The Apostle’s Doctrine Made Simple:
Introduction to Bible Doctrine
Lesson 2:
Counterfeit Christianity and the Last Days
The True Gospel Defined
The False Prophets
Are Here
Their
Characteristics
Their Doctrine
How to Tell Truth From
Error
Put Them to the Test
The Elder's
Responsibility to Teach
The Christian's
Responsibility to Learn
Test All Things
But even though we,
or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary
to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
(Galatians 1:8
Chapter 2
Counterfeit Christianity and the Last Days
Jesus Said There'd be Days Like This!
Before He left earth to return to the Father's
throne room nearly 2000 years ago to prepare for the final
establishment of His Kingdom, Jesus warned us in unmistakable
language that before His return there would be many who would come
in His name with claims of a special anointing, who would lead many
away from the Truth, and that their teaching would be attested to
with many signs and wonders (miracles). Although their activity will
certainly be greatest during the Tribulation (Matt. 24:4-28), we
should expect to find them active in the last days of the Church Age
just before Christ returns to claim His Bride.
Likewise, Paul tells us that there will be a
great apostasy before the Antichrist is revealed (2 Thess. 2:1-5),
and that there will be a period of every-increasing lawlessness in
the "later times" (1 Tim. 4:1-5) and in the "last days" (2 Tim.
3:1-9).
The true Gospel is defined in 1 Cor. 15:3-6:
For I
delivered to you as of first importance what I also received,
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and
that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day
according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas,
then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five
hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but
some have fallen asleep; (1 Cor. 15:3-6)
Notice that there are six critical elements to
the Gospel:
-
It was the Messiah (Christus, the
Anointed One, the Son of G-d) Who died, not just a carpenter or
even a rabbi.
-
Messiah actually died, He didn't just seem to
die. The spear thrust through His heart by an experienced,
expert executioner provided the absolute proof of His death. The
further medical evidence presented by a physician forever
establishes the fact of His literal death.
-
He was buried in a sealed tomb for three days
as absolute proof that He was truly dead. If He were not already
dead, the burial would surely have killed Him.
-
He was literally and bodily resurrected on
the third day. This resurrection was in the same identical body
in which He died. Though the nature of that body may
have been changed by its glorification, it is now and will
remain through all eternity the same body in which Jesus lived
and died.
-
The testimony of three eyewitnesses was
sufficient under both Hebrew and Roman law to establish the fact
of any matter. After His resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to
over 400 eyewitnesses. The fact of the resurrection is
established beyond question by the rules of evidence.
-
All of this was in direct literal fulfillment
of the prophetic Word of G-d recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures,
or the "Old Testament."
Any "gospel" that deviates from these six
critical elements is a false gospel.
Look around you. The false prophets that Jesus
and Paul predicted are here! They are on our high school and college
campuses, on our radio and television stations, and in the pulpits
of our churches. They are in our Sunday School classes and in our
home Bible studies. And they knock on our front doors with annoying
regularity.
Jesus said that they will lead many astray, and
if were possible, they would even mislead the elect. But Jesus has
not only warned us to be on the lookout for the false prophets, He
and the Apostles even told us what to look for.
Some will look like Christians, but will actually
be savage wolves.
Beware of
the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly are ravenous wolves. (Matt. 7:15)
Be on guard
for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of G-d
which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my
departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the
flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a
period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with
tears. (Acts 20:28-31)
Some will look very religious while denying the
power of G-d.
… holding
to a form of G-dliness, although they have denied its power; and
avoid such men as these. (2 Tim. 3:5)
Some will claim a special anointing.
For many
will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," [literally,
"I am the anointed one"] and will mislead many. (Matt.
24:5)
Some will do great miracles.
For false
Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs
and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
(Matt. 24:24)
Some will teach a false Christ.
Then if
anyone says to you, "Behold, here is the Christ," or "There
He is, do not believe him. (Matt. 24:23)
Some will teach that Jesus Christ is not G-d come
in the flesh.
Beloved, do
not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are from G-d; because many false prophets have gone out
into the world. By this you know the Spirit of G-d: every spirit
that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from
G-d; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from
G-d; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which
you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the
world. (1 John 4:1-3)
Some will teach a false Gospel.
I am amazed
that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the
grace of Christ, for a different gospel; (Gal. 1:6)
These are some of the specific characteristics of
the doctrine of the false prophets.
-
They will teach a different doctrine which
does not agree with the sound teaching of Christ and the
Apostles.
