Over the past few years, I have begun to notice more how the things that I eat and drink affect me. When I have too much coffee or Dr. Pepper or something else with caffeine, I find myself being more jittery and on edge. When I have a big lunch or eat certain foods, I find myself being a bit sluggish, not paying close attention and simply wanting to rest. Neither conditions are ideal and both present their own dangers to my ability to be productive in my tasks and pleasant and present with others.
Over the past few weeks, the passages of Scripture I have been reading and studying in various contexts have reminded me of how often we are warned in the Bible about the reality of false teaching. For example, the book of Jeremiah speaks about false prophets who said things that the people wanted to hear, claiming there would be peace in the land and that God would not judge them for their sin when God was revealing the exact opposite truths through Jeremiah. Jesus told his disciples that false prophets would come (e.g., Matthew 24:24), and this is something that we see echoed in numerous places by Paul (e.g., Acts 20; 1 Timothy 1, 4), Peter (e.g., 2 Peter 2), and John (e.g., 1 John 3, 4; 2 John 7-11). A common thread in these discussions of false teaching is that this teaching does not simply come from outside the community of faith but rather works its way into the community.
Therefore, we need to be on guard against false teaching, knowing that not only will it be present until Christ’s return, but it seems more likely to intensify than diminish as the day of Christ’s return approaches. But what does it look like to be on guard? As I have been pondering this question over the past few weeks, I think it means avoiding the two extremes that I have noticed regarding my dietary habits. We can’t be sleepy or aloof, but we also should not be paranoid and alarmed. Rather we should be awakened and alerted to this reality.
Don’t Be Aloof
One danger related to false teaching is that we can be aloof to its reality and presence, much like our minds can be when we eat too much food or certain types of foods. Perhaps the most obvious way that this happens is that we assume if someone has the label “Bible teacher” or “Christian,” what they are saying and doing aligns with God’s Word. If there is one persistent theme in the various passages about false teachers, it is that they take and twist what God has revealed for their own purposes. They are following the example of the father of all lies, Satan himself, in quoting Scripture but taking it out of context or raising questions about its reality or goodness. Therefore, we should not think that churches, Christian schools, Christian radio stations, or Christians workplaces are immune to the presence of false teaching; they actually may be the place most susceptible to it and can function as “super-spreaders” of these false ideas. It is easy to get comfortable in these places and it is natural to desire such comfort in the midst of a challenging world, but it is often when we are comfortable that we find ourselves ignoring warning signs and drifting away.
Don’t Be Alarmed
There is also an opposite danger, being so alarmed about the possibility of false teaching that we become suspicious and vigilant about all that we hear. This posture reminds me of when I have too much caffeine, as I find myself unable to rest and relax and also find myself snapping at people or overwhelming them with too much energy. In a similar way, we can express a paranoia when it comes to false teaching, moving from discerning everything that we hear to doubting every person and idea that we hear, ascribing to them ill intentions or lack of understanding of God’s truth. While we may think this posture safeguards us against falling into the errors of false teaching, it can actually make us more susceptible to it. We become the standard by which we measure the ideas of others and thus will not become aware of any false beliefs we possess and that need to be challenged. In addition, this falls short of God’s calling upon Christians, since it reflects a posture of fear rather than a firm conviction of God’s power.
Be Awake and Alert
As is common in the Christian faith, the path that we are to carve is one that avoids both extremes. Rather than be aloof or alarmed, we should be awake and alert. These words are common images used in the New Testament and seem appropriate for this issue as well.
The idea of being awake means that we aren’t resting because Christ has not returned; we are still in the time of false teaching and thus need to stay awake. In addition, it means that we can’t just “sleep-walk” through life without thinking – or better yet, without being attentive to God’s Word to ensure that what we are thinking and believing reflects Scripture and not the opinions of humans, whether others or ourselves.
Being alert means that we are watching out for others. It is similar to how we teach new drivers to be on the lookout for other drivers in order to avoid accidents; we are called to pay attention first and foremost to our hearts but also know that we are walking through this world in the midst of other “traffic,” which includes some drivers who may not be awake and alert to their surroundings. The difference between being alert and being alarmed is that being alert involves more of the mental side – being ready for action – while being alarmed is more of the emotional response – being driven to action by fear.
So, let us be people who are awake and alert to the reality of false teaching, not aloof or alarmed by it. Just as I have been looking at my diet to see how it affects how I feel and thus act, so we should examine our lives to see if there are places, people, or patterns that might lead to us being aloof or alarmed rather than being awake and alert. What do you need to do to stay awake and alert to the presence of false teaching in our world today?
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also email to be added to the list that receives weekly emails with our blog posts.
