False Teaching

What is false teaching?
The Apostle Paul defined false teaching by highlighting the psychology of the false teacher as well as the consequences or effects of the doctrine they promote. False teaching is first of all identified by its deviation from the well-defined standard of truth set down in the gospel by our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles (1 Tim.1:11; 6:3; Gal.1:6-9). It is a “different” doctrine (Gr. heterodidaskaleo) because it fails to assent or come over to the words of Christ who is the center and goal of the gospel.
Secondly, false teaching is identified by the effects it produces. Sound doctrine (literally, healthy) is said to be healthy because it alone has the intrinsic power to restore genuine spiritual and moral health to those who accept it into their lives. Sound teaching is to be seen in light of its fruits. The gospel of grace teaches Christians to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world (Tit.2:11). False teaching, on the other hand, promotes personal fulfillment and happiness, but never true and genuine godliness.

Finally, false teaching is connected to the motives of those who teach it. If a man’s motive in preaching or teaching is wrong, eventually this evidence will come out in his teaching and living.

What are the marks of false teachers?
Besides the words that do not fall in line with the well-defined words of Christ and the apostles, Paul provides his prodigy Timothy with a penetrating analysis of the psychology of error. In 1 Timothy 6:3ff, Paul lists pride as the chief mark that blinds the false teacher to the truth. This pride is not just the natural pride that comes from being a fallen sinner, but rather the pride revealed in a false teacher and his teaching is a sickness or a disease of the soul. This sickness manifests itself in envying (provoked by speculations), strife (quarreling), malicious talk (slandering rivals), evil suspicions (doubting the honesty of those who differ from them), constant friction (irritation at those who teach contrary errors), and the desire for material and financial gain (vv.4-5).

Like the Pharisees who were lovers of money (Lk.16:14), and Simon Magus (Acts 19:23ff), false teachers may mask themselves in modest living, but deep inside their true desire is to promote themselves and enrich their lives. Some people may wonder how they got to this point. Paul tells us that pride is the root cause of it (1 Tim.6:5). False teachers are not ignorant of the truth, for they formerly possessed the truth of the gospel, but allowed pride to rob them of its possession and benefits. False teachers are not saved people who are just ill informed, they are men and women whose minds are still in a state of corruption and depravity. Their unregenerate hearts are the source of all of their false hopes and claims.

What are the dangers of false teaching?
False teaching is dangerous for many reasons. Paul identifies several serious dangers.

• It promotes and provokes controversy rather than faith in Christ (1 Tim.1:3-4).
  

• It leads to spiritual shipwreck and moral catastrophe like that of King Saul, Judas, and Demas (1 Tim.1:19ff).
  

• It leads to apostasy and falling victim to demonic activity (1 Tim.4:1-4).
  

• It engenders greed, discontentment, and ultimately results in ruin and destruction (1 Tim.6:6-10).
  

• It results in shallowness of character, emptiness, and false knowledge (1 Tim.6:20-21).
  

• It possesses a gangrene-like effect that multiplies and spreads thoughout the whole body, destroying vital tissue, leading to division, decline, and finally death in a church (2 Tim.2:17ff).
  

• It corrupts the mind and defiles the conscience, so that one’s decisions and attitudes are no longer a reliable guide to faith and purity (Tit.1:13-16).
  

1. Be sure that you possess true, genuine, saving faith. In other words, make sure that you have been truly converted. The unconverted mind is unwilling to submit to sound doctrine (Phil.3:18; Tit.1:16; 1 Cor.2:6-7, 14; 2 Cor.4:4-6; Rom.6:17; 2 Tim.4:3-5).
2. Be intent on doing God’s will as it is revealed to you in Scripture (Jn. 7:17). A true understanding of doctrine will not come unless one is inwardly yielded to the truth they hear.
3. Be mindful and diligent in giving God your best, so that when you meet God’s inspection, you will stand the test and be approved, having no need for shame because of faulty workmanship (2 Tim.2:15).
   

John Owen, the eminent Puritan pastor and theologian who served as a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, once said, “If we would defend ourselves against apostasy, we must first of all be concerned for the glory of God…pray continually…contend for the faith (Jude 3)...keep careful watch over our hearts (Prov.4:23)…beware of trusting in the outward privileges of the church…and test to see if we are benefiting from the ordinances of the gospel.”[1]