Biblical Consistency and the Believer’s Treatment of False Teachers

Eric Lyons

Alleged DiscrepanciesDoctrinal MattersInspiration of the BibleBible InterpretationDifficult PassagesFactual Accura

If Christians are to be kind and loving to everyone (Luke 10:29-37), some question why 2 John 10-11 teaches, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine (‘the doctrine of Christ’—vs. 9), do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”1 Also, why did Paul instruct Timothy to “shun profane and idle babblings” (2 Timothy 2:16; 1 Timothy 6:20-21)? Are Christians to shun those with whom we disagree, and even go so far as not to greet them or allow them into our homes?

First, Scripture, indeed, repeatedly calls for Christians to love everyone—whether family, friends, fellow Christians, or enemies (Matthew 5:43-48; 22:36-40; Romans 12:9-21). We are to “[r]epay no one evil for evil” (Romans 12:17), but strive to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave” us (Ephesians 4:32). But Christian kindness and love are not antithetical to such things as, for example, punishing rule breakers. A father who loves his son, and would even die for him, will promptly discipline him for unruly conduct (Proverbs 13:24; Ephesians 6:4). A school principal may genuinely love and care for every student under his oversight, but he may occasionally have to expel a disorderly child from the school for at least two reasons: (1) so that the hundreds of other students who want to get an education can safely and successfully do so, and (2) in hopes that such drastic measures will cause the unruly child to awaken to his senses before it is too late (and he does something far worse as a teenager or as an adult). An uninformed outsider, who sees a father disciplining his son or a school principal punishing a student, may initially think less of these adults and wonder how they could call themselves Christians. The logical, more informed bystander, however, will quickly size up the situation and easily see the consistency in loving, disciplinary actions.

In the epistle of 2 John, the apostle expressed his concern for the eternal destiny of Christians, saying, “Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward” (vs. 8, NASB). John was alarmed because deceptive false teachers who denied the incarnation of Jesus were a serious threat to the salvation of Christians. “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” (2 John 7). These false teachers (known as Gnostics) alleged that Christ could not have been incarnated because the flesh is inherently sinful. And, since the flesh is supposedly intrinsically evil, Gnostics taught that Christians did not need to resist fleshly temptations. Just “do whatever feels good” and know that such wicked actions are only physical and not spiritual. Allegedly, the soul could still be pure, even if the individuals themselves participated in wicked activity.2

The apostle John (who had “seen” and “handled” the actual body of Christ—1 John 1:1-4; i.e., Jesus did come in the flesh) repeatedly condemned the central teachings of certain Gnostics who were confusing and misleading first-century Christians.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world (1 John 4:1-3).

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil…. Whoever has been born of God does not sin (1 John 3:4-9).

False doctrine was a real and present danger in the first-century church, just as it is today. Christians were (and are) to be on “guard” because “some have strayed concerning the faith”—profane and idle babblers and teachers of contradictory doctrines of “what is falsely called knowledge” (Greek gnosis; 1 Timothy 6:20-21; cf. 2 Timothy 2:15-26). Denying the physical life, death, burial, and resurrection of the body of Christ was heresy, and thus John and others warned the early church of such deception. What’s more, claiming that “all unrighteousness is not sin,” was to directly contradict the Law of Christ. In truth, “the works of the flesh are evident,” and “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19,21). John wrote: “[a]ll unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 3:10; 5:17).“Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God,” because 

Christians are commanded to withdraw fellowship (lovingly, faithfully, and sorrowfully) from brethren who rebel against the teachings of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15). Such actions by Christians and churches are taken for at least two reasons: (1) to keep the church and the Christian families that comprise her from being harmed spiritually by the defiantly unfaithful (whose very tolerated presence would have even more damaging effects than an incessantly disruptive student in a school room; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7); and (2) in hopes of causing the wayward child of God to come to his senses (being “ashamed” of his sinful conduct; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; 1 Corinthians 5:5)—repenting of sin and being restored to the family of God.

