I recently read an article by Bob DeWaay on discerning false teaching, "Critical Issues Commetary: May/June 2006 Issue #94"
on page 6, under What We Can and Cannot Judge, it is said that we are not to judge motives. This is an underestimation. Based on page 2 of the same article, "Do Not Pass Judgement" quoting 1Corintians 4:5, Bob was convinced that we must just wait. But this is not complete enough. Those who couldn't do anything else should keep quiet and wait by faith. But there are those whom God has specially chosen capable of better discerning the word of God, they CANNOT keep quiet and wait. It is through these people whom God use to make the time known. Even though there are times God will take other forms of actions, nevertheless, these people must not ignore their responsibility.
Motives are what usually the cause of false teaching. However, we must diligently discern, make the motive surface.
And we must be prepared when that happen.
Motive
and suspicion are two different things. We are not to judge on
suspicion. But if there is a wrong motive, we must make it known. Here,
honestly and being direct, straight to the point is crucial. So in
order to discern one's motive, do not use indirect words, go straight
to the point, do not be afraid. Otherwise, you will be accused of
suspicion for not being direct.
On top of this, this is something I truly appreciate from the article on the same page 6: "What
happens often today is that public teachers proclaim false doctrines.
When confronted about this, they point to an orthodox statement of
faith. But what they teach publicly is damaging to those who hear them.
Whatever they may claim to believe, their public false teaching needs
to be publicly confronted."
On Judging others via biblical account, it is clear that we are not to judge things even we cannot do ourselves. The meaning of this verse in Matthew chapter 7 is just as simple as that. There's no need to exploit the word of our Lord in any other new definition. For we, the children of God will one day judge even angels (1Corinthians 6:3). For example if pastor A say to pastor B: "You must preach on the street every morning" yet the pastor A is not truthful to his own words in his own example, then he has committed this sin. But if you bring out a criticism based on Biblical sound doctrine and truth, you are a good soldier of the Lord.
Dr. Stephen Tong confirmed that
not all who have the position of a preacher, pastor are servants of
God. All those who are willingly to be slaves of God are true servants
of God. The first unsuccessful pastor is Judas Iscariot. He's now in
Hell, confirmed by the Word of God. Is he God's servant? No. Is he
chosen by Jesus to preach? Yes. Then why would Jesus choose such to
preach? So that you will know, there are those who are true preachers
and false preachers, and when God gives some the opportunity to preach,
it is not evidence of the preacher's salvation, this is a very sad
thing. So unless this pastor has something that could truly edify the
church, one cannot pardon him likely. (国度,教会,事奉: Dr Stephen Tong's
Theological Seminary #16. Page 283)
Many have different ways
of interpreting the Bible, this shows that the Bible is amazingly
luxurious. But when a true doctrine is to be disputed on the ground
that many have different views, this is because those who firmly
believe such do not have enough understanding of the Bible and will not
likely wish to listen to further reprove even if it's Biblical because
they first assume the other does not know the Bible any better. Some thinks no one knows the Bible more than them, some thinks only an ordained pastor who has a certificate from a theological institution has better understanding of the Word of God. How unfortunate. One who
is in a better understanding of the Bible and the will of God must know
how to boldly point out such error in a very clear way, not only that, he must
himself be an example of that in his own life.
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