2 Timothy 2:15-17 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker:......
We've all seen the TV commercials wherein some model, or star, or rock and roller tells us that we(or our kids) need to be more educated. You know what, they're totally right. (Mark this down on your calendar, because I doubt I'll ever say that again.) Though Paul had them beat by about 2 millenia. He tells us to study. This is especially important, because when you know what is right, you also know what is wrong. With all the different preachers out there, if you believe each and every one you could chase your tail till you get sick! What's worse, you could be deceived. For some reason we all seem to think that because a person has Rev., Father, Elder, Pastor, etc. before their name they are incapable of being wrong about matters of faith. It just ain't so. In Matthew 7:21-23 we see this. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. I daresay many of those saying, Lord, Lord, will be Revs., Fathers, Elders,..... well, you get the picture. We study so we can tell when we are being led astray, or as Paul says "rightly divide the word of truth"
Yet that is just the first part. The scriptures prove that knowledge is power. However, they also prove that ignorance is weakness. Paul writes "shun profane and vain babblings". Why? "for they increase unto more ungodliness." The more ignorant you are the less prepared you are for these profane babblings. Then the profanity that you've already accepted leads to worse profanity, and worse, and worse. In fact it "eat(s) as doth a canker(we call it cancer nowadays)."
That weakness doesn't stop with us. Picking up where we left off, in 2 Timothy 18 it says"Who(Hymenaeus and Philetus) concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some." Here we see that the error of these men "overthrow the faith of some". Their weakness caused others to err; even today,nearly 2000 years later, there are some that believe Hymenaeus and Philetus' false teachings. This is why many spiritual leaders are contradicting the word of God. Weakness begets weakness, heresy begets heresy. Only the power we gain from knowledge of the scriptures can prevent this end.
My pastor always used to say "Don't believe it because I say it!". After studying
the matter I would prefer to say Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel
from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we(we being the apostles,
who preach Jesus, who validated the prophets) have preached unto you, let him
be accursed."
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