False Teachers & Doctrinesgreenspun.com : LUSENET : The Christian Church : One Thread |
I am interested in discussion in the area of False doctrines, teachers, brothers, & prophets. How do we discern who a false teacher is, or what is false doctrine? Once we have determined according to scripture that one is a false teacher, how far does our association with that person go. What if any is the difference between a person who believes in a false doctrine and a person who teaches that doctrine and are these groups to be treated differently? What kind of damage can false doctrines, teachers, brothers do?I would greatly appreciate anyone who would share their scriptural knowledge with me!
Thank you!
-- Anonymous, September 09, 1999
How do we discern who a false teacher is, or what is false doctrine?
A false teacher is anyone who teaches false doctrine.
False doctrine is any teaching that is not true.
examples: evolution, buddhism, gnosticism, sprinkling of infants, worship of Mary, salvation by "accepting Jesus into your heart" without baptism, etc.
Once we have determined according to scripture that one is a false teacher, how far does our association with that person go?
No association
What if any is the difference between a person who believes in a false doctrine and a person who teaches that doctrine
They are like "the blind leading the blind" but both fall into the ditch
and are these groups to be treated differently?
Yes. Teachers are to be held to a higher standard of accountability.
What kind of damage can false doctrines, teachers, brothers do?
There shall be a weeping and a gnashing of teeth
-- Anonymous, September 09, 1999
Question: "What if any is the difference between a person who believes in a false doctrine and a person who teaches that doctrine? Answer: They are like "the blind leading the blind" but both fall into the ditch.That is true. But we need to remember that the person who has been taught false doctrine is not to blame. It is the teacher that will suffer two-fold for their false teaching. The recepient of the teaching may still be lost, but their ishope for them if they are willing to be taught. It is a great thing to help lead someone who has false beliefs to the truth!
It is another thing to try to bring a teacher of false doctrine to the truth. It can be done, but can be quite hard.
I remember hearing the preacher of a large Baptist church near Cocoa who said on his radio program, "This is what the Bible says, but this is what the Baptists believe." With an attitude like that, there isn't much of a chance of bringing them to the truth.
-- Anonymous, September 10, 1999
Duane, You say..."No association" Could you please give scripture for this belief.Is "No association" absolute, except in the area of the evanglism of the individual?
Does "No associatin" include use of these false teachers/preachers material?
Our church uses materials/quotes from faith only teachers (i.e. Dobson, Burkett, and so on...) I see a great danger here. Ours is a military church we have several young military families whose duty time can range from 6 weeks to 3 or 4 years. Most of them who come to us are not "Chirstian Church/Church of Christ background, but come from many different denominations. If we set before their eyes and ears these false teachers, I wonder what type of message we are sending.
Some say it is ok to use these materials if the "leadership" uses a disclaimer...saying this teacher/preacher has excellent material on the family, but we do not agree with their stance on salvation. If we in the church are looking for spiritual guidance in any area, should we not seek that guidance from Godly counsel? Why do we look to someone we believe to be a NON-CHRISTIAN instead of a Christian? What kind of spritual knowledge does a NON-CHRISTIAN have?
If we purchase material from false teachers, and that money is used to further their ministry (which undoubtably includes attempts to evangelize with lies or partial truths) do we participate in their evil?
-- Anonymous, September 10, 1999
"And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." (II Thess 3:14-15)
"Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the doctrine, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, 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." (II John 1:9)
This is an ideal...a standard. I don't claim to always live up to it. Thanks be to God for His Grace.
As a movement, we haven't always lived up to the standard either. Instead of saying to a faith-only celebrity, "Don't even come to my house," in the past we have said, "Come preach at our convention!"
-- Anonymous, September 10, 1999
J.H. Garrison in "Old Faith Revisited" said that anyone who believes in Jesus as the Messiah and obedience to him as Lord is my brother. I guess my definition of a false teacher is anyone who teaches contrary to these things.
-- Anonymous, September 11, 1999
Amen, LeRoy.... I will agree with that... Hey, to the rest of you... don't feel you have to be wordy to post here. :)
-- Anonymous, September 11, 1999
To All:I'm a little late getting to this discussion, but found it quite enlightening as to the mind-set of those in your denomination. Does Duane speak for the majority or minority of your group? I believe in Jesus as the Messiah and walk in obedience to him as Lord and do not teach contrary to this, that would make me Leroy,s brother, if I understand him correctly.
Sincerely,
-- Anonymous, November 19, 1999
Hello, Barry,I believe the teachings of the Churches of Christ are heretical.
Have you reaccessed some of the prior threads? Your name comes up several times.
-- Anonymous, March 08, 2000
Goodness, Connie! Heretical, we are? And you spoke so strongly of accepting everybody and being kind and not calling names.Ok. Show me. List specifically doctrines of the "Church of Christ" that you believe to be heretical. Doesn't have to be a long, drawn- out thing. Just give us the basics. Number them, so that they can be more easily referred to and separated when I answer.
You believe we are heretics -- show me why.
-- Anonymous, March 08, 2000
One of the slogans of the Christian Church is that "we are not the only Christians, but we are Christians only." James A. Garfield, former President of the United States, is one of the best known individuals associated with Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. He even served as a "lay preacher." To answer the many questions he received about the group of believers with whom he worshipped, he wrote a classic statement. It is not a creed, since we acknowledge "no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, no law but love," but it adequately sums up our doctrinal beliefs:
- We call ourselves Christians.
- We believe in God the Father.
- We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and our Savior. We regard the divinity of Christ as the fundamental truth of the Christian system.
- We believe in the Holy Spirit, both as to His agency in conversion and as indwelling in the heart of the Christian.
- We accept both the Old and the New Testament Scriptures as the inspired Word of God.
- We believe in the future punishment of the wicked and the future reward of the righteous.
- We believe that the Deity is a prayer-hearing and a prayer-answering God.
- We observe the institution of the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day. To this table we neither invite nor debar; we say it is the Lord's Supper for all of the Lord's children.
- We plead for the union of God's people on the Bible and the Bible alone.
- The Christ is our only creed.
- We maintain that all the ordinances should be observed as they were in the days of the apostles.
For your information, the Christian Research Institute, although they disagree with our position on baptism, does not consider our beliefs in the slightest bit heretical. I would ask, given the above core beliefs of our fellowship, that you point out in them, in very clear terms, where our heresy lies. As one who has fought heresy, false teachers, false doctrine, cults and counterfeits for 25 years now, I would really like to know.
-- Anonymous, March 08, 2000