Nullifying the Word
By Chris Ortiz The Covenant News ~ May 24, 2006
Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition... Mark 7:13a NIV
The Pharisees had made the Word of God of "no effect" (KJV). Their litany of extra-scriptural policies blurred the clear access to God's law, and our Lord reprimanded them for "letting go of the commandments of God by holding on to their traditions" (v.8).
The Greek term being used for nullify is akuroo which means "to render void, or deprive of force or authority." This is an insidious and gross transgression -- one that requires the assistance of Satan. St. Paul admonished us to not be ignorant of the devil's devices (2 Cor. 2:11); and "making void" God's Word is an ingenious scheme that besets the church today.
The effectiveness of nullification is that it is not a direct attack on authority.
The Pharisees were not denying the law of God outright. In fact, they embraced it; or at least claimed to do so. Instead, the Pharisees rendered the law of God void by "overlaying" God's commandments with their traditions. This had the same effect in that the law was stripped of immediate authority while allegiance was redirected to pharisaical dogma.
A modern application of nullification is the draconian Patriot Act. It does not attack the Constitution directly, but rather indirectly, by overlaying it with enhanced police powers. In this manner, the soft dictatorship can claim it has not touched the Constitution, but in reality it has made void the authority of our political and civil liberties. The Patriot Act nullifies the Constitution indirectly.
This is also true in much of Charismatic doctrine. Last week I posted on the abuses of the laughing revival as being evidence of God's mysterious judgment. These aberrations are tolerated within some of the Charismatic community because of a man-centered theology that still pervades much of the movement. Though not all participate in such extreme displays there are still problems with nullification in certain Charismatic doctrine.
I recently viewed a portion of an old friend's television program. He is now a popular preacher with a large following. I only watched for a few minutes, and I lost count of how many times he used "you" and "your" in his message. I lost count at 25. Every bit focused upon what God was doing for "you," and who God was sending into "your" life, and how wonderful "you" were. There is virtually no difference between his ideology and that of pagans or Christian Scientism.
Yet, if you were to ask him, he would affirm the divinity of Christ, the redemption of the cross, the Trinity, and salvation by grace through faith. But, practically, would that matter? Has he not nullified the Word of God by his tapes and books? Even Kenneth Copeland displays a huge sign at his events that reads "Jesus is Lord." But, most of the preaching and teaching will focus upon who you are, what you have, and what you can do. If Jesus is Lord, then why are we talking so much about "you"? The lordship of Christ is nullified by the man-centered content of the doctrine preached.
I find it ironic that a religious body that claims to have the "presence" of God in their midst can actually sing and preach so much about themselves. Last year, I participated in a Charismatic service where they sang songs like "I am a Friend of God," and "I am Surrounded by You." Harmless? Not really. When it's compounded by bad theology it's a self-perpetuating stream of error. If God is near by, the last thing that should be discussed is "me."
We are always bolder when speaking of someone who is not present to defend themselves. When that person is present, we are not as bold to condemn them. Spiritual boasting of ourselves is evidence that we are not near to God. Even Isaiah -- a much holier man than I -- when suddenly confronted with the presence of God, immediately denounced himself as a man of unclean lips dwelling amongst a people of unclean lips (Isaiah 6:5). He was completely deconstructed. Now, that's my kind of postmodernism! Let's not whine about deconstructing a historical narrative, or any other entity "outside" of ourselves. We must teach "Christian Deconstruction": we are undone, a people of hardened hearts and unclean lips!
Rev. Christopher J. Ortiz is the Director of Communications for the Chalcedon Foundation (link: www.chalcedon.edu) and the editor of it's flagship magazine Faith for All of Life.