2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:2-3

Pilate famously asked Jesus, “What is truth?” John 18:38

False teachers distort the truth for their own personal gain. The example Paul used was about marriage and food abstention. The examples have changed through the years but the ideas behind them are the same. “Health and Wealth” and universal inclusion are two teachings that continue to dominate false teachings. Often those two teachings are used to build huge followings and to rake in millions of dollars because of the followings. Do the teachers actually believe their message they teach? It doesn’t matter. They are false teachers and should be corrected or avoided.

When you see or hear about these false teachings, you should run as far as you can from them. With the internet, we have access to a wealth of information that we can research and determine for ourselves what the truth is. I’m afraid, though, about the lack of discernment of those sitting in the pews. As people immerse themselves more and more into culture through music and TV, they are less likely to distinguish truth from falsehood. Sadly. It’s not a one time event but a series of cultural degradation that is subtle but real. Ask a missionary who has come back to the United States after being gone for a year. They will tell you that even in that year, culture has deteriorated.

Perhaps, like Pilate, we should be asking “What is truth? much more often than we do now. That goes for those reading and writing this post as well as those occupying the pews.