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[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles-1<\/strong> page.]<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Those who listen to preachers have the responsibility to listen carefully: \u201cBeloved, believe not every spirit but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world (1 John 4:1). Clearly a preacher who preaches that which is false or who abuses the Word of God is to be rejected (Rom. 16:17\u201318). The reasons for this rejection are that he will be lost (Gal. 1:7\u20139) and those who follow him will also be lost (Mat. 15:14). The most basic error that can be made by those in modern pulpits is the proclamation of doubt that the Bible is really the Word of God. Obviously, if Satan can rob men of their faith in the Bible, he has won. A preacher doesn\u2019t have to preach very long before he reveals his attitude toward the Bible\u2019s inspiration. As you listen to your preacher, be attentive to the following:<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Does he preach as though it is his place to sit in judgment of the Bible instead of his being judged by it? The \u201cdemythologizing\u201d school of Biblical criticism takes this very approach to the Bible. Its advocates begin with the assumption that authors of the Bible used myths, fables, and human traditions in producing the text of the Bible. Accordingly, with blatant presumption, they have gone through the inspired volume, casting aside what they deemed to be from mythical sources. Not too strangely, this has led them to deny the authenticity of anything that disagreed with their liberal bias. Since theological liberalism allows no place for the Bible\u2019s claim of inspiration, much less for the Biblical accounts of miraculous activity, all such must be removed from the Sacred Text, or naturalistically \u201cexplained\u201d as non-authentic. This does away with such things as the account of creation, the universal flood, the exodus from Egypt through the Red Sea (and all the wilderness miracles), the swallowing of Jonah by a great fish and much, much more of the Old Testament. In the New Testament, such things as the virgin birth of the Lord, the miracles of Jesus, the atoning power of Jesus\u2019 blood (liberals can\u2019t stand the mention of blood), and His resurrection must all be explained away by natural, ordinary means. What we have left when the critics finish with the Bible is a ragged, disjointed, powerless collection of the writings of men. Unfortunately,most of the theological schools for a number of years have been dominated by such attitudes toward the Bible. The products of these schools have spread their unbelieving judgments about the Bible through both pulpit and Bible school literature and the faith of millions has been damaged or destroyed. Let us be reminded that we will be judged by God\u2019s Word; it is not the place of any man to sit in judgment of it: Jesus said, \u201cHe that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day\u201d (John 12:48).<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong>\u00a0I wrote this article for, and it was published in the \u201cBible Thoughts\u201d Column for the Hood County News<\/em>, Granbury, Texas, February 3, 1980.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution:<\/strong> From thescripturecache.com<\/em>; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 0[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles-1 page.] \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Those who listen to preachers have the responsibility to listen carefully: \u201cBeloved, believe not every spirit but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are…<\/p>\n