Lessons #557and 558
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New American Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
+ 4. Text is based on 1984 edition of the NIV +
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Further implications of denial of resurrection (1 Cor 15:29-34)
29Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 30And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 34Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.
Let me begin this morning with a quick review of what we have so far covered in this section of 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 before we proceed. Recall that the message of this section as we stated in our last study is that Your belief in resurrection should cause you to face difficulties associated with the Christian faith and to be mindful of doctrinal deception that would lead to sinful conduct. We stated there are three further major implications of denial of resurrection that the apostle gave in the section of 1 Corinthians 15:29-34. The first implication of denying the doctrine of resurrection in the section of 1 Corinthians we are studying is that some activities or practices related to Christian faith become unnecessary. These activities are detailed in verses 29 to 32. The second is that there is no need to be concerned about deception if there is no resurrection as stated in verse 33. The third is that it is needless to avoid sinful conduct if there is no resurrection as given in verse 34. The first implication of denial of resurrection, as we have stated, is that some activities or practices related to Christian faith become unnecessary. We stated that there are four or five activities the apostle gave in the passage we are considering but in our last study we demonstrated that there are four activities because we considered verse 31 as an emphatic explanation of verse 30. So, we have considered the first three activities that would be unnecessary if there is no resurrection. A first activity we considered is the practice of water baptism for the dead, that is, water baptism because of the influence of dead believers. The second is believers constantly endangering their lives for faith in Christ. The third is battling with opponents of Christian faith. So, we proceed to consider the fourth activity that would be unnecessary if there is no resurrection.
A fourth activity that would be unnecessary if there is no resurrection is believers being concerned about any consequences of their actions or their conduct. But before the apostle gets to the expression that led to our assertion of this fourth activity, he reminded the reader that his argument is still concerned with denial of resurrection. This he did with the conditional clause that followed his fourth question in verse 32 what have I gained? of the section of 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 we are considering, that is, the conditional clause of verse 32 If the dead are not raised.
The word “if” is translated from a Greek particle (ei) that is used in different ways in the Greek. For example, the Greek particle is used as a marker of condition that exists in fact or hypothetical so that it is translated “if.” On the one hand, if a writer presents an action associated with a verb as real, although the writer may or may not believe the action to be real, there is the implication there is no doubt or uncertainty about what is stated when our Greek particle is used. Thus, in some context the word “if” may be understood to mean “since”, especially if the action has already taken place as in the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul regarding the conduct expected of those who have believed in Christ as stated in Colossians 3:1:
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
The clause Since, then, you have been raised with Christ is literally Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ. The apostle did not state something that is conditional as the literal translation would imply. No! He stated truth that applies to anyone who is a believer in Christ in that the person has been raised with Christ as he stated in Ephesians 2:6:
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
Hence, it is fitting for the word “if” used in Colossians 3:1 to be understood as “since” as believers by virtue of their salvation have been raised with Christ. On the other hand, if a writer presents the action associated with a verb as possible, the implication is that the thing in question is possible but uncertain, though assumed probable. Thus, it is used to narrate what Apostle Paul said before Governor Felix in his defense in which he indicated that if the Jews had a case to charge him with, they should have been before the governor to present his charge as stated in Acts 24:19:
But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me.
The clause if they have anything against me may, according to the standard Greek English lexicon (BDAG), be translated if they should have any charges to bring against me implying something possible but uncertain. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:32, the Greek particle is used to state something as true for the sake of argument although the apostle knows it to be false.
The thing the apostle assumed to be true for the sake of his argument although he knew it to be false is given in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 15:32 the dead are not raised. The word “dead” is translated from a Greek word (nekros) that we have examined previously that may be used literally or figuratively. However, in our verse, it is used literally and so refers to “dead” in the sense of people not physically alive. The word “raised” is translated from a Greek word (egeirō) with a range of meanings that we have also previously studied. In our verse, it is used in the sense of “to resurrect,” that is, to enter into a state of life as a result of being raised without the possibility of any further physical death. Anyway, the apostle’s argument is that if there is no resurrection, believers should not be concerned with their conduct.
The point that if there is no resurrection, believers should not be concerned about their conduct that we stated previously as the fourth activity the apostle was concerned in the section we are studying, is derived from Apostle Paul’s quotation from the OT scripture that is given in 1 Corinthians 15:32“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”.
