The Teachings of Men
My text verse today, is found in Mt. 15:7-9. “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” In this passage, the Lord is quoting from the prophet Isaiah: “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” (Is. 29:13-14.)
Man is, by nature, a curious and inquisitive being. Man is naturally a creature who seeks, discovers, and learns. This is how God made us. Naturally speaking, men have an ability to grow and increase in knowledge and wisdom. And, the growth in the natural understandings has been phenomenal. However, men tend to think too highly of themselves, and what knowledge they have. Sadly, in the realm of religion, men have a tendency to substitute their own wisdoms, and their own understandings for the Truth of God’s Word. Today, I want us to consider the danger of basing our beliefs, or staking our hopes, upon the doctrines and teachings of only men. In reality, the fate of one’s soul is too important to depend on only the abilities or wisdom of mere mortal men.
Men are not Inerrant
Men make mistakes. This is simple, and to the point. There is no argument that can logically oppose this statement. Therefore, since men make mistakes, we must admit, that men are not inerrant. Now, if men are not inerrant, then why do so many men and women, take the words or teachings or doctrines of men, and elevate them to the same level as that of the Word of God? And why do men even obey and follow the teachings of other men, to the exclusion of the plain teachings of the Bible itself?
Sometimes Men, Inadvertently lead others into Error. This is something that I have come to realize: Men can, from time to time, come across some teaching or doctrine that they feel that the Bible teaches, and they take hold of that teaching to the point that they carry the teaching too far. I believe that as we study the Word of God, all of us, perhaps, are susceptible to this misplaced zeal. There are times in Christianity, and even in the Churches of Jesus Christ, when well-intentioned men have grabbed hold of an extreme or even erroneous teaching, and they have led others into error, as they seek to submit to this erroneous idea that they might have concerning some teaching or doctrine.
In the Book of Acts, we read about the conflict that arose, from time to time, between the Jews and the Gentiles. Some of the Jews sought to bring the Gentiles (and the Jews as well) into the bondage of the Law of Moses. At one point, even Peter was carried away with the idea that the Jews, were just naturally better than the Gentiles, and that the Law of Moses made them that way. Paul speaks of this in the Letter to the Galatians. We read in Gal. 2:11-14, “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?” In this amazing passage, we learn something: Even if Peter, whom Paul had previously referred to as one of the pillars in the Church in Jerusalem (see Gal. 2:9), said or did something that was not according to the truth of the gospel, then we are to reject it! Now, I am not saying that we can or should or would ever desire to reject anything that he wrote when under the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit; but at those times in his life when he was not under inspiration, he was like any other man – he was prone to make mistakes – he was not inerrant. At those times, when someone that we greatly respect and admire, makes some mistake, we must not ignore the Truth of the Gospel, and obey and follow him blindly. No, instead, we must reject error, and stand upon Truth.
Sometimes Men, Purposely lead others into Error. Sometimes, though, men have a teaching that they know is not Scriptural, and still yet they do their best to lead others into error after them. Peter speaks of such men in 2Pet. 2:1-3. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” At such times, we must not only reject these false teachings, but we should do our best to expose these liars and hypocrites, in the hopes that we can prevent others from being caught in their webs of deceit, and prevent others from following them down the path to destruction.
Men are not Infallible
Men change. This, too, is an indisputable fact. So, if men change, then why should other men, take as the Gospel truth, every word spoken or written by certain men, without even bothering to compare those words and teachings with the Word of God? The same man who says something one day, may say something else on another day.
Sometimes Men, Grow and Develop a Better Understanding of the Scriptures. First, I want you to see the positive side of this change that takes place in the lives of men. In the case of the lives of most (if not all) of the faithful men and women who have served the Lord Jesus Christ, we find that they have grown and developed better understandings of the teachings and doctrines that are found in the Word of God. Now, the fact that we, as Christians, learn and teach different doctrines than what we might have perhaps believed when we were first saved, does not mean that we are wrong. In other words, no Christian can expect to know everything that he needs to know, and to teach everything that he ought to teach, or stand for everything that he ought to stand for, starting from the moment of his or her salvation. Some of the teachings that I promote now, perhaps were not teachings that I promoted, or even believed, when I was first saved. The same is probably true for you, if you too are saved by God’s grace.
