A lot of Christian leaders these days spend time calling out people they consider false or dangerous teachers. There is a place for this, but I am starting to see this as a trend. Many Christian YouTubers make their whole focus pointing out what is wrong with this or that teacher. Sometimes, their concerns are completely justified, because the person they are calling out is totally unbiblical. Still, how much time should be given to that? If you leave your church every week knowing how wrong Joel Osteen is, but don't know how good and faithful God is, there is an imbalance in what you are being taught. In this post, we're going to look at the Biblical basis for warning about false teachers, what constitutes a false teacher, and what these warnings should look like (and when they are too much).
Biblical Basis for Calling out False Teachers:
Warnings from Jesus
In Matthew 24:4, Jesus warned, See that no one leads you astray. This statement, from the mouth of Jesus, gives us the biblical basis to be cautious about who is leading and teaching us. In Matthew 16:6, He had warned the disciples to be on their guard against the yeast (false teaching) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Later on, in chapter 23, verses 2-4, speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus told the disciples: The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. In a direct confrontation with the Pharisees in John 5, Jesus told them, You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (Verses 39-40). Jesus called out these legalistic teachers who were actually keeping people away from Him.
The Apostles also warned believers about false teachers. Near the end of Romans, after Paul went to great lengths to explain the gospel in this book, then greet believers, he said in verses 17-18, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. In Galatians 1:8 (a verse many use when witnessing to Mormons), Paul wrote, But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. Likewise, toward the end of First Timothy, Paul tells his protege (in chapter 6, verses 3-5), If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. In spite of these mentions, warning about false teachers isn't Paul's main thrust in any of his epistles. It's there, though, so we see there is importance.
Other epistles contain warnings as well.
James
James 3:1 simply warns everyone that very few people should become teachers, because teachers will be judged more harshly. This is more a warning to godly teachers to get it right than a teaching about false preachers, but it is still a point toward the existence of false teachings, and a concern that they can even come from well-intentioned people.
Peter
Second Peter 2:1 tells us, 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.
John
First John 4:1-3 reminds us: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Second and Third John (both books being only one chapter) contain warnings as well. The warning in Second John is more general, acknowledging that For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. (verse 7). On the other hand, Third John gives a very specific warning about a man named Diotrephes in verses 9-10. We don't know for sure if Diotrephes was a false teacher, or just a man stirring up trouble, but in either event, John calls him out here.
Jude
The book of Jude (also one chapter) talks about false teachers, and the punishment that awaits them (verses 3-16).
From all of this, we can conclude there is a time and place to call out false teachers. In fact, I think we could even say it is vital to do so.
What is a False Teacher?
In Deuteronomy 18, the Lord spoke through Moses to the people about the importance of listening to godly leaders (at that time, the prophets), but brought up the question, how can we know if a prophet is real or not? In verse 22, He gives the answer: If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. That is a big one right there. Anyone claiming to speak for God, but whose claims are proven false, can be called a false teacher. It only takes one false prophecy for a man to be considered a false prophet.
There is more than just failed prophecies to show us who are true and who are false teachers. A broken clock is right twice a day, as they say. Sometimes, false teachers make claims that end up being correct. What do we do then? God had that covered as well. If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. (Deuteronomy 13:1-4). If someone wants to get you away from the God of the Bible, or sound biblical teaching, this person is obviously a false teacher, even if the things they say seem to come true. God is not behind them.
We already read some verses earlier from the New Testament about this. You can refer to the section above under biblical basis for references to what I'm about to say. Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees were false teachers because they didn't practice what they taught from God's word, and that all their biblical searching wasn't bringing them to Him. False teachers, then, are those who do not follow their own teaching (even if those teachings are true), and also, people who pour over scripture without encountering Christ. Legalism is part of false teaching.
Also to be referenced above, we saw that Paul and other apostles warned that those who didn't preach the same teachings or gospel that had already been given to them were false teachers. Throughout all these scriptures, we also see warnings to the false teachers about the judgment that awaits them.
Bottom line, those who preach agains what scripture teaches are false teachers.
However, some false teachings are subtle. Sometimes, they aren't an outright affront on true, biblical teaching. They are a slight shift. They might isolate something in scripture and take it out of context, creating a whole teaching that actually disagrees with the entirety of scripture. That is why it is so important to know the Bible, not just random verses. Paul wrote in Acts 20:27, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. A true teacher wants you to know the "whole counsel of God"--what the Bible teaches throughout.
