There are three responsibilities every Christian, and Christ's church must address or they are disobedient.
Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Having gone (Since you can't stop a true Christian from sharing the truth) make disciples (Not Christians. Disciples are in the same exact role Jesus' disciples were in) Baptize disciples, (Not those making a mere profession of faith.) and Teach Disciples to Obey All that I have commanded you.
There are two parts to that last one.
1.) How do you get to the truth of what the word of God says and means for and by yourself so that you do not distort the meaning to your own destruction. How to be a workman who won't stand ashamed before God one day, but rather approved by Him because all your "disciples" know how to cut straight the word of God for and by themselves. Continuously proving all things over and over again as a habit and way of life, always holding fast to what is good/true, and not to what they want to believe.
2.) How to obey the truth they can now feed themselves with. One of the signs of being a disciple is that they cry out for the pure milk of the word of God that they can grow thereby, with the target being so practiced that they can readily tell good from evil because of their proper practice in the word (Spiritual maturity) and eventually getting to the point that they know the will of God so well they can tell what is good from what is merely acceptable, from what is perfect. When they are getting to the truth of the meaning on their own, and are living it, including this command to make, baptize and teach disciples, you have done the same Job Jesus did with His. Until then you still have work to do.
Keep in mind that those that distort the scriptures to their own destruction, the "Many" on the broad path, the same "many" that believe Jesus is their Lord, God and Savior, but are lost at the end of Matthew 7, have all gathered enough to believe that they are true Christians. The vast masses of Christianity are not true Christians contrary to their beliefs, and in many cases the signs, wonders and miracles they perform in His name. All of these lost people KNOW they have the truth beyond any question. There is no group that ever sees themselves as being on the broad path. Yet they all do the exact same things to get their unquestionable faith that they themselves do not fall short. They...
1.) Gather whatever they can “use” to prove what they “want to believe” to be truth.
2.) Accumulate all evidence they believe proves all opposing views incorrect.
3.) Assume their beliefs are unquestionable truth, and interpret everything in such a way as to make it all support, or at least not negate, their beliefs. Think about it. If your beliefs are unquestionable truths, all “valid” data, must support … or at least not negate, your infallible beliefs, right?
4.) Reinterpret, ignore, discredit, invalidate … anything that doesn’t seem to fit with their views, Why? Our beliefs are “Fact” Valid data interpreted correctly can’t contradict the facts.
5.) Gather all the other experiences, feelings, data … to solidify their beliefs such as signs, wonders, spiritual gifts or facts about your belief group. Things like: we have a burning in the bosom, we speak in tongues, we perform signs or wonders, a statue of Mary came to life and told us our belief groups views are correct, we have prayed to God for the truth and received “feelings” or even signs from heaven. Or, on a more concrete level: Our belief group is the oldest, largest, fastest growing, wealthiest, has the most experts with doctorates… Include anything that adds assurance that your views and belief group have the most truth.
The summary passage for this is here:
2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. Yes, Paul used the same standard to judge the deceived people in the end times as he used to judge those who received a love of the truth and ended up with faith in the truth in the first century, making this a timeless standard for judging the lost and the saved. the details by beliefs:
Non-religious Lost: Rom. 1:18-32
Religious and non-Christian Lost: Rom. 10:1-3
The “Many” on the Broad Path that Leads to destruction
who believe Jesus is their Lord God and Savior, who do
the exact same things true Christians of their day did: Mat. 7
If you want truth you must avoid the 5 step Methodology above and do something different.
If we want truth ...
1.) We Avoid “Methodology One” (Mentioned prior): Proving your beliefs true and holding fast to them, is not the same as, “Proving all things over and over again as a habit and way of life, and holding fast to what is good/true.” (Re-read everything prior for what to avoid.)
2.) We maintain a state of Open-mindedness: 1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. This is in the present tens indicating ongoing, continuous, habitual action that never ceases. In other words, Keep on proving all things over and over again, like an ongoing court case whose only job is to get to the truth eventually … and always hold fast to what is good/true and not to your beliefs. If you love truth you remain open to altering any, or all of our beliefs in the light of the fullness of what the word of God has to say, when everything on the topic is “cut-straight without adding meaning that isn’t there, subtracting meaning that is, or distorting anything to try and make it fit what you want to believe. All belief groups believe in being open minded … “until” you accept their beliefs. Then they believe in being as closed as possible. If you love truth, this is you. If you love your beliefs you will have closed eyes and ears to anything not fitting with your positions.
3.) We stay in a state of Habitual ongoing Labor/ Getting Every Piece of Data that Might Pertain: That "Be a workman who need not be ashamed" part. It's also in the present tense: ongoing continuous, never ceasing labors to cut-straight ALL that God says on every topic. So, if you love truth, the first step is to gather every single piece of data that anyone thinks might pertain to the topic at hand from all sides of the issue. Then gather all the data that “might pertain” no belief group gathers because they can’t use that information to prove their beliefs true or opposing beliefs false. Yes, you need every piece of data that proves all your current beliefs false that the opponents of your beliefs have gathered, and every fact that might prove beliefs you believe to be wrong to be truth on that topic as well. We are commanded to be habitual, ongoing, never stopping laborers who are approved by God and won’t stand ashamed before Him. How do we assure the results of that judgment will be God’s approval? We habitually “Cut-straight” every single piece of the word of God that “might” apply to the topic at hand over and over again as often as is necessary. This is way different than looking for passages of scripture to prove true what we want to believe and teach on a topic.
