I'm still chewing on this one...

False Teaching vs. Mere Mistake

Hey everybody, I'm in between episodes right now filming the new debate master class that hopefully will drop very soon. And I'll make an announcement on that but that actually explains why I look like I'm in a cave somewhere.

This is the new studio set up. I wanted to share a question with you that I got recently and then my response but just as a kind of Precursor to further conversation because I'm curious on your take. So here's the question How can you discern a false teacher from someone who is merely mistaken?

How do we differentiate between the two. Have you ever thought about that before. Right, like even pondering that now you maybe think of passages that come to mind along those lines like Deuteronomy 18 With prophets who speak in the other in the name of other gods or or even you know Jesus in Matthew 16 when he warned his disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Well just the other night I had an exclusive live stream and someone in my patreon community asked me this particular question. Take a look question How can one discern a false teacher from a teacher who is merely mistaken or possibly deceived himself?

How does Deuteronomy 13 apply? To me. These are two questions maybe three but I'm gonna go ahead and pull up Deuteronomy 13 part of Pulling up these comments here and keeping track of everything means that I can't screen share Today so you can't I have my Logos app up, but you can't see it.

Why Heresy Matters More Than Heretics

So let me answer the first question. How can one discern a false teacher from a teacher who is merely mistaken? I don't see a difference. I Don't see I don't see a difference there. I Think it's possible That a false teacher can be somebody who is mistaken.

So let me back up. I was talking to somebody else. I was at a pastor conference, which by the way, if you ever go to a pastor conference Don't. No, I'm kidding. It's you know, I've been to too many of them.

But anyway, I was at a pastor conference recently and somebody asked me a similar question, you know. Like what's your take on heresy? Or no, excuse me. He goes what's your take on heretics? And I was like, well I'm much more concerned with heresy than I am concerned with heretics and The reason why I say that is because a heretic on Tuesday Can repent of his heresy on Wednesday and start teaching Orthodox truth on Thursday, right?

In other words, I'm not concerned with labeling people a Thing. I am much more concerned as serious as a heart attack concerned with labeling teaching as false or true and So to me, it doesn't matter if a false teacher is doing it on purpose or if he's mistaken.

Deuteronomy 13 and the Testing of Prophets

Which by the way, I think false teachers can do Them for both reasons, you know, that's why I said that and I think it's also possible that somebody could be deceived. They're relaying something that they heard from somebody else.

You know so yeah, I. In that sense you don't discern how they're teaching false things. Your concern is that they are. You know. So let's go to Deuteronomy 13 1 if a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder and The sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass and if he says let us go after other gods.

Which you have not known and let us serve them. You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. Amen. Now notice here this person can be thoroughly convinced that they're right.

So I don't see any sort of curtain being pulled back into this person's psychology. Deuteronomy 13 1 through 3 you know, I mean Let's keep going for the Lord. Your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

You shall walk after The Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God who brought You out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery.

To make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. Yeah again to me. It's clear. You should we all should be concerned with the false teaching, you know.

How how they derived it where they drew the conclusions, you know, it doesn't matter. Yeah, just a real quick nugget of a video for you today. But now it's your turn because I'm curious to get your take on this.

How should you discern a false teacher from someone who is perhaps deceived let me know in the comments below.

Closing and Invitation to the Live Stream

Hey.

If you'd like to join the next Exclusive live stream and ask me whatever you want or if you want to see the rest of this 90 minute Q &A where I actually answered other questions including One about the end times and even what I think about women in ministry.

Well, then you got to join the patreon community friends. It's where the real party is. Click the link in the notes to check all of that out. I've got another video for you upcoming so stay tuned for that.

But in the meantime, I'll say bye for now.