Beware of False Teachers
Ignatius warns against false teachers and emphasizes the importance of the true Physician, Jesus Christ, who was incarnated to free us from death and corruption.
Ignatius of Antioch warns against those who carry the name of Jesus Christ but live in wickedness, promoting destructive doctrines that must be avoided like wild beasts. He emphasizes the importance of avoiding such individuals to safeguard one's faith and salvation. Ignatius contrasts these false teachers with the true Physician, God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ, who took on human form to heal and save humanity from sin and corruption.
Text
But some most worthless persons are in the habit of carrying about the name [of Jesus Christ] in wicked guile, while yet they practise things unworthy of God, and hold opinions contrary to the doctrine of Christ, to their own destruction, and that of those who give credit to them, whom you must avoid as ye would wild beasts. For "the righteous man who avoids them is saved for ever; but the destruction of the ungodly is sudden, and a subject of rejoicing." For "they are dumb dogs, that cannot bark," raving mad, and biting secretly, against whom ye must be on your guard, since they labour under an incurable disease.
But our Physician is the only true God, the unbegotten and unapproachable, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-begotten Son.
We have also as a Physician the Lord our God, Jesus the Christ, the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began, but who afterwards became also man, of Mary the virgin. For "the Word was made flesh." Being incorporeal, He was in the body; being impassible, He was in a passible body; being immortal, He was in a mortal body; being life, He became subject to corruption, that He might free our souls from death and corruption, and heal them, and might restore them to health, when they were diseased with ungodliness and wicked lusts.
Sermon Outline
- Beware of False Teachers
- The True Physician
- The Unbegotten God
- The Incarnate Son
- The Incarnation
- The Purpose of Incarnation
Key Quotes
“the righteous man who avoids them is saved for ever; but the destruction of the ungodly is sudden, and a subject of rejoicing.” — Ignatius of Antioch
“the Word was made flesh” — Ignatius of Antioch
“they labour under an incurable disease” — Ignatius of Antioch
Application Points
- We must be on our guard against false teachers who labour under an incurable disease.
- The true Physician, Jesus Christ, has come to free us from death and corruption.
- We must avoid false teachers as we would wild beasts, lest we suffer destruction and rejoicing of the wicked.