Strange Teachings

"So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas..." (Heb. 13:9, NLT).
"[But] test everything that is said.  Hold on to what is good"  (1 Thess. 5:21, NLT).
"Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many"  (Matt. 24:11, NKJV).

It is often tempting to let curiosity get the best of us and to read for the sake of satisfying our quest for the unknown--to go where no man has gone before, as it were--and not with a purpose of edification and to discover the truth.  We will not find truth on the lips of deceivers, "wolves in sheep's clothing," or any who know not Lord.   Quoting Scripture doesn't prove they know the Lord, and we are to be skeptical as to the trustworthiness of any source except the Bible--which alone is inerrant and infallible.  An example in point:  Do not read some book about the Bible that cannot be recommended by someone you know or has internal evidence you are willing to accept.

Do not take their word for it that they know the Lord if there is no evidence and you will know them by their fruits.  One can never be too precautious or safe in filtering his reading and must not read just for the sake of curiosity, for curiosity killed the cat! "The fool feeds on trash; the wise are hungry for the truth" (cf. Prov. 15:14).  "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching.  They will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear"  (2 Tim. 4:3, NLT).

We read for a purpose (entertainment, passing the time, etc.), but curiosity is dubious.  It is better to read to be informed, gaining information and learning something new.  By all means, listen to your conscience and heed its warnings--dubious sources, mysticism, gnostic sources.  These three make up red flags that should stop you from going into uncharted territory.  Martin Luther said that to go against conscience is neither right nor safe and that is valid especially if it's enlightened by Scripture.  For example, if no one recommends it and you can't find any endorsement from known men of God, you are taking a leap of faith in reading it, because more damage may be done than good and you may be fooled by the so-called element of truth that is disguised with the abundance of deception--there is some truth in every faith, and you can be inoculated against the real thing by being immunized by error mixed with truth.

Don't be fooled because of the following:  strange teachings that you've never heard or had no one's endorsement that you trust; don't be led astray by mysticism or trusting in spiritual experiences for revelation instead of Scripture; and don't be led astray by Gnosticism or those who think they are "in the know." "For no prophecy is of any private interpretation" (cf. 2 Pet. 1:20). No one's cornered the market on truth!  Above all, obey your conscience and if you have doubts, err on the side of safety--don't try out something to see if it works, for we don't try Jesus and see if He works for us, we make a commitment to Him and there's no turning back or experimentation!

No one enters the realm of error without giving the devil an opportunity to spread his lies and we must not become partners in crime, as it were--the naive believe anything (cf. Prov. 14:15). We are guilty of opening the door that gives the devil the chance or opportunity (cf. Eph. 4:27) to poison our minds with lies--look at Eve falling for Satan's lies, that God was holding out!  There are no secrets to discover:  Freemasonry is bogus and full of lies! The "secrets things" don't belong to us, but to God (cf. Deut. 29:29).

Remember, that flirting with Satan is dangerous and once the door is opened it is hard to close because the lure of Satan's lies become all the more to beware of.   How do cults get started?  People believe the teacher who has charisma, and loses faith in Scripture as the final arbiter of truth--look at "The People's Temple" or the "cult of death" in Jonestown, Guyana, where they didn't find one Bible, because they trusted the Rev. Jim Jones as the voice of God! Jehovah's Witnesses trust in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society organization to interpret the Bible for them and rely on its private translation and interpretation!

"Beware of empty philosophies and high-sounding ideas" (cf. Col. 2:8), but how can this be if we are not aware of the truth and what good philosophy is?  The only way to combat a secular worldview is to have a biblical worldview!  The only way to interpret the Bible correctly is to hold to principles of biblical hermeneutics.  The only way to become immune to heresy and error is to know the truth which sets us free from it and sensitizes our antennae. "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (cf. John 8:32).

Don't flirt with danger into uncharted waters where your conscience gives red flags.  Everything we read doesn't have to be recommended, referenced, or footnoted (it should be sound sources), but we must use sound principles in deciding what to give credence to and what to take with a grain of salt and be careful of, and not necessarily at face value.  We don't have to become scholars either to be believable, but we are still to write with credible principles based on the Word and not resort to dubious methods, e.g., mysticism, Gnosticism, misquoting Scripture, private or strange teachings.  "So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters?  God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish..." (1 Cor. 1:20, NLT).  But "I know whom I have believed..."  (cf. 2 Tim. 1:12).  Therefore, interpret experience by the Word of God, not vice versa!   Soli Deo Gloria!  

What Is The Place Of Doctrine?

That is a loaded question since most people have a preconceived idea of what doctrine is. Doctrine is important; don't bail out theologically (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3). We all have a credo; we all have doctrines; some of us just don't have sound doctrine. Usually, they think of something dogmatic or doctrinaire or narrow-minded. They want to avoid doctrine. Actually, if we realize that all doctrine means is "teaching" then half the problem is solved. Who's against teaching?

Doctrine isn't just for intellectuals. You don't commit spiritual or intellectual suicide when you join a ministry or church. You are committing spiritual suicide if you ignore doctrine: It is a given and we are all theologians in a sense. We cannot avoid doctrine: "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine..." (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16). "Those who are wayward in spirit shall gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction [doctrine, as it were]" (cf. Isa. 29:14).

There is value in knowing the scoop, as it were, or being "clued in," because this gives us confidence and these two, according to Charles Swindoll, are like Siamese twins. Doctrine feeds the soul and is the spiritual bread that Christ referred to when He said, "You shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (cf. Matt. 4:4). Just because we are privy to some doctrine doesn't make us a cut above other Christians. " The mere presence of doctrine can leave us cold, even if it is sound doctrine." It is necessary for spiritual wellness but not sufficient.

We don't have the right to believe what we feel is right but must obey rules of hermeneutics and logic that apply to any other book as well. Avoiding controversy is un-Christlike because Christ didn't shy from controversy: "to avoid controversy is to avoid Christ" (see John Stott's book Christ the Controversialist) The early disciples were devoted to the apostles' doctrine or teaching. Remember, God wants us to be "mature in our understanding." Ignorance is not bliss! It is a childish faith that balks at learning Scripture in depth. The meat of the Word is for those who "have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (cf. Heb. 5:14).   Soli Deo Gloria!