(2 Peter 2:1-3, ESV) 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. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Part 1 - Understanding Biblical Truths Today: Heaven is for Real and Jesus Calling
Part 2 - Heretical Teachings: The Word of Faith Movement & "Prosperity Gospel"
Part 3 - Heretical Teachings: Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer
"Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that,
unless we love the truth, we cannot know it." Blaise Pascal
"A false interpretation of Scripture causes that the gospel of the Lord
becomes the gospel of man, or, which is worse, of the devil." Jerome
What is a prophet? How can I recognize a true prophet from a false prophet? A prophet is a messenger of God who carries a message directly and personally related and is held to 100% consistency with Scripture and 100% fulfillment of any predictive statements. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:15-22)
What is the difference between a prophet and a teacher? Both roles include the element of teaching, but a prophet claims a direct encounter with God (dream, vision, meeting, voice, event, etc.) where God revealed or spoke a particular message to him.
How can I recognize a true teacher from a bad teacher? A bad teacher from a false teacher? A bad teacher may misunderstand issues in Scripture or just do a poor job at instructing and exhorting people. A false teacher teaches “a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:3) and goes against “sound doctrines” (Titus 1:9) specifically with an understanding towards who God is, what salvation is, and what the Scriptures say.
Isn’t it wrong to publicly call out preachers, teachers, Christians, etc.? The issue of “opinions” between Christian brothers is different from the issue of “false teachings.” Paul warns “not to quarrel over opinions” (v.1) in Romans 14, pointing out the dangers of “passing judgment” on a brother in Christ and how it can “destroy the work of God” (v.20).
However, God commands us to “judge” those inside the church when their lifestyles (1 Corinthians 5:9-13) do not line up with God’s Word. God also commands us to watch out for and confront false teachers who “teach a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 6:3). Pastors are specifically tasked by God in Titus 1:9 to (1) "hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught" (2) "give instruction in sound doctrine" and (3) "rebuke those who contradict it." The role of pastor includes the responsibility of specifically teaching truth and confronting error.
Should a false teacher be called out by name? If so, when? When a specific false teaching or teacher is affecting a body of believers (i.e. family, small group, church, denomination, region, nation), that false teaching and teacher must be named and confronted. Paul does this with both false teachings (1 Timothy 1:3-20 ; 6:2-10, Jude 1, 2 Peter 2, & many more) and with particular names (Alexander, Hymenaeus, & Philetus in 1 Timothy 1:20 and 2 Timothy 2:17)
What are some characteristics of false teachers? There are many examples of false teachers with common descriptions (Galatians, 2 Peter, 1 & 2 Timothy, 1 & 2 John, Jude) that they may look and sound like Christians but that there teachings and lifestyle are not consistent with Scripture. Here are some descriptors mostly from 2 Peter 2:
How can you call them false teachers when some of these people have doctrinal statements on their website and do many good things in getting the Bible and gospel into the hands of so many? Christianity is not a salvation of works and although some apparently “good fruits” may seem exist in these ministries, they only mask the lies. The ends of a ministry (apparent salvations, missions, good works) usually are self-serving (spreading their message) and do not justify their means (a false gospel). Jesus warns of false prophets coming who "come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15) and that not everyone who calls Him "Lord" is a true disciple (Matthew 7:21-23). The overall teachings and writings (fruit) must be considered and compared with their consistency with the scriptures ("the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Timothy 6:3 and "the trustworthy word as taught" Titus 1:9). God reminds us that "even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." (2 Corinthians 11:14-15, ESV)
When false teachers lead people to Christ, are these converts false believers? Not necessarily. If these believers have understood the gospel falsely, then their trust and faith in Jesus may be out of a greater love of Jesus’ gifts rather than Jesus. If they have become true followers of Jesus (confessing their sin (Romans 3:23), salvation by faith (a free gift) not by works (Romans 6:23), trusting in the finished work of Christ on the cross by calling to Him as Lord and Savior and believing in His resurrection (Romans 10:9-10)), they need to study the Word of God, test their teachers, and be extremely cautious before recommending a teacher to someone else (Acts 17:11, Ephesians 4:11-16).
Why are the “prayer rebukes” of Satan and his demons a problem? Why is this connected with false teachers? Prayer rebukes can be best described by those who practice naming particular spirits/demons (demon of falsehood, spirit of adultery, etc.) or speak towards the demonic ('I rebuke you' or 'I bind you'). This problem is scripturally seen in Jude 8-10 and 2 Peter 2:10-12.
Is it possible for false teachers to turn to truth and become true teachers? Yes, until we die, it is possible for anyone who is separated from God to turn to Him in salvation. Pray for their repentance and turning to the true Gospel of Christ.
