Are Christians to Mark False Prophets Publicly? [podcast]
Loving the Light and Exposing the Darkness
Any man not guarding, not protecting Christ’s flock, by warning of false teachers and false doctrine, is himself a wolf!
Jesus and His holy apostles often rebuked and exposed false leaders and false doctrine (Matthew 23; Acts 13:10; 20:29-31; Galatians 5:11-12; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 2 Peter 2; 2 John 7-11; Revelation 2:6, 15, etc.). Therefore we know that part of following Jesus includes doing the same. In fact, the body of Christ is mandated to do just that (Romans 16:17-18; Philippians 1:17; Jude 3-4).
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them (scope out and label) which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Romans 16:17-18
Simply put, it doesn’t matter what you think: The LORD has commanded that Satan’s ministers, his human emissaries, be exposed. Time to shut up and obey! (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 3-4
In Jude 4 the Bible forewarned us that deceivers would creep in “unawares” which means undetected. In Matthew 13 Jesus says not to try to remove the tares from among the wheat but rather the angels will do that later. While we are not to try to remove them, in Romans 16:17-18 we are commanded to “mark (name) them” and to “avoid them.” Some mistakenly think those obeying God by scoping out and marking false teachers are doing something that conflicts with Matthew 13:25-30 where Jesus says not to try to separate the tares (false) from the wheat (true). Not so.
Deceivers are a reality and they are here to stay, until our LORD returns. So, for now, they must be scoped, discerned, and marked or labeled so others can beware and “avoid them.” (Romans 16:17-18) The word “safety” appears 19 in God’s Word. – “safety is of the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31)
To “mark them” (Romans 16:17) means to “to scope out; to take aim at, consider, watch.” The Greek word used here for “mark” is skopeo.
When we understand that the LORD says He is “the Great Shepherd of the sheep” who bled to purchase unto Himself a people, it should not be difficult to understand the reason and purpose for marking those who prey upon and seek to mislead His beloved sheep (Psalms 23; John 10:1-16; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:1-6, etc.).
In Romans 16:17-18 believers are here mandated to wisely scope out closely, observe and scrutinize all teachings and spiritual leaders under the lamp of God’s holy Word. We are to closely discern between true and false doctrines and leaders and sound the alarm on that which is found to be inconsistent with holy Writ. This is to be done especially when dealing with foundational, essential truths (which are a salvation issue).
While reading the interaction below, please remember that we are to first and foremost honor, fear, and obey the LORD our Maker and Redeemer and if that means offending mere men by doing so, sobeit (Exodus 20:3; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Luke 12:4-5). Some among us seem to be more concerned about the person/personality being exposed than Jesus Christ and the many that wolf may be devouring with his false teaching (Proverbs 29:25; Matthew 7:15). That is perverted love and idolatry and no idolater shall enter the eternal kingdom of God (Revelation 21:8). Who do we truly honor and love supremely? The LORD says He is Jealous and that His name is Jealous. Jesus will reject anyone who dares to attempt to share their deepest heart affections with any other – “He that is not with me IS against me” says the Son of God (Matthew 12:30) Any question? “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14)
Message Received:
How can you interpret the verses about judging in Corinthians (valid) with James 4:11-12 and Romans 14. And also 2 Timothy 2:14?
What´s the difference in that “judging”?
The problem is… maybe… condemning other Christians due to our interpretation in some little things (maybe we could be wrong too, we are not the apostles who received 100% truth) and posting against each other in a public forum or here in fb. I always think that it could also be very dangerous to non-Christians reading and thinking: “Look those Christians fighting each other, I don´t want to be one of them.” It could be a stumblingblock to them. But it could also be positive to edify other people… So?
Yet, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 5.12-13 where Paul saying that it isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. “God will judge those on the outside”; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
It´s crystal clear about false doctrines against the word of God. But sometimes many christians don´t see clearly the difference in some interpretations (example: calvinism – arminianism), pre-trib or post-trib. So a fight begins and the two parts believe the other is an heretic, posting Scriptures against Scriptures.
Response:
God is very severe toward those who mislead His people. Remember Jesus said “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! … Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:6-7, 10
Read Deuteronomy 13. False teachers/false prophets/wolves are to be openly marked and to be shown no mercy. Why? – Because they are leading others astray and causing their eternal damnation. God wants to have mercy on the victims and potential, future victims of wolves so He instructs us to “mark them.” (Romans 16:17-18) Some people are twisted in their thinking, so much so that they want to protect, defend, and help the wolf to keep devouring sheep and they call that love. Absurd!
