False Teachers and Teachings
IntroductionHow does one recognize false teachers and teachings from Biblical teachers and teachings? While some may fall under the category of false teachers, others may teach certain doctrines which are false or that are not in accordance with the Word of God while most of what they teach is in line with Scripture. Some teachers whose teachings are analysed in respect to what the Bible teaches when all related scriptures line up perfectly, may prove to be fine teachers overall, but where they depart from Scripture, it is only prudent and wise that we as believers recognize these discrepancies and affirm only the truth that is in full agreement with God's inspired Word. The best way is as follows:
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 NIV
It is also quite possible that those who analyse the teachings of others may themselves have unbiblical teachings or perspectives or end up “nitpicking” over non essentials and going far beyond reason in their critiques. Some critics may have a very narrow, legalistic, or extreme fundamentalist perspective and seem to have little understanding of unity in the Body of Christ. And some write disparagingly of nearly all teachers over simple disagreements needlessly where much more important and major doctrinal issues are at stake. This is certainly unnecessary and not honouring to God.
Our hope is that those who read this document will find balance in how they evaluate which teachers they listen to and learn from. Some teachers need to be carefully filtered while others should be avoided altogether, and other teachers can of course be trusted almost implicitly. By grounding yourself in the unchanging Word of God and considering it your final authority in all matters of faith and practice, you will have a greater ability to distinguish between true and false teachings and avoid deception. Until we reach heaven, however, none of us will be able to completely define all truth or perfectly interpret all Scripture, but we can be as the Bereans and search the Scriptures daily to see if what we hear is true, or not!
As Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2-4, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Our goal as followers of Christ should be to always seek after truth with the discernment to recognize and beware of deceptive, unbiblical teachings (many of which are harmful or even heretical), while also striving for unity in love among believers, whenever possible. Sometimes for the sake of love and unity we may have to agree to disagree.
There is no doubt that discernment itself is a very controversial issue. Many of those whose teachings or behaviours are “judged,” even according to Scripture, condemn their accusers and despise their criticism. Some criticism is indeed divisive and unnecessary (some is even bitter or mean spirited), but in case you tend to think that those who would dare to judge or criticize apparently unscriptural teachings would be much better off just preaching the Gospel and minding their own business, consider this: What if manufacturers had no quality control departments, how would the products eventually end up? What if police departments had no internal affairs divisions, how much more would police corruption increase? What if the taxman never audited anyone, how many people would pay their taxes? If we know the false teaching will lead to hell fire beyond all doubt, do we just sit back and do nothing? Within the Body of Christ, it seems very reasonable to believe that God has intentionally called certain ones in His Body to focus on keeping His message pure.
The simple truth is that if no one ever held preachers accountable for what they teach, false doctrines would abound much more than they already do. If small errors in doctrine are left unaddressed, they will only grow worse and worse over time. So discernment ministries are a good and necessary part of the Body of Christ, as imperfect as they may be. False teachings must be exposed and the cancer of deception in the Church must be treated, even if it is unpopular and often painful. Perhaps as you begin to understand and recognize common false teachings in the Church, you can become involved in solving the problem by writing letters (in love) to those you hear making the errors. Some do it for financial gain and will only ignore or reject any efforts to admonish them and will probably even criticize you in the process. Others who are truly seeking after God may eventually see their errors and correct them. Either way, it is the responsibility of all of us in the Body of Christ to keep our leaders accountable to Scripture and to do our best to ensure that God's sheep are not led astray by unworthy or unbiblical under shepherds, especially for the sake of future generations! Now more than ever, Satan is spreading false doctrine and false prophecy to lead as many from the kingdom as possible in the end.
Tips on understanding the Word to avoid being deceived by false teachers and teachings
There are bound to be those who will both agree and disagree with various points below as you would expect when one has believed a certain doctrine for a long time as it often becomes a way of life or what one would call a mindset. So we must try and keep an open mind while desiring in our heart the real truth of God’s Word as much as the air we breathe. When we truly love God with all our heart, might and soul, this should be a natural occurrence. The other thing we must never do is to underestimate the enemy to perpetuate false teachings. The following is one of my favourite quotes when it comes to remembering how true it is that what is popular is not always truth and what is truth is not always popular.
“A lie can travel halfway around the world, while truth puts on its shoes.” -- Mark Twain (1835-1910).
The enemy has had literally thousands of years of practice when it comes to deception and making changes from the original doctrine taught by the early Church by slowly and subtly introducing false teachers and teachings over time periods of even hundreds of years. Satan knows the Bible and Prophecy better than all of us and has a very good idea of where we are in history and what it is he needs to achieve at any given time on the Biblical time scale. To give one such example, all the early Protestants that departed from the Catholic Church and started many of the mainstream Churches we still have today knew what the Bible taught in regards to who was the antichrist power and yet this truth has been lost by every one of these Churches today. How did this happen? It did not happen overnight and the enemy knew he had plenty of time to achieve his goal by just slowly and subtly pulling the truth from these Churches one piece at a time.
Many false teachers and teachings unfortunately do arise also from those who just choose to see what they want to see or who are motivated by money and or power. But there are those who are also just too trusting of their colleagues. One of the enemy’s favourites is to have one teacher hear a particular doctrine taught by one of their colleagues or someone they trust who has their doctrine wrong, but in trusting this person takes on board their teaching and the false teaching continues to be perpetuated helped along by Satan and his demons by the same process. This may sound a little hard to believe but you would be surprised how history shows that many false doctrines have been spread by this method.
