The following verses of scripture are "one message" to the church inspired by God and spoken by the apostle Paul warning the church then and today.
I Tim. 4
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
6 If
thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a
good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of
good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
7 But refuse profane (secular) and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
8 For
bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all
things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to
come.
9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10 For
therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the
living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that
believe.
11 These things command and teach.
Paul is warning us not to be bound up in these things ...
They teach you can't eat certain meats.
They say you must have bodily exercise daily.
Some church groups keep their ministers from marrying.
Paul is telling us these rules set up by man keep man from living by faith in God.
It teaches man to have faith in what he himself does, what he eats, and in what other humans say is good for you.
Man has faith in medical doctors. Medical doctors can be helpful if you are sick but when you are tying to extend life on this earth and you eat certain things and exercise daily thinking by such you extend your life on this present earth, then you have left the faith and even left the New Testament doctrines set forth to free us.
You
then set yourselves into bondages to thinking of what humans say, instead of
turning to God and keeping your faith in what God shows you.
In the latter times this is what "the Spirit" says will happen. v. 1 People will depart from the faith and take up doctrines of devils and teachings of other men.
Keeping your faith in God instead ... praying, asking God what you need to do ... trusting in God ... knowing the scripture concerning "long life" ... is what we must continue doing ... considering scriptures such as ...
Proverbs 3
My son, forget not MY law; but let thine heart keep MY commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
And consider this concerning properly eating and drinking the word of God:
I Cor. 11
Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord (The Word of God), unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself (by the Word of God) , and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup (examining himself by the Word of God and making needed changes according to the Word of God).
29 For he that eateth and drinketh (The Word of God) unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
For example: We know by the word of God that we are to forgive. We are to put away wrath, anger, bitterness, guile ...
If we fail to do that Word of God, we bring evil upon ourselves ... and Paul explains "for this cause many in the church are weak and sick and many die." I Cor. 11:30 ... (Partaking of the Lord's supper is not eating and drinking crackers/grape juice which have no power at all but partaking of the Lord's supper is eating and drinking the Word of God for it is the supper of the Lord.)
I once
told a medical doctor that the information form they had me fill out
left off many things critical to my physical health and well being.
That
form said nothing about forgiving your enemies though the form asked
many questions about the amount of depression the patient was going
through.
These gropings of man are futile for they are based on the wisdom of man and not on what God has to say.
These are traps.
And all of the statements Paul is making in the early verses of I Tim. 4 warn the church about these "doctrines" of man.
Consider the following:
Col. 2 ...
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.