Whose Doctrine Shall I Follow?
If there is anything more confusing than the realm of Christian “doctrines” I would be hard pressed to know just what that would be. One church says “You can”, another says “You can't….”, another “You shouldn't….” , “We wouldn't….” and, “Don't do that, do this”. What an astonishing array of doctrines with each and every church maintaining that their way is absolutely the correct way in which to walk[1]. In fact, some even believe that, if you are not a member of their denomination, you are unequivocally going to Hell. In some churches, not only are you not allowed to be in the ministry if you are divorced, you may well be shunned altogether (even if the divorce wasn’t your fault!). In some churches, if a man's hair is touching the top of his ears he is a “shame” since, according to them, it’s too long. In some churches, if women wear jewelry they are all but unsaved.
In others we find that the manifestations/gifts of the Holy Spirit of God are taken out of the body of Christ altogether making it weak and powerless. They have been relegated to the “first century church” (as though there were 20 separate century-chronologic “churches” and not just one mystical body of Christ). Another church believes that you must observe the “Sabbath” on Saturday and not doing so is to the peril and perishing of the believer.
If there is anything more confusing than the realm of Christian “doctrines” I would be hard pressed to know just what that would be. One church says “You can”, another says “You can't….”, another “You shouldn't….” , “We wouldn't….” and, “Don't do that, do this”. What an astonishing array of doctrines with each and every church maintaining that their way is absolutely the correct way in which to walk[1]. In fact, some even believe that, if you are not a member of their denomination, you are unequivocally going to Hell. In some churches, not only are you not allowed to be in the ministry if you are divorced, you may well be shunned altogether (even if the divorce wasn’t your fault!). In some churches, if a man's hair is touching the top of his ears he is a “shame” since, according to them, it’s too long. In some churches, if women wear jewelry they are all but unsaved.
In others we find that the manifestations/gifts of the Holy Spirit of God are taken out of the body of Christ altogether making it weak and powerless. They have been relegated to the “first century church” (as though there were 20 separate century-chronologic “churches” and not just one mystical body of Christ). Another church believes that you must observe the “Sabbath” on Saturday and not doing so is to the peril and perishing of the believer.
Many of these sects/isms/doctrines also believe in observing the “Biblical mandates” against the eating of meat while others seem to believe that you can eat as much meat as you want (and some are even grossly obese to the detriment of their health). Yet another believes that baptism is a requirement for salvation while others believe that there can be no salvation apart from the “baptism of the Holy Ghost with an evidence of speaking in tongues". When all doctrines are weighed and counted, the litany of “Biblical requirements” is as long and large as can be imagined.
So which of the plethora of doctrines and “gospels” is the correct one since, obviously, they can't all be the “true gospel”? Can a “bottom line” gospel which isn’t tainted with the doctrines of men and devils be attained? Do we have to subject our soul to a “crap shoot” and never be steadfastly sure of our salvation and our position in Christ? Must we accept salvation as the sole grace of God in this "New Testament" and not have even what the less glorious "Old Testament" saints enjoyed?
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”
(1 Cor. 1:10-13 AV)
That there should be no schism in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another
(1 Corinthians 12:25 AV)
Scripture is clear that there is only one body of Christ and not twenty as some would suppose:
Ø “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:1-6)
How is it, then, that there are so many different “truths” (i.e. how is it that there are so many Christs since Christ is “the Truth”)?
There can be no mistaking that this error is accounted for because of one reason: instead of studying the Bible for the revelation of God's Word, they (preachers/teachers) simply study their respective doctrines and continue replicating error in the name of their founder (at least one of which I am unable to even confirm his salvation as there is no compelling evidence to support such a belief).
We see no end of men who have doctorates in theolog teaching their version of the Bible. They all teach something different (unless they are of the same denomination). Yet, as we see in the Bible, (formal) Bible education has never played a part in the spreading of the gospel and the teaching and maintaining of “orthodoxy”. On the contrary; we see the Lord using the humble and unassuming to do His work. Such men/servants were required to rely upon God and not their abilities. God has always equipped the called and willing. Why is that unacceptable now? Why would such "doctors" ask such a question as this: "You wouldn't want want someone who has never been to medical school to perform an operation on you, would you?"
The premise of the question is worldly. They are trying to make a spiritual application using worldly means. This means that someone who would ask the question in the first place is worldly and carnally minded. That won't work and isn't necessary.
The Bible says this:
Ø “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
So we can accurately say this: humble Spirit-filled God-appointed servants who rely on the Spirit and power of God have always been a factor in the dissemination of the word of God. That’s why, incidentally, you will only rarely find a modern apostle[2] who has been allowed (by the Lord) to attend a denominational seminary. Typically the apostle wouldn't be caught dead in a seminary as he understands that it would render his ministry ineffectual and put him under subjection to men who have no clue about his ministry (and who could care less at that). That would not only result in an ineffectual apostolic ministry (being watered down with the doctrines of man) but there is reason to believe that it could nearly destroy the man (apostle) himself (being in subjection to those who had no training in things of the Spirit of God).