One of the most grievous examples of people taking one verse out of context and creating whole teachings is the misuse of Matthew 7:1, Do not judge, or you, too, will be judged. Many people, not knowing the "whole counsel of God" take this verse and say, "See, we can't judge! We have to accept everything!" And they create this environment where anything goes, and the biblical Christian is the one who ends up judged (which is totally hypocritical on the part of the proponents of not judging...see meme below). They seem to think this verse means, "Disregard the rest of what the Bible says, and disengage your brain while you're at it." That is clearly not what that verse means. If it was, then Jesus would not have said in John 7:24, Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. We are to agree with what God has said in His word, and judge when we see something that doesn't line up. That is part of Rightly dividing the word of truth. (Second Timothy 2:15). Matthew 7:1 and the whole "Don't judge" culture is the most common example I see of people misusing a verse out of context, but it is definitely not the only one being thrown around.
When it comes to false teachers, we need to follow the teaching in First John 1 (already stated above), and test the spirits. God has given us the Bible and the Holy Spirit, so you have everything you need in order to do that.
As a brief aside, I want to say that there are several things many proclaim to be false teaching, but do not actually fit that category. What is not false teaching? If you visit a church that is a very different tradition than yours, and they hold a different theological position than you do, that is not necessarily a false teaching. People can still hold orthodox biblical beliefs and disagree on minor, obscure teachings. True Christians agree on the essentials of the faith, but might differ on smaller, unclear things in the Bible. An example of this is the Calvinism vs. Arminianism controversy (simply put, this is a disagreement between those who believe God Sovereignly ordained our salvation versus those who believe we freely choose Christ ourselves. It's the difference between God's Sovereignty versus man's free will). Both positions have scriptural basis, and most Christians fall somewhere in the middle on this teaching, agreeing with aspects of both sides). Other examples of non-essential but controversial teachings include whether women should be pastors, the importance of speaking in tongues, etc. For these and other controversial teachings, we should not demonize believers on other sides of these issues. If they truly are Christians, and are following what they believe the Bible teaches on these things, we can respect them, even if we feel led in another direction, and led to attend a different church. People who come to different conclusions than you, even if you believe they are incorrect, are not false teachers. We can politely agree to disagree.
Correct and Incorrect Warnings
As I said at the beginning it appears we have a lot of preachers and other influencers calling out false teachers, or at lest people they consider to be false teachers. As we have seen, there is a biblical basis for calling out false teachings, and for warning people to stay away from them. Here are some times when something like this might be right:
*If there is a new preacher making an unbiblical stand, and people are starting to be interested in it. I think God-fearing teachers are called by God to speak the truth.
*Something very bold has been said by a false teacher, and believers need to have a response to that.
*There is an influence becoming prevalent in our society that must be addressed.
As to what it should look like, I think pastors, teachers and other influencers should say something...and then be done. After we have said what we need to say, we should go back to teaching the Bible. People should be taught God's word a lot more than about false prophets. Federal agents learn about counterfeit money by studying real money. They learn the exact look and nuance of real money so that they can spot a counterfeit. That's how our study of truth should be. If we focus more of the false teachers than on God, that is the problem right there.
If you look at the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, very little of it was warning about false teachers. It's in there, but it isn't the primary thing that is being focused on. As we have seen by the scriptures already shared, even when warnings against false teachers are given, very few names of false teachers are used. This is not to say we shouldn't call them out by name. There are a few instances where this happens scripturally. However, far more commonly, Jesus and the apostles warn about specific teachings that are false.
If there is a false teacher out there, it is important to note that they will fade away one day. In Acts 5:38-39, Gamaliel, who was not even a Christian, wisely said, For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God. He said this in reference to the Jewish leaders who were persecuting the Apostles. This is true today. If someone is really of God, God will authenticate their ministry and give them success. If it isn't of God, it will ultimately come to nothing.
