It is becoming quite common these days to hear from fellow believers that we can separate the source from the material, or to separate the truth from the teacher. It’s this idea that we can take the best from the material while ignoring issues we have with the source. Another way it is often said is, “consume the meat spit out the bones.”
Now, I fully support reading sources you may disagree with, or listening to music from a source that you don’t agree with on every theological detail, but I reject the idea that “truth is truth regardless of its source.” While that statement may hold some validity, it is ultimately unwise to adopt it as a guiding principle, as I hope to show in this blog post.
It has been deeply harmful for evangelicals to embrace the notion that we should be open to reading or listening to anything or anyone simply because they might say something true—or because we’ve accepted slogans like “even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
We need to let go of this mindset, it has grown like gangrene in the universal and local church. It’s like trying to “chew the meat and spit out the bones” when the meat itself is already rotten. Instead, we must carefully evaluate the authors we engage with, research their affiliations and connections, and exercise discernment in promoting their work. Sharing material from questionable sources can lead others astray, even if the material itself seems harmless or true on the surface. If we truly love one another, we won’t share or promote something merely because it appears true—we’ll share it because we’re confident it is true and comes from a trustworthy source.
Too often we are drawn into catchy statements or soundbites simply because they resonate with us. But ask yourself this: if someone like Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, or Joyce Meyer said something true, would you promote it? Would you pass them along to someone else as a reliable source merely because they made some true statements, or quoted scripture? Likely not! How about worship music? Would you recommend a song merely because a song contains some truth, or would you want to know who that person is, what their ministry looks like, who they are partnering with? Most of us would avoid directing others toward concerning people and would instead issue warnings about their teachings.
If we know a source is questionable, we should refrain from sharing it for the sake of protecting one another. We should strive to stay within the bounds of sound, evangelical teaching. Now, this doesn’t mean we can’t read non-evangelical authors. Of course, we can. But we must do so with wisdom, discernment, and vigilance. Many have wandered into theological “forests” and emerged with unbiblical, bizarre, or unconfessional beliefs. We need to guard against this and protect one another from unnecessary confusion. It’s easy for those who are discerning to say that they can protect their own minds from these sorts of potential pitfalls, but often those who think too highly of themselves can be mislead. Not only that, we must think of those who are new to the faith. Do we really want to mislead those who are beginning their walks with the Lord? Or, should we try to lovingly protect them by sharing with them good material, good resources, and sound teaching and worship?
This is where our evangelical leaders play a vital role. They should be regularly guiding us toward reliable resources, sound doctrine, and trustworthy teachers. In a world overflowing with false teaching, it’s impossible to know everything about everyone, but leaders must be equipped to help us navigate these waters by pointing us to solid foundations and helping us remain grounded in truth. The universal Body of Christ is in desperate need for leaders to step in and protect the flock.
