Don't Even Greet The False Teacher, Much Less Give Him A Microphone

[billiefan2000]

Don't Even Greet The False Teacher, Much Less Give Him A Microphone


2John 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.


10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting,

11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.




To give air time, discussion time, a pulpit, an audience, a microphone to a false teacher is to violate the above passage. Its mutiny against the King of kings.

Instead of aiding and abetting a false teacher "and let the viewer decide", Christians are to expose their error and reject the man without defending him, giving him a wide birth, giving him time to manipulate and teach others.

What part of "do not receive him" or "whoever greets him partakes in his wicked works" don't you bloggers, interviewers, apologists, I-Don't-Know-What-Gospel Coalition/ Animal Room/ Desiring-I-Don't-Know-What-God Conference, get?


What part is not clear to you?


A man who teaches a false gospel or Jesus, a man who teaches a false justification or salvation, a man who denies the Genesis account of God speaking forth His creation in 6 Literal Days,

a man who denies the absolute sovereignty of God even over weather much less salvation, is to be REJECTED, NOT GREETED MUCH LESS A PLATFORM TO SPEAK.



Scripture is totally biased for the Truth and against error.

It doesn't mix the two and tells us to not either. If you can't even get that straight, you have no business trying to straighten out anyone else.


Surph's Side: Don't Even Greet The False Teacher, Much Less Give Him A Microphone

[mattfivefour]

Preach it, brother!

[billiefan2000]

related:


Hanging With the Heretics


I'm just going to say it: to invite a heretic to speak anywhere is sin.
Not merely a lapse in judgment.
Not merely a lack of discernment.
Not merely ignorance.

It. Is. Sin.
As such, it is spiritual adultery and it needs to be immediately repented of and all ties publicly severed.
2Jn 1:9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

Rom 16:17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.


Surph's Side: Hanging With the Heretics

[billiefan2000]

related:


To The "Gospel" Coalition



It was as though it had been said, "Yes, we believe in the Godhead of the Lord Jesus; but we would not keep a man out of our fellowship because he thought our Lord to be a mere man. We believe in the atonement; but if another man rejects it, he must not, therefore, be excluded from our number."




The brethren in the middle are the source of this clinging together of discordant elements.


These who are for peace at any price, who persuade themselves that there is very little wrong, who care chiefly to maintain existing institutions, these are the good people who induce the weary combatants to repeat the futile attempt at a coalition, which, in the nature of things, must break down.



If both sides could be unfaithful to conscience, or if the glorious gospel could be thrust altogether out of the question, there might be a league of amity established; but as neither of these things can be, there would seem to be no reason for persevering in the-attempt to maintain a confederacy for which there is no justification in fact, and from which there can be no worthy result, seeing it does not embody a living truth. A desire for unity is commendable. Blessed are they who can promote it and preserve it!



But there are other matters to be considered as well as unity, and sometimes these may even demand the first place. When union becomes a moral impossibility, it may almost drop out of calculation in arranging plans and methods of working. If it is clear as the sun at noonday that no real union can exist, it is idle to strive after the impossible, and it is wise to go about other and more practicable business.
To what end, therefore, are these strainings after a hollow unity, when the spirit of fellowship is altogether gone?

The world is large enough, why not let us go our separate ways? Loud is the cry of our opponents for liberty; let them have it by all means. But let us have our liberty also. We are not bound to belong to this society, or to that....
At any rate, cost what it may, to separate ourselves from those who separate themselves from the truth of God is not alone our liberty, but our duty.



FAILURE at a crucial moment may mar the entire outcome of a life. A man who has enjoyed special light is made bold to follow in the way of the Lord, and is anointed to guide others therein. He rises into a place of love and esteem among the godly, and this promotes his advancement among men. What then?


The temptation comes to be careful of the position he has gained, and to do nothing to endanger it. The man, so lately a faithful man of God, compromises with worldlings, and to quiet his own conscience invents a theory by which such compromises are justified, and even commended. He receives the praises of "the judicious"; he has, in truth, gone over to the enemy.



The whole force of his former life now tells upon the wrong side. If the Lord loves him well enough, he will be scourged back to his place; but if not, he will grow more and more perverse, till he becomes a ring-leader among the opposers of the gospel. To avoid such an end it becomes us ever to stand fast.




