Tag: False doctrine

Discernment Bible Study

Choose What Is Right: A Study in Discernment- Lesson 4

Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3,

False Teachers, God’s View, Our Response

Read These Passages

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. Do you notice the similarities between 2 Peter 2 and Jude? Click here and read the second paragraph under “Author and Date”. What might be the reason for some of the similarities?

Make a two column chart. Examine Jude and 2 Peter 2 side by side, verse by verse. (You may want to do this with two Bibles, two devices, or a split screen on your Bible app or device.) List the verses or phrases that are strikingly similar in wording and concept. What does each mean? Why might God have emphasized a particular verse or phrase by placing it in Scripture twice?

2. To what general group of people are Jude’s (v.1) and Peter’s (1:1) letters addressed? What is Jude’s (3) appeal to the church? Why is he urging them to contend for the faith (Jude 4, 2 Peter 2:1-3)? What are some of the things that happen to a church when false teachers gain a foothold?

Do these epistles apply to you as a Christian, and to the church, today? Why? Have you (or your church) ever been urged by a pastor or teacher to contend for the faith? Why do you think that admonition is so lacking in the church and from Christian teachers today?

2. How does Jude (4a) describe false teachers entering the church? How does Peter (1) say false teachers will bring in destructive heresies? Compare this characterization to the way these passages say false teachers infiltrate the church and the home. What does this characteristic of sneakiness tell you about false teachers? Why aren’t they just open and honest with Christians and the church about what they want to teach?

3. What do Jude (4, 13) and Peter (3, 17) say is the final destiny of false teachers?

Examine 2 Peter 2:4-10. Who are the godly people mentioned in this passage and how did God deal with them? Who are the ungodly who are listed, and how did God deal with each of them? Do these ungodly people include false teachers (10, Jude 8)?

What does this tell you about how God views false teachers? How He views and protects His faithful children?

4. What are Jude (8-9) and Peter (10b-11) telling us about angels, blasphemy and the glorious ones? How does this reflect the pride and arrogance of false teachers?

What are Jude (10) and Peter (12) telling us about the ignorance of false teachers? Think about how the indwelling Holy Spirit illumines Scripture to the Christian. What might be one reason false teachers do not understand Scripture or how to properly handle it?

What is the significance of Jude’s (11) comparison of false teachers to Cain? Of Jude’s (11) and Peter’s (15-16) comparison to Balaam?

Consider the imagery in Jude’s (12-13) and Peter’s (17) comparative metaphors to false teachers. What are the characteristics of each metaphor mentioned, and how do they apply to false teachers?

5. In your own words, write a brief summary of the character of false teachers according to Peter and Jude. Do you know of any pastors or teachers who could be described this way? Who, and why?

6. What does Jude (17-23) say about how we should respond to the types of teachers he and Peter are describing?

Homework

If you’d like a little extra study on these passages, check out:

Wednesday’s Word ~ Jude

Living Stones: A Study of 1 & 2 Peter ~ Lesson 11

Suggested Memory Verse

Discernment, False Doctrine

Throwback Thursday ~ Jesus Loves Me: The “Contending for the Faith” Version

Michelle Lesley

Originally published March 6, 2018

Every now and then I do a little creative writing… :0)

Discernment Bible Study

Choose What Is Right: A Study in Discernment- Lesson 3

Michelle Lesley

Previous Lessons: 1, 2,

What Is False Doctrine?

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

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. Have you ever studied the book of Judges? If you have, you know this book has a very clear theme which can be found in Judges 17:6b and 21:25b. What is that theme? What does it mean to do what is right in your own eyes? Is believing what is right in your own eyes part of doing what is right in your own eyes? How and why? As Christians, how are we supposed to live and believe? What are some ways Christians (or those who claim to be Christians) today do and believe what is right in their own eyes rather than doing and believing what is right in God’s eyes?

How do we know the difference between what is right in our own eyes and what is right in God’s eyes? What is our standard for answering that question? Our authority for life and doctrine? If this is how we’re to live and believe – submitting to the truth of God’s written Word as our authority in life and our measuring stick for evaluating right actions from wrong actions, right beliefs from wrong beliefs – is it biblical to say that this is also how teachers are to teach?

2. When you get right down to the bottom line, there are two basic ways of doing and believing what’s right in your own eyes – failing to rise to the standard of God’s Word, and going above and beyond the standard of God’s Word. Not being as restrictive as God’s Word is, or being more restrictive than God’s Word is. Too much “grace” or too much “law”.

