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...Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
Paul, writing to his young protégé Timothy, warned him of “doctrines of devils.” Under the guise of spiritual leadership, authoritarian spirits would both “forbid” and “command.” The former having to do with marriage; the latter being related to meats. But the Bible teaches “Marriage is honourable in all,” and that meats are to be “received with thanksgiving.” Yet some had departed from the faith and had given heed to these “seducing spirits.”
Paul is addressing professing Believers in this instance. The safeguard, he tells them, from not going away from the truth is in both believing and knowing it. Not just in believing the truth, but knowing it. The fact that they were Believers tells us they believed the truth. The problem lay in the fact that they did not know the truth. Belief of the truth is not good enough; you must know it. Many of God’s children believe the Bible is true, yet their lives are in shambles.
“The devil loves Christians who pride themselves in saying they believe the Bible is Word of God, but who know nothing of its contents.”
(rds)
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