We might tend to think there are only two options when it comes to our differences in Christianity. That we are either to be fully tolerant of all differences which can lead to a false gospel, or that we are to cry “false teacher” every time someone misinterprets a passage of Scripture. I’ll admit it’s easier to make everything black and white and to avoid or reject gray areas, but we aren’t called to that. Pursuing unity with someone of a different denomination or background does not mean endorsing or promoting every one of their teachings. It simply means that we acknowledge we are part of the same body and that we respect them as such. We need each other. Because it is going to take the whole body to build us up into completion.
In my post “3 Reasons Why Christians Should Have a Bias Toward Unity” I listed reasons why every Christian should seek to have a bias toward unity, even when we don’t agree with other Christians. There are many things we can agree to disagree about, and more often than not, we should. But we can’t dismiss the warnings in Scripture to beware of false teachers.
This warning has raised common questions such as, “is it okay to sing songs that were written by that church?” Or “should we be listening to this podcast or reading that book?” You may have a conviction about which music or content is acceptable and which music you wish to avoid. And I think that is perfectly fine.
Though I have yet to find a teacher who gets everything right all the time, there are definitely some teachers we should avoid. They are false teachers. Here are four red flags according to the Bible that someone is a false teacher:
1. False Teachers Have Rotten Fruit
- In Matthew 7, Jesus gives the warning to “beware of false prophets.” He says that “you will know them by their fruit.” Just as a good tree bears good fruit, a bad tree bears bad fruit. It won’t be hard to spot them if we test the spirits (1 John 4:1) and look at the fruit. Galatians 5 lists the fruits of the spirit which are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This is what good fruit looks like.
- If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 1 Timothy 6:3-5
- As the old saying goes, “the person who points the finger has three fingers pointing back at him.” We should be most concerned about the person who has an “unhealthy craving for quarrels about words.” In other words, the person who cries “heretic” very well might be the person with the problem.
2. False Teachers Are Divisive
- Romans 16:17-18 says, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.“
- People who cause divisions and stir up arguments are “not serving our Lord.” A sign of a spirit-filled teacher is one who promotes unity and understanding.
- Matthew 24:24 “…false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”
3. False Teachers Deny Jesus and His Teachings
- This may be the most obvious red flag, but if someone denies Jesus, his teaching, or his power, then they are a false teacher. If someone preaches a Jesus that is not aligned with the Scripture (ie. any radical statement about his character or beliefs that does not align with Scripture) then that person is a false teacher.
- Jesus is the truth, and anyone who strays from Jesus is straying from the truth.
- “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.” 2 John 1:7
- “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 4:11
- “Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” 2 timothy 3:5
4. False Teachers Are Self-serving
- A sign of a false teacher is that they use their silver tongue to seduce people for selfish gain. It might look like convincing people to do immoral acts or exploiting them for financial gain.
- “False prophets will bring in destructive heresies… 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.” 2 Peter 2:2-3
- Jude 1:4 “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
A warning to believers who are quick to divide
- If a teacher that claims to be of God is clearly not of God because they are waving one of these red flags, then we should turn and run the other way. But if it is less than clear that the teacher in question is an antichrist or false teacher, we should not be so quick to cry “heretic.” Mark 9:40 says, “whoever is not against us is for us.” In other words, if they are not the enemy, we should not declare them as such.
- Even church discipline is meant for the purpose of restoration. I don’t see many examples in the Bible where we are to divide from other Christian bodies or denominations unless a core belief of that body or denomination is unreconcilable. (Ie., They are completely against morals and / or teachings of Jesus.)
- The warnings of false teachings in the Bible are almost always referring to something heavy and not trivial. In all of the passages about false teachers, none of them were talking about end-times theology or which version of the Bible we should use. They weren’t canceling another church because they misinterpreted a secondary issue. These were serious issues that centered around morality (ie., 1 Timothy 1:10 “…murderer, sexual immorality, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.”) If these egregious sins are not in the equation, then we should probably be striving for unity.