Featured Image: The Walking Dead. False teachers don’t come looking like this! If they did – we’d know to stay away from their teachings! They come to churches “dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent]” but actually on the inside they are horrible, “ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7: verse 15).
What are actual false teachings “out there”? What are the teachings contrary to what Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught?
Scripture predicts false teachings.
The Bible is very clear that false teachers will come from within churches, regular members of churches, professing to know Christ as Savior. They start up in the church, then “turn away from the faith“.
1 Timothy 4: verses 1-2 Amplified Bible (AMP)
But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning]
These false teachers look just like any of us – not at all like the strange acting movie caricature weirdos. But, like icebergs, there is a lot going on below the surface, unseen. They shipwreck lives. (1 Timothy 1:18-20)
These horribly deceitful leaders will:
“turn away from the faith,
paying attention instead
to deceitful and seductive spirits
and doctrines of demons” (v1).
Paul predicted them, and they are here. These false teachers put out specially crafted doctrines that jerk people around, making their false teachings seem to be of God. But no, they are not of God.
Ephesians 4: verse 14
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness [h]in deceitful scheming;
2 Corinthians 11:13-14 Amplified Bible (AMP)
13 For such men are counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds.
False teachers are: counterfeit apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ, masquerading as servants of righteousness.
Deceitful Teachers described in just three passages:
(1) 1 Timothy 4: verses 1-2… and (2) Ephesians 4: verse 14 and (3) 2 Corinthians 11:13-14.
Right in the midst of us, in and outside “Christian” churches, so-called Christian leaders will:
- turn away from the faith (that which was preached by Jesus & Paul)
- pay attention instead to evil demons — deceitful and seductive spirits
- pay attention instead to doctrines of demons
- are misled by the hypocrisy of liars
- have consciences that have been “seared as with a branding iron”
- become “incapable of ethical functioning”
- utilize “trickery of men”
- create deceitful scheming
- are counterfeit apostles
- are deceitful workers
- masquerade as apostles of Christ
- masquerade as servants of righteousness.
We are to warn against false teaching.
Titus 1:9 Amplified Bible (AMP)
9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy word [of God] as it was taught to him, so that he will be able both to give accurate instruction in sound [reliable, error-free] doctrine and to refute those who contradict [it by explaining their error].
I fear that many deceitful false teachers could be getting started within independent churches and new movements which have no oversight to keep watch over their deviations from Scripture.
The leaders of new movements can more easily “turn away from the faith” because of lack of accountability, lack of thorough biblical knowledge, lack of structure and lack of any perspective from history (because they have no history!).
I am sure some have no knowledge of history, so do not learn from the mistaken doctrines and movements of yesteryear. Some movements are started by the false teachers themselves! Talk about lack of accountability!
I am concerned, for instance, with the rapidly growing ‘INC’ churches (‘Independent Network Charismatic’) being led by independent charismatic leaders. “Independence” can lead anywhere they want to go – especially if, for them, the Bible is not the authoritative word of God.
This ‘INC’ movement is being researched by Brad Christerson, a contributing fellow at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC), funded by a grant from the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement (Source: Monitoring a Movement, by Joanna Wu and Jenna Loumagne; BIOLA Magazine, Winter 2018; p19. magazine.biola.edu)
Christerson explained: “Based on our research, we believe that INC Christianity is significantly changing the religious landscape in America. It is likely to influence the way people practice the Christian faith in the future.” (Source: Monitoring a Movement) I can only hope they are biblical in all their ways.
The Naiveté of Clueless Sheep. The warning by the prophet and Apostle Paul is that we should not be like 
innocent children. Children are easily duped. They are naive to the point of easily being tricked into believing new doctrines and belief systems.
Naive children go with whatever the adult says. That’s why children need watchful parents. Pastors are supposed to protect the flock from wolves — not be the wolf.
A child has insufficient knowledge of the Bible as a foundation for their faith, and thus cannot refute a leader with biblical truth. New anything is exciting and alluring to children. Children opt-in easily. Totally duped. All-in with whatever is the current thing.
And just so, Paul warns, is the clueless flock. The sheep of the church flock are “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind….” The warning in Ephesians is that we should not be sucked-in.
Why the flock gets duped: Are you one of these “duped” ones?
1. Many are naive, thinking that “Pastor Big Bob” can do no wrong. “He’s smarter than I. What do I know?” “It’s all good”, they say.
2. Many do not apply “critical thinking” to the teachings of pastors. Sunday after Sunday, and on radio and internet — they sit and soak. Churches are filled with “sit-n-soak” pew mentalities. “It’s all good.”
