Last week, Justin Peters released this excellent teaching video demonstrating how the COVID-19 virus totally debunks the claims of these heretical charlatans. Prophets and miraculous healers, they are not. Invest the time to watch it, and consider sharing it (kindly and lovingly, of course) with those you know who are enamored with this kind of “Christianity.”
Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10
Read 2 Peter 2
1. Examine the first half of verse 1. Using your cross references and these passages, which “people” did false prophets arise among? Who were some of these false prophets? Were false prophets/teachers only an Old Testament problem? What are the similarities between Old Testament false prophets and New Testament false teachers? If false teachers were a problem in the New Testament church – while the apostles were still around teaching the church in person and writing Holy Spirit inspired Scripture to them – do you think false teachers might still pose a problem in the church today?
2. Examine verses 1-3. Explain, in your own words…
a) what false teachers will do
b) how people will respond to false teachers
c) how people will be affected by false teachers
d) what will happen to false teachers.
Look closely at the phrase “denying the Master who bought them” (1b). Does this verse indicate that someone who is genuinely saved can lose her salvation, or does it indicate that this person is either a false convert or a fraud? Compare this phrase with “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle” (3b), and these passages. Explain what the Bible says about false converts and the spiritual condition of those who claim and appear to be Christians, yet teach a false gospel.
3. Examine verses 4-10a. This is a very long sentence. Take note of where the sentence begins and where it ends. This is also an “if/then” sentence: If X happens, then Y will happen. Chart out the “ifs” and the “then” in this sentence (it may also help to chart out the “buts” to distinguish them from the “ifs” and the “then”):
If… (But…) Then…
(4a)- (4b)- (9)-
(5a)- (5b)-
(6)-
(7)-
(If you have time, go back to the Old Testament stories of Noah and Lot to refresh your memory on the details of these events.) What are the examples Peter cites in 4-8 that “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials” (9a)? What are the examples in 4-8 that the Lord knows how to “keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (9b)? In your own words summarize the point Peter is making in this passage.
4. Read 10b-11. Who are “the glorious ones”? (10b) (Don’t forget to use your footnotes and cross-references.) Explain the comparison Peter is making between false teachers and angels in terms of attitude, audacity, power, and position. Who exercises better “common sense” (for lack of a better term) and more fear of the Lord?
5. Examine verses 12-19. Think about the false teachers you’re familiar with (or explore some at the “Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends” tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page) and explain the metaphors Peter uses for false teachers in this passage- how are false teachers like “irrational animals” (12), “blots and blemishes” (13), “waterless springs” and “mists driven by a storm” (17)?
In this passage, list all of the…
a) false teacher’s motives
b) false teacher’s sins
c) false teacher’s actions
d) consequences for false teachers
e) ways false teachers impact their followers
Read the story of Balaam and explain what Peter means in verses 15-16.
6. Read verses 20-22 in light of what you studied in question 1 about losing one’s salvation versus being a false convert:
Look closely at 20-22, and look at the phrase “denying the Master who bought them” (1b). Do these verses indicate that someone who is genuinely saved can lose her salvation, or does it indicate that this person is either a false convert or a fraud? Compare this phrase with “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle” (3b), and these passages. Explain what the Bible says about false converts and the spiritual condition of those who claim and appear to be Christians, yet teach a false gospel.
Why is it better for someone “never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back”? (21) Compare with these Scriptures. Have you ever known someone who lived life as a “Christian” for a while and then “left the faith” altogether? How often does someone like that later get genuinely saved?
7. Briefly review from lesson 10 (link above), Peter’s emphasis on the supremacy of the written Word over and above personal experiences, and answer this question: Why do you think Peter referred back to the Old Testament so many times in this chapter instead of telling his audience anecdotes about a false teachers he knew of at various New Testament churches?
8. In this chapter, does Peter make it sound like false teachers are rare or no big deal? Imagine you’re Peter and a reporter is interviewing you. She says, “Peter, tell me about the problem of false teachers in the church.” How would you answer?
a) Read 2 Peter 2 and the book of Jude side by side. What similarities do you notice? What differences? Why was it so important to warn the early church about false teachers?
b) You may wish to read my article Can a False Teacher Be a Christian?
Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Read 2 Peter 1:12-21
1. Briefly review lesson 9 (link above) and/or re-read verses 1-11 for context for today’s passage. Notice that the first word of verse 12 is “therefore”. What is the “therefore” there for?
2. Examine verses 12-15. What “qualities” (12) is Peter referring to? Contemplate the statement Peter makes in verse 12. Why do we, as Christians, need, so often, to be reminded of what we already know? Take a look at some of the many passages of Scripture that describe God’s people as a forgetful people. What are the dangers of being forgetful of biblical truth?
What does Peter mean by the phrases, “as long as I am in this body,” (13) “the putting off of my body will be soon,” (14) and “after my departure” (15)?
How many times, and where, do you see the words “remind” and “recall”? What methods did Peter use to remind his audience, then and now, of what he was teaching, to make sure they, and we, would be able to recall it? What does this tell you about the significance of the written Word of God and how important it is for pastors to preach the Word?
3. Study verses 16-21.
Which event during Jesus’ earthly ministry is Peter talking about in verses 16-18? (Use your cross-references, and read the entire gospel account of this event.) Who is “we” in verses 16 and 18? What did they see and hear with their own eyes and ears during this event? Put yourself in Peter’s sandals and try to imagine the weightiness of meeting two of the pillars of your current faith (Judaism), witnessing the glorified Christ, who is to be the pillar of your current/future faith, and entering into the earthly manifestation of the presence of God and hearing His voice. Let the profundity of this experience be the foundation of your understanding for what Peter is going to say about the written Word in 19-21.
What word does verse 16 start with? What does “for” refer back to? Review your answers to the final question of #2 and to question 3 from lesson 9 (link above), and view verses 16-21 through the lens and context of Peter’s emphasis on the written Word. What is Peter saying about personal experiences versus the written Word? Compare all three of these passages to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and explain how and why Scripture – not personal experiences, feelings, opinions, dreams and visions, “God told me,” etc. – is preferable to subjective experiences and sufficient for the Christian for “all things that pertain to life and godliness.”
Personal experiences, feelings, etc. come from __________, who are sinful and fallible, but Scripture comes from __________, who is perfect and holy.
Outline the major concepts in 16-21 that Peter is trying to get across about his (and the other apostles’) teaching:
Our teaching is not based on __________ (16a) but on our own __________ (16b, 18). And even weightier and more reliable than our own eyewitness testimony is the __________ (19a)- which does not come from __________ (20-21a), but from __________ (21b).
Compare the idea in verse 19 to these verses. Explain how Jesus is the living Word that gives light to us in a dark world. We will need to commune with Jesus through the written Word until what happens (19b)? Why will we not need to depend on the written Word when Christ returns?
How do these concepts about God’s written Word give you a greater confidence in, and love for Scripture?
Re-read verses 12-15. Peter knew he was not going to live much longer. How might that knowledge have helped him focus his energies on what was most important for his children in the faith to know? Imagine your doctor told you that you only had three months to live. Write a letter to your church, your children, or someone you’re discipling emphasizing the spiritual truths you think will be most important for them to remember “after your departure”. (I really mean this only as an exercise, not that you should necessarily deliver this letter to your church, children, or disciplee, but you may choose to deliver it using biblical wisdom and discretion.)
I get lots questions about whether or not certain pastors, teachers, and authors are doctrinally sound, and whether or not I would recommend them. I mean, lots. And, can I just say- that’s really encouraging to me. When someone asks that question, it demonstrates a) that she knows there are teachers out there who wear the label of “Christian” yet teach unbiblical things, and b) that she doesn’t want to follow one of those teachers. Having interacted with scores of professing Christian women who don’t even rise to that basic level of discernment (i.e. they blindly believe everything that calls itself “Christian” actually is), that’s huge, and I love it.
If you’ve been following the blog for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends tab (in the blue menu bar at the top of this page). All of the articles and entries on that page exist because someone (usually more than one person) asked whether or not that teacher is doctrinally sound. I wish I were able to write articles on every teacher I’m asked about so I could provide you with more thorough resources, but it usually takes me several days worth of research and writing to properly assemble even the shortest of those articles, and with a family to care for, and other responsibilities, there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.