~Spurgeon, The Downgrade Contraversy

2Jn 1:9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

2Co 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God;



Surph's Side: To The "Gospel" Coalition

[LivnForChrist]

bump....

This is an awesome thread. It should be a sticky in the apostasy section.
Too many preachers, apologists, etc are given these wolves platforms to spread their poison.

[billiefan2000]

bump....

This is an awesome thread. It should be a sticky in the apostasy section.
Too many preachers, apologists, etc are given these wolves platforms to spread their poison.

I agree

the so-called Gospel Coalition is one example of embalers of false teachers

[billiefan2000]

Chris Rosebrough 's other great advice today I saw online earlier


It's disobedience & rebellion against God to financially support churches & pastors who twist God's word & preach a false & distorted gospel



Twitter / Chris Rosebrough: It's disobedience & rebell ...

[billiefan2000]

Chris Rosebrough 's other great advice today I saw online earlier


It's disobedience & rebellion against God to financially support churches & pastors who twist God's word & preach a false & distorted gospel



Twitter / Chris Rosebrough: It's disobedience & rebell ...

related tweet:


Dear Seeker-Driven Pastor: Repeat after me... The book of Romans begins at Chapter 1 verse 1. It does NOT begin at chapter 12 verse 1.


Twitter / Chris Rosebrough: Dear Seeker-Driven Pastor: ...

[billiefan2000]

NEVER TRIFLE WITH FALSE DOCTRINE
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Dec 12, 2011 in Current Issues, Devotions, Features

Mark 7:1-13

This passage contains a humbling picture of what human nature is capable of doing in religion. It is one of those Scriptures which ought to be frequently and diligently studied by all who desire the prosperity of the Church of Christ.

The first thing which demands our attention in these verses, is the low and degraded condition of Jewish religion, when our Lord was upon earth. What can be more deplorable than the statement now before us?

We find the principal teachers of the Jewish nation finding fault, “because our Lord’s disciples ate bread with unwashed hands!” We are told that they attached great importance to the washing of cups, and pots, and bronze vessels, and tables!” In short, the man who paid most rigid attention to mere external observances of human invention was reckoned the holiest man! The nation, be it remembered, in which this state of things existed, was the most highly favored in the world.

To it, was given the law on Mount Sinai, the service of God, the priesthood, the covenants, and the promises. Moses, and Samuel, and David, and the prophets, lived and died among its people. No nation upon earth ever had so many spiritual privileges. No nation ever misused its privileges so fearfully, and so thoroughly forsook its own mercies. Never did fine gold become so dim! From the religion of the books of Deuteronomy and Psalms, to the religion of washing hands, and pots, and cups–how great was the fall! No wonder that in the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry, He found the people like sheep without a shepherd. External observances alone feed no consciences and sanctify no hearts! Let the history of the Jewish church be a warning to us never to trifle with false doctrine.

If we once tolerate it we never know how far it may go, or into what degraded state of religion we may at last fall. Once leave the King’s highway of truth, and we may end with washing pots and cups, like Pharisees and Scribes. There is nothing too base, trifling, or irrational for a man, if he once turns his back on God’s word. There are branches of the Church of Christ at this day in which the Scriptures are never read, and the Gospel never preached–branches in which the only religion now remaining consists in using a few unmeaning forms and keeping certain man-made fasts and feasts–branches which began well, like the Jewish church, and, like the Jewish church, have now fallen into utter barrenness and decay.

We can never be too jealous about false doctrine. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Let us earnestly contend for the whole faith once delivered to the saints. The second thing, that demands our attention, is the uselessness of mere lip-service in the worship of God. Our Lord enforces this lesson by a quotation from the Old Testament–”Well has Elijah prophesied of you hypocrites, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” The heart is the part of man which God chiefly notices in religion. The bowed head, and the bended knee–the grave face and the rigid posture–the ritual response, and the formal amen–all these together do not make up a spiritual worshiper.

