But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)The issue was critical for a couple of reasons. First, they will be "among you." They aren't outsiders. They're neighbors, church members, even church leaders. Second, their teaching, while brought in "secretly," ends up as destructive. Their teachings tear down God, His Word, and His people. Operating on sensuality -- their own personal desires -- they cause truth to be maligned (2 Peter 2:2). "They will exploit you with false words" (2 Peter 2:3). They entice unstable souls (2 Peter 2:14). They forsake the right way (which, by the way, requires that it is already there and known) and go astray (2 Peter 2:15). They are appealing, but offer no substance (2 Peter 2:17). They encourage fleshly desires and promise freedom, but are corrupt and enslaved themselves (2 Peter 2:18-19). They knew the way of righteousness and turned from it (2 Peter 2:21).
Peter was deeply concerned about false teachers among the people of God. So was John (1 John 2:18-20; 4:1). So was Jesus (Matt 7:15-20; Matt 24:11, 24). So was Paul (Gal 1:6-9). So was Jude (Jude 1:4). (Are you picking up a pattern here?) They were a problem in Israel. They were a problem in the first century church. They remain a problem today. Given all these Scriptures and all these warnings, it seems odd to me that we are so tolerant of false teachers in the church. We nod and smile when a teacher tells us, "Well, you know, Genesis is myth because science teaches us that Evolution made us all." We don't raise a stink when a teacher tells us, "No, God did not make that man born blind; that was just a fluke of nature. God is not that kind of 'Sovereign'." They're saying a lot of good stuff, so we hold our tongues and applaud even when they write books about how eternal destruction (2 Thess 1:9) is a lie and everyone gets to heaven. "I mean, he's right about other things; let's not make this an issue." And we smile and keep quiet as the body of Christ gets infected with a virus that grows -- to its great harm -- and loses sight of the ability to recognize error when they see it.
We try to be tolerant, humble, all-embracing. God doesn't take the same approach (Deut 13:5; Jer 13:14-15; Gal 1:8-9). Perhaps, in earlier times, the church offered a different, improper response, burning heretics at the stake, and I'm not advocating any such thing. But, clearly, embracing false teachers in our midst is not the command to God's people. They should get the same treatment as every other sin. Address their error in private. If they don't repent, take one or two more. If they don't repent, take it to the church (Matt 18:15-20). Seek to restore (Gal 6:1-2). But don't embrace false teaching. It is destructive to the teacher and destructive to the listener and opposed, ultimately to God. It isn't a matter to be simply tolerated.
8 comments:
I forget which pastor I listen to that told of an experience where he was asked to sit in a board overseeing the investigation of a pastor in that church. The problem he found was that the majority of the board wasn't trying to determine the truth and excise falseness, but how to keep the pastor on board while keeping the laymen happy as well. We have become so unwilling to upset people that we allow sin and heresy just to keep the peace.
A great reminder that the best way to deal with false teachers is to be so immersed in the Truth that error is instantly recognizable.
Like the justice system which is no longer interested in truth or justice, but on "winning."
Matthew 18 is referring to private sins between believers, not teaching false doctrine. Titus 3:10-11 tells us how to deal with heretics: Give them up to two warnings, and then reject them.
Sure, although not all false teachers are as obvious as that. And the primary characteristic of these false teachers is they come "from us," so they appear to be believers until unveiled. However, the Matt 18 passage gives them three warnings and the Titus passage gives them two, so it's one warning difference.
I’m someone who would normally be quite harsh with false teachers, but I always keep 2 Tim. 2:24-26 in mind to temper that inclination: “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” (NKJV) I think this is a good way initially to behave towards those people Stan mentions, of whom one might not be 100% sure, until stronger actions prove warranted.
One aspect of dealing with false teachers that might change how those texts are applied is the internet/modern communication. It's one thing when an you have someone in your community who's teaching false doctrines, it's another thing when it's some random dude on You Tube, or who has a blog, or Tik Tok. I think that with the advent of radio and TV, it becomes more necessary to address false teachers more publicly because there's no way to tell how far their false teaching might spread. The principles remain the same, but the method might change.
Adding to Craig’s point about the importance of being immersed in biblical doctrine in order to recognize deviation more easily, we’ve probably all heard this about counterfeit bills: “Federal agents don’t learn to spot counterfeit money by studying the counterfeits. They study genuine bills until they master the look of the real thing. Then when they see the bogus money, they recognize it.” I have found this very applicable regarding spotting false teaching--i.e. the better you know the truth, the more obvious the error is. Some believers have been given the spiritual gift of discernment in special measure (1 Cor. 12:10), but all Christians need to be discerning--and to watch for that “prowling lion” of 1 Pet. 5:8.
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