In Matthew 5–7 and Luke 6, we find Jesus teaching the crowds in what we call the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain. Though the locations differ, the core teachings are the same. These messages are about the Kingdom of God: how its citizens are to live, speak, and treat one another.
In Matthew 7:1–5, Jesus says:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Luke 6:37–42 echoes this:
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven… And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?… Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
Notice something critical: Jesus never says, “Do not correct your brother.” He says, don’t do it while you yourself are walking in sin. It’s not judgment that is condemned, it’s hypocritical judgment.
The Greek Word for “Judge”
The Greek word used here is κρίνω (krinō), which can mean to judge, to separate, to distinguish, or to pronounce judgment. It does not inherently mean to abstain from all moral discernment. It speaks of making decisions or distinctions. The context shows Jesus is talking about a condemning, self-righteous kind of judgment, not righteous correction or discernment.
Jesus Commands Us to Judge Righteously
In John 7:24, Jesus says,
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
That’s a command, not a suggestion. And Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 5:12, when he says:
“For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?”
He’s referring to church discipline. We are commanded to judge within the church (to hold one another accountable in love and truth). Even in Galatians 6:1, Paul says:
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”
That restoration involves judgment (a recognition of sin), but it must be done in gentleness and humility.
Hypocrisy Is the Real Issue
Jesus’ main rebuke is against hypocrisy: pretending to be holy while walking in unrepentant sin. This is exactly what the Pharisees did, and Jesus never once hesitated to rebuke them publicly. In Romans 2:1, Paul drives the same point home:
“Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”
That’s not a blanket ban on judgment; it’s a warning to check your own heart first.
We Are Called to Be Discerning
Discernment is not optional in the Christian life. In 1 John 4:1, the Word says:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
We’re told to “test all things” in 1 Thessalonians 5:21–22 and to cling to what is good and abstain from every form of evil. That requires judgment: righteous judgment.
Even in the same sermon, in Matthew 7:15–20, Jesus warns us to beware of false prophets, saying, “You will know them by their fruits.” That knowing (the recognizing of falsehood and bad fruit) requires judgment.
My Final Thoughts
Jesus never said, “Do not judge.” He said don’t judge hypocritically, harshly, or self-righteously. He told us to judge with mercy, humility, and the awareness that we too are sinners saved by grace. Before we speak correction, we must first examine our own hearts and walk in repentance. But we must speak, because silence in the face of sin is not love; it is neglect.
God’s people are called to be holy, discerning, and courageous. Righteous judgment is part of walking in the light.
There is a place in Scripture shrouded in darkness and dread: a place called the bottomless pit, or the abyss. When opened, it does not release gas or ash. It releases judgment. demons/”>Demonic beings, restrained by God until their appointed hour, are loosed upon the earth. Chief among them are creatures the Bible describes as “locusts”—but not the insects we know. These are unlike anything that walks the earth or flies through the sky. They are agents of torment, not harvest.
What Is the Bottomless Pit?
The Greek word used for bottomless pit is ἄβυσσος (abussos), translated as “abyss” or “bottomless pit.” It appears in Revelation 9:1, Luke 8:31, Revelation 11:7, 17:8, and 20:1-3. It refers to a deep, immeasurable place, beneath the earth or beneath Sheol itself, where certain demonic beings are imprisoned.
In Luke 8:31, when Jesus casts out the legion of demons,
“they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.”
These spirits fear that place. It is a holding cell of restraint and judgment.
The Fifth Trumpet Judgment: The Pit Is Opened
The most vivid description comes in Revelation 9:1–11, during the sounding of the fifth trumpet judgment:
“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace.” (Revelation 9:1–2)
This “star” is not a literal star; it is a person, an angelic being, based on the context. The key is given to him, showing God has power over the abyss. The abyss is not opened by accident or by man, but at the divine command.
Once opened, smoke pours out like a furnace, signifying intense heat, darkness, and spiritual oppression.
The Locusts from the Pit
Then the text says:
“Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth…” (Revelation 9:3)
These are not insects. They are called “locusts” only in function (they swarm and destroy), but the description makes it absolutely clear they are demonic entities.
Here’s what Scripture tells us:
“To them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” (They sting, but with torment, not death.)
“They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree…” (Real locusts consume vegetation. These attack men.)
“But only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” (They are selective, restrained by divine order. They cannot touch God’s people.)
“And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months…” (This is prolonged torment. The number aligns with a typical locust season, but the meaning is deeper: this is ordained, timed judgment.)
“Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.” (The pain is severe and burning.)
“In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.” (Despair reaches its peak. Suicide is desired, but not permitted.)
What Do They Look Like?
