Musick-al note # 176
It is clearly taught in the New Testament that there would be false prophets in the religious world today. These false prophets will be those who teach doctrines formulated by men’s thinking and say they are teaching the Word of God. One would have to look only a little at the teaching of the religious world today to know that this is certainly true today. In every place there are men teaching and practicing doctrines that are contradictory to each other and not found in the Word of God. Not all doctrines can be right or God would be the author of confusion. Paul denies that He is (1 Corinthians 14:33). With only a little study of the New Testament one can see that many of these doctrines also contradict the teachings of Jesus and His disciples. There are many scriptures that warn of false teachers (false prophets) such as Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11; 2 Corinthians 11:13; Galatians 2:4; 2 Peter 2:1 and 1 John 4:1. Study these carefully and you will see that Jesus and his Apostles foretold of their coming and warned the faithful to not follow them. John even told how to prove whether one was false or not when he said, “Test the spirits, for many false teachers have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1. How are we to test these spirits? By the Word of God of course. There is no other standard but truth which is God’s own Word (John 17:17). John also wrote that the written word is the standard of faith (John 20:30-31). Paul said in Galatians 1:7-9, “…some will trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven preach to you any gospel other than that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again, if any man preach to you any gospel other than that which you received, let him be accursed.” Do you realize what Paul said? He said that there would be false teachers and they would pervert or change the gospel of Jesus Christ. He went further and said that he, himself, could preach no other gospel than which he had preached and no angel could preach another gospel than which he had preached or no other man could preach another gospel than which he had preached without being cursed. We must recognize that the Lord God will be the one to destroy the person who teaches doctrines that are contrary to His Word.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 