Overview
True doctrine has the authority of God in it, and that authority rests on the humble recognition Jesus made in John 7:16: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. In this fifth part of Knowing the Doctrine, Rev. Rico Magnelli works through John 7, Matthew 7, Mark 1, Mark 11 and Acts 13 to show what that authority does. It is not personality, volume or control. It empowers believers to stand when others fall, and it exposes darkness, which is why the teaching itself flushed out the unclean spirit in the synagogue at Capernaum. It is also why Paul charged Timothy to stay at Ephesus and let no other doctrine be taught: a spiritually clean environment is what lets Christians flourish locally.
Transcript
True Doctrine Keeps a Christian Community Spiritually Clean
Well, please turn in your Bibles to John chapter 7, Knowing the Doctrine, part 5. True doctrine has authority. It has the authority of God in it, and it keeps the environment of a community of Christians spiritually clean by exposing darkness and empowering Christians to stand. You’ll see this in true doctrine.
This is a significant reason why Timothy was told by Paul in 1 Timothy 1:3, quote, As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Timothy was to stay at Ephesus. So this charge was primarily done locally, to teach no other doctrine. Why? Well, because that pure good doctrine keeps spiritually clean the environment, and it’s necessary for Christians to have a clean environment to flourish and develop in Christ.
My Doctrine Is Not Mine: Where the Authority in Teaching Comes From
Now where does this authority come from? Well, it comes from God. And a verse of scripture that we began this series on in the first installment is in John chapter 7. And in verse 16, Jesus says this, Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. That’s an amazing recognition by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His humble recognition that the doctrine, the teaching ministry that he held forth did not originate from him. And that’s the basis of the authority of God in the teaching. It requires that humble recognition that someone has been commissioned or dispatched to do such a thing.
See, everything people teach does not have the authority of God in it. It requires that humility, that selflessness before God of the one that’s teaching, which allows the authority that is from God to shine through that teaching. That’s right. It empowers people, those that adhere to the teaching, to stand for Christ and produce good fruit. It absolutely has residual effect and impact when people hear and do it.
Romans 16:17: Mark Them Which Cause Divisions and Offences
You know, it says in Romans 16 verses 17 and 18, Paul writes, Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. The word divisions is discord. The word offenses is stumbling blocks. It’s not what they’re teaching, but what is caused. What’s the effect that he’s pointing out? Because the next verse tells you, For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly. There’s a selfishness there, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Or one translation has it, by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Hearing and Doing: The Wise Man Who Built His House Upon a Rock
Look at Matthew chapter 7, please. The authority of God is in it, and what links it, what connects it, what makes that rubber meets the road, is the humility of the individual recognizing that the doctrine is God’s, and we have the privilege to hold it forth. There’s no ego in it at all.
Matthew 7, please. Verse 24, Jesus is teaching in Matthew 7:24, and he says, Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. Now, the context within which Jesus is teaching throughout Judaism is that the Pharisees were hypocritical. They did not say what they mean and mean what they say. So this was startling for them. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell and great was the fall of it.
See, hearing and doing the doctrine empowers believers to stand when other people fall. That’s part of the characteristic embedded in good, healthy sound doctrine. It will inspire us to action from the heart.
He Taught Them as One Having Authority, and Not as the Scribes
And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished. They were amazed. And it wasn’t just for a moment. They were continuously amazed at his doctrine, at his teaching. Why? For he taught them as one having what? Authority and not as the scribes.
See, healthy sound, good doctrine has God’s authority in it. It’s not personality or it’s not being forceful or loud. It’s not shouting or threatening people. And this authority is not to control people either. But it empowers them to live like Christ and represent him on the earth. Because the true doctrine, it carries a spiritual or supernatural weight or influence that inspires us to spiritual action from the heart. And Jesus is making it very simple. If you hear what I’m saying and you do, you’re going to get the benefit. You’re going to stand when the challenge comes. True doctrine has that authority of God embedded in it. And those that adhere to it can register it in their heart.
Astonished at His Doctrine in the Synagogue at Capernaum
Look at Mark chapter one, please. Good doctrine sheds light for understanding. But at the same time, it also exposes darkness. True doctrine, the good, the healthy, the sound doctrine. Mark chapter one, please. Verse 21. And they went into Capernaum. And straightway on the Sabbath day, he entered into the synagogue. Now the synagogue was a place for local worship or communal activity. It was the center of their lives in these smaller villages and hamlets. And taught. So he goes in and he teaches. And they were astonished. They were amazed at his doctrine, for he taught them as one that had what? Authority and not as the scribes.
It’s not about disseminating information. It’s not about some sort of educational experience. It’s about the heart of God with the authority of God that’s embedded in it. And that starts with the individual’s humility, like Jesus mentioned. My doctrine is not mine own, but him that sent me. That’s right. And that recognition for an individual gets deeper and deeper into the fabric of their soul. And one of the things it produces is when that word is held forth, the authority of God is in it. That’s right.
