Theological Integrity by R.C. Sproul

I now have two jobs. For the past five years I have served as editor of Tabletalk magazine, a magazine committed to teaching sound theology. Now I am also a pastor, tending a very small flock in a mission church. It would be very easy for me to see these jobs as totally distinct. I can't pastor the readers of Tabletalk after all. I don't even know most of them. One could make the case that one of my jobs is theological, and the other practical. That is that in one job I teach lay people theology, and in the other I 'minister' to folks.

Such a distinction is all too common. We have a tendency to see theology as either an academic exercise or as a parlor game. That theology is a field of study like geology, or a topic of conversation, like sports. I must confess that I have been very guilty of seeing theology in the latter category. My interest in theology began when I discovered that I could, with relative ease, make people think I was pretty smart because I could beat them in theological debate. And beat them I did, for two reasons. The first is that I was always more interested in debating than my opponent. The second is that I always chose to defend the truth, that is Reformed theology.

Ironic isn't it, that I would use a theology built upon the foundation of soli Deo gloria for the propagation of my own glory. So what is the purpose of theology? You are even now investing your time, energy and concentration in reading Rev. Murphy's newsletter. Are you preparing for a parlor game, or compiling obscure footnotes for an academic paper, maybe a thesis on 20th Century Southern Presbyterianism as Exemplified in Martin Murphy? What is your goal in reading this article, and others like it?

I would posit that theology, as a field of study, exists and is practiced for one overarching reason, for God's glory. Of course that is a pretty simple answer. When my three year old begins to ask that long string of 'why's' that children are fond of I often cut to the chase and respond, 'For God's glory.' There's no where to go from there, that is the ultimate reason for everything.

So how is God glorified in the study of theology? The next step down in the hierarchy of ends is this, the law. That is God is most glorified when we love Him with our whole being, and when we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. That is why theology is important, to make us better able to carry out these two penultimate obligations.

Sound theology matters, because without it both of these obligations are not met. One, in a sense is more theological, the other more practical. But as a pastor I would suggest that nothing is more practical than the theological.

To see why let us look at how theology enables us to better love God with all that we are. Some would suggest that whether regeneration precedes faith or faith precedes generation is an obtuse, angels on heads of pins kind of question. It is impractical. What people really need, we are told, is help with their relationships. True enough, that people need help with their relationships. And we must begin with our relationship with God. Is that relationship one you initiated, or did He? Would one answer increase your gratitude toward God? What if Paul said, 'As for you, you were sick, but had an island of righteousness in you by which you, out of that bit of goodness, chose God...' Would you be as amazed at God's grace? Would you love Him as much? Or to put it in practical terms, would you feel more grateful if I cured your headache, or if I raised you from the dead?

Sound theology makes for sound worship, sound love of God. A sound marriage means nothing when you don't love God, or worse don't know God because unsound theology has only shown you a weak, lawless, pitiable deity who impotently begs all men to come unto him.

So what about practice? As a pastor I can't begin to love my flock until I have a sound theology. First because I am to lead them into worship. Second because sound theology is the root of sound practice (though a sound theology coupled with unsound practice will create unsound theology. That is if we affirm that God is sovereign, but act as though techniques are what win the day and lost souls we will eventually affirm a theology that matches our practice, that man is sovereign).

Sound theology is what drives the practical, the nitty gritty of how to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. A theology which treats God as a means to the end of personal peace and affluence will give rise to viewing others as means to the end of personal peace and affluence. A theology which views God as a spectator in history will not allow me to offer the comfort of Christ in times of sorrow. It is because we have done our theological homework, because we have striven for theological integrity, that we can say to those that suffer, 'The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.'

The distinction then between theology and practical theology is a false one. We must and will always preach what we practice. I labor as an editor to help people understand who God is so that they can better love Him, and those whom He has effectually called. And I labor as a pastor to help people obey these two great commands. I pray that my teaching, my practice, indeed all of my life would reflect the truth of who God is. My integrity is what is on the line with theological integrity, and the integrity of those under my care. Theology is not a parlor game, nor an academic exercise. Rather it is the study of the God who is, the source and sustainer of all things, and He who calls dead men like me to life. How can I, or anyone, play fast and loose in such a holy endeavor? 'Theology doesn't matter' is a lie, straight from the Father of Lies. Don't believe it.

7 Characteristics of False Teachers

“There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.” (2 Peter 2:1)

There are no “ifs, ands, or buts” in Peter’s words. It’s a clear and definite statement. There were false prophets among the people (of Israel in the Old Testament). That’s a matter of history. False prophets were a constant problem in the Old Testament, and those who falsely claimed to be prophets of God were to be stoned. The people rarely had the will to deal with them, so they multiplied, causing disaster to the spiritual life of God’s people.

