If Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), how can we be sure we're not following someone who appears “biblical” but is actually a false teacher?

[warrior12]

Just about every preacher has some who find faults or errors in their doctrines or their message that they deliver. Exegisis or topical preaching is how the word is delivered from the pulpit mostly.

In my opinion, the beliver has to come to terms with how his spirit aligns or agrees with the many varied ways the word is delivered.  You the believer don't want to be bias, so the onus is on you to read and study the word and  yes, you would be dogmatic about an interpretation today, but as you continue in your journey, sometimes you may see that same verse in a different light.   

The ultimate way to check false teachings is to listen and then test the spirit. How you do that is your personal journey in searching out the truth .   There are so many scripture verses that believers may have split interpretation of.  Then who is right, that's why we are worthy to sharpen that iron and learn, submit and get along.   

Edited May 8 by warrior12

[1to3]

if one does not understand  Christ Jesus of the Holy Bible as part of the Father. Son , Holy Spirit, than neither will they understand completely His Word and neither can His Word work properly in them growing in the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:33

 

³³ But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Hebrews 8:10

¹⁰ For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people

 

_______________________________

IT IS Christ Jesus who calls us and WE either recognize HIS Voice or we don't

John ch10: Christ Jesus said: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

 

Some false teachers can easily argue:"Many people struggle with comprehending a Triune God Head,so is that a conditional requirement for ones Faith to be that Saving Faith? Why wouldn't Son of God not be enough,"?

Some will defend their claim using one passage of scripture out of context like John 3:16 to say / argue that you do not need to understand the trinity of God the Father Son, Holy Spirit to be saved.

If one truly understands God plan of Mercy and Grace they also know that all scripture points to the importance of understanding personally the Father , Son and Holy Spirit.

If only acknowledging Christ Jesus was enough , then ALL religions like the Muslims who say they know Christ Jesus but don't accept Him as LORD  and SAVIOR, the same for the JW who view there Jesus as a created being angel would be enough according, that type if reasoning

The ONE world religion is looking for that type of reasoning.

The RCC is looking for that type of reasoning

Today we have King Charles looking for that kind if reasoning to be spread world wide. Sure he goes to an Anglican church mentions Christ Jesus, but what else does he promote? He is behind the UN green agenda, the the UN " peace and security" =false dove of peace,  that if you properly research who started the League of nations that was later renamed the United Nations, it all originates direct from Chatham House: The Royal Institute Of International Affairs

1Thessalonians ch5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Christ Jesus said himself to the scribes and the pharisees: you observe this you observe that and you make the law to no affect with all the stuff you added that God never commanded.  See: Mathew ch23

[bdavidc]

14 hours ago, warrior12 said:

Just about every preacher has some who find faults or errors in their doctrines or their message that they deliver. Exegisis or topical preaching is how the word is delivered from the pulpit mostly.

In my opinion, the beliver has to come to terms with how his spirit aligns or agrees with the many varied ways the word is delivered.  You the believer don't want to be bias, so the onus is on you to read and study the word and  yes, you would be dogmatic about an interpretation today, but as you continue in your journey, sometimes you may see that same verse in a different light.   

The ultimate way to check false teachings is to listen and then test the spirit. How you do that is your personal journey in searching out the truth .   There are so many scripture verses that believers may have split interpretation of.  Then who is right, that's why we are worthy to sharpen that iron and learn, submit and get along.   

Every believer is called to test the teachings they hear against the Word of God. Scripture commands us in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” While different preachers may have different styles, whether they teach through exegesis or topical preaching, the responsibility still lies with the listener to be like the Bereans, who “received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).

God’s Word is not a matter of private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20), and while believers may grow in understanding over time, the truth does not change. We are not called to follow our feelings or personal opinions, but to rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). When there are differences in interpretation, we must go back to Scripture itself, allowing God’s Word to be the final authority. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 reminds us that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” True unity and spiritual sharpening happen not when we agree to disagree, but when we humbly submit to the Word and allow it to shape us. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” The goal is not personal alignment, but spiritual truth rooted in Scripture.

[warrior12]

5 hours ago, bdavidc said:

God’s Word is not a matter of private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20), and while believers may grow in understanding over time, the truth does not change. We are not called to follow our feelings or personal opinions, but to rightly divide the Word of truth

Fair reply.  Let me ask though, do you use a concordance, bible commentaries and other bible study tools ?.  Which bible translation do you use, or are their false or misleading ones and correct ones. How do you pick the one that you read and assess it is the correct one ?.

