Did Your Church Get Vaccinated?
During the second wave of Covid-19 in India, some news channels ran the campaign for getting the nation vaccinated. And in a few weeks, the news started making the rounds that the vaccine will be available even for all above 18.
It’s almost needless to ask why vaccination is so important. Most of us realise how important vaccines are in such strenuous times to fight the deadly coronavirus, or for that matter, any virus. Else, viruses could almost destroy us, just like that, if we don’t prepare ourselves to fight them.
Virus Predicted
Centuries ago, Paul knew that doctrinal viruses were coming for the church too. He would advise his fellow ministers to pay careful attention to themselves and to the flock, for fierce wolves would come in among them, not sparing the flock; and from among their own selves would arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:28-30).
Truly, the church is being infected by many such viruses from the early 1st century to up until now. Covid-19 may be destructive to our human bodies during our earthly existence, but many such doctrinal diseases are destructive to the souls in the church for eternity.
Virus Detected
Thankfully, ministers, from Paul and Martin Luther to faithful ministers of the gospel today, have been able to detect such viruses and diseases.
Deadly doctrines come in the forms of wrong interpretations of the Bible and many false teachings like the health-wealth-prosperity gospel, hyper grace, Jerusalem Mata, and many other cults and sects. If church leaders fail to detect them timely, they will continue to infect the church, and might ultimately make the church dead, if not deadly.
Vaccine Developed
To fight these viruses and stay healthy, the church needs to develop an immune system to resist the diseases, or it will get sick and perhaps die, because the church is a body too.
Paul, to his son in faith, Timothy, says, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16). Paul also tells Timothy to rightly divide the Word, meaning, bring the intended message of the biblical text.
Keeping close watch on ‘the teaching’ and ‘rightly dividing the Word’ are the only vaccines that can increase the church’s immunity to fight doctrinal viruses and ultimately defeat them.
Get Your Church Vaccinated
Therefore, we leaders, need to ask, how can we get our churches vaccinated for such doctrinal viruses?
The answer should include –
- Be alert of the viruses that try to enter your church, and pray.
- Be disciplined in digging into the Word in order to teach it rightly.
- Make sure to bring out the Spirit-intended message, and not personal thoughts and philosophies or something for the itchy ears of some members.
Don’t try to be the vaccine, but – “get your church vaccinated.” Your church members must be equipped to fight on their own.
