Seeking Feedback to Ensure Consistency with God's Word in Teaching
Scripture itself models the practice of seeking accuracy in teaching. The Teacher in Ecclesiastes "searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth" [1], establishing a pattern of careful verification before instruction. This deliberate pursuit of truthfulness in communication reflects a broader biblical concern that teaching align with divine revelation rather than human invention.
The Biblical Foundation for Testing Teaching
Paul instructs believers to discern "what is pleasing to the Lord" [2], a command that applies directly to those who teach. The Scriptures are "given by inspiration of God" and constitute "the word of truth" [3], making them the standard against which all instruction must be measured. Easton's Bible Dictionary notes that "whatever the inspired writers here declare to be true and binding upon us, God declares to be true and binding" [4], establishing the Bible's authority as non-negotiable. Teachers cannot claim fidelity to God's word while departing from its content.
Matthew Henry observes that wisdom's purpose is "to bring us all into an entire subjection to the laws of religion, to make us wise and good, not to fill our heads with speculations, or our tongues with disputes, but to rectify what is amiss in our hearts and lives" [5]. This clarifies that consistency with Scripture serves transformation, not merely intellectual correctness. Henry further emphasizes the need for divine instruction even among the well-trained: David "begs to be taught of God, as knowing that none teaches like him" [6], modeling humility about one's grasp of truth.
Distinguishing True from False Instruction
John Gill warns against "the counsel of bad men, or the doctrine of false teachers," urging believers to "beware of false prophets, and take heed what they hear" [7]. The test for distinguishing sound teaching appears in 1 John: "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" [8]. Reception by those who know God serves as one indicator, but the content itself—whether it confesses Jesus rightly—remains primary.
Gill also counsels holding fast "the form of sound words," noting that established doctrinal language should not be "easily parted with" when it has proven useful for conveying truth, "especially when the apparent design by dropping or changing them is" suspect [9]. Consistency with God's word thus includes both scriptural content and the tested formulations that preserve it.
Sources
- Ecclesiastes “Ecclesiastes 12:10 (BSB) — The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.”
- Ephesians “Ephesians 5:10 (NASB) — trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Scriptures, The — Given by inspiration of God -- 2Ti 3:16. Given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- Ac 1:16; Heb 3:7; 2Pe 1:21. Christ sanctioned, by appealing to them -- Mt 4:4; Mr 12:10; Joh 7:42. Christ taught out of -- Lu 24:27. Are called the Word. -- Jas 1:21-23; 1Pe 2:2. Word of God. -- Lu 11:28; Heb 4:12. Word of Christ. -- Col 3:16. Word of truth. -- Jas 1:18. Holy Scriptures. -- Ro 1:2; 2Ti 3:15. Scripture of truth. -- Da 10:21. Book. -- Ps 40:7; Re 22:19. Book of the Lord. -- Isa 34:16. Book of the law. -- Ne 8:3; Ga 3:10. Law of the Lord. -- Ps 1:2; Isa”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Word of God — (Heb. 4:12, etc.). The Bible so called because the writers of its several books were God's organs in communicating his will to men. It is his "word," because he speaks to us in its sacred pages. Whatever the inspired writers here declare to be true and binding upon us, God declares to be true and binding. This word is infallible, because written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and therefore free from all error of fact or doctrine or precept. (See [670]INSPIRATION; [671]BIBLE.) All saving knowledge is obtained from the word of God. In the case of ”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 8:32: We have here the application of Wisdom's discourse; the design and tendency of it is to bring us all into an entire subjection to the laws of religion, to make us wise and good, not to fill our heads with speculations, or our tongues with disputes, but to rectify what is amiss in our hearts and lives. In order to this, here is, I. An exhortation to hear and obey the voice of Wisdom, to attend and comply with the good instructions that the word of God gives us, and in them to discern the voice of Christ, as the sheep know the shepherd's voice. 1. We must be dilig”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:33: Here, I. David prays earnestly that God himself would be his teacher; he had prophets, and wise men, and priests, about him, and was himself well instructed in the law of God, yet he begs to be taught of God, as knowing that none teaches like him, Job 36:22. Observe here, 1. What he desires to be taught, not the notions or language of God's statutes, but the way of them - "the way of applying them to myself and governing myself by them; teach me the way of my duty which thy statutes prescribe, and in every doubtful case let me know what thou wouldst have me to d”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 19:27: Cease, my son, to hear the instruction,.... The counsel of bad men, or the doctrine of false teachers. The words are spoken either by Solomon to his son; or by Wisdom, that is, Christ, to everyone of his children, to beware of false prophets, and take heed what they hear; see Mat 7:15; such as the doctrines of the church of Rome; concerning the Scriptures, forbidding the people to read them; setting unwritten traditions upon a level with them, and making the pope an infallible interpreter of them; concerning merit, works of supererogation, indulgences, pardons, pen”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 4:6: We--true teachers of Christ: in contrast to them. are of God--and therefore speak of God: in contrast to "speak they of the world," Jo1 4:5. knoweth God--as his Father, being a child "of God" (Jo1 2:13-14). heareth us--Compare Joh 18:37, "Every one that is of the truth, heareth My voice." Hereby-- (Jo1 4:2-6); by their confessing, or not confessing, Jesus; by the kind of reception given them respectively by those who know God, and by those who are of the world and not of God. spirit of truth--the Spirit which comes from God and teaches truth. ”
- 2 Timothy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Timothy 1:13: Hold fast the form of sound words,.... By "words" are meant, not mere words, but doctrines; for the servants of the Lord should not strive about words, to no profit, or be too tenacious of them. Indeed when words have long obtained, and have been very useful to convey just ideas of truth to the mind, they are not to be easily parted with, though they are not syllabically expressed in Scripture, unless other and better words can be substituted in their room; and especially they are to be tenaciously abode by, when the apparent design by dropping or changing them is ”