Where Does Error Come From?
For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables. (II Timothy 4:3,4)
One does not have to struggle to discover that doctrinal
error often rises from the unread and unlearned. It always comes from the
hearts of men and women who simply make up doctrine as they go. The cults
serve up an unhealthy diet consisting of the doctrine of devils, and they are
persistent in their task of blinding the eyes of men. It really doesn’t
matter what this crowd of false teachers dreams up; it is all the same, and
their evil teaching is condemned by God.
Thus, when moderate evangelicals give credence to these
cults, making them acceptable evangelicals, we are left wondering why. It
is often the intellectual scholars who laud these strange pronouncements that
turn a blind eye to doctrinal error. This observation, then, leads us to
a serious consideration: how is it that these scholars are comfortable with
error that often damns men’s souls?
TIRED OLD
ACCUSATIONS
When error, however, is clearly assigned to the
intellectual crowd, people who know better are often quick to call others “anti-intellectual.”
This is an old liberal trick, and it doesn’t work with thinking people.
Anyone who knows anything about my fifty-four years in ministry can tell
you that for most of my life I’ve been involved in education. Learning is very
important, and people who are able should go as far as they can on the
education ladder. We should never stop learning; study should be a way of
life.
I am not against intellect or serious study. It is
also wise for a person to pursue a single discipline and to follow it as far as
possible. No one can be an expert in every discipline, but we need to be
as broad in our understanding as is possible. You will no doubt read
materials that leave you with the impression that the writer has a full grasp
of everything; that is a serious mistake.
ERROR
THAT FLOWS FROM THE ELITE
Like it or not, much of the theological error being spread
abroad does not come from the simple-minded, unread, and unlearned. You
would think that the more knowledge one has, the more likely that person would
be to maintain a theology that is biblical. That, however, is not the
case. It appears that the higher a student climbs on the academic ladder,
the greater the danger. Not all of this is deliberate, but intellectual
pride can be a terrible thing. It seems to provide a license for error on
the part of the scholar.
Recently I jotted down a list of ten theological errors
that are currently floating around, many of which are being disseminated by
some popular theological gurus. I honestly didn’t fix the list, but every
one of them has been sourced or popularized by well-known men who we would
recognize as being scholars. It is clearly evident that scholars can be,
and are, wrong occasionally - and sometimes frequently. That is not to
say that everything they teach is wrong, because “diamonds come from dirt.”
A TRAGIC
FALLOUT
I travel a lot and read as much as I can, and my email box
is full most mornings. My soul is grieved at the creation and
dissemination of theological error, but that is only the beginning; the real
tragedy is in seeing how blind people so often have become. You can
almost tell who and what people read by the error they spout.
We all need to read broadly, and should even include
authors who have proven they can popularize erroneous doctrine. The
question is, why are not the readers asking the right questions? It is
imperative that the reader be able tell when his theological leg is being
pulled. Young men are most often caught in the web of intellectualism
simply because they think they know more than they actually do. It is a
heady thing to be able to discuss some of the technical positions being spread
abroad. It is a terrible thing not to be able to recognize when a
teaching has departed from the authority of scripture.
I confess that, when I was a young student and preacher,
pride took the lead in my following error. At the same time, I will be
forever grateful for godly men who sounded the warning that allowed me to focus
on the Book of God rather than the books of men. Just because someone is
well-known or has churned out many publications does not mean that what he says
is correct. We need to be like the Bereans of old who “searched the
scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
Read the writings of men. They offer great questions, but
not always the right answers. Read with one eye to the works of men and both
eyes solidly on the Word of God. The elite in theology are not
necessarily the authority. If they are offering you “false teaching,”
they may well be false teachers - wolves in shepherds’ garb, as it were.
Error can come from any source, and scholars and intellectuals are no
exception. Don’t let people make this a personality issue; stay with
ideas so you will not be hindered by the cloak of the elite.
Shepherd’s Staff – July, 2014
A communication service of Shepherd’s Basic Care, for those committed to
the authority and sufficiency of the Bible. Shepherd’s Basic Care is a
ministry of information and encouragement to pastors, missionaries, and
churches. Write for information using the e-mail address, Shepherdstaff2@juno.com or
Shepherd’s
Staff is prepared by Clay Nuttall, D. Min
Site Publisher’s Commentary
Dr. Nuttall wrote, “It is often intellectual scholars who laud these strange pronouncements that turn a blind eye to doctrinal error.” I would offer, as a related example, the recent activities of Dr. Al Mohler. In recent years Mohler has aligned himself with, and thereby given credibility to cult movements such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Mormon Church and to this generation’s high priest of New Evangelicalism- Rick Warren. In spite of these associations Mohler has willfully forged his followers in an around Bible believing circles continue to heap “lavish praise” upon him promote his speaking tour, his books, and/or tolerate, allow for, ignore or excuse Mohler’s compromises and betrayal of God’s Word. For further reading, see:
Al Mohler: So Much for Sola Scripture
Site Publisher’s Commentary
Dr. Nuttall wrote, “It is often intellectual scholars who laud these strange pronouncements that turn a blind eye to doctrinal error.” I would offer, as a related example, the recent activities of Dr. Al Mohler. In recent years Mohler has aligned himself with, and thereby given credibility to cult movements such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Mormon Church and to this generation’s high priest of New Evangelicalism- Rick Warren. In spite of these associations Mohler has willfully forged his followers in an around Bible believing circles continue to heap “lavish praise” upon him promote his speaking tour, his books, and/or tolerate, allow for, ignore or excuse Mohler’s compromises and betrayal of God’s Word. For further reading, see:
Al Mohler: So Much for Sola Scripture
“Al Mohler has betrayed the very basic, the primary distinctive that Baptists have clung to for centuries, that the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice.”Kevin Bauder: When Facts Give Way for the Sake of Agenda
What of Kevin Bauder’s revisionist histories and omission of widely known facts in various articles he has posted? There appears to be an agenda that includes blurring the lines of distinction between fundamentalists and the so-called “conservative” evangelicals over what constitutes authentic biblical separation. Kevin Bauder has a long-standing, established record of omitting relevant facts about the star personalities and fellowships of “conservative” evangelicalism, and its star personalities. He has consistently demonstrated a serious problem with acknowledging and addressing the truth about the evangelicals’ doctrinal aberrations, ecumenical compromises, worldliness and cultural relativism. He has avoided appealing to and applying any Scriptural principles to the doctrine and actions of his new friends in evangelicalism, particularly Al Mohler and Mark Dever.
Good article Lou! Not enough is being said about false teachings. It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. We all appreciate Dr. Nuttall having addressed this, and related themes in recent months.
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