Sidlow Baxter writes, commenting on Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse, which was suffering from ingestion of heretical teaching that devalued Christ,

“Let no one think that this ‘disease’ which was symptomatic at long-ago Colosse has no meaning for our own days, that there is no fear of our being ‘haunted by the ghosts of dead heresies.’ In every generation one or another reappears in fresh garb and with new deceptiveness.”

Writing in response to Paul’s justification in verse 4 of “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments,” J.I. Packer wrote,

“Sad experience shows that bad theology infects the heart with misbelief and unbelief, the spiritual equivalents of multiple sclerosis!

Many who ran well have been progressively paralyzed through ingesting bad theology, and the danger remains.”

Amidst a seemingly ever-increasing scene of “fallen runners of the faith,” our efforts center on anchoring church leaders in sound doctrine, in order that they may run with excellence, and to completion, the race set out before them.