On 29 January 2022, I did a post on Bible study based on the recommendations of John MacArthur, quoted from his study Bible. He recommends that one study the New Testament repetitively and in small sections: for example, taking the epistle of 1 John and reading it for 30 days, making marginal notes… (see that post, ARCHIVES, January 2022).
I have been studying 1 and 2 Thessalonians in that manner. Every time I read 2 Thes. 2, I think about numerous types of churches I have written about in this blog, particularly, the post of 6 February 2022 on J D Greear and others who are preaching an unbiblical message from the pulpits of Southern Baptist churches.
Today, I just want to quote a couple of brief passages from 1 and 2 Thessalonians and relate it to those churches.
2 Thessalonians 2: 9-15
9The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruitsd to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. [End quote]
The church I have been thinking mostly about when I read this section is the Southern Baptist. Since they have adopted Marxism, via CRT, they seem to very against the Bible. As Marxism and it’s doctrines are thoroughly anti-God, anti-Christ and anti-religion: Marx called people who believe in religion opium smokers basically, when he said religion was the opiate of the masses. You interpret that however you will.
In a recent post, I put a couple of short videos about the preaching of J D Greear (former president of the SBC) and statements by a non SB, Tim Keller, because their statements directly contradicted the Bible, the videos are below and I will link the post.
I am very troubled by these preachers because they have reputations far better than Benny Hinn and Joel Osteen, and the rest of the prosperity / word of faith preachers; not to mention the JWs; Mormons and 7th Day Adventists….
These men belong to churches that were very recently known for sound doctrine.
However, to anyone who studies and believes the Bible, it is clear that they have been derailed. They have gone off into the realm of the unbiblical and heretical by following the doctrines of men instead of God’s word.
Jesus described such preachers in a few words from Matthew 15:
7You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me; 9in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Two more short passages from Thessalonians that warn against following such preachers as the aforementioned:
1 Thes. 5: 19-22
19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.
2 Thes. 1: 7b-10:
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away fromb the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
It is the Bible which is to be believed; not the doctrines of men, no matter how respectable their former reputations were.
The following narrative, pictures, bios and videos were used in a recent post on 5 Evangelical preachers…which is linked below:
As you listen to the pastors in the videos below, consider just one passage from 1 Corinthians 6:
9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,c 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
The above is what God says regarding sexual sin and salvation; the following videos will brief you on what some popular evangelical preachers say on the matter of sexual sin and salvation.
Whom will you believe, knowing that your choice will have eternal consequences?
[The apostle Paul indicated that many Corinthian believers had lived sinful lifestyles; he also indicated that since conversion, they had been washed clean and were being sanctified, were forsaking such sins. That is not the message below, the following pastors seem to be saying that it is wrong to confront sexual sin; that the church should accept it and permit those committing the sin to continue therein, while they call themselves Christians.]
[The apostle Paul gave lists of sins such as the above in Romans 1, Ephesians 5 and elsewhere; but above, he talks about sanctification having begun in those formerly sinful believers who were still struggling with those sins, yet aiming to be delivered from them, per the admonishment of scripture.]
The UNBIBLICAL preaching / worldview of J. D. Greear and Tim Keller; brief bios and pictures are below each video:
The following 2 minute video contains statements by Greear; Harry Edward Litton, Jr; Sam Allberry, a same-sex attracted Anglican Priest; and Eric Saunders, pastor of McLean Bible church Virginia (see original post linked below for more on them).
I am not sure whether Litton’s parroting of Greear’s words indicates that they have a narrative to follow in the SBC; or whether it indicates that Litton is plagiarizing? [The vlogger who created the video believed the latter.]
Tim Keller picture from Wikipedia
The following link is to the post of 6 Feb. 2022 on the 5 heretical evangelical pastors:
https://sheeplywolves.com/evangelical-pastors-who-affirm-homosexuality/
For other similar posts in this blog, see CATEGORIES: Beth Moore; Brian McLaren; Man-centered Spirituality; Unbiblical Teachers / Teachings; and Prosperity Preachers.