O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: ²¹ Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:20-21

How does Paul describe false teaching?

Paul calls for Timothy and the Ephesians to turn away from false teaching. Obviously, some were welcoming and accepting it, maybe in the name of tolerance. False teaching tends to spread like a disease. Paul compares it to gangrene in 2 Timothy 2:17. Believers must turn away from it because it is extremely dangerous.

He describes false teaching in several ways:

1. He calls it “profane chatter”—meaning that it doesn’t lead to a godly life.
2. He calls it “absurdities” or “contradictions” —meaning that it always teaches something in opposition to the whole of Scripture.
3. He calls it “so-called ‘knowledge’”—meaning that those who promote it declare that it is truth or maybe even a new revelation outside of the Bible.
4. Finally, he says that it led some to stray from the faith. It led people to apostatize from Christ and his church.

Because this is one of Satan’s primary weapons against the church, Christians must pay close attention to any teaching they hear. Like the Bereans, they must continually test what they hear against God’s Word (Acts 17:11).

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (1 Corinthians 5:6, 

Matthew 16:11-12 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? ¹² Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Oh, how the world has changed around us and this is pointing us to the deteriorating and chaotic conditions the Bible talks about.

• Sin is really not a problem anymore. After all, our cultural values have been updated.
• Homosexuality is simply an issue of sexual preference.
• There are errors in the Bible. We need an inner guide to show us what is true and to understand the wisdom of the great writers down through the ages, the words of ancient men.

One by one, people began to whisper to each other. ”Did you hear what I heard? What should we do? Would it be rude to get up and leave? Do you think he could be right? After all, he is a respected authority on the Bible.” After a while, the brave ones began to close their notebooks and make their way to the exits. But many more sat in their seats, soaking up the deception of the false teacher.

Sadly, this is all too common: sin is acceptable, homosexuality is just a preference, and the Bible is full of errors. When teachers attack the authority of the Bible, it then opens the way to discredit what the Bible teaches—leading people astray.

If we are going to be good stewards of God’s Word, we must turn away from what is falsely called knowledge and turn others away as well.