"Warning Against False Teachers" April 7, 2024

First Baptist Church Leominster

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us in Jesus Christ and Lord as we continue our study now first Timothy we pray you would give us understanding of your word and help it to apply it to ourselves and to our church we pray our

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God that you give great grace to pastor Jason now as he comes and opens your word to us fill him with the blessed

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Holy Spirit our God empower him help him to speak clearly help is the mind to be sharp our

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God formulating his words and help us our God fill us with the Holy Spirit that we might hear and receive the truth that you have for us this day from this portion of your most holy word for it's in Jesus name we do pray our father amen one of the most common and recurring threats to the church is doctrinal error arguably it's the greatest threat to the church because doctrinal error attacks the very nature and character of the

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Lord God it attacks the veracity of the Lord God and his word the

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Lord God is truth and his word is truth the most persistent and tenacious attacks on the church have been and will continue to be false and erroneous teaching you see the great enemy of our souls is a deceiver he is a schemer a trickster and a fraud in the book of John the

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Lord Jesus Christ stated John 844 you were of your father the devil and your will is to do your father's desires he was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him when he lies he speaks out of his own character for he is a liar and the father of lies indeed there is no truth in our adversary he was a liar from the beginning he is the father of lies our adversary often disguises himself as an angel of light seeking to corrupt deceive and lead us astray the servants of our adversary will likewise disguised themselves as servants of righteousness seeking to do the same the enemies of the

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Lord God in his church continually seek to distort and pervert the truth to confuse and deceive the children of God with all manner of error falsehood and trickery if the

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Lord God sows the seed of truth then our adversaries will likewise so the seeds of corrupted truth if the message of the gospel is proclaimed that our adversaries will likewise proclaim a false gospel message our adversary and his servants of unrighteousness continually seek to deceive distort distract diminish and disregard the truth of the scriptures in an attempt to confuse corrupt and mislead the children of God therefore we must be watchful we must be alert and sober minded we must be on guard and standing firm against these supernatural deceiving schemers beloved we must always remember

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Ephesians 612 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic powers over this present darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm beloved stand firm in the truth your adversary and the spiritual forces of evil are working hard for your destruction this is why the scriptures are replete with warnings cautions and admonitions against false prophets false teachers and false teaching

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Matthew 715 beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves second

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Peter 2 verses 1 through 3 but false prophets also arose among the people just as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies even denying the master who bought them bringing upon themselves swift destruction and many will follow their sensuality and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed and in their greed they will exploit you with false words their condemnation from long ago is not idle and their destruction is not asleep first John 4 1 beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God for many false prophets have gone out into the world these verses are a good summary of our present reality many false prophets and false teachers exist within our world many false prophets and false teachers exist within a few miles of this congregation and thanks to social media false prophets false teachers and false teaching are just one or two clicks away beloved heed these warnings of scripture do not believe them do not be exploited by their words do not blaspheme the way of truth do not follow their sensuality do not listen to their destructive heresies do not be devoured by their teaching do not be tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes instead line up every single word to the truth of the scriptures in the things that you read in the things that you hear in your conversations with family friends and co -workers even the things that you hear from this pulpit this present sermon included you must prayerfully examine everything in light of the scriptures to see if they are indeed true examine and test everything to see whether or not these things are so be watchful be alert be sober -minded and line everything up to the truth of the scriptures the church at Ephesus despite its rich history had its fair share of false teachers and doctrinal error just as the

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Apostle Paul had predicted upon his departure acts 2028 he writes pay careful attention to yourselves and do all the flock in which the

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Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the Church of God which he obtained with his own blood

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I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them indeed fierce and savage wolves peddling their doctrinal air had made their way into the church at Ephesus men from among their own congregation had risen to prominence speaking twisted and heretical things in an attempt to draw away the disciples after them the church at Ephesus had failed to heed

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Paul's warning pay careful attention to yourselves and do all the flock this is why the book of 1st

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Timothy was written Paul's letter to Timothy was an attempt to correct the doctrinal error at Ephesus by admonishing and rebuking the false teachers and their false teaching and returning the church to sound doctrine to healthy doctrine to the sound and healthy words of our

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Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords or agrees with godliness please turn with me to the book of 1st

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Timothy our text this morning is 1st Timothy 1 verses 3 to 7 as I urged you when

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I was going to Macedonia remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith certain persons by swerving from these have wandered away into vain discussion desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions over the next couple of months we're going to be unpacking this passage this morning we'll be looking at verses 3 through 4