The physical description confirms their supernatural nature:
“The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails.” (Revelation 9:7–10)
This is not metaphor. John is describing what he saw. These are hybrid, terrifying creatures:
“Like horses prepared for battle”: strength, discipline, and violence.
Crowns of gold: symbol of authority or power.
Faces like men: intellect, personality.
Hair like women: possibly symbolizing seduction or deception.
Teeth like lions: ferocity and destruction.
Breastplates of iron: invulnerability.
Sound of chariots: overwhelming noise, warfare.
Scorpion tails: direct instruments of torment.
Who Leads Them?
“And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.” (Revelation 9:11)
Both names—Abaddon in Hebrew and Apollyon in Greek—mean Destroyer (Revelation 9:11). This is a specific being, referred to as “the angel of the bottomless pit.” He is either the one who leads the demonic locusts or possibly the ruling prince over the abyss itself. While some have speculated this could be Satan, that is unlikely. Satan is not yet bound during this time; his imprisonment does not occur until Revelation 20:1-3, at the beginning of the Millennium. Therefore, this is likely a separate being, possibly the same destroying angel mentioned during the Passover in Exodus 12:23, or the one who struck down the Assyrians in 2 Kings 19:35 and Psalm 78:49, which describes the use of “a band of destroying angels.
When Does This Happen?
This occurs during the Great Tribulation, after the first four trumpet judgments, and before the sixth trumpet which unleashes further demonic horsemen (Revelation 9:13–21). The earth at this point has already suffered ecological devastation, and now the spiritual realm unleashes direct torment upon humanity.
Demons once bound are now released.
God’s protection is removed from the unbelieving.
Pain is extended without death.
The visible and invisible realms collide.
These events reveal the true nature of sin’s consequence: torment without relief, and judgment that cannot be escaped. Hell does not begin in the lake of fire; it begins when God gives man over to demons.
My Final Thoughts
The abyss is real. The creatures within it are real. And they are coming, restrained now by the will of God, but one day they will be released to torment a world that rejected Christ. This passage is a warning, not a fantasy. It is not symbolic for political upheaval or figurative social distress. It is the literal unleashing of demonic judgment on unrepentant humanity. The Bible tells the truth, even when the truth is terrifying.
Be sure your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Be sealed with the Holy Spirit. Because when the abyss opens, the time of grace will have passed and those on the earth will be under judgement.
Education is not neutral. Every form of instruction is shaped by a worldview, either anchored in truth or drifting in deception. Christian parents today are waking up to a sobering reality: the modern public school system, far from being a place of moral neutrality, has become a battleground of ideologies. Many are turning to homeschooling, not out of fear, but out of obedience (obedience to a calling that begins not in a classroom, but in the covenant of family).
The Biblical Mandate to Train Our Children
The Word of God places the responsibility for training children squarely on the shoulders of parents, primarily fathers. In Deuteronomy 6:6–7, the Lord commands,
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
The Hebrew word for “teach diligently” is שָׁנַן (shanan), meaning to sharpen. The instruction is to repeatedly impress truth into the hearts of our children. This cannot be outsourced. It is the daily, intentional duty of the father and mother. Proverbs 22:6 instructs,
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Again, the Hebrew חָנַךְ (chanak), “train,” is a deliberate initiation into a way of life. Training is not mere exposure; it is discipleship. Paul reaffirms this in Ephesians 6:4,
“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”
The Greek παιδεία (paideia), training, means the entire education and cultivation of mind and morals. Νουθεσία (nouthesia), admonition, means instruction that corrects and warns. This is a comprehensive mandate.
Scripture never authorizes us to turn our children over to godless systems to be shaped by their worldview. God gives children to parents, not to the state.
A Brief History of Schooling
Education has not always looked like it does today. For centuries, learning was conducted at home or within the Church. The earliest schools in the Western world were monastic or church-based institutions, focused on Scripture, classical literature, and moral instruction.
In the United States, early education was dominantly Christian. The New England Primer, the first reading textbook, was full of biblical catechism. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and other Ivy League schools were all founded to train ministers of the gospel.
Harvard’s 1646 rules stated: “Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the main end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ…”
But by the late 1800s, a shift began. The Prussian model of education, which emphasized nationalism and state control, was imported into America. Horace Mann, known as the father of public education, pushed for a system that would remove sectarian (read: Christian) influence and shape civic-minded citizens through state-sponsored schools.
John Dewey, one of the architects of modern secular education, was a self-proclaimed atheist and a signer of the Humanist Manifesto. He did not hide his goals: to mold children through education into secular, progressive thinkers. Since then, the public school system has increasingly become a vehicle not for knowledge, but for worldview formation.
Indoctrination over Education
The modern classroom is no longer neutral. From the earliest grades, children are taught concepts of gender fluidity, moral relativism, critical race theory, socialism, and evolution (all antithetical to Scripture). Schools no longer teach children what to think, but how to believe.
