How to Discern False Teachers (Pt.1)

Verses 8-11 continues the concern John had concerning the deceivers, the gnostics, who were false teachers propagating their heresy on this dear lady and her children and many others

The remaining two verses, vv.12-13, is John’s desire to see the chosen lady and her children and a final greeting

John says in 2 John 1:8-13, “8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. 12 Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. 13 The children of your chosen sister greet you.”

We live in a world that is becoming more and more hostile to Christ

In an article entitled, “Is Christianity to Blame for Everything Bad in the World, “ Jerry Newcombe writes:

Earlier this month in Philadelphia, there was the 17th annual "White Privilege Conference," which a friend describes as a "liberal confab devoted to self-abnegation (self-denial)."

One of the speakers, Paul Kivel, blamed Christianity for everything bad in the world. Kivel is the co-founder of the Oakland Men's Project and founder of "the Challenging Christian Hegemony (leadership) Project."

So everything bad comes from Christianity?

Was Kivel born in a hospital or treated in one? Kivel can thank Jesus Christ who inspired His followers to create such an institution. St. Basil of Caesarea who lived in the 4th century is credited with creating the first hospital in the history of the world.

Even to this day, many hospitals bear Christian names, as they were founded to show forth Christian love. I was born in St. Francis Hospital — as in St. Francis of Assisi.

Speaking of St. Francis, he is the name sake of the city across the bridge from Oakland, San Francisco. Father Juniper Serro of the 18th century created a network of 21 Catholic missions — essentially a one-day horseback ride away from each other — from San Diego to Sonoma, essentially establishing California's cities.

Did Kivel go to school? Education for the elite has always existed. Education for the masses was a gift of Christianity to the world. This is especially true after the Reformation. The Reformers knew for their message to stick, people would have to read the Bible for themselves.

The first law for education in America was the "Old Deluder Satan Act" in Boston of 1642. The goal was to teach boys and girls how to read for themselves so that they could read the Bible — thus, thwarting the attempts of that "old deluder Satan," who works hard to keep people from reading God's Word. He is quite effective in our times, but not primarily through illiteracy.

Did Kivel go to college? Again, he can thank the Christian church for that. Scholars say the university was created by the church during the Middle Ages around 1200, with the University of Paris being the prototype. One of the main goals was to reconcile Christian theology with the newly rediscovered teachings of Aristotle.

Most of the greatest universities the world over were founded by Christians for Christian purposes … Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, and so on.

Kivel blames Christianity for the wars in the Middle East. It's all the missionaries' fault. Huh? I don't suppose Islam has anything to do with the wars in the Middle East. Enough said.

Did Kivel use a microphone to blast the Christian church? Did he have a lightbulb by which he could see his speech? Christianity played a major role in the development of modern science. While the ancient Greeks helped pave the way, modern science was born in the late Middle Ages by Christian experimenters who were, in the words of Johannes Kepler, "thinking God's thoughts after Him." They believed a rational God had created a rational universe, and it was their role, said Kepler, as "priests of the most high God" to discover those laws.

As D. James Kennedy and I point out in our book, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?, the founders of all the major branches of science were professed believers in Jesus.

Another irony about this story can be seen in one of the headlines about this story: "KIVEL SAYS CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP IS THE REASON FOR THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS."

Presumably, a conference dumping on "white privilege" might pay homage to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the greatest of the civil rights champions.

King was the president of the "Southern Christian Leadership Conference." The church was the key launching pad for the whole civil rights movement. King was a Baptist minister.

The classic "I have a dream" speech by King was essentially a sermon by a Baptist minister, in which he quotes Isaiah. "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low." In short, the humble shall be exalted; the proud shall be humbled.

Who is out there feeding many of the down and out of our society? The Christian church through one agency or another. They are showing the love of Jesus in action.

One thing Kivel did say is correct: Christianity does not teach that the earth is to be worshiped. To the contrary, the Creator of the earth is alone to be worshiped. But humans are stewards of the earth — not to abuse it but to subdue the earth.

