"Beware of false prophets,..."

by Garry D. Pifer

All of us in the “Church of God tradition” are very familiar with the “qualifications” of the elders, bishops, overseers, and deacons (the leadership) as laid out in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1.  One thing that is given there, but has received little attention or consideration I fear, is the statements “not greedy of filthy lucre,” and “not given to filthy lucre.”  Peter repeats this caution in1 Peter 5:2,   “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;” “Filthy lucre” is, as defined by the lexicon, “eager for base gain, greedy for money.”

Do these cautions have anything to do with Christ’s stern warning to “Beware of false prophets?”  I suggest it has everything to do with it.

Christ warned His disciples, and us, to beware of false Christs and false prophets in both of His major and prominent teachings recorded in the Gospels, the “Sermon on the Mount” and in the “Olivet Prophecy.”  Later, the Apostle Paul gave the same type of warning to the Ephesus leadership in Acts 20.  Let’s look, with some detail, at Christ’s words in the “Sermon on the Mount” and Paul’s words in Acts 20.

The specific warning Christ gave is found in Matthew 7:15.  However, let us first look at some of Christ’s teachings in this powerful message before we come to this verse and those that follow it.  As we see in the first couple of verses of Matthew chapter 5 this message was given to His disciples.  We should take special heed as we are His present day disciples.

One of the outstanding themes of this message was of  absolute faith and trust in Christ, not of physical things.  One of His first statements (Ch. 5:6) is that those which hunger and thirst after righteousness would be blessed.  A very strong indication NOT to concentrate on the physical food and drink, on the physical things.  In verse 12 He mentions a “reward” for following His instructions.  The reward wasn’t physical things but “your reward in heaven.”  Moving ahead, we find an interesting statement in verse 42, “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”  He is emphasizing again that we shouldn’t be setting our hearts on physical things, but to give and loan whatever is asked of us.

In chapter 6 He addresses the giving of alms in the first 4 verses.  In verse 8 He points out that the Father knows our needs before we ever ask.  In verse 19 He tells us plainly NOT to be laying up treasure here on earth, physical things which will become corrupted and can be stolen.  He shows in verses 20 and 21 where our treasure is to be, definitely not a physical treasure.  As we continue on we read a very strong statement in verse 24, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  “Mammon” is defined by the lexicon as “treasure, riches.”

And, then with verse 25 begins an extremely important section of Christ’s instructions.  He tells us NOT to take thought for our lives, as to what we are going to eat, drink or wear.  He gives absolute promises that we will be taken care of IF we get the priority right as spelled out in verses 33 and 34. “ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.”

When we come to chapter 7 we are told in verses 7 through 12 that we are to ask and to seek of God AND that it will be given.

Now, with this background, let us begin to understand the warning Christ gave us in Matthew 7:15-23.  In verse 15 He says, “Beware of false prophets.”  Very definitely He is speaking of teachers, leaders, “ministers.”  But, which ones?  The ones down the street in the various Christian denominations?  Or, perhaps, those within the very body, the Churches of God?  Christ answers that question for us.  “Which come to you in sheep’s clothing.”  Who are referred to as “sheep” in the Scriptures?  RIGHT!  The members of the Church, the “flock of God.”  We need to be looking “closer to home” than perhaps we’ve ever done.  Now, notice Christ’s next statement, “but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”  This is an extremely strong indictment which we will look at in more detail in a few moments.

Then beginning in verse 16 Christ tells us how we can tell who the false prophets are.  He says, “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”  He is very plain in His following statements.  Notice verse 18, “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”  He then says that the “tree” that doesn’t bring forth good fruit is hewn down and is cast into the fire.  Then in verse 20 He repeats His earlier statement, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

What kind of fruits should we be looking for?  Have these individuals been “preaching the gospel” or perhaps been “casting out demons?”  Have they been doing “many mighty works?”  Read verses 21 through 23.  He says very clearly that not everyone bearing that kind of fruit will enter into the Kingdom.

What then are the fruits we should be looking for in order to identify false prophets?  It becomes very clear when we compare the teachings we looked at earlier in Christ’s message here on the Mount with what we find embedded within His statement, “but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”  Checking the lexicon for the meanings of the Greek words used here is quite revealing.  A “wolf” of course is an animal but as used here it is a metaphor.  The lexicon defines it as “metaphor of cruel, greedy, rapacious, destructive men.”  Interesting isn’t it?  Greedy!  Rapacious, which means (as defined by Webster’s) “grasping, avid for wealth or gain; living by preying.”  Exactly the opposite of what we have just read of Christ’s teaching in the “Sermon on the Mount.”  But, wait!  Let us look at the lexicon again for the word translated “ravening.”  Two definitions are given.  The first is “rapacious, ravenous” and the second is “a extortioner, a robber.”  Strong words!

The same Greek word here translated “ravening” is translated “extortioner” in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,  “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”  I also find it interesting the word is used along with “thieves” and “covetous.”  Mighty strong words and warning from our Savior, Jesus Christ regarding “false prophets.”

The Apostle Paul’s words of warning in Acts 20 contain the same basic phrase that Christ used, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.”  The word “wolves” is the same word Jesus used.  The next several verses emphasize what he was saying.  He tells them in verse 32 that God is able to “give you an inheritance.”  He is saying very clearly that there is no need to be greedy of money and physical things.  Paul then gives special emphasis to his personal example, verse 33, “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.”  In verse 34 he reminds them that they knew of his personal effort to support himself,  “that these hands have ministered unto my necessities...”  He concludes this section with very specific instructions to them, the leadership, underlining it with Christ’s own words.   “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  Did you catch what Paul told them?  He said “I have just showed you by my example that you all need to get a job that will allow you to support and help those in need.” 

A couple of other translations makes verses 34 and 35 very clear.  First, the Jewish New Testament, “You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided not only for my own needs, but for the needs of my co-workers as well.  In everything I have given you an example of how, by working hard like this, you must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Yeshua himself, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’” The New American Standard Version, “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.  In every thing I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” The New International Version, “You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.  In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words  the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” The point that Paul is making is this: The leadership should be working to support themselves AND to give aid and assistance to those in need, the weak.  Using Christ’s own words to highlight his point, he reminds them that it is better to give than to be “greedy of filthy lucre,” than striving to get riches and abundance, and better than letting the “weak support them.”

I’m not attempting to put “names” to these Scriptures BUT Christ does say to “Beware!”  We need to look to the true fruits–not how much “preaching” is being done, not what “wonderful work” is being done.  But, at what is the “motivating” factor.  We need to ask, “Is it the paycheck?”  Maybe the “retirement plan?”  Or, maybe the nice “perks?”  We might look at whether there is absolute reliance on the sure promises given in the “Sermon on the Mount” or is there “thought” being taken as to what there will be to eat, drink and wear?  Are the “weak” supporting the leadership or is the leadership supporting the weak as Paul says they should be doing?  Are the “efforts” to care for the “flock of God” done “willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind?”  (I Peter 5:2) You have to answer those questions.  After all, “ye shall know them by their fruits.”