Confession time: Sometimes – OK, often – I think my brain works more like a man’s than a woman’s. You’ve got a problem? Suck it up- here’s the solution. The mall? A perfectly horrifying way to ruin a Saturday. And why do we have to hug people hello and goodbye when we see each other multiple times a week?
I’ve always been more comfortable around men, and when I was single, I had mostly male friends. They’re generally¹ less mysterious and easier to figure out than women, and they don’t usually play those manipulative emotional games some women can be notorious for. If a man says he wants a cheese sandwich, there’s no hidden “you don’t bring me flowers often enough” meaning there. He just wants a cheese sandwich. I like that. It’s pretty much how I operate.
Which makes me the perfect person for God to plunk down smack dab in the middle of women’s ministry, right?
Harrumph.
God just has this way about Him of stretching us and growing us beyond our comfortable little confines. I used to be terrified of walking into a room full of women (They’re so unpredictable! You never know when a big emotional scene might break out!) But after years of teaching and discipling women, developing close friendships with women, serving and ministering to women, I now walk into that room and see precious sisters, created oh so tenderly and intricately by God’s loving hands.
God purposefully and intentionally made each woman unique, but with common traits and perspectives that bind us together as sisters and differentiate us from men. And because men aren’t wired by God the same way women are, sometimes they’re just not going to get the way women think about things, approach people, or respond to issues. Sometimes (shopping, flowers, hugginess) that’s no big deal. They can shrug their shoulders, extend grace, and make space for the women in their lives to think, feel, and react differently than men would without really taking the time to understand why.
There’s at least one biblical issue women respond to differently at the core level of their spiritual DNA than men do. And men, it’s crucial that you get it on this one.
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But there’s at least one biblical issue women respond to differently at the core level of their spiritual DNA than men do. And men, it’s crucial that you get it on this one. You’re the pastors. The elders. The husbands. The fathers. The ones responsible before God for leading your churches and your families in doctrinally sound spiritual growth. You’ve got to get this for the sake of the girls and women you lead:
Women respond differently to false teachers than men do.
And, ladies, we need to understand this about ourselves, too.
It started, not with the advent of modern feminism, or the church age, or even the Fall. It started in the Garden.
Genesis 3 begins…
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman…
Have you ever wondered why the serpent approached Eve instead of Adam?
Before sin entered the world, before that snake in the grass even thought up his dastardly plan of deception, there was a void in the world. None of the animals or birds could fill it. Neither could Adam. God determined that, in order to make His creation complete, there was a need for woman to fill that void. So He reached down with His own two hands (so to speak) and personally crafted a woman.
God had made both animals and Adam out of cold, dead dirt. Not so with woman. God made woman out of soft, warm, living flesh, already coursing with life. God made man to tend the ground from which he had come. God made woman to tend the man from which she had come.
God made man to tend the ground from which he had come. God made woman to tend the man from which she had come.
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And in the same way that God used a different method for creating man and woman and gave them different modes of work, He also gave them different mental and emotional makeups.
God created women with some incredible strengths. Women are usually much better nurturers than men. We’re often better at negotiating, compromising, and making peace between opposing parties. We’re more sensitive to what others are going through and how to treat people in a kind and compassionate way. We bear up under certain pains and stressors better than men do. We’re usually better communicators than men. And, frequently it’s much easier for women to trust, love, and give the benefit of the doubt to others.
And along with those unique strengths come unique challenges that we have to watch out for and that men need some insight about.
We’re kinder and more compassionate, so we have to be careful about people who would take advantage of that. Nurturing is great for raising our children, but if we baby them all their lives, that’s not healthy. Being trusting is a fantastic character trait, but it’s imperative that we be vigilant not to put our trust in the wrong person.
Could it be that the serpent approached Eve instead of Adam because he thought she would be more trusting, give him the benefit of the doubt, and thus be easier to deceive?
First Timothy 2:14 echoes this idea. In 1 Timothy 2:11-14, God explains that women are not to teach men or exercise authority over men in the gathered body of Believers – the church. He gives two reasons for this in verses 13-14. The first reason (13) is the Creative order: “Adam was formed first, then Eve”. God’s second reason is in verse 14:
and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
It’s interesting that verse 13 refers to the specific woman, Eve, but verse 14 uses the more generic term “the woman.” Are women, as a whole, more likely to be victimized by deceivers than men are? Scripture seems to point us that direction.
