So, what do we do? How do we avoid being deceived by these wolves? Relying on sound doctrine and avoiding these false teachers all together. That’s the key- sound doctrine! Dealing with the wolf requires that we effort to prevent the wolf from entering the church to begin with. 2 Timothy 3:1-17 more fully explains the dangers of allowing false teaching to creep into the church. We often quote vv. 1-5 which describes the sinful attitudes and behaviors that characterize people in the last days and observe the warning to stay away from them:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
We often think of “them” as only referring to those who are obviously and outwardly perceived to be actively sinning. We are also told that “them” includes those who are outwardly perceived to be holy and righteous but who are actually empty inside and only take on the “form of godliness. The word μόρφωσιν, or “form,” refers to an outward resemblance of something that is different than the internal reality. Jesus illuminates this type of false godliness in the Pharisees in Matthew 23:27-28:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
We are told to have “nothing to do with” these type of people. The word used here, ἀποτρέπου, means “turn away from/shun/avoid,” and is used in the imperative, so it is a command. So, we must avoid those who pretend to be righteous.
Continuing in 2 Timothy 3, we often quote Paul’s admonition to Timothy to “continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of” (v. 13) and his insistence that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (vv. 16-17). We seem to ignore Paul’s warning in vv. 6-7 of a further clarification of false teachers in the church:
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Verse 6 refers to ἐνδύνοντες, or “enter/hide/sneak/creep/worm into,” which clearly indicates the subtleness by which false teaching slithers its way into the church. What Paul clearly asserts is the only prevention and intervention in dealing with false teaching is sound doctrine!
Romans 16:17 addresses how to deal with those who cause division and teach contrary to the Scriptures: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” Here, ἐκκλίνετε, or “turn aside from/shun,” was often used in reference to a soldier going AWOL (Away Without Leave) or permanently abandoning their post. Again, we are to have nothing to do with such people.
So, how to we do this? How do we stop the false teaching from entering the church to begin with. We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Acts 17:11 says, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” We are to actively and continually compare what is being taught within the church to what is actually taught in the Word of God. Anything or anyone not in agreement with His Word must be specifically rejected and avoided. To tolerate false teaching is to elevate tone above truth.
If we look at the beginning and development of the church at Ephesus, we see the subtleness and destructiveness of allowing false teaching to infiltrate our local churches. The Ephesian church was started by Apollos around AD 51 (Acts 18:24). Apollos was taught by Aquilla and Pricilla (Acts 18:26) and his ministry influenced the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 1:12). This church was founded around AD 57 while Paul was traveled in Macedonia and Greece (Acts 20). We find that Paul wrote 1 Timothy around AD 62-64 shortly after Paul’s release from his first imprisonment in Rome. Here, Paul reminded Timothy that he left Timothy in Ephesus to deal with false teachers:
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing 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 departed from these and have 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. (1 Timothy 1:3-7)
Paul named names, too. In his first letter to Timothy in AD 62-64, Paul identifies two false teachers by name in 1:18-20:
Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
In his second letter to Timothy in AD 66-67, Paul adds two more names in 1:15, “You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes.” Paul then brings up a previous name and adds yet another name in 2:17-18, “Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.” Here, Paul not only gives the names of false teachers but also details their specific false teachings.
So, let’s delve deeper into the timeline here. First, the Ephesian church began with Apollos around AD 51 (Acts 18:24). He was taught by Aquilla and Priscilla (Acts 18:26) and his ministry influenced the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 1:12). Second, Paul pastored and established the church AD 54-57. Third, after leaving the church Paul had to address the elders in AD 60-62 regarding false teachers, as recorded in Acts 20:28-31. Fourth, around AD 62-64 then again in AD 66-67, Paul had to write to Timothy regarding specific false teachers and their false teachings. So, after AD 57 when Paul left the Ephesian church, false teachers infiltrated as sheep and had to be thrown out of the church by AD 62-64- within less than a decade!
It should not be surprising, then, that Paul’s letter to this Ephesian church provides excellent guidance regarding how we should prevent and address false teaching creeping into our local churches. Ephesians 4 details how and why we are to live a life “worthy of the calling you have received “ (v. 1). We are to be humble, gentle, patient with one another (v. 2) and to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (v. 3). This “unity” is maintained through Christ’s giving to us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (v. 11) to “equip” and build us up (v. 11) until we “reach unity” and “become mature” (v. 13). The stated result of this unity is that we will no longer be “tossed back and forth” by “every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (v. 14). Verse 15 asserts that “instead/but/contrary” to this false teaching we are to separate ourselves from it by “speaking the truth in love.” We are to “no longer live as the Gentiles do” (v. 17) as they have futile thinking (v. 17), they are separated from God due to ignorance caused by the hardening of their hearts (v. 18), and indulge in impurity and greed due to lost sensitivity and submission to sensuality (v. 19). This is contrary to what we were taught “in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus” (vv. 20-21), where we are told to put off our old selves which are “corrupted by its deceitful desires,” and to put on the new self “to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be life God is true righteousness and holiness” (vv. 22-24).
