Making sense of confusing conflicting messages
- How can we make sense of all the differing ideas we hear in the church during times of world crisis.
- How should we react to things that are going on?
- What is the message of the Word, when bad things begin to happen in the world around us?
- Should we fear government taking control?
- Should we panic and run around spreading fear?
There seems to be no shortage of Christians and preachers preaching fear and circulating messages of alarm at the moment. These range from conspiracy theories in the church through to accusations of the governments (or the wealthy elite) planning a controlling take over of everyone. At times, it’s difficult to know who to listen to and who is simply preaching fear and alarm from their own minds, not by the Spirit of God.
Some claim they are not preaching fear, but feel a sense of responsibility to warn people about things. However, is their message what the Bible tells us to preach?
This brings the question: what should the church be preaching?
What is the message we are called to preach?
Firstly, it’s important to understand that not everyone who preaches in the name of the Lord is actually speaking on God’s behalf. Many who say ‘thus saith the Lord’ should really be saying ‘thus saith me’. When people place divine authority on their own ideas, preaching them under the name of the church, confusion begins to reign, as conflicting messages arise.
This confusion alone should alert us to the fact that something is not right somewhere with things that are being said. God is not confused and is not circulating conflicting messages. These are instigated by men who preach their own ideas and fears in the name of the Lord.
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How can we distinguish between what God is actually saying and what man is originating?
The answer is always: check it out in the Word. Whether you are hearing traditions and religious ideas, or messages of fear caused by alarming circumstances in the world, our response as Christians should always be: is this in line with the written Word of God? The Word of God is given to us as the standard to judge by when determining whether things spoken are actually words from God.
The written Word of God never changes and stands strong and sure through all circumstances and through all generations. We should also ask: What does the Word tell us to preach in times of crisis?
What does the Word tells us about messages of fear and alarm?
The important area to look to answer this question is the New Testament. One passage which will really help is 2 Timothy 3-4. We often quote individual verses out of these chapters, but when we step back and look at the context of the entire 2 chapters together, we can see a message. I’ll highlight individual verses through these chapters below to point out the flow of this context, so you can read the chapters yourself.
2 Timothy 3:1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
Two things to notice here:
- ‘will’ come. This is certain.
- ‘Perilous times’ is plural. So, there isn’t just one perilous time and this passage covers all of them.
The Bible has told us all along that perilous times are coming. Should we be alarmed when they actually come? No. God gave us this insight to keep us stable and focused when these things arise.
From verse one to nine, Paul gives more details about these perilous times and the people who will be behind them, then turns his attention to Timothy:
What does it then say to the believer?
2 Timothy 3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,
In verse 10, he turns his attention to Timothy, starting with the word ‘but’. ‘But you…’. This phrase repeats quite a few times through this passage as Paul flicks back and forth between the evil and the believer. The phrase brings a contrast to the people he has just been referring to.
So, perilous times will arise; however, the believer should carefully follow specific things. We are not to be led by the perilous times. Rather, we should follow the things of God.
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2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Right after, verse 13 goes back to talking about evil men. Paul shows that evil men will grow worse and worse.
- Should this surprise us? No.
- Should we fear it? No.
- Does Paul say we are to spread a message of fear and alarm when this happens? No.
Instead, what does the Word tell us to do?
2 Timothy 3:14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
Here again, Paul starts with ‘but you ‘, contrasting the believer’s attitude and response to the things going on around them. He flicks back to talking to the believer during these perilous times when evil men are growing worse and worse.
What is the message for the believer?
Continue in what you have learned. Stay with what you know. Don’t be thrown around when evil men arise and perilous times come. Don’t start to focus on those things. Stay with what you have learned.
What specifically does he say we must continue in?
2 Timothy 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. :16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
In these next 2 verses, Paul talks about the scriptures. So, when he said ‘stick with what you have been taught’ in verse 14, he meant: stay with the Word and what the Word says.
Right after this, the chapter ends. However, the chapter breaks were not put in by the original Bible writers. These were added later to help referencing. So, the thought in chapter 4 actually continues on from what he’s been referring to in chapter 3.
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
‘Therefore’ indicates he is following on and means ‘because of what I’ve just said’. He gives Timothy (and all believers) a ‘charge’ what to do in these perilous times, when evil men arise more and more. What are we to do?
Stick with the Word
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching
- Preach the Word
- Be ready / instant
The word translated ‘ready’ here carries a range of meanings. One of these is to be ready. Another is ‘to stand by’. So, while we usually translate this as ‘be ready in season and out of season’ (and that is definitely a true scriptural message, this phrase could also be translated, ‘stand by (the Word) in season and out of season.
When times get hard (perilous) and evil men arise (which we are told WILL happen), should we get focused on that, start to spread fear about it and cause alarm about it? No, we stick with what we have learned about the Word, we stick by the Word, stay ready with the Word and keep preaching the Word.
