False Prophets and Teachers Deceive Many

False Teachers – Bible Warnings – Mt.7:15-20; 24: 2Cor.11:4-15; 1 John 4:3; 2:22; 2 Ptr.1:21; 2:1-22 Jude 3-4

In God’s word, our Christian Bible, God often spoke through prophets. The prophets were special people, like Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel,

or Jeremiah who were given the great responsibility of being a spokesperson for God. (Some of these prophets like Isaiah and

Nathan were treated with reverence and respect; while others like Jeremiah and Elijah were ridiculed, persecuted and despised.

(Many were actually martyred!) The word “prophet” means to bubble forth, like a fountain. The term is meant to imply that one

is receiving an announcement directly from God, and that word, or vision, “bubbles forth’” or pours forth for others to receive.

Also, a prophet is meant to receive a message from God; It could be in a vision, or in a dream, or audible to the prophet’s mind –

then the prophet was to communicate the message to the people. Often, a King like David (Nathan), or King Hezekiah (Isaiah) would

listen to or seek the counsel of a true prophet of God. Discerning, obedient Kings would heed the words of God’s prophets.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter called a true prophetic message something “completely reliable.” (2 Ptr 1:19) A prophecy’s

origin is not in the human will, Peter said, but rather, “Prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the

Holy Spirit.” (2Ptr 1:21) As usual, Peter makes a wonderful point (God’s Holy Spirit actually). We should use the discernment of the

Holy Spirit to identify who is acting as a false prophet; and, since we know that the Bible is the word of God, we can do as the

Bereans always did (Acts 17:11) and “test the spirits” (1 John 4)to see if the message is consistent with God’s inspired Word.

(1Th.5:21) We should invariably ask: Is this biblical? We must test and we must judge and compare behavior with Scripture. Jesus

encouraged us to determine what sort of fruit is this “prophet of God” producing. “We will know them by their fruits.” (Mt 7:15-20)

Jude agonizes (Greek – agonitsumei) greatly against false prophets. He encourages the subject to strive with and refute those who

traffic in false doctrine because Christians should be devoted to biblical truth. In Jude 3-4 Jude appeals to the Church, “To contend

for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain (false prophets / teachers JB) have crept in unnoticed ungodly

people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Dr. Voddie Baucham

quotes D.A. Carson establishing that false prophets do in fact exist: “Warnings against false prophets are necessarily based on the

conviction that not all prophets are true; that the truth can be violated and the gospel’s enemies usually conceal their hostility and

try to pass themselves off as fellow believers.” These are “savage wolves” who would corrupt the minds of the faithful. Mt,7-15-20

While a prophet is one who receives and then offers the Word of God, a false prophet is one who receives a word by other means,

such as sorcery, divination, or fortune telling. The word could come from their own mind, or be demonically influenced. These

kinds of messages are, of course, not from God and should never be trusted. Sometimes in the Bible, individuals would pose as

true prophets to mislead the people. False prophets also offered signs and wonders (from Satan) as a way to entice people to

follow other gods, instead of the Lord; (Deut 13:1-3) “When a false prophet is discovered, you should purge him from among you…

put him to death.”

God’s inspired word from the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy 13, on False Prophets is worth our careful consideration at this point.

Ultimately, the teaching of false prophets will lead those without discernment away from the Lord. JB The first of the Ten Commandments warns against idolatry. Deuteronomy 13 continues with a warning not to tolerate idolatry in verses 6-18.

God speaks harshly against false prophets, occult practices, and other means of sorcery. God describes a false prophet as one who

“presumes to speak in My name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods.”(Deut18:20)

In Jeremiah 14:13-16, God says these evildoers prophesy lies, offering “false visions, divinations, idolatries, and the delusions

of their own minds.”(Recount the troubling story of Balaam.) In Deuteronomy 18, God warns His people not to engage in divination,

cast spells, or consult mediums, nor listen to anyone who speaks in the name of other gods. God notes in Jeremiah 23:30-32 that

He is “against” false prophets; and in Zechariah 13:3 says they must be stabbed to death by their own parents. God explains in

Deuteronomy 18:22 that if what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place, that is a message the Lord has

not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. God commands us not to respect a false prophet and to put him to death.

