Hermeneutics Lesson 01

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How to avoid false doctrine.

Proverbs 19:27 says Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

1John 4:1-3 says Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

The first three verses of 1John 4 are actually 2 sentences, and we are told by God to understand (interpret) our Bible by sentences.  (We will get to where the Bible says that later.  Also, interpretation is not the same as application, which is the main job of most preachers.)

1. First, notice that we are to try the spirits,  not try  the man.
1. Peter was a 'good godly Bible believing fundamental preacher of God'.  Yet, according to Galatians 2:11, Peter preached doctrinal error.  Peter wrote 2 books of the Bible, brought the Gospel to the Jews and to the Gentiles, was the head Apostle and more.  No man born since the time of the Apostles can claim that.  If Peter can be led into preaching doctrinal error, so can any other person born since the time of the Apostles.
2. Peter writes about his most spiritual personal experience when he saw Jesus transformed (2Peter 1:17-20).  Peter tells us We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place...  The greatest spiritual experience does not make a man more reliable than the written word of God.
3. The people in the Church at Corinth thought that they were spiritually mature when Paul wrote his first letter to them and called them spiritual babes.  The first (primary) spiritual problem that Paul dealt with was divisions in the church caused by people basing their doctrine on what they thought a man preached instead of what God actually wrote in His Word.  The Bible tells us that we are to have one faith  (Ephesians 4:5) and one look at 'Christian religions' shows that we don't have that.
4. Only a fool would believe that Satan can't deceive him.  But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.  (2Corinthians 11:12-15).


2. Second, notice that we are to try the spirits,  not try  the doctrine.
1. Notice that John says more about the world  in this chapter than in any other chapter.  This verse tells us that many false prophets are gone out into the world.  John uses the world  for the majority of lost people and their beliefs.  These many false prophets went to the world  because the world likes and supports the lies that they preach.  The world  likes to be told that they can live for Hell and go to Heaven.
2. The word world  appears 288 times in the Bible.  Other usage in the Bible matches the usage found in 1John.  The world  is not the earth  but is all of the people in the earth  and often is used for the majority opinion / thought process.  That opinion / thought process is the result of lost people thinking that they know better than God does and believe Satan's lie (ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil  [Genesis 3:5]).
3. Many places the Bible tells us that Satan makes his ministers  to be subtil.    Anyone who believes that Satan and his ministers  can't fool them is a Biblical fool.  We are not to argue doctrine but try the spirits  that are behind the doctrine.


3. John uses try  to mean 'test to the level required to be confident that this is truth'.  As explained in the Study on Spirit for this verse, try  requires less effort than prove.  John uses try  because the difference between God's Spirit and other spirits is so great that all of the effort required to prove is not required to tell the differences.  Also, try  allows using indirect methods while prove  does not.
1. John tells us to try the spirits with the goal of dividing (separating) those that are of God  from those that are not.  In the second (equivalent) sextion of this sentence John warns us many false prophets are gone out into the world.  The equivalency (from the colon) means that we are also supposed to try the spirits of these prophets  with the goal of dividing (separating) those that are of God  from those that are not.
2. The people that John calls prophets  are called 'priests, preachers, bishops' and the variety of titles that religious leaders give themselves today.  Many of these people will tell you to test the doctrine of others but to use some false standard that makes their doctrine look good and all other look false.  This sentence warns us that many false prophets are gone out into the world.  Elsewhere, we are told that the world accepts them because they are of the world but the world rejected Jesus Christ and all who truly follow Him.


4. Notice that our second sentence tells us how to know ye the Spirit of God.    In it we are told every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.
1. In the Bible, confesseth  is not just the words that we speak but the life that we live.  The name of Jesus  occurs over 980 times in the Bible.  All but 2 identify the Son of God in human flesh.  However, those 2 exceptions are enough for doctrine that all saved people are to believe.  Therefore, the name of Jesus  identifies a literal physical man of which 'the Son of God in human flesh' is the main application.  However, claiming that the interpretation of name of Jesus  is 'the Son of God in human flesh' is doctrinal error.
2. Biblical antichrists  deliberately ignored these 2 exceptions and then emphasized that Jesus  is God while down-playing His humanity until they convinced God's people that Jesus  was not a literal human man.
1. That doctrinal error is the main reason that John wrote 1John and 2John.  These are the books that we find antichrists  in and we do not find antichrists  in Revelation.  True Biblical antichrists  call the beast  of Revelation 'the Antichrist' so that people won't look at them and their doctrinal error.
2. The sin unto death  is linked to Biblical antichrists.    Every time that people preach about 'the Antichrist' in Revelation they are helping to hide doctrinal error which leads to the sin unto death.
3. Every place that we see Jesus  used in the Bible it is teaching the doctrine of His humanity.
1. This is a critical doctrine and Hebrews explains that this very doctrine is why we go to Jesus  and not directly to God the Father or to the Holy Ghost.
2. As a human being, Jesus  lived a life using the power of the Holy Ghost and is our example of how to live in this world.  There is a separate study on this doctrinal fact for those people who want the details.  However, the important doctrine is that he did not use His own power in the Gospels.  That makes 'What Did Jesus Do' a valid doctrine if we actually look in the Gospels instead of taking the word of a religious liar.
4. This is a critical doctrine and Hebrews explains that this very doctrine is why we go to Jesus  and not directly to God the Father or to the Holy Ghost.
5. As a human being, Jesus  lived a life using the power of the Holy Ghost and is our example of how to live in this world.  There is a separate study on this doctrinal fact for those people who want the details.  However, the important doctrine is that he did not use His own power in the Gospels.  That makes 'What Did Jesus Do' a valid doctrine if we actually look in the Gospels instead of taking the word of a religious liar.


