False Teaching.
“Beware of supposing that a religion teacher is to be trusted because although he holds some unsound views, he teaches much truth. Such a teacher is precisely the man to do you harm: poison is always most dangerous when it is given in small doses and mixed with wholesome food. Beware of being taken in by the apparent earnestness of many teachers and upholders of false doctrine. Remember that zeal, sincerity, and fervor are no proof that a man is working for Christ and ought to be believed. ”
False Doctrine
False doctrine distorts the gospel in some way. In other words, false teaching belittles and attacks the person and/or work of Christ. False teaching ultimately presents a false gospel with false hope, leading people to a real hell. Learn what the true gospel is here.
“When the father of lies enters the pulpit it is not his custom to flatly deny the fundamental truths of Christianity, rather he tacitly acknowledges them and then proceeds to give erroneous interpretations and false application”
Examples of False Doctrine
Critical Race Theory - Critical Race Theory (CRT) divides people into the oppressors and the oppressed based on skin color. It presupposes that everything about American society is racist and assumes that white people are inherently racist, supporting white supremacy or white nationalism. It sees people as groups, not individuals. Conversely, the Bible says there is only one human race, and all people are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, all people are worthy of respect. For Christians, prejudice, whether in favor or against people, is forbidden in Scripture (James 2). CRT distorts the gospel of Christ, undermines His sacrifice on the cross, and is a false doctrine. Learn more about CRT here.
A Wrong View of the Bible - At the core of every false teaching is the rejection of the Inspiration, Authority, Inerrancy, or Sufficiency of Scripture. Some progressive churches teach the Bible is full of errors. Some pick and choose what doctrines can be trusted (you can trust the Bible regarding salvation, but not the miracles). Some don’t believe in the sufficiency of Scripture and think the church needs things besides the Bible, such as psychiatrists, New Age thinking (like the Enneagram), secular programs, business principles, and compelling testimony to get people to go to church and to believe in Jesus. Learn more about what true Christians believe about the Bible here.
Side B Gay Theology - What is Same-Sex Attracted (SSA) or Gay “Christianity?” It is a movement that narrowly defines the sin of homosexuality to include only acting upon one’s sinful desires and defines the sinful desires themselves as simply a part of a person’s identity. Rather than instructing believers to “Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry”(Colossians 3:5), this same-sex attraction (SSA) movement teaches that a regenerate believer can maintain their evil desires – even turning them into a cross to bear for the sake of the Gospel. Visit this webpage to research this further.
Half the Gospel is a False Gospel - God hates the lukewarm gospel of half-truths spreading worldwide. This false gospel says, “Just believe in Jesus, and you'll be saved. There's nothing more to it.” It ignores the whole counsel of God, which speaks of repenting from sins, taking up your cross, and being conformed to Christ's image by the refining work of the Holy Spirit. This half-gospel is silent about the reality of Hell and an after-death Judgment. Half the truth is a lie and is a false gospel.
"Mixing sacred truth with myths corrupts the Word of God. And the cults have done it for years. And liberalism does it, and we have to be ready to deal with it. Just to sum it up, the teachers that teach it are described in the pastoral epistles as ambitious, greedy, ignorant, hypocritical, puffed up, corrupt in mind, bereft of the truth, impostors, deceivers, liars, defiled and unbelieving, disobedient, and abominable. The subtlety of the teaching that appears to be biblical is the grave danger the church faces and that which pulls away unwary souls.” John MacArthur
“These wolfish shepherds tie the true teachings of Scripture into false, complex knots that confuse learned scholars. They are slippery creatures who cannot be easily pinned down; they are experts at double-talk and diversion. You cannot discuss honestly with them because they lack intellectual honesty. Masters of subtlety and novelty, false teachers mix truth with error and confuse people with half-truths and complex ideas. Like Satan confronting Jesus in the wilderness, they can easily quote the Scriptures. They have a way of wearing people down with their arguments so that most people capitulate, weary of trying to argue.” Alexander Strauch
“The devil has his ministers. There are some who, by the subtlety of their wit, have learned the art of mixing error with truth and giving poison in a golden cup. TAKE HEED who you hear and how you hear. BE LIKE THE NOBLE BEREANS, who searched the Scriptures daily to see whether the things they taught were true.”
Characteristics of False Teachers
The following list comes from John Owen’s book, Communion with God, and Thomas Brook’s 7 Characteristics of False Teachers. False teachers use some or all of these tactics.
