In the first article we looked at how false teachers are described in the New Testament. In this second article we looked at how they teach. In this third article we will look at what they teach. Let us be reminded that false teachers are ravenous wolves dressed in sheep clothing. They are savage wolves who pretend to be shepherds. They are Satanic apostles disguising themselves as angels of light. They are men of depraved minds and deprived of the truth. They are men who have gone astray from the truth of the gospel. They are liars who are also antichrist.

Acts 20:30 describes false teachers as savage wolves who speak “perverse things”. “Perverse” also means twisted, distorted, corrupted and the goal is to seduce and mislead. This same Greek word is used in Acts 13:10 to describe Elymas. Paul said to him, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to MAKE CROOKED the straight ways of the Lord?” False teachers are full of deceit and fraud, are SONS OF THE DEVIL, and are the enemies of righteousness.

1Cor.15:12 shows us false teachers deny the resurrection. No resurrection means no salvation in Christ.

Gal.1:6-7 says false teachers preach a “different (another) gospel” because they have “distorted the gospel”. “Distort” means to change from one thing to another, to change to the opposite. The gospel the false teachers were preaching was not the apostolic gospel. Their false gospel should not be even called “gospel” because it was not Christ’s good news. (cf. Mark 1:15).

Examples of modern false (different) gospels are : the Charismatic health & wealth gospel; the gospel that rejects the doctrine of repentance; the gospel that rejects the Lordship of Christ; the gospel that says baptism saves; the gospel that combines man’s works with God’s grace; the gospel that denies the Tri-Unity of God (Father, Son & Holy Spirit); the gospel that denies justification by faith alone in Christ alone; the gospel that is called “easy believism”.

1Tim.1:3-4 says false teachers were teachers of strange doctrines that were myths.

1Tim.4:1 says, and this is very important, all false doctrines are “DOCTRINES OF DEMONS”. They are Satanic. They are devilish. They come from the father of lies.

1Tim.6:3 says false teachers teach “a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The word “sound” (Gk. hugiaino) appears eight (8) times in the Pastoral Epistles and is used to describe the true doctrines which produces spiritual health as opposed to the false doctrines which produce spiritual death.

2Tim.2:17 says the teachings of false teachers are like gangrene. If gangrene is not stopped, it spreads quickly and kills. In vs.18 Paul said their gangrenous teachings “overthrew (ruined) the faith of some.” 2Tim.4:3-4 says they will teach ear-tickling (entertaining) myths.

Tit.1:14 says false teachers teach Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. John Kitchen noted that they were teaching “meaningless – albeit high-sounding – gibberish…. Whatever is not true Gospel is a fabrication of mankind, or [even] worse.” And those who teach such false doctrines are those who turn themselves away from the truth.

2Pet.2:1 says false teachers teach “destructive heresies.” They teach doctrines that destroy the souls of men.

1Jn.2:22 says false teachers deny Jesus is the Christ. 1Jn.4:1-3 & 2Jn.1:7 say they deny Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. 1Jn.4:15 implies that they deny Jesus is the Son of God.

Jude 1:4 says their false doctrines turn the grace of God into licentiousness.

The teaching of a false gospel is not a late phenomenon. Satan attempted to bring in a false gospel in the apostolic church. Certain Jews who professed to be saved were saying, “Unless you (the Gentile converts to Christ) are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1). Note the verb “cannot” which points to that which is impossible.

Vs.5 added, “some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them (the Gentile converts), and direct them to observe the Law of Moses”.” Note the verb “it is necessary”. This Greek verb is also translated “must” in a variety of verses. The prime example is Jn.3:7, “You must be born again.” This verb speaks of that which is a Divine necessity. In other words, the Pharisees were saying that it is Divinely necessary or compulsory for the Gentile converts to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses or they cannot be saved.

This false gospel was completely rejected by the apostles. And all false gospels, ancient or modern, must be completely rejected, regardless of their source, knowing that the ultimate source is Satan.