All of that means that I have to pick and choose which teachers to write about (which is generally whoever is most popular and most people are asking about) and resign myself to the fact that there are teachers I’m probably never going to get around to writing about (few have heard of them, they’re not popular in my audience demographic, they’re dead, it’s uber-obvious they’re heretics {Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, etc.}).
Recently, I’ve been asked about a slew of teachers I’m probably not going to write articles about, not because they’re not important, but because they don’t influence as many people in my audience as other teachers do. So I thought what I’d do from time to time is gather up a few and just give a quick “hot take” – a thumbs up or thumbs down as to whether or not you should follow them – based on what I already know without researching them and/or no more than a five minute Google search.
I’ll be using the criteria outlined in my article Is She a False Teacher? 7 Steps to Figuring it Out on Your Own. If you ever need to know whether or not you should avoid a certain teacher, I would encourage you to use this article as a guide, and research him or her for yourself. Vetting teachers is not difficult, it’s a skill every Christian needs to develop, you shouldn’t just take my (or anyone else’s) word for it that someone is or isn’t a false teacher, and I won’t always be around. So if you’re interested in any of these teachers, consider these hot takes a jumping off point for doing more research on your own.
👎Mark Driscoll– A definite thumbs down. Mark Driscoll is demonstrably apostate. He was charged with spiritual abuse (mostly anger, treating people poorly, abuse of power – things like that) at his former church, Mars Hill. He refused to go through the biblical process of church discipline his elders tried to enact, and instead quit and fled to another state. He now associates and yokes in “ministry” with New Apostolic Reformation heretics. Chris Rosebrough has done a yeoman’s job of biblically critiquing Mark’s numerous rebellions and calling him to repentance over the years. Click here and here for detailed information.
More evidence from Justin Peters here.
More from Gabe Hughes here.
✋Billy Graham– Not someone I’m going to go around proactively recommending, but not someone I’d call a false teacher, either. I would categorize him as “generally OK-ish, but there are much better, stronger teachers you could be listening to instead”. I’ve read his autobiography and listened to several of his sermons over the years. Although I think some of his methods were biblically unwise, the basic content of his sermons and the gospel he preached was biblical overall. But you need to remember that Billy Graham was an evangelist, not a pastor, which means you’ll get the basics of the gospel by listening to him, but not much else. And if you’re already saved, while you never outgrow your need to hear the gospel, that’s not all you need. You need to grow and mature in the Word, and be taught the full counsel of God.
A couple of reasons many people wonder about Billy Graham’s theology have to do with his ecumenism (he basically embraced just about everyone who wore the label “Christian” – including the Pope) and his universalist statements (most widely known via his 1997 interview with Robert Schuller). Additionally, his daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, credits her father with heavily influencing her theology. He is said to have called her “the best preacher in the family,” despite the fact that she is a false teacher who preaches to men, yokes with other false teachers, and teaches false doctrine.
👎Craig Groeschel– Nope. When Chris Rosebrough has done this many Fighting for the Faith segments and sermon reviews on somebody, take it to the bank- that’s not somebody you should be following. And then you’ve got things like: Craig preaching at this Hillsong conference (which also featured Bethel Music leaders), preaching with Joel Osteen at a conference hosted by Lakewood, he’s spoken at Joyce Meyer’s women’s conference, he lets women and false teachers preach at his church, including Christine Caine (whom he calls “one of the greatest preachers of all time”) and Steven Furtick (who says in this clip that Groeschel’s church has influenced Furtick’s church {Elevation} “probably more than any other church”.)
Also, if you use the YouVersion Bible App, you might want to know that it was developed by Craig Groeschel and his church, and is still owned by his church (Life.Church), which is one of the reasons it’s not one I recommend when people ask me about Bible apps. Craig and his church earn income from this app, and so do the false teachers whose materials are featured on the app, so when you use YouVersion, you’re financially supporting false teachers and false doctrine, whether directly or indirectly.
