Tag: Bible Study

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Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

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A Word of Warning

Today’s Scripture passages are embedded in the body of the study. Please click the links in each question.

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Questions to Consider

Throughout this study we will be looking at various passages of Scripture rather than working our way through a book of the Bible verse by verse. Because of that, we will need to be extra vigilant to rightly handle these passages in context. I will always attempt to provide the context you need for understanding these passages correctly, but if you need more clarity please feel free to read as much of the surrounding text as you need to – even the whole book, if necessary – in order to properly understand the passage presented.

In today’s evangelical world, many professing Christians object to rebuking false teachers and warning the church about false teachers. They believe it is unloving, unChristlike, divisive, or slanderous. But is that true according to Scripture?

1. Warning and rebuking requires evidence and a posture of due process. Review lesson 9 (link above). As stated at the beginning of lesson 9…

We can’t just go around willy nilly calling everyone a false teacher. A false teacher is someone who unrepentantly, despite biblical correction, consistently teaches, either implicitly, explicitly, or via his or her behavior, doctrine that is in direct conflict with clear cut Scripture.

Read these passages. Are the Matthew and 1 Timothy passages instructions about how to deal with public false teaching in the public square or how to deal with sin inside a local church? (Read #1 here if you can’t tell from the passages.)

What we’re looking at in these passages is not step by step instructions about how to warn against or rebuke false teachers. We’re looking at the biblical principles of evidence and due process found in these passages, which we see reflected even in many of our secular laws and judicial processes today.

Make a list of all of the principles of biblical due process found in these passages. Explain how they reflect God’s attributes of justice and fairness.

When, in the judicial process, does “conviction and sentencing” take place? Take the Matthew 18 passage, for example. Would it be right to treat someone “as a Gentile and a tax collector” immediately after going to him one on one (15-16a)? Why not?

What do the Deuteronomy 19 and Exodus passages teach us about false witnesses and false accusations? How might this relate to falsely accusing someone of being a false teacher?

In much the same way that a police officer can’t arrest you because he doesn’t like your haircut, you can’t deem someone to be a false teacher because she sometimes wears slacks and you prefer for women to always wear skirts. Why? Because in neither case has the allegedly guilty party actually broken the law. What is the standard we use for determining whether or not a teacher has “broken the law” and is a false teacher?

Before warning against or rebuking someone you think is a false teacher, you must extend that fellow image bearer the due process of fairly researching her and providing accurate, current, in context evidence of her ongoing, unrepentant false teaching. According to these passages and others, what biblical principles and commands are you violating if you don’t? If you don’t fairly research her and provide appropriate evidence that she’s a false teacher, aren’t you being “unloving, unChristlike, divisive, or slanderous”?

2. Instructions to warn others / examples of warning others about false teachers/doctrine. Read these passages. Determine whether each passage is an instruction to Christians to warn others about false teachers/doctrine, or an example of someone in Scripture warning his contemporaries about false teachers/doctrine. (Some passages are a mixture of both.) Which warning words and phrases (e.g. “watch out”) does each passage use?

Do any of these passages (or any other Scriptures you’re familiar with – rightly handled and in context) exemplify or instruct Christians not to warn others away from false teachers? Do any of these passages (or any others you’re familiar with) describe warning others as unloving, unChristlike, divisive, or slanderous? What do these passages tell you about how God views Christians warning others about false teachers?

In each of these passages, who is doing the warning or giving the instruction to warn? (Hint: You may need to look up who the author of each book is or read a little more of the passage to find out.) What does this tell us about the responsibility of those in leadership or with greater discernment to warn others about false teachers?

How would you characterize these warnings or instructions to warn? Timid? Assertive? Wishy washy? Direct? Hateful? Loving? What is the stated or implied reason for warning others in each of these passages? How does warning for these reasons demonstrate love for God, for His Word, for His church as a whole, and for individual brothers and sisters?

3. Is naming names biblical? Is it biblical to warn against specific false teachers or movements by name? Read these passages. Make a three column chart. For each passage list:

• Who is warning against the false teacher or group
• Which person or group is being warned against by name
• Why the person or group is being warned against (if the passage says or if you know)

Which groups are being warned against in some of these passages? What was the false doctrine each group centered around? (Use your cross references.) What are some groups or movements today that center around false doctrine that we should warn other Christians against? (see lesson 9, link above, for an example) Do any of these passages (or any others you know of) teach that we should always refrain from warning against specific false teachers and groups by name?

Have you ever heard a pastor or any other professing Christian say we shouldn’t give the names of specific false teachers or groups? What reasons did he give? Why is it important to warn fellow Christians about specific false teachers and groups by name?

When we plead with people to follow Christ, we tell them exactly who He is and why they should follow Him. Why, when we plead with people not to follow antichrists, would we not tell them exactly who those false teachers and movements are, and why they shouldn’t follow them?