Some false teachings are obviously not intentional and many do not realize that the original Greek never had punctuation, chapters or verses. These were all added at a later stage and there is more than ample evidence to prove that punctuation was not divinely inspired and an area that we need to be very careful. To give one such example, consider the placement of the comma in each of the following translations. Speaking of the thief on the cross, the King James says that the thief will be with Jesus in paradise on that very day, while “The Scriptures 1998” © Institute for Scripture Research says that Jesus is telling the thief at that moment that he will be with him in paradise but not on that actual day.
Luke 23:43 KJV “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, To day shall you be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:43 TS98 “And Jesus said to him, Truly, I say to you today, you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Which punctuation is correct? Without going into all the tens of scriptures that would show which one would make these many other passages contradictory, consider for the moment just this one verse.
John 20:17 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”
Jesus had not yet ascended to the Father on Sunday, hence there was no way he could have been with the thief in paradise on the Friday. Jesus rested in the tomb on Friday. The TS98 translation placed the comma in the correct position. The KJV Bible has many such punctuation errors and here is one more example of a misplaced comma.
Acts 19:12 KJV “So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”
According to the punctuation of this verse, we see the diseases departed from the sick handkerchiefs or aprons. The comma should have been placed after the word “sick.” There are many such examples even through the King James Bible as well as other translations that prove that punctuation is not God breathed or inspired and only a thorough study of the Word and comparing scripture with scripture will reveal what is truly correct from the false teachings.
To give an even more elaborate example, here is one where the wrong text was placed in the wrong chapter and verse as well as a misplaced comma, and has caused a lot of confusion with many people including false teachings on the day Jesus was crucified. First, let’s look at Marks account of the same event.
Mark 16:9 “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.”
In Matthews account we have two descriptive phrases describing this time period and the extra phrase is not found in Mark 16:9 which says “In the end of the sabbath.” The other problem is that these two time periods contradict each other.
Matthew 28:1 says, “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
The end of the Sabbath which is sunset and dawn are twelve hours apart, so why the apparent contradiction in the above verse? The answer is found in the translation of this passage. By reorganizing the last verse of Matthew 27 and the first verse of Matthew 28, the apparent ambiguity completely disappears. See Matthew 27:62-66.
In Matthew 27:62, a request for a guard on the tomb was made on the Sabbath (the day after the preparation) and that the request was for a guard until the third day. By simply moving the text “in the end of the Sabbath,” from the beginning of Matthew 28:1 to the end of the previous chapter and verse in Matthew 27:66, which is where it should have been placed when punctuation and chapters and verses were added, we would have the following.
Matthew 27:66 “So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch in the end of the sabbath.”Matthew 28:1 “As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”
Matthew’s account now matches Mark’s account and there is no longer any contradiction. It was the watch guarding the tomb that began at the end of the Sabbath. Since Jesus was to rise the third day, the Roman guards were put in place immediately at the end of the Sabbath because they anticipated that the body of Jesus would be stolen by the Jews sometime on Sunday. Is it any wonder such translations result in so many false teachings?
Almost every Bible translation I have looked at has mistranslated this verse or modified it to try and get around the contradiction. How many Pastors or people that I have asked knew about this? None! What does this tell us? We cannot always rely on what even our Pastors teach us and we must always study the Word diligently like the Bereans and never take it for granted that what we have been taught all our life is correct and we always need to beware of false teachers and teachings.
Which of the following two verses are correct in regards to hell fire? One says they are devoured and the other says they burn for ever and ever. You will note also that they are consecutive verses, which makes it even more interesting.
Revelation 20:9 “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
In this case verse nine describes the literal event and contains no symbolism while the second verse is symbolic. Is this enough to give us the true from the false? It helps but by comparing scripture with scripture and looking for other passages that relate to this event, we find there is more that reveals beyond doubt the answer to our question.
So again, what does this tell us? You cannot base your theology on one verse and one needs to study the Word of God as a whole looking at all related passages to find the real truth. If the one grey verse cannot be lined up with the several black and white scriptures, then we need to base our findings on the several black and white verses and not the one grey verse. There are many false teachers and teachings on this very difficult topic that so many see what they want to see.
The False Teachings from Missing Words
Translating New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew is sometimes a very challenging task that results in many false teachings. The original text is often written in such a way that words which were obviously implied from elsewhere in scripture are often left out. When the translators encounter this situation they have to establish what the missing words are and supply what they believe to be correct, and sometimes words are added to make things read more fluently. There are also many passages in the Bible that have missing words which are not obvious at the time of translating that do not make the scripture incorrect but can make it appear to contradict other scripture or result in false teachers and teachings.
When words have been added that were not in the original text, the King James and the New King James Version show these words in italics so that the reader can see the word has no equivalent in Hebrew or Greek. Do not use Bibles that do not do this or at least do not use them for serious study and understanding of the Word as this leaves the door wide open for more false teachings. When ever you see italics have been added and there is uncertainty about the verse, the truth seeker should always do further research to avoid coming up with a result that causes even more false teachings.
