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  BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS
  by Ignatius of Antioch
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Summary: Ignatius warns against false teachers and emphasizes the
importance of the true Physician, Jesus Christ, who was incarnated to
free us from death and corruption.

Topics: "False Teachers", "Christian Discernment"
Scripture References: Proverbs 4:14

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DESCRIPTION
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Ignatius of Antioch warns against those who carry the name of Jesus
Christ but live in wickedness, promoting destructive doctrines that must
be avoided like wild beasts. He emphasizes the importance of avoiding
such individuals to safeguard one's faith and salvation. Ignatius
contrasts these false teachers with the true Physician, God the Father,
and His Son Jesus Christ, who took on human form to heal and save
humanity from sin and corruption.

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CONTENT
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But some most worthless persons are in the habit of carrying about the
name [of Jesus Christ] in wicked guile, while yet they practise things
unworthy of God, and hold opinions contrary to the doctrine of Christ,
to their own destruction, and that of those who give credit to them,
whom you must avoid as ye would wild beasts. For "the righteous man who
avoids them is saved for ever; but the destruction of the ungodly is
sudden, and a subject of rejoicing." For "they are dumb dogs, that
cannot bark," raving mad, and biting secretly, against whom ye must be
on your guard, since they labour under an incurable disease.

But our Physician is the only true God, the unbegotten and
unapproachable, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-
begotten Son.

We have also as a Physician the Lord our God, Jesus the Christ, the
only-begotten Son and Word, before time began, but who afterwards became
also man, of Mary the virgin. For "the Word was made flesh." Being
incorporeal, He was in the body; being impassible, He was in a passible
body; being immortal, He was in a mortal body; being life, He became
subject to corruption, that He might free our souls from death and
corruption, and heal them, and might restore them to health, when they
were diseased with ungodliness and wicked lusts.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/ignatius-of-antioch/beware-of-false-teachers/
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