They deny things Christ has spoken, written in the Word, but do it deceptively and sneakily. They mask their false doctrine with eloquent, nuanced speech and impressive terminology. A false teacher can’t bring a consistent interpretation of the Bible. So what does he do? He hides blasphemy and dangerous doctrine behind what seems to be a powerful argument. They quickly pass over the great and weighty things out of the law and the gospel and dwell primarily upon these things that are of the most minor importance and concern to the souls of men. False teachers are meticulous in the lesser things of the law and quite negligent in the greatest.
They will use the name of Christ, but they’ll mean something else by it. They will use biblical terms like the cross of Christ & the resurrection, but they will mean something else by it. They will use certain platitudes about Christ but will not confess the essentials of what it is to be orthodox in the true Christian faith. Everyone who mentions the name of Christ and preaches using the word Christ is not from God. You can detect false teachers by what they don’t say and what they do say.
They cleverly disguise their dangerous principles and soul-deceiving notions with attractive speeches and golden expressions. As harlots paint their faces and adorn and perfume their beds, the better to allure and deceive simple souls, so false teachers will put a great deal of paint and garnish upon their most dangerous principles and blasphemies so that they may better deceive and delude poor ignorant souls. They know that sugared poison goes down sweetly.
They spew out the devices and visions of their own heads and hearts instead of the Word of God alone. And the LORD told me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, command them, or speak to them. They are prophesying a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds (Jeremiah 14:14). These false teachers will often say God “told them” or “said to them.”
They strive more earnestly to win men over to their opinions than to improve their behavior. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves (Matthew 23). Their work is not to better men's hearts and mend their lives; they are like their father, the devil, who will spare no pains to gain converts. False teachers are far more concerned with winning others to their own opinions than helping and bettering people. They don’t care about you; they care about themselves. They want your loyalty; they want your money; they want your body; they want something, anything.
They bring men and women into bondage and slavery by requiring good works to obtain salvation (instead of grace) and convincing them to despair over sin instead of repenting and accepting forgiveness. OR they will not mention sin and teach you that you are forgiven without repentance. This is a false gospel.
They preach to please men. They tell people what they want to hear instead of challenging them. Instead of exposing sin, they affirm sin, coddle sin, and rename sin with benign, culturally inoffensive language. Or they deny humans are sinners at all. The Bible says a true teacher…. “has been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so he speaks not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” False teachers are hell’s great enrichers. “It is not bitter but flattering words which do all the mischief,” said Valerian, the Roman emperor. Such smooth teachers are sweet-soul poisoners.
They are notable for casting dirt, scorn, and reproach upon the person, names, and credits of Christ's most faithful ambassadors. False teachers bring their harshest criticism against God’s most loyal servants. They always save their brutal attacks for those who love and serve God best.
They glorify themselves instead of glorifying Christ; by doing this, they deny Christ and treat Him with contempt.
They exploit their followers through covetousness (lust, greed). They promote principles such as indulgence in the flesh to better pick their pockets.
A false teacher, after having an error corrected, refuses to repent of his wrong and adjust his teaching. All are bound to teach error, especially a new pastor, but most would publically repent and correct it when confronted. However, refusing to repent and correct a mistake once disclosed (and to do so in public to the ones he led astray) makes one a false teacher concerning the central doctrines of the faith.
In addition, false teachers will preach, teach, write, or tweet one thing in one venue, publication, or time frame and teach the opposite in another. This way, they can point to the correct teaching of that particular piece when they are called out. However, a characteristic of a true man or woman of God is consistency. They are not double-minded. For example, actual teaching in 2023 does not negate the false teaching in 2018 - unless there is a public confession and repentance of the prior false teaching. Rosaria Butterfield’s public confession and repentance are good examples in this article. It is the ultimate form of deception to, for example, tweet something downright heretical, then go to a publication and pen an article stating the opposite.
Martin Luther, in his commentary on Galatians, calls false teachers snakes in the grass…they pervert words spoken from a sincere heart and twist them to mean just the opposite of what they were intended to convey. They are like spiders that suck venom out of sweet and fragrant flowers. The poison is not in the flowers, but it is the nature of the spider to turn what is good and wholesome into poison.
Evangelical Leaders or Speakers to Avoid (webpage) - Find out which prominent leaders support this unbiblical theology here.
“Most heretics try to mask their heresy by using orthodox language to convey it.”
Should We Call Out False Teachers By Name?
Paul did:
“Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me” (2 Timothy 4:10).
