flattery

By Elizabeth Prata

Many people are curious about the coming antichrist. Predicting who he might be by name is not a great idea, but the fact that he will come, that he may be alive on earth right now, and the certainty that he’ll conquer most of the world when sin reigns, is an absorbing thought.

The Antichrist, one man, also called The Beast (Revelation 13:1), predicted to come and who will be not only energized by satan (as Hitler was) but actually indwelt by him, is sobering. (Daniel 11:32, ESV)

We think of war as with horses and guns and more lately, planes and bombs. But war is not only overt, but covert. There have been many wars in human history where blood was shed. But also many others where the war was with the mind and with words. There was the Cold War, for example, where spies and intrigue and undercover ops battled against forces of evil, and they against the forces of good.

The Antichrist will pursue war, and the Tribulation will be a time of war, but of both kinds. Yes, there will be bloodshed, but the other war will be covert. The Antichrist will seize kingdoms by intrigue and flatteries.

I want to focus on the flatteries today.

He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. (Daniel 11:32)

2 Thessalonians 2:9 said he will be full of “lying wonders“.

Romans 16:18 reminds us that the everyday false teachers “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve.”

Flatteries, when insincere, are a deadly weapon used by evil people to deceive and gain advantage over the naïve.

How does a person gain control by flatteries? How can even one person fall victim to conquering by this method, never mind the whole world? I am always interested in how words are used. We hear much today of ‘misinformation’. I studied the Cold War’s war of propaganda, and also the birth of advertising at the onset of the twentieth century. Flattery is another name for smooth speech, and it can draw the unwary in as much as belligerent speech pushes people away.

When Areopagus Newsletter came to my inbox a few weeks ago and I read about the origin of flattery, and its power, I immediately thought of the Antichrist and the Daniel verse that says he will conquer using this method. Here is The Cultural Tutor with an explanation of ‘flattery’.

Areopagus by the Cultural Tutor, issue XVI. Rhetoric=

The Ancient Greeks did an awful lot of thinking. Sometimes it seems like they thought of everything. Indeed, it is quite frustrating when you think you’ve managed to put a name to a new concept, only to discover that one or more Athenians already discovered and explained it far better than you ever could, two thousand before you were even born.

Kolakeia is one such concept. Its literal meaning is flattery, but in the context of rhetoric it refers to flattery with ulterior motives. The idea is that, by praising somebody, you can distract them from what you really want. We all like to hear good things said about us, but the trouble is that this can affect our clarity of thought.

If somebody begins by telling you how brilliant, helpful, or hard-working you are, then you’re probably more inclined to agree with what they say next. We tend to trust the people we like, and we are naturally drawn to like people who also like us. Kolakeia is, therefore, a smokescreen.

But the Ancient Greek and Roman rhetoricians did not approve of kolakeia. They saw it as a deceitful and improper form of speech because it persuades by manipulation rather than dealing with reason or rational arguments. It subverts the listener and allows the speaker to exploit them. This is most apparent in political speech, whereby populist politicians can endear themselves to the people by praising their virtues and, having done so, make an unjustified claim which the people are thus more likely to support.

Contrast that with somebody who does not use kolakeia and instead appeals to the rationality of a crowd. That is much harder to do, because you are inviting people to think critically and therefore exposing yourself to the possibility that they might simply disagree. It’s more honest and better (for all involved) in the long run, but much less common than we might wish.

So watch out for kolakeia. It’s been around for over two thousand years and it isn’t going away any time soon.

–end Areopagus Newsletter by The Cultural Tutor–

No, it’s not going away any time soon. In fact, manipulation by flattery will be brought to history’s highest point and most evil use when the Antichrist begins to use this covert method to gain power.

Paul reminded us in Romans in just every day daily life of the power of flattery to deceive. During the time predicted to come when all the world will hate Jesus and war against him, that there will be one leader taking over all the world (except the nation of Jordan and except the hearts of believers) who will do so by smooth speech, flatteries, and intrigue. It does a Christian well to always be on guard in discernment to effectively parse true words from false.

By Elizabeth Prata

In 1 Corinthians 15:33, we read Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Every translation of this verse begins with the warning not to be deceived.

