Jesus also warned in many places about false teachers, who come to deceive.
Take care that no man deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying I am Christ, and will deceive many. (Matt 24:4-5)
Many false preachers will come in the Name of Christ- claiming that Jesus is the Christ, and many (not few) people will be deceived by them!
Jesus is warning us very clearly.
Yet, how is it possible that those who preach Christ will actually deceive people?
Simple, they use the name of God to claim to be good, and then ask you for money to preach Jesus; yet in fact they are using it for their own profit, and not to promote God’s way of mercy and love. The scriptures have many warnings of such lying deceivers:
"But there were false prophets (teachers) among the people (in ancient Israel), as there will be false teachers among you, (within Christian groups) who will secretly (surreptitiously) put forward wrong teachings for your destruction, (how many different churches are there?) even turning (you) away from the Lord who gave himself for you; whose destruction (the false teachers’ destruction) will come quickly, and they themselves will be the cause of it (their own destruction). And a great number (of Christians) will go with (support) them in their evil ways, through whom the true way (of following Christ) will be evil spoken of. And in their desire for profit they will come to you with words of deceit, like traders doing business in souls (they will corrupt your souls for their profit!) whose punishment has been ready for a long time and their destruction is watching for them. (2Peter 2:1-3 BBE version)
These liars will try to make a profit from gullible people who follow them, but God will eventually punish and destroy them. In the meantime, we need to be careful of their actions.
The following translations of the first part of verse 3 shows the true motivations of the false teachers:
• They will be greedy and cheat you with smooth talk. (CEV)
• And by covetousness, with well-turned words, they will use you for gain, (LITV)
• And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (ESV)
• Thirsting for riches, they will trade on you with their canting talk. (WNT)
• In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made-up stories. (GNB)
• In their greed they will use good-sounding arguments to exploit you. (GW)
• And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. (KJV)
• In their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. (ISV)
We need wisdom to discern who are the teachers of truth, and who are feathering their own nests- or we may pay for it with our money, and our eternal life! (John 16:2-3) (Matt 7:13-14, Luke 13:23-28)
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. (Matt 10:16)
Prior to Christ’s return we are told that a great false teacher, called the False Prophet, will lead many to worship God in vain, such that they will murder true followers of God. (Rev 6:9-11)
We therefore need to choose very carefully whom we listen to, and what teachers we follow.
Don’t believe men, even if they say they are preachers from God.
Believe what is in the Bible, and trust in the Lord to help you to understand his word. (Prov 3:5-7)
"And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" Preachers are sent by the Lord, but the means is through those of us who are not called to preach. We are "called to send". Our ministry is to make sure those who are "called to preach" are enabled to do carry out their ministry ...
And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Jesus also warned in many places about false teachers, who come to deceive.
Take care that no man deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying I am Christ, and will deceive many. (Matt 24:4-5)
Many false preachers will come in the Name of Christ- claiming that Jesus is the Christ, and many (not few) people will be deceived by them!
Jesus is warning us very clearly.
Yet, how is it possible that those who preach Christ will actually deceive people?
Simple, they use the name of God to claim to be good, and then ask you for money to preach Jesus; yet in fact they are using it for their own profit, and not to promote God’s way of mercy and love. The scriptures have many warnings of such lying deceivers:
"But there were false prophets (teachers) among the people (in ancient Israel), as there will be false teachers among you, (within Christian groups) who will secretly (surreptitiously) put forward wrong teachings for your destruction, (how many different churches are there?) even turning (you) away from the Lord who gave himself for you; whose destruction (the false teachers’ destruction) will come quickly, and they themselves will be the cause of it (their own destruction). And a great number (of Christians) will go with (support) them in their evil ways, through whom the true way (of following Christ) will be evil spoken of. And in their desire for profit they will come to you with words of deceit, like traders doing business in souls (they will corrupt your souls for their profit!) whose punishment has been ready for a long time and their destruction is watching for them. (2Peter 2:1-3 BBE version)
These liars will try to make a profit from gullible people who follow them, but God will eventually punish and destroy them. In the meantime, we need to be careful of their actions.
The following translations of the first part of verse 3 shows the true motivations of the false teachers:
• They will be greedy and cheat you with smooth talk. (CEV)
• And by covetousness, with well-turned words, they will use you for gain, (LITV)
• And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (ESV)
• Thirsting for riches, they will trade on you with their canting talk. (WNT)
• In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made-up stories. (GNB)
• In their greed they will use good-sounding arguments to exploit you. (GW)
• And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. (KJV)
• In their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. (ISV)
We need wisdom to discern who are the teachers of truth, and who are feathering their own nests- or we may pay for it with our money, and our eternal life! (John 16:2-3) (Matt 7:13-14, Luke 13:23-28)
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. (Matt 10:16)
Prior to Christ’s return we are told that a great false teacher, called the False Prophet, will lead many to worship God in vain, such that they will murder true followers of God. (Rev 6:9-11)
We therefore need to choose very carefully whom we listen to, and what teachers we follow.
Don’t believe men, even if they say they are preachers from God.
Believe what is in the Bible, and trust in the Lord to help you to understand his word. (Prov 3:5-7)
Very true!
"And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" Preachers are sent by the Lord, but the means is through those of us who are not called to preach. We are "called to send". Our ministry is to make sure those who are "called to preach" are enabled to do carry out their ministry ...