The passage continues, in the same context
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; :4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
After telling us to stick by the Word (during perilous times), he says there will be those who deviate and don’t stick with sound doctrine. They will be turned aside to ‘fables’ and away from the truth. The Word is truth, so this is referring to people turning aside from the Word. There is an indication here that this refers to people in the church, who know the truth, but turn aside from it.
‘Fables’ here refers to myths and tales that are fiction.
Why would he say that people will turn from the Word and start turning to fiction? This is not just people turning to worldly ideas. If it was, he would have said that because the Word says things like that elsewhere. However, here the emphasise is people turning away from the truth of the Word to fictional ideas. Fiction refers to things that are made up.
Here we see that, during perilous times, people will turn from the truth of the Word toward fictional, made up ideas.
2 Timothy 4:5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Once again, Paul uses the phrase he has repeated multiple times in this passage to show a contrast: ‘but you’. While others are turning to fictional ideas and away from the Word, what should we be doing?
- watching. This refers to remaining sober and aware.
- Endure the afflictions that are going on. Does this mean run around stirring fear and alarm in others because of them? No. We endure them.
- Then what? Do the work of an evangelist and fulfil your ministry!
In other words: get on with spreading the Gospel and doing what God has called you to do.
So, the context of this entire passage shows what a believer should do in perilous times: stay close to the Word, don’t turn aside from it and get on with what God has told us to do.
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Do not be soon shaken in mind
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, :2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
In these verses, the Thessalonians were concerned (and even confused) that they had missed the rapture of the church and were living in the tribulation. This concern had arisen because people had been circulating messages in person (and impersonating letters from Paul) to say this.
We may not be hearing exactly this message today, however we are hearing messages within the church that are causing confusion and alarm. Conflicting messages all supposedly coming from God and the church.
During perilous times, we often begin to hear things about ‘the end times’. Messages begin circulating in the church causing alarm about the rise of the antichrist, warnings that the government is taking us all over etc. These usually cause panic, fear and alarm in Christians.
Now, please understand that the message of the end times is scriptural. However, ‘how’ it is presented also needs to be in line with scripture. The Bible does not present it as a message that causes alarm and panic in Christians.
What did Paul say to the Thessalonians in response to the message they were hearing which was causing them to panic?
He told them to ‘not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled’. If messages about the end times are causing us to become troubled and shaken, it’s often a good indication they are not in line with scripture.
Who or what should we be listening to?
Scripture contains a multitude of verses warning over listening to the wrong thing, including within the church. We need to understand that not every message that circulates within the church actually comes from God or is in line with the Word of God.
One of the main things Paul confronted was conflicting messages circulating within the church, often pushed by people from within the church itself. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, warned about these. Those warnings were not just for his time, because they are part of the Word of God, which is for all time. They are as valid for us today as they were when Paul wrote them.
Consider these scriptures:
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
‘Expressly’ is an adverb which adds emphasise to the verb ‘says’. In other words, the Spirit is emphasising what He is saying here. This is not being said casually, but as a strong warning. He then refers to people departing from faith.
Why are they departing?
Because of what they are listening to (giving heed to deception and doctrines that are not from God). The next few verses continue on showing that these people are listening to the wrong thing. So, these people are departing from the right path because they are listening to the wrong thing.
Acts 20:30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
Here, Paul is giving the leaders of the Ephesians church a warning. Part of the warning is that people will arise from ‘among yourselves’. In other words, this is not people from outside the church, but rather people within the church.
What are they doing? ‘Speaking perverse things’. So, this emphasises their message and what they are saying.
Once again, a warning to that not every message and report that circulates within the church should be listened to. We need to be more aware and check out whether what is being circulated is scriptural and in line with what God is saying.
One good indicator is whether the message causes alarm and panic, or whether it keeps us stable on the Word we already know. Many of these false reports which are going around cause people to be shaken off the core truths of scripture that they should be established in.
Another important passage
Let’s go through another passage in 2 Timothy.
2 Timothy 2:14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers
Paul tells Timothy to charge people to NOT strive about unprofitable words which bring ruin to the hearers. Why would Paul need to warn a young minister to tell this to Christians? It’s because there is a likelihood of this happening.
Paul continues:
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
After giving that warning, Paul encourages Timothy to get into the Word. Study it and rightly divide it. Why? So that you can recognise the words going around which are to no profit. In the next verse, Paul turns his attention straight back to the false message:
2 Timothy 2:16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
‘Shun’ here also means ‘avoid’. There are some things we should avoid. What specifically is he referring to?
