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The False Teacher

Like Hymenaeus and Philetus, the false teacher swerves from the truth, veers off course, leaves the righteous path, even if only slightly, and entirely misses the mark. He may appear to have an outward appearance of godliness, but he is his own god. How does Paul describe false teaching, and what does he say is the result?

Paul says that the false teacher teaches a different doctrine, devotes themselves to myths and endless genealogies, and promotes speculations. There are many ways to lead people astray by misinterpreting the Bible. Here are a few examples: spiritualizing the literal and literalizing the spiritual, ignoring word context, rejecting biblical authority, or adding to biblical authority, to name a few.

The false teacher will select texts that best support their view, label other texts as "too difficult to understand,” and devote time to proving that their interpretation differs from the biblical one.

Let the faithful beware!

Truth issues forth from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Falsehood flows from those who swerve from the truth and wander away into worldly and worthless topics. They desire to be teachers, but they are motivated by the approval of man; they follow a different shepherd because they do not believe and are deceived by the devil.

Paul warns us that a heretic, deceiver, impostor, and charlatan teaches a doctrine that does not align with the words of Jesus. He feeds the flesh rather than the Spirit, lacks divine knowledge, quarrels about words, & has an unhealthy craving for attention & controversy. Their teaching diminishes, contradicts, or erases the clear and plain doctrine expounded in God’s Word. It denies Jesus’ virgin birth, the authority and veracity of Scripture, the reality of hell, adds human religious works to Christ’s finished work on the cross, or declares that Jesus is not fully God and fully man.

Carefully note the graphic descriptions and strong warning from Peter about false prophets.

We must be alert for false teachers, understanding that we too can be ensnared by similar temptations. Just as sheep are vulnerable on their own, we must remain devoted to examining the Scriptures every day, like the Bereans, to make sure that the teaching we are listening to is biblical (Acts 17:10-15).

Are you aware of where you have been carried away by false teaching, imprisoned by the approval of man, or following a different shepherd?