Testing the Teachers
Not all Bible teachers are equal. How can you know whom to trust?
We live in an amazing time. In our Western culture we have access to an astounding number of resources that claim to teach truths of the Christian faith. As you walk or click into a Christian bookstore, how do you discern which books will be edifying and which may lead you astray or merely tickle your ears? Should you read the book with the flashiest display? The one with the
biggest smile on the cover? Beyond books, we have access to conferences, online sermons, and other types of teaching. One popular website hosts 1.5 million sermons with teaching from many different theological perspectives. Finding the best among the good and bad can be a challenge, so we must "test the spirits" to know if the teaching is true (1 John 4:1). Look for teaching that meets these
four benchmarks:
Doctrinally sound.
Regardless of their denominational affiliation or statement of faith, a teacher must hold to orthodox doctrine (1 Timothy 6:3-10). Denying any core doctrines should earn them a quick trip to the trash bin (for example, denying the Trinity or promoting salvation by works).
Drawn from Scripture.
God gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and knowledge of him starts with the Bible. A life built on any other foundation is destined to crumble. Building life principles on secular science or psychology will lead you astray from wisdom that begins only with God (Colossians 2:8-10). Teachers who incorporate evolutionary views or cultural norms as the standard of truth will likely undermine God's Word in more places than the opening chapters of Genesis, although this is not always the case.
Gospel focused.
Avoid teaching that calls you to rely on your own strength to earn God's acceptance rather than resting in what the Father has done for you in Christ by the Spirit's work.
Historically attested.
Treat with great caution anyone who produces a new perspective on a teaching accepted in the church for millennia. The 66 books of the Bible frame the truth delivered once for all to the saints (Jude 3). Nobody has perfect theology, but
how much error can a teacher hold and still be worth learning from? Mature believers will have a more developed ability to eat the meat and spit out the bones, but everyone has a limit. You must pray for wisdom, seek wise counsel, and walk in the Spirit to ensure that you don't fall prey to false teachers (Matthew 7:15). Seeking to understand those who are on the opposite side of an issue can help refine our own thinking, but a constant diet of error can become a defiling influence. Regardless of how much you trust a teacher, compare what they say to Scripture and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21) .
Roger Patterson, Answers in Genesis
We live in an amazing time. In our Western culture we have access to an astounding number of resources that claim to teach truths of the Christian faith. As you walk or click into a Christian bookstore, how do you discern which books will be edifying and which may lead you astray or merely tickle your ears? Should you read the book with the flashiest display? The one with the
biggest smile on the cover? Beyond books, we have access to conferences, online sermons, and other types of teaching. One popular website hosts 1.5 million sermons with teaching from many different theological perspectives. Finding the best among the good and bad can be a challenge, so we must "test the spirits" to know if the teaching is true (1 John 4:1). Look for teaching that meets these
four benchmarks:
Doctrinally sound.
Regardless of their denominational affiliation or statement of faith, a teacher must hold to orthodox doctrine (1 Timothy 6:3-10). Denying any core doctrines should earn them a quick trip to the trash bin (for example, denying the Trinity or promoting salvation by works).
Drawn from Scripture.
God gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and knowledge of him starts with the Bible. A life built on any other foundation is destined to crumble. Building life principles on secular science or psychology will lead you astray from wisdom that begins only with God (Colossians 2:8-10). Teachers who incorporate evolutionary views or cultural norms as the standard of truth will likely undermine God's Word in more places than the opening chapters of Genesis, although this is not always the case.
Gospel focused.
Avoid teaching that calls you to rely on your own strength to earn God's acceptance rather than resting in what the Father has done for you in Christ by the Spirit's work.
Historically attested.
Treat with great caution anyone who produces a new perspective on a teaching accepted in the church for millennia. The 66 books of the Bible frame the truth delivered once for all to the saints (Jude 3). Nobody has perfect theology, but
how much error can a teacher hold and still be worth learning from? Mature believers will have a more developed ability to eat the meat and spit out the bones, but everyone has a limit. You must pray for wisdom, seek wise counsel, and walk in the Spirit to ensure that you don't fall prey to false teachers (Matthew 7:15). Seeking to understand those who are on the opposite side of an issue can help refine our own thinking, but a constant diet of error can become a defiling influence. Regardless of how much you trust a teacher, compare what they say to Scripture and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21) .
Roger Patterson, Answers in Genesis