Let’s re-emphasize this point: nowhere in the Bible do we see an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher attending a seminary. Does that mean that some of the Lord's servants have not been led to attend school? Not necessarily. However, after assessing this matter for approximately 30 years, I remain convinced that pitifully few have actually benefited from such an experience because such schools are unable to prepare a person for the (true) ministry that we see in scripture[3].
God had always revealed His Word to His teachers then given those “gifts” to men so they could feed the people the “bread of life”:
Ø “And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude" (Matt. 14:19 AV
Here we see that Jesus gave the bread (a symbol of the “bread of life” in the Bible) to the disciples then He gave the disciples to the people. Nothing has changed. But, that “bread” came directly from Christ and not from a seminary/school that God’s word “all figured out”. That was case of the Scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees; they had their belief system all figured out. Yet, when the word of God made manifest in the flesh stood in front of them, they didn’t know Him (i.e. didn’t have a revelation of the word of God).
Here is another example of how the Lord reveals His word:
Ø "Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Ephesians 3:5 AV)
God’s word is revealed to those who seek His truth and His truth is always His word.
Ø "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things). And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, 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; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Eph. 4:8-15 AV)
Here we see a clear and specific scriptural protocol and method set into the body (by God) so that they (truly anointed and appointed ministers) would not be at the mercy of (faithless) false teachers (not to mention “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and false prophets and teachers[4]). Because of God’s gifting, orthodoxy and unity are maintained rather than having to suffer religious doctrinal permutations of carnally-minded men that sever the body into countless factions and sects. This is absolutely impossible with a denominational seminary that has no interest in the bottom line truth of God’s word.. Rather they only exist to replicate their doctrines upon the (spiritually) undisciplined and non-Spirit-led.
As it is, we see a denominational system that virtually guarantees that church after church will fracture (most of our current “churches” came into being as a result of “conflicts” in the interpretation of scripture. That split then “established” other churches that even lead into an additional church and/or denomination)! Also (commonly) seen is feud after feud flaring on every matter from how to run the church, who is to be (or not be) a deacon, or even what color the carpet is to be rather than making peace and reconciliation a priority:
Ø “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3 AV).
Though we all start in error, there is no reason to remain in error. God’s (bottom-line) word and wisdom aren’t hidden from us so it is incumbent upon the believer to find “the truth”. We can learn to see through the doctrines of the “spirit of error” because we learn to identify with the “Spirit of Truth”. Because we have now (revealed) wisdom and understanding, we can evaluate our (current) position. And, as we are led of the Spirit, we can determine where we should fellowship.[5] That means that, despite the confusion of denominationalism, one can still find “bottom line” truth if they wait upon the Lord, stay in His Word, pray without ceasing, and seek the Kingdom of God, and obey the leading of His Spirit. The Lord gave us a promise:
Ø “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32)
We must question (i.e. scrutinize) everything we think we know about Christianity other than the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We can and must know the one and only doctrine. That doctrine is called “the truth” (true orthodoxy) and it is the doctrine that gives us access to the power of the word and Spirit of God unto peace, love and reconciliation and all of the promises of God . It is only then that we will be “free indeed”.
Also, when we have a deep understanding of the word of God, it won’t matter where we fellowship (being Spirit led). We will learn to keep the “wheat” of what’s being taught and toss out the “chaff”. That leaves us free to love our brethren and serve them.
As a side note: because no single church has total “orthodoxy”, every effort should be made to have a continual “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” revelation of the existing word of God. That’s how we grow and are nourished. A child doesn’t east Pablum all of his life. He is supposed to eat “meat”. That meat is available through serious study and seeking the Kingdom of God and that revelation of the bread of life feeds us.
And, though there is no more word of God to man than what exists in the Bible, there is an abundance of revelation of what is already there and it’s waiting to be given to anyone who will merely seek after “the truth” of God’s word. We see this dynamic regularly. How many of us have read a chapter in the Bible and exclaimed “I’ve read this chapter many times but didn’t see what I see now!”. That’s “progressive revelation” and it is entirely consistent with the operational laws and principles of the Kingdom of God.
This entire subject matter can be synopsized by the Apostle who understood that there is only one requirement for finding “the truth”:
Ø “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)
.
[1] One estimate is that there are more than 1,000 separate doctrines just in the U. S. alone
[2] Another solidly scriptural tenet “outlawed” by mainstream denominationalism
[3] They do, however, prepare people to be “ministers” in their denomination. They will fit right in after being cloned like the rest of those in their sect
[4] As mentioned in Matt. 7:15, Matt 24:11-24, II Pet 2:1, and I John 4:1
[5] Rather than the matter being determined by tradition and personal preference
The Bible says this:
Ø “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]:1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
So we can accurately say this: humble Spirit-filled God-appointed servants who rely on the Spirit and power of God have always been a factor in the dissemination of the word of God. That’s why, incidentally, you will only rarely find a modern apostle[2] who has been allowed (by the Lord) to attend a denominational seminary. Typically the apostle wouldn't be caught dead in a seminary as he understands that it would render his ministry ineffectual and put him under subjection to men who have no clue about his ministry (and who could care less at that). That would not only result in an ineffectual apostolic ministry (being watered down with the doctrines of man) but there is reason to believe that it could nearly destroy the man (apostle) himself (being in subjection to those who had no training in things of the Spirit of God).
