Beware of Itching Ears!

Every doctor will tell you not to scratch inside your ears.  They know it is dangerous and you know it is dangerous.  Yet we all scratch our ears when they itch.  And they do itch!

However, when the apostle Paul wrote about itchy ears he had something else in mind.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Paul is actually warning Timothy and his readers that people will turn to false teaching because they want something that tickles their ears.  The craving starts as a little tickle….some small idea that sounds good or appeals to the intellect at the moment. We start to scratch the ear and it feels good.  These ideas sound rather appealing.  Many people will be lead to believe these lies or half truths because they seem to really make sense.

People are mislead into believing the crafty words of those who appeal to man’s desires because most of us want to be able to take destiny into our own hands.  Remember what Satan told Eve? “Did God really tell you not to eat of that tree?  He doesn’t want you to be as wise as He is!!!”  (my paraphrase)

We too want to be wise and so we are easily led in the wrong direction.  God’s words often appear unrelated to the real world. We are told that science holds the key to man’s understanding of the world……not some antiquated book called the Bible.  Science therefore can solve the dilemmas that face us.  We can take control of the world and ourselves only through science.  Really??

In appealing to “itchy ears” the “smart ones” know how to intimidate and ridicule those who disagree with their theories.  They couch these theories in scientific jargon which seem impressive.

Another way of deluding those with itchy ears is to make the simple appear complex. The goal is to divert the reader or listener from a clear understanding of the issue.   “In the beginning God created………..”  That simple statement of fact now becomes complex and most scientists can quote their theories of just why it didn’t happen. Accordingly they lead us to believe that it took millions of years to come up with you and me.

Intimidation is another technique used to muddy the waters of reason.  Namedroppers, book-quoters, jargon users, and prestige talkers all use this method.  After all, nothing is really that simple and we scientists know how the world and its inhabitants came into being. In other words, non-scientists must rely on the trained scientists to clarify all things scientific.   After all, the Bible isn’t a science book is it?  Yes, it was written by humans in a particular time frame, however, the validity of the words is true.

I am led to the belief that God’s word is valid in all manner of faith and godliness.  I have come to realize that unless we hold to the truth of scripture in all points, everything we believe will also come into question.

I am certainly not against science.  Our lives have improved and benefitted from science.  Antibiotics and life saving devices have all extended lives. Well crafted science does not go against scripture.  It enhances it!

When someone tries to tickle your ears with ideas contrary to scripture then beware. Our faith is under attack on all fronts.

Hold fast and don’t be deceived.