In my book, Heaven’s Doors . . . Wider Than You Ever Believed! I share about a sad
experience of having a dear friend who I had known well for over a dozen years
come up to me at a conference to inform me that, in essence, he didn’t want to
be my friend anymore. His reason? He had concluded that I am a
false teacher who is leading people astray by my blog posts and a then-to-be
published book addressing the issue of ultimate destinies.
Neither
my friend’s words nor the spirit in which they were communicated motivated me
to change my beliefs. However, his words did make me think.
What
Characterizes False Teachers?
Both
Paul and Peter expressly warn us to stay away from false teachers. And Jesus
told us to watch out for ravenous wolves who dress in sheep’s clothing.
But, what exactly is it that makes someone a true “false teacher?”
Are
Calvinists false teachers because their theological understanding of God’s
sovereignty and grace differs from that of Arminians? Are Baptists
heretics because they disagree with their Presbyterian friends about the mode
or age at which people should be baptized? Are Charismatics really wolves
in sheep’s clothing because they disagree with non-Charismatics about whether
or not the gifts of the Spirit are relevant to life today?
False
teachers are deceptive in their dealings.
It
would seem reasonable from a quick look at the actual phrase itself to expect false teachers to teach something that is false. Peter pointed out that the false
teachers he was referring to lied by exploiting others with “stories they have made up.” Wolves “who come to you in sheep’s clothing” are
seeking to deceive those they are preying upon.
In
contrast, Calvinists and Arminians, Baptists and Presbyterians, and Charismatics
and non-Charismatics who differ with one another do not generally lie to their
followers about what Scripture actually says. Rather, they each look at
the text and come to different conclusions. They definitely believe their
theological opponents are mistaken, but they don’t usually see them as being
deceitful. As a result, they don’t generally call each other heretics or
false teachers.
In
my particular situation, it has been my goal to point out truth. In a former
blog post for example, I noted that the original NIV translators
inappropriately used the word “hell” to translate the Greek word “hades” in the parable of the Rich Man and
Lazarus, and that those same translators never translated hades that way anywhere else in
Scripture. I didn’t lie. I didn’t seek to deceive my readers.
I stated the truth. And, in fact, the 2011 revision of the NIV actually
corrected their error.
False
teachers are interested in profits.
The
false teachers Peter speaks of are greedy for gain. They “follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages
of wickedness.”
I
have known – or known of – those within the religious community who have been
motivated to a great degree by a desire to make money. Some have built
large empires that later collapsed when fraudulent fundraising and accounting
practices were exposed.
My
motivation for writing my book and blog posts has not been to get rich.
In fact, I have lost far more money than what I have gained from what I have
written. I was terminated from a ministry that I had worked with
for over ten years after passing along a copy of my manuscript to the head of
the ministry to let him know my thinking on the issue. I was no longer able to speak and perform at various conferences and churches because of my views.
False
teachers pursue sensual pleasure.
They “carouse in broad daylight.” Their eyes are “full of adultery.” They “seduce the unstable,” and appeal to the “lustful desires of sinful human nature.”
Major
scandals have plagued the religious world in recent years involving well-known
figures whose moral failures have brought disrepute on the gospel of
Christ.
My
wife and I celebrated our 53rd wedding anniversary in 2024.
I have never been involved in an illicit affair. And, I can honestly say
that I love and admire my wife more today than when we were first married.
Who
Decides?
I
honestly love my friend – and, yes, as far as I am concerned he is still my
friend. I am honestly sad that he no longer wants to continue in
fellowship with me. But, I am also honestly convinced that I am not a
heretic, and that my friend does not really understand what actually
constitutes a false teacher.
Jesus
followed His warning about wolves in sheep’s clothing by explaining how we
would be able to know who they are – “By their fruit you will recognize them.”
Because someone disagrees with you on a theological issue doesn't automatically make that person a false teacher.
We
need to look at their lives. Are those we label as false teachers
deceptive, or greedy, or immoral? If not, we should be very careful about
labeling them that way.
The
views I have expressed on these blog posts and in my book are not new. In
fact, much of what I have written has been an attempt to inform people in this
generation of ideas that were held by the Christian Church in the earliest
years of its existence – when it was closest to the Apostles, when its leaders read the New Testament in their native language, and its influence
on the surrounding culture was the greatest it has ever been.
In
a tract written in about AD 1627, a little known German divine named Rupertus
Meldenius penned three short and very profound statements about how Christians
should treat those with whom they disagree:
In
essentials unity. In nonessentials liberty. In all things charity.
We
would do well to follow that advice today.
By George W. Sarris
