The false teachings in the church at Pergamos were the
result of Teachers like Balaam, whose focus on how much money he could make, or
like the Nocolaitanes, whose focus was on improving their religious or
political standing. The church at
Thyatira was accepting a different kind of false teaching, as described in
Revelation 2:18-23. “And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith
the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are
like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy
patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against
thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a
prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to
eat things sacrificed unto idols.
And I gave her space
to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them
that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of
their deeds. And I will kill her
children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which
searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according
to your works.”
The false teachers in Pergamos were still concerned about
what God had said and their traditional beliefs, although they adapted them to benefit
themselves. They maintained at least an appearance of following God’s commands
Jezebel had a completely different agenda, deliberately replacing the original
beliefs with completely different beliefs and encouraging the people to worship
different Gods, as we see in I Kings 18, and destroying anyone who did not
accept her teachings. Teachers like Jezebel openly defy and reject
biblical teachings, replacing them completely.
I Timothy 4:1-5 describes the kind of teaching they do. “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; Speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 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. For every creature of God is good, and nothing
to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the
word of God and prayer.”
They place one’s feelings and special revelations ahead of
the word of God, and often encourage the use of various practices from the
occult, including hypnosis, speaking in tongues and certain styles of music to
heighten the religious experience.
Please note that if people are responding the same way to a religious
concert as the unsaved respond to a Country music or Rock or Rap concert, it is
not the result of the Holy Spirit acting. I
Corinthians 14:27-28 gives guidelines for speaking in tongues. “If any
man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and
that by course; and let one interpret. But
if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him
speak to himself, and to God.” I Corinthians 14:37-38 tells us that if a
person is really led by the Holy Spirit he will recognize these are God’s rules. “If any
man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the
things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be
ignorant.” If he will not accept
them he is clearly ignorant as to the Holy Spirit’s working.
Some of the false teachers knowingly lie about what scriptures
teach with no concern for God at all.
Many times their false teaching show up in their teachings about
marriage, such as setting different standards as to who can marry. Others make new rules as to what people are
to eat, as for example forbidding them to eat pork or demanding they be vegetarian,
when God said everything can be acceptable, if eaten with a proper attitude of
appreciation. Genesis 9:3 states, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the
green herb have I given you all things.”
The only restrictions God gave about diet were specifically for Israel
as a sign of their faith in him.
In addition to some of the popular teaching mentioned above,
many churches have become more concerned with what is considered politically
correct, or with psychological theories than with Biblical principles or God’s
commands. We need to remember the warning
God gave to Thyatira in Revelation 2: 21-23.
“And I gave her space to repent of
her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them
that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of
their deeds. And I will kill her
children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which
searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according
to your works.”
Churches which espouse such doctrines will not receive God’s
blessings, but will go through severe trials, and because they are religious
but have no understanding of God, the children of people who accept those
teachings will end up in hell.
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