Wolves in sheep's clothing

WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE

Matthew 7:15 15 Beware of false prophets, which
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves.
New International Version
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious
wolves.
New Living Translation
“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as
harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.

BIBLEHUB RESOURCES

Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Tree And Its Fruit
Matthew 7:15-20

W.F. Adeney
It is not enough for Christ to spread his own wholesome teaching; he must
warn against the dangerous influence of bad teachers. Later in his ministry he
had occasion to speak of the pretended shepherds, who were really thieves, or
at best hirelings (John 10:10, 12). Here his reference to the tree and its fruit is
meant to be applied to the teacher and his work. It shows that he expects
people to be watchful over those who assume to be their instructors.
Christians are to judge prophets.
I. THE QUALITY OF THE WORK IS DETERMINED BY THE
CHARACTER OF THE WORKER.
1. Work is fruit. A man's true work is not something which he has chosen to
do by free selection from any number of possibilities. It is the very product of
his being; it is himself thrown out and expressed in action. All real work is a
growth from a man's life.
2. The fruit must correspond to the tree. It is not just a miniature tree, but it is
"after its kind." The teaching and life-work may not be merely photographs
of the mind of the teacher and worker, but they will correspond in kind. This
is necessary because it is natural. Christ's parallel goes beyond an illustration,
and becomes an argument from analogy. The whole course of nature makes it
monstrous to suppose that good work can come from bad men, or bad work
from good men.
II. THE WORKER MUST BE JUDGED BY HIS WORK.
1. He should not be judged prematurely. We are tempted to form hasty
prejudices about people, the results of first impressions. But these are most
delusive. A pretentious or an attractive teacher may be worthless. One who
vexes and offends us may be a very prophet of God. The present popularity of
a preacher is a poor test of the value of his ministrations.
2. His work must be examined. Our Lord distinctly requires this. We are not
to judge men in private life and as to their own individual conduct. But when
any one takes on him the office of a public teacher he invites examination. It is

not incumbent on us to criticize for the sake of the criticism, but we must
decide whether a man whom we follow is leading us aright.
3. The test is to be found in final effects. There are snares in the judgment by
results. We may look only at external effects; we may be impatient for quick
returns; we may mistake quantity for quality. It is necessary to wait for some
autumn fruit ripening. Then the question is as to kind and quality. If these are
good, the teaching is wholesome. The best form of Christian evidences is the
biography of Christian men. Honest missionary reports are an important
element in apologetics.
III. THE BAD WORK WILL CONDEMN THE UNWORTHY WORKER.
The tree only exists for the sake of its fruit. Its goodly shape, its vigorous
growth, its luxuriant foliage, count for nothing, or worse them nothing, for
they cumber the ground. What would be a merit in the forest is a fault in the
garden. Trees planted for fruit must bear fruit, or they will be useless. It is
bad to produce poisonous or worthless fruit; but it is also a matter of
condemnation to be barren, like the fruitless fig tree of the parable (Luke
13:6-9). God's test at the great judgment will ignore the fame of popular
preaching, the glitter of daring thinking, the honour of exalted position. All
will go by the quality of the output. And on this test will follow more than the
acceptance or the condemnation of the work. The worker himself will be
judged - condemned or rewarded. - W.F.A.

Biblical Illustrator
Beware of false prophets.
Matthew 7:15
The false and the true
D. C. Hughes, M. A.
I. The TESTS by which the false and the true may be known.

II. The ultimate DESTINY of the false and the true.
1. In respect to the paths they tread.
2. In respect to the fruit they bear.
3. In respect to the profession they make.
4. In respect to the foundations on which they build. The plainness of these
tests.
(D. C. Hughes, M. A.)

False prophets
W. O. Humphry, M. A.
But while we are thinking of the teachers that are without, let us not forget
that we all have within us a false prophet, the most insidious, and therefore
the most dangerous of all.
(W. O. Humphry, M. A.)

False prophets and false Christians
J. A. Seiss, D. D.
The Scriptures treat largely of the false — false gods, false doctrines, false
Christs, and false hopes.
I. False PROPHETS. A prophet in the strict sense of the word. is one who
foretells future events. A false prophet is one who assumes the office without a
call from God, or who puts forward his own thoughts as if they had Divine
sanction. It is not always easy to detect which are the true prophets, and
which the false; but though difficult, they may be detected. Their plausible
guises are among their marks. Some under-estimate errors in matters of
doctrine.

II. False CHRISTIANS. Most men have some religion; man has religious
instincts. The religion of some is a mere profession: they say unto Him, "Lord,
Lord." Others add to their profession some of the more striking works and
offices of Christianity. The fearful end of this self-deception. Let us not receive
the grace of God in vain.
(J. A. Seiss, D. D.)

The prophecies of deceit
J. M. Ashley.
They hinder repentance by bidding us believe
(1)In delay: no need to repent now;
(2)In an easy return to holiness;
(3)That sin is not so dreadful as it is represented:
(4)That repentance may be worse for us in the end, if we fall away from it;
(5)That by some one great act we can atone for sin.
(J. M. Ashley.)

The false prophet
J. M. Ashley.
I. The IMPOSTURE. They " come in sheep's clothing: "in the garb of
(1)innocence;
(2)weakness;
(3)gentleness.
II. Its DETECTION.

III. Its PUNISHMENT.
(J. M. Ashley.)

Wisdom needed to detect little errors
T. Manton, D. D., C. H. Spurgeon.
The first appearances of error are many times modest. There is a chain of
truths; the devil taketh out a link here and there, that all may fall to pieces.
(T. Manton, D. D.)Satan knows that we would never consent to give up a
wheel of the gospel chariot, and therefore in his craftiness he only asks for the
linch-pins to be handed over to him.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)

Ability cannot condone error
C. H. Spurgeon.
Mere talent ought not to attract us; carrion well dressed and served upon
Palissy ware, is still unfit for men. Who thrusts his arm into the fire because
its flame is brilliant? Who knowingly drinks from a poisoned cup because the
beaded bubbles on the brim reflect the colours of the rainbow? As we would
not be fascinated by the azure hues of a serpent, so neither should we be
thrown off our guard by the talent — of an unsound theologian.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)

STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES

Adam Clarke Commentary
Beware of false prophets - By false prophets we are to understand teachers of
erroneous doctrines, who come professing a commission from God, but whose
aim is not to bring the heavenly treasure to the people, but rather to rob them
of their earthly good. Teachers who preach for hire, having no motive to enter
into the ministry but to get a living, as it is ominously called by some, however
they may bear the garb and appearance of the innocent useful sheep, the true
pastors commissioned by the Lord Jesus, or to whatever name, class or party
they may belong, are, in the sight of the heart-searching God, no other than
ravenous wolves, whose design is to feed themselves with the fat, and clothe
themselves with the fleece, and thus ruin, instead of save, the flock.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible
False prophets - The word prophet originally means one who foretells future
events. As prophets, however, were commonly regarded as public instructors
on the subject of religion, the word came to denote all who were religious
teachers. See the notes at Romans 12:6. In this sense it is probably used here.
A false prophet is a teacher of incorrect doctrine, or one falsely and unjustly
laying claims to divine inspiration. It probably had reference to the false
teachers then among the Jews.
Who come in sheep‘s clothing - The sheep is an emblem of innocence,
sincerity, and harmlessness. To come in sheep‘s clothing is to assume the
appearance of sanctity and innocence, when the heart is evil.
Ravening wolves - Rapacious; voraciously devouring; hungry even to rage.
Applied to the false teachers, it means that they assumed the appearance of
holiness in order that they might the more readily get the property of the
people. They were full of extortion and excess. See Matthew 23:25.

The Biblical Illustrator
Matthew 7:15

Beware of false prophets.
The false and the true

I. The tests by which the false and the true may be known.

II. The ultimate destiny of the false and the true.
1. In respect to the paths they tread.
2. In respect to the fruit they bear.
3. In respect to the profession they make.
4. In respect to the foundations on which they build. The plainness of these
tests. (D. C. Hughes, M. A.)
False prophets.
But while we are thinking of the teachers that are without, let us not forget
that we all have within us a false prophet, the most insidious, and therefore
the most dangerous of all. (W. O. Humphry, M. A.)
False prophets and false Christians
The Scriptures treat largely of the false-false gods, false doctrines, false
Christs, and false hopes.

I. False prophets. A prophet in the strict sense of the word is one who foretells
future events. A false prophet is one who assumes the office without a call
from God, or who puts forward his own thoughts as if they had Divine
sanction. It is not always easy to detect which are the true prophets, and
which the false; but though difficult, they may be detected. Their plausible
guises are among their marks. Some under-estimate errors in matters of
doctrine.

II. False christians. Most men have some religion; man has religious instincts.
The religion of some is a mere profession: they say unto Him, “Lord, Lord.”
Others add to their profession some of the more striking works and offices of
Christianity. The fearful end of this self-deception. Let us not receive the
grace of God in vain. (J. A. Seiss, D. D.)
The prophecies of deceit
They hinder repentance by bidding us believe

The false prophet

I. The imposture. They “ come in sheep’s clothing: “in the garb of

II. Its detection.

III. Its punishment. (J. M. Ashley.)
Wisdom needed to detect little errors
The first appearances of error are many times modest. There is a chain of
truths; the devil taketh out a link here and there, that all may fall to pieces.
(T. Manton, D. D.)
Satan knows that we would never consent to give up a wheel of the gospel
chariot, and therefore in his craftiness he only asks for the linch-pins to be
handed over to him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Ability cannot condone error
Mere talent ought not to attract us; carrion well dressed and served upon
Palissy ware, is still unfit for men. Who thrusts his arm into the fire because

its flame is brilliant? Who knowingly drinks from a poisoned cup because the
beaded bubbles on the brim reflect the colours of the rainbow? As we would
not be fascinated by the azure hues of a serpent, so neither should we be
thrown off our guard by the talent-of an unsound theologian. (C. H.
Spurgeon.)

