A Teacher’s Credibility
There are so many Christian teachers around today. Each have their own methods of teaching; each have their own interpretation of the Gospel. That is not to say that they are either right or wrong, and that it is not necessarily done to manipulate students into a specific, controlling doctrine.
Just because you do not agree with the teaching does not mean that it is wrong. It is your responsibility to study and pray about it before you accept or decline any information. Prayer, and specifically, praying in the spirit, are great filters of truth. Tongues are highly recommended because the Holy Spirit, has been given to us to help us learn by correcting us in love.
Tradition is also not conducive to being true, accurate, false, or inaccurate doctrine. It should never be a basis for part of any doctrine. Guidance is one thing, and consulting with the more senior Christian is entirely something else. Control through hierarchy or assumed godly anointing is nothing short of a doctrine based on control. Age does not necessarily mean true depth of knowledge and neither does the “time served” give validation to any proffered experience. Comfort in a doctrine is conducive to complacency, and that is tantamount to control of congregations and ministries being used by some churches and ministries today.
Oftentimes, church members take a teaching or sermon as verbatim only to find out later that it was purely an opinion and not a God-given message or instruction. Entire doctrines have been based on such fallacies.
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:11-12 of the fivefold offices of ministry and the reasons for doing so:
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
So very often these offices are abused both intentionally and unintentionally. Neither is acceptable. We need truly appointed and anointed ministers for the exact reason of edifying the body of Christ. If an office is abused to the point where this commandment is disobeyed, for any reason whatsoever, there is usually an ulterior motive behind it and, is not God’s intention to fool us or have us misled. Inaccuracies and opinions born out of self-appointed ministers and even narcissists.
Beware!
1st John 4:1-6
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
If we are truly born-again, we have the spirit of God within us so, deep down inside at the heart, we know truth. But we have to be able to discern that truth. The devil is a deceiver and even if you have been a Christian for decades people still try and fool you, lie to you using any means possible to fool you or manipulate you away from the truth. The Word of God and your continued study of it, confessing it daily. The use of it will enhance and grow your knowledge and confidence in it to perfectly discern what is being said or written so that you won’t be fooled. You will be able to discern any teacher’s or preacher’s oration.
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32)