Testing Teaching Claims

Teachings fail if they contradict Scripture

• Scripture

  • • Acts 17:11: “They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

      • • Even apostolic teaching was tested against Scripture. If the Bereans were commended for checking Paul, then all later teachings must be measured the same way.

    • Galatians 1:8: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel… let him be accursed.”

      • • No teacher, tradition, or authority — not even an apostle — may contradict what God has already revealed.

• Examples:

  • • When a tradition introduces beliefs not found in Scripture, it is wise to compare them with the biblical text.

    • When a doctrine seems to rely more on later councils or historical development than on Scripture itself, it deserves careful examination.

    • When a practice becomes required even though Scripture does not command it, it should be evaluated in light of God’s Word.

These are not accusations — they are simply the kinds of questions Scripture encourages every believer to ask.

Teachings fail if they redefine salvation

• Scripture

  • • Ephesians 2:8–9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith… not of works.”

      • • Salvation is presented as a gift, not a process of accumulating merit or participating in rituals that contribute to justification.

    • Romans 5:1: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God…”

      • • Justification is a completed act, not an ongoing qualification. Any teaching that adds requirements to justification redefines the gospel.

    • Hebrews 10:14: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

      • • Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient and final. Systems that require continual sacrificial mediation or sacramental re‑justification undermine the finished work of Christ.

• Examples:

  • • When salvation is described as something gained gradually through participation in rituals, it is helpful to compare that with Scripture’s language of completed justification.

    • When assurance is discouraged because salvation is tied to ongoing merit, it is worth revisiting passages that speak of salvation as a present possession.

    • When Christ’s once‑for‑all sacrifice is supplemented by repeated sacrificial acts, Scripture invites us to consider whether that aligns with Hebrews’ teaching.

These examples are not critiques — they are invitations to compare beliefs with Scripture’s clarity.

Teachings fail if they require ongoing correction

• Scripture

  • • Jude 3: “Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

      • • The faith is not delivered in installments. It does not evolve. It does not require later doctrinal adjustments or reversals.

    • Psalm 119:89: “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.”

      • • Truth is stable. If a doctrine must be revised, expanded, or reversed, the problem is not with Scripture — it’s with the teaching.

    • Hebrews 13:8–9: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.”

      • • Christ’s unchanging nature anchors unchanging truth. Doctrinal drift signals human tradition, not divine revelation.

• Examples:

  • • When doctrines shift over time or require reinterpretation, it is wise to ask whether they originated in Scripture or in tradition.

    • When a teaching is defined centuries after the apostles, Scripture invites us to examine whether it was part of the “faith once delivered.”

    • When beliefs must be updated to align with later councils or magisterial decisions, it is helpful to compare them with the unchanging Word.

These examples encourage reflection, not confrontation.

Teachings fail if they place mediation beyond Christ

• Scripture

  • • 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”

      • • Scripture presents a single Mediator — not a hierarchy of mediators, saints, priests, or ecclesiastical offices standing between God and the believer.

    • Hebrews 7:25: “He is able to save to the uttermost… since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

      • • Christ’s intercession is perfect and complete. No additional mediators are needed.

    • Hebrews 4:14–16: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace…”

      • • Believers approach God directly through Christ. Systems that require additional layers of access contradict the direct access Scripture promises.

• Examples:

  • • When prayer is directed through additional mediators, Scripture invites us to consider whether Christ’s mediation is sufficient.

    • When access to God is described as requiring priestly or sacramental channels, it is helpful to revisit passages that speak of direct access through Christ.

    • When devotion shifts from Christ to other figures, even with sincere intentions, Scripture encourages us to keep Christ central.

These examples are not meant to diminish anyone’s devotion — only to highlight the sufficiency of Christ’s role as Mediator.