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Would it be wrong for me to question the beliefs of my church or preacher?
Question- Would it be wrong for me to question the beliefs of my church or preacher?
Answer- Absolutely not. Truth has nothing to fear from open examination. We are to test the scriptures and hold
onto what is true. The fact is that many base their faith on the traditions of men and sadly many follow after what
their favorite preacher says without ever bothering to test what they say with what the Bible really says. The Bible
is our standard and the book by which we will be judged. Men can be wrong and churches can be wrong. God is
true and always will be. I will always find the truth by appealing to what the bible says and not with what my
“church teaches” or what my “preacher says.” Notice these scriptures. 1 Peter 3:14-16- “ if you suffer for what is
right blessed are you- so not be afraid of their threats or be troubled, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be
ready always to give an answer to every man who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and
fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in
Christ might be ashamed.” In 1 John 4:1 we read- “beloved do not believe every spirit, but t4est the spirits whether
they be of God for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
The reality is that the world has many churches and individuals who teach false things. It is to their advantage to
discourage people from examining what they say by the scriptures. In Acts 17:11 we see that open investigation of
what someone teaches is encouraged by God. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they
received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to see if what was being said was true.” If
any preacher or church does not like to be asked questions about what they teach or practice, you must ask why?
Since we will all be judged on the basis of What the Word of God says (John 12:48), it is imperative that we all
speak the same things and that there be no divisions among us (1 Cor. 1:10-13; John 17). There is a standard for
what is true and it is not what men say. In Acts 20:28-31- we read that even leaders in the church can lead people
away from the truth (“take heed to yourselves and to the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to
feed the church of God which he has purchased with His own blood. Knowing this, that after I depart, shall men
arise from among your own selves, teaching perverse doctrine to draw away disciples after themselves, therefore
watch and remember that I ceased not to warn you for 3 years about this.
It is our desire in this column to encourage people to ask questions about what the Bible says. It has been our
privilege to do this for the last year and we look forward to doing the same in 2025. Our purpose is to “let God be
true and every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4). Thanks to all who are regular readers of this column. We invite you to come
worship with us at the Maple Street Church of Christ. Please visit our website maplestreetliberty.org.
