Doctrines of demons

[B-A-C]

I read an interesting statistic on CNN last week.

It said that 97% of all drivers believe they are in the top 10% of the best drivers.

In a way, this is pretty humorous. I don't know if it's true or not, but I have to say, most people I know consider themselves to be the best drivers. It's hard not to put myself in that category.

It's much the same way with Christianity. Most of us have different beliefs, different theologies, different interpretations, and even different ways of expressing Christianity. The continuous debates here on TJ bear this out wonderfully.
So it seems that 99.9% of us are convinced that "our" belief is the right belief. Yet certainly 99% percent of us do not agree on what being a Christian is. So obviously... somewhere, some of us are wrong.

Some say belief in Jesus is all you need. Some say you need the Holy Spirit. Some say you need to know the Bible and what's in it. Some say you need to be baptized. Some say only certain parts of the Bible apply. Some say none of the Bible applies. Some say you need all of the above. Some say you don't even need Jesus to be saved.

1 Tim 4:1; says in the last days many people will fall away from the faith and start paying attention to doctrines of demons.
2 Tim 4:3-4; says the time will come when people will find preachers and teachers in the "church" that preach what they want to hear whether it's in the Bible or not.

I used to think these were obvious teachings like satanic worship, or denying the deity of Jesus.
But more and more often here on TJ, (not only here) I am running across doctrines that based on half verses
(a half truth is a whole lie) partial verses, partial passages, passages taken out of context and obviously disagree
with many other verses the way they have been interpreted.

Rom 16:17-27; warns about the wolves who come in sheep's clothing.

There are many wolves here on TJ. There are many doctrines of demons here on TJ.
And many of them are doing there best to discredit the Bible, or at least parts of the Bible.

These aren't non-believers, atheists, muslims, buddhists, new-agers, or hindu's.
These are people calling themselves Christians.

 

[amadeus2]

Perhaps it is more than 97%:

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Prov 21:2

Then again how few is few?

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matt7:14

 

[Brad Huber]

There always have been wolves in sheep's clothing, its just that in the more broad setting (versus a specific demonination church where its expected for all to adhere to the denominational line) seen here on TJ, its easy see how different people are from different denominations, and see the faults in others seem more clear.

 

[Dovegiven]

There always have been wolves in sheep's clothing, its just that in the more broad setting (versus a specific demonination church where its expected for all to adhere to the denominational line) seen here on TJ, its easy see how different people are from different denominations, and see the faults in others seem more clear.

We are supposed to continue on knowing the wolves are all around, with the telling of it by Jesus and Paul.
Matthew 10:16 (KJV)
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Acts 20:29 (KJV)
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Disciples of Christ are well warned. Right? And if we know the word of God, shouldn't we knowing they are there, be able to instantly detect them?

I spent some time a while back looking up the idea of wolves and why link that to actions of false prophets and false teachers. Wolves in the wild are not afraid to
appear and intimidate a flock of sheep or any other animals into fear and wanting to run, even huge elk. They then chase down the slower, weaker sheep, those lambs not being protected.
I've seen them in action in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon while tending fence on Forest Service land long ago.

A great perversion of that natural tendency of wolves being bold in search of a meal is to put that kind of instinct into a human
who would make it cruelly hideous to hide the danger they know they harbor, intending to deceive others. It's one thing for someone to spread false
doctrine in ignorance. It's especially damnable to pose as a Christian with an agenda of harvesting believers who are usually clearly weak in doctrine,
easy pickings. It's amazing how many unbelievers now know more Bible than people who have been in church all their lives. For that reason I decided
years ago to engage in these discussions like at TJ without worrying about being popular, pointing people to the Bible (in context) whenever needed.
Wolves don't tend to attack when being shot at with arrows of truth.

 

[Travis]

Not saying you are right or wrong but I do wonder what you have in mind specifically?

 

[Travis]

A great perversion of that natural tendency of wolves being bold in search of a meal is to put that kind of instinct into a human
who would make it cruelly hideous to hide the danger they know they harbor, intending to deceive others. It's one thing for someone to spread false
doctrine in ignorance. It's especially damnable to pose as a Christian with an agenda of harvesting believers who are usually clearly weak in doctrine,
easy pickings. It's amazing how many unbelievers now know more Bible than people who have been in church all their lives. For that reason I decided
years ago to engage in these discussions like at TJ without worrying about being popular, pointing people to the Bible (in context) whenever needed.
Wolves don't tend to attack when being shot at with arrows of truth.

Most all the wolves I run across think they are innocent sheep. Or at least just think they are sheep even if they know they aren't so innocent.