If anyone
advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound
words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine
conforming to G-dliness, he is conceited and
understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in
controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which
arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and
constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of
the truth, who suppose that G-dliness is a means of gain. (1 Tim
6:3-5)
-
Some will "secretly introduce destructive
heresies," even denying the Lordship of Christ.
But false
prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be
false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce
destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them,
bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Pet. 2:1)
-
Some will teach the doctrine of demons.
But the
Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away
from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and
doctrines of demons, (1 Tim. 4:1)
-
Some will try to take away our Christian
liberty and place us under a form of legalism.
But it
was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy
out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring
us into bondage. (Gal. 2:4)
Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or
drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day
— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come;
but the substance belongs to Christ. … If you have died with
Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you
were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees,
such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (which all
refer to things destined to perish with the using) — in
accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are
matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in
self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of
the body, but are of no value against fleshly
indulgence. (Col. 2:16-17; 20-23)
-
Some will forbid marriage and require
abstinence from certain foods.
… men
who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods,
which G-d has created to be gratefully shared in by those who
believe and know the truth. (1 Tim. 4:3)
-
Some will teach "worldly fables fit only for
old women."
But have
nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the
other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of G-dliness;
(1 Tim. 4:7)
-
Some of their teaching will have a special
appeal to weak women.
For among
them are those who enter into households and captivate weak
women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,
(2 Tim. 3:6)
-
They will openly oppose the truth.
And just as
Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also
oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the
faith. (2 Tim. 3:8)
-
They will be of a depraved mind and full of
immoral practices.
For men
will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant,
revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving,
irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal,
haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of G-d; … And just as Jannes and
Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the
truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the faith.
(2 Tim. 3:2-4, 8)
… suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a
pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes,
reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having
eyes full of adultery and that never cease from sin, enticing
unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed
children; forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having
followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved
the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke for his
own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a
voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. These are
springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the
black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant
words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by
sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in
error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves
of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is
enslaved. (2 Pet. 2:13-19)
-
They will despise authority, especially
G-d’s, and have no fear when they revile the power and authority
of angels.
… and
especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt
desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not
tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who
are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment
against them before the Lord. (2 Pet. 2:10-11)
Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the
flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. But
Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and
argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against
him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you." But
these men revile the things which they do not understand; and
the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning
animals, by these things they are destroyed. (Jude 1:8-10)
The study of sound doctrine provides us with
spiritual nourishment and the teaching of sound doctrine makes us
good servants of Jesus Christ.
In pointing
out these things to the brethren [that is, teaching the
Apostles' doctrine], you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus,
constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound
doctrine which you have been following. (1 Tim 4:6)
The Bible clearly teaches that the time will come
(and that time is now here) when false teachers and their false
doctrines would abound. Jesus told us about them, and He said that
we would be able to recognize them by their false teaching:
"Beware of
the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their
fruits." (Matt 7:15)
The beloved Apostle John told us to test the
spirit of the prophet to see whether his teaching is from G-d:
Beloved, do
not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are from G-d; because many false prophets have gone out
into the world. By this you know the Spirit of G-d: every spirit
that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from
G-d; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from
G-d; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have
heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. (1
John 4:1-3)
The Apostle Paul spoke at length of the false
apostles and false teachers of both his day and of ours:
But what I
am doing, I will continue to do, that I may cut off opportunity
from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we
are in the matter about which they are boasting. For such men
are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as
apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if
his servants also disguise themselves as servants of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds. (2
Cor 11:12-15)
But it was because of the false brethren who
had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ
Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield
in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the
gospel might remain with you. (Gal 2:4-5)
Near the end of his life, Paul again warned:
Be on guard
for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of G-d
which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my
departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the
flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a
period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with
tears. (Acts 20:28-31)
In His "letters to the seven churches" recorded
in the Book of the Revelation, Jesus praises the church at Ephesus
because they tested and rejected false apostles:
To the
angel of the church in Ephesus write: the One who holds the
seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven
golden lampstands, says this: "I know your deeds and your toil
and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men, and you
put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are
not, and you found them to be false; …" (Rev 2:1-2)
The only way that Christians can "put to the test
those who call themselves apostles"—or pastors, or preachers, or
prophets, or evangelists, or missionaries, or teachers, or bishops,
or elders, or deacons—is to carefully and systematically compare
what they teach and the way they conduct their lives with the
standards set forth in the Holy Scriptures. And the only way that a
Christian can be equipped to do that comparison is for him or her to
know what the Scriptures teach concerning every major
subject of doctrine. And that knowledge comes only
from a faithful, consistent, regular, and concentrated study of
Bible doctrine.
