One of the things that breed false doctrine in a church community is the practice of applying injunctions and principles found in the Bible discriminatorily.   In our last class, we examined how to take a stand between TRUTH and LIES. What if a teaching or practice is not “wrong” per se, but the “weight of emphasis” we place on it becomes the problem?   This week, we shall be examining the “weight” (or emphasis) certain individuals and groups choose to place on some issues over others. This preferential application of God’s word was a major fault Jesus found in the Pharisees, who were supposed to be the “keepers of the law”. In Sports that use targets; archery, dart-throwing and shooting, participants learn about and practice the act of aiming accurately as they focus on hitting the very centre of the target called the “bull’s eye”.   THE RULE OF PLAY: The closer your hit is to the very centre of the target, the more points you score. Wisdom demands that you aim at the centre of the target. No one aims at the fringes and expects to win.   With the above understanding, we shall now implore this learning in understanding how doctrinal placements and emphasis work in the Christian faith. Read Mal 2:8-9 8 But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi," says the Lord Almighty. 9 "So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law." NIV Let’s Define these Three Domains:   a. THE “CORE/ESSENTIAL” DOMAIN This domain contains aspects of our Christian faith that are absolutely necessary; crucial; vital; indispensable; requisite; of the utmost importance; of the essence; critical; imperative; mandatory; compulsory; obligatory; urgent; burning; acute; indispensable; paramount; high-priority; fundamental; and carries life-and-death consequences.   We cannot do without those things that fall inside the CORE/ESSENTIAL aspects of the doctrinal target.   By nature, items in this domain are fewer than other domains. Let’s Define these Three Domains:   a. THE “CORE/ESSENTIAL” DOMAIN This domain contains aspects of our Christian faith that are absolutely necessary; crucial; vital; indispensable; requisite; of the utmost importance; of the essence; critical; imperative; mandatory; compulsory; obligatory; urgent; burning; acute; indispensable; paramount; high-priority; fundamental; and carries life-and-death consequences.   We cannot do without those things that fall inside the CORE/ESSENTIAL aspects of the doctrinal target.   By nature, items in this domain are fewer, compared to other domains. Example from Human Living: To help us better understand this concept, here is a list of CORE/ESSENTIALS of human living – things we can’t do without. Breathing Eating Sleeping/Rest Clothing Shelter Drinking Water   Q: Can You Add More?

1. UNDERSTANDING &
APPLYING THE
PRINCIPLES OF
DOCTRINAL EMPHASIS
& JESUS’ SEVEN WOES
AGAINST THE
TEACHERS OF THE LAW
& PHARISEES
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2. RECAP ON LESSONS FROM THE PAST 3 WEEKS OF THE SERIES
- So far in our journey through the past three classes, we have examined the following:
WEEK #1: “Introduction to the Series”
1. DEFINITION OF FALSE DOCTRINE
2. THE INEVITABILITY OF FALSE DOCTRINE
3. HOW FALSE DOCTRINES EVOLVE, SPREAD & AFFECT US ALL
4. STEPS TO TAKE IN COMBATING FALSE DOCTRINES
WEEK #2: “Be on Your Guard Against the Yeast of The Pharisees and Sadducees”
1. SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT PHERESES AND SADDUCEES
2. WHAT YEAST IS, AND THE EFFECT IT HAS ON BREAD
3. THE YEAST OF THE PHARISEES & SADDUCEES - The Modern-Day Pharisees - The modern-day Sadducees
4. WHAT THE “YEAST” REPRESENTS FOR US TODAY
WEEK #3: “Distinguishing TRUTHS from LIES”
(Seven Questions to Guide US in Making Decisions)
1. DOES THE BIBLE CLEARLY CONDEMNED THIS SITUATION OR ACT?
2. IS THE SITUATION AT HAND COMPARABLE WITH THINGS SPECIFICALLY CONDEMED IN THE BIBLE?
3. DOES IT HURT YOUR CONSCIENCE?
4. WHAT DO OLDER & MORE SPIRITUALLY MATURE CHRISTIANS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT?
5. DOES IT HINDER YOUR INFLUENCE?
6. IS IT POOR MANAGEMENT OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU?
7. WOULD JESUS, DO IT?

