Ravenous Wolves

And the LORD said to me: "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. -- Jeremiah 14:14

Those are strong words, are they not? God said that there were "prophets" in Israel who were speaking lies in His name. Scripture is replete with warnings about false prophets and false teachers. They were common in ancient Israel, and they are all too common in the church today. Jesus likened the false teacher to a ravenous wolf. In fact the idiom, "Wolf in sheep's clothing" is a derived from the words of Christ.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. -- Matthew 7:15

The false prophet is an impersonator. He pretends to be one thing on the outside, but inside he is something very different. The false teacher is a predator; his ambition is to, in some way, consume the sheep. He is usually driven by personal ambition to gain a following for himself. He does not point us to Christ, but rather, he will distract us by subtlety shifting our attention away from Christ onto other things (dreams, ambitions, affluence, etc). The false teacher does not care for the sheep (though he will pretend to), nor will he protect the sheep. He is a thief and a robber who comes to kill, still, and destroy.

But what does a false teacher look like? Do they dress in black and have a permanent sneer on their face? No, to the contrary, false teachers are often dynamic, eloquent, and attractive. They will use Christian language and phrases. They even quote Scripture (didn't Satan do the same), but in the process, they will twist and distort its meaning.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. -- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Jesus warned us time and again to be on the watch for false teachers, as did the apostles. Here is a small sample:

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. -- Acts 20:29-31

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. -- Romans 16:17-18

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. -- 2 Timothy 4:3-4

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. -- 2 Peter 2:1-3

From the preceding passages, we see certain marks of a false teacher:

• They serve their own appetites
• They are marked by greed and lust
• They use smooth talk and flattery
• They tell people what they want to hear
• They bring in destructive heresies
• They seek to take advantage of people

Are you detecting a pattern here? So am I. Please note, Christ and the Apostles are not suggesting that there might be the occasional false teacher. They emphatically stated time and time again that there will be false teachers. We can count on it. There has always been an abundance of false teaches.

The standard for a pastor is very high (James 3:1), if a pastor has even one of these character flaws, he is not fit to be an undershepherd. This is a grave warning that we should take very seriously. Unfortunately, it seems that these warnings are often ignored. Just because something is marked "Christian" doesn't make it so. How is it that so many professing Christians are willing to protect and support high-profile, "celebrity" pastors who have been caught up in scandal? Men who do not meet the biblical requirements for leadership on the most basic level. Have we become more devoted to the celebrity pastor than Christ?

So what are the qualifications of a leader? We needn't guess, they are laid out very clear in Scripture:

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. -- Titus 1:5-9

What is our best defense against hirelings and false shepherds? Our best defense is to know the voice of the Good Shepherd. How do we hear the voice of the Good Shepherd? We do that by reading and meditating on His written Word. We would do well to imitate the faithful Bereans who examined the Scriptures and held fast to what is true (Acts 17:11). Remember, there is a reason God's people are compared to sheep (not so bright, prone to wander, etc.), we must stay close to the True Shepherd by staying in His Word and rejecting any so-called leader who runs counter to God's written Word.

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Lastly, lest we be tempted to despair, let me offer this strong word of encouragement. This is Christ's Church, and He is faithful. He has promised to raise up faithful men to teach and edify His people. Although these men will not be perfect, they will be biblically qualified stewards of the office to which God has called them.

Furthermore, we have the witness of faithful men from over 2,000 years of church history to learn from. The Church has been built on a single foundation, in which Christ is the chief cornerstone. In the same way that we can be certain about the reality of false teachers, we can also be certain that Christ is faithful to raise up godly men. Some will be men of renown like Luther and Spurgeon, but most will joyfully labor in obscurity as a local pastor. As we look back through Church history, we see that God is faithful, and we have every reason to be confident that He will continue to be faithful. But let us also remember to be faithful Bereans of God's Word.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. -- Matthew 16:18

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. -- Ephesians 2:19-22

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. -- Ephesians 4:10-16