False Teachers: The Church's Hidden Crisis and How to Spot Them

The Reality of the Threat

First, let’s establish that this threat is real. Jesus Himself warned us, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt 7:15). Note the imagery: they don’t look like wolves. They look like sheep. They talk like us, they use our vocabulary, they might even stand in our pulpits. But inwardly, their nature is predatory. Their goal isn’t to feed the flock but to feed on the flock.

The Apostle Peter amplifies this warning, telling us that false teachers will “privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them” (2 Pet 2:1). The word “privily” suggests stealth. They don’t announce their error with a trumpet; they smuggle it in alongside truth, making it harder to detect. This is why discernment is so crucial.

The Marks of a False Teacher

So, how do we spot them? The Bible gives us several clear indicators. It’s rarely just one thing; it’s usually a combination of doctrine, character, and fruit.

1. They Distort the Person and Work of Christ

The most critical test is Christological. False teachers often subtlely or overtly “deny the Lord that bought them” (2 Pet 2:1). This doesn’t always mean they say “Jesus didn’t exist.” It often manifests as a distortion of His nature or His work. They might downplay His deity, denying that He is the eternal Son of God, equal with the Father. Or they might undermine the sufficiency of His atonement, suggesting that we need to add our own works or mystical experiences to His finished work on the cross. As the great theologian Charles Hodge reminds us, any teaching that diminishes the glory of Christ or the necessity of His grace is a departure from the faith.

2. Their Motives are Self-Serving

Scripture repeatedly links false teaching with greed and self-promotion. Peter says they teach “for filthy lucre’s sake” (Titus 1:11). They view godliness as a means of gain (1 Tim 6:5). You’ll often see a focus on money, prosperity, and earthly success in their ministries. They “make merchandise of you” (2 Pet 2:3), treating God’s people as customers rather than souls to be shepherded.

3. Their Lives Don’t Match Their Lips

Jesus gave us the ultimate litmus test: “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16). A false teacher may sound eloquent and orthodox, but look at their life. Are they walking in holiness? Or is there a trail of moral failure, pride, and lack of self-control? Jude describes them as “clouds without water” and “trees whose fruit withereth” (Jude 1:12). They promise much but produce no spiritual life. Matthew Poole notes that they are like the “scribes and Pharisees” who “say and do not” (Matt 23:3). Their hypocrisy is a dead giveaway.

4. They Appeal to the Flesh

False teachers know what people want to hear. They “speak great swelling words of vanity” and allure people through “the lusts of the flesh” (2 Pet 2:18). They avoid the hard truths of Scripture such as sin, judgment, repentance, and the cross, and instead offer a message that tickles the ears (2 Tim 4:3). They promise liberty but are themselves “servants of corruption” (2 Pet 2:19). If a preacher never makes you uncomfortable about your sin, be wary. As Spurgeon famously said, if the sermon doesn’t cut you, it’s not the sword of the Spirit.

5. They Are Divisive

While claiming to be enlightened, false teachers often cause division within the body of Christ. Jude warns of those who “separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit” (Jude 1:19). They create factions, promoting themselves as the only ones with “true” knowledge or a “special” anointing, creating a spiritual hierarchy that excludes the simple believer.

The Historical Verdict

We are not the first generation to face this. The Church Fathers and the Reformers fought these battles before us.

Matthew Poole on Hypocrisy: Poole reminds us that false teachers are often “hypocrites” who “conceal under a mask what they are”. They are actors on a stage, playing a role for applause while their hearts are far from God.

Our Response

So, what do we do? We cannot be passive.

1. Test Everything: Do not accept a teaching just because it’s popular or delivered with charisma. Be like the Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

2. Know the Truth: The best defense against the counterfeit is a thorough knowledge of the real thing. Saturate yourself in the Word of God. Know the true Gospel so well that the false one stands out immediately.

3. Separate from Error: When a teacher is identified as false—not just mistaken on a minor point, but teaching heresy—we are commanded to “from such turn away” (2 Tim 3:5). We cannot have fellowship with darkness.

4. Pray for Discernment: We need the Holy Spirit to guide us. Ask God to give you eyes to see and a heart that loves the truth above all else.

Conclusion

False teachers are a judgment on a church that has lost its appetite for truth. But they are also a test. Will we stand firm on the “faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3)? Let us not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. Let us hold fast to Christ, our Chief Shepherd, and protect the flock entrusted to us.

The wolf may wear wool, but he cannot hide his teeth forever. Watch the doctrine. Watch the life. And when you see the wolf, do not be afraid to cry “Wolf!” The safety of the sheep depends on it.