Biblical Imperatives

Jesus says: "I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But he that is an employee, to whom the sheep do not belong, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. Then the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The employee flees, because he is only an employee, and does not have concern for the sheep" (John 10:11-13).

Paul instructs those who will replace him as under shepherds for the flock at Ephesus:

Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd ("shepherd" is the correct translation) the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them. Therefore, watch, and remember, that for three years I did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears. (Acts 20: 28-31).

Paul, as a faithful under shepherd says, in part: "With tears, I have warned every one of you day and night of errors that will be taught." Even as Jesus used the example of the good shepherds protecting the sheep from wolves, Paul admonishes those who follow him in undershepherding responsibilities to warn the flock, even as he had done.

How could this shepherding responsibility have been presented with any greater clarity or force? Sandwiched into Paul's admonition to the future leaders to be careful (take heed), his admonition to take care of the sheep that the Holy Spirit has given them, his warning of "wolves", and his example of "warning every one night and day with tears," he interposes an admonition that future pastors "shepherd the flock." Clearly, being a shepherd of a flock includes the responsibility to warn the sheep of error!

Paul admonished Timothy to teach believers who would teach others (2 Tim. 2:2). Combining this admonition with that of Paul in Acts 20:28-31, a faithful under shepherd, in addition to teaching truth, must teach believers to be perceptive to error, so that those he has taught can help keep others out of poison pasture.

Factors to be considered

• The errors of our day are being spread much more widely, intensively, and rapidly than they were in Bible days. Now error is spread by the printed word, by radio, by TV, and by the Internet. Since error can be distributed so much more widely and intensively than in Bible days, the burden on under shepherds is even greater than when the Holy Spirit, through Paul, admonished those who would become under shepherds to warn the flock.

• As it has been throughout church history, error is coming from within, from individuals that seem to be well-meaning, from organizations that have been champions of the faith in the past, and from organizations that provide a combination of good and poison pasture. This is especially true in the area of counseling and Christian living. Having been educated in psychology, and having accepted secular error as truth, many psychologists distort biblical truth in an attempt to make the Bible agree with their secular error. Some pastors are even harming the church by teaching psychological error.

• The errors being taught are so diverse and so pervasive that it would be impractical for a pastor to try to ferret out all of the errors that the Evil One is using to attack the sheep of his flock. under shepherds need an outside resource.

• At various times in history, and in different places in the world, under shepherds have given up their lives for the sheep. But in our culture, it is not necessary for the under shepherd to give up his life for the sheep, but only risk personal popularity and risk being called divisive.

Principles for Linking to Other Web Sites

• Linking to another ministry must be for the purpose of leading the sheep to good pasture. A pasture that includes some very good material, and some that is bad, or even heretical, is not good pasture. A breakfast food that included all necessary nutrition and five percent arsenic would not be good breakfast food.

• Linking implies approval. If organization X links to organization Y, those who trust organization X will assume that everything associated with organization Y is also without serious error. Therefore, being a good under shepherd demands restricting linking to organizations that are without serious error in the teachings of those associated with that organization, and without serious error in any of its publications.

Warning!

• Unfortunately, some commendable ministries link to organizations that, although they include some good materials, also include poison pasture. Therefore, BCA issues this warning: Christian Web surfers that follow links on the Internet can be lead to serious error. Even if you are unusually perceptive to error, beware!

• The Holy Spirit, through Paul, has commanded that under shepherds warn the sheep of poison pasture (Acts 20:28-29) . Believing that this admonition applies to all teaching ministries, Biblical Counseling Association has linked to Biblical Discernment Ministries.
  Editorial Note: I believe that BDM is providing a valuable service to under shepherds and individual believers that is in accordance with Paul's admonitions in Acts 20:28-31. I consider Rick Miesel of BDM to be a friend. I also believe that he criticizes several of my friends, Christians whom I respect, either unjustly or with undue harshness. As sinners saved by grace, whose knowledge and understanding are limited, we will disagree at times. You, too, may disagree with some conclusions reached by Biblical Discernment Ministries, but it is a valuable resource. Whenever you have a question about an individual, a book, a program, a movement, or an organization, see what BDM says. Rick Miesel has accumulated a wealth of direct quotations and related documentation for your review. Then, you decide. I believe that BCA would be negligent if we failed to provide this valuable resource by linking to BDM.

Omitted (?) Links

• Not including a given Web site in our Select List does not necessarily mean that a Web site does not meet our standards for inclusion.

• Including a link from this Web site does not necessarily mean that Biblical Counseling Association agrees with all of the teaching, everything that has been taught, or everything that will be taught by those connected with a selected Web site or the sponsoring organization.

Be a Berean!

When accessing this Web site, our Selected Web Sites, and all other Web sites, each believer is to be a Berean (Acts 17:11). Search the Scriptures to see if you are being taught biblical truth.

Selected Web Sites

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