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them.
This warning naturally flows out of what Jesus had just said. The broad way
will have its advocates, false teachers, who will attempt to widen the narrow
way and breach the strait gate. This passage suggests the great apostasy which
is elaborated in the following New Testament passages: Acts 20:29-31; 2
Corinthians 11:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-
8; 4:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 3:1-7; and Revelation 17 and Revelation 18. It is
essential that Christians recognize false teachers or prophets, as they are
called here.
By their fruits ye shall know them. To be effective in deceiving God's people,
it is essential that false teachers be disguised, hence the "sheep's clothing."
This means that the church itself shall be the theater of operations for these
destructive teachers. They will appear as ministers, officers, and advocates of
religion. The one sure test is their fruits. That which sows discord, divides,
debilitates, hinders, or thwarts in any way the true spiritual family of God is
to be rejected. The great test is the false teacher's attitude toward Christ.
Those who question his authority or go beyond his word are clearly of the evil
one. The only proper way in which this admonition can be heeded is for the
Lord's sheep to know the Shepherd's voice, that is, they must know his word
and doctrine. The remainder of the Sermon on the Mount is devoted to those
things which will enable the child of God to distinguish between true and false
teachers of religion.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
Beware of false prophets,.... Or false teachers; for not such who pretended to
foretell things to come, but such who set up themselves to be teachers of
others, are here meant; see 2 Peter 2:1. It may be queried, whether our Lord
has not respect to the Scribes and Pharisees, who sat in Moses's chair, and
taught, for doctrines, the commandments of men? and of whose doctrines he
elsewhere bids men beware: for whatever plausible pretences for holiness and
righteousness might appear in them, they were repugnant to the word of God,
and destructive to the souls of men; such as their doctrines of free will,
justification by the works of the law, the traditions of the elders, &c. since it
follows,
which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves; for
these "loved to go in long clothing", Mark 12:38.
fo loow eht fo edam saw dna ,teef eht ot dehcaer hcihw tnemrag a ni ,תילטב
sheep. The Babylonish garment Achan saw and stole, Rab saysF18, was
t si hcihw :"setolem" dellac tnemrag a ,אתלימד אלטציאhe very Greek word the
author of the Epistle to the Hebrews uses for sheep skins, persecuted saints
wandered about in, Hebrews 11:37 and the gloss upon the place, in the
Talmud referred to, says, that this was טלית של צמר נקי, "a talith", or
"garment of pure wool"; and JarchiF19 says, that
"it was the way of deceivers, and profane men, to cover themselves, בטלי־תאם,
"with their talith", or long garment, "as if they were righteous men", that
persons might receive their lies.'
All which agrees very well with the Pharisees, who would have been thought
to have been holy and righteous, humble, modest, and self-denying men; when
they were inwardly full of hypocrisy and iniquity, of rapine, oppression, and
covetousness; and, under a pretence of religion, "devoured widows' houses".
Though, it seems, by what follows, that Christ has respect, at least also, to
such, who bore his name, and came in his name, though not sent by him, and
called him Lord, and prophesied, and cast out devils, and did many wonderful

works in his name; who, that they might get the good will and affections of the
people, clothed themselves, not in garments made of sheep's wool, but in the
very skins of sheep, with the wool on them, in imitation of the true prophets,
and good men of old; pretending great humility, and self-denial, and so "wore
a rough garment to deceive", Zechariah 13:4 when they were inwardly greedy
dogs, grievous wolves, of insatiable covetousness; and, when opportunity
offered, spared not the flock to satisfy their rapacious and devouring
appetites. The Jews speak of a "wolfish humility"; like that of the wolf in the
fable, which put on a sheep skin.
"There are some men, (says one of theirF20 writers,) who appear to be
humble, and fear God in a deceitful and hypocritical way, but inwardly lay
wait: this humility our wise men call ענוה זאבית, "wolfish humility".'
Such is this our Lord inveighs against, and bids his followers beware of.

Geneva Study Bible
6 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves.

(6) False teachers must be taken heed of: and they are known by false doctrine
and evil living.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Beware — But beware.
of false prophets — that is, of teachers coming as authorized expounders of
the mind of God and guides to heaven. (See Acts 20:29, Acts 20:30; 2 Peter
2:1, 2 Peter 2:2).
which come to you in sheep‘s clothing — with a bland, gentle, plausible
exterior; persuading you that the gate is not strait nor the way narrow, and

that to teach so is illiberal and bigoted - precisely what the old prophets did
(Ezekiel 13:1-10, Ezekiel 13:22).
but inwardly they are ravening wolves — bent on devouring the flock for their
own ends (2 Corinthians 11:2, 2 Corinthians 11:3, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

John Lightfoot's Commentary on the Gospels
15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves.
[In sheep's clothing.] Not so much in woolen garments as in the very skins of
sheep: so that outwardly they might seem sheep, but "inwardly they were
ravening wolves." Of the ravenousness of wolves among the Jews, take these
two examples besides others. "The elders proclaimed a fast in their cities upon
this occasion, because the wolves had devoured two little children beyond
Jordan. More than three hundred sheep of the sons of Judah Ben Shamoe
were torn by wolves."

People's New Testament

Beware of false prophets. The word prophet, as used in the Scriptures, means
any one who teaches authoritatively the will of God. A false prophet is one
who is a false teacher. Christ refers to the scribes and Pharisees.

Come to you in sheep's clothing. While appearing as harmless as sheep they
are wolves.
Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament

False prophets (των πσευδοπροπητων — tōn pseudoprophētōn). There were
false prophets in the time of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus will predict
“false Messiahs and false prophets” (Matthew 24:24) who will lead many
astray. They came in due time posing as angels of light like Satan, Judaizers (2
Corinthians 11:13.) and Gnostics (1 John 4:1; 1 Timothy 4:1). Already false
prophets were on hand when Jesus spoke on this occasion (cf. Acts 13:6; 2
Peter 2:1). In outward appearance they look like sheep in the sheep‘s clothing
which they wear, but within they are “ravening wolves” (λυκοι αρπαγες —
lukoi harpages), greedy for power, gain, self. It is a tragedy that such men and
women reappear through the ages and always find victims. Wolves are more
dangerous than dogs and hogs.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves.
Beware of false prophets — Who in their preaching describe a broad way to
heaven: it is their prophesying, their teaching the broad way, rather than
their walking in it themselves, that is here chiefly spoken of. All those are false
prophets, who teach any other way than that our Lord hath here marked out.
In sheep's clothing — With outside religion and fair professions of love:
Wolves - Not feeding, but destroying souls.

The Fourfold Gospel
Beware of false prophets1, who come to you in sheep's clothing2, but inwardly
are ravening wolves3.

Beware of false prophets. From the two ways Jesus turns to warn his disciples
against those who lead into the wrong path--the road to destruction. Prophets
are those who lay claim to teach men correctly the life which God would have

us live. The scribes and Pharisees were such, and Christ predicted the coming
of others (Matthew 24:5,24), and so did Paul (Acts 20:29). Their fate is shown
in Matthew 7:21,22.

Who come to you in sheep's clothing. By sheep's clothing we are to
understand that they shall bear a gentle, meek, and inoffensive outward
demeanor.

But inwardly are ravening wolves. But they use this demeanor as a cloak to
hide their real wickedness, and so effectually does it hide it that the false
prophets often deceive even themselves.

Abbott's Illustrated New Testament
False prophets; false teachers of religion--Who come in sheep's clothing; who
assume the appearance of piety.--Ravening wolves. They take more than the
life; they destroy the soul.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

Matthew 7:15.But beware of false prophets These words were intended to
teach, that the Church would be exposed to various impositions, and that
consequently many would be in danger of falling from the faith, if they were
not carefully on their guard. We know what a strong propensity men have to
falsehood, so that they not only have a natural desire to be deceived, but each
individual appears to be ingenious in deceiving himself. Satan, who is a
wonderful contriver of delusions, is constantly laying snares to entrap
ignorant and heedless persons. It was a general expectation among the Jews

