False Teachers/Prophets Part 2

This is my second article in a series concerning false teachers/prophets.  You can read my first article here.

In this article I want to look at the example of a few churches mentioned in the New Testament and how they were impacted by false teachers and prophets.

First we will consider the church at Ephesus.  In Acts 20:28-31 the apostle Paul gives a specific warning to the elders of the church in Ephesus.  Paul tells them, "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."  They were warned by Paul, did they heed the warning?

We find the answer to that question in Revelation 2!  In Revelation 2 we have the Lord Jesus Christ Himself talking to the elders of the church in Ephesus.  Here's what He said to them.  "“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars." (Revelation 2:2)  Did you notice that?  Some men that claimed to be apostles went to the church in Ephesus.  The church 'tested' them - it looked at their teaching and doctrine - and found them to be liars.  They didn't believe these false apostles and did not allow them to infiltrate their church with false teaching.  For that, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself commended them.

So in the New Testament we have an example of a church that heard and heeded the warning to be on the lookout for false teachers and prophets.  And when they showed up at their church, they tested and proved them and found them to be false apostles and liars.  

Unfortunately there are two churches in the New Testament that did not heed the warning and were brought to account for it by the Lord Jesus Christ.  In Revelation 2 we read about the church in Pergamos (Revelation 2;12-17) and the church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29).  Here's what Jesus Christ says to each of these churches.  To Pergamos He says, "But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."  And to the church in Thyatira He says, "Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols."  Notice that both churches had not heeded the warning of false teachers and had allowed false teaching and doctrine to enter into and take hold of the church.  Jesus Christ warns them to repent of these actions. 

We must continue to heed the warning against false teachers and prophets.  These three churches in the New Testament serve as examples of what can happen when we stand against false teachers and when we don't.