Cults: What is their source of Authority? describes the marks of a cult so you will know how to identify them. Continue reading Cults: What is their source of Authority?
Tag Archives: Marks of False Prophet
FP: The Bad Fruit of a False Prophet part 2b
FP: The Bad Fruit of a False Prophet part 2b will investigate what the fruit (life and ministry) of a false prophet.
Summary: This study will investigate what the fruit (life and ministry) of a false prophet. Part 2 of this series is simply an introduction and begins by contrasting a man of God’s fruit (piety and holiness) with the false prophet’s fruit (sin, not doing God’s will).
For an overview, see
False Prophets and Teachers Overview
Continue reading FP: The Bad Fruit of a False Prophet part 2b
How to tell if you are in cult #6
How to tell if you are in cult #6 treats your doctrine is out of sync with the Bible or going lacking on specific teachings of the Bible. How to tell if you are in cult
FP: The Bad Fruit of a False Prophet part 2
For an overview, see
False Prophets and Teachers Overview
Continue reading FP: The Bad Fruit of a False Prophet part 2
FP: Overview of the False Prophet
Overview of the False Prophet
False Prophet
By David Cox
Summary: This is post is an index page for all our studies on the topic of “false_prophet”. Here we will define what is a false_prophet, describe him biblically, his methods and techniques, his goals and objectives, and his show what God says about him.
The existence of false_prophets and teachers is a given in the Bible. You cannot read and understand the Bible without seeing the danger and existence of false prophets. What God wants is for us to discern the incorrect from the correct. God’s instruction about false_prophets is a warning so that we can correctly identify the false prophet and separate from them and their ministries so as not to be hurt, nor enter into the judgment of God on them.
For an overview, see
False Prophets and Teachers Overview
FP: Identifying a False Prophet (updated 1/29/2022)
How to Identify a False Prophet
In my book on False Prophets, I identify three methods or forms that we can use to identify a false prophet, and I will repeat them here (these posts were basically taken from my book in Spanish on the matter).
We can say that such and such doctrine is the true doctrine, and anything else is false. Actually, that would be the fundamentals of the faith. In part that is true. But unfortunately as evidenced today by so many examples, many false prophets have adopted these “fundamentals” or these core doctrines as their own, but they are still false prophets. The problem comes in they refute the Bible axiom that sound doctrine produces correct conduct. They have sound doctrine but don’t believe in it because their life is still filled with sin, and sin which contaminates whole churches because they are leaders.
The issue is that people lie. Unfortunately, ministers lie. And when a good pastor tells you the truth, or when a liar pastor tells you something that likewise looks like the truth, it is hard to discern.
How to Figure out when you got a Wolf by the Tail
It is unfortunate that there are bad churches with bad pastors and preachers in them. But God has his purpose in allowing even these things to happen to his people. God’s purpose is to make clear those Christians who are faithful to Jesus versus those who only give lip service to him. Many Christians will follow Satan himself into the pit of hell. They don’t care as long as it looks good to them at the moment.
But if a normal Christian, a new believer, is really wanting to follow his Savior, how does he do it? The problem is that if he knows doctrine really well, then he can discern the good pastor from the hireling and the wolf in sheep clothes. But most new believers and Christians who are not experienced do not know their Bible well. So if we by-pass doctrine for a moment (and we understand we are doing this until the individual believer KNOWS his Bible well, that all. This is a secondary way to discern a wolf in sheep’s clothing.) then we can look at the trail of disaster the wolf leaves behind him. By his effect on the sheep, by his methodology of working, the wolf is clearly seen and identified.
Purpose of these studies
These studies are basically for God’s people that are having problems with their church and/or pastor. These are Bible expositions so that we can understand clearly what is going on, and identify and get away from a false prophet, even if he tries to identify himself as a really good man of God.
For an overview of this, see
False Prophets and Teachers Overview
We can discern a false prophet by:
- His fruit – What he does or produces by his life and ministry.
- His methods – How he does what he does.
- His Character – What he is, or what is in his heart (as seen by the outworking of his life).
Finally, we will look at our defense against false prophets.
The rest of these posts (beginning with “FP:”) will explore many characteristics of the false prophet.