Let’s re-emphasize this point: nowhere in the Bible do we see an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher attending a seminary. Does that mean that some of the Lord's servants have not been led to attend school? Not necessarily. However, after assessing this matter for approximately 30 years, I remain convinced that pitifully few have actually benefited from such an experience because such schools are unable to prepare a person for the (true) ministry that we see in scripture[3].
God had always revealed His Word to His teachers then given those “gifts” to men so they could feed the people the “bread of life”:
Ø “And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude" (Matt. 14:19 AV
Here we see that Jesus gave the bread (a symbol of the “bread of life” in the Bible) to the disciples then He gave the disciples to the people. Nothing has changed. But, that “bread” came directly from Christ and not from a seminary/school that God’s word “all figured out”. That was case of the Scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees; they had their belief system all figured out. Yet, when the word of God made manifest in the flesh stood in front of them, they didn’t know Him (i.e. didn’t have a revelation of the word of God).
Here is another example of how the Lord reveals His word:
Ø "Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit" (Ephesians 3:5 AV)
God’s word is revealed to those who seek His truth and His truth is always His word.
Ø "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things). And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, 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; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Eph. 4:8-15 AV)
Here we see a clear and specific scriptural protocol and method set into the body (by God) so that they (truly anointed and appointed ministers) would not be at the mercy of (faithless) false teachers (not to mention “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and false prophets and teachers[4]). Because of God’s gifting, orthodoxy and unity are maintained rather than having to suffer religious doctrinal permutations of carnally-minded men that sever the body into countless factions and sects. This is absolutely impossible with a denominational seminary that has no interest in the bottom line truth of God’s word.. Rather they only exist to replicate their doctrines upon the (spiritually) undisciplined and non-Spirit-led.
As it is, we see a denominational system that virtually guarantees that church after church will fracture (most of our current “churches” came into being as a result of “conflicts” in the interpretation of scripture. That split then “established” other churches that even lead into an additional church and/or denomination)! Also (commonly) seen is feud after feud flaring on every matter from how to run the church, who is to be (or not be) a deacon, or even what color the carpet is to be rather than making peace and reconciliation a priority:
Ø “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3 AV).
Though we all start in error, there is no reason to remain in error. God’s (bottom-line) word and wisdom aren’t hidden from us so it is incumbent upon the believer to find “the truth”. We can learn to see through the doctrines of the “spirit of error” because we learn to identify with the “Spirit of Truth”. Because we have now (revealed) wisdom and understanding, we can evaluate our (current) position. And, as we are led of the Spirit, we can determine where we should fellowship.[5] That means that, despite the confusion of denominationalism, one can still find “bottom line” truth if they wait upon the Lord, stay in His Word, pray without ceasing, and seek the Kingdom of God, and obey the leading of His Spirit. The Lord gave us a promise:
Ø “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32)
We must question (i.e. scrutinize) everything we think we know about Christianity other than the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We can and must know the one and only doctrine. That doctrine is called “the truth” (true orthodoxy) and it is the doctrine that gives us access to the power of the word and Spirit of God unto peace, love and reconciliation and all of the promises of God . It is only then that we will be “free indeed”.
Also, when we have a deep understanding of the word of God, it won’t matter where we fellowship (being Spirit led). We will learn to keep the “wheat” of what’s being taught and toss out the “chaff”. That leaves us free to love our brethren and serve them.
As a side note: because no single church has total “orthodoxy”, every effort should be made to have a continual “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little” revelation of the existing word of God. That’s how we grow and are nourished. A child doesn’t east Pablum all of his life. He is supposed to eat “meat”. That meat is available through serious study and seeking the Kingdom of God and that revelation of the bread of life feeds us.
And, though there is no more word of God to man than what exists in the Bible, there is an abundance of revelation of what is already there and it’s waiting to be given to anyone who will merely seek after “the truth” of God’s word. We see this dynamic regularly. How many of us have read a chapter in the Bible and exclaimed “I’ve read this chapter many times but didn’t see what I see now!”. That’s “progressive revelation” and it is entirely consistent with the operational laws and principles of the Kingdom of God.
This entire subject matter can be synopsized by the Apostle who understood that there is only one requirement for finding “the truth”:
Ø “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)
.
[1] One estimate is that there are more than 1,000 separate doctrines just in the U. S. alone
[2] Another solidly scriptural tenet “outlawed” by mainstream denominationalism
[3] They do, however, prepare people to be “ministers” in their denomination. They will fit right in after being cloned like the rest of those in their sect
[4] As mentioned in Matt. 7:15, Matt 24:11-24, II Pet 2:1, and I John 4:1
[5] Rather than the matter being determined by tradition and personal preference
posted by Randy M @ 1:09 PM
1 comments
