An outbreak is defined as “a sudden or violent increase in activity or currency” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). When multiple cases of a particular disease suddenly begin to rise at an abnormal rate in a specific area, within the same time frame, experts begin to suspect the possibility of an epidemic outbreak. Thus, necessary precautions are put into place as a means to prevent the outbreak from developing into a disastrous pandemic. One particular step is to map out where the infection has already spread and designate that location as an infected area. If it is discovered that the transmissible disease is transferred from one person to another aerially, then filtered masks are distributed in that location in an effort to begin to subdue any further spread of the malady. These masks are required to be worn by everyone within range of the allocated perimeter, regardless if they are infected or not. These masks are very important because their primary purpose is to protect the person from either infecting others or becoming infected. Because false doctrine is a spiritual disease that is spread from the mouths of false teachers, it becomes transparent why their “mouths must be stopped” (Titus 1:11a, emphasis added). The Greek term employed by the apostle Paul in this Scripture is epistomizō and it is defined by lexicons as putting something over the mouth, figuratively, to silence (Strong, G1993). Irrefutably, the concept of restraining a highly contagious disease from developing into a spiritual pandemic was in Paul’s inspired mind. He was well aware of how lethal evil influences can be in the mind of a saint since he often encountered them secretly lurking among the holy people of God. An example of this destructive power is illustrated by the apostle as he warns the Corinthians, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1st Corinthians 15:33, emphasis added). In this passage, Paul was purging the church at Corinth from the Epicurean influence that denied the resurrection of the dead. This doctrine within itself was already dangerous, but what elevated the threat was “how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead” (1st Corinthians 15:12, emphasis added). In other words, this infectious influence sprouted internally; not externally. This was a worrisome woe for the apostle concerning the Corinthians. This bitter root that had yet to be cut off from among them validated Paul’s concern that “if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it” (2nd Corinthians 11:4, emphasis added)! The apostle’s prime concern was that despite having an amazing amount of spiritual talents among their members, they struggled immensely with dealing accordingly with the sinning brother. This unfortunate flaw was truthfully the source of all their problems addressed by the inspired Paul in his entire first letter to them. Their inability to stop the spread of Satan’s venom ultimately led them to shamefully have a serious problem of “such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles – that a man has his father’s wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1st Corinthians 5:1-2, emphasis added). It must be noted the degree of damage that will happen to a congregation when all her members standing idly by before sin. This is what Paul reveals in his admonishment of “you may well put up with it.” Because the Corinthian brethren allowed the infection to linger unperturbed, they had become spiritually delirious and became numb to sin. For this reason it was absolutely necessary for them to “purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened” (1st Corinthians 5:7, emphasis added). It is wise to note that this outbreak could have been neutralized in Corinth. The reason it was not dealt with swiftly was due to their lack of spiritual maturity exuded by Paul’s reprimand of “you are still carnal” (1st Corinthians 3:3a, emphasis added). Their lack of spiritual growth was a byproduct of the ungodly disease that had plagued their sanctified minds. Therefore, God’s warning that “wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good” is displayed by the dire circumstances experienced at Corinth. Lamentably, Corinth was not the only congregation afflicted by false teachers to whom Paul wrote. The brethren at Thessalonica, too, had offspring of falsehood “who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies” (2nd Thessalonians 3:11, emphasis added). Paul urged the church at Thessalonica “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means” (2nd Thessalonians 2:2-3a, emphasis added). The church at Thessalonica had been plagued by slothful gossipers who promulgated that the second coming of the Lord had already taken place as a means to continue openly practicing these sins. Once again, this independently was already terrible but the manner of how they executed their deceit was abhorrent. Observe that Paul found it crucial to rectify that neither he nor any of the other apostles had ever proclaimed that Jesus had already returned. Rather, those seeking to extort the Lord’s return were impostors who claimed that their false doctrine came “as if from us,” alerts the inspired scribe. Unequivocally, these perverse promoters of deceit are “untaught and unstable people [who] twist to their own destruction..the Scriptures” (2nd Peter 3:16, emphasis and addition mine). It is frightening to learn from Scripture the profundity of the depths false teachers dive in to as agents of sin. Yet, it is even more harrowing when it is revealed to us that “it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us” (1st John 2:18-19a, emphasis added). Because this was true in Corinth and Thessalonica, and is still true today, it is imperative to understand that to reprimand them equates to restoring them. To be continued…
