Sadly, it happened just as Paul had predicted. In Acts 20 the apostle asked to meet with all the elders of the church in Ephesus; he wanted to inform them that they would not see his face again on this earth. But he also gave them a grave warning and prediction: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.” (Acts 20:28-31) Somehow Paul knew that after he departed false teachers would come into the church and even from among the elders they would arise (enemies without and traitors within). Note carefully the false teachers are described as “fierce wolves” meaning they are cruel and savage; they enter in to prey on God’s people. No doubt the apostle had the words of our Lord in mind: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) It is not surprising that false teachers will enter into local churches. What is surprising is Paul’s prediction that false teachers would also arise from among the current group of elders in Ephesus. How did Paul know this? Was it revealed to him by the Holy Spirit? Were there certain traits he could perceive in some of them? We aren’t given answers to these questions. Somehow he knew this would happen and was confident enough that he told them about it! Sadly, he was exactly right. It’s estimated that about five years after Paul left Ephesus he penned his first letter to Timothy, and as indicated in the letter, false teachers were in the church and needed to be stopped. He told his young mentee to “…charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine…” (1 Timothy 1:3). Paul wanted the false teaching to be stopped and replaced with sound doctrine. But he also had a specific goal in mind. It’s not that sound doctrine should be taught for its own sake; rather, there is a particular goal of sound doctrine, there is something it is intended to produce in the hearer. This is what we’ll be focusing on this morning. It is a subject fundamental to Paul’s theology and it is something we should all earnestly desire to see in our lives.