Gentle King
The Gospel

Guide

How to Spot a False Teacher

Seven questions to test any teacher by Scripture, the common warning signs today, and what to do when you find one.

About 4 minutes to read

Christ Warned You

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Matthew 7:15-16 (KJV)

Jesus, Paul, Peter, John, and Jude all warned that false teachers would come from inside the church, not only from outside it (Acts 20:29-30, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 2:19, Jude 4). They rarely announce themselves. They are often likable, gifted, and popular. So Scripture tells you to test them, not to trust them because they are famous or kind.

How to Test a Teacher

Do what the Bereans did. They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so (Acts 17:11). Then ask these questions.

  1. What does he say about Christ? Is Jesus fully God and fully man, the only Savior, crucified for sinners and bodily raised? A man who teaches otherwise, and holds to it when he is shown the truth, is not a confused brother. He is a false teacher (1 John 4:1-3, 2 John 9-10). Someone who was simply taught wrong and gladly takes correction is another case. Teach him patiently, as Aquila and Priscilla taught Apollos the way of God more perfectly (Acts 18:26).
  2. What does he say about the gospel? Is a sinner saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone? Anyone who adds works, rituals, or a church’s merit to Christ preaches another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9).
  3. What is his final authority? Scripture alone, or Scripture plus his visions, his prophecies, or his church’s tradition? God has finished speaking in his written Word, and nothing is to be added to it by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men (WCF 1.6).
  4. Does he handle the Bible honestly? Does he read verses in their setting, or pull them out to prove what he already wanted to say? The unlearned and unstable wrest the scriptures unto their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16).
  5. Does he call sinners to repent? A teacher who never names sin, never warns of judgment, and never calls for repentance is not preaching the gospel Christ preached (Mark 1:15, 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
  6. How does he live? Look at his fruit. Greed, sexual sin, pride, and love of money are marks Scripture names (2 Peter 2:2-3, 10, 14, 18, Titus 1:11).
  7. Who holds him to account? Is he under the oversight of a church and its elders, or does he answer to no one?

Common Warning Signs Today

  1. Health and wealth. Teaching that God promises money, health, and success to those with enough faith, or to those who give to the ministry.
  2. New revelation. Claims that God told him something new that you must believe or obey.
  3. No sin, no judgment, no hell. A message only about self-esteem, purpose, and blessing.
  4. Christ made small. Jesus presented only as a good example, a life coach, or one way among many.
  5. Celebrity without a church. A large following, a brand, merchandise, and no elders.
  6. Anger at being tested. A faithful teacher welcomes being checked against Scripture. A false one calls it attacking God’s anointed.

Be Careful in Both Directions

Not every teacher who is wrong about something is a false teacher. A sound minister can be mistaken on a lesser point, or say something badly. Faithful men have differed on baptism, church government, and the millennium. Some of those differences are serious errors, but they are not heresy. Save the label for those who deny or corrupt the gospel itself. How to Spot Real Heresy sets out the difference.

And do not become a man who hunts for heresy for sport. Test what you hear, hold fast that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and speak with grief, not glee.

To see these questions put to work fairly on popular preachers of our day, read Teachers Weighed.

What to Do

  1. Stop following him. Unsubscribe, stop buying, stop giving. Paul says to mark them and avoid them (Romans 16:17).
  2. Warn those you love, gently and with Scripture.
  3. If he is in your own church, go to your elders. Do not start a campaign on your own.
  4. Sit under faithful preaching. The best protection from counterfeit is to know the real thing well. See How to Find a Faithful Church.