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Authoritative Teaching by Greg Williamson (c) 2007
UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS ARE FROM THE New American Standard Bible.
Although the Church proper was not born until Pentecost, its foundation was laid with Jesus' choosing of the twelve disciples who became his direct representatives or "apostles" (minus Judas, who was replaced early on). They were chosen by Jesus; they spent time with and were taught by Jesus; and they saw and interacted with Jesus following his resurrection. Jesus gave the apostles special authority to "bind and loose" (MATTHEW 18:18) and to "forgive and retain sins" (JOHN 20:23) -- power that would later prove instrumental for "organizing and governing the church." [1] Here it's important to note both what was involved in this Christ-given power and how it relates to us today. This is a point well worth stressing, particularly since it has often been misunderstood. As renowned Greek scholar A. T. Robertson explains in his comments on John 20:23:
This is in keeping with the fact that within the NT the emphasis consistently falls on the message more so than the messenger. That is certainly not to say that the messenger was not important; it is to say that the messenger acted with God's authority only to the extent that his/her message came from God. And while this remains the case for both the church clergy and church laity alike, there is a special privilege and responsibility that goes along with being a leader within a local church (or within the larger "Christian community," for that matter). To the extent that a given leader adheres to and communicates biblical truth -- including striving for "a balanced combination of oversight and example" [3] -- that leader is to be respected and obeyed. On the other hand, the leader who does not adhere to and communicate biblical truth -- including dictating terms rather than "lead[ing] the church into spiritually minded consensus" [4] -- automatically forfeits his/her God-given authority. While Christians are called to submit to their spiritual leaders (HEBREWS 13:7), a church's primary "commitment [is] not to a pastor but to the truth of the gospel." [5]
Judging by television programming, book sales, and conference attendance, we live in an age when some of the most popular (so-called) "Christian" speakers and writers have traded God's truth for "doctrines of demons" (1 TIMOTHY 4:1). One especially popular -- and toxic -- form of heresy is the "prosperity gospel" -- a.k.a. the "health and wealth gospel," the "name it and claim it gospel," or the "blab it and grab it gospel." (Now available in a mega-popular secularized version known as The Secret.) And because they answer to no one but themselves, the purveyors of this and similar other brands of spiritual snake oil are able to go on deceiving untold numbers of gullible believers. The only real corrective to this state of affairs is for each individual Christian to stop being content with second-hand knowledge and begin learning and applying biblical truth for him- or herself. While this certainly does not mean every Christian needs to be a seminary graduate, it does mean that every Christian needs to make regular, committed Bible study an absolute priority. (Click HERE for a list of recommended Bible study resources.)
Lest such a verdict regarding false teachers and their false teaching appear overly harsh, let us recall two facts from Scripture. First of all, the same apostle Paul who advocated loving tolerance in gray areas declared in no uncertain terms that anyone preaching a false gospel is to be "doomed to destruction" [6]: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed [Greek anathema, "given up to the curse and destruction" [7]]! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed [Greek anathema]!" (GALATIANS 1:8-9). This translates into the need for complete rejection of both the false message and the false messenger. "[W]e are not to patronise or countenance such preachers. No matter what their zeal or their apparent sincerity, or their apparent sanctity, or their apparent success, or their real boldness in rebuking vice, we are to withdraw from them." [8]
Secondly, a healthy skepticism regarding biblical teaching is commended by the Bible itself: "The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men" (ACTS 17:10-12). Notice that the Bereans were "examining the Scriptures daily." "Examining" (Greek anakrinō) "means to sift up and down, make careful and exact research as in legal processes." [9] The true and and accurate biblical teaching to which this group of Bareans was exposed resulted in belief unto salvation. But to get to that point, they first had to verify that it was (to use Francis Schaeffer's phrase) "true truth." As one source helpfully notes: "How do you evaluate sermons and teachings? The people in Berea searched the Scriptures for themselves to verify the message they heard. Always compare what you hear with what the Bible says. A preacher or teacher who gives God’s true message will never contradict or explain away anything that is found in God’s Word." [10]
SOURCES (Click on the title for more information.) Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible The Complete Word Study Dictionary Evangelical Dictionary of Theology Holy Bible, New American Standard |
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