2 Peter 2:1-3
- But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
- How can we tell a false prophet from a true prophet? Answer: Deuteronomy 13:1-3
- OT examples of false prophets/teachers:
- 1 Kings 18:19-22. 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the Asherah.
- 1 Kings 22. 400 false prophets of Israel vs. Micaiah who prophecies against King Ahab.
- Nehemiah 6. Tobiah and Sanballat vs. Nehemiah.
- NT examples of false prophets/teachers
- Modern-Day examples of false prophets/teachers
- Mormonism
- Jehovah's Witness
- Christian Science
- Others?
- What about those seeming closer to our orthodoxy?
- Bethel Church. 9Marks ministries outright calls the writing of Bill Johnson, their senior "pastor," heresy.
- What are some characteristics of the teachings of false teachers?
- Lamentation 2:14. Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.
- Local "teacher" David McCarthy is one such teacher that says we do not need repentance and a turning from sin. He does not expose sin. He believes we do not have a sin nature anymore, and therefore no need to repent.
- Ezekiel 13:10. They pronounce "Peace" where there is no peace.
- 1 Kings 22. The false prophets only said what King Ahab wanted to hear.
- In an example I heard on Wretched Radio, a false prophet "prophecies" flatteries on a visiting pastor who then immediately prophecies curses when the pastor confronts her in front of the congregants.
- In the words of Paul from Romans 16:18, For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Matthew 24:24. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
- This is the reason I advocate holding to the word of promise. We are told in 1 Corinthians 1 that Jews seek signs and Greeks seek knowledge, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
- Paul goes so far to say in 11:19 of the same letter that "there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
- Christ recited stories comparing the true and the false. The wheat and the tares, the sheep and the goats, the wise virgins and the foolish virgins.
- Galatians 4:17. False teachers wish to be made much of.
- They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.
- Colossians 2:8. They try to take you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ.
- Col. 2:18. They may insist on asceticism (severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons), worship of angels, visions.
- 1 Timothy 4:3. [They] forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
- 2 Timothy 3:2-6 describes the character of people in general as Christ's coming approaches.
- According to this very passage, they deny Jesus, "the Lord who bought them." In what ways or words do they deny Jesus and why?
- Jude 1:4. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
- Why? Because the cross is offensive to them. They aren't sinners. Hebrews 10:29 describes such individuals: How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
- These are just a few of the many characteristics of false teachers
- It is also said they come in "secretly" or "privily." Why do this?
- Galatians 2:4. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—
- We are told to have nothing to do with them. Those who flirt with such individuals, seemingly well-intentioned individuals, remind me of those "Christian" kids in schools who "dated" non-Christians in what was called "missionary dating," with hopes of drawing them to Jesus. Is this a proper metaphor for this kind of activity? Is it right or wrong for us to partner with them in ministry? Why or why not?
