Voices: 7 marks of the church: Sound teaching

In our modern times, we have a blessing and a curse called the Internet.

The Internet has provided us with many positive advancements, but it also has platformed crazy people with insane ideas. Many people are overwhelmed with information and are unsure what is real and what is fake. With the rise of artificial intelligence, we may begin even to doubt if we can believe our ears and eyes.

The problems are present in evangelical circles, as well. There are so many people on the Internet claiming to be teachers and having some sort of inside knowledge of the Scriptures. Some twist Scriptures to make them fit a narrative. Principles of biblical interpretation are violated by online personalities trying to get clicks.

There is no shortage of confusion these days as to what is true. It is challenging to discern the difference between truth and error.

This problem is not new. Since the inception of the church, church leaders have battled false teachers. The authors of the New Testament warned about false teachers who would come into the church and try to lead people astray with their errors.

Warnings against false teachers

Paul warned Timothy that in the last days, people would depart the faith to follow false teachers (1 Timothy 4:1-5). These false teachers teach the doctrine of demons and are liars. They twist Scripture.

Numerous Scripture writers warned of errors that would creep their way into the church. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these writers stressed the importance of holding to sound teaching. An identifying mark of the authentic church is sound teaching.

We must hold to biblical truth. The Bible is the standard by which everything is to be measured. We interpret the Bible through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

We cannot hold to an idea just because someone, somewhere said something that sounded good or confirmed our presuppositions. We must hold to sound teaching. Sound teaching is a mark of the authentic church.

Barnabas and Saul as teachers

In Acts 11:25-26, the church at Antioch was growing. Barnabas likely was the principal leader of the church. Barnabas was an encouraging leader, but he needed help.

The outreach efforts of the church were leading to many conversions. This rapid growth provided a new challenge. The new believers needed to be taught the things of Jesus properly. Barnabas had an idea who he could enlist to help him disciple the new converts. He went looking for Paul, who before his conversion was known as Saul.

The last time Saul was mentioned in the Book of Acts, he had to escape from Caesarea. Saul was preaching boldly in the name of Jesus in Jerusalem. A group of Greek-speaking Jews were arguing with Saul and decided to kill him.

When the plot was found, the believers in Jerusalem helped Saul escape to Caesarea and sent him to Tarsus. Tarsus was Saul’s birthplace. Tarsus would be a safe place for Saul to minister. Barnabas went to Tarsus to enlist Saul’s help.

Eventually, Barnabas found Saul and brought him back to Antioch to help teach the new believers. For a whole year, Barnabas and Saul taught the people. The church at Antioch didn’t get together simply for the sake of hanging out together. They met together so they would be taught the word of God.

We aren’t sure how often they got together, but the custom in that day was weekly. At least once a week, the church met together to be taught.

Barnabas and Saul were providing instruction to the believers at Antioch. They were fulfilling the Great Commission Jesus gave his followers in Matthew 28:19-20.

Making disciples of Jesus

The way we make disciples is to baptize them and teach them. What do we teach? We teach what Jesus taught his disciples. We must be fully committed to teaching the sound doctrine of the word of God. We must be fully committed to teaching what Jesus taught his disciples.

The writer of Acts made a historical note in Acts 11:26. Antioch was where the disciples were called Christians first.

The teachings of Barnabas and Saul differentiated them from Judaism. They no longer were considered a sect of Judaism. They had their own distinct teaching. Their teachings defined them and identified them as followers of Jesus.

It wasn’t their dress code. They probably dressed like everyone else in their culture. It wasn’t their place of gathering. They met at the synagogue. They didn’t have their own buildings or gathering places.

It wasn’t their generosity that defined them. It wasn’t some other religious practice that distinguished them in their culture. They were called Christians because they held to the teachings of Jesus. They spoke Jesus.

Sound teaching in God’s word

We have a major problem in Christian churches. Too many people who claim to be Christians have no idea what it means to be a Christian and have no understanding of the teaching of Christ they are to follow.

Studies have been conducted ad nauseam about the failing of Christians to hold to Christian doctrine. Churches are failing to teach what Jesus taught his disciples, and Christians are failing to learn the fundamentals of our faith.

False teachers start outside the Scriptures and then look for ways to prove from the Scriptures what they think. We must start with the Scriptures and allow the Scriptures to inform our thinking. When what I think doesn’t align with the Scriptures, I change my way of thinking. The word of God is our doctrinal foundation.

We also should be teaching theology. Theology is the study of God. We should be seeking to know God in a richer and fuller way. The Scriptures reveal to us who God is and what God is like. We compile the information in systematic ways to gain the revelation of God to man.

Devote yourself to the word of God. Every problem, every situation and every circumstance to which you need answers is answered by God’s word. Hold fast to the sound teaching of the word of God.