The Standard of Measurement

Makestraightpaths.com examines the teachings of the religious group variously known as “the Family,” “The Family International,” the “Children of God,” or the “Family of Love,” and evaluates these teachings from a Christian perspective.

This page is one of a series examining the position of the Bible in Family theology.

The Standard of Measurement

A ‘Standard of Measurement’ is the means by which things are classified as ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’ One dictionary defines it as the “accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared.” It is the defining gauge giving criteria by which effective judgement may be made.

Modern society functions because there is general acceptance of the rule of law, and because there are police to enforce that law. If someone acts in a manner that contravenes the law, he or she is liable for punishment of some kind. In this case a country’s legal code is the standard of measurement. For example, people agree to drive on a certain side of the road, as specified by the traffic laws of the particular country they are in. The traffic law is the standard of measurement by which both the driver and the police officer may determine whether or not correct behaviour is happening.

When it comes to Christian theology, the Bible is the ultimate standard of measurement. It is the Bible on which all Christian teaching is based.

Indeed, in its earliest years, the Family taught that the Bible was the yardstick by which to measure all truth and error. Everything had to be tested with Scripture. As an organisation, the Family began with a high respect for the Scriptures as the source of all truth. For the most part, Family members today still respect the Bible as the truth.

However, over time Family thinking gradually adjusted. Not only was the Bible the source of truth, but also ‘revelations’ received by modern-day prophets were said to contain truth. These ‘prophecies’ were initially only given by the founder of the Family (Dad/ Berg), but later included those given by other Family members. Current Family teaching assigns absolute truth to all the official writings of its leadership, with the assumption that those writings are supported by the Bible. In other words, Family members believe that their leaders are writing them the truth of God, and also believe that those writings are in accordance with the Bible.

Actually, Family members spend very little time studying the Bible for the very reason that they believe their leaders are giving them truth. This means that, practically speaking, the Family has re-assigned the doctrinal standard of measurement from the Bible to its own official publications. When there is a conflict between what the Bible says and what the Family teaches, it is the Family’s writings that take precedence over the Bible.

There are numerous examples on this website of such conflicts between biblical and Family teaching.

The question, then, that must be addressed concerns the definition of the standard of truth. Does the Bible proclaim that it alone is the standard, or is there leeway to use more updated writings?

This is a crucial question because on it rests the fate of a number of Family doctrines.

For example, are Family members really free to search the Bible for themselves in order to determine if Family teachings are true or false? Or does the Bible command us to rest our faith on our spiritual leaders, accepting what they tell us ‘by faith’? Do Family members have the freedom to believe Bible teachings, even when those teachings appear to contradict Family doctrines? Do they have freedom to reject unscriptural doctrines? When there are mutually exclusive Bible and Family teachings, are they to believe their leaders or may they reject Family teaching in order to follow what they read in the Bible?

The answers to these questions are given by default. In general, Family members never question the biblical truth of the doctrines they are taught. They do not study the Bible or allow it to judge Family teaching. Therefore, the unfortunate conclusion can only be that Family members do not have freedom to put the Bible above Family writings.

The Bible

It is the position of Make Straight Paths that the Bible alone has ultimate authority, that the Bible may not be compared with the writings of any man. The writings of godly men and women do not determine doctrine and do not define truth. It is the Bible that defines truth and error, right and wrong, righteousness and sin. Any and all writings outside of the Bible must necessarily be subservient to the Word of God in the Scripture. The writings of learned Bible scholars, the teaching of godly missionaries, the words of believers who receive miraculous answers to prayer, the teachings of those with the gift of prophecy, the testimony of those who talk with angels, all are subservient to the Bible itself.

There are two specific sets of writings that must be mentioned here as being subservient to the Bible.

First, any and all Family publications, whether they are practical guidelines, Charter rules, older inspirational MLs, recent prophetic GNs declared to be ‘Jesus speaking,’ witnessing tracts and booklets, music, videos or all outreach tools. Every single word that has ever been published by the Family is inferior to the Bible, and every word must be measured by the Bible. Anytime a Family member receives a new GN, he or she is under obligation from God to compare the Family material with the unchangeable standard found in the Bible. When a new prophecy is published, claiming to be “Jesus speaking,” it is to be submitted to rigorous biblical judgement.

Second, the collection of pages on this web site are also completely subservient to the Bible. These pages contain commentary on and analysis of the truth but are not Truth itself. At the final judgement, God will not ask anyone why they did not believe the writings on Make Straight Paths. Neither, of course, will He ask why they didn’t believe Family publications. However, He will ask what they have done with the Bible. Therefore, if you read something on this site with which you do not agree, you should − you must − open your Bible and study the truth for yourself.

Importantly, it is the Bible that you should study, not Family publications. Family writings should not be used to study the Bible. The reason for this is simple. If there is something in a Family publication that is true, then that teaching will also be in the Bible. The Bible will be crystal clear on the topic. If, however, there is something in a Family publication that is not true, then using it as a means of Bible study will only distort the message of the Bible.

Actually, if you read something here with which you do agree, you should still open your Bible and study the truth for yourself. It is the Bible that is the ultimate and only standard, not this website.

What is the ‘Word’?

John 1:1,14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

NKJV

The Bible says that God is the Word, the Word is God. Jesus is the incarnation of the Word into human form, and the Bible is the incarnation of the Word into written form. Jesus is the Word who came to die for us. The Bible is the Word that was given that we may know truth.

