Some Will Fall Away

March 6th, 2026
by Lance Waldie

1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith.

Notably, the Spirit of God (i.e., Scripture) says that in “later times” some who will “fall away” from the faith. The Greek for “fall away” (Gr. aphistēmi) is literally “from standing.” Now neither the Apostle Paul nor any other writer of Scripture ever promotes the false notion that a Christian can lose his or her salvation (cf. Rom. 8:31-39; Eph. 1:13-14). What all writers of Scripture who addressed this issue did know, however, is that professed Christians can indeed turn away from their faith (cf. 1 John 2:19; Heb. 6:6-8; 10:26-31).

The “Spirit says” in 1 Timothy 4:1 is another way of saying, “the Scripture says” (cf. 5:18). In reality Paul is saying, “Jesus says,” for Jesus Himself had previously warned about those falling away from the faith to follow false teachers (Matt. 24:10; Mark 13:22). Moreover, in the Book of Revelation it is Jesus who is talking in chapters 2-3, yet the text reads “the Spirit says” (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). Certainly the Spirit and the Son are distinct in their roles, but they comprise the same God, along with God the Father. Since they share the same nature and mind, it is clear that “the Spirit of Christ” (Rom. 8:9) is the Holy Spirit, and He indeed speaks.

Of course it was nothing new that previously faithful men had actually abandoned their faith. The once-faithful King Solomon turned from the Lord (1 Kings 11:9), as did King Amaziah of Judah (2 Chron. 25:2), for both men at one time worshiped God but later succumbed to idolatry (cf. 25:14). Perhaps the best example of an apostate in the NT is Judas Iscariot who followed Christ, witnessing His divinity, yet he betrayed Him. At the time of his writing, Paul had Hymenaeus and Alexander in mind who had recently shipwrecked their faith (1:18-20).

Clearly some who profess Christ one day will reject Him in the future. This is why Paul introduces this section, for he knew that the ascetics (v. 3) would be an avenue through which some in Ephesus would fall away. Concerning this, Jesus said, “I am the good Shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me… My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one” (John 10:4-5, 14, 27-30, NLT).

Only those whom the Father draws to Christ will be saved, and these Christ promised to raise on the last day (John 6:44). Thus Paul previously wrote to the Ephesians: “In [Christ], you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:13-14). Note: “sealed” with a “pledge” from God for a guaranteed future redemption.

Food For Thought
From the very beginning, Satan has sought to convolute God’s word and pollute His perfect creation, luring those God created in His image away from the truth in order to follow lies. One of Satan’s strategies to lure church-going people away from the truth is to do it a little at a time, so gradually that the one lured rarely sees his regress until it’s too late. Of course it is rarely, if ever, popular to speak out against false teachings and false teachers, even for preachers. In the name of toleration and worldly love, even most church goers will not endure a preacher railing against that which is false. Yet failure to do so by all who call Christ their Lord is the real sin. After all, tolerating evil in Christ’s church is like letting a sexual predator babysit your children. It is inherently dangerous, and it will absolutely end in destruction and heartbreak.