A warning about teaching a different
Doctrine or Teaching
1G.1
Are there people who teaches
differently from the teachings of Christ that are written in
the Holy Scriptures?
In I Timothy 6:3-4,
Apostle Paul gave this advice to Timothy:
3. This
is what you are to teach and urge. Anyone who
teaches anything different and does not keep to the
sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with
true religion,
4. is proud and has no understanding, but rather
a weakness for questioning everything and arguing
about words. All that can come of this is
jealousy, contention, abuse and evil mistrust;
5. and unending disputes by people who are depraved
in mind and deprived of truth, and imagine that
religion is a way of making a profit.
(NJB)
The same
verse in another version of the Bible:
3
Whoever teaches a different doctrine and does
not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus
Christ and with the teaching of our religion
4 is swollen with pride and knows nothing. He
has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel
about words, and this brings on jealousy,
disputes, insults, evil suspicions,
5 and constant arguments from people whose minds
do not function and who no longer have the
truth. They think that religion is a way to
become rich. (TEV)
YES,
there are people who teaches different things or
different doctrines that is contrary to the sound
teachings or the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How
did Apostle Paul identify these people?
They are identified as
"proud people of no understanding" for they no
longer have the truth.
- These people have
a weakness for questioning everything and arguing
about words.
- They have an
unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words,
How do
these people teach or explain the words of God?
In
I Corinthians 4:6, this is written:
"Now, brothers, I have
applied these things to myself and Apollos
for your benefit, so that you may learn
from us the meaning of the saying, "Do
not go beyond what is written." Then
you will not take pride in one man over against
another. (NIV)
Contrary to the
teachings of Apostle Paul, these "proud people of
no understanding," "go beyond what is written"
in the Bible. They pride themselves to personally
interpret the scriptures because they say it is
their right to think for themselves. Also contrary
to what the Apostles do, they do not actually use
the verses of the Bible to explain the truth written
in the Bible (1 Cor. 2:13).
To have a
good understanding on how the Apostles use the verses of
the Bible to explain the truth written in the Bible,
read the
"Comparative Bible Study Guidelines".
The Teaching
of a different Gospel
1G.2
What will these "proud people of no
understanding" teach differently from the true words or
sound teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ?
In Galatians 1:6-7,
Apostle Paul explains
6I
am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the
one who called you by the grace of Christ and are
turning to a different gospel—
7which is really no gospel at all.
Evidently some people are throwing you into
confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of
Christ.
NIV
The same verse in
another version of the Bible:
6
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon
from God, who in his love and mercy called you
to share the eternal life he gives through
Christ. You are already following a different
way
7 that pretends to be the Good News but is not
the Good News at all. You are being fooled
by those who twist and change the truth
concerning Christ. (NLT)
These "proud people of
no understanding" will teach a different Gospel,
which is really no Gospel or Good News at all.
What
are these "proud people of no understanding" effectively
doing?
They are fooling
people by "twisting and changing the truth concerning
Christ", that is making people believe a different
gospel, which is not the gospel taught by Jesus and His
apostles that are written in the Bible.
For more information, you may study the following Lesson
from www.uniquebiblestudy.com (a
new window will be opened)
Lesson 42 - The Gospel of Christ and the Preachers
of God
Acquiring a steadfast or unwavering faith in Christ
1G.3
Whose testimony should people believe in so they will not be
misled from the truth?
In John 17:20, the Lord
Jesus Christ said these things as He prayed to God, the
Father in heaven:
"I
am praying not only for these disciples but also
for all who will ever believe in me because of their
testimony. (New Living Translation)
The Lord Jesus also
prayed for the people who will ever believe in Him
because of the testimony of His disciples. Thus,
people should believe the
testimony of Christ's apostles and disciples so that
they will not be misled from the truth.
1G.4
Why should people believe in the
testimony of the Christ's apostles and disciples?
What
should be their goal in seeking the truth?
In Ephesians 4:13, this
is written:
13[That
it might develop] until we all attain
oneness in the faith and in the
comprehension of the [full
and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God,
that [we might arrive] at really mature
manhood (the completeness of personality
which is nothing less than the standard
height of Christ's own perfection), the
measure of the stature of the fullness of
the Christ and the completeness found in
Him. (AMP)
The same
verse in another version of the Bible:
until we all attain to the unity of
the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to a mature man, to the
measure of the stature which belongs to
the fullness of Christ. (NASB)
People should
believe the testimony or words of Christ's
apostles and disciples that are written in the
Bible in order to . . . .
- To attain
oneness or unity in the faith.
- To attain
oneness or unity in the comprehension of the
[full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of
God,
Thus,
believing the testimony of Christ's apostles and
disciples is simply believing like they are. So
like the apostles, people will have the same
faith and the same full and accurate
understanding or the true knowledge of the "Son
of God". As such, they will mature as a firm
believer of true Christ and His teachings.
1G.5
Why should people have the full and
accurate knowledge of the "Son of God", the Lord Jesus
Christ?
In Ephesians 4:14, this
is written:
Then we will no longer be like children, forever
changing our minds about what we believe because
someone has told us something different or because
someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie
sound like the truth. (NLT)
The same verse in
other versions of the Bible:
that
we should no longer be children, tossed to and
fro and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning
craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive,
(NKJV)
Having
a full and accurate (true) knowledge of the Son of God
will redound to a "steadfast or unwavering faith".
Thus, one will no longer be like children forever
changing his mind about what he believes just because
someone told him something different or someone cleverly
lied to him and made the lie sound like the truth.
________________
Everyone must be aware of
false teachings, for many are being fooled by those who
twist and change the truth concerning Christ (Gal.1:7, NLT).
Those who seek the truth about God and Jesus Christ must
strive to verify what preachers or teachers are telling and
leading them to believe. They should ask themselves the
following questions:
- Are they
teaching the true gospel of Christ? Are they teaching
the truth about the "true God" and the "true
Jesus" as taught by the Lord Jesus Himself and testified
by HIs Apostles and disciples (John 17:20) that are now
clearly written in the Bible?
- Or,
are they teaching a
different gospel (Gal.1:6) or something different about
God and Jesus Christ that is being cleverly lied to and
made the lie sound like the truth? (
Eph.4:14, NLT)
- Or,
are they teaching a different
doctrine―one that
does not agree with the
true words of our Lord Jesus Christ ( I Tim.6:3,
TEV)―that is being
taught to by the trickery of
men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait
to deceive? (
Eph.4:14, NKJV)
So as not to be misled
from the truth and acquire a steadfast or unwavering faith,
one must have the true knowledge of the Son of God.
One must strive to fully and accurately understand the
gospel of Christ as taught by the Lord Jesus himself, that
are testified to and wrote about by the His apostles and
disciples as clearly written in the Holy Bible.
___________
Thank you for
taking a closer look at the scriptural truth.
We hope that the lessons about Eternal Life was made
clear and meaningful to you by the verses of the Holy
Bible.
May the additional knowledge about Eternal Life
you acquired from the previous lessons lead you to the
truth written in the Holy Bible.
___________________________
Please
continue to study
the Basic Teaching Of Christ Jesus that means Eternal
Life
which says
Eternal Life means
(A) to know you the Only True God
and
(B) to know Jesus Christ whom God has sent.
In the following lessons
we compare beliefs in God and beliefs in Jesus Christ.