Consider this concept as applied to sex, and what the Bible says about it:

Which side of the road is the “too much ‘grace'” side? “Too much ‘law'”? Which view is the biblical view? (Notice that the biblical view is a “middle of the road” balance between the extremes of man-made “law” and “grace”. If you wander off the road you’re wandering off into darkness. The biblical view is the only one which leads to the sun (Son).)

The theological term for “too much ‘grace'” is antinomianism (also sometimes called “license” – as in, “a license to sin” – or “licentiousness”). The theological term for “too much ‘law'” is legalism (showcased in the Pharisees of Jesus’ day).

3. Antinomianism often fleshes itself out today as:

  • “I’m saved and all my sins – past, present, and future – are forgiven, so why not sin as much as I want?”
  • An “It’s no big deal!” approach to sin
  • The idea that the sin in question is actually biblical (or loving / loving your neighbor, tolerant, compassionate, “what ‘Jesus’ would do”)
  • Obeying what the Bible actually is says is legalism (“Pharisaism”).

What does the Bible say about antinomianism? What does God say about people who claim to be Believers but don’t obey Him?

What are some specific examples of antinomianism that you’ve observed in evangelicalism, in your denomination or church, in your own heart and life?

5. Legalism is most often seen today in churches or individuals who make issues of preference, conscience, or Christian liberty – which are neither prescribed nor prohibited in rightly handled Scripture – into “law”. They consider these “laws” equal to Scripture and believe that anyone who violates them is in sin. A few (generalized) examples:

What does the Bible say about legalism? What are some specific examples of legalism that you’ve observed in evangelicalism, in your denomination or church, in your own heart and life?

Would you say that antinomianism or legalism is the false doctrine most people tend towards today…

  • …in evangelicalism in general?
  • …in your denomination and / or your church?
  • …in your own heart?

6. If you believe falsely about God, sin, the gospel, etc., what impact will that have on your life and your worship?

Let’s look at some examples of unbiblical worship in Scripture. In each of these instances:

  • What was the false belief or doctrine that led these people to worship unbiblically?
  • Was this an expression of legalism or antinomianism?
  • What was God’s response to their false doctrine / false worship? How does God’s response demonstrate how seriously He takes false doctrine / false worship?

Syncretism and idolatry in the temple

Ananias and Sapphira

Nadab and Abihu

The people worship Herod

Taking the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner

The Pharisees’ beliefs and practices

7. Since God takes false doctrine / false worship so seriously, what is His posture toward those who teach false doctrine?

8. Some Christians believe that only aberrant soteriology – a false gospel, unbiblical teaching about how to be saved – is false doctrine. Consider these Scriptures. Is this idea biblically accurate?

9. What is false doctrine? Carefully and biblically define this term in your own words.

Homework

Today’s study includes passages from Judges and Ezekiel. You may wish to peruse the relevant parts of my Bible studies on Judges and Ezekiel. How is the state of the church today similar to the state of God’s people and the temple in Judges and Ezekiel?

Suggested Memory Verse

Discernment

Fighting Off the Wolves

Michelle Lesley

Originally published March 20, 2018

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Photo and quote courtesy of The Patriot. ©2000, Columbia Pictures, Inc.

I love pastors. I really do. As a minister of music’s wife, church member, and through involvement in other ministries, I’ve known a lot of them. They have a tough job that most of us wouldn’t take on in a million years. I pray for and encourage my own pastor and my pastor buddies regularly, and try to remind y’all to do the same from time to time. All this to say, I’m not a preacher-basher. Far from it.

But sometimes there’s a bit of a veering in a dangerous direction, like a vehicle heading towards the center line, among (some, not all) pastors who are momentarily distracted and might need a friendly “Hey, did you see that truck we’re about to crash into?” from their terrified, front seat passenger.

Color me terrified.

There are pastors out there who treat false teachers with kid gloves. They refuse to label anyone as a false teacher, or only vaguely allude to certain false teachers without naming names. I’d like to encourage those pastors to pull the steering wheel to the right and call a spade a spade. Yes, they need to use the label of false teacher soberly, sadly, and only after making sure, with hard evidence, that it is warranted, but enough with grown men of God tiptoeing around under the guise of “we don’t know what’s in that person’s heart” or “I’m afraid to be painted with the ‘mean old discernment blogger’ brush.”

Enough with grown men of God tiptoeing around under the guise of “we don’t know what’s in that person’s heart” or “I’m afraid to be painted with the ‘mean old discernment blogger’ brush.”