The word “eat” is translated from a Greek word (esthiō) that means “to eat” as it is used in the instruction not to look down on a fellow believer based on what one eats or does not eat, as stated in Romans 14:3:
The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
The word may mean “to consume,” that is, to do away completely as it is used regarding God’s judgment in Hebrews 10:27:
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:32 it means “to eat” food.
The word “drink” of the NIV of the sentence 1 Corinthians 15:32 Let us eat and drink is translated from a Greek verb (pinō) that literally means “to drink,” that is, to take in liquid as it is used in the partaking of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:28:
A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
The word is used in connection with a cup leading to the expression “to drink the cup” that means “to submit to a severe trial, or death” as it is used by the Lord Jesus in His response to the request of the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, about how her sons should be seated in Jesus’ kingdom as recorded in Matthew 20:22:
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered.
It is in the sense of “to drink,” that is, to take in liquids by the mouth that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:32.
The word “tomorrow” in the quotation stated in 1 Corinthians 15:32“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” is translated from a Greek word (aurion) that may mean “next day” as it is used to describe that Apostles Peter and John spent a night in jail but were brought before the ruling authorities the next day following their arrest as narrated in Acts 4:3:
They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
The word may mean “tomorrow,” that is, the day following the present as it is used in our Lord’s prohibition against worrying during His Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 6:34:
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The word may mean “soon, in a short time,” that is “a brief time lapse without reference to a nocturnal period.” It is in this sense that the word is probably used in the comment of our Lord Jesus regarding the fate of grass of the field in Matthew 6:30:
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
It is true that the Greek word is translated “tomorrow” in our English versions, but it is probably that Jesus Christ meant “in short time” or “soon” since if grass is cut from a field it is allowed to dry for some time before being used to make fire. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:32, the sense of the word is “soon, in short time.” Thus, death involved in the quotation is that which is anticipated to occur soon or in a short time.
Apostle’s quotation given in 1 Corinthians 15:32“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” is from Isaiah 22:13:
But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!”
To understand the apostle’s quotation in the context of denying resurrection, we should, of course, understand the context of the words of Isaiah.
The people of Judah had been attacked by their enemies as Jerusalem was unprepared and defenseless before their enemies. God wanted His people to look to Him and plead for mercy and divine intervention. They were to do so through lamentation as implied in Isaiah 22:12:
The Lord, the LORD Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.
Instead of the people of Judah looking to their God, they deceived themselves into thinking that their preparation for war was sufficient to give them victory over their enemies. In fact, they began celebrating through feasting that involves slaughtering of animals and drinking of wine. They had the attitude that there was no problem but for them to be happy and enjoy life as that may be their last celebration. In addition, they were in a sense telling each other that there was no hope as death was certain to occur soon as that is what is meant in the clause for tomorrow we die! In effect, the people wanted to live for the present moment without any concern for other issues of life; something most people are doing today. There is a sense that they were living it up as if there is no tomorrow and so were enjoying their lives probably misapplying what Solomon had communicated in Ecclesiastes 2:24:
A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.
The encouragement given here in Ecclesiastes 2:24 does not mean that a person should not pay attention to the individual’s lifestyle. A person should enjoy life, but it must be done in such a way to recognize that there is more to come which is God’s judgment on an individual as that is what Solomon conveyed in Ecclesiastes 11:9:
Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.
In any event, the main point in the context of Isaiah 22:13 is that the people of Judah were living it up as if there is no tomorrow or without any concern for any other issues facing them. It is this context that helps us to understand the apostle’s quotation of this passage in Isaiah as he argued against the denial of resurrection.