Here is an example of missing words that would not necessarily be obvious at the time of translation without comparing scripture with scripture. Did Jesus prophesy that the cock would crow once or twice before Peter denied him thrice?
Matthew 26:34 “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.”Luke 22:34 “And He [Jesus] said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”John 13:38 “Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”Mark 14:30 “And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.”
Mark 14:67-72 “And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And you also were with Jesus of Nazareth. 68 But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what you sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. 69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. 70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely you are one of them: for you are a Galilaean, and your speech agreeth thereto. 71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom you speak. 72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, you shall deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.”
Three of the recorded passages indicate the cock crowing only once (Matthew 26:34; Luke 22:34 and John 13:38), compared to one saying that the cock would crow twice (Mark 14:30). Later in Mark chapter 14 we have three witnesses saying that the cock crowed twice (Mark 14:30; 14:68 and 14:72). When we examine these scriptures together, it seems clear that Mark has put in more detail than the others showing that the cock crowed after Peter’s first denial (Mark 14:68), and that it crowed a second time after his third denial (Mark 14:72). So does this make the other scriptures incorrect? Not at all. Simply the word “twice” is missing from each of them, and they should read as follows:
Matthew 26:34 “before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.”Luke 22:34 “the cock shall not crow twice this day, before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”John 13:38 “The cock shall not crow twice, till thou hast denied me thrice.”
This is another example of not relying on one passage alone but on all given and related accounts of the event involved. If Mark’s account alone had been missed out, the truth would not have been obtained from the other three accounts would it? Not exactly an issue that false teachings are likely to arise from but shows the need to compare all scripture.
The following example should be considered an important one where the correct verb has been left out by almost every single Bible translation. Have you ever heard that the law was only until John the Baptist quoting Luke 16:16?
Luke 16:16 KJV “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached…”
Because of the phrase “The law and the prophets were until John:” some false teachers have preached that the law was no longer binding after John the Baptist died. The truth seeking preacher would know this translation totally contradicts the words of Jesus to begin with and many other passages. Here are just two passages that would contradict.
Matthew 5:17-19 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 19:17 “And he said unto him, Why callest you me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the Commandments.”
Since Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:” and “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35, this can only be called false teaching when one says that the law passed away with John the Baptist. So what did Jesus mean by, “The law and the prophets were until John:” Luke 16:16?
If you are using the KJV or NKJV Bible you will note that the word “were” is in italics, which means that there is was no word for it in the Greek. The literal translation would be, “The law and the prophets until John.” The translators knew there was a verb missing, which is quite common in Greek, and almost all translations added in the verb “were.” However, if they had looked for parallel scriptures to establish what the missing word was, and is what they should have done, they would have found the verse in Matthew 11:13 which says “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” Matthew recorded the verb “prophesied” which Luke missed out. So what this verse says is that the law and the prophets prophesied until John, because they all prophesied about Jesus, who began his ministry in the days of John the Baptist.
They prophesied where he would be born (Micah 5:2), that he would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), when he would be born (Daniel 9:25), how he would die (Isaiah 53), and many other details of his life, and that is all this scripture that Luke 16:16 is saying. It has nothing at all to do with the law being abolished after John the Baptist.
The following is another simple example of find the missing word. In 1 Corinthians 13:3, who do we feed?
1 Corinthians 13:3 “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”
In this verse the words “the poor” are missing from the original text and it is obvious that something is missing so the extra words have been supplied by the translators. How do we know then that this is the correct interpretation? Again, the answer is found elsewhere in the scripture:
Proverbs 28:27 “He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack:”Matthew 19:21 “go and sell that you have, and give to the poor,”Mark 10:21 “sell whatsoever you have, and give to the poor,”Luke 18:22 “sell all that you have, and distribute unto the poor,”2 Corinthians 9:9 “He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor:”
Here we can conclude that the translators found the correct words to insert so that the meaning is consistent with other scripture. One can see that it is scriptural to sell goods and give to the poor, and this is exactly what this verse is saying.
The following is another common example of a missing word on James the “son” of Zebedee.
Matthew 10:2 “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;”
The literal Greek reads, “James the … of Zebedee,” The word “son” is missing. How do we know the word “son” is correct and not “brother” or “nephew” etc? We know simply because it is revealed elsewhere in scripture. Here are two verses.
Mark 10:35 “James and John, the sons of Zebedee,”Luke 5:10 “James, and John, the sons of Zebedee,”
When we come to a scripture which has had a word (or words) inserted to make it read sensibly, we need to always check that the correct word has been used. We cannot insert any word that we think fits without solid scriptural support. I cannot emphasize enough as to how many wrong teachings have arisen because people take for granted what they read in their translation as if it cannot be in error. There are no errors in the original Greek but there are in the translations.
Here is one final example of missing words where the Paul figured that for Christians who study the Word diligently like the Bereans would automatically know what he was referring to and was something the early Church would have never misunderstood as it was so well known and understood by all. Today however, we are losing track of some of the important basics that help us identify between laws that causes so much misunderstanding with the Ten Commandments especially. What spirit would be behind these false teachers and teachings in these final days of Earths history?
Which of these following translations is most accurate and which verse has a word missing, and what word is it that would have previously been obvious to all in the early Church or those who know their Old Testament especially, really well?