In 2 Timothy 3:1-9, Paul warns Timothy that people – including those in the church – will become more and more degenerate during the last days. There will even be those who have an outer facade of godliness but are not operating by the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit (5). In other words: false teachers. Verses 6-7 tell us that among these false teachers are those…
…who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
In verse 16 of this same chapter we read that “all Scripture is breathed out by God,” and we know that God never makes mistakes or chooses His words haphazardly. So we know there’s a reason God uses the words “weak women” here. Not weak men, not weak Christians, not weak people – weak women. God graciously gives a warning to women not to be taken in by these false teachers, and an exhortation to men – particularly pastors, since this is a pastoral epistle – to protect the women of their churches and families against those who would prey upon tenderhearted, trusting women.
One reason these women are weak is that they’re led astray by various passions. Today, the word “passion” or “passionate” often has a sexual connotation, but that’s not the only meaning, especially not here. Dictionary.com defines passion as “any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate; a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.” Merriam-Webster says passion is, “the emotions as distinguished from reason; a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept.”
As with so many other valuable characteristics God has blessed women with, passion is a two-edged sword. God wants us to have a passion for holiness, pursing Christ, and biblical ministry to others, but we have to be extremely careful to steward that passion with the reins, bit, and bridle of discernment and knowledge of the Scriptures. Otherwise, we will pour our passion – our powerful and compelling loyalty, enthusiasm, fondness, and love – into the wrong teachers and doctrines.
Which brings us full circle to Eve, because that’s where her train jumped the tracks.
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Genesis 3:4-6
Notice the serpent doesn’t invite Eve to do something blatantly evil. “God knows…” “…you will be like God.” He’s tempting her to do something she thinks is godly. Then Eve takes her eyes off God and His Word and looks instead at the tree.
🍃It was good for food– The fruit would satisfy a felt need. It was practical. She and Adam needed supper. Here was an easy solution. And, besides, it looked delicious and nutritious.
🍃It was a delight to the eyes– The fruit appealed to Eve’s sense of beauty. It looked good to her.
🍃It was to be desired to make one wise– Eve had a passion to grow in wisdom and godliness, and this beautiful, appealing, practical, attractive fruit seemed, in her eyes, the best and most enjoyable way to reach that goal.
This is the same way women are being deceived today. The attractive “tree” (Ever notice that most false teachers are at least somewhat physically attractive – “a delight to the eyes”?) extends a branch with lovely-looking, supposedly nutritious fruit on it which she says will lead to godly wisdom and growth (even though her teaching conflicts with God’s written Word). And it’ll be delicious too. Those who bite the apple will feast on love, positive thoughts, encouragement, and self-esteem-building teaching. It’s too appealing to the woman’s senses – and she’s too weak in her knowledge of Scripture and her desire to obey it – to pass up. She succumbs to the passions of her senses, plucks the fruit, and eats.
And then a fascinating phenomenon begins to take place. The weak woman feeds her passions with the fruit of false doctrine, and then she begins to pour that passion – that intense, compelling loyalty, love, fondness, and enthusiasm – into the false teacher herself. As anyone who has ever tried to gently open a devotee’s eyes can attest, hell hath no fury like a confronted Beth Moore disciple. I have seen women defend their favorite false teachers – against clear Scripture, mind you – with a viciousness I’m not sure I could muster to protect my own children against physical harm.
Men may enjoy a particular false teacher, but women worship them.
Men may enjoy a particular false teacher, but women worship them.
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And this is the crux of the difference that men rarely grasp when the topic of discernment comes up. I’ve talked to countless pastors who don’t understand why simply preaching and teaching sound doctrine from the pulpit and in the Sunday School class isn’t sufficient to protect their churches from the infiltration of false doctrine and false teachers. This is why.
I’ve talked to countless pastors who don’t understand why simply preaching and teaching sound doctrine isn’t sufficient to protect their churches from false doctrine and false teachers. This. is. why.
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Maybe a man will hear hear a biblical truth, realize the preacher he’s been listening to conflicts with it, and simply walk away. A woman won’t. Because, not only has the teaching a woman listens to inextricably wrapped its tentacles around the very core of her soul, she has also formed an emotional bond with the teacher that’s almost impossible to break. She loves her. And she will nearly always choose that loving, bonded “relationship” over biblical truth, giving the teacher the benefit of the doubt and making excuses for her every step of the way.