Similarly, in 2 John 10-11, the apostle of the Lord instructed hospitable Christians to recognize the seriousness of greeting and housing deceptive false teachers. [NOTE: “The greeting was ‘Chairo!’ literally, goodspeed or God speed. This greeting was more than mere formality; it was an approval of the course being pursued by the one thus greeting, and included a desire for success in the effort attempted.”3] First-century roaming teachers and preachers “depended on the generosity of the members of the church” for their housing and hospitality.4 John the apostle, however, wanted the church to understand the serious threat that these dangerous false teachers posed to the precious bride of Christ. Doctrinal error is not something to “play with,” especially when such error involves the foundation of the Church (the life of Christ—2 John 7) and the denial of sin (the very thing that results in eternal death for the impenitent—Romans 6:23; Luke 13:3,5). By refusing to house and bid God-speed to deceptive teachers, the ungodly efforts of these misleading “messengers” would be greatly diminished. In time, they might choose to (or have to) stop their sowing of error altogether because of lack of opportunities, assistance, and encouragement. Such a result combined with genuine repentance would be the very thing for which Christians hope and pray.

Anyone who can see the reasonable and loving consistency of parents telling their children to “be nice to everyone,” but “don’t listen to these dangerous people” (showing them pictures of known child molesters), should be able to see the consistency of God’s message concerning Christian love and hospitality, and the way Christians react to false teachers who espouse damnable error. Children who shun dangerous sexual predators are protecting their own innocence, as well as keeping themselves and their families from a moment (or a lifetime) of grief. What’s more, the avoided, dangerous strangers are not given the opportunity to continue in their sins. Thus, the children’s obedient avoidance of them could be of great help to the sinful strangers in the highest way possible—if they awaken to their spiritual senses.

Christians are actually fulfilling the Law of Christ to “do good to all” (Galatians 6:2,10) even as we identify and refuse to embrace and fellowship false teachers. We are “doing good” to the “household of faith” by helping keep her pure and unaffected by cancer-spreading deceptive teachers (2 Timothy 2:17-18). Allowing error to spread would be tantamount to “rejoic[ing] in iniquity,” which is unloving (1 Corinthians 13:6). What’s more, the false teachers themselves are in no way encouraged to continue down the road of deceit. Rather, it is the hope and prayer of Christians that false teachers would become convicted of the error of their ways and repent before the Master Teacher (Luke 2:47; John 7:46) returns and judges them eternally for their doctrinal deceit (2 Peter 2).

[NOTE: Near the conclusion of his excellent commentary on 2 John, Guy N. Woods made an appropriate observation that both Christians and critics of 2 John 10-11 should consider: “John does not here forbid hospitality to strangers, or, for that matter, to false teachers when, in so doing, false teaching is neither encouraged nor done. Were we to find a teacher known to be an advocate of false doctrine suffering, it would be our duty to minister to his need, provided that in so doing we did not abet or encourage him in the propagation of false doctrine…. What is forbidden is the reception of such teachers in such fashion as to supply them with an opportunity to teach their tenets, to maintain an association with them when such would involve us in the danger of accepting their doctrines…. The test is, Does one become a partaker by the action contemplated? If yes, our duty is clear; we must neither receive them nor give them greeting; if No, the principle here taught is not applicable.”5]

Endnotes

1 Cf. Steve Wells (2015), “Should Believers Discuss Their Faith with Nonbelievers?,” http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/discuss.html.

2 For more information, see “Gnosticism” (1982), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), 2:484-490.

3 Guy N. Woods (1979), New Testament Epistles of Peter, John, and Jude (Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate), p. 349, italics in orig.

4 I. Howard Marshall (1978), The Epistles of John (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), p. 74, emp. added.

5 Woods, pp. 349-350, emp. added.

REPRODUCTION & DISCLAIMERS: We are happy to grant permission for this article to be reproduced in part or in its entirety, as long as our stipulations are observed.

 

Rediscovered Tomb of Thutmose II Sharpens the Historical Backdrop of Moses’ Oppression in Egypt

Jonathan Moore, D.P.M., Ph.D.

Inspiration of the BibleArchaeology

LUXOR, Egypt — Archaeologists working in the stark cliffs west of Luxor have identified the original tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II, a rare discovery that refines the historical setting of Israel’s oppression as described in the book of Exodus.1 Announced in early 2025, the identification marks the first newly verified royal tomb from Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty in more than a century.2 Though the body of Thutmose II has been known since its 19th-century recovery from the DB320 royal cache, his original burial site remained lost. Its rediscovery now anchors, with greater archaeological clarity, the very dynasty that governed Egypt during the formative years of Moses’ life according to the High Chronology.3

The tomb was confirmed through fragments of inscribed alabaster vessels bearing Thutmose II’s cartouche, along with star-decorated ceiling plaster characteristic of early New Kingdom royal burials.4 Portions of the Amduat, a funerary text reserved exclusively for kings, were also identified within the chamber.5 Although largely empty, the absence of grave goods does not represent looting but deliberate relocation. Ancient flooding compromised the burial soon after interment, prompting priests to transfer the king’s mummy and treasures to a safer location—eventually DB320—centuries before modern intrusion.6 Excavation director Piers Litherland noted that “the burial was taken out in its entirety,” providing a rare example of ancient preservation rather than destruction.