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. NASU

The word ‘Scripture’ here means “the sacred books of the Old Testament, either the book itself, or its contents. Also the books of the N. T. already begun to be collected into a canon” (NT:1124 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

The word “inspired” literally means “God-breathed.” In other words, God breathed out the word: He is the author of the Bible, not Matthew, Mark, Luke, John or Paul. God claims authorship of the Scriptures. God says, “the greatest of these is love,” not Paul. God says, “You shall not murder”, not Moses. It is God Himself who tells us that He loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son that if we believe in Him we should not perish but have everlasting life. The Bible is God’s personal message to the world.

For more on what exactly the ‘Word of God’ is, click here.

The Standard

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul not only talked of the origin of the Bible, he also explained what it could do.

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. NASU

The Bible can teach, reprove, correct and train. The Bible teaches the way of salvation and it corrects and chastens when we have gone the wrong way. It is the Bible alone which lays the foundation of how to measure what is right and what is wrong: it has been given for ‘training in righteousness’. In other words, we are to read the Bible if we want to know what is right and wrong.

On one occasion, Jesus rebuked some Sadducees who had been trying to trap Him in an impossible question.

Matt 22:29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. NIV

Their lack of knowledge of the Scriptures was the root cause of their error. To some other people Jesus said that the problem was not their ignorance of His own words, but their disobedience to them.

Matt 7:26-27

26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”

NASU

It is listening to and obeying the word of God in the Bible that determines whether our lives will stand or fall. Christians are to read the words of Jesus and let them change us. His words in the Bible are the unmoveable rock on which our lives are built. Remove biblical authority and we are instantly building on sand.

The Bible contains the standard for righteousness.

Ps 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. NASU

The Bible was the standard in the Old Testament.

Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. NIV

The Bible contains light and life and truth. If we teach, read or accept something that differs from the Bible, we are partaking of spiritual darkness.

Following leaders

In the Family, there is strong pressure for members to follow, believe, trust and obey their spiritual leaders. The Bible certainly enjoins obedience and submission to leaders, but not at the cost of departure from the Scriptures.

The writer of the book of Hebrews addressed this issue:

Heb 13:7 Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. NASU

The Hebrews were to “imitate the faith” of their leaders. However, the author of the epistle immediately continues with a caution: they were not to allow themselves to be “carried away” by strange teachings.

Heb 13:8-9

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings.

NASU

There certainly is Scriptural counsel to imitate the faith of those who teach the word of God as we “reflect on the outcome of their lives” (Heb 13:7 NET). However, the Bible does not assign spiritual authority to every word that they say. Rather, it is Jesus Christ alone who may always be followed without question (vs.8). Do not, says verse nine, let yourself be carried away by some new revelation.

The letter to the Ephesians contains a similar caution.

Eph 4:14-15

14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ

NASU

Mature Christians will not be carried away by various strange doctrines, but will adhere to the truth, for it is only the truth that will enable us to “grow up” (vs.15).

There are in fact some very strong warnings in the New Testament to beware of false teachers.

2 Peter 2:1-3

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

NIV

Paul bluntly stated that people who taught doctrine that was contrary to his own were “accursed.”

Gal 1:6-12

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

NASU

In this passage, Paul declared that his doctrine was not his own opinion, nor did it originate from any man, but its source was Jesus Christ Himself (vs.11-12). Paul was teaching absolute truth, and the Galatians were expected to reject any contradictory doctrine. The issue here was not about Paul’s authority or even his teaching being undermined by his enemies. Rather, these people had been speaking against the Word of God, and that was not to be tolerated.

According to this passage, people who follow any doctrine that differs from Bible truth are actually deserting God (vs.6), and those who teach such distortions are ‘accursed’ (vs.9). The actual origin of the false teaching is irrelevant. Paul says it could even have come from an “angel from heaven” (vs.8). The crucial factor is whether or not the message agrees with biblical teaching.

Therefore, regardless of the fact that Family publications declare that certain messages originate “from Jesus” or consist of “Jesus speaking,” all messages are to be judged by their agreement with the Bible. If the content in any way contradicts the Bible, they must be rejected.

Angelic messages

The Bible warns that the devil himself may engineer authentic spiritual experiences in order to deceive God’s people.

2 Cor 11:3-4

3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.

NASU

The devil is not averse to using the name of Jesus in order to deceive. In this passage, Paul warns of those preaching “another Jesus” (vs.4). The test for the Corinthians was not whether or not the name of ‘Jesus’ was used, but whether the teaching corresponded to Paul’s teaching.

2 Cor 11:13-15

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

NIV

The Devil can appear as an “angel of light” (vs.14), and he loves to masquerade as a messenger from God.

Christians should be fore-warned and ready to scrutinise all of their teachers. The primary test given in this passage is whether or not the message conforms to the Bible. When a teaching or message is different from the Bible, that teaching is wrong.

Christians and the Bible

1. As Christians, we have no right to hold a different view of Scripture than that held by Jesus himself.

2. As Christians, we have no right to views of Scripture which are different from the apostles’ view of Scripture.

3. We can never discover the depths of Scripture’s insights into life without first accepting it as true and authoritative.

4. Scripture does not need to be defended, but simply declared.

(Stedman, The Authority of the Word)

Conclusion

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. NASU

The Bible is the Truth by which all teachings must be measured. Accepting new doctrine without giving ultimate judgement to the Bible leaves one open to deceit.

Specifically, all Family teachings must be judged by the standard of the Bible. The Bible must be allowed to stand supreme over all Family doctrines. The Bible must be allowed to have final say whether or not those doctrines are true.

The Bible is the only standard of measurement.