How to Spot a False Teacher – Part 2

Third Sign: Hypocritical

Someone is a false teacher if he wants to be praised by other people rather than by God. The Pharisees stand out as the primary example of this kind of false teacher. They were immaculate on the outside, at least according to their standards and their interpretation of God’s law. But on the inside they were corrupt.

Yes, they gave generously, but they announced their giving with a trumpet so everyone would notice (cf. Matt. 6:2). They prayed regularly, but they did it in public religious gatherings and in the city square so others would make much of their religious devotion (cf. v5). They controlled their appetite for food by fasting regularly, but they were motivated by a deep and corrupt appetite for human praise (cf. v16). They were clean on the outside, but inside they were “full of extortion and self-indulgence” (Matt. 23:25).

It’s easy to recognize the inconsistencies of the Pharisees, mainly because Jesus indicts them so clearly. But I wonder if we would recognize them today. They were the religious exemplars of the day. They were conservative and disciplined. They never missed church. They tithed regularly and carefully. They were the picture of respectable religiosity. I have a notion that if they showed up today, we just might like them.

But Jesus cursed them.

He pronounced seven woes on them in Matthew 23, proclaiming a complete judgment on their hypocrisy. They rejected Jesus, and brought judgment on everything they knew and loved. In the following decades, they were defrocked, their temple was destroyed, and the Jews were again scattered through the nations. Their religion was immaculate — and they missed their Savior.

What was the real issue here? They misunderstood the nature of relationship with God. They thought God wanted external righteousness — comprised of rituals and garments and abstinence — when true righteousness is internal, comprised of a heart which is soft toward Him. Their lives looked like they wanted to serve God and please Him, but in their hearts they wanted respect, fame, stability, and power. They lived to please themselves.

How does this help us identify false teachers? In this way. The Pharisees created a religious system that was out of alignment with God’s word. So too, false teachers lead people away from God’s good laws and into a legalistic system that cannot save. They mask the true problem — sinful hearts — with a veneer of good deeds and righteous works. They appear to be good people, but when the layers are peeled back we discover the old sinful man with its corrupt heart and selfish desires. They do not really love God. They love themselves, and they use God’s law in order to get others to make much of them.

Dimensions of Hypocrisy

Scripture reveals several dimensions of hypocrisy. First, hypocrites are duplicitous. They appear to be one way on the outside, while they are another way on the inside. They perform works which make it look like they love others, but in reality they love themselves. They praise God in public worship, but they merely feign it in order to be praised by people. They study God’s word and teach and preach publicly, but they lack a living relationship with Him.

If you meet a hypocrite, you will probably think he’s very nice, and quite moral and religious. But you are only seeing who he appears to be, not who he really is. His spirituality is only as thick as his skin.

Second, hypocrites are inconsistent. Jesus criticized the Pharisees because they only kept some of God’s laws. They tithed “mint and anise and cummin” but neglected “justice and mercy and faith” (Matt. 23:23). Hypocrites manage to keep some of God’s commands, but they cannot keep the whole law. So they pick and choose those which they like and can more-or-less maintain, and ignore the rest. Their lives do not line up with God’s word.

It’s true that even the most genuine Christian is often inconsistent. He is less than he should be. But he confesses his sin and receives forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:8-9). A true Christian brings his sin to the light so it can be dealt with. In contrast, hypocrites hid their sin under the rug. They pretend perfection, excusing their sins and shortcomings rather than confessing them.

Third, hypocrites seek horizontal rather than vertical praise. They try to be good people “to be seen by others” and “to be praised by others” (cf. Matt. 6:2, 5, 9). They want a good reputation. They live to be approved by the public eye. They want to be noticed, and will sacrifice almost anything to get what they want.

This horizontal praise-seeking is not just about public recognition. They join company with others who are like them and form inner circles of codependent praise. They “receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God” (John 5:44). They do not live to please their true Lord and Master, but only other people.

Fourth, hypocrites lack love for people. When a Jewish leader was upset with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, He replied, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman…be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” (Luke 13:15-16). The leader was upset that Jesus would help a woman on the Sabbath, but he had no qualms about helping his animal. He had compassion for his ox or donkey, who needed to eat and drink every day, but he had none for his fellow divine image-bearer, even though she had been suffering far longer.

