“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:15
These words of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy have stood as a bulwark against many heresies throughout the ages, and we would do well to take heed of them now. Why? Because in each and every age there are those who claim to find something “new” or “unique” in Scripture that had been hidden until this point in time, when they discovered it. These false prophets parade their “new” discovery through the streets proclaiming the Lord has given them supernatural insight into the Scriptures fundamentally changing the message of the Gospel and glorifying themselves in the process. Every single age, without fail, the same heresies present themselves with a new coat of paint pretending to be something “new.”
Imagination, invention, and novelty are nothing new to the Christian faith at this point. The naming and exploration of these heresies would be a worthy endeavor and indeed necessary for us to cover in a bible study or special class. But to try and give an exhaustive list here would exceed the limits of a simple newsletter article. That is why I have highlighted the words from 2 Thessalonians. This one sentence is a shield and defense against all heresy and falsehood. We are instructed to cling to the Apostolic teachings of the church and stand firm upon them. Which means that we do not give up ground, entertain false prophets, or compromise on the doctrines of faith that have been handed down to us.
So what must we do? A good question. We pray for those who have been lured away from the true faith and stand firm on the doctrine handed down to us. Firm, not hateful. Knowledgeable, not conceited. Reasonable, not rude. Kind, not boorish. Loving, not compromising. I will leave you with words from our Church Father Cyril of Jerusalem concerning the Creed, “For the articles of faith have not been composed to please human desire, but the most important points collected from the Scriptures make up one complete teaching of the faith. And just as the mustard seed in a small grain contains in embryo many future branches, so also the creed embraces in a few words all the religious knowledge in both the Old and New Testament. Pay attention, therefore, brothers, and cling to the teaching which are now delivered to you, and ‘write them on the tablet of your heart.’”
In Christ,
Pastor Tommy