In the first article we looked at how false teachers are described in the New Testament. In the second article we looked at how they teach. In the third article we looked at what they teach. Today, we will look at how they were dealt with.

Firstly, from the verses already shared, you would have seen that false teachers are labelled as savage and ravenous wolves, false prophets, false apostles who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ, deceitful workers, dogs, evil workers, conceited men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, unprincipled (lawless) men, antichrist, ungodly persons.

False teachers are NOT sincere but deceived men or men who misunderstand the gospel and who must be helped. They are savage ravenous wolves. You get close to them and they will devour you. They are armed and very dangerous spiritual enemies. They are armed with a most deadly weapon, a false gospel that will destroy your soul for all eternity in hell.

Paul named Hymenaeus and Alexander whom he had to excommunicate (hand over to Satan). (1Tim.1:19-20). In 2Tim.2:17 Paul named Philetus. In 2Tim.4:14 Paul named Alexander the coppersmith. John named Diotrephes. (3Jn.1:9). When it becomes necessary, Pastors must warn their congregations by naming false teachers.

In Tit.3:10 Paul wrote, “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning.” The word “factious” is the Greek “hairetikos” with the primary meaning of “heretic”. “Reject” is a command.

Now note the following commands (warnings) : Beware of false prophets; be on your guard against savage wolves; keep an eye on them; Beware … Beware … Beware; avoid; be on your guard [against] unprincipled men; watch yourselves; do not receive them into your house.

These warnings are given because false teachers will seek “to draw away disciples after them”; by their smooth and flattering speech they will deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting; they will overthrow your faith in Christ; some professed believers will get carried away with their false teachings. “Beware of the dogs” because, “Do not be deceived : bad company corrupts good morals.” (1Cor.15:33). The emphasis is : do not deceive yourself.

Peter warned, “many will [make the choice to] follow their sensuality.” (2Pet.2:2). 2Tim.4:3-4 speaks of those who will hate sound doctrine and who “will accumulate for themselves [false] teachers in accordance to their own desires, and [they will make the choice to] turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2Thess.2:10 says these people do “not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” Vs.11 added, “For this reason God will send upon them a powerful delusion so that they will believe what is false.” When you reject God’s truth, there will be Divine consequences.

These warnings are given because false teachers are a grave danger to the spiritual and eternal welfare of your soul. You are not told to engage false teachers like Adam and Eve did with the serpent. You are clearly warned to beware of them and to avoid them.  

The Church has two offices : pastors and deacons with pastors being the primary office. (1Tim.3:1-13; Phil.1:1). Pastors (elders; overseers; shepherds) and deacons are adult men. Philippians (a first imprisonment epistle), was written approximately 62 AD. 1Timothy was written after Paul’s release from prison and before his execution in approximately 68 AD. In 1Pet.5:1 Peter identified himself as “a fellow elder (pastor)”. 1Peter was written approximately 62-63 AD. These dates are important for giving context to what the apostles wrote about church leadership. The apostle Peter did not step down to call himself a pastor. He took a step up because the office of pastor is the primary and highest office in the church.

In the church structure God gave us in His revealed word, there are no prophets and prophetesses, no male or female apostles, no female pastors, and no male or female bishops as an office higher than pastors. These are all apostate false teachers that you must be on your guard against (beware); avoid; flee from; refuse to listen to them. These are all messengers of Satan who have disguised themselves as servants of Christ. These are savage wolves disguised as sheep. We are living in an age of apostasy in the church. Beware!!!

The apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, pronounced a double anathema against false teachers in Gal.1:6-9. To be anathema is to be Divinely devoted to destruction, eternal destruction. The apostle Peter warned that false teachers distort the Scriptures “to their own destruction”. (2Pet.3:16-17). Jesus made it clear in Jn.8:44 that false teachers are murderers like their father, the devil. There is a day coming when they will join their father in his eternal abode in the lake of fire. (cf. Matt.7:21-22).