Hello again forum, I found this short article on how to recognize a
"False Teacher." 2Peter2:1 says that
there were "False Prophets" among the people just as
there will be "False Teachers", among all of you, here and now and even on this wonderful Christian Forum.
I have a desire within me that says I to want to see everybody
"Saved", don't you! I have never questioned as to why I have this desire inside to see everyone saved because I believe that God put that desire within me. Where I run into problems is that; I know God is not willing that "
anyone should perish" but that all should come to repentance, but
"ah ha", I know that not everyone will repent, and I truly understand that.
Sincerely I am hoping that by trying to understand those
"False Teacher's" who oppose the
"True Gospel" and who may never repent, I can be at peace inside with those who do not repent and maybe will never believe the gospel and be saved.
Quote: "Wherever God plants true Christians; the devil not far behind will plant; "a false gospel; preached by a false ministers; and producing false Christians."
You can read the entire article at this website:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-traits-of-false-teachers/
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Seven Traits of a False Teacher
2Peter2:1
But
there were also false prophets among the people, just as
there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--
bringing swift destruction on themselves.
“There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.” (
2 Peter 2:1)
There are no “
ifs, ands, or buts” in Peter’s words. It’s a clear and definite statement. There were false prophets among the people (of Israel in the Old Testament). That’s a matter of history. False prophets were a constant problem in the Old Testament, and those who falsely claimed to be prophets of God were to be stoned. The people
rarely had the will to deal with them, so they multiplied, causing disaster to the spiritual life of God’s people.
In the same way Peter says, “
There will be false teachers among you.” Notice the words “
among you.” Peter is writing to the church and says, “There will be false prophets
among you.” So he is not talking about New Age people on television. He is talking about people in the local church, members of a local congregation.
There is no such thing as a pure church this side of heaven. You will never find it. The wheat and the tares grow together. Warren Wiersbe writes:
"Satan is the counterfeiter. . . . He has a false gospel (
Galatians 1:6-9), preached by false ministers (
2 Corinthians 11:13-12), producing false Christians (
2 Corinthians 11:26). . . . Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants true believers (
Matthew 13:38).
Don’t Be Naïve
We must not be ignorant: “There will be false teachers among you” (2:1). So how do we apply this warning?
First, Peter’s plain statement reminds us that the church needs to be protected. Among the many wonderful people who come to through the doors of the church each year, some would do more harm than good.
They may seem the nicest of people, but they do not believe in the authority of the Bible or the exclusivity of salvation in Christ. We welcome such people, because they need Christ as much as we do, but we must not allow them to have influence in the church.
Second, skeptics will always be able to point to hypocrisy and inconsistency in the church. They’ve always done it, and they always will. One of the strangest reasons for not following Christ goes like this: “I’ve seen people in the church who are hypocrites.” So you will not follow Christ because some people who claim to do so are hypocrites?
The existence of the counterfeit is never a good reason for rejecting the genuine. Peter essentially tells us, “Of course there are counterfeit Christians. Of course there are teachers who do the church more harm than good. What else would you expect in this fallen world? Grow up! Don’t be naïve! Don’t miss what’s real simply because you have seen the counterfeit.”
Point to
2 Peter 2:1 the next time you meet someone hiding behind this excuse.
Attribute: Author Colin Smith
Colin Smith, (MPhil, London School of Theology) is senior pastor of
The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a multi-campus church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and his ministry extends through his radio program
Unlocking the Bible. He is also committed to mentoring next generation pastors, missionaries, and church-planters through
The Orchard Network. Colin and his wife, Karen, have two married sons and five granddaughters.