Colossians 2:16 KJV “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”Colossians 2:16 NKJV “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,”
The first thing to establish here is what Paul is referring to. If we back up to verse 14, there is no chance for error if one checks the original Greek and a clear translation helps greatly of which there are not many as so many did not understand what Paul was referring to. The translators of the KJV Bible apparently understood in this case.
Colossians 2:14 KJV “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
The Greek word for “ordinances” in Colossians 2:14 is “dogma”, pronounced “dog'-mah” and the Strong's definition is “a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical): - decree, ordinance.” Strong's dictionary states this is a law and that this law is ceremonial which is also called the “Ordinances,” the “Book of the Law,” the “Mosaic Law” and the “Law of Moses” etc. The Thayer dictionary is more direct and says the “Law of Moses” outright. Thayer Definition: “The rules and requirements of the Law of Moses; carrying a suggestion of severity and of threatened judgment.”
So now that we know that Paul was referring to the ordinances, which is the Law of Moses etc, we can establish what this law entailed and which translation is most correct. There is an enormous amount of scripture that covers this topic that is primarily in the Old Testament but would be too lengthy, so we are going to use just one clear verse that is a perfect parallel of Colossians 2:16, and is probably where Paul was quoting from when he wrote his letter to the Colossians.
Ezekiel 45:17 “And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.”
The ceremonial law or ordinances with its sacrificial system pointed the people to the coming of Christ. Every time the blood of an animal was shed in the old Jewish temple, it was a reminder to the onlooker that One would come and die for our sins. Thus, John the Baptist pointed to our Lord and declared these significant words, “Behold the Lamb of God.” When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, the veil of the great temple curtain was torn from top to bottom, to signify that the entire ceremonial sacrificial system was forever finished. No longer did the priests need to offer up sacrifices.
The ordinances were what had to be carried out to make reconciliation for the sin of the people. It involved meat offerings and drink offerings, Holy day festivals [feasts] in the monthly new moons and on the various ceremonial sabbaths, such as Passover and the day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) for instance, which were yearly ceremonial sabbaths.
The NKJV said “let no one judge you in food or in drink” where the KJV says “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink.” Which is correct? The translators of the NKJV Bible and many others who failed to understand what Paul was referring to, and were also misled by a “left out word” that was apparently only obvious to some, have wrongly assumed that Paul was referring to unclean foods and unclean drinks. This has two very major problems. The first major problem is that there is no such thing as unclean drinks in the Bible anywhere! Secondly, unclean or unhealthy foods have nothing to do with the sacrificial system. The KJV Bible however, has translated the passage verbatim and is correct. It still however is not clear in what it means by “meat, or in drink” unless you understand thoroughly what the ordinances entailed. If we look back to Ezekiel 45:17 and hundreds of other passages that could be cited, we find that the ordinances consisted of what was called “meat offerings” and “drink offerings.” What word was left out that would have been obvious to really keen Bible students or the early Church and would have helped in having all modern Bible translations more correct? The word “offerings.” For clarity, it would have been better translated as follows.
Colossians 2:16 KJV “Let no man therefore judge you in meat offerings, or in drink offerings, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”
This passage is now in perfect harmony with all scripture and everything in the above verse is now part of the ordinances that were no longer necessary after the cross. This also informs us that this passage has nothing to do with ANY of the Ten Commandments. These were all part of the sacrificial system Jesus nailed to the cross as Paul explains in verse 14 when Jesus became our one and final perfect sacrifice bringing an end to this sacrificial system and all it entailed.
Assumptions in reading the Word
How often have you heard a preacher say, “And Jesus went down into hell and snatched the keys to hell from Satan?” Where do we find such a verse in the Bible? Nowhere! This assumption comes from the following verse in Revelation.
Revelation 1:18 KJV “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Again we have two major problems with this assumption. One is that Revelation is a very symbolic book. Are there really physical keys that can lock a spirit being like Satan or any Angel into someplace? Of course not! It is symbolism. The second problem with this assumption is that the word translated hell in many Bibles is in fact the Greek word “Hades.” This is where these teachers have gone wrong. They put all there reliance on one word that they did not know the true meaning of. The word Hades put simply means the grave. So what does this verse actually say? It says that Jesus has, “the keys to death and the grave.” And what does this mean? The grave could not hold Jesus and so He has conquered both death and the grave.
Here is another symbolic verse on the same topic that refers to a time when death and the grave have been conquered for everyone and are permanently a thing of the past. Parenthesis are added. The lake of fire is the final hell fire which has not happened yet and obviously you cannot throw hell fire into hell fire. This is an identical verse that says that death and the grave are no more. What a glorious day that will be.
Revelation 20:14 KJV “And death and hell [Hades] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
There are so many examples that could be given and it is not hard to see why there are so many false teachings out there and why so many teachers come to the wrong conclusion reading the Word. The enemy will always have his hand on trying to ensure that we do misinterpret scriptures also and history and experience proves that he has had no trouble establishing false teachers and teachings and to perpetuate them once they are started.
We need to do more than just read the Word, we should always pray before reading it and humbly ask God for wisdom and understanding. We must also always check in minute detail everything that we hear taught from any and all teachers of the Word to make sure they are not false teachings and line up with all other relevant scripture. Using the Strong’s dictionary when uncertain of the meaning of a verse is highly recommended and at times absolutely essential. Always study the Bible as a whole and do not base your theology on one verse when there are others that would give an entirely different picture as we have seen by some of the examples above. Remember also we should always base our understanding on the several black and white scriptures rather than just that one grey scripture that is not totally clear and if ever in doubt about those words in italics, start doing some scripture comparison to find what the correct word is.