The source of all of this equipping and transformation remains “one body and one Spirit” (v. 4), “one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (vv. 5-6), Christ is the Head of His body, the church and each of us, as members of His body, are to maintain unity in accordance with the truth found in Christ.
A detailed view into verse 25 reveals how to maintain this unity: ”Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor for we are members of one another.” First, the use of the word for “laying aside” in the aorist participle, ἀποθέμενοι, means “laying aside once and for all.” This was a commonly used word in connection to a competitive runner who would strip off all of his clothes prior to running to compete in the nude. Paul refers to being made new as including “laying aside once and for all” τὸ ψεῦδος, or “falsehood.” Paul could have used the word ψεύδομαι or “lies.” Both words carry the connotation of intent to deceive. So, why use “falsehood.” The word used here specifically includes not just a conscious and intentional lie through spoken words but specific intent to deceive through any means necessary to include presenting someone or something as other than who or what they really are through a twisting of the truth to present a distortion of the truth as truth for personal gain. Here, Paul instructs us to permanently abandon any intentional deception through either a verbal or non-verbal twisting of any truth, regardless of how subtle or overt. We will observe, such subtle and overt twisting has been used and condoned by SBC leaders. This is contrary to what we find in 1 Timothy 3:1: “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”
Secondly, Paul insists that we replace falsehood with the admonition to λαλεῖτε ἀλήθειαν, or “speak truth.” Again, Paul could have used a different word for speak, but he used λαλέω. The word λέγω also means “speak.” Both words carry the idea of using the mouth to convey a thought. The word chosen for this verse carries a broader connotation that includes any sounds uttered by both animals and humans. In this sense, this word carries a broader application to include the smallest sound uttered by a person must be “truth.” There is, therefore, no excuse to allow even the smallest utterance from our mouth to include anything other than truth. We will observe within the SBC that careful attention to what is portrayed as truth seems only significant in the context of how the world perceives us rather than how God does.
Thirdly, Paul includes τὸ ψεῦδος or “each one of you” after “speak truth.” There is obviously no distinction here between leadership and laity. There is no room for any of us to rationalize our unwillingness to speak or display truth, regardless of the motive. Failure to speak or portray truth not an option. The imperative use of the word “speak” here as well as the inclusion of “each one of you,” undeniably removes any doubt that all of us, regardless of our position within any denomination or local assembly, are required to “speak truth.” We will observe how the leadership within the SBC elevates themselves to such a level where they remove accountability for their own speech and actions. Those who call them out on their false teaching are told they have a poor tone rather than admit they are not speaking truth.
Lastly, Paul follows with the inclusion of μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ or “with his neighbor.” The word here, πλησίον, or “neighbor,” can broadly refer to anyone we come into contact with, or it can refer to a close friend. The context here requires us to view “neighbor” here as those closest to us in the local church. We find this through the ending phrase in this verse, ὅτι ἐσμὲν ἀλλήλων μέλη, or “for we are members of one another.” Paul insists on maintaining unity because we are members of the same body with Christ as the Head and that being made new requires that we, each one of us, speak and portray truth without any attempt to twist it for our own personal gain. We will observe how the SBC seems increasingly focused on fostering and maintaining unity with the secular world rather than fellow Christians. This contradicts the warning we find in James 4:4: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
Furthermore, in Acts 20:28-31, Paul visits the elders of the Ephesian church and says:
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
The phrase in v. 30, λαλοῦντες διεστραμμένα, or “distort the truth,” or “speaking distorted/twisted things.” This is often translated as “perverse things,” which carries a connotation of sinful or depraved behavior. Actually, here this specifically refers to those leaders who will arise from among the ranks in the local church who will intentionally distort/twist the truth to ἀποσπᾶν, or “draw/tear away” people to follow them. Notice Paul refers to these people as λύκοι βαρεῖς, or “savage wolves,” and that they come from εἰς ὑμᾶς, or “among you.” This clearly refers to false teachers that are within the church. This is clearly not referring to any sort of external threat.
Oftentimes, we overemphasize verses such as Ephesians 4:15 where we are told to speak the truth “in love” and downplay the seriousness of keeping watch for and guarding against false teachers and their twisted truths as they are referred to as “savage wolves.” Picture this- A raging and savage wolf makes its way into a local church sanctuary and is running amuck in pursuit of someone to pounce upon. Is it loving to quietly mention the possible presence of a actual raging wolf running amuck through a local church sanctuary as to not offend anyone? Is it loving to ignore the wolf as to not disrupt the unity of the service? Is it loving to treat the wolf as merely misguided and needing to be cared for and calmed down so he can enjoy the rest of the service? Is it loving to simply ignore the wolf and assume all is well? All no! Loving means we warn everyone of the danger of the wolf. Loving means we actively war with that wolf and get him out! Loving means we actively watch for the wolf we are told is coming. Loving means we guard against the wolf. Loving means we stop the wolf! We must choose truth over tone.
This example from Ephesus provides a framework for preventing and addressing false teachings. First, we must remember that Christ as the Head of His church and the source of all equipping and transformation. Second, every local body of believers must remain unified in maintaining a reliance upon and continued teaching of the truth of the Scriptures and reject and avoid anything or anyone who contradicts it. Third, we must speak the truth and name names in love. Fourth, we must hold one another (regardless of status or position) accountable for our speech and actions and align these with the truth of the Scriptures. Lastly, we must admit that some of those among us are wolves in sheep’s clothing and we must identify them and avoid them.
Additionally, we must also be mindful that God provides consequences for both those who commit sin and those who are innocent but allow sins to continue or remain unpunished. First, we find the specific example of David and how God punished him for his specific acts of sin. In 2 Samuel 11-12 King David slept with Bathsheba, a married woman, then got her pregnant, tried to insinuate her husband was the father, then had the husband murdered and took her as his wife. For all of this, God allowed the child to be born, then allowed the child to die. There are many examples of such consequences but it remains evident that God extends punishment to those who commit sin.
Second, we find an example of how God provides consequences for those who are indeed innocent but cover-up or otherwise ignore the sinful speech and actions of others. A detailed view into the story of Eli and his sons in 1 Samuel 2-3 demonstrates the importance of not just calling out sins but providing consequences as well. The Hebrew text here refers to Eli’s sons as בְּנֵי בְלִיָּעַל, or “sons of Belial,” which compares them to a pagan god and was commonly understood to mean worthless/scoundrels. They were unsatisfied with their allotted portion of the sacrifices, so they would steal more of the meat for themselves (2:13-17). They also had sexual relations with the women who served in the tabernacle (2:22). These deeds were widely known among the people (2:24). It says here they לֹא יָדְעוּ, or they “do not know/have no regard for” the Lord. They were raised in the house of a priest and served along-side the future priest, Samuel, who “continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people” (2:26).
When Eli was “very old” and heard about “everything” his sons were doing he confronted them:
So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death. (2:22-25)
Ok, great. Eli confronted his sons regarding their sins against God. What did Eli do next? Nothing. He allowed his sons to continue on with their priestly duties as if the conversation had never occurred. There was absolutely zero accountability for their actions. Therefore, God told Samuel he would enact punishment on Eli’s household and legacy “’because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them’” (3:13). Clearly, God took seriously Eli’s failure to punish his sons after learning of the extent of their offenses. Eli was not being punished for his involvement in their offenses but was being punished for the failure to deal with their actions other than merely mentioning it to them.
The sons of Eli were in line to succeed him as high priest. We observe that Eli told his sons that he hears from all the people about their sins, the report of these sins is spreading and the report is “not good.” While we have no clear indication of how long these reports had been spreading, it should be fair to assume that Eli did not immediately address their actions as soon as he directly and specifically became aware of them. Based on the content of his discussion with his sons observe a concentration on maintaining the legacy of Eli and his household among the people. It’s this legacy that God destroys as punishment for Eli’s failure to properly address:
Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. (2:30-33)
It is this exact same type of attempt at legacy preservation among far too many leaders within the Southern Baptist Convention that is evidenced by an ongoing failure to address the speech and actions of fellow leaders and provide any consequences for them. Should they expect any less accountability for these leaders than God had for Eli regarding the speech and actions of his sons? Should those of us who are found blameless be held any less accountable than Eli? Should we be any less concerned with the apparent cover-up of the sins of others even though we are not directly engaging in those same sins? Should we be any less concerned that God will enact a similar punishment on the leadership of the SBC that will equally crush it’s legacy?
Sadly, Church leaders have used these fallacies in futile attempts to manipulate God’s people into doubting what His Word clearly states and following man-made ideologies or practices. Paul warns in 2 Timothy 4:1-5:
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
1 John 4:1 also warns “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” So, it is not just a warning that people will be willing to turn from the truth to error, but is also a warning that there are people who will be complicit in this turn into error by teaching it to them.
Anyone willing to look at the condition of the modern world with both eyes will notice a definite shift, particularly since the emergence of and resulting political and social responses to the Covid-19 virus. To the discerning Christian, it is painfully obvious that there is, as warned, an ongoing moral decline as a result of the wanting to satisfy those itching ears. The efforts of the Church to be the Church by being “salt” and “light” (Matthew 5:13-14) and fulfilling Jesus’ command to “make disciples” through “baptizing” and “teaching” (Matthew 28:19-20) must remain grounded in the Word of God and NOT in man-made fallacies. Truth must prevail over any desire to maintain a certain tone to a watching world.
In response to the need to combat this moral decline, the Church often focuses on the symptoms of decline rather than the cause- man’s willingness to doubt what God has clearly said and do what is right in his own eyes. In focusing on the symptoms, we will never be able to adhere to Paul’s admonition in 1 Timothy 4:16 to “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” For example, a symptom of decline is low local church attendance. Ultimately, the cure to this is not creating a “seeker-sensitive” smoke-and-mirror show to get butts in the pews. The cure is “making disciples” by “baptizing” and “teaching” and His disciples will naturally want to and will faithfully attend a local church. Likewise, the symptom of lowering financial giving to the local church is not cured by mandating a required at least 10% tithe from local church members. The cure, again, is “making disciples” by “baptizing” and “teaching” and His disciples will naturally want to and will faithfully give generously.
