Many things combine to make the present inroad of false doctrine peculiarly dangerous.
1. There is an undeniable zeal in some of the teachers of error: their “earnestness” makes many think they must be right.
2. There is a great appearance of learning and theological knowledge: many fancy that such clever and intellectual men must surely be safe guides.
3. There is a general tendency to free thought and free inquiry in these latter days: many like to prove their independence of judgment, by believing novelties.
4. There is a wide-spread desire to appear charitable and liberal-minded: many seem half ashamed of saying that anybody can be in the wrong.
5. There is a quantity of half-truth taught by the modern false teachers: they are incessantly using Scriptural terms and phrases in an unscriptural sense.
6. There is a morbid craving in the public mind for a more sensuous, ceremonial, sensational, showy worship: men are impatient of inward, invisible heart-work.
7. There is a silly readiness in every direction to believe everybody who talks cleverly, lovingly and earnestly, and a determination to forget that Satan often masquerades himself “as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).
8. There is a wide-spread “gullibility” among professing Christians: every heretic who tells his story plausibly is sure to be believed, and everybody who doubts him is called a persecutor and a narrow-minded man.
All these things are peculiar symptoms of our times. I defy any observing person to deny them. They tend to make the assaults of false doctrine in our day peculiarly dangerous. They make it more than ever needful to cry aloud, “Do not be carried away!”
~ J.C. Ryle
Warnings to the Churches, “Divers and Strange Doctrines”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1967], 76, 77.
Times have not changed, right?
I pray I will be always discerning, holding fast to the Word of life lest I fall.
Blessings on your week!
“…in our day…”!! Wow! You would really think Ryle published this just today! The Word of God stands forever!
Thanks Erik!
Wow! this proves that truth doesn’t change and neither does error. Error is error still, even after all those years!
I was thinking the same thing as Becky & JCB. If you didn’t know better, you’d think Ryle was alive today and either reading headlines, Facebook (actually, he probably wouldn’t have the time of day for FB, but you know what I mean), or his newsreader. The days ahead, especially regarding the great kerfuffle regarding universalism, will be telling indeed. I’m keeping these eight bullet points handy.
[...] All these things are peculiar symptoms of our times. I defy any observing person to deny them. They tend to make the assaults of false doctrine in our day peculiarly dangerous. They make it more than ever needful to cry aloud, “Do not be carried away!” ~ J.C. Ryle [...]
8 symptoms and no scripture is odd. I was anticipating it. We are definitely living in dangerous days, spiritually.
Hasn’t the hour come when the true believers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:23)? Satan does come as an angel of light, but he’s only shining it on the scripture that he wants.
Rev 19:11 “…the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
We’re most vulnerable when we’re not looking at the Lord’s entire testimony, which is the whole Word of God.
2Tim 3:1-7
2Tim 4:2-4
A false prophet promises the wicked life, without repentance.
Ezekiel 13:22 “Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:”
May we faithfully declare the whole Word of God.
What’s your point when you say, “8 symptoms and no scripture is odd?”
Whew! I agree with all the comments about how relevant Ryle’s symptoms are for TODAY! I wonder if he would add or subtract any of his remarks in light of today?
Useful words. Thank you for unleashing them again.
I wrote something similar and probably more basic on my blog @ http://goo.gl/5AXar. I think the heart of the issue is reached when we’re maintain our purity and simplicity of devotion to Christ. Even “true” teachings can have a degree of truth and still lead us away from our relationship with Christ.
God bless, Richard
http://rcsthe.blogspot.com
So true. Thanks Erik!
What amazing accuracy! !
These words are the echo of The Exalted Christ speaking from his Throne Room to his church!
Keep the Echo going my friend by “publishing” in all venues by all means necessary and imaginable!
Will do RGH, will do.
Glad to hear you’re enjoying Ryle.
Though Ryle be dead, he still speaks.
[...] J. C. Ryle Quotes is a nice repository of ever-relevant quotes from the 19th century pastor. [...]
[...] J. C. Ryle Quotes is a nice repository of ever-relevant quotes from the 19th century pastor. [...]
[...] J. C. Ryle Quotes is a nice repository of ever-relevant quotes from the 19th century pastor. [...]
[...] J. C. Ryle Quotes is a nice repository of ever-relevant quotes from the 19th century pastor. [...]
love it!!!
Thanks for the share! Great post.
Ryle’s quotes all those many years ago should make all realize that the philosophies of the natural man never change. Our country is giving into the same vices that destroyed ancient Rome. I pray that Christian will continue to pray for God’s intervention so that there heresies that are being promoted will show up as being just that, “heresies.” May people realize that anything not according to the Bible which is God’s word is heresy.
[...] 5. Here is one of the Puritan great, JC Ryle’s take on false doctrine: http://jcrylequotes.com/2011/03/07/8-symptoms-of-false-doctrine/ [...]
[...] are 8 Symptoms of False Doctrine from Bishop J.C. Ryle [...]
God help us.
[...] 5. 8 Symptoms of False Doctrine [...]
[...] 5. 8 Symptoms of False Doctrine [...]
[...] 5. 8 Symptoms of False Doctrine [...]