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The
Importance of Biblical Truth
Truth
and salvation go together, just as error and damnation
go together. If you know and obey the truth,
you go the right way and gain eternal life. If
you don't, then you are going the wrong way and
will not experience eternal life. If the truth
sets you free and saves you, then error enslaves
and damns you. Refusing the truth, believing what
is false, results in judgment and condemnation
(2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Therefore it is crucial,
today more than ever, that we be certain we know
the truth, and be unwavering in the Faith that
was once for all delivered to the saints. We must
also take care that we not wander away from the
truth, being, "constantly nourished on the words
of the Faith and of sound doctrine" (1 Timothy
4:6). But "anyone who goes too far and does not
abide in the teaching of Messiah, does not have
God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has
both the Father and the Son" (2 John 1:9).
Where
do we find the truth? Where do we look for sound
doctrine? The Sacred Writings are able to give
us the wisdom that leads to salvation (2 Timothy
3:15). This wisdom that has been compared to the
Tree of Life is available only in the Holy Scriptures,
and only when properly interpreted and applied
to our lives. Therefore we must be diligent to
present ourselves to God as those who accurately
handle the Word of Truth. If we do that, we won't
be ashamed, and we will receive the promised reward
(2 Timothy 2:15). We must be discerning, only
listening to men of God who "pay attention to
the teaching, because this insures our salvation"
(1 Timothy 4:16).
There
is serious departure from the truth going on in
large parts of the Church and the Messianic Jewish
community, and I feel constrained to speak out.
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for
Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, until
her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
and her salvation like a torch that is burning"
(Isaiah 62:1). I need to speak out, and I have
an obligation to speak out. I've been a follower
of Yeshua for 30 years, 26 of those in full-time
ministry. I've spoken in hundreds of churches.
I feel a deep pastoral concern, not only for my
flock, but for the entire Church.
I
Will Not KeepQuiet
I realize
that in speaking out against false teaching, some
will accuse me of causing division, but contending
for the true Faith is not the same as being divisive.
It is, in fact, those who introduce erroneous
teaching that are responsible for causing division.
Genuine unity must be based on the truth. Our
fellowship is a facade if it is not built on the
sure foundation of the truth. We must not tolerate
seriously wrong doctrine for the sake of a generic,
bland unity. It isn't enough to claim that we
all just "love Jesus" while turning a blind eye
to false and destructive teachings. Jehovah Witnesses
and Mormons say they believe in Jesus, but a little
further inquiry reveals that their idea of who
He is is disastrously wrong! Roman Catholicism
confesses Jesus, but also confesses a plethora
of unbiblical doctrines as well. The people of
God need discernment, not false unity.
On the
surface, it may appear more spiritual to be non-confrontational,
but there is nothing spiritual about avoiding
necessary reproof. When someone is doing something
that isn't right, or believing something that
isn't right, the right and loving thing to do
is admonish, rebuke and correct them. "Faithful
are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are
the kisses of an enemy" (Proverbs 27:6).
It is
appropriate that I speak out and contend for the
faith, when the apostles and inspired writers
of the New Testament boldly spoke out. "Teachers
of false doctrine are referred to in the New Testament
as heretics, false prophets, ravening and grievous
wolfs, vain talkers and deceivers, false apostles,
deceitful workers, ministers of Satan following
his example in fashioning themselves as ministers
of righteousness, vessels for dishonor, men who
by their smooth and flattering speech deceive
the hearts of the unsuspecting. Christians are
instructed to beware of them, avoid them, purge
their assemblies of them, refuse them, stop their
mouths, rebuke them sharply, separate themselves
from them, count them as accursed, not receiving
them into their houses and giving them no greeting"
(based on "The Duty Of Intolerance" and taken
from the Eastern Methodist, an early-twentieth
century publication for sound teaching in the
Methodist denomination).
I will
speak out and name names for the sake of clarity,
and because the Word of God does it when necessary.
Hymenaeus and Philetus were named as men who went
astray from the truth (2 Timothy 2:18). Demas
loved this present world and deserted Paul (2
Timothy 4:10). Alexander the coppersmith harmed
Paul and Timothy was told to be on guard against
him (2 Timothy 4:14-15).
I will
speak out because we need to identify those who
are corrupting the truth, and shun them. "If anyone
comes to you and does not bring this teaching,
do not receive him into your house, and do not
give him a greeting; for the one who gives him
a greeting participates in his evil deeds" (2
John 1:10-11).
