A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers – Part 17

We are looking at several aspects of how Christians can and should deal with false preachers and teachers in their churches, denominations, conferences, colleges and seminaries. We are using information available in A Layman’s Guide to False Preachers and Teachers for this list (also known as the Bible).

Here’s a reminder of the different aspects of false preachers and teachers that we’re investigating in this series:

false preachers and teachers are ungodly and dangerous to your spiritual health
false preachers and teachers are everywhere and into everything ‘Christian’
false preachers and teachers claim to speak for God, but are really spokespeople for the enemy of Christ (Satan)
false preachers and teachers have one purpose and that is to promote themselves and dominate people
false preachers and teachers accomplish that by raising (read praising) themselves and lowering (read diminishing, demoting, denigrating) God
false preachers and teachers cause divisions between Christians and within churches
false preachers and teachers claim God ‘speaks’ or ‘appears’ directly to them, so they know things others cannot know by simply reading the Bible
false preachers and teachers claim to see ‘visions,’ but their visions are false and deceptive
false preachers and teachers manipulate people for their (false preachers and teachers) benefit rather than ‘minister’ to people for their (people’s) benefit
false preachers and teachers present a message that is different than Jesus Christ and His apostles
false preachers and teachers are depraved and doomed
false preachers and teachers will be known by their fruit
false preachers and teachers are able to disguise themselves and appear as sheep — but are in fact wolves who feed off unsuspecting people

We are currently looking at the third aspect in our series.

#3 – false preachers and teachers claim to speak for God, but are really spokespeople for the enemy of Christ (Satan)

Deception During New Testament Times

We’ve looked at how false prophets and teachers deceived people during Old Testament and Inter-Testamental times in recent article. All of this led to how the devil used false preachers and teachers during New Testament times (1st century AD).

We saw in the last part of our series that the 400 ‘silent’ years between the prophets Malachi and John the Baptist prepared the groundwork for powerful opposition to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist was the “messenger” who would “prepare the way” for the Son of God – as promised by the prophet Malachi (Malachi 3:1). John was quick to identify and rebuke the false preachers and teachers who would oppose God’s Anointed – the “Messenger of the covenant.”

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:7-12

Those words of the prophet John were a stinging rebuke to the Pharisees and Sadducees. John the Baptist also confronted corrupt government officials, which led to the prophet’s imprisonment and eventual death (e.g. Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29).

Jesus of Nazareth would face off against those same opponents during His earthly ministry. However, His first opponent was the individual who had deceived all the others.

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased’ … Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. Luke 3:21-22; 4:1-2

The devil’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is remarkably similar to his temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5). Satan tempted Eve to question God’s Word – ““Has God indeed said?” The devil then told Eve that she would not “surely die.” Finally, Satan tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit because “God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” As we know, Eve was deceived, ate of the forbidden fruit, and gave the fruit to her husband to eat. That led to the fall of humanity into sin and separation from God.

The devil’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness also had three parts:

And the devil said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ Luke 4:3-4
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ Luke 4:5-8
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written:’ He shall give His angels charge over you To keep you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Luke 4:9-13

Jesus overcame the devil’s deception by quoting the truth of God’s Word. Eve attempted to do the same thing in her first response to the devil, but failed to trust what God had said and was deceived. Jesus was not fooled by Satan’s deception.

That is an important lesson for all of us. We need to trust that what God says is true, no matter what someone else says – even a pastor, evangelist, Bible teacher, denominational leader, or seminary professor. If they do not agree with God’s truth, do not listen to them. Do what Jesus did and quote the truth to them. Just like the devil, they will depart from you for a time. Stay aware, though, because they may come back and try a different deception.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

Deception Warnings

Jesus knew all about Satan before meeting him in the wilderness. How do I know that? Because the Bible says Jesus created all things – visible and invisible.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16

Jesus taught His disciples how the devil works. One example is when Jesus told a large crowd the parable of the sower.

Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13:3-9

Jesus’ disciples asked Him why He spoke to the people in parables. Jesus said it was because “it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:11). Jesus went on to say that He spoke to people in parables because, “seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (verse 13). Jesus then quoted from a prophecy of Isaiah saying it had been fulfilled. The prophecy is an example of how Satan deceived people during New Testament times – and still does.

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ Matthew 13:14-15

Jesus did explain the parable to His disciples and taught them about how the devil deceives:

Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matthew 13:18-23

the devil (wicked one) snatches away the “word of the kingdom” sowed in the heart of anyone who “does not understand it.”
the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches “choke the word” from the person who received the word “among the thorns.”

Jesus then used another parable to teach His disciples more about the devil’s deceitfulness.

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. ‘Matthew 13:24-30

the sower sowed good seed in his field .. while the sower slept, the enemy (the devil) sowed tares among the wheat .. the Greek word for “tares” is ζιζάνιον (bearded darnel) .. the seeds are poisonous .. tares look like wheat until the ear appears ..
the sower’s servants saw the tares among the wheat and wondered how that could have happened .. the sower tells them “an enemy has done this” .. the servants asked if the sower wanted them to gather up the tares, but the sower told them no, “lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them” .. the sower told the servants to let them grow together until the harvest .. at that time the sower will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

The disciples asked Jesus to explain to them the parable of the tares of the field. Here’s how Jesus explained it:

He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13:37-43

the Son of Man sows the good seed
the field is the world
the good seeds are the “sons of the kingdom”
the tares are the “sons of the wicked one”
the enemy who sowed the tares is the devil
the harvest is at the end of this age
the Son of Man will send out His angels to “gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness”
the angels will cast them into “the furnace of fire” where there will be “wailing and gnashing of teeth”
the righteous will shine forth as the sun “in the kingdom of their Father”

Jesus told them another parable which was similar to the one about the wheat and tares. This one is about a dragnet cast into the sea:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:47-50

the “kingdom of heaven” is like a dragnet cast into the sea
the dragnet gathered “some of every kind”
when the dragnet was full, “they” dragged it to shore, sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away
this is how it will be “at the end of the age”
the angels will separate the wicked from among the just, “and cast them into the furnace of fire.” There will be “wailing gnashing of teeth”

Jesus then asked His disciples, “Have you understood all these things?” The disciples answered, “Yes, Lord.”

These parables remind me of John the Baptist’s prophecy concerning Jesus in Matthew 3:12 – “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The devil deceives people now, but Jesus will have His day at the end of this age when He judges the world. It’s helpful to know how Satan works and how we should respond to his deceptions.