Doctrinal ReCall
The Apostle Paul gives stern advice to his son in the Gospel to maintain the Faith and continue to love in 2 Tim. 1:13-14. My research and experiences over the years has led me to question the basis of where the body of Christ is concerning sound biblical teaching. We are faced with dangerous theological distortions all the time from various sources. Just how do we define what's true or false when everything we know or believe about scripture is challenged by science, history revisionists, and corruption? In the midst of all this though, if we are Christians, it should not shake our faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 3:3).
Not only do we have to worry about the attacks from outside the church, but we must contend with false teachers perverting the truth within the church. The problem is these individuals fall into two categories.
- Ones who knowingly pervert the truth and;
- Those who believe the false truth they have perverted is real.
It's the later group that worries me the most. The self-deceived group that believe they are serving a greater good by distributing poison truth. I had a conversation with a pastor some time ago and it became evident to this person that several doctrinal errors he was teaching were discovered within our conversation. The unfortunate outcome was that he decided to do nothing because it would require too much effort and embarrassment to undo the errors than correct them in his church.
It's this kind of thinking that causes the spread of error that we feel is innocent or not harmful. What if every preacher was not brave enough to correct doctrinal miscalculations in their study and sermons? Either because they don't know how to or wrongly concluded the wrong premise, or because it was too expensive to correct. After all, we market about everything we say or dramatize on media and distribute it globally. In the professional world, that could be interpreted as malpractice and would demand a recall.
When I researched what we term, "The early or primitive church," I was amazed at the amount of cautions and warnings regarding false teachers. They were constantly commanded to guard their faith and salvation. They were challenged to build ourselves up through prayer and discernment. In Jude v20, "but you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit" (Net Bible) and Jude v3 suggests, that we should contend for the Faith. This means we should fight, question, and stand firm against heresies that arise in opposition to the faith of the Church. Jude states again, " Dear friends, although I was eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write to you and urge you to continue your vigorous defense of the faith that was passed down to the saints once and for all." (ISV)
The best way to administer poison is to hide it in something good. So, false teachers are not standing up waving a flag saying they are teaching false doctrine. No, they are mixing truths, lowing standards, and secretly denying major doctrines of the Faith. The Word of God is said to be "nourishment, energy, and development" in truth. Any sort of theological poison morsels that are planted in the midst of a solid base of truth will upset the balance. We must be on guard by studying (2 Tim 2:14-15), praying (Eph 6:18), and trusting God (Heb 11:6).
The early Apostles expected believers to be able to discipline themselves in doctrine and maintain strong Christian values. However, it became evident quickly that this was not going to happen without teachers and prophets (Acts 13:1). Ancient documents of the Early Church demonstrate that the Church Fathers all believed in the primacy of a one universal church under apostolic authority. According to the scriptures, the apostles were given the necessary authority to train teachers and appoint elders or pastors to spread the faith (Acts 20:28).
I believe the problem has been that we depend too much on the popularity of preaching than on the integrity of teaching. But in order to identify false doctrine, one must be thoroughly engulfed in true doctrine. This can only be maintained through proper training and dedication. Another problem is a lot what we see and hear today depends on revelatory inspiration and private interpretation by untrained, but gifted preachers who don't trust or are too proud to discuss their findings or conclusions with their colleagues. So when they minister if people respond or embrace the concept they are home free.
There are several steps I believe will put us back on the right path.
- Pray for Understanding (Eph 1:17-19; Pro. 4:7 NIV)
You should know that your hope is based on what we believe to be true about the founder of our Faith (Jesus Christ) . If He is really the redeemer identifying himself as "the Son of God" becoming a part of creation and redeeming us through His blood, than everything else we believe about Christianity is linked to the God-man, man-God theology of salvation. God indeed became a man, so that as a man, He could redeem humanity through His sacrifice, and become the visible God of Glory (I Tim. 2:5).
- Seek Love as a foundation for Knowledge (I Cor 8:1-2 NIV)
Now if this position is compromised, we are then left with hollow imposers or false messiahs attempting to lead us into broad paths of truth. Let's examine what's true so we can really know what is false. Could it be that we have given too much attention to gifted individuals and not enough time to intimate worship (John 4:23-24)?
- Trust that God is taking you on the Ride of your Life (Ps 23:4 NIV)
The prime question, then is, are the situations that I find myself in designed by God for His glory or for my comfort (Acts 17:26-27 NIV)? What does that mean to me? Jesus is Lord (Mt 28:18). Peter, addressing the great multitude of Jews on Pentecost, declared, "God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). As God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, from His place of enthronement, continues His life and ministry on behalf of both God and man (2 Tim 2:5). He has plans for your life beyond your comprehension (Jer 29:11).
In light of these important truths, we need to reinforce our minds to protect the canal doctrines of the Faith in our spirit (Ps 119:11). We need to learn more and love stronger. Remember, the one thing we will never stop being, is learners. That's true discipleship. More important, we need an understanding of what we learn (Pro. 4:7) and a love for God that transcends time and circumstances.
The issue of trusted leadership has been questioned in character and skill since the inception of the church. Just who do we trust with our Faith? Do we trust clergy to inspire us? Do we trust scholars to investigate for us? Do we trust teachers to exegete correctly? Do we trust prophets to reveal to us? Do we trust modern day apostles to establish us? Do we trust bishops to regulate us? Or do we simply trust the Holy Spirit to lead us (John 16:13)? The real question is if the Holy Spirit is not working through any of the above mediums, how does He speak? More important, who can determine when and where He reveals Himself?
Dennis M. Golphin
doctordmg@gmail.com
