#83 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – March 30, 2003 p.m.

THE TEACHING OF THE WORLD SYSTEM VERSUS GOD'S TEACHING -- I

Two types of revelation are taught in the New Testament. Didaskalia is teaching that is for faith but not for practice. Didache is teaching that is for faith and practice. The world system manipulates these kinds of teaching for its own ends as it does many other things. Secular education devises mechanisms that confuse these spheres of teaching especially in the realm of religious and moral instruction. It easily takes teaching that is not for practice from the divine perspective and requires that its subjects practice it. On the other hand, it has its own teaching that is of its very nature is designed for the practice of its subjects. In the Gospels there is an interesting interplay on these terms. Under Law the religious, secular world system replaced the Law with adaptations that should not have been practiced but that were required for practice. That teaching did not discard the Law but rather added to it to the extent that the Law itself was no longer important. The Pharisees and Sadducees presented teaching that was filled with error that permeated every teaching that was given by Jehovah for practice under the Law. The external influence of the teaching of the world system produced teaching that was divisive and scandalous in the church at Rome. Paul warned the saints in Ephesus concerning the ongoing misuse of teaching that is not for practice and encouraged them not to be deceived by it. The education of the world system often provides the information that is taught as from God for practice when in reality it is of either demonic or human origin having no acceptability by God or divine origin.

The scribes and the Pharisees were pros at developing teaching that should neither be believed nor practiced. They placed their necks on the block when they challenged Jesus concerning His disciples who did not go through the ceremonial washings that they required before eating bread (Matt. 15:9). They saw this as the transgression of the tradition of the elders (not of the Law of God). Jesus questioned them with the issue of their transgressing the commandment of God because of their tradition (15:3). He cites the fifth commandment (Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16) and its punishment (Ex. 21:Ex. 21:11; Lev. 20:9) as the commandment of God. A child who says that a parent is obligated to provide a gift or Corban is seen as one who absolutely does not honor his parents. These men evidently had a tradition that taught that this was acceptable. Jesus said that they annulled or voided the word of God because of the tradition of men (15:6). He called them hypocrites indicating that they fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 29:13. He identified their teaching as that which produces a useless ("vain") worship of God (15:9). He identified them as ones who are teaching the teachings for faith and ordinances from men (and not from God). This is typical of the world system. In 15:18-20 He indicates that the pollutions that come from the heart of man and are spoken make a man common while unwashed hands do not.

In Matthew 16 Jesus describes the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees as leaven. Early in the chapter they pursued Jesus seeking for Him to do a sign miracle. They were seeking the spectacular rather than acknowledging the direction toward which the signs were pointed. Jesus offered them one sign and that was the sign of Jonah. Immediately it appears that Jesus and the disciples crossed the sea. The disciples had forgotten to bring food and when Jesus spoke of the leaven of the Sadducees and Pharisees the disciples somehow thought He was addressing the fact that they had neglected to bring food. Rather he was talking about the teaching of these groups that were theologically opposite of one another. This was teaching that they taught that involved practice. It permeated like leaven, yeast, throughout the whole of one's doctrine for faith and practice. Christ warned His disciples concerning doctrine that was wrong and stated that it was that of hypocrites. It was a heresy under Law. It was more than simple error.

The Roman church was confronted with men who needed to be marked and avoided. They taught teaching for practice that caused divisions and scandals (Rom. 16:17). This was teaching that was contrary to the teaching that they had been taught for belief and life. The Roman believers had learned the doctrine and were living it but these men who were carnal brought in divisions (cf. Gal. 5:20 – work of the flesh) and also scandalized the saints. Paul expected the Roman church to avoid them – to turn away from or keep aloof from. Why? These kinds of men do not serve as slaves of our Lord Jesus but rather serve their own bellies. ". . . Through benign speech even good speech (G#) they deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom. 16:18 – all translation in mine)." Their teaching for practice is not a part of the oral or written doctrine given to the Church by God through His apostles. They found an external source of teaching that came from the wisdom of carnal men who were directly affected by the teaching of the world system. Because of their divisive teaching, they must be marked and avoided.

Ephesians 4:11 describes four groups of men who are identified by their spiritual gifts: "apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers." These are "for the thorough adjustment of the saints unto a work of a ministry, unto the edification of the Body of Christ until we all arrive unto the unity of the faith and the full experiential knowledge of the Son of God, unto a mature man unto the measure of the fitness [or full age] of the fullness of the Christ (Eph. 4:12-13)." The gifts are designed to counteract teaching that is for faith but not for practice. "In order that we may no longer be inarticulate babblers, being blown around and being carried around by every wind [met. emptiness that agitates, levity] of doctrine to be believed but not practiced by the rolling of the loaded dice of men, in treachery [or cleverness] unto the methods of that which leads astray (Eph. 4:14)." This doctrine that may have roots in some other dispensation will ruin one's relationship to the Christ. It destroys positional truth as well an understanding of one's possessions in Christ. The option is for saints to be Spirit filled believers manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (cf. 15, 16). This teaching that tosses believers around comes from men who order their lives in the uselessness of minds that are described in 17-19. "In Christ" truth is teaching completely outside of the realm of the teaching that comes from the world system. Much of the perversion of positional truth has come from exposure to the secular education of the world system. Colossians is even more explicit concerning what the teaching from the world system does to the essentials of positional truth. This material will be covered in the next message. This message has covered four of the ways that the world system presents teaching whether believed and practiced or simply to be believed (but for their practice). The conclusion gives an overview of each of the four.

One of the blessings of present tense salvation is the privilege of directing attention to the Head of the Body while enjoying the provisions of grace. To describe this as "so great salvation" seems to be such an understatement. One day we will have a better capability to describe in its fullness. Today? Perhaps!

