I recently spoke on the subject of “perilous times.” In that talk, I showed how Paul, in both his letters to Timothy, describes a downward trend within the Christian world.
The letters to Timothy
In 1 Timothy 4, he writes that some will depart from the faith and pay attention to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, “speaking lies in hypocrisy.”
A few years later, in 2 Timothy 3, he writes that there will be perilous times in the last days, because people will have a form of godliness but deny its power.
And in the following chapter, he says that a time will come when people will no longer tolerate sound doctrine, but will turn away from the truth and turn to myths.
2 Corinthians
I also discussed 2 Corinthians 11, where Paul speaks of false apostles and deceitful workers. They masquerade as apostles of Christ, but are not. This does not surprise Paul, because satan himself masquerades as a messenger of light. Therefore, he considers it no strange thing that his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.
A clear picture
When we place these passages from Timothy side by side, a clear picture emerges. Paul is not describing isolated deviations by a few individuals, but a general trend in which the Christian religion increasingly loses touch with its origins. It is striking that he repeatedly contrasts this with the individual: “But you…” (1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 3:10; 4:5). Moreover, the passage from 2 Corinthians reveals that servants of Satan masquerade as messengers of light and servants of righteousness. The danger, therefore, comes not only from the outside but especially from those who pose as proclaimers of God’s Word.
At the end of his description in 2 Timothy 3, Paul issues a compelling instruction:
2 Timothy 3
6 (…) Turn away from such people too!
Following my talk, I received a response regarding this:
You compare the majority of today’s preachers to servants of Satan who masquerade as an angel of light. You link the text addressed to Timothy with the doctrine of eternal hell and those who believe in it, and then discuss the passage that says, “turn away from them!” If we connect these points and interpret them so strictly, it implies that we ought to shun—to turn away from—virtually all other believers simply because they, too, believe in an eternal hell. Do you realize the gravity of what you are saying? If you are right, you are calling on people to tear families apart, avoid colleagues, and effectively isolate themselves.
no compromise
That is an understandable question. But before we consider the practical implications, we must first establish what Paul actually means. Otherwise, we allow the potential consequences of an interpretation—rather than Scripture itself—to determine our understanding.
After all, Paul uses strong language. He does not call for a compromise or a middle ground; instead, he says: “turn away from such people.” We find similar calls elsewhere in his letters:
– If anyone cleanses himself from these (2 Tim. 2:21)
– Come out from their midst and separate yourselves (2 Cor. 6:17)
– Turn away from them (Rom. 16:17)
– Withdraw from every brother… (2 Thess. 3:6)
– Reject a divisive person (Titus 3:10)
The question, then, is not whether Paul calls for distancing oneself. He unmistakably does. The question is: from what or from whom should we distance ourselves?
answer
The Scripture passages mentioned above provide the answer themselves.
In 1 Timothy 4, Paul speaks of doctrines of demons, brought “in the hypocrisy of lying words.” In my talk, I cited the doctrine of eternal hellfire as an example. But the same applies to other doctrines not derived from Scripture, such as the immortality of the soul and the doctrine of the Trinity. My point, however, is not about any single doctrine. Paul describes a much broader development: sound doctrine is giving way to religious myths.
That is precisely what he says in 2 Timothy 3 and 4. A religious world is emerging that possesses a form of godliness. It appears pious but denies its power. It no longer tolerates sound doctrine, turns away from the truth, and turns to myths.
religion
Once again, the issue is not primarily godlessness, but a religion that has exchanged the truth for human tradition and religious form. Many myths have found their way into Christianity. The previously mentioned examples of hell and the Trinity are human fabrications that undermine fundamental truths.
distancing oneself from what?
When Paul subsequently says, “Turn away from such people,” he is not calling on us to turn away from individuals — from churchgoers within social and community contexts. He calls for distancing oneself from a religious system that has abandoned sound doctrine: from its institutions, its teachings, its influence, and its mindset. That is something fundamentally different from ceasing all contact with the people within that system.
For this very reason, it is important to first carefully determine whom or what Paul has in mind. Only then can we consider the practical application. Otherwise, we allow the consequences to dictate the meaning of the text, rather than the text itself.
In the following blog posts, we will examine other texts from Paul’s letters in which he calls for distancing oneself. Together, they reveal what Paul means by these calls.