What The Bible Says About False Doctrine

This week we will began a look at false doctrine, specifically, what the Bible says concerning false doctrine.  Of course we will not be able to examine all that the Bible has to say on this subject so this study will be limited to an overview of what Jesus and the New Testament writers said concerning false doctrine.

On more than one occasion Jesus condemned the false doctrine of the Pharisees. The members of this highly religious group were so careful in keeping the law of Moses that they built a hedge of traditions around the law.  What they practiced and taught was that their man-made traditions were just as binding, in some cases more so, as the God given law.  Jesus taught that this was not right.  He told them on one occasion, “Ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your traditions.  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’” (Matt. 15:3-9).

Jesus would not tolerate any false doctrine or those who allowed it.  In the book of Revelation Christ chastised the church at Pergamos because they embraced false doctrine.  Our Lord had much good to say about this church but he also spoke harshly to them concerning false doctrine, “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam…So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate” (Rev. 2:14-15).  Christ commanded them to repent warning that otherwise he would come quickly to “fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

Jesus stood against false doctrine and false teachers.  We ought to do likewise.  Traditions that do not violate sound doctrine are permissable but we must never allow tradition to overrule God’s word as did the Pharisees.  Neither can we allow false doctrine or those who promote it in the church.  If we ever find that we have elevated tradition above its proper place or that we have allowed any false doctrine to become established then we too must repent.

Next week we will look at what the New Testament writers have to say about false doctrine and those who teach falsehood.  Until then…

Yours in love,

Thomas Sneed

Pond Church of Christ