False Teachers
God's grace and peace be with you as we endure the dark short days of winter.
The dead of winter is an appropriate image for physical death. All the green is gone, the trees are bare, and there is no flower of the field. We often speak of death’s cold grip, and the reality that it seems so final.
Today Paul speaks of death but not with a sense of finality. Having mentioned death, he immediately speaks of resurrection. Of course, Paul is talking about the resurrection of Jesus and His victory over the grave itself which He accomplished not only for Himself, but also for all who believe in Him. Hear his words, and then we will discuss what is happening in the lives of his readers.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ—whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. 1 Corinthians 15:12-15
Did you hear it in his opening statement? Paul speaks of “if” and then “how”! If Christ is raised from the dead how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? Do you see what is happening in the church at Corinth? There are those as we have discussed in the past, who have come into the church, who are taking the message of the apostles and twisting it, perverting it, and therefore preaching a different Gospel. What is the most logical doctrine of the Christian faith to attack? The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!
I have shared with you the sad reality that the majority of churches across our land which deny the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I will qualify that by saying if they do not outright deny His resurrection, they tolerate that teaching in their midst.
We will be addressing the end result of what it means to deny the resurrection of Jesus next week. Before we broach that topic I want to address what Paul says about those who would preach such a message. To put it simply, Paul calls them false witnesses. Those who preach a message contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which includes both His crucifixion and resurrection are to be considered false prophets!
When Paul writes Timothy, a young pastor who was trained by Paul, he has this to say concerning his salvation.
But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, 11 along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured—and yet the Lord rescued me from them all. 12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, 15 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:10-17
The words written by the apostles were directed by the Holy Spirit and are truly inspired by God. The New Testament is the Word of God in the exact same way the Old Testament is the Word of God. Paul understood this and he affirms this to Timothy. Anyone who preaches or teaches contrary to the revealed Word of God is a heretic and is to be rejected! All such individuals stand under the judgment of God! Here the words of condemnation spoken against them.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15
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. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:1-4
There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them. 3 They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3
Paul is seeking to be very tactful as he addresses the church at Corinth. There are false teachers in their midst who are teaching contrary to the revealed truth of God. These false teachers are elevating human reason above the Word of God and denying the physical resurrection of Jesus.
Sadly, this is exactly what we see in the world today! So many preachers will not come out and tell you they deny the resurrection, so they simply avoid all discussion of the death and resurrection of Jesus. So, what is a church which never proclaims the full Gospel? What does it mean to talk about Jesus but never speak of His sacrifice and victory? Jesus simply becomes a self-help guru or a selling point for the preacher! The point is that when a church no longer focuses on the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world, it has ceased to be a church of God, and it has become something which is by default opposed to God.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! May the Spirit of God protect us and guide us that we may ever remain faithful to all He has done and all He has made known to us in His Son!
In the Holy Name of our Resurrected Lord Jesus,
Pastor Russ
The dead of winter is an appropriate image for physical death. All the green is gone, the trees are bare, and there is no flower of the field. We often speak of death’s cold grip, and the reality that it seems so final.
Today Paul speaks of death but not with a sense of finality. Having mentioned death, he immediately speaks of resurrection. Of course, Paul is talking about the resurrection of Jesus and His victory over the grave itself which He accomplished not only for Himself, but also for all who believe in Him. Hear his words, and then we will discuss what is happening in the lives of his readers.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith. Moreover, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified wrongly about God that he raised up Christ—whom he did not raise up, if in fact the dead are not raised. 1 Corinthians 15:12-15
Did you hear it in his opening statement? Paul speaks of “if” and then “how”! If Christ is raised from the dead how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? Do you see what is happening in the church at Corinth? There are those as we have discussed in the past, who have come into the church, who are taking the message of the apostles and twisting it, perverting it, and therefore preaching a different Gospel. What is the most logical doctrine of the Christian faith to attack? The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!
I have shared with you the sad reality that the majority of churches across our land which deny the physical bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I will qualify that by saying if they do not outright deny His resurrection, they tolerate that teaching in their midst.
We will be addressing the end result of what it means to deny the resurrection of Jesus next week. Before we broach that topic I want to address what Paul says about those who would preach such a message. To put it simply, Paul calls them false witnesses. Those who preach a message contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which includes both His crucifixion and resurrection are to be considered false prophets!
When Paul writes Timothy, a young pastor who was trained by Paul, he has this to say concerning his salvation.
But you have followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance, 11 along with the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured—and yet the Lord rescued me from them all. 12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 Evil people and impostors will become worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, 15 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:10-17
The words written by the apostles were directed by the Holy Spirit and are truly inspired by God. The New Testament is the Word of God in the exact same way the Old Testament is the Word of God. Paul understood this and he affirms this to Timothy. Anyone who preaches or teaches contrary to the revealed Word of God is a heretic and is to be rejected! All such individuals stand under the judgment of God! Here the words of condemnation spoken against them.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15
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. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:1-4
There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them. 3 They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3
Paul is seeking to be very tactful as he addresses the church at Corinth. There are false teachers in their midst who are teaching contrary to the revealed truth of God. These false teachers are elevating human reason above the Word of God and denying the physical resurrection of Jesus.
Sadly, this is exactly what we see in the world today! So many preachers will not come out and tell you they deny the resurrection, so they simply avoid all discussion of the death and resurrection of Jesus. So, what is a church which never proclaims the full Gospel? What does it mean to talk about Jesus but never speak of His sacrifice and victory? Jesus simply becomes a self-help guru or a selling point for the preacher! The point is that when a church no longer focuses on the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world, it has ceased to be a church of God, and it has become something which is by default opposed to God.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! May the Spirit of God protect us and guide us that we may ever remain faithful to all He has done and all He has made known to us in His Son!
In the Holy Name of our Resurrected Lord Jesus,
Pastor Russ
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