Romans 14

Before I get to the thought of the day on this Romans 14 , you might be excited to know Joelle and I pulled the trigger and purchased the RV trailer we will be living out of in the coming year. It’s very, very exciting, yet nerve racking at the same time. I thought you’d like to know that as soon as the house sells, our official adventure will start. I hope you will follow along with us as we travel the country for a year or better. You can find our youtube channel link, Facebook page link, and Instagram page link in the header and footer section in both the mobile and desktop version of the site.

“False Teachers”

As of late, I have found myself increasingly frustrated with some in the community of Christians of which I am part. These fellow brothers and sisters in the faith seem to have elevated themselves above others in various ways. It would seem they feel themselves to be in a position to determine another believers salvation; even going so far as to decide as to whether or not one is truly saved.

I am very troubled by this mindset and behavior of these fellow followers of Jesus. If you are here reading and happen to find yourself in that camp, please know I do love you. I am, however, going to put into writing now a few things I believe, in my own view, I hope to be encouragement for those who, like me have run into this mindset and have also found it disheartening, frustrating, even demoralizing. It is probably going to upset you if you are in the camp of these particular apostles and disciples of said teachers.

There seems to be a common core of preachers and pastors whom this group of believers follow. There’s certainly a hard leaning trend anyway. I made the mistake of looking up something about “false teachers” on youtube one day some time back. Now, day after day I am pummeled with video suggestions from John MacArthur, John Piper, Voddie Baucham and a host of others. Videos shared by Youtubers which focus in on their views of the heretical nature of other pastors and preachers. The “false teachers” among us if you will. These “wolves in sheep clothing”.

Some have gone so far as to call Joel Osteen a Satanical Cult leader in one video documentary I have in the past seen. Yes, this was a professed Christian making the claim that another believer is a Satanic leader.

If you are familiar with this trend you know the usual suspects. Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Rick Warren, and so on.

At one point in my research of this, I ran across an article (I wish to heck I could find it now) and just about every preacher or teacher alive or since past was labeled a false teacher (well, everyone but MacArthur, Piper, and a small, very small handful of others). Some in this group of accusers have gone so far as to call Billy Graham a false teacher. Perhaps the greatest evangelist of the modern time…a false teacher. This article, to me, was the ultimate example of just how far some can go off track in their zeal for the Lord. The condescending, arrogant nature by which the author wrote was incredibly off putting.

Today in Romans 14 this topic AGAIN comes to light in my head and I figure it’s time to write on it. This has been something bothering me for a number of years now. I have, in the past months written a number of thoughts and posts (3 so far) but have not published any. This is mostly because I have viewed them once complete to be a bit too harsh. My anger toward this mindset and the believers who possess it was too apparent so the delete button was used in the end.

Allow me to present to you a few words from Paul in Romans 14. Paul is talking in this chapter about rules which revolved around food.

“Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.” vs 4 (Note, it says…with the LORDS help, not a fellow preacher)

“So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say,

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bend to me,

and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.”

Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.” vs 10-13

So again, Paul here is talking specifically about foods. What seemed to be going on is that a certain set of believers were trying to impose their “doctrine” related to food, what’s acceptable and what’s not, on other believers.

It’s clear this group of pious folk were acting in a condemnatory manner. Otherwise, why would Paul say “Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants?”

Some may try to make the claim in their condemnation of other believers such that because this particular scripture is talking about food, Paul’s instructions to STOP condemning others is about the food only; kinda’ then taking these modern day accusers off the hook.

In my view, if this were the case, Paul wouldn’t have dragged up the holy day observance. If you look at verses 5 and 6 Paul talks about the days one considers holy. The folks he was talking about seemed to be harping on a list of things they considered the offending party to be guilty of.

I have, in my past, run across some condemning a believer for not honoring Sunday as the holy day as the one condemning thinks others should.

