52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did notenter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."
Luke 11 finishes with Jesus giving a personal, up-close,scathing word of rebuke and declaration of condemnation and judgment upon the religiousleaders of His day. He pronounced three “woes” upon the Pharisees and their hypocrisy,and three “woes” upon the lawyers who were the religious “experts” interpretingthe Law of Moses for the people.
That is why verse 45, tells us that after Jesus spoke His wordsto the Pharisees, the lawyer said, "Teacher, by saying these things Youreproach us also." The Pharisees believed, and were supposedly practicingall the traditional teachings of these lawyers. This opened the door for Jesusto condemn these lawyers too. I’m convinced that the false teachers of the Wordof God will receive the greater condemnation on judgment day from God. We needto know how to identify them and avoid them.
First in verse 46, they don’t practice what they teach.They put a “religious works” burdens on others that they ignore themselves.Secondly, in verse 47-51, they glorify the Old Testament prophets as they attemptto identify with them so that they will appear to be authentic. They appear toknow the Bible better than anyone else. And third, in verse 52, they claim becauseof that, they are the only ones who can properly interpret the Scriptures. The internetand social media are full of these false teachers today! Beware!
These “lawyers” that Jesus was condemning were guilty ofrobbing the common people of the knowledge of the Word of God. It was badenough that they would not enter the kingdom themselves, but they werehindering others from going in! It is a serious thing to teach God's Word andnot everyone is supposed to do it (James 3:1). Unfortunately, what some peoplecall "Bible study" is too often just a group of unprepared peopleexchanging their ignorance.
The lawyers had convinced the people that nobody couldunderstand and explain the Law except the trained and authorized teachers. Wehave some of that arrogant attitude showing itself today. Teachers whooveremphasize the Bible languages give people the impression that the HolySpirit cannot teach anyone who does not know Greek and Hebrew. We need toalways remember that Jesus is the key to the Scriptures (Luke 24:44-48).
When you take away that key, you cannot understand what Godhas written. As helpful and necessary as theological studies are, the mostimportant requirements for Bible study are a yielded heart and an obedientwill. Jesus said in John 7:17: “If anyone wants to do His will, he shallknow concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on Myown authority.” In John 14:21 Jesussaid: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. Andhe who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifestMyself to him."
The best Bible teachers are men and women who learned thetruth of God's Word on their knees and on the battlefield of life. They wereSpirit-taught, not man-taught. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:13-14: “However,when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; forHe will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak;and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take ofwhat is Mine and declare it to you.” A Spirit led Bible teacher will alwaysglorify Jesus and not himself.
So serious is this danger of false teachers that Jesus willhave more to say about it in Luke 12:1. (Also read 2 Peter 2-3)
Meanwhile, let us beware!
God bless!
