For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears (Acts 20:29-31, NKJV).
We are told that wolves will come. They will be savage and not spare the flock, attempting to destroy and lead us away through deceitful, perverse speech. This is so important that Paul spent three years night and day warning everyone with tears. We see congregations of the Lord’s church caving in to such teachings relative to worship, the role of women, musical instruments in worship, and even how to be saved. This is not a new phenomenon. It’s how the dominations came to be.
II Corinthians tells us that false prophets will disguise themselves as apostles and that even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (II Cor. 13-15).
I Timothy 4:1-3 calls false, deceitful teaching the “doctrines of demons.”
Jude warns us that they will come in unnoticed. It is not done openly at first but quietly (Jude 34). Peter also warns how these false teachers may do this secretly, therefore we should beware. There is no cloud of secrecy on the light of truth (II Peter 2:1-3).
Matthew 7:16-20 tells us we will know them by their fruits.
The status of the messenger is not important, but whether or not the message is true. The Bible directly states that even if an angel tells you something that does not agree with the scriptures then it is false teaching (Gal. 1:8-9; see also I John 4:1).
We absolutely must know the scriptures to know false teaching when we see or hear it. Let’s all determine to know God’s word. Let’s be sure we never have to lament as Hosea did in Hosea 4:6 – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
For the elders, Gary Woodall