Here is a quote from Gina (see comments section) who was a member of Life.Church for about a year:
Having now spent over a year at Craig Groeschel’s LifeChurch I can attest that Craig has all the marks a false teacher. I began attending with scepticism [sic], but decided to intentionally keep an open mind. However, what I found is that Craig twists Scripture, and does not teach the Bible at all. His “sermons” are nothing more than self-help couched in spirituality. He touts self-improvement and life change…all good things in and of themselves, but does not teach God’s Word. His altar calls are given very quickly with fast talking and “do it now” sales tactics, but with very little and sometimes no explanation of the true Gospel. Yet people are declared to be a new creation, and there is no follow up…none. He is unabashedly self-promoting. He promotes his books, HIS church (emphasized on purpose), and other speakers and their books/churches. He has a cult following who gets very defensive if anything is said against him. He is vehemently defended for all the good things LifeChurch does (and they do), and for all the people being “saved”. He has plenty of ties with NAR, not to mention ARC (?) [the Association of Related Churches]. He uses manipulative and condescending tactics on his listeners, and interjects unseemly and fleshly anecdotes. There is much hype from him and his staff during the service…loads of enthusiasm. In short, he is the best motivational speaker you’ve ever heard. That is not a compliment. The experience is complete with “Whoever finds God?”…”Finds LIFE!” at the conclusion. I’m thoroughly disgusted and disturbed to be there, and I won’t be going back. I just have to find a way to tell my precious family. They don’t see it, and it saddens me. I’ve seen zero spiritual growth since our family has been attending. It bears mentioning that I have the gift of discernment, and that I find it severely lacking in God’s people today. 😞
✋C.S. Lewis– For fiction, you’re probably OK. I read my children the entire Narnia series with no real problems. I know sound brothers and sisters who have found Mere Christianity and other CSL books to be helpful, but, honestly, if you really want to study theology, I’d encourage you to steer clear and find better sources. There are questions as to whether or not he believed in evolution, universalism, the inspiration of Scripture, and penal substitutionary atonement.
👎Max Lucado– No. He recently embraced Jen Hatmaker as a guest on her podcast. He has preached at Lakewood (Joel Osteen), affirmed Bill Johnson (Bethel), endorses Beth Moore, wrote the foreword for Christine Caine’s book, Undaunted, etc. And the church Max pastors, Oak Hills Church, is egalitarian. In 2021, he threw the Bible and the church under the bus by apologizing to the homosexual community.
And then there’s this quote from Max during an interview with Preaching.com: I really enjoy listening to Joel Osteen. I think Joel has a unique assignment in his ministry, and that’s to cast a wide net. He’s got a different assignment and a different gift mix than, for example, a John MacArthur; and I enjoy listening to John MacArthur equally; but you can see that they’re two different types of preaching. I enjoy Joel because I think his assignment in ministry is to encourage people, and we live in a day that is so discouraged, discouraging. I enjoy John MacArthur because I think—it seems to me—his assignment is to equip the church with very detailed biblical understanding. He’d be more like a Beth Moore or a David Jeremiah; I think we need that, as well.
I’m sorry, but do you really want to be taught the Bible by someone who is so undiscerning he can’t tell the difference between Joel Osteen, Beth Moore, and John MacArthur? That he thinks Joel Osteen and John MacArthur just have different gifts and different preaching styles? And that Beth Moore, like John MacArthur, has an “assignment to equip the church with very detailed biblical understanding“?
✋John Piper– John Piper’s books, sermons, and blog are mostly fine, and while I disagree with him on several points of theology, I certainly do not consider him to be a false teacher. But he’s not somebody I’m going to proactively recommend, either. Here’s how I’ve answered readers in the past who have asked me about John Piper:
While I consider Dr. Piper to be a generally doctrinally sound Christian brother and agree with him in many aspects of theology, he is not someone I proactively recommend for a few reasons:
1. Dr. Piper is a continuationist. I usually limit my endorsements to cessationists because I believe this is the biblical view of the gifts. (I do not consider otherwise doctrinally sound continuationists to be false teachers, however.)
