By Aaron Kren

Amazing how quickly false doctrine crept into the church.
How do we account for this quick corruption?

2.2 Timothy 4:3-4
What reasons are given for the infiltration of false doctrine?
Bringing your ungodly beliefs into Christianity and trying to blend them with true doctrine.

3.Judaizers - taught that Christians had to submit to certain rites of the Jewish Law in order to be saved – most notably circumcision.
Acts 15:1-5, 10-11

4.Gnosticism – Believed that they had special knowledge that other Christians lacked. While Gnostics believe that Jesus was the savior, they do not look to salvation from sin; rather, they look to salvation from ignorance – the ignorance of spiritual realities. It was not through Christ’s suffering and death, but through his life and his teachings that humanity will be saved.

The historic Gnostic view is that the world was created flawed by a lower level flawed creator, a false god referred to as the Demiurge – they thought this was Yahweh. Because this being imprinted its own flaws and limitations upon creation, this world is a realm of suffering. Ignorance of our own innate primordial nature is the root of our suffering.
I Timothy 6:20,21 Colossians 2:2,3

5.Ascetecism - It was contended that sin is inherent in the material substance of the body, and therefore the body must needs be punished in some way. Thus came the practice of extreme self-denial and self-abuse, perhaps in an attempt to reach a higher level of purity and godliness.
Colossians 2:18-23 No value against fleshly indulgence!

6.Antinomianism - Proponents of this movement advocated a separation of the body and soul so as to allow the body to do whatever it desires while supposedly maintaining a purity of the soul. Thus such false teachers instructed others that they could participate in all kinds of sinful pleasures and still be spotless in their souls before God.
I John 3:4-10

7.Docetism - It was reasoned that God could have nothing to do with matter; thus it was inconceivable that Christ, as a truly divine being, could actually come in the flesh. Docetism therefore denied the true incarnation of Christ.
I John 4:1-3

8.Jewish legalism (do it the way we've always done it)
Gnosticism (only we know how to do it),
Asceticism (don't do what we think you shouldn't do)
Antinomianism (do anything you want to do)
Docetism (don't believe the truth about Christ)

What is the draw to these types of doctrines?