Colossians 2:4

I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

There once was an old church in England. A sign on the front of the building read, ”We preach Christ crucified.” After a time, ivy grew up and obscured the last word… ”We preach Christ.” The ivy grew some more, and the motto read, ‘We preach.” Finally, ivy covered the entire sign, and the church died. Such is the fate of any church that fails to carry out its mission to preach the full counsel of God (Acts 20:27).

Research shows that there are roughly 360,000 “churches” in America (and declining). I put the word churches in quotes because that is a general and cultural description…rather than an accurate representation. A true church is one that teaches and preaches the whole counsel of God. It does not stray from what the Word says in order to avoid potential conflict and it does not bend on doctrine in order to attract more people to the pews. To “preach Christ” is to preach all of Him…not just the parts you find palatable and polite.

Paul was deeply concerned about false teaching in all the young churches, not just the church in Colossae, and his epistles make that abundantly clear. Are you concerned about false and/or inaccurate teaching in your own church? You certainly should be. No church is immune because every church is led by people with a sin nature. People who make mistakes, fail to study adequately, or are susceptible to budgetary concerns that may drive them to manipulate the message to pack the pews. In some churches, the drift is quiet and subtle…but in others, they shout it from the rooftop with a rainbow banner and talk of worldly inclusiveness and CRT.

While some use this verse to discuss competing worldviews—a worthy subject to be sure—in its proper context it is about false doctrine and teaching. The Colossian church lacked discernment and so they were susceptible to being led astray by persuasive teachers who could make plausible arguments. Thomas Jefferson, for example, was a persuasive man who made plausible arguments. Sadly, he argued that Jesus was not God, had not been resurrected, and never performed any miracles. Thomas Jefferson called himself a Christian, and many others have accepted that profession, but his arguments were false and his biblical Christianity non-existent. Sadly, there is an increasing number of “Thomas Jefferson’s” in the pulpits of American “churches.” Can you tell who they are?

J. I. Packer warns that, “Sad experience shows that bad theology infects the heart with misbelief and unbelief, the spiritual equivalents of multiple sclerosis! Many who ran well have been progressively paralyzed through ingesting bad theology, and the danger remains. Theological expertise can feed intellectual pride, turning one into a person who cares more for knowing true notions than for knowing the true God, and that is disastrous, too.” American Christians—true, born again Believers—need discernment now more than ever. We must be uncompromising when it comes to the teaching of the full counsel of God while remaining tenderhearted towards the outsider. You may have to confront your pastor…or even leave your church…but rest assured, God will not long tolerate false teaching and He certainly will not use a “church” that has stopped being one.