Pam Padgett ... teacher
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing
and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables.
Paul warned that some will not endure (continue in) sound doctrine, turning away from the truth. As they don't hold truth from God, they will be turned to fables.
Many religious sounding things come across our paths, but some are
not according to the word of God. When something is brought to us which
isn't according to scripture, we cling to the word of God in the
matter, continuing in sound doctrine and truth. These are the things we speak and uphold.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
A few months ago one of my neighbors sent two emails with sayings
about animals which she thought were cute, but which were not according
to truth. For example, in one was a short fictitious story (fable)
telling why God created animals and was not according to what we're told
in the Bible (Genesis 1). After re-reading Genesis 1 to re-establish
myself in truth and prayer, I believed I was led to ask this neighbor to
not send any more emails like this to me and told her why, sharing what
is in the Bible.
Several years ago I was with my sister's family and there was a
rainbow in the sky. One of my nieces (approximately 6 years old at the
time) told a story about rainbows that was not according to what is in
the Bible (Genesis 9:8-17). I told my niece that the rainbow is a sign of the promise God made that He would not again destroy the world by flood.
When I asked my sister why she hadn't taught her daughter the truth, she
said she thought the story her daughter told was cute.
I was raised in the Catholic church and thought everything
taught there was true. But after I was born again, I met a friend in college
who was a Christian and read the Bible. As we talked about various things and I would
mention something I had been taught, she didn't argue but would simply
ask "Where is that in the Bible?". She
gave me a Bible and as I read it, I found many things I had been
taught that were opposite to what is in the Bible or were fables and not in the Bible at all. It was shocking to
see these things. But it had been put deeply in my heart by God that what we're told in the
Bible is truth and the basis for proving what is true. As I
read the Bible, many false doctrines I had been taught in the Catholic church were revealed to me by the Holy
Spirit and uprooted, being replaced by truth we are shown in the Bible.
And I left the Catholic church.
We are to endure, continue in, sound doctrine ... doctrine that is
according to the word of God, doctrine that is truth ... turning from
those things that are not truth from God. Not following what sounds
appealing to our flesh, and willing to lay aside false doctrines we've
been taught in the past. Sound doctrine is according to the word of God
and glorifies God, showing His power, mercy and righteousness.
1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.