4. Warning / rebuking false teachers themselves Read these passages. Determine whether each passage is an instruction to Christians to rebuke false teachers, or an example of someone in Scripture rebuking false teachers. Do any of these passages (or any others you’re aware of) teach that we should not rebuke false teachers?

Carefully examine the Deuteronomy and Jeremiah passages. In what ways did God – directly, through His true prophets, and through His people – rebuke false prophets? What does this tell you about God’s perspective on false prophets/teachers and false prophecy/doctrine? Does He still rebuke false teachers in any of these same ways today? Does that mean He has “gone soft” on false teachers since the Old Testament? Why does He deal with false teachers differently today?

How would you characterize Jesus’ rebuke of false teachers in the Matthew passages? What were the false doctrines He was rebuking them for in chapter 23? How did He inform or set an example for the church’s rebuke of false teachers?

Starting with the Titus 1 passage and finishing with the Galatians 1 passage, write a detailed description of the ways and reasons pastors and churches are to rebuke false teachers. How does rebuking false teachers benefit the false teacher, the church at large, and individual Christians?

What is the goal of rebuking false teachers?

5. What should be our manner of warning and rebuke? Read these passages. For each passage, answer the following questions:

• How does this passage describe or rebuke false teachers/doctrine? Make a list of the adjectives and descriptive phrases used.
• Does this passage seem mostly positive or negative toward false teachers/doctrine?
• If I saw or heard someone describing or rebuking a false teacher this way today, would I be offended? Would I think that person was being unChristlike, unloving, etc?

How do the examples of “sharp” rebuke and negative descriptions of false teachers not contradict the fruit of the Spirit (love, kindness, gentleness) and the 2 Timothy 2:25 admonition to correct opponents with gentleness?

Re-read Matthew 23: Was Jesus being unkind, unloving, or disobeying His own instruction (2 Timothy 2:25) to correct opponents with gentleness as he addressed the scribes and Pharisees? (Hint: Consider the James, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes passages as you answer.) Are there times when sharp rebuke is required over soft words, and vice versa? Give an example of a situation requiring each.

Many professing Christians today would say that sharp rebuke and negative characterizations of false teachers are unloving. How do each of these passages demonstrate love for…

• God
• God’s Word
• False teachers
• The church as a whole
• Followers of false teachers

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Homework

• Is there someone you think might be a false teacher? Apply the biblical principles of due process you learned today and research her fairly, giving her the benefit of the doubt when possible. You may wish to look at some of my articles at the Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page as an example. My article Is She a False Teacher? 7 Steps to Figuring it Out on Your Own may also be helpful.
  
• Think it through: Using the Old Testament passages you’ve studied today (and any other applicable OT passages you like), address this issue: Jesus lived His entire earthly life in “Old Testament times” because the new covenant, Christianity, and the church were not established until after His ascension. Under Old Testament law, false prophets – those who “presume to speak a word in [God’s] name that [He had] not commanded him to speak…that same prophet shall die.” (Deuteronomy 18:20) Did the Pharisees’ legalism (equating their man made rules with God’s Word and declaring those violating them to be in sin) qualify them as false prophets under Old Testament law? If so, why didn’t Jesus demand, or at least teach, that they should be put to death instead of merely rebuking them (see Matthew 23, 7:15-23)?
  
• Read my article Discernment: What’s Love Got to Do with It?.

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Suggested Memory Verse

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Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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How Can I Tell if Someone Is a False Teacher?

Today’s Scripture passages are embedded in the body of the study. Please click the links in each question.

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Questions to Consider

Throughout this study we will be looking at various passages of Scripture rather than working our way through a book of the Bible verse by verse. Because of that, we will need to be extra vigilant to rightly handle these passages in context. I will always attempt to provide the context you need for understanding these passages correctly, but if you need more clarity please feel free to read as much of the surrounding text as you need to – even the whole book, if necessary – in order to properly understand the passage presented.

How can you tell if someone is a false teacher? Is it someone who disagrees with you on any point of doctrine? What if your pastor makes an honest mistake while preaching – is he a false teacher? How about denominations that “do church” differently from yours?

We can’t just go around willy nilly calling everyone a false teacher. A false teacher is someone who unrepentantly, despite biblical correction, consistently teaches, either implicitly, explicitly, or via his or her behavior, doctrine that is in direct conflict with clear cut Scripture. How do we identify someone like that? Let’s take a look at what Scripture says about testing teachers to see if they’re false or true to God’s Word.

