Can someone be a false teacher by accident

[Brko72]

In other words: Can someone teach wrong doctrines even when they dont want?

or all false teachers know that what they are doing is wrong?

[Michael37]

2 hours ago, Brko72 said:

In other words: Can someone teach wrong doctrines even when they dont want?

or all false teachers know that what they are doing is wrong?

Yes, Brko72. False doctrines can and are unknowingly taught. Every follower of Christ encounters teachings that are at variance with each other, and that is why we must be like the Bereans who referred to the Scriptures in current use at that time to determine the truth of what Paul and his companions were teaching.

Acts 17:11 Berean Study Bible
Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

Christians who are new in the faith simply do not have enough knowledge and experience to teach and exhort correctly on the meatier matters that Scripture deals with. Sure they can testify of their journey to faith and its effect, but there is no substitute for diligent study and searching of Scripture along with firm guidance from those more mature and experienced in the faith.  

The Apollos Example:

Act 18:24-28  And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. (25)  This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. (26)  And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. (27)  And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: (28)  For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

The Ethiopian Eunuch Example:

Act 8:27-31  And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, (28)  Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. (29)  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join yourself to this chariot. (30)  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Do you understand what you read? (31)  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

The Rome Example:

Act 28:23-24  And when they had appointed him (Paul) a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. (24)  And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

The Pure Heart, Good Conscience, Unfeigned Faith Requirement:

1Ti 1:3-7  As I besought you to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that you might charge some that they teach no other doctrine, (4)  Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. (5)  Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: (6)  From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; (7)  Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

[missmuffet]

7 hours ago, Brko72 said:

In other words: Can someone teach wrong doctrines even when they dont want?

or all false teachers know that what they are doing is wrong?

If person is a true born again believer in Jesus Christ and they have read the Bible there is no mistake they are a false teacher. They are giving the words of the Holy Bible their own interpretation. Which is quite dangerous. 

[dhchristian]

7 hours ago, Brko72 said:

In other words: Can someone teach wrong doctrines even when they dont want?

or all false teachers know that what they are doing is wrong?

I have found the easier way to Spot a false teacher or merely a misguided believer is if they are willing to listen to instruction and admit they are wrong, when corrected in a brotherly reproving. 

The false teacher will get defensive and abusive, while the Misguided believer will have a hunger for the Truth of the Word of God. 

[Justin Adams]

59 minutes ago, dhchristian said:

Word of God

The WORD, the ONE and *ONLY UNIQUE ONE is Yeshua, seen also in the Tanakh. (*MONOGENES.)

But the written word has been heavily censured so what we have today is a watered down abridged version that strips out most of the supernatural contexts. The LXX and the apostles' teaching from that work is mostly not seen due to the allusions being vapid. The LXX was THE basis of the writers of the New Testament.

There is peer review scholarship of the re-quotes and allusions to the LXX Tanakh in the apostles' teaching - it is a VERY long list that few in the pew will ever know about.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Justin Adams

[*Zion*]

At the end of the day, I think that whether someone sets out to be false as a teacher or preacher is completely a heart issue.  The heart is highly deceptive, as the scriptures tell us.

I think a likely sign of a false teacher is someone who wants to make the impression that they alone hold the true interpretation of scripture, while the rest of us idiots (in their eyes) must only listen to them and nothing less or more; rather than relying on the Holy Spirit who is the actual one who leads us in to all truth, because He both points to and confirms the scriptures and reveals them to us in their many layers as only He can.

In contrast, someone who seeks to agree with the scriptures and the Holy Spirit, even if what is being spoken is presented in a way they have never seen before (which is what the revelation of God is - Jeremiah 33v3) is at the very least seeking out truth, as well as gaining it, and being edified by it.  We can all disagree on many things, but that does not mean that any of us have a false view of the scriptures - as Paul says, we see in part.  We see all different parts.  The problem comes when we have a tiny scrap and then claim to have the whole.

