I've been thinking a lot about false teachers. This topic has been a recurring theme in my mind for years, especially since moving to Kenya, but it's come to the forefront again recently as our Bible Study has spent time pouring over 2 Peter. It's a small book—only three chapters—but it packs a punch.
I had the privilege of teaching both the first and second chapters of 2 Peter, which meant I had the privilege of doing a deep dive as I prepared to lead our weekly Bible Study.
This all serves as a sort of beautiful prelude to chapter 2, which takes a bold and serious stance against false teachers. Essentially, Peter says that if we know and remember God's Word, we will be equipped to recognize and combat false teachings.
Peter does not mince words. He has this and more to say about false teachers:
"they will introduce destructive heresies"
"many will follow their shameful ways"
"these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up"
"they are like brute beasts"
"they are blots and blemishes"
"they never stop sinning"
"they seduce the unstable"
"they are experts in greed—an accursed brood"
"they mouth empty, boastful words"
Clearly, Peter did not view false teachers as minor annoyances. Rather, they were a serious threat to the Gospel. Their lies led Christians astray. Their empty promises created destruction for those who listened and adhered to them. Above all, they pointed away from Jesus rather than toward Him.
The same is true of false teachers today. The threat has not receded since the first century. False teachings have taken many forms over time, morphing to meet the earthly desires of each generation and culture. At their heart, however, is the same lie: what Jesus offers is not what we want, nor what is good for us.
The irony is that the lie is often draped in Christian language, even overlapping with true Christian teaching. Jesus is often lauded as Lord of all and Savior of the world, desiring our good. That is true, all of it. But it's often portrayed that Jesus is not the only thing we need, and what He proclaims to be our good must also be in line with what we think and feel is good. That, of course, is unbiblical.
But it can sound so good to anyone longing for a better life, a higher hope, a light at the end of the tunnel. The human heart wants peace, sometimes at any cost, with or without Jesus. And a human heart desperate for such peace is prone to listen and accept a teaching that offers it, even if that teaching contradicts Scripture.
The two most common forms of false teaching that I've seen here in Kenya target the heart's desire for peace: the Prosperity Gospel, and modern-day prophets.
The Prosperity Gospel is common around the world, offering empty promises of health and wealth if church members live good enough lives and/or pour enough money into the church, thereby earning a life of peace and ease.
Besides the countless churches preaching countless sermons to this effect, we've seen this false teaching capture people in tangible ways here. Anyone can buy a large poster in town with a stock photo of a mansion, sports car, and a white person smiling and wearing designer clothes while standing amidst their life of health and wealth. I have seen more than one home with such posters plastered on their living room walls, a daily reminder of what they hope and long for. We've also heard a handful of people discuss their dream of moving to Europe or America, because that's where the promise of health and wealth lies. Usually these people know someone else who's "made it" by moving there and they long to follow and achieve the same successful dream.
The other common manifestation of false teaching here is that of modern-day prophets. Drive in any direction and you will no doubt find churches advertising prophets, either by virtue of being the home of a prophet or being the site of an event with a prophet as the special guest. Just last month I was invited by someone to attend her church so I could hear their prophet. We had been conversing about Scripture and she became so excited that she extended an invitation to her church so I could learn even more from the prophet. Without rejecting the invite outright, I steered her back to Jesus: "Jesus is the Prophet I listen to. He's given us everything we need to know, and He's the only Prophet we'll ever need."
The problem with modern-day prophets is that they typically add or detract from the Word of God. But we believe in a closed canon, that Scripture has been divinely given and declared complete, and there is no adding to it or subtracting from it. The usual motivation behind modern-day prophets who declare a Gospel other than the one we find in Scripture is a desire for fame and fortune, plus the glory that comes along with fame and fortune. They claim to have the words of life, rather than pointing to the One who truly has the words of life. They claim to have special powers to heal, rather than pointing to the One who alone can heal. They claim to have potent prayers that actually reach the ears of God when the laymen's don't seem to. Ultimately, they claim to be more than, something other than, or set apart from the common folk who is therefore needed by everyone else to have a special spiritual experience or to acquire the measure of health and wealth they seek.
And the promises of false modern-day prophets turn a pretty penny. It's a lucrative business, offering empty promises and leading people astray. But many people believe in the empty promises and willingly part with their cash. The false teachers get exactly what they want—their own fame and fortune—while the crowd of congregants may or may not get anything except a thinner wallet. As a saying goes here in Kenya, "If you want to make money, build a church."
So as our Bible Study has been reading 2 Peter and studying the harsh things the apostle had to say about false teachers, my conviction has been renewed to follow Peter's teachings in chapter 1 to know God's Word and remember God's Word, so that I won't fall prey to any of the numerous false Gospels still circulating the world today.
Studying 2 Peter has renewed my individual effort to that end, but it's also imperative for the Church to make a collective effort to this end, which is where I'm particularly proud of the African Church for stepping up to combat false teachings that have crept into the Church and taken root.
Last year, a group of African church leaders published a landmark document stating 14 Articles that both affirm core teachings of the Christian faith and deny correlating false teachings. The Africa Statement on the Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith Theology is the result of an extensive collaboration of church leaders across the continent to tackle the threat of false teaching head on. The initial signers of the document hail from Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Cameroon, South Africa, and Uganda, and the website invites others to follow their example and sign the statement also. It is a thorough and deeply encouraging manifesto declaring that the Gospel is still true and that the tenants of the faith are necessary to know and believe just as every falsehood contradicting the Truth needs to be called out and rejected.
I am proud and thankful for these church leaders boldly leading the way in what 2 Peter teaches us: knowing and remembering God's Word will equip us to recognize and reject false teachings.
