I want to say something that could offend some who read this blog but that is not my intent. In teaching over the years it has been my experience that many sit under teaching and preaching of God's word without ever seriously reading or studying their own Bibles. People have a right to be ignorant of Bible doctrine and they practice that right daily. I want to consider myself a Bible purist in the light of only preaching and teaching what the text says and not what I want the text to say. Obviously we all come to the Bible with our own values, beliefs, attitudes and feelings that often color the way we read. However my goal has been by the grace of God to try and discover what the author meant by what he wrote and teach it that way!So here is my problem with those who sit passively and listen to others preach and teach without learning how to study for themselves. They end up talking to others who are able to passionately convince them of teaching and doctrine that isn't consistent with what the Bible says. For example I had a call within the past year (names are changed to protect the innocent) from a woman whose husband was telling her about the deeper spiritual life. When she questioned him further he started telling her that he heard that if you prayed for the gift of tongues, then you could receive it and have a deeper work of the Spirit. What? This boils down to a subsequent work of the Spirit based on the speaking in tongues. Folks reading this blog site, do you really believe that? When you were justified by faith at that time you received Jesus in full. Let me quote Colossians 2:9-10 as one of the verses that speaks to this issue theologically:
Col. 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
Col. 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
I would suggest that those who believe in a subsequent work of the Spirit do some research on the phrase "have been made complete." It is just so amazing to me how supposedly "mature" Christians are looking for some magic bullet that they have missed from their spiritual life. Then one day, Martha Smedley, living in a cave, in the Rockies proclaims that someone can have the deeper life, by speaking in tongues and they start to salivate.
Yes, I have had personal encounters, phone calls and emails from some of these wing nuts. (I mean that in love) I once was sent a package of information along with a tape and was exhorted to read the letter, listen to the tape and read the enclosed books. When doing research on the author I found him to be un-Biblical, un-orthodox and a false teacher who had and still deceives many with false teaching. I even met for lunch with one of the members of his church and personally asked the person to leave the church and take his family out from under the false teaching. Needless to say neither one of us finished lunch that day and there was a rather tense ending to our meeting. In the past year I received a call from someone who is well known in Charlotte in regard to all suffering being a direct result of sin. This person wanted to send me a book, and again the author in my opinion and ministry is false teaching that hurts the body of Christ. Again this person buys into it hook, line and sinker and has home meetings where others are instructed in what I am calling a distortion of Biblical truth. Last example, I sat under the teaching of a Bible teacher who started out with this statement. "I can't find anyone else who has taught this particular text like I will tonight but this is the way I see it." One of the first statements I remember a professor making in seminary was if anyone ever starts out with a "unique" take on a particular section of the Bible then you need to be very suspicious of that person. Folks we have almost 2000 years of some great theologians, scholars and pastors who have come before us. This is also why I am a huge fan of church history and going back to see what the early church fathers had to say about various texts.
In summary, Christians today need to listen carefully to what is being preached and what is being taught by those in leadership. Do these teachings reflect the position of the orthodox church over the years? Could it be that their ears are being tickled and they don't even realize it? Let me conclude with something that will sound harsh but again I don't mean it that way but what I have found to be true. Most of the false teaching, complaining unnecessarily and incorrect take on the Bible has come from the female side of the family. There are some exceptions to this but it holds true for the most part. The men are too busy with jobs, 401 K's, sports and other things and have left the spiritual issues of the family up to their wives. If you look at the Wednesday night activity in the church then I simply rest my case. However men according to the word of God are to take the spiritual leadership in the home. And because they have not we in the church are suffering the consequences of that lack of male spiritual leadership. I want to encourage all Christians to once again pick up their Bibles and be proactive in reading and studying the word of God. If you don't know how then find solid Biblical teachers who are willing to teach and disciple you. It's time for the church to understand and live out the cry of the early church fathers who said with all their hearts "we will only believe and do what the Bible says."
