Beware

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. – Matthew 7.15-20

False teachers and false prophets have been a major problem since the very beginning. We might even say that false teaching started it all when subtle Satan caused Eve to doubt God’s word and fall into sin. The word of God is full of false teachers. While Moses was receiving the Law false teachers led the nation to make a golden idol. Some Jewish leaders kept adding man’s traditions to the Law imposing burdens on the people that God never intended. The prophets of Baal drew many to forsake the Lord. The Gnostics and the grace robbers were rampant in the early church.

False teachers have harried the church all though church history. They often have been wolves in sheep’s clothing looking good, but with the goal of destroying God’s work.

We are still living in a day that abounds with false teachers. Our defence against them is to examine their teachings in the light of God’s word and to see the kind of fruit they bear.

The key thing for us to do is to be Bereans. Every time we hear or read teachers lets us ‘examine the scriptures to see if these things are true.’ The Bible is the one standard that we can compare all teachers and all teaching to. If they can’t stand up to that standard then we must reject their message. That is why we need to be studied and prepared and ready to compare teachings to the Bible. In order to compare teachers and their teaching we need to know our Bibles.

Don’t be fooled. Don’t be deceived. Check our teachers with the word of God and examine their fruit to see if it is godly.