Dealing with Error

Revision of a sermon by Wayne Greeson

Introduction:

I. Let us begin by reading:
(Mt. 22:23-33) - "(23) The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there
is no resurrection, and asked him, (24) Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having
no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. (25) Now
there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased,
and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: (26) Likewise the second also, and the
third, unto the seventh. (27) And last of all the woman died also. (28) Therefore in the
resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. (29) Jesus answered
and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (30) For
in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels
of God in heaven. (31) But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that
which was spoken unto you by God, saying, (32) I am the God of Abraham, and the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (33) And
when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine"
A. Jesus is confronted with the Sadducees on this occasion.
1. The Sadducees were a Jewish sect.
2. They held to several particular doctrines including: no angels, no spirits and no
resurrection; these doctrines were all wrong.

B. They were believing and teaching error, and Jesus told them they
were in error.

C. Error is still very much a problem.
1. It is perhaps even more of a problem as many refuse to realize error exists, much less
know how to handle error.
2. What do the scriptures teach us about error?

Body
I. One needs to First Realize That Error Exists

A. If someone is teaching some wrong relative to the scriptures they should be told…..
1. (Mt. 22:29) - "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the
scriptures, nor the power of God"
2. (Mk. 12:24) - "And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err,
because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?"
3. (Mk 12:27) - "He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye
therefore do greatly err." 4. What do these texts tell us about error?
a. Religious error exists.
b. Religious people can be wrong.
c. People can believe the wrong doctrine.
d. People can be wrong about the scriptures; and if there is a wrong way
to view or understand scripture, then there is a right way.

B. Error is being wrong concerning the Truth and the Faith.
1. (2 Tim. 2:17,18) - "And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus
and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is
past already; and overthrow the faith of some." a. These men were religious men.
b. It appears these men were religious teachers or preachers.
c. Their teaching (their doctrine) was that the resurrection is past.
d. Paul said they erred concerning the Truth.
e. As a result:
1) Their teaching or error was a cancer eating away.
2) Their error overthrew the faith of some.
3) Their error was deadly to many who heard them.
2. Error is wrong concerning the Faith:
(1 Tim. 6:20-21) - O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding
profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some
professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen." a. Some erred by their false doctrines that were frivolous, profane
and vain talk.
b. They erred concerning the faith.
c. They were in dangerous territory.

C. One can be guilty of error by deviating from or outright rejection of
God's Commandments.
1. God rebukes those who err from His commandments.
(Psa. 119:21) - Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from
thy commandments."
2. Moses said not observing all God's commandments is err: And if ye have erred, and not observed all these commandments,
which the Lord hath spoken unto Moses. (Num. 15:22)
D. Error can cause you to fall and be lost.
(1 Tim. 6:10) - "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which
while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows."
II. Second, (in dealing with error) We Need to Recognize Error

A. We can do so by studying The Word of Truth.
1. We have already noted Paul's rebuke of the error of false teachers. "And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus
and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection
is past already; and overthrow the faith of some" (2 Tim. 2:17-18) 2. Paul's answer to dealing with this error was to properly study to recognize it as error:
(2 Tim. 2:15-16) – "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain
babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."
3. John gave the same solution: "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.
Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (1 Jn. 4:6) a. The "us" we are to hear is the apostles of Jesus Christ.
b. They were Christ's eyewitnesses who testified of the truth (1 Jn. 1:1-3).
c. To know what is truth and what is error we must "hear" and study the testimony
of the apostles.
d. Any doctrine new or different from their doctrine is error, It is to be marked and
avoided as error.
4. To recognize error, we need to know the Word of God!
a. To know the Word of God we need to study it and study false doctrines to know
the difference!
b. Part of the training to be a US Secret Service agent includes learning to detect
counterfeit money.
1) Agents-in-training make a thorough study of the genuine bills, not the phonies,
so that they can spot the fake currency immediately because of its contrast to the
real thing.
2) The child of God can learn a lesson from this.
a) While it is helpful to study false religions and be fully aware of their dangerous
dogmas, the best defense against such error is to be so familiar with God's Word
that whenever we encounter error, we will spot it at once and won't fall for it.
b) Today many are being led astray because they don't recognize how they are
being deceived.
c) A thorough knowledge of essential biblical doctrines is the only way to detect
counterfeits.
5. Let's be diligent in our study of the Word of God; then, instead of falling into error, we
will stand firmly on the truth. (RWD, Our Daily Bread, Nov. 25, 1995).

B. We can recognize counterfeit, erroneous doctrines, by knowing the genuine article, the
truth of God's Word.
1. We can recognize the doctrine of "faith only" as error and counterfeit because we
know the truth as taught in James 2:24.
2. We know that God demands true worship (Jn. 4:24) and that God's Word reveals
truth (Jn. 17:17), therefore we know anything not found in the NT worship is error
and counterfeit, including:
a. Burning incense and candles.
1) Such was a practice under the O.T. is not found in the N.T.
2) Therefore, when we know there is no such practice taught in the N.T. we know
it is error to practice it.
b. Offering animal sacrifices – (same as above)
c. Playing instruments of music.
1) While that may have been done under OT worship, we are to worship God by
the NT standard.
2) The only music offered in worship in the NT is singing.
i. When we compare this to any other kind of worship or kind of music in
worship we can see the difference between the real true worship and the
counterfeit, erroneous worship.
3. We can know error on the subject of divorce and remarriage by knowing
the truth of what Paul taught in 1 Cor. 7.
4. We can know the social gospel of church provision of food, fun and
games is error when we know the truth of the purpose and work of the NT church as
set forth in 1 Corinthians 11:21-22,. 33-34 and 1 Peter 2:5.