‘Babblings’ speaks of discussion of vain and useless matters. Again, the warning here is about things being said: Ideas people get captivated with and focus on or Messages spreading within the church. The next verse shows this:
A cancerous message
2 Timothy 2:17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
‘Their message’: Paul is showing a message spreading within the church. He describes that message as a cancer.
Thayer defines this word cancer as ‘a disease by which any part of the body suffering from inflammation becomes so corrupted that, unless a remedy be seasonably applied, the evil continually spreads, attacks other parts, and at last eats away the bones’
This cancer refers to a message of vain babblings spreading within the Body of Christ like a destructive cancer, having the power to attack other parts of the body as it spreads.
That’s why Paul told Timothy to tell others: avoid these messages.
My friend, we don’t want a wrong message spreading within the church like a destructive cancer. Over and over the New Testament warns of wrong teaching, deception and false teachers arising within the church and that we must be careful about what we listen to and entertain.
Many times, when these warnings are given in the New Testament, the writer also emphasises the Word of God and the message we have heard and learned, showing us to ensure ‘that’ is what we stay true to. These false messages are designed to pull our attention off that in some way.
A little later in this same passage, Paul talks more about this:
2 Timothy 2:23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. :24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, :25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, :26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
‘Those in opposition’, in context of this passage, refers to those who are spreading these false messages within the church. Paul says: don’t get into strife with these people, trying to argue with them. Yes, bring correction, but in humility.
Paul describes these people as having been taken captive by the devil, doing the devil’s work and that they have become snared. Snare here refers to being caught in a trap.
The trap is becoming obsessed with a false message (even sometimes just a fictional idea and vain babbling) and spreading it within the church ‘as if it is’ the Christian message. Spreading that message like a cancer.
Again, this is not referring to things coming from outside the church, but from within, from believers in our own midst, preachers amoungst ourselves who have gotten off track and are spreading the wrong message, a message of ‘vain babblings’ and even fables or fictional ideas.
How are they going to get back on track?
‘so that they may know the truth’. They need to start listening again to the truth, which is the Word of God, the true message of the church.
Paul ends 1 Timothy with a similar warning:
1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— :21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
Paul warns Timothy to ‘guard’ something and then to avoid something. Here, Paul does not tell Timothy to avoid behaviour and sin, but rather to avoid words others are speaking and spreading. He is to avoid ‘idle babblings’ and false knowledge.
Verse 21 says that some have professed (preached) these and, as a result, have ‘strayed’ from the faith. So, if they strayed, they must have been part of the faith. This is not talking about things the world is saying, but warning about people within the church preaching the wrong things.
‘Strayed’ here means ‘miss the mark’. In other words, they have missed the mark with what they are preaching and are spreading the wrong message.
Galatians shows similar things
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, :7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. :8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. :9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
In these verses, Paul is dealing with people who arose preaching a conflicting message to the Gospel he had preached to them. Again, the warning is the same: you’re going to hear people within the church bringing messages that are not right and not what God is saying.
Later in the book, Paul comments on this again:
Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
Here, he shows that by listening to the wrong message, they had become ‘bewitched’. One of the meanings of the Greek Word here is ‘to fascinate (by false representations)’. In other words, people becoming overly fascinated with teachings that are not what God is saying. (Often to the point that they simply wont hear anything else).
We must be aware
Christians need to understand that not everything that circulates within the church is from God. Not every message that is preached is truth. The New Testament warns us about this over and over again in different contexts and about different ideas that circulates in the church.
Some messages which spread in the church have the power to become destructive cancers to the body and can pull believers away from what God is doing.
So, what is the solution?
How can we stay on track and What SHOULD we be focusing on?
In Galatians, Paul defends the Gospel. THIS is the message of the church. Not government conspiracies. Christians who spread fear and alarm during perilous times on the planet also often spread made-up fictional ideas which are not consistent with the Gospel.
Over and over through the verses I have referred to above, there’s a repeating message: stay with the Word. Make sure that what you are listening to is the Word and avoid other things which are spreading within the church.
When things get hard in the world and perilous times arise, the church should not change its message or deviate off track. We have a God given assignment and that is to preach the Gospel and teach the Word.
Becoming overly fascinated with any other message and labelling it as the Christian message the church ‘should’ be spreading is to deviate off the path God has told us to be on. We don’t stop giving the Gospel and the Word when the world goes crazy!
Don’t become a casualty of false messages which the enemy stirs up within the church.
My friend, if God had meant the entire message of the church to change in the end times, when perilous times arise, then He would have told us in the New Testament to change everything we are preaching when things get bad. He would have added a subsection to the New Testament which we were only to turn to when things in the world got really bad and that subsection would have given us a new message of alarm and panic to spread.
Instead, God says the opposite: stick to the core truths, stick to the Gospel message and stick to the Word, even when things get really bad on the earth. Don’t deviate off our message and don’t start listening to teachings in the church that do deviate off the church’s message.