BEWARE OF FOXES IN THE FOLD

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script type="text/javascript" src="http://hb.lycos.com/hb.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ratings.lycos.com/ratings/lycosRating.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-start.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-middle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-end.js"></script> <noscript> <img src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/img/common/ot_noscript.gif?rand=825895" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <iframe frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="728" height="90" src="http://ad.yieldmanager.com/st?ad_type=iframe&ad_size=728x90&section=209094"></iframe>  </noscript> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=95 BGCOLOR="#330066" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="048005f0dkblkv.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Preach The Word</b></FONT><B>     </b><B>|    </b><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B> </b><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Preach The Word"><U><B>home</b></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2 Timothy"><U><B>2 Timothy</b></U></A><B>   I   </b><A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DANIEL"><U><B>Daniel</b></U></A><B>   l</b><B>   </b><A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ZECHARIAH: "><U><B>Zechariah</b></U></A><B>   l</b><B>   </b><A HREF="id70.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MARK"><U><B>Mark</b></U></A><B>    I    </b><A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TOPICAL STUDIES"><U><B>Topical Studies</b></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=385 BGCOLOR="#DDDDDD" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>BEWARE OF FOXES IN THE FOLD</b></div> <div> 2 Timothy 2:14-19</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Sometimes the Bible says we "are" to discuss with False Teachers and other times it says we should "not" discuss with False Teachers.</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>We Should</U></b><B>:</b>      </div> <bR> <div> "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."  1 Peter 3:15</div> <bR> <div> <B><U>We Should Not</U></b><B>: </b> </div> <bR> <div> "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.  Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work."  2 John 10-11</div> <bR> <div> "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.  Keep away from them."  Romans 16:17</div> <div>           </div> <bR> <div> Jesus was gave some very strong warnings about false teachers:</div> <bR> <div> "Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are <U>ferocious wolves</U>."  Matt.7:15</div> <bR> <div> And Scripture very often caracterizes them as dogs;</div> <bR> <div> "Foxes", "Jackals"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > in </FONT>Ezekiel 13:4<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <div> "Wolves"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > in </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009933" FACE="Arial" >Matthew 7:15</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <div> "Dogs"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  in </FONT>Philippians 3:2<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <div> "Dumbdogs"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > in </FONT>Isaiah 56:10<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Why?  Because in Palestine of biblical times most dogs were stray dogs and essentially wild scavengers.  They weren't looked after and therefore always hungry, filthy and often very dangerous.  Wild dogs are for the most part selfish, ferocious and on the lookout for their next prey.  And God seems to find that very fitting a description for False Teachers.  They're carnal and have an insatiable appetite for flesh.  His goal is to pull you away from God's Truth and tear your faith to shreds. </div> <bR> <div> Paul had warned the Ephesian Elders that after his departure there would be some from within the church who would rise up and seek to derail True Christians from true doctrine.  And now it's happening as he had said.  So in these 5 verses Paul is seeking to give believers some good pointers in the midst of the enemies attack on God's Truth.  He has 5 pointers for all believers of every age:  <B>1)</b> KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR YOUR BROTHERS & SISTERS, <B>2)</b> KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR YOURSELF, <B>3)</b> KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE BAIT, <B>4)</b> KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE FOXES, and <B>5)</b> KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE TRUTH.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>1. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR YOUR BROTHERS & SISTERS</b><B>  (14)</b></div> <bR> <div> "Keep reminding them of these things"</div> <bR> <div> What things?  The things he just finished writing about:  </div> <div> To not be ashamed of the Lord or His Word / The presence of the Holy Spirit in you / Emulate the coaching of a good Teacher / The Availability & Disinterest of a Soldier / The Drive & Discipline of an Athlete / The Constant Toiling & Hard Work of a Farmer / The Suffering, Triumph & Exaltation of Jesus Christ / The Power of the Word of God / Our Primary Reason for being here: To Preach the Gospel / The Rich Eternal Rewards that await True Faithfulness. Why?  <B>(a)</b> We're prone to forget, <B>(b)</b> Satan works double-time to get us distracted, and <B>(c)</b> "<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >These things</FONT>" will keep you from becoming an easy prey for "the devil's dogs" who want nothing less than to tear your faith apart.  </div> <bR> <div> "So I will remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have."  2 Peter 1:12</div> <bR> <bR> <div> So God is telling us here<I>: </I>"Keep an eye out for your brothers & sisters in the faith!"</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Warn them before God against quarreling about words"</div> <bR> <div> Why "<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >before God</FONT>"?  So they'll take it most seriously.</div> <bR> <div> There is a way and a time to calmly and intelligently discuss differing views about the Bible and Spiritual things.  But here Paul seems to be referring to having "hot words" with people whose teaching is contrary to what the Bible teaches.  