A woman will nearly always choose that loving, bonded “relationship” with the teacher over biblical truth, giving the teacher the benefit of the doubt and making excuses for her every step of the way.
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The Holy Spirit gets it. He understands the power false teachers wield over weak women and the destruction false teaching in general brings upon the church, so He inspired Paul to write Titus 1:9:
[A pastor] must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Pastors who only preach sound doctrine are only doing half their job.
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Pastors who only preach sound doctrine are only doing half their job. And notice that this verse doesn’t merely say to “rebuke teaching that contradicts sound doctrine” in a generic sort of way. It says rebuke “those who” contradict it. “Those who” are people. Specific people. People with names.
Many pastors and teachers don’t want to name names of false teachers. They’ll quote false teachers, allude to them, describe them, and drop hints as to their identity, hoping against hope their church members will figure out who they’re talking about and stop following them. But they don’t want to call specific names. I understand the fear of naming names. It opens pastors up to attack by the aforementioned disciples of false teachers. I’ve experienced their venom, and believe me, nobody wants to go through that.
Guys – pastors, teachers, husbands – I’m telling you the women you’re preaching to, the women who are in the tightest clutches of false teachers aren’t getting your veiled allusions to generic, unnamed “false teachers”.
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But guys – pastors, teachers, husbands – I’m telling you the women you’re preaching to, the women who are in the tightest clutches of false teachers aren’t getting it. They are not going to hear your veiled allusions to “some Christian authors who say…” or “the pastor of one of the largest churches in America teaches…” and think you’re talking about the false teacher they’re following. They think you’re talking about somebody else. The guy their neighbor is following. That crazy preacher on TBN. But not my favorite Southern Baptist “Bible” study teacher who’s a best seller at LifeWay and is touted on social media by well known pastors.
It takes courage – manly courage – to stand up in front of your congregation, class, or wife and warn them against specific false teachers, but that’s what godly men – who love the women in their churches and families and want to see them spiritually healthy – do.
We need your help, men. The church needs your help. Your family needs your help. Please get this so you can help other “Eves” not to be deceived and weak women to become strong followers of Christ, not false teachers.
¹If it’s not abundantly clear from context, please understand that I’m speaking in generalities in this article. Naturally, individuals vary.
Additional Resources
Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends
Is She a False Teacher? 7 Steps to Figuring it Out on Your Own
Clinging to the Golden Calf: 7 Godly Responses When Someone Says You’re Following a False Teacher
Basic Training: Being Berean- 8 Steps for Comparing Teaching to Scripture
Do You MIND? : Five Reasons for Pastors to Mind What Their Brides Are Reading
Michelle Lesley 
Reblogged this on Unified in Truth and commented:
If you don’t have time to read this today, I suggest you save it for when you do have time. I believe this is well worth you time, and worth discussing with your husband.
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This cuts to the heart of why we need our men to be bold and clear. Women aren’t that great at guessing games as you pointed out, and we often guess the wrong intention or warning. Yep, we never think they are speaking about our favorite teacher when they are vague.
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thank you for this article, appreciate how much I need to get it also.
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This is why I’m not a fan of rogue women’s ministries that are not under the leadership of a church. The IF gathering is case in point. Even at my own church, the women’s ministry is kind of it’s own entity. Thanks for the good insights!
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Completely on track!
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Oftentimes, we might observe that some women get lured by false teachers and “ministries” because they do not have strong, or ANY leadership in the home. Perhaps it can even be that they are married to an unbeliever. So the leadership of the church is missing the boat when they do not step up to the plate in these situations to warn of these false teachers. It’s called shepherding. I have no problem with the leadership or pastor sending out from time to time lists of false teachers to avoid. In writing. With names named. Ain’t gonna happen – might step on toes……….. we should pray that it does. Good article, as usual Michelle.
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Thanks, Robin :0)
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Yes it often starts in the home. I was not a good leader our example spiritually so in the void came the trap…. I have been stepping up recently so that’s a good thing!