Apostle Paul’s argument in quoting from Isaiah 22:13 is that if there is no resurrection, it is unnecessary for believers to live the way they do since they know that there is judgment that is to come in the future. Believers who are mindful of the Judgment Seat of Christ, live in a way that would not result in them not receiving any reward in heaven. They live in a way to avoid their works or activities in this life not being properly rewarded in eternal state as the Holy Spirit has intimated through the apostle in 1 Corinthians 3:12–15:
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
If there is no resurrection, there would be no judgment of any kind whether of believers or unbelievers. If that were true, what will be the purpose of anyone striving to live in obedience to God’s word. A person would then be at liberty to live as one chooses knowing that there would be no consequences to living without being concerned for future judgment. However, because believers know that there is resurrection and future judgment, they strive to live to please the Lord. Hence, we are correct to say that the apostle’s argument is that if there is no resurrection then there is no reason for believers to pay attention to God’s word and so to live in obedience to it. Anyway, the fourth activity that would be unnecessary if there is no resurrection is believers being concerned about any consequences of their actions or their conduct. This consideration brings to an end our consideration of the first of the three further implications of denial of resurrection that the apostle gave in the passage we are studying. This first implication is that some activities or practices related to Christian faith become unnecessary if there is no resurrection. This brings us to the second further implication of denying the doctrine of resurrection.
The second is that there is no need to be concerned about deception, specifically in the spiritual life if there is no resurrection. This assertion is derived from the instruction given in 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled. The form of the Greek command is subject to two possible interpretations. It could be interpreted as a command intended especially as a general rule of action or behavior leading to the translation we have in the NIV and majority of our English versions. This interpretation implies that in this command the apostle makes no comment whether the action stated is going on or not. Another possible interpretation is to understand the command as concerned with cessation of an action that is already taking place in which case the command may be translated with the word “stop.” Of all the English versions I consulted, only the ISV reflected this translation since the verse reads Stop being deceived. Considering that there were some in Corinth that were denying the concept of resurrection, it is possible that the conduct of some who have bought the teaching that denies the doctrine of resurrection may have been affected negatively and so the apostle could have commanded such individuals to stop the action he stipulated. Anyway, because we do not know with certainty the situation in Corinth, it is probably better to consider the command as a general precept, that is, a command that is intended to be a general rule to regulate conduct. Another fact about the Greek form of the command is that it is in a passive voice indicating that there is an actor or actors responsible for the action being prohibited. It is not clear who the actors are, but the context suggests they might have been those who deny the doctrine of resurrection that might have crept into the local church in Corinth.
Be that as it may, the word “misled” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (planaō) with three possible meanings. It means to move about, without proper direction or definite destination or particular purpose and so means “to wander about, to go astray.” It is in this sense that it is used to describe the life of some of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:38:
the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
Another meaning of the Greek verb is to cause someone to hold a wrong view and thus be mistaken, hence “to mislead, to deceive.” It is in this sense that the word is used to describe the conduct of people in the last days in 2 Timothy 3:13:
while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Still another meaning of this word is to go astray from the truth, that is, to no longer believe what is true, but to start believing what is false, thus means, “to stray from the truth, to wander from the truth, to go astray from.” It is in this sense that the word is used in James 5:19:
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:33, it is used in the sense of “to be misled,” that is, to become misled from a proper belief or course of action. Thus, the word is concerned with deception. This being the case, we should briefly consider the doctrine of deception.
Doctrine of Deception
Our approach to this doctrine will be first to define the word and then followed by presentation of several facts that should help to illuminate our understanding of the doctrine. To this end, we define deception as “the use of words or actions to deliberately cause someone to believe something that is not true.” With this definition, we proceed to state nine facts necessary for understanding the doctrine that we are considering.
A first fact is that the being that thrives most in the use of deception is Satan. The Lord Jesus described him as the father of lies according to John 8:44:
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Consequently, it is not surprising that sin came into the world through deception perpetuated by Satan. This we know from the lies he told the woman in the garden of Eden as recorded for us in Genesis 3:1–4:
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.
The serpent, that is, Satan, lied to the woman by indicating that death would not come to the woman if she in effect disobeyed God. When the woman bought his lie, she became spiritually dead. Of course, when God interrogated her, she admitted that her sin was because she was deceived by Satan as we read in Genesis 3:13:
Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Hence, the first sinner in humankind attained that state by being deceived as the Holy Spirit later communicated through Apostle Paul as stated in 1 Timothy 2:14:
And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
A second fact is that since the fall of humankind into sin, deception has become a characteristic of the fallen human nature. It is this fact that the Holy Spirit conveyed through Prophet Jeremiah when he wrote in Jeremiah 17:9:
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
The word “heart” is neither a reference to the human pumping organ that circulates blood over the body nor the seat of emotions as many English speakers would understand the word. Instead, it is the instrument of reason so that here it is probably better to understand it as a reference to “human mind.” Hence, since the Fall, the human mind has become deceitful in its function. Scripture provides examples of the deception of human minds found in both believers and unbelievers. Abraham, the one described as the friend of God, was involved in deception of his true relationship to Sarah. He described her as his sister as recorded in Genesis 20:2:
and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.
