The Bible has a lot to say about false teachers. In this article I will focus on what the New Testament teaches.

Firstly, how are false teachers described? We begin with Jesus.

In Matt.7:15 Jesus called them false prophets and ravenous (raging; rapacious) wolves.

In Matt.7:23 Jesus described them as lawless, that is, as those who refused to do God’s will.

In Matt.24:24 Jesus said they will be miracle workers. They “will show great signs and wonders” in order to deceive.

In 2Thess.2:8-10 we are told that the lawless one will come “with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders.” The ability to perform miracles is not proof that you belong to God. (cf. Acts 8:9-10).

Jesus made it clear in Matt.7:21-23 that the ability to perform miracles is no proof that you belong to Him and are doing His work.

We turn now to the apostles Paul, Peter, John and Jude.

Acts 20:29, Paul described false teachers as savage (fierce, cruel, violent) wolves.

Rom.16:18, Paul described them as slaves of their own appetites.

2Cor.2:17, Paul described them as peddlers (those who sell junk or water down their products for profit).

2Cor.4:2, Paul described them as crafty (one who is ready to do anything, even that which is immoral, or use any trick for gain), and as those who adulterate (falsify; corrupt with error) the word of God.

2Cor.11:13-15, Paul described them as false apostles, deceitful (cunning, treacherous) workers, who, like Satan, disguise themselves as servants of Christ.

Phil.3:2, Paul described Judaizer false teachers as “the dogs … the evil workers”.

1Tim.6:3-5, described false teachers as conceited, of depraved minds, and deprived of the truth. (cf. 2Tim.3:7, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”; vs.8 – “oppose the truth”.)

Tit.1:10, 16, Paul described them as empty talkers and deceivers who profess to know God but do not.

2Pet.2:2-3, Peter used two words (1) “sensuality” which is literally unbridled lust; (2) “greed” which is literally uncontrolled and insatiable greed.

2Pet.3:17, Peter said they are unprincipled (lawless) men. In 2Pet.2:7 Peter described the homosexual men of Sodom as marked by “sensual conduct”, that is, unbridled lust, and as unprincipled (lawless). In other words, the character of false teachers is no different to the men of Sodom.

1Jn.2:22; 4:3; 2Jn.1:7, John described them as antichrist.

Jude 1:4, Jude described them as “ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness (unbridled lust).”

False teachers are not your friends. False teachers are your worst spiritual enemies. They are the spiritually blind and immoral servants of Satan. Jude’s verb “crept”, a sinister word, pictures false teachers as slithering serpents who slip in stealthily. (See 2Pet.2:1, “secretly introduce”. Gal.2:4, “secretly brought in, who had sneaked in”. False teachers are like their father, the devil. (Jn.8:44). They are going to the eternal flames of the lake of fire and they are taking all their followers with them. Jesus will say to them and their followers, “Depart from Me. I never knew you.” (Matt.7:23).