Walking Away From False Teaching
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
There is one danger we are warned to be on guard against in the Bible that can get overlooked. It's a danger I wanted to talk about today because it's a common trap and one that should be discussed. That is the danger of false teachers. It starts off so innocently. Maybe a friend invited you to a different church or Bible study. Maybe a video popped up in your feed on social media. Maybe a church just opened its doors and you are curious. And at first it all sounds so good, but before long you could find yourself down a path that leads you further and further away from the truth found in the Bible.
Listening to the teachings of a false teacher can be a disorienting experience, one that often feels like a smooth, magnetic pull. The words from the false teacher flow easily, and at first, everything seems so logical, so convincing. Their charisma is undeniable; they speak with both confidence and authority. They draw on Scripture, weaving verses in a way that seems just enough to be credible, but often twisting the meaning to suit their own narrative. You may find yourself nodding along with a feeling of uneasiness deep down, a feeling you dismiss because you want to give them the benefit of the doubt.
How They Operate
There’s a subtle art to their persuasion. They might tell you that the church you’ve always known—your family’s church, your community’s church—has missed the mark. "Everyone else has it wrong," they say, "but I’m showing you the real truth." They tap into your doubts, your questions about faith, your longing for something deeper or more direct. And in that moment of vulnerability, they offer the illusion of exclusive knowledge, an understanding about God that they get right and it's vital you do too. Or at least that's what they tell you.
Their words make you feel like you’ve stumbled upon the true path—a hidden gem amidst a world of confusion. But the appeal doesn’t stop with logic or reason; there’s an emotional pull as well. They know how to make you feel understood, like you’re finally hearing what you’ve always longed for. They may try to draw you in with compliments of how special you are, how vital you are to them and their ministry. In that moment, everything else starts to seem less meaningful, less right, and their version of truth begins to feel like the only one that matters.
People often give in to these teachings not out of malice or willful ignorance, but because false teachers know how to exploit both your heart and your mind. They prey on insecurities, unanswered questions, and that innate desire for certainty and purpose. They make you feel special, like you’ve been chosen to receive this "higher" knowledge and you can be set apart by it or they try to make you feel superior to other people just for following them down this path. The power of their charm and the weight of their rhetoric often leave you too swept up in the moment to critically examine what’s being said.
It's a danger for all of us
This isn’t a scenario that only happens to some. The truth is we are all in danger of being swept away by false teaching. So much so that every single book of the New Testament except one (Philemon) warns believers about false teachers.
Consider how the Israelites, after experiencing great miracles and being led by God’s hand, fell into idolatry and false worship time and again. Even the Apostle Peter, one of the most steadfast disciples, was rebuked by Paul for being influenced by the false practices of another group (the Judaizers, see Galatians 2:11-14). If even Peter, with his close relationship to Jesus, was vulnerable to this, how much more are we, who live in a world full of distractions, deception, and manipulation?
Three Ways To Help Guard Against It
So if we are all capable of falling for false teachings, how can we stand against it? How can we make sure that in a vulnerable moment we too don’t get swept away by it? Well there's a few ways we can guard against us, starting with knowing the Word of God.
1. Know The Truth
The first and most important defense against false teaching is to know the Word of God deeply. The Bible is our foundation, and without a solid grasp of Scripture, it’s easy to be led astray. Jesus, in His encounter with Satan in the wilderness, responded to each temptation with the truth of God’s Word (Matthew 4:1-11). He didn’t argue with the devil based on feelings or opinions—He simply quoted Scripture. Similarly, the more we know God's Word, the better equipped we are to discern when something is not in alignment with the truth.
When we know God’s Word, we can recognize when something is out of line with it. Regular Bible reading and study should be a daily discipline, not just when we need it in moments of crisis.
2. Test Everything
In a world full of messages, teachings, and voices claiming to speak on behalf of God, the Bible urges us to test everything. We are called to compare everything we hear with the truth of God’s Word, and we must do so with discernment.
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)
If a teaching, no matter how convincing, doesn’t align with the truth of the Bible, we are to reject it and the teacher who is teaching it. If you hear something clearly unbiblical, don't just dismiss it and then continue to listen. No, get up and walk out of the building or turn off the video or burn the book. A teacher who teaches anything clearly unbiblical is someone who shouldn't be listened to about anything. The benefit of the doubt applies to gray areas, not black and white. So if you test a teaching and the teaching fails, walk away.
There are teachers who have made conclusions about the Bible or God that they cannot back up with scripture. There is not one verse that says we are to add onto God’s law with our own laws. No, scripture calls us to know the word of God and simply obey it. Remember Jesus' teaching in Luke 11:28 where he said:
"He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’" (Luke 11:28)
The Bible is very clear on the basics of the faith and God hasn’t made how we are to live our lives as Christians a mystery. Yes, there are things we don’t know, but don’t forget, God doesn’t make mistakes and He didn’t clarify that for a reason. When it comes to areas that are ambiguous or less clear, however, that doesn’t give anyone the right to add to the Bible or try to draw a conclusion that scripture doesn’t give us. So if someone is trying to introduce some new concept or they are trying to convince you their insight on the Bible means they can add absolutes where God’s word doesn’t give them, do what I have unfortunately had to do on multiple occasions in my own life and that is walk away. If God's Word does not prove it to be true, then that church or Bible study or friend group is not for me or you.
3. Look for fruit
Finally, look for their fruit. If there is one lesson I’ve learned after encountering more than a few false teachers in my lifetime, it’s this: look at their fruit.
People can lie with their words but when it comes to the fruit produced by God in their lives, it’s a little harder. In fact, when warning us about false prophets Jesus told us we can identify them by their fruit. Flipping over to Matthew 7:15-23:
"Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.' (Matthew 7:15-23)
So look at their fruit, not what they say, but what they have produced. Are they spreading the Gospel and following the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)?
Are their lives filled with behaviour consistent with someone filled with the fruits of the spirit?
Do they practice what the Bible preaches (2 Peter 2:)?
Do they serve others (Matthew 23:11-12)?
Do they meet the requirements for teachers set out in scripture (1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1)?
Do they promote unity in the church or are they divisive (2 Corinthians 13:11, Ephesians 4:1-6)?
Are they committed to teaching the truth of scripture or do they attempt to add to it, take away from it, or claim special revelations about it ( 1 Corinthians 14:37–38)?
Do they work together with a team of elders as the Bible instructs or do they isolate themselves with no accountability in place (Titus 1:5)?
With close examination often we are able to spot inconsistencies by looking at their fruit.
False teachings and false teachers will always be out there, but we don't have to run down bunny trails with them or follow them down the wrong paths. God has given us His Bible as our ultimate source of truth and if we follow it without adding onto it, we won't go wrong. So stand on guard and stand strong, remaining faithful to the truth of God's Word. And if someone ever comes along trying to convince you of something differently? Walk away.
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