5. In our second sentence we are also told Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
1. We already covered the fact that confesseth  means how we live our life.  Notice that this sentence says Jesus Christ  and not just Jesus.    The difference is the spiritual maturity that comes after our initial profession.  The Lord Jesus Christ Study shows every place that the major names of the Son of God are used in the New Testament, which is over 4,000 verses interpreted using Biblical methods which include considering context, sentence structure and 'scripture interprets scripture'.  The Biblical interpretation of every place that Jesus Christ  is used includes spiritual maturity after our initial profession.
2. In order for anyone to confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh  , and to be of God  , they must live a life that includes spiritual growth from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


6. In order for our doctrine to be of God  we must not only live this way but we must also teach others to live this way.  Anything less is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1. This requirement to be 100% true still applies when someone uses to spiritual gift of understanding to interpret the Bible because understanding  applies the Bible to the Bible and, as a picture of a never-changing God (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8), our Bible does not change.  Accepting less than 100% accuracy for Bible doctrine is what created the doctrine of antichrist.    (A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.  [1Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9]).
2. The spiritual gift of knowledge  applies the Bible to our personal life and the spiritual gift of wisdom  applies the Bible to other peoples' lives.  Since people are involved, and people are not reliable like the Bible is reliable, there can be a level of error allowed with the gifts of wisdom  and knowledge  that is not allowed when interpreting the Bible (applying the gift of understanding  ).  That is why a spiritual leader with great wisdom  and a great ministry for God can give a wrong interpretation of the Bible.  This is what happens when he uses his gift of wisdom  for interpretation instead of the gift of understanding.  It is also why 'good godly preachers' can teach erroneous doctrine about things like love.  Their doctrine is in error if it disagrees with what the Bible literally says in places like this chapter of 1John.  Note: this does not condemn the preachers, only acknowledges that they are human.
3. Peter preached doctrinal error and was withstood to the face (Galatians 2:11) because he believed what 'good godly preachers' said without praying and really studying what the Bible says.  Romans 2 condemns the preacher who judges Pharisees or other religious people and then does the same thing by believing 'good godly preachers' without looking in the Bible for what they missed.


7. Some ways (not all) to identify a spirit  that is not of God.
1. Isaiah 14:12-14 says How art thou fallen from Heaven, of Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.  When someone says 'I think' or 'I feel' or 'I believe' when talking about doctrine they are following the way of Satan and putting themselves above the word of God. The ONLY safe way to understand the Bible is to completely forget 'I' and read what God actually said.
2. In Luke 4:1-12 We read of the Devil tempting Jesus. Luke 4:9-12 says And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.  This is a quote of Psalms 91:11-12 which says For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.  Notice that Satan left out in all thy ways.  God curses those people who take away from His Word or add to it. Religion regularly adds to God's Word or takes away from it. This is following a spirit of Satan.
3. Isaiah 28:1-9 tells us that God rejected those priests which had a valid claim to be religious leaders and had the best education but were justifying physical and moral sin.  It also tells us that God works with people who had spiritually grows past being spiritual children.  Accepting the preaching of men who excuse physical sin or moral sin (violating their personal relationship with our Lord) is following the doctrine of antichrist.    Isaiah 28:1-11 tells us that it is the Lord of hosts  Who will judge.  He did not deny their religious position or education but He also did not use then to teach doctrine.  They erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way.    God is not using someone caught up in drink.  More than that, strong drink is a type of physical sin.  God will not use someone who is controlled by physical sin to teach doctrine.  He also said they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.  In the Bible, filthiness  is a type of moral sin which is violating our personal relationship with God.  God does not use someone who is violating their personal relationship with God to teach doctrine.


8. God tells us how He teaches doctrine and who He teaches doctrine to in the verses following these in Isaiah 28.  Those who are really teaching doctrine God's way will line up with what God literally says in this chapter.  The Web page called False Things according the Bible  (under The Hermey Menu option) gives many places where the Bible identifies false things which we are to not trust.

Please also see the Study called False under The Hermey Menu option.  It provides links to many Bible verses which tell us about False Things According to the Bible.

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