(For 5 days -- Dec. 26-27, 29-31 -- we want to study the matter of false teachers/false prophets, using Jeremiah 23 as our passage. This is a critical time, as Jesus said in His Olivet Discourse.)
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Jesus gave what we call the Olivet Discourse so as to prepare His disciples and His Church for deception (Mk. 13:5-6,21-23). He said their would be many deceivers. Deception is a very real issue for the Body of Christ, and all the more as we advance further into the latter days until the Lord comes to take us out of this world. The early Church had many deceptive issues as is evident from nearly every Epistle. Paul warned that after my departure savage wolves will comes in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves (Ac. 20:29-30).
Paul mentioned a couple that I would call to your attention. Someone tried to tell the Thessalonian believers that the day of Christ had already come (2 Th. 2:2-3). It may have been the same heretics who taught that the resurrection was already past (2 Tim. 2:16-18). Paul told Timothy to shun these profane idle babblings because they lead to an increase in ungodliness and overthrows faith. Remember that in the Seven Letters of Rev. 2-3 Jesus spoke against the Nicolaitans and Jezebel who taught falsely. The Churches were to deal with them accordingly.
These false teachers are not new. Peter said, there were false prophets among the people (of Israel), even as there will be false teachers among you (Jewish believers of the Church), who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, (2 Pt. 2:1). Let us take Peter’s cue and spend some time in Jeremiah 24, where we will gain a lot of help in identifying and deterring false prophets/teachers/apostles/christs.
· 23:1-2: The false prophets are here identified as shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! says the LORD. They scatter the flock and drive them away. Paul warned Titus, avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned (Titus 3:10-11). It is not just heresies that divide the flock. It is “useless” study and teaching on things that do not build up believers but still tear them apart.
· 23:3-8: This message from the LORD reminds us that the good shepherds, who feed the flock and build them up, are those who are Christ-like. The “Branch of righteousness” is Christ, and as Peter said, He is Chief Shepherd (1 Pt. 5:4) who will reward those shepherds that lead the flock. Dealing with false teachers is part of that oversight ministry.
· 23:9-10: Jeremiah had a heart for the people. What he saw was that the people were not experiencing the blessing of the LORD. They were characterized by evil, rather than the righteousness that characterizes Christ (23:6). And Jeremiah could see that the cause of this was “the prophets.” What was being preached to the people was not building them up but was tearing them down. If a shepherd does not have a heart for the people so that his “bones shake” because of what he sees, he will not be inclined to stand against the false teachers.
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