144    The Bible and the Future of the World 

immorality because they believe in teachings which are contrary to the 

Christian faith. 

Thyatira (Rev 2:18 29) 

      `  I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient 

endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against 

you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and 

is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food 

sacrificed to idols.  '   (Rev 2:19 20). 

    This part of the Church has love, faith, and good works, but it also has 

serious sin among some of its members. God  rebukes these Christians 

because they tolerate women who are like Jezebel. In the Old Testament, 

Jezebel sinned by usurping the authority of the king (1 Kings 21). She calls 

herself a prophetess, meaning that she makes herself as a leader among 

Christians. She puts herself in the position of teaching and directing others, 

which she should not do, and moreover her teaching is false. Like Jezebel, 

she usurps an authority not given to her, then uses that authority to do evil 

and encourage others in evil. 

    Here God is correcting not only those who have gone astray by following 

her false teaching, but also those who tolerate her and her false teachings. 

They should have stood up against her and in favor of the true teaching of 

the Church on faith and morals. To stand by and do nothing can be a sin of 

omission. 

    There are Christians in the Church, even today, who do not believe what 

the Church teaches, who teach what is contrary to the Church's teaching. 

These false teachers often obtain, in one way or another, positions of 

leadership, teaching, and authority in the Church. They make friendships or 

alliances with others, so that they have the support they need within the 

Christian community in order to obtain and keep power. 

    Why don't Christians reject such false teachers? Why do Christians 

tolerate and even support them? People often decide to give their support 

and allegiance to those persons whom they like, who say the things which 

please them, and who treat them well, regardless of whether that person is 

following Christ or not. A faithful Christian should oppose those leaders 

who teach what is contrary to the Church's teaching and should support 

those leaders who teach what the Church teaches no matter whom they 

like or dislike. 

    Never let friendship get in the way of doing what is right. God is Truth. 

Those who serve God faithfully will choose hard truths over pleasant 

falsehoods.