Yes—the Bible, not church teachings, is the final authority because it is God’s Word, while churches and teachers are human and fallible.
Les Feldick consistently tells people not to rest on what any teacher or denomination says, but to search the Scriptures themselves. His stock answer to Bible questions is "What does your Bible say?" and he warns that if you cannot find a teaching in your Bible, you should run from it. God will judge us by His Word, not by denominational tradition.
Acts 17:11 — The Bereans model the correct response to any teacher by searching the Scriptures daily to verify what they heard.
Romans 4:3 — Les points to this verse as the Scriptural answer that settles faith and righteousness apart from church opinion.
The Bible itself commends those who test teaching against the written Word. Acts 17:11 says the Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica because they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether Paul’s teaching was so. In Romans 4:3, the question is raised, "What saith the Scripture?" pointing to Abraham’s faith as the pattern of righteousness. Scripture, rather than any human religious authority, is the standard by which all teaching must be measured.
Les Feldick is emphatic that no one should rest on what a teacher, preacher, or denomination says, including himself. He tells viewers, "I don’t want you to rest on what I say, but rest on what the book says." When people call with questions, his stock answer is "What does your Bible say?" If they cannot find it in the Bible, he tells them to run from it, because God will judge us by His Word.
Les says he does not trumpet any denomination and wants people to "take away the blinders and get away from denominational narrow mindedness." He describes denominations as building walls around their people, and he sees his ministry as "knocking down some walls" so people can discern from the Word by itself with the Holy Spirit’s wisdom. If a church’s teaching lines up with the book, that is fine; if it does not, the person is in trouble.
Les’s answer is simple: "What does your Bible say?" If you cannot find it in your Bible, he says you better run from it. He tells people not to go by what the preacher says, because traditional views can mislead. Instead, believers must search the Scriptures for themselves.
Les tells of a young couple from two opposite denominational backgrounds whose differences were causing marital problems. When he sat down with them, the wife said, "We have always been taught we don’t go by what any book says. We go by what our church teaches." Les spent almost all evening explaining that any denomination is made up of human beings, but the Bible is the Creator God speaking. Eventually she came around, and both came to know the Lord.
Les says, "Don’t take anybody at their word, not mine, not anybody else." He holds up the Bereans as the example: they were more noble because they searched the Scriptures daily to see if Paul’s teaching was true. Les expects his listeners to search the Scriptures to see if he is right or wrong, rather than blindly accepting any human teacher.
Rest on What the Book Says
Les opens by telling viewers he does not want them to rest on what he says, but on what the book says, and he introduces the couple from diverse church backgrounds as an illustration.
Search the Scriptures or Run From It
Les says his stock answer to Bible questions is "What does your Bible say?" and if a teaching cannot be found in the Bible, you should run from it.
Set Aside Denominational Narrowness
Les teaches that people should not depend on what they have always heard or what their denomination says, but should search the Scriptures and disagree only based on Scripture.
Churches Are Men; Scripture Is God Speaking
When a woman insisted she goes by what her church says, Les responded that every denomination is made of human beings, but the Bible is the Creator God speaking, and she eventually came around.
A Couple Bound to Church Teaching
Les recalls a young wife saying they had always been taught not to go by any book but by what their church teaches.
Knocking Down Denominational Walls
Les says denominations build walls around their people, and his ministry has been to help people discern from the Word by itself with the Holy Spirit’s wisdom.
Don’t Go by the Preacher
Les warns that traditional views from the pulpit can mislead; you do not go by what the preacher says, but by what you find when you search the Scriptures.
Be Like the Bereans
Les points to the Bereans as noble because they searched the Scriptures daily to verify Paul’s teaching, and he urges everyone to search the book rather than argue.
Acts 17:11: These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Les cites the Bereans as the biblical model for testing any teaching against the written Word.
Romans 4:3: For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Les uses this verse to show that the authority is what Scripture says, not what a church or denomination teaches.
Les says if a church’s teaching lines up with the book, it is fine; if it doesn’t, the person is in trouble. He doesn’t tell people to leave their church, but he points them to search the Scriptures and recognize that churches are made of humans while the Bible is God speaking.
Les says he doesn’t mind disagreement if it is based on Scripture, but disagreeing only because your denomination doesn’t agree puts you on thin ice. He expects people to search the Scriptures to see if he is right or wrong.
Like the Bereans, after hearing teaching you go home and search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so. If you cannot find a teaching in your Bible, Les says you better run from it.
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