Christ’s reply
Section A – The rise of false prophets and false teachers
In Matthew 24. There are two references to this. The first is in verses 4 and 5. The next is in verse 11 after what as was explained in the previous part of this series as the transition point. So these are two separate events, even though related in part.
The precursor events of verses 4 and 5 have a stipulation from Christ Himself and it is something that all should heed and try to understand. So let’s look at these two verses in the KJV and then break it down further so we can truly understand.
4 – And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
These false prophets have one dangerous element to them. It is something many did not even recognize nor do they even see it today. We are warned not to allow ourselves to be deceived by our fellow humans. For we are all just the creation of God, and so we are to be alert to the truth and this can only come from knowing the true meaning of the Bible. Look at the beginning of verse 5:
“For many shall come in my name.” He makes this very clear. That there will be those that say they come in the name of Jesus Christ Himself.
“My name.”
My – mou- I, me, mine own, my
Name – onoma – name, character, fame, reputation
They say they will come in the name of Christ yet they will not. They will be there pretending to be doing the will of God through Christ but in reality they shall be acting upon their own behalf.
A prime example of this is the popes of the Catholic Church. A church that requires to follow rituals, pray to statutes and to seek after God not through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, but through Jesus’ mother. They also said that it was due to God that the crusades take place to take Jerusalem form Muslims.
Their actions and behavior were finally shown for what they were when true copies of the writing of the Gospel came to light due to the fall of Constantinople, which brought Greek copies into possession of men like Martin Luther. This led to the Reformation when it was found that the Latin verses of the Gospel has been changed and perverted by those within the early Catholic Church. Does this mean that there have been no one that can call themselves “Christian,” form the Catholics? No it does not. For there are have been many that have come from that church that are truly Christian.
This however proves what Jesus was forewarning of. Those that say they are in the service of Jesus Christ, but in reality are in service only for their own lust and desires.
This is why Christ gave the warning so that those that saw the truth would not blindly follow those that did as many did in the early years of the Catholic Church. So as you can see this statement has been relevant ever since the time that Christ Himself walked amongst us, till now.