The eyes of God look further and deeper. He requires the worship of the heart. “My son,” he says to every one of us, “Give me your heart.” Let us remember this in the public congregation. It must not content us to take our bodies to church, if we leave our hearts at home. The eye of man may detect no flaw in our service. Our minister may look at us with approbation. Our neighbors may think us patterns of what a Christian ought to be. Our voice may be heard foremost in the praise and prayer. But it is all worse than nothing in God’s sight, if our hearts are far away. It is only wood, hay, and stubble before Him who discerns thoughts, and reads the secrets of the inward man. Let us remember this in our private devotions.

It must not satisfy us to say good words, if our heart and our lips do not go together. What does it profit us to be fluent and lengthy, if our imaginations are roving far away, while we are upon our knees? It profits us nothing at all. God sees what we are really doing, and rejects our offering. Heart-prayers are the prayers He loves to hear. Heart-prayers are the only prayers that He will answer. Our petitions may be weak, and stammering, and poor in our eyes. They may be presented with no fine words, or well-chosen language, and might seem almost unintelligible, if they were written down. But if they come from a right heart, God understands them. Such prayers are His delight.

The last thing that demands our attention in these verses, is the tendency of man’s inventions in religion to supplant God’s word. Three times we find this charge brought forward by our Lord against the Pharisees. “Laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the traditions of men.” “Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own traditions.” “Making the Word of God of none effect through your traditions.” The first step of the Pharisees, was to add their traditions to the Scriptures, as useful supplements. The second was to place them on a level with the Word of God, and give them equal authority.

The last was to honor them above the Scripture, and to degrade Scripture from its lawful position. This was the state of things which our Lord found when he was upon earth. Practically, the traditions of man were everything, and the Word of God was nothing at all. Obedience to the traditions constituted true religion. Obedience to the Scriptures was lost sight of altogether. It is a mournful fact, that Christians have far too often walked in the steps of Pharisees in this matter. The very same process has taken place over and over again. The very same consequences have resulted. Religious observances of man’s invention, have been pressed on the acceptance of Christians–observances to all appearance useful, and at all events well-meant, but observances nowhere commanded in the word of God.

These very observances have by and by been required with more vigor than God’s own commandments, and defended with more zeal than the authority of God’s own Word. We need not look far for examples. The history of our own church will supply them. Let us beware of attempting to add anything to the word of God, as necessary to salvation. It provokes God to give us over to judicial blindness. It is as good as saying that His Bible is not and that we know better than He does what is necessary for man’s salvation. It is just as easy to destroy the authority of God’s word by addition as by subtraction, by burying it under man’s inventions as by denying its truth.

The whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, must be our rule of faith nothing added and nothing taken away. Finally, let us draw a broad line of distinction between those things in religion which have been devised by man, and those which are plainly commanded in God’s word. What God commands is necessary to salvation. What man commands is not. What man devises may be useful and expedient for the times; but salvation does not hinge on obedience to it. What God requires is essential to life eternal. He that wilfully disobeys it ruins his own soul.[1]

J.C. Ryle


NEVER TRIFLE WITH FALSE DOCTRINE : Apprising Ministries

[billiefan2000]

SHOULD WE REFUTE FALSE DOCTRINE OR ADAPT IT?
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Dec 15, 2011 in AM Missives, Current Issues, Features

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach.

He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. (Titus 1:5-11)

The Truth Is, Doctrine Is Either Of Christ Or It Is Of Antichrist

As we turn to the Bible we see that the Lord has given very specific commands to his true ministers, and even a cursory look at the historical record will show—we do thank God—there were no purpose driven Rick Warrenites, nor were there any Rob Bells with their emerging universalism as Love Wins mythology.

One need only look at Acts 4 where the Jewish religious leaders of that day:

greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. (Acts 4:2-3)

The absolute truth is that no matter what a given society’s views regarding God may be—though they are free to have them—as you see from our opening text, it’s Christ’s command that His pastor-teachers:

must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:9).

Unfortunately today too much of the church is not willing to refute those who oppose sound doctrine and instead has become more like Peter was in Mark 8:33, which led to a most startling rebuke from our Lord; Who clearly told His disciple that he actually held a view that originates from Satan — “For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Though I’ve become disappointed by his recent direction, this comment from evangelical scholar Dr. D.A. Carson will prove enlightening to those who have ears to hear:

Jesus’ words to Peter were not only very severe, they were deliberately spoken in the presence of the other disciples (“Jesus turned and looked at his disciples”). They probably shared Peter’s views and needed the rebuke, too. The severity of the rebuke arises from Jesus’ recognition in Peter’s attempt to dissuade him from going to the Cross the same temptation he had experienced from Satan at the outset of his ministry.

