ministry.
Usage
• "Pragmatism asks 'Does it work?' -- Scripture asks 'Is it true?' These are fundamentally different questions."
• "The seeker-sensitive church is pragmatism in ecclesiastical dress: the method is determined by the market, not by the Master."
• "Jesus drove crowds away with hard truth (John 6:66) -- by pragmatic standards, He was a failure."