Final Exhortation
Please, please do not give up hope. This is the objective of Satan in throwing these firebrands at the church to destroy it. God’s men are not abusive. If you are in a church with an abusive pastor or minister, then you MAY BE in a church with a false prophet. Do not be discouraged by this. Learn from it, leave and find a good church, and throw the entire weight of your life and ministry and resources behind a good church with men of God over it. This is what we need to take away from bad experiences.
The church is not broken. The men of God are not broken. These things work, and they work very well. The entire genius of God’s eternal wisdom is put behind God’s creation of the church. He did it right the first time, and there is no need to change anything or “fix” anything broken with the church or preachers. The only thing we need to do is to study and heed what God has done, understand it, and obey what God has told us.
If we would have taken the time to study and truly verify the spirituality, yea, even the salvation of our preachers and pastors BEFORE they entered into their offices, we would not have these problems today. Man is lazy, so the layman’s laziness caused these men to get into church office. Do not throw off all the responsibility on “the pastor”. When churches lose their pastor, and they are in the process of selecting a new pastor, or when a Christian move into a new area and is looking for a church home, these are layman problems that nobody wants. They take the first thing that “looks okay,” and then they think they can put up with things if a few things are out of order. They don’t go to Scriptures and insist on their church and pastor being biblical.
Here enters your faith. If you insist with God that the pastor and church where you are going to attend is biblical, not perfect in every sense, but a group and individuals highly following God’s Word, and you do not give up the faith that God can provide you that, then you will be rewarded. Settling for trash usually ends poorly for anybody who does so. Just look at man’s poor statistics with marrying each other, and you will see this born out.
More Posts on False Prophets
- Why so many Crises Today?
- What is Prophecy?
- What do false prophets want?
- The Fruit of a False Prophet Part 2
- Pastoral Covetousness OT
- Pastoral Covetousness NT
- Ministerial Requirement Not Covetous
- Good Shepherd Sacrifices
- Fruit of a False Prophet and the Bible
- FP: Using Scripture or Following Scripture?
- FP: The Fruit of a False Prophet Obedience part 3
- FP: The Burden to Confront Sin
- FP: The Bad Fruit of a False Prophet part 2b
- FP: The Bad Fruit of a False Prophet part 2
- FP: Overview of the False Prophet
Posts that mention false Prophets in them
More Posts on Spiritual Abuse and Cults
- Wiersbe, W. – Be Free: Galatians
- VanVonderen-Ryan – Soul Repair
- Spiritual Abuse and Why Are Toxic Leaders Allowed to Remain in Power So Long?
- Signs of Abusive leadership #2
- Signs of Abusive leadership #1
- Recovering from Churches that abuse Exiting #4
- Mark of a Cult: Deception
- Identifying Cults Leadership
- How to tell if you are in cult #7
- How to tell if you are in cult #6
- How to tell if you are in cult #5
- How to tell if you are in cult #4
- How to tell if you are in cult #3
- How to tell if you are in cult #2
- How to tell if you are in cult #1
FP: Fruit of a False Prophet Willfulness part 4
The Fruit of a False Prophet Willfulness part 4
The Fruit of a False Prophet willfulness part 4
By David Cox
Summary: This study will investigate what the fruit (life and ministry) of a false prophet. Part 4 of this series is simply an introduction and begins by contrasting a man of God’s fruit (piety and holiness) with the false prophet’s fruit (sin, not doing God’s will).
For an overview of this, see
False Prophets and Teachers Overview
Continue reading FP: Fruit of a False Prophet Willfulness part 4
FP: Catching the False Prophet with his hand in the Cookie Jar
The Marks of a False prophet
In this post, I want to analyze some things about how the false prophet works, and how you can use this knowledge to identify a false prophet. The idea here is that there are ways to identify a false prophet, and rather than listing correct and incorrect doctrines (because he will read this list and say he is teaching the correct, and invent new false doctrines), we examine how a false prophet thinks and works his work.
For an overview of this, see
False Prophets and Teachers Overview
Continue reading FP: Catching the False Prophet with his hand in the Cookie Jar
FP: False Prophet bad fruit Part 2 no Dictators allowed
The Ministry and Person of a Pastor
No dictators allowed! A false prophets study that examines why pastors are not to be dictators, but rather hands on leaders which first do themselves, and others follow their examples.