Fact: CONSISTENCY IN INTERPRETATION: If God, God’s word, and God’s people are not consistent in what they say and do and DON’T SAY AND DON’T DO, then looking for truth in the bible is a waste of time. Holding to consistency includes:
4.) Consistency with Background Context: Pick a meaning that fully aligns with the historical, legal, architectural, agricultural … context.
5.) Consistency of Meaning of words/root words/figures of speech: Hold to a meaning for all words, root words, and figures of speech consistent with their usage throughout the Old and New Testament. We have a Greek Old and New Testament and a Hebrew Old Testament, pick a meaning fully fitting everywhere the same word, root word, and figure of speech is used. If in p the Septuagint and the N.T. Greek the word phobos is translated as fear, terror, ... and you choose that meaning in 542 of the 544 places it is used, but change the meaning to respect or honor in 2 places because you neither like, nor understand the meaning in the two remaining, then you have altered the word of God to fit what you want to believe.
6.) Consistency with the Surrounding Discussion: Hold to a meaning consistent with the entire discussion surrounding the verse or passage being considered, hold to the flow of thought, flow of arguments, meaning of points made … If Paul just spent an entire chapter telling us that spiritual gifts are assigned by God, distributed just as He wishes, that not everyone gets every gifts, and that all gifts are equal and equally necessary to the proper functioning of the Body of Christ, and then "seems to say", "Earnestly desire the greater gifts." We have a contradiction. Paul said there are no greater or lesser gifts. Paul said desiring or not desiring them has nothing at all to do with the gift(s) we are assigned. There is another possible interpretation of that verse that fits perfectly in the context. "But you are desiring the showier gifts.". This is a “possible” interpretation that does not contradict everything that comes before, and indeed offers a smooth transition to everything that comes afterwards. Remember, people were forsaking the gifts assigned for what they though was more impressive, "acting" like they had gifts they didn't while forsaking what they were given.
7.) Consistency with conscience: Example: If your interpretation results in believing God does what would be sin if we did it, your interpretation is wrong. Example: There are no illustrations in the Bible where God says He commits adultery. If your chosen meaning for the word adultery makes God an adulterer by His own admission, you picked the wrong definition.
8.) God, God’s People and God’s Word are 100% consistent: Pick an interpretation for all the data that makes God, God’s people and God’s word 100% consistent in “all” they say and do and “all” they don’t say and don’t do. Any inconsistencies, are proof of incorrect beliefs/definitions. Example: How many times does the bible say David committed adultery? Once. With Bathsheba ... wife number eight. David also took at least 10 wives after her, and many people believe it could be as high as 20 more. Yet, only one case of adultery. How many times does the bible say Solomon committed adultery? God did reprove Solomon for his wives, but it wasn't for the number of them. God took the child from David’s act of adultery. God says that David only sinned in the matter of Uriah the Hittite (Took his wife and had him killed. He didn’t sin according to God’s commandment by numbering the people. They were responsible for paying, not him. According to God, anyway.
9.) Always apply logic, reason, and rational thinking: Pick an interpretation fully fitting with all logic, reason, and rational thinking. (Back to the spiritual gifts illustration. If the writer spent a whole chapter saying all gifts are equal and necessary, that none are greater than any others, … do not choose an interpretation for the very next verse that would command us to do the very thing that created the problem discussed earlier in the chapter. God spent the previous 30 verses saying “greater” gifts don’t exist, that you can’t get what you want, period, regardless of your desire. “Earnestly desire the greater gifts”, contradicts everything prior. Look for the “other” possible meaning. Note: There is one.
10.) Start with the Easiest/Clearest … data on the topic: Interpret the clearest, easiest understood, most straightforward data/passages first—then the more complex or difficult passages. Understand that making a doctrine out of things mentioned but once is dangerous ground, for the essential truths are gone over and over again. The complex, convoluted, figurative … and difficult the passages are, rarely discussed in scripture, make distorting meaning to fit our beliefs an even greater likelihood.
11.) It ALL fits together: Pick a meaning for the parts that fully fit with the whole of the data that might pertain to the topic at hand, without adding meaning, subtracting meaning, or distorting anything to force it to comply with your beliefs. If everything gathered (#3 above) does not fully fit with everything in #4-10 above, you have the wrong meaning, and you are forcing the scriptures to fit what you want to believe “as” truth.
12.) Keep on continuously proving all things over and over again as a habit and way of life and never stop … and hold fast to what is good/true. Getting to truth is an ongoing process that never ends. One single verse, one fact you missed, one slight change in interpretation … can force a complete reevaluation and even a complete a change of beliefs. That is, if you love truth, and obey what God commands all His people to be continuously doing for and by themselves. If not …
13.) It’s all on You! Trusting others to get to truth “for” you, is like trusting others to have a relationship with your wife / husband / kids “for” you. It cannot be done. Your failure to keep on habitually doing as God commands all His people to keep on habitually doing, proves you have gathered enough using Methodology One to hold fast to what you want to believe and fall short of 2Th. 2:10-12
Everyone gets what they want.
