Bad Ideas and Bad Manners
Published on Facebook, October 1, 2010
By Bud Powell
1Co 15:33 "Be
not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."
What?
I think the
AV has it best here. It is true that "communications" can
be translated "company" or "companions" as it is in many
translations, but it is not physical association that is the problem. The
problem is the doctrine, or ideas, that are passed from one to another.
That's why the Apostle says "Be not deceived." Ignorant, evil
people communicate evil doctrines, bad teachings. The Jews feared
physical contamination; Jesus taught that the danger was not the physical
contact but the spiritual things that came out of the heart that were
contaminating. Hence, He warned His disciples to beware of the
"leaven" or doctrine, of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians. [ Matt 16:6; Matt
16:11; Matt 16:12; Mark 8:15].
The information
that we receive from the experiences of life, including hearing and reading the
Scriptures, are always put in order in our consciousnesses
around one or more of our three basic faculties. These are the rational,
the emotional, or the volitional. In the organization of this material we
ask ourselves one or more of questions of this sort, consciously or
unconsciously, depending on our personality type: "What do I think
about this?" "What do I feel about this? or
"What must I do about this?"
Sin brings an
unbalance into our lives and we become unbalanced very often; in extreme cases
we may require institutionalization. Some people just rationalize about
things; they feel nothing and do nothing. Others are overwhelmed in
emotions they do not understand and do erratic things. Others do not think
or feel but rush off to do something, anything. If we have not been born
again in the image of Christ we will have everything out of order; our thoughts
will be deceitful; our feelings perverse; and our actions sinful. That
why Paul gave us this warning, "Do not be deceived."
True knowledge is
like a string of pearls. You cannot have a string of pearls unless
you have both pearls and a string to string them on. A necklace of
perfectly matched pearls has a great deal more value than an equal number of
unmatched pearls. Each pearl is nice and rich, but a pile of pearls does
not make a necklace. There is order in Scripture and it is the duty of
the rational to find that order and rule the emotions and will in terms of that
order. Understanding is basic to everything the Christian does.
Order means that we know what is greater, what is less. What is first? what is second? The difference
between a gnat and a camel and why it matters. Why God would
rather save sinners than damn them, but is willing to do either.
Perhaps most of
all, that there is a heaven and a hell, who will go to each, and why it is
important. Why are all moral choices not equivalent, and why all
religions are not the same? Your emotions and choices will depend upon
your understanding of the Bible in these very important things.
This is the reason
that we are called to grow up in Christ, to bring every thought captive to
Jesus Christ, to bring order and value into our lives and thoughts.
The reason that
Paul warns particularly about doctrine and communication is because the
understanding is basic to everything a Christian does. He begins his
Christian life by hearing the word and understanding it. [Matt.
13:23]. Understanding the promises and attributes of God are necessary
requirements for true joy in Christ. There is the hollow crackling of the
laughter of a fool [Ecc. 7:6], but the joy of the
Lord belongs only to those with wisdom and understanding. Pr 10:21 "The lips of the righteous feed many: but
fools die for want of wisdom." Ho 4:6 "My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected
knowledge....'
The fool rejoices
in iniquity and feels great. He chooses wicked ways and is very decisive
about his folly. He not only has pleasure in his wickedness, but he has
pleasure in those who do likewise. Like the dog, he returns to his
vomit. There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is the
way of death.
A lie is like a
narcotic in the body of a man. Drugs can disrupt the nervous system and
false signals send false messages. The drunk may see snakes on the
ceiling and hear voices that frighten him. People under the influence of
LSD may hear pictures and see music and other "alternate realities"
which are not realities at all, but lying dreams of disordered senses.
This is the way false doctrine circulates in the life of a church and in the
life of an individual. A Saul of Tarsus may even do great evil, thinking
that he does God service.
The Bible warns us
many times of the danger we have of being deceived. In fact, God will
allow us to be deceived as a judgment for not hearing and believing the truth:
Eze 14:9
And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD
have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will
destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them.
We are warned of
this many times, that it is easy to be deceived and follow false ideas:
Ob 1:3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou
that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose
habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the
ground? De 11:16 Take heed to
yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other
gods, and worship them.
Lu 21:8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for
many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
Ro 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived
me, and by it slew me. 1Co 6:9 Know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers
of themselves with mankind, Ga
6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving, and being deceived.
The root of the
problem is the godless pride of our hearts. The traitor is within us and
we must be on our guard. Evil communications are everywhere, spewed out
like a flood from the enemy of our souls. There are many ways to lie;
only one way to tell the truth. A lie that will not catch one person will
catch another. Satan fishes for souls with many kinds of bait.
Bad doctrines, or
teachings, will always disrupt and cause senseless and inconsistent
behavior. God would have us do all things decently and in order. God will
have us to be no more children, "tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive; 5 But speaking the truth in love, may grow
up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:16 From whom
the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body
unto the edifying of itself in love."
Love requires us to
speak the truth, so that the body does not come under the spell of narcotics
and is turned away from the pure bread of life that will give health and vigor
to the people of God.
Pr 14:7
"Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge." I
do not want a doctor whose first interest is to avoid hurting me or causing me
distress. I will feel right only if he knows what the disease is and how
I can be cured. I personally don't care about his bedside manner if he
doesn't know what he is doing or has no clue about the
diseases that affect the body. Let him tell me the truth so that I can
know what to do. That will make me feel good.
Heretics are
usually charming people. They make you feel sooooo
good about yourself and soooooo positive. But
you should run from them if they do not tell you the truth, or if they don't
know that there is truth.
Unbelievers mourn like
doves and roar like bears [is. 59:11]. First they whimper that you are
not loving enough or kind enough. Then they bite and devour. They
do not care about you or your love or your manner. They hate the truth
you stand for and they hate you for standing for it. You will not make
them love the truth by not speaking it plainly. Love requires you to
speak the truth plainly. Only an unbelieving rebel will complain about
how you say it.
Heb 12:13 "And make
straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way;
but let it rather be healed."
If you accept evil
communications, you will not know how to rejoice in the Lord nor
how to behave yourself in the world.
