Know Your Stuff
Hebrews 13:9
By Harold Dinsmore, M.Div
© 2008 Harold Dinsmore.

“Do not be led astray by diverse and strange teachings.”

This week, I had one of the most disheartening contacts one can have in the ministry.  An older woman called that I have known for several years, one who had been a Baptist for over 20 years, who “converted” to a cultic group.   I was so sad after my lengthy conversation with her because, as she spoke, I heard how she was fed just enough of the truth to get her hooked, and then she was reeled in by the strange and diverse teaching contrary to the Bible.

It is so disheartening to see good, Christian people being pumped full of false doctrine and then they accept it all as the truth.  Why was this woman so gullible after 20 years of Christian interaction in a Baptist congregation?  I would like to postulate a few probabilities.

One is that the church or churches which she had been a part of failed to feed her spiritually.  As I listened, she kept stressing Bible study.  My friends, if we, as a church, do not teach and afford people opportunities to learn, we are failing in our part of fulfilling the Great Commission.  As you may well know, Jesus said to make disciples, baptizing them, but also teaching them to observe all of His teachings.