Seeking agreement and unity while searching out and holding onto the scriptures is of the Holy Spirit.  seeking to be 'right' or 'superior' is merely arrogance and vanity: pride.  

If pride is the motivation in preaching, as Paul said even if some preach out of envy against him, at least the gospel is going forward.  But it does make it a whole lot easier for deception to creep into whatever they preach or teach, as pride is sin, and sin is just an open door for the enemy to come in and operate.

In the end this pride works against itself anyway, because those who respect God over man will quickly see what is at work.  Sin repels God.  Pride repels humility.

Are those who preach and teach out of their own arrogance speaking falsely?  Not necessarily.  If they do speak falsely, do they do so on purpose?  Well, if they are only in it for the stroking of their own ego, then they are not really building up God's kingdom but their own.  They can convince themselves they are not, but convincing others will prove farm more difficult.  Either way, it's a big turn off, isn't it?  Not a very conducive way of communicating the Word of God.

Here's a novel idea: what if all Christians around the world set aside their denominations for one day and simply decided to agree on what they could: the coming and the sacrifice and work of Jesus upon the cross, His death and resurrection, fulfilment of prophecy, testament and covenant (testament and covenant are one in my book, but can be used to mean slightly different things too) and His coming again to judge the living and the dead - all to save mankind from sin and death and bring him into eternal life.

Can you imagine?  Probably some here right now want to reach through their screens and see if they could stone me.  See how persistently we seek disagreement?  The enemy does not want us to unite.  I wonder WHY!

Maybe God will do something to change that in these last days, or perhaps even in this particular time we're going through right now.

I truly believe that if we continue to test all things, and hold on to the good - together - bound by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God alone (not tradition or doctrines of men), then the falsity would have no choice but to fall away.

One can hope, eh?

[Justin Adams]

28 minutes ago, *Zion* said:

Word of God alone

That is why I ignore most preachers. I know where most came from and they can never satisfy their congregations and give them content. Our scripture have been abridged for the Luther, Calvin Le Haye mindset - and of course Darby and the Jesuits.

So I set my mind to study all biblical references and there are a TON that are not in our protestant canon. We have not been well taught and so I like peer review honest biblical and Qumran scholarship to find what was really written, including the LXX that Yeshua and the apostles quoted. If we actually were 'allowed' to study what the writers of the New Testament studied, we would not be in the post christian times that are now upon us.

All writings are from God in one way or another and with the Spirit of Yeshua to guide us, it becomes a huge but doable learning curve. It is interesting to say the least, but one can be somewhat like Daniel and Moses in this regard. Study and more study.

If you let someone else study for you, then how can that be completely relevant. Same goes with the 'eschaton'.. all the previous ideas, doctrine and supposed systems of end time ALL FALL DOWN. No one knows for sure, so rather than haggle about it we should be understanding the modern pagan mindset of the post christian times we live in and BRING THE GOSPEL.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Justin Adams

[*Zion*]

This is why I seek agreement.  Not imposition of my own views over others.

[Justin Adams]

2 minutes ago, DustyRoad said:

True. The Lord Himself quoted from the LXX as did some of the apostles. Other books: 1 Enoch, the Book of Jasher, and the missing Epistle to the Laodecians.  

It was no accident that the editors of the canon chose agreement with Augustine and others. The average pew person NEVER gets content of what really happened in the supernatural because seminaries are afraid of it all.

[Justin Adams]

6 minutes ago, DustyRoad said:

True. Other books: 1 Enoch, the Book of Jasher, and the missing Epistle to the Laodecians.  

Sad to say, the church does deliberately promote false accounts and strip-mines the scriptures they do have based on a faulty translation or their own seminary.

All scripture is given for...  and then they put in their own words...  It means ALL SCRIPTURES that the Lord and the apostles studied..

We have DELIBERATE misleading stuff come from all over the place and on this site by people that have NEVER studied the ancient texts for themselves. Instead they rely on Luther, Calvin, Darby, Scofield, Le Haye, Lindsay, and a whole host of pop-religio writings that are NOT approved.