The Lord Jesus commended the apostles in Revelation 2:2 for having tested and tried those men who came claiming to be apostles themselves and were not and found them to be liars? "...thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." Now how do you think these false apostles appeared unto these people at Ephesus? Do you think they came with horns on their heads and looking like the ravenous wolves that they were (see Matt. 7:15)? Of course not. These false apostles came looking just like true apostles, no horns, no wolfish attire, no badge declaring them to be members of the union of false apostles, nothing but a sweet countenance and Jesus’ name on their lips, who "...by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Rom. 16:18).
The people of Ephesus had nothing personal against these men when they first appeared on the scene. The Ephesians did just as those noble-minded people of Berea did who, despite being approached by men of the calibre of Paul and Silas with teachings they claimed to be the very Word of God, "...searched the Scriptures daily, (to see) whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). They incurred no rebuke for making sure what they were hearing was in fact the Word of God. Does not the apostle John, in 1 John 4:1, implore every believer to "...believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world"? And does not Paul the apostle, in his opening remarks to the Galatians, warn that if any came to them, no matter their reputation, even if it was one who is mighty in appearance such as an angel from heaven, bringing any gospel other than that great and mighty Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation that Paul had preached to them, they were to let them be accursed! "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you than that which WE have preached unto you, let him be accursed." As if that wasn’t clear enough, and so that there would be no way his words could possibly be misinterpreted, Paul immediately repeated this warning to the Galatians in the following verse, thus emphasizing how vitally important this rule was that he was seeking to establish in their minds: "As we said before, so say I now again, if ANY MAN preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1:8,9).
They are accursed people who speak a cursed gospel.’ Paul was not saying that if any man who came preaching any other gospel than the one they had heard from the mouth of Paul was a true believer who just needed a little correcting, for was it not Paul who also warned the Galatians that "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" (Gal. 5:9)? If the whole lump be leavened, so too is the one who brings it. He who speaks a false gospel has not been made free by the Truth, but is still in bondage to a lie. He is not a man of God who brings a gospel that is not of God. Paul told the Galatians that it did not matter who it was, not even if he himself or those with him were to return at a later date to Galatia saying that what they had preached to them previously was wrong and what they were now going to preach was the real Gospel, or even if an angel was to come down from heaven, they were not to be listened to if their gospel differed in any way, to any degree, from that single definitive message they had heard.
The situation was, and still is, so serious that if a man brings a gospel differing from that great and only Gospel of God that reveals the true Savior and His Righteousness, he shows himself to be an accursed man, that is, a man who is in a lost state, a man who has never heard from God, for he does not teach God’s Gospel. Likewise is the situation for any who believe a gospel other than the one Paul the apostle preached. He who preaches and/or believes a false Gospel, according to the apostle Paul, shows that he is a man under the curse of God. According to Paul, "The great system of salvation had been taught; and no other was to be admitted—no matter who preached it, no matter what the character or rank of the preacher, and no matter with what imposing claims he came. It follows from this, that the mere rank, character, talent, eloquence, or piety of a preacher, does not of necessity give his doctrine a claim to our belief, or prove that his gospel is true. Great talents may be prostituted; and great sanctity of manner, and even holiness of character, may be in error; and no matter what may be the rank, and talents, and eloquence, and piety of the preacher, if he does not accord with the Gospel which was first preached, he is to be held accursed....The object of Paul is to express the greatest possible abhorrence of any other doctrine than that which he had himself preached. So great was his detestation of it, that ‘He casteth out very flames of fire; and his zeal is so fervent, that he beginneth to almost curse the angels.’ It follows from this (1) that any other doctrine than that which is proclaimed in the Bible on the subject of justification, is to be rejected and treated with abhorrence, no matter what the rank, talent or eloquence of him who defends it. (2) That we are not to patronise or countenance such preachers. No matter what their zeal, or their apparent sincerity, or their apparent sanctity, or their apparent success, or their real boldness in rebuking vice, we are to withdraw from them.
Especially are we to withdraw wholly from that instruction which goes to deny the great doctrines of salvation—that pure Gospel which the Lord Jesus and the apostle taught. If Paul would regard even an angel as doomed to destruction, and as held accursed, should he preach any other doctrine, assuredly we should not be found to lend our countenance to it, nor should we patronise it by attending on such a ministry. Who would desire to attend on the ministry of even an angel, if he was to be held accursed? How much less the ministry of a man preaching the same doctrine! It does not follow from this, however, that we are to treat others with severity of language or cursing (2 Tim 2:24,25). They must answer to God. We are to withdraw from their teaching; we are to regard the doctrines with abhorrence; and we are not to lend our countenance to them."
If a man does not abide in the Gospel of God he does not have God, so how could such a one be considered a man of God, a follower of God? "Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, HATH NOT GOD. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son" (2 Jn. 9). And, echoing Paul’s warning in the first chapter of Galatians, John the apostle continues his proclamation: "If there come any unto you, and bring not THIS doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds" (2 Jn. 10,11). The Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth and He inspires His ministers to teach His Gospel and no other. It is the Message by which we can ascertain whether or not a man speaks the truth of God, or speaking his own words. Even when it is established that a man is speaking the true Gospel, never are we to cease our examination of what he teaches. Never believe something based on the fact that a certain individual said it. BELIEVE IT ONLY IF IT IS THE TRUTH, only if it is in accord with the Scriptures.
by MDB
