Receive Not, Greet Not, Welcome Not the Enemies of Christ | 2 John 9-13

Okay beloved, let's turn over to 2nd John. 2nd John in our Bibles. Since Lord willing this will be the concluding message on this letter, I want to take the time and read the entire letter and help us to close this very powerful brief but powerful letter out.

2nd John. I'll begin in verse 1. The elder to the elect lady and her children whom I love in truth and not only I but also all who know the truth for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God our Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in truth and love. I rejoice greatly to find some of your children walking in truth just as we receive commandment from the Father.

Now I ask you lady not as though I were writing to you a new commandment but the one which we had from the beginning that we love one another and this is love that we walk according to his commandments.

This is the commandment just as you all have heard from the beginning that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.

This is the deceiver and the Antichrist. See to yourselves that you do not lose what we 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 God.

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.

Though I have many things to write to you I do not want to do so with paper and ink but I hope to come to you and speak face to face so that your joy may be made complete. The children of your elect sister greet you.

Amen. So what an amazing letter here in 2nd John. Such an amazing powerful letter. Much of it is we find in John's other letters and writings but there are some things here that he adds as well. And you can see by the sermon title, Receive not, greet not, welcome not the enemies of Christ.

Deceivers and the Meaning of Antichrist

It's about how to deal with deceivers and how they operate these deceivers and antichrists. And I want to say right from the beginning do not be deceived beloved because we must be both offensive as well as defensive when it comes to false teaching and teachers.

We must identify them by name if necessary. Stay tuned for that. There's going to be more of that to come. Expose them, warn against them, silence them, declare them anathema or condemned by God and oppose those who oppose the truth.

These deceivers, antichrists, false teachers, heretics and their lies with the truth of God. With the truth of God's Word. Amen. This is very important for us to understand as God's people, as the church militant, as soldiers in God's army.

We are in a battle in this life. And 2nd John verse 7, which I just read, says,. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

The deceiver and the antichrist. Now there's something interesting about this verse too. It raises a question. Why does the Apostle John combine the labels of deceiver and antichrist here? And deceiver describes, some have said that deceiver describes the false teacher's relationship to men, to other men.

While antichrist reflects his relationship to Jesus. That's from Westcott, the famous scholar. Or we might say, deceiver looks at their actions, right? What they do. Not only that, but what they, their peripateo, their lifestyle, their words, their doctrine, their confession, what they say.

While antichrist describes their true loyalties, their true loyalties. And that's from Gary Derrickson's commentary. He's not Reformed, but he has a pretty good commentaries because he brings in multiple different sources and authors and interacts with them.

Now it's also very important to take note of this. That John describes these men, antichrist deceivers, not in terms of what they say, but what they fail to say, right? It's in terms of what they fail to say, what they do not say, or what they do not confess, right?

He then states the truth denied as it relates to Jesus. That Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, his incarnation. Some take that to mean his second coming, but no, it's talking about Jesus Christ's incarnation when he came in the flesh in the past.

And this is the same conclusion found in 1st John, in 4 .2, 1st John chapter 4 verse 2, right? That's from Derrickson's commentary again. And even early church leaders such as Polycarp of Smyrna very clearly practiced what the Apostles preached because they taught that everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is antichrist.

And whoever does not acknowledge the testimony of the cross is of the devil. That's what men like Polycarp said. And we would do well, we would do well to emulate their example as a corrective to the negligent, ecumenical, downgraded, superficial preaching and church practice that we find today.

Compromised. Heavily compromised today. Now this leads me to my first public service announcement. And that is that you can judge a great deal about a man, not just by what he says, but by what he does not say as well.

By what he does not say. By what he does not confess. By what he leaves out, right? By what he leaves out. And that may in fact be enough to condemn him and his teaching. What he does not say or confess may be enough to condemn him and his teaching in the eyes of God.

In the eyes of God himself. He who is not with me is against me. He who does not gather with me scatters. Amen? The words of Christ himself. Now as to, now we start transitioning to the manner. The manner of deceivers.

The Manner of Deceivers and the Authority of Christ's Words

How deceivers operate. How do these antichrists and deceivers operate in the world and in the church? Because many deceivers, past and present, deny and distort biblical doctrines. Not just of Christ's person, his incarnation and so on, but also several of Christ's other teachings.

