If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
It commands believers to refuse house-room and goodwill to anyone who does not bring the doctrine of Christ, for to welcome or encourage such a teacher makes one a sharer in his evil deeds. That doctrine is the truth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and is divine, against both the claim that His love releases men from obedience to God's law and the claim that law-keeping and ceremonies save without His blood. Christian courtesy and charity never require compromise with soul-destroying error, because to wish a person Godspeed is to support his work and course and must never be given to a wrong course. The warning shuts out spiritualist deceivers who deny Christ who bought them, so they are not to be taken into the home, followed to their meetings and circles, or given fellowship and sympathy, but their smooth and persuasive words are to be tested by God's revealed will. Not even a moment's place is to be given to one controlled to tear down and mingle poison with truth, since bidding him Godspeed enlarges his power for harm, while humble workers moved by the Spirit to proclaim the final message of mercy are instead to be prepared, encouraged, and sent on their way.
Meaning and True Doctrine
The verse forbids receiving into the house anyone who does not bring the doctrine of Christ, and it forbids bidding him Godspeed in the sense of extending goodwill and support. To welcome such a teacher with hospitality or to encourage him with approval makes the one who does so a partner in his evil deeds. Refusing both lodging and the greeting of support keeps the believer from sharing in the false teacher's evil work.
The doctrine of Christ that must be brought includes the truth that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and is divine. It rejects the claim that the love of Christ frees people from obedience to God's law. It equally rejects the claim that keeping the law and observing Jewish ceremonies saves without the blood of Christ. The surrounding context identifies those who lack this doctrine as deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Christian courtesy and charity do not require compromising with soul-destroying error.
To wish a person Godspeed expresses support for that person's work and course. Such approval must therefore not be given to a wrong course. The one pursued in wrongdoing remains accountable for the consequences of his actions and past neglect of duty.
Rejecting False Teachers Today
The warning falls upon spiritualists as deceivers who deny Christ, who purchased them with His blood, and their teachings must be tested by comparison with God's revealed will rather than by sympathy for their smooth, fair, polished and persuasive words. Believers must not welcome them into the home, must not attend their meetings and circles, and must give them no fellowship and support nor bid them Godspeed. Even when their words sound kind and righteous, no sympathy is to be given to such deceivers.
Their promises of freedom conceal bondage to sin and to Satan, and their teachings promote rebellion against God's law, including violation of the seventh commandment, together with denial of Christ. Ministers are not to engage them in controversy.
No place is to be given, no, not for a moment, to a man controlled by Satan to tear down faster than ten can build up. Human nature inclines to wrong and sympathizes without reasoning from cause to effect, while he mingles small doses of poison with truth and plants a root of bitterness that springs up to bear fruit by which many are defiled. Bidding him Godspeed enlarges his usefulness and makes the one who does so a partaker of his evil deeds and responsible for the results of his course, and he must be a converted man before God will acknowledge him as His son.
The command bars receiving into houses or bidding Godspeed to teachers whose doctrines originate from an impure and corrupt mind as polluting heresy and loathsome vagaries manufactured by Satan, who do Satan's work as verily as the archdeceiver himself. Every mind influenced by the Spirit and conversant with Scripture in any degree will turn from such heresy and denounce its vagaries with loathing. Those brought under such deluded ones must refuse them welcome and support, despite that in the human heart which inclines to accept anything new and odd and strange even of the most inconsistent and revolting character.
God's people must not welcome or encourage a bearer of the false message that God's people are part of Babylon and that the loud cry calls them to leave it, for such a bearer has not been sent by God and speaks from darkness, not truth. Believers are to turn away and have no fellowship with the message of those who claim God's guidance while working to tear down what God has built, deriding the ministry and using selected quotations to promote error. When a man claims to be sent by God with a special message, yet his message is of human invention that misinterprets Scripture by selecting and arranging texts to apply where they do not apply, denounces persons and things, brings false charges, and claims authority to set others in order and bring about a great reformation, his message is not from God but shows one deceived and not in right mind as chaff among the wheat. Wherever he attempts to bring his message churches must receive him not and believe him not, and God will give His people understanding to discern the misapplication.
Those who sin and after being visited and labored with refuse to repent must not be retained on the church books but must be separated from church fellowship, with refusal to receive or encourage the disobedient lest the saints be held accountable for evil deeds. The prohibition does not forbid supporting every unfamiliar preacher. Humble workers moved by the Spirit to proclaim the final message of mercy are to be prepared and encouraged rather than hindered or mocked, and are to be sent on their way with goodwill as they carry out the gospel commission.
