{"id":1134,"date":"2015-04-29T00:48:20","date_gmt":"2015-04-29T05:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/focuspressblog.com\/?p=1134"},"modified":"2015-04-29T00:48:20","modified_gmt":"2015-04-29T05:48:20","slug":"wheres-your-backbone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2015\/04\/29\/wheres-your-backbone\/","title":{"rendered":"Where’s Your Backbone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The human vertebral column, better known\u00a0as the spine, consists of thirty-three vertebrae\u00a0that run the length of the human torso. It not only\u00a0houses the spinal cord, the primary neural pathway\u00a0from the brain to various body regions, but\u00a0in conjunction with the ribs it also bears the weight\u00a0of the entire body, holding all parts in proper\u00a0position. What happens when a person has spinal\u00a0problems like arthritis or a ruptured vertebra?\u00a0Intense pain, loss of mobility and abilities, and\u00a0failure of other body parts to function\u00a0properly. As one arthritic admitted, \u201cWhen the\u00a0spine is out of whack, nothing seems to work\u00a0right.\u201d But when the spine is healthy, all parts of\u00a0the body are poised to work well for our benefit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now consider the spine as a metaphor for\u00a0healthy spiritual teaching. When a person has a\u00a0robust knowledge of Jehovah\u2019s teachings, coupled\u00a0with a wise sense of application and a determination\u00a0to do as He directs, the spiritual body\u00a0will be strong and hale. The spine gives posture\u00a0and the ability to stand upright. Just so, healthy\u00a0spiritual teaching makes it possible for us to stand\u00a0uprightly before God. Our brother Paul wrote to\u00a0Timothy about the value of good spiritual teaching:\u00a0\u201cHold fast the pattern of sound words which\u00a0you have heard from me, in faith and love which\u00a0are in Christ Jesus\u201d (2 Timothy 1:13). The word\u00a0pattern\u00a0 indicates there is a reliable standard or\u00a0arrangement of God\u2019s teaching that is repeatable\u2014\u00a0there is a blueprint. And the word sound\u00a0is actually a medical term related to our word hygienic ;\u00a0it literally means \u201chealthy.\u201d So God is saying\u00a0that we should hold on to healthy teaching!\u00a0Perhaps this recognition forces one to peer past\u00a0labels like \u201cliberal\u201d or \u201cconservative,\u201d themselves\u00a0subjectively applied, and focus instead on\u00a0a more penetrating and objective assessment\u00a0about the spiritual healthiness of the words we\u00a0hear. This term helps carry the conversation to a\u00a0proper location, namely an honest appraisal of the\u00a0Bible\u2019s teachings in order to secure a healthy understanding\u00a0of the Word.<\/p>\n

We certainly should be concerned with physical\u00a0health, but what about spiritual wellbeing?\u00a0The discussion of spiritual matters in medical terms\u00a0makes for helpful analyses and easy appreciation\u00a0of benefits. Consider that Jesus, called the\u00a0Great Physician, spoke of His work in medical\u00a0terms\u2014\u201cThose that are well have no need of a\u00a0physician, but those who are sick\u201d (Matthew 9:12).\u00a0Are we ready to hear what the Lord has to say on\u00a0the matter of healthy teachings the way we would\u00a0listen to an oncologist or cardiologist? Healthy\u00a0teaching feeds the soul, answering the hunger and\u00a0thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:5).<\/p>\n

No one really enjoys having to address false\u00a0teaching; it is unpleasant, even distressing at\u00a0times. But it is also needed. To some, a brother\u2019s\u00a0concern for true\/false teaching may be dismissed as a mark of spiritual fractiousness, wrangling\u00a0over matters like a Christian dilettante or spiritual tyro. But this is an easy and myopic response,\u00a0perhaps by one who does not wish to engage in any meaningful discussion for fear of what might\u00a0be unearthed. God discussed this topic in the Old Testament through His spokesmen and prophets\u00a0(see Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:20-22; Isaiah 5:20; Jeremiah 5:30-31 as a brief sampling). Jesus addressed\u00a0the theme (Matthew 5:19; 7:15-20; 15:9, 13-14; Mark 13:22), as did His apostles and early\u00a0followers (Acts 20:29-30; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 4). This makes false teaching\u00a0a theme worthy of our consideration as well.<\/p>\n

False teaching bears a face. It manifests itself as Jim Jones, the leader of a religious movement\u00a0in South America who ordered the murder of a U.S. Congressman and aides and then induced his\u00a0own adherents to follow him into murder\/suicide. False teaching looks like David Koresh, who led\u00a0his disciples to a fiery conflagration outside Waco, Texas. These egregious examples (and there are\u00a0more) receive worldwide condemnation, but are they really so much worse than many other cases\u00a0in which someone speaks falsely about God\u2019s will for humanity? When a local preacher encourages\u00a0a congregation to cease worshiping the Lord as directed in the New Testament, the damage is scarcely\u00a0less. When an elder instructs members to ignore God\u2019s expectations for marriage and family, souls\u00a0are jeopardized. When an individual decides that her or his own preferences should precede Jesus\u2019\u00a0instructions, damage is done. If we can dispassionately look at the problem the way we ask a\u00a0doctor to examine an injury, then we can see the extreme danger that false teaching poses to the\u00a0soul.<\/p>\n