that, under the reign of Christ, their condition would be delightful, and free
from all contest or uneasiness. He therefore warns his disciples that, if they
desire to persevere, they must prepare themselves to avoid the snares of
Satan. It is the will of the Lord, (as has been already said,) that his Church
shall be engaged in uninterrupted war in this world. That we may continue to
be his disciples to the end, it is not enough that we are merely submissive, and
allow ourselves to be governed by his Word. Our faith, which is constantly
attacked by Satan, must be prepared to resist.
It is of the greatest consequence, undoubtedly, that we should suffer ourselves
to be directed by good and faithful ministers of Christ: but as false teachers,
on the other hand, make their appearance, if we do not carefully watch, and if
we are not fortified by perseverance, we shall be easily carried off from the
flock. To this purpose also is that saying of Christ:
“ The sheep hear the voice of the shepherd; and a stranger
they do not follow, but flee from him,” (John 10:3)
Hence too we infer, that there is no reason why believers should be
discouraged or alarmed, when wolves creep into the fold of Christ, when false
prophets endeavor to corrupt the purity of the faith by false doctrines. They
ought rather to be aroused to keep watch: for it is not without reason that
Christ enjoins them to be on their guard. Provided that we are not led astray
through our own sluggishness, we shall be able to avoid every kind of snares;
and, indeed, without this confidence, we would not have the courage necessary
for being on our guard. Now that we know that the Lord will not fail to
perform his promises, whatever may be the attacks of Satan, let us go boldly
to the Lord, asking from him the Spirit of wisdom, by whose influences he not
only seals on our hearts the belief of his truth, but exposes the tricks and
impositions of Satan, that we may not be deceived by them. When Christ says,
that they come to us in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves, his
meaning is, that they do not want a very plausible pretense, if prudence be not
exercised in subjecting them to a thorough examination.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ver. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you, &c.] This is another
dangerous rock, that the less careful may easily split against. Take heed,
therefore, lest while ye shun a shelf ye fall not into a whirlpool. By corrupt
teachers Satan catcheth men, as a cunning fisher by one fish catcheth another,
that he may feed upon both. He circuiteth the world, seeketh whom to devour,
and usually beginneth with violence and cruelty. If this take not, then he puts
off the frock of a wolf, and makes his next encounter in sheep’s clothing. Now
what havoc he hath made by this means of silly souls laden with lusts, who
knows not? The old Church was pestered with false prophets, Deuteronomy
13:1; 2 Peter 2:1. There were false prophets among the people, and there shall
be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,
and many shall follow their pernicious ways. This was Peter’s prophecy; and
Paul saith the same, Acts 20:30 : Grievous wolves shall enter in among you (in
sheep’s clothing you must think), speaking perverse things (while they pervert
the Scriptures to the defence of their own devices), to draw away ( αποσπαν)
disciples after them. The word signifieth to pull them limb meal, as wolves use
to do the sheep they seize upon. A like expression there is, Deuteronomy
13:13, where these naughty men are said to thrust or drive away folk from the
true God, as Jeroboam is said to have driven Israel from following the Lord, 2
Kings 17:21. This they do, not so much by cruelty as by craft, by force as by
fraud; "deceitful workers," St Paul calls them, "transforming themselves into
the apostles of Christ," and ministers of righteousness, "and by good words
and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" and overly credulous, 2
Corinthians 11:13; Romans 16:18. This they have learned of the devil, that
grand magician, who can soon transform himself into an angel of light. St
John in his First Epistle tells us of many petty antichrists, even then gone out,
1 John 4:1, who professing Christ’s name did yet oppose his truth. And in his

Revelation, that the beast, which is the great antichrist, hath two horns like
the lamb’s, but speaks like the dragon, Revelation 13:11. The locusts also,
which are his limbs and agents, have faces like women, insinuative and
flattering. Tertullian tells us that the Valentinian heretics had a trick to
persuade before they taught, whereas the truth persuadeth by teaching, doth
not teach by persuading. And how much hurt Julian the Apostate did by this
art in the Church of God is better known than that I need here to relate it. {a}
It was not therefore without good ground of reason that Placilla the empress,
when Theodosius senior desired to confer with Eumonius the heretic,
dissuaded her husband very earnestly; lest being perverted by his speeches, he
might fall into heresy. She knew their cunning, and, as it were, cheaping at
dice, Ephesians 4:14, where the apostle compareth seducers to cheaters and
false gamesters, who have a device, by cheating at dice, to deceive the
unskilful; and further telleth us, that they are wittily wicked by methods and
crafty conveyances, winding up and down, and turning every way, to get the
greatest advantage. {b} Neither was that good empress ignorant how catching
we are this way, and inclinable to the worse side. As the Israelites soon forgot
their God, and called for a calf, as the ten tribes were easily prevailed with to
go after the two golden calves, and as the whole world wondered and
wandered after the beast. This to prevent, as much as may be, God in
delivering the law is most large in the second and fourth commandments,
which we are most apt to transgress; that by superstition, this by profaneness.

{a} Abduxit a fide plures Iuliani versutia, quam antecedentium omnium
Ethnicorum praeceps saevitia.

{b} εν τη κυβεια, Quod verbum ductum est a lusu tesserarum. Erasm. την
μεθοδειαν της πλανης, Ibid. Ingeniosi sunt methodici.

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann

Warning against false prophets:
v. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing', but
inwardly they are ravening wolves.
This shows one of the ways in which the disciples of Christ may be enticed
from the narrow way to heaven, a fact which makes the warning necessary.
Beware, take yourselves away from, have nothing to do with, pseudo-
prophets, with false teachers. It is foolish even to stop and argue with them.
For they are false prophets; they deliberately falsify God's Word, they
substitute their own lies and the wisdom of fallible men for the eternal truth.
They come, without invitation, without call; they make a practice of going to
such people as are members of a church with the deliberate intention of
coaxing them away from the truth. They are wise in their own conceit and in
the forms of deceit; they come in a very inconspicuous manner, in the garment
of innocence and harmlessness. They profess to have a commission from God
Himself. and are adept at pretending gentleness. But their real character will
show itself afterward, since they are by inclination and training ravening
wolves. Their nature is to devour; they are greedy for money, ambitious for
power, but anxious, above all, to destroy the soul. They are murderers of the
souls of men.

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
Matthew 7:15. Beware of false prophets— The connection here is remarkable,
says Dr. Heylin. One characteristic of false prophets, that is, false preachers,
is, that they widen the narrow way. It is their prophesying, their teaching the
broad way, rather than their walking in it themselves, which is here chiefly
spoken of. All those are false prophets who preach any other way than that
which our Lord has marked out. A wolf in sheep's clothing is grown into a
proverb, for a minister or pastor who makes a great profession of religion, yet
cannot dissemble so well as not to be discovered by attentive observation;

which was just the character of the Pharisees in our Saviour's days. See ch.
Matthew 23:23-28. Luke 11:39-42.

Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Observe here, 1. A caution given, Beware of false prophets. There were two
sorts of deceivers which our Saviour gave his disciples a special warning of;
namely false Christs and false prophets: false Christs were such as pretended
to be the true Messiahs; false prophets were such as pretended to own
Christianity, but drew people away from the simplicity of the gospel.
Observe, 2. The ground of this caution: They come in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly are ravening wolves; that is, they make fair pretences to strictness in
religion, and to greater measures and degrees of mortification and self-denial
than others.
Whence we learn, That such who go about to seduce others, usually pretend to
extraordinary measures of sanctity themselves, to raise an admiration among
those who judge of saints more by their looks than by their lives; more by
their expressions than by their actions. What heavenly looks and devout
gestures, what long prayers and frequent fastings had the hypocritical
Pharisees, beyond what Christ or his disciples ever practised!
Observe, 3. The rule laid down by Christ, whereby we are to judge of false
teachers; by their fruits ye shall know them.
Learn, That the best course we can take to judge of teachers pretending to be
sent of God, is to examine the design and tendency of their doctrines, and the
course and tenor of their conversations. Good teachers, like good trees, will
bring forth the good fruits of truth and holiness; but evil men and seducers,
like corrupt trees, will bring forth error and wickedness in their life and
doctrine.

Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary

15.] The connexion (with δέ) is as Chrys. Hom. xxiii. 6, p. 292: καὶ γὰρ πρὸς
τῷ στενὴν εἶναι, πολλοὶ καὶ οἱ ὑποσκελίζοντες τὴν ἐκεῖσε φέρουσάν εἰσιν
ὁδόν:—strive to enter, &c.: but ( δέ, not accordingly, as Webst. and Wilk.) be
not misled by persons who pretend to guide you into it, but will not do so in
reality.
These ψευδοπρ., directly, refer to the false prophets who were soon to arise, to
deceive, if possible, even the very elect, ch. Matthew 24:24; and, indirectly, to
all such false teachers in all ages.
In ἐνδύμασι προβ. there may be allusion to the prophetic dress, ch. Matthew
3:4 : but most probably it only means that, in order to deceive, they put on the
garb and manners of the sheep themselves.

Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament
Matthew 7:15. προσέχετε, beware of) There are many dangers: therefore we
are frequently warned.—See ch. Matthew 6:1, Matthew 16:6, Matthew 24:4;
Luke 12:1; Luke 12:15, etc.— δὲ, but) Whilst you are endeavouring
yourselves to enter, beware of those who close the gate against you. See ch.
Matthew 23:13.— ψευδοπροφητῶν, false prophets) whose teaching is different
from that of true prophets. See ch. Matthew 5:17. [comp. Matthew 7:12. He
who works iniquity, however he may prophesy in the name of Christ
(Matthew 7:22), is nevertheless a false prophet. In our day, they who delight
in casting against others the taunt of being Pharisees and false prophets, are
themselves that which they lay to the charge of others.—V. g.]— ἐνδύμασι
προβάτων, in sheep’s clothing) i.e. in such clothing as they would wear if they
were sheep.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible
The term

prophets in holy writ is of larger extent than to signify only such as foretold
things to come; others also who taught the people, pretending authority from
God so to do, were called prophets. Thus Bar-jesus, Acts 13:6, is called
a false prophet. A false prophet is of the same significance with a false teacher.
Against those our Saviour cautions his hearers, as being the most fatal and
dangerous enemies to faith and holiness. Some of them indeed come
in sheep’s clothing, under very fair pretences, and a fair show of religion and
strictness; but
they are ravening wolves, as dangerous to your souls as ravenous wolves are
to a flock of sheep.

Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
Beware; avoid false teachers.
Sheep’s clothing; appearing in the character of true teachers.
Wolves; selfish, greedy of gain, and disposed to plunder. False teachers may,
at first, appear very interesting; but they should be judged of, not by their
appearance merely, but by the character and effects of their principles and
conduct.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges
15. προσέχετε ἀπό. The classical constructions of προσέχειν (νοῦν) are τινί,
πρός τι, πρός τινι: from the idea of attention to a thing comes that of caution
about a thing, and ἀπὸ denotes the source of expected danger, cp. φοβεῖσθαι
ἀπό. St Luke has this unclassical usage Luke 12:1, προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς
ζύμης, and Luke 20:46, ἀπὸ τῶν γραμματέων. The construction is not used in
N.T. except by St Matthew and St Luke.
ψευδοπροφητῶν, who will not help you to find the narrow way.

ἐν ἐνδύμασιν προβάτων. Not in a literal sense, but figuratively, ‘wearing the
appearance of guilelessness and truth.’
λύκοι ἅρπαγες. Cp. Acts 20:29, where St Paul, possibly with this passage in his
thoughts, says to the presbyters of Ephesus, ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι ἐλεύσονται μετὰ τὴν
ἄφιξίν μου λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς μὴ φειδόμενοι τοῦ ποιμνίου. Cp. Ezekiel
22:27, οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτῆς ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ὡς λύκοι ἁρπάζοντες ἁρπάγματα τοῦ
ἐκχέαι αἶμα κ.τ.λ. Such images as this contain implicitly a whole range of
thoughts which would be present to the instructed disciples of the Lord—the
fold of Christ—the Good Shepherd—the thief ‘whose own the sheep are not.’
Wolves are still common in Palestine. Canon Tristram observes that they are
larger than any European wolf and of a lighter colour.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
15. False prophets — Who would, like false guides, lead you from the strait
gate.
Sheep’s clothing — Symbol of a professional and merely external holiness.
Wolves — Symbol of doctrinaries, who destroy the souls of men by error and
vice.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
The Warning Against False Prophets (7:15).
In Matthew 5:10-12 the disciples were seen as prophetic men, and on that
basis Jesus expected them to be persecuted for His Name’s sake. But wherever
there are such prophetic men, false prophets will also arise making even
greater claims and seeking to muscle in on the success of others. So here in
parallel with Matthew 5:10-12 in the overall chiasmus of the Sermon, He now
deals with prophets who will not be persecuted for His sake, because they are
false prophets. For as Jesus knew, that is in the nature of man. In the Old
Testament Moses anticipated the arising of false prophets from the beginning

who were to be severely dealt with lest they led the people astray
(Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Deuteronomy 18:19-22), and the persecution of the
prophets was later regularly connected with the opposition of such false
prophets (Isaiah 9:15; Isaiah 25:7; Jeremiah 5:31; Jeremiah 6:13; Jeremiah
8:10; Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 23:16-17; Jeremiah 27:14-15), thus the idea
that God’s truth would regularly be opposed by ‘false prophets’ became the
norm. That is why we must see it as quite to be expected that Jesus would
recognise the danger of ‘false prophets’ arising now that He was Himself
ministering as a prophet and would be sending out His own prophetic men,
and would even possibly recognise that they were already at work. Indeed, He
must have recognised that some of these very men who were listening to Him
might turn out to be false prophets, and moreso as their numbers grew.
It is sometimes stated that to speak of false prophets in this way would have
been an anachronism. However, such a statement is unjustified. In Antiquities
13:11:2 Josephus describes how, well before the time of Jesus, Judas the
Essene had called himself a ‘false prophet’ because he had prophesied the
death of Antigonus and it had not happened. While Josephus goes on to say
that on Antigonus’ sudden death ‘the prophet was thrown into disorder’ Thus
Josephus too could speak of prophets and false prophets in respect of the not
too distant past.
Indeed the kind of people Jesus had in mind are defined in Matthew 7:22, they
preach and even possibly foretell, they cast out evil spirits, they perform
‘wonders’, and as is demonstrated there, some even do it in the name of Jesus.
It is easy for us to get the idea that in 1st century AD only John the Baptist
were around to be seen as ‘prophets’, but there is good reason for thinking
that that was not so. We can tend to overlook the fact that a number of Jewish
wonder-workers and exorcisers were wandering around at this time, some of
whom could attach themselves to Jesus name (see Acts 19:13; and compare
Acts 13:6), and even possibly become disciples. There may well have been a
number of such in unorthodox Galilee, some of whom could easily have
attached themselves to Jesus, whether genuinely or with false motives
(consider Luke 9:49-50). And there is no reason to doubt that men would look
on such people as ‘prophets’ and deeply respect them (like some tend to
respect faith healers today). Josephus would later speak of ‘Theudas’ and ‘the

Egyptian’, two self-proclaiming ‘wonder workers’ who appeared in Palestine,
as ‘prophets’. And Jesus no doubt saw that some who did attach themselves to
His name could well become a danger to His followers once He Himself had
moved on elsewhere. They might then well appear to some of the people to be
a place to look to for advice (as no doubt some looked for advice to the man
described in Luke 9:49-50). Agabus, an early Christian foreteller from
Jerusalem, was called a prophet, and was one of a number (Acts 11:27-28),
and we must ask, from where did these Christian Jews get the title? The
probability would seem to be that it initially arose from an already exiting
background of seeing seemingly spiritually gifted people as ‘prophets’. The
name was then later applied both to some who were officially appointed (1
Corinthians 12:29) and to some who had a charismatic gift (1 Corinthians 14).
But it seems reasonable to suggest that it first arose from the original Jewish
background, especially as we can compare with this use of the term ‘prophet’
the ease with which the Galilean crowds began to call Jesus a prophet. Again
it was simply because a part of their background caused them to express such
a view about an inspired teacher, exorciser and wonder-worker. Furthermore
in Matthew 10:42 Jesus appears to be likening his disciples to prophets and
wise men. Possibly the difference there was that some performed wonders,
while others simply testified. In Matthew 14:5 Jesus activities had convinced
the people that He was a prophet, probably for a similar reason (compare
Matthew 21:11; Luke 7:16; Luke 7:39; Luke 24:19). All this suggests that in
Galilee at least the idea of prophets was still alive and active.
It is true that the Scribes and Pharisees may have been partly in Jesus’ mind
in this description as ‘false prophets’ (compare Matthew 16:6) , but not as the
main culprits at this point in time. For we have to recognise from what we
have said above that there may well already have arisen actual false prophets
doing things in the name of Jesus in Galilee, just as there were genuine ones.
Indeed we are quite taken by surprise to learn of someone going around
casting out evil spirits in Jesus’ name (Luke 9:49-50 - note that we only know
of this case because of the question of the Apostles) because we do not think
like that, but we should note that it seems to have been no surprise to the
Apostles, only a cause for anger because he was doing it independently. And in
that particular case Jesus seems to have been quite happy about what the

exorciser was doing. Furthermore in His reply Jesus clearly considered the
possibility that there were others, and He must have been aware that not all of
them would be as genuine as that one was.
We must not measure Galilee by Judea. Charismatic preachers, exorcisers
and wonder-workers (Matthew 7:22) might not have been quite so welcome in
Judea, although the fact that Jesus could say to the Pharisees, ‘if I by
Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do yours sons cast them out?’ (Matthew
12:27) probably indicates that there were some. However, in more open and
unorthodox Galilee where the Jews mingled with Gentiles, it would be a
different matter. We also learn of such false Jewish prophets and wonder-
workers in the days just before Jerusalem was destroyed, and they did not
come from nowhere. They must have had their predecessors. For the 1st
century AD was a time of great expectation among the Jews, especially in
Galilee, and it is during such times that spurious ‘prophets’ always arise.
Indeed Josephus (who had had connections with Galilee) actually came to see
himself as having prophetic gifts. He would not describe himself as a prophet,
but he probably hoped that others would see him in that way. Taking all
things into account therefore there was good reason why Jesus should have
recognised the need to warn His wider disciples against being taken in by
‘false prophets’ who acted in His name, even around the time that He was
preaching. We only have to consider some types of faith healer today to
recognise what influence they could have exercised. And this would have
made Him even more aware of the need to warn them about such false
prophets arising in the future, under whatever guise. History had
demonstrated that there would after all always be ‘false prophets’, a term
firmly based on the Old Testament.
Analysis of Matthew 7:15-20.
a Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them (15-16a).
b Do men gather grapes of thorns, Or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7:16 b).
c Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit, but the corrupt tree brings
forth evil fruit (Matthew 7:17).

b A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring
forth good fruit (Matthew 7:18).
a Every tree which does not bring forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast
into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them (Matthew 7:19-20).
Note that in ‘a’ the false prophets are known by their fruits, and in the
parallel because they are known by their fruits they will be cut down and cast
in the fire. In ‘b’ is the recognition that good fruit cannot come from bad
sources, and in the parallel the same applies. Centrally in ‘c’ is the fact that
the good tree produces good fruit, and the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable

Jesus here sounded a warning that the Old Testament prophets also gave
about false prophets (cf. Deuteronomy 13; Deuteronomy 18; Jeremiah 6:13-
15; Jeremiah 8:8-12; Ezekiel 13; Ezekiel 22:27; Zephaniah 3:4). He did not
explain exactly what they would teach, only that they would deceptively
misrepresent divine revelation. This covers a wide spectrum of false teachers.
Their motive was ultimately self-serving, and the end of their victims would be
destruction. These characteristics are implicit in Jesus" description of them.
The scribes and Pharisees manned a narrow gate, but it was not the gate that
led to the narrow way leading to life.

Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Matthew 7:15. Beware of false prophets, i.e.., teachers. Not only is the way
straitened, but those who might leave the ‘many’ to find it are in danger from
false teachers, such as would prevent them from finding it. The warning may

refer to the false teachers shortly to arise from among the Jews, but applies to
all.
That come to you. ‘False prophets’ are defined as those who do thus. They
come ‘to you,’ to the professed disciples of Christ; more anxious to proselyte
and pervert in the Church than to convert in the world, more meddlesome
than missionary in their activity.
In sheep’s clothing. No allusion to the dress of the prophets, but referring to
the harmless exterior, or to the external connection with God’s flock
Inwardly, or from within, acting according to their impulses, they are
ravening wolves. The old destructive malice remains. The application of this
strong (but not harsh) language to persons must be governed by what follows.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
In the clothing of sheep. Beware of hypocrites, with their outward appearance
of sanctity, and sound doctrine --- by their fruits you shall know them. Such
hypocrites can scarcely ever continue constant in the practice of what is good.
(Witham) --- Heretics usually affect an extraordinary appearance of zeal and
holiness, calling themselves evangelical preachers and teachers of the gospel,
as if that Church which preceded them, and which descends by an
uninterrupted succession from the apostles, did not teach the pure gospel of
Christ. (Haydock) --- Beware of false prophets, or heretics. They are far more
dangerous than the Jews, who being rejected by the apostles, are also avoided
by Christians, but these having the appearance of Christianity, having
churches, sacraments, &c. &c. deceive many. These are the rapacious wolves,
of whom St. Paul speaks, Acts xx. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xix.) Origen
styles them, the gates of death, and the path to hell. (Com. in Job. lib. i. Tom.
2.)

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves.
Beware, [ Prosechete (G4337) de (G1161),`But beware'] of false prophets -
that is, of teachers coming as authorized expounders of the mind of God and
guides to heaven. (See Acts 20:29-30; 2 Peter 2:1-2.)
Which come to you in sheep's clothing - with a bland, gentle, plausible
exterior; persuading you that the gate is not strait nor the way narrow, and
that to teach so is illiberal and bigoted-precisely what the old prophets did
(Ezekiel 13:1-10; Ezekiel 13:22).
But inwardly they are ravening wolves - bent on devouring the flock for their
own ends (2 Corinthians 11:2-3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

The Bible Study New Testament
Watch out for false prophets. In the scriptures, a prophet is one who
proclaims God's message to men. A false prophet is one who does not teach
the truth. Jesus speaks here about the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees.
Looking like sheep. They look harmless, but inside they are very dangerous to
the unsuspecting.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(15) Beware of false prophets.—The sequence again is below the surface. How
was the narrow way to be found? Who would act as guide? Many would offer
their help who would simply lead men to the destruction which they sought to
escape. Such teachers, claiming authority as inspired, there had been in the
days of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and there would be again. The true gift of
prophecy is always followed by its counterfeit. Even at the time when our
Lord was speaking, the influence of such men as Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37),
Theudas, and other popular leaders, was still fresh in men’s memories.
Which come to you in sheep’s clothing.

PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES

Matthew 7:15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (NASB: Lockman)
Greek: Prosechete (2PPAM) apo ton pseudopropheton, oitines erchontai
(3PPMI) pros humas en endhumasin probaton, esothen de eisin (3PPAI) lukoi
arpages.
Amplified: Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but
inside they are devouring wolves. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
KJV: Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves.
NLT: Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are
really wolves that will tear you apart. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: Be on your guard against false religious teachers, who come to you
dressed up as sheep but are really greedy wolves. (New Testament in Modern
English)
Wuest: Constantly be guarding yourself against the false prophets, men who
are of such a character as to be coming to you with sheep-like outward
expressions, but in their inner being they are rapacious wolves. (Eerdmans)
Young's: 'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's
clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves.

Beware of the false prophets: Prosechete (2PPAM) apo ton pseudopropheton:

Beware Mt 10:17; 16:6,11; Mk 12:38; Lk 12:15; Acts 13:40; Php 3:2; Col 2:8;
2Pe 3:17
False prophets Mt 24:4,5,11,24,25; Dt 13:1, 2, 3; Is 9:15,16; Jer 14:14, 15, 16;
23:13, 14, 16; Jer 28:15, 16, 17; 29:21,32; Ezek 13:16,22; Mic 3:5, 6, 7,11; Mk
13:22,23; 2Pe 2:1, 2, 3; 1Jn 4:1; Re 19:20
BEWARE OF
SPIRITUAL DANGER
Spurgeon writes "Ahabs and Jezebels...will deceive you, if you are not divinely
guarded against them."
Spurgeon in his sermon The Sieve writes that...
IN reading this chapter one is led to feel that it is not, after all an easy thing to
be a sincere Christian. The way is hard, the road is narrow. Who will may
represent the way to heaven as being easy; our Savior does not so speak of it.
“Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, and few there be that find it.”
“Many are called and few chosen.” The difficulty of being right is increased
by the fact that there are men in the world whose trade it is to make
counterfeits. There were, and there are, many false prophets. Our Savior has
spoken about them in this chapter, and given us a way of testing them; but
they are carrying on their trade still as successfully as ever. Now, since there
are traitors abroad whose business it is to deceive, we ought to be doubly
vigilant and constantly upon our watch-tower, lest we be misled by them. I
charge you, examine every statement you hear from Christian pulpits and
platforms; I charge you, sift and try every religious book by the great
standard of the word of God. Believe none of us if we speak contrary to this
word — yea, believe not an angel from heaven if he preach any other gospel
than that which is contained in inspired Scripture. “To the law and to the
testimony, if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no
truth in them. God grant us grace to escape from false prophets! We shall not
do so if we are careless and off our guard, for the sheep-skin garment so
effectually covers the wolf, the broad phylactery so decorates the hypocrite,
that thousands are deceived by the outward appearance, and do not discover

the cheat. Crafty are the wiles of the enemy, and many foolish ones are still
ignorant of his devices. Tutored by the experience of ages, seducers and evil
men not only wax worse and worse, but they grow more and more cunning. If
it were possible, they would deceive even the very elect. Happy shall they be,
who, being elect, are kept by the mighty power of God unto salvation, so that
they are not carried away with any error. (See the full text The Sieve)
J C Ryle comments that here...
the Lord Jesus gives us a general warning against false teachers in the church.
We are to "beware of false prophets." The connection between this passage
and the preceding one is striking. Would we keep clear of this "broad way?"
We must beware of false prophets. They will arise. They began in the days of
the apostles. Even then the seeds of error were sown. They have appeared
continually ever since. We must be prepared for them, and be on our guard.
This is a warning which is much needed. There are thousands who seem ready
to believe anything in religion if they hear it from an ordained minister. They
forget that clergymen may err as much as laymen. They are not infallible.
Their teaching must be weighed in the balance of Holy Scripture. They are to
be followed and believed, so long as their doctrine agrees with the Bible, but
not a minute longer. We are to try them "by their fruits." Sound doctrine and
holy living are the marks of true prophets. Let us remember this. Our
minister's mistakes will not excuse our own. "If the blind lead the blind, both
will fall into the ditch."
What is the best safe-guard against false teaching? Beyond all doubt the
regular study of the word of God, with prayer for the teaching of the Holy
Spirit. The Bible was given to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
(Psalm. 119:105.) The man who reads it aright will never be allowed greatly to
err. It is neglect of the Bible which makes so many a prey to the first false
teacher whom they hear. They would have us believe that "they are not
learned, and do not pretend to have decided opinions." The plain truth is that
they are lazy and idle about reading the Bible, and do not like the trouble of
thinking for themselves. Nothing supplies false prophets with followers so
much as spiritual sloth under a cloak of humility.

May we all bear in mind our Lord's warning! The world, the devil, and the
flesh, are not the only dangers in the way of the Christian. There remains
another yet, and that is the "false prophet," the wolf in sheep's clothing.
Happy is he who prays over his Bible and knows the difference between truth
and error in religion! There is a difference, and we are meant to know it, and
use our knowledge. (J. C. Ryle. Expository Thoughts)
Beware (4337) (prosecho from pros = before, toward + echo = hold) means
literally to hold to, toward or before. Originally it was followed by the word
"the mind" (nous) but at times "the mind" was omitted but still the idea of
"the mind" was implied. To apply one’s self to. To attach one’s self to.
Prosecho means to moor a ship, to tie it up. Prosecho was also used to mean
“to remain on course”.
Figuratively (see also below) the idea is to hold one's mind before then to take
heed, to pay attention, to give heed, be in a state of alert, to watch out for or to
be on guard. The word implies the giving one’s consent, as well as one’s
attention. When used in this manner prosecho always warns of some type of
danger (usually spiritual danger but occasionally physical)! Prosecho is not a
call simply to notice or sense something, but to be on guard against it because
it is so harmful (eg, the danger of practicing your righteousness for others to
see, the danger of false prophets, false teachers and false teaching, the danger
of the Pharisees and Sadducees). The idea is to turn one’s mind or attention to
a thing by being on one’s guard against it.
The present imperative calls for the wise citizen of the kingdom of heaven to
be continually on the look out for false prophets especially those who promote
the deadly deceptive "doctrine" of the wide gate and the wide way that leads
to death and destruction (cp Mt 7:13, 14-note). Remember that a false
teaching is the more dangerous the more truth it contains. And as someone
well said an error no wider than a hair will lead a hundred miles away from
the goal. Jesus' point is that not every who claims to belong to God and to
speak for Him actually proclaims God's truth. His message speaks poignantly
to the evangelical church in our day of shallow teaching which sets the saints
up for false teaching! Watch out! The best antidote for the "arsenic" or leaven