The Bible doesn’t say anywhere that a pastor shouldn’t call someone a false teacher and warn the flock about him just because the pastor doesn’t know for sure what’s in the person’s heart or because he’s afraid of what others might think. We are all to look at their words and their behavior and judge (that’s right, I said “judge“) whether or not they are teaching what accords with sound doctrine. And if they’re not, they need to be denounced. Not in a wild-eyed, foaming at the mouth, wingnut way, but certainly loudly and decisively as a mature man of God.

We never see Paul or Jesus or Peter or Jude or any other godly man in the Bible being over-cautious about firmly calling out those who had proved themselves to be false teachers.

We never see Paul or Jesus or Peter or Jude or any other godly man in the Bible being over-cautious about firmly calling out those who had proved themselves to be false teachers.

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” – Jesus, Matthew 16:11

“Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites…blind guides…fools…serpents…brood of vipers.” – Jesus, Matthew 23

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” – Paul, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” – Jude, Jude 4

“They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray.” – Peter, 2 Peter 2:13b-15a

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
Paul, Galatians 1:8-9

Would pastors today be wise to use this same kind of verbiage? Maybe. Maybe not. These godly men spoke and wrote in a way that was appropriate for their time, culture, and context. Our time, culture, and context are different and may call for a different approach. But the point is, none of them were afraid to speak the truth boldly about false teachers in order to protect the sheep God had entrusted to them. And we sheep today desperately need courageous shepherds who will do the same.

Pastors, if you speak out against false teachers, there are people who will get mad at you. It’s unavoidable. But there are others who know the truth and will be cheering you on and supporting you. And there are still others you will turn back from false doctrine who will learn the truth of God’s word and love you for warning them. And their souls are worth any risk or trial.

Be encouraged, dear pastors. Be strong in the Lord. Be faithful to Him. You can do this!

Be encouraged, dear pastors. Be strong in the Lord. Be faithful to Him. You can do this!

Remember the words of your brother and fellow laborer Paul, who, after condemning false teachers in Galatians 1:6-9, may have anticipated the same backlash you might receive:

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10

Mailbag

The Mailbag: Potpourri (Prophetic “word” at church… Study apps… Pastoral counsel… Can treason be forgiven?… Fiction vs. lies)

Michelle Lesley

Welcome to another “potpourri” edition of The Mailbag, where I give short(er) answers to several questions rather than a long answer to one question.

I like to take the opportunity in these potpourri editions to let new readers know about my comments/e-mail/messages policy. I’m not able to respond individually to most e-mails and messages, so here are some helpful hints for getting your questions answered more quickly. Remember, the search bar (at the very bottom of each page) can be a helpful tool!

Or maybe I answered your question already? Check out my article The Mailbag: Top 10 FAQs to see if your question has been answered and to get some helpful resources.

I am writing to you today because the church we attend has started to allow a woman to speak a “word” over the congregation*.

After the third time, I approached the woman and asked if she thought she was a prophet. She did not deny it, but said that the Lord speaks to her directly through different ways. We went to our pastor who did not see a problem with what she was saying, but only that it was causing chaos during the service.

Last Sunday, our pastor allowed her to speak through the microphone stating that we need to let the Holy Spirit move in our midst.

My husband and I are very concerned and alarmed about this practice and we are unsure if we should leave the church over this and if we should approach our pastor with our concerns again. We have been attending this church for years and have never seen this happen until recently.

Honey, I know this is difficult and there are probably a lot of people you’re close to there, but this church has wandered off the reservation into New Apostolic Reformation land, and, yes, it’s time for you – and every other doctrinally sound Christian in it – to leave and find a real church. (Just to be clear, I would say the same thing if it were a man speaking these “words” over the congregation.)

Go to the Searching for a new church? tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page, and begin studying the materials under “What to look for in a church” as you’re utilizing the church search engines.

You’ll also want to examine the materials under “Leaving Your Current Church,” including The Mailbag: How to Leave a Church. Be sure you don’t leave without going to your pastor and explaining to him that you’re leaving because he’s allowing false doctrine into the church. (You can consider this “approaching our pastor with our concerns again”. If you want to approach him one additional time – like you did before – prior to this explanation of why you’re leaving, you can, but it’s unlikely to do any good.)