Fourth Sign: Abusive

Someone is a false teacher if he abuses people rather than serving them. Abusive leaders often seem gifted, charming, and dynamic, but underneath they are self-centered narcissists. These false leaders wield their power for personal gain, and they don’t care how many people they need to run over in the process. People become objects to use rather than divine image-bearers to serve.

In healthy relationships, people work together to achieve something good for everyone involved. Leader-follower relationships should be no different. When church leaders are functioning according to God’s design, their joy increases when they see their people becoming more like Jesus (cf. 2 John 4, 12; 1 Thess. 2:19-20). And their people are blessed when they are led to Jesus so they can know and enjoy Him more. Healthy church structure benefits everyone involved.

But abusive leadership is not like this. It only benefits those who are in charge. A relationship is abusive — and violates God’s design — when one person’s wants and needs dominate the other’s. We can summarize spiritual abuse this way:

Spiritual abuse is when a spiritual leader wields his position of authority to manipulate, domineer, bully, and/or intimidate those under him to maintain his power and control — even if he is convinced he is seeking biblical goals.¹

Abusive leaders oppress their people and use them for their own gain. They “exploit” people with “deceptive words” (2 Pet. 2:3). They appear to be true Christ-followers, but they are really “wolves” who devour other sheep (Matt. 7:15). They don’t think about how they can benefit those in their care. Instead, they think about how those people can benefit them and their goals. These leaders do not seek biblical goals (glorifying God and discipling God’s people into the image of Christ) but their own. They are willing to use people to accomplish their goals, then chew them up and spit them out when they’re no longer useful.

This issue is compounded when their fellow leaders confuse the rod and the staff.² In God’s design, spiritual shepherds are supposed to protect the sheep (the believers in their care) from wolves (false teachers). They beat off the wolves with the rod, and protect the sheep with the staff.

But some leaders protect the wolves and beat the sheep. They switch the tools, protecting an abusive leaders because he has a dynamic personality, or because he is unusually gifted, or because holding him accountable would be destructive for the organization. The charismatic organizations referenced in the previous article have a bad track record on this count. “Anointed” leaders are left in leadership — or quickly restored after a brief hiatus — without any real repentance or change.³ While these leaders protect each other, those who have been abused and are asking for accountability are ignored, pushed out, slandered, and sued. The sheep are driven out of the church while the wolves are protected and permitted to continue feeding on the remaining sheep.

Fifth Sign: Illegitimate

Someone is a false teacher if he claims to be something he is not. Jesus speaks in Matthew 24 about “false prophets” who will “arise and lead many astray.” They claim to speak for God, and many believe them, but they are only pretenders. They proclaim a gospel, but it’s not the gospel. They preach a christ, but not the real Christ. Though they masquerade as God’s messengers, they preach another gospel and lead many people away from God.

We need to know that false prophets do not advertise themselves as such — and this is why they are deceptive. They appear to be genuine. They are reasonable, practical, and intelligible. Even the elect, the truly converted, are tempted to follow them (Matt. 24:24). Just because someone says he speaks for God doesn’t mean he does. And just because someone does miraculous works doesn’t mean he is Christ’s messenger. “False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders…” (Matt. 24:24). Indeed, there will be those who have prophesied in Jesus’ name, cast out demons in Jesus’ name, and done many wonders in Jesus’ name, whom Jesus will reject because He never knew them (Matt. 7:22-23).

These false prophets claim divine authority, but they are frauds. How do we know? Because their teachings disagree with Jesus. Because their lives are marred by sin. And because they spread speculative prophecies regarding Christ. Jesus warned, “If they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:26-27).

Though a false teacher may look authentic and may sound genuine, we can test him against God’s word and know whether he is sent by God — or if he is a fraud.

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^[1] This definition is adapted from Michael J. Kruger, Bully Pulpit (Zondervan, 2022), 24. This book is a good place to start if you want an introduction to the nature of spiritual abuse.

^[2] A shepherd usually carried both of these tools. The rod was a sturdy club used to defend against wild animals. The staff was longer, with a crook to help guide the sheep.

^[3] In one case, a sexual predator (with repeated offenses and multiple victims) was allowed to stay in ministry, and even to start a special camp for teenage girls! In another case, a habitual liar with a history of domineering control was left in leadership with no recourse.