What Makes One a False Teacher?

The existence of false teachers is a sad reality. Just as there were false prophets in the past, Peter said, “There will also be false teachers among you” (2 Peter 2:1). Our responsibility is to mark and turn away from them (Romans 16:17), have no fellowship with them (2 John 10-11), and refute their error (Titus 1:9; 2 Corinthians 10:5).

But what is it that makes one a false teacher? The seemingly obvious answer to this question – teaching what is false – is disputed by many. The argument is made that teaching what is wrong does not necessarily make one a false teacher; rather, one would be a false teacher based on evil intentions and deliberate attempts to deceive.

So, is one a false teacher based on his message or his motive? Let us notice a few passages to help answer this question.

• “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them” (Romans 16:17-18). Who are the ones that must be marked and avoided? Those who teach a message contrary to the gospel. There is no additional condition given regarding their motives.
• “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised” (1 Corinthians 15:13-15). Paul was one who lived his life in good conscience, even while persecuting Christians (Acts 23:1; Philippians 3:6). Yet here he described a scenario in which he would be a false witness. What would he have to do to be a false witness? He simply had to speak what was false. No motive (good or evil) was in question.
• “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain” (Titus 1:10-11). This passage mentioned both the message (“teaching things they should not teach”) and the motive (“for the sake of sordid gain”). What was it that made them dangerous to others? It was their message. This is why Paul said they must be silenced. He also said they were “upsetting whole families.” How? They did this by “teaching things they should not teach.” Yes, their motive was given; but their teaching was clearly the cause of the problem among brethren there.
• “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves” (2 Peter 2:1). Peter compared false teachers to the false prophets of old. In the Law of Moses, there was a simple test to determine if one was a false prophet: “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:22). If his message turned out to be false, he was a false prophet. In the same way, if one’s message today is false, he is a false teacher.
• “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God… We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:1-3, 6). The way to differentiate between the truth teacher and the false teacher is not by examining motives, assigning intentions, and judging hearts. If one’s message does not harmonize with the message from the apostles, he is a false teacher.
• “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds” (2 John 10-11). This is a serious warning against having fellowship with false teachers. The way we determine if one is a false teacher is to see if he is bringing the teaching of the gospel exclusively and entirely. If not, he is a false teacher and we must have no fellowship with him.

Ultimately, one’s motives are only relevant to himself and to God. Regarding those who preach Christ “from envy and strife” (Philippians 1:15), Paul wrote, “The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice” (Philippians 1:17-18). As long as the truth was taught, Paul said would rejoice. Any evil thought or intention on the part of the preacher would be seen and judged by God (cf. Hebrews 4:12-13). One’s message, however, is relevant not only to himself, but also to his audience. Paul told Timothy, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16).

Paul wrote, “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (1 Corinthians 2:11). We are not in a position to judge the motives and hearts of others. Only God can do this. Our responsibility is to judge the message. Regarding the reception of religious instruction, Paul wrote, “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Let us always be like the noble-minded Bereans who examined the Scriptures to see if the message they received was the truth (Acts 17:11).