His other doctrines. Remember also, remember this too carefully, that we cannot separate Christ from his words or from his doctrine. Contrary to what pietists and mystics and a lot of these other people tend to say.

They are wrong. They are in error. Because the very words that Christ has spoken to us are spirit and life and truth. Themselves. They are spirit and word and life and truth. Like the Apostle says in his gospel.

Just as he himself is the way, the truth, the life. Amen? This is very important for us to not lose sight of. Because truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, my logos, my doctrine, my teaching, he will never see death.

Ever. John 8 51. We cannot ever divorce Christ from his words or from his teaching. That is how we never see death. That is how we have eternal life. Believing in Christ is believing what he taught, what he said, what he preached, his gospel.

And deceivers, that's why it's no surprise that deceivers are no respecters of doctrines. They are more than happy to twist and discriminate against any and all sound doctrine. Any and all of it. Especially the principle doctrines of God, man, salvation, and his word.

Right? The word of God. Those are some of their favorites, but that's not all that they distort or twist. They also rail against, but often subtly against, Christ's doctrine of rewards, of eternal rewards, and of the final judgment.

Even by those, by some who claim to be Protestant, evangelical, Reformed, and even Baptist, they claim to be one of us. In other words, they claim to be in our camp. Now, recall that God justifies us.

Justification by Faith Alone and the Threat of Works Righteousness

How? God justifies us by faith alone, by belief alone, in his gospel alone. Not by any works of our own. Not by any works before or after we are born again. Before or after our salvation. But this is what many antichrists and deceivers teach.

None of those works before or after save us or justify us or contribute to our right status legally with God. It is only by the merit and work of Christ alone. Amen? This is the doctrine of the Bible and of the Reformation and of the faithful church historic of God.

The pillar and buttress of the truth. Even so, but even so, God still sanctifies and rewards our flawed, imperfect efforts in good works. They could never be good enough to merit eternal life on their own, but they can truly and properly be called good, right?

Because they proceed from a regenerate heart, purified by faith in him, and are done in a right manner according to the Word, and their purpose is the glory of God. Like our confession, London Baptist Confession says, right?

In the chapter on good works. Now this brings us to verse 8 in 2nd John. 2nd John verse 8. See to yourselves that you do not lose what we accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Do not destroy what we accomplished.

Be sober. Be diligent. See to yourselves. Watch yourselves. Be discerning that we do not lose what we accomplished, but receive a full reward. A full reward. Now, that being said, however, whether it be Romanism, the Roman Church State Shepherdism, which is named after Norman Shepherd, who was a false teacher that taught justification by faith and works.

Mind you, he was a Presbyterian professor at Westminster Seminary in our camp, supposedly. Or whether it's the new perspective on Paul, or federal vision, many other false teachings that are reformed teachings, supposedly.

There is a constant siren song of works righteousness coming from outside the doors of the church, attempting to convince the sheep to plead their own righteousness before God for their final justification, or final salvation, as they say.

That is from one of Tim Kaufman's articles on Romans 2 .13 and the jealousy narrative. Excellent article that I highly recommend to you all from the Trinity Foundation. And this is very important for us to understand and be discerning because the false teachers are wolves disguised as sheep in sheep's clothing.

They try to look like us and act like us. They disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, just like the devil disguises himself as an angel of light, right? Like Corinthians warns us about. That's why we cannot be ignorant of Satan's devices and his minister's devices.

That's why the Apostles repeatedly warn against their lies and their deceptions and their heresies, right? And to that end, it's time to name some names now. A good number of them. This is a very excellent summary from an article by Tom Joditus called The Reformation at 500.

Is it over or is it needed now more than ever? Again from the Trinity Foundation. He says, the attacks against Scripture alone and faith alone and eternal rewards, the last judgment, and so on by Rome is not, they are not unexpected, right?

We expect the Church of Rome to do that. They have a track record for doing that. However, there have been attacks against the Bible and against justification from within evangelicalism and even from within the Reformed community, from within Reformed churches, allegedly.

In the 1970s and 80s, for example, the attack came from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and the teaching of Norman Shepard, who taught justification by faithfulness, not by faith like the unbelieving Jews did in Jesus' day.