He says<I>, </I>"Don't do it!  Don't get involved in fighting over the Word of God."</div> <bR> <div> Some people just love to argue just for the sheer pleasure of hearing themselves talk and contradict truth.  They get a thrill out of such nonsense.  And they just love to watch you lose your cool and get angry over it.  God says<I>, </I>"When you see this is about to happen, leave!  Get outta there.  Don't give them the pleasure of watching you fall into sin." Then He gives 2 good reasons for us not to get involved in such arguing:  <B>(a)</b> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"It is of no value" (14c)</FONT>.  It leads to nowhere. <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind." Jude 12.</FONT>  <B>(b</b><I><B>)</b></I><I> </I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"[It] only ruins those who listen" (14d)</FONT>.  </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" >"It puts an obstacle in the way of unbelievers, who may be turned away from the true way of salvation.  It also does harm to believers, by causing confusion, doubt, discouragement and disobedience." </FONT><B>MacArthur</b><B>, </b><B>2 Timothy</b><B>, </b><B>p.74</b></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>2. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR YOURSELF</b><B>  (15)</b></div> <bR> <div> Now, let's remember that Paul is first of all writing to a Pastor here. And he's giving him an excellent way to keep false doctrine from entering & destroying the true church.  Basically he's saying, "Be the best student and teacher of God's word as you can possibly be".</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"Do your best"</FONT> (Spoudazo) speaks of a <U>zealous persistence</U>.  In what? Correctly handling the word of truth.  In other words, limiting yourself to reading the "Our Daily Bread" booklet won't do it.  There is a right way and a wrong way to learn and share the word of God. </div> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Observe</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Interpret</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Apply</div> <bR> <div> Then he tells us to do it for the right reason.</div> <bR> <div> "To present yourself to God one approved, a workman…"</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >That's one major distinction between a True believer and an Apostate one: The true believer does what he does </FONT>"<U>for the Lord</U>"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> "So whether you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  1 Cor. 10.31</div> <bR> <div> But the Apostate Believer "says" he's doing what he's doing "for the Lord"<I>,</I> but his real motivation is for himself, what he'll get out of it.</div> <bR> <div> "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. <U>For such people are not serving our Lord Christ but their own appetites</U>.  By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people." Rom 16.17-18</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"Correctly handles"</FONT> literally means to "<U>cut straight</U>".  Well, how do you do that, "take what the Bible says and cut it straight."</div> <bR> <div> Letting it speak for itself and not making it say what you want it to say.Unless it's obviously not literal, interpret it literally.  Acknowledge the different dispensations throughout human history.  Especially law and grace. I believe there are 7 different dispensations.</div> <bR> <div> Start off with the fact that it's <U>inerrant</U> and <U>inspired</U> by God and contains <U>no contradictions</U>.</div> <bR> <div> By being a constant and diligent student and teacher of the Bible you'll have no problem spotting false teaching when you see it.</div> <bR> <div>  </div> <bR> <div> <B>3. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE BAIT</b><B>  (16-17a)</b></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >What's the bait that troublemakers will tempt you with in order to get you to quarrel with them?  </FONT>"Godless chatter."<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  What is that?  Well, </FONT>"godless"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > speaks for itself.  If it's "godless" it means it has nothing to do with God and God is not glorified by it.  And </FONT>"chatter"<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > (Kenophonias) means "<U>empty</U> <U>sounds</U>."  One synonym is "gossip".  After you've spent an afternoon with a "gossip" you leave and your ears are still ringing but you feel sick to your stomach.  You've discussed a lot but ended-up with an empty bag.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> An <I><B>example</b></I> of "godless chatter" would be what the world considers very intelligent and educated men and women. Their minds are filled with a mountain of information but nothing they have to say feeds your soul or edifies it. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7019000006600.gif" HEIGHT="27" WIDTH="27" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">It's Destructive Effect</b> (v.16) </div> <bR> <div> So "godless chatter" and false teaching is graphically pictured here as a spiritual cancer.  In other words, "garbage in, garbage out."  "You are what you eat"  "What you fill your mind and heart with, will end up in your whole life."</div> <bR> <div> "The spiritual plight of many denominations and Christian institutions that once were solidly biblical is abundant proof of the pernicious and pervasive destructiveness of false doctrine.  Error cannot restrain the flesh, cannot halt the devil, and cannot protect from the world.  False teaching provides no defense against iniquity and no strength for doing what is right and God-honoring."   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B>MacArthur</b><B>, 2 Timothy, p. 78</b></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Paul writes later in <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009933" FACE="Arial" >2 Timothy 3:7</FONT> that these Apostates are <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>4. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE FOXES</b><B> (17b-18)</b></div> <bR> <div> Here you have an excellent definition of apostasy.  An Apostate is one <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"who has wandered away from the truth."</FONT></div> <bR> <div> In his first letter to Timothy Paul speaks of <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"Hymanaeus".