3. Many church folk do not heed Paul’s exhortation to examine teachings. They do NOT make sure that teachings are biblically correct. They are content. “It’s all good.” (1 Thessalonians 5: verse 21; 1 Corinthians 2:4-16; 2 Timothy 2:15; Mark 4:24; 1 Timothy 4:6 )
4. They accept as normal the constant changings of doctrines – the “every wind of doctrine” described in Ephesians 4. “It’s all good.”
5. Many in churches lack biblical foundations for their faith. Many do not care if it is biblical or not. They have already caved-in, and treat the Bible as any other book. And thus they can’t distinguish between “biblical” and “false”. “It’s all good”, they say.
6. Many in churches allow their minds to “be corrupted and led away from the simplicity of [your sincere and] pure devotion to Christ.” “It’s all good”, they say. (2 Corinthians 11:verse 3)
7. Many in churches tolerate and fall for beguiling, cunning teachers. They are “willing to allow it”. “You tolerate all this beautifully [welcoming the deception].” “It’s all good”, they say. (2 Corinthians 11:verse 4)
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
3 But I am afraid that, even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted and led away from the simplicity of [your sincere and] pure devotion to Christ. 4 For [you seem willing to allow it] if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted. You tolerate all this beautifully [welcoming the deception].
8. Many in churches will suddenly find their love grown cold. They allowed increased lawlessness to slowly sap their sensibilities, and suddenly… love was gone. And so along comes the false teacher… and misleads them. “It’s all good.”
Matthew 24:11-13 Amplified Bible (AMP)
11 Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved.
9. Many in churches will fail God’s “love test”: Instead of holding faithfully to Christ, many will be duped by amazing signs and wonders – and “follow other gods”. The Lord will use the false teachers to deceive those whose love is not really all-in for Him. Instead of listening to God, they follow the pazzaz of miracles. “It’s all good.”
Deuteronomy 13: verse 3 “for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and all your soul [your entire being].”
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder which he spoke (foretold) to you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us follow after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve and worship them,’
3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and all your soul [your entire being].
4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and you shall fear [and worship] Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect], and you shall keep His commandments and you shall listen to His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cling to Him.
What are they teaching out there? …or right in there in your church?
First, it is good to note: We should be careful to not scorn prophecies. Allow the Holy Spirit to minister as He sees fit. But we are to test carefully, and learn to recognize what is good or not – what is or is not actually of the Spirit. Trust your Bible more than your Pastor or your Bible study teacher, or visiting speaker.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21
19 Do not quench [subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit. 20 Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies [spoken revelations—words of instruction or exhortation or warning]. 21 But test [a]all things carefully [so you can recognize what is good]. Hold firmly to that which is good.
So what are some false teachings out there?
1. False teachers and prophets will be so full of themselves, so conceited, so ego-centric, so willful… that they will listen to nobody else except their own reasonings. And off they go! And they find others of like-mind, actually seek them out, go to their seminars… in order to get back-up for their heretical thinking.
They think of themselves as so special and bright — that they don’t even realize that they have come up with heinous, spurious interpretations. They have lost any semblance of love for God, and have rejected Him (2 Peter 2:1).
Matthew 7: verse 16
16 By their fruit
you will recognize them
[that is,
by their contrived doctrine
and self-focus].
Just as Scripture specifically warns against — they teach falsely from their “own [personal or special] interpretation“. They think, and thus it must be right. “By an act of human will” (v21) they make Scripture say what they damn well want it to say. And shallow thinkers follow after them.
2 Peter 1:20-21; 2:1 Amplified Bible (AMP)
1:20 But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one’s own [personal or special] interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
2:1 But [in those days] false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will subtly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2. False teachers and prophets may say, “‘Let us follow after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve and worship them.’ (Deuteronomy 13: verse 2)
3. False teachers and prophets (v5) may counsel “rebellion against the Lord your God … to draw you away from the way in which the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. So you shall remove the evil from among you.” (Deuteronomy 13: verse 5)
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder which he spoke (foretold) to you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us follow after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve and worship them,’
3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams;
for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and all your soul [your entire being].
4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and you shall fear [and worship] Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect], and you shall keep His commandments and you shall listen to His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cling to Him.
5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to draw you away from the way in which the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
4. False teachers and prophets may “presume” to speak for the Lord, but they are not speaking for God at all. (Deuteronomy 18: verse 20)
5. False teachers and prophets may “presume” to speak “in the name of other gods.” Why would we who are devoted to Jesus – want to hear from them!? (Deuteronomy 18: verse 20)
6. False teachers and prophets may predict a future event — and “the thing does not happen or come true” as they said. (Deuteronomy 18: verse 22)
Deuteronomy 18:9-22 Amplified Bible (AMP) Read verses 20-22:
20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet shall die.’