[bdavidc]

53 minutes ago, warrior12 said:

Fair reply.  Let me ask though, do you use a concordance, bible commentaries and other bible study tools ?.  Which bible translation do you use, or are their false or misleading ones and correct ones. How do you pick the one that you read and assess it is the correct one ?.

Your questions are fair, but the foundation for truth is not tools, translations, or opinions; it’s the written Word of God itself. The Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). That means Scripture alone is sufficient to teach, correct, and equip the believer. Tools like concordances and commentaries can be helpful, but they are not authoritative. They must always be tested against the Bible, not the other way around (Acts 17:11).

As for translations, yes, there are misleading ones that alter key doctrines. God’s Word warns about those who corrupt the Word (2 Corinthians 2:17). That’s why it’s important to use a translation that is faithful to the original Hebrew and Greek, not one that adds interpretation or removes truth for modern sensibilities. The correct translation will preserve the meaning of the text, not twist it. The key is this, whatever version you read, test every word by Scripture itself. Psalm 119:160 says, “Thy word is true from the beginning.” If what you’re reading or studying leads you away from the plain meaning of the Bible, then it’s not from God. Truth isn’t found by comparing opinions, it’s found by comparing everything to what God already said.

[warrior12]

21 minutes ago, bdavidc said:

As for translations, yes, there are misleading ones that alter key doctrines. God’s Word warns about those who corrupt the Word (2 Corinthians 2:17).

 

32 minutes ago, bdavidc said:

That means Scripture alone is sufficient to teach, correct, and equip the believer. Tools like concordances and commentaries can be helpful, but they are not authoritative. They must always be tested against the Bible, not the other way around (Acts 17:11).

Though you did not answer my question in full, that's alright.

As believers, not everyone has the same interlect capacities to understand scripture as written. Yes, the word is the final authorative to follow, but God has given men gifts to help others who are weak and need nuturing and then becoming more mature.  You said the tools "Can" be helpful and I do agree.  A seed is planted, then watered and grows into that wonderful plant.  It is up to the believer in how he chooses to the pathway that is outline biblically to live and mature.  

A man can willfully fool others, but not himslef, as his concience will prick him to the truths.   So, in your opening post, how do we discern the truth from error. Well the bible says 

 

Proverbs 3:5-6      Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

⁵ Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

⁶ In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

[Hopefully]

“My dear friends, many false prophets are in the world now. So don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God.
 

This is how you can recognize God’s Spirit.

One spirit says, “I believe that Jesus is the Messiah who came to earth and became a man.” That Spirit is from God.

Another spirit refuses to say this about Jesus. That spirit is not from God. This is the spirit of the enemy of Christ.

You have heard that the enemy of Christ is coming, and now he is already in the world.

My dear children, you belong to God, so you have already defeated these false prophets. That’s because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. And they belong to the world, so what they say is from the world too. And the world listens to what they say.

But we are from God. So the people who know God listen to us. But the people who are not from God don’t listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit that is true and the spirit that is false.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭

[Tristen]

On 5/6/2025 at 3:29 AM, bdavidc said:

The idea that both sides can be equally valid if they both sincerely believe their interpretation is a lie straight from Satan, sincerity doesn’t equal truth

I did not ever say (nor even suggest) "both sides can be equally valid if they both sincerely believe their interpretation". Nor did I ever claim that sincerity equals truth. Are really you so eager to win an argument that you are set on repeatedly misrepresenting my provided position? 

In the context of sincere disagreement, the reason for discussion/debate is to test the rational quality of each argument. Nothing is tested or achieved from you simply claiming to be telling "the truth". Everyone thinks that what they believe is "the truth" (otherwise they wouldn't believe it). You use scripture to support your claim, and they use scripture to support their claim. You claim to be telling "the truth", and they claim to be telling "the truth". All such claims are wasted words - and only serve to stall the testing process.  

The point you "missed" is that there is no logical merit in simply declaring yourself the lone champion of "God's revealed truth". Nor is there logical merit in simply declaring that their disagreement with you is causing "divisions and offenses" (since they can also claim that your disagreement with them is causing "divisions and offenses" against "God's revealed truth"). The only logical merit is found in the rational quality of the provided supporting arguments. 

