NEW LIGHT OR NEW WAVE
“ in order that we should no longer be babes ,tossed about as by waves and carried hither and thither by every wind of teaching by means of trickery of men, by means of cunning in contriving error.” NWT
After relating how Christ gave gifts in men who would build up the body of Christ until we all attain to the oneness in faith and accurate knowledge Paul describes what these gifts would keep us from becoming.
He describes Christians as waves that are moved by winds. He identifies the winds as teachings, false teachings delivered by means of trickery and cunning.
The NIV translation puts it as “cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming”.
If you have ever watched the surface of a body of water on a winding stormy day you will have observed how the wind pushes the waves this way and that way, here and there or hither and thither.
Now follow the analogy and imagine the wind is false doctrines ( any teaching that has been or will be shown to be untrue ) and the waves are well meaning Christians.
The winds of false doctrines would push the waves of Christians in a certain direction with a certain teaching or belief then suddenly a new teaching or understanding and we’re off again but in a new direction. Now, wait here comes yet another one, a new wind of false doctrine creating a new wave of Christians, the other wind was untrue now this one is the truth and for a time you must believe this. The well meaning Christian if not careful would be carried here and there as the illustration warns.
But no you say an avid bible reading Christian would be able to identify winds of false doctrines. Yes this is true and many would but remember the scripture says the false teachers would be cunning and contriving men who would use trickery. Also Christ provided the gifts in men because there was a need. The apostles, evangelizers, shepherds, and teachers were needed to keep all speaking in truth and keep the body working harmoniously together.
The apostle Paul was one of those gifts. He worked hard to keep false teaching out of the Christian congregation. In fact in his letter to the Galatians he provided counsel that would help well meaning Christians to identify false doctrines and the men who teach them that helps us to this very day.
In Galatians 1:6-12 Paul states that he is astonished that some Galatians were deserting the gospel taught to them by Paul. He said that certain men were trying to confuse them with a different gospel that really was no gospel at all.
He then powerfully states that if an angel from heaven or anybody were to preach a gospel other than what Paul taught (“ beyond what we declared” NWT ) let them be eternally condemned. He said the gospel he taught was not something man made nor was he taught it. Rather Paul states the gospel he received was by revelation of Jesus Christ.
How does this help us today to avoid being blown about by winds of false doctrine?
Simple, Paul clearly states that his gospel was from revelation by Jesus Christ. Would any revelation of Jesus Christ ever be wrong? Would it ever have to be changed, adjusted or modified. Would there be a need to publish second and third revised editions? Is it a revelation of Jesus Christ if it is replaced by “new light” Of course not?
Therefore any doctrine that was proved wrong, did not come true, needed to be adjusted or edited out was not by revelation of Jesus Christ and was not the gospel Paul preached. It is beyond what Paul preached or other than what Paul preached. Therefore using Paul’s own words it is man made, needs to be taught by men and they are accursed.
Some might say that it is acceptable to teach false doctrines because the disciples made mistakes. They often cite scriptures like Lu 19:11, Jo 21:22,23, and Acts 1: 6.7.
What they fail to mention is that these were false expectations not false prophecies or doctrines. They were questions asked by students of their teacher not false teachings that confused and misled millions. They are also all accounts that took place before the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ himself even stated in Acts 1:7 that it did not belong to them to get knowledge of times and seasons. And in Acts 1:8 he said they would receive power from the Holy Spirit and then they would be able to witness about him. To use the beliefs of the disciples before they had the holy spirit as justification for your doctrines is kind of like saying you don’t have the Holy Spirit either, isn’t it?
Search for yourself. Does the New Testament approve of false teachings and their source or does it condemn false teachings and their source? Then ask “Has the source that I get my doctrines from taught false doctrines in the past? How then does the language of the New Testament describe my source?” Are you listening to the gospel of Paul or to man made winds that push up new waves?