False Doctrine

1. False doctrine often teaches rebellion.

First Timothy 6:3 can also be translated, “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,” as in the NIV.Interpretation Question:

What is Paul referring to when he says, “If anyone teaches otherwise” (NIV)? The context seems to refer to his previous instruction about slaves and their masters. In 1 Timothy 6:1, he calls for slaves to regard their masters “as deserving of full respect.

This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited.” No doubt, many in the church thought Paul should have taught rebellion against the governing authorities.

Sometimes masters mistreated their slaves; however, Paul said that slaves should respect and serve them. The government commonly persecuted Christians; however, Paul taught Christians to pray for their authorities and to submit to them (1 Tim 2:1, Rom 13:1-3).

The implication of Paul’s instruction is that many professing Bible teachers called for rebellion against authorities, which Paul didn’t teach. He taught submission to all authorities because they are ordained by God, even ungodly ones (Rom 13:1).

Certainly, this has been a trick of Satan from the very beginning. He tempted one third of the angels to rebel against God in heaven (Rev 12). He also tempted Eve both to rebel against God and to usurp her husband’s authority.

Therefore, you will commonly find this teaching in the church and society. Satan, the usurper, tempts children to usurp their parents’ authority, wives to usurp their husbands’ authority (often quoting our freedom in Christ), and even for Christians to rebel against government.

Yes, when government or any authority calls for us to sin, we should refuse. But even when we refuse, we should be respectful (1 Pet 2:17).

Authority marks our triune God: the Holy Spirit submits to the Son and the Father, and the Son submits to the Father, and therefore, authority and submission are built into the fabric of society.

For that reason, Satan commonly seeks to incite rebellion. He whispers, “You can be like God” or “You can be your own God—your own authority.” Be careful of any teaching that promotes rebellion against authorities.

2. False doctrine disagrees with the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by “the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ”?

There are various views on what this means.Some believe this refers to false teachers having an incorrect Christology. False teachers will often teach that Christ is not God or that he was not human.

This type of teaching was common with Gnostics—an early Christian cult which attacked the church of Ephesus. John, who pastored the church after Paul and Timothy, said this in his epistle:

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.1 John 4:2-3

Gnosticism was influenced by Greek philosophy which taught that the body was evil and the spirit was good.

Therefore, Gnostics believed that Christ could not have been fully God since he came in a human body—he was only a manifestation of God. They attacked both his full humanity and deity. He was something less than God and something less than human.

John said that anyone who does not acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This refers both to him being fully God and becoming fully human.

This is the problem with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and other cults. They teach an incorrect Christology—Jesus was an angel, not God, or something else that doesn’t fully agree with Scripture.

When testing doctrine, we must ask, “Does it teach a correct view of Christ—fully human and fully God?”

Others believe this refers to any teaching disagreeing with Scripture.When Paul describes one who “does not agree with sound words (that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ),” he probably refers to Scripture in general.

Though many of Christ’s words are recorded in Scripture, Christ taught that all Scripture revealed him (John 5:39, Lk 24:27). He also taught that the apostles spoke for him. In Luke 10:16, he said, “‘The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

To reject apostolic doctrine is essentially to reject Christ’s words.False teachers may do this in many ways: Some will teach that the Bible is full of errors and can’t be trusted.

Others pick and choose what doctrines can be trusted. They say, “You can trust the Bible when it comes to salvation, but you can’t believe every word. You can’t believe the miracles and many of the stories. They are just meant to teach ethics.”

Their belief about the Bible demonstrates the negative fruit that will come from their teaching. Christ said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4).

Paul taught in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “EVERY” Scripture is inspired by God. Not some. When Satan tempted Eve, he tempted her by perverting God’s Word. He said, “Did God say you can’t eat from ‘all’ the trees in the garden?”

By saying this, he added to God’s Word. And many false teachers do the same; they add laws and teachings of men—just like the Pharisees. Essentially, they declare that God’s Word is not sufficient; we need psychology, business principles, new age thinking, or extra revelation.

But secondly, Satan took away from God’s Word when he said, “You will not surely die.” He removed instructions from God’s Word, as he tempted Eve to eat of the tree. And this is what false teachers do today—their teachings disagree with Scripture by adding or taking away from it.

When testing doctrine, we must ask, “Does this agree with Scripture?” Sadly, many people fall to the teaching of false prophets because they don’t know the Bible.

Therefore, they are tossed to and fro by all types of doctrines. They are spiritual children (Eph 4:14). It is the spiritual young men and women who are strong in the Word of God that recognize Satan’s lies and defeat the devil (1 John 2:14). To recognize false teaching, we must know God’s Word.

3. False doctrine does not agree with godly teaching

Interpretation Question: What does Paul mean by stating that false teaching does not agree with godly teaching (v.3)?

False teaching will often teach license to sin (antinomianism)—freedom to disobey God’s law.

Or it fails to produce holiness in the lives of those who follow it. This verse can be translated, “These teachings do not promote a godly life” (NLT) or “does not agree with…the teaching that accords with godliness” (ESV).

Since false teaching is worldly and from the flesh, it cannot produce the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, and self-control.

In Colossians 2:21-23, Paul says this about a specific false teaching attacking Colosse:“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are on human commands and teachings.

Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and false humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body—a wisdom with no true value—they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.

When testing doctrine, we must ask, “Does it lead to holiness?

Does it teach correct Christology?

Does it agree with the rest of Scripture?

Does it teach submission to authorities or rebellion?”

While a true teacher is known for faithfully teaching God’s Word, a false teacher perverts it.

Application Question: What are some of the prevalent false teachings attacking the church? How have you experienced them?

False Teachers Are Identified by Their Attitude—One of Pride

He is conceited and understand nothing…1 Timothy 6:4 Moses was called the humblest man on the earth (Num 12:3), and Christ was characterized by his humility, as he humbled himself by becoming a man and dying for our sins (Phil 2:6-8).

Jesus calls for all to come to him because he is “gentle and humble” in spirit (Matt 11:28-29).

However, false teachers are marked by conceit. The word “conceited” is derived from a root which means “smoke” (cf. 1 Timothy 3:6).

“The verb means ‘to puff up like a cloud of smoke.’ In English slang, we would describe such a person as ‘blowing smoke,’ or ‘full of hot air.’”

1 Like Satan declaring that he will be like the Most High (Is 14:14), false teachers are consumed with themselves and their ideas.

The false teacher Simon, the sorcerer, claimed “to be someone great” (Acts 8:9). Peter described false teachers as “speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice” (2 Peter 2:17).

They may do this by boasting about their wealth, their spiritual experiences, or their new revelation. They commonly exalt themselves before others. In contrast, when sharing about his exalted experiences, Paul called it folly in 2 Corinthians.

By sharing about his visit to the third heaven, his tribulations, and revelations of God, he said there was nothing to be gained by boasting, as he shared about them in third person (2 Cor 12:1).

He only shared to show that he could boast, even as the false teachers attacking Corinth (2 Cor 11:5).

William Barclay adds an excellent comment about the pride of the false teacher:

“His first characteristic is conceit. His first aim is self-display. His desire is not to display Christ, but to display himself. There are still preachers and teachers who are more concerned to gain a following for themselves than for Jesus Christ.

They are more concerned to press their own views upon people than they are to bring to men the word of God.”

2 God fights against the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). The false teacher is rejected in part because of his pride. It keeps him from submitting to God and the wise counsel of others.

He seeks a following and for his name to be exalted, instead of the Lord’s; therefore, the Lord opposes him.

Application Question: How have you seen or experienced spiritual pride in false teachers or others?

How can we protect ourselves from the temptation towards spiritual pride and instead develop humility like Christ, Moses, and Paul?

False Teachers Are Identified by Their Propensity towards Controversy and Discord

…but has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, and constant bickering …1 Timothy 6:4-5.

The false teachers’ pride leads them to an “unhealthy” interest in controversies and verbal disputes. “Unhealthy” can literally be translated “sick.” Their love for some brand of false teaching has developed a spiritual sickness in them.

They are consumed with controversies over words. Certainly, we get a picture of this in 1 Timothy 1:4, where Paul describes the false teachers in Ephesus as devoted to “myths and interminable genealogies.”

