3 Types of False Teachings Still Found within American Churches Today
God’s word is Truth. If we are to follow Christ and become more like him, then we are to follow and obey the Truth of His Word. Within His Word, you will find many truths, one of which is a warning against false teaching. 1 John 4:1-6 is a dense portion of John's writing that details how the church was to identify and safeguard themselves from false teaching and false teachers. Today I'll give a brief history of some false teaching within the history of the Christian church and current iterations, beliefs, and statements that reflect contemporary false teaching. We will look at Antinomism, Adoptionism, and Marcionism, and see how these false teachings are relevant in today’s churches.
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1 John 4:1-6
Origin of False Teachings in American Churches
Everywhere we look we can see examples of false teaching in America. You don’t need to go far to encounter false teachings, claiming to be true Christianity. We like to think that what we are experiencing is new. That no one else in history has experienced these, but that’s not true. Today we will look at 3 types of False Teaching from the past that are still seen today. We will learn the name of the false teaching, the date of its peak or origin, an associated leader or figure attached to the false teaching, a few passages of scripture correcting the false teaching, and how the false teaching is still present today.
Antinomianism
Name: "Antinomianism" (Anti-No-Me-An-Ism) - This name is a combination of two Greek words meaning "Instead of" or "opposed to" and "law" or "standard" or "moral conduct".
Date of origin or peak: 55 AD
Associated figure: Johannes Agricola (1494-1566) was a German protestant who opposed Martin Luther in regard to God's moral law and the believer's duties towards God's moral expectations.
Antinomianism takes the position that belief trumps deeds. The next logical consequence of this teaching is that deeds have no bearing, weight, or consequence in regards to our relationship to God. This false teaching throws away the moral law of God and champions the idea that everyone may live, do, and act however they see fit apart from God's standards or expectations.
Scripture Correcting this False Teaching:
Ephesians 4 calls believers to live a life "worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Eph 4:1a-2). Later on in Ephesians 4 a case is made to live a life different from the one lived prior to new life in Jesus. Expectations for Godly living are laid out "That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:20-24). Other New Testament passages which speak to God's expectations for the behavior of Christians:
Matthew 5:21-48 Jesus teaches on kingdom expectations relating to behavior such as anger, conflict, sexual immorality, marital faithfulness, truthful promises, seeking revenge, responding to provocation, and living righteously while being persecuted.
Colossians 3:1—4:1, Ephesians 5:21—6:9 Titus 2:1-10, and 1 Peter 2:18—3:7 Each of these passages contains list of behaviors, both commendable and damnable are recounted with specific expectations laid on various members of Christian households.
Jude 1:3-4 This entire little letter was composed because of false teaching which allowed for all sorts of ungodly living: "certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 4)
How is Antinomism Still Present Today?
This false teaching is unfortunately still present today and even held aloft by ministers, preachers, and leaders (all of whom 1 John 4:1-6 would call having a spirit not from God, but rather antichrist) as they put forward a general tenor, teaching, and ethic of life that you can do whatever you'd like. Most often this is found in "judgment-free zones" and places where words like "sin", "duty" or "righteousness" are never used.
We cannot earn God's forgiveness or pleasure in salvation and the Bible clearly speaks of God's grace as the way any are saved. Yet once saved, the Bible then calls Christians to live out a manner of living that is pleasing to God, following Christ, enduring suffering, and throwing off the old lusts of the world. This false teaching of antinomianism undercuts what the scriptures teach about God's attitude towards sin, a Christian's relationship to God once saved, and the weight and value of Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross. In a word, antinomianism is an ancient false teaching that twists and distorts God's grace into license to rebel against God.
Adoptionism
Name: Adoptionism (A-Dopt-Shun-Ism) The name of this false teaching comes from the basic tenant that Jesus was adopted by God. \
Date of origin or peak: 190 AD
Associated figure: Theodotus of Byzantium (2nd century AD)
Adoptionism denies the existence of Christ as the 2nd person of the trinity prior to the birth of Jesus in the early 1st century AD. This false teaching puts forward the idea that Jesus was only a man through the majority of his earthly life and that he was raised to the position of Son of God through his baptism, resurrection, or ascension.
Scripture Correcting this False Teaching
John 1:1-3 and 1:14 point to the pre-existence of Jesus prior to his conception and birth of Mary "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made." In these first 3 verses of John's gospel, we see a claim that a being or person nick-named by the writer as "the Word" was present with God in creation and that this person was active in the midst of the creation. In verse 14 John writes "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John connects the Word who was in creation with God and was God, with the incarnation of Jesus. John's gospel clearly removes any possibility of adoptionism.
