Truth: What is our greatest challenge in teaching it?
Working behind the scenes wherever the truth is taught, there is Satan doing all he can to keep people from knowing it and believing it.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
Satan uses “religious” people more than any others to assist him in this. We find that it was and is today this rebellious angelic creature called Satan who is said to be “the god of this world” who steadily works to do this.
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. [Emphasis added]
And who are these “religious” people Satan uses most to accomplish this? Our Lord had nothing but criticism in all that He ever said about them. It was the religious leaders of His day who expressed their opposition to truth during His earthly ministry. At that time in Israel, the religious leaders were those known as the scribes and the Pharisees. Please note how He spoke of them to expose them for what they were.
Matthew 12:34-35
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. [Emphasis added]
Matthew 23:33
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? [Emphasis added]
Like vipers, when they opened their mouths, they poisoned their enemies. If you read through Matthew 23, you’ll see our Lord’s sharply critical statements about them. He never once had anything good to say about them. Do we have such people today? We surely do! They go by different names and titles, but their thinking is very much the same. They may seem to be nice and pleasant people, but they are evil in their “religious” thinking. Shouldn’t our attitude toward these people who choose to think this way be the same as our Lord’s? Aren’t we supposed to be Christ-like in every way? Aren’t we to follow His example and even that of our apostle, the apostle Paul?
1 Corinthians 4:15-16
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I [the apostle Paul] have begotten you through the gospel.
Yes, it was Paul who had led them to Christ as their Savior. He pleaded with them to continue to follow his teaching.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. [Emphasis added]
Though typically ignored, this command is now in place for us today.
1 Corinthians 11:1
1 Be ye followers of me [Paul], even as I also am of Christ. [Emphasis added]
Though there were many then as there are now who would say otherwise, please note Paul’s words about such people and their teaching.
1 Corinthians 14:37
37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. [Emphasis added]
Galatians 1:8-9
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Here he’s actually speaking of Peter’s gospel, the gospel of the kingdom that is also called the gospel of the circumcision. Then he repeats himself to emphasize the importance of this. Such is true today even as it was during our Lord’s earthly ministry.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. [Emphasis added]
The “other gospel” he’s specifically speaking of is the gospel of the circumcision that was taught by Peter and the other apostles, though it could apply to any other false teachers. It is this man, Paul, who is our apostle, our instructor for our time. There are others in Scripture that teach truth, but it is often not directed to us today. These things that are not directed to us must be sorted out. It is Paul and his teaching that we are to give our undivided attention to studying.
Romans 11:13
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [Emphasis added]
If you have some questions about Paul’s authority and his role in our lives today, please see my other articles about this. Here are the names of two of them.
Paul: What’s so special about his teaching?
Paul: Do we make too much of him?
So many church leaders fail to see Paul’s role in our lives today as Christ’s representative of the things He would have us know, believe, and apply. Far too many would say it is Peter that we’re to follow. But please notice even Peter’s own last words that he spoke specifically about this.
2 Peter 3:15-16
15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [STREBLOO = twist], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. [Emphasis added]
What could be plainer? All Scripture is for our learning, but it is Paul’s teaching that we’re to focus our attention on for our applications.
Romans 15:4
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. [Emphasis added]
In the time of Paul’s ministry, we are told that he turned people who opposed him over to Satan to cause them great harm and to awaken them to accepting the truths communicated by him.
1 Corinthians 5:4-5
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. [Emphasis added]
Though he desired for these people to come around to accepting the truths he taught, he didn’t mince words about them. He did everything he could to expose them for being the false teachers they were.
1 Timothy 1:19-20
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
Here he speaks sternly about these people being casualties in the Christian life. They, of course, were still saved but had moved away from the truths Paul had communicated to them.
20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. [Emphasis added]
Such people today are a threat to the teaching of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, the Dispensation of Grace, and many more important truths. They all need to be exposed for who they are, lest they deceive others. They may seem sincere in their beliefs, but they are sincerely wrong. Even though they may at times speak soft words, they are deadly in the impact they can have on correct Pauline teaching. Their empty traditions and idle speculations must all be exposed for what they are and rejected. What is called mid-Acts Dispensational Bible study is absolutely necessary for spiritual growth and avoiding spiritual impotence and defeat. Satan himself fights it as best as he can in every generation, for he is quite aware that it is the only means whereby God the Holy Spirit edifies, encourages, and enlightens us. As believers our obedience to the command to diligently rightly divide the Scriptures is critical to our spiritual progress in growing in our knowledge and appreciation for the truth and the positive influence we can and should have on others.
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Study [SPOUDAZO = be diligent] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [Emphasis added]
This is a command for diligence in how we conduct our lives, not just in “studying” the Scriptures. Being diligent to show ourselves approved unto God is making the right applications from the truths we learn. This is far more than just being a good student so as to know certain things. God wants us to live out the principles daily. What a wonderful impact we can all have on people by doing that!
Satan and his evil world do everything they can to stifle the teaching represented on this 4Us2UsMinistries.com website. He employs government leaders, church leaders and many others to discourage and hinder all such teachings of the truth. I hope you will work diligently to avoid that bad influence. Doing such will surely be your greatest and most important challenge in all your life.