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Timothy's charge to the false teachers and then next month we'll attempt to unpack the rest of this passage in verses 3 through 4 we see

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Timothy's charge to the false teachers in verse 5 we see Paul and Timothy's charge in contrast to the false teachers and in verses 6 and 7 we see the results and the motivation of false teachers let's again look at 1st

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Timothy 1 verses 3 through 4 as I urged you when I was going to Macedonia remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith

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Timothy was to remain at Ephesus to charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies charge was a term commonly used in both military and judicial circles charge was a term that was used to describe an authoritative command an order that was to be followed without bias or prejudice the term was also used to describe an official summons to a court of law that likewise must be followed and must be obeyed

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Timothy was to command certain persons to stop teaching different doctrine to stop teaching false doctrine to stop teaching heretical doctrine this was not to be a suggestion it was to be an authoritative command just as a military general would command and expect obedience from his troops just as a judge would order and expect obedience from his court

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Timothy was to charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine

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I became a full -time pastor when

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I was 32 years old I was young and inexperienced as Pastor Lars can attest and there were certain things in ministry that I used to dread things like dealing with conflict and division putting down grumbling in dissension but what was especially difficult was confronting elders or teachers in their doctrinal air

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I often picture Timothy receiving this letter from Paul receiving it with great anticipation and excitement and then reading verse 3

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Timothy charged certain persons not to teach any different doctrine authoritatively charged certain persons not to teach any different doctrine upon reading these words

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I would surmise that his heart sunk mine would have this would have been a very complicated and difficult task

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Timothy was a young man Timothy was a timid man he was a sickly man and he was an outsider he wasn't from the city of Ephesus he was from the region of Lystra and yet Timothy was tasked with correcting and reforming an established church he would be charging commanding and ordering older men more experienced men more gifted men men with more influence history and rapport with the church at Ephesus this was no easy task church reform is never an easy task but it is a necessary one the truth of the

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Lord God must be upheld the truth of the Lord God must be proclaimed and doctrinal error and its proponents must be exposed and eradicated from the church a little leaven will leaven the whole lump of dough and a little bit of air can contaminate corrupt and divide a whole congregation at Ephesus certain persons were contaminating corrupting and dividing the church by teaching a different doctrine hetero did ask aleo which is a compound of two words of a different kind and to teach referring to teaching of a different kind this is a unique word and that it is only used in this letter it is used here in first Timothy 1 3 and it is used in first Timothy 6 3 which reads if anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our

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Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing on this term

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John Stott remarked the verb hetero did ask aleo different doctrine clearly indicates that there is a norm of doctrine from which false teachers had deviated it is variously designated in the pastorals it is called the faith the truth the sound doctrine the teaching and the good deposit in nearly every one of these expressions the noun is preceded by the definite article indicated that already a body of doctrine existed which was an agreed -upon standard by which all teaching should be tested and judged it was the teaching of Christ and the apostles so what is different doctrine what constitutes different doctrine it is any doctrine or teaching that deviates from the teaching of the

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Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles it is any doctrine or teaching that does not agree with the sound words of our

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Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness it is any doctrine or teaching that contradicts the character of the

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Lord God or his revelation to us the scriptures anything other than these is outside the norm anything else is different doctrine and it must be refuted and it must be rejected for example any doctrine that denies the existence of the

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Lord God the creator of the heavens and earth is a different doctrine 1st

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Corinthians 8 verses 5 and 6 for although there may be so -called gods in heaven or on earth as indeed there are many gods and many lords yet for us there is one

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God the Father from whom are all things and from whom we exist and one

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Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist any doctrine that denies the deity of the

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Lord Jesus Christ is a different doctrine John 1 1 in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the word was

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God verse 14 the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory glory is of the only son from the father full of grace and truth in Colossians 2 9 we read that in him in Jesus the fullness the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily and you have been filled in him who was the head of all rule and authority if your view of the

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Lord Jesus Christ is wrong then your view of the Lord God is wrong because in Christ the whole fullness of deity dwells any doctrine that denies salvation by grace alone through faith alone because of Jesus Christ alone is a different doctrine

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Ephesians 2 8 9 for you for by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing it is the gift of God not a result of works so that no one may boast acts 411 this

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Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you the builders which has become the cornerstone verse 12 and there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved there is no salvation outside of Christ Jesus salvation is not your own doing it's not a result of your works your heritage or by following any man -made system it is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ Jesus and his work alone any doctrine that denies the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a different doctrine 1st

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Corinthians 15 14 through 17 and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain we are even found to be misrepresenting

