Subtitle: Is it really that important for Christians to have accurate faith? Didn’t God send preachers and teachers to tell us what to believe?
Synopsis:
The Bible is full of passages that give strong encouragement about learning and understanding not only the word of God, but the nature of God and Jesus. There are many scriptures that tell us both how and why to do this. The Bible also contains many passages on recognizing false teachings. God knew that errors in teaching would be a problem from the earliest days of Christianity until Christ’s return. In fact, a good deal of Jesus’s ministry focused on correcting errors that had slipped into the religious teachings at that time.
Key Takeaways:
- Every book in the New Testament (except for Philemon) mentions or warns against false teachers.
- As humans we have a tendency to gravitate toward teachings we like rather than the truth.
- Over the centuries, many false teachings have slipped into Christian beliefs.
- Some false teachings are introduced by accident, but others are purposefully misleading.
- Most false teachings fall into one of four categories.
The Deep Details For Those That Want To Know:
As Christians, how well do we know or understand our own faith? Are we certain that our beliefs accurately line up with the things Jesus and the Apostles taught? If we are serious about our faith and our relationship with God, these are important questions for us to ask.
This may come as a shock, but too many Christians do not take much responsibility for their own understanding of the things they profess to believe in. More often than not, Christians accept their knowledge and understanding of the Bible as a complete package that is based on denominational doctrine, church traditions, or on the opinions of others. They may leave it up to family members, pastors in their local church, or professional religious teachers to help them better understand matters of Christianity. Unfortunately, some take it even further and completely depend on others to tell them what to believe, without giving it much thought.
That does not mean you should avoid scriptural teaching from others. Seeking good instruction from others that are more knowledgeable is a great way to gain a deeper understanding. Ephesians 4:11-16 clearly states that this is exactly the way Jesus intends for us to “come inthe unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God”.
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16 KJV)
By “unity of the faith”, Paul does not simply mean that we should all get along as Christians (though, that is something we should seek). Instead, he means that we as Christians we should all clearly understand our faith.
In this verse, Paul also tells us why this is important. In his letter to the Ephesians, he says, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” In other words, we are to become knowledgeable ourselves and have a true understanding of the Christian faith so that we are not carried away by errors in teaching. That is something very different from blindly accepting whatever we are told. Paul is clear here about seeking our own understanding and knowledge so that we do not go astray through the teaching of others, whether those teachings are unintentionally misleading or purposefully deceiving.
For Christians, the problems caused by following incorrect teachings is so serious that every book in the New Testament, except Philemon, mentions or warns against false teachers. Here, we will look at two of those warnings.
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.(2 Peter 2:1-3 ESV)
The emphasis in this quote from 2 Peter is the warning that false teachers will secretly bring destructive heresies that will even deny Jesus (the Master who bought them). In other words, they will bring false teachings that people will not always be able to recognize as heresies. They will slip in errors secretly and stealthily -some out of ignorance, but others will do it intentionally.
In 2 Timothy 4:3-4 we find an additional warning that people will actually seek out false teaching because they like what is being said. In essence people will not want to hear the truth, but would rather hear things that they think are better than the truth.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.(2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)
Of course the idea that we might seek false teachers because they told us things we like to hear is not something many of us would consider. We think we want the truth, but yet, over the years many Christians have done just that. As a result of this a number of strange ideas have slipped into our faith and flourished among Christian believers. Some of these ideas have been around for so long that they have become church traditions. They may have originally been well-intentioned and come from a desire to help others, but in some cases they may have been intentional deceptions. Regardless, these ideas have added to the theology of Christians in ways that are not directly supported by scripture. This can be a dangerous thing since it can lead us to errors that interfere with our faith.
It also can cause serious anxiety for believers when they are presented with a situation where church traditions and scripture do not agree.