of false teaching is to teach sound doctrine (cp 2Ti 4:2-note, 2Ti 4:3, 4-note,
Heb 5:14-note, Titus 1:9-note, 1Pe 2:2-note) As J C Ryle put it "Ignorance of
the Scriptures is the root of all error."
It is noteworthy that 12 of the 24 NT uses of prosecho are in the present
imperative which is a command (see below) calling for continual attention!
Prosecho means
(1) To bring to, bring near, in Greek writings of bringing near a place, such as
to bring a ship to land, and simply to touch at, put in. BDAG adds that "In
non-biblical writings the primary meaning (is to) ‘have in close proximity to’;
frequently... of mental processes ‘turn one’s mind to’."
(2) To hold or turn one's mind toward a person or thing. To attend to, be
attentive. To pay close attention to something. To give assent to. (of the
crowds listening to Phillip = Acts 8:6, 10, 11) (Of Lydia paying attention and
thus responding Acts 16:14) (Notice that the meanings #2 and #3 are related
and some lexicons do not separate the meanings).
(3) To be in a state of alert, be concerned about, care for, take care. The idea
is to be in a continuous state of readiness to learn of any future danger, need,
or error, and to respond appropriately. This meaning is frequently found as a
command calling for continued attention (present imperative) - beware, be on
alert, watch out, etc. (Mt 6:1, 7:15, 10:17, 16:6, 11, Lk 12:1, 17:3, 20:46, 21:34,
Acts 5:38, 20:28, 1Ti 4:13) Notice also that it is Jesus Who is most often using
this verb as a command!
(4) Continue to believe. Hold firmly to a particular belief (1Ti 1:4, 6:3)
Wherever the narrow demands of following Jesus are taught, there are false
prophets who advocate the wide gate and easy way watering down the truth to
the point that as Spurgeon sarcastically quipped...
There is not enough left to make soup for a sick grasshopper.
Prosecho - 24x in 24v - NAS = addicted(1), beware(8), give attention(1),
giving...attention(1), giving attention(2), guard(3), officiated(1), pay
attention(2), pay...attention(1), paying attention(2), respond(1), take care(1).

Matthew 6:1-note "Beware (prosecho - present imperative = command to be
continually on the alert!) of practicing your righteousness before men to be
noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in
heaven.
Matthew 7:15-note "Beware (prosecho - present imperative = command to be
continually on the alert!) of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Matthew 10:17 "But beware (prosecho - present imperative = command to be
continually on the alert!) of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and
scourge you in their synagogues.
Matthew 16:6 And Jesus said to them, "Watch out (horao - present
imperative) and beware (prosecho - present imperative = command to be
continually on the alert! A charge for constant watchfulness.) of the leaven of
the Pharisees and Sadducees."
Matthew 16:11 "How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to
you concerning bread? But beware (prosecho - present imperative =
command to be continually on the alert!) of the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees."
Matthew 16:12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the
leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Luke 12:1 Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had
gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to
His disciples first of all, "Beware (prosecho - present imperative = command
to be continually on the alert! Calls for this to be one's continual attitude.) of
the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Luke 17:3 "Be on your guard! (prosecho - present imperative = command to
be continually on the alert!) If your brother sins, rebuke him and if he
repents, forgive him.

Luke 20:46 "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and
love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the
synagogues and places of honor at banquets,
Luke 21:34 "Be on guard (prosecho - present imperative = command to be
continually on the alert!), so that your hearts will not be weighted down with
dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not
come on you suddenly like a trap;
Comment: Disciples are to watch out. If they are too absorbed into everyday
life, they will stop watching and living faithfully. (NET Bible note)
Acts 5:35 And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care (prosecho - present
imperative = command to be continually carefully consider) what you propose
to do with these men.
Acts 8:6 The crowds with one accord were giving attention (imperfect tense =
over and over) to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs
which he was performing.
Acts 8:10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention
(imperfect tense = over and over) to him, saying, "This man is what is called
the Great Power of God."
Acts 8:11 And they were giving him attention (imperfect tense = over and
over. It pictures repeated action) because he had for a long time astonished
them with his magic arts.
Acts 16:14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira (city in the
province of Lydia in Asia Minor), a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of
God, was listening and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things
spoken by Paul.
Comment: The NET Bible notes that BDAG says prosecho here means "gives
the meaning "pay attention to" here, (but that) this could be misunderstood
by the modern English reader to mean merely listening intently. The following
context, however, indicates that Lydia responded positively to Paul's message,
so the verb here was translated "to respond."

Acts 20:28 "Be on guard (prosecho - present imperative = command to be
continually on the alert! This is to be your habitual attitude/action!) for
yourselves (Note: Pastors, elders = first watch over your own heart and soul!)
and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to
shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
1 Timothy 1:4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which
give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God
which is by faith.
Comment: Vine says that "The verb prosecho sometimes signifies to be
attentive to, as in Acts 6:14; 8:6, more strongly, to apply oneself to, to attach
oneself to, to cleave to a person or thing; this is the meaning here, as also in
4:1, and Titus 1:14. In 1 Timothy 3:8, the meaning is to be addicted to and in
4:13, to devote thought and effort to. The danger mentioned in this verse was
not merely that of giving attention to fables, etc., but rather of following such
teachings by attaching oneself to the propagandists. (Vine, W. Collected
writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos)
1 Timothy 3:8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued,
or addicted ("turning one's mind" or "devoted" or "occupy oneself with" or)
to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall
away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of
demons,
Comment: MacArthur writes that prosecho "expresses more than merely
listening to something. It means “to assent to” “to devote oneself to,” or “cling
to something.” The present tense of the participle shows that apostates
continually cling to demonic teaching. They understand the facts of the gospel
intellectually, and outwardly identify with the Christian faith. Since their
hearts are not right with God and they do not have the Spirit to teach and
protect them (cf. Jude 19), however, they are lured away by deceitful spirits.
Planos (deceitful, cp word study on related verb planao) comes from the root
word from which our English word “planet” derives. It carries the idea of
wandering, and thus came to mean “seducing,” or “deceiving.” Demons are

called deceitful because they cause men to wander from the orbit of the truth.
The Holy Spirit leads people into saving truth (cf. Jn 16:13), while these
unholy spirits lead them into damning error." (MacArthur, John: 1Timothy
Moody Press)
1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, give attention to (prosecho - present imperative
= command to be continually devote yourself to!) the public reading of
Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.
Comment: Robertson translates, “keep on putting your mind on". MacArthur
writes that "Give attention to is the present active indicative form of prosecho.
Timothy was to continually give his attention to those things --it was to be his
way of life. Donald Guthrie writes that the verb “implies previous preparation
in private” (The Pastoral Epistles, rev. ed [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990],
109). It encompasses not just the act of teaching, but all the commitment,
study, and preparation associated with it. (MacArthur, John: 1Timothy
Moody Press)
Titus 1:14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men
who turn away from the truth.
Hebrews 2:1-note For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what
we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.
Comment: Vine says that Prosecho "means to hold to, to turn attention to,
hence to take heed in a practical way. In 3:12 the verb is blepo, to look, to give
earnest consideration. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson)
MacArthur: "Pay much closer attention" to and is emphatic. In other words,
on the basis of who Christ is, we must give careful attention to what we have
heard about Him. We cannot hear these things and let them just slide through
our minds. (MacArthur, John: Hebrews. Moody Press or Logos)
Hebrews 7:13-note For the one concerning whom these things are spoken
belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated (gave attendance,
served) at the altar.

Comment: Vine says that Prosecho means "to give attendance, usually
signifies to give heed (Ed comment: see Lxx uses - Ps 5:2 = "Heed", Ps 17:1 =
"give heed" Ps 22:19 = "hasten to", multiple other similar uses - see Lxx
entries below), and therefore suggests devotional thought and effort to a thing.
Cp. “give heed” in Acts 16:14 and 1Timothy 4:13. (Vine, W. Collected
writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson or Logos)
2 Peter 1:19-note So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which
you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day
dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
Prosecho - 90v in Septuagint (LXX) - Ge 4:5; 24:6; 34:3; Exod 9:21; 10:28;
19:12; 23:21; 34:11f; Lev 22:2; Deut 1:45; 4:9, 23; 6:12; 8:11; 11:16; 12:13, 19,
23, 30; 15:9; 24:8; 32:1, 46; 1 Kgs 7:30; 2 Chr 25:16; 35:21; Ezra 7:23; Neh
1:6, 11; 9:34; Esth 8:12; Job 1:8; 2:3; 7:17; 10:3; 13:6; 27:6; 29:21; Ps 5:2;
10:17; 17:1; 22:1, 19; 35:23; 38:22; 40:1, 13; 55:2; 59:5; 61:1; 66:19; 69:18;
70:1; 71:12; 77:1; 78:1; 80:1; 81:11; 86:6; 130:2; 141:1; 142:6; Prov 1:24, 30;
4:1, 20; 5:1, 3; 7:24; 17:4; Eccl 4:13; Song 8:13; Isa 1:10, 23; 28:23; 32:4; 49:1;
55:3; Jer 6:19; 7:24, 26; 25:4; Dan 9:18; 12:10; Hos 5:1; Mic 1:2; Zech 1:4;
7:11; Mal 3:16. Below are some representative uses of prosecho in the
Septuagint (as noted above there are multiple uses in the Psalms where
prosecho reflects a crying out to God asking Him to heed)
Genesis 4:5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard (Lxx =
prosecho). So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
Proverbs 1:24 "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and
no one paid attention (Lxx = prosecho);
Proverbs 4:20 My son, give attention (Lxx = prosecho - present imperative =
command to be continually devote yourself to!) to my words; Incline your ear
to my sayings.
FALSE
PROPHETS

