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Fundamental Baptist Information Service - fbns@wayoflife.org,
PO
Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143 - fbns@wayoflife.org.
Unless
otherwise indicated all reports are by David Cloud.
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Friday Church News Notes
December 14, 2018 - Volume 19, Issue 50
The Friday Church News Notes is designed for use in churches and
is published by Way of Life Literature's Fundamental Baptist Information
Service. Unless otherwise stated, the Notes are written by David Cloud. Of
necessity we quote from a wide variety of sources, though this does not imply an
endorsement.
| THE DANGER OF INTERNET
HERESY (Friday
Church News Notes, December 14, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org,
866-295-4143) - The Internet is the greatest communication tool that has ever
existed, and it has incalculable potential for broadcasting truth as well as
error. U.S. President Trump has popularized the term “fake news,” and he is
right. The world is full of fake information, not only fake political
information, but every other type of information. The Internet is a dream come
true for flat earthers and health food quacks and disinformation campaigners and
heretics of every stripe. While truth barely gets a hearing in this fallen
world, error resonates widely. The Bible tells God’s people how to protect
themselves in any age. Technology changes, but the principles of spiritual
protection are the same. The most fundamental principle of protection is to be
well grounded in God’s Word (“skillful,” Hebrews 5:12-15), to test everything by
God’s Word, and to avoid things that are false. This is set out in a nutshell in
2 Timothy 2:15-17. “Study to show 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. 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.” Every fundamental principle of protection from heresy in the
Internet age is found in this passage. Protection requires being a serious
student of God’s Word. You won’t be able to discern error until you are well
grounded in the truth. And protection requires shunning false teachers. Shunning
is the opposite of reading their blogs and visiting their social media pages and
watching their YouTube channels. 2 Timothy 2:18 warns that false teaching has
the power to “overthrow the faith.” It is very dangerous. Further along in the
same passage, we find that false teaching engenders questions and strifes (2 Ti.
2:23). It destabilizes the Christian life. A great many people have written to
me after becoming confused by things they have read on the Internet. Typically,
these are people who are not skillful in God’s Word, but instead of spending
their time studying the Bible by means of proper tools and staying with sound
Bible teachers, they surf around the Internet and dabble with error and
nuttiness and quackery. The resources for becoming a skillful Bible student are
available for those who are willing to invest sufficient time and energy. There
is no easy path or shortcut. I think of many people who have gone through most
or all of the Advanced Bible Studies
Series
published by Way of Life Literature. I think of a man who has studied through
the Way of
Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity three times. That alone is a
serious Bible education. Beware of Internet heresy! |
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