1. Carefully examine 1 John 4:1-6. Zero in on 1a (stop at “…from God”). Is this written as a command or a suggestion? Explain the “do not” and the “do” in this command. What does this tell you about the Christian’s obligation and responsibility not to simply take teachers/teachings at face value, but to be a good Berean (see lesson 2, link above to refresh your memory) and, with intentionality, put that teacher/teaching to the test? Is discernment an option or a matter of obedience to God’s command?

Read this background on 1 John. Which genre of biblical literature is 1 John? What was the primary false teaching John was writing to combat in passages like 4:1-6? In light of this information, look closely at 2-3a. What is the “litmus test” John gives his readers that will rule out the majority of false teachers they are likely to encounter in that time and culture? Is this still a valid biblical test of a false teacher today? But have you ever encountered a teacher today who claims that Jesus was not fully human? Yet, are there still false teachers today? So, did God and John mean for Jesus’ incarnation to be the only test of a false teacher?

Consider 2-3a in light of 1 Corinthians 12:2-3 and 2 John 7,9. What is our standard for the nature and character of Jesus – for who He is (2 John 9)? If someone is teaching a “Jesus” (or a “God/Father” or a “Holy Spirit”) that does not match Scripture’s clear teaching about Him, is that person a doctrinally sound teacher (“Spirit of God”) or a false teacher (“spirit of the antichrist / not from God”)?

Based on your answers to the questions above, in your own words, what is the general biblical principle we can extract from 1 John 4:2-3a, 1 Corinthians 12:2-3, and 2 John 7,9 about the nature and character of Christ, as test number one of a false teacher?

Test 1:

Which two spirits does God say teaching comes from? (1 John 4:1a, 2a / 3a, b) Notice the repetition of the phraseology “from the world” and “from God” in 1-6. List the characteristics of someone who is from the world versus someone who is from God. Into which of these two categories does the “Spirit of God” (2a) fit? The “spirit of the antichrist / not from God” (3)? Who are the “you / we / us” and the “they/them” in 4-6? Read the last sentence of verse 6. By what will you know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error? (Hint: What is “this”? Backtrack in verse 6.) This is test number two of a false teacher. State it in your own words.

Test 2:

2. Read Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and 18:18-22. (Old Testament “false prophets” are analogous to New Testament “false teachers”.) In the 1 John 4 passage above, we surmised from the context of the passage and historical information that gnosticism / docetism was the prominent false teaching during that time in history. What can you surmise from these passages may have been some of the features of the false teaching Israel was encountering at this point in her history?

Read the first full sentence (v. 1-3a) of Deuteronomy 13, and explain its instructions in your own words. Try to put yourself in the place of the original audience of this instruction. As an Old Testament Israelite, what would you have understood God to be saying?

Have you heard of any “Christians” today who claim to be prophets, have the “gift of prophecy,” claim God spoke to them in a dream or vision, or perform “signs and wonders”? These are all typical of New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) heresy (click the links in the paragraph above the video for examples), and these passages in Deuteronomy are very helpful in identifying them. (Or maybe you can think of other religions, cults, or movements that seem to fit this passage’s description?)

Having seen the videos of “prophecies” and “signs and wonders” at the link above, how does the Deuteronomy 13 instruction apply to you if you walk into a NAR “church” today? What might it look like for a “sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass”? What kinds of teachings did you see in the videos that would fall under the category of “‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them’.”? Did you hear any of these “prophets” or teachers encouraging you to worship Baal, follow Molech, or serve Chemosh? What about the “God,” the “Jesus,” and the “Holy Spirit” they teach? Do their teachings line up with Scripture, or are they encouraging you to follow and serve a false god, created in their own imaginations, which they blasphemously call “God,” “Jesus,” or the “Holy Spirit”?

State, in your own words, the third test of a false teacher from Deuteronomy 13:1-3a. (Be sure to include the “if/and” from verse 1, the two main “and’s” in verse 2, and the implied “then” from verse 3a.)

Test 3:

Carefully examine the Deuteronomy 18 passage. Using your cross-references and the immediate context of Deuteronomy 18, who are the “prophet” and “you” in verse 18?

How does this passage say the Israelites may determine whether or not someone is a true prophet, genuinely speaking for God (like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, etc.), or a false prophet? (21-22) As a 21st century Christian, how would you properly apply this test to a teacher or “prophet” today?

State, in your own words, the fourth test of a false teacher from Deuteronomy 18:22. (Be sure to include the “if” as well as the implied “then” in the final sentence.)

Test 4:

How do the Deuteronomy 13 and 18 passages contrast false teachings/teachers and false prophecies/prophets with the one true God, His true teachings, and His true followers? How does this apply to Christians today? What are the characteristics of a true follower of Christ (13:3, 4, 18:18-19, 21c)? How can these characteristics help you determine whether or not someone is a false teacher and/or whether or not you, or someone you know, might be following a false teacher?