In Him focused on the Head, the Lord Jesus Christ,

DKS

THE TEACHING OF THE WORLD SYSTEM VERSUS GOD'S TEACHING -- I

1 John 2:15

Proposition: To present the various kinds of doctrine or teaching that comes from secular education in the world system. These were problems in the gospels and continue to be problems in the dispensation of grace.

Introduction

A. The Two Types of Teaching in the New Testament

B. The Teaching Replacing the Law Under Law

C. The Teaching Permeating the Teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees

D. The Teaching Dividing Christians to Be Avoided

E. The Teaching That Destroys Positional Truth for the Grace Believer

TRANS: The world system is very effective in making its teachings appear to be like those of God especially in the realm of early Judaism. They persisted in modifying the Mosaic Law from Sinai forward. It was very true in the time of Christ.

I. DOCTRINAL DEVELOPMENT OF COMMANDMENTS BY MEN IN THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MOSAIC LAW BY COMMANDMENTS OF MEN IN THE DISPENSATION OF LAW – MAN'S STANDARDS FOR TEACHINGS COMMANDMENTS FROM MEN – MAN'S TEACHING TAUGHT AS COMMANDMENTS FOR PRACTICE – Matthew 15:9 cf. Mark 7:7 (didaskali,a)

A. The Challenge by the Scribes and Pharisees of the Practice of Jesus' Disciples – 15:2

1. They Transgress the Tradition of the Elders

2. They Do Not Wash Hands When They Eat Bread

B. The Crossing Over of the Commandment of God by Tradition Questioned – 15:3

C. The Contradiction in the Teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees – 15:4-6

1. God's Commandment Presented

a. The Commandment – Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16 (cf. Prov. 23:22)

b. The Punishment – Ex. 21:11; Lev. 20:9 (cf. Prov. 20:20)

D. The Character of Israel Toward Jehovah – 15:7-8

1. Hypocrites

2. The Isaiah 29:13 Prophecy

E. The Consequences of their Teachings – 15:9

1. Worship Is Useless

2. Teaching Doctrines Not to Be Practiced Commandments of Men

F. The Condition of the Scribes and Pharisees of Ignorance of the Law – 15:19, 20

TRANS: In Matthew 16 Jesus discusses the character of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. These two sects of Judaism were very different in their type of teaching and both were outside of the doctrine presented by the Mosaic Law for the dispensation.

II. DESTRUCTIVE DOCTRINE OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES – THE REPUDIATION OF THE CORRUPTION FROM THE TEACHING OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES – THE SATURATING OF THE BREAD BY BAD TEACHING FOR PRACTICE – PHARISEES' AND SADDUCEES' TEACHING IS THAT OF HYPOCRITES – Matthew 16:12 (didach,)

A. The Confrontation with Jesus – 16:1-3

1. Tempting Jesus by Seeking a Sign – vs. 1

2. Presenting Them with the Sign of Jonah – vss. 2-4

B. The Confrontation with the Leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees – vss. 6, 11

C. The Character of the Teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees – vs. 12

TRANS: Paul warned the Romans concerning doctrine that infiltrated the church from the secular education of the world system. This teaching was different than what they had been taught by the Apostle and other accurate teachers. Today the issue is not oral instruction but the accurate teachings of the written revelation from God.

III. DIVISIVE DOCTRINE FOR PRACTICE CONTRARY TO SCRIPTURE TAUGHT -- THE RESPONSE IN AVOIDING THOSE TEACHING DIVISIVE AND SCANDALOUS DOCTRINE – DIVISIVE AND SCANDALOUS DOCTRINE BY TEACHERS WHO ARE TO BE AVOIDED – CONTRADICTORY TEACHING DESIGNED TO DIVIDE AND SCANDALIZE – Romans 16:17 (didach,)

A. The Responsibility to Mark Those Who Are Causing Divisions and Scandals

B. The Results of Contrary Doctrine for Practice

C. The Reality of a Standard of Divine Teaching

D. The Reasons for Avoiding Them - 16:18

1. They Do Not Serve our Lord Jesus Christ as Slaves

2. They Serve their Own Bellies as Slaves

3. They Deceive the Hearts of the Simple

a. By Benign Speech

b. By Good Speech

TRANS: Paul describes one of the reasons for the spiritual gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11 as a mechanism to remove elements of immaturity on the part of some believers. The easily are led astray by the teaching of secular education in the world system.

IV. DECEPTIVE DOCTRINE FROM MEN AND IN ERROR – THE REASON FOR SPIRITUAL GIFTS THAT COUNTERACT THE TEACHING OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE STOPPING OF THE TURBULENCE CAUSED BY WRONG TEACHING FOR FAITH – WINDS OF TEACHING PLANNED BY MEN TO LEAD ASTRAY – Ephesians 4:14 (didaskali,a)

A. The Giving of Spiritual Gifts – 4:11, 12

1. The Men

2. The Purpose

B. The Anticipating of Arriving Into a Mature Man – 4:13

C. The Ceasing of Existence as Inarticulate Babblers – 4:14a

1. Blown by Every Wind of Teaching for Faith

2. Being Carried Around by Every Wind of Teaching for Faith

D. The Scheming in the Communication of the Teaching – 4:14b

1. By the Deception of Men

2. By Treachery

3. Toward Methods That Lead Astray

TRANS: We have considered four kinds of teaching that come from the secular education of the world system. Naturally they have religious implications. Secular education is designed to affect the religion of its constituents.

Conclusion

A. Teaching That Replaces through Modification = Tradition

B. Teaching That Permeates the Whole = Leaven

C. Teaching That Perverts Biblical Standards == Divides and Scandalizes

D. Teaching that Popularizes through Deception = Winds That Agitate

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119