False Teachers

Contending for the Faith

Is it proper to name those who distort the truth?  I had struggled with that question for some time, especially when certain preachers were condemning the practice.  But my opinion has changed and I now have no problem naming anyone who deceives God's people, either willfully, or unintentionally. However, it has occurred to me that it is better to teach you how to identify these charlatan's rather than point them out myself. This page used to be dedicated to naming the wolves. The fact is, there were not many listed here in comparison to how many there actually are. I believe we are living in an age where there are more self-serving preachers and teachers than ever before. It would take up all of my time, day and night to highlight every false teacher I discover. I have found it easy to identify them after I understood some simple truths and I'm confident that you can too. It's not enough to name names. If you know what is true then you will quickly identify what is false. Those who teach what is false should be confronted and then condemned by his or her own congregations if they choose to ignore sound doctrine. The only way to eliminate the wolves is for each of us to critically examine what is being taught, like the Bereans, to determine what is true. And if your preacher is found to be in error, he must be corrected.

Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.  1 Timothy 5:19-20 

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 7:11

Are you a victim of a wolf in sheep's clothing? Have you lost your faith because of bad teaching? Please consider the fact that the Christian faith is perfect but some who claim to speak for God distort His Words to make them fit their own selfish agendas. In many cases, you will have to throw out what you have learned under these false teachers and begin to learn the truth as it is revealed in God's Word, the Holy Bible. Please don't throw out the baby with the bath water. It's OK to lose faith in the preachers who have caused so much misery. But they're not worth you losing faith in God. You can begin anew by keeping it simple and studying on your own. Check out my article, What is Christianity? and follow the links to other short articles to help you along. Take your time and your relationship with God can be as good, if not better than it has ever been in just a short time.

Non-Christian Spirituality Here

WARNING ! ALL SELF PROCLAIMED PROPHETS READ JEREMIAH 23

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. Psalm 101:6-7

The Bible - First and foremost, let's get one thing straight. The Bible is God's Word, it is complete, and it is perfect to accomplish all that God has intended. Your first place to begin a proper understanding of what is true versus what is false is to read the Bible with that purpose in mind, knowing that what you are reading is absolutely one hundred percent true (this applies to legitimate Bible translations only. Mormon and Jehovah's Witness translations are just two examples of those you should avoid. For more information about the Bible go to my About the Bible link). Please take your time in this section. There is a lot of information but I have thoroughly examined all of it and found it to be very helpful.

See also, The Chicago Statement on Biblical Application
See also, The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

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Understanding Christianity - According to some research, nearly eighty percent of Americans claim to be affiliated with Christianity. We know from extreme examples, that although by all appearances they seem like Christians, many people find themselves actually involved with cults, usually, unaware that they are being misled. Men like David Koresh and Jim Jones preached from the same Bible that many of us use, but their messages often deviated from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is easy to fall for such charismatic preachers as they rely on the fact that most people are biblically illiterate. Christianity in and of itself is very simple yet many preachers have complicated it to such an extent that believers under their control have become confused. For a clear understanding of what Christianity is, please read my article, What is Christianity. As you read God's Word and you hear His Word preached, keep this definition in mind. Christianity is not as convoluted as some preachers have made it out to be. There are also several other links in the article that should prove very helpful, including my articles, The Simplicity That is Christianity, Daily Christian Living and Moving on to Maturity. There are also two links that are outside of this web site, Christianity 101 and Y-Jesus.com. These are helpful to understand the very basics of Christianity and of who Jesus actually is. As you take your time understanding the Bible, please take your time in this section as well. There is a lot of information but as you will see, none of it is complicated. Keep all of this in mind as you listen to any preacher. Soon, you will begin to notice discrepancies in the teaching of those wolves' in sheep's clothing. You won't be so easily deceived.

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Hermeneutics - The science of interpreting the Bible - For the most part, as you read the Bible, it is important to take what it says at face value. For example, the account of how Adam and Eve were created should be taken literally. There is no need for some esoteric interpretation. However, there are Scriptures that require some understand of how to properly interpret them. Understanding historical background, the culture, the context, etc. all have an impact on properly understanding what God is actually trying to convey. There is in fact a science to proper interpretation, not only of the Bible but other historical documents as well. Standard hermeneutics is used by religious and secular scholars alike and when used properly, interpretations can accurately be made. For the average Christian, a basic understanding of hermeneutics will go a long way toward raising a red flag against those who would distort God's Word. For as better understanding of hermeneutics, see the article, Hermeneutics - The science of interpreting the Bible by A BIBLE COMPANION.

See Also, Rules of Interpretation
See also, The Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics

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Apologetics - "...Christian apologetics is that branch of Christianity that deals with answering any and all critics who oppose or question the revelation of God in Christ and the Bible."

"...Apologetics is the work of convincing people to change their views.  In this it is similar to preaching because its goal is ultimately the defense and presentation of the validity and necessity of the gospel.  It is an attempt to persuade the listener to change his beliefs and life to conformity to biblical truth and to come to a saving relationship in Christ."

Christian apologetics can be rather complicated and there are many aspects that require a college degree to thoroughly understand. However, for the typical Christian believer, only a basic understanding of apologetics is necessary in order to win souls. It requires reading and properly understanding the Scriptures in order to preach and teach (or minister and witness) God's Word completely and truthfully. Every Christian should have a basic understanding of Christian apologetics. For a better understanding, go to the article, Apologetics by Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM).

See also, The Bible and Apologetics by R. C. Sproul - 5 part audio series - This lecture costs $2.00

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Polemics - There is a fundamental difference between apologetics and polemics.  Apologetics is a defense of the historical, orthodox Christian faith against those outside the Church.  Polemics is a defense of the historical, orthodox Christian faith against those who call themselves Christians - those who are inside the Church.

Christians are called to unity. God desires that all Christians be united in mind and mission. But it can be difficult when one denomination's teachings contradict the teachings of another, especially when one or both teachings contradict the Bible. This is where a proper and thorough understanding of biblical teaching is necessary. Polemics is simply a means of correcting false teaching. For a better understanding see the article, The Lost Art of Polemics by Frontline Ministries.

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As you can see, there is a lot to do. It will require much reading. It has taken me many years to reach these conclusions and to compile these links and articles so that I would not be deceived. I freely share it with you so that you also might not be deceived. I could (and have) named many false teachers right here on this page. I created profiles on each of them, often using their very words to expose them as false teachers and false prophets. But, some of these charlatans were beloved of so many, and I received hate mail, which I gladly answered attempting to explain why he or she was listed on this page. But those arguments most often fell on deaf ears. Occasionally, I would win someone over, but it was a rare victory. Now, you have some of the tools necessary to discover for yourself, what it true versus what is false. I pray that many of you have come to this page searching for information about your own preacher, teacher, pastor, minister or prophet. You are here for a reason. You are questioning for a reason. Please take your time to get the answers that you seek.

As you learn how to recognize false teaching, please take a look at the rest of this web site. There are lots of articles and resources for good teaching. Start HERE.

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Coming soon... More links and articles exposing false teaching

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