The Age of Deception: Why The Church Needs Teachers

Did God Really Say That?

We are living in an age of unprecedented access to information, yet at the same time, we are living in an age of unprecedented deception. Every morning, we wake up to headlines, opinions, reels, sermons, podcasts, comment sections, and curated theology. Scripture is quoted everywhere like verses that are printed on T-shirts, framed on kitchen walls, and posted beneath Instagram photos. But access to Scripture is not the same as understanding it. While we can access the bible app at all times, there doesn’t seem to be as much understanding about how to approach God’s word when we read it. With that, so many are being deceived into teachings by simply using their “feelings” alone to interpret the word.

Let’s go back to where the deception began. The serpent’s first recorded words in Genesis 3 were not a denial of God’s voice. He did not say, “God did not speak.” He asked a question: “Has God indeed said…” (Genesis 3:1). That question was subtle. It acknowledged God had spoken, but it twisted the framing. The serpent pulled part of God’s command out of context and inserted doubt into what had been clearly spoken.

That strategy has not changed.

Deception rarely begins with blatant contradiction. In fact, Satan will often use scripture as an inroute his plot. He begins with a partial truth, selectively quoted and reinterpreted. It affirms that God spoke, but then quietly adds, subtracts, or reframes what He meant. That is why the Church does not simply need more “feel good” preaching. The Church needs teachers!

The Office of the Teacher in an Age of Deception

In Ephesians 4:11–12, Paul writes:

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

The teacher is not merely someone who explains Scripture well. The teacher equips believers to rightly divide the Word for themselves. This is what sets all 5-fold ministers apart in their assignment. They equip others to do what they do.

Paul instructs Timothy:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

The phrase rightly dividing implies precision, carefulness, and context. It assumes that Scripture can be mishandled and that, without diligence, the Word can be distorted.

The book of James warns that teachers are held to a stricter judgment (James 3:1). Why? Because mishandling the Word does not merely misinform people. It misforms them.

With that being said, a healthy church is not one where only the leader can quote and understand Scripture. A healthy church is one where the people are grounded, discerning, and anchored in truth.

Information Is Not Enough

We have more biblical information at our fingertips than any generation in history. But information alone does not produce maturity.

Paul tells Timothy:

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Scripture is God-breathed. It is not merely inspirational. It is authoritative. Yet studies consistently show that only a minority of professing Christians believe the Bible is the literal, infallible Word of God. Because of this we have produced a far weaker body…because when belief in the authority of Scripture weakens, discipleship weakens with it.

The issue here is not access; the issue is discernment.

From Information to Manifestation: A Biblical Framework

When we approach Scripture, we must move through a process that forms us, not just informs us.

1. Information

This is where truth is presented. Scripture is read. The text is encountered. We cannot grow without exposure to the Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

But exposure is only the beginning.

2. Comprehension

This may be one of the most important parts of the learning process. Without this we may confuse “personal aha moments” for revealed truth. To comprehend the word you have to approach it correctly. That requires exegesis of the text rather than eisegesis.

Exegesis draws meaning out of the text according to authorial intent, historical setting, literary genre, and covenant context. Eisegesis reads our own assumptions and world views into the text.

To comprehend Scripture, we must ask:

• Who was the audience?

• What was happening historically?

• What covenant framework is in view?

• How does this passage align with the rest of Scripture?

Scripture interprets Scripture. The Bible does not contradict itself. From Genesis to Revelation, it tells one unified story centered on Christ. I could go through the countless reasons why the Bible is the most accurate ancient religious text that exists, but I may have to save that for a future blog. Now our translations get some things wrong, and so does our interpretation, but when you get down to the original language in context, you find that what we label contradictions are simply a misunderstanding of the text.

3. Revelation

Revelation is not new doctrine. It is illumination by the Holy Spirit of what has already been comprehended.

Jesus promised:

“When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

Revelation moves the Word from the intellect to the heart. The heart is the second compartment of the mind; the subconscious. It is when the text becomes alive. It is when truth burns within us.

4. Impartation

At this stage, the Word begins shaping identity. This is where daily conviction grows and holiness is pursued. The law is no longer external instruction only; it is written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33).

At this phase, the Word begins to govern how we think, how we speak, how we live.

5. Activation

James writes, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

Truth must be lived. Knowledge without obedience produces pride, not transformation. At this phase, we begin to put to practice what we have learned. This is why church gatherings are so important, because we get to see real examples of Christ-like living, the gifts of the Spirit are activated within us, and the fruit of the Spirit emerges through deep fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

6. Manifestation

Finally, fruit appears. Jesus said, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16).

The Word that has been rightly understood, illuminated, imparted, and obeyed produces visible transformation. It equips believers to resist deception and stand firm.

Jesus Is the Word

I want to end on this… something foundational. Jesus did not emerge from Scripture. Scripture emerged because of Him.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Jesus existed before the ink, before the parchment, before the scrolls. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The law reveals our need for Him. The prophets announce Him. The Gospels reveal Him. The epistles explain Him. Revelation glorifies Him.

While others like to use this truth to reframe scripture as being at odds with Christ, the truth is that Scripture does not compete with Christ. It confirms Him.

That is why undermining Scripture ultimately undermines Christ. When we detach our “experience of Jesus” from the written Word, we open the door to constructing a Jesus of our own imagination.

Remember, the Jesus revealed in Scripture is not a cultural mascot. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Road to Emmaus: When the Word Opens Our Eyes

After the resurrection, two disciples were walking on the road to Emmaus. This is one of my favorite stories from the bible. Here, Jesus Himself drew near, but they did not recognize Him (Luke 24:13–16). As they walked, He began “beginning at Moses and all the Prophets… to expound to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

The greatest Teacher was walking beside them, unfolding the Word.

Later, they invited Him to stay and eat. Luke records:

“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him” (Luke 24:30–31).

Notice the sequence.

First, the Scriptures were opened.
Then, the bread was broken.
Then, their eyes were opened.

Afterward, they said, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).

This is the model.

The Teacher opens the Scriptures.
The Word burns within.
At the table, in communion with God and fellow believers, our eyes are opened to see Him.

We do not gather around ideas. We gather around a Person. When we break bread, we remember that the Word became flesh and that flesh was broken for us. This is so powerful to me! How can we understand the word apart from knowing Him? And how can we ever think we can unravel the scripture from the person of Jesus…THE WORD!

In an age of deception, the answer is not louder opinions. It is a return to rightly dividing the Word. It is a return to teachers who honor context, pursue truth, and exalt Christ. It is a Church whose hearts burn when Scripture is opened and whose eyes are opened when the bread is broken.