(* Apparently, this is something God takes far more seriously than we do in modern times.)

In Acts of the Apostles chapter 13, an encounter between Paul and a sorcerer called Elymas took place. This magician was a false

prophet attempting to turn Sergius Paulus away from the Faith. Paul and Barnabas were offering the word of God to the proconsul

of Paphos. When the sorcerer tried to oppose their teaching, a Holy Spirit filled Paul verbally lashed out at the man, causing him to

go blind. The proconsul was amazed at this righteous display of power and he believed. (Acts 13:4-12)

The apostle Peter warned about “false teachers,” much like false prophets, who will ”secretly introduce destructive heresies” These

evil doers will be “paid back with harm for the harm they have done” (2 Ptr 2:13; read 2 Ptr 2:1-22) To contrast, consider Peter’s

assurance of truth and reliability! 2 Ptr 1:16 “For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the

power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” CSB (see also, 2Tim.3-4) The Apostle

Paul encouraged Christians to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed , rightly

dividing the word of truth.” 2Tim.2:15 KJV Do not ever disengage your mind.God gave us a mind for a reason. He desires that we

use it. Matt.22:37 (JB will address the issue on the dangers of Meditation and “clearing one’s mind” in an upcoming article.)

Jesus spoke to His disciples about the end times. He warned that false prophets would appear in an attempt to mislead and deceive

even God’s chosen ones that the Son of God had returned. (Mt 24:24) Don’t listen or heed their guidance, we are told. Rather, stay

vigilant and be ready. Jesus said, for “about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only

the Father.” (Mt 24:36) (Beware of men claiming to know the day of the end – use list) The Apostle Paul warns in 2Timothy 4:1-5,

that a time will come when people will turn from the truth and instead entertain teachers who say what they want to hear, offering

myths rather than God’s word. Beware of self promoting teachers who regularly search for opportunities to provide a “popular

message” to an overly receptive audience. Such messages are often flawed and will benefit the speaker and not the hearer. Such

messages can be quite damaging to the audience. These ear ticklers tend to be false prophets who love to preach to the choir.

Pastor John MacArthur suggests that Paul believed that the hearers of heresy in Galatia were actually “bewitched by false

prophets;” and without the awesome temptations faced by Darrin Stephens! (Bewitched by False Prophets – MacArthur YouTube)

These false teachers are running a dangerous gauntlet if one considers the penalty of adding to, or taking away from the word of

God is to incur the curses contained within the pages of the Bible. If one believed that there was a God, and that that God was the

God of the Christian Bible, one would be extremely cautious about making false statements concerning the word of God! JB

In The Rise of the Cults (YouTube) Dr. Walter Martin makes a valuable contribution to the topic of false prophets in the Church.

Speaking in Matthew 24, Jesus stresses the importance of not being falsely deceived, saying “Take heed that no one deceive you.”

At the end of the age, which we are currently in, Jesus said “the ultimate sign of His coming would be the rise of false Christs, false

prophets, and false teachers who would speak out in the name of God and lead people into eternal spiritual death.” Martin states

that “the rise of the cults is evil, it uses the vocabulary of Christianity and uses the name of Jesus.” Citing Pauls’s words in 2COR 11,

Martin points out that “Satan is the actual architect of the devilish scheme to undermine the Christian Faith.” These deceiving false

prophets are therefor, “ministers of Satan.” Not unlike witches, these deceivers can draw upon occultic power. This power does not

come from the Lord, but from “the god below” instead. (Anton LaVey from Walter Martin’s “Witchcraft and Satanism” YouTube)

These cultists are charlatans; they lack a genuine belief in the word of God. The Jesus of the cults is always a counterfeit. JB

In John 14:6, Jesus unambiguously tells us that He is the only path to God. (Never allow others to get away with the statement that

Jesus did not claim to be Lord.) He demonstrated His divinity and accepted worship reserved for God alone as well. Any genuine

believer would be terrified, as Paul and Barnabas were at Lystra in Acts 14:11-22, to accept the worship reserved for a jealous God.

