Have you ever known anyone who you thought of as very smart, someone who always had the right answer or could talk circles around everyone else? Maybe it was a teacher or professor in college. Maybe it’s your boss or a co-worker, maybe even your pastor. While there is nothing wrong with being intelligent and teaching others, we Christians are warned against following anyone other than Jesus and we are encouraged to question anything that comes from human thinking. God Himself even fights against the intelligence of the intelligent by making the wisdom of this world look foolish. If you are a follower of Christ, then it is important to guard against falling prey to anyone who spews empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense.

“Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.’ So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-20)

“Some of you are saying, ‘I am a follower of Paul.’ Others are saying, ‘I follow Apollos,’ or ‘I follow Peter,’ or ‘I follow only Christ.’ Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! (…) For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.” (1 Corinthians 1:12-13, 17)

In Paul’s day, people were hitching their wagons to those from whom they heard the Good News, and Paul was warning against such behavior. “Was I, Paul, crucified for you?” We are to follow no one but Jesus. It is perfectly alright, in fact it is wise, to question anything you hear from people, anything that sounds like “clever speech.” Many have been led astray from the true faith simply because they followed a person with clever speech or high-sounding nonsense that only came from human thinking or spiritual powers of this world.

“Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world.” (Revelation 13:11-14a)

“Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it!” (Matthew 24:23-26)

Notice that at the end of time, when the beast rises up, it will perform miracles, so it’s not just wise-sounding words but it is miraculous actions that we are to guard ourselves against believing. Jesus warned against false messiahs and prophets, not just against their words but also their actions. Jesus said they will rise up and perform great signs and wonders meant to deceive people, but Jesus won’t be standing in the desert or hiding here or there—He will return in a flash, quick as lightning. Don’t be deceived by human teaching or even by miracles; if it comes from a person, question it. Look into the Scriptures yourself and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and instruct and teach you. Do not be led astray. Stay close to your Shepherd. Know His voice.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.