SOME WILL DEPART FROM THE FAITH INTO DOCTRINES OF
DEMONS
In a few words,
this is the message Apostle Paul sent to Timothy in his first letter, chapter
4, verses 1 to 3:
“Now the
Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by
devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the
insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and
require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving
by those who believe and know the truth.”
1Timothy 4:1-3
This verse, together
with the warning given in his second letter to him:
“For the
time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching
ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and
will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
2Timothy 4:3-4
conform the two prophetic
warnings about the future of the Christian Church soon after the letters were
written, around the years 64 to 67.
The immediate
danger at the time were the Judaizing section of Christians who having
converted from Judaism to Christianity, they still held to the regulations of
the Law as an obligation, and so they taught others, which included not only circumcision,
but also keeping the Sabbaths, the Day of Atonement and the dietary laws (Titus
1:10,14).
The other danger
was Gnosticism, which claimed to have a deeper understanding of the words of
Jesus, than what Christians had received from the Apostles (1Timothy 6:20).
These problems appeared
at the time of the apostolic era, especially since there were many prophets,
and the revelation was not yet completed; however, they were confronted by the
living apostles, who were considered by all to be the Fathers of the Faith, the
oracles of God.
We have today in
the NT, records of what this apostolic doctrine was, whether we believe these
records are complete, or simply a part of a bigger picture, either through ‘tradition’
or other form of revelation. But what it is written, it was written in plain
language to be understood by anyone, and not in encrypted manner. So much that
when Apostle Peter said that some men twist the words of Paul, it is assumed
they did it due to their twisted hearts, and not because there was an impossibility
in understanding Paul’s writings, and that is why he encourages not to follow
their bad example (2Peter 3:16-17).
There is a time
gap between the end of the first century, around when it is said Apostle John disappeared
from the scene, until the Didache, estimated to have been written around 20 years
after John the Apostle (96-120CE), and then later to the first epistle of
Clement, a little later, (Approx. 80-140CE), assumed to have been written during
the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117CE), to then jump to the Shepherd of Hermas
(140-155CE), to the First Apology of Justin Martyr to Emperor Antoninus Pius
who reigned from 138 to 161; then until the writings of Ignatius of Antioch
(Died between 108-140CE), until we arrive to the authors known as ‘Church
Fathers’ by Christendom.
Considering the
lack of certainty in dating these documents, we can safely say that at least 20
years had happened between the disappearance of the last apostle, and the first
non-apostolic document acknowledged by most Christians as orthodox.
The doctrine
that we suddenly find in these documents, to which we can add the sections we
have received from Eusebius quoting from other ancient martyrs like Polycarp or
Papias, distant more and more from the language and message we find in the
Scriptures.
The Didache
starts developing a legalistic language based on meritorious actions and with
the possibility of scaping final punishment (Didache 1:18-23; 4:7-8).
First Clement,
has not much of doctrinal controversy, on the contrary, it is a testimony of
the value of Scripture in the second century Church, since the quotes of NT and
OT are used to give weight and authority to Clement’ arguments. However, his
mention of the legend of the Phoenix as genuine, it denotes the ignorance and fantasy
that populated the imagination of this Church leader, and possibly of others as
well (1Clement 25:2-4).
Justin Martyr in
his First Apology, speaks of an apparent ‘transformation’ of the bread and the
wine of the Lord’ Supper, into the Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus, which
carries itself more information than what we have in the NT on that sacrament (1Apology
67).
The writings of
Ignatius of Antioch carry more doctrinal development than the ones already
mentioned. He openly speaks of the Episcopal system as preserver of the Truth
in the Church and the need of every community to remain in union with their
Bishop, however, always giving priority to Scripture, from which only the
orthodox episcopate could give the true interpretation as taught by the
Apostles.
And so it
continues with later writings, distancing more and more from the biblical teachings.
Even though most
of the doctrine expressed in these books are according to the Scriptures, a
slow departing from the apostolic teaching it is noted from the second part of
the third century until it looks totally different in morality, doctrine and
form by the beginning of the 4th century.
Christendom has
accepted this development mostly for the martyrdom of some of these writers, and
because they were part of the incipient Church of the first centuries. It is accepted
that there was a development in doctrine, and they see this as the work of God,
even when the difference with scriptural doctrine is clear, specially because
the earliest writers are assumed to have lived at the time or near the time of
the apostles of Jesus. (Ignatius, Polycarp, Papias, etc).
However, there
is another possibility, considered taboo, and usually attributed to restorationist
sects. The hypothesis that these writers had a partially corrupted doctrine.
In the Scriptures
we have the evidence that corruption entered the apostolic Church, and we have
the prophetic warning of the coming of further corruption, the idea that false
doctrine and immorality will enter the Church, which started during the second
part of the first century, growing and eating the Body of Christ like a virus
or a malware, until it damaged the core of Christianity, however, it was unable
to erase Christianity from the planet thanks to God’s mercy (Matthew 16:18).
Lord Jesus said:
“Small is
the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:14
Even though this
has a spiritual meaning, this can also be applied to the fact that true
Christianity is not something everyone will find. Christian values will be
present and grow to universal level, as prophesied by Jesus (Matthew 13:31-32),
however still will remain a ‘narrow path and a small gate’, mostly due to its
moral standards and spiritual principles.
There will be
always people who will profess faith in Christ, but will lean towards one side
or the other. But wherever you are, is always convenient to consider the
possibility that popular Christianity is nothing more than an infected old religious
system, kept alive by practice, and mostly by fake believers who have no idea
of biblical teaching, and that are trapped in forms that they have inherited by
birth, and not through conversion.
Apostle Paul said
something that endures forever:
“But God’s
firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,”
and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
2Timothy 2:19
God will do his
work.
Omar Flores.
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