Instead of advancing God’s work, they promoted “useless speculations.”John MacArthur said, “False teachers do little more than quibble over terminology. They indulge in pseudo-intellectual theorizing rather than in productive study of and submission to God’s Word.”

3 Kent Hughes describes his ministry to those promoting error: I have spent endless hours with such people, who cannot or will not grasp the plain meaning of a sentence or a paragraph in its context but rather fix on a word or sound bite and give it a definition that defies lexicons, history, and logic.

Nothing dissuades them.

Nothing informs them. T

hey understand nothing—and they enjoy it!

4 One of the ways, false teachers are identified is by their unhealthy interest in controversies over words and terminologies. It is one thing to study God’s Word to understand it, but it is another to study it for controversy and speculations. This only represents a lack of faith.

Discord

Observation Question: How does Paul describe the discord false teachers are prone towards?

Again, false teaching does not agree with godly teaching or lead to godliness; therefore, it only leads to pride, controversy, and specifically, discord.

Paul describes this discord in five ways:

False teachers are prone to envy. Envy means resentment of other people’s gifts or successes.

Because false teachers are prideful, they only want to see their own success and hate it when others succeed.

How different from Christ who taught that he who wants to be great must be the servant of all (Matt 23:11)—somebody who wants to bless others.

False teachers are prone to dissension. This can also be translated strife. It is a spirit of competition and contention.

False teachers are prone to slander. They abuse rival teachers.

False teachers are prone to evil suspicions.

Where true love trusts, does not hold a record of wrongs, and covers a multitude of sins, they instead constantly think the wrong of others. They think people are out to get them or that they always have wrong intentions.

False teachers constantly bicker with others. Though this is true of false teachers, we must realize that they are all fruits of the sinful nature; Galatians 5:19-21 describes the acts of the flesh as, “…hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder…”

When we are not abiding in the Word of God, these fruits will manifest in our lives.

Like the false teachers who have rejected the truth, if we do not live in the Word, we will bear the fruit of constant friction in our relationships. Instead of trusting, forgiving, and covering others’ sins, we will constantly slander, envy, and fight.

One of the ways, we can discern a false teacher is that their ministries and relationships will be marked by constant discord instead of peace.

While false teachers are marked by doctrinal controversy and discord, true teachers lead the body of Christ to unity (cf. Matt 5:9, Eph 4:11-13).

Application Question: Why are false teachers prone to doctrinal controversy and discord with others?

How have you seen or experienced this? How can we keep the fruit of constant discord from being borne in our lives?

1 John 4:1 ESV / 1,731 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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.

Matthew 7:15-20 ESV / 1,236 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ...

Romans 16:17-18 ESV / 1,049 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive

1 Timothy 6:20-21 ESV / 1,030 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 ESV / 1,027 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.

He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

Thats whats so important what Pastor christian is doing with our community Impact Teams. Not only are they meeting peoples felt needs by providing food and clothing. They are also sharing the Gospel The Good News Of Jesus.

Because in times like these we need a savior, a deliver, a healer, someone who can heal our broken hearts, someone who we can cast ALL our cares on and someone we can put out trust in fully.

Philosophy and empty deceit

The false teaching that Paul opposes in this letter is sometimes called “the Colossian heresy.” This philosophy cannot be identified precisely; it could reflect the influences of several ancient traditions, including Judaism, mysticism, asceticism, mystery cults, and Gnosticism (see note on Col 1:22).

Regardless of the specific teachings, the fundamental problem Paul identifies is that human rules and traditions are being recommended as necessary supplements to Christ.

However, it is also possible that Paul is not correcting a particular false teaching.

Instead, Paul could be concerned with the immaturity and ignorance of the Colossian believers.

Be careful is a strong warning to watch out so believers are not taken captive and enslaved to false doctrines through philosophy and empty deceit.

“Human tradition” implies human origin (whether Jewish or Gentile) as opposed to the divine nature of the gospel.

The elements of the world were most likely astral deities, spirits, and/or angels commonly associated with pagan worship, astrology, and magical practices (see vv. 15, 20; 1:16; Gl 4:3, 9; Eph 1:21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12).