Proverbs 21

“A false witness shall perish, but the man who hears him will speak endlessly.” Proverbs 21:28 (NKJV)

There have always been false teachers, people who claim to speak on behalf of God yet preach ideas that contradict God’s Word and character.  Jeremiah dealt with them.

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.  For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:8-9 (NKJV)

Jesus dealt with them.

“‘Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’ When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, ‘Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.’ Then His disciples came and said to Him, ‘Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’ But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.’” Matthew 15:6b-14 (NKJV)

The early church dealt with them and predicted they would increase in the last days.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;  and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV)

What is destructive about false teaching is that heresy spreads like pigment in a can of white paint.  It cannot be un-stirred and must be completely thrown out.  Long after the false teacher is gone, the “man who hears him” continues to apply the false theology, thus teaching it to a new generation.  Heresy gets passed down as Biblical truth and affects future generations to the extent that they believe the actual truth as a lie, to the point of mocking and persecuting Bible-believing Christians. (Psalm1:1-3)

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)