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THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FALSE TEACHERS!

As you read the following passage of Scripture, II Chronicles 18:1 - 27, focus your attention on the two prophets who have speaking roles - Zedekiah and Micaiah. Then list three adjectives that describe Zedekiah and three that describe Micaiah. We read:
Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?"
Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war." 4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."
So the king of Israel brought together the prophets - 400 men - and asked them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?"
"Go," they answered, "for God will give it into the king's hand."
But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?"
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah."
" The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied.
So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once."
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance to the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'"
All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand."
The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."
But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says."
When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?"
"Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for they will be given into your hand."
The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"
Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'"
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?"
Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19 And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'
"One suggested this, and another that. 20 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'
"'By what means?' the LORD asked.
"'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said.
" 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'
"So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked.
Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room."
The king of Israel then ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son, 26 and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'"
Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!"
Well, what do you think? What three words would you use to describe Zedekiah? How about Micaiah? Well, we might say Zedekiah was bold, creative, and passionate. While Micaiah was courageous, caring, and faithful. If the two had been in the same high school the former would have been the most popular kid in school while the latter would have been practically unknown.
As an aside, why would God allow someone like Zedekiah to play such an influential role within the Northern Kingdom? Why would he allow him to lie to the movers and shakers of Israel? Well, theologically there are two reasons to be found in Scripture. First, as seen in II Chronicles 18:19, the Lord allowed it so as to exercise his judgment against Ahab. Second, according to Deuteronomy 13:1 - 5, the Lord allows false prophets so as to test us. We read:
If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
The Old Testament makes it abundantly clear that false prophets will be part of the landscape. Furthermore, it tells us that they are not to be taken lightly. For they threaten to destroy the sheep by leading them astray and they pose a difficult problem for the shepherds.
The New Testament reinforces this same message and expands upon it. For example, as part of Paul's farewell message to the elders at Ephesus he reminded them of those who would come into their midst and distort the truth. In Acts 20:25 - 31 we read:
"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Note! They don't make things easy by obviously misleading people. They "distort the truth" as opposed to attacking it head on. They would rather divert you away from the truth rather than give you something to challenge. For it is easier to entice someone off course than it is to convince them to change directions.
Peter, far more than any other writer, with the possible exception of Jude, elaborates on this topic as seen in II Peter 2. His depiction of false teachers is generic which implies that he simply gives us their general characteristics. But, there will always be those who don't exhibit every attribute mentioned by Peter or Jude.
Today, we will get started by looking at the first three verses. We read:
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
The first thing we note, other than the existence of false teachers, is that they are subtle. For in v. 1 we're told that they "secretly introduce destructive heresies". Just as the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal, false teachers are deceptive in their approach.
Consider the following dialogue as outlined in the Mormon Missionary Handbook. We read:1
(Chat briefly with the contact to put him at ease. At an appropriate moment ask permission to begin with prayer. After prayer pursue the dialogue.)
Elder: It's a real pleasure to be in your home, Mr. Brown. I mentioned that we are calling from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With which church are you most familiar?
Brown: I'm a member of the Christian Assembly Church.
Elder: There are certainly a great many different Christian churches in the world today. In your own mind, Mr. Brown, why do you think there are so many?
Brown: Oh, I suppose it is because there are so many opinions about religion.
Elder: I am sure that is part of it. Take a teaching like baptism, for example. Some churches believe that it is necessary, while others do not. Some believe that it has to be done by immersion; others do it by sprinkling. Back in ancient times, when there were living prophets upon the earth, how did the Lord give men the answers to questions like this?
Brown: He spoke to those prophets.
Elder: And why were the statements of the prophets so valuable?
Brown: Because they spoke for God.
Elder: Yes, they did. I am sure you have wondered what it was like to live back in the time of the prophets. Suppose you had lived then and had a question about religion. Why would you go to a prophet to get an answer?
Brown: Because I'd know his answer came from God.
Elder: Back in those times, why was it so important to have living prophets on the earth?
Brown: Because the people needed the words of God.
Elder: I am sure that is right. Even today, how could a living prophet help us to find the true church?
Brown: He'd be able to tell us for sure.
Elder: And why are the statements of living prophets more reliable than our own opinions?
Brown: Because their teachings are inspired by the Lord, and aren't just their own thinking.
Elder: YOU ARE RIGHT, THERE. AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE CONFUSION AMONG THE CHURCHES, WHAT IS ONE REASON WE NEED A LIVING PROPHET?
Brown: To teach us the truth about religion.
Note! Scripture is avoided. It is avoided for good reason! For prophets, whether in the Old or New Testament are to be tested by the words already revealed in Scripture. Nor is it mentioned that false prophets outnumbered those who spoke the truth by a ratio of 400:1 in the days of Jehoshaphat. Which tells us that for every theological yes, there are a million no's.2
Second, false prophets and/or teachers tend to be greedy. Balaam, as seen in Numbers 22 - 24, is the classic example of greed. Though he never cursed Israel directly, he found a way to divert Israel away from God. He did so for one and only one reason - money!3 4
Third, false teachers seldom give homework! After all, they don't want you to think through things on your own. But I do! So before the next lesson - study II Peter 2 & Jude and make a list of adjectives that characterize false teachers.

1 I've taken this from a very old handbook - dated 1969. But it gives the flavor of how smoothly erroneous ideas can be introduced into our lives.
2 Other than Deuteronomy 13:1 - 5 which we've already looked at, see Galatians 1:6 - 9.
3 Balaam evidently advised the women of Moab to seduce the men of Israel and thereby entice them to worship their gods. See Numbers 25 and 31:16.
4 See II Peter 2:15

PETER: THE MAN AND HIS LETTERS 6/08/08 3

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