Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
To Timothy my true son in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Warning Against False Teachers of the Law
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
My Understanding: Paul told Timothy, a fellow apostle and servant of the Lord, that he should command certain men in the Ephesian church not to teach false doctrines, etc. In making this passage of scripture practical and applicable to our lives today, I thus had to ask the question, “What kinds of false doctrines are being taught in the church today?”
Repent and Obey
The first one that comes to mind, and which I believe is the most blatantly false and critical to understand with regard to our salvation, is how so many church leaders and congregants are being taught and are teaching that repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to Christ and to his commandments are not necessary for salvation. Yet, the scriptures teach just the opposite. Jesus’ first sermon, according to Matthew’s gospel, was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Jesus denounced cities because they did not repent. He chided the chief priests and elders of the people for their lack of repentance. The disciples went out under the authority of Christ and taught that people should repent. Jesus said he came to call sinners to repentance. Jesus said that unless we repent, we will perish. Peter said that Jesus was not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And, Jesus said there would be rejoicing in heaven over the sinner who repents.
When Jesus predicted his death and resurrection, he also said that “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.” Peter’s first sermon on the day of Pentecost began with the word “repent.” In another sermon Peter said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out…” Peter said that God granted the Gentiles repentance unto life. Paul said that God commands all people everywhere to repent. He declared that all men must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus, and that they must prove their repentance by their deeds. And, the letters to the churches in Revelation 2-3 call for the churches to repent. If they refused to repent, God would judge them. So, obviously repentance is a requirement for salvation. And, to teach otherwise is to teach a false gospel and to give people a false hope of salvation.
Regarding obedience to Christ, Jesus said that if we want to enter life, we must obey his commandments. Jesus commissioned his disciples to go and to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything Christ had commanded them. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” He said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” Again he said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” He said that if we obey his commands, we will remain in his love. Peter and the other apostles said that they were witnesses “of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Paul, in speaking of Jesus Christ and the eternal gospel, stated that God provided salvation “so that all nations might believe and obey him.” In 2 Thess. we learn that God “will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Peter said, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth…” John said, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” And, “If anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.” And, “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.” And, “This is love for God: to obey his commands.” And he said, “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.”
Man vs. Scripture
Another false teaching that is prevalent in today’s church in America involves teaching the doctrines, ideas, philosophies, goals and practices of men over and above scripture. Bible studies have been replaced with book studies (books written by men but not scripture), in which the people are being taught human philosophies and practices, whether they agree with scripture or not, and even to the denial and rejection of what the word of God teaches in these matters, in many cases. Teachers of the word are being replaced with facilitators who merely facilitate discussion on the book or topic being discussed, but who are trained not to teach the word. Many pastors spend much more time reading books by men on how to grow big churches and that promote human philosophies than they do reading and studying the word of God. Many spend much more time in meetings to discuss marketing schemes and the ascetics of worship services than they do on their knees in prayer. As a result, the church has become so much like the world that it is hardly distinguishable anymore between the church and the world, as they now blend together as one. Yet, we are taught in scripture to come out and to be separate from the world, to not love the world and the things of the world, and to devote ourselves to the teaching of the word, to the breaking of bread (in communion and true spiritual fellowship), to prayer and to spiritual fellowship.
Church Growth
Many of today’s churches here in the U.S.A. are following the plans of men in how to grow their churches. They are conducting their churches like the corporations and businesses they have become, with copying and adopting marketing schemes and techniques for how to build and grow big businesses. Many make it their practice to plan their church meetings in a way in order to attract the world to the “church” with the use of worldly methods. Yet, the church is not a business, a corporation, a social club, or a public gathering of the people of the world, and the church’s goal should not be to attract the world to the church.
The true church is the body of Christ, i.e. it is comprised of true believers in Jesus Christ who have come to faith in Jesus Christ via turning from their sins and via turning to God in faith in Christ, and with a goal to walk in obedience to Jesus Christ and to please him in every way. The purpose of the gatherings of the church is for the spiritual edification (education; teaching; instruction; and spiritual growth and maturity) of the believers, and for the sharing of gifts, one with the other, to build one another up in the faith, etc. It is, as well, for the strengthening and encouragement of the true followers of Christ so that they will live holy lives, pleasing to God, and so they will go out into the world and to be lights for the gospel in sharing the truths of the (whole) gospel with those who need Christ.
Yet, today’s church leaders and congregants have turned the church into public gatherings for all people – saved and unsaved – and with a primary goal, it appears, to attract the world to the “church” using the same methods the world uses to attract people to businesses. Yet, that is not how the church is supposed to grow. Otherwise, it ceases to be the church and instead is just another big business calling itself a church. If the church is truly the body of Christ and not a denomination, a corporation or a business, then the only way into the church is through the blood of Jesus Christ, and this through genuine faith, which involves repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to Christ and to his commands. The only way into the church, thus, is by the way of the cross in dying to our sins and our old way of living according to the flesh, and by being resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit to live new lives by faith and obedience to Jesus Christ and to his teachings. Yet, the way of the cross is foolishness and is an offense to those who are perishing, so if we are truly trying to lead people into Christ’s true church by way of teaching them the truth of the gospel, the world will not be attracted to the church, because they will know and understand that the only way into the church is through death to sin and through life in Christ Jesus.
The Goal is Love
Paul told Timothy to command certain men not to teach false doctrines, and he said that the goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Many people may perceive someone who speaks out against such false teaching as someone who is unhappy, is a complainer, and thus is someone to be ignored. Yet, what they don’t realize is that the person passing along these commands probably does so out of this goal of love. If there are those leaders in our churches who are teaching a false gospel and thus are giving people a false hope of salvation, which then means that those being given the false hope will think they are saved when they are not, and when they come before God will thus hear, “I never knew you, depart from me,” then what could be more loving than to warn those teaching this false doctrine not to teach it any longer? What could be more loving than to tell these leaders who are following the ways of men over the teachings of scripture that they need to rethink what they are doing, and they need to follow the word of God over and above the teachings of men, because they are leading their people to become followers of men instead of followers of God? What could be more loving than to warn these church leaders against trying to grow Christ’s church via worldly methods, which only grows businesses, but does not confront people with their sins, and does not call them to repentance and the cross of Christ, which is their only entry into Christ’s church? If we truly love our church leaders, we will tell them the truth in love.
If we are not in positions of leadership and authority over men, which I believe women should not be, we cannot command our church leaders, such as Timothy could. Yet, we can lovingly and kindly speak the truth in love to them in a setting appropriate for such a discussion, as we would be called of God to encourage and to edify any brother or sister in Christ. I pray we will all obey the Lord in this matter. Ephesians 4:14-16 says this:
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
The Peace of Christ / An Original Work / October 31, 2011
Based off of Col. 3:1-17; Eph. 5:19-20
Let the word of Christ dwell in you,
As you teach with all wisdom,
Teaching one another to not
Think on earthly things;
Think instead on things above,
Where Christ sits with God, in love,
Saving us from all of our sins,
Cleansing us; made new within.
Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts,
As you sing songs unto Him;
Speak to one another with psalms,
Hymns, and spir’tual songs;
Always giving thanks to God,
In the name of Christ, His Son,
Who gave His life up for us all,
And gave us eternal life.
Let the love of Christ within you
Rule in your hearts; grace within,
Purifying you from your sin,
Make you whole within.
Forgive as the Lord forgave.
Show His kindness ev’ry day.
In word or deed, whate’er you do,
Glory give to Jesus Christ.
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