By faithfulness, not by faith. By your faithfulness, not by Christ's faithfulness. See the current justification controversy by O. Palmer Robertson, an excellent critique of that. The changing of the guard by Mark Carberg, a companion to the current justification controversy edited by John Robbins.

And Christianity and neoliberalism, the spiritual crisis in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and beyond by Paul Elliott. Excellent resources for you to take a closer look at these very important matters.

After Norm Shepard was dismissed from both the seminary and the OPC, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which J. Gresham Machen founded, by the way, it has lost its way in some respects, sadly, but that's another story.

Now, Shepard was dismissed without discipline, without church discipline. Richard Gaffin Jr. continued to teach a doctrine of justification similar to Shepard's for over 30 more years. These false teachers are insidious, and they are persistent, and unless there's very swift and decisive action taken against them to silence them, they will continue to spread their error.

Another attack from the Reform camp, Juoditus continues, has been from the federal vision or Auburn Avenue theology of John Barich, Peter Lightheart, Rich Lusk, Steve Schlissel, Tom Trauburst, Steve Wilkins, and Douglas Wilson, among others, who teach that baptism is what makes a person a Christian.

Baptism. Not justification by faith, but baptism. Baptism. That's a problem. That's heresy. That justification by faith, and the obedience of faith, that it is by not just faith, but the obedience of faith, works after you are supposedly born again, according to them.

And, not only that, but that the elect can become reprobate. They can become condemned because they are not given the benefit of perseverance, among other false teachings. There is also the new perspective on Paul, of E .P. Sanders, James Dunn, and N .T. Wright, the famous Anglican bishop.

They attack justification by faith alone, teaching instead that Paul the Apostle is more concerned with the identity or boundary markers of who is and who is not in the church, and not how a sinner can be declared righteous before a holy God, not how a sinner can be justified legally.

These teachings have become popular in Reformed and Presbyterian churches, and have caused great spiritual harm to many, as they are soul-damning, anti-Christ heresies. However, it is not just the Reformed and Presbyterian church, as well as the Anglican church, that have been afflicted with this heresy, but even the Neo-Reformed or Neo-Puritan teachers in the Neo-Calvinist movement within Baptist churches have begun to promulgate a similar teaching as seen in the writings of John Piper and Thomas Schreiner, among others, the Baptist counterparts of Norman Shepherd, Richard Gaffin, and John Kinnaird, who were Presbyterian false teachers.

They denied the doctrines of salvation, and so do these so-called Baptists. The essential gospel, they deny it. Now, what are we to do, right? What are we to do with these false teachers, these deceivers, and anti-Christ?

Contending for the Faith Against False Teachers

Like Scripture says, and 2nd John says, remember, God clearly commands all of us, every single one of us, not some of us, not just pastors or teachers, but every single one of us, because the heresy is directed at all of us, not just some of us.

Heresy is aimed at every one of you and us. So he commands all of us to identify, to expose, to warn, to silence, to declare anathema condemned by God, and oppose those who oppose the truth. All of them.

All of them. We must do that as individuals, as well as as a church, and pastors and teachers have an obligation to warn against these lies and these men, but we all have that responsibility, because we all can be deceived by it if we are not watchful and see to ourselves, our own selves, right?

Let's turn now to Jude 3, the letter of Jude, verse 3, as we see more insight into these very sober warnings that the Word gives us, that God's Word gives us. Jude 3, God's Word says, Beloved, while I, the Apostle Jude, was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you exhorting that you what?

That you contend earnestly, adamantly, diligently, fiercely for the faith to fight, to refute, to silence, to be offensive, which was once for all handed down to the Saints, beloved, for certain persons have crept in unnoticed.

You see that word? Unnoticed by the people in the church, by the true believers in the church, they crept in unawares, like the King James says, unnoticed. Those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

They are anti-Christ. They deny Him in various ways. Now I want to remind you, though you know all things, that Jesus, having once saved the people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe, who did not confess the truth of God, His Word, of Christ, of the Gospel.

Not only that, however, because here in 2nd John, we see that the Apostle further admonishes us believers to practically apply the whole counsel of God when it comes to dealing with deceivers, by guarding and defending the home front.

