Romans 16:17-18

Christians can be gullible.  Because they are honest, some can be excessively trusting.  What sounds good, they automatically believe.  This is especially true when the writer or speaker has wrapped what they have to say in religious language.  I do not have a large friends list, but I see this on Facebook almost weekly.

In his few short years of ministry, Paul has already witnessed Christian naiveté in action.  He has seen corrupt men use smooth talk and flattery to mislead Christians.  In his warning to the church at Rome, he is not talking about men who are honestly seeking theological understanding.  He is warning them about men who use false teachings to cause divisions in the church for personal gain.  He does not define their personal appetites because that will vary from person to person.  Some men seek profit, some seek adoration, some seek to manipulate and control others and some have a hunger for the spotlight.  The people he is warning about all have selfish unrighteous desires, and they are using the church as a way to feed their ungodly appetite.

It would be wonderful if such wicked people had “trouble maker” written on their foreheads; they do not.  They are not easy to spot; if they were, they would not be dangerous to the church.  Because they hide behind smooth talk, flattery and religious language, the innocent and naïve Christian finds their teaching appealing.  Their purpose is to deceive the minds of enough people to gain control of a congregation, or at the least to control enough to take a portion with them in a split.  They do not serve God no matter how often they say “in Jesus name”.  They love to say, “It is a God thing”, when in truth it is their own thing. They look and sound Christian, but their words are contrary to church teaching.  Their words cause division within the congregation.  When you see someone causing divisions, stay away from them.  God calls us to unity, not to division.