21 If you say in your heart, ‘How will we know and recognize the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ 22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing does not happen or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
7. False teachers and prophets do “not confess Jesus [acknowledging that He has come in the flesh, but would deny any of the Son’s true nature].” (1 John 4: verse 3) They deny the deity of Christ. They deny God came down to earth in the flesh – as the man Jesus. (1 John 4: verse 4)
1 John 4:2-3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
2 By this you know and recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ has [actually] come in the flesh [as a man] is from God [God is its source]; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus [acknowledging that He has come in the flesh, but would deny any of the Son’s true nature] is not of God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is now already in the world.
8. False teachers and prophets may even practice spiritism. Spiritism is forbidden by God. These are forbidden by God, even today:
(v10-11) “anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire [as a sacrifice], one who uses divination and fortune-telling, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a charm or spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or a necromancer [who seeks the dead].”
We are to reject any leader who has sought out such: “For everyone who does these things is utterly repulsive to the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 18: verse 12)
Deuteronomy 18:9-22 Amplified Bible (AMP)
9 “When you enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable (repulsive) practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire [as a sacrifice], one who uses divination and fortune-telling, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a charm or spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or a necromancer [who seeks the dead]. 12 For everyone who does these things is utterly repulsive to the Lord; and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless (complete, perfect) before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations which you shall dispossess listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners and fortune-tellers, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.
9. False teachers and prophets come and preach “another Jesus whom we have not preached” (v4), or “a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted.”
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
3 But I am afraid that, even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted and led away from the simplicity of [your sincere and] pure devotion to Christ. 4 For [you seem willing to allow it] if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted. You tolerate all this beautifully [welcoming the deception].
10. False teachers and prophets will come in the name of Christ, but only to appropriate “the strength of the name”, “misusing it”. They will be saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ and they will mislead many.”
Matthew 24:3-6 Amplified Bible (AMP)
“…what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end (completion, consummation) of the age?”
4 Jesus answered, “Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. 5 For many will come in My name [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ and they will mislead many.
11. False teachers and prophets will appear (especially in the great tribulation period) and “will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones).” Don’t believe teachers are of God just because they do signs and wonders and healings. (Even Pharaoh’s priests copied many of the wonders that God did through Moses.)
Matthew 24:23-26 Amplified Bible (AMP)
23 Then if anyone says to you [during the great tribulation], ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). 25 Listen carefully, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out there, or, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms [of a house],’ do not believe it.
12. False teachers and prophets “will subtly introduce destructive heresies” …teachings that differ from what Jesus and Paul taught.
2 Peter 2: verse 1 Amplified Bible (AMP)
1 But [in those days] false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will subtly introduce destructive heresies
1 Corinthians 12:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
3 Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the [power and influence of the] Spirit of God can say, “Jesus be cursed,…”
In conclusion: Know they are out there. Believe it. Be wary of these who come to you lookin’ good, “dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent]” but actually on the inside they are horrible, “ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7: verse 15). Get to know well those who are to become your leaders, those who are your leaders. Know their life “fruits”. That will tell you who they really are.
Matthew 7:verse 16
16 By their fruit
you will recognize them
[that is,
by their contrived doctrine
and self-focus].
Matthew 7:15-20 Amplified Bible (AMP)
15 “Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets].
Books on the topic:
On Amazon – Defining Deception: Freeing the Church from the Mystical-Miracle Movement Paperback – January 13, 2018 by
On Amazon – A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement Paperback – November 14, 2014 by
The Heresy of False Teacher John Pavlovitz (a response to “10 Things This Christian Doesn’t Believe About the Bible”), by Pastor Gabe Hughes. From his site: Gabriel Hughes is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, KS. He is husband to wife, Beki, and father to their four children. He’s also the voice and creator of the video series When We Understand the Text, featuring dozens of short videos that address a wide range of Bible topics. If you’d like to reach him, you may call the church or e-mail him at gmail “pastorgabehughes.”
Christian, Stop Sharing John Pavlovitz’s Articles, by Pastor Gabe Hughes.
FOR MORE:
See: Movie Review – American Gospel: Christ Alone Published on
About Being Apostate… following “another gospel”
About false teachings of today…a series
Pick a sin – any sin – and discern where you are at. Judge yourself all day long.
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