 

On 5/6/2025 at 3:29 AM, bdavidc said:

humility does not mean silence in the face of error

I never once claimed we should respond to "error" with "silence". 

 

On 5/6/2025 at 3:29 AM, bdavidc said:

I’m doing it by Scripture, not opinion. What I have shown is straight from the Bible, and it is not my opinion about what the Bible says, but it is actually what the Bible says.

That's not entirely accurate.

What you have done in this conversation is present scriptures which don't say exactly what you need them to say. You thus read your interpretation into them to get to what you want from them. 

For example, the Bible says; "Test all things. Hold fast what is good". 
- Then, you say, "Hold fast what is good" means "reject falsehood" (which is 1 degree removed from what the verse actually says). Note that the verse says, "hold fast what is good". It does not say anything about rejecting falsehood. You therefore added information to the verse that does not exist in the text itself. Anyways - moving on. 
- Your argument continues: "reject" means condemn/accuse (degree 2 away from what is stated in the verse). 
- And furthermore, "falsehood" means any disagreement with our understanding of scripture - i.e. anyone who happens to arrive at a different conclusion to us (degree 3). 
Therefore, "Hold fast what is good" actually means we should be actively, hyper-critically, publicly condemning Christians who disagree with us. 

And that is how you rationalize your way to make the verse support your position that we should be readily denigrating Christians as "false teachers". Yet all the verse said was, "Hold fast what is good". 
 

 

On 5/6/2025 at 3:29 AM, bdavidc said:

Your relativism puts every interpretation on the same level

OK - So here is where we stand:
I encourage more caution against denigrating Christians as “false teachers”, and you slander me as being relativist.

Having therefore done my due diligence, I have put your arguments to the test and found them to be not “good”.

In this conversation you have:
1 – commonly employed a variety of logic fallacies.
2 – constantly misrepresented and mischaracterized my stated position.
3 – manipulated scripture beyond what it states – then claimed your position to be “straight from the Bible”.
4 – postured yourself as the inerrant arbiter of Christian truth (i.e. “God’s revealed truth”).
And when challenged, you:
5 – resort to casting false accusations against the one who disagrees with you.

As such, based on the standard of argument presented in this conversation, I have determined for myself that you lack the credibility/maturity to act as an authoritative judge over Christians (and/or Christian doctrine); i.e. with the authority to denigrate other Christians as “false teachers”.

I would obviously not presume to castigate you as a "false teacher". I would, however, for the moment at-least, dissuade those under my care from accepting your accusations against other Christians at face value.

 

[warrior12]

10 hours ago, bdavidc said:

Your questions are fair, but the foundation for truth is not tools, translations, or opinions; it’s the written Word of God itself. The Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). That means Scripture alone is sufficient to teach, correct, and equip the believer. Tools like concordances and commentaries can be helpful, but they are not authoritative. They must always be tested against the Bible, not the other way around (Acts 17:11).

Are there areas or subjects in the bible that you have pondered upon , but has not yet fully formulated your thoughts on , or do you have all pat down and sure of your mind interpretation as to how you read it in scripture.

Example.  Do you believe a man could loose his salvation, i.e OSAS ?.  You are fully aware that this subject has been  discussed for eons now, even right here at worthy.   How did you arrive at your answer. What scripture verse would you use to substantiate your answer ?.

[1to3]

'The  testing process'

as @bdavidc wrote is  Gods word

What @bdavidc  mentioned  that I re-quote here is the correct process God instructs us through His Word to follow.

 

"it’s the written Word of God itself. The Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). That means Scripture alone is sufficient to teach, correct, and equip the believer. Tools like concordances and commentaries can be helpful, but they are not authoritative. They must always be tested against the Bible, not the other way around (Acts 17:11).

As for translations, yes, there are misleading ones that alter key doctrines. God’s Word warns about those who corrupt the Word (2 Corinthians 2:17). That’s why it’s important to use a translation that is faithful to the original Hebrew and Greek, not one that adds interpretation or removes truth for modern sensibilities. The correct translation will preserve the meaning of the text, not twist it. The key is this, whatever version you read, test every word by Scripture itself. Psalm 119:160 says, “Thy word is true from the beginning.” If what you’re reading or studying leads you away from the plain meaning of the Bible, then it’s not from God. Truth isn’t found by comparing opinions,

it’s found by comparing everything to what God already said."