Lying Preachers
How can you tell if someone is a false prophet? A false teacher? A lying preacher? Peter says that there will be false teachers among us, and he is really only reiterating what is said multiple times in scripture.
If you are quite familiar with the Word you can often tell because they don’t use the Word very well. The may be brilliant speakers and charismatic personalities, but they stumble with the Word. Honestly, you don’t really have to be all that familiar with the Word to spot most of them. Honestly, far too many Christians aren’t familiar with the Word beyond kind of knowing a verse or two so this method doesn’t help much.
If you are sensitive to the Holy Spirit and have the gift of discernment of spirits you can likely spot them. Often they are quite carnal in their presentation. Two words Peter uses here are “bold and arrogant”. Ah, but there aren’t very many who are not drawn to the Word yet walk in the Spirit enough to spot phonies. Children can usually spot them but not spiritually dull adults.
There is another way to spot them. Look at their lives. Does this seem to be the kind of life Jesus would live? It helps to know the Word well but even if you don’t it still isn’t very hard to recognize an ungodly lifestyle. Of course, if you only see them on TV or on stage when they blow through town you really can’t see their lives. That is one of the reasons why God intended us to live in community and get to know those who serve by leading.
Know those you follow. Would you trust your possessions with them? Would you trust your spouse with them? Your kids? Your life? If so you can likely trust them to have a good read on the latest greatest teacher, prophet, evangelist, etc. There are such things as lying preachers, just as there are lying judges, and auto workers, and Starbucks workers. Find a preacher who is actually pastor, one you can trust. And, oh yes, get to know the Word as well. You’re going to need it.
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