Over the past couple of weeks, we have been discussing the issue of heresy as a work of the flesh. Before leaving this subject, there are a couple more issues that merit discussion. Last week, we saw in I Corinthians 11:19 that heresies would not only be prevalent but also were necessary for manifesting the approved of God within a local church.
In II Timothy, one can observe the extensive impact that the proliferation of heresies had upon the preaching of the word of God rightly divided. At the end of his life and ministry Paul wrote, "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes."(1) The apostasy and departure from the truth was in full effect while Paul was still alive. When one considers the churches that Paul either personally established or instructed in the region of Asia (Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, Antioch, Ephesus, and Colossae), his statement in II Timothy 1:15 demonstrates how quickly heresy can spread.
II Timothy 4:3 offers further insight into the mindset of those who would teach and give ear to heresy. Paul states, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." Thus far, we have Biblically defined heresy as the teaching of false doctrine with the goal of establishing a personal following of disciples. II Timothy 4:3 is important to our discussion for two reasons. First, it tells us that heresy cannot exist without people who are willing to listen to false doctrine. Second, it demonstrates that those who heap teachers unto themselves "having itching ears" are motivated by their own lusts, thereby clearly associating heresy in either the mind of the teacher or the hearer with the work of the flesh. In short, heretics cannot prosper without an audience of willing participants. The end result, of heresy is clearly stated in II Timothy 4:4: "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." People are turned away from the truth through the telling of stories, which constitutes the bulk of modern preaching.
One thing is clear from the verses we have looked at over the past few weeks. Heresy finds its roots in the flesh's desire for importance and prominence. During the course of preparing these blog entries on The Anatomy of Heresy, I have been forced to evaluate my own ministry motives. Frankly, why do I write this blog? Am I writing it as a means of promoting my own abilities and advancing my own standing within the greater group of mid-Acts teachers? I would like to think I write to advance the truth in some fashion by clearly articulating in written form the precepts of the mid-Acts position. Personally, this study was a wake up call to constantly evaluate my motives for ministry. Paul writes the following in Galatians 1:10, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." As soon as we find ourselves being motivated by a desire for the praise and adulation of men we are on the brink of heresy.
A few years ago, a respected older pastor shared with me his belief that every preacher needs to be aware that his flesh based ego desires attention and adulation. According to this brother, our pastoral ego is what drives us to stand up and publicly teach the word of God. As a young minister, I know this is true. I have a burning desire to be the best teacher of God's word that I can be. I want, "all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." I want to teach the scriptures clearly and powerfully. Here-in lies the danger of heresy as one of the works of the flesh. Jeremiah 17:9 teaches, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperate wicked who can know it." The flesh has the capability to deceive the minister as to the purity of his own motives. At one point in my study on this subject, I actually considered the possibility that I needed to leave the ministry because I was continuously being motivated by the flesh. Then it occurred to me that the adversary would like nothing more than to silence me as a minister of God's word rightly divided. The bottom line is this: we all need to be skeptical of our own motives and seek to continually realign ourselves with God's word, according to Romans 12:2.
I worry sometimes that we have created a culture that is destroying the greater mid-Acts community of believers from within. I fully support the continued study of the Scriptures with the goal of recovering further truth and insight into the word rightly divided. However, I fear a situation has developed where some jockey for position and influence by striving to demonstrate either their deep understanding as evidenced by some great new truth or their preaching prowess. If honesty is the order of the day, I have found myself being pulled in this direction on multiple occasions. If personal advancement in the mid-Acts community depends on being perceived as weightier in word and doctrine than someone else, then we have created a breeding ground for heresy since the flesh will always desire a greater position of prestige than the one it currently possesses.
Another work of the flesh identified by Paul in Galatians 5:20 is emulation. According to Webster's 1828 Dictionary, emulation means:
The act of attempting to equal or excel in qualities or actions; rivalry; desire of superiority, attended with effort to attain to it; generally in a good sense, or an attempt to equal or excel others in that which is praise-worthy, without the desire of depressing others. Rom.11. In a bad sense, a striving to equal or do more than others to obtain carnal favors or honors.
- An ardor kindled by the praise-worthy examples of others, inciting to imitate them, or to equal or excel them.
- Contest; contention; strife; competition; rivalry accompanied with a desire of depressing another.
Since Paul is discussing the works of the flesh in this passage, he clearly has the negative aspect of this definition in mind. When preachers strive to out perform their colleagues with the goal of obtaining carnal favors and honor, heresy is lying in wait.
While some might not like my candor on this subject, I feel it is accurate. While calling out people individually may not be productive, we need to have an honest understanding of the forces at work within our midst. Incidentally, many of my friends in the ministry have echoed many of the sentiments discussed in this posting. As ministers of the gospel of the grace of God, we need to walk in the spirit so that we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. In the end we must always remember, "but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."(2)
Endnotes:
- II Timothy 1:15
- II Corinthians 4:7
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