“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” (1 Timothy 4:1–3 (ESV)
Thus far, the Apostle Paul instructed his protégé Timothy concerning the reality of apostates, and the character of apostates. The apostle then explained to Timothy about the teachings of apostates. Close to 2,000 years of church history has not changed the nature, behavior and doctrine of these false teachers.
What exactly do apostates teach and why. Paul did not provide an exhaustive list but he did focus on two primary needs of humanity: family relationships and physical nourishment. Without these, humans struggle to survive and eventually die.
Paul began by saying apostates forbid marriage. To forbid (κωλυόντων; kolyonton) is a present, active, genitive, plural participle. What this means is apostates continuously, actively, possessively, and collectively hinder, prevent, and restrain those they teach from certain behaviors and covenants. In this case, they prevent people from getting married.
Marriage (γαμεῖν; gameo) is a spiritual, moral, social, and physical covenantal relationship between a binary heterosexual husband and wife. It is a covenant God created (Gen. 1:26-27).
However, apostates not only seek to prevent people from marriage, but also from enjoying certain foods. They require abstinence from foods. To require abstinence (ἀπέχεσθαι; apechesthai) means to continuously, personally, and infinitely keep people from eating certain foods. Why do apostates seek to invoke these man-made restrictions?
“How a person lives is determined by what he believes. Those who fall away do so because they become devoted to the “teachings of demons.” This does not mean that they get caught up in the occult. Rather, they come to believe notions that originate in hell and are consequently led away from the faith,” explains Dr. R.C. Sproul.
“This is what causes people to make up rules that God’s Word does not teach (“Do not get married” or “Do not eat”) and to become convinced that by following them they are spiritually safe. In reality, they have fallen prey to “deceitful spirits” who use liars with seared consciences to spread their spiritual poison (1 Timothy 4:2).”
“A sample of the false teaching at Ephesus typically contained elements of truth, since Scripture commends both singleness (1 Cor. 7:25–35) and fasting (Matt. 6:16–17; 9:14–15). The deception came in making such human works a prerequisite for salvation—a distinguishing mark of all false religion. This ascetic teaching was probably influenced both by the Jewish sect known as the Essenes, and contemporary Greek thought (which viewed matter as evil and spirit as good). Paul addressed this asceticism in Col. 2:21–23. Neither celibacy nor any form of diet saves or sanctifies,” explains Dr. John MacArthur.
“Principles bear fruit. The false teachers who are here described, probably accept as one of their starting principles the thesis: Anything physical or sensuous is contaminating. It is not difficult to see how such a principle would in course of time cause the errorists to frown on marriage. Foods, too, would be condemned, though, of course, not absolutely. Fasting would be praised,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
The problem Paul said with this type of apostate thinking is God created both marriage and food (Gen. 1-2). The apostate’s anti-God thinking conflicts with proper godly theology. Both created concepts, marriage and physical nourishment, are to be received with thanksgiving; along with everything else God created. This thankful attitude is possessed by those who truly believe the Lord and understand His biblical truth (Rom. 1:18-23; I Cor. 1:18-25).
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
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