One of the primary reasons churches create doctrinal statements and other boundaries so so they can better protect the members against heresy and false teaching. Churches feel they need to separate the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the wolves, the sound teacher from the false teacher, the orthodox from the heretic, and the righteous from the wicked.

I understand the concern, and believe it is a real tragedy when people hear and believe things that are false. This concern drives me to read and write and study as I do.

But there are numerous problems with thinking that doctrinal statements and membership classes can keep false teaching out of the church. I will deal with one of them here, and others in subsequent posts.

Separating Wheat and Chaff is not Our Job

I hate to sound like a union member, but the first reason we should not attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff is because it is not our job. Judging others is the task of Jesus, and when we try to take this responsibility upon ourselves, we are practicing a form of idolatry by putting ourselves in the place of Jesus. Besides, we are notoriously bad judges.

Jesus knows this, which is why He says to just let the wheat and the tares grow together, and let Him sort it all out when He comes (Matt 13:29-30).

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When we use doctrinal statements to determine the eternal destiny of other people—which is something only Jesus should do—it is not long before we get the idea that if a person is reprobate and a heretic, it is better to send them on their way to hell, then to let them stick around and lead others astray.

Such thinking was actually evident in the apostles of Jesus before the church even began. At one point in the ministry of Jesus, the people of a Samaritan village rejected Jesus. The Jews didn’t really like the Samaritans anyway, and the disciples became incensed that the village had turned them away.

So two of the disciples, James and John, asked Jesus if they could call down fire from heaven to consume and destroy the town and everybody in it (Luke 9:54). They figured that if people didn’t act like them, look like them, and believe like them, they were under the curse of God and were fit only to be destroyed.

The response of Jesus is telling. Not only does He not give them permission to call down fire from heaven, but He rebukes such an attitude! He says, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of! For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (Luke 9:55-56).

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In Matthew 23 Jesus pronounces judgment upon the Pharisees for some of their beliefs and behaviors. He pronounces several “woes” upon the Pharisees for what they teach and how they live. As a result, many believe that we can follow the example of Jesus, and condemn those with whom we disagree, especially those who have bad theology or sinful actions.

But I have been arguing that we must not judge and condemn others for their beliefs and behavior? If so, what can we say about the words of Jesus in Matthew 23? Do His actions provide justification to judge and condemn others, consigning them to hell, simply because we disagree with what they are saying or doing?

Well, there are numerous things going within the theological and cultural context of Matthew 23, most of which I cannot mention here. But here are some of the more important points to help us navigate Matthew 23.

Jesus was part of Rabbinic Judaism

First, remember that Jesus had some Pharisaic followers, and He Himself generally followed the Pharisaic tradition. So this criticism from Jesus was not a condemnation of an outside group, but was a criticism of part of the group to which He belonged. This is criticism from within. Jesus was criticizing His own group, in a similar fashion to how many Old Testament prophets challenged their own people, the people of Israel, to return to covenant obedience.
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