TESTING FOR FALSE PROPHETS?

Matthew 7.15-23

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit…Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.” (Matt 7.15-20, RSV)

False prophets abound; but initially many appear to be sound, true, and inspired. This was true in biblical times. It is true today.

Israel had trouble with kings, priests and prophets….

And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed..Her princes in the midst of her are like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives..Her priests have done violence to my law and profaned my holy things…And her prophets have daubed them with whitewash, seeing false visions and diving lies for them, saying ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken.” (Ezekiel 22.23-28)

“An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so. (Jeremiah 5.30-31, RSV)

St.Peter, writing to the early church---

“First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as their will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who redeemed them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” (II Peter 1.20-21, 2.1)

False prophets, teachers, leaders are guilty of---

Claiming to speak for God, while really opposing God

Corrupting the organizations the speak for or lead—whether nation, church, etc

Not practicing what they preach

Teaching what is not true

Teaching part of truth---but leaving important things out

Confusing, misleading, and often destroying people, faith, salvation

And false prophets and teachers there have been: Gnostics, Montanists, Marcionites---

Marcion, a 2nd century Christian, rewrote the bible, removing the Old Testament and part of the New. He was removed as a heretic, but left to start his own church, and took many people with him.

Who said this?

“Accordingly, it must not be considered a trifling…matter to…save our souls from the Jews. My advice is:

First, that their synagogues be burned down…

Second, that all their books---prayer books, Talmudic writings, etc, be taken from them…

Third, that they be forbidden on pain of death to praise God, pray, or teach publicly among us and in our country.

Fourth, that they be forbidden to utter the name of God without our hearing…”

He who hears the name of God from a Jew must inform the authorities, or throw sow dung at him when he sees him and chase him away.”

Martin Luther.

He was one of the great Reformers; he revived the doctrine of justification by faith through grace, and he translated the Bible into German.

However, in later years, frustrated at the refusal of many Jews to become Christians, he wrote terrible things about them, as these quotations from his book, On the Jews and their Lies, illustrate.

Some scholars believe his writings contributed to the Nazi regime’s racial laws, and eventually, the Holocaust.

Who said this?

“What we have to fight for is the necessary security for the existence and increase of our race and people, the subsistence of its children and the maintenance of our racial stock unmixed, so that our people may be enabled to fulfill the mission assigned to it by the Creator.”

“The [Jews’] very existence is a denial of the beauty of God’s image in his creation.”

The true believer should pray not for peace but for God’s aid in war: “Almighty God, bless our arms when the hour comes. Be just, as Thou hast always been just. Judge now if we deserve our freedom. Lord, bless our struggle.”

Adolf Hitler.

He considered himself an instrument in of the Almighty, and millions of of Germans agreed with him. Baptized a Roman Catholic, and never ex-communicated, some consider Hitler a “Christian heretic.”

A spiritual wolf, he led his nation, and many of the German churches, to disaster.

This man was a prominent pastor and civil rights leader. He integrated churches, restaurants, the police department, telephone company, and the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He and his wife were the first white couple to adopt an African-American child in Indiana.

He was lauded by politicians, given awards for his humanitarian and civil rights work, and founded numerous branches of his church in California.

Who was he?

Jim Jones

He was the founder of the Peoples Temple Christian Full Gospel Church. And though some of his civil rights efforts were laudable, he had ulterior motives, accompanied by delusions that he was the reincarnation of Mahatma Gandhi, and Jesus of Nazareth.

Concerned about criminal investigations of his work, he moved with 1000 followers to Guyana, in South America, and formed a commune.

On Nov 18, 1978, an investigating team led by Congressman Leo Ryan was ambushed, of whom 5 were killed, and others wounded. That same day Jones convinced 910 of his followers, to poison themselves, of whom 303 were children. Jones died of a gunshot wound, perhaps self-inflicted.

Jim and Tammy Bakker led a

popular TV ministry. Jesus was a star attraction that helped them become rich.

Harold Camping predicted the end of the world for May 21, 2011. Oops! Many people contributed money to this nonsense.

Both the Bakkers and Camping later changed their minds.

“Thus says the Lord God, woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13.3)

Jesus said, “You will know them by what they do. You won’t find grapes on thorn bushes. A healthy tree bears good fruit, a bad tree bad fruit.”

In a time of grave moral crisis, we must be discerning regarding our leaders in church and society. We must test every prophet, preacher, and leader…

Is there a commitment to God’s truth?

Is there humility? A willingness to admit mistakes?

Do words and actions show respect and compassion??

Is there courage?

Is the Golden Rule being practiced?

Is there the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

“If you listen to me, you will know what is right and just and fair. You will know what you should do. You will become wise, you will succeed in learning about God, and your insight and understanding will protect you and prevent you from doing the wrong thing.” (Prov 2.5-11)

“Leave simpleness and live, and walk in the way of insight.”

(Prov 9.6)

“Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying, but test everything; and hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil.”

(II Thessalonians 5.19-21)