(Luke 6:39-42)
There are a great many things taught in this world the name of Christianity that are not. They have no scriptural basis and sometimes are the exact opposite of what the Bible teaches.
Often these things are taught for the purpose of gaining an advantage over others. And sometimes they come from the platforms of churches that should know better.
These are clear cases of the blind leading the blind.
Who are the Blind?
When Jesus talks of the blind he is talking of the spiritually blind. These are they who are blind to the truth of the gospel and so fall into error and the snare of the devil.
But are they really amongst the churches today? Absolutely!
Consider the church of Laodicea described in Revelation 3:14-22. The descriptions of the churches in the first few chapters of Revelation are of different types of churches, and some of these still continue to today. Verse 17 in particular is quite enlightening for it says, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”
This church believed they had it all. They had money, power and all the things that man would look at and think they had it made.
But God sees differently to man. He said of this church that they were “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” They were poor in their knowledge of the truth. They were naked for they were not clothed in the robes of righteousness. And they were blind because they did not even see how badly off they were spiritually.
Their blindness in particular was a great problem for the other things could be rectified if they could only see how spiritually destitute they were.
How does this affect you and me?
The challenge for us to to ensure we do not come under the ministry of these spiritually blind churches or ministers.
It is important for each one of us to do as Paul recommended. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)
You are responsible for your own salvation just as I am for mine. All men are fallible and thus anything anyone teaches in the name of the Lord needs to be considered carefully and not accepted without question. This includes anything I might say to you in this blog. It is up to you to verify, question and validate everything you hear because your salvation depends on it.
There is no doubt that there are good ministers, but there are bad also. Each individual needs to test what is being taught to ensure what they are accepting is in accord with the truth.
What should you do about it?
First and foremost, go to Jesus and ask for his guidance and insight. Pray when you hear any ministry that “just doesn’t sound right,” and ask the Lord to show you the way and the truth of the matter.
Secondly, study the word of God and ensure that what you hear is in accordance with the truth of the gospel. When you are immersed in the gospel and the word of God, it is much easier to pick out teaching that is not in accordance with the truth.
Thirdly, question what you see and hear and don’t take things being taught without doing so. Anyone ministering anything in the name of the Lord should be able to back up what they are saying from the scriptures. If it is not able to be backed up in the Bible, then I would be very wary of what is being taught and not accept it until the Lord impresses it upon you.
Finally, watch the person and listen carefully to what they say. The Lord tells us that there will be ministers who are sheep in wolves clothing and you will know them by their fruit. A wolf cannot hide the intentions of their heart and so it will come out. That is why my counsel to you is to watch.
(Picture sourced from stock.xchng https://www.sxc.hu/ taken by Jeremy Doorten)
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Hi! I’m John, the owner, author, and editor of this site. Over the past 50+ years as a Christian I have been teaching, preaching and writing about the Bible to help Christians gain a deeper insight into the scriptures that are easily understood. I also answer specific Bible related questions, so feel free to contact me.
Comments
2 responses to “Blind Leading the Blind”
Yes, these are days to be on the alert. When I read the Bible, I try not to be blinded by the traditional teachings that are commonly taught. In other words, I consider each verse as if it were the first time seeing it and think about how the original audience would have understood it in their situation.
Sometimes the traditional teachings are fine. But when I approach the Bible in this way, I feel more equipped to discern between the truth and falsehood.
Blessings!
Hi Rick!
You are absolutely correct. We cannot afford to blindly accept the word of any person no matter who they are. As James wrote, “…we all make many mistakes and if anyone makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.” (James 3:2) We need to listen to others for they may have a different perspective and we can learn from anyone the Lord chooses to use. But as you say, we must read the word and interpret it in the context in which it was written, which is not always the traditional way it is being taught. Excellent point for all of us to remember. God bless.