False teachers

[tango]

Hello, I'm new here and, mostly, new to Christianity. I'm searching for examples of false teachers to avoid along with the specific examples that show them to be a false teacher. I desire to read and understand the Bible and to live according to it's teachings, but I am afraid of being led astray by false teachers.

I welcome the experience and knowledge of other Christians in order to help my understanding and/or guidance in where to start, which is why this topic sparked my interest. But, as a beginner and eager student, I would like more examples of teachers/teachings to avoid.

I know my answer lies in my reading the Bible and in understanding it, but I would eventually like to join a church in order to grow as a Christian, but am afraid of being misled by false teachers or joining the "wrong" church. I have always wondered why and have been confused as to why there are so many denominations; which one(s) is/are correct, which should I join to help my growth...? So I have mainly been inclined to just keep to myself in my growth as a Christian...but I don't think this is the right way; it's really not going anywhere and I need some help.

So, examples of false teachers and the specific examples of what makes them false teachers would be very helpful to me and much appreciated.


Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death-- Psalm 13:3

As a rule churches that go for endlessly repetitive music all the time are probably going to have issues elsewhere. Churches that are heavy on feeling led and light on studying Scripture will almost certainly have issues. Any time you're told not to pray, not to question, not to analyse, the chance are the best thing you can do is get away quickly. If you start to hear mantras like "don't think, just drink" then head for the exit fast.

In 1Thess 5 Paul gives the Thessalonians a good sense of balance, a balance that seems missing from much of the church today:

1Th 5:16-22 NKJV Rejoice always, (17) pray without ceasing, (18) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (19) Do not quench the Spirit. (20) Do not despise prophecies. (21) Test all things; hold fast what is good. (22) Abstain from every form of evil.

The balance is right there - do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecies, test all things, hold fast what is good. Many churches don't do things that don't fit neatly in to the order of service and in doing so risk quenching the Spirit. Many other churches don't test anything - if someone has a picture in their head it's assumed the picture is from God and taken to be a message from heaven. Sometimes a picture might be from God, but it might equally be the result of eating too much cheese before bed the night before. Hence we shouldn't reject these things out of hand but we should test them and consider whether they are from God or from our own imagination.

Some churches have their designated "prophet/ess" who seems to get rolled out on demand and always seems to have a word for everyone. It's great to encourage people, but when someone ends up put on a pedestal because they always have something nice to say and as a result get hailed as a prophet/ess, before long the expectation is that they will prophesy on demand. There's also a related issue in that if the designated prophet/ess is rolled out it can be very offputting if someone else has something they want to share.


ETA: Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying that discernment isn't about telling right from wrong, it's about telling right from almost right. The problem with a lot of the bad teachers is that they are sufficiently close to right to be alluring, and sufficiently far from right to lead people away from the path sooner or later. So another good rule of thumb is that if you're endlessly wanting to know what Pastor Joe Blow says about this or that and not turning to see what Scripture says about it, chances are your man is drawing you to himself rather than pointing you to God.

 

[popsthebuilder]

I will say, any one who puts themselves on a pedastal is a no. Any type that consider the church theirs in some self rightious fashion opposed to God's. Any that are greedy or arrogant, or negative/ unpeaceble towards other faithful. Any that do not follow scripture. Any that seem to intentionally confuse the masses, and any that do not proclaim God as the creator of all existence, ever. Any that aren't thankful. Any that aren't giving to the needy.

As stated, scripture of all sorts helps.

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

 

[Hammster]

I watch Joyce Meyer. She preaches using the Bible and uses Scripture. She seems to be on the up and up.

She's heretical in her teaching that Christ suffered in hell for three days. And she's a prosperity preacher.


Sent from my iPhone using my right thumb.

 

[popsthebuilder]

She's heretical in her teaching that Christ suffered in hell for three days. And she's a prosperity preacher.


Sent from my iPhone using my right thumb.

What is a prosperity preacher? Jesus did face the devil for 3 days.

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

 

[Hammster]

What is a prosperity preacher? Jesus did face the devil for 3 days.

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

A prosperity preacher teaches that you are supposed to be wealthy.

And no He didn't.


Sent from my iPhone using my right thumb.

 

[MarkFL]

When I was a child in Sunday school, our church taught that Jesus went to hell to suffer for 3 days...I strongly disagreed, pointing out that Jesus told one of the thieves being crucified alongside him that they would be in paradise together on that same day. I also felt that the verse about Jesus being in the heart of the Earth for 3 days referred to his body being in the tomb, not his spirit being in hell. I think the Bible makes it clear that the spirit of Jesus was commended to God upon his death on the cross, not to hell.

 

[Lamb]

When I was a child in Sunday school, our church taught that Jesus went to hell to suffer for 3 days...I strongly disagreed, pointing out that Jesus told one of the thieves being crucified alongside him that they would be in paradise together on that same day. I also felt that the verse about Jesus being in the heart of the Earth for 3 days referred to his body being in the tomb, not his spirit being in hell. I think the Bible makes it clear that the spirit of Jesus was commended to God upon his death on the cross, not to hell.