False prophets (5578) (pseudoprophetes from pseudes = false, untrue +
prophetes = prophet) who teach any other way than that our Lord has clearly
marked out in this passage. These men (1) claim to be a prophet from God
and (2) utter falsehoods under the name of divine prophecies.
This term pseudoprophetes also refers to a specific historical individual (who
is yet to be revealed) who will be the "front man" for the Antichrist in the end
times (see Rev16:13-note; Rev 19:20-note. Rev 20:10-note). Below is a
description of the False Prophet (from Tony Garland's highly recommended
literal interpretation of the Revelation = A Testimony of Jesus Christ)
The False Prophet is the second beast which John sees which comes up out of
the earth having two horns like a lamb and who spoke like a dragon (Rev.
13:11-note). His appearance is benign, like that of a lamb, but his prophecies
and commands have their source in the devil. This is why Scripture refers to
him as the “False Prophet” (Rev. 19:20-note; Rev 20:10-note).
The False Prophet performs great signs and miracles which are used to
witness to the Beast from which he derives his power. “He exercises all the
authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who
dwell in it to worship the first beast” (Rev. 13:12-note). He causes those on the
earth to worship the Beast and to make an image to the beast (Rev. 13:14-
note). He is even granted power “to give breath to the image of the beast”
(Rev. 13:15-note). It appears that the miracles he performs are genuine, but
what they attest to is false. It is the False Prophet who causes all men to
receive a mark in order to be able to buy or sell (Rev. 13:16, 17-note).
Along with the dragon and the Beast, he forms an anti-trinity wherein the
dragon occupies a position like that of the Father, the Beast like that of the
Son, and the False Prophet like that of the Holy Spirit, but testifies to the false
son . All three are the source of demons which gather the kings of the earth to
battle (Rev 16:13,14-note). (See Campaign of Armageddon) Both the False
Prophet and the Beast are taken at the Second Coming of Christ and cast into
the Lake of Fire as its first populace (Rev. 19:20-note). They are still there one
thousand years later when joined by the devil (Rev. 20:10-note).

No doubt the False Prophet plays a key role in the deception which Paul
described in his letter to the church at Thessalonica:
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all
power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among
those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they
might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that
they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not
believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Th. 2:9-12) [emphasis
added]
He is an instrument of both the dragon and the Beast, but ultimately of God.
See Symbols of Kingdoms See commentary on Revelation 13:11. (A Testimony
of Jesus Christ - False Prophet)
Related Resources: See ISBE article on False Prophesying. See below for
multiple Scriptures related to false prophets
False prophets are not just wrong but are very dangerous (cf "savage wolves"
Acts 20:28, 29, 30), and one should not expose their minds (Remember: The
battle is not as much physical as it is mental, so the battlefield is our mind and
the great divine weapon is His Word and Sword of Truth, Ep 6:17-note, [2Co
6:7, Col 1:5-note, 2Ti 2:15-note, Jas 1:18-note]) to their false message because
they inevitably pervert (Acts 20:30- where "perverse" = to turn or twist the
truth throughout and) distort their listener's thinking and poison their souls.
False prophets are more deadly than physical wolves and other predators,
because they can kill not just the body but the soul.
Pseudoprophetes - 11x in 11v
Matthew 7:15-note "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Matthew 24:11 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.
Matthew 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show
great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

Mark 13:22 for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs
and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect.
Luke 6:26 "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used
to treat the false prophets in the same way.
Acts 13:6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they
found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus,
2 Peter 2:1-note But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there
will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift
destruction upon themselves.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into
the world.
Revelation 16:13-note And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and
out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three
unclean spirits like frogs;
Revelation 19:20-note And the beast was seized, and with him the false
prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those
who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image;
these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
Revelation 20:10-note And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the
lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also and
they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Pseudoprophetes - 10x in the Septuagint (LXX) - Zech 13:2; Jer 6:13; 33:7, 8,
11, 16; 34:9; 35:1; 36:1, 8 (Note that preponderance of uses are in Jeremiah
who is prophesying before, during and after the fall of Jerusalem. How
interesting that Jesus predicts false prophets will arise in the "last" of the last
days, just before the true Prophet [Dt 18:15] returns as King of kings, Rev
19:16)
Kistemaker mentions some specific ploys of modern day false teachers...

“Heaven and hell are myths.”
“The God of love will not permit anyone to be punished everlastingly.”
“Satan is a myth.”
“Sin is sickness. It has nothing to do with guilt. Get rid of your guilt-complex.”
“An individual is not responsible for his own so-called sins. The blame, if
there is any, rests on the parents or on society.”
“In many situations what used to be considered sin is not really that at all.”
These men claim to speak in His Name ("thus saith the Lord"), ostensibly
setting forth the way of God, which in fact is not the true way but a pseudo-
way which leads the listener away from God not to Him. The appear harmless
like sheep, some of the most harmless animals known. Their inward character
is that like insatiably hungry wolves who always seek to further their own
interests at the expense of the flock. The outward appearance of these men
belies their sinister inward character, which is why Jesus' next instruction in
Mt 7:16 is so critical.
Peter warns that false prophets and false teachers are
like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and
killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those
creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong.
They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and
blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes
full of adultery and that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a
heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way they have
gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved
the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke for his own
transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained
the madness of the prophet. These are springs without water, and mists driven
by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out
arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those
who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom

while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is
overcome, by this he is enslaved. For if after they have escaped the defilements
of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are
again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for
them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way
of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy
commandment delivered to them. It has happened to them according to the
true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow,
after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire." (see notes 2Pe 2:12-13, 14,
15-16, 17, 18, 19, 20-21, 22)
They preach a so-called "gospel" of self-indulgence which is an utterly
different message than Jesus proclaimed in the sermon on the mount. The
gate of pride, of self-righteousness, and self-satisfaction is the wide gate of the
world, not the narrow gate of God!
Pink comments that
“False prophets are to be found in the circles of the most orthodox, and they
pretend to have a fervent love for souls, yet they fatally delude multitudes
concerning the way of salvation. The pulpit, platform, and pamphlet
hucksters have wantonly lowered the standard of divine holiness and so
adulterated the Gospel in order to make it palatable to the carnal mind.”
The Disciple's Study Bible notes that...
False prophets plague the church because they can easily deceive with false
claims and mighty works (Mt 7:22; 24:24; Re 19:20). To recognize false
prophets, the ordinary Christian must examine the way they live and their
message. Do their behavior and character conform to Christ and His
teaching? Do they proclaim only what people want to hear that makes life
easy and pleasurable while ignoring the demanding and difficult requirements
of discipleship? (Disciple's Study Bible)
Jesus predicted that in the last days...

false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and
wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in
advance. (Mt 24:24,25)
False prophets use orthodox language, show biblical piety, and can be almost
indistinguishable from true prophets. Since false prophets are so deceptive,
how then can they be identified? The answer is that it is in the nature of false
prophets to deceive and deny their true character. They can even deceive
themselves, believing they are sheep when in fact they are ravenous wolves.
They frequently disclose their true nature as ravenous wolves by what they do
not affirm. In other words, they are identified not so much by what they say as
by what they do not say. They say "Lord, Lord" and thus do not openly deny
Jesus’ divinity, His substitutionary atonement, the depravity and lostness of
man, the reality and penalty of sin, the destiny of hell for unbelievers, the need
for repentance, humility, and submission to God, and other such “negative”
and uncomfortable truths. They simply ignore them. Beware of such
"prophets" is Jesus' resonating warning!
False prophets includes those elsewhere referred to as false brothers (2Co
11:26), false apostles (2Co 11:13), false teachers (2Pe 2:1), false speakers, that
is, liars (1Ti 4:2), false witnesses (Mt. 26:60), and false Christs (Mt 24:24).
Moses explained how to identify false prophets writing that...
"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign
or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he
spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known)
and let us serve them (a clear marker of their false nature),' you shall not
listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams (dreams were a
common means of divine revelation, which made the Israelites vulnerable to
one who would claim such divine revelation, especially if accompanied by
signs or wonders), for (Moses explains why God allowed false prophets some
measure of "success") the LORD your God is testing (Hebrew word conveys
idea of testing or proving the quality of someone or some thing often by
subjecting them to adversity or hardship - the ultimate goal is to show one's
genuine character) you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all

your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the LORD your God and
fear Him, and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve
Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be
put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God
who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of
slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God
commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you." (Deut
13:1-5)
In his last known letter Paul warns against fallen man's tendency to gravitate
toward false prophets and false teachers warning Timothy that...
the time will come when they will not endure ("put up with" - they despise
sound teaching and so will leave sound teachers!) sound (hugiaino > English
hygiene, hygienic. Hugiaino [word study] = Healthy and wholesome, that
which protects and preserves life) doctrine (that which is taught), but wanting
to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate (heap one thing on another)
for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires (see epithumia),
and will turn away their ears (it is but a short step from itching ears to
turning ears) from the truth, and will turn aside to myths (see muthos - word
study) (becoming a church filled with comfortable, professing ''Christians'' as
in - Titus 1:16-note - listening to comfortable religious talk that contains little
if any of God's Holy Word). (notes 2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Charles Spurgeon said
“You and your sins must separate or you and your God will never come
together. No one sin may you keep; they must all be given up, they must be
brought out like Canaanite kings from the cave and be hanged up in the sun.”
who come to you in sheep's clothing: hoitines erchontai (3PPMI) pros humas
en endhumasin probaton
Who come Zech 13:4; Mk 12:38, 39, 40; Ro 16:17,18; 2Co 11:13, 14, 15; Ga
2:4; Ep 4:14; Ep 5:6; Col 2:8; 1Ti 4:1, 2, 3; 2Ti 3:5, 6, 7, 8, 9,13; 4:3; 2Pe 2:1,
2, 3,18,19; Jude 1:4; Re 13:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
DECEIVERS

