How
Do Believers Recognize a Wolf in the Church
Introduction
B1
There are many false teachers.
B2
How can we discern them.
B3
How can we reveal them to be false.
B4
How can we spare others from being deceived.
Notes
C1
Doctrinal problems
C2
Hide what they believe
C3
Act holy and righteous in public
C4
Offer their opinion on doctrinal issues that are not orthodox
C5
Work to get everyone to love and admire them
C6
False gospel
C7
Ashamed of Jesus
C8
Liars
C9
Different Bible interpretation than plain, normal sense
Examples
C1
Judaizers
C2
False converts as Simon the Magician
C3
Hymenaeus
C4
Angel of light
Important things
C1
Doctrine
C2
Bible Interpretation
C3
Scriptural pastors
C4
Christian living
C5
Correct gospel
Some verses
C1
Romans 16:17-20 NKJV - Now
I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses,
contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those
who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly,
and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the
simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am
glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and
simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under
your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you.
Amen.
C2
1 Timothy 6:3-5 NKJV - If
anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words,
[even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which
accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed
with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife,
reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds
and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a [means
of] gain. From such withdraw yourself.
C3
2 Timothy 2:23 NKJV - But
avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate
strife.
C4
Galatians 5:13-21 NKJV - For
you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not [use] liberty
as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this: "You
shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and
devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say
then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the
flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not
do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you
are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which
are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery,
hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish
ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness,
revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I
also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things
will not inherit the kingdom of God.
C5
James 3:13-18 NKJV - Who
[is] wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct
[that] his works [are done] in the meekness of wisdom. But if you
have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and
lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but
[is] earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking
[exist], confusion and every evil thing [are] there. But the wisdom
that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to
yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without
hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those
who make peace.
C6
Romans 14:19-23 NKJV - Therefore
let us pursue the things [which make] for peace and the things by
which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the
sake of food. All things indeed [are] pure, but [it is] evil for the
man who eats with offense. [It is] good neither to eat meat nor drink
wine nor [do anything] by which your brother stumbles or is offended
or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have [it] to yourself before God.
Happy [is] he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But
he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because [he does] not [eat]
from faith; for whatever [is] not from faith is sin.Romans
15:1-3 NKJV - We
then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and
not to please ourselves. Let each of us please [his] neighbor for
[his] good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please
Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who
reproached You fell on Me."
C7
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NKJV - "If
there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives
you a sign or a wonder, "and the sign or the wonder comes to
pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other
gods'--which you have not known--'and let us serve them,' "you
shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of
dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love
the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. "You
shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His
commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to
Him. "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to
death, because he has spoken in order to turn [you] away from the
LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed
you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which
the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the
evil from your midst.
C8
Ezekiel 22:27 CSB - Her
officials within her are like wolves
tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives in order to
make profit dishonestly.
C9
Habakkuk 1:8 CSB - Their
horses are swifter than leopards and more fierce than wolves
of the night. Their horsemen charge ahead; their horsemen come from
distant lands. They fly like eagles, swooping to devour.
C10
Zephaniah 3:3 CSB - The
princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves
of the night, which leave nothing for the morning.
C11
Matthew 7:15 CSB - Be
on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep's
clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.
C12
Matthew 10:16 CSB - Look, I'm sending you out like sheep among
wolves.
Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.
C12
Luke 10:3 CSB - Now
go; I'm sending you out like lambs among wolves.
C13
Acts 20:29 CSB - I
know that after my departure savage wolves
will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
Points
C1
God wants us to know true doctrine (His doctrine).
C2
God wants us to be steadfast to that doctrine.
C3
God does not change.
C4
God’s doctrine does not change.
C5
God’s gospel does not change.
C6
There are many false teachers who want to change God’s gospel,
God’s doctrine, and God’s way of life for us.
Commentary on Verses
C1
Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV - "Beware
of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits.
Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? "Even
so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor [can] a bad tree bear
good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut
down and thrown into the fire. "Therefore by their fruits you
will know them.