Kivel wants a world without Christian influence. Humanity has done that before. It was called the Soviet Union. It was called Pol Pot's Cambodia. They brought hell on earth. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, if Jesus had never come, it would be "always winter, but never Christmas."

https://www.christianpost.com/news/is-christianity-to-blame-for-everything-bad-in-the-world.html

The sad reality of this article is many more people like Paul Kivel feel the same

But the Bible teaches that the bad things we see and experience in the world is because of sin

When Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, sin entered them and the world they lived in

Genesis 6:5-7, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.””

He did that by flooding the earth with water but saved 8 people in an Ark

And even though 8 people were saved from God’s judgment, that did not wipe out sin

The Bible says in Romans 3:10-18, “as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; “Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.””

So the evil we see today in the world is driven by man’s depravity and by Satan, who has blinded mens eyes from the gospel of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Satan’s work is to prevent people from turning to the biblical Jesus

So he sends his ministers to do his bidding by preaching “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-7)

That’s why there are people who think Jesus was just a good person or a good teacher or even a prophet but not God in human flesh

John shared his concern about the “many deceivers” who “have gone out into the world” in verse 7

And now in verses 8-11, we’re going to learn what he says about discerning who they are

What does he tell us about these “deceivers”?

And what should you do first in identifying them?

John says discernment begins by...

LESSON

I. By Watching Yourself (v.8)

Don’t be mislead by them

Remember they are deceivers and antichrists (v.7)

They have “wandered” from the truth

This led them to leave the church and go out into the world (v.7)

1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”

1 John 4:5, “They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them.”

1 John 4:6, “We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

Not all of them leave the church. They wait for an opportunity to influence the church they’re in

Acts 20:30, “and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Their main heresy is they deny the incarnation (v.7) and therefore the deity of Christ

1 John 2:22, “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.”

Don’t be sympathetic to their need for lodging

These heretics were traveling from church to church, taking advantage of Christian hospitality as they spread their venomous lies (MacArthur)

Once they were taken it, they would spread their false teaching about Jesus

It is possible that the lady to whom John addressed may have inadvertently or unwisely shown them hospitality (MacArthur)

John cautioned her (as a model for all believers) against participating in false teachers’ evil deeds by showing them hospitality. (MacArthur)

You must guard yourself

“watch yourself” (blepo, pres.act.imp.) means “to watch carefully”, “to be vigilant”, “to be on the lookout or be careful”

With the use of the present tense, this was something they needed to always do

This word is translated in Mark 13:9 as “be on your guard” (same word)

It is translated in Ephesians 5:15 as “be careful”

It is translated “beware” in Philippians 3:2.

They needed to “beware” by being “careful” how they responded to these teachers

They needed to “be on [their] guard”

Jesus warned the disciples in Matthew 24:4, to “See to it that no one misleads you.”

He said in Mark 13:6, that “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many.”

D. Edmond Hiebert says, “John lays upon them the standing duty to place themselves under continuous guard. Issued without any connecting particle, the command is solemn and forceful. While not unmindful of God’s care for His own, John reminds them of their personal duty ever to be watchful, to keep an eye on themselves.

This point cannot be overemphasized!

There are many things we needed to be watchful about:

lusting after the opposite sex - Matthew 5:28, “but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

looking at the speck in your brother’s eye without first looking at your own - Matthew 7:3, “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

all forms of greed - Luke 12:15, “Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

self righteousness - Matthew 6:1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

being influenced by false teachers - Mark 8:15, “And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Their lack of discernment would cause them to “lose” their reward

To “lose” (apollumi, aor.act.subj.) means “to fail to keep or to maintain”

“What we have accomplished” (ergazomai, aor.mid.ind.) means, “to put something into effect entirely or thoroughly”

John wanted his readers to “guard yourself” “that” (hina purpose clause, means “for the purpose of”) not “failing to keep or to maintain” what we have “put into effect” or have “worked for” (LEB, NIV, NET) “but that you may receive a full reward”

