LD Fincher Ministries - Doctrines of Men

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. [Emphasis mine]

First, this revelation of Paul to Timothy is one that the Spirit of God wanted to make blatantly clear, “the Spirit speaketh expressly”, thus bringing an exclamation point to what’s about to be spoken. It is most important. Why? Because it will jeopardize ALL those caught up in the events that would transpire.

Second, The Spirit places the about to be revealed apostasy in a time frame. “The latter times”. Of course, since the letter was probably written in 60 – 65 AD, the time period could be within Timothy’s lifetime to the present day.

Third, this group that will engage in the revealed activity are categorized in a number of ways:

Why is this wrong? Their motives for such commands may have had good human reasoning but the Spirit of God condemns their actions. Why? Because men, even the leaders of a Christian Group, (these men who impose these commands on their followers were Christians because one cannot “depart from the faith” if he/she is not already in the faith), do not have the authority to impose commands on God’s followers that God did not impose. To do so, sets the commands of men on an equal par with the commands of God. As mere men, we have no right to do so. It is God who commands His people though His word.

These men would invoke a command that opposes the inspired word of God, “forbidding to marry.” Withstanding there are commands of God that govern the remarriage of covenant people but God stated clearly in Heb 13:4 that “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” The sin of these leaders would be that they would command something of God’s people that God did not command.

The Spirit points to the fact that all meat is sanctified by “the word of God”. This sanctification occurs many times in the N.T. but first was revealed to Peter in the form of a sheet being let down from heaven and God declaring that Peter should not deem anything unclean that God had made Clean, Acts 10:9-16. The point is that these men would set up a command concerning the partaking of meats that opposed the commandment of God, who deemed all meats clean in the new covenant. I Cor 8:8, Col 2:16, Acts 10:9-16.

Fifth, Paul encourages Timothy to “put the brethren in remembrance of these things…” What things? God’s made all meats clean by His word and marriage is honorable in all. God’s law supersedes man’s law and condemns the binding of religious rules that God has not made. He continues and points out to young Timothy that if he does these things, (points out that God’s law is not to be overruled by the commandments of men), he will be a “good minister of Jesus Christ” and he will be nourished up in “the words of faith and of good doctrine.”

Sixth, Paul tells Timothy to “refuse profane and old wives fables.” In contrast to the prior revelation of the Spirit concerning the departure of some from the faith in giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, the reason for this admonition becomes completely clear…to not do so could bring destruction upon his young student as well as those who hear him.

Seventh, Paul categorizes these commands of these men to come as “doctrines of demons”, yet it would be men who would invoke these commands… One of two things are true here, and most likely, both: Paul puts these men to come into the same category as demons or demons work through these men to usurp God’s authority.

Eighth, the Spirit of God points out that one can “depart from the faith” by “Giving heed” to such doctrines. To “give heed” to something is clearly defined in Tit 1:14 in the form of a negative command: “Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.”

Interesting enough, Paul command to Titus, another young preacher, follows right on the heels of the specific and detailed qualifications of an elder and discusses in detail those who will not “hold fast to the faithful word”

Ninth, Paul tells young Timothy, “These things command and teach” which simply puts an exclamation point of the recent revelation of the Spirit concerning those that would depart from the faith by making up their own rules which oppose and set aside God’s commands. The writing of Paul and the other N.T. writers are the commands of God, the commands of Christ, I Cor 14:37.

Tenth, after the revelation of the Spirit concerning those that would depart from the faith by teaching doctrines that God did not put in place, Paul tells young Timothy to “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” This further escalates the danger in leading as well as the doctrine one teaches. An evangelist’s life and doctrine can lead men to salvation or into deception…into life eternal or into eternal condemnation.

The seriousness of teaching the doctrines and commandments of men is clearly seen in 1st Timothy 4:1-16. The question is, will we see it and act accordingly?