I think we need the whole verse above and below to set possible proper context:
1 Tim 3.14-16
[SUP]14 [/SUP]I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long;
[SUP]15 [/SUP]but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. [SUP]16 [/SUP]By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.
I am not sure we will agree on the context of the verse that you are using to support your statement. In my interpretation, This verse has zero to do with the church being deceived or in deception. The very fact that Paul used adjectives to describe Timothy's Church compels us to infer that there must have also been false churches, John shows us this in his 1 Epistle.
Your mileage may vary and it's perfectly fine if we disagree.
I was asked to go into a church and find out what the issues were and attended the Sunday morning Worship service.
After the service the Pastor asked me what I thought and how we were going to get the Board of Elders to see things his way.
I asked him and his Board of Elders if they knew about the Black Magic Occultist couple that were in their congregation....they had no clue....I picked them out quickly and when they picked me out they got up and walked out of service....2 months later the church , Pastor and Board of elders were working together and there was no more strife or division and the church was fulfilling their call....Black Magic Occultist practitioners are routinely assigned to infiltrate certain churches and fellowships that are deemed a threat to the powers of Darkness.
I would rethink the position that the church cannot deceived or bound in deep deception. There are reasons why Jesus, Paul and John taught so much about false doctrines and False teachers. There is one instance in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus took authority over a unclean spirit in Church[Synagogue]
1 Tim 3.14-16
[SUP]14 [/SUP]I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long;
[SUP]15 [/SUP]but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. [SUP]16 [/SUP]By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.
I am not sure we will agree on the context of the verse that you are using to support your statement. In my interpretation, This verse has zero to do with the church being deceived or in deception. The very fact that Paul used adjectives to describe Timothy's Church compels us to infer that there must have also been false churches, John shows us this in his 1 Epistle.
Your mileage may vary and it's perfectly fine if we disagree.
I was asked to go into a church and find out what the issues were and attended the Sunday morning Worship service.
After the service the Pastor asked me what I thought and how we were going to get the Board of Elders to see things his way.
I asked him and his Board of Elders if they knew about the Black Magic Occultist couple that were in their congregation....they had no clue....I picked them out quickly and when they picked me out they got up and walked out of service....2 months later the church , Pastor and Board of elders were working together and there was no more strife or division and the church was fulfilling their call....Black Magic Occultist practitioners are routinely assigned to infiltrate certain churches and fellowships that are deemed a threat to the powers of Darkness.
I would rethink the position that the church cannot deceived or bound in deep deception. There are reasons why Jesus, Paul and John taught so much about false doctrines and False teachers. There is one instance in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus took authority over a unclean spirit in Church[Synagogue]
well..., I think the best thing I can say on the subject is that
I believe that the church of the living God is the pillar and support of the truth.