False Doctrine Going Under the Radar

Many Bible believers know not to steal, kill, etc., but false doctrine often goes under the radar and gets them (false plans of salvation, false ways of worship, false doctrines about Christ or His second coming, etc.), because, sadly, many do not know God’s Word well enough to recognize error (Mt. 22:29). Many sincere believers in Jesus have no idea that false doctrine caused believers in Jesus to be lost, such as Hymenaeus, Philetus, many Galatians, and others. Did you know Hymenaeus, Philetus, and those who followed them became lost, not because they stopped believing in Jesus, but simply because they were teaching error about the resurrection of the dead? Did you know the Galatians became lost, not because they stopped believing in Jesus, but simply because they believed that men must be circumcised according to the old law? There are differences between the old and new covenants that we must understand or be lost. We don’t worship the same way they did under the old covenant, and we are not under the Law of Moses. There are many other kinds of deadly errors out there today besides these.

In the Bible faithful Christians are repeatedly warned that misusing Scriptures (or following those who do) leads to destruction, even if we still believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Gal. 5:2-6; 2 Tim. 2:15-18; 2 Pet. 3:15-18; cf. Rom. 16:17; 2 Jn. 9-11). We may believe in Jesus as God’s Son, but we must also believe and live by the truths He revealed about other critical matters through the inspired writers of the Bible (Mt. 28:20; Jn. 15:26; 1 Cor. 14:37). Jesus Himself said to live “by every word” from God, not just a handful of verses (Mt. 4:4). For the sake of our eternal destinies (and those we influence), we should study the Bible diligently and compare carefully all religious teachings of men to God’s Word. As the Lord said through Paul, “Prove [test] all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess. 5:21; cf. Acts 17:11).