“You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes” (2 Timothy 1:15).
“By rejecting this [faith and a good conscience], some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander” (1 Timothy 1:19–20).
“Their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus” (2 Timothy 2:17)
What about 1 Corinthians 4:5?
It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and disclose the purposes of the heart. Should this verse keep us from identifying false teachers? No. Don’t pronounce judgment before the time means “Don’t do what only Christ can do on that last day, on the day of judgment.”
John MacArthur, Examining the Servants of Christ:
It is evident in the New Testament that where a man teaches false doctrine, we have the right to judge. That is very clear. It is evident in the New Testament that where a man is living in sin, we have the right and the obligation to discipline that man. But where all men are equally true in doctrine and equally pure in life, there is no basis for ranking them, for evaluating them, for setting one over the other, for saying this man is superior to that man, where you have them teaching true doctrine and living godly lives, there is not to be favoritism.
Where false doctrine enters in or where sin enters in, the church must separate the false doctrine or be separated from that person to discipline the one who is sinning. If they teach false doctrine, Romans 16:17 says that’s different. It would be best if you separated yourself from them. And 1 Timothy says if they’re living in sin, an elder can be rebuked before two or three witnesses, and he ought to be publicly rebuked if the sin is correct. There’s no justification for evaluating and ranking men above others where sound doctrine and personal holiness exist.
Should Pastors, Leaders, Churches, and Organizations Partner with False Teachers?
2 John tells us many deceivers have gone out into the world and to watch ourselves so that we may not lose what we have worked for. Everyone who goes ahead and does not abide by the teaching of Christ does not have God. If anyone comes to us and does not bring the Bible’s teaching, we will not receive them into our house or participate in their wicked works.
Degrees of Separation by David Murray (article) - "Unite!" and "Divide!" Complicated and challenging. Wouldn't it be so much easier to choose one or the other? Some do. They decide to separate from everyone who does not agree with them on everything, producing sinful schism and division in the body of Christ. Others decide there is virtually nothing that justifies separation from anyone and unite in unholy alliance with anyone who says he is a Christian, no matter what he believes. But both of these are unbiblical extremes that throw us off balance.
The Biblical Doctrine of Separation by Middletown Bible Church (webpage) - If a Christian is to be separated from individuals who hold to and teach doctrinal error, he must be separated from entire assemblies with the same problem. Withdrawing from a much-loved church that has fallen into error is difficult, but it may remedy the situation. In any event, remaining in and teaching a doctrinal position contrary to the assembly's is unethical. The Christian ought to withdraw in such a case and pray that God will open the eyes of the congregation.
Reasons for Separation by Carl Trueman (article) - Every situation is different, but here is my rule of thumb: when a church degenerates to the point where it is no longer possible to maintain the basics of the Christian gospel through the standard processes that the church has established for applying its confession, it is time to leave. Thus, when a church leader denies the resurrection, one should not go straight away, but when all legal processes within the church have been exhausted, and the church leader is still allowed to preach such heresy, it is time to go. Separation is rigid and profoundly countercultural. But it is a biblical mandate that we must follow in certain circumstances.
Sean DeMars writes, “What John is warning against here is any action that would lead the watching world to believe that we, as ambassadors of Christ and torchbearers of the true gospel, are on the same team as these deceivers. We must not allow any opportunity for the church or the world to be confused about the true gospel. If you publicly receive a false teacher, you may give watching eyes the false impression that the deceiver is not that dangerous. What this means practically for those in ministry is that they should not, in any way, under any circumstance, lock arms with heretical teachers, pastors, authors, professors, or anyone in any capacity who comes to you bringing a different Jesus.
This includes:
Conferences
Prayer Breakfasts
Bible Studies
Pastors Coalitions
Parachurch ministries
Pulpit Swaps
Book Recommendations
Article sharing or website promoting
And more
Wisdom will help us dictate when to draw the line, but the principle we ought to keep in mind is simple:
We must not align ourselves with false teachers and/or apostate churches (or any of their ministries) in any way that will confuse people about the truth of the gospel and the identity of Jesus. Strict adherence to this principle will bring us into sharp conflict with those who don’t understand John’s logic. We will be called unloving. We will be charged with not upholding the unity of the church. We won’t be able to speak at specific conferences or partner with certain parachurch organizations. Let it be so, brothers and sisters. We must walk in the way of love. We must protect the flock. We must confess the true Jesus. We must not partake in wickedness. We must abide in the truth of our master.”