Colossians 1:15-17 emphasizes Jesus' agency and supremacy in creation both as maker, and sustainer: "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him, all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." In this letter to the Colossian church Paul and Timothy reinforce and highlight the importance of Jesus as the Son of God working in creation both at the beginning and in the present.
How is Adoptionism Still Present Today?
Mormons have taught since the early days of their cult that Jesus was naturally born of Mary and Joseph (denying the conception of Jesus by God). James Strang (a leader within the Morman movement in the 1800s) wrote championing this position. Unfortunately, even in Bible-believing churches today, many have cast aside the truth of scripture in the Old and New Testament regarding the existence and deity of the second person of the Trinity (Jesus) as being truly God.
Marcionism
Name: Marcionism (Mar-See-On-Ism) The name of this false teaching comes from it's early leading figure, Marcion.
Date of origin or peak: 144 AD
Associated leader/figure: Marcion of Sinope (110-160 AD)
Marcion rejected the entirety of what we would call the "Old Testament" and claimed that the God who was active in times prior to Jesus was a lesser divine being who created the earth. Marcion saw the God of the Old Testament as being in direct opposition and contradiction to Jesus' sermons and teachings. Marcion put together his own Bible made up of 11 books, his own edited version of Luke's gospel and 10 of Paul's letters (Meaning that Marcion rejected most of the 27 books we have in the New Testament today, and all of the 39 books of the Old Testament).
Scripture Correcting this False Teaching
In John 8:48-58 We read of Jesus' close association with the God of the Old Testament Patriarch Abraham. Jesus was being accused of being a Samaritan and demon-possessed (8:48). In his response, Jesus underscores his relationship with Abraham, claiming to know him (8:56-58): "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds." Jesus here claims a timeline that puts his existence and activity as being present in the Old Testament period. Rather than being in opposition to the work of the God of the Old Testament (as Marcion claimed), Jesus was active and on the same page with God the Father during the Old Testament.
In John 10:22-39 Jesus claims to be associated with the Father. His close association with the Father culminates in his declaration in John 10:30 "I and the Father are one". The Jewish crowd that was gathered understood plainly enough what Jesus meant by this and they picked up stones to kill him under the change of blasphemy (10:33). If Jesus was not associated with the God of the Old Testament (as the false teaching of Marcion claims) then he would not have claimed affiliation with the one whom the Jews knew to be God.
How is Marcionism Still Present Today?
Quite often today the Old Testament is discounted, disregarded, and plainly dishonored. Many so-called "Bible-believing" churches refuse to preach or teach anything of substance from the Old Testament. Reducing the Old Testament to a sort of fairy tale book filled with moral stories of cartoonish heroes. Marcionism is present whenever passages of scripture, be they large or small, are rejected as offensive, in contradiction to, or opposed to God's truth. Marcion was the earliest of the "cut and paste" theologians who avoided, ignored, and outright opposed certain parts of God's Word. In many churches today there are those who reject the Old Testament (and parts of the New Testament). With phrases like "The God of the New Testament is a God of love" and "The Old Testament God seems so mean" or "The Old Testament is filled with Judgement," modern Marcionites reveal themselves (albeit not quite so eloquently as Marcion did).
Conclusion
There are tons more false teachings and false teachers throughout the history of the church. These are just a few today to consider who still have contemporary influence within American churches. I hope that this list helps inform you and equips you to keep your ears and eyes open for these sorts of lies which even the most well-meaning of believers and unbelievers can fall into. As I closed the sermon yesterday, I urged our congregation to repent and turn to God when we find out we've been hoodwinked or fallen for false teaching. We have a great God who delights in welcoming his repentant people with forgiveness. When we discover that we've fallen for lies, or even taught lies, the solution is to always return to God, seek his forgiveness, and move forward growing in God's truth.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
We who are called by God as ministers of his gospel need to remain faithful to the truth of God's Word. We are not called to preach our opinions, nor are we called to teach our ramblings, we are set apart by God for the purpose of bringing his true good news to all the ends of the earth.
Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
We who have been tasked with this weighty and glorious duty and privilege of sharing the gospel should endeavor to contend for the faith seeking to pull others out of the fire of lies (Jude 22-23).