“Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them” (Hebrews 13:9).
A major character flaw among first century Athenians was their fascination and focus on “the new”. “All the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21). Regardless of whether it is new philosophically, politically, or religiously, this is not an admirable obsession. In Jeremiah’s day, Jehovah commanded His people to “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it” (Jeremiah 6:16).
The adjectives used to describe the false doctrines God’s people are warned of provide practical and profitable insight.
“Various” (poikilos) began in the Greek language with the idea of “multi-colored’. Like sin itself, doctrines which transgress the doctrine of Christ may be eye-catching as a colorful garment is. How breathtaking spectacular is the false doctrine of premillennialism with its tall tales of tanks, battles, political intrigue, et. al. What pretty colors bait the hook of this falsehood.
Over time, this Greek word developed the connotation of “many sided” or “multi-faceted”. For the false doctrine of premillennialism to be “proved” Biblically, it ultimately requires its own system of hermeneutics (I.e., Bible interpretation). The same is also true with the A.D. 70 (Realized Eschatology) heresy.
For Calvinism to be a cohesive unit (I.e., make all of its interlocking falsehoods stay together), all five of its TULIP planks (Total Hereditary Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints) must be true. When someone today declares he is a 2- or 3-plank Calvinist, he betrays a glaring ignorance of his own (false) doctrine.
“Strange” (xenos) describes that which is new, novel, or foreign. Any new doctrine which arises after the faith was once for all time delivered to the saints (Jude 3) is foreign to the apostles’ doctrine. Biblically speaking, this makes it “strange” or “profane”; it is unauthorized by God (Leviticus 10:1).
We must beware and not carried away with various and strange doctrines.