That is, ourselves, our homes, our churches against these lies and these liars. We guard ourselves, our homes, and our churches by not receiving these men and these teachings, by not greeting them, by not welcoming them, these enemies of Christ and their false teachings, by not participating in their unfruitful works of darkness into any of those fears, spheres.

We should not be endorsing them, or using them, or recommending them, because the Bible says, do not welcome or greet them. And there's more to it than just that, beloved. Remember what else 2nd John warns about, and other places.

We are not to welcome these men and their false teachings into any of those fears, especially those that we have influence and authority over. Notice how emphatic these words are, going so far as to warn of the destructive, sinful consequences of disobeying God's sober warnings and commands in this letter of 2nd John.

I love how the King James puts it in 2nd John verses 10 through 11. If there come any unto you, any, and bring not this doctrine of Christ, the true sound doctrine of Christ, receive him not into your house, your church, neither bid him Godspeed, neither bid him well, neither greet him.

For he that biddeth him Godspeed is what? Partaker of his evil deeds. He participates in his wickedness by doing so. Wow. This is such a sober... how many... and it's sad to see how tragic, how many churches utterly disregard these commands.

They don't take the Word of God seriously when it comes to dealing with deceivers, and false teaching, and teachers. Shame on them. They are in sin, the Bible says. God Himself says, anyone who goes too far and violates God's doctrinal boundaries, and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God at all.

The one who abides in the teaching of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching of Christ, of His Word, of His doctrine, do not receive him into your house, into your church, into your lives, into your homes.

It's not just that he teaches contrary, it's if he doesn't even bring it. If he claims to be of God, and he doesn't bring this teaching, have nothing to do with him, or his teaching. Why? Once again, for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

False teaching and teachers, heretics and heresies, are so dangerous and destructive, and insidious, and subtle, such that we often cannot detect them at first, or often, that even greeting and welcoming them, is to participate in their wickedness.

It is to sin with them in their opposition to God. Did you catch that, beloved? To welcome or receive them is to sin with them in their opposition to God Himself, because of their false teaching, and their deceptions.

And this influence of false teaching and teachers spreads like wildfire. It spreads like wildfire in homes, families, in churches, and seminaries. That's often where it starts. The heretics, the liberals, they take over the seminaries, and they start churning out pastors who are deceived by their teachers, and they start propagating their heresies unto the churches.

One of the devil's many tactics of subverting entire denominations. That's how many denominations have become apostate, because of not doing what 2 John says to do, and platforming and allowing false teachers into their churches and seminaries.

And this isn't, I'm talking about Reformed churches, even Presbyterian churches. People that we are supposed to agree with, that are supposed to be sound, and Protestant, and so on. But it happens over and over again, beloved.

False teaching and teachers adversely affect many, many, especially those who lack discernment. That's the other problem with this struggle. If we had the discernment, this would not be as much of a problem as it is.

But that's our responsibility as well. It is not the sole responsibility of the church or the pastor to equip you to discern. It is yours as well. Hold fast and examine all things, and hold fast only to that which is good.

Amen? We are all called to do that. All of us. Because we all have to discern what our own church is teaching, to make sure that there are not men creeping unnoticed, or that the pastors are not introducing heretical teaching or men into the church.

That's everyone's duty as a believer. So this brings me to a very important question. What do you make of this, beloved? What do you yourselves think of this? Does this command sound harsh, extreme even, that we shouldn't even be welcoming their teaching, their influence?

Don't even greet them, the Bible says. Don't even greet them. It goes without saying that this is an extremely unpopular command these days because of the compromise, because of the sins of ecumenism.

Let's all hold hands because we all believe the same things, don't we? At least the basic stuff, with Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and so on. We all believe, all roads lead to Rome, the same God, don't they?

The sin of feminism. Feminism is utterly destructive because it is weak and passive, and it is an open door for heresy to take over. Feminism itself is a heresy. It's a false teaching. It's everywhere because of spinelessness, because of spineless men who call themselves pastors and teachers, compromise and cowardice.

That's why. Now God's true and faithful church is still out there, beloved. Not every church is like that. There are still faithful men in churches out there. Sometimes they can be a little hard to find them, but they're out there.

