{"id":6158,"date":"2018-02-27T11:35:59","date_gmt":"2018-02-27T17:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/?p=6158"},"modified":"2018-02-27T11:35:59","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T17:35:59","slug":"wheres-your-backbone-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampaseo.expert\/focus\/2018\/02\/27\/wheres-your-backbone-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Where’s your Backbone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Rick Brumback<\/strong>
\nThe human vertebral column, better known as the spine, consists of thirty-three vertebrae\u00a0that\u00a0run the length of the human torso. It not only houses the spinal cord, the primary neural pathway from the brain to various body regions, but\u00a0in conjunction with the ribs it also\u00a0bears the weight of the entire body, holding all parts in proper position. What happens when a person has spinal problems like arthritis or a ruptured vertebra? Intense pain, loss of mobility and abilities, and\u00a0failure of\u00a0other body parts to function properly.\u00a0As one arthritic admitted, \u201cWhen the spine is out of whack, nothing seems to work right.\u201d\u00a0But when the spine is healthy, all parts of the body are poised to work well for our benefit.\u00a0<\/span>
\nNow consider the spine as a metaphor for healthy spiritual teaching.\u00a0When a person has a robust knowledge of Jehovah\u2019s teachings, coupled\u00a0with\u00a0a wise sense of application and a determination to do as He directs, the spiritual body will be strong and hale.\u00a0The spine gives posture and the ability to stand upright. Just so, healthy spiritual teaching makes it possible for us to stand uprightly before God. Our brother Paul wrote to Timothy about the value of good spiritual teaching: \u201cHold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus\u201d\u00a0(2 Timothy\u00a01:13). The word\u00a0pattern<\/i>\u00a0indicates there is a reliable standard or arrangement of God\u2019s teaching that is repeatable\u2014there is a blueprint. And the word\u00a0sound<\/i>\u00a0is actually a medical term related to our word\u00a0hygienic<\/i>;\u00a0it literally means \u201chealthy.\u201d So God is saying\u00a0that\u00a0we should hold on to healthy teaching! Perhaps this recognition forces one\u00a0to peer past labels like \u201cliberal\u201d or \u201cconservative,\u201d themselves subjectively applied,\u00a0and\u00a0focus instead on a more penetrating\u00a0and objective\u00a0assessment about the spiritual healthiness of the words we hear.\u00a0This term helps carry\u00a0the conversation to a proper location,\u00a0namely an\u00a0honest appraisal of the Bible\u2019s teachings in order to secure a healthy understanding of the Word.\u00a0<\/span>
\nWe certainly should be\u00a0concerned with physical health, but what about spiritual wellbeing? The discussion of spiritual matters in medical terms makes for helpful analyses and easy appreciation of\u00a0benefits. Consider that\u00a0Jesus,\u00a0called the Great Physician, spoke of\u00a0His work in medical terms\u2014\u201cThose\u00a0that are\u00a0well\u00a0have no need of a\u00a0physician, but\u00a0those who\u00a0are sick\u201d\u00a0(Matthew\u00a09:12).\u00a0Are we ready to hear what the Lord has to say on the matter of healthy teachings the way we would listen to an oncologist or cardiologist?\u00a0Healthy teaching feeds the soul, answering the hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew\u00a05:5).\u00a0<\/span>
\nNo one\u00a0really enjoys having to address\u00a0false teaching; it\u00a0is unpleasant, even distressing at times.\u00a0But it is also needed.\u00a0To some, a brother\u2019s concern for true\/false teaching may be dismissed as a mark of spiritual fractiousness, wrangling over matters like a Christian dilettante or spiritual tyro. But this is an easy and myopic response, perhaps by one who does not wish to engage in any meaningful discussion\u00a0for\u00a0fear of what might be unearthed.\u00a0God discussed this topic\u00a0in the Old Testament through His spokesmen and prophets\u00a0(see Deuteronomy\u00a013:1-5; 18: 20-22; Isaiah\u00a05:20; Jeremiah\u00a05:30-31 as a brief sampling). Jesus addressed the\u00a0theme\u00a0(Matthew\u00a05:19;\u00a07:15-20;\u00a015:9, 13-14; Mark 13:22), as did His apostles and early followers\u00a0(Acts 20:29-30; 2 Corinthians\u00a011:3-4, 13-15;\u00a02 Peter\u00a02:1-3; Jude 4). This\u00a0makes false teaching\u00a0a theme worthy of our consideration as well.\u00a0<\/span>
\nFalse teaching bears a face. It manifests itself as Jim Jones, the leader of a religious movement in South America who\u00a0ordered the murder of a U.S.\u00a0Congressman and aides and then induced his own adherents to follow him into\u00a0murder\/suicide. False teaching looks like David Koresh, who led his disciples to a fiery conflagration outside Waco, Texas. These\u00a0egregious examples (and there are more) receive worldwide condemnation, but are they really so much worse than many other cases in which someone speaks falsely about God\u2019s\u00a0will\u00a0for humanity? When a local preacher encourages a congregation to cease worshiping the Lord as directed in the New Testament, the damage is scarcely less. When an elder instructs members to ignore God\u2019s expectations for marriage and family, souls are jeopardized. When an individual decides that her or his own preferences should precede Jesus\u2019 instructions, damage is done.