In His letters to Pergamum and to Thyatira, Jesus
indicates His displeasure with those who tolerate the teachings of
false teachers:
And to the
angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp
two-edged sword says this: "… I have a few things against you,
because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who
kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit
acts of immorality. Thus you also have some who in the same
way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore; or
else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against
them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches. …" And to the angel of the
church in Thyatira write: The Son of G-d, who has eyes like a
flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says
this: "I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service
and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than
at first. But I have this against you, that you
tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and
she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they
commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to
idols. And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to
repent of her immorality. Behold, I will cast her upon a bed
of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into
great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will
kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will
know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will
give to each one of you according to your deeds." (Rev 2:12-23)>
Peter tells us some of the things we can expect
from these false prophets and false teachers:
But false
prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be
false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce
destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them,
bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow
their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will
be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you
with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and
their destruction is not asleep. … and especially those who
indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise
authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they
revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in
might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them
before the Lord. But these, like unreasoning animals, born as
creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where
they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those
creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of
doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime.
They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as
they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery and that
never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart
trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way
they have gone astray, …
For speaking out arrogant words of vanity
they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely
escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom
while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a
man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. For if after they have
escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them
and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than
the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the
way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from
the holy commandment delivered to them. It has happened to them
according to the true proverb, "A dog returns to its own vomit,"
and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."
(2 Peter 2:1-3; 10-15; 18-22)
Not only will there be false prophets and false
teachers, but also false Christs (Messiahs):
And Jesus
answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you.
For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ
[Messiah],' and will mislead many. … And many false prophets
will arise, and will mislead many. … Then if anyone says to you,
'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not
believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will
arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead,
if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance.
If therefore they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,'
do not go forth, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner
rooms,' do not believe them." (Matt 24: 4-5, 11, 23-26)
And Jesus began to say to them, "See to it
that no one misleads you. Many will come in My name, saying, 'I
am He!' and will mislead many. … And then if
anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ'; or, 'Behold,
He is there'; do not believe him; for false
Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and
wonders, in order, if possible, to lead the elect astray. But
take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance." (Mark
13:5-6, 21-23)
Jesus was talking not just about the Antichrist,
who will declare himself to be G-d during the last half of the seven
year Great Tribulation at the end of the Church Age, but He was
talking also about those others who would claim to be the Christ (or
Messiah)—men like Yogi Maharaj Ji, Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, and
David Koresh, all of whom openly claimed to be the Messiah—as well
as those individuals and religious groups who would present a
different Jesus than He Who is revealed in the Bible. For example:
-
The Jesus of the Mormons is an
extraterrestrial alien, the brother of Lucifer, born on a
distant planet and exalted to G-dhood because of his good
works.
-
The Jesus of the Jehovah's witnesses is
Michael the Archangel, a created being.
-
The Jesus of the Masons is just one of
many "light bearers," the equal of Buddah, Mohammed, and
Moses.
-
The Jesus of many of the in the "Faith
Movement" is not G-d from all eternity past. He is just a
man from another planet who was just like Adam and Who never
claimed to be G-d. Not only did He not claim to be G-d, He
is fact not G-d, and, like all men, was and is
capable of sin.
The Bible clearly teaches that when those false
teachers have arrived on the scene, men will turn their backs on
sound doctrine and turn to the false teachers, who will tell them
whatever they want to hear. Those false teachers will teach myths
instead of the truth.
For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for
themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will
turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to
myths. (2 Tim 4:1-5)
We can clearly see from the millions of people
who follow the teachings of just those four groups we just
mentioned, that Paul was absolutely right in what he told Timothy!
But those false teachers will not just teach myths, they will
also teach not just false doctrine, but actually the doctrine of
demons.
In addition to the benefits of doctrinal study to the individual
Christian, the Bible requires that those men who would be
leaders in the local church be thoroughly versed in sound Biblical
doctrine, and be both willing and able to oppose false teachers and
their false doctrine.
For the
overseer must be above reproach … holding fast the faithful word
which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able
both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who
contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and
deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be
silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching
things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain. One
of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, 'Cretans are always
liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. For
this cause reprove them severely that they may be sound in the
faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of
men who turn away from the truth. (Titus 1:7-14)
The study of true
Bible doctrine helps keep us safe from the deceit of those false
teachers and their false doctrines and belief systems.
