False teachers abound today. They have huge followings on their YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, or church auditoriums on Sunday mornings. And if we are not on the alert, we just might mistake them for the real thing.
Jesus warned His followers to watch out for false prophets or religious teachers who will attempt to infiltrate the church and lead believers astray through bad doctrine, greedy living, or a spirit contrary to God’s.
In Matthew 7:15, Jesus firmly warned: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (NASB). What does it mean for a false prophet or teacher to be in “sheep’s clothing?” It means they will disguise themselves as true followers of Christ, by trying to blend in, but will lack the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is evident in one’s character and discernment of the truth. If someone acts and, at times, sounds like a great teacher of the faith, they might not necessarily be one if you look and listen closer. Here are five tell-tale signs of what Jesus called “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”:
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1. Their lives don’t exhibit the fruits of the Spirit.
When Jesus warned us to be on the lookout for false teachers, he said, “You will know them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? So, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16-20 NASB).
Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit of the spirit—the characteristics that every believer indwelt by the Spirit should manifest in their lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This list is solid evidence of a person who is indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit. If these fruits are lacking, there is not evidence of the Holy Spirit in that person’s life. This applies to any person calling themselves a believer and follower of Jesus, but it especially holds true for a teacher or leader in the church.
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2. They are unwilling to submit to leadership or accountability.
Do you have a pastor or teacher in your church (or on your preferred YouTube channel) who insists on his way or the highway? Scripture describes false teachers as those who “despise authority” (2 Peter 2:10). Jesus said to be a leader, we must first be a servant. Hebrews 13:17 instructs followers of Christ to “obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.” But that doesn’t mean that church leaders, themselves, submit to no one. Even senior pastors, top evangelists, and popular preachers are called to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21 NIV) and remain under the umbrella of leadership by church elders, denomination leaders, and ultimately Christ Himself.
The leader or teacher who is not open to accountability and fine-tuning from others does not possess the servant's heart that a shepherd and representative of Christ should have. If your teacher or pastor is all about his or her authority and rule and doesn’t understand servant leadership, it’s possible they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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3. They lack humility.
False teachers seek to elevate their own name and position over that of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is your leader or favorite online preacher in a competition with the next pastor or evangelist or podcaster? Or is his attitude that Jesus must become greater and he must become less? When John the Baptist’s followers were concerned that more people were beginning to follow Jesus than him, John said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30 NASB). Is the elevation of Christ and His gospel more of a priority than the increase of their own platform or level of influence and authority?
James 4:10 exhorts us to, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (NASB). Self-exaltation is not God’s way. Jesus said if anyone wants to come after Him, he must deny, himself pick up his cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). How much more is the way of the cross for a teacher of the Word or a leader in the church? In addition, Paul instructed us to die to self that Christ might live through us (Galatians 2:20). And Peter described false teachers as “bold and arrogant” (2 Peter 2:10). If one has more of a power-hungry ego than a servant’s heart, it is a tell-tale sign that he or she is not a true representative of Christ.
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4. They don’t adhere to godliness.
Scripture holds a very high standard for “overseers” or pastors/bishops in the church.
“An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:1-7 NASB).
According to that list of qualifications, every leader in the church must live above the level of reproach and if that means there is an ungodly level of materialism, financial mismanagement, immodest living, recklessness, or not managing one’s own household well, it’s possible that leader isn’t qualified to teach or be in a place of influence, or they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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5. They lack a spirit of love.
In Ephesians 5:1-2, we are commanded: “Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (NASB). Would God’s command for teachers and leaders be less of a standard than He gives to you and me? Paul’s letter to the Ephesians continues by pointing out that “sexual impurity or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (verses 3-5).
An idolater is anyone who loves and worships anything more than God. And a false teacher is anyone who loves anything more than God and the people he’s been entrusted to shepherd. If an influential teacher or leader loves himself more than God or people, his ministry more than God or people, his money or possessions or secrets or lifestyle more than integrity before God and people, he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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6. They stray from or distort the Word of God.
In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter warned the church: “there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.” Later, in verse 12, he said these false teachers “blaspheme in matters they do not understand.” Those were harsh words about people who don’t preach the pure unadulterated Word of God.
Sometimes the most subtle way a wolf can dress himself in sheep’s clothing is to teach a gospel that sounds similar to the Word of God, but is not. The New Testament writers warned us to test leaders and hold them to a higher standard. Is your leader basing his teaching on the Word of God and backing up every proclamation with Scripture? If not, there could be any number of secular ideologies showing up in what you might believe is God’s Word coming from that leader’s mouth.
In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul exhorted young pastor Timothy to do what all believers should be responsible enough to do: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” When you and I know the truth of God’s Word, we can more readily recognize substitutes of it or bad theology. If you know the Word yourself, you will know if someone is not teaching it correctly or completely. Many a cult begins with a shred of biblical truth and a whole lot of legalism and deception added to it. Watch for the wolves in sheep’s clothing who misinterpret, misconstrue, and mishandle the Word of God.
Related Resource: What Does "Test the Spirits" Mean in the Bible and How Do We Do It?
In this episode of The Truth Tribe Podcast, Dr. Groothuis walks listeners through a biblical step-by-step guide for recognizing false teachers and prophets. This is a must-listen for anyone who has ever wanted to understand what it means to test the spirits and recognize false teaching.
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Originally published Thursday, 15 August 2024.