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God because we testified about God that he raised Christ whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised for if the dead are not raised not even

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Christ has been raised and if Christ has not been raised your faith is futile and you are still in your sins any doctrine that denies the need to be regenerated or born again is a different doctrine

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John 3 3 Jesus answered him truly truly I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God any doctrine that denies the good news of salvation the gospel is a different doctrine 1st

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Corinthians 15 now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preach to you which you received in which you stand and by which you are being saved if you hold fast to the word

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I preach to you unless you believed in vain for I deliver to you as a first importance what

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I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures that he was buried that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve to those who follow teach and proclaim any different doctrine their end will be tragic the followers of different doctrine will meet a disastrous end and the teachers and preachers of different doctrine will be judged with greater strictness and severity the

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Apostle Paul frequently condemned those who proclaimed a different doctrine a different gospel in his rebuke to the church at Galatia he writes

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Galatians 1 I'm astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel not that there is another one but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ but even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you let him be accursed as we have said before so now

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I say again if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received let him be accursed beloved to follow a false gospel to follow any different doctrine is to desert the

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Lord God who called you into the grace in which you stand there is only one gospel the true gospel there is only one doctrine the sound doctrine there is only one theology the right theology there is only one truth the

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Lord God is truth I am the way I am the truth

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I am the life every other gospel every other doctrine every other theology is wrong

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Irvin Bavinck in his book reform dogmatics remarked

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God is the truth in its absolute fullness he therefore is the primary the original truth the source of all truth the truth in all truth he is the ground of the truth of the true being of all things of their knowability and conceivability the ideal the archetype of all truth of all ethical being of all rules and laws in light of which the nature and manifestation of all things should be judged and on which they should be modeled

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God is the source and origin of the knowledge of truth in all areas of life the

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Lord God is true the Lord God cannot lie and all that he has revealed to us is truth as our confession of faith states in article 1 paragraph 1 therefore the

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Lord was pleased at different times and in various ways to reveal himself and to declare his will to his church to preserve and propagate the truth better and to establish and comfort the church with greater certainty against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of Satan in the world the

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Lord put this revelation completely in writing in paragraph 6 the whole counsel of God concerning everything essential for his own glory and man's salvation faith and life is either explicitly stated or by necessary inference contained in the holy scriptures nothing is to be added to the scriptures either by new revelation of the spirit or by human traditions the scriptures are authoritative infallible sufficient and complete there is nothing else that needs to be added to the scriptures and there is nothing that needs to be taken away from the scriptures all things pertaining to life and godliness are ours through the scriptures all that we need to grow and mature in Christ likeness has been provided through the sufficient word of God thus the scriptures are the benchmark the scriptures are the final standard to which every other doctrine is to be judged and anything that does not line up with the scriptures is to be considered different doctrine and it should be avoided at all costs in addition to teaching any different doctrine the certain persons of Ephesus also had another major shortcoming first Timothy 1 3 through 4 as I urged you when

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I was going to Macedonia remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine verse 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith the certain persons at Ephesus we're not only teaching different doctrine but they had also devoted themselves to myths and endless genealogies the term devoted means to exhibit strong enthusiasm or strong passion it can also be translated as to cling or to pay close attention

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Paul uses this same word in first Timothy 3 8 but here it is translated as addicted deacons are not to be addicted to much wine deacons are not to be devoted to much wine same word these certain persons had a very unhealthy obsession and preoccupation with myths and endless genealogies but what are myths and endless genealogies to what is this phrase referring it's difficult to determine the exact meaning but we are given some clues from the rest of the pastoral epistles myths are fictional stories their legends their fables myths are false and untrustworthy in first Timothy 4 7

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Paul calls these myths irreverent and silly myths are fables that are fit only for old women their old wives tale in Titus 1 14 he refers to them as being

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Jewish in nature and he links them with the commands of people who turn away from the truth we see both of these thoughts come together in 2nd

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Timothy 4 for Paul warns that a time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths genealogies are the record of your ancestral descent it's when you trace back your history in an attempt to reconstruct your family tree the false teachers at Ephesus were not only devoted to myths but also to endless genealogies in his commentary on the book of Ephesians William Barclay gives an illustration of the folly and danger of being devoted to these things he writes one of the characteristics of the ancient world was that the poets and even the historians love to work out romantic and fictitious tales about the foundation of cities and of families they would tell how some

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God came to earth and founded the city or took in marriage some mortal maid and founded a family the ancient world was full of stories like that the ancient world also had a passion for genealogies we can see that even in the