Watch this. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. That’s an evil spirit. And he cried out. You know, Jesus doesn’t point this guy out. The teaching exposed this spirit. Look, saying, Let us alone. What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. There’s no indication that Jesus identified this individual prior to the spirit calling out. And when the unclean spirit had torn him and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
It wasn’t his personality. It wasn’t that he was yelling or not yelling. It wasn’t his elaborate vocabulary. It wasn’t the gleam in his eye. It’s because he recognized he was sent and commissioned by God to do this. And there was a humility within that. It’s not a haughtiness. It’s a deep and abiding humility to recognize, to move forth on what God has commissioned us to do.
How Wrong Doctrine Let Darkness Into a Place of Worship
Let me ask a question. How in this place of worship, a center of communal activity for the Judean people, how was there a spirit there which is darkness? How did that happen? See, possession by evil is pure darkness. It is cruelty and torture to that individual because it separates them from the life of God. How could that happen? Well, I’ll tell you how it happened. Wrong doctrine. They were teaching another doctrine with no authority from God in it. And what it does is it corrupts the environment. Here, it was regarding Judaism. In our case, it would be Christianity. The doctrine is so important because it empowers Christians to stand and represent Christ, but it also exposes darkness. That’s right.
The Fruitless Fig Tree and Cleansing the Temple in Mark 11
Look at Mark 11. This is a heart recognition for each and every one of us. There’s no ego in it. None. Zero. It’s complete selflessness. It’s a submission to God and then taking hold of that commissioning, if you will, and holding it forth. And when that true doctrine, that good doctrine, that healthy doctrine, that sound doctrine is taught, what ends up happening, it benefits God’s people in a great way.
Mark 11. Look at this one. Verse 14. And Jesus answered and said unto it, he’s talking about the fig tree that had not produced any fruit, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. He’s cursing the fruitless fig tree. And that fig tree was representative of the state of the nation that had rejected God’s plan. It was not going to produce fruit any further because they had rejected the Messiah.
Then we read this in verse 15. And they came to Jerusalem, and Jesus went into the temple and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of them that sold doves. Wow. He was really serious. He had a conviction, deep, deep recognition, and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. In Jesus’ heart, the temple was still representative of what God had initiated way back under other leadership, starting with the tabernacle and then David getting the plans and Solomon building that original temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves.
His Teaching Lined Up With His Actions
See, it says in verse 18, And the scribes and the chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared him because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. They were amazed. See, they had been so used to what the religious leaders were promulgating among the people. And it wasn’t the true doctrine. People were astonished at his doctrine. His teachings lined up with his actions, clearing the temple of corruption, returning it back to its intended purpose. The house of prayer for all nations, not just Israel, for all nations.
See, they had made it into a den of thieves. They had turned it into a business. It was all about money, and the leaders should have taken care of that, and they didn’t take care of it. So he was not happy, Jesus being. He had a very, very deep conviction in his soul. He acted under that authority that God had given to him. The people were astonished at his teaching. Why? Because he wasn’t like the scribes. He wasn’t like the Pharisees that were hypocritical. He was not like that. When he spoke, he said what he meant and meant what he said. And the other thing is that people registered the benefits of when they followed what he was saying. It all worked together beautifully.
Politicians in Religious Garb: When the Things of God Become a Business
See, the Pharisees were hypocrites. They were like politicians in religious garb, allowing the things of God to become a business. The heart of true doctrine promotes God’s original intent in the heart, and one way of expressing it would be that all men be saved and come unto a knowledge of the truth. That’s right. The true doctrine reflects more of an inclusive approach to Christianity rather than all this divisive action and denominational infighting. That’s right. But very few people will say that. Very few people will take a stand and mean it. That’s right. And you know that’s true. That’s what Jesus taught.
The true doctrine has the authority of God in it. There’s power in it. And it empowers people to take a stand for Christ. I’m not saying you go shout and scream and all this kind of stuff. I know we get excited when we teach. That’s great. But it’s not that. It’s a deep heart recognition. When that true doctrine is taught, those that are listening know it. They know it because they know it in the heart. They can hear the voice of God. Right?
Elymas the Sorcerer Withstood Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13
Look at Acts 13. Let’s look at one example with Paul and Barnabas. Here in Acts 13, they’re traveling, and in verse 6 of Acts 13, And when they, that’s Paul and his companions there, they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, or Judean, whose name was Bar-Jesus, which was with the deputy of the country, like the high authority, governmental authority. And this gentleman’s name was Sergius Paulus, a prudent man who called for Barnabas and Saul, so he must have heard of what was going on, and desired to hear the word of God. He wanted to hear the word of God.
Well, what word did he want to hear? Well, verse 8 tells you what Elymas was doing. But Elymas, the sorcerer, for so is his name by interpretation, so is his name by interpretation, withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. What’s that faith? That’s the faith of Jesus Christ. That’s the accomplished work of Christ.
