{"id":5549,"date":"2014-02-27T19:13:25","date_gmt":"2014-02-28T01:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cottrillcompass.com\/blog\/?p=5549"},"modified":"2014-02-27T09:18:23","modified_gmt":"2014-02-27T15:18:23","slug":"biblical-warning-signs-of-false-teaching-notes-on-discernment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cottrillcompass.com\/blog\/2014\/biblical-warning-signs-of-false-teaching-notes-on-discernment.html","title":{"rendered":"Biblical Warning Signs of False Teaching (Notes on Discernment)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Bible actually has a lot to say about error and false teachers.  One of the strongest accusations that still hangs around in popular culture is “Pharisee”, a word that has really taken on a life of its own.<\/p>\n

Below is a list of just a few things that the Bible says on this topic.  It’s not a complete list (maybe you can think of other examples), and of course I’m not making an effort to go in-depth on any specific topic.<\/p>\n

It’s important to remember that when the Bible points out things about false teachers, it’s not usually a black-and-white principle, like “All false teachers wear red shirts, and no good teachers do”.  Great teachers sometimes teach wrong things, intentionally deceptive teachers often (usually?) teach good things.<\/p>\n

So in most cases below, these are more like “warning flags” to open your ears and think about what’s being said just a little more carefully.<\/p>\n

We’re moving quickly toward what may be the most important part of this study – how to respond.  So bear with me, we’re still just on the topic of listening carefully and thinking things through.<\/p>\n

18 Signs of False Teaching<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Good works and miracles, but no permanent spiritual fruit. (Matthew 7:15-27; Galations 5:19-26)<\/li>\n
  2. A lack of love. (1John 4:8)<\/li>\n
  3. An unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words. (1Timothy 6:3-5)<\/li>\n
  4. A despising of authority. (2Peter 2:10; Jude 8)<\/li>\n
  5. Greed and exploitation. (2Peter 2:1-3; Philippians 3:18-19)<\/li>\n
  6. No call to repentance. (Jeremiah 23:21-22; Lamentations 2:14; Luke 24:45-49)<\/li>\n
  7. No confession of Jesus Christ (e.g. Jesus was a real man, He was the promised Messiah, etc). (1John 4:1-3)<\/li>\n
  8. A teaching of myths. (2Timothy 4:4)<\/li>\n
  9. The teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:8-9)<\/li>\n
  10. A claim to have “secret knowledge”. (1Timothy 6:20-21; Colossians 2:18)<\/li>\n
  11. Asceticism. (Colossians 2:18-23)<\/li>\n
  12. Teaching to suit our own passions. (2Timothy 4:3-4)<\/li>\n
  13. Eloquence and human wisdom (God and the Gospel and the Scriptures not necessary). (2Corinthians 2:1-2; 2Corinthians 1:12)<\/li>\n
  14. Flattery. (Romans 16:18)<\/li>\n
  15. Boasting. (2Peter 2:18; Jude 16; Matthew 7:21-23)<\/li>\n
  16. Causes divisions by rejecting true teaching. (Romans 16:17)<\/li>\n
  17. Leading others into sin by offering “freedom”. (2Peter 2:18-19)<\/li>\n
  18. Popularity. (Luke 6:26)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
    \"Spiritual<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Bible actually has a lot to say about error and false teachers.  One of the strongest accusations that still hangs around in popular culture is “Pharisee”, a word that has really taken on a life of its own. Below is a list of just a few things that the Bible says on this topic. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1490,1508,1507,1492],"class_list":["post-5549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotional-and-bible","tag-discernment","tag-false-teachers","tag-false-teaching","tag-spiritual-discernment","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"yoast_head":"\nBiblical Warning Signs of False Teaching (Notes on Discernment) - Finding direction<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cottrillcompass.com\/blog\/2014\/biblical-warning-signs-of-false-teaching-notes-on-discernment.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Biblical Warning Signs of False Teaching (Notes on Discernment) - Finding direction\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Bible actually has a lot to say about error and false teachers.  One of the strongest accusations that still hangs around in popular culture is “Pharisee”, a word that has really taken on a life of its own. 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