Rewards are based on several things like motives

1 Corinthians 3:12-15, “Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

“Gold, silver, precious stones” refers to “quality materials [that] represent dedicated, spiritual service” (MacArthur)

“Wood, hay, straw” refers to “inferior materials implying shallow activity with no eternal value” (MacArthur)

Revelation 22:12-13, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

“for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” is not referring to sins. Their judgment took place at the cross

This is referring to “actions which happened during the believer’s time of earthly ministry” (MacArthur)

“whether good or bad” is comparing “worthwhile, eternally valuable activities with useless ones” (MacArthur)

“His point was not that believers should not enjoy certain wholesome, earthly things, but that they should glorify God in them and spend most of their energy and time with what has eternal value” (MacArthur)

Rewards are also based on faithfully enduring while suffering persecution - Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Here rewards are based on our entertainment of heresy

If you are entertaining false teaching, you will lose your reward

Nowhere are we told to listen to heresy. Instead we are to “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

Hebrews 13:9, “Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings;...”

“carried away” (parapheromai, pres.pass.imp.) means “to be driven off course.”

It is translated “carried along” in Jude 1:12 referring to false teachers who are metaphorically “swept along” or “misled” like winds carrying a sail

They are like immature believers who are “carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceiful scheming”(Ephesians 4:14)

This verb is passive meaning something else is causing them to be carried along

Ephesians 4:14 says it caused by false teachers in their teaching, trickery and deceitfulness

2 Peter 3:17, “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,”

So we discern false teachers first by watching ourselves and also...

II. By Evaluating What is Taught (v.9)

It is helpful when beliefs are made known about all teachers

We have that advantage today because of the Internet

Most intinerent preachers have a website or recordings of their teaching. The same is true of churches.

If you want to know who a particular teacher is and what they teach, you can “google” them by their name or look them up on Youtube

Now the lesser known preachers you might not be able to get that kind of information, so you have to look further

Maybe you know someone who knows them or what they teach like John did and warned this “chosen lady and her children”

These false teachers...

They do not continue in the teaching of Christ

The “teaching of Christ” is His incarnation (“Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” v.7) and His deity

John emphasized His humanity in 1 John:

1 John 1:1, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—”

1 John 1:2, “and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—”

1 John 1:3, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

Both His humanity and deity are used together in Scripture:

1 John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”

Matthew 1:23, ““Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.””

John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

1 Timothy 3:16, “By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.”

Hebrews 1:1-2, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

J.I. Packer says, “Trinity and Incarnation belong together. The doctrine of the Trinity declares that the man Jesus is truly divine; that of the Incarnation declares that the divine Jesus is truly human.”

The “teaching of Christ” is also what He taught about sin

John mentions sin 45 times in 1 John

1 John 1:6, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;”

1 John 1:8, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

He also mentions it in 3 John 1:11, “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.”

Jesus taught about sin

He said to repent of it - Mark 1:14-15, “Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””

He said unless you believe who He is you will “die in your sins” (John 8:21, 24)

He came to take away sin

John 1:29, “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Matthew 1:21, ““She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.””

He came to forgive sin - Matthew 9:2, “And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.””

John says because they denied Jesus coming in the flesh...

This revealed they never had God in their life

If you reject “the teaching of Christ,” it reveals you were never saved

John 8:42, “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.”

1 John 2:22, “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.”

1 John 2:23, “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father...”

1 John 4:3, “and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist...”

When you continue in the teaching of Christ, it shows you have “both the Father and the Son”

1 John 2:23, “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.”

1 John 4:2, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;”

1 John 4:15, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

Following Christ is very narrow

It’s a narrow gospel

1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”

It’s narrow because it revolves around Christ and His work. He “died for our sins…and…was buried…and…was raised on the third day.”

It’s a narrow way

The gate is narrow and small - “there are few who find it” - Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

We must, according to Luke 13:24, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

“strive” (agonizomai, pres.mid. or pass. imp.) means “to fight, to struggle”, “agonize”. This is “to exert much effort or energy.” We are to “strain every nerve to enter because of the supreme importance of attaining entry into the kingdom of God” (NETBFEN).