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Michelle, Thank you so much for your article today as it home for me. I came out of a bunch of false teaching approx. 10 years ago and pretty much stand alone today in my faith. I’m grieved by my gullibility as well as the fact I led many into false teachings for years. I feel responsible for each one and grieve what I have done even though I know I’m now forgiven the weight of what I did cannot be so easily erased. I left the “nest” so in their mind I’m the one who is crazy and lost my way. I have tried over the years to reach each woman I have infected with false teaching that was not in line with scripture. Most refused to hear it. My heart breaks for them. I had a bit of a chuckle as my husband and I now teach against such false teachers/teachings in the church (now that my eyes are wide open and can smell a wolf a mile away) and I wholeheartedly agree with you that it all began in the garden with Eve. I’m constantly trying to warn my old friends and most do not listen nor acknowledge anymore. You encourage me to carry on for their sake, maybe one will listen. I did! The chuckle came from the simple fact that your discernment pointing straight back to the deception which began in the garden. My hubby and I have taught this! Thank you for your boldness to declare his word. I’m always so blessed by your articles, studies, ect. Continue on dear sister. Melanie Gunsolus
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Praise our great God that He rescued you out of false teaching and that you’re now trying to help others! :0)
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Oh wow! This is so well said! Our premarital counsel discuses this subject and we will most likely now include this article with it.
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Aw, I’m honored! Thanks, Gayle! :0)
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Back when I was “preaching”, I actually worked on a sermon that had many of these points. I never finished it because I met you online and was rescued from that sin (PRAISE GOD!!!). But after reading this post, I went back and dug up my notes from that sermon. Here are some (not fully fleshed out) thoughts on the truths you brought to light.
1. Unbelief was at the root of Lucifer’s rebellion and it informed his theology. He didn’t believe that God was supreme and sovereign, that God had the right as the Creator to rule over His creation.
2. Lucifer spread his theology among the hosts of heaven and was successful—at least with one-third of the angels.
3. Satan had no plans to stop spreading his theology once he was cast down to earth. He chose Eve for the reasons you already detailed in your post.
4. Before Eve encountered the serpent, she was obedient. But once she took her eyes off God and His Word, she was was vulnerable to Satan’s theology.
5. Eve sinned because she was deceived by Satan’s unbelief-based theology and allowed it to inform HER theology.
Isn’t this exactly how false teachers operate? They all have some form of unbelief that informs their theology. They are not content with what’s in God’s Word. They are not content with how God chooses to speak to us through His Word. They are not content to simply obey what God’s Word tells us to do. They…want…MORE!
Some of these false teachers want to have a “special” relationship with God because they are insecure, lonely, unhappy, dissatisfied with their lot in life. So they succumb to their flesh and to the deception of the devil and create a fantasy world where they receive “special” revelation from God, where they are God’s “special” emissary. They act as if they are post-Biblical canon “prophetesses” who are simply “helping” their sisters in Christ live the lives that they “deserve” to live here on earth.
But many of these false teachers are even worse. Though they would never admit it, in the depths of their souls what they really want is to replace God in the lives of their “disciples.” They want to be worshiped. They want to be adored. They want their disciples to “contend for the faith”—at least their distorted, unbiblical brand of faith—by rabidly going after anyone who denounces their pre-packaged Bible study goddess. This brand of false teachers is as dangerous to Christian women as the serpent was to Eve.
I had to fight this battle in my own life first. And now it’s time to take it to my local body of baptized believers. I pray to be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove as I war against false teaching amongst a group of older SBC women who have been steeped in this evil for years.
Thank you Michelle for your Spirit-given insights. May we all war against false teaching and false teachers in a way that glorifies God and accomplishes His purposes. And while doing so, may we lead with love, showing compassion, but not contempt, for our sisters who are caught up in these lies.
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Well said, Leah! :0) Would you mind if I use your comment in a future edition of Testimony Tuesday?
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Oh my! Please use it as you see fit.
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Thanks! :0)
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You have a point here. We need to be aware of the enemy and his deceiving ways. Study the Word of God every day, have a relationship with God the Father and listen to His Word, and no false teacher can throw you off track.
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Oh Michelle this is so spot on! Great insight!
My husband completed a series on false prophets from 2 Peter recently. You should have heard some of these women!!! Several stated that they didn’t care what my pastor hubby said, they would never give up reading Jesus Calling or Beth Moore, Joyce Myers, etc. they received such comfort from them. (And as a counselor I can attest that some women can get emotionally attached to idols.) Thank you for this post, I’ve passed this along to him. Blessings back,
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Wow. Please give your husband a hug and tell him thank you for me. We need more pastors who are willing to speak out boldly like that. I’m so sorry for the backlash he received, but grateful that he is faithful to God’s word no matter the cost.
