“You have been deceived” and “they teach a false gospel” are two common phrases you will undoubtedly come across if you spend any time on the internet exploring religion. Whether it is a video, a written article, or a blog post, it seems no one is immune to the criticism. Indeed false teachings have always been around. Like today, some were innocent mistakes, and others were deliberately meant to lead people away from the truth.
Knowing fall well the potential for erroneous and false teaching, Jesus, at the last supper, prayed to his Father, “let them be one as you and I are one” — Jn 17-9 and to “consecrate them in truth” — Jn 17-17.
In the early Church, long before the Bible was completed, the Apostles guaranteed the truth of what was said. Today the Apostolic and universal Church is the successor to the Apostles, and if someone preaches in opposition to the Church, it is to be considered false —Luke 10:16.
You Have Been Deceived —True or False
The person claiming another has been deceived or that they are preaching a false Gospel typically bases his proclamation of blasphemy by pointing to
discrepancies in the Bible between how they understand the text and what the false prophet claims mean. Of course, implicit in their attack is the belief they possess the definitive correct interpretation, and anyone who arrives at a different understanding is being deceived.
One need not be a theologian or philosopher to see the problem with holding such a position. Since the time of Luther, a Catholic monk who followed the apostle’s teaching until he decided he knew better, thousands upon thousands of Christians operating outside the apostolic church like Luther have claimed that everyone else is teaching a false Gospel. Luther not only changed long-held Christian traditions overnight, but he also deleted parts of the Bible. Many think Luther reformed the Church, but nothing could be further from the truth. Click here to read how Luther’s reformation was a lie.
How To Be a Christian
The core element of Christianity is to follow Christ. This is not an easy task, as evidenced by Luther’s experience. Therefore many make up their own faith and sprinkle the name of Jesus around and quote a few Bible verses, usually out of context and often incomplete. One Christian YouTuber called “How To Be Christian” describes it as “Build-A-Bear” Christianity, where each person makes his form of what they call Christianity.
Ironically this is far from being Biblical, which all dissenters claim to be interpreting correctly. In the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20), which elucidates the mission of the Church
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Christ wants us to follow him fully, not just the parts we like. More importantly, Christ doesn’t want us to just believe in him; that won’t get you very far; after all, the devil believes in him. He wants us to become like him.
Each new denomination pulls further and further away from the fullness of Christ. As mentioned, Luther removed books from the Bible. The sacraments have largely been abandoned, and many Christian followers commonly accept divorce. Until 1935, almost every Christian denomination reputed contraception, recognizing it for its evil. After the Anglican church began allowing contraception, every other Christian denomination changed with time and began allowing its use. Only the Catholic Church consistently taught against the evil of contraception.
The Pill, the lie the deceit, the proof of the truth of Catholicism
Although it seems innocent enough, this tiny thing is the most deadly thing to man kind. It has destroyed more lives and ruined more marriages and families then anything else in the history of man kind. As unpopular it has been, only the Catholic church has stood against it This tiny thing proves the truth of the Catholic Church.
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age —Matthew 28:20
God of course safeguarded his people from being deceived. This verse in Matthew assures Christians that God would be permanently indwelled with his One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic church protecting them from deception.
Contraception was universally understood to be a direct contradiction of the natural procreative purpose of sexual intercourse, separating the unitive aspect of love from the potential for creating new life, which is seen as a fundamental good. The Catholic stood alone in its unwavering declaration that using any form of artificial contraception is deemed intrinsically wrong regardless of the circumstances.