(On a fascinating side note, a highly mercurial crowd in Lystra would stone Paul to death a short time later at the prodding of vile

Jews regularly harassing Paul during the course of his missions. In what had to be one of the great “See, I told you so” moments in

the history of mankind, a resuscitated Paul boldly marched back into town and “laid down” the Gospel on his would be killers before

marching more than 20 miles to Derbe the next morning. Woh!) Jesus would accept, and even encourage, the kind of worship

reserved for God alone! “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe based on the evidence of the

works themselves.” (John 10:38; 14:11) Just as Jesus’ enemies could not produce His corpse following His predicted resurrection;

neither could they deny His supernatural works!

America’s original “Bible Answer Man,” Walter Ralston Martin provides his usual cogent commentary on this critical issue of false

prophets and teachers in the Church. In Dr. Walter Martin’s “Doctrines of Demons” (video) YouTube, he asks, “What is the primary

doctrine of the devils? Martin states that it is this: “the denial that Jesus Christ is really God in human flesh.” This is across the

board the denial of the occultic and cultic world. Bringing together 1John chapter 4 and John chapter 1, Martin restates the words

of the Apostle John that, “In the beginning was the word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the word became

flesh and dwelt among us.” “Whoever denies that God became man is teaching the doctrine of the devil.” 1Jn.2:22

Dr. Martin goes on to cite 2COR.11:3-4 which “tells us there is another Jesus, a counterfeit Jesus who resembles the Christ of the

Bible but is not God in human form.” The Jesus of the Mormons, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Jesus of the occultic world all

serve Satan’s purposes by distracting those in need of redemption from a true God and Savior. (Titus 2:13) The false teachers are

following and sustaining the teaching of the demons and are undermining New Testament Christianity. John MacArthurs delivers

his usual lucid commentary by stating that, “If anyone worships anything other than the true God, or the true Christ, they are a

worshiper of demons. If you are a Muslim, for instance, and you are worshiping Allah, you are worshiping demons. These demons

are deceivers and impersonators of the true God.” (Is Jesus the Only Way? – YouTube) During the course of my research on New Age

Spirituality, I have become convinced that those involved in Eastern religious practices, such as meditation, are actually summoning

demonic entities.These demonic deceivers are filled with hatred for mankind and are bent on the destruction of the unsuspecting

host.. (JB) MacArthur concludes that “Demons are behind all false religions and are acting as servants of Satan – the

Father of lies.” They may appear to be angels of light but they are in fact demonic counterfeits. (JB)

We should trust only in Jesus and the Word of God as given to us all in the Bible. We cannot know God apart from knowing His

word. It is impossible to love someone, God for instance, if you do not really know them. We must not shun doctrine and theology

in favor of feelings and delusions. Knowledge and discernment should be our touchstone. Phil.1:9 If we are “bein Berean,” as was

demonstrated in Acts 17:11, we should make sure the word of a prophet does not contradict the Bible. (1 John 4:1-6) Kudos to

prescient “prophetess” Constance Cumbey who regularly points out that “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 antichrist.” 1 John 4:1-5; 2:22

(Where the antichrist/Maitreya and the coming NWO is concerned, Cumbey has been “over the target” since the early 1980s!)

The ever reliable biblicists at GotQuestions.orghave developed a superior and informative approach for recognizing and dealing with false prophets. (JustBelief.org recommends the work of the GotQuestions staff in the highest possible terms; I rely on them often for my own educational benefit.)

Should we allow false teachers in our home? | GotQuestions.org (The staff article is reproduced here ‘in full.’)

