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There's no shortage of bad teachers out there. The trouble is, they too often fancy themselves as authoritative commentators on doctrine and practice. They don't seem to be answerable to anyone, for if they did submit their writings to a critical eye, much of it would never make it to publication.
There's no shortage of bad teachers out there. The trouble is, they too often fancy themselves as authoritative commentators on doctrine and practice. They don't seem to be answerable to anyone, for if they did submit their writings to a critical eye, much of it would never make it to publication.
This article may be the worst biblical teaching we've ever read. It is at least in the top ten. The author starts with his doctrinal presumption and looks for Scriptural support, however vague and unrelated. So the author cites an isolated story in the Bible and extrapolates it to the present day church, for the sole purpose of confirming his own doctrine that God does not speak today.
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In 2 Kings 11, there was a leadership vacuum in Judah. King Ahaziah had been killed by Jehu when visiting the northern kingdom of Israel. The queen mother took her opportunity to take power for herself. Athaliah, a daughter of King Ahab, systematically killed all of her family members that she considered a threat. She attempted to wipe out the entire family line of King David, and would have succeeded had Jehosheba not rescued baby Jehoash and hidden him away from her for six years.
This woman, Jehosheba, and her husband and priest Jehoiada, saved this special baby and protected him for six years. This was a dramatic thing to do, at great cost to themselves.
Notice this, however: no-one told them to do this. (Why would there be such a need? This is a biblical story of political intrigue. It's not prescriptive of Christian conduct.)
I think we need to reflect on this because sometimes we make the service of God a little too mystical. We look for guidance and pray for God to open doors. Some might ask God for a sign before they do something, or expect a special word from God for them personally telling them the right decision to make. Some seek a sense of peace about a decision. While this does exhibit faith in believing that God can do this, it is not a Biblical expectation. (Oh, my. From an OT story about a murderous women the author inexplicably transitions to what he thinks is our proper behavior as Christians. He proclaims that praying for guidance, a sign, or a Word from the Lord are all unbiblical, without presenting a single Bible verse.
In 2 Kings 11, there was a leadership vacuum in Judah. King Ahaziah had been killed by Jehu when visiting the northern kingdom of Israel. The queen mother took her opportunity to take power for herself. Athaliah, a daughter of King Ahab, systematically killed all of her family members that she considered a threat. She attempted to wipe out the entire family line of King David, and would have succeeded had Jehosheba not rescued baby Jehoash and hidden him away from her for six years.
This woman, Jehosheba, and her husband and priest Jehoiada, saved this special baby and protected him for six years. This was a dramatic thing to do, at great cost to themselves.
Notice this, however: no-one told them to do this. (Why would there be such a need? This is a biblical story of political intrigue. It's not prescriptive of Christian conduct.)
There was no prophet who said that they needed to save this baby. (It's odd that the author looks to this story about people acting to accomplish their particular objectives, one of hundreds in the Bible. This one story is useful to the author, however. There are dozens or even hundreds of other stories in the OT often contain prophetic direction, or characters seeking the Lord's counsel, or God speaking directly to someone:
2Kg. 3:11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may enquire of the LORD through him?”
2Sa. 21:1 During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the LORD.
Ps. 119:58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.
Ac. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
Ac. 13:2 While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Ac. 15:28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements...
But the author picks one particular story, where someone acted without a recorded word from God, and this one story is supposed to be a lesson for us to apply as a regular practice in the contemporary church.
Truly odd.)
God did not speak directly to them. (Argument From Silence. The Bible doesn't record that God spoke, but He may have.)
They didn’t get a dream or vision that guided their behaviour. They already knew what was required. (?? Joash was heir to the throne. Why wouldn't his protectors act? Why does the author expect God to give them direction, and why is this lack of direction relevant?
It's simple, actually. The author needs a Bible story where people are acting without divine information to bolster his doctrine, and this fits the bill.)
God had promised a great king to come from the line of David, and that meant that this baby needed to live. They just got on with the job and did what was needed to be done. (Or perhaps they acted presumptuously based on their knowledge of this promise. Just like Sarah did with Hagar [Ge. 16:1-2] and the eleven disciples did when choosing a replacement apostle. There are various Bible stories of various people taking things into their own hands because they didn't trust God. So it is entirely possible in this case that absent a word from the Lord, they acted presumptuously.
Or perhaps the Lord did miraculously intervene and the Bible simply didn't tell us. Many things are possible, so we don't need to accept the author's convoluted reasoning.)
I think we need to reflect on this because sometimes we make the service of God a little too mystical. We look for guidance and pray for God to open doors. Some might ask God for a sign before they do something, or expect a special word from God for them personally telling them the right decision to make. Some seek a sense of peace about a decision. While this does exhibit faith in believing that God can do this, it is not a Biblical expectation. (Oh, my. From an OT story about a murderous women the author inexplicably transitions to what he thinks is our proper behavior as Christians. He proclaims that praying for guidance, a sign, or a Word from the Lord are all unbiblical, without presenting a single Bible verse.
The author is guilty of the worst kind of eisegesis, reading things into a Bible passage that aren't there, ignoring other passages that don't fit his narrative, and worst of all, attempting to apply it as normative Christian behavior.)
God never promises to give each of us personalised instructions on how to live.
(Jo. 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them — to the Israelites.
Ps. 91:14-15 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
Ac. 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road — the desert road — that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
Ju. 7:9 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands."
Ac. 22:21 Then the Lord said to me, "Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles."
Ro. 8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
1Kg. 13:17 I have been told by the word of the LORD: "You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.")
God expects us to use what we know about Him and His world to make wise decisions about what faces us. (Where does the Bible say this? It may indeed be in the Bible, but the author is supposed to teach.
In fact, he presents a false choice. We do both. We listen to the Holy Spirit and we walk out our obedience from what He reveals in the Bible. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Ro. 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Ro. 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.
Ro. 8:14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
1Co. 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
There are many verses about the empowering presence of God in the NT. It is only by gargantuan effort that the author ignores these things.)
We do need to get to know God and his Word better. He has revealed to us what He is like. He has promised us what the future holds and instructed us on how should be living now. We don’t need a new word from God; we need to know His existing word better. (The author continues to offer a false choice, extrapolating and adding more and more elements based on nothing more than his preconception. He began writing his article with his doctrine formed, rather than going to Scripture to form doctrines.)
Like Jehosheba before us, we might face decisions where we know what we should do. We don’t need extra confirmation from God; we just need to get on and do it. We don’t need a new word from God telling us that we should be working on restoring broken relationships. We don’t need a new word from God to take a stand against unethical behaviour in our workplace or to be faithful in our marriages. Much of the time, we have some idea of the best thing to do; we just need to get on and do it. (Much of the time? What about the rest of the time?)
Like Jehosheba before us, we might face decisions where we know what we should do. We don’t need extra confirmation from God; we just need to get on and do it. We don’t need a new word from God telling us that we should be working on restoring broken relationships. We don’t need a new word from God to take a stand against unethical behaviour in our workplace or to be faithful in our marriages. Much of the time, we have some idea of the best thing to do; we just need to get on and do it. (Much of the time? What about the rest of the time?)
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