This single chapter delivers all the Biblical criteria for making a sound assessment of a teacher in one handy package. It’s a bit long for a post, so please don’t feel the need to publish it. I just thought I would share it with you, as I will also be making use of your excellent points.

2 Peter2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them (Greek;1) to disregard Christ’s interests 2) act entirely unlike Christ)
, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
2 And many will follow their destructive ways (As opposed to the few who find the narrow gate), because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.(False teachers cause the world to blaspheme the Gospel)
3 By covetousness (Greek; greedy desire to have more) they will exploit you with deceptive words (Gr;to use a person or a thing for gain); for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)–
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
(Here is the precious promise that God will separate those who belong to Him from the false teachers. He does this by the revelation of Truth and the proclamation of the Word. For those who have been delivered from false teaching here or elsewhere, this is an evidence that you are of God, and for that reason He delivered you from false teachers.)
10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness (Gr; defiling lusts of any kind, especially sexual or material) and despise authority (They hate all authority and refuse to set themselves under the authorities God has ordained. They hold themselves accountable to no man or authoritative body as Scripture demands).They are presumptuous, self-willed (Gr;Daring in their pursuit of pleasure). They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries (that which God exalts),
11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these, like natural brute beasts (Gr; like animals with whom no one can reason) made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand (teach false doctrine about subjects of which they have no knowledge, implying both lack of the Spirit and education), and will utterly perish in their own corruption,
13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness (Just as discussed earlier, those who support them will also share in their rewards of unrighteousness), as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime (They are proud and happy to display openly that which they gain by their false teaching). They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,
14 having eyes full of adultery (They lust for that which their eyes can see rather than what lies beyond this world) and that cannot cease from sin (Gr; Cannot be MADE to cease from sin), enticing unstable souls (Gr;Laying traps for those not firmly established in Truth). They have a heart trained (Gr;Through constant exercise) in covetous practices (Gr; the greedy desire to always have more), and are accursed children.
15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam (Who loved money so much he was willing to harm God’s people to get it,like these false teachers of today) the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water (A dry well hold out a promise of water that it cannot deliver,like these false teachers hold out promises of wealth and healing they cannot deliver), clouds carried by a tempest (Again, clouds in a tempest promise rain, but these clouds deliver none.), for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever (Rather than dwelling with God Who lives in pure light).
18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness (Gr; Overswollen exaggerated words that deliver nothing), they allure through the lusts of the flesh (Gr; they lay their traps IN the lusts of the flesh…..using the very desire of fleshly things already in those who hear them to trap them), through lewdness (Gr; great lusts), the ones who have actually escaped (Gr; barely escaped…….those unlearned and improperly taught are their targets) from those who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption (Gr; Those unable to escape immorality) ; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.
21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

This is the reward Peter describes for not only the false teachers, but for those who support them financially or even by word (2 Jn 1:9-11). I hope we can all begin to look carefully at those whom we support, and compare what we know of them, their lifestyles, their doctrines, and their actions with what Peter provides us above.

God has given us an explicit means of identifying false teachers by the characteristics recorded in the Word. Here they are laid out for us.

1)Disregard Christ’s interests and act contrary to how He acted.
2)Cause the Truth to be blasphemed among the world
3)Greedy to always have more, and willing to exploit the flock to get it through deceptive words
4)Trapped by defiling lusts of any kind, sexual financial or otherwise
5)They refuse to submit to any authority of God or man other than themselves.
6)Self willed, doing only what they desire
7)Cannot be reasoned with
8)Teach about things of which they have no understanding through lack of the Spirit and education
9)They are proud and happy to display openly that which they gain by their false teaching
10)They lust primarily for that which can be seen with the eyes
11)Love worldly things so much they are willing to exploit the sheep for it
12)Promise what they cannot deliver through exaggeration and deception
13)They targets are those who are unlearned and untaught by appealing to the greed within those who listen to them (wealth, health,authority, etc).
14)They are slaves to immoral behavior.

This is the measure against which we are to judge those to whom we offer support in ANY way. May we be faithful to use the tools God has given us so that we are not found partakers of the evil of false teachers.

Phil: Excellent work GaryV! This is why I LOVE operating this site!

But we get your point.

Thanks

There is no scriptural reason for salaried ministers. You cannot serve God and money. Money in the church corrupts the message and the messenger. God does not need you money to do his work and there is no scriptural evidence of someone anointed to collect money for God. Whew! Now that I have said that, good article.

Read complete books and sections of the Bible to firmly ground yourself in correct doctrine. If you flip around too much you can end up taking Scripture out of context, which often results in an incorrect understanding.

Pray, pray, pray without ceasing. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand difficult passages. Meditate on the Scripture and God will reveal Himself to you.

Thanks again for your steps to discernment, and for your ministry. How sad that more Christians don’t feast on God’s Word daily so they too could discern truth from error. God Bless you, -Brenda

What wonderful advice for every Christian. So many don’t understand that THEY should be able to back up every position they hold with scripture. When asked to give account, then they should be able to open their Bible and make their case. I worry a lot about those who profess Christianity but when asked a Biblical question - respond with “you need to ask my pastor”.

I use the 7 steps you have outlined here and they have served me for good. I’m sure there are some here who will benefit from seeing this and be encouraged to study things out for themselves.

This reminds me of a college baseball coach I knew who asked his players if practice made perfect….the correct answer was no because practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect.

One of the things I did back then was to discard all d wrong teachings I had believed. Of course, I didn’t know if some were wrong then because I hadn’t checked them out. All the same I dropped them because they were teachings of the WOF movement and I believed I would be better off without them.

I had just discovered papa Hagin to be a big fat liar and one of the major perpetrator of false doctrines. My, I loved and respected him so much not to talk of T.D Jakes, Juanita Bynum, Crefflor Dollar, Copeland and co. It wasn’t an easy course because I realised how foolish I was believing those criminals.

Immediately I decided to let go of their erroneous teachings, I started seeing things clearly with a biblical perspectve. And since then, anything that does not line up with God’s word I discard.

So, a point I would like to suggest is that, if you are just coming out of the WOF movement, please discard all their teachings and start studying God’s word afresh. Thanks.

1cor 9:18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

2cor 2:17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

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Tit 1:11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

1Cor 10:33 Even as I please all [men] in all [things], not seeking mine own profit, but the [profit] of many, that they may be saved.

2Co 7:2 Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one.

2Co 7:2 Let your hearts be open to us: we have done no man wrong, no man has been damaged by us, we have made no profit out of any man,

Be a Berean and don’t accept any one’s word for it but search the Scriptures daily to see if the teaching lines up to the word of God (Acts 17:11).