Satan offered him the option of using the world’s means of accomplishing his mission (cf. Matt 4:8-10). On that occasion Jesus rebuked him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” (Matt 4:10). Here, too, Jesus recognized the satanic opposition in Peter.

“‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. `You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’” Peter was opposing the divine will. He had in mind a popular messiahship. That was the way the world thought; it was not how God had planned Jesus’ ministry and mission.[1]

So you see, it’s not as if we haven’t had the chance to listen to the Spirit’s subtle warnings not to think like men and then try to preach the Gospel the way men think it should be preached in this Biblically foreign mission field of pouty postmodernism. For those who have eyes to see, it really is right there in the text of Scripture, and even our own Biblical scholars have said it—though apparently we haven’t realized this message from God the Holy Spirit.

I wonder, is it only through bored indifference and a false humility as we pray: “Lord use me as Your vessel.” And I do wish the reader to know I fully understand there are many who ignore my warnings; who think I’m some harsh, angry man and/or consider me some kind of radical kook. However, I offer it might not be very wise to so easily dismiss what I say.

O without a doubt the accepted way of writing today is to do a kind of “plus-minus” assessment of a given subject; but have we really considered this from the Lord’s perspective, or is this rather the things of man in secular academia? Suppose I were to write an article about cancer; would I really need to elaborate on some of the more “positive” aspects of this terminal disease, like say, how quickly and suddenly it can metastasize and just how completely it kills a body?

And Now An Evangelical Scholar Offers A Critique Of Gnosticism?

But is this type of plus-minus writing regarding false doctrine what we find in the Bible? Not the one I read from. Let’s take the example of Gnosticism; although its purveyors in the first century claimed to be Christian teachers, where in Holy Scripture would we possibly find a true Apostle of Christ saying:

Oh yes Cerinthus; what a charming and erudite fellow, and a very articulate spokesman for Christian Gnosticism. I preached on the same platform with him at the last Compromisers For Christ Conference in Caesarea. And I really got to know him quite well; and I do have to say that in his new book The Real Christ: Rethinking Jesus Through The Eyes Of A Gnostic it was actually very skillful how he was able to marry central Gnostic teachings to those of our Lord Jesus.

It’s a very scholarly work; after reading this book from our brother—after all he loves Christ as well—perhaps we do need to reexamine our approach to the Incarnation itself. On page xlii Cerinthus explains how the all-containing unknowable god, the ultimate good of Pleroma—the spirit world—runs into a problem when one of his lowest aeons, Sophia attempts to be like god and produces an aeon of her own—the evil Demiurge.

Cerinthus then masterfully weaves a very compelling argument from repainting history while he tells us that one of these aeons was actually ‘the Christ.’ This aeon, he presses forth—nearly convincingly—then decends on the man Jesus of Nazareth at his baptism.

Now this aeon, he enlightens us from his obviously thorough research, did not come from the evil Demiurge, who is in stark opposition to the good force, the utterly unknowable/god consciousness. As any fine scholar, Cerinthus—a follower of Jesus in his own way—then documents through his detailed scholastic analysis from numerous Gnostic teachers (complete with copious footnotes), that it is this Demiurge which actually created this evil material world in the first place.

And then, in what might be considered a quite novel—dare I say refreshing—approach to the emerging Gnostic-Christian faith, Cerinthus elucidates for us a rather tricky question that had previously not been covered conclusively by our brothers in the Docetic Movement concerning whether Jesus was actually a man, or whether He just seemed like one.

Simon Peter presented a fascinating discussion of this topic in his best seller Jesus Was Here–Or Maybe He Really Wasn’t, though I would quibble a bit with his rather didactic approach in actually reaching a conclusion. Well, that is, if I might be allowed to call it that. Cerinthus on the other hand, understands that ours is clearly a culture of oral storytelling, so he is better able to draw from numerous religious sources, and then amazingly tie them all together as he explains that this aeon/Christ itself never had to suffer because it left this man Jesus before He was actually crucified.

