Maybe you know this... maybe you don’t... If you work your way word-for-word through the New Testament, categorizing every area of truth to determine how many times each area is addressed, with the goal of finding which teaching is emphasized more than any other, you will likely be amazed at your discovery. In the New Testament, the single most dominate teaching is a repeated warning against false doctrine. To be on guard against false doctrine and the teachers of false doctrine is emphasized more than any other aspect of the Christian life.
Jesus warned in Matt. 7:15... “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Much of His ministry consisted of confronting the false teaching of the religious leaders of His day (Matt. 16:11-12; 23:1-39). In His discourse on things to come, He warned in Matt. 24:4-5... “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.”
The apostle Peter devotes most of 2 Peter to warning against false teachers. Jude devotes his entire short letter to the same theme. John in his epistles repeatedly warns of false teachers.
Paul’s final words to the Ephesian elders warned them in Acts 20:28-30... Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
His final letters to Timothy and Titus repeatedly emphasize the need for sound doctrine. He told Titus (1:9) that an elder must hold “fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” He goes on to explain that there are many empty talkers and deceivers who are upsetting whole households through their false teaching. In his final charge to Timothy, after telling him to preach the word, he explained in 2 Tim. 4:3-4... “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
So it should not surprise us that as Paul concludes his letter to the Romans, in the midst of giving and sending warm greetings to the saints, he breaks in with this warning to beware of false teachers. Some liberal commentators have thought that this paragraph is so abrupt and out of context that it must have been added by a later scribe. But Paul was constantly battling false teachers who hounded his steps and perverted the truth of the gospel. He was writing from Corinth, where false apostles posing as servants of righteousness had caused much damage among believers (2 Cor. 11:3-15). As he thought of his many dear friends in Rome, he didn’t want them to be led astray. He had heard that they were doing well in the Lord (16:19a), but the present is no guarantee for the future. So his love for them prompted him to insert this warning against the dangers of false teachers.
The Apostle Paul’s words to first century Christians are totally out of sync with our current modern culture that holds up “tolerance” as the chief virtue. Even many professing Christians argue that we should set aside all doctrinal differences, even with the Roman Catholic Church, and come together in the areas where we agree. They say, “Jesus didn’t say that the world will know we are Christians by our correct doctrine, but by our love.” And so they hold unity services with those who deny the gospel and other core biblical truths. In its most extreme form, they hold interfaith services with those who believe in other religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.
Even the highly respected evangelist Billy Graham fell into this serious error. He was always known for cooperating with Roman Catholics in his crusades. But even worse, as far back as 1978 McCall’s magazine quoted Graham as having said these words... “I used to believe that pagans in far countries were lost if they did not have the gospel of Christ preached to them. I no longer believe that.” In May, 1997, in a TV interview with Robert Schuller, Graham said these words... “I think that everybody that loves or knows Christ, whether they are conscious of it or not, they are members of the body of Christ…. God’s purpose for this age is to call out a people for his name. And that is what he is doing today. He is calling people out of the world for his name, whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world or the non-believing world, they are members of the Body of Christ because they have been called by God. They may not know the name of Jesus but they know in their hearts that they need something they do not have, and they turn to the only light they have, and I think that they are saved and they are going to be with us in heaven.”
Schuller was surprised by Graham’s words and asked for clarification... “What, what I hear you saying, that it’s possible for Jesus Christ to come into human hearts and soul and life, even if they have been born in darkness and have never had exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation of what you are saying?”
“Yes, it is,” Graham responded decidedly. At which point, Schuller exclaimed, “I am so thrilled to hear you say this... “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy”.’ To which Graham added, ‘There is. There definitely is.”
Of course there is a wideness in God’s mercy. As Romans 10:13 states... “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But Jesus Christ is that Lord and He said in John 14:6... “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” So when a Christian leader as respected and popular as Billy Graham says that people of other religions will be in heaven apart from faith in Christ, it shows why we need to pay close attention to Paul’s warnings to be on guard against false teachers.
Paul knew how easy we can be lured by smooth sounding words from respected church leaders. He is wisely saying to all of us that even faithful and obedient Christians need to be on guard against false teachers who deceive others for their own gain.
