#19 Jesus Teaches About False Prophets

Matthew 7:15-20

1. The General Principle – “Beware of false prophets” (Matthew 7:15).

a. “Beware” means “to focus your mind or attention on a thing by being on one’s guard against it.” The object would fit a rattlesnake or a false prophet.

b. False Prophets – The Greek is pseudopropheton.

1) Their identity – Those who pretend to receive and proclaim God’s truth but tell their own lie.

a) In Jeremiah 23:21 God says, “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied”

b) Deuteronomy 18:20 says, “But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.” Deuteronomy 18:21 says, “You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” 22When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not happen or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”

(1) They claim to speak in the name of God, but God did not give them His message and He did not send them. Do not fear them.

(2) They are like the Scribes and Pharisees who sit in Moses’ seat and teach for commandments the doctrines of men (Matthew 23:2).

(3) Mark 12:38 says, “Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,

(4)  Matthew 15:9 says, “They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.”

c) Isaiah 8:19-20 says, “When men tell you to consult the spirits of the dead and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, shouldn’t a people consult their God instead? Why consult the dead, on behalf of the living? 20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.”

2) The bedfellows of the false prophets

a) False brothers – 2 Corinthians 11:26 says, “In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,”

b) False apostles – 2 Corinthians 11:13 says, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.”

c) False teachers – 2 Peter 2:1 says, “Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.”

d) False speakers – 1 Timothy 4:2 says, “influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.”

e) False witnesses – Matthew 26:60 says, “But they did not find any, though many false witnessescame forward.”

f) False Christs – Matthew 24:24 says, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.”

3) Examples of the words of false prophets

a) 2 Chronicles 18:11 says, “And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.” See 2 Chronicles 18:19, 33-34.

b) Jeremiah 6:14 says, “They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.”

c) In Jeremiah 28:12 the false prophet Hananiah said the Babylonian Captivity would only last 2 years. He said this after the Captivity had begun.

d) But in Jeremiah 25:11-12 Jeremiah the true prophet prophesied that the Babylonian Captivity would be 70 years. History proved Jeremiah to be correct, not Hananiah. Jeremiah said this prior to the Babylonian Captivity.

4) The results of the false prophecies of the false prophets:

a) In the short-term some mistakenly think the false prophet is right. But eventually, only the true prophets of God are accurate.

b) Isaiah 30:10 says, “They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.”

c) God sends a great penalty on the land. Jeremiah 8:10 says, “Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.”

d) 1 Corinthians 11:19 says, “And indeed, there must be differences among you to show which of you are approved.”

e) Matthew 24:11 says, “and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

f) Matthew 24:24 says, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.” Since it is impossible to deceive the elect, God uses the false prophets to reveal who the truth Christians are.

g) Deuteronomy 13:1-4 says, “If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you. 2and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” 3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD, your God is evaluating you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.”

2. The Characteristics of False Prophets:

a. They wear sheep’s clothing. Matthew 7:15 says, “Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

1) This does not mean that a preacher who comes to Church in a wool suit is a false prophet.

2) Hebrews 11:37-38 speaks of the lives of the true prophets as follows: “They were stoned, they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains and hid in caves and holes in the ground.”

a) True prophets often wore sheepskins because they did not have resources.

b) So, the false prophets would imitate the poverty of the true prophets.

c) Their goal was to deceive the people of God to listen to them by what they wore.

3) Matthew 3:4 says, “John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.”

4) Revelation 13:11 says, “Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb but spoke like a dragon.”

5) They intend the sheep’s clothing to deceive. Zachariah 13:4 says, “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair to deceive.”

b. The true nature of the false prophets: They are wolves, with sharp fangs, strong jaws, and fiendish cunning.

c. They are ravening. This means that they live on prey, which they seize covetously.

3. The test of false prophets (Matthew 7:16).

a. You shall know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16).

1) “Know” is epiginosko, which is full knowledge.

2) Their fruits: Do not be deceived by the sheep’s’ clothes or by the signs.

3) Deuteronomy 13:1-3 says, “If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” 3you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD, your God is assessing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. “

4) It is easy to discern them from Matthew 7:16 which says, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” Compare this to Matthew 7:6.

5) Fruit invariably tells a story. Matthew 7:17-18 says, “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”

6) Identity of this fruit: (Matthew 7:16-20) This fruit is what the prophet speaks.

a) Luke 6:44-45 says, “The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Listen to what he says, and you will know.

b) Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.” The heart connects directly to the tongue.

c) Titus 1:9-11 says, “He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it. 10For many are rebellious and full of empty talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision, 11who must be silenced. For the sake of dishonorable gain, they undermine entire households and teach things they should not.”

d) 1 John 4:1-3 says, “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.” 2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.”

e) 2 John 1:9-11 says, “Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.” 10If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him. 11Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.”

7) So, the content of the person’s teaching holds first place among the fruits of a prophet. Always compare his doctrine to Scripture (Matthew 7:16-20) Deuteronomy 13:1-5).

8) Fruit is also his life or behavior. (Matthew 7:17-20). Matthew 3:8 says, “Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.”

a) Be careful! One might mistake Simon Peter for Judas Iscariot. So, it is necessary to know the prophet’s lifestyle, not just one sin.

b) And one might even wrongly condemn the Lord Jesus. John 11:21 says, “Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

c) But the Lord intentionally delayed, testing Martha’s faith.