D1
Pretenders
D2
Fruits
E1
This is slightly what they say.
E2
This is greatly how they live, and what they do.
E3
What they say and what they do must match.
E4
The standard we have is the Bible.
F1
In particular, the New Testament.
F2
Interpretation must be in the plain, normal sense, in context, and
taking note of grammar and the culture.
E5
Good is defined by God’s standards, not mine or yours.
D3
Of those who write so good, so true, but they promote and encourage
things that God hates. Matthew 23:1-5 CSB - Then
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: "The scribes and
the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. "Therefore
do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don't do what they do,
because they don't practice what they teach.
"They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on
people's shoulders, but they themselves aren't willing to lift a
finger to move them. "They do everything to be seen by others:
They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
D4
These kind of people (trees) will be cut down and destroyed.
C2
Romans 16:17 CSB - Now
I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create
divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned.
Avoid them.
D1
False teachers of any type work to create divisions. They will try to
convince various people in various ways. Some will not be convinced
of this teaching, or at least, how wonderful the false teachers are.
Some will be won over to this teaching and how wonderful the false
teachers are.
D2
Sometimes the false teachers minimize doctrine. “We need love,
healing, and forgiveness.”
D3
Teachers who depart from sound doctrine engage in speculation and
argumentation which results in strife and friction: (Source).
C3
Revelation 2:14 NKJV - "But
I have a few things against you, because you have there those who
hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling
block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to
idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
D1
Balak, a prophet of God who later rejected God, “taught Balak to
put a stumbling block before the children of Israel…”
D2
A stumbling block is something that causes another believer
(especially so) to sin even to fall from the faith.
D3
We see this happening in domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and other
abuses that are revictimized by church leaders.
D4
We see this happening when these false believers/teachers teach
others to not live a Christian life according to God’s
instructions.
D5
Balaam died for his evil—Joshua 13:22. So will all these false
teachers Jeremiah 14:14-16, Jeremiah 28:16-17, Jeremiah 29:31-32,
C4
2 Peter 2:1 NKJV - But
there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will
be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive
heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, [and] bring on
themselves swift destruction.
D1
Israel had false prophets
E1
Promised peace when there was no peace
E2
Did not preach about sin
E3
Prophesied in God’s name, but God says that He did not send them.
D2
Church has false teachers
E1
Promise peace when there is none
E2
Don’t not preach about sin, just love, healing, and the good life.
E3
Destructive heresies because they to blaspheming God’s character,
God’s ways, and God’s thoughts.
E4
False Gospel. This is mainly that we must do something instead of
grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
E5
False Christian life.
F1
Judaizers—must keep all or parts of the Old Testament (usually the
Torah).
F2
Legalists—following man made laws to be right with God.
F3
Some King James Only (KJO) groups that teach any other version is of
the devil.
E6
Hypocrites
F1
Teach something they do not follow.
F2
What they teach and what they do otherwise: Matthew 23:1-5 NKJV -
Then
Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: "The
scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. "Therefore
whatever they tell you to observe, [that] observe and do, but do not
do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. "For
they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay [them] on men's
shoulders; but they [themselves] will not move them with one of their
fingers. "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They
make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their
garments.
E7
Some names: 2 Timothy 2:17-18 Modern English Version (MEV) and
their word will spread like gangrene: Among them are Hymenaeus and
Philetus, who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the
resurrection has already occurred, and who overthrow the faith of
some.
C5
Jeremiah 14:14-15 CSB - But
the LORD said to me, "These prophets are prophesying a lie in my
name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them.
They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, the
deceit of their own minds. "Therefore, this is what the LORD
says concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, though I did
not send them, and who say, 'There will never be sword or famine in
this land.' By sword and famine these prophets will meet their end.
D1
Prophesy lies.
D2
God states that He did not send them. The false prophets state that
God did send them.
D3
Methods
E1
False vision
E2
Worthless divination
E3
Deceit of the own mind.
