False Teaching
A Sermon on Galatians 4:15
Scripture
15Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
Sermon Description
Christians can suffer from bouts of unhappiness in their faith. One contributing factor may be conflict and confusion due to false teaching within the Christian church. The main problem of spiritual depression lies within the church, not outside. In this sermon on Galatians 4:15 titled “False Teaching,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on the apostle Paul confronting false teaching within the church. Today, false teaching can be very subtle and creep its way into the believer’s life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that false teaching sometimes detracts from the Christian message. Other times, as in the case of the Galatians, it adds to the Christian message. Either way, false teaching leaves the believer conflicted and confused. Maybe the believer hasn’t thoroughly embraced false teaching, but they are disturbed by it. In either case, the believer has lost their first happiness. How might the church safeguard herself against these dangers? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the church to embrace and cling to the original apostolic message. It cannot be subtracted from, and nothing can be added to it. There is joy in the Christian message.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is addressing spiritual depression and unhappiness in the Christian life.
- He is examining the causes of this condition in the church.
- Paul believes the main problem lies within the church, not outside of it.
- He thinks the church should have a great impact on the world.
- Paul says nothing does more harm than a depressed, uncertain, unhappy Christian.
- Paul has been examining various causes of spiritual depression and the remedies in Scripture.
- This sermon examines another cause of spiritual depression: false teaching.
- The Galatians had received the gospel with joy but were now unhappy due to false teaching.
- The false teaching was that circumcision was necessary for salvation in addition to faith in Christ.
- Paul says this false teaching denies the Christian's standing and may jeopardize their position.
- Paul speaks vehemently against this false teaching. He says if anyone preaches another gospel, let them be accursed.
- Paul is passionate because the Galatians' spiritual lives are at stake. He cares for them like a mother.
- False teaching can take the form of denying core Christian beliefs or adding requirements to the gospel.
- Examples of adding requirements include believing in the Roman Catholic Church, speaking in tongues, or faith healing.
- Paul lays out principles to guard against false teaching: the authority of Scripture, examining implications, and boasting in Christ alone.
- The authority is the apostolic message in Scripture, not feelings, experiences, or results.
- We must examine the implications and origins of teachings to determine if they are from God.
- False teachings always add requirements to the gospel and deny the sufficiency of faith in Christ.
- They also deny the Christian experience of believers throughout history.
- Paul says he will only boast in the cross of Christ, not in circumcision, orthodoxy, or any teaching. Christ alone is enough.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Spiritual Depression and False Teaching
What was the specific question Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses from Galatians 4:15?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the specific question addressed is "Where is then the blessedness he spake of?" This question from Galatians 4:15 highlights how the Galatian Christians, who had once been joyful in their newfound salvation, had become spiritually depressed and unhappy. The apostle Paul was addressing their loss of spiritual joy and blessing that they had previously experienced.
What was the main cause of spiritual depression in the Galatian churches?
The main cause of spiritual depression in the Galatian churches was false teaching. Dr. Lloyd-Jones states, "It was all entirely due to false teaching." Specifically, the Judaizing teachers had followed Paul and taught that while the gospel was good, it was incomplete - they insisted that Christians also needed to be circumcised to be truly saved. This teaching undermined the sufficiency of Christ and added unnecessary requirements to salvation.
What are the two main forms of false teaching that Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two main forms of false teaching: 1. A blank denial of the truth and cardinal principles of the Christian faith - teaching that directly contradicts fundamental Christian doctrines while still claiming to be Christian. 2. Teaching that suggests something additional is required beyond faith in Christ - this second form, which he considers more dangerous, doesn't deny the faith but adds requirements to it, like the Judaizers who insisted on circumcision in addition to faith in Christ.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say we should test the authority of any teaching?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones says we must test the authority of any teaching by its "apostolicity" - whether it aligns with the apostolic message found in the New Testament. He emphasizes: "Every teaching is to be tested by the teaching of the New Testament, not by feelings, not by experiences, not by results, not by what other people are doing and saying." The standard is the New Testament teaching given by the apostles who received it directly from Christ.
What examples of modern "additions to Christ" does Dr. Lloyd-Jones provide?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several examples of modern teachings that add to Christ: - Roman Catholic teachings that add the church, the Virgin Mary, saints, and priesthood to Christ - Jehovah's Witnesses and 7th Day Adventists' specific requirements - Teaching about the necessity of adult baptism by immersion only - Insistence on speaking in tongues as proof of receiving the Holy Spirit - Claims about the absolute necessity of physical healing - Any teaching that puts one particular practice or experience at the center instead of Christ alone
How can Christians work out the implications of false teaching according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages believers to "work out the implications" of any teaching by tracing what it really means at its logical conclusion. For example, when someone suggests good people don't need Christ because of their noble lives, the implication is that "Christ and his death are unnecessary." He teaches that we should not stop at face value but ask, "What does this really mean? What is this really saying?" This helps expose how certain teachings actually undermine essential Christian truths.
What is a key characteristic of heretical teachings according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
A key characteristic of heretical teachings is that they emphasize one particular thing and give great prominence to it. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, "This one thing is the main spring and the inspiration of the entire movement." Whether it's circumcision, a particular day of worship, baptism method, speaking in tongues, or healing, the movement places this one element at the center, making believers "more conscious of that one thing than you are of Christ."
What final test does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest for evaluating questionable teachings?
The final test Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests is whether a teaching invalidates genuine past Christian experience - both personal and historical. He asks, "Are we to say that all these men [great Christians of the past] were lacking in knowledge and in experience?" If a teaching implies that the church has been in darkness for 1900 years until this new revelation came, it should be rejected. He concludes that we should never believe anything that invalidates our own genuine Christian experience or the great experience of the Christian church throughout the ages.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say should be the Christian's only boast?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that the Christian's only boast should be in Christ alone: "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world." He warns against making a boast even in one's orthodoxy, as that can become a snare. The focus should remain on the person of Christ himself, rejecting anything that tries to take center place or add itself to Him.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe the topic of false teaching is relevant to modern Christians?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones believes this topic is highly relevant to modern Christians because "There is no single problem or heresy that is described in the New Testament, but that you'll find it in some shape or form in the church at this moment." He states that the New Testament is "not an academic book" but "the most practical book...the most up to date book...the contemporary book." The same patterns of false teaching that troubled the early church continue to cause spiritual depression among Christians today when they add requirements to the simplicity of faith in Christ.
Spiritual Depression
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.