The significance of this rediscovery lies not merely in identifying a missing royal tomb but in clarifying the political and chronological framework of the Thutmosid family. When the Eighteenth Dynasty is understood through the High Chronology, a striking synchronism emerges between the biblical narrative and Egyptian history. Moses’ birth at approximately 1526 BC (Exodus 7:7) corresponds approximately to the accession year of Thutmose I, a king whose demographic concerns and state-directed expansion fit the text’s description of increasing Hebrew population pressure. Thutmose I therefore stands as the most historically plausible candidate for the pharaoh who ordered the killing of Hebrew male infants (Exodus 1:15-22), a decree arising from the same anxieties reflected in early New Kingdom administration.

However, the pharaoh “who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8) is best correlated with Ahmose I, founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty, whose expulsion of the Hyksos and national reforms reset Egypt’s cultural memory regarding Semitic populations.7 The transition from Hyksos to Ahmosid rule introduced new attitudes toward Asiatic groups, providing a natural historical fit for the biblical assertion that a king arose with no regard for Joseph’s prior contributions. Under Amenhotep I, this shift deepened as the state’s reliance on conscripted Asiatic labor increased—mirroring the intensification of Hebrew servitude described in Exodus 1:11-14.8 Against this backdrop, the episode of Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives summoned by the crown, aligns organically with the early years of Thutmose I, whose policies reflect a decisive move toward state intervention in population control.

The rediscovery of Thutmose II’s tomb also enriches our understanding of the broader royal household connected to Moses’ upbringing. Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmose I and wife of Thutmose II, emerges as the most compelling historical counterpart to the unnamed “daughter of Pharaoh” who rescued Moses from the Nile (Exodus 2:5-10). Her later rise to kingship, administrative skill, and well-attested independence align closely with the biblical portrayal of a royal woman acting beyond conventional expectation. Her involvement in Thutmose II’s burial is archaeologically verified through fragments inscribed with her name found within the tomb itself,9 reinforcing the family continuity that frames Moses’ childhood.

The linguistic dimension further strengthens the synchronism. Royal Egyptian names of this period frequently incorporate the element ms / mss, meaning “born of,” as in Ahmose (“born of Iah”) and Thutmose (“born of Thoth”). Moses’ name, Mosheh, preserves this Egyptian root even as Exodus 2:10 offers a Hebrew wordplay (“drawn out”), reflecting a bilingual adaptation consistent with a Hebrew child raised in an Egyptian court. Unlike the later Ramesside name Ra-ms-sw (“Ra bore him”), which belongs to a distinct grammatical evolution,10 Moses’ name aligns precisely with the naming conventions of the early Thutmosid era—the very context reflected in the rediscovered tomb.

The excavation of Thutmose II’s burial site thus contributes significantly to the historical scaffolding surrounding the opening chapters of Exodus. It reinforces the chronological sequence Ahmose I → Amenhotep I → Thutmose I → Thutmose II → Hatshepsut → Thutmose III as a tangible, datable framework in which the biblical narrative is set. These rulers are not literary abstractions but historical figures whose construction projects, demographic policies, and burial traditions remain accessible to archaeology. Their anxieties over foreign laborers, reflected both in Egyptian administrative patterns and in Exodus 1, emerge from the same political tensions now better understood through material evidence.

Far from challenging the biblical account, the rediscovery of this tomb strengthens its historical plausibility. The dynasty that oppressed the Hebrews was real, its members identifiable, its tombs discoverable, and its policies consonant with the pressures described in Scripture. This discovery therefore provides additional archaeological context for reconstructing the historical environment of early Exodus traditions, situating the narrative within a clearly definable dynastic sequence in the Eighteenth Dynasty.

