2018-01-05
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As commanded by the Holy Spirit, we continue to consider cultural practices upon which God has made His attitude clear. Whenever I am leading a Bible study or other group where prayer is offered, the subject of the nature of our discussion arises. 2 TIM 2: 16-18 reveals God’s will. “Keep away from profane and foolish discussions, which only drive people farther away from God. Such teaching is like an open sore that eats away the flesh. Two men who have taught such things are Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the way of truth and are upsetting the faith of some believers by saying that our resurrection has already taken place.” Let’s look a little closer at the personalities that were adversely affected in this situation.
It was sometime between 50 and 65 AD when early Gnosticism was getting started. Hymenaeus, Philetus, and Alexander in Ephesus had been originally counted among the believers in Jesus Christ. However, under the influence of Gnosticism they blasphemed, and, as we learn in 1 TIM 1: 19-20, their teaching began to oppose that of the apostle Paul. Paul writes to his protégé, Timothy, “…Some people have not listened and made a ruin of their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have punished by handing them over to the power of Satan, this will teach them to stop their blasphemy.” Paul taught the Corinthians, in 1 COR 5: 5, mentioning a man (unnamed) who had committed sexual immorality and thus deserved to be handed over to Satan, expressing his wish that this could be reversed. These men believed that JN 5: 28 should be denied. “Do not be surprised at this: the time is coming when all the dead will hear His [Christ’s] voice and come out of their graves: those who have done good will rise and live, and those who have done evil will rise and be condemned.” Thus, they believed no day in the future will this ever happen. The way the beliefs of Gnosticism impacted them was with their acceptance that material things, like the human body, were evil. If man was to rise to his true nature, he must rid himself of the “thraldon,” not of sin, but of the body. This led to a denial of literal resurrection. Furthermore, they believed that Christ’s teaching is no more than an allegory, denying resurrection of the soul and from sin. Alexander (not the silversmith mentioned, in AC 19: 33-34, who was said to have started the riot in Ephesus) believed in Antinomialism, grace without license. He too, denied the truths of Christianity. [anti means against; nomian means law].
Another such incident where a believer was turned from his faith came when Paul, Barnabas, and Mark were in Cyprus. The governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man, called his friends, Paul and Barnabas, to come to him, so he could hear the word of God. They were opposed by the magician, Elymus, who tried to turn the governor away from his faith. Suddenly, Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit and tried to dissuade Elymus from what he was doing. In AC 13: 11, Paul exclaimed, “The Lord’s hand will come down on you now; you will be blind and not see the light of day for a time!” This came true before the governor’s very eyes, and his faith was strengthened [AC 13: 7-12]. While these are not the only stories in the Scriptures about blasphemy, they allow us to know what our Lord’s desires are.
PRAYER: O Lord, as our one and only God, Who knows the content of our heart-attitudes and the state of our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, You reveal to us in the verses studied today the negative consequences of blasphemy. For HE 4: 12-13 is true. “Nothing can be hidden from You, everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before Your eyes. And it is to You, that we must all give an account of ourselves” [HE 4: 13]. We should keenly feel the responsibility to accurately learn the teaching in Your word; and to pass them on to those who will listen, so that their faith may be established and built. Moreover, You want us to know that certain ungodly behavior places us on the slippery slope that will prevent us from spending eternity with You. We need to guard our thoughts and tongues, before they light the fires of evil. James, in JAS 3: 5, reminds us that “so large a forest can be set on fire by a tine flame!” In (10), he reminds us that You find disgust “when thanksgiving and curses come from the same mouth.” Father, we are imperfect, and capable of sinfulness that disappoints You. Please help us to correct our sinfulness and bring our thoughts and behavior up to standards the please You. We accept our responsibility to find and expunge our sins with grateful hearts that You are here to help us. We thank and praise You for not holding back the life of Your Son for our salvation and eternal forgiveness. We acknowledge the blessings You give us every day in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: My command from the Holy Spirit is to continue discussing cultural and spiritual practices of those in the church and their consequences. My mission at that time is to look at 2 PET 2: 1-3. Over 45 years ago when I began to really study the Scriptures and compare them to the teaching of another church, it gradually became obvious to me that this other denomination wasn’t in line with the Bible. In those early years, I ran the risk of inaccurate understanding and teaching by only being able to paraphrase what I was reading in the Bible. Like a child, I had to start with the Bible stories and then, begin to bring my understanding of the principles God was sharing to an adult level. No wonder, the Lord warns us, in HE 5: 11-14, about being slow to understand---requiring milk instead of meat. My persistence in this comparison led me to leave the other denomination and to eventually be in one that only accepts the OT and NT as Biblical truth. Over time, I became more accurate in both my understanding of what I was studying and allowed the Lord’s teaching to have a greater impact on my conduct. I’m far from perfect in this, but am more trusting of the Lord than before. Over time, I stopped engaging in gossip when interacting with others and swearing. Today, I can better discern false teaching when exposed to it. And I must cite, PS 115: 1, “To You alone, O Lord, to You alone, and not to us, must glory be given, because of Your constant love and faithfulness.” Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2017. All Rights Reserved
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