In the same way Peter says, “There will be false teachers among you.” Notice the words “among you.” Peter is writing to the church and says, “There will be false prophets among you.” So he is not talking about New Age people on television. He is talking about people in the local church, members of a local congregation. 

There is no such thing as a pure church this side of heaven. You will never find it. The wheat and the tares grow together. Warren Wiersbe writes: 

Satan is the counterfeiter. . . . He has a false gospel (Galatians 1:6-9), preached by false ministers (2 Corinthians 11:13-12), producing false Christians (2 Corinthians 11:26). . . . Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants true believers (Matthew 13:38).

Authentic or Counterfeit?

How would you recognize counterfeit Christianity?

In 2 Peter 1 we read about genuine believers. And in 2 Peter 2 we read about counterfeit believers. If you put these chapters side by side you will see the difference between authentic and counterfeit believers. 

1. Different Source—Where does the message come from?

Peter says, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:16). And then he says the false teachers exploit you “with stories they have made up” (2:3). So the true teacher sources what he says from the Bible. The false teacher relies on his own creativity. He makes up his own message. 

2. Different Message—What is the substance of the message?

For the true teacher, Jesus Christ is central. “We have everything we need for life and godliness in Him” (1:3). For the false teacher, Jesus is at the margins: “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them” (2:1). 

Notice the word secretly. It’s rare for someone in church to openly deny Jesus. Movement away from the centrality of Christ is subtle. The false teacher will speak about how other people can help change your life, but if you listen carefully to what he is saying, you will see that Jesus Christ is not essential to his message. 

3. Different Position—In what position will the message leave you?

The true Christian “escapes the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (1:4). Listen to how Peter describes the counterfeit Christian: “They promise . . . freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity, for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2:19). The true believer is escaping corruption, while the counterfeit believer is mastered by it. 

4. Different Character—What kind of people does the message produce?

The true believer pursues goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brother kindness, and love (1:5). The counterfeit Christian is marked by arrogance and slander (2:10). They are “experts in greed” and “their eyes are full of adultery” (2:14). They also “despise authority” (2:10). This is a general characteristic of a counterfeit believer. 

5. Different Appeal—Why should you listen to the message?

The true teacher appeals to Scripture. “We have the word of the prophets made more certain and you will do well to pay attention to it” (1:19). God has spoken, and the true teacher appeals to his Word. The false teacher makes a rather different appeal: “By appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error” (2:18). So the true teacher asks, “What has God said in his Word?” The false teacher asks, “What do people want to hear? What will appeal to their flesh?” 

6. Different Fruit—What result does the message have in people’s lives?

The true believer is effective and productive in his or her knowledge of Jesus Christ (1:8). The counterfeit is “like a spring without water” (2:17). This is an extraordinary picture! They promise much but produce little. 

7. Different End—Where does the message ultimately lead you?

Here we find the most disturbing contrast of all. The true believer will receive “a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:11). The false believer will experience “swift destruction” (2:1). “Their condemnation has long been hanging over them and their destruction has not been sleeping” (2:3). 

Jesus tells us that there will be many who have been involved in ministry in his name, to whom he will say, “Depart from me; I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21). Who are these people? Surely Peter is describing them in this passage.

Don’t Be Naïve

We must not be ignorant: “There will be false teachers among you” (2:1). So how do we apply this warning? 

First, Peter’s plain statement reminds us that the church needs to be protected. Among the many wonderful people who come to through the doors of the church each year, some would do more harm than good. 

They may seem the nicest of people, but they do not believe in the authority of the Bible or the exclusivity of salvation in Christ. We welcome such people, because they need Christ as much as we do, but we must not allow them to have influence in the church. 

Second, skeptics will always be able to point to hypocrisy and inconsistency in the church. They’ve always done it, and they always will. One of the strangest reasons for not following Christ goes like this: “I’ve seen people in the church who are hypocrites.” So you will not follow Christ because some people who claim to do so are hypocrites? 

The existence of the counterfeit is never a good reason for rejecting the genuine. Peter essentially tells us, “Of course there are counterfeit Christians. Of course there are teachers who do the church more harm than good. What else would you expect in this fallen world? Grow up! Don’t be naïve! Don’t miss what’s real simply because you have seen the counterfeit.” 

Point to 2 Peter 2:1 the next time you meet someone hiding behind this excuse.