If I have been following a false teacher, should I be embarrassed or ashamed? What does God want me to do in response to realizing that I was following a false teacher? If you find that you have been following a bad or false teacher, repent of believing the lies that you heard/read and put on God's truths and righteousness. If you have led or encouraged others towards those teachings/teachers, guide them into the truth. We must take our growth and maturity as Christians seriously, "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Ephesians 4:14).
Are there any examples of modern day false prophets? There are many people who make claims of prophecy in very overt and public ways that are easier to recognize (i.e. "God told me," "God appeared to me," "I had a dream," "God gave me a word"). Many claims of prophecy are more subtle, yet influential. Heaven is for Real by Colton, Todd, & Sonja Burpo and Jesus Calling by Sarah Young as examples of false prophecies? These are highly influential and popular titles that many Christians do not realize are false claims of prophecy.
Why is Heaven is for Real by Colton, Todd, & Sonja Burpo an example of a false prophecy? The authors claim that Colton went to heaven and that what is shared within the book is a description of heaven. Since this is claimed to be a divine experience with God the Father, Son, & Spirit, it must be 100% accurate (Deuteronomy 18:20-22) and consistent with what is already presented in Scripture about heaven (i.e. Isaiah 6, Revelation). Here are several errors within the books that demonstrate inconsistencies with Scripture, thus making Heaven is for Real an example of false prophecy and its authors false prophets:
- Jesus on a rainbow horse (p.63, vs. white horse in Rev 6 & 19)
- People with wings (p.72, 87, 121 vs. no biblical description that matches, only Seraphim and Cherubim are described with wings)
- Colton was deceived by his dad when relating his story (p.87 vs. Deut 18:22)
- Gabriel described sitting next to God's throne (p.101 vs. never being described in the Scriptures)
- Angels have swords to “keep Satan out of heaven” (p. 133 vs. Zechariah 3:1-2 - Satan's access to heaven and rebuke by words, not by swords, Job 1 & 2 – Satan's access to heaven, Jude 9 – Satan confronted by Michael with “the Lord rebuke you” and not a sword, 1 Chronicles 21 & Numbers 22 showing angels using swords vs. people not Satan)
- There are no bodies in Hell (p.136 vs. Matt 10:28, John 5:29, Luke 16, Daniel 12:2, Mark 9:43-48, Rev 20:13).
John MacArthur helpfully points out:
"For anyone who truly believes the biblical record, it is impossible to resist the conclusion that these modern testimonies—with their relentless self-focus and the relatively scant attention they pay to the glory of God—are simply untrue. They are either figments of the human imagination (dreams, hallucinations, false memories, fantasies, and in the worst cases, deliberate lies), or else they are products of demonic deception."
"We know this with absolute certainty, because Scripture definitively says that people do not go to heaven and come back: "Who has ascended to heaven and come down?" (Proverbs 30:4). Answer: "No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man" (John 3:13, emphasis added). All the accounts of heaven in Scripture are visions, not journeys taken by dead people. And even visions of heaven are very, very rare in Scripture. You can count them all on one hand."
- Heaven is for Real (review) by Tim Challies
- A Response to Heaven is for Real and similar works by Grace to You and John MacArthur
Why is Jesus Calling by Sarah Young an example of a false prophecy? Sarah Young claims in her introduction to have had a personal revelation with Jesus on multiple occasions (ix-xv). She states that the devotionals within her book have been directly given to her by God. Even though she claims her writings to not be on the same level of Scripture, she simultaneously claims her book to be divine revelation with God, making it necessary for her writings to be 100% accurate (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). She says “I have continued to receive personal messages from God as I meditate on Him...so I want to share some of the messages I have received” (xiii-xiv). She places her experiences and messages ahead of Scripture, weaving Scripture into her devotions as an almost afterthought. Her writings present an inaccurate and shallow view of Jesus, that is therapeutically focused on peace and comfort while ignoring Christ's commands towards obedience (descriptive rather than prescriptive). Her theology is also wrongly influenced by Keswick piety (higher/victorious life, second blessing) through Andrew Murray's The Secret of the Abiding Presence (xi).- 10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling by Tim Challies
- A Review of Jesus Calling by Dr. Michael Horton
- Jesus Calling (review) by Tim Challies
- Jesus is Calling for Kids (review) by Tim Challies
With these examples and responses I hope that you see the problem of false prophets and prophecies are more common and widespread in modern Christianity than you might have realized. Please check out parts two and three of this post to see the problems found through TBN, the Word of Faith movement, "prosperity gospel," and the spectrum of teachers such as Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer.
Part 2 - Heretical Teachings: The Word of Faith Movement & "Prosperity Gospel"
Part 3 - Heretical Teachings: Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer
