THOSE CAUSING DIVISIONS & CREATING OBSTACLES (PART II)

“When a Church Shields the Wolves, It Imperils the Sheep”

By Akin Ojumu

This commentary series is an exegetical exploration of Romans 16:17. It plumbs the depth of the text, to extract from it, the riches of wisdom and gems of understanding contained within. 

Romans 16:17

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”

To glean from its timeless wisdom, guidance, and truths, we are going to examine the text in its proper context and interpret it following sound interpretive techniques by applying the principles of hermeneutics and exegesis.

Before signing off last time, we were examining those who caused division and created obstacles contrary to sound doctrine in the early Church. When Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, the troublemakers and obstacles to sound doctrine at the time were, specifically, the Judaizers and the Gnostics. 

As we said last time, the Judaizers were Christian Jews who believed and taught that salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, by Scripture alone, to the glory of God alone was not sufficient. To be saved, they insisted, you must earn it through good works done by observing the rituals and practices of the Mosaic Law. 

On the other hand, the Gnostics were champions of salvation by means of subjective esoteric experiences. Gnosticism was a form of Eastern mysticism which taught that true spirituality was attainable only for select individuals who, by a process called emanation, have obtained ascended knowledge or transcendental understanding of deep mystical secrets. 

Sadly, the Church, today, is full of the descendants of the Judaizers and Gnostics. These are the empty talkers and deceivers who turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. Among these are people who believe in the efficacy of holy water and anointing oil. They are those obsessed with heavenly travels, angelic visitations, hearing from God outside of the Bible, and drinking tea with God. These are preachers who believe they can impart and transfer supernatural powers through anointed chairs, anointed combs, anointed handkerchiefs, anointed rod, anointed food, and all sorts of New Age esoteric hocus-pocus.

In today’s installment of the commentary series, our focus is on what Paul meant by “contrary doctrine.” We are also going to examine his warning about having nothing to do with the Judaizers, the Gnostics, and anyone else who cause divisions and create obstacles by their contrary doctrine.

Romans 16:17

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”

Contrary To the Doctrine That You Have Been Taught

Church folks often misinterpret the “doctrine that you have been taught” to mean the doctrines their particular denomination or religious affiliation teach. They assume what Paul meant here are any beliefs and practices promoted by their general overseers, general superintendents, bishops, apostles, prophets, and pastors. 

Such an understanding of this phrase, “the doctrine that you have been taught,” is egregiously erroneous. The doctrine, referred to here, has got nothing to do with the heretic beliefs that you find in many sects or the aberrant practices of the vast majority of Christian denominations today. It is most certainly not the destructive heresies and doctrines of demons that fill the airwaves and social media.

The “doctrine,” aka “teaching,” in Romans 16:17 refers to the apostolic doctrine that Paul and the Early Church Fathers had delivered to the Church. It is the direct teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ that He passed on to the original Apostles. This was the doctrine mentioned in the Book of Acts.

Acts 2:42

“And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine...”

The early church placed a strong emphasis on maintaining the purity of this teaching, as seen in Acts 2:42, where believers devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching. The phrase underscores the importance of doctrinal integrity, theological fidelity, and the dangers of deviating from the foundational truths of Christianity.

What the original Apostles, including Paul, taught was what they received directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. It was what the Lord commanded them, in His final instructions, to pass on to others.

Matthew 28:19-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

For those wondering how the Lord’s Apostles were able to recall and teach exactly what the Lord Jesus taught them, word for word. It was because the Holy Spirit reminded them of everything they had been taught.

John 14:26

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

Avoid Them

Here, Paul is warning the recipients of his letter, as well as those of us who are reading the letter today, to have nothing to do with those who would cause division and creating obstacles contrary to the Apostles’ doctrine. This is a call for decisive action to maintain the purity and unity of the Church. Paul is not here telling us to ostracize or malign those who are calling the attention of the Church to the dangers of false teachers and their false teachings.

Paul’s charge that we should avoid anyone preaching a different Gospel from the one preached by the Apostles of the Lord Jesus is a directive that aligns with other scriptural admonitions to avoid false teachers and those who cause division. 

Galatians 1:6-9

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

Titus 3:10-11

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

The early church faced numerous challenges from within and without, and maintaining doctrinal purity was essential for its survival and growth. This command reflects the seriousness with which the early Christians were to guard against influences that could lead them astray from the truth of the Gospel.

Titus 1:9-11

“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.”

The Church cannot afford to cuddle false teachers and heretics in the name of being loving or having a culture of honor and respect. There cannot be true love without truth, because true love is always rooted in the truth. Honor and respect devoid of the truth of the Gospel amount to nothing but manipulation and exploitation.

2 John 1:1-2

“The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever.”

It is common practice today to accuse people who warn the Church about the dangers of false teachers and their false teachings of causing division and disunity in the Body of Christ. The underpinning of this false allegation is a lack of appreciation, on the part of those making the accusation, of what a truly united Church looks like. 

John 17:17-23

“Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth…that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one...”

Unity forged under false pretenses will never endure. An accord achieved by twisting and distorting God’s truth will only lead to discord. Harmony cannot be achieved when the hot lava of acrimony flows like a river underneath a volcanic mountain of heretic teachings. True brotherhood comes only when the truth of God dwells in the brethren richly.

To protect their vast empires, the general overseers and general superintendents of the religious industrial complex have put in place a systematic program of indoctrination, desensitization, and intimidation to inoculate themselves from criticisms. Indoctrinated church folks have bought into the propaganda that critics of false teachers and their false teachings are the problem and not the false teachers who are poisoning the soul of the Church with their destructive heresies. Ask any Christian who they believe is the cause and source of divisions in the Church today, they’ll point their fingers at Christians calling out preachers for their doctrines of demons.

Yet the Bible is clear on who the real culprits are. The impostors running the Churches today are the ones causing divisions and creating obstacles contrary to the doctrine as taught by the First Century Church Leaders. Those ruining the lives of God’s people are the spiritual frauds who twist and distort God’s truth for shameful gain. The charlatans on the pulpit are the ones shipwrecking the faith of many by their failure to accurately and precisely handle God’s Word.

So, to my family members, friends, and acquaintances remonstrating me for criticizing their beloved general overseers and general superintendents, you all don’t seem to realize that you come across as being more concerned about the reputational damage my criticism is doing to the public image of your revered leaders. It’s as though you are not bothered by the spiritual damage being inflicted upon untold numbers of souls who are being led to hell by the false teachings of your daddies and mummies in the Lord. Protecting the reputation of your spiritual parents appears to be of greater priority to you than protecting God’s sheep from the destructive heresies and doctrines of demons propagated by wolves in sheep’s clothing. 

Romans 16:18

“For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”

Any preacher who makes a habit of twisting the Word of God is not a servant of God. Those who perpetually promote doctrines contrary to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and His original Apostles are nothing but snake oil salesmen cosplaying as pastors. These are spiritual frauds and ticklers of itching ears who prey on the flock, scatter the sheep, and fleece the children of God while they exalt and enrich themselves. 

What these Gospel hucksters are after is building their own secular fiefdom rather than advancing God’s Kingdom. To these people, preaching the Gospel is nothing more than a means to an evil end. The Bible commands that we should have nothing to do with them, for they are enemies of God. We are commanded to expose and avoid them like plagues.

Ephesians 5:20

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”