*If you’re unfamiliar with what this reader means by “speaking a ‘word'” over the congregation, it looks something like this (start around the 14:27 mark), only, typically, it’s not quite this nutty and with a little thicker biblical veneer. The “church” in the link is not the reader’s church, it’s just the first example that popped into my head today.

As I read my Bible sometimes I would like to know what a certain word means in the original text. Can you recommend a resource that would be helpful for that? Thank you so much for all you do to keep us grounded in His Truth!

You’re welcome! It is my pleasure to serve you in Christ, and it is always encouraging to hear from women who are good students of Scripture.

I use both Blue Letter Bible’s and Bible Hub’s interlinear features, and find both to be helpful. You can read more about them in my article My Favorite Bible & Study Apps (they both have a web version as well as an app).

What does one do if they have a serious spiritual question and well known and trusted Biblical pastors give the exact opposite answers from one another? I cannot find the specific answer in Scripture and I desperately need to know what to do. I have read where one advises one course of action and the other advises the opposite. I am praying and continuing to search. But I need help. Any advice you have would be very welcome.

It’s hard to know exactly how to answer this question since I don’t know the details (and I’m not asking for them – this seems private), but, generally speaking, my advice is always to go to your own pastor first for counsel, assuming you’re in a doctrinally sound church. If it’s the type of issue best addressed by another woman rather than your pastor, reach out to a godly, doctrinally sound, “Titus 2” sort of woman in your church so that she can disciple you through this.

If, for some reason, you absolutely can’t go to your pastor or a godly older woman in your church, as a last resort, you can locate a biblical counselor (not the same thing as a “Christian counselor/therapist/etc.” – see the Biblical Counseling Resources tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page) and set up an appointment.

If the reason you can’t go to your pastor or a godly older woman in your church is that you’re not currently in church, you need to remedy that immediately, and this situation is one of the main reasons why. (Go to the Searching for a new church? tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page and start using the church search engines.)

When we go through crises and trials in life, God’s plan for us is to turn to our pastors and our church family, not to seek the generalized, one size fits all advice of celebrity pastors – even if they’re doctrinally sound.

Your own pastor and your brothers and sisters at your local church know you. They’re there for you, boots on the ground, to disciple you and help you walk through this situation over the long haul. A stranger on the internet or between the covers of a book can’t do that for you.

I urge you, turn to your church family.

Can God save someone convicted of treason by the government? Can they be forgiven and go to heaven?

Of course. God can and will save anyone who turns to Him in repentance over her sin and places her faith in the death burial and resurrection of Christ as payment and forgiveness for her sin. God doesn’t have a list of certain sins that He refuses to forgive*. I would encourage you to prayerfully study and consider the Scriptures and materials at the What must I do to be saved? tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page.

*Readers, I know many of your minds immediately went here. Hope this resource is helpful.

Why should a woman or male read Fiction? Shouldn’t we read only and study only truth not fantasy? Jesus said “I am the truth”, Satan in the garden used fiction to challenge God’s authority and present a false truth to Eve, who was then deceived by her own desires gave Adam the forbidden fruit.

I think the struggle you’re having here is that you’re conflating fiction books, novels, and stories with lies and deception. They’re two different things, and they need to be kept in separate categories.

There’s nothing wrong with Goldilocks and the Three Bears or the John Grisham novel that’s sitting on my night stand. These are fiction – a creation of the author’s imagination. The authors aren’t trying to convince anyone that these stories are true. In fact, many novels carry a disclaimer stating that it is a work of fiction and that any resemblance the story or characters bear to real people or situations is purely coincidental. And no person of normal intelligence and wherewithal picks up a story or novel thinking it’s truth.

What Satan used in the Garden with Eve was not fiction. It was lies and deception. She thought he was telling her the truth. He was trying to make her believe he was telling the truth. See the difference? (Also, there’s no such thing as a “false truth”. A statement is either true or false. The words you’re looking for are “lies” and “deception”.)

And the Jesus who said, “I am the truth” in John 14:6? He told fictional stories throughout His ministry in order to teach and illustrate truth. We call them parables. And we know Jesus never lied or deceived anyone. That’s the best way we can tell the difference between lies and fiction. Lying is a sin. Fiction is not.

Now go and feel free to read that novel on your night stand.

If you have a question about: a Bible passage, an aspect of theology, a current issue in Christianity, or how to biblically handle a family, life, or church situation, comment below (I’ll hold all questions in queue {unpublished} for a future edition of The Mailbag) or send me an e-mail or private message. If your question is chosen for publication, your anonymity will be protected.