D4
They will receive God’s punishment.
C6
2 Peter 2:1-3 CSB - There
were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be
false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies,
even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift
destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved ways, and
the way of truth will be maligned because of them. They will exploit
you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation,
pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not
sleep.
D1
Bring in destructive heresies (as false Gospel: Galatians 1:8-9 NKJV
- But
even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you
than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have
said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel
to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
D2
Deny Christ.
E1
They have false doctrine of Jesus.
E2
They may deny His deity.
E3
They may deny His humanity.
E4
They may deny other things about Jesus.
D3
Depraved
E1
Instead of a godly lifestyle, they have a depraved lifestyle.
E2
The New Testament gives many rules of living a godly lifestyle, but
these will not live that way. They only acknowledge a “freedom”
from all those rules.
D4
Way of truth maligned.
E1
Their false doctrine and false way of life are not the truths taught
in the New Testament.
E2
They teach, “Well, that passage only addresses those in the first
century.”
E3
They teach, “Well, times have changed, and now we know more.”
E4
They teach, “Well, I can do that, because God has told me I can.”
C7
Jeremiah 14:15 CSB - "Therefore,
this is what the LORD says concerning the prophets who prophesy in my
name, though I did not send them, and who say, 'There will never be
sword or famine in this land.' By sword and famine these prophets
will meet their end.
The punishment for being false is death.
C8
2 Peter 2:14-17 NKJV - having
eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing
unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, [and
are] accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone
astray, following the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the
wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb
donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the
prophet. These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest,
for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
D1
Adultery
E1
This may be sexual immorality and sins.
E2
It may be living to please their fleshly comforts—money, power,
fame, control, etc.
D2
Seduce
E1
This may be grooming for sexual abuse.
E2
This may be speaking lies to get others to stop living a godly
lifestyle.
D3
Unstable:
E1
Those not solid in the faith
E2
Those who drift from the truth
E3
Those who are starved in their Christian life by not reading the
Bible, praying, and having fellowship with others.
D4
Trained in greed:
E1
They practice sin.
E2
They practice lying, stealing, plotting against others.
E3
They are training vigorously.
E4
The Greek word is γυμνάζω gymnazō and means to exercise
vigorously, in any way, either the body or the mind (Source).
D5
Instead of a Christian life, they lead another type of life, which
leads to God’s judgment.
D6
Balaam is one example. See Numbers 22-24.
Summary
B1
They want followers.
B2
They do not follow Jesus Christ’s teachings in their plain, normal
sense.
B3
They change the meaning of the Scriptures: redefine words, take words
out of context, string texts together to give a new meaning, use the
authority of scholarship to change the meaning, bully, manipulate,
sweet talk, love bomb, and any thing else.
B4
They state that times have changed.
B5
They give new revelation, which they claim is pure, not like the “old
written letter” of the Bible.
B6
They live by their visions, feelings, desires, opinions, dreams,
greed, and need for control.
B7
They have a false gospel.
B8
They have false doctrine.
B9
They appeal to the lusts of the flesh.
B10
Often, they have charismatic personalities.
B11
Jesus warns us they are coming.
C1
As wolves
C2
As angels of light
C3
As ministers
C4
B12
To avoid disaster
C1
Truth is most important.
C2
Interpret the Bible in its plain, normal sense, in context, and
checking cross references.
C3
Pray
C4
Read and study the Bible.
C5
Fellowship with like-minded people.
C6
Be a little skeptical.
B13
More verse: Matthew 7:15, Luke 6:26, Romans 16:18, Matthew 24:5,
Matthew 24:11, Matthew 24:24, Acts 20:29, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15,
Galatians 4:17, Ephesians 4:14, Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:18, 1
Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 2 Timothy 4:3, Titus 1:11, 1 John
2:18-19, 1 John 2:26, Jude 1:18, Galatians 2:4, 2 Peter 2:3, and
Philippians 3:19.
Articles
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© 2018 by Len Gane All rights reserved.