The short letter of 2 John is written in part to warn believers against the influence of false teachers. John identifies them as those “who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” and describes them as deceivers and antichrists (2 John 1:7). He goes on to say in verse 10 that, if anyone comes teaching a falsehood about Jesus Christ, “do not take them into your house or welcome them.” Does this prohibition refer to those who knock on our doors today, such as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses? Are we to deny members of these sects access to our homes?

It is important to understand the doctrine that John was defending. In saying, “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh,” John affirms that Jesus is both fully God and truly man. He also addressed this issue in 1 John 4:2, telling his readers how to identify false teachers and the spirits who drive them. The first test of a true teacher/prophet of God is that he proclaims that Jesus is God incarnate (see John 1:14). A godly teacher will teach both the full deity and true humanity of Christ. The Holy Spirit testifies to the true nature of Christ, while Satan and his demonic host deny that true nature. The Gnostics of John’s day denied the true humanity of Christ. Today, there are many who deny the full deity of Christ—such as the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses—and John identifies them as deceivers and antichrists.

It is also important to understand the context of John’s epistle. John is writing to “the elect lady and her children” (2 John 1:1). This lady was engaged in a ministry of hospitality. In the name of Christian love (verse 6), this kind-hearted woman was receiving itinerant preachers into her home, providing room and board for them, and sending them on their way with her blessing. John writes this quick note to her to warn her about the many false teachers who would gladly take advantage of her generosity. Her love needed to be tempered by truth. Boundaries had to be drawn. Hospitality should not be extended to charlatans, hucksters, and the devil’s own emissaries. That’s why John tells her, “Do not take them into your house or welcome them” (verse 10). And he tells her why: “Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work” (verse 11).

John gives the hospitable lady a litmus test: what does the traveling preacher teach about Jesus Christ? If he is presenting the full deity and full humanity of Christ, then he can be welcomed into her home as a guest. However, if the teacher mitigates, obscures, or equivocates on the fact that Jesus is fully man and fully God, then the lady is to have nothing to do with him. Such false teachers are not to receive help from believers, not even so much as a greeting. To give material aid or spiritual encouragement to the purveyors of false doctrine is to partake in their wickedness (verse 11).

What should be our response, then, when cultists or false teachers come knocking at the door? It is not wrong to share the truth with them or to relate our testimony. We are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). However, we must be careful not to do anything that would give the appearance that we approve of their message. We should never invite them into our home for an extended stay, donate money to their cause, or allow them to conduct a “Bible study” with us.

Here are some things to remember: First, cultists are master deceivers who are well trained in techniques that will confuse those whose knowledge of Scripture is limited. Well-meaning and compassionate souls (like the elect lady in 2 John) can be coaxed to dialogue with cultists and then be fooled by them. Second, Christians are of Christ; cultists are anti-Christ (2 John 1:7), no matter how kind, sincere, and charming they may appear. Third, believers should not give the cultists or anyone else the impression that the cult has legitimate claims, doctrines, or opinions. Fourth, Jesus tells us to “watch out” for false teachers (Matthew 7:15), and Paul tells us to “avoid them” (Romans 16:17) and declares them to be “accursed” (Galatians 1:8). Therefore, we should build no close associations with those who teach a false gospel. Fifth, John tells the lady in 2 John not to “welcome” a false teacher (or “bid him God speed” in the KJV). This phrase in the Greek means “to cheerfully or joyfully hail someone.” In other words, we are not to bless false teachers or wish them well.

We are to be always ready with an answer for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15), but we must do so in the Holy Spirit’s power, following His lead. When cultists or false teachers knock at the door, it could be an opportunity to relate the truth about Jesus to them, or it could be an opportunity to “leave them; they are blind guides” (Matthew 15:14). In any case, we must rely on the Lord’s wisdom (James 1:5) and be cautious not to cast our pearls before pigs (Matthew 7:6).