Vol. 7, No. 1, 1990

Articles on Other Religious Topics

David Henke

Recently I made a list of scripture texts in the New Testament that warn against, or refute, error. Though the list is not exhaustive by any means it shows that such texts are found in every book of the New Testament except Philemon. In Matthew 7:15 Jesus warns against false prophets. In Mark 13:5,6 and Luke 21:8 Jesus warns us against false Christs.

The New Testament deals with heresy in two ways, negatively and positively. Negatively is warns against, and exposes it. Positively it teaches, explains, and presents the truth as a counter to some error affecting the Church.

This positive tact is taken in the gospel of John versus the negative "Beware." In John 20:31 John says his gospel is written so that we can know Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. However, much of the book is written to answer those who would deny Jesus' deity such as the Gnostics and Sabellians. Many of Jesus' encounters with the Jewish leaders in John focus on His identity (John 5, 8, 10, 18, etc.). The message is that without acceptance of Jesus' deity, salvation is not possible (John 8:24).

Beyond the gospels, whole letters are written for the specific purpose of answering error. In Galatians, Paul answers the Judaizers. II John and Jude deal with false teachers. Elsewhere large portions of other books in the Bible are devoted to correcting error within the churches. I Corinthians deals with errors regarding spiritual gifts, and the resurrection. Colossians deals with the influence of gnosticism in the church at Colosse. But in every book except Philemon there is some statement, whether positive or negative, about the corruption or neglect of truth.

Because Watchman Fellowship spends its full time countering deception, we could be accused of giving too much attention to the questions of truth versus error. But are we?

Consider some of the statements made recently by Ray Stedman in Decision Magazine . After saying that the mystery of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" is the heart and soul of the Word of God he goes on to say that this "truth is grounded in the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus, and in the presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer.... It should, therefore, be the chief subject in the curriculum of every church, the central theme of most pulpit preaching. What we actually find today is a frightening biblical illiteracy, even in churches where the Bible is regarded as central. We may hear many sermons, yet be taught little truth. We may drown in words, but thirst for reality. How many in the average congregation know the meaning of terms like justification by faith, sanctification, the Kingdom of God, the New Covenant, the walk in the Spirit, or even faith, love and peace?" (Dec¬ember 1989, pp. 23, 24).

When teaching on foundational Christian doctrines I have likened doctrine to the human skeleton whereas its application, exhortation, fellowship, love, etc. are like the flesh on the skeleton. The flesh is warm, soft, comforting, flexible, whereas bones are hard, and inflexible. Yet without the skeletal structure the flesh will go nowhere, and will conform to whatever is pressing on it. There is the need for both, and in balance.

Perhaps the distaste that exists in the Church today for doctrine has resulted from two problems:

1) The pluralistic attitude that doctrines exclude those who might disagree; and,

2) the dry academic way doctrine has been taught in the past.

However, if it is understood that out of those doctrinal truths flow the dynamic reality of the Christian faith, and if appropriate application is then made to Christian living then doctrine becomes exciting. This is the desire of Watchman Fellowship and every other counter-cult ministry so that fewer people in the pews will be influenced away from the church to seek reality in the cults.