The most famous historical example of this occurred in the 1500s when the church tradition of “indulgences” became the issue that sparked the Protestant Reformation. At that time many Christians had been taught that even after receiving salvation and forgiveness, they would still need to undergo punishment and further purification when they died. This penance would occur in a place called Purgatory and Christians would remain there until their purification was complete. Over the years Church tradition adopted the idea that service to the church, visiting shrines, and performing other pious acts could reduce the time a believer spent in Purgatory. This became known as indulgences from the Latin word indulgentia which means lenient, kindness, or pardon. While these teachings were controversial on their own, eventually the idea arose that in addition to acts of piety, a person could donate money to receive less time in Purgatory, either for themselves or for another person such as a loved one or a family member. It was this controversy that initiated the division between the Catholic and Protestant versions of the Christian faith.
Categories of Theological Errors
There are many different kinds of misconceptions that have crept into the Christian faith over the centuries. Some of these misconceptions go away after a time as people increase their understanding, while others seem to hang on for longer periods. While these errors in teaching can cover a vast number of different areas, most seem to follow a similar pattern that is based on a desire to have more control over the things that happen to people in their lives and the lives of others. As a result, most erroneous teachings fall into one of four categories. First we will list these categories and then give a brief description of each.
- Influencing the spiritual realm
- What is permissible and what is sinful
- Knowing about the future (eschatology)
- Having secret knowledge and authority
Influencing the Spiritual Realm
These ideas can take many forms, but are more often than not born from the Christian desire to have influence over the spiritual realm. To be more specific, they are usually about affecting the spiritual realm to bring about results in the physical world and our daily lives.
As humans, we look for cause and effect in everything. If our automobile begins making an odd noise, we look for the cause in an effort to fix the problem or prevent an even bigger issue from developing. As Christians, if we do not see an immediate cause for something in the physical world we quickly begin looking for a cause in the spiritual world. An example of this would be a Christian that is going through some negative instance in their life. In this illustration the Christian is suffering from financial hardship. Let’s say that they are having difficulty finding a good paying job. Rather than looking at the economic situations that are hindering their job search, they assume that there must be some supernatural cause. In other words, some spiritual influence has come against them and they begin to look for the source of their troubles in the spiritual realm. A well-meaning Christian then tells them about the idea of the Generational Curse and convinces them that in order to get a job, they must remove any curses placed on them due to their family’s past. To the desperate person in need of a breakthrough, they are willing to try anything. The person may not even question whether or not it is possible for a Christian to be spirituality held hostage for something an ancestor did. Nor do they consider if the concept is truly based on the Christian faith and the teachings given to us by Jesus. If it sounds plausible and if they think it might help them they may be ready to believe it (more on this particular teaching will be covered in the article on Generational Curses).
To be clear, examining these kinds of doctrinal errors is not about denying that there are influences from the spiritual realm that affect our everyday lives. There is little doubt about that and the Bible is full of assurances that God will directly intervene on our behalf. Instead, what you will find in articles on this site is a careful examination of traditions and teachings some Christians have adopted in dealing with these spiritual influences. When addressing some specific examples of these kinds of teachings the questions we intend to answer are if these traditions are supported by the Bible and whether or not they are based on accurate theology. As a part of this examination we will look at a good deal of scripture as well as exploring where these ideas may have come from, their history, and if they align with other concepts laid out in Christianity.
What is Permissible and What is Sinful
Another area where teachings often stray from those given to us directly from God is in regard to which behaviors are considered sinful (and therefore to be avoided) and which are permissible. The fact that this is a common area for teaching errors should not be surprising since it is in our fleshly nature to pursue earthly pleasures. Because of this, many teachers and preachers have come up with countless ways to reinterpret scripture and perform gymnastics of logic to either condemn or condone certain behaviors. The errors are just as many on one side as the other. Over the centuries, there have been many attempts to forbid things that are not forbidden by God and probably even more attempts to justify and excuse those things that God has declared as sinful.
Although these ideas and erroneous teachings may come from a teacher’s desire to help Christians, they are in essence one of the very things Jesus criticized religious leaders over.
