[Nomes]

I was just listening to a preacher (who shall remain nameless, because that's not what I want this thread to be about) on a local christian radio station tonight. I believe he is a false teacher and a heretic.

Bam!

Anyway, have been reading about him here on the net and thinking, as I have many other times that I have come across preachers with unsound doctrine etc - how should we respond to false teachers?

My usual action, is to read more about them, and then steer clear of them for the rest of my life. They are effectively black-listed for me. But what is the biblical response? Should I be writing letters to them, pointing out their divergence from sound doctrine? Should leaders in neighbouring denominations or organisations with some clout be pulling them into line? Often such people are not even under any real authority - should someone or some organisation be speaking to them about their false teaching?

I hope I've made clear what I'm getting at.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

[Thrash]

I think we should try to help people escape the heretical doctrines out there.

I do think we should put an effort into rebuking the teachers as well, whether that be meeting them and questioning them, writing to them, or just making a bunch of hullaballoo about the crap they are spewing from their mouth.

But I think it is usually a lost cause. For instance, Benny Hinn was rebuked over dinner by the Bible Answer Man, Hank Hanegraaff, and he repented and said he would stop all the heretical crap he was doing....
He didn't stop. He even said on national television that he wished he could get a "Holy Ghost machine gun" and kill those who were calling him heretical....

Not to say we shouldn't try, or at least pray for them, of course.

[ira_numan]

Welllll,
What did Paul say to Peter when they got back home?
I mean, St. Pete was just brown-nosing and not convoluting the Gospel, but you get the idea.
Just a thought.
We, The Church, have been so indoctrinated that Jesus wants to be our buddy, pining away in Heaven waiting for us to 'decide for' Him, that we don't remember what good doctrine is- so how are we supposed to confront the glib, soft-handed, cake-eating pastors like sweet ol' Joel or Rick and their be all you can be gospel and their humanistic Heaven or Bust theology? Heaven is NOT OUR GOAL. Getting people to Heaven is NOT OUR MISSION. Our goal is the glorification of God, our Triune Creator. Our mission is to introduce Him to everyone we meet- talking only when we have to- and to instill in them the desire to know Him for themselves, ergo becoming disciples. We are not healing machines or investment counselors. We are witnesses. Read Oswald Chambers' Utmost for November 19 (and everything else he did). Read everything by A.W. Tozer you can get your hands on. Read your BIBLE! Talk to God in your daily quiet time. Then shut up and listen. He will talk back if you shut up long enough to hear Him. It's not, "we can't hear His voice because we're not His sheep," it's because we're not his sheep that we can't hear his voice!
Oh, I've went and 'gone there'.
Peace and blessings from The Land of Sunburned Yankees,
Eric

[Ridley's Own]

Originally Posted by Nomes

Anyway, have been reading about him here on the net and thinking, as I have many other times that I have come across preachers with unsound doctrine etc - how should we respond to false teachers?

My personal reaction is either A). ignore them entirely, or B). make fun of them relentlessly in a manner that exposes their wrong-ness.

By A). I mean that in an entireity. Dont' mention them, don't by books, don't contribute to the discussion, unless it's to poke fun at the person being mentioned. Simply deprive them of oxygen.

What ever you do, don't let it become your life's work to become a heresy hunter or some kind of obsessive about doctrinal purity.

[Thrash]

Originally Posted by Ridley's Own

What ever you do, don't let it become your life's work to become a heresy hunter or some kind of obsessive about doctrinal purity.

While I think it might be a bit much tom make it your life's work, why shouldn't it be talked about and why shouldn't we strive for doctrinal purity? Or at least a return to orthodoxy... Hank Hanegraaff might be considered to be a heresy hunter by some, but his books have literally changed people's lives. In fact, I let one of my good friends borrow one of his books and it has done a lot to keep her from falling into the Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn crap.

I mean, I do agree that we shouldn't give them press or attention.... they are asking for it and that makes them happy.... likewise, usually in attacking them we galvanize their followers. But, I do think it is important to know at least a little bit about it so you can spread the knowledge to those you might know that are caught up in heresy.

[S.B.Nichols]

Doesn't Jeremiah say we are to stone false teachers?

[joshaber]

Originally Posted by S.B.Nichols

Doesn't Jeremiah say we are to stone false teachers?

The US government doesn't look too kindly on that.

[Thrash]

What they don't know won't hurt 'em.

[bobthecockroach]

It might be interesting to look at Paul's letters. He addresses false teachers all the time.

One of the main things Paul seems to have done when he heard about false teachers is write letters to the people who were getting decieved by them explaining the correct doctrine and why the false teaching is false.

[Thrash]

Good point.
On that note, John did the same thing. 1 John, especially, adresses this issue of false doctrine.

[nolidad]

Originally Posted by Nomes

I was just listening to a preacher (who shall remain nameless, because that's not what I want this thread to be about) on a local christian radio station tonight. I believe he is a false teacher and a heretic.

Bam!

Anyway, have been reading about him here on the net and thinking, as I have many other times that I have come across preachers with unsound doctrine etc - how should we respond to false teachers?

My usual action, is to read more about them, and then steer clear of them for the rest of my life. They are effectively black-listed for me. But what is the biblical response? Should I be writing letters to them, pointing out their divergence from sound doctrine? Should leaders in neighbouring denominations or organisations with some clout be pulling them into line? Often such people are not even under any real authority - should someone or some organisation be speaking to them about their false teaching?

I hope I've made clear what I'm getting at.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

From Jude:

3Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

While we should not be heresy hunters as Ridley said, when God brings someome who is deceived by heresy and/or teaching it as well- we must give the Word of Gods to them. This is the only way to help them escape (empowered by our earnest praying). We must show them th etruth and oif necessary resist them vigorously.

We do this allthe time when we witness to Jw's. Mormons. Buddhists, tri-modal;ists etc etc.

[LinkH]

II Peter 2 type false teachers are false brethren. They are the type of teacher who are not supposed to be teachers as all.

(As opposed to someone who is supposed to be a teacher who is mistaken about something.)

I usually reserve the term 'false teacher' for someone I believe is not supposed to be a teacher at all.

Jude and II Peter seem to be parallel. The topics are similar. One thing I say we are to do about false teachers like they describe is remove them from our love feasts. False brethren like they describe are spots and blemishes on our love feasts. If you will recall, a passover lamb was to have no spot or blemish. When we have communion to remember the Lamb of God, we are not to have in any spots or blemishes like this in our assembly.

Paul delivered certain men teaching false doctrine over to Satan.

[bobthecockroach]

Originally Posted by LinkH

One thing I say we are to do about false teachers like they describe is remove them from our love feasts.

[LinkH]

II Peter 2
13And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

Jude 12
12These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

I Corinthians 5
7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
...
11But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

The false teachers Peter wrote of had eyes full of adultery. They were tempting other people to sin. They were spots and blemishes feasting with the Christians. Jude specifies that they were spots and blemishes on their love feasts. The implication is that they should not be partaking of such things.

Again, I am using 'false teacher' narrowly to refer to what II Peter is referring to, not to a brother who is gifted to teach who is in error on some doctrinal matter. Think about the followers of 'that woman Jezebel' or those who held to the doctrine of Balaam, libertines who believe sexual immorality is okay and who teach people to eat meat sacrificed to idols.

[Chrysostom]

Originally Posted by Ridley's Own

My personal reaction is either A). ignore them entirely, or B). make fun of them relentlessly in a manner that exposes their wrong-ness.

I buy their books at the used bookstore to set out in my living room when people like you come over.