2. I’m concerned about Dr. Piper’s associations and partnerships with false teachers (which violates 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Romans 16:17-18, and 2 John 9-11). First he appeared to embrace Rick Warren when he interviewed him and invited him to speak at the Desiring God conference in 2010. More recently, he has been a featured speaker at events like the Passion conferences where he has shared the stage with Christine Caine, Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and Judah Smith.
3. Dr. Piper’s complementarianism seems muddled at best. On the one hand he will go so far as to say that Christian women should not be drill sergeants and police officers (which I, personally, agree with, but the Bible mentions nothing of the sort), yet on the other hand he joins in ministry with the aforementioned Caine, Shirer, and Moore who – in addition to the the false doctrine they preach – all actively and unrepentantly violate clear Scripture by preaching to men. It’s quite confusing.
I’m not going to warn people away from John Piper as a false teacher, but I can’t, in good conscience, recommend him either.
Why I Don’t Read John Piper Anymore with Jon Harris
👎Kris Vallotton– Absolutely not, no way, no how. Kris Vallotton is the “Senior Associate Leader of Bethel Church and co-founder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM)” which means he is a New Apostolic Reformation heretic, not a Christian, and certainly not someone any other Christian (or lost person, for that matter) should be following.
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.
Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Read 2 Peter 1:1-11
1. Briefly review your notes from the introduction to 2 Peter in lesson 8 (link above). What is the main theme or purpose of 2 Peter?
2. Examine verses 1-2. How does Peter credential himself? (1) How does he characterize the audience of his letter? (2) Compare the greeting of 2 Peter to the greetings of several other epistles (ex: 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, Jude, Ephesians, etc.). What similarities do you notice? Differences? What is the significance of Peter’s characterization of his audience as: “those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours” (2)? What does this statement demonstrate about Peter’s view of himself? What would it have said to the Christians of his day who might have viewed him as a “celebrity”?
3. Study verses 3-4. What has God given us? (3a) Through what (in what way, by what means)? (3b) How do we obtain “knowledge of Him”? Is the following a fair statement based on concepts in verse 3 (and 19-21): “God gives us everything we need for godly living as we gain knowledge of Him. And the way we gain knowledge of Him is through the study of His Word.”? Why or why not? Read 3-4 alongside 2 Timothy 3:16-17. What similar concepts do both passages express about the primacy and sufficiency of God’s Word for living the Christian life?
How do we know what God’s “precious and very great promises” (4) to us are? What does it mean that we are “partakers of the divine nature”? (4) (Hint: Use your cross-references.)
4. Study verses 5-11. Verse 5 begins with, “For this very reason…”. For what reason (3-4) is Peter about to give the instructions in 5-11?
What does it mean to “supplement” something with something else? (Maybe think about taking a vitamin supplement.) Give a brief definition for each of the qualities Peter mentions in 5-7. Then, explain why each quality needs to be supplemented with its partner. (Ex: Why does faith need to be supplemented with virtue? Why does knowledge need to be supplemented with self-control? etc.) What is the difference between “brotherly affection” and “love”?
Peter states 8b in the negative (keep you from being ineffective…unfruitful). Restate this part of the verse in the positive (ex: help you to be…), to explain the reason Peter gives for increasing in the qualities in verses 5-7. What is the effect when a Christian lacks these qualities? (9) Therefore, because of 8 and because of 9, do _____ (10), and ______ (11) will be the result.
Compare verse 10 with 2 Corinthians 13:5. What does verse 10 mean when it says to “make your calling and election sure”? Is verse 11 saying that we are saved (entrance into the Kingdom) by our good works or by trying to be people of good character? How do you know?
5. How are verses 1-11 foundational to the theme of 2 Peter: “Avoiding false doctrine and false teachers”? Why is it important to be well grounded in sound doctrine and sound Christian character qualities if we want to be able to identify, avoid, and warn others away from false doctrine and false teachers?
How would you explain to a Mormon friend that “partakers of the divine nature” (4) does not mean that we become gods when we die? Or to a New Apostolic Reformation friend that this verse does not mean that we can speak things into existence like God can? Get a Christian friend to role play the discussion with you, and don’t forget to use your cross-references.