When people have the faith of Jesus Christ, when Christians have the faith of Jesus Christ, there’ll be mutual respect among them, and individuals will more and more live in the moment. Individuals will put the past behind and only looking towards the glory of the future and live in the moment. The closer people get to the faith in their heart, the more we put it on, those two things will happen, among other things. But there’ll be mutual respect among Christians based on the work of one man, Jesus Christ, and they will live in the moment, not inconsistent condemnation or judgment of others.
True Doctrine Exposes Darkness and Deactivates Evil Spirit Functioning
So this guy’s trying to turn him away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. It wasn’t forever, it was for a period of time. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
See, true doctrine exposes darkness. Another thing that it does, it deactivates evil spirit functioning. That’s right. It’s light, and it has the authority of God in it. Now Elymas was accustomed to the spirits, evil spirits, operating in his body and soul. When those spirits were shut down, his bodily function of sight was temporarily affected to where he could not see the sun for a period of time. That’s the result of the power of doctrine.
Astonished at the Doctrine of the Lord: Keeping the Local Community Clean
And we can see that here, verse 12. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished, amazed at the doctrine of the Lord. If we want to keep our local community spiritually clean, then the doctrine has to be held forth. It has nothing to do with trying to out-shout people or trying to control people. It’s simply holding forth that doctrine with an understanding that doctrine came from God. That’s right, God’s. We make it our own, great.
What This Series Has Shown About the Character of Doctrine
So we’ve learned from this series on knowing the doctrine that the character of doctrine is emphasized in scripture. The doctrine or the teaching is described as good, sound, healthy. We see its effect on people, both positive for those that adhere to it, meaning they listen and they carry it out, and negative for those that oppose it. So the emphasis is not the intellectual definition as much as how the Bible describes it in its characteristics and its effect produced by it. So we have to be good at reading fruit, because by good words and fair speeches, the hearts of the simple or the naive are deceived. Read the fruit. What’s the result?
One effect of it is because it carries the authority of God in it, that doctrine shared empowers people that hear it and do it to stand firm when challenges come, to act just like Christ and on Christ’s behalf and walk in newness of life. Good, healthy, sound doctrine has that authority of God in it, and it keeps the environment in a community of Christians spiritually clean by exposing darkness and empowering those Christians to stand as and for Christ.
And this certainly is a significant component on why Timothy was told by Paul, he wanted Ephesus to remain spiritually clean. And what did he tell him? As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Seducing spirits need doctrines of devils to function, and those doctrines, they contaminate and corrupt an environment, and then that allows that spirit activity to move. Keeping a spiritually clean environment is necessary for Christians starting locally to flourish and develop their walk in Christ.
Key Takeaways
- True doctrine carries the authority of God, and that authority rests on the humble recognition Jesus made in John 7:16: My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
- That authority is not personality, volume or control. It is a spiritual weight that empowers people to stand for Christ and produce good fruit.
- In Matthew 7:24-27, hearing and doing the sayings of Jesus is what makes a house stand when the rain, the floods and the winds beat upon it.
- Good doctrine sheds light and exposes darkness. In Mark 1 Jesus never pointed the man out; the teaching itself exposed the unclean spirit in the synagogue at Capernaum.
- Wrong doctrine, taught with no authority from God in it, is what corrupts an environment and lets that darkness in, whether the setting is Judaism then or Christianity now.
- In Acts 13 the doctrine deactivated the evil spirit functioning Elymas was accustomed to, and the deputy believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the authority in true doctrine come from?
It comes from God, and it reaches the hearer through the humility of the one teaching. Rico Magnelli points to John 7:16, where Jesus says, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me, a recognition that the teaching did not originate with him. That selflessness is what allows God’s authority to shine through. It is not personality, not being forceful or loud, not shouting or threatening, and it is not there to control people.
How could there be an unclean spirit in the synagogue in Mark 1?
Wrong doctrine. Rico Magnelli asks how darkness could be present in a place of worship at the center of communal life, and answers that they were teaching another doctrine with no authority from God in it, which corrupts the environment. Note that Jesus never pointed the man out. The teaching itself exposed the spirit, and the people asked, What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits.
Why did Paul charge Timothy to let no other doctrine be taught at Ephesus?
Because Timothy was to stay at Ephesus, so the charge in 1 Timothy 1:3 was primarily local. Pure, good doctrine keeps the environment of a community of Christians spiritually clean, and Christians need a clean environment to flourish and develop in Christ. Rico Magnelli adds that seducing spirits need doctrines of devils to function; those doctrines contaminate and corrupt an environment, and that is what allows spirit activity to move.
Scripture References
John 7; 1 Timothy 1:3; John 7:16; Romans 16:17; Romans 16:18; Matthew 7:24; Matthew 7:25; Matthew 7:26; Matthew 7:27; Matthew 7:28; Matthew 7:29; Mark 1:21; Mark 1:22; Mark 1:23; Mark 1:24; Mark 1:25; Mark 1:26; Mark 1:27; Mark 1:28; Mark 11:14; Mark 11:15; Mark 11:16; Mark 11:17; Mark 11:18; Acts 13:6; Acts 13:7; Acts 13:8; Acts 13:9; Acts 13:10; Acts 13:11; Acts 13:12
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