[Dr. Jonathan Moore—Field Archaeologist with the Shiloh Excavation, Israel; Adjunct Faculty at Freed-Hardeman University; and Founder of Seeing His World, a missions-based educational nonprofit dedicated to providing academically grounded yet spiritually transformative guided experiences throughout the Bible lands (www.seeinghisworld.com).]

Endnotes

1 Sarah C. Roff (2025), “Last Missing Tomb from Egypt’s 18th Dynasty Found in Remote Desert Cliffs,” National Geographic, February 12, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/egypt-tomb-ancient-king-thutmose-ii-discovered.

2 Adam Taylor (2025), “Pharaoh’s Tomb Unearthed Near Luxor, First Major Find Since Tutankhamun,” The Washington Post, February 20.

3 That is, the early date for the Exodus—15th century B.C. For a thorough discussion of this topic, see my other articles apologeticspress.org, including https://apologeticspress.org/date-of-the-exodus-does-it-matter-part-1/, https://apologeticspress.org/date-of-the-exodus-does-it-matter-part-2/, https://apologeticspress.org/when-and-where-was-israels-sojourn-in-egypt-part-1/, https://apologeticspress.org/when-and-where-was-israels-sojourn-in-egypt-the-long-and-short-of-it-part-2/, etc.

4 Laura Geggel (2025), “Archaeologists Discover Tomb of Thutmose II, First Pharaoh’s Burial Found in Egypt in 100 Years,” LiveScience, February 26, https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/archaeologists-discover-tomb-of-thutmose-ii-1st-ancient-egyptian-burial-of-a-pharaoh-to-be-found-in-100-years

5 Nikhil Swaminathan (2025), “Long-Lost Tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II Identified in Western Wadis,” Archaeology Magazine, February, https://archaeology.org/news/2025/02/20/tomb-of-thutmose-ii-discovered-in-egypt/

6 Laura Geggel.

7 James K. Hoffmeier (1997), Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition (Oxford: Oxford University).

8 Kenneth A. Kitchen (2003), On the Reliability of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans).

9 Laura Geggel.

10 Donald B. Redford (1985), “The Name of Moses,” Journal of Egyptian History, 72:101-115.

REPRODUCTION & DISCLAIMERS: We are happy to grant permission for this article to be reproduced in part or in its entirety, as long as our stipulations are observed.

AN ANCIENT LIE REPACKAGED AS SCIENCE

 AN ANCIENT LIE REPACKAGED AS SCIENCE

Many people assume the theory of evolution is a modern idea born from scientific discovery. They imagine Charles Darwin peering through a microscope, uncovering new facts that finally "freed humanity" from belief in God. But that is not accurate.

The idea that life came from mindless matter, that order arose without purpose, and that God is unnecessary did not begin in a laboratory. It began thousands of years earlier in philosophy.

Long before Darwin, ancient Greek thinkers were already teaching versions of materialistic evolution. Epicurus and his followers argued that everything consisted of atoms moving randomly through the void. No Creator. No design. No accountability. Just chance and necessity. The Roman poet Lucretius later popularized this view, insisting that life arose naturally without divine involvement.

This is not science. It is a worldview.

The Bible records that even in the first century, these ideas were already clashing with the truth of Scripture. In Acts 17, the apostle Paul encountered the Epicureans directly in Athens.

“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him.” Acts 17:18

Paul did not treat their views as neutral scientific theories. He confronted them as false belief systems rooted in a rejection of God.

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” Acts 17:28

Paul’s message directly opposed the idea that life is self-created or self-sustaining. Life exists because God sustains it. That was true then, and it is true now.

Darwin did not invent the idea of godless origins. He repackaged it. He provided a biological narrative that allowed ancient philosophy to wear a lab coat. What changed was not the heart of the idea, but its presentation.

Scripture tells us exactly why this idea persists.

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” Psalm 14:1

Notice the verse does not say the fool lacks information. It says the fool makes a decision. The rejection of God is not primarily intellectual. It is moral.

Paul explains this even more clearly in Romans.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God… but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:21

Evolutionary thinking fits perfectly into this pattern. It removes God as Creator, removes man as accountable, and replaces purpose with process. That is not accidental. It is convenient.

Jesus identified the true source behind deception long before modern textbooks existed.

“He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth… for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44

The claim that life came from nothing is not neutral. It contradicts both reason and revelation.

