Tri-Annual Singing!
February 21, 2026
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Category: False Teachers
Subject: False Teachers
The First Serious Issue in the Church
A discussion of the question whether Gentiles should be allowed in the Messianic Kingdom (Acts 10, 14, 15)
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Godliness as a Means of Gain
Paul warned against divisive errorists among the brethren in 1 Timothy 6. He described them as proud, unwilling to submit to God’s will, obsessed with matters bringing envy, strife and wranglings among brethren. He said their minds were corrupt, and they were destitute of truth, “who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (6:3-5).
What is the meaning of that phrase? The Greek word (porismos) indicates a source of gain or procuring. Of course, the typical use would be a procuring of money. This certainly can be the case. Elders, preachers, every member can be seduced by filthy lucre and the ease it brings. Using your relationship with other Christians to gain any economic advantage is a real indication of greed.
But, any benefit procured fits into the context. Fame, position, power. Even if it is being “a big fish in a small pond” the allurement of the flesh is a danger to us all.
Such is the product of a selfish mind. One that is willing to wrangle, gossip, divide and promote error — as the intent is personal gain. Many of the divisions in God’s kingdom come from such efforts.
We are to “withdraw” ourselves from such evil men, and know “godliness with contentment is great gain” (6:6). True gain is spiritual, not material! It comes from a heart that seeks Christ, and unity with brethren. Such men don’t use Christ for personal physical advantage, but to be saved!
Beware of Dogs!
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he wrote clearly that our default state as God’s children is joy! We are to rejoice in the Lord. That should remain our condition even when we receive warnings and admonitions such as those Paul shared with the Philippians, “For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe” (3:1).
One of those admonitions came in the very next verse. “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!” (3:2). It seems obvious that in this case Paul is warning against the Jews, and more specifically against the error of the Judaizers, who felt that the Christian faith could be practiced only as a Jew or Jewish proselyte.
The word “dogs” here is used with derision. The Jew used it that way toward the Gentiles, but here Paul turns the table against them. Dogs were not beloved pets in the first century. The term was a sharp and negative name when associated with men (cf. Revelation 22:15).
Calling them evil workers, and associating their demand of circumcision to the Gentile with mutilation, completed Paul’s denunciation.
We too must “beware of dogs” today as Christians. Anyone who would disregard God’s will, and seeks to bring such error to other men deserves such a designation!
A True Troubler
Most are familiar with the narrative in 1 Kings of the prophet Elijah and King Ahab. In 1 Kings 17:1 we read, “And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” At first glance one might think that Elijah was acting with hubris, making the claim that he could and would control the rain in Israel. This was not so at all.
First, there was a reason Elijah proclaimed this to Ahab. In the previous chapter we read of the ungodliness of this king of Israel. “Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 Kings 16:30-33). Continue reading “A True Troubler”
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Peter 2:18-22
Here is the danger of the false teacher. He uses sophistry to allure the elect. We have obeyed the truth and escaped from a life lived in error. But, the false teacher seeks to turn us back to corruption. That corruption brings slavery to sin. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16).
This allurement can bring total apostasy. As the gospel is the sole means of escaping error, another gospel (a perversion, cf. Galatians 1:6-7), if embraced, causes you to reject that sole means of obtaining salvation! (cf. Romans 1:16).
Peter has a sobering truth to share about those who reject the truth they once embraced. “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (21). A careful consideration clearly shows this to be true.
Personally Perilous Times
In 2 Timothy Paul predicted perilous times that would come in the last days. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
We need to recognize that these are the times to which Paul refers. Not exclusively this decade or generation, rather the intent of Paul’s reference to “the last days.” In both the Old and New Testaments the phrase is used to refer to the present dispensation, what we might refer to as the Gospel Age. Christ has come and His rule will continue until “He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). At the end of this era Jesus will come and the final judgment will be visited upon mankind. As Peter put it, “both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Truly these are the last days. Continue reading “Personally Perilous Times”
Mining the Scriptures: 1 Timothy 1:18-20
Paul ended his first chapter in his letter to Timothy with a charge to his young ward — to wage spiritual war against evil. In this charge he called for Timothy to maintain his faith and purity in conscience.
Such an admonition was necessary. Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus (1:3), and there was a need not only to edify, but to defend the truth against false teachers. This is true today as well. The work of an evangelist is not done well unless spiritual warfare is waged as soldiers in Christ’s army. Conviction and sincerity was and is needed that truth be allowed its victory against the wiles of the devil.
Paul named two men: Hymenaeus and Alexander. They had departed from the faith and were condemned. They were examples of men who had to be withstood and fought against, lest we be “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men…” (Ephesians 4:14).
Take Heed to Yourself
“Then He said to the disciples, ‘It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, “I repent,” you shall forgive him’” (Luke 17:1-4).
Jesus’ warning to His disciples here are words that are applicable to us today. He speaks of offenses as inevitable things. By offenses, Jesus was referring to “sin traps”, things a man or woman might to do cause another to stumble and sin. Colly Caldwell had an interesting thought about this, “The forms these spiritual sin-traps may take will vary with each person but the effect can be devastating. It may come as a result of immoral influence, pleasurable seduction, false doctrinal teaching, or material gain.” (Truth Commentary). Continue reading “Take Heed to Yourself”
False Prophets Among the People
In his second epistle, the apostle Peter had much to say about the prophets of old. He used them to explain the difference between God’s message and the counterfeit teaching of men, both in old times and now.
In the latter part of the first chapter, he wrote of the blessed nature of prophecy. He noted that Jesus was identified as the Christ, the Son of God, by the fulfillment of the prophecies of old. His conclusion: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Continue reading “False Prophets Among the People”
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Peter 2:15-17
Peter continues his description of the character and actions of the false teachers troubling the church by noting their actions as being like Balaam.
Balaam was a prophet during the days of Moses as the children of Israel were in the wilderness of Judea. Balaam’s greed and desire for glory led him to initially disobey God, as the King of Moab wanted him to curse God’s people (Numbers 22). On the way, a dumb donkey kept him from such an evil task (cf. 22:22-34).
The false teachers addressed by Peter have the same motivation, leaving truth for personal gain. In verse 3, “By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words…” Such actions can rightly be described as “madness” – they go against God!
Just as a well or storm clouds promise water, but disappoint us when they are dry or pass by without rain, these false teacher’s disappoint. Their words are useless and corrupt.
They are condemned and will be punished by God in eternity.
Sermon: To the elect lady and her children
An examination of the text of 2 John, with applications.
Sermon Powerpoint View and Download:
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Sermon: Adamant Stone (Ezekiel 3:7-9)
God provided Ezekiel with His will and protection. He supplied for Ezekiel a forehead that was harder than that of rebellious Israel. A forehead of adamant stone, harder than flint.
Sermon Powerpoint View and Download:
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False Prophets
The apostle John wrote, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). So, according to John it is important to vet every spirit to see whether they are of God. How is this to be done?
The answer is simple and follows of necessity. The only way to test the spirits is through an examination of their teaching, comparing it to God’s revelation! Any other method is by its nature limited and subject to error or deceit. As Paul wrote concerning the devil and those who do his bidding, “…Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Continue reading “False Prophets”
Being Deceived and Cheated
No one likes to be lied to, or to be cheated out of what they deserve. If this is so regarding worldly matters, how much more so spiritual concerns.
This concerned Paul, and he warned about those who would come in and do this to his brethren. He wrote in Colossians 2, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (8-10). Continue reading “Being Deceived and Cheated”