III. In dealing with Error, let us always seek to Resist Error

A. Resist error in our own life.
1. "Do not err, my beloved brethren" (Jas. 1:16)
2. "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware
lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from
your own stedfastness" (2 Pet. 3:17) a. Armed with the knowledge of the Word of God, we are forewarned and thus can
be prepared to resist being led into error and falling.
b. Can we say with the Psalmist. "The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not
from thy precepts" (Psa. 119:110)
B. We must beware of false teachers and false doctrines.
1. "For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are
destroyed" (Isa. 9:16)
a. "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O
my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy
paths" (Isa. 3:12) b. I have known and seen Christians who have gone into error because they did not
follow the Lord but men.
1) Instead of reading God's Word they read after certain men.
2) First, they begin to speak in terms different from the Bible
and talking about some new thing that they learned.
a) Soon they would try to convert others to their new found
teacher and doctrine.
b) Ultimately they can destroy not only congregations but
their faith and the faith of those who listen to them.
2. We are to resist those in error by refusing to listen to them.
a. "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from
the words of knowledge" (Prov. 19:27) b. A story is told of a man who, resisting the cost of oats he fed
his mule, decided to gradually substitute sawdust in its diet.
1) Everything went fine for a while but by the time the mule
was satisfied with sawdust, he died.
2) The same is true spiritually.
a) The changeover from truth to error is sometimes a slow
process, and the people don't always know the difference.
b) But, before you know it, they are dead.

C. We must stay in the way of holiness.
"And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The
way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those:
the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein" (Isa. 35:8) 1. If we are to remain in that highway we must endeavor to keep
ourselves from error.
2. Notice how God promises that even those who are "fools shall not
err therein."
a. I believe he is pointing out the simplicity of the truth, the
gospel message.
b. Keeping oneself on the path of truth does not take a genius, a
college degree or a deep understanding of theology.

IV. Rectify Error

A. We must not only refuse and resist error; we must correct error in our life.
1. Examining our own life and correcting our own error is one of the first
things we must do.
Jesus said, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine
own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote
out of thy brother's eye" (Mt. 7:5) 2. Like King Saul, we must open our eyes and recognize our error and
rectify or correct it quickly. "Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm,
because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool,
and have erred exceedingly" (1 Sam. 26:21). B. We must correct error in our brethren.
1. Some misuse Matthew 7:1, "Judge not lest you be judged" to suggest
that one must not ever correct his brother in error.
a. But, that is not what Jesus teaches here!
b. Jesus goes on in verse five to tell us to first correct our own error,
then we are to help our brother correct his error.
2. The apostle James teaches the need and necessity of correcting
those in error. "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one
convert him. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from
the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a
multitude of sins" (Jas. 5:19-20) a. As members of the same spiritual family, we are to look out for
one another.
b. When we see a brother err from the faith, we have a responsibility.
1) We are to try to convert or turn him back to the truth.
2) If we do turn him back from his error, we will have saved
his soul from death and covered a multitude of sins.

C. We have a responsibility to listen to those who seek to correct us
in any error or sin we might fall into.
"He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth
reproof erreth" (Prov. 10:17)
V. Refute Doctrinal Error

A. If I see someone teaching something that I know to be error
I have the responsibility to refute it.
1. The evangelist refutes error by the preaching of the Word.
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth,
and shall be turned unto fables" (2 Tim. 4:2-4) a. Reprove, rebuke and exhort; this is strong medicine for the
very real problem of error.
b. Many do not like this kind of strong preaching.
1) Paul said … is necessary to keep people listening to the
truth and away from fables.
2) The strong preaching includes reproving those in error.
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather reprove them" (Eph. 5:11) 2. Those who teach doctrinal error must be confronted.
(Tit. 1:13-14) This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that
they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and
commandments of men, that turn from the truth." a. Paul instructs us to correct certain ones by sharp rebuke.
b. This may involve naming the error and those who teach and practice it.

B. Refuting error means fighting error.
1. We are “soldiers of Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3) who are to “fight the good
fight of faith”.
a. In Paul’s 1st letter to Timothy (6:10-12) he wrote:
For the love of money is the root of all evil: while some coveted after, they
have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
(11) But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. (12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay
hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good
profession before many witnesses. b. We are in a battle for men's souls.
1) It is a spiritual warfare.
2) We must fight to win.
3) We must recognize who and what we are fighting and engage the enemy.

Conclusion
I. We have talked about Dealing With Error.

II. Error is real.
A. We must be able to realize it, recognize it, resist it,
rectify it and refute it.
B. To deal with error one must first have the truth.
"Buy the truth and sell it not" (Prov. 23:23)III. Have you obeyed the truth?
Rom. 6:17 - But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed
from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free
from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Return to Total Health