Harmful And Unbiblical Teachings1. False Teachings on CHRIST
FALSE — Doctrines which undermine the deity of Jesus Christ or alter the Biblical doctrines regarding the nature and character of Christ, the Holy Spirit, God the Father, or the doctrine of the Godhead more often called the Trinity.TRUE — Jesus Christ came to this earth as God in the flesh. He is the second person of the God head and was not created, but “always was” from the beginning. There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2. False Teachings on MAN
FALSE — Doctrines which elevate Christians to god like status, such as “little gods,” some even teaching that since “the fall,” God is limited by man in what He can do on earth. This is typical from those in the “faith healing movement.”TRUE — Man was created in the “image of God,” a “little lower than the angels.” Once redeemed through Christ, man is indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do God's will. We are servants of God, called to serve His purposes and not our own. God is sovereign and omnipotent, and man is simply a created being, whose only power comes from above.
3. False Teachings on FAITH
FALSE — “Hyper faith” or “word faith” teachings, which seem to promise that believers can “name it and claim it,” or speak their desires into existence (similar to meta physical teachings). Attributing power to words as if they were “containers” of faith, with power in and of themselves. Also called “positive thinking” or “possibility thinking” in the milder (though still unbiblical) sense. Sometimes this teaching on the power of the spoken word becomes more like that of occultism.TRUE — God answers our prayers and petitions according to His will. God is not obligated to do our will, but as we seek Him with our whole heart, He gives us His desires so that our heart is aligned with His, and answers our prayers accordingly, in His time. See also the Faith Healing movement.
4. False Teachings on HEALING
FALSE — Doctrines which claim that God's will is always to heal all sickness, disease, and infirmity, and that Christ's death guarantees that believers should live without these ailments if only they have enough faith, meet certain other conditions, or even give financially to a ministry or teacher so God will “see their faith” and “give them their miracle.”TRUE — God does heal and can perform miracles as He pleases. He has not, however, removed us from the sin cursed world in which we live or redeemed our bodies from the curse of sin and death as He has redeemed our spirits. Christ bore our sickness and infirmities, and He has absolute power to heal and restore at will, but even in His will, believers still suffer pain, sickness, calamity, infirmity and even still in some countries today, martyrdom. He chooses to heal some and not others in His sovereignty and for His own glory. Even so called “faith healers” and their families get sick, suffer diseases and infirmities, and eventually die. Not until Heaven will we receive new everlastingly perfect bodies. Until then we should pray for healing (and follow biblical direction regarding healing), seek medical treatments, live wisely and strive for good health trusting that God is sovereign and knowing that nothing can harm us unless He allows it. And no man or women on earth has the right, scripturally or otherwise, to even imply that by giving financially to any ministry or teacher, God will look favourably upon them and grant their healing or miracle. See also Does God Always Heal.
5. False Teachings on PROSPERITY
FALSE — Prosperity teachings which claim (erroneously) that not only was Jesus wealthy on earth, but that God desires all believers to be wealthy and that prosperity, in health and wealth, is guaranteed in the covenant of salvation.TRUE — God desires for us to have “abundant life” in Christ, living in the power of the Holy Spirit and experiencing the fruits of the Spirit. But oftentimes God's will may include such things as suffering, infirmities, sickness, trials, tribulation, persecution, or even martyrdom as Scripture and history so clearly testify. Jesus lived on earth without even a “place to lay His head,” and Scripture teaches that His lifestyle was far from the wealthy lifestyle some have erroneously taught Christ lived. This lie originates in an effort by such teachers to not only justify their own indulgent lifestyles, but also to promote their popular prosperity teachings and increase giving to their ministries from those who are seeking the promised health and wealth, especially since the two are often tied together in a not so subtle method of deception. Christ calls us not to seek after worldly riches, but instead to store up our treasures in Heaven and to give our lives as “living sacrifices.” As we seek first to serve His Kingdom, and of course, work as God's Word commands, we can be assured that He will provide our needs. See also the Faith Healing movement.
6. False Teachings on GIVING
FALSE — Teachings or statements made regarding fund raising, tithing and financial giving which are expressed as promises or guarantees (supposedly but erroneously based on the Word of God) that by giving financially, a person will become debt free, will receive a miracle (financial or otherwise), will be blessed by a certain multiplied amount within a certain period of time, or will benefit in any other way that even sounds like a “new” or “special blessing” other than what God has already told us in His Word. These statements are made even more ludicrous and discrediting to God and Christianity as a whole when promoted as if these “special offers,” supposedly from God, were for a certain number of people calling in or giving a certain amount on a certain day to a certain teacher or ministry like a cheap hard selling advertisement.TRUE — God asks us to give to His Church and His work with a cheerful heart and not under compulsion. God blesses those who give to further His Kingdom, and has expressed in His Word that He desires for His people to give a tithe of at least ten percent of their income, plus additional offerings, to support their local Church and other ministries. But God does not make “special offers” for certain numbers of people giving certain amounts on certain days to certain ministries. In fact, God looks at the heart, and much more importantly than a certain amount, God looks at the amount of one's gift in proportion to the amount of one's wealth or income, and not as is often shamefully presented, especially on television as if it were today's special for God's special blessing.
