Selective Scripture Screening
Heresy is not about rejecting Scripture, but about selectively choosing which parts to emphasize and ignore.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that heresy is not merely about rejecting Scripture but rather about selectively choosing which parts to accept and which to ignore. He warns against the tendency to favor passages that align with personal preferences while disregarding others, a practice that has been observed throughout history, including in various cults. Tozer cites a fourteenth-century editorial scribe who cautioned against this selective approach, urging believers to embrace the entirety of Scripture. The sermon highlights the danger of distorting the truth by focusing only on agreeable teachings, particularly in relation to critical doctrines like eternal punishment.
Text
Heresy is not so much rejecting as selecting. The heretic simply selects the parts of the Scripture he wants to emphasize and lets the rest go.
This is shown by the etymology of the word heresy and by the practice of the heretic. "Beware," an editorial scribe of the fourteenth century warned his readers in the preface to a book. "Beware thou take not one thing after thy affection and liking, and leave another: for that is the condition of an heretique. But take everything with other." The old scribe knew well how prone we are to take to ourselves those parts of the truth that please us and ignore the other parts. And that is heresy.
Almost every cult with which we have any acquaintance practices this art of selecting and ignoring. The no-hell cults, for example, habitually stress everything in the Bible that seems to support their position and play down or explain away all the passages that deal with eternal punishment.
Sermon Outline
- Definition of Heresy
- Heresy is not rejecting, but selecting parts of Scripture
- The heretic selects parts that please them and ignores the rest
Key Quotes
“Heresy is not so much rejecting as selecting.” — A.W. Tozer
“Beware thou take not one thing after thy affection and liking, and leave another: for that is the condition of an heretique.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Be careful not to selectively choose which parts of Scripture to emphasize and ignore.
- Take all of Scripture seriously, not just the parts that please us.
- Be aware of cults that practice selective scripture screening and their tactics.