Preaching Against False Teachers

Matt. 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Jude had become a leader in the early church by the time he wrote his epistle. He had intended "to write unto you of the common salvation," but instead was compelled by God's Holy Spirit to write and "exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith" (Jude 3) against the onslaught of false teachers.

Jude 14-19 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

Few categories of people are so summarily denounced in God's Word as false teachers, those who teach error from within. Nearly every biblical writer echoes God's hatred of them and their work. Here, Jude refers to Enoch's ancient teaching to demonstrate the fact that God has always hated false teachers and has warned them of their doom. Unfortunately, many of today's pulpits in churches all over the world and on "christian" airwaves (TV and radio, and of course today, throughout the world-wide web) are filled with false teachers and their teaching leading many astray or giving them the false impression that they are "born again"- professing faith instead of possessing Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, and/or trusting religion (which is man-made) instead of Jesus Christ (The Son of God).

Paul tells us in the epistle of Titus that the faithful man of God must stop the speech (mouths) of these false teachers through sound and truthful preaching of God's Word;

Titus 1:9-11 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Error is a serious thing in God's eyes, and a Bible teacher and a preacher must continually submit to God's Word and Holy Spirit to discern and teach only truth; not his own reasoning or theories. It is quite evident from Matthew's warning above, it would be better for those teachers, seminarians, preachers, and others who espouse errors such as humanism, evolution, and other false concepts, that a millstone were hanged about their necks, and that they were drowned in the depth of the sea than to lead astray those "little ones" in their influence.