7. False Teachings on SALVATION
FALSE — Salvation is received by faith and it is kept by faith and so once saved you are always saved. Salvation cannot be lost no matter how you live and is guaranteed regardless of whether one lives a holy and righteous life or one of sin without fruit or good works. This false teaching is often supported by misquoting scriptures such as Ephesians 2:8, Galatians 2:20-21, Hebrews 10:38 and 1 Peter 1:5.TRUE — The once saved always saved is a doctrine of devils. The Bible does not guarantee salvation to those living wickedly. Salvation is by grace and faith that results in continued good works. An unrepentant believer rejects Jesus by rejecting or disobeying His Commandments. God’s Word says such a person is in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:29-30; 7:21-23, 1Timothy 4:1; 5:12, 15, Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-29, 1 John 2:24-25, 2 Peter 2:20)
8. False Teachings on the SECOND COMING of Christ
FALSE — Doctrines that claim there is a seven year tribulation period and that there will be a secret coming effectively creating a third coming of Christ. That Jesus comes secretly based on the passages that say He comes as a “thief in the night.” Also false are teachings that say that when Jesus supposedly comes secretly, that those left get a second chance at salvation. See also The Secret Rapture.TRUE — Some of this doctrine was manufactured initially by a Jesuit priest and dates back to the protestant reformation. There is no such scripture in the Bible that says there is a seven year tribulation period as this was part of this manufactured doctrine to take the heat of the Papal Church that had been recognized as being the beast power by all the early Protestants. Satan has successfully perpetuated this false Jesuit doctrine down the line through several people unknown to them as to its origin. Every single “thief in the night” passage is followed by sudden destruction such as 2 Peter 3:10 which says “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” There is nothing secret about total destruction. When Jesus comes as a “thief in the night” there are no second chances as the “earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” The second coming is loud and visible and every eye shall see him and those that are left meet with sudden destruction. “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” This passage follows 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 which says “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with the VOICE of the archangel, and with the TRUMP of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
9. False Teachings on DEATH
FALSE — Teachings which claim that the deceased can be contacted from the grave or that the dead can return to haunt their house. Also false are teachings that claim when a Christian dies that he immediately goes to be with Christ in heaven while the wicked immediately begin to burn in hell fire. See also What Happens When We Die.TRUE — Those that are supposedly contacted from the grave are lying spirits and not that of the deceased and is one of Satan’s many deceptions. There are over 30 black and white scriptures that show that the dead sleep until the second coming of Christ where the dead in Christ rise first followed by those who are alive. The Bible says that the “dead know not anything” and the “dead praise not the Lord” and that when one dies they “shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.” One cannot place their theology on one misplaced comma such as the one in regards to the thief on the cross. There are no commas in the original Greek, and punctuation is not inspired (many such proofs can be given as shown previously.) Right after His resurrection on Sunday morning, Jesus said to Mary, “I have not yet ascended to My Father.” John 20:17. Revelation 2:7 and 22:1-2 together show that God’s throne is in paradise. Jesus went to the grave on Friday and did not go to paradise until Sunday and could not have made such a promise that would also contradict His own teaching and over 30 black and white scriptures.
10. False Teachings on HELL FIRE
FALSE — Teachings which claim that God is some unmerciful tyrant that burns those who do not accept Christ for trillions and trillions of years and even then their pain would only just be beginning. This would apply to even an extremely kind person with a heart of Gold as the expression goes, who spent their whole life serving others and did the best they could to do the right thing all their life but did not quite get around to accepting Christ. See also The truth About Hell Fire.TRUE — God is far more merciful than any mortal. We would never burn our own child for all eternity because they did not accept Christ. No mortal is more merciful than God and to say we have more love and compassion when God gave His one and only son would be a dreadful insult to our Lord who is “a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” Psalms 86:15. Jude 1:7 says that “Sodom and Gomorrah … are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (this eternal fire of Sodom and Gomorrah is no longer burning) and Luke 17:29 confirms the example of Jude 1:7 by stating, “it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.” This is exactly what happened with Sodom and Gomorrah and is indeed the perfect example of eternal fire where they all permanently perished. The LITERAL description of the actual event in Revelation 20:9 also confirms this, which says “and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” The very next verse that does say “for ever” does not contradict the previous verse as it is SYMBOLIC and one cannot base their theology on one symbolic scripture when there are several black and white literal scriptures that say those that go into the lake of fire (hell) are devoured and destroyed and will perish and “the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven … and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble … it shall leave them neither root nor branch. … you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet.” (Malachi 4:1-3) and “the wicked shall perish ... they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.” Psalms 37:20. The black and white scriptures out number the grey! God is truly far more merciful than us and the day will come when He “shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4. God says “I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live you.” Ezekiel 18:32.