3. Read Galatians 1:6-9. What is the false teaching being addressed in this passage? What are the two, nearly identical, phrases in verses 8 and 9 that begin with “a gospel contrary…”? What do these two phrases mean? Compare them to these passages. Where did Paul’s and John’s audiences hear the gospel and teachings they received “from the beginning”? Where do we get this same gospel and teachings today?

What is the term for “some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ” (7b)? Does Paul exempt himself or anyone else from false teacher status if that person is preaching a different gospel than the one taught in Scripture?

What is test 5 of a false teacher according to this passage?

Test 5:

4. Some Christians say that overtly teaching a false gospel – an unbiblical way of getting saved (see some examples here)- is the only teaching that qualifies someone as a false teacher. Is that true according to Scripture? Can you think of a false teaching that’s not directly connected to the plan of salvation? Here are some examples from Scripture.

What are the two false teachings mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:3? Are they directly connected to salvation? How does verse 2 characterize those who teach these false doctrines? How does verse 1 characterize the teachings?

What is the false teaching mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:18? How does God characterize this false teaching in 17a, 18a, and 18c?

If God characterizes restrictions on marriage, food, and eschatology, which are not directly related to salvation, as “deceitful,” “doctrines of demons,” and “gangrene,” and those who teach them as conscience-seared, insincere liars, having swerved from the truth and upsetting the faith of some, is it true that someone is a false teacher only if he teaches a false way of salvation? What else qualifies as false teaching, and what is our standard for evaluating it? What is test six of a false teacher?

Test 6:

5. Examine these passages from 1 John. When the Bible instructs us not to do something and we do it anyway, what is that called? When the Bible instructs us to do something and we fail or refuse to do it, what is that called?

Explain the phrases “walk/walked” (2:6), “makes a practice of sinning” (3:4,8,9), and “keeps on sinning” (3:6,9). Is John talking about a Christian who’s striving for holiness, sins, repents, and keeps on striving for holiness? How can you tell?

How does God characterize a person who claims to be a Christian, yet unrepentantly walks in sin, or makes a practice of sinning? (2:4, 3:6, 8, 10) Explain the connection God makes in these passages between knowing / loving God and obedience to His commands. If a “Christian teacher” lives in willful, unrepentant sin, on an ongoing basis, is that someone you should receive teaching from? Why not (2:4b, 3:8a, 9a, 10)? State test of a false teacher number seven from these passages.

Test 7:

In questions 1 & 2, we gleaned from context and historical information the types and features of false doctrine that were prolific when 1 John 4 and Deuteronomy 13 & 18 were written. We also saw specific tests designed to combat these specific false teachings. We can do the same for the specific false teachings prolific in our culture today.

In my experience, currently, the most widespread false doctrines that are “spreading like gangrene” in the church today are the New Apostolic Reformation / Word of Faith (prosperity gospel), progressivism (liberal, woke, social justice, feminist, perversion affirming, etc.), and a general air of antinomianism (basically, the 21st century version of Judges 21:25b– “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”).

Aside from the fact that most of their specific beliefs demonstrably conflict with clear cut Scripture, there are two features that are common to all of these false doctrines. They are usually easy to spot and require minimal knowledge of theology, making our next two tests of false teachers practical and relatively quick. They are both “sub-tests” of test 7 because they both involve walking in specific unrepentant sins.

Read 1 Timothy 2:11-3:7. What two things does 2:12 prohibit women from doing in the gathering of the church body? Is this limited to the Sunday morning gathering of a local church? What are some examples of other Christian events where the church (Christians) physically gathers for worship and Bible teaching?

Examine the pronouns and other gender markers in 3:1-7. The office of pastor / elder / overseer is limited to which sex, male or female?

What are the three ways a woman might disobey these biblical instructions in 2:12 and 3:1-7? What are the three ways a man/pastor might disobey these biblical instructions by what he allows, encourages, or invites women to do? If he or she is biblically corrected about his or her sin, but unrepentantly persists, how does this connect to what you just learned from 1 John about walking in sin, keeping on sinning, or making a practice of sinning?

In addition to the fact that the woman (or man) violating any of these prohibitions is sinning herself, what is her behavior – pastoring, preaching / teaching Scripture to men, or exercising authority over men – teaching her audience about their obligation and responsibility to obey God’s commands? Is it false doctrine to teach, even implicitly, via one’s behavior, that Christians are free to ignore or disobey any Scripture they dislike or disagree with?

From 1 Timothy 2:11-3:7, what is test 7a of a false teacher?

Test 7a:

Read these passages. Answer the following questions for each passage:

• In what way does the passage characterize false teachers?
• How are Christians supposed to respond to false teachers?
• What is the result of either avoiding, or failing to / refusing to avoid false teachers?

Why does God instruct Christians – including Christian teachers – to avoid, and not to partner with false teachers? Read these passages.

