"Confirmation Bias" Helping You to Keep Your Delusions
Sep 23, 2022 This video is a re-upload on of a video from a few years ago on The Messed Up Church YT channel: Dear Christian: Is Confirmation Bias Making You Delusional? It is extremely relevant to much that is going on today. If you’ve seen it before, or never seen it, I hope you will watch it.
“My Messed Up Church YouTube channel and website get some people really upset.
You might be angry at me because you’re uncomfortable confronting the really obvious false teachers that I’m exposing. These teachers are your favorites and it’s very painful to think that they could be very wrong.
But God’s Word is high above the teachings of any man, and your commitment to any pastor, teacher, or church needs to STOP at the very point where those two things collide. Why won’t you let God’s Word speak for itself? Is it because ...”
If you are afraid to look into what your pastors, teachers, or anyone for that matter, are saying, consider this:
Luke, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is recording Paul’s missionary trips. In Acts 17:10 Paul and Silas went to Berea. As is typical of when he arrived in a city or town, he went to the synagogue of the Jews. When you realize that Paul, when his name was Saul, was a Pharisee, a “Jew’s Jew”, he was a very good authority first on Judaism and then on the Gospel. Here’s something he said and a list of his credentials:
“Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.”
It would be good if you also read the rest of Philippians 3, as well as Galatians 1 to grasp more understanding about his contention with circumcision added to salvation by certain parties.
Now, back to Acts 17:10-15. It is ever so noteworthy to see what’s written there and understand, it was inspired by the Holy Spirit and it was a real account. Paul did not get upset with what the Bereans were doing. It was a good thing, see how Luke records their attitudes?
“The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. ...”
If someone has a problem with you checking out things they say, consider the level of the Apostle Paul (Acts 26:12-18; Romans 15:15-16), and his comfort with the Bereans. In fact, consider how the resurrected Jesus spoke to “Doubting” Thomas in John 20:19-29. Thomas had not been where the other disciples were when Jesus had appeared to them previously. Thomas later commented that he wouldn’t believe Jesus was resurrected ‘until he could see the imprint of the nails and put his finger into the place of the nails and put his hand into His side. Until then, he said he would not believe.’ The disciples were meeting behind closed doors again, when Jesus showed up:
“Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.””
We are warned about false teachers (2 Timothy 3:1-9), as to how Satan himself (and his minions) can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). We are told to be sober and vigilant (1 Peter 1:13; 5:8) and work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12-13) (pay attention and get things right). How else can you do this if you are not in the Word of God and checking things out for yourself?
Steve has a challenge for you near the end of the video. It’s a worthwhile challenge.
Stop being so gullible!
Here’s a link to the post: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs. Be sure to check out other posts about false doctrines in the Cornucopias on The Messed Up Church.