It commands believers to refuse house-room and goodwill to anyone who does not bring the doctrine of Christ, for to welcome or encourage such a teacher makes one a sharer in his evil deeds. That doctrine is the truth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and is divine, against both the claim that His love releases men from obedience to God's law and the claim that law-keeping and ceremonies save without His blood. Christian courtesy and charity never require compromise with soul-destroying error, because to wish a person Godspeed is to support his work and course and must never be given to a wrong course. The warning shuts out spiritualist deceivers who deny Christ who bought them, so they are not to be taken into the home, followed to their meetings and circles, or given fellowship and sympathy, but their smooth and persuasive words are to be tested by God's revealed will. Not even a moment's place is to be given to one controlled to tear down and mingle poison with truth, since bidding him Godspeed enlarges his power for harm, while humble workers moved by the Spirit to proclaim the final message of mercy are instead to be prepared, encouraged, and sent on their way.
Meaning and True Doctrine
The verse forbids receiving into the house anyone who does not bring the doctrine of Christ, and it forbids bidding him Godspeed in the sense of extending goodwill and support. To welcome such a teacher with hospitality or to encourage him with approval makes the one who does so a partner in his evil deeds. Refusing both lodging and the greeting of support keeps the believer from sharing in the false teacher's evil work.
The doctrine of Christ that must be brought includes the truth that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and is divine. It rejects the claim that the love of Christ frees people from obedience to God's law. It equally rejects the claim that keeping the law and observing Jewish ceremonies saves without the blood of Christ. The surrounding context identifies those who lack this doctrine as deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Christian courtesy and charity do not require compromising with soul-destroying error.
To wish a person Godspeed expresses support for that person's work and course. Such approval must therefore not be given to a wrong course. The one pursued in wrongdoing remains accountable for the consequences of his actions and past neglect of duty.
Rejecting False Teachers Today
The warning falls upon spiritualists as deceivers who deny Christ, who purchased them with His blood, and their teachings must be tested by comparison with God's revealed will rather than by sympathy for their smooth, fair, polished and persuasive words. Believers must not welcome them into the home, must not attend their meetings and circles, and must give them no fellowship and support nor bid them Godspeed. Even when their words sound kind and righteous, no sympathy is to be given to such deceivers.
Their promises of freedom conceal bondage to sin and to Satan, and their teachings promote rebellion against God's law, including violation of the seventh commandment, together with denial of Christ. Ministers are not to engage them in controversy.
No place is to be given, no, not for a moment, to a man controlled by Satan to tear down faster than ten can build up. Human nature inclines to wrong and sympathizes without reasoning from cause to effect, while he mingles small doses of poison with truth and plants a root of bitterness that springs up to bear fruit by which many are defiled. Bidding him Godspeed enlarges his usefulness and makes the one who does so a partaker of his evil deeds and responsible for the results of his course, and he must be a converted man before God will acknowledge him as His son.
The command bars receiving into houses or bidding Godspeed to teachers whose doctrines originate from an impure and corrupt mind as polluting heresy and loathsome vagaries manufactured by Satan, who do Satan's work as verily as the archdeceiver himself. Every mind influenced by the Spirit and conversant with Scripture in any degree will turn from such heresy and denounce its vagaries with loathing. Those brought under such deluded ones must refuse them welcome and support, despite that in the human heart which inclines to accept anything new and odd and strange even of the most inconsistent and revolting character.
God's people must not welcome or encourage a bearer of the false message that God's people are part of Babylon and that the loud cry calls them to leave it, for such a bearer has not been sent by God and speaks from darkness, not truth. Believers are to turn away and have no fellowship with the message of those who claim God's guidance while working to tear down what God has built, deriding the ministry and using selected quotations to promote error. When a man claims to be sent by God with a special message, yet his message is of human invention that misinterprets Scripture by selecting and arranging texts to apply where they do not apply, denounces persons and things, brings false charges, and claims authority to set others in order and bring about a great reformation, his message is not from God but shows one deceived and not in right mind as chaff among the wheat. Wherever he attempts to bring his message churches must receive him not and believe him not, and God will give His people understanding to discern the misapplication.
Those who sin and after being visited and labored with refuse to repent must not be retained on the church books but must be separated from church fellowship, with refusal to receive or encourage the disobedient lest the saints be held accountable for evil deeds. The prohibition does not forbid supporting every unfamiliar preacher. Humble workers moved by the Spirit to proclaim the final message of mercy are to be prepared and encouraged rather than hindered or mocked, and are to be sent on their way with goodwill as they carry out the gospel commission.