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🙂 . . . and along with being “Joshua Courageous,” he found and passed along your website for me to follow. Therefore he is very smart indeed!
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Interesting idea, and I don’t think it’s completely wrong. But what happens when you tell Christian men that John Piper has promoted some unsavory teachers and that maybe he doesn’t have very good discernment? Or that Francis Chan and Timothy Keller might not be as fantastic as they think? That even the great C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer had some major doctrinal problems? I think a lot of men react just as badly as women when their idolized teacher is questioned. I’m sure some can be very reasonable and logical in weighing the evidence, but I’ve noticed men get emotionally attached to their favorite teachers, too!
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Thank you Michelle for penning such a well written article. I’m in the midst of a storm with NAR and positive confession teachers. The indictment? The spirit of religion. Please pray for discernment for how to confront this in my home with the right words and method before the grip is too tight. She’s headed to the national gathering in DC early October to meet with friends she knows barely above the relationship gained online. I hardly know what to say without being critical, judgmental and the like, yet scripture holds me primarily accountable for such things. Thankfully the discernment community has taken a large stand so resources are plenty.
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Oh Wayne, I’m so sorry. I’m taking a moment to pray for you and your wife now and ask those reading this to do the same.
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I believe you are right on. In new age and occult teachings, the enemy tries to bypass the reasoning ( male ) side of the brain and go directly to the subconscious, which is the female side. The female side is connected to emotions, feelings, sensations, mysticism and psychic powers. Which is what the enemy uses to influence a human mind. As long as someone falls for this and does not use the reasoning ( male ) side of his brain, they will be deceived, and this applies not only to women ( although as you said, mostly it is women who are easier to deceive ) but also to men who do have also a femenine side of the brain. Satan deceived Eve and continues to deceive by bringing people to connect to him through the subconscious mind which is the female part of the brain. It makes sense!
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Feel out of place to comment on a ladies discussion… but, my thoughts…
https://lingusblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/eve-adam/
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I have a few things to say in response to this. First of all the majority of church attendees in this world are women. Men reject the Gospel far more often than women do. Women are by and large the prayer warriors in our churches Almost all major cults, with the the possible exception of Adventism( which was actually given its impetus by William Miller) were founded by men. Mormon missionaries are all young men. The leaders of the JW’s and Mormons are all men. Need I mention Catholicism?Just about every false teacher mentioned in the Bible ( Jannes and Jambres, Balaam, Simon the Sorcerer, Elymas, Hymeneus and Philetus,Etc, etc) were all men. When Paul says in 1 Tim. 4:1,that in the latter days some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, he is certainly not talking mostly about women. Do women have a high degree of involvement in false belief systems? Of course they do. But so do men. 2 Tim. 3:13: ” …evil men and impostors will grow from bad to worse, deceived and being deceived.” And the men always rise to the top. So you could say that they are the ones who are more deceived. The world missionary movement would largely not exist if it weren’t for women. Just read church historian, Ruth Tucker’s classic book:: Daughters of the Church. This idea that women are always more susceptible to error has spread far and wide in the church. Where women are knowledgeable of the word of God, they can resist error just as much as men do.Who raised and taught John and his brother Charles Wesley? It was their godly mother , Susanna. Many examples, far too numerous to count could be cited. Many great reform movements in the history of the faith, such as abolitionism were driven by women. I have found that rumor, myth and urban legends are very easily spread in the church. They are probably more common than outright false teaching because of the tendency of people to talk and gossip. When Paul uses the argument that it was the woman who was deceived, not the man a lot of people don’t realize that he was refuting the errors of Gnosticism. Paul had a tendency to actually quote the errors of those he disagreed with before refuting them. He does this numerous times in his letters, although if you are not familiar with the background, this isn’t always clear. That’s one of the reasons that Peter cautioned people about distorting what Paul wrote, warning them that there are some things in his letters that “are hard to understand.” 2 Peter 3: 15-16. Gnositicsm elevated the female principle over that of the male, and actually distorted all of the creation stories at the beginning of the Bible. Paul was combating this concept that was rapidly spreading among the churches. The struggle and eventual defeat of Gnositicim was the great battle of the 2nd century Christian Church. So this simplistic idea that women are always more easily deceived than men is just not true.