This “does not imply working for salvation but rather earnestness in seeking it” (EBC). This is “expressive of the difficulty of being saved, as if one would have to force his way in” (JFB).

We are saved “by grace through faith…not of works” (Eph.2:8-9), therefore, we cannot save ourselves. “But entering the narrow gate is nonetheless difficult because of its cost in terms of human pride, because of the sinner’s natural love for sin, and because of the world’s and Satan’s opposition to the truth” (MacArthur).

It’s an exclusive Christ

Jesus is the only way to heaven - John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

There is no other name given to be saved - Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

So...

III. What were they to do if a false teacher needed a place to stay temporarily? (vv.10-11)

“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting;”

The opening “if” (ei) with the indicative assumes that the condition portrayed is actually occurring (Hiebert).

“The scene John has in view is not the arrival of some passing traveler who hopes to find needed shelter and entertainment in the home of this gracious matron.”

The verb “come” (erchetai) denotes the purposeful arrival of a traveling missionary with the intention of procuring an opportunity to propagate his message” (Hiebert).

“The Third Epistle of John makes it clear that it was an accepted duty of believers to welcome and aid missionaries of the Christian gospel. But that obligation did not apply to the propagator of a heretical, Christ-rejecting message. The established fact that he does not bring “this doctrine,” the teaching about Christ as set forth in verse 9, places him under John’s prohibition. It implies that his identity as a false teacher is known” (Hiebert).

But if for some reason they didn’t know, they needed to...

Find out what he believes

Does he “bring this teaching?”

The same question is true today

Again this is the “teaching” of the incarnation and deity of Christ

If he doesn’t...

Do not receive him

“receive” (lambano, pres.act.imp.)

in your house

or give him a welcome (greeting)

Romans 16:17, “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.”

Titus 3:10, “Reject a factious man after a first and second warning,”

This contrasts 3 John 1:5-8, “Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.”

If you welcome him you are participating in his evil deeds

“participates” (koinoneo, pres.act.ind.) means “to have in common” (MCEDONTW) or “share in” (LXGNTLEX)

It’s translated “contributing to” in Romans 12:13 and “partook of” in Hebrews 2:14.

You need to understand...

“Such hospitality implied endorsement of a teacher’s ministry and message, so hosts needed to use theological discernment in offering their home as a “platform” for a visitor’s instruction” (Sproul).

“John’s prohibition is not a case of entertaining people who disagree on minor matters. These false teachers were carrying on a regular campaign to destroy the basic, fundamental truths of Christianity. Complete disassociation from such heretics is the only appropriate course of action for genuine believers. No benefit or aid of any type (not even a greeting) is permissible. Believers should aid only those who proclaim the truth (vv. 5–8)” (MacArthur).

CONCLUSION

John had many more things to write (v.12)

But he preferred to “speak face to face” (v.12)

He wanted them to have full joy (v.12)

He concludes verse 13 with another greeting

Most teachers today stay in hotels, so the need to stay in the home is minimal

But we must know what a teacher believes and teaches before we follow or endorse their ministry

I would strongly urge you to turn off TBN and teachings on Youtube by these kinds of teachers like Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, Joseph Prince, Joyce Meyer, Steven Furtick, TD Jakes, Jesse Duplantis, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Bill Johnson, Sid Roth, Andrew Wommack, Rod Parsley, John Hagee, Larry Huch, Paula White, and Todd White, and those like these

But these are not alone. There are many more

False teachers need the biblical Jesus they reject

And so do some of you

Do you know the Jesus of the Bible?

Do you know the Jesus of the Bible who is God and who became man?

Do you know the Jesus of the Bible who left heaven’s glory to take yours and my sin in His own body and die a horrible death by crucifixion?

Do you know the Jesus of the Bible who resurrected on the third day?

Y ou can know Him this morning

Romans 10:13, “for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

But first you have to confess Him as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Rom.10:9-10)

I urge you to repent and believe in Christ as we pray

Let’s pray

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