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7 Quirky 'Doctrines' That Should Be Debunked
If
the preaching isn't biblical, then it isn't the truth
.
J.
Lee Grady
Jesus said the truth sets us
free. But the opposite is also true: Lies put us in bondage — even if the lies
are spoken from a pulpit by a sincere minister or a Christian celebrity.
In
my international travels I've sat in countless meetings and heard countless
examples of bad theology.
While traveling in Romania, for
example, I discovered that women are sometimes told they cannot receive
communion if they are having their menstrual period.
(No one could explain to me how
this prohibition is actually enforced.)
In some Nigerian churches, it
is taught that a pastor shouldn't have sex with his wife the night before he is
scheduled to preach.
These are extreme examples of
twisting or misunderstanding a Scripture (usually from the Old Testament) to
create a religious rule.
But this butchering of the
Bible doesn't just happen in developing countries. It happens everywhere,
creating religious superstitions that make us look silly to the world.
Some of these concepts are
repeated so often that they become a part of our Christianese lexicon.
People nod and say
"Amen" without realizing these statements have no basis in Scripture.
It
would be impossible to list all of the quirky doctrines I've encountered during
my years in ministry, but I'll start with these:
1. The children of ministers must carry on their parent’s
work.
David passed his inheritance to Solomon,
and Solomon gave his scepter to Rehoboam.
Then somewhere along the way some pastors
invented the idea of a monarchy in the church — teaching that ministers must be
succeeded by their sons or daughters.
This certainly can happen. But nowhere in
the New Testament are we told it is a rule.
Leaders are appointed and anointed by the
Holy Spirit, not determined by family lineage.
2. Don't touch the Lord's anointed.
David refused to kill King Saul
when he had the opportunity because he feared God and waited for Him to
vindicate him (see 1 Samuel 24:6).
But this verse has been
manipulated to discourage church members from asking honest questions about a
leader's behavior or decisions.
We are called to submit to our
spiritual leaders, but it is not wrong to disagree with them as long as we have
a respectful attitude.
3. Christians who commit suicide go to hell.
This idea has created untold
pain in the church, especially in families with loved ones who suffer with
mental illness.
The idea is that a person can
never be forgiven of suicide since they can't pray for forgiveness after they
commit the sin.
But the whole message of grace
in the New Testament teaches us that God's love is greater than our moments of
weakness, depression or mental instability.
If our salvation totally hinges
on whether we immediately pray for forgiveness after every transgression, then
we are all doomed.
Jesus paid for our sins, and
those who trust Him will enter heaven in spite of their frailties and bad
decisions.
4. The husband is the priest of the home.
I wish I had a dollar for every
time I've heard this statement from a pulpit. Contrary to what many Christians
believe, this is not a Scripture.
Actually, the Bible teaches
clearly that we are all priests (1 Peter 1:9), and
husbands and wives function together as priests for their family.
It is a heresy to suggest that
a wife must go "through" her husband to approach God.
The Bible does say the husband
is "head of the wife" (Ephesians 5:23), but
this implies connection and oneness, not domination or control.
5. Christians can receive "mantles" from other
people.
The prophet Elijah threw his
mantle on his disciple Elisha so he could carry on his ministry (see 2
Kings 2:13).
Ever since this isolated
incident occurred, people have been asking famous preachers to pray for them so
they can "receive their mantle."
Recently it was reported that
some charismatics were going to the graves of revivalists to pray for their
anointing to come upon them. That's silly.
In the New Testament, the Holy
Spirit imparts his anointing.
Someone may lay hands on us,
but they don't have to be famous or have a big following.
Let's stop worshiping people
and seek the Holy Spirit's power instead.
6. "Jesus only" baptism.
Early Pentecostals began a
famous dispute during the early 1900s over the proper formula for water
baptism.
Some insisted that people
should be baptized "in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit," as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19.
But a breakaway sect of
"Oneness" Pentecostals insisted then, as they do today, that people
must be baptized only "in the name of Jesus," as Acts 2:38
instructs.
And Oneness believers teach
that people who are not baptized according to their formula will not go to
heaven.
It's time to retire this
hair-splitting argument and recognize that Christians are saved by their faith
in Jesus alone, not by words recited at their baptism.
7. People with strong faith don't suffer.
The
oldest book in the Bible is Job — the ancient story of a faithful follower of
God who endured suffering.
Yet
today we have dozens of famous televangelists who tell audiences they can
confess their way out of trials and tribulations simply with positive thinking.
Some
even suggest you can buy your way out of difficulties by giving in their
"miracle" offerings.
Never trust a preacher who
promises you a shortcut around suffering.
We must
stop promoting a false gospel that offers instant success, fame and wealth.
Jesus
promised we would have trials (John
16:33), yet He
gave us assurance that our faith in Him would help us overcome in the end.
Let's
preach the truth, expose the lies and break free from Christian superstitions.
J.
Lee Grady
is an ordained minister, and conference speaker, and editor of Charisma
magazine. Lee directs The Mordecai Project, an international ministry that
confronts the abuse of women and challenges the church to release women in
ministry.
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