Deceptive words was not a phenomena exclusive to the first century Christians. Both the Lord and his apostles warned about this constant danger. For example, Peter wrote concerning false teachers among Christians, saying, "By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words..." (2 Peter 2:3). This phenomena is very much alive and prospering in our day, and as Peter warned, "And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed" (2 Peter 2:2). How sad it is to see or hear about pious people being duped by words artfully and skillfully designed to bring them into the persuasion of the speaker.

One's compassion naturally goes out to those (as reported in the Saturday, March 4, 2000 issue of Clarksburg Exponent TELEGRAM) who were victimized by the Y2K scam that played on their religion by the Greater Ministries International, of Tampa, FL. The article reads in part, "They targeted church people...they would come right into the church before the congregation...and use the scriptures to justify themselves. They really worked the churches...Using the motto, 'Give and it shall be given to you.'" Time and again, not just on this occasion, this motto has been taken out of context (unknowingly to the poor Bible student) and used to persuade pious people to invest their money in a supposedly good cause. It is so sad to see good people taken by the these "slick-tongued," self-serving "hucksters" and motivated to "liquidate their assets, take out a mortgage on their houses and cash in their life savings to invest in gold and silver mines and other precious metals" (as reported in the above article).

Robbing people of their assets in the name of religion is terrible indeed. But robbing people of eternal life in the name of religion by twisting the Word of God is far, far worse! Deceptive words in the name of religion is the most dangerous matter to be faced by humankind! Countless millions of people are doomed to eternal destruction because of deceptive words that change and/or nullify the divine Word of God.