Ah, the old "Chew the meat, spit out the bones" philosophy....

You’ve all heard the old adage, "I chew the meat and spit out the bones," by people who believe they know how to be discerning when it comes to Scripture.

Basically, it means "I accept the good parts of the teaching, and ignore the bad."  Or: "I like this or that, and will ignore whatever doesn’t fit my theology." 

That’s fine for those who are intimately familiar with Scripture.

The thing is, most people are NOT! And so, when someone who is, forwards teachings from those certain “teachers” whose stuff requires one to “chew the meat and spit out the bones,” guess what happens!

Yep – those who are NOT well-versed in Scripture will swallow the whole thing, hook, line and sinker (lies and all) and add it to their repertoire of other false knowledge tucked away in the recesses of their mind! (Or, they might dismiss it altogether. Either way, they won’t really “grow” – so what was accomplished, in the long run?

Anyway, the next time you hear that “chew the meat and spit out the bones” adage, try to remember this:

The bones make up the skeleton, the foundation, and the "meat" (muscle) is attached to the skeleton!  If you remove the "bones", the "meat" is a lifeless mass of quivering muscle laying dying on the ground.  Without this "foundation" the meat (muscle) can't even survive because the very blood which nourishes the muscle is produced by the bone! 

If, regarding someone's teaching of the WORD, you "chew the meat and spit out the bones" aren't you throwing out the very foundation of their theology? Why on earth would you "dismiss the foundation" only to retain the "lesser parts" which, when separated from the foundation, can't stand on their own?

Well, I posit that you shouldn't throw away the foundation!  Don't spit out the bones!
Here's what you SHOULD do:

First READ your Bible so you can KNOW what it says. If some teacher you’re following turns out to be off the mark on some major issues (or even on lots of lesser issues)  then STOP following that teacher! I don’t care WHO they are! Off the mark is off the mark and it can and will lead you into the pits of Hell.

1 Corinthians 6:14 says: "what fellowship has light with darkness?"

Secondly, DO go to this teacher and attempt to show them where and how they were off the mark, as we are to "rebuke our brothers lest we carry sin because of him" (Leviticus 19:17; Matthew 18:15;  Luke 17:3). Remember that if you DON'T try to correct them, YOU are guilty! (Study Ezekiel 3!)

Thirdly, DO NOT blindly forward “cool sounding” stuff just to impress others. If we simply let these false teachings go unchallenged, and forward them to others, believing they can "chew the bones and spit out the bones," we assist in deceiving people and perpetuating false doctrines!

Matthew 7: 13. Enter by the straight door, for wide is the door and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many are they, those that go in it.  14. How narrow the door and straight the road that leads to life, and few are they, those that find it. 

15. Beware of false prophets that come among you in the clothing of lambs,  82  but from within are ravenous wolves.  16. But you will know them by their fruits.  Why do men pick grapes from thorns or figs from thistles?  17. Like this every good tree bears pleasing fruit, but an evil tree bears evil fruit.

18.  A  good  tree  is  not  able  to  bear  evil  fruit,  and  an  evil  tree  cannot  bear  good  fruit. 19. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut and thrown in the fire.  20. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them. (AENT)

2 Timothy 4:2. Proclaim the Word and persist (in it) with diligence, in time and out of time; admonish and rebuke with all patience and instructiveness.  3. For the time will come when they will not give ear to sound teaching; but, according to their lusts, will multiply to themselves teachers in the itching of their hearing;  4. and will turn away their ears from the truth, and incline after fables. (AENT)

Do follow some good teachers, but don't glean only from teachers "you like" unless you KNOW they are ON the mark! (The fact that you “like” them doesn’t mean they’re good teachers…)

1 John 2:27. And you also, if the anointing which you have received from him remains in you, you need not that any one should teach you; but as that anointing is from Elohim, it teaches you all things; and it is true, and no falsehood is in it. And as it has taught you, remain you in Him.  28. And now, my children, remain you in him; that so, when he will be manifested, we may not be ashamed before Him, but may have an open countenance at His coming.  29. If you know that he is righteous, you also know that whoever does righteousness is from Him. (AENT)

Stay in scripture!  Learn to listen to the Ruach, and learn from Elohim and His Word – not solely from men!  Yes, there are some "good" teachers (you will know them by their ability to make their teachings line up with Scripture), but be VERY discerning! 

Only by personally knowing and staying in scripture will you ever conquer the “chew the meat and spit out the bones” idea. Better yet, "chew the meat and if it is not done right, fire the cook!"