"He whom God has sent speaks the words of God." (John 3:34)
This admits of no exception. Of course it primarily applies to Christ, but also to all whom He sends to teach.
His words are: "As my Father has sent me, so send I you." (John 20:21)
This, then, is the test of a teacher sent from God. If He speaks only the words of God, he has Divine authority; if he speaks his own words, he is not from God.
Every religious teacher should remember these words. He has no right to speak from his own wisdom. Even the Holy Ghost has said, "He shall not speak from himself; but what things soever He shall hear, these shall He speak." (John 16:13)
The teacher therefore has nothing to do with opinions. He must not put forth his own opinions, even though he be asked for them. Even though he expressly declares that it is only his own opinion, somebody will take it as authority, and thus he leads men to trust in man, instead of in God. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." (1 Peter 4:11)
On the other hand, there is a responsibility resting on the hearers. The command of Christ is: "Take heed how you hear." (Luke 8:18)
When anyone receives God's message from one of His servants, he is to receive it as the word of God, and not of man. "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13) "But how are we to know that it is the word of God?"
By the word itself. You are to become acquainted with the voice of the Lord. Jesus says, "I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." (John 10:14)
Do you ask how you are to get this acquaintance with Him? The answer is,
• Talk with Him;
• Meditate in His word, and
• Ask and receive the promise of the Spirit.
Those who have learned and have submitted to the Spirit, are thus addressed: "You have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. ... The anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you." (1 John 2:20,27)
This is in accordance with the promise of the new covenant: "And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest.
This cannot possibly be intended as a depreciation of teachers, because God has set teachers in the church. "And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." (1 Corinthians 12:28)
But the teachers whom He sends are to speak His words, and therefore their teaching is not the teaching of men. Although men know the Lord, that does not signify that there is no possibility of their learning anything more. "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." (Colossians 1:9-10)
The teachers whom He sends speak His words to men, in order that those who do not know the Lord, may become acquainted with Him, and that those who do know Him, may "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)
It is possible for a man to hear the words of God, and to receive them as the words of man. Then they do him no good, no matter how much he remembers. What is the evidence that one has received the word of the Lord as the word of man? Simply this, that he connects the light and knowledge which he has received, with a man who uttered the words.
When a man says, "Brother So-and-So says," etc., that shows that God has not taught him the truth which he may have a feeble hold of. He has taken it as from man.
But when the truth of God, uttered by man, comes to him as a revelation from God himself, so that he forgets the agent, and feels that God has spoken to him directly, then he knows the truth. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." (1 Peter 4:11)
And let him who listens hear as if God did beseech him by the speaker.--Present Truth, November 23, 1893--Original title: Front Page--Timeline: III-4 (Ministry in Judea)--John 3:34.