This mindset, I have observed, has gone even so far as to question the validity of a professed Christian based on what version of the bible they use. If it’s not ESV, it’s not real. Or if it’s not KJV, it’s a fraud. Yes, these fellow brothers and sisters are out there, actually believing they are indeed the modern day John the Baptist calling us all who are on the “crooked paths” to repentance.

Here’s my thinking on the entire matter.

According to what I read and understand a “false teacher” in the bible according to Paul and Jesus (and I can get into this further some other time) is someone who denies Jesus Christ came to earth, was killed on the cross, and rose again; that by believing in this, you are SAVED and are guaranteed to get into heaven. The Sadducees, for example were devout and strict religious leaders of the day. They denied the resurrection happened or was possible. By definition THIS is a false teacher. It’s this type of “teacher” to which in most cases (that I can see) Paul or Jesus, or even Peter or James might refer. Not someone who preaches God loves you instead of God is looking to find you “unworthy”. Not someone, who happens to be a woman…and teaches the scripture (and leads millions and millions to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior).

The fact that Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer and any of the other “false preachers” might not prescribe to one’s proverbial “food rules” does not make them a false teacher. Twisting scripture to fit one’s desire to control others and how they follow the Lord more borders on that in my view.

I believe we all must be very, very careful in just how far we will go accusing another teacher of being a “false teacher”. Just because they may not be as far along in their walk as another does not make them so. Certainly, from what I can see, John MacArthur is a well studied theologian, as is John Piper. I have watched a few sermons from both. I do not like, and for that matter, do not agree with a lot of their thinking or teaching style. In particular their calling other fellow believers false and in some cases much worse. Some would then accuse me of being ignorant and deaf to the “truth” because in their mind, the only pastors preaching the “truth” are those of whom they approve. Jonny M and Johnny P being in the list of acceptable “rabbis”.

Yet, this is not how I understand scripture.

I don’t blame those who think they have a corner on preaching the “true” word for thinking and believing the way they seem to do. I mean, if you consider that EVEN THE DISCIPLES behaved this way, most certainly we are going to drop the ball. Consider this exchange as recorded by Mark between John and Jesus;

“John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group (emphasis mine).”

“Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.” Mark 9:38-40

Let’s Do More to Climb Higher Together; Dad and Levi at Guadalupe Peak in Texas

In closing, let me just say that in general, I have found, whenever I have spent time listening to the likes of the folks doing the condemning of other preachers and pastors, I always walk away feeling worse about myself in general. I feel condemned, unworthy and so on. I think this is their model of preaching if I can be honest. I think it’s on purpose. My wife and I joke about the “Catholic guilt” as she (a former practicing Catholic) calls it. As much as these accusers are incredibly critical of the Catholics among us, their brand of guilt shaming their followers and laying out rules for being acceptable in the Lords sight as far as they’re concerned surely does get awfully close to that guilt by shaming model so prolific in the Catholic church in my experience.

On the other hand, over the years, Joel Osteen has been an encouragement to millions and millions but certainly not a deep, philosophical preacher (by his own admission). Through some pretty rough times I have found Joyce Meyer to be incredibly helpful as I have Charles F Stanley (the F is for Frickin if you talk to my son Ed). Both of whom are accused of being false teachers leading millions upon millions astray.

There are others in the false teacher group as well including the music and messages from Hillsong and Elevation Worship. Much of their music incredibly uplifting and worship oriented.

None of us have the corner on what’s right and correct. The only thing which matters is that we are on the same page about one thing;

Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected is what matters. I think we all must be very careful in our accusations and condemnation of other believers if their practices and views differ from ours.

We get into very dangerous territory if our words and beliefs lead us to condemn and accuse others who are and have led millions to the Lord through their ministries, regardless of whether or not they “eat the type of food you believe to righteous” or “practice the true and correct holy day” if that makes sense.

Have a great day wherever this may find you.

Oh, and if you want to see the video that shows how we got the photograph at the top of the mountain, check out the youtube video below.

-rob out

PS The comment section at the bottom is now working. Thank you Ed for helping bring the issue to my attention.