We’re living in weird times, right? Between a global pandemic, an intense U.S. election cycle in 2020, and the heightened mistrust many people have for culture and media, it seems like Christians have been either exposed to or caught up in conspiracy theories in an unprecedented way.
There’s a theme in 1 and 2 Timothy about overcoming deception and holding fast to truth. So, let’s look at a few principles from 1 Timothy 1 and 2 Timothy 2-4 to help us guard our hearts from conspiracy theories.
Why Conspiracy Theories Are Dangerous for Christians
1. Meaningless speculations instead of truth
In 1 Timothy 1, we learn that the apostle Paul left Timothy in Macedonia as a church leader so he could deal with false teachers who were leading believers astray. The principles Paul speaks to Timothy about false doctrine can apply to us today as we try to avoid falling into false belief systems, spiritual or otherwise.
Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.
(1 Timothy 1:4)
The take-away from these verses is clear: as a Christian, focus your conversations and studies on what will help yourself and others live a life of faith in God, not on meaningless myths and speculations. We’re called to be people of truth.
There’s another key point in 1 Timothy 1:5 where Paul’s states the purpose of his instruction in the gospel.
The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions (1 Timothy 1:5-6)
Ask yourself: Is this (research, belief, conversation etc.) producing in myself and others love, a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith? If the answer is no, maybe it’s time to rethink how much time and thought you’re giving to it.
2 Timothy 2:15-19 tells us that two believers, Hymenaeus and Philetus, fell into a false belief system. Because of it, they abandoned their own faith and led others away from the faith as well.
As a Christian, focus your conversations and studies on what will help yourself and others live a life of faith in God.Click To Tweet
You and I really have to be careful with what we believe, especially when it comes to matters of our faith. We’re all susceptible to deception without diligence and discernment, and deception can have serious effects in our natural lives and our spiritual lives.
2. Gossip and slander
Have you noticed that conspiracy theories have the same nature and impact as gossip and slander? Even if the conspiracy theories aren’t true, they will still likely tarnish the character of the person/organization in question in your mind or in others’ minds as we perpetuate them.
And, even more, we’d misrepresent their character and actions without giving that person the opportunity to respond or defend themselves (which is a violation of the conflict resolution and accountability principles we find in the Bible: Matthew 18:15-17 // Galatians 6:1-3)
If we spread these theories as if they’re definitive truth when they are not, then we’re guilty of the sin of gossip. If we’re wrong about the theories we speak so definitively, then we’re guilty of the sins of slandering someone’s character and of lying/bearing false testimony. (Ephesians 4:31-32 // Exodus 20:16) As Christians, we’re held accountable to God for our actions and the words we speak.
The Bible says these behaviors are unacceptable for Christians and hurtful to others. We’re called to love God and love our neighbors well, even as we seek truth. (Matthew 22:37-40 // Ephesians 4:14-15) We’re called to delight in honoring one another and to believe the best about people unless clearly given a reason to believe otherwise. (Romans 12:9-10)
3. False saviors and false kingdoms
From what I’ve read and observed, it seems like it’s common for conspiracy theories to put an exaggerated amount of hope in a particular person, system or event to be the savior or fix whatever the perceived evil or problem may be.
When I hear this, it reminds me of Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24 that in the last days false saviors and false christs would arise and people would be deceived by them. This is serious stuff.
The hope of the world and the Savior in every situation is always, only Jesus. Yes, He can work through people and systems, but we don’t trust in them instead of Him.
The hope of the world and the Savior in every situation is always, only Jesus. Yes, He can work through people and systems, but we don’t trust in them instead of Him.Click To Tweet
You might be asking, “as Christians, shouldn’t we care about evil and corruption in the world and seek to make things right? Yes, we should–if, and only if, its’ true and verified. If, at some point, an accusation turns out to be credibly proven true, then we can think about how to move forward.
We should not, however, create or spread false or unverifiable claims. And, we shouldn’t speak pridefully or prematurely.
Remember, God created the world to be good and uses many things in the world for good purposes. (1 Timothy 4:4-5) This includes entertainment, government, science, non-Christian people etc. (all of whom are common scapegoats of conspiracy theorists).
Yes, there will always be the potential for sin and corruption to occur within any person or sphere of society because we live on a fallen planet, but that doesn’t mean everything about the world or culture is inherently evil all the time or that we should be looking for sinful motives and practices behind every statement, person and system.
Christians are called to be discerning, not suspicious. We’re called to shine brightly for Christ and point others to Him in the dark places of this world, while at the same time enjoying and affirming the good things in the world God created. (Matthew 5:14-16 // 1 Peter 2:9-12)
How to Protect Yourself from Deception
Stay grounded in God’s Word. Study and meditate on God’s Word and learn to correctly explain it. (2 Timothy 2:15-19) His Word teaches us truth, right and wrong. (2 Timothy 3:15-17) Evaluate the opinions you hear and read against the Bible and see what God has to say on the topic before forming conclusions. (Acts 17:11)
Don’t live in an echo-chamber. Don’t automatically distrust the media, or the government, or famous people or scientists. Don’t automatically distrust people who have different political or theological leanings than you do, or whoever else it’s popular not to trust at the moment. 😉
Instead, build relationships with people who are different from you and have genuine, humble conversations with a heart to learn. And, consume news from a variety of sources, including the major ones, so you get a more balanced perspective.
The attitude of mistrust and isolation amongst people who only have one perspective or only think like you is what creates context for conspiracy theories to thrive. If you and I stay close to Jesus, His Word and His Church, we can guard against deception and grow strong in the truth.
Resources:
These are quick videos from Christian voices Trey Van Camp, Shawn Bolz, and Donald Miller that I found helpful. They share perspective on why Christians fall for conspiracy theories and how Jesus calls us to a better way.
Your Turn: Take some time with God this week and ask Him if He wants to challenge you in any of the areas mentioned in this discussion. Ask Him to help you cling to truth and lead others to do the same. Discuss this post in the comments below.
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Well said. Looking at the news (all forms) reminds of the Sci Fi books and movies I’ve read and seen. Only Jesus.