The Necessity of Highlighting Doctrinal Error

Recently I posted on my Facebook page about disagreements and concerns that I have with Bill Johnson and the ministries of his congregation—Bethel Church in Redding, CA. To some, highlighting such disagreements and announcing them publicly may seem unnecessary and unhelpful—even unloving and unbecoming of a pastor. Why highlight such differences, especially about doctrine—a subject that doesn’t always seem very relevant to begin with? Why not highlight and emphasize the things you have in common?

I do very much enjoy celebrating what I have in common with other believers. My interest in apologetics (defending Christian faith against attacks, which usually come from non-Christians) leads me to feel a kinship with anyone who affirms the distinctive and essential beliefs of Christianity, such as those expressed in the Nicene Creed. Those who are familiar with my preaching know that while I don’t shy away from pointing out teachings that I disagree with, it is rare for me to highlight people by name. When I do so, it is not a task that I enjoy.

So why do it at all? Honestly, part of my answer comes from my passion to defend Christian faith! According to Scripture, false doctrinal teachings have the potential to harm the faith of believers. In 2 Timothy 2:16-18, the Apostle Paul highlights (by name no less!) two men who were teaching that the resurrection had already occurred. The result of their teaching was that the faith of some believers was being “upset” (other translations read “ruined,” “overthrown,” “undermined,” or “destroyed.”) That is very serious business, indeed!

It is not hard to see how this can happen. False teaching can create unfounded expectations, and when those expectations are not met, devastating doubts can arise. For example, if you are told that it is always God’s will for sick people to be healed but then you do not experience a healing when you are ill, you could be understandably tempted to abandon your faith. After all, it didn’t seem to come through for you when you desperately needed it.

But, you may ask, is doctrine really the sort of thing over which to disagree and divide? So many doctrines can seem rather irrelevant to daily life. Aren’t they just high and lofty concepts for people in academia to discuss? Do they really make a difference for the life of the average Christian?

This objection is an important one, and it really highlights a flaw in the way that much teaching about doctrine is presented—it is often discussed on a level that does leave it seeming rather irrelevant! This supposed irrelevance does not really belong to doctrine, however—it belongs to the way that doctrine is often taught.

At its heart, doctrine simply seeks to present the Bible’s teaching on some straightforward yet highly significant questions, such as:

·         Is there really a God, and if so, what is He like?

·         How can I relate to God? Is there anything standing in the way of a relationship with Him?

·         What does God want me to do and what sort of help does He provide so I can do it?

·         What does God have planned for me and for the world? Can I know anything about what’s next so that I can get prepared for it?

As I have expressed it in these words above, I imagine it is easier to see just how relevant and important doctrine really is! The problem is that, as with any topic that is discussed for a long time by a lot of people, a certain amount of technical language has grown up around doctrine that makes it seem confusing, hard to understand, and thus irrelevant to daily life since we feel like we get along okay without understanding it. The great challenge for those of us who teach doctrine is to understand it thoroughly ourselves so that we can present it in simple, non-technical language.

Looking again at the questions written above, perhaps you can see some examples for yourself of just how important it is to embrace true beliefs about doctrine rather than false ones. What if you concluded that there is nothing at all holding you back from a relationship with God if that is in fact false? You could miss out on a relationship with God because you’ve ignored an obstacle that truly is there! Or what if you get it wrong about the help that God provides to help you obey? You could experience immense frustration in life because you didn’t recognize some resource that was available to you!

It is with such concerns in mind that I do feel a necessity to highlight doctrinal error when it is serious and when it seems to enjoy some popularity. Even if I must do so, may God grant me a heart to do it in love, humility, and grace!