By Kevin Rutherford
Jesus gave us warning concerning those
who would teach lies (Matthew 7:15-20). These are “false
prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Paul used the
illustration of wolves also when he gave warning to the
elders of the church in Ephesus (Acts 20:28-31). Paul said
“savage wolves” would come among them, who would not spare
the flock, but speak perverse things to draw disciples away.
Paul also wrote to the Galatian Christians about those who
pervert the Gospel of Christ and are accursed for so doing
(Galatians 1:6-9).
It is so important that the pure Gospel
is preached that bold measures are commanded of the church
in addressing any perversions of the Gospel. There are those
who serve themselves rather than God and who deceive others
through smooth words and flattering speech (Romans 16:18).
They are such that cause divisions and offenses contrary to
the true doctrine and should be noted (marked) avoided
(Romans 16:17) Elders must hold fast to the faithful Word of
God so that they are able, by sound doctrine, to exhort and
convict those who contradict the truth (Titus 1:9).
The book of Jude gives us an excellent example
of an inspired approach to dealing with those had corrupted
the Gospel. Jude calls for Christians to “contend earnestly
for the faith,” becausecertain men who had already been
marked had been allowed to sneak in among them (Jude 3, 4).
Jude follows up this exhortation with a refutation and
condemnation of the false teachers troubling the church
(Jude 5-19). but Jude also lets us know compassion should be
involved in the efforts to contend earnestly for the faith
because some of those caught up in the false doctrine could
be helped (Jude 22:23).
Peter spoke of false prophets and false
teachers who would bring in destructive heresies (2 Peter
2:1-2). He told the early Christians, “by covetousness they
will exploit you with deceptive words (2 Peter 2:3). Peter
then described the behaviors of the false teachers and
warned of the danger of allowing them to lead one astray (2
Peter 2:4-22). Once Peter was very clear in describing the
dangers of following these false teachers, he then
specifically addressed and refuted their false doctrine (2
Peter 3).
1 John is also another tremendous example of
how to handle false doctrines and perverted gospels. John
begins by laying down the foundation of truth that
undermines the various false doctrines of the “antichrists”
(1 John 1:1-2:17). John then becomes more specific in
addressing the errors of the antichrists, by identifying the
errors, refuting the errors, and warning of the dangers of
such errors (1 John 2:18-4:16). John then wraps it all up
with confident and bold teaching concerning the truth on the
matters in question (1 John 4-5).
All of these passages give evidence that
support John’s statement in 1 John 2:21. John says, “I have
not written to you because you do not know the truth, but
because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” John
is telling us that truth can be known and that anything that
conflicts with the truth is a lie. These examples in which
Paul, Jude, John, and Peter warned of false doctrine, and
then refuted error prove the truth can be known so well, and
with such conviction that it can be defended. These facts
also lead to the conclusion that truth is not relative, and
that one cannot just teach and practice anything he wants
and still please God. The only way to please God is to know,
preach, and practice the truth.
- Kevin V. Rutherford
preaches for the Warners Chapel church of Christ in
Clemmons, NC. He may be contacted through the congregation's
website: http://warnerschapelchurchofchrist.org/
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