There is correct and incorrect judgment. We draw this conclusion based on the full-counsel of God’s Word. There are volumes of verses to be considered and factored in. Jesus says “Judge not lest ye be judged” (Matt. 7:1-2) and then He says “Judge righteous judgment.” (John 7:24) Paul says “For what have I to do to judge them also that are WITHOUT (the lost)? do not ye judge them that are WITHIN (professing believers and Christian leaders)?” (1 Cor. 5:12) We are to discern and judge things rightly, according to the Word and the Holy Spirit. We are told to “believe NOT every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) We are also told to “To speak evil of no man” (Titus 3:2) and also to “mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” (Rom. 16:17-18) All rebuke and expose’ must be done strictly according to God’s Word. Deuteronomy 13 teaches us to not spare when dealing with false leaders. The very sheep of Christ’s pasture are at stake. He is “the Great Shepherd of the sheep” having given His life to purchase “the precious fruit of the earth” which is His people (Heb. 13:20; James 7:7-9). Pray for His understanding brother.
As for exposing false leaders who are misleading many publicly …. Paul rebuked Peter publicly for misleading God’s people (Gal. 2:11-14). Perhaps the unsaved will respect the policing of a people, the body of Christ, more than just allowing obvious false prophets to go unchecked which is largely what is happening. How many lost people have you heard mock Christianity due to greedy, money-mongering wolves like Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Joel Osteen, Robert Tilton, etc.? I have heard it a thousand times at least. So, how can these lost people respect Christendom/Christians who do not openly expose such wolves? We become the stumblingblock when we refuse to deal with these wolves.
Yet, biblically speaking, the lost are not God’s first priority. No. His precious body is His very highest priority as far as men go. Read Galatians 6:10 and John 17:9. – “I pray for them (the sheep of His pasture): I pray not for the world (the lost), but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”
Then, Jesus does say that we are to “love one another” which is speaking of His true body and not false prophets among us. This commandment to love one another which appears 12 times in the New Testament, does not include wolves among us which are so often spoken about and we are so repeatedly warn to beware of. They are not of God and therefore not of us.
Brother, you are asking some important questions brother. I have asked them also and am learning precept upon precept, line upon line …. “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” (Isaiah 28:10) We all have these same questions and are learning God’s answers one at a time.
Deuteronomy 13 is also a strong passage we must acknowledge where the LORD says to not spare in stoning and ridding yourselves of false prophets. A people who do not police themselves will soon cease to be a people. Meditate upon this. Think about the God-ordained civil system which includes police to punish evildoers, right? (Rom. 13) Would you respect this country, even as a citizen, if we didn’t punish evil doers? No. You see how the lost are being turned away from the LORD due to the lack of expose’ and policing of those in leadership? It’s a fiasco of wolves at this point as the Word foretold in many places, including Amos 8:11 and 2 Timothy 3:13.
I agree that pre and post tribulation view are nothing to argue about. Yet, calvinism is the very lie of the ages, it comes from satan in the garden when he caused man to fall. This system of theology, known as calvinism, emobodies more than any other, this lie of lasciviousness that led to the fall of mankind and the curse of sin (Gen. 2:17; 3:4). We are explicitedly warned of calvinists who would turn the grace of God into a license for sin and we specifically told to earnestly contend against this evil leaven (Jude 3-4).
All of this comes more and more into focus (Prov. 4:18) as we continue daily in God’s Word. Then, as we begin looking at what most leaders are teaching, we see that they are not teaching the original Gospel and on this basis alone, they are utterly false.
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The Only Way Up is Down [podcast]
Chapter 8 from the book Raised Up (narration)
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
The Down and Up Principle of God’s Kingdom
“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root DOWNWARD, and bear fruit UPWARD.” Isaiah 37:31
The Scriptures follow a pattern of death and resurrection, a downward death and upward life. See if you can observe such a truth in the following verses:
“The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth UP all those that be bowed DOWN.” Psalms 145:14
Do you possess the blessed desire to be raised up by the Almighty? According to His divine wisdom given us in His precious Precepts, in order to be “raised up” we must first be “bowed down.” The LORD will not raise up any person who is still alive in his own power – He only raises up “those that be bowed down” in sincere humility before His majesty (Ps. 145:14; Jn. 12:23-25; Rom. 8:11).
