False Teachers

[ unknown author ]

Characteristics

1.Grace perverters

Galatians 1:6-8 AMP    I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel.

7  Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not].

8  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

2.Money lovers

           Luke 16:14-15 AMP   Now the Pharisees, who were covetous and lovers of money,   heard all  these things [taken together], and they began to sneer at and ridicule and scoff at Him.  15   But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the

           sight of God. [1 Sam 16:7; Prov 21:2.]

3.Christ deniers 

           2 Peter 2:1-3   BUT ALSO [in those days] there arose false prophets among the  people, just as there will be false teachers among yourselves, who will subtly and

           stealthily introduce heretical doctrines (destructive heresies), even denying and  disowning the Master Who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift

           destruction.   2 And many will follow their immoral ways and lascivious doings; because of them the true Way will be maligned and defamed.  3 And in their

        covetousness (lust, greed) they will exploit you with false (cunning) arguments.

           From of old the sentence [of condemnation] for them has not been idle; their

           destruction (eternal misery) has not been asleep.

4.Truth resisters

        2 Tim 3:1-9 AMP BUT UNDERSTAND this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble [hard to deal with and hard to bear].

            2  For people will be lovers of self and [utterly] self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate [greedy] desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and

        contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.  3  [They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement);  [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good. 4  [They will be]

            treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than

        lovers of God.

            5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].

           6 For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate silly and weak-natured and spiritually dwarfed women, loaded down with [the burden of

           their] sins [and easily] swayed and led away by various evil desires and seductive impulses.

7[These weak women will listen to anybody who will teach them]; they are

forever inquiring and getting information, but are never able to arrive at a recognition and knowledge of the Truth.  8   Now just as Jannes and Jambres were hostile to and resisted Moses, so these men also are hostile to and oppose the Truth. They have depraved and distorted minds, and are reprobate and counterfeit and to be rejected as far as the faith is concerned. [Ex 7:11.] 9  But they will not get very far, for their rash folly will become obvious to everybody, as was that of those [magicians mentioned].

5.Fable lovers

           2 Tim 4:3-5 AMP    For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure)    sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and  gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a

          considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold,  4 And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths  and man-made fictions.  5 As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and

           suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry.

6.Destitute of truth        

     1 Tim 6:3-8 AMP But if anyone teaches otherwise and does not assent to the 

   sound  and wholesome messages of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and the

   teaching which is in agreement with godliness (piety toward God),  4 He is puffed

   up with pride and stupefied with conceit, [although he is] woefully ignorant. He

     has a morbid fondness for controversy and disputes and strife about words, which

     result  in (produce) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions, 

5And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among

men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood]. From such withdraw.  6  [And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.  7 For we brought nothing into the world, and obviously we cannot take anything out of the world;  8  But if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content (satisfied).

7.Bound by traditions

       Matt 15:9 AMP   Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the

     commands of men. [Isa 29:13.]

8.Unstable

           1 Tim 1:6-8 AMP  But certain individuals have missed the mark on this very matter   [and] have wandered away into vain arguments and discussions and purposeless talk.  They are ambitious to be doctors of the Law (teachers of the Mosaic ritual), but

they have no understanding either of the words and terms they use or of the subjects about which they make [such] dogmatic assertions.  8 Now we recognize and know that the Law is good if anyone uses it lawfully [for the purpose for which it was designed],

9.Deceitful

       Eph 4:14-15 AMP  So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of

           doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.  15

           Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things

       into Him  Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one).

10.Lustful

2 Peter 2:12-19 AMP   But these [people]! Like unreasoning beasts, mere

creatures of instinct, born [only] to be captured and destroyed, railing at things of which they are ignorant, they shall utterly perish in their [own] corruption [in their destroying they shall surely be destroyed],

13 Being destined to receive [punishment as] the reward of [their] unrighteousness [suffering wrong as the hire for their wrongdoing]. They count it a delight to revel in the daytime [living luxuriously and delicately]. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions and carousing together [even] as they feast with you.

14 They have eyes full of harlotry, insatiable for sin. They beguile and bait and lure away unstable souls. Their hearts are trained in covetousness (lust, greed), [they are] children of a curse [exposed to cursing] !  15 Forsaking the straight road they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam [the son] of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness. [Num 22:5,7.]  16 But he was rebuked for his own transgression when a dumb beast of burden spoke with human voice and checked the prophet's madness. [Num 22:21-31.]  17 These are springs without water and mists driven along before a tempest, for whom is reserved forever the gloom of darkness.

18  For uttering loud boasts of folly, they beguile and lure with lustful desires of the flesh those who are barely escaping from them who are wrongdoers.  19 They promise them liberty, when they themselves are the slaves of depravity and defilement--for by whatever anyone is made inferior or worse or is overcome, to that [person or thing] he is enslaved.

EXAMPLES

·Balaam                  Revelation 2:14

·Bar Jesus             Acts 13:6

·Ephesian Elders   Acts 20:30, Rev 2:2

·Epicureans           Acts 17:18

·False Apostles     2 Cor 11:5, 13,  2 Cor 12:11

·Freedmen            Acts 6:9

·Herodians            Mark 3:6, 12:13

·Hymenneus          2 Tim 2:17

Prevalent in Paul’s time – 2 Timothy 1:14-15

During this age             - 1 Timothy 4:1-3

At Christ’s return        - 2 Timothy 4:3-4