Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Matthew 7:15-16
A story recently circulated a bit through my Facebook contacts. It’s a story of betrayal, spiritual abuse, and power grabbing at the hands of a well-known celebrity pastor.
Is it true?
We all know there are two sides to everything, two perspectives; the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle. Pastors are easy prey and after reading the story, my (pastor) dad grimly noted there have been church conflicts with angry congregants capable of writing up something skewed and damaging about him. But there are also legitimately bad pastors and elder boards out there – capable of high levels of spiritual abuse. We call them “wolves in sheep’s clothing”.
When Jesus warned us about these wolves, He gave us a means to distinguish them from good teachers. He said (twice in Matthew 7:15-20) that “by their fruit you will recognize them”.
When this sort of betrayal of the pastor/teacher-congregant/hearer trust happens at a local level, the issue is sorted out among people who know what’s been going on. The truth of whether or not so-and-so lost their temper or so-and-so is a bit power-hungry is evaluated by people who’ve been shoulder-to-shoulder with the characters in the drama.
It starts getting complicated when we hear stories that reflect badly on a teacher who we’re not in a face-to-face, “fruit inspecting” sort of relationship with.
We absorb podcasts produced by the ministry of a mega-pastor. We watch Youtube videos sliced and diced and edited to present a particular position. We read books written by the latest best-selling Christian author. We’ve never even seen so much as a picture of the person whose Bible study materials we’re using.
With our massive dependence on teaching from non-local sources, how are we to distinguish between a false teacher and a true one? Jesus didn’t say “check their doctrine”, but check their life. It can’t be in numbers or seeming “ministry success” because Jesus says there will be false teachers who can lay claim to incredible ministry success. They will still hear “I never knew you” from the one they purported to be serving.
I used to download a daily podcast of teaching from a well-known pastor. Then I saw some interviews and clips of him discussing some important issues. The stance he seemed to take and the attitude with which he discussed the issues really bothered me. I stopped downloading his podcasts. Was that right?
I’m conflicted about this post. Because I’m telling you I’m beginning to think it’s a really bad idea to absorb teaching from someone whose life you’re not involved with – whose fruit you can’t see for yourself.
But here we are. I’m writing to you – whose daily actions and fruit I can’t see. And you’re reading me – and you don’t really know if I am who I say I am. You can’t see my life, my true life. And when I finish writing this, I will go read other blogs and a book from teachers who I don’t know. I can’t tell if they’re living out their message or not.
I’m confused. Am I in danger of missing out on great, life-changing teaching by ignoring the masses of slick, well-produced offerings from famous teachers? Or am I protecting myself from false teachers by sticking to input from people whose lives I can tell validate their message?
What do we do?
Whispers on the Journey 
This is an important issue in our day…..last days full of false teachers (Matthew 24).
For me the imbalance comes when we go from reading or hearing these life-distant teachers/preachers and appreciating the truth they share and slowly become their blind groupies.
When we are in the first group we can read a favorite teacher/preacher’s stuff or listen to their podcast but we need to still hold the Word as the last authority. In other words I am willing to say my favorite person may not have this one quite right because I too have searched the Scripture and listened to the Spirit.
But when we get into the other group we stop using our own minds, we stop being Bereans, and we sell ourselves out to this seemingly “can-do-no-wrong” leader. We begin to treat his/her teachings as though they were on a par with God’s Word. We never question what they say or do. We become declarers and defenders of…(whoever)…instead of pro-claimers of God. The distance you talk about makes this even more dangerous because there is no opportunity to do the life test you speak of. I think it’s why this is so prevalent today. The local pastor can never quite measure up to the “star” who writes books and produces DVD’s and has the big church.
Of course there is also the danger of putting ourselves into the spot of “can-do-no-wrong” and we become blinded by our own press. No wonder we are told over and over in the Scripture that humility is a most key ingredient to the life that follows the Lord.
Yeah, I think you need to test out what they say in your trusted circles and in scripture. With blogs, we do tend to get to hear more than whatever position they are declaring … and for me, if there isn’t a personal experience shared, if it’s 100% theology/declaration then I’m less likely to trust it. Although books are different because I often read theology for theology, if that makes sense. These are good questions!
You write: Because I’m telling you I’m beginning to think it’s a really bad idea to absorb teaching from someone whose life you’re not involved with – whose fruit you can’t see for yourself.
Let´s see: Moses, David, Jeremia, Paul, Matthew …
Never met these folks, never actually saw their fruit?
so – what now?
Shalom
Hermann
hmm, well, I would say that their inclusion in the cannon of Scripture secures their position as “not false teacher”. 😉
I would agree that their inclusion in the Scriptures puts them in a different category. For good or ill the Bible gives us the story. The man after God’s own heart who commits adultery and plots murder or the passionate disciple who crumbles before a servant girl’s questions. No book publisher PR at work, no self-drawn reputations. As far as their fruit goes, it’s reported by Holy Spirit inspiration as well.
Okay, so we’re clearly taught by the writings of imperfect people who’s lives were anything but “above reproach”. So then what does it mean that you will know a false teacher “by his fruit”? What fruit, exactly, are we supposed to be looking for if we can still be taught by someone who committed adultery or denied Jesus?
One important fruit is a repentant heart in the face of sin. David, Peter and others showed it. Humility and brokeness is so important. The Bible shows us others who were not and what their end was also. The issue we are talking about does not allow us to see the end of the story or to look into a person’s heart via technology. In the end, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we have to test the spirits (and the fruit) to see if they are of God. (It was myself and not Sue who posted the last time!)
Repentance – yes! I’ve been thinking about why I can know on one hand that everyone sins and fails and yet be so ungracious when I know that someone “distant” (aka famous) has a short-coming as if I expect them to be perfect. It’s because the relationship is suspended in the knowledge of that one, defining, failing moment! Even if there is repentance – that is not as publicized or as seen as the offence.
Pingback: Messenger or Message – Who to Believe? « Whispers on the Journey