FIRST TIMOTHY PART 38

A STUDY IN FIRST TIMOTHY

Chapter Four:

“Speaking lies in hypocrisy: having their conscience seared with a hot iron:” (Verse 2; KJV)

The greatest teachers of heresy are those who deliberately speak falsely with the intent to deceive. These individuals have reached the place where they have become immune to any checks and balances. They have burned their bridges to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. What they teach is by the leading of evil spirits. They present a life style that they claim to follow, but, in reality, they are promoting their own agenda. They are like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day that presented rules and regulations, but who picked and chose to follow only what promoted their own fleshly desires.

So much of today’s belief is based around money. The Bible says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith….” (I Timothy 6:10) The deceivers believe there is a difference between loving and desiring. They present a “prosperity teaching” that God desires to give you the desires of your heart, so if you desire to prosper financially, then it is not the love of money, but the love of God. These false teachers are filling their coffers with the misguided Christian’s money. These hypocrites teach one thing and believe another.

Those who present this type of teaching have deceived themselves into promoting a gospel that is really not a gospel.

FIRST TIMOTHY PART 37

A STUDY IN FIRST TIMOTHY

Chapter 4:

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” (Verse 1; KJV)

Paul alerted Timothy to a time when there would be a number of Believers that would leave the faith. This was not something that Paul was speculating about; rather, he was passing on what the Holy Spirit had revealed to him. So many of the problems that the modern church faces today are caused by individuals that are deaf to the Holy Spirit and alive to their own interpretations. It is not a question of what we think, but of what the Holy Spirit says! The next step is the hard one, for when we are given the Truth, we must present it! I believe the Holy Spirit is still speaking, but so few are listening. Much of the preaching today is based on pleasing the multitudes. Happy people keep the coffers full, while uncomfortable hearers close their wallets.

If one can read the Scriptures objectively, one will see that throughout the New Testament there is a thread of continuity pertaining to “latter times.” If we can shred our popular “end time” scenarios, we will see that the first century Believers believed that the Lord would return in their lifetime. Today, we apply what the New Testament writers meant for their hearers to what we are experiencing in our generation. Even though many of the warnings about “latter times” could fit into the twenty-first century, the primary purpose of the Scripture was to alert them of their coming apostasy. We must be careful not to upgrade Scripture to fit our dispensation.

The Holy Spirit said that the cause of slipping away would be twofold. They would listen to teaching that originated from those with seducing spirits operating in their lives. These false prophets would trick people into believing that works, not faith, is what pleases God. Secondly, the reality of the teaching was that Satan wanted it taught. These types of teaching were for fleshly edification; if it feels good, it must be right.

This is what the Ephesian Church would experience very shortly. Even though we could fit this verse into our modern lives, we must first keep it in its rightful place!