God is good and does not allow the gates of hell or Hades to overcome the church, to defeat the church. But many Christians and churches today have strayed and fallen from these biblical standards. Now, as another practical point, you'll often have come across cults.

Welcoming Cult Members Without Receiving Their Teaching

You'll often come across cults and other false religious groups like Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses that will knock on your door, right? And people ask themselves this question, well, 2 John says not to welcome them into your home.

And yes, there's a sense in which we exercise wisdom in these areas. The point of what the Apostle is saying primarily applies to churches. But what he's saying is, do not receive this heresy, this deception into your home, into your thinking, into your life, into your church, into your family.

In other words, if you want to invite them over to talk to them about the gospel, that's fine. Show them why they are wrong. Show them why their gospel is false. That's what the Apostles and their disciples did.

They would talk to people everywhere. They would preach and they would talk to people. But we have to be careful. We have to be ready to handle their heresy because they will deceive you if you are not careful, right?

So that is an important thing to consider as well. Because God very frequently commands us to separate ourselves, distance ourselves completely, completely from evil, right? That should be obvious. That should even go without saying.

From evil men, from evil teaching, from evil works, evil influence. Romans 16, 17. Beloved, Romans 16, 17. Now I urge you brothers, the Apostle Paul, God breathe, the God breathe Apostle Paul. Now I urge you brothers to keep your eye, keep your eye, watch out for those who cause dissensions, divisions, schisms, and stumblings contrary to the teaching which you learned.

And turn away from them. Turn away from them. Have nothing to do with them. Mark and avoid them like the King James says. Mark and avoid these men. Amen. Very black and white, beloved. And this is teaching in general, sound teaching in general.

It's not just a specific teaching. It's not just the denial of the incarnation or the doctrine of Christ, that Jesus is the Christ. Even though the Apostle focuses on these things, the Apostle John is also dealing with the doctrines that Christ himself taught.

It is contrary to the teaching which you learned in general. We have to oppose these men and turn away from them and keep a watchful eye on them so that they do not deceive us in our churches, in our homes.

Let's turn now to 2nd Corinthians, beloved, chapter 4. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, verse 14. I'm sorry, 2nd Corinthians chapter 6, verse 14. 2nd Corinthians 6, 14. God's Word speaks to us and says, do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Do not be unequally united with believers. Do not unequally fellowship with unbelievers. Do not unequally find common ground, false common ground with unbelievers.

Does that include deceivers and antichrists, beloved? You bet it does. They are unbelievers. Because remember what the Apostle said, if you do not confess Jesus Christ, you do not have God at all. They are unbelievers.

They are hypocrites. They say they believe, but they deny the Lord and Master Jesus Christ and the one true God. For what partnership have unrighteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Do not partner with them or fellowship with them because you have nothing in common with them as believers. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, the devil, the demons? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

The obvious question to that rhetorical question, beloved, is nothing. Nothing. Or what agreement has a sanctuary of God with idols? For we are a sanctuary of the living God. Just as God has said, I will dwell in them and walk among them and I will be their God and they shall be my people.

Therefore, what? Come out from their midst, from among them and be ye separate. Separate, says the Lord. And do not touch what is unclean and I will welcome you and I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.

Says the Lord Almighty. That's the same Old Testament teaching and principle. This is directly from the Old Testament, beloved. Ephesians 5 11, memory verse. We need to memorize and internalize these verses, beloved.

Ephesians 5 11. And do not participate in the unfruitful works of darkness. But instead, what? Even expose them. Call them out publicly so it is both defensive as well as offensive. We need to call it out.

They must be silenced, like Paul says to Titus, right? They must be silenced by calling them out publicly and warning others against them and not having anything to do with them and our own lives and churches and families.

Let's turn over to 2nd to 1st Corinthians now, chapter 10. Many important passages here that deal with this. This is only a small sample of how much the scriptures speak to this issue, beloved. It's a small sample but realize how strong these words are.

1st Corinthians 10 verse 14. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to prudent people, wise, discerning people. It is not the cup of blessing which we bless, a sharing in the blood of Christ.

It is not the bread which we break, a sharing in the body of Christ. Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Look at the nation of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices shares in the altar?

What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to who? To demons and not to God.

