“Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting. Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.”
Galatians 6:11-13 NLT
It is important to understand who your leaders are. In today’s neutered and sterile climate of diplomas over discipleship, it is easy to believe that the process of vetting teachers has already happened. But collegiate certification is not a biblical standard for eldership. Instead what is necessary is a hard look at the intent of a candidate, weighed against their personal lives, their relationship with God and their adherence to what has been taught before. Like the church now, Galatia was sorely lacking on all of these points. They had begun to be taken in by the ease of rhetoric and the sway of the devil they already knew. Christian’s must do the due diligence in regard to their pastors. They should seek to understand them holistically. It’s indeed the whole person that qualifies them for eldership. Just as in all things, they should be reasonably tested for whether they measure up to the right teachings of scripture. There shouldn’t be room in discipleship for a false teacher.
JOSH McGARY. COM 