Introduction
II Peter 2:1 – “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
The next few posts will be occupied with false teachers. It is not my goal to identify every false teacher. Instead, I will rather teach principles from the word of God so that every reader can identify a false teacher when they see one. Not everyone who is teaching in front of a camera with their Bible open is a man of God. Not every man who stands behind a pulpit is of God. Not every Tom, Dick, and Harry who carries a Bible under his arm is obedient to the heavenly calling. Some men are men of God who are preaching truth; others are the devil’s ministers who are preaching lies. The importance of identifying false teachers cannot be overstated.
There are three principles at which we will look. These principles regarding false teachers will help us identify false teachers and avoid their poison. These principles are found in the eleventh verse of the book of Jude:
Jude 11 – “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”
Jude gives three Old Testament illustrations that serve as an example of false teachers. Some false teachers can be identified because they go in the way of Cain; others because they run after the error of Balaam; and others because they bear the marks of Korah. Beginning with my next post, we will look at these three Biblical illustrations and how they relate to false teachers.
Doctrine is Supremely Important
When you hear a preacher or a teacher, you should be able to clearly identify what he or she is teaching. We call a man’s teaching his “doctrine.” In the day in which we live, doctrine takes a back seat to almost everything. However, that which a teacher is teaching is the most important trait about him. If he is teaching false doctrine, he is a false teacher, regardless of his personality, his use or abuse of “gifts,” or the size of his ministry.
MIRACLES
Suppose that there are two churches in your town. The first church has a pastor who performs miracles on a regular basis. His congregation speaks regularly of seeing the miraculous. The second church has a pastor who never does anything counted as miraculous, but instead he preaches the word of God. He teaches sound doctrine from the Bible, equipping his church to win souls, and feeding his people with the bread of heaven. Which pastor would you say has the superior ministry? If your answer is the pastor of the first church, the miracle-working pastor, you are set up to be deceived. Let me educate you.
In the Bible, we are told that a false prophet is coming to this earth during the Great Tribulation. Revelation 13:11 speaks of the false prophet, saying, “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” Notice – this beast coming up out of the earth, the false prophet, had two horns like a lamb, but notice how he speaks – “he spake as a dragon.” Keep this in mind. I will expound on it in a moment. Notice what else John says about this beast.
Revelation 13:13-15 – “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.”
This beast does great wonders. He makes fire come down from heaven. He even DOES MIRACLES, and John says he deceives people with those miracles! One of the first things John says about the false prophet is that he “speaks like a dragon.” He does miracles, but he speaks like a dragon! It does not matter how many miracles he does; notice what he SPEAKS! What is he SAYING? That is the important question to ask regarding those who are teaching. It doesn’t matter how many miracles they do; it matters what they are teaching. If their teaching does not line up with the Bible, then stay away from them! If they are speaking like a dragon, that is, their teachings do not line up with God’s word, then you’d be better off to steer clear of them!
So, which pastor is more spiritual? The one who is doing the miracles, or the one who is teaching sound doctrine from God’s word? Clearly, a man may do miracles, and yet may not be sent from God. In your Bible there is a man by the name of John the Baptist. Two things are true of John the Baptist. First, it is true that John the Baptist was the greatest man who ever lived, according to Christ.
Matthew 11:11 – “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.”
Second, it is true that John the Baptist never performed a miracle.
John 10:41 – “And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.”
John did no miracle, but the things he SAID were true. John was a true prophet. He performed no miracle, but in Matthew 3:1, we are told that John the Baptist came PREACHING! He preached truth, and was therefore superior to every minister who thinks his ministry is validated because he works miracles.
PROPHESYING
Suppose again that there are two churches in your town. The first church has a pastor who spends much of his ministry prophesying. That is, he points people out in the congregation and tells them what God has told them. The second church has a pastor who never prophesies in this manner. Instead, he simply preaches the word of God. Which pastor would you deem more spiritual than the other? If you think that the man who prophesies is more spiritual than the man who merely preaches the word of God, you again are set up to be deceived. Notice carefully what Jesus says.
