Where is this coming from?

Acts 28 contains an interesting set of events. Paul was part of a shipwreck while he was being transported to Rome. The crew and all the prisoners ended up on the Island of Malta, and the natives received them warmly (verse 2). When Paul went to gather some sticks, a viper fastened itself to his hand (verse 3). Notice the reaction of the natives.

The text tells us that when the natives saw that Paul had been bitten, they thought, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow him to live,” (verse 4). Where did this idea come from? To some people, it must certainly mean something that a man survived a shipwreck and swam to shore only to be bitten by a venomous snake bite him. To the people of Malta, it seemed obvious that Paul is guilty.

Paul shook off the viper into the fire, and his hand did not swell up. The people of Malta then reasoned that Paul was a god (verse 5-6). Again, to some people it certainly must mean something that a person who already survived the shipwreck could also survive the snake bite. To the people of Malta, it seemed obvious that Paul must be a god if he could endure the bite without even any swelling.

Reading this text reminds me of Ephesians 4:14. This is where the brethren were told not to be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. The people on the island of Malta were all over the map with their reasoning. They were too quick to draw conclusions, just as we see many people do today. Here is why people often think the way they do:

Their beliefs are not based upon fact. Whether superstitions or the traditions of men, people can easily convince themselves of things. Regardless of the conclusion, these ideas all come from the mind of man. In other words, they believe whatever they want (Matt. 15:9; 16:13-14). When you push people about where their beliefs come from, you will usually find that the ideas came from man and not the Lord.

They were impatient and wanted to believe quickly without inquiring. This is why Paul used children as an example in Ephesians 4. Christians were told not to be like children being tossed to and fro. Children are quick to believe and trust blindly. This is exactly what happened with the people of Malta when the viper bit Paul. They did not even ask Paul why he did not swell. Clearly, we need to ask (Matt. 7:7). We can have the truth if we seek it (John 8:32). It is far easier to just believe what everyone else does rather than verifying it.

 Their “logic” excluded other possibilities. The people of Malta concluded that Paul was a murderer and then that Paul was a god, yet neither were true. Rather than investigating, the conclusions were drawn quickly (and erroneously). This is a common problem today as well. People believe things to the point that their minds are closed, and there is no room for discussion. Without a willingness to consider other viewpoints, the odds of coming to a proper conclusion are zero! This is what our Savior was taught when He was punished: “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” (John 18:23).  Jesus was not rejecting the idea of being accused – He was rightfully demanding that it be proven.

They did not know any better. We should not be surprised when people believe falsehoods. The text in Acts 28 reveals that Paul healed and helped many people on Malta (verse 8). Eventually, Paul was able to talk about the God of heaven and how He gets the glory. It was never about Paul, and he knew that. Just because man does not know better does not mean they are without excuse – they all need to hear the truth (Rom. 10:14-16).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Chuck

Consequences of standing for nothing

Recently I heard a lyric to a song on the radio that goes, “If you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything.” This line immediately made me think of what the apostle Paul told the brethren at Ephesus: “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive,” (Eph. 4:14).

Nobody in their right mind wants to be deceived, especially regarding Biblical teaching. The sad reality is that many people are being deceived though, and we need to everything we can to stop it. How can we prevent it from happening? And how can we determine if we are being deceived? The Lord has provided many aids, but we will just focus on the ones Paul mentioned in Ephesians.

First: Grow up

The first thing the apostle told the saints was to “be not children”. God’s people need to grow up, meaning they need to increase their faith (II Pet. 3:18). Even though Christians are always God’s children, this text it is talking about maturity. Those who never get grounded in Him will remain a “babe” in the faith and will struggle to discern good and evil (Heb. 5:13-14). The goal of every convert ought to be to desire the spiritual milk as a babe and then progress to the spiritual meat as soon as possible (Heb. 5:12).

Second: Do not believe everything you hear

The Ephesians’ church was told to not be carried away with every wind of doctrine. It is one thing to be trusting, but we should not take this too far. God’s people are commanded to test the spirits to see whether they are of God (I John 4:1). Our faith should not change or become unstable every time we hear someone make a claim – we are supposed to be rooted in the doctrine of Christ (II John 9). Many teachings sound Biblical but lack scriptural support. Phrases like “baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace” or “cleanliness is next to godliness” and “accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and you will be saved” might sound like the doctrine of Christ, but they are not.

Third: Remember that religious teachers are just men

Paul also instructed the Ephesians’ brethren to not to be tossed about by the trickery and cunning craftiness of men. Many people elevate the words of religious teachers and even follow them blindly. Those who claim to be teachers of God’s word must be held to that standards it contains (I Pet. 4:11). The mere fact that Paul told these brethren to not fall for their teachings is proof that the claims of religious teachers should be verified with God’s word and challenged when wrong. Even the apostle Peter was rebuked for his sinful behavior (Gal. 2:11). False teachers will desire to be elevated, but it can only happen if we allow it.

Forth: Know that you can have victory

The mere fact that these brethren were given instructions about what they should not allow is evidence these things can be prevented. As Jesus pointed out, we can know the truth, and the truth will set us free (John 8:32). We must use this truth! If someone is teaching error, we can correct them (Acts 18:26-28). If this person does not change what they teach, we can walk away from him (Matt. 10:14). Remember, we can resist even the devil himself (James 4:7).  Let us all heed these words and not be children who are carried about with every wind of doctrine.

                                                                                      Chuck