I do not know of anyone who is more concerned than I am, and sometimes also dismayed, by what I consider doctrinal errors that have made large inroads into the church of our Lord in recent years. Of course, we can truthfully say, “It is not just recent years. It has been going on ever since the days of Paul,” and then, perhaps shrug it off as insignificant. Paul did say in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, “The mystery of lawlessness [“iniquity” KJV] is already at work” (NKJV) and in 2 Timothy 4:3 “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers.” The fact that it was happening then does not make it less reprehensible now.
However, the thrust of this article is somewhat different. We think we see preachers and elders who are so concerned with doctrine that they seem to forget that their responsibility is to attend to the total spiritual welfare of the flock – not just make sure it has pure food to eat.
A farmer may get so concerned with keeping his fence repaired and his fence row clean that he may forget that his cows, hogs and sheep need more than to be kept in the right pasture. They can stay in the right field and still die of neglect. Likewise, a person can stay in the right church and hear the right doctrine and still die of neglect!
The principle Paul stated in 1 Timothy 4:16 has a broad application. “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” I know of a preacher who was a powerful and an accurate proclaimer of the true doctrine concerning the sanctity of marriage, etc., but who had an affair with another woman, and he actually took off and lived with her. Another was as sound as a dollar (that may have been his problem, considering the state of our economy!) on doctrinal matters, but apparently embezzled or misused thousands of dollars that he controlled.
So, elders and preachers need to take heed to themselves first, then to the doctrine. Paul repeated that idea in Acts 20:28. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” The word “feed” is not bosko meaning “feed” but poimaino meaning “shepherd.” It involves more than simply giving them the right doctrine. It involves their total spiritual welfare.
[Editor’s Note: Anecdotal evidence does not prove, for instance, that brethren who are concerned about doctrinal purity necessarily overlook the bigger picture of Christian living or other matters for which Christians are responsible. Nevertheless, all Christians need to concern themselves with walking in the light as Jesus Christ is in the light the best that we can (1 John 1:7-9), while, of course, not minimizing biblical doctrine. By the way, Christian living is a part of Christian doctrine. ~ Louis Rushmore]
