What the Bible Says About False Preachers
2 Peter 2:1-2: “but false prophets also arose among the people just as there will be also or excuse me just as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly induce destructive heresies even denying the master who bought them bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And then verse two and it says and many will follow after their sensuality and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned.”
We are continually or often at least warned again and again, over and over again to beware of false prophets. The warning is about false teachers and preachers and prophets, and the results of what will happen as described in this particular passage. This scripture tells us that just like there were false prophets under the old covenant (during the times of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and Moses and so on), there will be and there are false teachers now. One of the results Peter has to say will be the result of false teachers amongst us today is that as a result of their false teaching, the way of the truth will be maligned.
“Beware of false teachers who come to you or beware of wolves who come to you in sheep’s clothing”.
This is just one of many places in the scriptures that we’re warned to beware of false teachers.
1 John 4:1: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Why? Because many false prophets or teachers or preachers, however you want to say it, have gone out into the world.”
It says, “Test the spirits.” Or in other words, “Test the prophet. Test the preacher. Test the teacher.” That’s something that is an admonition that’s meant for us to do every time that a preacher or teacher or prophet gets up in front of you and speaks. That’s something even as I speak right now you need to be doing because you don’t know unless you test me even whether I’m a false teacher or preacher or not. We’ve been admonished to test them.
Acts 2:37: “And now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brethren, what shall we do?”
This is the first Bible question. The setting here is Peter preaching the first gospel message ever preached after the death, burial, and resurrection of Yosua the Christ. They are convicted that they’ve crucified the Messiah and they’re asking what to do to be saved.
Acts 2:38: “And Peter said to them, repent and let each of you be immersed in the name of Yesua the Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The general answers given by the majority of the clergy (e.g., asking/accepting Christ into your heart, praying the sinner’s prayer) contrast greatly with the answer found here. Billy Graham, quoting from this passage, said “Repent and be converted that your sins might be blotted away,” but this verse actually says “repent and let each of you be immersed”. The word translated as “baptism” in English Bibles is a transliteration of the Greek word baptisito, which means immersion, and the word immersion has been replaced for accuracy. This is a very simple question asked and a very simple answer given by Peter, and it is different from the answers being given today by the majority of preachers and teachers. This teaches that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins and is where we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:40: Peter “solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, be saved from this perverse generation.”
Many preachers today would want to say the people were already saved because they obviously believed, but Peter even as he continues realizes that they’re not saved and says, “Be saved from this perverse generation”.
Acts 2:41: “So then those who were who had received his word were immersed and were added that day about 3,000 souls.”
Acts 16:30: “Sers, what must I do to be saved?”
This is the same question as asked in Acts 2.
Acts 16:31: “And they and they said, believe in, excuse me, believe in the Lord Yosua and you shall be saved, you and your household.”
This is often what will be quoted. Many preachers would want you to believe that this was the complete answer, but they failed to read the next three verses because the complete answer to the jailer’s question was exactly the same as the answer to the questions asked by the multitude in Acts chapter 2. The Greek word translated as “believe” means much more than the simple English word belief; it means to believe in, adhere to, trust in, rely on, and obey. When Paul and Silas told this man to believe on the Lord Yosua, they were telling him that he not only had to have a mental ascension, but had to totally believe it enough to totally surrender his life to him and do whatever else was necessary to be saved.
Romans 10:17: “so faith comes from hearing and hearing from the word of Christ.”
The jailer hadn’t even heard the word of Christ yet, so he first obviously needed to believe, but he couldn’t even believe without hearing the preached word.
Acts 16:32: “and they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.”
Acts 16:33: “And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was immersed, he and all his household.”
Obviously as they preached the word to them, they told the jailer and his household what else was necessary because he was immediately then immersed into Christ.
Acts 16:34: “And he brought them into his house and set food before them and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God. with his whole household.”
That belief obviously within this passage entailed the teaching on baptism.
Acts 22:10 (Paul speaking): “And I said, what shall I do, Lord?”
Most of the preachers today are preaching or using Paul’s conversion experience on the road to Damascus as the example of how we’re to be saved today. Preachers fail to read the whole context of the passage, the next six verses.
Acts 22:16 (Ananias speaking to Paul): “And now why delay? Arise and be immersed and wash away your sins calling on his name.”
The question was asked three times in the scriptures (Acts 2, Acts 16, and here in Acts 22), and the answer wasn’t different in any of them. They all had to believe, they all did believe, they all repented, and they all were immersed into Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This teaches that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 8:36: “And as they went along the road, they came to some water and the unic said, look, water. What prevents me from being immersed?”
This is the second question examined. If this question occurred today, the majority of the clergy would answer something like, “Oh, you can do that anytime. What’s important is getting you saved,” and they would follow up by saying baptism has nothing to do with salvation; it is just an outward sign of the inward grace, or an act of obedience following salvation, or a witness to others that you’ve been saved.
Acts 8:37: “And Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may.” And the eunuch answered, “I believe that Joshua the Christ is the son of God.”
The majority of preachers today would say it really doesn’t matter, it’s not essential, but it’s important, it’s commanded, but certainly not essential for salvation. Philip did not answer and say, “Oh, you can do that anytime. Let’s just get you saved first”.
Acts 8:34 (Eunuch speaking): “please tell me of whom does the prophet say this? of himself or of someone else.”
Acts 8:35: “And Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture, he preached Yosua to him.”
Acts 8:38-40: “And he ordered the chariot to stop and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the unic, and he immersed him. And when they came up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away and And the unic saw him no more but went on his way rejoicing.”
The eunuch makes the good confession and then immediately is immersed in Christ.
Ephesians 4:4: Paul makes it very clear that there’s only one Lord and only one faith. Just as there is only one Lord and one faith, there is only one immersion or one baptism that will cut it.
