Reformation Faith Today

How are the sheep at sniffing out false teaching in the church? I suspect that judging by the rampant false teaching making inroads in the churches today that the sheep are largely unsuspecting.

The Apostle Paul spoke to this in several places, not the least of which is 2 Timothy 4:1-5:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound [1] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to remind us that the preaching of the Word is the remedy to combat false teachers. He also reminded us that we live in a day when many will follow after men (and women) whose teaching is false and mythological.

Phil Johnson (thanks to Randy Kirkland for alerting me to this) wrote an article last year called Terrorism in the Church which is worthy of reading and taking to heart. He wrote in part:

Is the church today in good shape to keep an eye open for these terrorists? [false teachers] Good heavens. We don’t display the collective discernment to spot a wolf in wolf’s clothing, let alone sheep’s.“Evangelical” organizations, institutions, denominations, are not distinguishing themselves as able and willing to identify, isolate, confront, counter, and if need be remove even the clearest false teaching.

Let one person muster the courage to rise up, point, and cry “Wolf!”—and he’s instantly surrounded by sheep disapprovingly baa-ing and bleating about how ha-a-a-arsh, and judgme-e-e-ental, and divi-i-i-isive, and cri-i-i-itical he is being.

Even when someone tries to point out error, he is aften surrounded by fellow believers crying out like above.

You really need to read this, especially if you are a pastor or teacher. What are you doing to protect the sheep under your care? Read the entire post here.