False Teachers and Their Followers - Warning of Punishment

Important Truth. Most of us would think that God would discipline this woman and not her followers since she was doing the teaching. But this is not true. Listen.

Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. (NASB) Rev. 2:22-23

God is going to discipline the false teacher and her followers unless they stop. God will even take their lives in order to send a message to all the churches that He is serious about this sin. Pergamum indulged in sex, but Thyatira taught that sexual promiscuity was okay! Just because a Christian leader says the Bible teaches something as being true does not mean it is true.

Three Current Examples. A pastor once told his congregation that the way to win another person’s heart was to walk around him or her seven times just as the Israelites walked around the city of Jericho seven times (This is a true situation). Unfortunately, a young man believed this pastor and walked around a girl seven times. The girl had heard the pastor’s message and felt obligated to accept this young man’s proposal of marriage. Later this couple had problems in their marriage. This was not a surprise. False teaching from false teachers causes serious problems. It is even worse when someone believes them and follows.

There is a well-known pastor in Garden Grove, California in the United States who is a false teacher. For example, he says that “Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem.” (Schuller, Robert. Self-Esteem: The New Reformation. p. 14). That is, sin is defined as not feeling good about yourself. He does not agree with God who says,

This pastor goes on to say on page 68, “To be born again means that we must be changed from a negative to a positive self-image -- from inferiority to self-esteem, from fear to love, from doubt to trust.” God does not agree with him. What God has said in the Bible about salvation or being born again has not changed! The apostle Paul said that Jesus came to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). The reason Jesus died was not to give us a positive image, but to forgive our sins (John 1:29). We disobey God. That is the problem.

Now for our third example of false teaching. During a major crusade in a coliseum, a well known preacher stopped preaching and claimed that the Holy Spirit was giving him new revelation. Then he told the crowd that he would share this new revelation with them and then said, “God the Father has a body, soul, and spirit. Jesus has a body, soul, and spirit. The Holy Spirit has a body, soul, and spirit. There are nine of them!” He told the audience that they needed to reject the “old denominational thinking” and accept this new revelation that “God is not a trinity - there are nine of them.”

These men have people listening to them and following them. Many would say these are men of God. Just look at the crowds who come to listen. Jezebel had people following her, too, but she was still a false teacher. Jezebel was wrong. Her followers were wrong, and God was going to judge all of them. A crowd of people is no proof that the teacher is correct. Large buildings, charismatic speakers, national radio or television programs do not mean that the teachers/preachers are truly anointed of God. Even false teachers have a following. We must remember that even false teachers need a following in order to be “successful” in the world’s eyes.