Mark 16:15-16: Yosua said in the great commission, “go out into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. And he who has believed and been immersed shall be saved.” This teaches that baptism is for salvation.
1 Peter 3:21: It says, “and in like matter what bapt immersion also does save you.” It ends by saying through the resurrection of Yosua the Christ. This teaches that baptism is for salvation.
1 Corinthians 12:13: “for by one spirit we are all immersed into one body.” This teaches that baptism is how we are added to the body of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17: “if any man is in Christ in the Christ he’s a new creation.” This relates to baptism being a part of being born again; we have to get into Christ to become the new creation.
Romans 6 (quoted in parts): “Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into the Christ have been immersed into his death? We’ve been buried with him in baptism in enlighten as the father has raised the Christ through the resurrection of the dead. So we too might walk in newness of life, born again to start a new life.” This gives the answer to how we get into Christ. It is in baptism, when preceded by faith and repentance in Yesua, that he saves us.
Acts 1:6: “And so when they had come together, They were asking him saying, “Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
This is the third question examined. If this question was asked of the majority of preachers today, they would answer that the kingdom isn’t being restored to physical Israel, but that the new covenant is made with a spiritual Israel.
Acts 1:7: “And he said to them in answer to the question, Lord, is it at this time that you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epics, which the Father has fixed by his own authority.”
Yosua didn’t say, “No, you’ve got your thinking all messed up. It’s a spiritual Israel now”. He simply said, “No, it’s not for you to know the time for this to happen,” admitting that their question was legitimate, but it just wasn’t for them to know when it was to happen.
Matthew 13:10-11: Verse 10 says, “and the disciples came and said to him why do you speak to them in parables?” and he answered and said to them, “to you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it has not been granted.”
Matthew 13:51: It says, “Have you understood all these things?” And they said to him, “Yes.”
Acts 1:1-3: It says, “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Yosua began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom he had chosen. To these he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many convincing proofs appearing to them over a period of 40 days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.”
This clearly tells us that Josua spent his last 40 days on this earth teaching the apostles and the disciples the things concerning the kingdom.
Matthew 21:43: We are shown that the kingdom was to be given to a nation.
1 Peter 2:7-9: That nation is identified as being Israel.
Luke 12:31-32: Yosua says, “But seek for but seek for his kingdom and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid little flock for your father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.”
The “little flock” was the remnant of Israel who would accept Josua as Lord and Savior. Israelites are the only people in the Bible who are ever identified as being sheep.
Luke 1:26-27: It says, “Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the descendants of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.”
Luke 1:32-33 (Gabriel speaking): The angel said to her, “He will be great and will be called the son of the most high, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom will have no end.”
Note the interchangeable use of the house of Jacob and kingdom. Gabriel somehow came to understand that the kingdom that Yesua would reign over belonged to Israel or at least the remnant under the new covenant.
Luke 1:54-55 (Mary speaking): She says, “He has given help to Israel his servant in remembrance of his mercy as he He spoke to our fathers to Abraham and his offspring forever.” Mary understood that it was Israel whom this all pertained to.
Hebrews 8:8: This makes it clear that the new covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, the physical, at least the remnant of the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Acts 4:19: “But Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God. You be the judge.”
This is the fourth question examined. They were asking, “Are we to obey government or God?”. The majority of the clergy today would answer that we must obey all government authorities for all governments have been set up by God.
Acts 4:20: Peter and John answered and said, “For we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.”
In other words, they were saying, “We will disobey government rather than disobey God”.
Acts 5:29: “But Peter and the apostles answered and said, we must obey God rather than men.”
This further verified the previous statement.
Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 (Referenced): These do teach subjection to government authorities, but only to government authorities ordained by and set up by God, which ministers on behalf of God for our good, which rewards the righteous and punishes the workers of iniquity.
Romans 3:31 (First part): Paul is writing and he says, “Do we then nullify [abolish or do away with] the law through faith?”
This is the fifth and last question examined. The clergy’s answer is that the law has been nullified, abolished, destroyed, done away with, and nailed to the cross.
Romans 3:31 (Second part): “May it never be on the contrary we establish the law.”
This is the Bible answer, found in the very same verse.
Matthew 5:17: Yosua himself says, “Do not think that I came to abolish the law and the or the prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill [fully preached].”
This is further verification that the scriptures teach the law has not been nullified.
Matthew 5:18: Yosua goes on to say, “until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke will pass away from the law until all is accomplished.”
Matthew 5:19: Yosua continues by saying, “whoever then enols one of the least of these commandments and so teaches others shall be least in the kingdom.”
Reading what Yosua said there, it’s very clear that he says the law has not been abolished, just as Paul reiterates in Romans 3:31.
2 Timothy 4:1-4: Paul says, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of the Christ Yosua is the judge of the living and the dead. And by his appearing in his kingdom, he says, ‘Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season.’ Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
Paul’s instructions to Timothy included preaching whether it’s popular or not. This passage explains why preachers today are preaching false doctrine: because the people want it so, they accumulate to themselves teachers that will tickle their ears with doctrines they want to hear.
Isaiah 30:9-10: “For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of Yahweh, who say to the seers, you must see visions and to the prophets, you must not prophesy to us what is right. Speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions.”
Jeremiah 5:30-31: “An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely and the priests rule on their own authority. An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely and the priests rule on their own authority and my people love it so. But what will you do at the end of it?”
This is further proof that the people love to have it so, which is why false teachers are tolerated today.
2 Corinthians 13:5: “test yourselves to see if you’re in the faith. Examine yourselves or you do you not recognize this about yourselves that Yosua the Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test.”
The scriptures also say that we need to test ourselves, because we may be the most guilty if our preacher or teacher is false because we love it so.