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3

Science observes change within life. It does not observe life creating itself. Evolutionary theory steps beyond observation into philosophy, then calls it fact.

This debate has never been about evidence alone. It has always been about authority. Genesis says God created. Evolution says no one did. One leads to worship. The other leads to autonomy.

And that is why this conflict has endured for millennia.

It is not science versus creation. It is truth versus rebellion.

There is a terrifying irony in the way non-believers treat eternity like a casual opinion. Many stake their lives on the claim that there is no God, no judgment, no accountability, and no ultimate truth. But ignoring eternity does not erase it. Closing your eyes does not cancel the sun. Every heartbeat marches a person closer to a moment they cannot avoid standing before the God they denied.

Atheism gambles everything on the hope that death is a wall instead of a doorway. Yet the conscience inside every man whispers of moral law. The design written into every cell declares a Creator. The Scripture that has stood for thousands of years warns of a real heaven and a real hell. To reject all of that is not bravery. It is recklessness. It is walking toward the cliff while mocking the warning signs.

True courage is not pretending the Judge does not exist. True courage is bending the knee to the One who made you, loved you, died for you, and rose again to give you life. Eternity is not a risk worth taking. Jesus Christ alone destroys the darkness, cancels the guilt, and fills the soul with life that death cannot touch. Do not gamble with forever. Return to the God who holds your next breath and your eternal destiny.

The Silencing of GOD Video 53 min Part 2 thru Part 5 On Tuesday's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSIp1qFqdZ4 

Please click on the link above and follow the paths provided and enjoy.

Jesse Speaks

 Jesse Speaks 

The Most Possessed Man in the Bible — And Why Modern Christians Downplay How Dark This Really Was

This is one of the darkest scenes in all of Scripture, and yet it’s often softened, sanitized, or rushed past in sermons. The man Jesus met in the region of the Gerasenes was not merely “troubled.” He was not struggling with abstract temptation. He was not dealing with inner thoughts or emotional distress. He was completely overtaken.

The Gospel writers are intentional with their language. This man was possessed by many demons. When Jesus asks for a name, the response is chilling: “Legion, for we are many.” A Roman legion numbered thousands. Whether literal or symbolic, the message is unmistakable—this was not a single spirit, but an overwhelming infestation of darkness.

The man lived among the tombs. Not near them. Not beside them. Among them. He slept where the dead were buried. He had been driven out of society so completely that death itself had become his environment. Scripture says no one could restrain him, not even with chains. He broke iron as if it were thread. Day and night he screamed. He cut himself with stones. This was not poetic exaggeration. This was total domination.

And here’s the part modern Christians are uncomfortable admitting: this level of possession was likely horrific beyond imagination. The Bible doesn’t describe every detail—not because it wasn’t dark, but because it didn’t need to. The clues are enough. Isolation. Superhuman strength. Self-harm. Constant torment. Loss of identity. Complete separation from community, dignity, and peace.

This wasn’t just spiritual oppression. This was spiritual occupation.

The demons recognized Jesus immediately. They begged. They negotiated. They feared Him. That alone tells us how real this darkness was. Evil does not bargain unless it knows it is about to lose. When Jesus allows the demons to enter the pigs, the result is instant chaos—an entire herd driven mad, rushing violently to their deaths. That visual matters. It shows what those spirits were doing to the man every moment of his existence.

And yet, when Jesus frees him, the man is found “clothed and in his right mind.” No process. No therapy. No gradual recovery. Complete restoration. In one moment, what thousands of demons destroyed, Christ reversed.

This story forces an uncomfortable truth: the Bible presents spiritual evil as real, aggressive, and capable of total domination. But it presents Christ as infinitely greater.

If this account unsettles you, it should. Not because it glorifies darkness—but because it exposes how shallow our modern understanding of spiritual warfare has become. We prefer tidy metaphors. Scripture gives us raw reality.

And the most overlooked detail? Jesus went out of His way to reach this man. Across a sea. Into Gentile territory. Into a graveyard. Into the presence of a legion of demons. Not to debate theology—but to rescue one soul everyone else had abandoned.

This wasn’t a healing story. It was a rescue operation. These Bible details show just how important your SOUL is and you are the only one that can take steps to SAVE it. Read your BIBLE and take those necessary this day for the location of your SOUL. Remember

only you control the LOCATION of your SOUL

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook