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Please help create a list of things we need to watch out for with false teachers

Active
Signs of false teachers, known by their fruit:

The fruit of a false teacher is self centeredness, it doesn’t matter how biblical his doctrines are, it doesn’t matter how well behaved he is in front of a crowd, or how prominent he is in his church, if he is using the word of God for his own ambition, material gain, to elevate himself above others, he is a false teacher. He is in it for himself, the classical narcissist with a charm. Specifics of a false teacher includes but is not limited to the following:

1) Everyone speaks well of him and he has an impeccable public (false) image. Jesus said woe to you when all men speak well of you, because false prophets are the ones whom EVERYONE lauds.
2) Peddling the word of God for profit (instead of freely give what was received as Jesus commanded)
3) Unable to accept objections or questions to his doctrines, uses his spiritual authority to issue curses or threats against opposers of his teachings
4) Lives extravagant lives and allows the poor and needy in his own congregations and community to continue in their suffering.
5) Only talks about grace and love, never preaches about sin and repentance, does not provide godly discipline to his church. Instead he comforts his flock who are stuck in the bondage of sin and lies to them that they are forgiven even if they are stuck in their sin perpetually.
6) Self indulgent lifestyles, storing up treasures here on earth rather than in heaven. The rich among the early church who truly believed shared their wealth with the church as recorded in the Book of Acts.
7) Lord it over others rather than act as servants and examples to his flock.
8) Loves and seeks the praises and admiration of people, flatters others for his own benefit
9) Likes to keep a high profile for his ministry and charity deeds, to boost his own fame and positive image
 
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Loyal
Signs of false teachers, known by their fruit:

The fruit of a false teacher is self centeredness, it doesn’t matter how biblical his doctrines are, it doesn’t matter how well behaved he is in front of a crowd, or how prominent he is in his church, if he is using the word of God for his own ambition, material gain, to elevate himself above others, he is a false teacher. He is in it for himself, the classical narcissist with a charm. Specifics of a false teacher includes but is not limited to the following:

1) Everyone speaks well of him and he has an impeccable public (false) image. Jesus said woe to you when all men speak well of you, because false prophets are the ones whom EVERYONE lauds.
2) Peddling the word of God for profit (instead of freely give what was received as Jesus commanded)
3) Unable to accept objections or questions to his doctrines, uses his spiritual authority to issue curses or threats against opposers of his teachings
4) Lives extravagant lives and allows the poor and needy in his own congregations and community to continue in their suffering.
5) Only talks about grace and love, never preaches about sin and repentance, does not provide godly discipline to his church. Instead he comforts his flock who are stuck in the bondage of sin and lies to them that they are forgiven even if they are stuck in their sin perpetually.
6) Self indulgent lifestyles, storing up treasures here on earth rather than in heaven. The rich among the early church who truly believed shared their wealth with the church as recorded in the Book of Acts.
7) Lord it over others rather than act as servants and examples to his flock.
8) Loves and seeks the praises and admiration of people, flatters others for his own benefit
9) Likes to keep a high profile for his ministry and charity deeds, to boost his own fame and positive image
Your #5 or #10 should be: "the church that he pastors does not excercise "Church discipline" The church disciplines everyone! He is not above "Discipline and Correction" He does not "Lord" over the flock of GOD . GOD'S ministers are "servants" and not "dictators" He is more accountable, "If the head is sick and in error, so will the body. "If the blind leads the blind, they all falls in the ditch"! although your number 3 shows light.

.
 
Active
Your #5 or #10 should be: "the church that he pastors does not excercise "Church discipline" The church disciplines everyone! He is not above "Discipline and Correction" He does not "Lord" over the flock of GOD . GOD'S ministers are "servants" and not "dictators" He is more accountable, "If the head is sick and in error, so will the body. "If the blind leads the blind, they all falls in the ditch"! although your number 3 shows light.

.

Yes, true teachers are role models, servants, self sacrificing shepherds. The modern day teachers are full of the exact opposite of that.
 
Active
Signs of false teachers, known by their fruit:

The fruit of a false teacher is self centeredness, it doesn’t matter how biblical his doctrines are, it doesn’t matter how well behaved he is in front of a crowd, or how prominent he is in his church, if he is using the word of God for his own ambition, material gain, to elevate himself above others, he is a false teacher. He is in it for himself, the classical narcissist with a charm. Specifics of a false teacher includes but is not limited to the following:

1) Everyone speaks well of him and he has an impeccable public (false) image. Jesus said woe to you when all men speak well of you, because false prophets are the ones whom EVERYONE lauds.
2) Peddling the word of God for profit (instead of freely give what was received as Jesus commanded)
3) Unable to accept objections or questions to his doctrines, uses his spiritual authority to issue curses or threats against opposers of his teachings
4) Lives extravagant lives and allows the poor and needy in his own congregations and community to continue in their suffering.
5) Only talks about grace and love, never preaches about sin and repentance, does not provide godly discipline to his church. Instead he comforts his flock who are stuck in the bondage of sin and lies to them that they are forgiven even if they are stuck in their sin perpetually.
6) Self indulgent lifestyles, storing up treasures here on earth rather than in heaven. The rich among the early church who truly believed shared their wealth with the church as recorded in the Book of Acts.
7) Lord it over others rather than act as servants and examples to his flock.
8) Loves and seeks the praises and admiration of people, flatters others for his own benefit
9) Likes to keep a high profile for his ministry and charity deeds, to boost his own fame and positive image

I posted the above list in haste but now I'll back up what I said with my own experiences in the institutionalized church and with Scriptures.

1) Everyone speaks well of him and he has an impeccable public (false) image. Jesus said woe to you when all men speak well of you, because false prophets are the ones whom EVERYONE lauds.

Luke 6:26 Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

2) Peddling the word of God for profit (instead of freely give what was received as Jesus commanded)

Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

So makes you wonder which Jesus is being preached in all those healing and miracle ministries that charge people for money, doesn't it?

And which Jesus is preached when the Gospel is not preached for free and people are coerced to put in their money to receive some kind of blessing from God?


2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which make merchandise of the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.

3) Unable to accept objections or questions to his doctrines, uses his spiritual authority to issue curses or threats against opposers of his teachings

Needless to say, terror, threats and zero tolerance to criticism is the halkmark of a CULT. Christian cults use the same tactic to scare people into blind obedience to their brainwashing.

I have experienced this even online on Youtube whereby a false teacher made an entire video, publicly naming and shaming me, calling me a son of the devil in that video (when he never even met me before) simply because I did not agree with his doctrines. Some Youtubers even pmed me later saying that they know he is a false teacher because his doctrines were wrong and he was even asking people for money.

4) Lives extravagant lives and allows the poor and needy in his own congregations and community to continue in their suffering.

6) Self indulgent lifestyles, storing up treasures here on earth rather than in heaven. The rich among the early church who truly believed shared their wealth with the church as recorded in the Book of Acts.

A false teacher can be very popular, say all the right things, even have an appearance of being a good person. But look at his lifestyle and it will reveal that greed and self indulgence drives him more than anything.

Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Jude 1:12 These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted

Jude 1:16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts

2 Peter 2:1:1-3 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. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 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.

2 Peter 2:18-19 With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity.


Don't forget what Jesus Himself said:

Matthew 6:19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

And if the rich teachers aren't helping the poor and needy, then they prove themselves to be false teachers and Jesus will say this to them:

Matthew 25:41-43 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.

Of course the above applies to ALL believers, but especially to teachers who are examples to the flock.

5) Only talks about grace and love, never preaches about sin and repentance, does not provide godly discipline to his church. Instead he comforts his flock who are stuck in the bondage of sin and lies to them that they are forgiven even if they are stuck in their sin perpetually.

These false teachers are deceptive because they make people feel good about themselves, so of course most ignorant and new believers will be soothed by their lies. But how different are their lies from the lie the devil said to Eve?

Genesis 3:4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.

The same lie that you can go ahead and sin but will not die for sin is being taught by these grace false teachers. Even worse, they add God's grace into it to make the lie even more convincing.

Jude 1:4 For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

It does not matter if you call yourself a Christian or not, the Gospel says you WILL die if you persist in sinning.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die

1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.


So if you know yourself to be a perpetual sinner (ie. the wicked), and even are comfortable being a sinner, then you have no place in the kingdom of God! This is the truth put forth by the Gospel, but your false grace teacher will never tell you this!
 
Active
Continued from above...

7) Lord it over others rather than act as servants and examples to his flock.

Matthew 20:25-27 “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave

1 Peter 5:1-3 I appeal to the elders among you: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.


So I wonder, how many teachers today, especially those who are considered great teachers are servants to their brethren like Jesus said and are living like examples to the flock when they are calling themselves reverends and fathers left and right, with big smiles plastered on their faces giving sermons about nothing but the grace and blessings of God which pretty much involves owning cars and private jets and living in luxury inside out from their ministries while in the Middle East and parts of Asia, their brethren are living in prisons, running from persecutors and killed for their faith? Its ironic isn't it?

8) Loves and seeks the praises and admiration of people, flatters others for his own benefit

9) Likes to keep a high profile for his ministry and charity deeds, to boost his own fame and positive image

Jude 1:16 These men are discontented grumblers, following after their own lusts; their mouths spew arrogance; they flatter others for their own advantage.

