This passage brings to mind a couple we know. The husband was raised in a godly, Christ honoring home. But for some reason, when he reached 40, he, and his entire family, departed from the faith and chose to embrace a heretical church. We can’t talk to them about this as he has an answer for everything, and insists that we can’t interpret the Bible for ourselves; someone must do it for us; and we are to keep all kinds of feast days, subscribe to ritualized prayer, and believe in the fallible teachings of men and tradition. And so we have chosen to, as the passage says, avoid them. There is no use debating with them when at this point they do not have eyes to see the truth. We can only pray for them. The very sad thing is that this couple has also chosen to lead their three sons into darkness with them. They have “deceived the simple” and are certainly not serving our Lord. Do you know people like this? If you do, pray for them earnestly, but don’t become caught up in their theological errors or debate them on it. We need to avoid every appearance of evil.

“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”