What are some common statements made by false teachers? - False Prophets & Teachers - TouchPoints

2 Corinthians 11:4You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

False teachers will say that the Bible is a guideline for good living, not the inspired Word of God. They will define Jesus on their own terms, picking what they like and leaving out what is inconvenient for their lifestyle. They may even claim the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit to justify their teachings.

John 10:7He [Jesus] explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.”

John 14:6Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Many people resent the Christian claim that Jesus is the only way to God. A false teacher will say that people can get to heaven in many other ways besides Jesus.

1 Kings 22:6-8So the king of Israel [Ahab] summoned the prophets, about 400 of them, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! The Lord will give the king victory.” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of the Lord here? We should ask him the same question.” The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

False prophets and teachers will tell people what they want to hear: “You will be successful! All is well! You are doing everything right. You are a good person, and your good deeds will get you to heaven.” Godly teachers, however, are not afraid to confront us when we sin or warn us when our lifestyles are taking us in the wrong direction. The prophet Micaiah never had anything good to say about King Ahab because Ahab was one of the most wicked kings Israel ever had.

1 Timothy 1:3-4When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

False teachers often embroil the church in irrelevant disputes, sidetracking believers from important spiritual discussions and their pursuit of godly living.

Matthew 24:23-25“Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.”

Matthew 24:36“However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”

2 Thessalonians 2:2Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.

Some false teachers will say that Jesus Christ has already come back a second time or that there is no life after death, but if we do enough good deeds we can turn this earth into heaven. Many false teachers have claimed to predict the Second Coming and gathered their followers in preparation—and some have even claimed to be the second coming. Jesus himself tells us to reject all such claims. Many lies will gain popularity, but no one knows the time of Christ’s return besides God himself (Matthew 24:36). And when he does come, there will be no doubts about it.