Don't
Judge!
Some would
try to silence me by saying, "Don't judge, so
that you won't be judged" (Matthew 7:1). The Greek
word which is translated "judge" has a wide range
of meaning. It can also mean condemn, decide,
determine, consider, regard. Some people misunderstand
the Lord's words to mean that we should not make
any judgments at all. That's not at all what the
Lord was talking about. What Yeshua is talking
about here is a critical, judgmental attitude
that quickly passes sentence and condemns, without
any regard for seeking restoration. It refers
to people who are overly critical, who have an
unreasonable emphasis on faults or defects in
others, while conveniently ignoring their own.
It is critical without being constructive, tearing
down without building up, passing out blame without
exercising mercy or understanding or patience
in the process.
The exhortation
not to judge means that we are not to pass judgment
ourselves, to condemn people to Hell, to dismiss
them as beyond repentance, or say that they are
beyond the scope of God's kindness and mercy.
Like the merciful God we are to have a merciful
attitude toward them. We are to hope and pray
for them to repent and live. Someone put it this
way: "Messiah is not giving us a requirement to
be blind but a plea to be generous and merciful
with others. Yeshua is not telling us to abandon
our powers of discernment and cease to be intelligent
people, but to renounce the ambition to be God.
He is the Judge. He will assess all blame, weigh
all lives, pass all judgment, take into account
all factors."
The exhortation
not to judge does not mean that we are not to
be discerning and wise, and make determinations
between good and evil, between the Spirit of Truth
and the spirit of error. It doesn't mean that
we can't engage in critical thinking, and reject
that which is false. Critical thinking is not
a sin. For example, when it comes to prophetic
announcements, we are told to examine everything
carefully and hold fast to that which is good
and reject what is false (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).
The same principle of critical thinking and judgment
applies to doctrine. We must examine it carefully
and determine whether it is sound or false doctrine.
The exhortation
not to judge doesn't mean that we can't analyze
the facts and information we have about people
and situations and doctrinal matters and make
an intelligent response. It doesn't mean that
we can't recognize that something is seriously
wrong in a congregation, or in someone's life
or teaching or ministry. It certainly doesn't
mean ignoring people's sin or pretending the problem
doesn't exist or doesn't matter.
The exhortation
not to judge doesn't mean that we can't call what
is bad "bad" and what is good "good," or to identify
something wrong as wrong, or something heretical
as heretical. So destructive is false teaching
to its victims that Yeshua and the Biblical writers
referred to the purveyors of spiritual falsehood
as hypocrites, blind guides, fools, blind men,
snakes, brood of vipers, unreasoning animals,
stains, blemishes, hidden reefs, clouds without
water, springs without water, mists driven by
storm, trees doubly dead, wild waves, wandering
stars; or call them false teachers, evil workers,
false brothers, false circumcision, grumblers,
flatterers, mockers, liars, ungodly sinners, conceited,
understanding nothing, men of depraved minds,
empty talkers and deceivers. We are responsible,
both to warn them about the punishment, judgment
and destruction they will soon experience, and
to warn others against falling prey to their deception.
The exhortation
not to judge doesn't mean that you can't call
a false prophet a false prophet. How do we know
that? In this same sermon the Messiah, who told
us "Don't judge," tells us that He wants us to
discern false prophets among us. Elsewhere He
tells us to make a right judgment. "Do not judge
according to appearance, but according to righteous
judgment" (John 7:24). God wants us to see clearly
into people and situations and doctrinal matters.
We are to make things out clearly, analyze, know
right from wrong, good from bad, truth from error.
Paul insists we that judge those who are within
the Church, and police ourselves by recognizing
bad behavior and doctrine, and dealing with it
(1 Corinthians 5:12).
If you
detect some anger directed to the false prophets
and those teaching bad doctrine, you are right.
It is there, but it is a righteous anger. I, too,
am angry at those who twist and distort the Holy
Scriptures, and thereby dishonor the Word of the
Lord and the Lord Himself; and sometimes do great
harm to believers and non-believers alike. But
I don't want to judge anyone, and see anyone go
to Hell - even those false prophets and false
teachers. I want the false prophets to repent.
I want the teachers who are teaching bad doctrine
to return to teaching only the truth. But in the
meantime, it is necessary that we point out their
errors, avoid their bad teaching, and shun them,
if necessary.
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