Seven characteristics of false teachers

Text Titus 1:10-12a Time 23/06/10 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

We have begun to look at the Letter of Paul to Titus who he has left in Crete to complete the work already begun on the island. After his opening greetings in verses 1-5 Paul first calls on Titus to see that elders or overseers are appointed in all the places where churches have been founded. In verses 6-9 he sets out what sort of things ought to characterise elders or indeed anyone who is to engage in Christian ministry, and we have spent some time looking at verses 6-9. At the end of that section Paul says that the final requirement for an elder is that He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught. This is for two reasons – firstly, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and secondly so that he can refute those who oppose it. Paul then takes up this latter point – the need to refute those who oppose the trustworthy message as it has been taught. He says that the reason that such negative work is needed is that there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach, etc.

Even in those early days for the gospel in Crete there were false teachers who wormed their way into the churches and led people astray with their false doctrines, teachings not in accord with the trustworthy message as it has been taught. And it is the same today.

It is not entirely clear which people Paul has in mind here when he speaks of those of the circumcision group who were ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach. These could involve a range of people and that is how it has continued to be down the ages.

1 Sometimes the problem is a true Christian under bad influence who is teaching what is false

2 Sometimes it is a false teacher within a Christian congregation who has gone wrong

3 Sometimes it is a false teacher outside the fellowship who claims still to be one of us

4 At other times it is a straightforward case of an outsider who doesn't even claim to be one of us

Take as an example Romanism. That is a false system that puts tradition on the same authority level as the Bible and teaches a form of salvation by works. Some advocate it from outside Protestantism and rightly say it is quite different from Protestantism. Others promote it from outside Protestantism but claim it is not really very much different. Romanists have been known to infiltrate supposedly Protestant churches and teach what is false and certainly it is possible for someone exposed to such teaching to start preaching it as if it was in the Bible.

Or take the health and wealth prosperity gospel (the view that God wants every believer to be healthy and wealthy here and now). Some are advocating it from right outside the Christian mainstream. Others are in what otherwise appear to be regular Christian churches and organisations. Such people can sometimes infiltrate churches that are perfectly good otherwise and teach this false view. Certainly it is possible for someone to read the books of Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, T D Jakes, Benny Hinn and others or take it in via conferences and other means and to start preaching it as if it was in the Bible.

These false teachers will all have certain characteristics that are peculiar to their time and place. We don't know the exact nature of the false teaching that was having such an influence in Crete. It sounds more like the Colossian heresy than the Galatian one. It is unlikely to be exactly the same, however. It certainly won't arise in that exact form again today. Satan is able to inspire all sorts of variations on a fairly limited theme. However, having said that, what characterised the Cretan heresy in general terms is likely to characterise false teachings today too. It is useful, therefore that we pick out these characteristics and remind ourselves of the way in which those wolves in sheep's clothing that Jesus and his apostles warned us about operate. Here in verses 10-16 there are about 15 characteristics that come out altogether. Paul also says something about opposing them. What I want us to do is to look at each of these in turn and so remind ourselves of the way that false teachers within or without are likely to operate in our day. We will look at seven characteristics this week and, God willing, eight more next time. So we say

1. Watch against the rebellious

Paul begins by saying (10) that there are many rebellious people. They are unruly, insubordinate. They refuse to submit to control. They are basically unwilling to knuckle under to the Word. They have an unsubmissive, unteachable spirit. Now we all have this streak in us to some degree. We rebel by nature. Part of becoming a Christian is to submit to God and his Word. False teachers, however, oppose God and his gospel. It is not always obvious. In some groups there is a tight authority structure and so some people can appear very humble and submissive. Think of nuns and monks, certain JWs we have met, perhaps. But what are they submitting to? If it is not to God and his Word then it is only a subtle form of rebellion, not true submission at all.

Positive lesson: Be humbly submissive to the Word of God.

Colossians 3:16 says Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom. That should be our attitude to the Word.

2. Watch against mere talkers

Paul calls them mere talkers – empty or vain talkers. 1 Timothy 6 similarly talks of people who have turned aside to meaningless talk. False teachers can often be fluent and eloquent speakers but the substance of what they say is empty and false. Benny Hinn once got carried with his own rhetoric and proclaimed that each person of the Trinity was also a Trinity. As he put it “There's nine of them”. Of course, that is not only complete nonsense but false doctrine.

I read an interesting statement by someone supporting the health and wealth preacher Joel Osteen that said “Because of his motivational charisma and eloquence many might think that Joel Osteen is not spreading the gospel, yet his detractors only show their ignorance in Biblical knowledge. While most of the world study and dwell in the doomsday, painful parts of the Bible, Joel Osteen only preaches and teaches the upbeat parts of the Bible.” Eloquence does not prove a man is a false teacher but if it is mere talk then it must be ignored. The same thing can be said for intellectual and academic skills. The new perspective on Paul is something being pushed by scholars but that fact should not unduly influence us. Scholars can be wrong. Such things do not prove a man is a false teacher by any means but if it is mere scholarship then it must be ignored.