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and
there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by
the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (Eph
4:14)
The Bible also says
that anyone who does not take the time to study and learn sound
Bible doctrine is conceited and ignorant, and is a source of strife
and friction.
If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree
with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the
doctrine conforming to G-dliness, he is conceited and
understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in
controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which
arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and
constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of
the truth, who suppose that G-dliness is a means of gain. (1 Tim
6:3-7)
Not even Jesus Christ
Himself would teach His own opinion in place of the doctrine
established by G-d the Father.
Jesus therefore answered them, and said, 'My teaching
[doctrine] is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If any man is
willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether
it is of G-d, or whether I speak from Myself.' (John 7:16, 17)
To men like those we have been discussing, those who instead
of Biblical doctrine teach and practice mere tradition and their
own opinions, Jesus had this to say:
And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you
hypocrites, as it is written, `This people honors Me with their
lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they
worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.
Neglecting the commandment of G-d, you hold to the tradition of
men." He was also saying to them, "You nicely set aside the
commandment of G-d in order to keep your tradition. … thus
invalidating the word of G-d by your tradition which you have
handed down; and you do many things such as that." (Matt 15:7-9;
Mark 7:6-10)
And Paul said about
the same kind of men:
Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause
dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you
learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not
of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their
smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the
unsuspecting. For the report of your obedience has reached to
all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be
wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil. And the G-d
of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our
Lord Jesus be with you. (Rom 16:17-20)
He instructed
Timothy, and through Timothy all true Bible teachers, to correct
their false teaching:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment
of G-d our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our
hope; to Timothy, my true child in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from G-d the Father and Christ
Jesus our Lord. As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia,
remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men
not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths
and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation
rather than furthering the administration of G-d which
is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure
heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men,
straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless
discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they
do not understand either what they are saying or the matters
about which they make confident assertions. (1 Tim. 1:1-7)
In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a
good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on
the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have
been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit
only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for
the purpose of G-dliness; for bodily discipline is only of
little profit, but G-dliness is profitable for all things, since
it holds promise for the present life and also for the
life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving
full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because
we have fixed our hope on the living G-d, who is the Savior of
all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these
things. … Until I come, give attention to the public
reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do
not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed
upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands
by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed
in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close
attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these
things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for
yourself and for those who hear you. (1 Tim 4:6-11, 13-15)
I solemnly charge you in the presence of G-d and of Christ
Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His
appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season
and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience
and instruction. For the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled,
they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to
their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth,
and will turn aside to myths. … Alexander the coppersmith did me
much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on
guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our
teaching. (2 Tim 4:1-4, 14-15)
Paul taught that when
the Antichrist appears, those who do not have a clear understanding
of and abiding love for Bible doctrine will be deceived, and cannot
be saved.
And then
that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with
the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of
His coming; {that is,} the one whose coming is in accord with
the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false
wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who
perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as
to be saved. And for this reason G-d will send upon them a
deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in
order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth,
but took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Thess. 2:8-12)
As Christians, Scripture admonishes us in the strongest of terms
to test all things by the Word of G-d and to hold fast to that which
is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21; cf. Acts 17:11). As Jude
exhorts us, we must contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 3).
But
examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which
is good; (1 Thess 5:21)
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica,
for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the
Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.
(Acts 17:11)
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about
our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you
appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was
once for all delivered to the saints. (Jude 3)
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; …
(Heb 13:9)
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do
not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.
This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that
you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may
receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not
abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have G-d; the one who
abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If
anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not
receive him into your house, and do not give him a
greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in
his evil deeds. (2 John 1:7-11)
If you, dear reader, are not yet convinced of the importance of
the careful and systematic study of Bible doctrine, my fear for you
is that you may be among those who have so long rejected the truth
of G-d and the call of the Holy Spirit that G-d has already sent "a
deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in
order that they all may be judged [eternally lost]." I pray that is
not the case.
But if you are one of those who thinks that the study of Bible
doctrine is over your head, or boring, or not worth the effort; or
if you are still of the opinion that the job of the Pastor/Teacher
is to keep his teaching so simple that even the youngest Christian
can absorb it without any effort … well, there's simply no gentle
way of saying it … the Bible says that you need to grow up.
… it is
hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For
though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need
again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the
oracles of G-d, and you have come to need milk and not solid
food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed
to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food
is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses
trained to discern good and evil. (Heb. 5:11-15)
If, however, you feel
that you might be interested in studying Bible doctrine with me,
read on; this is where the fun starts!
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This page last updated 06/08/97 |
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