• What is the danger of partnering with false teachers in 1 Corinthians 15:33?
• Who is the false teacher’s (servant’s) master in 2 Corinthians 11? What does Luke 16:13 say about serving two masters? Can a teacher serve both Christ and Satan?
• How do Matthew 10 and Luke 6 apply to a Christian teacher learning from, and being influenced by false teachers?

Since it is direct disobedience to God’s Word (sin) for any Christian – but especially a teacher, whom God holds to a higher standard – to unrepentantly and persistently fraternize or partner with false teachers (again be reminded of what the 1 John passages said about walking in unrepentant sin), and since false teachers will always influence their disciples away from Christ and the truth of His Word, what is test 7b when you’re vetting a teacher?

Test 7b:

6. What is the common theme running through all of these tests? What is our measuring stick for determining whether a teacher passes or fails each of these tests? What is one broad, general test that could encompass all of these tests?

If you’re testing a teacher to discover whether or not he or she lives, believes, and teaches in obedience to God’s Word, you need to know the Word as thoroughly as possible. You can’t know something contradicts Scripture if you don’t know what Scripture says and how to handle it correctly and in context. How can you become a good student of the Word? What are three ways God has provided you to learn and understand the Bible better? (hint hint hint)

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Homework

• Create a checklist listing each of the tests of false teachers you’ve learned in today’s lesson. Be sure to include Scripture references for each. Keep it in your Bible or another handy place so it’s easily accessible when you need to test a teacher.

• Imagine you’re a Berean vetting Paul. Use the tests and Scriptures from today’s lesson. Start with this passage, its cross-references, and everything else you know about Paul and his teachings. Does Paul pass or fail each of the tests of a false teacher?

• Check out these resources:
  Basic Training: Being Berean- 8 Steps for Comparing Teaching to Scripture
  Is She a False Teacher? 7 Steps to Figuring it Out on Your Own

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Suggested Memory Verse

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Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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Ewes Need to Take Care
to Avoid the Wolves

Read These Passages

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Questions to Consider

Throughout this study we will be looking at various passages of Scripture rather than working our way through a book of the Bible verse by verse. Because of that, we will need to be extra vigilant to rightly handle these passages in context. I will always attempt to provide the context you need for understanding these passages correctly, but if you need more clarity please feel free to read as much of the surrounding text as you need to – even the whole book, if necessary – in order to properly understand the passage presented.

1. Carefully study the first five verses of the 2 Timothy passage. Using your cross references, any other related passages, and perhaps a side by side comparison with other reliable translations, or an interlinear, define or explain each of the characteristics listed in these verses:

• lovers of self-
• lovers of money-
• proud-
• arrogant-
• abusive-
• disobedient to their parents-
• ungrateful-
• unholy-
• heartless-
• unappeasable-
• slanderous-
• without self-control-
• brutal-
• not loving good-
• treacherous-
• reckless-
• swollen with conceit-
• lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-
• having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power-

Is Timothy saying these things are characteristic of the world, the visible church (Christians and non-Christians), genuinely regenerated Christians only, or some combination of these three? Why do you think so?

From the immediate context and the context of the Bible in general, does verse five’s admonition to “avoid such people” mean only the people described in verse 5 or all of the people described in verses 2-5? Generally speaking, why would God want us to avoid all of these types of people, especially if they claim to be Christians (5) while acting this way? Go back through your list above and explain why it would be detrimental to your character and your walk with the Lord to associate with people of each of these character types.

2. Now, more specifically, why does verse 6 say to avoid these types of people? (Note: What word does verse 6 start with? What’s another word we could use there in place of “for”? When you’re looking for the reason God said something, words like “for” and “because” can help you answer the question, “Why?”.)

Compare the phrase “those who creep into households” in verse 6 with the metaphor we saw Jesus use in lesson 6 (link above), particularly in John 10:1. Who are both of these verses talking about? How do both of these verses describe the infiltration of false teachers into the church and home? Are false teachers above board, walking in the truth of Scripture?

Compare the concept of “capturing” in verse 6 with the concept of “thief and robber” in John 10:1. What does it mean to capture someone and to commit thievery and robbery? Why does God use this imagery for false teachers? Compare this idea of false teachers absconding with or luring away people to whom they have no right with John’s description of doctrinally sound “gatekeepers” (pastors and teachers, v. 3). Do doctrinally sound pastors have to deceptively lure or steal people away to the true teaching of Christ? Why not? What do they do instead (3)?

3. At this time, I’d like “ewes” :0) to focus on the second half of verse 6. Who, precisely, does God say the false teachers creep in and capture? Does He say “weak men”? “Weak Christians”? “Weak people”? Considering the fact that God never misspeaks and always says exactly what He means, why (6b) does God specify that “weak women” are in danger from false teachers?

