What is a shibboleth?
Shibboleths are tests of faith to make sure someone is really “one of us.” The English word comes from the unusual story in the book of Judges:
The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No," they said, "All right, say `Shibboleth'." If he said, "Sibboleth", because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time (Judges 12:5-6).
At the fords of the Jordan, death was the penalty for mispronunciation!
The word שִׁבּוֹלֶת (šibbōleth) is Hebrew, meaning “ear of corn” or “flowing stream.” But because of the so-called Assyrian shift (š to s), in time some people groups were no longer about to pronounce the š. Instead, they said סִבֹּ֗לֶת (śibbōleth). While “shibboleth" is a nonsense word—not Hebrew at all. Shibboleth, in English, more or less means a password.
Modern shibboleths may come in the form of terminology. We may be suspicious of people who don’t say “discipling partner,” “quiet time,” etc. (Others are suspicious of those who do!) Or practices. Perhaps instrumental music (or à cappella), use of small group discussions, or even a adhering to the KJV or NIV. Some judge us on whether we permit or oppose the consumption of alcohol, or whether we observe the Sabbath. Shibboleths can also be opinions: how long the Sunday sermon should run, or how communion is to be celebrated, or matters of church governance. It is fine to have preferences, but to try to force that on others is not right. Despite the rather dynamic picture that emerges from the pages of the New Testament, we may prefer rules and guidelines that are rigid, inflexible. Or creeds. Some churches feel fine about signing documents; others do not. Yet unless the scriptures require a thing, we have no right to bind it on others. As with terminology, practices, and mere opinions, the word of God alone is our authority. No other document ought to hold any divine sway over our hearts or minds.
