Guarding Against Cultural and Theological Drift in Teaching

Guarding against cultural and theological drift in teaching involves adhering to established biblical doctrines and resisting novel interpretations that deviate from apostolic instruction. The New Testament frequently warns against teachings that depart from the core tenets of Christian faith, emphasizing the importance of sound doctrine.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to Titus, highlights that God's grace itself disciplines believers, teaching them "to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" ^[1]. This discipline, though sometimes challenging, is essential for spiritual formation and guards against moral and theological laxity. The "present world" or "age" is characterized by a spirit that necessitates such self-discipline ^[1].

Warnings against doctrinal deviation are prominent throughout the New Testament. John Gill, commenting on Hebrews 13:9, notes that "divers and strange doctrines" can carry believers away. These diverse doctrines might refer to various legalistic rites, traditions of elders, or human philosophies, contrasting with the singular, uniform doctrine of Scripture, Christ, and the apostles ^[2]. Similarly, in Colossians 2:8, Gill interprets Paul's warning, "Beware lest any man spoil you," as a caution against being robbed of the Gospel's rich treasure, stripped of spiritual armor, or having the truths of Christ taken away by false teachers ^[3]. These false teachers are depicted as "thieves and robbers" who seek to drive believers away like sheep ^[3].

The concept of "another doctrine" is also addressed. In 1 Timothy 6:3, Paul warns against those who "teach otherwise" or "another doctrine" ^[4]. This refers to teachings that differ from apostolic instruction, such as those concerning the duty of servants or those that despise governing authorities, whether civil, ecclesiastical, or familial ^[4]. Such teachings were characteristic of false teachers who encouraged disobedience ^[4].

The Second Epistle of John directly confronts those who "wander away from this teaching" or "go beyond and not remain in the teaching" ^[5]. This "going beyond" is understood as contradicting the apostolic teachings about Jesus Christ and believing things about Him that were not originally taught by the apostles ^[5]. This serves as a direct warning to the church to reject such false teachers ^[5].

James also cautions against an eagerness to become "masters" or teachers, suggesting that this role carries significant responsibility and potential for error ^[6]. The desire to be called "Rabbi, Rabbi" or "Mori, Mori" (master) was an affectation among some Jews to whom James wrote, indicating a prideful pursuit of teaching authority ^[6].

False teachers are often characterized by their pride and vanity, which can manifest as arrogance, boasting, and ostentation ^[7]. John Gill describes them as "raging waves of the sea" due to their "swelling pride and vanity," their noisiness, restless spirits, and turbulent dispositions ^[7]. This imagery also highlights their levity, inconstancy, and moral impurity ^[7]. The presence of such pride indicates that they have not truly received the doctrine of grace, which fosters humility ^[7].

Sources

Titus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Titus 2:12: Teaching--Greek, "disciplining us." Grace exercises discipline, and is imparted in connection with disciplining chastisements (Co1 11:32; Heb 12:6-7). The education which the Christian receives from "the grace" of God is a discipline often trying to flesh and blood: just as children need disciplining. The discipline which it exercises teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Greek, "age," or course of things) where such self-discipline is needed, seeing that its spirit is oppos”
Hebrews (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Hebrews 13:9: Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines,.... The word "divers" may denote the variety and multitude of other doctrines; referring either to the various rites and ceremonies of the law, or to the traditions of the elders, or to the several doctrines of men, whether Jews or Gentiles; whereas the doctrine of the Scriptures, of Christ, and his apostles, is but one; it is uniform, and all of a piece; and so may likewise denote the disagreement of other doctrines with the perfections of God, the person and offices of Christ, the Scriptures of truth, the anal”
Colossians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Colossians 2:8: Beware lest any man spoil you,.... Or despoil you; rob you of the rich treasure of the Gospel, strip you of your spiritual armour, take away from you the truths and doctrines of Christ, and divest you of your spiritual privileges and blessings; suggesting, that the false teachers were thieves and robbers, and men of prey: or drive and carry you away as spoils, as the innocent harmless sheep are drove, and carried away by wolves, and by the thief that comes to steal, to kill, and destroy; intimating, that such as these were the heretics of those times; wherefore it ”
1 Timothy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Timothy 6:3: If any man teach otherwise,.... Or another doctrine, as the Syriac version renders it; a doctrine different from what the apostle had now taught, concerning the duty of servants to their masters; as did the false teachers, who despised dominion or government; not only civil government, and so spoke evil of rulers and magistrates; and church government, and therefore reviled the apostles, elders, and pastors of churches; but family government, and encouraged disobedience to parents and masters; see Pe2 2:10 or teach another doctrine, from that of the Bible, of Chris”
2 John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 John 1:9: 1:9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching (literally everyone going beyond and not remaining in the teaching): To go beyond is to contradict the apostolic teachings about Jesus Christ and believe things about Jesus that were not taught by the apostles. This is a warning to the church not to listen to the false teachers.”
James (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on James 3:1: My brethren, be not many masters,.... The apostle having dispatched the subject of faith and good works, which constitute the pure and undefiled religion mentioned in Jam 1:27 which gave rise to this discourse, he proceeds to consider the evidence of a religious man, suggested in Jam 1:26 who is one that bridles the tongue; and enters into an account of the use and abuse of the tongue: and which is introduced by this exhortation; and which seems to be opposed to an affectation among the Jews, to whom James writes, of being called "Rabbi, Rabbi", or "Mori, Mori", master,”
Jude (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jude 1:13: Raging waves of the sea,.... False teachers are so called, for their, swelling pride and vanity; which, as it is what prevails in human nature, is a governing vice in such persons, for knowledge without grace puffs up; and this shows that they had not received the doctrine of grace in truth, for that humbles; as also for their arrogance, boasting, and ostentation; and for their noisiness, their restless, uneasy, and turbulent spirits, for their furious and wrathful dispositions; as well as for their levity and inconstancy, and for their turpitude and filthiness: foami”

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