Paul wrote: ‘From among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified’ (vv. 30-32 NKJV). When someone claims ‘special revelation from God’, but it doesn’t line up with what Scripture teaches, don’t buy it! Do what the Bereans did: ‘They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true’ (Acts 17:11 NIV). Whose teachings did the Bereans put under the searchlight of Scripture? Paul’s! No leader, regardless of the size of their following, is beyond such scrutiny. And actually, good leaders welcome it. But doesn’t God still have more to say to us? Yes, but even if we’re constantly learning and discovering for the whole of our lives, we still won’t know everything. Does God have new and effective strategies for reaching the world with the gospel? Yes, and we must embrace and utilise them, including exploring all the technology available, in order to reap the final harvest. But we must never compromise when it comes to God’s Word. ‘From among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things.’ Sometimes the greatest threat to truth comes from those we know, love, and have worked with, who have wandered off track. So, what’s the answer? It’s simple. Always ask, ‘What does the Bible say?’ and make that your benchmark.
