• Proverbs 23:23

  • A Chinese ophthalmologist tried to warn of the coronavirus but was silenced by the Chinese government.

  • It is physically dangerous to silence truth. How much more so in religious matters?

  • Micaiah – I Kings 22

    • Micaiah was pressured to speak favorable words to the king. He refused to say anything besides what God commanded him to.

  • The truth is true, no matter what.

    • Let’s list a few things that don’t change the truth…

      • Preference – Cain, Genesis 4:3-5

      • Emotion – Jacob, Genesis 37:34

      • Leadership – Aaron, Exodus 32:3-4

      • Criticism – Korah, Numbers 16:3

      • Persistence – Balak, Numbers 22-24

      • Majority – Elijah, I Kings 18:19

      • Tradition – False teachers, Colossians 2:16-17

      • Imagination – False teachers, Colossians 2:20-23

        • Paul may have been specifically teaching against ascetic Gnosticism here.

  • Next steps

    • Understand that people are motivated by bias, desire, fear, anger, etc.
      • Mark 15:10; Acts 17:5; John 12:42
    • We need to develop a love for truth.
      • Proverbs 23:23; John 17:17; 8:32
    • Keep teaching the truth courageously.
      • Acts 4:19-20; Romans 1; Genesis 1; I Corinthians 1

  • II Peter 3:3-7