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Old Testament with its chapters and names and in the New Testament with its genealogies of Jesus with which

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Matthew and Luke begin their Gospels a man like Alexander the Great had completely artificial pedigree constructed in which he traced his back on the one side to Achilles and Andromache and on the other to Perseus and Hercules it would be the easiest thing in the world for Christianity to get lost in endless and fabulous stories about the origins and in elaborate and imaginary genealogies that was the danger that was inherent in the situation in which

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Christian thought was developing endless and fabulous stories that was the danger that the church in Ephesus was facing fabulous stories that would detract from the message and purpose of the church the certain persons who were teaching at Ephesus were devoted to these things they were addicted to these things and the negative effects of their teaching were clearly manifest verse 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith devotion to myths and endless genealogies had resulted in the promotion of speculations within the church rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith different translators translate this passage differently the

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ESV says myths and genealogies promote speculations in the Christian standard version they promote empty speculations in the

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New American Standard they give rise to useless speculations the

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New King James they cause disputes and in the King James they minister questions in the

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Greek the term speculation means to seek and inquire to question and debate in other words myths and endless genealogies will lead to arguments and quarrels myths and endless genealogies will promote empty questions and useless debates which will cause disputes disorder and division within a church myths and endless genealogies will promote controversy which is how the term is translated elsewhere in the pastoral epistles if anyone teaches a different doctrine 1st

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Timothy 6 4 he's puffed up with conceit and understands nothing he has an unhealthy craving for controversy or speculations and for quarrels about words which produce envy dissension slander evil suspicions 2nd

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Timothy 2 23 have nothing to do with foolish ignorant controversies or foolish and ignorant speculations you know that they breed quarrels and in Titus 3 9 he writes avoid foolish controversies avoid foolish speculations genealogies dissensions and quarrels about the law for they are unprofitable they're worthless myths and endless genealogies draw people away from the important doctrinal matters and lead them into empty and vain discussions these things draw people away from the truth of the

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Lord God away from the gospel message away from the central teaching of the scriptures and their fruit they produce envy dissension slander evil suspicions these things breed quarrels conflict and contention these things are worthless and unprofitable devotion to myths and endless genealogies will result in a deeply troubled congregation are any of these things a danger to the contemporary church what are the myths and genealogies that breed controversy in our church today

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Philip Graham Reichen in his commentary on the book of Ephesians writes this the myths and endless genealogies of the present day are extra biblical texts which are treated as scripture many cult writings like the

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Book of Mormon fall into this category so does the Apocrypha if it is regarded as sacred sacred scripture for these ancient texts were rejected by the

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Jews as not belonging to the Word of God another example is the so -called Gospel of Thomas which the

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Jesus seminar and other heretical groups have tried to make famous the Gospel of Thomas was compiled in Egypt sometime between 150 and 350

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AD it claims to contain a hundred and twenty secret words of the living

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Jesus but although a few of its teachings echo the biblical Gospels the rest are all myths

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I remember a very popular book in the late 90s the

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Bible Code by Michael Drosnin and the Bible Code provided students of the

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Bible with a list of encoded words that could be used to predict significant historical and future events such as the

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Gulf War the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin as well as the tragedy of September 11th all of these events could be found in the scriptures by using this secret and hidden code as it turns out you can use this code on just about any book a computer programmer took this code and he made an algorithm and he applied it to Melville's book

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Moby Dick which predicted the murders of Lincoln Trotsky Gandhi Martin Luther King John F Kennedy and Princess Diana you know

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I found a book online that also predicted the outcome of the 2024 presidential race by using numbers and certain codes the following statements emerged from the scriptures he demands justice from the alien the burdens of Caesar are lightened and my favorite my beloved builds a wall if you find that prediction troubling take heart there was also another book which used the same techniques but predicted his fall and demise beloved all of these things are rubbish they're ridiculous secret codes and numerology are not a sound method for studying the scriptures you cannot ascertain the will of God through these things this is mysticism these are nothing but silly and irreverent myths

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I think that a lot of the time end times prophecy falls under this category there is a tremendous amount of speculation regarding eschatology the study of the last things there seems to be no end to prophetic books sermons and conferences anytime something significant or out of the ordinary happens in the world the market is flooded with articles and books by authors who use the

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Bible as a prophetic handbook to try to ascertain where we are in regards to eternity the emphasis of New Testament eschatology is never on predicting a specific date but it is on living in a certain way the

