1st Timothy 1:4. “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.”
MINISTER QUESTIONS. True or false; right or wrong – how is one supposed to know, When fables are given out as Gospel truth to unsuspecting folks? Look in the eyes of those who speak such things – and never blink. They will know and turn away if their motive is self-directed; Those who have been deceived themselves will look – With wide-opened eyes of surprise, fear, and trepidation.
Ignoring is not easy when one finds rising up inside, like a ball of hair – Unknown anger against those who have only deliberate questions; Questions that are for the purpose of turning aside the weak and helpless; Those who, for some reason, are defenseless against the unscrupulous. Give no heed, my son, those are useless speculations; they are passing off As truth, but be discerning as the Holy Spirit guides you into all truth.
“There are those here, Father, who, from time to time, actually believe them. May we all have the spirit of discernment and be willing to “try the spirits” whenever some such things rise to claim our attention. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
False teachers are usually quite dogmatic and preach and teach their erroneous ideas with assurance and strong affirmation. How are we to know these persons when they come among us? Often, they expect us to follow them instead of those whom we have known and trusted for years, and they want us to show them some kind of allegiance. Even though they read the Bible and seem to know the Bible, they teach contrary to the truth taught in the scriptures. They don't follow contextual accuracy but will often base their teaching on verses quoted out of context, as well as quoting theological writers as authoritative. They also demean and even mock simple explanations of the scripture by those who believe the word means what it says and have practiced scriptural principles for years.
Another serious result of paying heed to false teachers is that there is often controversy and a divisive spirit that soon divides God's people. Instead of promoting fellowship and unity among the assembly, the people are divided into "them and us." The Gospel is hindered as the saints get sidetracked onto these opinions, and the lost souls around us no longer have an interest in coming to Christ for salvation. It is not uncommon to hear unbelievers say of assembly people who get caught up in controversy, "I've enough trouble as it is without getting involved with them."