Things New and Old: "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine!

Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Saturday, June 17, 2023

"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine!

June 17, 2017

"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." 1Tim 4:16.

Otherwise, what is the outcome? Temporal destruction of both the preacher and his flock!

"Collapsing any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long-range missiles. It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students". (see full quote at the bottom)

EVEN SO, the downfall of any church. All it takes is undermining the ministry of the word; lower the faithfulness to, and expectation of, the word of truth in the ministry of the word, and the demise of the church is assured.

This explains the solemn charge of Paul to Timothy: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." 2Ti 4:2

Also, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2Ti 2:15

Since the command is to preach the word, the church must not tolerate anything else in the pulpit. Lowering the standard is suicidal!

The command to be instant in season and out of season in preaching requires the solemn duty to hear with the same urgency.

Not doing so is undermining the ministry of the word!

"Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful." 1Cor 4:2. A church must not tolerate unfaithfulness in the ministry. Doing so is suicidal!!!

Now, you see the reason for this injunction:

"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." 1Tim 4:16.

Nothing doing so brings destruction to BOTH the preacher himself and his flock.

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* A University professor wrote an expressive message to his students at the doctoral, master's, and bachelor's levels and placed it at the entrance to a university in South Africa.

And this is the message:

The patient dies in the hands of such doctors.

And the buildings collapse in the hands of such engineers.

And the money is lost in the hands of such accountants.

And humanity dies in the hands of such religious scholars.

And justice is lost in the hands of such judges...

"The collapse of education is the collapse of the nation"