In context, Paul had been “addressing problems regarding their worship practices (11:2–14:40), Paul continues by addressing reports about the Corinthians’ beliefs. In this chapter, he focuses on the issue of resurrection.” Source Faithlife Study Bible

Paul sends them a strong warning about their beliefs, which had been and could continue to be corrupted by smooth talkers. Barnes’ Notes explains so clearly:

Be not deceived – By your false teachers, and by their smooth and plausible arguments. This is an exhortation. He had thus far been engaged in an argument on the subject. He now entreats them to beware lest they be deceived – a danger to which they were very liable from their circumstances.

Evil communications – The word rendered “communications” means, properly, a being together; companionship; close contact; converse. It refers not to discourse only, but to contact, or companionship. Paul quotes these words from Menander, a Greek poet.

It is implied in this, that there were some persons who were endeavoring to corrupt their minds from the simplicity of the gospel. The sentiment of the passage is, that the contact of evil-minded men, or that the close friendship and conversation of those who hold erroneous opinions, or who are impure in their lives, tends to corrupt the morals, the heart, the sentiments of others.

It is always true that such contact has a pernicious effect on the mind and the heart. It is done:
(1) By their direct effort to corrupt the opinions, and to lead others into sin.
(2) by the secret, silent influence of their words, and conversation, and example.

We have less horror at vice by becoming familiar with it; we look with less alarm on error when we hear it often expressed; we become less watchful and cautious when we are constantly with the frivolous, the worldly, the unprincipled, and the vicious. Hence, Christ sought that there should be a pure society, and that his people should principally seek the friendship and conversation of each other.

It is in the way that Paul here refers to, that Christians embrace false doctrines; that they lose their spirituality, love of prayer, fervor of piety, and devotion to God. It is in this way that the simple are beguiled, the young corrupted, and that vice, and crime, and infidelity spread over the world. –End Barnes Notes

This is why we do not ‘eat the meat and spit out the bones’. We avoid false teachers altogether. We avoid close continual contact with those who are morally corrupt, unsaved. You see the processes Barnes outlined: the secret silent influence of a corrupt person’s words will infiltrate and dampen our horror of sin, make us less watchful, and then we begin to think and act impurely.

It’s why Jude 1:23 says And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh

Jude is saying we should be careful if we choose to help a doubter or one that’s involved with false teaching.

even the garment—do not let pity degenerate into connivance at their error. Your compassion is to be accompanied “with fear” of being at all defiled by them. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

It’s because the risk is so great. Our society has fallen into a tolerance of sin. Many have no horror of it. Worse, we believe that if sin comes in soft words and flattering or charming packages, is is to be accepted. When you look up flattery in Nave’s dictionary, the entry says –

DECEIT : See FLATTERY
FALSEHOOD : See FLATTERY
DECEPTION » SELF » See FLATTERY
SPEAKING » EVIL » See FLATTERY

God considers flattery to be an evil deceit! Yet we think of it as a ‘respectable sin‘ as Jerry Bridges would call it. This should not be so. But it works because the false teachers use words of flattery to deceive the simple. (Romans 16:18)

Flattery is defined as: “Insincere and undeserved praise or words of encouragement, used with the intention of gaining favour with others.”

Flattery is deceitful
Ps 12:2-3 See also Ps 5:9; 55:20-21; 62:4; Pr 27:6; Jer 9:8

The results of flattery are ruinous
Pr 26:28 See also Pr 29:5

Flattery is rejected by godly people
Job 32:21-22 See also Gal 1:10; 1Th 2:5-6

Honesty is preferable to flattery
Pr 28:23 See also Pr 16:13; 27:9

False teachers use flattery
Ro 16:17-18 See also 2Ti 4:3-4; Jude 16-19. Source: Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. Martin Manser.

Hanging around worldly people, flatterers, gossips, charmers with twisted doctrine is bad for your soul. Commune with the believers who are pure, strive for holiness, and enjoy refreshing, Godly conversations. You will be the better for it!

Tag: flattery

The Antichrist will conquer by flatteries

There is a reason to be wary of flatterers with smooth speech: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’