³For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, ⁴and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

False teachers will arise so we believers must guard what doctrine we embrace. Some dismiss “doctrine” as the dry proclamation of denominations to enforce conformity, but that is not Paul’s use of the word. Translated here as “doctrine” (NASB, NIV) other English translations render the Greek word with its usual sense of “teaching” (ESV, NLT, NET). Paul has the sense of that corpus of collected teaching which is accepted as “sound” or healthy. Like vitamins and a balanced diet are necessary for our bodies to function well, so also sound teaching is needed for our spiritual lives to be healthy and function well.

Junk-food theology proliferates wherever the truth is proclaimed, Paul warns, and unhealthy Christians can easily become addicted to teaching that gives them immediate satisfaction for their desires. Paul describes this as tickling their ears. Legalists will gravitate toward preachers of do’s and don’ts because this satisfies their self-loving desires. Hedonists will favor preachers with a feel-good message. Mosh-pit believers will look for preachers that bring them to an emotional, pseudo-spiritual high.

Teachers of the Word are on notice. People pleasers will never preach with power. They will not proclaim the Word in order to reprove, rebuke, and exhort. Those who preach must preach the Word! On the other hand, those who listen are on notice to carefully evaluate to whom and to what they expose themselves. In our day of internet and media ministry, widely divergent views of spirituality flourish, so Christians must be especially discerning.

One example of unhealthy teaching is the myth that one must learn to love oneself before one can love others. Such statements seem insightful and nuanced but contradict Jesus’ teaching about the two greatest commandments, to love God and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, and Paul’s warning about those who are “lovers of self.” To be sure, one must take care of his body and soul and avoid being imprisoned by a destructive “poor self-image.” But we are called to do this first through self-denial (Rom. 12:1–2) and sober, accurate thinking about ourselves (Rom. 12:3). But to encourage people to learn to love themselves is confusing and unhealthy at best, and wrong teaching at worst. We guard ourselves by our commitment to sound doctrine and words.

Lord, may Your Spirit expose any unhealthy teaching I may have adopted.