And I do not want you to become sharers in demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot. You cannot. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Amen. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? No, beloved. It is black and white. God says you better draw the line. You better draw the line between truth and error and lies because if you don't draw it, I will condemn you.

Plain and simple. You do not belong to me and I will condemn you. I will draw the line for you and cast you out. Though you may claim to belong to him, if you do not draw the line in the right place, the Bible says you do not have God at all.

At all. That is how serious this is, beloved. The difference between eternal life and eternal death. The truth of God and his word. Again, this is straight from Isaiah, from the Old Testament because this in many ways is a continuation of Old Testament teaching standards and practice.

Much of this is the same. Now we don't stone false prophets to death anymore, but you know, contrary to what theonomists would say or teach, but they must be silenced. The Bible still says in the New Testament they still have to be silenced and be called out and exposed because any and all friendship with, partnership with, yoking with, alliances with, greeting, accepting, and welcoming sin and the world and lies, deceptions, deceivers, and Antichrist is what to God? Is enmity with God.

Animosity with God. Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world sets himself as an enemy of God and invites God's hostility and wrath upon him. James 4. It's black and white. It is black and white, beloved, and it sounds so extreme and and unhinged these days because so much of what we hear in churches on the radio and TV is utterly, they don't say this.

They neglect this. They don't, they fail to say it and therefore that makes them subject to deception and deceivers. They are in sin because they are not doing what God commands us to do. They are in sin.

You must not only preach sound doctrine, but you must refute those who contradict it as well. The Bible is emphatically clear about those things, not just pastors, beloved, but also us as believers. As individual believers, every single one of us has this duty to guard ourselves and our churches.

The Danger of Conferences and Hero Worship

That's why, that's why very popular today are these Christian conferences, right? And I'm not saying that they're always bad. However, they're oftentimes evil because they may platform otherwise sound preachers and teachers, but oftentimes they will also share the platform with other heretics and false teachers.

So what does that have the effect, that has the effect of validating the heretics because look, they're preaching in the same conference as these other men. Oh, John Piper must be fine because he's preaching with other men like Sproul and John MacArthur and so on.

So they must be okay. We cannot be deceived though, beloved. That's a dangerous error and the people who organize these conferences need to stop sinning and deceiving God's people and be more strict and careful about who they platform, beloved, because they are propagating deception to God's people and they will have to answer to that.

Because if you do not do this, you welcome it and platform it, you participate in the wickedness of these deceivers and false teachers in their own opposition against God. This is serious business, beloved, but God's Word and God provides us everything we need to do these things.

He equips us to do these things and to fellowship with the true church and God's truth rather than lies and distortions of the enemy. And again, this culture that we live in celebrates men and it props men up into platforms and into forms of hero worship.

It foments it, it promotes it, it propagates it, and many of these men who have been propagated and put up have fallen and utterly disgraced themselves and have been exposed because it is unbiblical and sinful to do these kinds of things.

Early Church Practice and Training in Discernment

See, and much of the early church took these apostolic biblical warnings to heart and applied these instructions diligently, as I mentioned before. We've lost that and we have lost that by and large, beloved.

The true church still continues to do these things, but much of what you see, many churches that you see, especially locally here, has lost these, they have disobeyed these commands, these warnings. But the Didache, for example, also known as the teaching of the Twelve Apostles or the teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles through the Twelve Apostles, was an early Christian text dating to the first or second century AD that contains instructions about moral conduct and liturgy.

Liturgy is how you order your church services, order of worship. Although viewed as non-canonical, the Didache did have some level of authority in the early church and is part of a collection known as the Apostolic Fathers, right?

It was an early Christian document. Now, here's what FF Bruce has to say about this document. Notice what he describes here in quotes from in the Didache. The Didache gives priority to doctrinal criterion about Christ, about true Christology, about the truth.

After summarizing the way of life and the way of death, the peripateo, right? And the proper procedure for baptism, fasting in the Eucharist, it goes on. Listen to this. Whosoever then comes and teaches you all these things aforesaid, receive him, welcome him, right?

If, however, the teacher himself is perverted and teaches another doctrine to destroy these things, do not listen to him. But his teaching promotes righteousness and knowledge. But if his teaching promotes righteousness and the knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord.