Discerning False Doctrines

1 Timothy 6:3-4 (NET) If someone spreads false teachings and does not agree with sound words (that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and with the teaching that accords with godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions

One of the most dangerous things I hear certain progressive teachers of the word say is that the words and teachings of our Lord Jesus while He walked the earth are old Testament and are not for the church, that only the epistles (written after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) are valid because the new covenant started after Jesus resurrected.

Even judging that position normally and logically, it does not make much sense. No one gives the testament of a Covenant after it has been ratified, it is always given before it is ratified. No one signs a contract document before writing it, signing is done after the document has been written. Jesus gave His New Testament through His teachings and commandments in the three and a half years of His earthly ministry, before He ratified it by His death on the cross.

In today’s Bible verse, we see that false teaching is any teaching that does not agree with the words of our Lord Jesus. Any teacher that uses the excuse of “that was old Testament” to explain away a doctrine of the Lord Jesus is teaching something false. For example, if a teacher tries to convince you that you shouldn’t ask God to forgive your sins when the Lord clearly teaches us to repent of our sins, that teacher is nothing but a false teacher. Just like junk foods taste sweeter but are really not healthy, false doctrines might appear sweeter to the flesh, but they are toxic to your new born again spirit.

Go into today remembering that any teacher who tries to explain away the words of our Lord Jesus is a false teacher.

Prayer: Lord, deliver me and cleanse me from the influence of every false teacher. Give me shepherds afters your heart that will feed me with knowledge and understanding (Jer 3:15). Amen.

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—Abraham Damilola Arigi

Yearly Bible Reading: I Samuel 6-10 (In Devotional Audio)