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New Testament passages regarding the end times whenever a day of the Lord is mentioned instruction is then given for example first Peter 4 7 the end of all things is at hand therefore be self -controlled and sober -minded for the sake of your prayers above all keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins show hospitality to one another without grumbling as each has received a gift use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace whoever speaks as one who speaks oracles of God whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies in order that in everything

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God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to him belong glory and dominion forever and ever notice in that passage that there is no encouragement to predict a specific date or a time there's no call for erratic or extraordinary behavior there is no call for drastic measures to be taken rather in waiting for the end to come be self -controlled and sober -minded in light of the end love one another earnestly and use your gifts to serve one another as history marches to a close in everything do all to the glory of God sound doctrine leads to a life of godliness orthodoxy right doctrine leads to orthopraxy right practice myths and endless genealogies wrong doctrine leads to speculation and controversy wrong conduct beloved all of these things detract from the truth of the scriptures they detract from the message of the cross extra biblical texts secret codes numerology all of these things are false the scriptures are not a coded message that requires a secret encoder the

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Lord God did not hide secret messages in the scriptures for only a few of us to find all of these things reject the perpiscuity of the scriptures the plain clear simple clarity of the scriptures

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Psalm 119 130 it is the unfolding of your words that give light it imparts understanding to the simple

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Psalm 19 7 the law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul the testimony of the

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Lord is sure making wise the simple Psalm 119 105 your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path on the perpiscuity of the scriptures our confession of faith states some things in scripture are clearer than others and some people understand the teachings more clearly than others however the things that must be known believed and obeyed for salvation are so clearly set forth and explained in one part of scripture or another that both the educated and the uneducated may achieve a sufficient understanding of them by properly using ordinary means amen to that there are some passages and concepts in the scriptures that are not so easily understood some things are clearer than others but the way to discover the true meaning of these hard passages is not to seek out the hidden meaning through mystical means but to engage in diligent study as a worker who has no need to be ashamed handling rightly the word of truth different doctrine myths and endless genealogies promote speculation they promote controversy they promote division all of these things bring great reproach and dishonor to the

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Lord our God additionally none of these things promote what is necessary look again at verse 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote speculation rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith the teaching of sound doctrine promotes the stewardship from God that is by faith this phrase is referring to the plan of salvation the stewardship from God that is by faith is the order or arrangement by which the

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Lord God redeemed sinners through his son sanctifies them through his spirit and edified sin builds them up through other believers the goal of faithfully proclaiming the scriptures is to glorify

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God and it is to edify the body this is why pastors and teachers were given to the body

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Ephesians 411 he gave the Apostles the prophets the evangelists the shepherds and teachers to equip the

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Saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the

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Son of God to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes rather speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love certain persons at Ephesus who were teaching different doctrine and devoting themselves to myths and endless genealogies and were speculating and quarreling about insignificant and unimportant matters instead of advancing the kingdom of the

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Lord God through the proclamation of the gospel through the proclamation Jesus is

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Lord beloved sound doctrine promotes several ends it promotes stewardship it promotes godliness and maturity it promotes unity it promotes conformity to the image of the

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Lord Jesus Christ it promotes service to others it protects us from the lies the errors and the myths of our adversaries avoid anything that gets in the way of your devotion to the

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Lord God avoid anything that redirects your focus from the Lord God onto something else there are a lot of different doctrines out there there's a lot of weird stuff steer clear of them look at the world look at the things in the world through the lens of the scriptures through the lens of the

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Lord Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross I'll close with words from John 1st

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John 4 1 to 6 beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God for many false prophets have gone out into the world by this you know the

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Spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and every spirit that does not confess

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Jesus is not from God this is the Spirit of the Antichrist which you heard was coming and now is in the world already little children you are from God and you have overcome them for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world they are from the world therefore they speak from the world and the world listens to them we are from God whoever knows

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God listens to us whoever is not from God does not listen to us by this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error may the

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Lord God guide us and protect us in our pursuit of truth our father thank you for this encouraging scripture we thank you for Timothy we thank you

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Lord that even though he's known as timid Timothy Lord he needed boldness in order to accomplish these things

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Lord I believe that he trusted in you and he was able to refute these false teachers even though it was difficult

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Lord just because something is difficult doesn't mean that we should not try to do it and so Lord we pray that we would filter everything that we hear that we read through the lens of the scriptures we pray

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Lord that we would not be caught off guard we pray that we would be alert that we would dig in that we would understand your truth well enough to look out and see the error and Lord when we see error

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I pray that we would address it in a loving manner I pray Lord that we would speak the truth in love help us