It is true that Sarah was indeed Abraham’s half-sister as stated in Genesis 20:12:
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.
However, he was deceptive when he described Sarah as his sister because he did not want the king to know she was his wife. Herod, an unbeliever, in the time of birth of Jesus Christ was deceptive when he instructed the Magi to let him know when they found the baby Jesus so he could worship Him as narrated in Matthew 2:8:
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
Herod’s intention was not to worship Jesus but to kill him. So, the human mind because of the fallen nature has become characterized by deception.
A third fact is that deception primarily involves speech. It is for this reason that the Holy Spirit puts in the mouth of the psalmist one of the descriptions of the wicked as being concerned with deception through speech as we read in Psalm 36:3:
The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.
It is also because deception involves speech that the advice of the wicked is described as deceptive in Proverbs 12:5:
The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
Part of deception in speech is that of flattery where one tells someone that which is not true often because there is something the individual wants from the one that is flattered. That deception involves flattery is indicated in Romans 16:18:
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
A fourth fact is that deception is contrary to the nature of God since He is incapable of lie as the Holy Spirit asserted through the pen of Apostle Paul in Titus 1:2:
a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.
It is because deception is contrary to God’s character that Jesus Christ is described as incapable of deceit as the Holy Spirit guided Apostle Peter to convey as he quoted the description of the Messiah given by Prophet Isaiah (53:9) in 1 Peter 2:22:
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
The nature of God is not only contrary to deception, but He cannot be deceived since He knows our thoughts as the Holy Spirit enabled David to declare in his parting words to his son, Solomon, that succeeded him as king, according to 1 Chronicles 28:9:
“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
It is possible that a person with knowledge of Scripture could question our assertion that deception is not part of God’s nature because of what Prophet Jeremiah complained against God as recorded in Jeremiah 20:7:
O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.
This complaint of Jeremiah due to his hardship in being Yahweh’s prophet should be understood as an angry outburst of the prophet against God in making him His prophet. God did not deceive the prophet since He told the prophet that the people would resist his message but that he should be certain that He would be with him as stated in Jeremiah 1:19:
They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
The point is that despite the outburst of the prophet against Yahweh, deception the prophet charged is not to be taken as meaning that God deceived him. Anyway, it is the fact that deception is contrary to the nature of God that leads to the several facts that follow next in our consideration of the doctrine of deception.
A fifth fact about deception is that it is abhorrent to God, so He prohibited it. We read of this prohibition in Leviticus 19:11:
“‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another.
We also learn of God’s abhorrence to it because the Holy Spirit instructs believers to get rid of it in their lives as we read in 1 Peter 2:1:
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
The Holy Spirit through the same apostle informs us that any believer who wants to enjoy life should avoid deception as stated in 1 Peter 3:10:
For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
In the same fashion, those who are Christian leaders are expected to avoid any form of deception in their ministry as implied in what Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:2:
Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
The point is that because of God’s nature, deception is totally repulsive to Him and so believers should endeavor to avoid it.
A sixth fact about deception is that it draws God’s judgment in the form of punishment. The psalmist stated this fact as we read in Psalm 5:6:
You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.
The punishment of those involved in deceit is figuratively described in Proverbs 20:17:
Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.
The sentence Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man is more literally Bread gained by deceit is sweet for the man. So, it should be clear that the food in question is obtained through deceit but the judgment that comes as a result of such deception is given in terms of a mouth full of gravel. The phrase a mouth full of gravel is saying that the food tastes terrible or it is a way to convey that whatever is gained by deception is short-lived. The point is that there is some form of punishment attached to deception. The punishment attached to deception is demonstrated in the judgment of death that came to Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, for their deception to the apostles regarding the sale of their property as we read in Acts 5:9–10:
9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
Anyway, it is important to recognize that deception results in God’s punishment.