For an overview of this, see
False Prophets and Teachers Overview
Pastors are supposed to “get things done” in the local church. But in getting things done, many misunderstand the style of leadership our pastors are supposed to have. It is not an army, where the general sits behind a desk and gives orders. The pastor is somebody who takes the lead by doing things himself, and others see him and because they love him, they follow him.
Pastors are not to be dictators
The “lording over the flock” is exactly the problem with modern churches. It doesn’t work in God’s work.
1Pe 5:3 “not being lord’s over God’s flock”
G2634 κατακυριεύω katakurieuo (kat-ak-oo-ree-yoo’-o) v.
1. to lord against, i.e. control, subjugate
There is a grave problem when a pastor thinks his principle ministry is the controling of the flock of God. Pastors do not control. They are brethren with the sheep. Their purpose is to take care of others, and to lead them by being the first and most faithful one to do the correct thing.
1Pe 5:2 not for filthy lucre,
G147 αἰσχροκερδῶς aischrokerdos (ai-skhrok-er-doce`) adv.
1. to gain in a disgracefully, sordidly manner
A pastor does what he does, striving to get what he deems a worthy goal by a correct method. Motives, methods, and goals are all involved. But when a minister makes spiritual decisions based on how it will economically affect him (personally or as a ministry) we need to take a step back on that one. We should not do things without considering the long range effects of the thing, but the spiritual side comes first and can completely overrule any economic suffering that may result. The Christians of Bible times accepted great economic loss in order to obey God (Hebrews 11 – Heroes of the faith).
Although there should be financial responsibility in every ministry, the pastor has to be distanced from that concept of greediness.
1Pe 5:2 but of a ready mind
G4290 προθύμως prothumos (proth-oo’-moce) adv.
1. with alacrity
Merriam Websters – a quick and cheerful readiness to do something; promptness in response.
Again, the greatest pastors in history and in the world today are doers that do not order others to follow them, but rather by themselves doing the right thing, they inspire others to follow them and do the same.
1Cor 16:15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) 1Cor 16:16 That ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.
Basically, I have seen two kinds of pastors: (1) those that are hands on pastors, wanting to get involved and if possible lead the charge. (2) armchair generals that normally “do not get their hands dirty with the small stuff.”
When we see a minister that has a dedication to work and work hard, we should follow that man. When we see lazy, do little, do nothing, and brag about what they themselves don’t actually do, we should get away from them.
Ministers should be examples for others
Note that this concept is very biblical. Some people say, “don’t look at the minister because he will just let you down. Look only at God.” We should not let failures of Christian character get us discouraged. That is a good thought. But if you cannot follow the leaders you have, you need to change leaders and churches altogether.
1Tim 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Titus 2:6 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. Titus 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Titus 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
1Cor 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
1Cor 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
Phil 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
1Thess 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
The point here is that the Bible exhorts us to follow the faith of those spiritual leaders over us. There is a given here that those leaders are spiritual examples in themselves.
No Dictators allowed!
There are several considerations here. First and foremost is that God has not given us His flock for us to do what we want with them. We are but stewards of God’s flock, and therefore God will return one day to force accounts with us. If we have abused God’s heritage, we will be condemned by Christ. Being saved, we will not lose our salvation but rather all our rewards in heaven. This is a powerful consideration in its self.
Moreover the example of God is Jesus Christ, and he was at times very forceful, but never abusive. Jesus allowed his followers certain liberties and
See my tracts
ch38 Recognizing a Good Pastor
ch41 Marks of a Bad Pastor
ch43 Time to leave your church?
FP: Fruit of a False Prophet Repentance part 6
The Fruit of a False Prophet Repentance part 6
The Fruit of a False Prophet repentance part 6
By David Cox
Summary: This study will investigate what the fruit (life and ministry) of a false prophet. Part 6 of this series is simply an introduction and begins by contrasting a man of God’s fruit (piety and holiness) with the false prophet’s fruit (sin, not doing God’s will).
For an overview, see
False Prophets and Teachers Overview
Continue reading FP: Fruit of a False Prophet Repentance part 6