False Teachers Again

                     These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” (II Peter 2:17-22)

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:34-39)

 

Let’s start with a disclaimer. What I’m about to tell you is not an attack on anyone or any group. I’m not declaring what absolutely is - I’m warning about what may be. I make no claim to being a prophet and speaking the Word of the Lord against anyone, but I suggest that we all need to open our eyes.

Every few years, it seems, someone makes some claim about Christianity or about the Church. They have found proof that Christianity is built on lies. They have heard from God that Christianity has lost its way and they (or their movement) are the newest in a long line of Moseses who has been called to lead us out of Egypt and back to the promised land. The latter have gone by many names - the Reformation, the First Great Awakening, the Second Awakening, the Holiness Movement, the Emergent Church, the Missional Church, the Seeker-Friendly Church, faith deconstruction…there are probably hundreds of others.

No one with a brain would say that at least parts of the Church have been led by God in some direction different from other parts of the Church - or that some parts of the Church have not been led astray. Both can and have happened. In fact, Jesus led just such a movement. And in second passage above, quoted from the book of Acts, Gamaliel (Paul’s teacher?) listed several others who had led similar movements.

The point is that we need to pray about new movements as they come along. Some may be good, others evil. Sometimes change is good, and sometimes, it’s deadly. Prayer is needed, wisdom is needed, and biblical teaching is desperately needed.