Proverbs 3 and 4
1 Timothy 4
Timothy
This passage was interesting to me when considering the issue of gay marriage. What do you think?
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; 5for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.
Notes in the LIfe Aplications Study Bible are good:
ReplyDelete1Ti 4:1-5
Paul said the false teachers were hypocrites and liars who encouraged people to follow "deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons." The danger that Timothy faced in Ephesus seems to have come from certain people in the church who were following some Greek philosophers who taught that the body was evil and that only the soul mattered. The false teachers refused to believe that the God of creation was good, because his very contact with the physical world would have soiled him. Though these Greek-influenced church members honored Jesus, they could not believe he was truly human. Paul knew that their teachings, if left unchecked, would greatly distort Christian truth.
Satan deceives people by offering a clever imitation of the real thing. The false teachers gave stringent rules (such as forbidding people to marry or to eat certain foods). This made them appear self-disciplined and righteous. Their strict disciplines for the body, however, could not remove sin (see Col_2:20-23). We must not be unduly impressed by a teacher's style or credentials; we must look to his teaching about Jesus Christ. His conclusions about Christ show the source of his message.
1Ti 4:1
The "last times" began with Christ's resurrection and will continue until his return when he will set up his Kingdom and judge all humanity.
1Ti 4:1-2
False teachers were and still are a threat to the church. Jesus and the apostles repeatedly warned against them (see, for example, Mar_13:21-23; Act_20:28-31; 2Th_2:1-12; 2Pe_3:3-7). It is not enough that a teacher appears to know what he is talking about, is disciplined and moral, or says that he is speaking for God. If his words contradict the Bible, his teaching is false. Like Timothy, we must guard against any teaching that causes believers to dilute or reject any aspect of their faith. Such false teaching can be very direct or extremely subtle. Believers ought to respond quickly when they sense false teaching being promoted. The truth does not mind honest questions. Sometimes the source may prove to be ignorant of the error and appreciate the correction. But a firm warning may at least keep potential victims from the disastrous results of apostasy that Paul described. For how to spot false teaching, see the note on 1Ti_1:3-7.