What does God mean that these women are “burdened with sins” and “led astray by various passions“? Why would a woman in this spiritual condition be especially vulnerable to false teachers? What would a doctrinally sound pastor or teacher tell her about her sins or her fleshly cravings and feelings? Read 6b in light of 2 Timothy 4:3-4. How would a false teacher scratch her itching ears about her sins and passions?

4. Really ponder the meaning and weight of verse 7. Gaggles of weak, sinful women always reading a book or listening to a podcast by a false teacher, going to “Bible” study after “Bible” study featuring materials by false teachers, spending hundreds of dollars year after year on tickets for conferences and simulcasts headlined by false teachers. Always learning, but never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Jesus said, “I am the truth,” and “[Father,] Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.” Think about it. If your friends who follow false teachers are never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth, Who and what are they not learning about?

5. And why is that? How do we know they’re not learning the truth from these false teachers according to verse 8? In what three ways does God characterize these false teachers in 8b? What does it mean that they “oppose the truth,” are “corrupted in mind,” and are “disqualified regarding the faith”? How do each of those characteristics prevent vulnerable women from arriving at a knowledge of the truth?

6. Remember that 2 Timothy is a pastoral epistle, so the passage we just read may be instructive to us as women, but to whom is it primarily written? (see lesson 7, link above, if you forgot). How is God demonstrating His love and care for women in this passage by instructing pastors to watch out for these false teachers who prey on women, and keep them out of the church?

7. Read the Genesis 3 passage and 1 Timothy 2:14 through the lens of what we’ve just looked at in 2 Timothy 3. Why do you think Satan may have approached the woman in the Garden instead of the man? How do these passages work together to alert us as women to vigilantly watch out for a potential blind spot we may have regarding false teachers and deception?

God created women with some incredible strengths. Generally speaking, women are usually much better nurturers than men. 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 than it is for men.

And along with those unique strengths come unique challenges. For example, being trusting is a fantastic character trait, but it’s imperative that we be vigilant not to put our trust in the wrong person – like a false teacher.

Why is it especially important that women learn and practice discernment?

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Homework

• Second Timothy 3:5 instructs us to “avoid” ungodly people, especially those who claim to be Christians and turn out to be false teachers. “Avoid them.” Does this command leave room for the “chew up the meat and spit out the bones” approach so many Christians think is appropriate to use with false teachers today? What about the common idea that it’s OK to use songs with “biblical” lyrics from heretical groups (like Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation) in our worship services? Does “Avoid them” allow for that? Read #8 here.

• Some professing Christians defend false teachers by saying, “Look how many people she’s helping!”. If false teachers’ audiences are “never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth,” are they really helping anybody? Read #3 here.

• For more on women and deception in Genesis 3 (and 1 Timothy 2, and 2 Timothy 3), read my article Women and False Teachers: Why Men Don’t Get It, and Why It’s Imperative That They Do

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Suggested Memory Verse

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Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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Refuse to Heed the Shepherd and You’ll Have the Wool Pulled Over Your Eyes

Today’s Scripture passages are embedded in the body of the study. Please click the links in each question.

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Questions to Consider

Throughout this study we will be looking at various passages of Scripture rather than working our way through a book of the Bible verse by verse. Because of that, we will need to be extra vigilant to rightly handle these passages in context. I will always attempt to provide the context you need for understanding these passages correctly, but if you need more clarity please feel free to read as much of the surrounding text as you need to – even the whole book, if necessary – in order to properly understand the passage presented.

1. We need a firm foundation. What is that firm foundation? First and Second Timothy and Titus comprise what are known as the “pastoral epistles”. They are God’s instructions, via Paul, to Timothy, Titus, and all other pastors about how to run the church. I often liken the pastoral epistles to a “policy and procedure manual” for the church.

Even in these three very brief epistles, God has a lot to say about sound and false doctrine, and sound and false teachers. Read these passages from the pastoral epistles (you may wish to read more of the surrounding verses for context). What is the foundation of a healthy church? How does a foundation of being intentional and purposeful to preach and teach sound doctrine protect a church against the infiltration of false doctrine and false teachers?

Meditate on Paul’s solemn charge to pastors in the 2 Timothy 4:1-2 passage. Explain exactly what he is saying in these verses. Would you liken this charge to a vow or “oath of office”? Why or why not? Put yourself in Timothy’s sandals. Do you feel the weightiness of this charge and responsibility? How so?

As Paul is preparing to leave the Ephesian church, he mentions two ways, in Acts 20:29-30, in which false teachers can infiltrate the church. What are those two ways? How does a solid foundation of sound doctrine help guard against false teachers coming into the church from the outside, and prevent those who are already church members from believing false doctrine and becoming false teachers inside the church?