Matthew 6:1-2 Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.


False teachers do good and religious things for show, to be seen of men, but Jesus called them hypocrites. So the more a teacher wants to be seen for his miracles and charity, the more of a hypocrite he is, and a false preacher.
 
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Loyal
Deuteronomy 13:3
"you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul".

[ These men and women will come, and there will be many! ]

Matthew 18:7
Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man [or woman] through whom they come!

Luke 17:1
Jesus said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!

"and they have no fear and they do not understand" And without understanding when the "woe" shall fall upon them, they are totally devastated and in complete horrified and the rumbling of this horrification, even makes those who are near by, "knees quiver and shake."

Darby Bible Translation
"And if the righteous is difficultly saved, where shall the impious and the sinner appear?"

New Living Translation
Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
(Heb. 12:21).

The same GOD that was yesterday, is the same GOD today. " Jesus" The Son of GOD has testified to this. He is "Immutable". And His testimony is "True"!
Do you Believe without a doubt that The Words of Jesus are "TRUE"!

New International Version (Matthew 5:37). And Jesus said;
"All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

How does a false teacher response to the "Word of God' presented to him by the body of Christ", in times like these, when the "strong winds blows" what kind of fruit, falls from his tree, when "shaken by, a mighty wind"?

Christian Standard Bible (Rev.2:2).
"I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars."

The Definition for:
apostles.
ἀποστόλους (apostolous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's Greek 652: From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ.

For the edification and reminder unto The Body of Christ.
That we may not forget.
 
Loyal
I'm not really on the lookout for false teachers. They seem to be ten a penny on youtube and the like.

Good and faithful teachers, on the other hand are worth seeking. My quick list (i'm sure others can add more and do better)

+ Christ-centred in all they say and do
+ integrity of life style and message -- modesty, graciousness and love
+ humility before God and others
+ honesty
+ dedication to reading the word of God for what it actually says, not what we wish it would say
+ commitment to connect the timeless word of God to the immediate and special needs of our times and places.

One of my favourite thinkers and writers on mission hasn't produced nearly as much as he could. Because he made a commitment to giving only 10% of his working time to speaking and writing engagements. He concluded that only if he didn't spend 90% of his time actually doing the things he spoke about would he would never be able to talk with integrity.
 
Loyal
One thing I notice about Jesus... He never went looking for trouble with the Pharisees.
They always came looking for Him. They tested Him, accused Him, asked Him questions, etc...
Now Jesus didn't back down from them, He told them how it was, but He didn't go looking for them.

It seems on YouTube, we have a number of people who don't really preach much about what
they believe, but their entire existence seems to be for "exposing" what is wrong with everyone
else's teaching.

I suppose there is a time for calling out people (I've done it myself). But is that your sole mission?
If people confront you or cross path with you, fine. But do we need to go looking for these people?
I have to wonder what kind of person watches a dozen different sermons every week just to find
what is wrong with them?
 
Loyal
One thing I notice about Jesus... He never went looking for trouble with the Pharisees.
They always came looking for Him. They tested Him, accused Him, asked Him questions, etc...
Now Jesus didn't back down from them, He told them how it was, but He didn't go looking for them.

It seems on YouTube, we have a number of people who don't really preach much about what
they believe, but their entire existence seems to be for "exposing" what is wrong with everyone
else's teaching.

I suppose there is a time for calling out people (I've done it myself). But is that your sole mission?
If people confront you or cross path with you, fine. But do we need to go looking for these people?
I have to wonder what kind of person watches a dozen different sermons every week just to find
what is wrong with them?
He did not need to look for them, He was always showing up at their "Temple and their Synagogue". "And they were trying to figure out, when He left, how they was going to kill him. "Bringing in that backwoods strange Doctrine, nobody has heard of, "twisting" up the "Scripture" and claiming he is the One! Matter of fact, they said: "who gave you The authority come in here to speak anyhow? Coming in "our" church we got rules and regulations that our ancestors started, we got "Traditions"! "They sent Spies out, to keep up with Him and to catch him in conspiracy and trap or trip him up in his Words. So they can kill Him! Back them claiming to be a Child of God will get you "nail to a cross" or throw you off a cliff. "The Sanhedrin Council". "You are not entitle to a phone call". Someone called them a "Den of Vipers"! You know there is a difference between a snake and a Viper! Paul got bit by a Viper, and he shook his off. Moses staff turn into one, he ran! He was 80 years old!
"The Sanhedrin Council":eyes:

PS. Did not Jesus tell the Religious leader to their faces: that the Devil was their father, and that their daddy was a liar and they was just like him? Those sound like fighting words to me. Maybe I am wrong.
 
