Identificarea învățătorilor falși

Introduction:

Why:

1. The reality of these kind of people in the church.

2. Prepare timothy to identify the false teachers and protect the people of God. Its purpose is that o spiritual discernment.

I. Content of their ministry (Conținut învățăturii și slujirii lor)

a) different doctrine from historical christianity (new or innovative)

b) rejection of Jesus’ teaching or of the Jesus of the Bible (creating a different Jesus)

c) rejection of teaching that leads to a godly life (a godly life)

II. Character of minister (Caracterul slujitorului)

a) prideful (v.4a) (prides makes them to teach different to bring attention)

Be careful with people that preach their experiences and revelations more than the Bible! Paul refused to discuss about his revelations.

b) ignorant (v.4b) (does not understand)

c) controversial / divisive (v.4c)

d) twisted or corrupt thinking (illogical, immoral, unsound, unhealthy, untruthful)

e) greedy / pursuit of earthly ambitions

III. Consequences of their ministry (Consecințele slujirii lor)

a) envy (pizmă sau ciudă)

b) quarreling (schimb de vorbe)

c) slander (vorbe de rău)

d) evil suspicion (bănuieli rele)

e) constant disagreement (neînțelegeri)

Conclusions:

Case Study / Studiu de caz:

-William Marrion Branham (b. 1909-d.1965), claimed to have received several angelic visitations or revelations from God.

-He claimed to be able to heal and when praying for people because an angel was helping him. He also claimed that the angel would tell him details about the people in the form of word of knowledge.

-He heard a voice from God telling him that he’s going like John the Baptist in preparing the way of the Lord’s second coming.

-He began as a healer and prophet and was very popular, but soon other healing ministers rose the fame and he become less popular. Soon afterwards, he began to criticize other evangelist like Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Alonso Allen, and others.

-After the healing and revival campaigns become more rear, be started to teach what he claimed to be the revelations that God gave him.

-Branham said that hell is not eternal and that damned people just cease to exist after death.

-He believed that baptism should be performed only in the name of Jesus and this is the only valid baptism.

-He did not believe in distinction between Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but believed that Jesus was the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

-He believed that the Serpent slept with Eve and gave birth to the seed of the devil. And that people will end up in hell because they are genetically and physically the descendant of the devil. He believed that black people and jewish people were the seed physically the seed of the devil that will never be saved.

-He predicted that rapture would occur in 1977

-Branham believed all the protestant denominations are associated with the mark of the beast.

-He believed women are the by product of a man and that they are not part of the original creation. That her shape was given to her by Satan and she was sent to deceive the sons of God. He was also against women voting. (essentially immoral sexual machines who were to blame for adultery, divorce and death. They were the tools of the Devil.")

a) He rejected the Jesus of the Bible which is described as the Son of the Father

b) He rejected eternal hell

c) He believed certain people are biologically and genetically destined to go in hell (godly life)

d) Prideful and arrogant (Branham argued that his entire ministry was divinely inspired and could not be selectively rejected or accepted, saying, "It's either all of God, or none of God")