Jesus did not descend into hell to be punished because He took all the punishment for ours sins at the cross and said, "It is finished." He did not spend his entire time between death and resurrection in hell. Since Peter speaks of Jesus proclaiming his exaltation to the spirits in prison we do know that Jesus went to hell.

 

[popsthebuilder]

When I was a child in Sunday school, our church taught that Jesus went to hell to suffer for 3 days...I strongly disagreed, pointing out that Jesus told one of the thieves being crucified alongside him that they would be in paradise together on that same day. I also felt that the verse about Jesus being in the heart of the Earth for 3 days referred to his body being in the tomb, not his spirit being in hell. I think the Bible makes it clear that the spirit of Jesus was commended to God upon his death on the cross, not to hell.

That's a whole different part. He was tempted by the devil three times prior to his crucifixion. That doesn't mean he was sent to hell. He was tested, by God, through temptation of the devil.

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

 

[popsthebuilder]

God provides for the rightly guided. To hoard excess is wrong.

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

 

[psalms 91]

agreed

 

[Hammster]

agreed

So what would you say about Copeland claiming to be a billionaire?

 

[Hammster]

<crickets>

 

[tango]

Jesus did not descend into hell to be punished because He took all the punishment for ours sins at the cross and said, "It is finished." He did not spend his entire time between death and resurrection in hell. Since Peter speaks of Jesus proclaiming his exaltation to the spirits in prison we do know that Jesus went to hell.

Jesus cried "Why hast thou forsaken me?" so he must have experienced some form of separation from God, although at the time he was still alive. It was later on he cried with a loud voice and gave up his spirit - although the text isn't clear it suggests it wasn't very much later.

It does seem that to take 1Pe 3:18-19 to read that Jesus was tortured in hell is a huge twist of what the text actually says. If Jesus preached to the spirits that were bound it doesn't mean Satan tortured him, just that he preached.

There's another question over whether spirits in prison were in hell in the sense of the lake of fire, or in a place I believe was known as Sheol. I'd need to refresh my memory on that one, but from what I recall the idea of Sheol was that it was referring to the grave rather than hell as a place of fire and brimstone as we currently understand it.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Jesus cried "Why hast thou forsaken me?" so he must have experienced some form of separation from God, although at the time he was still alive. It was later on he cried with a loud voice and gave up his spirit - although the text isn't clear it suggests it wasn't very much later.

It does seem that to take 1Pe 3:18-19 to read that Jesus was tortured in hell is a huge twist of what the text actually says. If Jesus preached to the spirits that were bound it doesn't mean Satan tortured him, just that he preached.

There's another question over whether spirits in prison were in hell in the sense of the lake of fire, or in a place I believe was known as Sheol. I'd need to refresh my memory on that one, but from what I recall the idea of Sheol was that it was referring to the grave rather than hell as a place of fire and brimstone as we currently understand it.

The idea that Jesus was cut off from God and tortured in hell is a heresy. Since Jesus is God he cannot be cut off from God. The very idea is absurd. As for torture in hell, where does holy scripture or holy tradition ever say such a thing?

 

[tango]

The idea that Jesus was cut off from God and tortured in hell is a heresy. Since Jesus is God he cannot be cut off from God. The very idea is absurd. As for torture in hell, where does holy scripture or holy tradition ever say such a thing?

I think we're agreeing, as I said to read 1Pe 3:18-19 to say Jesus was tortured is a huge twist of what the text actually says. But presumably Jesus cried "why hast thou forsaken me?" for a reason.

 

[popsthebuilder]

Does it not state that Jesus was tempted by the devil or Lucifer or Satan three times? Or are we just avoiding the question?

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

 

[Hammster]

Does it not state that Jesus was tempted by the devil or Lucifer or Satan three times? Or are we just avoiding the question?

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

Not sure what that has to do with the current discussion.

 

[popsthebuilder]

Not sure what that has to do with the current discussion.

Really? Are you not arguing that Jesus faced the devil or went to hell? I am just clarifying that he did not go to he'll but did face temptation by Satan.

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

 

[Hammster]

Really? Are you not arguing that Jesus faced the devil or went to hell? I am just clarifying that he did not go to he'll but did face temptation by Satan.

Faith in selfless Unity through Good

The topic is false teachers. Most of the false teachers being discussed hold the view that Christ had to go to hell and suffer under Satan and his demons as part of the atonement. That's the context.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I think we're agreeing, as I said to read 1Pe 3:18-19 to say Jesus was tortured is a huge twist of what the text actually says. But presumably Jesus cried "why hast thou forsaken me?" for a reason.

Yes, we were agreeing. It seemed useful to state clearly what heresy is at work in the "prosperity teaching" about the Lord and hell. It is a very serious heresy that amounts to either a denial of the unity of the Lord Jesus Christ's person or denies his deity.