Truly a brilliant stroke of scholarship that I would recommend we examine further before we so quickly write off Cerinthianism in favor of Docetism—though I don’t completely opt for either form of Christian Gnosticism—having been almost persuaded that a somewhat higher Christology might be in order from what I have read in that rascal Paul’s writings. Now I also must say, though I’m still not quite sure, but of course, as these Scriptures are hard to understand. Perhaps we should reserve our judgment until someone can come along with another view on this important subject of Gnostic Christianity. We must never forget that despite our differences, and I freely admit some of them still remain significant, we are to love one another.

In closing, I remind you gently, as I don’t wish to upset you, we certainly do not want to do anything to bring division into the Christ community—whatever they are and whoever He/it may actually prove to be. Now this is not withstanding that we ever do discover such a thing, which I tentatively refer to in my book What I Might Believe As A Christian (Maybe), as “a knowable truth.” As another learned brother has said, truth is an irreducible plurality so, I might suggest, we never arrive at truth because it continues spinning back around in new forms.

That aside for now, certainly Cerinthus’ fine critique of Docetism and Apostolic Christianity presents a formidable argument that is emerging in favor of us all living together as friends of each other’s religion; seeking God in these other sails as it were. For as I have said before, if we will only learn from the sameness of our differences, leaving the differences in our differences behind, then we will be able to just let God/Ultimate Reality sort it all out in the end.

For as we grow in our new understanding of the truth, that indeed no one can truly claim to understand, then it really could be—probably anyway—as I think that our brother Cerinthus may have observed in ‘The Brotherhood of Gnosis.’ Yes, remember in that charming final chapter of his book where he writes: ‘The brotherhood of man must melt together into the unknowable Pleroma that is godself/spirit consciousness to then be born through the goodness of the Divine with its message that we must be caring for our fellow travelers along the road back into that blessed nothingness.’”

Sure, and maybe we all remember that great second century apologist Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, and his classic “Against Brothers I Have Significant Differences With.” No; actually Irenaeus, who was a disciple of Polycarp—himself a disciple of the Apostle John—wrote a five volume stern refutation of Gnosticism called On The Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis, better known as Against Heresies. And along this line, I am also aware that there have been those who have expressed that it’s not my place to criticize what I write about.

First, let me assure you that as one trained in Comparative Religion I know very well how to study and evaluate the doctrinal beliefs of a given religious system. Then, as a pastor-teacher the Bible tells me there are times where I have to — charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine (cf. 1 Timothy 1:3-7) and say what you will, but I’m also not afraid to speak the truth from God’s perspective — “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).

And so it is as the conveniently comfortable way in which the increasing postmodern evangelical community continues assimilating itself into the pragmatic business methods of the world. When we are shown from the Bible that these practices are not in line with what God Himself would have us do, and since the only other source left is that of Satan himself, I am actually quite justified in exposing the current syncretism which—despite many variant levels of compromised, aberrant, and/or heretical doctrines—ultimately originates from the same root in antichrist.

For they come from the same serpentine source as they still slither together all the while emerging out onto the way that is broad, and they—and all who follow them—if they do not repent will eventually arrive at the same eternal destination of destruction (cf. Matthew 7:13-14). Yes, many do laugh at me for teaching such things today. However, no matter how much we’d like to try and convince ourselves that God “understands” our compromises; that He’ll just sort it all out in the end, etc., the absolute fact remains that Jesus has left us here as His ambassadors (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20).

As I closing this, for now, in John 20:21 our Lord clearly says — “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Logically then, just as it was also once a part of His job, the Master has now entrusted us to tell those who are in sin—and particularly those in the Body of Christ—to leave that practice immediately. It’s time to say it plainly: All this compromises in order to please people within evangelicalism is sin. Sin still means “to miss the mark” of Christ; and when we do miss this mark it is God’s Name which is sullied and it is His Church that ends up being mocked.