“Those that be bowed down” will “take root downward” and be raised up in blessed fruitfulness (Isa. 37:31).
In order to “bear fruit upward,” one must first be planted in the house (kingdom) of the LORD and “take root downward” in the rich soil of His truth. The resurrection life of Jesus and ample fruitfulness will be the result.
Going deeper in God necessitates going down deeper into death and burial with Christ! Read Romans 6. There are no shortcuts (Galatians 5:24). Christ’s kingdom is a cross economy – one of utter humility and death to self that He might reign (John 12:23-25; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.).
“And whosoever shall exalt himself (upward) shall be abased (humbled); and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:12
“He must INCREASE, but I must DECREASE.” John 3:30
“And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat FALL INTO THE GROUND (downward) and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit (upward). He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life (downward) in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (upward).” John 12:23-25
“Humble yourselves (downward heart posture) in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:10
The life of Christ will raise a man upward and this is after that man bows down his life or humbles himself under the mighty hand of God – first at initial salvation then in the consecrated life that brings God glory. Blessed resurrection life is the upward result of the life planted downward and this is the place from which ministry springs. Look at what the apostle Paul wrote in this regard:
“Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:10-12
Jesus declared to us that He came to make captives free from sin and Satan – “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:31-32, 36).There is chain-shattering, freeing power (liberty) in the redeeming blood of Christ and by the power of the Holy Ghost (Lk. 4:18; Jn. 8:36; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12-14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 12:11). The divine promise is that when one bows down before the LORD, every yoke shall be broken by Him who is above all (Isa. 58). No stronghold or bond of Satan has power when Christ’s blood is applied in sincere repentance and by the power of the Holy Ghost! The saint who is raised up after being bowed down, will glorify God in rich fruitfulness being “changed into the same image (Christ’s) from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
It is the divine Person of the Holy Ghost who raised up the LORD who was bowed down before His Father in death in order to purchase His Church with His own sinless blood (Acts 20:28). In like manner, it is the Holy Spirit with His resurrection power who raises up those who be bowed down before His throne of grace.
“And he (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God… And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.” Luke 13:10-13, 16-17
There can be no resurrection until there is first a death. A seed is dead or dormant then is planted and then germinates and brings forth bud, then a stalk and ultimately fruit – but first it must be buried downward in order to bear life-giving fruit upward. The life buried with Christ will be lifted up by divine power and bear much fruit to God’s glory (Jn. 15:8).
“But if the Spirit of him that raised UP Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised UP Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive upward) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11
Our LORD had to first die and be buried “downward” in order to be raised “upward” by the Father in resurrection life to raise up and justify all those who would call upon Him in repentance (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 10:13). In order for fruit to be borne “upward,” the disciple must first be planted “downward” in “the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Isa. 37:31; Phil. 3:10).
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Romans 6:3-5
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12
He created man with a choice (Josh. 24:15). In the end there will be “the resurrection of life” and also “the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28-29). Each of us will be in one of these resurrections – either everlasting life or eternal death (conscience separation from God in hell). The entrance into Heaven or termination into hell will hinge upon whom we served – God or self (Rom. 6:16).
Real promotion comes only from the Giver and Sustainer of all life – from the north (Heaven).
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalms 75:6-7
That person who freely chooses to believe God, taking Christ at His Word, bowing under His infinite Majestic glory, will be raised up both now and forever and eternally glorified with the Alpha and Omega (Phil. 2:5-11; 2 Thess. 2:13-14).
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” Psalms 92:12-14
PRAYER: Please draw me deeper into You LORD Jesus. Father in Heaven, You sent Your only begotten Son to die for me in order that I might be raised up in new life in this brief life and eternally. I love You Jesus and ask You to lead me to that crucified life that you lived when here on earth and as You gave Your life blood on the cross to save Your people. Please quicken me by Your Holy Spirit and fill me afresh O LORD, that this life You gave might be fully one with You and fruitful and pleasing to Thee. Lord, I am watching and praying in light of Your soon return. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
If you truly desire to know more about how to really know the LORD, go here okay: Born Again: What is It?
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