By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS: In this discernment essay I critique Beth Moore as an example, arguing false teachers persist by God’s design to test, refine, and reveal believers, warning that longevity, sincerity, zeal, and eloquence do not confirm theological truth.
I posted the following on my social media this week:
“Remember, @BethMooreLPM announced last month that next April 2027 will be the final Live event of her career (coinciding with her 70th birthday.) She won’t be hosting any more large scale events after that but she will still write and speak. The fewer women to hear her false teaching, the better! Yay! Only 365 more days until Living Proof Live will close down and undiscerning women, new Christians, and women in general saf(er) from Moore’s contaminant.”
In the old days writing anything against Beth Moore I’d have gotten run out of town on a rail. This week I did receive pushback, but just a very few comments, and they were graciously written.
False teachers are a scourge. They have been present in the faith since the beginning. In the New Testament the church is warned in 26 of the 27 books about false teachers and their negative impacts. Many of the Apostles have written with advice, warnings, and commands about false teachers.
We know from understanding the sovereignty of God that He allows false teachers and in the Old Testament He allowed false prophets). Nothing escapes His attention and there is not one maverick molecule in the universe (said RC Sproul). It is all orderly and according to His plan, even the parts we do not understand.
But the Bible has kindly revealed some of the reasons Jesus has allowed the installation of false teachers to the church, so that we may indeed understand in this point.
1.Jesus allows false teachers because He is testing us. In Deuteronomy 13:1-3 it specifically says that He is testing us. Even if the false prophet’s sign comes true, this is no indicator of theological credibility.
2.Jesus allows false teachers to purify our faith. 1 John 4:1 says “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God“. The testing is a process that purifies our faith and strengthens it. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 is the same.
3.Jesus allows false teachers so that those who are approved may become evident among you. (1 Corinthians 11:19). False teachers act like a magnet to attract unbelievers and to repel true believers.
People assign credibility to false teachers for the wrong reasons. WIth teachers like Beth Moore who have been around for so long, they think that because the teacher has lasted for so many decades they must be solid. That was one of the comments I received.
No. Longevity is not an indicator of solidity.
Some people think that the false teacher’s zeal or energy is an indicator of their genuineness.
No. There is true zeal and false zeal. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached on this subject so clearly: True Zeal and False Zeal: A Sermon from Romans 10:1-2
Sincerity is no indicator of whether a teacher is true or not. Many of them are sincere in what they teach, genuinely believing it to be true. Many other false ones know they are teaching wrongly but are sincere that they want to keep going because they want the applause/approbation/money/fame whatever it is that keeps them ticking. John MacArthur said,
“Many of these false prophets are going to look like the real thing, they’re going to be very pleasant, very sincere people, talk about Jesus, talk about the Bible, talk about salvation, completely inoffensive, anxious to please everybody, accommodating to other people’ viewpoints, rarely critical of others, praised by many, condemned by few. Large crowds will gather around them and listen to them and think they’re great, and they’ll be shoving those large crowds on the broad way that leads to destruction.”
Smooth talk/ability to speak is no indicator of whether a teacher is true or false. Yes, teachers must be ‘able to teach’ (1 Timothy 3:2), but they must teach a rightly divided word. (2 Timothy 2:15). Moses said he was slow of speech and tongue. Jonathan Edwards spoke slowly and carefully, avoiding histrionic gestures and often read directly from his notes. Do not depend on speaking skill to test a teacher. Of course false teachers speak well, it’s their livelihood. The ultimate false teacher, the Antichrist, will conquer by smooth talk and flatteries. (Daniel 11:21).
False teachers may exhibit longevity, zeal, sincerity, and/or smooth talk but those are not necessarily indicators of the state of their genuineness. Keep your Bible handy to test all things, dear sisters, hold on to what is good.
Further Resources
Wolf Week # 5: Why does God allow false teachers?
The Pathology of False Teachers
Video: These false teachers’ prophecies are ABSURD… Join Todd Friel and Justin Peters as they discuss issues which the congregation should be willing to separate over, and the wildly inaccurate prophecies of false teachers.
the-end-time.org 