If you really are His, then you will grieve about the current sad state of the Christian faith…just as Jesus does…



SHOULD WE REFUTE FALSE DOCTRINE OR ADAPT IT? : Apprising Ministries

[billiefan2000]

How To Deal With False Teachers: utterly reject them, not give them a platform



Surph's Side: How To Deal With False Teachers: utterly reject them, not give them a platform

2Jn 1:8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.
Notes on this passage:



8 do not lose those things we worked for. Although a reward is generally promised Christians for hospitality (e.g., Matt. 10:41; 25:40; Mark 9:41), the idea here is of the fullness of a believer’s reward for all the good he has done (see 1 Cor. 3:10–17; 2 Cor. 5:9,10). A loss of that reward may occur to any believer who does not discriminate fellowship on the basis of adherence to the truth (Col. 2:18,19; 3:24,25). This is a potent warning. All the eternal (re)ward one earns by seeing Christ purely, eagerly, and effectively in the Spirit can be diminished by any aiding or abetting of false teaching.


9 does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. A failure to be faithful to the fundamental, sound doctrines of the faith (a proper view of the person and work of Christ, love, obedience) marks a person as having never been born again (1 John 2:23; 3:6–10; 4:20,21; 5:1–3). The word "abide" has the idea of constant adherence and warns that these fundamentals are not open to change or subject to the latest trends or philosophical fads.


10 do not receive him into your house nor greet him. John’s prohibition is not a case of entertaining people who disagree on minor matters. These false teachers were carrying on a regular campaign to destroy the basic, fundamental truths of Christianity. Complete disassociation from such heretics is the only appropriate course of action for genuine believers. No benefit or aid of any type (not even a greeting) is permissible. Believers should aid only those who proclaim the truth (vv. 5–8).


11 shares in his evil deeds. Hospitality to such leaders aids the spread of their heresy and inevitably leaves the impression of sanctioning the teachings of these antichrists (cf. 1 John 2:22). Supreme loyalty to God and His Word alone must characterize the actions of every true believer.


~MacArthur's study bible






Truth: The Test of Christian Hospitality by John MacArthur

Excerpts: [emphasis, mine]

This is written to a lady and her children about how to live in the truth and love in the truth and be loyal to the truth. And what really prompted this letter was the issue of Christian hospitality.


As I've been telling you in those times there were preachers who traveled around to the churches to preach the gospel and to bring the truth of God to the people of God. And the only way they could do that would be to be received into the homes. Inns were unacceptable, dangerous places, immoral places. And so people opened their homes. In fact, the Bible lays down hospitality as a very important part of Christian life.



One of the dangers, of course, was that false teachers knew about this. And they wanted to get in too, just like they want to get into Christian radio, Christian television, Christian publications, etc. I asked one of the great publishers in America why he published a heretical book and he looked at me like,

"What do you mean? We publish everything."




Didn't even understand the question. These people want to get in everywhere. They don't want to operate outside the Kingdom, they want to operate as much inside as they can.


So they push their Trojan Horse through the city gates and then let loose the damaging army of error. And what happened was, in the early church, false teachers pretending to represent Christ would travel around, it was a great gig to make a living, you went in, you stayed with somebody, ate their food, they took an offering for you, and you went to the next place, and you just kept getting more money and more money as you went along. And at the time, of course, you were representing Satan and undermining the truth and damaging the lives of people.
Apparently this lady wanting to be hospitable had done this.



She had allowed herself to be put in a very compromising situation, a very dangerous situation for both her and the church, to give a place where the false teacher could be embedded in the very fellowship of saints. And so John writes this letter to warn her and her children and everybody else and maybe he had heard about this from her sister who is mentioned in verse 13, because as he was writing, most likely, from Ephesus, he says to her, "The children of your chosen sister greet you," so she had a sister and maybe it was the sister that had told him about this problem. Here was probably a compassionate, tender-hearted, gracious lady and her children that wanted to allow these people who said they were Christ's into the home. And so the letter is written as a warning. The church was loving, the church was hospitable. The church was gracious. And so they were vulnerable.


So John writes to establish the limits of our loving. We live in the truth. We love within the confines of the truth. And we are loyal to the truth. Now we come to verse 9, and let me add another little "L" in our list, living in the truth, loving in the truth, being loyal to the truth, we have to be looking for the truth...we have to be looking for the truth. The perspective here in verse 9 through 11 is a perspective of protection...protection. John laid out the reality of the truth of redemption back in 1 John when repeatedly in 1 John he talks about one of the marks of a true believer being an understanding of the Son of God and the Father. First John 2:22, "Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ, this is the antichrist. Whoever denies the Son doesn't have the Father, the one who confesses the Son has the Father also."