11. False Teachings on SPEAKING IN TONGUES
FALSE — Teachings or statements that claim one is not saved unless they speak in tongues and that there are two types of tongues speaking where one is a personal prayer language and the tongues of Angels and the other is for preaching the gospel as it was used at Pentecost.TRUE — The gifts of the spirit are still given today (though perhaps not as prevalent at the moment until the out pouring of the latter rain) including the gift of tongues (tongues means language), which is the ability to speak in another Earthly language for the purpose of preaching the gospel just as it was first used at Pentecost. Paul taught that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit were ONLY for the profit of all, that is, they were for the benefit of the entire body of Christ, i.e., for the growth of God’s kingdom. (1Corinthians 12:7). Paul says that we all receive different gifts (1Corinthians 12:8-11) and that not all speak in tongues (1Corinthians 12:30). Paul also says that we should covet the best gifts that will best help the growth of God’s kingdom, in other words not just tongues as you see in the Church today (1Corinthians 12:31). 1Corinthians 13:1 does not say that we or Paul can speak in the tongues of Angels and reading further gives clarity. The translators of the KJV Bible also failed us on this occasion in the translating of the word “though” which in Greek is “ean”, pronounced eh-an'. This is the Thayer Definition: “1) if, in case.” Paul is saying “If” I had all knowledge, “If” I could speak in the tongues of Angels, “If” I understood all mysteries, “If” I could remove mountains, “If” I were to give my body to be burned but had not love, I might as well be like a clanging symbol. Paul is using superlatives, i.e. he is giving exaggerated examples to make his point on the importance of love and how without love it profits him nothing. Paul did not give his body to be burned and he did not understand all mysteries or have all knowledge. These last two belong to God alone. Mark chapter 16 does not indicate that if we do not speak in tongues we are not saved. Firstly, the Greek word for “new” does not mean brand new but new to them. In other words they would speak in languages that they had previously not spoken or learnt. To say you are not saved if you do not speak in tongues based on this passage, would also mean you would not be saved unless you can drink poison and not die, have cast out demons, be bitten by a deadly snake without it harming you and be able lay hands on any sick person and have them recover without failure. Obviously this is another doctrine of devils. Read carefully the passage in contention. Mark 16:17-18 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new [new to them, not brand new] tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Parentheses are added. We are not taught there is a gift of tongues for personal use based on 1 Corinthians 14:4 and this is based on false teaching that ignores passage context and is a bad assumption. Look what Paul is really saying in this paraphrased version. 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 “Follow after love and desire spiritual gifts but favour the gift of prophesying. 2 Because he that speaks in a language not known to others is not understood by any man present and only God knows what he is saying. 3 But if you prophesy you speak unto men for their edification, exhortation and comfort. 4 But if one speaks in a language unknown to the others, he only edifies himself which is wrong as it does not edify the Church, but he that prophesies does edify the church. 5 I don’t mind if you all speak other languages, but I would rather that you prophesy because greater is he that prophesies than he that speaks in another language unless someone interprets that language into a language known by those present so that the church may receive edifying.” So what is Paul saying? Only speak in another language in the Church if someone with the gift of interpretation interprets in the language spoken by the majority and he is especially saying that he would rather that everyone prophesied because that will always edify the Church. The whole message from Paul is that the gifts are for the profit of all and hence for the edification of the Church. Paul is saying that if it does not edify the Church than do NOT do it. He also says in 1Corinthians 14:27 that it should only be done two or three times per service. Is this what we see in the Church today? Does the Church today covet the best gifts or do they pray for the gift of tongues with expectation you should always have this gift? For full details on this very sensitive and controversial topic see Speaking in Tongues.
12. False Teachings on the LAW
FALSE — Teachings or statements that claim the Ten Commandments or the fourth Commandment were nailed to the cross or that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday in honour of the resurrection. Also false is that one can choose to observe the day or not or we can choose whatever day we desire to keep God’s Holy Sabbath on. See also The Ten Commandments.TRUE — All Ten Commandments are an eternal law of love, (Romans 13:9-10) as God is love and love is eternal as God is eternal. The Commandments are called the perfect law of liberty (freedom) not bondage. James 1:25; 2:10-12. God made the Sabbath at creation (why we have a seven day week) before sin and before Jews and asked us to “Remember” the day when He personally gave His law. God showed the correct day matters when he tested His children to see if they would keep His Commandments by testing if they would keep THE seventh day. Exodus 16:4-30. We are told we will keep the Sabbath in the new Heaven and new Earth. Isaiah 66:22-23. The Ten Commandments or the Sabbath were not nailed to the cross according to Colossians 2:16. Paul speaks of the ordinances (ceremonial law) which had ceremonial holy day sabbaths that were nailed to the cross. Galatians 4:9-10 does not say that we can observe any day or that the Sabbath was bondage. Paul refers to the ceremonial law here also that he called bondage which it was, and it included Days, Times, Months and Years which were all part of the ceremonial law. We cannot decide to keep or not keep the Sabbath based on Romans 14:5, which is about Jews and Gentiles judging one another and was over the yearly feast days of the ceremonial law. The real truth is that this is one of Satan’s best accomplishments and deceptions on Christianity. Satan gave power to the Papacy (Revelation 13:2) so he could have them change God’s Sabbath to Sunday which was done by Constantine in 321 AD in honour of Sun worship, hence the name SUN-day, and millions died keeping the seventh day Sabbath and were typically tortured and burned at the stake. When we keep Sunday, we do so in reverence to the Roman Catholic Church according to them. Hover for a document clip or select for original image. Jesus said, “That till Heaven and Earth pass not one jot or tittle will pass from the law.” Matthew 5:17-19. See also misunderstandings on fulfilling the law and 50 very thought provoking questions on Bible prophecy regarding the Ten Commandments and especially the fourth and how it relates to antichrist. There are a lot of suppressed teachings here that the enemy has stolen from the many Churches who once knew and understood these truths. See also who changed the Ten Commandments as prophesied in the book of Daniel.
