PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)
NCE (English); Dip (Computer Studies); ND/HD (Journalism); Dip,
BA (Theology) MA, PhD.
THE BIBLE AND FALSE
BRETHREN
Presented by Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
Devotional Text:
Gal. 2:2-5
INTRODUCTION:
By way of
explanation, something is “false,” when it is not true or real. And, one is
“false,” when one is deceitful, unfaithful and not genuine. In this connection,
the writer gives the meaning of “false brethren” as those brethren in the Church
of CHRIST, who are not real or true to the Christian faith, and are always in
deceitful and unfaithful behaviour. False brethren are not restricted to the
laity, but extend to the clergy, since every rank and file of the Christian
Church, are basically referred to, as brethren.
GENERAL
REMARKS
(1)
False
brethren are always found in the church, {2 Cor. 11:26}
(2)
False
brethren are often brought into the church unawares, {Gal. 2:4}
(3)
False
brethren come to the church to spy out the liberty of Christians in CHRIST JESUS,
{vs. 4}
(4)
False
brethren make efforts to bring Christians back to bondage, {vs. 4}
(5)
False
brethren should not be given any opportunity to carry out their evil mission in
the church, {vs. 4-5}
FALSE BRETHREN AND OPPOSITION IN
THE CHURCH
False brethren are opposition members of the
church. They are never heart and spirit members of the church, as they are
always in the church on nominal status. False brethren are hypocrites and
actors, who pretend to be Christians, but are not, as well as constitute part,
if not the major dangers the church and the ministers of GOD face in the field
of the Gospel. False brethren are mentioned, by the Apostle Paul, as part of
the threats he encountered in his missionary journey, in his second letter to
the Corinthian Church, {2 Cor. 11:26}. Doctrinally, too, false brethren, always
oppose the truth of the Gospel of Grace, in their attempt to bring the people
back to bondage. To this end, the Apostle Paul, equally, remarks that, ...
“because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in secretly to spy out
our liberty which we have in CHRIST JESUS, that they might bring us into
bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the
truth of the gospel might continue with you,” {Gal. 2:4-5}. Doctor Luke, also,
observes that, the gospel of the Apostle and Barnabas, which was not based on
the outward circumcision (Gen. 17:9-13), but on the inward circumcision of the
heart {Rom. 2:28-29} was opposed by ... certain men which came down from Judah,
and taught the brethren, and said, Except you be circumcised, after the manner
of Moses, you cannot be saved, whom Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension
and disputation with,” ... {Acts 15:1-2}, and so, the truth stands that, false
brethren:
(i)
Constitute
dangers to the church and the ministers of the gospel, {2 Cor. 11:26}
(ii)
Oppose the
truth of the gospel of Grace to bring people back to bondage, {Gal. 2:4-5}
(iii)
Should be
checked and stopped, whenever the come-up with the doctrines that oppose
the truth of the Gospel, {vs. 2-4; Acts
15:1-2}
FALSE BRETHREN AND FALSEHOOD
False brethren do not possess the spirit of
truth, but that of falsehood. The Apostle John identifies them, when he says,
“they are of the world. Therefore, they speak as of the world, and the world
hears them,” {1 John 4:5}. Also, in an attempt to distinguish them from true
brethren, he equally says, “we are of GOD. He who knows GOD hears us, he who is
not of GOD does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit
of error” {vs. 6}, which implies that two classes of people congregate in the
church; those born of GOD and those not born of GOD, {1 John 3:9-10}. One good
example in support of what is so far said, is the case of Ananias and Sapphira,
his wife, who were really in church, but were people of falsehood {Acts
5:1-10}, who did not understand that, ... “no lie is of the truth” {1 John
2:21B}.
False brethren never abide by the truth. They
are the lying group, by which the church is ridiculed, as well as the sex predators
that hunt both male and female members of the Body of CHRIST. In business,
false brethren are the partners that are never faithful. In communities, they
are the opposite of the morality of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST our LORD and
BLESSED SAVIOUR. In civil and public services, false brethren are, equally,
never found worthy ambassadors of CHRIST and the church, as they will always
hide under the cloak of religion, to betray the trust reposed in them. And, in
the pastorate, false brethren are well kown for the distortion of the truth, in
search of ways to make merchandise of the gospel, for personal gains. The
foregoing, therefore, make it proper to state that false brethren are:
(i)
Of the world
and not of GOD, {1 John 4:5}
(ii)
People of
falsehood and not of the truth, {Acts 5:1-10}
(iii)
Lovers of
the world and not lovers of GOD, {1 John 2:15-17}
FALSE BRETHREN AND THE FINAL
JUDGEMENT
False brethren should come to terms with the
biblical truth that, ... the LORD who delivered HIS people out of Egypt, but
later destroyed those who did not believe, and keeps in chain the angels who
did not keep their positions of authority, for judgement at the last day, as
well as destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns, for sexual
immorality, as examples of external punishment, will definitely, bring to
judgment, at the last day, all those who are not real, to the faith of JESUS
CHRIST our BLESSED LORD and REDEEMER, if they fail to repent, {Jude 5-7}. This
is why it is very dangerous to fake the Christian faith, which one professes to
be part of.
False brethren are pretenders, with a
hypocritical approach to worship and service of GOD, to whom JESUS CHRIST our
BLESSED LORD and SAVIOUR says, their hearts are far from HIM, as well as
worship HIM in vain, {Matt. 15:7-8}. This means that false brethren, as false
worshippers, worship and serve GOD for nothing, since all their personal gains,
earned through human antics will, but force them into the place of eternal
poverty and torments, where they will lack, even a drop of water, {Luke
16:19-26}. And so, false brethren, by this, should note that:
(i)
It is a hard
service to serve GOD in falsehood, {Jude 5-7}
(ii)
Endless
regret awaits them, if they fail to repent now, {Luke 16:19-20}.
(iii)
All their
works are recorded against the day of judgement, {Rev. 20:11-15}
In conclusion, please, take to heart that false brethren
have demonic imprint in their souls, but wear the toga of the Christian faith
outwardly. In other words, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing {Matt. 7:15} who
constitute the major threats faced by the Church of CHRIST, anywhere in the
world, as the only remedy to their problems is giving them no chance,
{Gal.2:4-5}. BEWARE OF FALSE BRETHREN!
Church
of:
THE HOLY GHOST MISSION
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