In 2008, at the start of the Credit Crunch brought on by subprime mortgages, Jim Cramer, a financial analyst and host of CNBC’s Mad Money, infamously gave financial advice on his show that proved wrong, with dire consequences for his audience. Subprime mortgages were loans given to borrowers with poor credit at high interest rates to leverage the risk, which ultimately led to borrower defaults.
On 11th March 2008, a worried Mad Money viewer emailed Cramer, asking whether he should move his money out of Bear Stearns. Cramer read out the email on his show and responded, saying, “No! No! No! Bear Stearns is not in trouble. If anything, they’re more likely to be taken over. Don’t move your money from Bear! That’s just being silly! Don’t be silly!“
Only five days later, Bear Stearns collapsed and was sold in a fire sale to JPMorgan. The viewer lost his money, and CNBC and Cramer came under attack for treating the market like a game and failing to give sound advice that would have alerted viewers of the show to problems in the market and at some banks.
Cramer’s advice was not based on any knowledge or research. He offered an ignorant opinion, with authority, to devastating effect.
Perhaps the best words to sum up Cramer’s advice are found in the book of Job. We are all familiar with the story of Job, “a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns from evil,” who lost his children and all his wealth.
We know about his wife’s advice, “curse God and die,” that would be a good moniker for Jim Cramer’s advice, and the advice – and accusations – of his three unwise friends. We are probably most familiar with his restoration, a double portion, as many call it.
What many people may not be familiar with is Job’s self-justification in his response to his friends, in which he almost accuses God of injustice, prompting God to issue a stern rebuke in chapter 38.
Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Job 38:2
Recently, Wilson Bugembe, pastor of Worship House in Nansana, gave advice to a young lady – and anyone who holds his advice as a pastor in high regard – that it was okay for a Christian to marry a muslim or even a witch doctor. Apparently, the Bible does not forbid such unions for believers.
My first thought when I watched the clip was the very words of Job 38:2, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” It is probably not possible for one to give worse advice to Christians (Follow this link for who a Christian is) regarding marriage.
My aim is not to break down Bugembe’s advice to single people. My brother, Manzi Kagina, did a wonderful job on his blog (read the article here). But we have far too many preachers in pulpits that are darkening God’s counsel with words without knowledge, leading to disaster for the people who attend those churches.
t is staggering that so many preachers do not know or cannot rightly divide God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15), do not hold to it (Titus 1:9), are not able to teach it (1 Timothy 3:2) or give instruction in sound doctrine (Titus 1:9). The results of that are abuse, manipulation, false teachings, and terrible advise such as that of Bugembe.
Ignorance Leads To A Wrong View of God
The pastor’s role is to preach the word of God to his congregation so that they may come to know who God is and how to live obediently to Him. But when a pastor does not know who God is, or cannot rightly divide God’s word in order to give instruction in sound doctrine, how will his congregation come to know this?
Usually, such pastors tend to ‘fill in’ the knowledge gaps with contemporary advice or incoherent speeches that sound spiritual (or “too deep,” as many people call them) but lack coherence when analysed carefully. If only people thought more carefully about what these people say, they would realise that these preachers use many words to say absolutely nothing. They simply lose their congregations in spiritual jargon.
And when they actually speak coherently, as Bugembe did, they often give advice that contradicts sound biblical teaching. Such advice, when followed, leads to disaster for those who have trusted these people.
Ultimately, it will lead to a distorted view of God and an incorrect understanding of His works. Rather than view Him as the God who is to be worshipped above all things, including our own wills, many see him as a God who is there to serve their will as they worship Him.
God has a purpose in all He has ordained, even in things as simple as eating, resting, let alone marriage. If a pastor cannot present a biblical view of God and His purposes, the congregation will not see the beauty of trusting God and fully devoting their lives to Him.
Ignorance Leads To Distorted Worship of God
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. – John 4:23-24
Worship is the “awed response to the saving acts and praiseworthy character of God.” It is the disposition of a life fully given to loving and serving God, and encompasses every dimension of the worshippers’ life, including sleeping, eating, exercising, enjoying God’s creation, work, rest, etc., based on who He is and what He has done.
It is both an act and an attitude. In John 4:23-24, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that God seeks those who will worship Him in “spirit and in truth.” True worship takes place on the inside, in the heart – or spirit – of the worshiper. It is also “in truth,” connecting the heart of the worshipper to God’s truth about who He is, and His saving work in Jesus Christ, as revealed by Scripture alone.
Therefore, when a preacher, out of ignorance, gives counsel that contradicts God’s word or that is not aligned with who God is and his revealed will, it becomes impossible for people to worship Him in truth. God’s word is truth (John 17:17), and truth is to be derived from it.
While God’s word does not describe every scenario we shall face in this world, it is sufficient for everything we shall face. For example, God’s word does not describe or give you the name of the person one may marry, but it gives instuctions that are to be followed by one who is looking for a spouse (1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14). God has given us all that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) through His word, and it is sufficient for us to live life in a manner that is pleasing to God.
So, when a preacher gives advice that is contrary to Scripture, those who follow that advice are no longer worshipping God in truth. They have departed from truth and are living in sin. God has lovingly given us his truth for our good. It may lead to situations which our sinful passions may not desire, but those situations are what God has determined are best for us, as long as we live in obedience to Him.
We have abundant biblical evidence for this. Joseph obeyed God in all that he did with his brothers, Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife, and in the dungeon, yet his obedience did not save him from a life of slavery and false accusations. But it was God’s will, as he says, “And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5)
Marriage is worship; financial stewardship is worship; raising children is worship; how we conduct ourselves at work is worship; and how we relate to all people, Christian and non-Christian alike, is also worship. Unbiblical advice will lead to actions that are not only contrary to Scripture but also lead to lives that do not worship God in truth.
Ignorance Ultimately Leads To Disaster
The gentleman who followed Jim Cramer’s advice ended up in disaster. Any (true) Christian who follows Bugembe’s advice will most likely end up in disaster. Anyone who follows the unbiblical counsel of a preacher will end up in disaster.
Bad advice always leads to bad decisions that people later regret. Bad biblical advice can have even worse consequences because it may carry eternal ramifications for those who follow it. While there may be temporal consequences for following it, the eternal consequences are far worse and ought to be avoided.
God’s commands are good, even though sometimes they may not seem so. He seeks our good and blessing, and his commands are designed to lead us to God’s blessing and favour.
Conclusion
For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. – Acts 20-27-28
God has ordained that in the Church, it is the pastors’ responsibility and duty to teach God’s people His word. He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12).
Pastors are not free to teach whatever they want or think is good. It is not their Church for them to decide what is best for them. The Church is the body of Christ, not the pastor.
The role of the pastor is to teach the full counsel of God and nothing else. All life’s situations should be looked at and responded to through the lens of Scripture. The pastor is an undershepherd who guides God’s sheep in the way commanded by the great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
If ignorance stands in the pulpit, then God’s people are in grave danger of departing from the truth that God has graciously given to His Church. If ignorance persists, people will indeed perish for lack of knowledge. If ignorance persists, pastors will give contemporary hogwash that will lead to irreverent lives.
The Church is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). Truth and only truth should be preached in the Church. Truth and only truth must be followed by God’s people. On truth must the Church stand, and truth must the Church defend.