Positive lesson: Speak as well as you can but speak the truth.

In Ephesians 4:14, 15 Paul envisages a day when we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Aim for that.

3. Watch against deceivers

Paul also refers to these men as deceivers. More literally they are mind deceivers. With their seductive teaching, their fascinating but perilous lies, they lead people astray. Exaggeration, under statement, embellishment, misinformation – these are all weapons in the armoury of the false teacher. We must take care that we are not deceived by such lies.

The story of the German American TV evangelist Peter Popoff is an obvious example of this sort of thing. The so-called faith healer based in California was very popular minister in the 1980s but went bankrupt in 1987 when sceptics James Randi and Alexander Jason exposed his method of receiving information about attendees at his meeting from his wife via an in-ear receiver. He would also have people get up out of wheelchairs at his meetings who were able to walk. He has since returned to his ministry.

That is a blatant example but there are many other cases of such deceit and we ought to recognise that such things go on.

A number of incidents involving California-based televangelist Morris Cerullo caused outrage here in the 1990s. Cerullo's claims of faith healing were the focus of particular concern. At a London crusade in 1992, he pronounced a child with cancer to have been healed, yet the girl died two months later. Multiple complaints were upheld against satellite channels transmitting Cerullo's claims of faith-healing. A panel of doctors concluded that Cerullo's claims of miraculous healing powers could not be substantiated. Cerullo also produced fund-raising material that was condemned as unethical by a number of religious leaders, as it implied that giving money to his organisation would result in family members becoming Christians.

Positive lesson: We must do all we can to be honest and upright before God and men

What a contrast with Paul's own ministry. He says in 2 Corinthians 4:2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

4. Such people are usually religious but this proves nothing

Paul says that the people he has in mind are especially those of the circumcision group. These were mainly Jews then. I think that we have to accept that such rebellious and deceitful and empty talk is more likely to come from religious people than others. Perhaps we are tempted to think that religious people are more trustworthy then others – more honest, more biblical – in fact there is no reason to think like that. Indeed in some ways false teachers are more likely to be found among the religious than elsewhere.

Positive lesson: Let us not think that being religious is some sort of achievement

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless James reminds us (1:27) is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

5. Watch against teachers of ruinous false doctrine

Paul goes on they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach. The false teachers trade on the fact that people are so ignorant The problem often begins in people's homes. In the past a personal visit was necessary. Today people can worm their way in through TV and radio broadcasts or the Internet. The JWs are a prime example of the old fashioned method with their door to door work, deliberately designed to catch out the unwary. The so called God channel is full of all sorts of other false teachers who are using more modern methods. Wherever false teaching raises its head, however, it will ruin not just individuals but whole households too.

Positive lesson: See the importance of the home and the need to establish godliness there

Already in Titus 1:6 we have had the statement An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

6. Watch against those who are eager for dishonest gain

Perhaps one of the most obvious marks of the false teacher is that they teach what is false for the sake of dishonest gain.

We just mentioned Popoff. Reliable figures reveal that in 2005 he received $628,732, his wife Elizabeth received $203,029, his son received $182,166 and his daughter received $176, 290 with $23,556,469 in revenue.

In 2007 Senator Chuck Grassley opened a probe into the finances of six televangelists who preach a prosperity gospel. The probe is expected to investigate reports of lavish lifestyles by televangelists including: fleets of Rolls Royces, palatial mansions, private jets and other expensive items purportedly paid for by television viewers who donate due to the ministries' encouragement of offerings. The six under investigation include Kenneth (and Gloria) Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer.

Positive Lesson: God will provide all that we need if we simply look to him. Money is not something we need to worry about.

1 Timothy 6:10 famously warns us that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

7. Watch against liars

In verse 12 Paul begins Even one of their own prophets has said, Cretans are always liars, etc. The quotation is from Epimenides who was born in Cnossos on Crete. To "play the Cretan" was in those days to tell lies. Paul says later (13) This testimony is true. The Cretans had a reputation for lying. It all began with their claim that Zeus was born on the island. For Paul it chimes in well with the fact that false teachers teach lies. Not only are they deceivers but what they say is lies too. Then they were saying that circumcision was an important thing and that faith alone was not enough. Still today people downplay faith and want to add to it all sorts of other things. They tell lies about what God wants and how he deals with people. They lie and say there is no after life or that everyone goes to heaven or that there is a purgatory where even very bad people can eventually be fitted for heaven. We must not listen to such lies whoever they come from.

Positive lesson: This reminds us of the need to stick to the truth and to only believe and teach what we know is really true.

Remember Jesus's prayer in John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.