And so, verse 9 says, "Anyone who goes beyond what is written and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God." Now the teaching of Christ...immediately you're asking yourself...what does that mean? Is that a subjective genitive or an objective genitive? That is, is Christ the subject or the object? Is it His teaching or is it teaching about Him?



Answer: yes...yes. It is the teaching about Him which, of course, is consistent with His teaching. You could never separate the two, could you? And that's why you don't need to argue over whether the Greek subjective or objective genitive is in view here, there's nothing to choose between. Both are the same. The truth about Christ is taught by Christ. The point is, the biblical revelation about Jesus Christ...


if someone goes beyond that or does not remain true to that, they do not have God. Listen, you can't be saved without the gospel. You can't even be saved with a warped gospel. You can't be saved without believing in Jesus Christ. You can't even be saved without believing in the one true Christ.


You know, you really have to look for this today. I mean, you have to have your theological magnifying glass with the little nuances people want to use to somehow escape a real assessment. The one who is faithful to a biblical Christology, the one who menoremains in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.


You don't get the Father without the Son. You don't get the Son disconnected from the Father. There's no possibility of knowing God apart from knowing Christ. This is the strongest statement on gospel exclusivity anywhere. It's a packaged deal. Yo don't know the Father except by the Son. "No man comes unto the Father but by Me."



So that is the principle of looking for the truth. And when you meet someone who has perverted it, deviated from it, added to it, gone beyond it, act wisely...act wisely. And how would you act wisely? Verse 10, "Ifanyonecomes to you," and they did, this is A with the indicative, a likely condition. It probably happened to this lady, as I've said, as to many through the centuries and many even today, and even us as they've kind of come into our house through the television and radio and whatever, and sometimes even knocking on the door. "If anyone comes to you and does not bear this teaching....what teaching?...the teaching of Christ, that is about Him by Him, do not receive him into your house." This is not someone coming to learn from you or you'd never be able to witness to an unbeliever.


This is someone coming to teach you lies. Understand the difference? We answer the questions of the ignorant. We answer the questions of those who want to know. We don't affirm or give a platform to the deceivers. The fastest way to put them out of business is to make sure that you never receive them.


If anyone comes to you, I'm not talking about someone ignorant who wants to understand the truth. We're talking about an apostate lying deceiver looking for a foothold embedded in the fellowship of believers to make money off the unsuspecting while he plies his evil lies. Don't receive him into your house.





He could have said, "Don't receive him in your church." That's true, but then churches were not the first place they would go. Why? Because churches were protected by what group of men? Elders. And what...what was necessary to be an elder? First Timothy 3, they had to be...end of verse 2...didaktikos, skilled teachers. So you wouldn't expect a false teacher just to invade a church. He's not going to get in here. We have elders who are skilled teachers.


Titus 1:9, "Elders are able to hold fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the doctrine and are able both to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict." And they can handle the rebellious men, the empty talkers, and deceivers. That's what elders and pastors do. So they don't come to the church. That's where they ultimately end up, that's where they'd like to end up. They don't come there first, they go to the home. They want to get you on your front porch.


They want to get you through the television or the radio. They want to find their way to those who are vulnerable. In 2 Timothy 3 and verse 5 it says, "These false teachers have a form of godliness without power." And verse 6 says, "They enter into households and they captivate weak women." Hmmm, that's what they do. They look for the weak and the sympathetic and tender hearted and compassionate and embed themselves there and start their divesting of those people's resources and the confusion of their minds.


Don't let them in your house. "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly." And this doesn't apply to new Christians, or those who seek a full knowledge of Christ. These people are not learners, they are...what?...teachers, the emissaries of deception.



But that's not all it says. They are so dangerous, not only do you not let them in, look at the end of verse 10, "Do not give him a greeting...do not give him a greeting." Saintly Polycarp met a heretic and greeted him with this, "I recognize Satan's firstborn." Greeting...greeting is chairo, it means to give a greeting, literally means to rejoice.