Matthew 7:22-23 – “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
What could be plainer? A man or woman is not spiritual because he or she prophesies. As a matter of fact, Christ plainly states that on the Day of Judgment, some will be lost in spite of their prophesying! When men say, “Lord, I have prophesied in your name,” He will respond with the words, “I NEVER knew you!” Can you not see it? It is possible for you to prophesy, cast out devils, perform miracles, and do it all as an individual who has never been saved a day in your life! Clearly, the pastor of the second church, the man who never prophesies, but who preaches the sound doctrine of the word of God has the superior ministry.
DREAMS, VISIONS, AND SO-CALLED REVELATIONS
Suppose again that there are two churches in your town. The first church has a pastor who is always hearing voices via dreams and visions. He has so many visions that he is constantly referring to “the last vision I had.” The second church has a pastor who never speaks of dreams or visions, but preaches the sound doctrine of God’s word on a regular basis. Who, in your opinion, has the greater ministry? No doubt, some of my readers would be impressed with the pastor of the first church mentioned. Let us turn to the word of God to see whose ministry is greater.
When a man says, “I have seen a vision,” there is no way for me to verify it. It could be that he has seen such a vision; it could be that he is mistaken. However, I know that the apostle Peter saw a vision. In his second epistle, he writes about it.
II Peter 1:16-18 – “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.”
“We were eyewitnesses of Christ’s majesty,” Peter recalls. Peter is able to tell the reader how, on the Mount of Transfiguration, he saw the glory of God. He saw Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah. He heard a voice of heaven. I do not know if you have had a vision or not, but I know Peter had a vision. He testifies of it in the word of God. After Peter tells the details of the vision on the mountain, look at his very next words:
II Peter 1:19 – “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.”
Immediately after telling of his vision on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter tells us that we have a more sure word of prophecy! What could be more sure than a vision? Perhaps my reader is saying, “If I had a vision like Peter had, I would be sure of my salvation.” Someone may be saying, “If I had a vision like Peter had, I would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am living a life that is pleasing to God.” But Peter said that we have something more sure than the vision he had! What a thought! I do not know about you, but if there is something that is surer than a vision, I want it! In the next verses, Peter tells us what it is that is surer than his vision on the mount. Read it carefully:
II Peter 1:20-21 – “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
Look at Peter’s first words in these verses – “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture…” He goes on to tell how the scriptures were written by “holy men of God” as “they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The written word of God, according to Peter, is superior to the vision Peter had on the Mount of Transfiguration!
Since it is plain that the written word of God is far superior to visions, why, when I have the written word, would I take a step down to seek for visions, dreams, and such? I have something much higher than that!
Dear reader, let me ask you a question. Which is more valuable to you, dreams and visions or the Bible? Which is superior to you, prophecies or the Bible? Which do you deem more important, the written word of God or miracles? If the Bible is not far superior to these other things in your eyes, then you are probably already deceived by false teachers. You probably already think that some man is a man of God when his teachings blatantly contradict scriptures.
What about these individuals who claim to have dreams, see visions, and hear voices? I do not have to give any answer regarding them. Even if a man really has a vision where an angel from heaven comes to him, notice Paul’s strong words:
Galatians 1:8 – “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
Paul, in essence, does not care about what an angel told you in a vision. If an angel tells you something that does not line up with scripture, let that angel be accursed – let him go to hell! It is therefore clear that God’s written word is far superior to anyone’s vision.
Conclusion
To put it plainly, I couldn’t care less about how many miracles a man performs. I am in no way moved by a man’s word of prophecy, or by his dreams and visions.
I mention these things because there are many today who run after false teachers because they prophesy. Many of these teachers do not know soup beans from apple butter about the Bible, but they prophesy. They are always having dreams and visions. They are always hearing voices. They don’t pay tithes; they don’t have a home church; they wander from place to place; they sit under no pastor; and what little they do teach is not sound doctrine.
Dear reader, when you hear a man teaching, find out what he is teaching. Just because he sees miracles performed does not mean he is a man of God. The antichrist will do miracles. The fact that he prophesies is no indicator of spirituality. Many, according to Christ, prophesy who have never been saved a day in their lives. Just because they have dreams and visions – even if angels visit them – does not mean that they are spiritual. If an angel comes with another gospel, Paul said to let that angel from heaven be accursed. The written word of God is far superior to miracles, prophecies, dreams, and visions. If they are not preaching the word of God, then they are false teachers.