In Mark 7:6-8, Jesus admonishes a group of Pharisees (a group of religious leaders and scholars of that time period) for doing this exact thing. In this part of the Gospel, these religious leaders have just criticized Jesus and his disciples for not ritually washing their hands before they eat, something the Pharisees taught based on their reinterpretation of an earlier scripture. What Jesus says is this:
6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” ( Mark 7:6-8)
In this case, the Pharisees have reinterpreted Exodus 30:17-21, which states that the priests must wash their hands and feet before entering the Tabernacle. Not only did the Pharisees take something from scripture that was specifically about a priestly ritual and apply it to all of the Jews under different circumstances (eating), but they also had ongoing debates about the details of the ritual. These debates included the type of water to be used, what kind of vessel the water must be poured from, and how much of the hands needed to be covered with water. They were teaching the “commandments of men” as if they were the doctrine given to us by God.
Of the four types of teaching errors, straying from the original doctrine on what is and is not permissible may be the most common. It would be impossible to examine all of the times some teacher or another has come up with this sort of error. Any that we address in articles on this site will be those that cause division or are a major problem in the Church in the present day.
Knowing About the Future (Eschatology)
The Bible is full of prophecies. Many have been fulfilled and many others have not yet come to pass. As a group, we Christians have become obsessed with figuring out the meaning of these prophecies. We want to know what the future holds for us and of course we want to know as much as we can about the End Times and the Book of Revelation.
As a result of this, entire ministries have been started and grown based on interpreting what the Bible says about the End Times. In addition to this, thousands of books have been written, as well as countless movies, sermons, and podcasts have been produced on the topic of eschatology (or the End Times). By its very nature, teaching on the End Times means that the teacher must come up with something new or say it all in a different way from all of the eschatological teachings that have come before it. If they have nothing new to say, then why write another book or produce another movie if everything about the End Times has already been identified and accurately taught? If thousands of teachers are all putting a new twist on End Times teachings, they cannot all be correct.
How God Uses Prophecy
One thing to keep in mind is that there are two different ways eschatological teachings are given to us in the Bible. These are based on how God uses prophecy and what He is trying to tell us through the prophecy.
The first is when believers need to know something before it happens. In the Bible there are plenty of instances where God has used prophets and scriptures to warn His people about upcoming events. But it is important to note that He always does this directly. He never hides His warnings in obscure language that is difficult to understand. If it is a warning or something we need to know beforehand, God makes it clear.
The second are prophecies that can only be understood after they have occurred. Prophetic writings of this type remain mysterious until after the events have happened. It is only then that we can comprehend how all of the pieces fit together. The purpose for these kinds of prophecies is for God to prove Himself to us. A great example of this can be found in Daniel 8, where Daniel has a vision of a ram and goat that accurately predicts the rise of Alexander the Great with amazing detail. At the time of Daniel, no one fully understood the prophecy, but after the events occurred there is little doubt about the predictions. The prophecy was not given for God’s people to know what would occur in the future, but instead to prove His existence to those of us that came after.
This is important to keep in mind when listening to eschatological teachings. Regardless of how much it rings true, it is only speculation at this time. If God wanted us to know every detail about the End Times He would have told us clearly rather than use symbols and descriptions that are difficult to understand before they happen.
Having Secret Knowledge and Authority
The last category of false teaching comes from those that make the claim of having secret knowledge. They think they have a special interpretation of scripture or that God has revealed something to them that is different from what was originally taught. Simply put, this is how cults are started. Very often this begins in one of the other three categories of false teachings. The teacher gets an idea that is different and begins to teach it to others. In a short time the attention they received begins to wear off and they suddenly find a new revelation to teach and people are listening to them again. They are now considered a spiritual authority and develop a following.
This, by far, is the most dangerous of all the categories of false teachings because it can lead followers into a new religion that is no longer true Christianity. We cannot say if it would cause a follower to lose their salvation, but we can say it is better to not go down such a path at all.
What Is The Real Danger?
For many, the doctrines and ideas we examine in this book may seem unimportant. Many of them are “secondary matters” (or non-essential) which means differences in opinion that might not adversely affect a person’s faith or their salvation.
Secondary matters are the opposite of core matters, which are doctrinal beliefs that do matter for salvation and our relationship with God. An example of a core matter would be the belief that Jesus came to the Earth as a human, as stated in 1 John 4: 1-3.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, … (1 John 4: 1-3)
If a person believed that Jesus did not come to the Earth as a physical human, but instead was only an illusion that appeared to be human, they would be following a heresy and their salvation would be in question (This particular heresy is called Docetism. More about it and other heresies can be found in the article entitled Are Different Views On The Trinity Really Heresies?).
