The Book of Revelation #4 Doctrine in the Churches.
The Book of Revelation #4 - Doctrine in the Churches.
The doctrine in the churches that Jesus notes:
DOCTRINE = Ephesus is commended: “And you have tested those who say they are apostles, but are not, and have found them to be liars.” Rev 2:2
The Greek word “apostle” means “a sent one”; an ambassador, an envoy; someone sent with a message. In the bible it can mean the 12 Apostles, or it can mean a missionary, an apostle with a small “a”.
The word “missionary” is Latin, and comes from the Latin word “missio = act of sending”; it is the Latin equivalent of the Greek “apostle”.
It is used in 2Co 8:23: “Or if our brothers are inquired about, they are the messengers (apostles) of the churches, and the glory of Christ.”
Here in Rev 2, it refers to missionaries, traveling itinerant preachers. It obviously cannot mean the 12 Apostles, for John, who wrote the book of Rev was the last of the 12 to be alive, and it is generally assumed he was in his 90s; no one came saying they were Peter!
These were people who claimed to be missionaries, traveling evangelists, who went to churches with the intent of scamming the people out of money, or power hungry people who wanted control.
These are the “chief (false) apostles” Paul complains about in 2Co.
“Those of this nature creep into houses and captivate silly women …” 2Ti 3:6
“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, nor greet him.” 2Jn 10
Sad to say, there are still people like this around.
One of the most important Christian documents is the Diadache; it was written in the 1st Century.
Chapter 12 of the Diadache warns about people like this:
1 But let every one that cometh in the name of the Lord be received;
2 and then when ye have tested him ye shall know him, for ye shall have understanding on the right hand and on the left.
3 If the comer is a traveler, assist him, so far as ye are able;
4 but he shall not stay with you more than two or three days, if it be necessary.
5 But if he wishes to settle with you, being a craftsman, let him work for and eat his bread.
6 But if he has no craft, according to your wisdom provide how he shall live as a Christian among you, but not in idleness.
7 If he will not do this, he is trafficking upon Christ.
8 Beware of such men.
The Didache was an ancient “church order”.
It warns about these self-appointed “missionaries”, who were really deceivers. A true missionary is sent out by his local church to preach the gospel and plant churches. He pays his own way, and does not mooch off of people!
TV “Evangelist”; traveling preacher; faith healer!
“But these (the false prophets of v1), as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption” 2Pe 2:12-19
The church at Ephusus was commended for testing those traveling preachers who visited them.
DOCTRINE = Pergamum is warned: “But I have a few things against you: You have there those who hold the teaching of Balaam, … you also have those who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” Rev 2:14-15
The Lord Jesus mentions two (2) doctrines here, the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans, both of which he hates. Yes, Jesus hates false teaching! He hates error, teaching contrary to the truth as it is stated in HIS word, the bible.
Balaam is mentioned 3 times in the New Testament: here, in 2Pe 2:12-19, just quoted above; and Jud 11.
Here in Rev 2 it is clearly stated what the teaching of Balaam is: “… the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality”.
Balaam gave advice to Balak (Num 23-24) to tempt the Israelites to sacrifice to idols and to commit sexual sins. Sacrificing to idols can be anything from idolatrous religions like Hinduism and Roman Catholicism with their real physical statues that people place offerings before, and make vows to, to pseudo Christianity, which promotes a false concept of Jesus Christ, a concept not found in the bible, all the way to the idolatrous worship of sports and movie/entertainment stars.
Yes, false concepts of Jesus Christ are idolatry: “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” 1Jn 5:20-21
Secondly, Balaam promoted sexual immorality. Any sexual activity outside of one man-one woman, married till death do us part, is sexual immorality.
Balaam most certainly lives in America today! Think of the idols in America today: money, fame, movie and sports heroes, leisure and entertainment; and think of the many kinds of sexual sins in America today.
Jesus that warned Pergamum, he has stopped warning us. We have ignored him, so he has “given us over” to sin! Read Rom 1, verses 24, 26, and 28, they all clearly say that since they did not listen to God, “he gave them over” to sin, and the area of sin to which he gave them over – sexual sin, specifically same sex sins.
And Balaam was functioning within the church, within a true local Christian church. Just because someone says “I love Jesus” does not mean they cannot be teaching grave error/heresy!
Truth is in the Bible. Any teaching not in accordance with what is written in the Bible is error at the least, and heresy at the worst, it does not matter who says it, or whether it is said in a church or not, error is error, because it is contrary to the written word of God.
DOCTRINE = Thyatira is warned: “But I have a few things against you: You permit that woman Jezebel, a who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols.” Rev 2:20
Balaam was not alone! Here we have a lady named Jezebel who was teaching the same two errors/heresies in the church in Thyatira.
The same wrong teaching that was going on at Pergamum, was going on at Thyatira. This should not surprise us, because false teachers were traveling around (those who said they were apostles, but were not), and they were spreading their false teachings among the churches. These errors/heresies had spread all around the area of Asia Minor.
Here is was a woman named Jezebel who was doing that false teaching. Whether that was her true name or a euphemism (from Queen Jezebel of 1Kings), is not relevant, it was a woman doing the teaching. There is no need to repeat what was said above about these false teachings, BUT it is interesting that here at Thyatira it was a woman who was teaching these errors; she was teaching in the church, she was spreading her false teaching among the saints; many were falling!
There are numerous verses in the bible that tell us a woman should NOT teach/preach in the public worship services; notice I am being very specific; we are not talking about all possible teaching venues. Women’s Bible Studies, devotions at home with her children, etc.
And this is not an issue of intrinsic value and worth as human beings or 1st Century culture. 1Ti 2:11-14 clearly state it is a matter of assigned roles.
“Let a woman learn in silence with all obedience. I do not permit a woman to teach or to usurp authority over a man, but to be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, a fell into sin.”
Paul says woman should not usurp authority; Usurp means: To seize and hold (the power or rights of another, for example) by force or without legal authority. And it is not cultural, Paul goes back to Creation.
1Co 14 also speaks to this.
Over the past few years, say from 2010 til now, we have heard of a number of women being drawn away into error and leaving their husbands and children; seduced into error.
If you do a search on Amazon for book titles containing “Jezebel Spirit” you will find a number of them. I read one, I think it was “Unmasking the Jezebel Spirit” by John Paul Jackson. It was a very concerning, but enlightening book. I would say Satan is active in this area, in America, today.
So we see clearly that the Lord Jesus assesses the doctrine of local churches; are we being true to the Word of God?
13 June 2024