Colossians 2:8 warns us plainly,
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
The word “cheat” here is συλαγωγέω (sulamagog/”>gogeo), to carry away as plunder. That is what secular education does. It plunders the minds and hearts of children.
The Role of the Parent vs. the State
Romans 13 teaches that government is ordained by God, but its role is limited to bearing the sword and executing justice. Nowhere is the state granted spiritual or moral authority over our children. Education is discipleship, and discipleship belongs to the family and the Church.
To relinquish our children to a system hostile to our faith is not only unwise; it is disobedient. We’re told in Psalm 127:3,
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”
These are not burdens to be managed; they are arrows to be aimed (Psalm 127:4). And no wise archer leaves his arrows in the hands of his enemy.
Are Schools Inherently Evil?
No. Education itself is a gift. Teaching, learning, the pursuit of knowledge: all are commendable. Paul himself was taught by Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), and Moses was trained in all the wisdom of Egypt (Acts 7:22). But both men were used by God only after they were reshaped by His hand.
There is a place for Christian schools (those who faithfully teach Scripture and operate under the authority of God). But even then, parents must remain vigilant. No institution should replace the father’s God-given role as shepherd of his home.
A Warning to Parents
Mark 9:42 contains one of the sternest warnings in all of Scripture:
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.”
If we place our children into systems that erode their faith, confuse their identity, and mock their Savior, we are complicit in that stumbling. Education is not just preparation for a career; it is the formation of a soul. Eternity is on the line.
My Final Thoughts
Homeschooling is not a retreat; it is a return. A return to biblical discipleship, to family-centered instruction, to the high calling of shaping the next generation in the fear of the Lord. It is not always easy, nor is it the only righteous option. But in an age where truth is trampled in the streets and classrooms are filled with confusion, it is often the safest, wisest, and most obedient choice.
If you cannot homeschool, then guard your child’s heart like never before. Vet every teacher. Know every textbook. Challenge every lie. And disciple them with urgency, because the battle for their soul does not wait for graduation.
Bathsheba is often remembered for scandal, but Scripture gives us a broader and richer portrait of her life. She was a daughter, a wife, a mother, and eventually the queen mother of Solomon. Her name appears in critical moments in the lineage of Christ, and though her life was marked by tragedy, it was ultimately redeemed by God.
Her Lineage and Identity
The first time Bathsheba is introduced is in 2 Samuel 11:3, where she is described as “Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Her name, בַּת־שֶׁבַע (Bath-Sheva), means “daughter of an oath” or “daughter of seven”—both carry covenantal overtones. Her father, Eliam, is listed in 2 Samuel 23:34 as one of David’s mighty men, the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, who was David’s counselor (2 Samuel 15:12). This would make Ahithophel Bathsheba’s grandfather.
This means Bathsheba was born into a prominent and noble family, surrounded by warriors and counselors of the king. She was not a common woman; she was already part of David’s inner circles.
The Sin with David
In 2 Samuel 11, we read the account of David’s sin. David sees her bathing and inquires after her. Despite knowing she is married, he sends for her and lies with her. The text says,
“she was cleansed from her impurity” (2 Samuel 11:4),
which is a reference to ritual cleansing after menstruation (cf. Leviticus 15:19-24). This is an important detail; it emphasizes that her conception was clearly due to David’s act, not from Uriah.
There is no indication in the text that Bathsheba had any power or choice in this. David was king. His authority was absolute. The Bible does not assign her guilt. The focus of divine judgment falls solely on David (2 Samuel 12:9–10). This is echoed when Nathan the prophet confronts David and says,
“You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife” (2 Samuel 12:9).
The blame and guilt are David’s alone.
The Loss of Their First Child
The child born from that union becomes sick and dies as part of God’s judgment (2 Samuel 12:15–23). David fasts and pleads with the Lord for the child, but when the child dies, he accepts God’s will. Bathsheba is not mentioned by name during the child’s sickness, but afterward,
“David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon” (2 Samuel 12:24).
This next verse is powerful: “Now the Lord loved him” (2 Samuel 12:24). Despite the sin, the consequences, and the sorrow, God chose to show mercy and favor. Solomon, born of Bathsheba, becomes the next king.
Bathsheba as Queen Mother
In 1 Kings 1, as David nears death, Bathsheba plays a key political role. She reminds David of his oath to make Solomon king (1 Kings 1:17). With the help of Nathan the prophet, she ensures Solomon’s ascension over Adonijah. This reveals her wisdom, courage, and discernment.