4. False Teachers are coming (2 Peter 2:1; 3:2).

a. Their heresies:

1) Christian liberty – 2 Peter 2:19 says, “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”

a) They despise authority – 2 Peter 2:10 says, “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”

b) Even angels respect authority. 2 Peter 2:11 says, “Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.”

2) They deny the second coming of Christ and do not believe His teachings in His first coming.

a) 2 Peter 2:1 says, “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them”

b) 2 Peter 3:4 says, “Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask.”

c) They deny that Christ will come and judge the world. 2 Peter 3:5 says, “They deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed, and the earth was formed out of water and by water.”

d) 2 Peter 3:7 says, “And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

b. The sins of false teachers:

1) They are covetous. They want money. 2 Peter 2:3 says, “In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words.”

2) They are sexually unclean 2 Peter 2:14 says, “Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable.”

3) They use deceptive words (2 Peter 2:3).

4) They rebel. 2 Peter 2:10 says, they “despise authority.”

5) They slander. 2 Peter 2:12 says, “They blaspheme in matters they do not understand”

6) They love illicit partying. 2 Peter 2:13 says, “They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight.”

c. Descriptions of the false teachers:

1) Spots and blemishes (2 Peter 2:13)

2) Their (sexual) desire for sin is never satisfied (2 Peter 2:14).

3) “They themselves are slaves to depravity” (2 Peter 2:19).

4) They entangle themselves with pollutions. 2 Peter 2:20 says, “If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first.”

d. Their method of gaining converts:

1) Their plan of attack

a) They become evil examples to God’s people. 2 Peter 2:2 says, “Many will follow in their depravity.”

b) 2 Peter 2:18 says, “They appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.”

c) They feast with believers, pretending to be Christians (2 Peter 2:13).

d) They locate the unstable ones (2 Peter 2:14).

e) They promise liberty to those who are unstable (2 Peter 2:17, 19).

f) They twist the truth (2 Peter 3:16).

g) They speak against former teachings (2 Peter 2:12).

2) The results of their attack:

a) Many become converts to their false teaching (2 Peter 2:2, 18).

b) Unbelievers speak evil of the truth because of them (2 Peter 2:2).

c) Judgment follows (2 Peter 2:4, 9, 12, 17).

5. Observations and Applications

a. We must always be on the alert for false doctrine and false teachers.

b. But be careful. We must be willing to restore them. They may not be hardened in their unbelief. We want them to be teachable. Talk to them!

c. Doctrinal errors of Christians are not necessarily False Doctrine. Some false teachings are about doubtful things. And a false prophet is not necessarily a preacher who believes and teaches something that is untrue. It must be a cardinal doctrine to earn the name, False Doctrine.

d. A False Prophet is one or more of the following:

1) He denies that the Lord Jesus Christ is God and man in one person.

2) He denies that God is a Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

3) He denies that the Bible is the Word of God.

4) He believes that God saves by works rather than by grace through faith.

5) He denies that man is an incurable sinner and that only Jesus Christ can save him by His shed blood on the cross.

6) He denies that God will judge all people at His final judgment.

7) He denies justification by faith.

8) He denies that a person is a free moral agent.

e. Take the following chart into consideration when puzzled about whether a person is a false prophet or not:

TABULAR VIEW OF KEEPING UNITY WHILE DEALING WITH CHURCH DISCIPLINE

The Sin	The Scripture	The Tactic
Causing divisions and offenses that disagree with Romans	Romans 16:17-18	Mark them and avoid them.
Fornicator, covetous, idolater, slanderer, drunkard, extortioner	1 Corinthians 5:11	Do not keep company. Do not eat with. Put away. Deliver to Satan. 1 Corinthians 5:13
Robbery of other brothers.	1 Corinthians 6:1-7	Judge them at church.
Ignorant of and not submissive to Paul’s writings. Thinks self to be a prophet.	1 Corinthians 14:37-38	Leave him in his ignorance.
Loves not Christ.	1 Corinthians 16:22-23; 1 John 2:18	Anathema (under the curse of God) 1 Corinthians 12:3
Unruly or insubordinate	1 Thessalonians 5:14	Warn them
Brother that walks disorderly, refuses to work, becomes busybody	2 Thessalonians 3:6	Withdraw from him. KJV
Obeys not.	2 Thessalonians 3:14	Do not keep company with.
Apostasy from the faith.	1 Timothy 1:20	Deliver to Satan.
Consents not to words of Jesus.	1 Timothy 6:3	Withdraw yourself. 1 Timothy 6:5
Says the resurrection has already passed.	2 Timothy 2:16-21	Cleanse yourself from them. 2 Timothy 6:21.
Legalistic teachers who have not changed their lives.	Titus 1:10-16	Rebuke them sharply. Titus 1:13
Heretic (Sectarian)	Titus 3:10	Admonish and reject him.
Sin unto death (Joined the Gnostic Cult)	1 John 5:16	Not necessary to pray for him.
Brings not the doctrine of Christ.	2 John 9-10	Do not receive him and do not bid him Godspeed.
Nicolaitans (another Gnostic cult)	Revelation 2:6, 15, 20	Get rid of them.
Those who differ regarding food and Sabbaths	Romans 14-15	Do not judge them; Do not mock or look down on them. Keep unity.
Those who do not believe it is okay to eat food offered to an idol	1 Corinthians 8:1-10	Be willing to sacrifice your liberty for Christian unity.