An example of a secondary issue, would be the different interpretations surrounding the Lord’s Supper. There are a number of opinions across different denominations on taking Communion (whether there must be specific ritual performed, who can take it, who can administer it, etc.). While some denominations may put a strong emphasis on the ritual and will argue their beliefs, most do not believe that a Christian’s salvation can be lost by not following the exact methods of taking Communion prescribed by one church body or another.
As stated above, many of the ideas we will examine are secondary, but the reason that we will carefully go through each is because there might be circumstances where following certain misconceptions can cause problems for a believer. Here we will outline three ways false teachings can affect Christians.
Where Errors Can Bring Trouble
The first and most obvious is when it comes to dealing with evil. Many Christians believe that we are in a constant state of war with evil forces. This is an area where a good deal of ideas that are not supported by scripture have slipped into common teachings. If these ideas are not correct but we apply them as if they are the truth, then we set ourselves up to be ineffective. Or worse, we can make serious mistakes that can bring about severe consequences. Many of the articles on this site will deal with these kinds of ideas.
Serious Challenges to a Person’s Faith
Another area where erroneous teaching can be harmful is when we following some teaching that does not hold up. This can damage our faith in those things that are true. Imagine a situation where a Christian was raised in a church and they had been taught all of their life that the translation presented in the King James version of the Bible was word-for-word (instead of being focused on accuracy of meaning, which is the true strength of the KJV). This Christian encounters a person determined to undermine their faith who shows them several places in the Bible where the KJV uses entirely different words from earlier Greek copies. While the KJV still accurately conveys the meaning of the verse so English speakers can understand it, the poor Christian is now challenged in their faith. Something they have been taught has the appearance of being false.
Another example comes from a real incident that happened many years ago. A young man visited a new church and was attending adult Bible study for the first time. During this particular study, the leader was having an open “question and answer” session where members of the group could ask questions about doctrine. Normally this is a very good thing, but in this instance things went awry. One of the other adults in the class had a genuine question. She asked if there was anything in the Bible that spoke against interracial marriages. The study leader answered her by saying that the only thing he was aware of was from 1 Kings 11, where Solomon turns from God due to his marriage to many foreign women and particularly verse 2 that said, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.“
This frustrated the young man. While he was a newcomer to church, he was well read in scripture. He knew that verse was not about interracial marriage, but was a warning against marrying spouses that worshiped other gods. He knew that the full quote from 1 Kings 11: 1-2 read:
1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.”( 1 Kings 11: 1-2 ESV)
He also knew that the verses in 1 Kings 11 referenced Deuteronomy 7:3-4 where the meaning was made clear. He also knew that Numbers 12 told a story where Miriam and Aaron were punished for speaking out against Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman.
While the study leader had technically answered the woman’s question to the best of his ability, what he taught was not correct. Imagine a similar situation where a person is not saved, and someone is teaching errors that may cause the person to distrust Christians and the doctrines of Christianity.
When We Think We Know It All
When We Think We Know It All
Another dangerous situation is when we think we understand everything about God’s plan and become closed minded. We become so certain about how we envision everything taking place that we begin teaching it to others. In such cases, preachers and teachers may have done their best to interpret prophecy, but they may have missed vital parts. Or God, Himself has kept some part of what will happen a mystery for a specific reason. Yet men have tried to figure it out and fill in the hidden parts with what they think are good ideas. They then teach their ideas as if they were a part of true doctrine. There are two very profound examples of this from history.