2. Regarding discernment, why do we need the firm foundation of the preaching and teaching of sound doctrine? Examine these passages. (Compare the verse references to the passages from question 1. See the proximity and context?) Why, in the context of discernment, is the teaching and preaching of sound doctrine so crucial? What will happen to those who refuse to heed sound doctrine? Which adjectives does Paul use in the 1 Timothy passage to paint a picture of the deceitfulness of false teachers? How does Paul address the idea of people being deceived and departing from the faith in these passages – as a possibility or a certainty? (Hint: Look for the word “will”.)

3. How is this deception accomplished? Are these people who “depart from the faith” deceived solely by the false teachers, self-deceived, or both?

Study these passages. What do they tell us about a person’s role in her own deception? Who is taking the initiative in these two passages, the false teachers/prophets, or the people who want to follow them? In the Isaiah passage, before the people turn to the seers and prophets in verse 10, how does verse 9 describe them? What have they already turned from? In the 2 Timothy passage, before the people turn to false teachers (3b) and myths (4b), what have they already turned away from (3a, 4a)?

Compare 2 Timothy’s “they will accumulate for themselves” and “teachers to suit their own passions” (3b) with Isaiah’s 10-11. How did the people in Isaiah proactively pursue or accumulate false teachers? What were “their own passions” they wanted to suit? Are people who turn to false teachers hapless, powerless victims of those false teachers or willing participants in their own deception?

Again, what happens when you “refuse to heed the Shepherd” (Jesus, His Word, sound doctrine, etc.)? Think about the nature and definition of the word “deceived”. Do deceived people know they’re deceived?

But if every teacher out there only taught sound doctrine, would self-deceived people be able to accumulate teachers to themselves to suit their own passions? It’s kind of a symbiotic relationship, isn’t it?

Study these passages. What do all of these passages say false teachers disguise themselves as? Make a list of the words and phrases from each passage that led you to your answer:

• 2 Corinthians 11:
• Galatians 2:
• 2 Peter 2:
• Titus 1:

Think about some of the false teachers you’re aware of (or check here if you need a little help). Do any of them go by the title “False Teacher”? Introduce themselves as false teachers? Write books and give interviews as experts in the field of false teaching? What titles do they go by? What do they want to be known as?

In the 2 Corinthians passage, what does Paul say the false apostles claim? (12) Are their claims true? (13) What three words in verse 13 indicate that these men are not honest? Compare verses 14-15 with Jesus addressing the Pharisees (the false teachers of His day) in John 8:42-47. Who is the spiritual “father” of these false teachers in both passages? Who do they actually serve? Are they actually Christians, as they claim to be? What does Paul mean, “Their end will correspond to their deeds.”(15)? What will their end be? (Hint- use your cross references)

Why do you think some professing Christians believe even the most egregious false teachers are actually Christians despite what these passages teach to the contrary? Is it fair to say they are believing the false teacher’s word over God’s Word?

Compare the 2 Corinthians passage and the John 8 passage above with Genesis 3:1-7. What similarities do you see when it comes to the descriptions of Satan’s character and methods?

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Homework

Read 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Carefully examine each passage that deals with either the need to preach and teach sound doctrine or the need to rebuke and refute false teachers or false doctrine. Why is the proactive, purposeful, and intentional teaching of sound doctrine vital to the health of the church? How does sound doctrine itself refute false doctrine? Why is it imperative to rebuke and remove unrepentant false teachers from the church?

A common argument against the public rebuke and refutation of false teachers is that, “You shouldn’t warn against them, you should just pray for them.” (see #10 here). How would you answer that argument with the passages you examined in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus?

You may wish to refer to parts of my studies on the pastoral epistles as you study:

1 & 2 Timothy: The Structure and Spirit of the Church

Titus: God’s Order of Service

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Suggested Memory Verse

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Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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Sheep Follow the Shepherd,
Not Strangers

Read This Passage

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Questions to Consider

Throughout this study we will be looking at various passages of Scripture rather than working our way through a book of the Bible verse by verse. Because of that, we will need to be extra vigilant to rightly handle these passages in context. I will always attempt to provide the context you need for understanding these passages correctly, but if you need more clarity please feel free to read as much of the surrounding text as you need to – even the whole book, if necessary – in order to properly understand the passage presented.

1. Read John 9. Note the motifs of darkness and light, blindness and sight, night and day. What do darkness, blindness, and night represent? What do light, sight, and day represent? What is Jesus saying about Himself in v. 5? What is the spiritual truth Jesus is trying to convey in chapter 9 – to His immediate audience, and to us? In what ways does this story mirror a person being saved?

What is the spiritual parallel and significance of 8-9? In what ways do we look different to others after salvation?

