What Does The Bible Say?
Question- Would it be wrong for me to question the beliefs of my church or preacher?
Answer- Absolutely not. Truth has nothing to fear from open examination. We are to test the scriptures and hold onto what is true. The fact is that many base their faith on the traditions of men, and sadly, many follow after what their favorite preacher says without ever bothering to test what they say with what the Bible really says. The Bible is our standard and the book by which we will be judged. Men can be wrong and churches can be wrong. God is true and always will be. I will always find the truth by appealing to what the Bible says and not with what my “church teaches” or what my “preacher says.” Notice these scriptures. 1 Peter 3:14-16- if you suffer for what is right blessed are you- so not be afraid of their threats or be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ might be ashamed.” In 1 John 4:1 we read- “beloved do not believe every spirit, but t4est the spirits whether they be of God for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
The reality is that the world has many churches and individuals who teach false things. It is to their advantage to discourage people from examining what they say by the scriptures. In Acts 17:11, we see that open investigation of what someone teaches is encouraged by God. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to see if what was being said was true.” If any preacher or church does not like to be asked questions about what they teach or practice, you must ask why.
In 1 Thess. 5:21 we are all admonished to “prove all things, hold fast to what is good.” This means that we must show discernment and test the teachings of those who preach and teach us, to make sure that what they say is in accordance with what the Bible says. The Greek word for “prove” is dokimazo, and it means to test to the point of approval, like refining silver in fire to find pure metal. Every preacher must be careful that he handles the word of God responsibly. He must be sure to “preach the word” and not his opinion. Everyone has opinions, but we will not be judged on our opinions or those of anyone else. What does the Bible say is our final authority because the Bible is inspired by God and furnishes us completely unto every good work (2 Tim. 3:16). In 1 Jn. 4:1- we see that we are to “test the spirits to see if they be from God.”
To keep a preacher honest and true to the text, everything he says must be compared to what the Bible says. If something does not have biblical support, then it is to be rejected. Many men are preaching error; many seminaries are producing preachers who do not even believe the miracles of Jesus. Be careful how you just blindly accept someone’s word about any bible subject. Make sure it is biblical. Just because a man is a preacher does not mean he is infallible in what he teaches. Ronald Reagan is quoted as saying, “trust but verify,” may all of us do this in every matter, especially regarding what we believe and teach in a spiritual context.
Since we will all be judged on the basis of what the Word of God says (John 12:48), it is imperative that we all speak the same things and that there be no divisions among us (1 Cor. 1:10-13; John 17). There is a standard for what is true and it is not what men say. In Acts 20:28-31, we read that even leaders in the church can lead people away from the truth (“take heed to yourselves and to the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with His own blood. Knowing this, that after I depart, shall men arise from among your own selves, teaching perverse doctrine to draw away disciples after themselves, therefore watch and remember that I ceased not to warn you for 3 years about this.
It is our desire in this column to encourage people to ask questions about what the Bible says. It has been our privilege to do this for the last year and we look forward to doing the same in 2025. Our purpose is to “let God be true and every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4). Thanks to all who are regular readers of this column.
We invite you to come worship with us at the Maple Street Church of Christ. Please visit our website, maplestreetliberty.org.