We read about this process, and about the role that is played by teachers and preachers and the listeners, in Eph. 4:11-16. “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: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Certainly, this proves that men are not infallible – we do change and grow and learn. However, let us make sure that the change and the growth in our Christian lives, are changes and growth that benefit from study in the Word of God, and a better understanding of the doctrines and teachings that are taught in the Bible.
Sometimes Men, Depart the Faith, Teachings, and Doctrines, that they once Held Dear. Sometimes though, men change, and manifest their fallibility, by doing the opposite of the men and women that we have just noticed. Sometimes men change for the worse. This is the natural course for men to follow, at least in moral and good things. But, as a rule, men will change. And, what we stand for will change over the course or time. Truly there is no man who has ever lived, with the exception of Jesus Christ, who has not changed or altered, in some respect, the beliefs and doctrines that he has stood for.
The tragedy, though, is the realization that so many men depart the Truth, and willingly begin to condone and promote doctrines and teachings that are in total disagreement with the doctrines and teachings that they had previously attested to be the Truth of God. Paul warned Timothy, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” (1Tim. 4:1-3.) Such men and women are the worst examples of a change for the worse. And yet, Christianity continues to follow after the teachings of such wicked, and morally bankrupt leaders. Which leads me to my next point.
Men are Naturally Wicked and Deceitful
Mankind is depraved. This is another statement of fact that is obvious truth. To take the words of any man, who was once lost and depraved (or perhaps still is lost and depraved), and to base an entire system of beliefs on the life and example and doctrines of that one depraved man, is simply outrageous. And yet, this is what millions in Christianity do today. In fact, entire Denominations are based upon the foundation of one or several depraved individuals.
Sometimes Men, Unwittingly Follow the Desires of the Flesh. Sometimes a teaching or doctrine of a man, who, perhaps, is otherwise Scripturally sound, will be tainted by the desires or inclinations of the fleshly man. This happens often, because we, all of us, are held captive, in some degree, to the weaknesses and sins and desires of the flesh.
Consider the Christ–Mass that the Catholic church has foisted on so-called Christianity. So many Christians are caught up in this heretical pastime, and, for many otherwise sound Christians, it is because of an innate desire to fit in, and to participate in what seems to be a harmless but physically satisfying event.
But the Bible tells us, concerning the desires of the flesh and the physical pleasures that might tempt us, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2Cor. 6:14-18.) (See also Ex. 23:2.) We have no business with the world and the pleasures of this life. We have no right to seek to incorporate fleshly pleasures into the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. The flesh and the natural man will lead us astray sometimes; we must reject such teachings and such teachers.
Sometimes Men, are the Servants of the Devil. Sometimes a man may promote a set of doctrines or teachings that are unscriptural, simply because that man is the servant of the Devil. There are men who pretend to serve Christ, who, in fact, are actually serving the Devil himself. This is a terrible thing to observe, but it is unmistakably true. There are within the ranks of so-called Christianity (and I fear even within the ranks of some of the Churches of Jesus Christ), men and women who have no desire at all to obey the commandments and teachings and doctrines of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. These infiltrators, in reality, are only servants of the Devil, who are intent on furthering the desires and the will of Satan, himself. Their only loyalty lies to him; their only desire is to refute the things of God, and to exalt the things of the Devil.
Paul said this about such men: “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Titus 1:10-16.) Surely, the true saints of God should be ready and willing to study the Word of God, and to determine who the imposters of religion are, and to decry and deny them to the world! Which leads me to my final point.
The Word of God is our Plumbline
Considering the things that we have just discussed, I think that is clear that we cannot rely solely on the teachings of any man, because men are not inerrant; men are not infallible; and, men are wicked and deceitful. However, I do not want you to think that I am saying that we should ignore every teaching and doctrine and word that any man might preach, teach, or write. The Lord knows that there are many uses for His servants, and one of those uses is to teach, edify, exhort, and preach to the rest of mankind.
We Must Compare Teachings of Men, to the Teachings of the Word of God. Whatever is said or taught, let us hold those teachings or doctrines up to the Word of God for confirmation. The Lord told the Jews in the time of Isaiah, “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” (Is. 8:19-20.) Consider also the Bereans: “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.” (Acts 17:10-12.) As far as Searching the Scriptures, remember what the Lord told the Jews, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (Jn. 5:39.) The Word of God is Inerrant, Infallible, and Holy. This is the proper plumbline. This is the indisputable basis for man’s proper understanding of God and His Ways.