How To Identify False Teaching!


4 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

 Paul again warns Timothy to be on guard for false teachers.  He says "the Spirit says".  The Holy Spirit gives us discernment as to false teaching and false prophecy.  The Spirit exposes when error is slipping into the church, especially in regard to the gospel.  In this case Paul talks about those who will abandon the faith by following deceiving spirits and taught by demons.  Paul is referring to false teachers who are under the influence of the evil one, who is always battling to dilute and undermine the gospel. 

 In this case the heresy is a form of "gnosticism", where everything related to the flesh or to the body is bad.  It is a strict form of dualism that says one needs to escape our evil bodies, and in doing so connect wto a higher form of spiritualism and the divine nature.  These teachers also denied that Jesus came in the flesh, which is at the root of their heresy.  But how did this teaching manifest itself?

It was an extreme legalism that forbid anyone to experience any pleasure in the body.  This is also called "ascetism", and it was taught that the more one mortified any desire of the flesh the holier they got.  This goal was to become like God if possible.  It taught marriage was bad because it defiled the body and many foods were declared unclean as well.  Paul says that everything is to be received with thanksgiving to God, because God created it to be good and enjoyed by human beings the crown of His creation.

 Although there are times for fasting there are also times for feasting.  Denying our bodies for the sake of "super spirituality" can become very prideful, especially as it draws attention to oneself. Jesus denounced the Pharisees for this.  Let's be careful not to become like the Pharisess and enjoy the wonderful things God has given us with thanksgiving to the One who gave them to us!

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