FALSE TEACHING ON THE PROPHETIC
Daniel Holland, author of “Prophetic Evangelism”, considers what’s false ……
What teaching have we received?
To some extent we are all a product of the teaching we have received. Some insist ‘I take all it straight from the Bible’.This sounds admirable but can disguise an unteachable spirit! We all need copious help understanding what the Bible is saying through the thoroughly biblical ministry of teaching. Some of the Bible is very hard to understand, it’s prideful to refuse help.
Pride is deadly and leaves us wide open to deception. Jesus’s conversations with the Pharisees certainly bore this out(Matt 23).We all need inspired Biblical teaching to grow.
The teaching we have received, which can carry the unspoken prejudices of our pastors and teachers, can profoundly influenced us for or against prophecy.
New Christians won’t understand that their local church teaching does not necessarily represent the wider church, or even the bible, on the prophetic. Our learning and our personal preferences must bow to the word of God. We must refine, therefore, the silver from the dross (Psalm 12v 6), the sacred from the vile (Jer 15v 19)
A Spirit-free Zone?
Not many pastors would admit that they don’t want the Holy Spirit and/or prophecy in their churches, even if this is exactly how they feel. A Christian friend was looking for a church in a new area and told the local vicar he wanted a ‘Spirit-filled’ church. The vicar firmly replied, ‘well, I hope you find the church you are looking for’. Tragic, but at least he was not hypocritical. How many of our churches are technically ‘open’ to the Spirit when,in reality, the door is firmly closed (Rev 3v 20). If we have been in a church like this, it will have affected us negatively.
When I was applying for jobs (mostly pastor roles) I asked two questions immediately. One of them was ‘do you have, or do you at least want the vibrant expression of the gifts of the Spirit in your church?’ The answers were illuminating! Some churches are full of beautiful Christians who have not been taught the truth. My purpose here is to briefly flag up the possibility that we may have imbibed false teaching somewhere along the line, in the hopes that you will retrace your steps and unpick this.
Cessation teaching
This doctrine maintains that the gifts of the Spirit including prophecy, ended after the death of the apostles. They ceased! The miracles and healings ‘launched’ the church and were then withdrawn. This is a highly damaging deception based on a false exegesis of Paul’s teaching on prophecy,
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Cor 13v 8)
What would a cessationalist think of people who claim to be exercising the gifts freely today? At best they are well meaning but deceived, at worst they must be operating in a demonic power,
But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” (Luke 11v 15)
If we have been drinking from this theological stream, it will inevitably affect our enjoyment and impede our freedom in these gifts. We might need to repent for believing such teaching?
Reform teaching
This teaching originates from an admirable desire to return to the word of God, the word only. The inherent danger is that the love of the written ‘word’ and Godly desire to deeply understand it can sometimesstray into idolatry, ‘bibliolatry’. As much as we love and honour the word of God, it is given to lead us into relationship with the living word, Jesus. He still speaks today, His Spirit is alive and well. Reformed doctrine might unintentionally minimize this reality, and even mitigate against it.
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5 39-40)
Before I touch on the other end of this teaching spectrum, I emphasize my love of prophecy, and passion to see it operating Biblically. However, both Scripture and church history offer us many warnings that the enemy will always counterfeit the movement of God, to deceive even the elect (Matt 24v 24). It is therefore impossible to have ‘a perfectly clean trough’ and the fulsome activity of the Spirit (Pro 14v 14). But we must guard vigilantly against deception (1 Tim 6v 20) and resist the enemy’s wiles.
At a prophecy conference a minister gave me some Godly wisdom; ‘It’s extremely important that you guard whose teachings and leadership you follow. Don’t accept any old thing!’ These days, with the advent of the WWW and social media, Christians are increasingly feeding themselves independently, and from all sorts of sources, good, bad and ugly.
New Age teaching
Those who love the things of the Spirit and have experienced the power of God may not realise they bring their unsanctified spirituality into the Kingdom with them! This applies to new believers, and newly revived Christians. Without good teaching and a thorough knowledge of Scripture any experience which is ‘spiritual’ can be embraced by well-meaning but deceived Christians. Without sound teaching they will slip anchor further and further from authentic Christianity. This causes, confusion and, potentially, catastrophe.
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Cor 10v 12)
There are also false prophets who actively try to infiltrate the church and spread false teaching with evil intent (Rev 2v 20).They seek out ‘prophetic’ opportunities within and without the church where they can trumpet their lies. Think how rapidly the Gnostic teachers arrived, snapping at the heels of the early church.
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4v 1)
Manifestations
Biblically and throughout church history there have been physical manifestations accompanying the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2, Acts 4v 31). There is nothing new in people jerking and shaking under the strong presence and conviction of God. However, the manifestations threaten to distract from the gospel message – and can be controversial.
I have known men out in the fields, others at their weaving looms, so overcome by this sense of God that they were found prostrate on the ground….. Physical manifestations and prostrations have been a further feature. I find it somewhat difficult to explain this aspect, indeed I cannot; but this I will say, that the person who would associate this with satanic influence is coming perilously near committing the unpardonable sin. Lady Huntingdon on one occasion wrote to George Whitefield respecting cases of crying out and falling down in meetings, and advised him not to remove them from the meetings, as had been done. When this was done it seemed to bring a dampener on the meeting. She said, ‘You are making a great mistake. Don’t be wiser than God. Let them cry out; it will do a great deal more good than your preaching. p29-30
Duncan Campbell, The Lewis Awakening, 1949-1953, p29-30, 33
We simply don’t understand everything about how God works, no matter how thoroughly Biblical we may be. When the awesome power of an Almighty God touches frail flesh, it shouldn’t surprise us if there is a reaction. Indeed, isn’t it strange that there isn’t more sometimes?
Most importantly, wherever there are manifestations we look for the righteous fruit in people’s lives. We should expect the power of God to accompany the preaching of the gospel. It’s more worrying if there is no power, no manifestation of glory (Mark 16v 20). Will there be fleshly displays, even demonic manifestations of ‘strange’ fire alongside this (Isa 50 v11)? I suspect so, but does that mean we throw the baby out with the bathwater?
Fear of deception can be a stronghold strangling the spiritual life out of congregations, stifling the Spirit. God will lead those who want to be led, and guide them away from false teaching. We do need to humbly challenge false teaching and, if not connected, we need to remove ourselves graciously from that church or ministry. Being personally immersed in the Word of God is our greatest protection and provision.
Gift of discernment – essential
We must take responsibility for our own spiritual health. Discerning of spirits is an invaluable gift and should be high on our prayer list. We need it desperately in these confusing times (1 Cor 12v 9). It has rescued me from deception several times, and I become more ‘attuned’ as I use it.
Just because we are fed something from the pulpit doesn’t mean we have to swallow it wholesale. I’m not encouraging rebellion, rather a healthy questioning and desire to rightly divide the word of God (2 Tim 2v 15). Even the greatest teachers are not infallible. No denomination has it all right! Most Christians have dipped into different streams at times for enrichment and balance in teaching. God only sees one true church. Denominations were Man’s idea!
Let’s ask our gracious Lord and teacher to cleanse out of our minds and hearts any false teaching and to renew us with true and life-giving teaching. Then we move on confidently, earnestly desiring the gift of prophecy (1 Cor 1v 14).
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Daniel Holland is a UK missionary with Through Faith Missions. He wrote “Through The Tunnel – Free at Last” published by PUSH Publishing, as his personal testimony. His second book “Prophetic Evangelism – Kingdom Exploits in the Risk Zone” was published in January 2021, via Christian Publications International: https://christian-publications-int.com/PropheticEvangelism.html
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