Describe all of “the works of God” (3) that were displayed in the blind beggar – was it simply God’s power to heal, or was there more to this situation than that?

2. Review legalism and antinomianism in lesson 3 (link above). Which kind of false doctrine were the Pharisees displaying in chapter 9? Give some specific examples of their legalistic remarks, accusations, beliefs, etc.

Compare the works of God displayed in the blind beggar to the works of “their father, the Devil” displayed in the Pharisees. What fruit do we see from the works of God? From the works of the Devil? What is the culmination of the works of God (30-32, 35-39)? The culmination of the works of the Devil? (39-41)

3. Compare the healed man’s parents’ fearful response to the Pharisees (18-23) with the healed man’s “wild abandon” response to the Pharisees (17, 24-34). What made the difference between those two responses (35-38)? Can a false teacher have power over someone who has truly been set free in Christ? Why or why not?

4. Describe Jesus’ disposition toward the false teachers in chapter 9. Toward the repentant, victim of the false teachers? What example does this set for us regarding our own disposition toward false teachers versus our disposition toward those who are trapped in false religious systems and need the gospel?

5. Read John 9:35-10:21 without chapter and verse markings. (If you’re using Bible Gateway, just click on the “page options” icon and uncheck “verse numbers”.)

Do you notice the flow from chapter 9 into chapter 10? What does that tell you about the timing and the relationship between the events and remarks in chapter 9 and Jesus’ teaching in chapter 10? (Hint: See 10:21b). How do the events of chapter 9 lay the foundation for the teaching of chapter 10?

6. Carefully study 10:1-21. What type of literary device is Jesus using to illustrate His point in chapter 10? Is Jesus using literal or figurative language in this passage?

Identify who or what each of the following represent (hint: there’s some overlap):

• The thief/robber (1,8,10)
• The shepherd (2)
• The gatekeeper (3)
• The sheep (3ff.)
• The stranger (5)
• The door of the sheep (7,9)
• The good shepherd (11,14)
• The hired hand (12,13)
• The wolf (12)
• The flock (16)

7. False teachers today often use the phrases “The sheep hear his voice” (3), “they know his voice” (4), “they will listen to my voice” (16), and “My sheep hear my voice” (27), from this passage to teach that Christians should hear God talking to them audibly (extra-biblical revelation). Examine all of the references to listening, hearing, and voice in this passage. Is this passage teaching that you should hear God talking to you audibly? Why not? What role does context play in your answer? If this passage is a metaphor, which uses figurative language, why would the “sheep” part of these phrases be figurative but the “voice/hear/listen” parts be literal?

Explain what Jesus means in 3b-5, 8, 16b, 27 when He says that His sheep listen to His voice and follow Him, and that they will not follow the voice of strangers. What does “knowing” Jesus and His voice (4-5, 14b) have to do with this? Think back over the message of chapter 9. How does having one’s “eyes opened” connect to this?

If genuinely regenerated Christians (Jesus’ sheep), generally speaking, do not follow false teachers (thieves, robbers, strangers), what can we reasonably conclude about people who claim to be Christians, yet whose lives are marked by a consistent trajectory of following false teachers and listening to the voice of false doctrine over a long period of time? Are these people likely to listen to and understand your voice and the voice of Scripture as you point out what is unbiblical about their favorite false teachers? (6) Why not? Thinking back over the message of chapters 9 and 10, what do they need first in order to “see the light”?

Is it possible for a genuine sheep (Christian) to wander a few steps away from the Shepherd toward a false teacher (i.e. temporarily show an interest in a false teacher or false doctrine)? What does a Good Shepherd do when a sheep wanders?

8. Explain why it is crucial for the local church to have a gatekeeper (3) who only opens the door to sound doctrine and the true Jesus of Scripture, and who chases off the thieves, robbers, and strangers (1,5) who sneak in (1)? Compare your answer to Titus 1:9-16.

9. In lesson 5 (link above) we touched on the idea of whether or not a false teacher (someone who consistently and unrepentantly teaches demonstrably false doctrine, not a doctrinally sound teacher who occasionally makes a mistake) could actually be a genuinely regenerated Christian. Notice the way this passage describes false teachers, their goals, and their effects. What inferences can you reasonably draw about a false teacher’s salvation?

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Homework

• Read my article Basic Training: The Bible is Sufficient.

• I have heard this scenario from Christian women numerous times and experienced it myself, personally: “I went to a women’s Bible study where they were using a book by __. I sat there and listened, and I just knew something was wrong. I didn’t know my Bible well enough at that time to be able to put my finger on it, but I got out of there, started studying my Bible and researching this teacher, and now I know she’s a false teacher.” Have you ever had an experience like that? How does the concept of sheep listening only to the Shepherd and not to strangers apply to this scenario?

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Suggested Memory Verse