Two kinds of “falling away”

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

Application: The idea brought forth by the term “fall away” causes many a lot of problems in the Body of Christ these days. This should not be so. The key to understanding this term “fall away from the faith” is to read the context of the term and see how it is used in the passage you are reading and interpret that with the totality of other teaching or doctrine on this issue throughout scripture. A haphazard question would be,  “does God lose or deny one that “had” belonged to Him?” thus assuming that there was a loss of salvation. Yet when we read all the teaching on the gift of Salvation, it is clear that it is a wrong supposition, thus a wrong question. Those that come to true conversion are no longer their own, they are the possession of God, because they are “bought with a price” = the blood of Christ that was shed for the payment of our sins, “sealed until the day of redemption” sealed stronger than zip-lock bags! “adopted” = legally taken up as His own , “regenerated” = reformed or reborn, esp. in a spiritual or moral sense, taken up into a renewed existence., “ their names are written in the book of life BEFORE the foundation of the world”.  These actions just to name a very few, are irrevocable! So when we deal with this term “fall away from the faith” we must remember that believers can and do “fall away” ~ and we end up in the condition of a child of God, that wastes His investment: 

1 Cor 3:10–15  According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

When reading this passage though, we see the discription of a different kind of “falling away”. We see a person that “seemed” to be following the Truth, but evidently from their works, authentic conversion never took place, because when another gospel is told to them or comes their way, they follow it. What a tragedy! They were so close, but would not take the final step of complete surrender.

The word used here describes the situation well:

Fall Away ἀφίστημι aphístēmi; from apó - from, and hístēmi - to stand, to place: to put away, remove, to withdraw, remove oneself, forsake, desert, retire, cease from something.

In 1 Tim. 4:1, the word is translated “depart,” meaning they stood away from believing. This does not refer to those who had at one time been believers, but to those who refuse to believe, who stand aloof, alone (Heb. 3:12).

The word is also used in Luke 8:13 in connection with the interpretation of the seed that falls on stony ground. The seed finds a little soil on top of the stone, but it is not enough to take root and so the growth is only seasonal. When testing comes, there is no root to hold it down. The word aphístantai here does not indicate uprooting because there never was a root; the temporary plant stood by itself. The union with the soil was only an apparent union, never a true foundation with roots capable of holding up the plant.^[1]

Those who depart from the faith are not the heretical teachers of 1:3, but those whom they mislead (Vincent).

The word “depart” is aphistēmi (ἀφιστημι), “to stand off from, to fall away.”

Our word “apostatize” is the English spelling of a form of the Greek word. The definite article before the word “faith” marks it out as speaking, not of faith as an act, but of the Faith, that body of doctrine which forms the basis of what we as Christians believe.^[2]

It is so important to realize ~ in the end, it really does not matter how far or close you came, the point is you missed the truth! We are fallen beings, and if we miss it by a millimeter, we are still separated from our Creator. However, the sense of loss seems much greater when we see people that are inches away from entering a relationship that will secure their eternity with Jesus Christ only to then turn away to an eternity separated from Him and life. All the more reason we should pray for those we love and are hoping will listen to the Truth AND embrace it for them selves! Not being only a hearer, but a doer.

Meditation Questions: How secure do you feel in your relationship with Christ? Do you think you could break that relationship? How? What does that say? Is there a difference between “relationship? And “fellowship”? What is it? Can you lose something you never had? Can you look like someone that had something, but never did? Can you think of examples? If you are a parent, is there anything your child could do that would change their blood connection to you? Is there anything your child could do that would change their friendship with you? Is there a difference? What is it?  

---

^[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

^[2] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (1 Ti 4:1). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.