Written by: April J. Buchanan
He who leads with conviction and confidence, having established himself as a man well learned in the Scriptures and one willing to refute error, may find himself in a difficult position when he himself is corrected. This is especially true when he has not honestly dealt with the historical teachings of the church concerning convictions he holds that are not compatible with that history, yet presents his own beliefs as settled truth and treats dissent from those beliefs as foolishness. He may not be abusive in his manner, but he is not leading the saints to think biblically. He is leading them to submit to his conclusions rather than teaching them how to search the Scriptures, examine his claims, and understand where his convictions stand in relation to the historic teaching of the church.
The man who leads the saints to think biblically is not afraid to have his beliefs challenged. He is willing to show where his convictions stand in alignment with church history and where they depart from it. He opens the text and lets it speak. He does not ask the saints to accept his conclusions because he is more learned, more confident, or more accomplished. He teaches them to open the Scriptures, to examine what he says, and to think biblically for themselves. He does not lead by domineering over those entrusted to his care, nor does he make his knowledge a weight that silences the questions of the saints.
Far too many are afraid to think biblically. They suppress concerns because they assume that they know too little to question what sounds wrong to them. They reason that surely what they cannot reconcile must be true because the man teaching it has studied more, knows more, has more degrees, or speaks with greater confidence.
But the saint is not called to believe something because the man speaking is learned. He is called to test what is taught by the Word of God.
We have seen this same error in those who claim to hear directly from God. Their words become difficult to challenge because they claim a source of authority that cannot be questioned. Yet something similar can happen when a man’s learning, reputation, credentials, or knowledge of scripture and church history is placed beyond the reach of examination. The saint may technically be told that he is free to challenge what is being taught, while the weight of the man’s reputation makes him afraid to do so.
Knowledge is a gift, learning is valuable, and the church should honor faithful teachers. But no man’s learning places him beyond the Berean standard. The more confidently a man teaches, the more carefully his teaching should be brought to the light of Scripture. The more learned he is, the more willing he should be to open the Scriptures and show the saints why he believes what he believes.
Dear saint, do not be intimidated into silence. Think biblically. Test everything biblically. Search the Scriptures. And do not believe something merely because the man who teaches it knows more than you do.
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