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to: John McIntyre – do you have actual statistics to back up your first sentences regarding church attendance and the men and women in regard to the Gospel? Because I know for a fact that there are Mormon women missionaries as I met some this year. So that statement in your comments is incorrect.
Some mainline churches have had declines since ordination of women. Should tell us something.
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How many women do you see on bicycles riding around town spreading the Mormon message? It is required of all young men in the Mormon church to go on a two year mission ministry. If you ran into women missionaries in the Mormon church they are the exception, not the rule. The primary role of women in the Mormon church is to unquestionably obey their husbands and to have children.
As far as the number of women in the church see this study:
https://www.gotquestions.org/men-in-the-church.html
The statistics say 61% women vs. men 39%.
As far as prayer minstries go, in every local church I have ever attended, it is the women who drive the prayer ministry. This is just a fact. Read this study by the Pew research Center:
http://www.christianpost.com/news/women-more-likely-than-men-to-pray-believe-in-god-37278/
The percentage on prayer is 68% to 49% in favor of women who say they pray daily.
As far as the lack of faith among men compared to women the studies have been done. Women are more likely to have faith. Men are more irreligious.
https://www.livescience.com/7689-women-religious-men.html
So my friend my statements are in fact true. Common observation should confirm this to anyone paying close attention. And the research studies back it up.
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Ok, John and Robin, let’s go ahead and close out this conversation. If you’d like to carry on with it, please find a way to exchange e-mail addresses or connect on social media. Thanks :0)
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Brilliant article, thank you! The first name that pops up for me is Jen Hatmaker. She is the prototype false teacher you describe. This was helpful and a challenge to us men.
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Hi Jim- So glad it was helpful. Yes, Jen Hatmaker is definitely someone to be avoided. More info on her under the “Popular False Teachers” tab at the top of this page if you need it.
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Reblogged this on She Smiles at the Future.
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Hello Michelle, thanks for all you do in equipping and helping women in discernment. I’ve been trying to help my wife to discern who she listens too. She likes Juanita Bynum, who is a WOF prosperity gospel ,do you have any information on her ,that I can give my wife. These women preacher’s seem to have a hold on women. Thanks Michelle
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Hi Joel-
I’m so sorry to hear about your wife. I know that must be a really difficult situation to walk through. If I might offer a few things:
1. I don’t know of a lot of discernment ministries that have dealt with Juanita Bynum. She is so over the top and out in left field, I guess most discernment ministries figure it ought to be obvious why people shouldn’t follow her. Here and here are a few items that may help. You may also want to just Google her name, take a look at the things that pop up and show your wife, from correctly handled Scripture, why they’re unbiblical.
2. Be sure to pray fervently for your wife. Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes of her heart in this matter.
3. I’m guessing if your wife is enamored with Juanita Bynum, she’s probably also not submitting to your spiritual leadership in the home as Scripture instructs her. BUT, if, for some reason, her heart is soft towards the biblical admonition for wives to submit to their husbands and this is something she is already striving to do, you could kindly, gently, and lovingly approach this issue from that angle- that as the spiritual leader of your home, you feel that Juanita Bynum and her materials are detrimental to your family’s spiritual growth. You will have to prayerfully be the judge of where your wife is on this and whether or not this approach would be helpful and appropriate at this time.
4. Set up an appointment with your pastor for counseling (just you). He can help guide you through this situation and your role as spiritual leader much better than I can.
I hope this helps. I’m taking a moment to pray for you and your wife right now.
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“Maybe a man will hear hear a biblical truth, realize the preacher he’s been listening to conflicts with it, and simply walk away. A woman won’t.”
There *are* women who *would* walk away. Have indeed done so.
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“¹If it’s not abundantly clear from context, please understand that I’m speaking in generalities in this article. Naturally, individuals vary.”
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This is an outstanding article on many levels. I often find that young,believing women are often offended by Paul’s clear statements on the role of women in the body. Your article, especially coming from a strong, biblically literate woman, is an excellent resource for my teenager daughter and for others who have drank deep from the well of lies our culture has dug for our young people. I am also grateful for the affirmation I’m your article that men must speak out boldly and publicly, when false teaching enters a church – even a Sunday school class. I read it out loud to my wife.