\u00a0If we can dispassionately look at the problem the way we ask a doctor to examine an injury, then we can see the extreme danger that false teaching poses to the soul.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nYou may ask, \u201cWhat is false teaching\u00a0and how do I recognize it?\u201d\u00a0Simply put, any doctrine\u00a0that\u00a0deviates from God\u2019s revealed will as found in the\u00a0Scriptures\u00a0is false. And yes, some may disagree over what the Bible says and thus what constitutes erroneous teachings. But this\u00a0demands that we become avid seekers of\u00a0Truth, scrutinizing the Lord\u2019s Word in order to understand His will (Ephesians\u00a05:17). The Creator who fashioned the human race and\u00a0understands our minds is the same Creator seeking to communicate with us via His Book.\u00a0Countries\u00a0can communicate with one another at the United Nations, using translators to endorse international treaties, broker global economic deals, and resolve conflicts. I refuse to believe that we cannot read the Bible and come to a clear understanding of its\u00a0basic\u00a0teachings. The only explanation for such\u00a0simpler\u00a0diversity is that individuals do not wish to let go of their firmly\u00a0held beliefs, even in the face of stark truths.\u00a0When\u00a0authorities prepare their agents\u00a0to spot counterfeit currency, they learn the features of the true currency. Any deviation must be counterfeit. In a similar fashion, when we learn what the Lord teaches, then anytime we hear a differing teaching,\u00a0we know we are hearing something false. This requires us to be knowledgeable, as well as investigating to \u201cjudge righteous judgment\u201d (John 7:24). But to do less is to risk following a path that leads away from rather than to God.\u00a0<\/span>
\nWhat are the origins of false teaching? Some deviate from the pure doctrine due to ignorance. They simply do not know the right spiritual facts or truths; an example would be\u00a0Apollos, the early Christian who mistakenly taught\u00a0John\u2019s baptism\u00a0after<\/b>\u00a0Pentecost (Acts 18:24-26). To his credit, when Aquila and Priscilla brought this to his attention, he immediately made correction.\u00a0<\/span>
\nSadly, others deviate from the pure doctrine, not due to ignorance, but due to recalcitrance. They stubbornly cling to their preferred positions despite\u00a0every correction. Paul and Barnabas encountered this problem in Antioch of\u00a0Pisidia:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nBut when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they 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 judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.\u00a0For so the Lord has commanded us:\u00a0\u2018I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,\u00a0that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth\u2019\u201d(Acts 13:44-45).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
\nThough ignorance\u00a0of God\u2019s law does not excuse us from guilt, recalcitrance represents a danger of far greater scale. It manifests a heart problem behind erroneous teaching.\u00a0<\/span>
\nHow do we respond to false teaching? Let us first make certain we understand the issues at hand. What did the individual say? Why did they\u00a0advocate a certain teaching? Our response will depend in some measure upon these factors\u2014consider the example of\u00a0Apollos\u00a0in this regard.\u00a0If someone tenaciously clings to a teaching conflicting with the Scriptures despite admonitions and further study, then we have a duty to that person and the church as a whole to withdraw from them; Paul stated such in Romans 16:17-18, \u201cNow I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.\u00a0For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.\u201d\u00a0In the face of false teaching, we cannot be \u201cspineless,\u201d too\u00a0apathetic or afraid to stand for our convictions.\u00a0To have a spine, or backbone, means the opposite\u2014promoting what we know and refusing to be silence. Christians need a strong spine to remain confident and steadfast amidst doctrinal challenges.\u00a0The\u00a0wellbeing\u00a0of our souls\u00a0depends upon it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rick Brumback The human vertebral column, better known as the spine, consists of thirty-three vertebrae\u00a0that\u00a0run the length of the human torso. It not only houses the spinal cord, the primary neural pathway from the brain to various body regions, but\u00a0in conjunction with the ribs it also\u00a0bears the weight of the entire body, holding all […]<\/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":[59,66],"tags":[1398,1051,1390,1399],"class_list":["post-6158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-living","category-think-excerpts","tag-false-teaching","tag-feature","tag-july-2013","tag-rick-brumback","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\/2018\/02\/27\/wheres-your-backbone-2\/\" \/>\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=\"By Rick Brumback The human vertebral column, better known as the spine, consists of thirty-three vertebrae\u00a0that\u00a0run the length of the human torso. 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