That was the Christian greeting, standard Christian greeting to rejoice. That is to say to someone, "Rejoice." In other words, this is a happy occasion to see you, it produces joy. Your presence is a source of joy. Welcome to the fellowship...is an affirmation of solidarity. You don't ever want to say that to a false teacher and a deceiver and a liar and an emissary of Satan, somebody who has gone beyond what the Bible teaches about Christ. Don't ever say that to a false teacher.




You say, "Well, that's narrow." You bet. You say, "That's harsh." You've got it right. You say, "That's unloving." Absolutely. But nothing is as dangerous as deception because nothing is as precious as truth, right? He's speaking of dangerous wolves, Acts 20. He's speaking of thieves in the language of Jesus in John 10 who come to kill and destroy the flock. Any hospitality, any commendation, any acceptance of them would be dangerous exposure to antichrist influences. You can't overstate this. It would be impossible to overstate this. If you ever put yourself in a position in which you give yourself over to lying teachers, you're in defiance of this text.



You may think they're academic and you may think they're something very elite about being a part of some academic environment, the appropriate thing would be to borrow from Polycarp and tell your Christ-denying religious professor,


"I recognize Satan's firstborn when I see him. Shut the door in their face, John says. John was a real shepherd. He was protecting his flock. The quickest way to contribute to their failure is to shut the door and give them no affirming greeting at all. Their mouths, Titus 1 says, must be stopped. And the church today is not willing to do this...not willing to do this.



How serious is this? You say, "Well, I should do it for the love of the truth." Right. "I should do it for the honor of God." Right. But John goes beyond that, look at verse 11. "For the one...not the one who lets him in the house...the one who gives him a...what?...a greeting participates in his evil deeds." Wow, koionos with him, fellowships, shares, partakes literally in the evil works of him. That's amazing. If you even show hospitality, beyond that, if you even give him an affirming greeting, that's a tight narrow responsibility. Don't do anything to acknowledge them as Christians.
End quote.


Surph's Side: How To Deal With False Teachers: utterly reject them, not give them a platform


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Surph's Side: Refute and Silence Heretics, Don't Approve And Parade Them Around Like Brothers In Christ

Refute and Silence Heretics, Don't Approve And Parade Them Around Like Brothers In Christ
There is nothing unclear about Scripture's command to refute and silence heretics. Why are the Elephants stampeding on this command as well, and in direct rebellion against Scripture, they give approval and platform to a heretic like TD Jakes.






Tit 1:9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. 10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.


2Jn 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

2Co 11:4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.



Gal 1:6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! 10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.


Surph's Side: Refute and Silence Heretics, Don't Approve And Parade Them Around Like Brothers In Christ

[billiefan2000]

Surph's Side: Soft Words For Deceivers

Monday, February 13, 2012


Soft Words For Deceivers


This is a rebuke of those who continue to call false teachers "brothers in the Lord":


"I have not much patience with a certain class of Christians nowadays who will hear anybody preach so long as they can say, "He is very clever, a fine preacher, a man of genius, a born orator." Is cleverness to make false doctrine palatable? Why, sirs, to me the ability of a man who preaches error is my sorrow rather than my admiration. I cannot endure false doctrine, however neatly it may be put before me. Would you have me eat poisoned meat because the dish is of the choicest ware? It makes me indignant when I hear another gospel put before the people with enticing words, by men who would fain make merchandise of souls; and I marvel at those who have soft words for such deceivers.
According to modern efficiency he ought to have said, "Let him be kindly spoken with in private, but pray make no stir. No doubt the thought was original, and we must not question his liberty. Doubtless, he believes the same as we do, only there is some little difference as to terms."

~ Spurgeon from "Under Constraint," Sunday morning 28 April 1878 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London

1Th 2:5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed--God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.

Rom 16:17 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. 18 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.


2Co 11:4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.




2Jn 1:9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.


Surph's Side: Soft Words For Deceivers

[SteveJM]

I started with post #12. I'll have to go back and read all of the posts.

P.S. I'll let the Bible define what is heresy, and that's where I'll stand, no more, no less. The same goes with how we're to deal with the heretic.