3 As I exhorted you when going to Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may command certain ones not to teach a different doctrine, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the stewardship from God which is by faith. 5 But the goal of our command is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and an unhypocritical faith. 1 Timothy 1:3-5 (LSB)
This blog has been online since 2006 and over the years I have tried to address all of the forms of “Christianity” that were in fact “Strange Fire.” How did we know they were “Strange Fire?” They did not line up with what God’s Word says His people will do as they serve Him. It is amazing how no matter how “new” the attacks on God’s truth are, the more they consist of the very same rebellion that is exposed throughout both the Old and New Testaments of Sacred Scripture. The arguments of those who propose “different doctrines” rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith expose hearts that are spiritually blind….
They may indeed have very different religions or doctrines from each other, but their opposition to the truth of God will all be according to the very same rebellion found in the temptation from the serpent in Genesis 3:1, “Yea, hath God said,…?” Those who dwell and minister in this area of rebellion do so with a sense of self-confidence that they are “right” and “cutting-edge” and “not mired in the past” are actually guilty of casting doubt on God’s good doctrines given to the Church while constructing man-made theologies whose foundations are no better than wet sand and, even worse, they attempt to gain as many followers as possible to reject the truth and enter with them into the ‘New Kind of Christianity’ that is their version of the church founded on their different doctrines.
17 Now I urge you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and stumblings contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. Romans 16:17 (LSB)
17 Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, σκοπεῖν τοὺς τὰς διχοστασίας καὶ τὰ σκάνδαλα παρὰ τὴν διδαχὴν ἣν ὑμεῖς ἐμάθετε ποιοῦντας, καὶ ἐκκλίνετε ἀπʼ αὐτῶν· Romans 16:17 (NA28)
17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch the ones making the divisions and the obstacles against the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. Romans 16:17 (translated from the NA28 Greek text to English)
What are τὰς διχοστασίας καὶ τὰ σκάνδαλα (the divisions and the obstacles) about which Paul is warning the Romans? These are doctrinal falsehoods and unrighteous practices of those who are attempting take over or divide the church. They are after religious followers and they are using τὰς διχοστασίας καὶ τὰ σκάνδαλα to attract the naïve. Notice also that Paul makes it clear that these in the Roman Church have been taught correct doctrine according to righteousness and so they have and know the truth παρὰ τὴν διδαχὴν (against the teaching) they ἐμάθετε (learned). These people have been discipled and so have the truth and are being exhorted by Paul to discern false ministers and turn from them or avoid them. Why?