</FONT>  He says that he <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"handed (him) over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme"  1 Tim.1.20</FONT></div> <bR> <div> I, and many others, believe that you "hand, or deliver, someone over to Satan" when, because of his refusal to acknowledge his sin and repent, you, as a church, excommunicate him.  So he's no more exposed to biblical teaching and preaching, he's not blessed by the fellowship of the Church anymore. He's left to a wicked and godless world and non-Christian friends.</div> <bR> <div> Well, here, it seems he's still hounding Christians in the Ephesian Church.  Him and his friend <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >Philetus</FONT> have been poisoning believers in Timothy's Church with a false teaching on the doctrine of <I>the Resurrection</I>.  And they seem to have succeeded.  Paul writes that they <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"destroyed the faith of some"</FONT> That's what heresy does.  It's the devils work and it destroys.</div> <bR> <div> If it's the same heresy that was going around in Corinth in those days, they were saying that there was no physical resurrection, only a spiritual one. It was a pagan Greek philosophy resembling Gnosticism, which taught that everything physical was corrupt and evil, and only the spiritual was pure and eternal.  That's why, when Paul preached on it at Athens, the Greeks <I>"sneered"</I> when they heard him. But denying the resurrection of the physical body is denying Christ's resurrection, which leads to spiritual shipwreck.  <U>Read</U>: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >1 Cor. 15.13-17</FONT></div> <bR> <div> It's not surprising that some that listened to them had whatever small faith they possessed <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009933" FACE="Arial" >"destroyed".</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>5. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE TRUTH</b><B>  (19)</b></div> <bR> <div> Paul's message is simple<I>:  "</I>If you become friends with people who call themselves Christians, yet poison you with lies, you'll suffer greatly. Your faith will be shaken to the corps. But, if you keep your eyes on the Lord, deepen your roots in the word of God, and turn away from such people, nothing will be able to shake you down."</div> <bR> <bR> <div> "Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stand's firm" (19)</div> <bR> <div> It reminds us of Jesus' parable of the two builders. One was wise the other foolish.  <U>Read</U>: <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >Luc 6.46-49  </FONT> </div> <bR> <div> "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it"  Mtt.16:18</div> <bR> <div> Paul says that God's true church is sealed with a double inscription: True faith and the Works that flow from it.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7019000006600.gif" HEIGHT="27" WIDTH="27" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">TRUE FAITH</b><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > :</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"The Lord knows those who are his"</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >In </FONT>Numbers 16  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >God has not chosen Korah and his rebel Levites for the priesthood, but Aaron alone.  When the showdown came God manifested his choice by having the troublemakers go to their grave while still alive.  The Lord showed who was His chosen priest very clearly.  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Today Jesus say's <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me"  Jn 10.27  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> The fact that God has chosen you and promised never to cast you away is a sure foundation for you to stand secure on when a false believer tries to sway you.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7019000006600.gif" HEIGHT="27" WIDTH="27" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">GOOD WORKS</b> :<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >"Turn away from wickedness"</FONT></div> <bR> <div> "Faith without works is dead"  James 2</div> <bR> <div> The fact that you obey God and practice His word is strong evidence before an unbelieving world.  And the obedience that the Holy Spirit produces through you is also a sure foundation for you to rest and stand on when the devil's dogs come barking in the church.</div> <bR> <div> "Of all the cons we can fall prey to, one of the worst is being duped by a religious phony.  Swindlers of this kind deal in counterfeit truth - something that looks and sounds right but is actually contrary to fact, an imitation meant to deceive the unsuspecting.  These cons aren't always done for the benefit of some leader whose name you can't pronounce.  No, every week, lies dressed up in their Sunday best receive nodding approval in mainline churches everywhere.  Counterfeit truth is big business, and it's still owned and operated by the same insidious proprietor who began it all years ago.</div> <div> Warren Wiersbe in commenting on the religious counterfeits in 2 Peter 2:3 says: `Plastic words!  Words that can be twisted to mean anything you want them to mean!  The false teachers use our vocabulary, but they do not use our dictionary.  They talk about `salvation', `inspiration' and great words of the Christian faith, but they do not mean what we mean.'</div> <div> How can we avoid being hoodwinked by one of Satan's workers of deceit? </div> <div> <B><U>STOP</U></b>: Refuse to blindly accept someone else's teaching just because others have been `blessed' by it.  Stop long enough to make a serious study, comparing what is being taught with what the Scriptures teach.</div> <div> <B><U>LOOK</U></b>: Take a careful look at the life of the main spokesperson.  Is the fruit of the Spirit evident?  Don't be wowed because someone sounds intelligent or wooed because of someone's charisma.</div> <div> <B><U>LISTEN</U></b>: Pay attention to the terms a person uses and how they're defined.  Also listen to what's <B>not</b> being said.  Don't judge truth just by what you feel; think, and make your judgments according to what the Scriptures teach." <I> </I><I> </I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B>Swindoll</b><B>, Oxcart, pp. 130-31</b></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."  Psalm 19:14</div> <bR> <div> Amen and God Bless You All.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>