10 Facts About False Teachers

Scripture gives us some important information about false teachers. To study these in depth, see today's Bite Size Bible Study.

1. False teachers are skilled at presenting themselves in a positive light (Matthew 7:15).  

2. They have a “form of godliness,” using Scripture and including some truth with their error (2 Timothy 3:1-5).(1)

3. They're often powerful individuals, and Satan is usually behind their popularity (Matthew 24:24).(2)

4. They cause divisions, especially with Christians who recognize their errors (Romans 16:17; Galatians 1:6-10).(3) 

5. They have followers (2 Corinthians 11:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:11).
We should never assume that a teacher's popularity is a sign of anointing from God.

6. They “secretly introduce” their false beliefs, hiding their errors with convincing explanations (2 Peter 2:1).(4)

7. Some will even claim to be the Messiah (Matthew 24:5).(5)

8. False prophets are forerunners to the Antichrist, drawing people away from the truth (1 John 2:18). 

9. They redefine Christ (2 John 1:6-11; 2 Corinthians 11:4).

10. They seldom have biblical lifestyles (2 John 1:6-11; Matthew 7:15-20).(6) 

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(1)  See Satan's Twists and Turns,  5 Ways Satan Speaks, and 3 of Satan's Half-Truth Tactics.
(2)  See The Difference Between God and Satan and  Understanding Why Satan Has Power.
(3)  See Don't Believe Anything that Contradicts Scripture.
(4)  See Deceptive Evangelism.
(5) The Church of Almighty God is a modern example.
(6) See Extravagant Love and The Lifestyle of a False Teacher.

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Archive of 1-minute devotions about false teachers and false teachings: 

Right is Right

3 Requirements for Discernment

3 Characteristics of False Teachers

How False Teachers Help Us

Are You Defending False Teaching?

The Right Way to Check out Christian Teachers

7 Claims of False Teachers

Jesus Calling: Are Sarah Young's Claims Biblical

The Power and Limit of Words

Mormonism

Know-it-all Followers

Checking the Source

Examining "The Shack"

Bible Love Notes

The Good News and the Bad News

Some military wives were complaining about the demands of their husbands' careers. 

However, when a non-military wife joined in, they switched sides. It was fine for them to criticize their lifestyle, but not an outsider.(1)

I feel this same way about Christianity. I agree with this quote about the Church, written by a fellow Christian:

“No institution has accomplished so much good in this world; none has fallen so short of its calling.”(2) 

When atheists bring up the Crusades, I admit the Crusades were terrible. But I remind them that atheistic Communist governments performed atrocities yesterday, and they have to go back 1000 years to find anything similar associated with Christianity.(3) 

When they claim Christianity is worthless, I’m quick to point out how many acts of benevolence the church has done throughout history.(4)   

But among my fellow Christians, I’m honest about our failures. We still have a great unfinished task.

Dear Christians, we need to daily read our mission statement in Matthew 28:18-20 and ask ourselves if we're taking it seriously.
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(1) I was one of those military wives, and while we might have complained about our hardships, we were fiercely proud of our husbands' service. 
(2) Daniel Taylor, The Myth of Certainty: Trusting God, Asking questions, Taking Risks (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 29.
(3) It's also important to remember that the Crusades were a response to Muslim terrorism. See Four Myths about the Crusades and Half-truths about the Crusades. 
(4) See Good Things Christians Have Done in Society, Good Deeds Done by Christians Often Go Unseen.

Bible Love Notes

I’m Pressing On, But I’m Not There Yet

I love modern Christian music as well as old hymns.

I especially like music that focuses on the Lord – His beauty, wonder, power, love, perfection, etc.

He’s the ultimate in awesomeness!

But I can’t sing the lyrics to some songs – the ones that claim I’m better than I am.

I don’t serve Jesus with every breath or every step. I’m not 100% sold out to God. I’m not "all in."

I want to be. But I’m not.

I don’t always do the right things or make the right choices.

Sometimes I lose my cool, lose my peace, forget to pray, and let my “old self” lead.

I can’t sing lyrics that make me sound better than I am.

Here’s the tune I can sing wholeheartedly:
"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me." Philippians 3:12

Bible Love Notes