(13)
By Abraham Eli
This study was first taught on February 24, 2019
Topic: The Assessment of the Churches (11.2): The Church in Pergamos (The Challenges of Teaching Sound Doctrine (2))
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Background
We began to look at “The Challenges of Teaching Sound Doctrine†last week, by first defining sound doctrine and then looking at what we mean by “the challenges of teaching sound doctrineâ€.
We defined sound doctrine as; the correct biblical teaching of the word of God, which leads the hearer to godly living and edification; and, the unadulterated teaching of the word of God, with no ‘leaven’ introduced. We noted that any teaching that is contrary to the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, and, His apostles and prophets as documented in the Bible (even if it references the bible itself), originates from Satan, and is therefore, a false, strange, and wrong doctrine! And then we described the challenges of teaching sound doctrine, as the difficulties that we must overcome or the hurdles that must be scaled, by an individual who has been called to teach the word of God, otherwise he would fall into the temptation and condemnation of syncretism and heresy.
In breaking down the challenges that we must face in teaching sound doctrine, we mentioned three, last week, as follows:
(1) The hurdle of sanctification. Sanctification is the process by which an individual is purged of the old human nature, purified by the word and the Spirit of God, and enabled to serve God, through obedience from a purged and purified heart. We distinguished between general sanctification, which is necessary for all Christians, and, personal sanctification also referred to as consecration, which all those who desire a closer walk with God must have, and it usually results from the individual realizing the benefit of sanctification as a necessary and crucial first step for anyone who desires to serve God as a teacher of the word of God. Indeed, we noted that an unsanctified man cannot and should not venture to teach God’s word, which is sanctified.
(2) The hurdle of authorization to teach the word of God. We made a distinction between the ability and desire to teach, and, the authority to teach. It is one thing to be able and to desire to teach, but you must be authorized to do so by the Lord. It is this authorization that enables such a teacher to teach by the Spirit of God, therefore eliminating the possibility of syncretism. And for this to occur, the individual must have first been sanctified and would continually be sanctified!
(3) The hurdle of the full conviction of the veracity of the word of God. We noted that unless an individual has the conviction of the veracity of the word of God, he would not be able to stand firm in it, not to talk of teaching it with conviction. We noted that there is the theoretical conviction which comes from reading or hearing the word of God, and there is the practical conviction, which arises from doing, or putting to practice, the word of God, emanating from a personal relationship with God, and, which makes such an individual unswayable by strange doctrines, nor to teach false doctrines!
Indeed, unless God makes the prospective teacher of the word of God, sound, he cannot teach sound doctrine. Therefore, it is incumbent of all who desire to teach the word of God, to necessarily scale these hurdles, if they are to avoid syncretism in the church of God.
Scripture Text(s)
Revelation 2:12-17
Noting the dire situation that we face today, in which all manner of ‘doctrines’ are being propagated by all manner of persons claiming to have been sent by God to deliver such ‘doctrines’ to the church of God, if we are to stamp out syncretism, we must necessarily attain to the bar set by God, by scaling some additional hurdles. The need to have sound individuals teaching sound doctrine cannot be overemphasized, especially when we know that strange doctrines emasculate the spiritual development of the hearer and make them unfit for divine service and eternal life!
We shall now look at some more hurdles that must be scaled if an individual is to avoid teaching syncretism or heresy in the church of God, thereby making the church of God strong and virile.
1 Peter 5:1-3; 1 Timothy 6:3-6; Romans 1:9-12; 2 Corinthians 12:15; Philippians 3:18-19; 2 Kings 5:20-27; Jeremiah 45; John 7:18; Galatians 1:6-10; 2 Timothy 4:3-5; John 21:15-17; 1 Samuel 13:8-14; 15:18-30; John 6:60-71; Ezekiel 33:30-33; 2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 7:51; Matthew 13:13-15; Numbers 20:1-12; Ezekiel 3:7-9; Acts 26:13-19; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 4:7-12; Matthew 24:45-51; 1 Samuel 15:1-30; Matthew 15:1-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-4; 4:1-6; Proverbs 24:10.
Conclusion
Another set of hurdles that must be scaled in order that we eliminate syncretism and its practices in the church of God today, are the hurdles of gain and glory, of wanting to please men (rather than God), of enduring with people who just are not interested in doing the word of God, of remaining true to God’s instruction, and, of not teaching false doctrine. These hurdles have to do with our desires and affections. If our desires and affections are worldly, we cannot scale these hurdles, but if they are set on eternal life, through the mortification of the flesh (that is, a deadening of the flesh to the things that arouse it to sin; to deprive the flesh of power to have its way; to destroy the strength of the flesh), then we would be willing and able to scale these hurdles (Colossians 3:1-2, 5; Galatians 5:24-25).
May the Lord grant us grace to grow in our personal relationship with God and His Christ, and interact with them as a son with his father, and as a wife with her spouse.
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