Loyal
Jesus always, started up something: and God the Father was always telling him what to say and how to say it, He was listening to His Father, telling him what to say, His Father was always there with Him. Jesus words were never his own.

(John 8).

13 The Pharisees objected, “You are the only one speaking for yourself, and what you say isn't true!”

14Jesus replied:

Even if I do speak for myself, what I say is true! I know where I came from and where I am going. But you don't know where I am from or where I am going. 15You judge in the same way that everyone else does, but I don't judge anyone. 16If I did judge, I would judge fairly, because I would not be doing it alone. The Father who sent me is here with me. 17 Your Law requires two witnesses to prove that something is true. 18I am one of my witnesses, and the Father who sent me is the other one.

19“Where is your Father?” they asked.

“You don't know me or my Father!” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would know my Father.”

20Jesus said this while he was still teaching in the place where the temple treasures were stored. But no one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.+

You Cannot Go Where I Am Going
21Jesus also told them, “I am going away, and you will look for me. But you cannot go where I am going, and you will die with your sins unforgiven.”

22The people asked, “Does he intend to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying we cannot go where he is going?”

23Jesus answered, “You are from below, but I am from above. You belong to this world, but I don't. 24This is why I said you will die with your sins unforgiven. If you don't have faith in me for who I am,+ you will die, and your sins will not be forgiven.”

25“Who are you?” they asked Jesus.

Jesus answered, “I am exactly who I told you at the beginning. 26There is a lot more I could say to condemn you. But the one who sent me is truthful, and I tell the people of this world only what I have heard from him.”

27No one understood that Jesus was talking to them about the Father.

28Jesus went on to say, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man,+ you will know who I am. You will also know that I don't do anything on my own. I say only what my Father taught me. 29The one who sent me is with me. I always do what pleases him, and he will never leave me.”
 
Active
God's Prophets brought very distinct and important messages to His people.

They exposed inequity,
They commanded repentance,
They knew that the penitent would return to The LORD and be healed by Him.

What is it that The LORD teaches us?
Is it not to love God and to love others as yourself?


Love is VIRTUE; goodness is upright; uprightness is righteous, and fairness is not found in inequity, but in justification.

Indeed,
there is not and never has been any inequity which has been or can be justified, for the just are not found with inequity, but fairness and uprightness.


QUOTE:
Say to them, `As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?
Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, `The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.
If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done.
And if I say to the wicked man, `You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right--if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die.
None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.
Yet your countrymen say, `The way of the Lord is not just.' But it is their way that is not just.
If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it.
And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so.
 
Loyal
How to be able to identify False teachers. Are they teaching Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. Are they teaching salvation through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross -- His death, burial and bodily resurrection? Are they teaching the sufficiency of the blood of Christ and Not teaching a 'good works' salvation.

We Are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind and our neighbor as ourselves.
 
Loyal
How to be able to identify False teachers. Are they teaching Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. Are they teaching salvation through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross -- His death, burial and bodily resurrection? Are they teaching the sufficiency of the blood of Christ and Not teaching a 'good works' salvation.

We Are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind and our neighbor as ourselves.
Yes, there are many false teachers that teach those things, Jesus, told us that by his own words and Apostle Paul, told us as well. If a false teacher didn't have some truth in their teaching how could they lead you astray. A good hunter uses "bait" the kind you like. A good fisherman, uses "Lures". To Lure you in. So are you, wise as a serpent and do you know the difference between a "wolf" and "wolves". And how they hunt for the prey. If you do, "who taught you"?:eyes:

Now that last remark, was a question. And not a attack.:p
 
Loyal
I"ve been pastored over the years by good Bible teachers.

Maybe what You call a false teacher isn't a false teacher -- maybe they just teach something you personally don't agree with.

The Holy Spirit Does give us discernment as to what sounds right and what doesn't in reference to teachers. Even my pastor told us to even question him. And during Bible study -- he'll make a comment and wonder who was really listening to him. As we read ourselves and then compare to comments made -- here on Forum -- for instance.
 
Loyal
Are they teaching the sufficiency of the blood of Christ and Not teaching a 'good works' salvation.

I wonder if you consider James a false teacher?

James 2:17; Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
James 2:18; But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
James 2:19; You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
James 2:20; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?

James 2:24; You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
 
Loyal
Yes, our faith is seen by our works. But it's Not works that save us.

People Should be able to 'see' our salvation in our daily lives. The fruit of the Holy Spirit within us.

so -- no -- James obviously was Not a false teacher.
 
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