JULY 5 = 1 THESSALONIANS 2
HOW TO SPOT A FALSE TEACHER
One of the challenges of the first century church was being able to identify false teaching. Since there was no canon of the New Testament books, and especially in those decades before any of the Gospels were written, where were definitive sources to determine truth? Paul was writing letters to churches, and then the letter (the one hand-written copy of it) physically went from one city to another and would be read in whole at the next gathering of the house church wherever.
What, then, happens when someone writes a letter claiming to be the apostle Paul, but it did not come from him? Who can prove the source? Even if T he writer is not claiming to be an actual apostle, how much authority do all those who will be reading it give to that letter?
What’s more, the very idea of having a closed canon of Bible called the New Testament had not even been thought of yet.
So, if all that is true, how would the ancient church evaluate a new teacher who comes along? Paul gives some good instruction here on how to spot a false teacher by defending his own ministry as valid. Let’s compare and see what we can glean about orthodoxy and about heresy in our day. We’ll call this “how to spot a heretic.”
“For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,”
“For the appeal we make does not spring from error ..
Paul’s appeal came from a former Pharisee who knew his Old Testament very well. So when Paul considered a truth about Jesus, or he was using an example from Scripture, his audience knew that Paul would not just be making up details about that passage. His appeal did not spring from error.
So, if you want to be a false teacher, begin by making up things that are not true.
….nor are we trying to trick you.
Paul was accused of a lot of things from those who were Judaizers. That’s because Paul’s teachings were the “new thing,” compared to Judaism that had been around for many hundreds of years. Paul could have been making up this new doctrine, and been presenting it to try to trick his listeners into believing this new thing. He was reassuring them of his motives here.
So, if you are looking for a false teacher, see if you can tell what the end game is. Are they manipulating you in some way? Knowingly lying to you? How can you tell when someone truly believes the truth of what they say?
…On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. …
How does one who is approved by God talk? How can you tell they are entrusted with the gospel? The best I can tell is to see how Paul writes in his letters. He over and over tells how he has suffered and how confident and consistent he is in what he declares as truth. He will defend truth to the death. And signs and wonders don’t hurt his credibility any, either.
We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.
I think this is a significant matter. Paul brings it up in his letters pretty often—someone who wants to please people will not be able to confront damaging sin in someone’s life or speak truth when it goes against the crowd. And keep in mind that God tests our hearts. Whatever our motives, they are known by God. And God tests our hearts by means of trials and persecution (will you remain faithful, even when it is dangerous?), or against opposition and controversy (will you love, and yet be true?).
You know we never used flattery, …
Perhaps one of the marks of a false teacher is use of flattery. To be clear, encouragement or being positive is good. But flattery is manipulative, or is untrue, or praises someone for something that is not their responsibility (“you’re so pretty,” “You are really smart.”) Praise for something over which a person has no control is false praise. And flattery is a mark of a person who is a false teacher.
…nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness…
How does greed show itself in a false teacher? Somehow, a greedy person receives a lot of gifts from people. They might not beg for it directly, but they tell their story as if they were victims, and they elicit sympathies that somehow turn into gifts. That is the mask that covers up the greed.
…We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, …
The same motivation that seeks gifts from people also seems to look for praise from people. Conversations set up a sort of obligation to give, or to support. Somehow a false teacher exudes a false humility that invites people to affirm and praise the false teacher.
…even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.
When your ego is wrapped up in what you say, you parade your credentials and review your personal life stories and refer to your power and influence.
Instead, we were like young children among you.
I think that what Paul means is that young children do not presume to have authority or power. Their motives are more simple, more clearly seen, less compromised, and certainly not doing long-term secretive plotting.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,”
A nursing mother focuses on the baby at her side. She must. Those certain attachment moments translate into caring for her children, doing whatever it takes to protect them and care for their needs.
Notice that a false teacher does what is self-serving. Notice also that true apostle does what is best for others. The energy (and money) flow goes downstream, either TO a false teacher or FROM a true disciple. In season and out of season, the same message, the same motives, the same generous selfless sacrifice.
May you and I give unconditionally, without a thought for self. And may our teaching be true, and never false. Amen.
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