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Many Christians would rightly assume that any partnership with a false teacher is at odds with the teaching of 2 John 9-11. At the same time, fringe fundamentalists insist Christians should not even visit a restaurant owned by someone of a different faith. What is the difference between helping, aiding, partnering, and fellowshipping with a blatant heretic vs. living peaceful, evangelistic, intermingled lives with people in our community? Can we partner with false teachers if it's for saving America? Should we formally partner with a verified false teacher if we own a business? Is it a sin to have a Mormon missionary in our home to share the gospel and try to save his soul? Costi Hinn provides biblical and practical guidance in this episode.
Ekkie and Nathaniel speak about the need to guard the church carefully against false doctrine and consider how to discern who the local church should or shouldn’t partner with within an age of ecumenism.
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. 2 John 10-11. Listen to Dr. Steven Lawson teach this important passage.
“The preachers of the gospel have also their courtesy and their pleasing manner, but joined with honesty, so that they neither soothe men with vain praises, nor flatter their vices: but impostors allure men by flattery, and spare and indulge their vices, that they may keep them attached to themselves.”
Articles
On False Teachers: Why We Insist on One Degree of Separation by J.D. Hall (article) - Why are polemicists and discernment-minded Christians upset that evangelical leaders like Floyd, Piper, Greear, Chandler, Stetzer, and Francis Chan speak with those who really no reasonable or serious-minded Christian would consider sound? The answer is the Bible. Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement does the temple of God have with idols? (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). Are the heretic conferences really that important? John Piper is so critical to the success of Passion that it’s worth risking leading little ones astray. Is it worth the risk of earning a millstone?
Luther’s Advice when Dealing with False Teaching: Chase the Dog, Console the Child by Wolfmueller (article) - Martin Luther’s rule for dealing with false teachers and the falsely taught. False teachers are dealt with severity, while falsely taught teachers are dealt with compassion.
Dear False Teacher: The Puritan Thomas Brooks Would Like a Word with You by Rosaria Butterfield (article) - You have sought the middle road on every issue: gay marriage, transgender normalization, Black Lives Matter, and abortion. You always seek the third way. But it’s getting harder for you to persuade your flock because some of them see that a raging spiritual war has washed out the middle road and the third way. I believe that you are at a crossroads. So let me put it straight: if you are a faithful Christian who has fallen into some bad theology, I’m throwing you a rope. Why not grab it?
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing by Burk Parsons (article) - False teachers creep into the church not because they look like false teachers but because they look like angels. They disguise themselves just as their master Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. When false teachers attempt to creep into the church, they typically don’t look like wolves because they wear sheep costumes and use some of the same language the sheep use. They regularly quote Scripture, and they are often able to quote more Scripture than the average Christian. False teachers are not always argumentative or divisive; often, they are some of the nicest people we know.
Ecclesiastical Separation by Arthur B. Walton (article): Paul addresses the issue of organized religious cooperation concerning unbelievers and believers. The believer is not to be yoked with unbelieving apostates: Separation from unbelievers is commanded in 2 Corinthians 6:11–7:1. Reception of false teachers is forbidden in 2 John 9–11. A rebuke of apostates is commanded in Titus 1:9–13.
Degrees of Separation by David Murray (article) - In 1963, Billy Graham asked Martyn Lloyd-Jones if he would chair the first Worldwide Congress on Evangelism. Lloyd-Jones said he would gladly do it if Graham stopped including liberals and Roman Catholics on his crusade platform and staff. When Graham refused to agree to this, Lloyd-Jones said he could not offer any support or endorse Graham's campaigns. Lloyd-Jones held high regard for Billy Graham but separated from him formally because of his associations with others.
Guidelines for Separation by Sinclair Ferguson (article) - there is a separation of the church of false teachers, denying them spheres of influence. 2 John 7-11 counsels believers to beware of anyone who teaches a false view of Christ. We are to separate them from any assistance and support. A biblical separation applies at the personal, fellowship, and pastoral level.
Reasons for Separation by Carl Trueman (article) - there is to be no positive working relationship between the church and the world, between those who believe the gospel and those who do not. Suppose such a gathering were advertised so that a vital religious significance was attributed to it and in a manner that relativized the vital gospel distinctively. In that case, we should not be involved because that would cross the line to being unequally yoked with unbelievers in a spiritual context.