In 1 Kings 2:13–25, Adonijah tries to manipulate her to request Abishag the Shunammite as his wife (an implicit move for power). Bathsheba speaks to Solomon on Adonijah’s behalf, showing her continued influence in the royal court, but Solomon discerns the true intention and has Adonijah executed.
The most honored moment is 1 Kings 2:19, where Solomon
“rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand.”
This is a striking honor. Bathsheba is treated with royal dignity, not merely as David’s former wife, but as the queen mother.
The Lineage of the Messiah
In Matthew 1:6, Bathsheba is mentioned indirectly in the genealogy of Jesus:
“David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.”
This phrasing preserves the memory of Uriah and shows that Bathsheba is part of God’s redemptive plan. From her womb came the line that led to the Messiah.
My Final Thoughts
Bathsheba’s life was not just about failure; it is about redemption and the providence of God. She was born into a noble house, taken into tragedy, and raised into honor. She was not the seductress many assume, but a woman caught in a storm of power. She endured the death of a child, the weight of scandal, and the complexities of royal life. Yet in the end, she was the mother of Solomon, the matriarch of the Messianic line, and a woman honored by kings.
God does not erase the past, but He can redeem it for His glory. Bathsheba’s life reminds us that grace can rewrite anyone’s past. Amen.
The greatest threat to the Church has never come from the outside. Persecution may bruise the body, but it does not corrupt the soul. Heresy, however, begins in the pews and often climbs into the pulpit. It masquerades in robes of light, speaks in tones of piety, and builds altars to self beneath the banner of Christ. Scripture warns us (repeatedly and clearly) that the most dangerous deceptions do not walk through the doors; they are already sitting among us.
Jesus Warns of Wolves Among the Flock
Our Lord issued one of the first and most vivid warnings in Matthew 7:15, saying,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
The Greek word for “beware” is προσέχετε (prosechete), a present imperative command meaning to continually be on guard, not just occasionally. False teachers do not announce themselves. They blend in. They bear the appearance of gentleness, the vocabulary of orthodoxy, and the posture of humility, but their hearts are filled with destruction.
This word “ravenous” is ἅρπαγες (harpages): which carries the sense of being greedy, grasping, violently seizing. These individuals are not merely mistaken; they are predators. They enter congregations to take, not to give.
False Teachers Rise from Within
In Acts 20:29-30, Paul warns the elders at Ephesus, saying,
“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”
Notice Paul’s emphasis: “from among yourselves.” The threat is not external infiltration, but internal uprising.
The Greek phrase “from among yourselves” is ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν (ex hymōn autōn), clearly indicating these deceivers will be counted among the believers at first. They have positions of trust, perhaps even authority, but their goal is to draw away, the Greek ἀποσπᾶν (apospan), meaning to tear away or separate. Their mission is division. Their method is seduction.
Their Motivation and Method
Peter takes this even further in 2 Peter 2:1-3. He writes,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies…”
The phrase “secretly bring in” is παρεισάξουσιν (pareisaxousin), meaning to smuggle in, to bring in alongside truth, to cleverly introduce. They do not start with blatant heresy. They ease it in beside sound doctrine, camouflaged, until the lie is indistinguishable to the undiscerning.
Their ultimate aim? Peter tells us: “By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words…” πλαστοῖς λόγοις (plastois logois): literally, fabricated words. These are not just wrong ideas; they are carefully crafted lies designed to manipulate.
Named False Teachers in the New Testament
Paul and others were unafraid to name names when it came to preserving doctrinal purity:
Hymenaeus and Alexander are mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:19-20:
“…of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”
In 2 Timothy 2:17-18, Paul says:
“And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth…”
Diotrephes in 3 John 9 is rebuked for loving “to have the preeminence” and refusing apostolic authority.
Each of these individuals started inside the Church, but turned aside to error. Their behavior, character, and doctrine were all rebuked publicly.
The Antichrist Spirit Already at Work
John provides theological clarity in 1 John 2:18-19, writing,
“They went out from us, but they were not of us…”
The fact they left proves they were never truly born again, though they had walked among the saints. This connects to 1 John 4:1, where we are told to “test the spirits” δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα (dokimazete ta pneumata), meaning to examine, prove, and evaluate teachings carefully.
This is the daily work of the discerning believer. Apostasy begins in whispers, and it ends in catastrophe.
My Final Thoughts
False teachers do not knock at the door; they are already in the house. They bear the titles of pastor, prophet, teacher, influencer. They speak with emotion, offer partial truth, and build up themselves. But when tested by the Word, their doctrine collapses. As believers, our greatest defense is not suspicion, it is saturation in the Scriptures. We must know the truth so well that every counterfeit is obvious. Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit, rightly divided.
Guard the flock. Watch the doctrine. Test the spirits. And never forget: wolves always look like sheep until they bite.