I remember back in the early 2000's, when I was in Bible college. Rob Bell (a midwestern pastor) was very popular at the time, and remained so throughout the decade. While many loved him, he rankled my spirit. I felt like I was the only one who saw how false he was. He used scripture, but ultimately challenged the basic tenets of our faith. He was hailed by the Christian world, even called "The Next Billy Graham" by the Chicago Sun. I was young and inexperienced in my 20's then, and felt like I was the only person in the world who faithfully kept to the truth, instead of being wowed by this false teacher. However, within a few years, Rob Bell exposed himself as a fraud, and is no longer honored by evangelicals. His work wasn't of God, and it collapsed. He still has a following, but not among Bible-believers. By this time, I was in my thirties, and it was a faith-building experience for me. It made me realize that I had nothing to worry about. God preserves His church, and He doesn't need my panic about it. I am not the only faithful one who sees the truth, even if I feel like it at times. Elijah had to be reminded in First Kings 19 that God always has a remnant (verse 18). I might have had some extra discernment during Rob Bell's heyday, and I saw him for what he was before it became obvious, but I surely wasn't the only one, and others eventually saw it too. The truth always eventually comes out (Luke 8:17), and it sets us free (John 8:32).
My husband and I visited a church in another state we lived in. I'll refer to it as Community Church. I would say we went there about six weeks before finding a church that was a better fit for us. At Community Church, the pastor would start with a scriptural passage, but would then start complaining about false teachers. He viewed Rick Warren as a false teacher, and would spend ten minutes talking him down, being mean and sarcastic, and making fun of him. He would mock him in a very juvenile and mean voice. This went on every week. He didn't limit his taunts to Rick Warren. He was also very down on Sarah Young, author of the book Jesus Calling. He viewed this book as teaching women how to have a sexual relationship with Jesus (which is not true at all. It was clear he had not read it). He would make fun of these and other prominent Christians every week, and yet never once did he actually say what they taught that he viewed as wrong. He never compared a quote they made against the Bible. He just made fun of them, and called on all of us to boycott Hobby Lobby for selling their books.
In saying this, I am not defending Rick Warren or Sarah Young. I don't follow either very closely. I have never heard Rick Warren teach false doctrine, but I disagree with some of his methods of ministry, and there are some things that made me a little bit uncomfortable (there have been many rumors of false doctrines he has taught, including saying that he wanted to merge Christianity and Islam, but in researching it, I found no basis of truth in this claim. I may be wrong, but I don't believe Rich Warren was trying to do this). As for Sarah Young's book, I did read it when it first came out. There were things I liked, but I could see why some might not be comfortable. It is written in first person, as if Jesus is talking directly to you. Everything is biblical, but it isn't Jesus' exact words, so I can see where it would be a little bit concerning. I have no desire to re-read it. I just don't think it is downright evil, and I don't think boycotting Hobby Lobby for selling it is really going to change anything. I felt Community Church's pastor's time would have been better served by simply teaching God's word.
Similarly, John MacArthur spends a great deal of his time calling out others. His most recent victim is Beth Moore. I'll be honest, I have never cared for Beth Moore. Her personality and delivery have always rubbed me the wrong way. I didn't feel her teaching was necessarily bad, but I just didn't enjoy her. In recent years, she has changed her beliefs and has gotten somewhat off-base. She left the Southern Baptist Convention (which is my denomination, incidentally), and has adopted a more egalitarian viewpoint. Some of the things she has said seem a bit odd to me. If she is off-base, my thought is that we just shouldn't follow her. But John MacArthur has wasted countless hours speaking against her and warning people not to listen to her. He has been insulting and rude, which is not biblical either (...Love is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude... First Corinthians 13:4b-5a). He is making her name prominent by doing this, thus accomplishing the opposite of what he is trying to do. I have already written a post about John MacArthur (My Concerns with John MacArthur, April 16, 2021). I believe he spends way too much time condemning others (who may be in the wrong, but are often just on a different page than him on non-essential doctrines). I am originally from the Los Angeles area (where in his church is located) and have had very close ties to people in his ministry. It has been almost entirely unpleasant. He and his followers have a long history of fighting people, instead of remembering that we wrestle not against flesh and blood...(Ephesians 6:12). I'm not saying it is wrong to initially warn against someone who is teaching incorrect doctrine, but don't dwell on it. Jesus didn't. The Apostle Paul didn't. There is a time and place, but making false teachers (or perceived false teachers) the focus means that they've won. it's better to let them hang themselves, like Rob Bell did.
The Bible is very clear about what false teaching looks like. If you encounter it, address it. Then move on with studying God's word. I'm going to close with Paul's admonishment to Timothy:
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. -Second Timothy 4:2-5
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