Teachers, can you do better, or worse?

[Whyme]

14 minutes ago, Starise said:

Ok whatever man. I can tell you had your mind made up already. I was trying to point you to ideas about good Christian teachers..

You are combining several thoughts in this post that seem contradictory to me. I hear you saying you can teach yourself with God's help. If you were stranded by God's will on a lone island all by yourself with a Bible God would guide you. Realistically that's one of those rare "what if" situations. Moses and John the Baptist were in the wilderness for extended periods of time. 

 We may not agree with the way a teacher does some things  but if God called the man to be a teacher, he's a teacher. If you reject a man God called specifically to teach you, you are in essence rejecting one of God's avenues for learning. The gifts in the Body of Christ all edify the body.

If you can honestly say you know everything humanly possible to ever know about the Bible you are one of the few who must have arrived. For most of the rest of us, we learn daily. 

I think it's healthy to be of an independent mindset, to examine what the Bible says in light of what we are taught. I don't believe it means we don't or won't need a teacher or edification that can be had in fellowship with God's people in the church.

Rejection of spirit led teachers puts a person at great disadvantage. I'll use the example of learning to play the violin. You can learn two ways. With a teacher or self taught. Almost 100% of the time people who self teach find after much trial and error they had to go back and relearn to play correctly. This is because the early methods they used impeded their later progress actually making more difficult and longer to learn than if they had just hired a teacher.. I suspect many self taught theologians end up in no man's land without any sort of guidance.

It's easy to say "the spirit" will lead us to all truth. In truth it's a combined effort of willingness to be molded by the Spirit and study from whatever sources the Lord provides. I say this as a person who is very dubious and skeptical of anyone I initially am not familiar with so far as them "teaching" me. 

Im more interested in becoming a doer. I like James description of pure religion. Its to keep ourselves unspotted by the world and care for the widows and orphans. Simple to understand.  

[Whyme]

7 minutes ago, teddyv said:

Another fallacy - false choice.

So you are saying im wrong with God because i dont follow teachers? Im sad you guys dont see the wisdom in following God rather than the Pope. 

[Whyme]

1 minute ago, Josheb said:

The posts do not evidence that claim. 

The posts don't reflect that claim, either. 

That is a false dichotomy. 

 

It is because statements like false dichotomies and appeals to heretics are made that we know the teachings of the Bible are not followed. It is because God uses others from the beginning of the Bible to is end and you've been either unresponsive to that point or denied it they again we know the teachings of the Bible are not wholly followed. It is also the reason we know you're not receiving the correction provided in this discussion.  

God and His teachers in contemporary times are not mutually exclusive conditions. Time and time again and again the Holy Spirit has lead men and women in the Bible to teachers and many of them were imperfect teachers . It does not seem to have occurred to you that God's Spirit led you to post this op and led you to the responses here so you could and would be corrected and learn from others. 

 

God uses others.

Sorry, im not seeing how following the Pope is going to help my walk with God. Or Luther, Calvin, Prosperity preachers, Ellen White, or whoever has a prophecy or book to sell. I have a bible. What's the difference between me reading it or hearing a preacher speak it? They cant read my heart or change it. They cant give grace when needed, and cant show me my hidden faults. They can read scripture but so can i. 

[OneLight]

35 minutes ago, Whyme said:

As i said, God sent Peter a vision and straightened him out. I guess i just dont see the need for a teacher. I believe in following the Spirit. I believe we can learn from each other, but not by following each other. Dont follow the Pope, Kenneth Copeland, Luther or whoever, follow Christ and His true apostles.. The apostles already gave us an example to follow. I believe in simplicity too. I dont need books and DVD's, i need to listen for the Spirit to guide me. Fellowship is valuable. I could learn something from you.

 

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Try Acts 15:1-29 and then read Galatians 2:11-21.  You will see what I am speaking of.

As I said before, we make mistakes when trying to follow only the Holy Spirit.  Not that He is in error with what He shows us, but we err when trying to understand all He is trying to teach, not taking it all in perfectly as it is taught.  This is the very reason we need others to reason with, to help us remain accountable.

[OneLight]

Just now, Whyme said:

Im reasoning with you right now. We just dont agree.

Are we reasoning?  All I have heard is that you don't believe those who are teachers are sent by God, with no scriptural backing, just theory.  Do you have any scripture telling us that every teacher teaching today is not of God?

[teddyv]

18 minutes ago, Whyme said:

Its only a false choice to those not following God. I follow God. He gave me a bible.

No. There is an incredible array of Spirit-filled believers who write, preach, and teach. They also have the Bible. They also follow God.

[Whyme]

1 minute ago, Josheb said:

That is your problem. 

It is not ours. It is the inability to see that is the problem. That, in turn, has led to an inability to reason through the scriptures and an inability to engage others in topical discourse (my question still remain unanswered). 

I could explain it to you but 1) you'd have to have a teachable spirit and be willing to learn and 2) you'd be learning..... from someone who is not a New Testament writer!!!  Why ask the question if you won't can't and shouldn't learn the answers from those you ask?

They most certainly can and it is very, very odd you do not know and understand that. 

Not only do the word and Spirit dwell within each of us, but so does the power that accompanies both. Jesus said the following toPeter, 

Matthew 16:19
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

Do you thing that truth is limited to Peter? No one else ever possesses that ability? Do you realize that would mean you lack that ability? If no one else has it then neither do you.

Matthew 18:15
"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother."

Is that limited only to the brothers of the New Testament era? 

Matthew 18:18
"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

How about that? Are you unable to bind and loose? If you possess that ability do you ever do so with God's grace? 

Matthew 18:16 ESV
"But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses."

Do you have the ability to be that kind of witness? Do you have the ability to received the testimony of two or more witnesses?  

 

Do you understand I can provide scores of examples like this from scripture? 

Do you think God stopped teaching in the first century and limited Himself to the Bible and His Spirit? If so, Have you got scripture to support that position? 

Now now, Paul says a teacher must be patient. I have God guiding me, im not a child tossed about by every wind of doctrine. I know Gods path for me. Why are you complicating it bro? 

[Whyme]

7 minutes ago, OneLight said:

Are we reasoning?  All I have heard is that you don't believe those who are teachers are sent by God, with no scriptural backing, just theory.  Do you have any scripture telling us that every teacher teaching today is not of God?

Maybe there are some good teachers out there. Look at Dr Charles Stanley, hes considered a good teacher, but he teaches we still observe the Sabbath. Maybe hes not the best teacher for me. 

[Whyme]

13 minutes ago, teddyv said:

No. There is an incredible array of Spirit-filled believers who write, preach, and teach. They also have the Bible. They also follow God.

But is the Pope one of them? If not then im better off how im going because you admit i follow God too.. Its not a false choice. Not a fallacy. 

Edited April 23, 2021 by Whyme

[teddyv]

1 minute ago, Whyme said:

What you call fallacy is the fallacy.

Really? What logical.fallacy is it?