The first example is completely irrefutable and incredibly obvious, but Christian teachers have been trying to fill in this unanswered question for at least 2,000 years. What we are talking about here is Christ’s return. In Matthew 24:36 we find the following statement:
36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.(Matthew 24:36)
In this verse, Jesus is clearly stating that NO ONE knows when He will return. Yet, every few years some pastor or teacher proclaims they have studied and figured out when Jesus will come back to the Earth. In many instances they will even name a specific date and their congregation will prepare. The news is full of stories where the members of churches will give up on everyday life or planning for the future, and even head to some location to meet the Lord. A Web search will turn up over 50 of the more well-known and documented predictions of Christ’s return on dates that have come and gone. Those you will find in a Web search are only the famous and documented instances. If all the times someone made a false prediction about when Christ would return were recorded, we would find that there are probably thousands of teachers that have taught it will happen by a specific date and tens of thousands that have made claims to have a rough idea of when the Second Coming will take place (They make the claim that they are exempt from Jesus’s statement in Matthew 24:36 because they are not naming the specific day or hour). Imagine the crises of faith that a Christian might have when they have been raised in a church that has taught for their entire life that Christ will return during a specific year – and then that year comes and goes. At that moment, everything they have been taught at that church becomes suspect.
The other example of how having overly certain and closed-minded faith in incorrect teachings can be significantly dangerous is when Christians have been taught that they know the details of God’s plan beyond what has been given them in scripture. The best illustration of this is in the first coming of the Messiah. According to scholars and Biblical researchers there are between 300 and 600 verses in the Old Testament that refer to the coming of Jesus and the nature of His ministry. Yet, the most learned religious leaders of the day completely missed or misinterpreted these prophetic signs. Most of them by far believed the Messiah would be a political ruler that would deliver Israel from oppression and restore the Davidic Kingdom to glory. They were very certain that the scriptures laid this out clearly and they were sure of their interpretations. Because so many were convinced of these teachings, few recognized the Christ when He was walking among them. Instead of a political savior, Jesus was something they did not expect. Not only did He not rescue the Jewish kingdom, but Jerusalem was leveled soon after is ascension, the Temple was destroyed, and Israel ceased to be a nation for over 1,870 years.
This is not the only place found in the Bible when the religious leaders of the time preached or taught something contrary to God’s plan and prophecies. Another example can be found in Jeremiah 28:1-4.
1 In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord‘s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”(Jeremiah 28:1-4)
These words were spoken by the false prophet Hananiah. Not only did his false prophecies not come to pass, but shortly thereafter Jerusalem fell and the Jews were taken into captivity in Babylon.
This pattern continues throughout the entire Bible. Nearly every major occurrence in scripture where God directly intervenes for His people turns out quite different from everyone’s expectations and what was being taught by others. This happens many times during the Exodus and several times while Joshua is leading the people to capture the Promised Land. It is also implied in the stories of the Flood, the Tower of Babel, and in almost all of the prophetic books.
Even the very first human transgression was based on a false teaching.
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”(Genesis 3:4-5)
Another example of how being so overly certain about doctrine that is not clear in the Bible can be dangerous would be if Christians were overly certain about the timing of the Rapture. While most Christians believe the Rapture will take place before the Tribulation begins, there are many others that think the Rapture will take place either in the middle of the Tribulation period or afterward. Without any doubt there are direct Bible-based interpretations that support all three points of view. There is danger in being so certain on a theological point like this without accepting the possibility that we might not fully understand everything. Imagine what might happen to the faith of a believer if it turns out they were not raptured before the beginning of the Tribulation. At best, they would not believe that the Tribulation had yet begun. At worst, they might begin to doubt that Jesus was going to return at all. If you are a believer in the pre-Tribulation rapture, this example might seem ridiculous, but in truth and though careful Bible study you can find solid evidence in the scriptures that seem to support three different times that a Rapture might take place. This does not mean that the Bible contradicts itself. Instead it means that we humans tend to fill in the blanks when we do not have clear answers. In the case of a pre-Tribulation rapture, this did not become a wide-spread belief until after 1833. This does not mean that it isn’t true. It only means that the idea was not commonly believed until later in the history of Christian teachings. All of this is to illustrate that in some cases it is too difficult to tell based on scripture alone and that as believers we should not be so certain that something will happen one way or another until it is proven.
Conclusion on Doctrinal Dangers
The key to all of this is to be aware that there might be some Christian teachings out there that are not 100% accurate, or that might be based on something other than what God has told us. It is important for our faith to understand the dangers of certain errors. As Christians we have a personal responsibility to know and understand our faith and the nature of our relationship with God.