13. False Teachings on GENERATIONAL CURSES
FALSE — Teachings that claim Satan has the power to make us suffer the consequences of the sins of our fathers down to the third and fourth generations and that the sins of our fathers are a curse that requires special deliverance ministries to set us free from theses supposed curses that are a result of the sins of our fathers.TRUE — God says “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” Ezekiel 18:20. This teaching comes from the second of the Ten Commandments of God in Exodus 20:5-6 “You shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” It is God that does the punishing NOT Satan and verse 5 says it only applied to those who hate God. To those who love God and keep His Commandments, God shows mercy to a thousand generations. This was what was called the curse of the law which was basically God’s punishment. When Christ died on the cross the curse of the law (God’s punishment) ended as Christ redeemed us from the curse of the whole law. This is a recent teaching that has only come to light in the last few decades that everyone got along well just fine without the need for these special deliverance ministries for the previous two thousand years. See also Generational Curses and Freemasonry.
14. False Teachings on ANTICHRIST
FALSE — Teachings that claim that Antichrist is one individual at the end of time that will sit in a rebuilt temple of God showing himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4.TRUE — John said that in his time there were MANY Antichrists and anyone that denies Jesus came in the flesh is Antichrist. 2 John 1:7. This for example could be a Church that denies Jesus came in the flesh by saying that Christ took on the sinless nature of Mary’s flesh. John says Antichrist originated from the early Church. John 2:18-19 “Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there MANY antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from US, but they were not of US; for if they had been of US, they would no doubt have continued with US: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of US.” John is saying that those that are Antichrist originated from the early Church but went out on there own. This is not an individual although could be headed by an individual. John shows that Antichrist also means in place of Christ and not against Christ. Who claims to be God on Earth and places himself in place of Christ? Which Church broke away from the early Church and makes this blasphemous claim? The Greek word for “Temple” in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 is “naos” and more frequently refers to us being the temple, as in the Church. Example: Matthew 26:61, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19. We are the temple of God now, that is, the Church. The physical temple was for sacrifices until Jesus died for us and then in Matthew 23:38 Jesus declares, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Paul would never call a rebuilt temple “God’s Temple” as Paul would be denying that the work of Jesus at Calvary was complete. This verse refers to someone that is seated in a position of power in the Church and shows themself to be God and is consistent with what John said about Antichrist coming from the early Church but going out on their own. See also Who is the Antichrist.
15. False Teachings on 666 and the MARK OF THE BEAST
FALSE — Teachings that claim 666 IS the Mark of the Beast and claims that the Mark of the Beast is a computer chip or some other form of technology. Also false is that the Beast is Satan himself. See also 666 and the Mark of the Beast or mark of the beast for a simplified version.TRUE — A Beast in the Bible represents a kingdom (Daniel 7:17; 7:23). A dragon is symbolic of Satan, not a beast. Revelation 12:9; 20:2. Revelation 20:10-11 proves this also, “And the DEVIL that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, WHERE the BEAST and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Everyone at the end of time gets a Mark in their forehead. You either receive the “Mark of the Beast” or the “Mark of God” which is called the “Seal of God.” Revelation 7:3; 9:4. The number 666 and the Mark of the Beast are separate. Read carefully Revelation 13:17, “that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” 666 is the number of a man from the Beast power. Revelation 13:18 “Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” The Mark of God is symbolic as is the Mark of the Beast. Behind your forehead is your mind that makes free will decisions and HANDS symbolically represent your actions. The Ten Commandments are a sign upon your HAND and FOREHEAD. Deuteronomy 6:5-8 NIV “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These Commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. … 8 Tie them as symbols on your HANDS and bind them on your FOREHEADS.” Note the significance of the forehead and your mind as shown in Deuteronomy 11:18 NIV, “Fix these words of mine in your HEARTS and MINDS; tie them as symbols on your HANDS and bind them on your FOREHEADS.” Your heart and mind is where God writes His Ten Commandment law with the New Covenant. Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their HEARTS, and in their MINDS will I write them;” Those that do NOT get the Mark of the Beast worship God and keep His Commandments. The verse before the Mark of the Beast warning says, “…Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and Worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:7. This verse says worship God only and Greek Lexicons say it references the fourth Commandment which is about who we do worship. It also relates to the second Commandment as to who or what we should not worship. The verse on the other side of the Mark of the Beast warning is solid confirmation. Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” God is concerned with our loving obedience, not computer chips. We do not get God’s full wrath for technology that could be forced upon us but for something that is a free will heart and mind decision like our desire to obey Him. Genesis to Revelation constantly shows this is the most important issue to God. So the facts are; God has a Mark and the Antichrist power has a counterfeit Mark. This antichrist beast power changed God’s law on the two Commandments referenced in this chapter on who we should and should not worship. The Commandments are a sign upon the same location as the Mark and those who do not get the Mark keep God’s Commandments. This is not speculation but computer chips are.