My wife and I were recently informed that we weren’t welcome in a church after I gently and scriptually challenged a bible study teaching on the gospel. The head padtor’s Mentor preached a false gospel – the gospel of the kingdom – which essentially states that we are now Jesus on earth, and have all of the powers that he had – power to heal, gain wealth and cast out demons. If we name it, we can claim it. This was a particularly painful experience for my wife and I, but no one else at the church seemed to have a clue that the “gospel”is actually a specific teaching, and that we are not and never will be gods, but instead are called to love and serve the one who paid for our sins with blood, sweat and pain.
Thanks again for an excellent resource and I wrote a short article on the gospel and the gospel of the kingdom below:
https://followingjesuschrist3.com/2017/11/24/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-and-a-scriptural-warning-to-those-who-pervert-it/
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Thanks so much for your words of encouragement. I’m so sorry for the experience you had at your church. I hope the truth of God’s Word will clean up the dark nooks and crannies there and that your family will be able to worship in spirit and in truth :0)
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I believe your approach is too broad here. My background is false teaching and deception. I spent 15 years in a religious cult. I got there because the church my husband and I were in was run by five men who went to a gathering in Jerusalem one year and came back with some false teaching which then led them into the clutches of a coven of false teachers, and I use the word coven deliberately, who then took over our little church. Half of the church members left and many of them were women. The rest of us stayed with our elders because we foolishly trusted them. The division of women and men here was about equal, because most of us were married. Mostly it was the men who made the decision to stay because we were taught that it was the men who made the decisions in a marriage. In my marriage, it was my husband who was more inclined to follow the elders, I suggested that we could just go to another church and I was not comfortable with the men of the new church or their teaching. They struck me as patronising and religious. Nobody was interested in my opinion because I was a woman, so we ended up staying in the cult, putting up with the many many abuses mostly against women and children.
In my experience it was the women who realised something was not right and the men who insisted on staying with the false teachers. This was obviously not consistent throughout the church of many thousands of members, but it was such an issue that the leadership of this church focused almost entirely on silencing and belittling the women and ensuring that their opinion or voices were not heard. The chief elder published a paper stating explicitly that he hated when men and women stood together against him and implied that it was because he was not able to stand against them when they stood together. What does that remind you of? Satan will come against anyone, men or women, in order to destroy a godly marriage and family and this happened continually in this church.
So in my experience, and I have spoken to a lot of women in similar circumstances when we left, it was not the women who were more open to deception, the deception was from the men towards the men and the women were the ones who just had to sit down shut up and do as they were told.
While Paul was talking about foolish women who are open to false teachers, he was not making a general statement about all women. He was talking about some women who would be stupid enough, carnal enough and unable to be taught enough to allow these snakes into their houses.
I have heard this suggestion that women are more open to deception than men many times but that is not what the sciptures tell us. Sometimes I think that we are more influenced by the Talmud which places a huge emphasis on the unreliability of women as witnesses etc and has influenced church teaching more than most people are aware of. You should read the ‘ten curses of Eve’, it is really an eye opener.
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From the article: “If it’s not abundantly clear from context, please understand that I’m speaking in generalities in this article. Naturally, individuals vary.” This is a broad and general biblical principle. It obviously doesn’t apply to every individual or situation, or I wouldn’t have been able to write it.
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Interesting comments
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Absolutely nailed this one Michelle! Thank you so much for staying on this and loving Jesus more than man.
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Oh dear sister I too am more comfortable with men than women! We need our women friends but I never really got the girl stuff and I still dont! Shopping?? Oh please. A trip to my dentist for a root canal is much more relaxing and better use of my money. Hugging? No. And women who love these wolves? Ugh! No. Just no. They are full of deception and error. Most followers rush, in a cloud of emotion, to defend them without using one ounce of disernment. Thank you for the great articles. They help keep me on track!
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Great read! You put into words how I feel about this, but cannot articulate.
I bought into Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer ( mainly because of the movie “ War Room”)along with Lysa T, but it just didn’t seem
“right” to me. The Holy Spirit was cautioning me and led me to you, where I figured out why it didn’t seem right- you articulated it so well. I thank God for Him sending me to your site ! I just wish I could explain it better to people
in my Sunday Morning Bible class who read Priscilla’s studies and thinks they are great😢.
God Bless you Michelle. I really appreciate the work you
do for us💕💕
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Thanks, Laura. I really needed the encouragement today! :0)
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Reblogged this on Truth2Freedom's Blog.
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Excellent article – thanks so much for sharing.
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