You may ask, \u201cWhat is false teaching and how do I recognize it?\u201d<\/strong> Simply put, any doctrine that\u00a0deviates from God\u2019s revealed will as found in the Scriptures is false. And yes, some may disagree\u00a0over what the Bible says and thus what constitutes erroneous teachings. But this demands that we\u00a0become avid seekers of Truth, scrutinizing the Lord\u2019s Word in order to understand His will (Ephesians\u00a05:17). The Creator who fashioned the human race and understands our minds is the same Creator\u00a0seeking to communicate with us via His Book. Countries can communicate with one another at the\u00a0United Nations, using translators to endorse international treaties, broker global economic deals,\u00a0and resolve conflicts. I refuse to believe that we cannot read the Bible and come to a clear understanding\u00a0of its basic teachings. The only explanation for such simpler diversity is that individuals\u00a0do not wish to let go of their firmly held beliefs, even in the face of stark truths. When authorities\u00a0prepare their agents to spot counterfeit currency, they learn the features of the true currency. Any\u00a0deviation must be counterfeit. In a similar fashion, when we learn what the Lord teaches, then anytime\u00a0we hear a differing teaching, we know we are hearing something false. This requires us to be\u00a0knowledgeable, as well as investigating to \u201cjudge righteous judgment\u201d (John 7:24). But to do less\u00a0is to risk following a path that leads away from rather than to God.<\/p>\n

What are the origins of false teaching?<\/strong> Some deviate from the pure doctrine due to ignorance.\u00a0They simply do not know the right spiritual facts or truths; an example would be Apollos, the early\u00a0Christian who mistakenly taught John\u2019s baptism after\u00a0 Pentecost (Acts 18:24-26). To his credit,\u00a0when Aquila and Priscilla brought this to his attention, he immediately made correction.<\/p>\n

Sadly, others deviate from the pure doctrine, not due to ignorance, but due to recalcitrance. They\u00a0stubbornly cling to their preferred positions despite every correction. Paul and Barnabas encountered\u00a0this problem in Antioch of Pisidia:<\/p>\n

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming,\u00a0they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said,\u00a0\u201cIt was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and\u00a0judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord\u00a0has commanded us: \u2018I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation\u00a0to the ends of the earth\u2019\u201d(Acts 13:44-45).<\/p>\n

Though ignorance of God\u2019s law does not excuse us from guilt, recalcitrance represents a danger\u00a0of far greater scale. It manifests a heart problem behind erroneous teaching.<\/p>\n

How do we respond to false teaching?<\/strong> Let us first make certain we understand the issues at hand.\u00a0What did the individual say? Why did they advocate a certain teaching? Our response will depend\u00a0in some measure upon these factors\u2014consider the example of Apollos in this regard. If someone\u00a0tenaciously clings to a teaching conflicting with the Scriptures despite admonitions and further study,\u00a0then we have a duty to that person and the church as a whole to withdraw from him; Paul stated\u00a0such in Romans 16:17-18, \u201cNow I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses,\u00a0contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve\u00a0our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the\u00a0hearts of the simple.\u201d In the face of false teaching, we cannot be \u201cspineless,\u201d too apathetic or afraid\u00a0to stand for our convictions. To have a spine, or backbone, means the opposite\u2014promoting what\u00a0we know and refusing to be silent. Christians need a strong spine to remain confident and steadfast\u00a0amidst doctrinal challenges. The wellbeing of our souls depends upon it.<\/p>\n

By Rick Brumback<\/strong><\/p>\n

This article originally appeared in the July 2013 issue of\u00a0<\/em>Think magazine. To subscribe to\u00a0<\/em>Think, or for more information, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The human vertebral column, better known\u00a0as the spine, consists of thirty-three vertebrae\u00a0that run the length of the human torso. It not only\u00a0houses the spinal cord, the primary neural pathway\u00a0from the brain to various body regions, but\u00a0in conjunction with the ribs it also bears the weight\u00a0of the entire body, holding all parts in proper\u00a0position. What happens […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,45,32,66],"tags":[118,49,169,562,352,110],"class_list":["post-1134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all","category-bible-study","category-church","category-think-excerpts","tag-bible","tag-church","tag-doctrine","tag-false","tag-think","tag-truth","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nWhere's Your Backbone? - Focus Press<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2015\/04\/29\/wheres-your-backbone\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Where's Your Backbone? - Focus Press\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The human vertebral column, better known\u00a0as the spine, consists of thirty-three vertebrae\u00a0that run the length of the human torso. 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