The real and the fake church: Paul warns Timothy that there will be a real and a fake church in the last days

There is a part of the New Testament that is often quoted, and misunderstood. In what was to be his last letter, we read of Paul’s final instructions to his protégé, Timothy. This young man was very enthusiastic but had a lot to learn. His mentor instructs him the following:

¹This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ²For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ⁵Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. – 2 Timothy 3:1-5

We often think, and give examples to justify this, that Paul warns Timothy about a time coming when the world around us will be filled with all that is evil. Just look at the list he gives Timothy: lovers of self; cursers; false accusers; lovers of pleasure; and more, just to name a few. However, we need to read this part in context with that which precedes it. Paul is training Timothy to continue with his ministry once Paul is no longer around, and so the entire letter is devoted to instructions how to lead churches and plant new ones. It becomes clearer then, that maybe the quoted part does not refer to the world “out there” but rather what goes on inside the church. If this is the case, then it paints a gloomy picture.

Paul gives examples of all the negative aspects that we easily attribute to the world and exempt the church from. Verse 5 changes things – “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”. Let us ask and answer this question: Does the world have a form of godliness? Absolutely not, as the world, and it is becoming clearer every day, does not want God anywhere near them. If you do not acknowledge the existence of God, then there is nothing to deny about living a godly life, as is evident by how the world turns its back on the opinions of Christians and does everything it can to silence the voice of Christian believers. If the world does not have a form of godliness, then the only other group it can be attributed to is the church. This is Paul’s focus, and as much as we want to deny or ignore it, it is true.

If this is the case, is this the real condition of the church of our time, in the Laodicean age? (See our article on the apostate church.) Most likely. The deceiver knows that there is no point in attacking the world, or to overpower the church from the outside. The only way to nullify the work of Jesus Christ is to attack the church from the inside, which is exactly what we see happening today, and which Paul warned Timothy about. Paul’s focus is on the actions of people in church, and many of them are false. He tells Timothy that people in the church will do these things and that he must turn away from such people. Thus, it appears that Paul was addressing a time when the church would be filled with people who do the opposite of what is required to be the church. According to Paul, they have a form of godliness – they appear to be Christians, but they deny the power of the godliness that characterises a Christian believer. Note that he says they have a “form of godliness”, an outward appearance of the real deal, but the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is not evident in their lives. It happened in Timothy’s time, and it is becoming even worse today.

Modern day thinking wants to eradicate Christian believers, and when these believers are no longer here, the rest are going to take over and do what they always wanted: worship themselves and the devil. When we look at the problems churches all over the world face today, the overriding factor is the love of the self, the first example Paul gives. Mega-churches have very little interest in pursuing the salvation and growth of sinners. Rather, the focus is on eloquent sermons that tell people that they really are not that bad, and that they should focus on improving themselves. Putting aside personal wants and replacing this with a genuine desire to serve God instead, is not on the agenda. In the process, we see some “pastors” that are stinking rich, benefitting from money given by people who think they are doing the right thing, but have been deceived because they do not know the Word of God, and do not seek for wisdom in the Bible. When we study the requirements Paul gives to Timothy for the appointment of church leaders, we find very little, if any, in the examples of mega churches and their preachers we see today:

¹This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. ²A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ³Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; ⁴One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ⁵(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ⁶Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. – 1 Timothy 3:1-7

The King James Version uses the word “bishop” to refer to a church leader, and elder, overseer, or a pastor. These are the qualities our pastors and church leaders should have. If these virtues are upheld, then those who attend these churches will follow their example. Sadly, this is happening less and less. It appears as if the true believers in the church are being side-lined and silenced by those Paul talks about. After the rapture, the churches will not be empty. Instead, they will be filled by those who have a form of godliness, but there is no power in what they represent. They will merge with other religions, and Chrislam (a mix of post-rapture fake Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) will be the accepted “religion” of the day, which will not save your soul.

If we look at the subheading of this piece, a distinction is made between a real and a fake church in the last days. By all accounts, and the teaching given by Paul, we must therefore be in the last days. The fake church first silently infiltrated the real church. Now they are making their voice heard and are driving out the real church. How do we know which is fake and which is real? Ask yourself this: Who is the focus and what is the message of the preaching? Is the focus on God and His love for mankind, so much so, that He sent His Son to die for sinners that they might be saved? Is the message one of repentance, turning towards God and away from sin, and denying the self so that Jesus Christ may be glorified? If not, then the teaching is false, and the preacher is a fake. (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

What is the solution? Paul gave the answer to Timothy: Turn away from them. Nothing can be clearer. Have no contact with them, and do not associate with them. Is this harsh? If you consider your own salvation important, then those you turn your back on are the ones who have played no part in your salvation and have in fact been the stumbling block in your path of spiritual growth. You are not treating them harshly. You are being obedient to the Word. For far too long, the church has been too accommodating – taking in sinners is good, but allowing them to remain unchanged and unsaved is not. The church is the place for people who have the desire to turn towards God and let Him change their lives for the better.

Conclusion

Examine those you associate with in your church. Test them, and yourself, against the Word. Then decide if it is time to get out and turn away from them. Your eternal future is on the line.