False teaching exists in every generation. From Judas, to the Judiazers in Galatia, to the 21st century peddlers of religion, the church's ranks are constantly infiltrated. But, how can you spot a false teacher?

Although this list isn't exhaustive, let me offer three identifiers from the scriptures.

1. False teachers deny or manipulate Jesus.

A false teacher may be able to draw large crowds, stun an audience with grandiose displays of rhetorical flourish, and, perhaps, even teach a few biblical things along the way. But, at some point, a false teacher modifies the personal, visible, tangible, flesh-and-blood, incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. Whether it is denying or truncating his humanity like Gnostics, the Docetians, or Apollinarians, or denying his deity like the Ebions, Arians, or their modern day cousins the Jehovah's Witnesses, a false teacher is intentionally sloppy when it comes to the doctrine of Jesus. As John would say, "every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God." (1 John 4:2b-3a). If the teacher tweaks Jesus, even slightly, for any reason, he isn't speaking from or for God.

2. False teachers draw Christians away from Christ and toward themselves.

Whether it is Diotrephes (3 John 9-10), Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Timothy 2:17-18), the circumcision party (Titus 1:10-11), or the wolves in sheep's clothing in Ephesus (Acts 20:29-30), one of the clear signs of a false teacher is the long-term results of their ministry. It does not matter if they lead a megachurch of 5,000 or a backwoods congregation of 50. A false teacher is in it for themselves, not Christ. What is the fruit of the teacher's ministry? Do they lead the church toward deeper godliness, conviction, sacrificial love, holiness, truth, joy, and worship of Jesus or does the teacher gather a cult following for themselves?

3. False teachers are lead by their own passions, not the Holy Spirit.

False teachers are usually passionate, ambitious, "take-charge" types of leaders, but they can also be quiet, introverted, bloggers. Certainly, in themselves, none of those traits are sinful. However, when a teacher is motivated by shameful gain, pride, or lust, it is most likely that you aren't dealing with a proclaimer of the truth. Discerning this is simple. Who is in charge of their ministry? A false teacher isn't willing to submit themselves to godly authority within the church. They do not seek out personal accountability. They do not hold themselves and the people they lead to a statement of faith that outlines Christian essentials. They manifest continual, unrepentant pride, even after being repeatedly rebuked. They indulge in and/or tolerate sexual perversion. They constantly complain. They are never content. They are loud-mouthed boasters of their church's size or "faithfulness," exponential growth or "lack of compromise," platform influence or "expositional rigor," inclusive ministry or "doctrinal purity" (see Jude 8-16). If a pattern of these things emerge, then you are not dealing with a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You have a wolf who is devouring the sheep and needs to be shot.

May God give you and your congregation the courage to confront what is evil and cling to what is good as you pursue Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God for the sake of the gospel.