3. Week Four will Focus on:
“UNDERSTANDING & APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES OF
DOCTRINAL EMPHASIS & JESUS’ SEVEN WOES
AGAINST THE PHARISEES”
A. INTRODUCTION
Matt 23:23-24
23 " Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and
cummin, and have neglected the weightier
provisions of the law: justice and mercy and
faithfulness; but these are the things you
should have done without neglecting the
others. 24 "You blind guides, who strain out a
gnat and swallow a camel! NASU

4. B. THE TARGET SYMBOL EXPLAINED
©2022 Emmanuel Emeh |emmanuelemeh@gmail.com

5. C. THE CORE /
ESSENTIAL; IMPORTANT
& PERIPHERAL
DOMAINS OF
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
EMPHASIS

6. # CORE/ESENTIAL IMPORTANT PERIPHERAL
1 Praying To God Do it regularly The Language you use
2 Observing “Quiet
Time” with God
How long you spend WHERE you have it
3 Worship of God Meeting together to do
this
The Venue to meet to do it
4 Praising God Singing His Praises Using Musical Instruments
5 Jesus came to earth
for our salvation
He was born at the time
chosen by God
Knowing the exact year,
month and day of His birth.
6 Baptism Done with understanding Done in a pool, river or lake
7 Having a full-time
mindset as a disciple
Using your gifts to serve
the church community
Working as a staff of the
church to carry out these
duties
DOCTRINAL EMPHASIS TABLE

7. # CORE/ESENTIAL IMPORTANT PERIPHERAL
1 Eating of Food Type of food you eat How much it cost you.
2 Relationship Marriage How many Kids you have
3 Breathing Quality of air you
breathe.
Knowing the molecular
composition of air.
4 Physical Exercise How often we engage in
it
Doing it in a gym or house.
5 Gaining
Knowledge
Gaining of basic or
primary education
The name of your school
6 Having friends or
family
How many they are. Which tribe or race
combination
7 Wearing Clothes The type of cloth you
wear
The designer label on the
cloth.
LIFE ACTIVITY EMPHASIS TABLE

8. Read Matthew 23:13-28
JESUS’
SEVEN WOES
AGAINST THE
TEACHERS
OF THE LAW
& PHARISEES

9. Read Matthew 23:13-28 (in segments)
13 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter,
nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
POINT: Their teachings make it difficult for sincere seekers of God to
enter the kingdom, even as the Pharisees are not in themselves.
15 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes
one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
POINT: They only make disciples after themselves, not disciples of Jesus.

10. 16 "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it
means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is
bound by his oath.' 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the
temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, 'If anyone swears
by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is
bound by his oath.' 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the
altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the
altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the
temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who
swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.
POINT: They undermine the severity of certain laws, based on their
preference as informed by their ignorance.

11. 23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth
of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important
matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the
latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but
swallow a camel.
POINT: They pick and choose. Jesus wants us to obey everything. They go for the
ones that’ll fetch them financial prosperity but fail to serve people.
25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the
outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also
will be clean.
POINT: Their focus is mainly outward. They are pretentious. They judge only by
outward appearance. They don’t go after sin, but patronize those who live double
standard lives.

12. 27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look
beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead
men's bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way,
on the outside you appear to people as righteous but, on
the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
POINT: Again, they are all about religious showmanship.
They live and encourage those who live double lives. They
don’t address sin. They’re partial in dealing with sin in their
congregation.

13. D. CONCLUSION
Luke 7:15-29
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from
thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their
fruit you will recognize them.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he
who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform
many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you
evildoers!'

14. 24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like
a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and
the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put
them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came
down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a
great crash."
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29
because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THIS FIVE WEEKS JOURNEY!

15. UNDERSTANDING &
APPLYING THE
PRINCIPLES OF
DOCTRINAL EMPHASIS
& JESUS’ SEVEN WOES
AGAINST THE
TEACHERS OF THE LAW
& PHARISEES
©2022 Emmanuel Emeh |emmanuelemeh@gmail.com