The internet age has made some great men of God generally available to the world. It has also opened the door for more heretical preachers and false teachers than we ever thought imaginable. Many believers are looking for new material on which to feast spiritually, whether through online videos, books, or other material but there is a dangerous minefield for the careless believer. Ecclesiastes 12:12 says, "And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh." This tells us that there will always be another book coming out to tickle our fancy or train us in further Bible truth. Every believer must exercise Biblical discernment to tell the difference between the good, the bad, and the heretical.
Too often, at the core of the discernment used to judge false teachers is feelings. Feelings play a large part in discerning the "keepers." This is a subjective manner of dividing truth from error and will have mixed results, depending on our feelings at the moment. These feelings are based on a preacher's looks, the sound of a preacher's voice, the fit of a preacher's personality with the listener's personality, or the preacher's manipulation of the English language, to name a few. These subjective standards are not the proper way for the believer to find spiritual edification. The apostle Paul warned the church at Corinth about their lack of discernment and the resulting distraction and deception. In 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, Paul says, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." He expressed his fear that these believers would accept any preacher, regardless of the falsehood of his message and spirit. Too many believers today fall into this same category. If they find one good thing written or said by their favourite preacher, they will ignore many errors. They will also defend that erroneous preacher with their last breath. Paul set the standard by which we ought to discern between a beneficial preacher/podcaster/writer and one that is dangerous for us to follow. He spoke of "the simplicity that is in Christ (2Co 11:3)." This is the "lowest common denominator." The lowest common denominator is the most basic of Bible principles by which we may separate the acceptable from the unacceptable. You may not agree with anything set out in this article, and you are free to make that decision. These Bible principles are presented to you as a helpful tool to aid your discernment process in making these decisions. Amos 3:3 tells us, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" This teaches us that there must be a common agreement in some areas before fellowship can occur. This is true between God and man, between man and man, and between Bible teacher and student. When we use the term "lowest common denominator," we are identifying the areas where there must be agreement if we are going to fellowship, follow, or learn from some would-be Bible teacher. We are tempted to set the standard so low that the Devil himself could be acceptable. James 2:19 says, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." We are often told that a self-proclaimed Bible teacher or preacher is acceptable because they "believe in Jesus," they claim to be Christian, or they have a large following. Our standard must be higher than this or else we will be influenced by outright heretics. The lowest common denominator, in my opinion, can be found in the B-A-P-T-I-S-T-S acrostic. This list of basic Bible principles will weed out many false teachers before we begin to read their books or watch their videos. Here are the principles behind the acrostic, along with some applications to help us understand how to use these principles to discern truth from error. B - Bible Is the Final Authority. When any self-professed Bible preacher claims to have extra-Biblical revelation, they do NOT believe that the Bible is the final authority. When any Bible preacher uses worldly psychology as proof of their points, instead of directing the believer's attention to the Scripture, they do NOT believe that the Bible is the final authority. When any Bible preacher uses the "Church Fathers" as the foundation for their preaching and teaching, they do NOT believe that the Bible is the final authority. When and Bible preacher attempts to set aside what the Bible says as being based on the "culture of the day," they do NOT believe that the Bible is the final authority. I would carry this doctrine so far as to say that if a self-proclaimed Bible preacher does not use the King James Bible, we should beware of their books and material. A - Autonomy of the Lord's Church. If a Bible preacher seeks to direct his follower into an organization other than a New Testament church, he does NOT believe in the autonomy of the Lord's church. If a Bible preacher holds to the usefulness or rightness of a hierarchal system (bishops, archbishops, superintendents, synod, etc.), he does NOT believe in the autonomy of the Lord's church. P - Priesthood of the Believer. If a Bible preacher seeks to become the sole source of spiritual sustenance for his followers, he does NOT believe in the priesthood of the believer. If a Bible preacher accepts or promotes believers going to a "priest" as a means of approaching God, he does NOT believe in the priesthood of the believer. If a Bible preacher will speak with another "preacher" that accepts or promotes believers going to a "priest" as a means of approaching God, he does NOT believe in the priesthood of the believer. T - Two Ordinances (Baptism & the Lord's Table). If a Bible preacher accepts the sacraments (a solemn religious ceremony enjoined by Christ, the head of the Christian church, to be observed by his followers, by which their special relation to him is created, or their obligations to him renewed and ratified - Webster's Dictionary 1828) rather than the two ordinances (A rule established by authority - Webster's Dictionary 1828) of the church, he does NOT believe in the two ordinances. If a Bible preacher adds to the ordinances (foot washing, the Lord's Day, etc.), he does NOT believe in the two ordinances. I - Individual Soul Liberty. If a Bible preacher teaches that the believer can live any way he pleases because of his liberty in Christ, he does NOT believe in individual soul liberty. S - Saved, Baptized Members. If a Bible preacher accepts, condones, or fails to denounce infant baptism, he does NOT believe in a saved, baptized church membership. If a Bible preacher downplays the necessity to follow the Lord in believer's baptism after salvation, he does NOT believe in a saved, baptized church membership. T - Two Offices (Pastor & Deacon). If a Bible preacher wants to be your online pastor, even though you have never met in person, he does NOT believe in the two offices. If a Bible preacher encourages elder-run churches, he does NOT believe in the two offices. If a Bible preacher nurtures the idea of women holding the office of pastor and/or deacon, he does NOT believe in the two offices. If a Bible preacher supports the notion that a man may hold the office of pastor and/or deacon without fulfilling the Biblical qualifications, he does NOT believe in the two offices. S - Separation (Governmental, Ecclesiastical, and Personal). If a Bible preacher promotes churches and religious organizations working with the government to make the world a better place, he does NOT believe in separation. If a Bible preacher encourages churches from all parts of the doctrinal spectrum to get together to advance the kingdom of Christ, he does NOT believe in separation. If a Bible preacher approves of people living any way they please rather than living a holy, separated life, he does NOT believe in separation. I know that there are other doctrinal errors not addressed through this acrostic, yet most of the false teachers that abound in our world will be exposed if we are faithful to inspect each one through these basic Bible principles. Jesus said, "And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch (Mark 13:17)." This means that we must focus on the task at hand rather than become distracted by the false teaching that surrounds us. We must watch rather than take everything at face value. This points out one reason why many believers fall for false teachers: they fail to take the time to understand basic Bible doctrine and inspect Bible preachers according to that doctrinal standard. It takes work to study the Word of God. It takes work to apply the Word of God to our favourite internet preacher. Yet, this is necessary for us so that we are not "...tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive (Ephesians 4:13)..." These basic Bible principles are those things that we claim to believe and hold dear as Baptists. Why, then, would we not apply these basic Bible principles to those from whom we seek spiritual edification? It is time to be serious about the things we claim to believe. It is time to consistently practice the things we claim to believe. Failure to do so will promote compromise and bring harm to ourselves and those we influence.
0 Comments
|
About Jerry JacksonJerry has been writing for many years now. He has written tracts for several churches, as well as his ministries in Papua New Guinea and in Canada. He has had the opportunity to have many of his articles published in several Independent Baptist periodicals over the years. His main goals are to teach truth and lift up the Saviour. Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|