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They were sure they understood scripture. They were not interested in what Jesus had to say. This is a great lesson for us. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to use scripture to correct any error in our understanding. A famous pastor made this point when he said, "I know there is error in my theology, I just do not know where." We need to be willing to let God teach us something new. We must come to scripture willing to learn and be corrected. We must honestly, openly reconsider what we believe and if after a complete study we conclude that we need to change, then we must! The Sadducees and Pharisees were unwilling to do so, so they rejected Jesus!
It is also common for many Christians to state the "truth" using just one passage of scripture. This usually leads to error because scripture rarely explains everything about a topic in one place. One example is the fact that Jesus is both God and man. If we look only at 1Timothy 2:5 and ignore Titus 2:13, we could conclude that Jesus was only a man. This is a favorite tactic of the cults. Yet, too often pastors or teachers look for scripture(s) that support a point they believe or want to make. This can lead to error. They are not worried about teaching error. This is called "prooftexting."
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Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. (NASB) James 3:1-2 |
The Pharisees and Sadducees were not concerned about error. All to often men and women have been taught theology. They know theology but not their Bible. This is very common, especially of men and women out of seminary or Christian college. Then when they come to sections of scripture that are confusing to them, they rely on their theological training rather than struggling with the full meaning of scripture. All of scripture is needed to understand scripture.
Some teachers try to cite scripture to fit pre-conceived ideas. This also leads to error. The spiritual goal of every teacher needs to be - "teach truth." Teach what God has said!
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Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (NASB) 2 Timothy 2:14-15 |
Short Cuts. This is a common problem with many who teach God's Word. There is never enough time to study. But some either do not want to study, do not take the time to study, or do not possess a good library of Bible reference books. Some years ago a pastor of a very large church was invited to speak at a well known seminary. Near the end of the conference, a student came to him and asked the question, "What do you do to make your church grow?" The speaker responded with, "I study and teach." At which the student asked, "No, I mean what programs, what things do you do?" The speaker answered again, "I study and teach - that is all!" The student responded with, "I do not want to study when I pastor a church."
Many pastors allow the "activities and responsibilities" of the church to take time away from study, preparation, and the teaching of God's Word. Some enjoy doing teaching but do not want to study. Many teachers and pastors obtain their sermons or lessons from prepared sermons, books, and tapes. Many wait until late in the week to prepare. If they run into a passage that is hard to understand - as the apostle Peter said - they have no time to study in order to understand the meaning of the passage. So some just guess and end up teaching error. |
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