A seventh fact about deception is that God warns believers against it. There are several passages where God warns believers against deception, but we will focus our attention on a specific passage that would help us to expound more on the subject of deception in that further facts about deception would be based primarily on the passage we are about to cite. This passage is what the Holy Spirit gave through Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:6:
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
The phrase empty words refers to words that are without truth. In effect, empty words refer to declarations or speeches that do not contain truth as defined in the word of God. They are declarations that may be appealing but, in the end, do not contain truth by which if a person lives by will please the Lord. Unbelievers are not concerned with pleasing the Lord so they have no problem with declarations or assertions that do not glorify God although such assertions may glorify humans. A good example of empty words would be any assertion or declaration that is a lie since a lie is meant to deceive others as Prophet Jeremiah implies in his indictment of the people of his time in Jeremiah 9:5:
Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.
It is easy to be deceived by words that do not contain truth but may sound believable. The Israelites experienced this kind of deception during their conquest of Canaan. The Gibeonites deceived them by declaring they came from a distant country as they presented food that seemed to have been spoilt to prove their assertion or to bolster their claim. Of course, they used empty words in the sense of untruthful assertions to deceive the Israelites, as implied in Joshua 9:22:
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us?
In any case, we insist that the Holy Spirit through the apostle not only wants us to know that deception can come through different sources or agents, but He also wants us to recognize that it can come in different ways. One of the ways this comes, as we have already noted, is through lies since we indicated that the phrase empty words of Ephesians 5:6 refers to any declaration without truth. This being the case, we should recognize that there are other ways empty words become manifest as to be considered deception. Deception that involves empty words can come when those who teach the word of God, teach in such a way to make believers have the false sense that they are doing well spiritually when that is not the case. This happens when such teachers fail to denounce people for their sins, a practice that is denounced in Lamentations 2:14:
The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading.
When those who teach the word of God ignore rebuking people of their sins and preach only prosperity that will come to them, such preaching becomes an expression of empty words. In fact, such teachers or preachers parallel the false leaders of Israel that Prophet Ezekiel denounced for proclaiming peace to the people when there is no peace to be had because of Israel’s failure, as we read in Ezekiel 13:10–12:
10 “ ‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”
So, when teachers or preachers of the word of God give false assurance to people who are in rebellion against God that everything is well with them spiritually, such preaching or teaching rises to the level of what the Apostle Paul described as empty words. Furthermore, the teaching that constitute empty words involve those that explain away sins or give the impression that God will not punish people for their sins. This is what obtains today in our society when sins of all kinds are glorified and people explain them away so that sins become tolerable. The sad part is that some Christians now accept explanations that make light of sin, so they no longer condemn such sinful conducts as we have today. This explaining away of sin so that it becomes palatable is not new. This was probably the kind of thing associated with that false prophetess called Jezebel in Revelation 2:20:
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
An eighth fact about deception is that we believers can deceive ourselves. We can deceive ourselves when we wrongfully evaluate ourselves. In other words, we are capable of talking to ourselves in such a way that we begin to believe lies we use to justify self. When that happens, we have deceived ourselves. It is this kind of deception the Holy Spirit mentioned through the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:3:
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
A person thinks the individual is something that the person is not and so that individual lies to self. You know what truth about you is so that when people tell you otherwise you should be able to filter truth from flattery but if this is not done, a person begins to convince self of that which is not true and so the person thinks of self in an unrealistic manner. This leads to self-deception. Another self-deception comes when a person claims to be devoted to the word of God but does not put into practice the teaching of the word of God the individual receives. It is this kind of deception that is mentioned in James 1:22:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Similar self-deception comes when a person claims to have the right spiritual relationship with the Lord but is very loose with the tongue. In effect, if a person claims to be devoted to the Lord but is careless about what the person utters then such an individual is involved in self-deception. It is this, James also addressed in James 1:26:
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
Another self-deception comes from being self-righteous in that a believer claims no longer to sin, as stated in 1 John 1:8:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Anyway, there is more to the doctrine of deception, and we will continue with that in our next study. Nonetheless, let me end by reminding you of the message of the section of 1 Corinthians 15:29-34 that we are considering which is that Your belief in resurrection should cause you to face difficulties associated with the Christian faith and to be mindful of doctrinal deception that would lead to sinful conduct.
09/22/23