In the context of the Bible, the term "fictions" often refers to falsehoods, myths, or fabricated accounts that stand in contrast to the truth of God's Word. The Bible warns against the dangers of embracing fictions, as they can lead individuals away from sound doctrine and the truth of the Gospel.

Biblical Warnings Against Fictions

The Apostle Paul, in his pastoral epistles, frequently cautions against the acceptance of fictions. In 1 Timothy 1:4, Paul advises Timothy to "devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching," and warns against "myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith" . Here, fictions are seen as distractions that lead believers away from the core message of faith and the stewardship of God's work.

Similarly, in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul predicts a time when people "will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" . This passage highlights the human tendency to prefer comforting or entertaining accounts over the sometimes challenging truths of Scripture.

Fictions in the Old Testament

The Old Testament also addresses the issue of fictions, particularly in the context of false prophets and idolatry. In Jeremiah 23:16, the Lord warns, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD" . Here, fictions are equated with false prophecies that lead people away from God's true message.

The Role of Truth in Combatting Fictions

The Bible emphasizes the importance of truth as a counter to fictions. Jesus Himself declared, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6), underscoring the centrality of truth in the Christian faith. Believers are encouraged to seek and uphold the truth, as seen in Ephesians 4:14-15, where Paul urges the church to "no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head" .

Fictions and the Christian Life

For Christians, the call to reject fictions is part of a broader commitment to live according to God's Word. In Philippians 4:8, Paul exhorts believers to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, encouraging a mindset that is grounded in truth rather than deception. This focus on truth is essential for spiritual growth and maturity, enabling believers to discern and reject fictions that may arise within or outside the church.

In summary, the Bible consistently warns against the dangers of fictions, urging believers to remain steadfast in the truth of God's Word and to reject falsehoods that can lead them astray. Through a commitment to truth, Christians are equipped to navigate the challenges of a world filled with competing narratives and to uphold the integrity of their faith.

The Manich??an Fictions About Things Good and Evil are not ...
... On the Morals of the Manich??ans. Chapter 9. "The Manich??an Fictions About
Things Good and Evil are Not Consistent with Themselves. 14. ...
/.../chapter 9 name manichaean fictions.htm

But all These Things, they Say, are the Fictions of Poets...
... 32 But all these things, they say, are the fictions of poets? But all these things,
they say, are the fictions of poets, and games arranged for pleasure. ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/32 but all these things.htm

That Plato, who Excluded Poets from a Well-Ordered City, was ...
... He could not brook that the gods be brought into disrepute, nor that the minds of
the citizens be depraved and besotted, by the fictions of the poets. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 14 that plato who excluded.htm

Argument: Moreover, These Fables, which at First were Invented by ...
... By Fictions of This Kind, and by Falsehoods of a Yet More Attractive Nature, the
Minds of Young People are Corrupted, and Thence They Miserably Grow Old in ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xxii argument moreover these fables.htm

Why is It, that Man Desires to be Made Sad...
... for the auditor is not called on to relieve, but only to grieve: and he applauds
the actor of these fictions the more, the more he grieves. ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter ii why is it.htm

But Woe is Thee, Thou Torrent of Human Custom! who Shall Stand ...
... And now which of our gowned masters lends a sober ear to one who from their own
school cries out, "These were Homer's fictions, transferring things human to ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter xvi but woe is.htm

He Disapproves of the Mode of Educating Youth, and He Points Out ...
... Yet which of our gowned masters can lend a temperate ear to a man of his school
who cries out and says: "These were Homer's fictions; he transfers things human ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter xvi he disapproves of the.htm

In Public Spectacles He is Moved by an Empty Compassion. He is ...
... The hearer is not expected to relieve, but merely invited to grieve; and the more
he grieves, the more he applauds the actor of these fictions. ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter ii in public spectacles he.htm

Now, that Miraculous Appearances have Sometimes Been Witnessed by ...
... by the Greeks, and especially by the philosophers among them, they are not to be
received with mockery and ridicule, nor to be regarded as fictions and fables ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lvii now that miraculous.htm

Of the Opinion of those who have Said that Rational Souls are of ...
... On which account, say they, it is not wonderful that they are delighted with the
obscenities of the theatre, and the fictions of the poets, since they are also ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 14 of the opinion of.htm

Fictions (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Fictions (2 Occurrences). Titus 1:14 Giving no attention
to the fictions of the Jews and the rules of men who have no true knowledge. ...
/f/fictions.htm - 6k

Fidelity (13 Occurrences)

/f/fidelity.htm - 10k

Fiction (2 Occurrences)

/f/fiction.htm - 7k

Relationships (1 Occurrence)
... The domestic relations based on legal convention are either legal fictions or the
results of agreement: among the former we must include those of foster-father ...
/r/relationships.htm - 38k

Rules (160 Occurrences)
... (WEB WEY BBE NAS RSV NIV). Titus 1:14 Giving no attention to the fictions of the
Jews and the rules of men who have no true knowledge. (BBE). ...
/r/rules.htm - 35k

Gospels
... the purport of these things that are advanced in them, deviating as far as possible
from sound orthodoxy, evidently prove they are the fictions of heretical men ...
/g/gospels.htm - 73k

Shouldest (79 Occurrences)
... (KJV JPS ASV DBY). Job 11:3 Should thy fictions make men hold their peace?
and shouldest thou mock, and no one make thee ashamed? (DBY). ...
/s/shouldest.htm - 30k

Family (438 Occurrences)
... The domestic relations based on legal convention are either legal fictions or the
results of agreement: among the former we must include those of foster-father ...
/f/family.htm - 87k

Apocryphal
... the purport of these things that are advanced in them, deviating as far as possible
from sound orthodoxy, evidently prove they are the fictions of heretical men ...
/a/apocryphal.htm - 101k

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