False Teaching Out There and In Here by Sean Michael Lucas (article) - how should we respond to error? Throughout the New Testament, the Apostles sought to fight false teaching and heresy. In fact, in nearly every letter, some false teaching or heresy is exposed and dealt with. However, the fighting spirit of the early church seems a long way away from the more polite, postmodern sensibility of contemporary culture. It appears that our day is worried more about tone than truth.
Should I Let a Heretic in My Home? by Chip Thornton (article) - have you ever met a false teacher? Most likely, you have but didn’t know it. They don’t walk around with pitchforks and horns growing out of their heads. No, they are charming, winsome, and speak silky smooth words. They often come bearing gifts, enjoying your company, and even doing kind deeds. Yet, their real work is undercover.
The Origin and Presence of False Teaching by Fred Greco (article) - A contributor to the spread of false teaching is institutional—the failure to hold people accountable for their false teaching. It has often been noted that the true church has three marks: the right preaching of the Word, the proper administration of the sacraments, and the exercise of discipline. The third mark exists to make sure the first two marks are maintained. When the church turns a blind eye to false teaching because its proponents are famous or have “successful ministries” (one thinks of more people or more money) or to avoid conflict in the church, it allows false teaching to spread and to be the source of further division and conflict.
False Teaching and the Peace and Purity of the Church by Eric Landry (article) - what can we do to help maintain the peace and purity of the church? Although we can’t prevent every enemy incursion against the church, some simple steps will help prevent the damage that false teaching can do in a local church.
Discerning the Difference Between Theological Error and Heresy by Josh Buice (article) - heresy is a theological error of the highest order. It’s the most severe because it attacks the foundational truths about God and the work of redemption that are necessary to be a Christian.
What’s the Big Deal About False Teachers? by Nathaniel Jolly (article) - false teachers distort the gospel somehow. In other words, false teaching often touches the person or work of Christ.
Beware of False Teachers by John MacArthur (article)
Was Jesus Polite to False Teachers? by John MacArthur (article)
The Pathology of False Teachers by John MacArthur (article + audio)
A Portrait of False Teachers, Part 1 by John MacArthur (article + audio) - based on 2 Peter 2:1–3
A Portrait of False Teachers, Part 2 by John MacArthur (article + audio) - based on 2 Peter 2:1–3
Beware of Twisted Teachers by Josh Buice (article) - These wolfish shepherds speak “twisted things,” distorting and perverting apostolic, orthodox doctrine. They tie the true teachings of Scripture into false, complex knots that even confuse learned scholars. They are slippery creatures who cannot be easily pinned down; they are experts at double-talk and diversion.
Resources on False Teachers and False Trends by Michelle Lesley (website)
“Just because a preacher talks about Jesus, the cross, and heaven, does not mean he is preaching the gospel. ”
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This episode discusses false teachings from several well-known Charismatic/Pentecostal teachers with guest Justin Peters.
Justin Peters discusses exposing false teachers and prophets and explains how Christians can discern the truth from his TRUTH MATTERS conference.
False teachers mislead countless souls by deliberately misinterpreting and misconstruing the Scriptures by their own sinful agendas. How do we, as Christians, respond to false teachers and their false doctrines? How can followers of Christ know for sure what is true and what is false?
Are Christians required to contact an author/speaker/pastor privately before criticizing their comments publicly? Commenters often bring up Matthew 18:15, which tells Christians to go to someone directly if they have sinned against them. But is this what Matthew 18:15 is teaching? Should we prioritize unity at all costs?
In this episode, Costi Hinn sits down with Justin Peters and asks him big questions about false teaching, red flags to watch for, and the importance of Christian discernment.
“Controversy is an odious thing, but there are days when it is a positive duty. Peace is an excellent thing, but, like gold, it may be bought too dear. Unity is a mighty blessing, but it is worthless if purchased at the cost of truth. Once more, I say, open your eyes and be on your guard.”
Paul Washer Teaches On How To Identify False Teachers.
Acts 20: Fierce Wolves Are Coming; Guard The Flock, Alexander Strauch
This book provides an in-depth yet practical exposition of this extraordinary portion of Scripture. History amply demonstrates that the truths of Paul's message cannot be overstated or repeated too often. The appalling, centuries-long failure to stop false teachers from invading churches can be traced directly back to ignorance of or disobedience to Paul's prophetic warnings to the Ephesian elders. Paul's instructions and pleas to the Ephesian elders are just as critically needed today as they were that day on the shores of Miletus.
"Any church elder who does not know the content of Paul's message to the Ephesian elders is ill-equipped to lead and protect God's people." Alexander Strauch
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