False Christs

[B-A-C]

Matt 7:15; "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Matt 24:11; "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

Matt 24:23; "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him.
Matt 24:24; "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
Matt 24:25; "Behold, I have told you in advance.
Matt 24:26; "So if they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe them.

Mark 13:21; "And then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ'; or, 'Behold, He is there'; do not believe him;
Mark 13:22; for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
Mar 13:23 "But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.

2 Cor 11:13; For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

2 Cor 11:26; I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;

Gal 2:4; But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

2 Pet 2:1; But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
2 Pet 2:3; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

1 Jn 4:1; Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 Tim 4:3; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

Over 15 verses in the new testament talk about false Christs... false apostles... false teachers... false doctrines...
even false brethren. I wonder why this is talked about so much? I wonder why there are so many warnings about this?

The Bible also warns about idols... what is an idol... a god of sorts. A false god.

Deut 29:17; moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which they had with them);
Rev 9:20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;

1 Cor 5:10; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
1 Cor 6:9; Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
1 Cor 10:7; Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY."
Rev 21:8; "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Rev 22:15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

If a false god (idol) is any god that is not the God of the Bible...
If Jesus is God... then would a false Christ be same thing as an idol?
People that believe in idols don't enter the kingdom of God. (why would they be in a kingdom of someone they don't believe in?)

These things are brought up from time to time here on TalkJesus, but I think it has been over a year since the last time.

I am of the opinion that some religions do not claim to be Christ at all. They aren't false Christs, they
don't claim to be Christs at all. Buddha, Allah, Shiva, Krishnu, none of those Gods claim to be Christ.

So who are false Christs? The word "Christian" is such because of the word "Christ". Who are those who claim to be Christ and are not? Millions of people believe in the false Christs. Matt 24:26 speaks of a false Christ that will be supposedly met out in the woods in some secret clandestine meeting. It says don't believe it.
..and yet a large church here in the US believes that Jesus met their leader(s) secretly out in the woods.

2 Cor 11:14; No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

Satan doesn't usually show himself as he is. He wants to appear benevolent. He wants us to believe he is a "good guy". Any God that is not the God of the Bible is a false god. Any Jesus that is not the Jesus of the Bible is a false Christ.

 

[B-A-C]

The word "doctrine" has almost become a dirty word among some Christians. and yet the Bible talks quite a bit about this also.

Eph 4:14; As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

1 Tim 4:6; In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.

1 Tim 6:1; All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.
1 Tim 6:3; If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,

2 Tim 4:3; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
Tit 1:9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Tit 2:1; But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.
Tit 2:7; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

What is this "sound doctrine" we are told in several verses to adhere to?

1 Tim 1:3; As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,
1 Tim 4:1; But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

What are these "strange doctrines" and "doctrines of demons" we are warned about?

Some people are surprised when these things are brought up. Some people believe these things don't matter. ... and yet 'these things" are all around us. Many of these false prophets, false brethren, false doctrines, false teachers... and even false Christs are spoken of here on TalkJesus. But unfortunately perhaps there is not enough talk against this.

 

[Hekuran]

The best defence against false doctrine is true doctrine. If we truly seek and know Jesus, then the appeal of the false teachers and prophets has little power to deceive.

John 10:3-5

The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.​

Same as Paul's instruction to Timothy to hold fast the faithful word.

I don't go out of my way to examine false doctrines. I believe it is far better to make sure that I know the truth as well as I am able, and that helps to identify falsehood when I come across it.