DISGUISED
Sheep's clothing - Sheep, on account of their simplicity, mildness,
inoffensiveness, patience and obedience, are used as emblems of believers in
Christ. Since these false prophets resemble sheep they are more readily
accepted into the "flock". When an enemy is seen for what he is, as are
mocking, scoffing dogs and swine (Mt 7:6-note), "sheep" are alerted and
wary, but when an enemy poses as one of "our own", then we drop our
defenses.
John MacArthur has a somewhat different interpretation of "sheep's
clothing" explaining that
Similarly, shepherds invariably wore woolen clothing, made from the wool of
the sheep they tended. That is the sheep’s clothing of which Jesus here speaks.
False prophets do not deceive the flock by impersonating sheep but by
impersonating the shepherd, who wears sheep’s clothing in the form of his
wool garments. Just as the ancient false prophets often wore the garments of
the true prophet, so false shepherds often disguise themselves as true
shepherds. Satan’s man goes under the guise of God’s man, claiming to teach
the truth in order to deceive, mislead, and, if possible, destroy God’s people.
Scripture speaks of three basic kinds of false teachers: heretics, apostates, and
deceivers. Heretics are those who openly reject the word of God and teach
that which is contrary to divine truth. Apostate teachers are those who once
followed the true faith but have turned away from it, rejected it, and are
trying to lead others away. Those two kinds of false teachers at least have the
virtue of a certain honesty. They do not claim to represent orthodox, biblical
Christianity. The false shepherd (the deceiver), on the other hand, gives the
appearance of orthodoxy, frequently with great declarations and fanfare. He
is not a liberal or a cultist but one who speaks favorably of Christ, the Cross,
the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and so on, and who associates with true believers.
He may go out of his way to appear orthodox, fundamental, and evangelical.
From his looks, vocabulary, and associations he gives considerable evidence of
genuine belief. But he is not genuine; he is a fake and a deceiver. He has the
speech of orthodoxy, but is a living lie. (Matthew 1-7 Macarthur New
Testament Commentary Chicago: Moody Press) (Bolding added)

Paul warns the church in Corinth to be on the look out for these men...
For such men are false apostles, deceitful (deliberately attempting to mislead
by telling lies - skilled at "baiting" the trap) workers, disguising
(transfiguring, disguising, changing the external appearance without a change
the internal, their heart and character remain unregenerate) themselves as
apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an
angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise
themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their
deeds. (2Corinthians 11:13, 14, 15)
The amazing thing about these deceivers is that they themselves are usually
self deceived. Paul writes that...
evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and
(continually - present tense) being (passive voice - outside force causes this
effect) deceived. (see note 2Ti 3:13)
but inwardly are ravenous wolves: esothen de eisin (3PPAI) lukoi harpages
Wolves Is 56:10,11; Ezek 22:25; Mic 3:5; Zeph 3:3,4; Ac 20:29, 30, 31; Re 17:6
Ravenous (727) (harpax from harpazo [word study] = seize up, catch away)
means grasping. This word was used to describe a certain kind of wolf and
also for the grappling irons by which ships were boarded in naval battles.
Harpax describes the spirit which grasps that to which it has no right with a
kind of savage ferocity.
The adjective harpax characterizes these false teachers as destructive,
rapacious, grasping, robbing, greedy men. Keep your eyes open for this
attitude in those who seek to be your spiritual leaders.
Ravenous in English is the idea of very eager or greedy for food, satisfaction,
or gratification. The English word implies excessive hunger and suggests
violent or grasping methods of dealing with food or with whatever satisfies an
appetite.
Wolves (3074) (lukos) describes a literal wolf but here of course is used
metaphorically of a rapacious (excessively grasping or covetous; living on

prey and often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or
avarice), violent, "wolf-like" person.
In Palestine, wolves were the most common natural enemy of sheep. They
were known for being merciless and ferocious. They roamed the hills and
valleys, looking for a sheep that strayed away from the flock or lagged behind.
When a wolf found such a sheep it quickly attacked and tore it to pieces. Even
a grown, healthy sheep was utterly defenseless against a clever, wily wolf.
In Paul's last meeting with the elders of the church at Ephesus he issued a
similar stern warning declaring...
Be on guard (prosecho = same verb Jesus used and also in present imperative)
for yourselves (examine yourself first!) and for all the flock (guide, guard and
graze the flock, rather than "fleecing" the flock), among which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased
with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come
in among you, not sparing the flock and from among your own selves men will
arise, speaking perverse (literally twisted throughout, distorted truth) things,
to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering
that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each
one with tears. (Acts 20:28, 29, 30, 31)
Since savage wolves, consumed with greed,
Seek simple sheep on which to feed,
Wise are those wary lambs who graze
Close by their Shepherd's watchful gaze. --Gustafson
><>><>><>
How To Catch A Rat - My grandson's chicken coop was invaded by rats.
Attracted by the feed, they had moved in. He asked for my help and we set out
a couple of traps. After a week, though, we had not caught a single one. Then
a farmer friend offered some advice. "No rat," he said, "will touch an exposed
trap. You must disguise it with food. Fill a pan with meal and place the trap in

it. Cover it well with meal so it is completely hidden." It worked! The next
morning we had a big fat rat.
All this reminded me that the devil knows this trick too. He carefully disguises
his trap with truth. Nowhere is it better seen than in the numerous false cults
and religions in the world today. All set their traps of error in a pan of meal.
Many quote the Bible and preach a certain amount of gospel truth. They talk
about prayer and Jesus and the Bible. But under the layer of truth is the trap
of error.
This is the age of deception. The Bible therefore warns us to "test the spirits"
(1Jn 4:1) and beware of deceivers (2Ti 3:13-note; 2Jn 1:7). The only antidote
against the clever deceptions that come in the name of Christ (Mk. 13:5, 6) is
to know your Bible. Be rooted and grounded in the truth (Col 2:6, 7, 8 -see
notes Col 2:6; 7; 8). "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1Th 5:21-note).
Beware of Satan's traps. —M. R. De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC
Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Satan dogs the steps of the saints
And digs a pit for their feet;
He craftily sows his tares in the field,
Wherever God sows His wheat! —Anon.

Satan often disguises error with a veneer of truth.
><>><>><>
Torrey's Topic
False Prophets
Pretended to be sent by God -Je 23:17,18,31
Not sent or commissioned by God -Je 14:14; 23:21; 29:31
Made use of by God to prove Israel -Dt 13:3

DESCRIBED AS
Light and treacherous -Zephaniah 3:4
Covetous -Micah 3:11
Crafty -Matthew 7:15
Drunken -Isaiah 28:7
Immoral and profane -Jeremiah 23:11,14
Women sometimes acted as -Neh 6:14; Re 2:20
Called foolish prophets -Ezekiel 13:2
Compared to foxes in the desert -Ezekiel 13:4
Compared to wind -Jeremiah 5:13
Influenced by evil spirits -1Ki 22:21,22
PROPHESIED
Falsely -Jeremiah 5:31
Lies in the name of the Lord -Je 14:14
Out of their own heart -Jeremiah 23:16,26; Ezekiel 13:2
In the name of false gods -Jeremiah 2:8
Peace, when there was no peace -Je 6:14; 23:17; Ezek 13:10; Mic 3:5
Often practiced divination and witchcraft -Je 14:14; Ezek 22:28; Acts 13:6
Often pretended to dreams -Jeremiah 23:28,32
Often deceived by God as a judgment -Ezekiel 14:9
THE PEOPLE
Led into error -Jeremiah 23:13; Micah 3:5
Made to forget God’s name by -Je 23:27

Deprived of God’s word by -Je 23:30
Taught profaneness and sin by -Je 23:14,15
Oppressed and defrauded by -Ezek 22:25
Warned not to listen to -Dt 13:3; Je 23:16; 27:9,15,16
Encouraged and praised -Je 5:31; Lk 6:26
Mode of trying and detecting -Deuteronomy 13:1,2; 18:21,22; 1 John 4:1-3
PREDICTED TO ARISE
Before destruction of Jerusalem -Matthew 24:11,24
In the latter times -2Peter 2:1
Judgments denounced against -Jeremiah 8:1,2; 14:15; 28:16,17; 29:32
Involved the people in their own ruin -Isaiah 9:15,16; Jeremiah 20:6; Ezekiel
14:10
Matthew 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered
from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? (NASB: Lockman)
Greek: apo ton karpon auton epignosesthe (2PFMI) autous; meti sullegousin
(3PPAI) apo akanthon staphulas e apo tribolon suka?
Amplified: You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick
grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
KJV: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or
figs of thistles?
NLT: You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree
by its fruit. You don't pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles.
(NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: You can tell them by their fruit. Do you pick a bunch of grapes from
a thorn-bush or figs from a clump of thistles? (New Testament in Modern
English)

Wuest: By their fruits you will clearly recognize them. They do not gather up
grapes from bramble bushes or figs from a prickly wild plant, the thistle, do
they? (Eerdmans)
Young's: From their fruits ye shall know them; do men gather from thorns
grapes? or from thistles figs?

You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn
bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?: apo ton karpon auton epignosesthe
(2PFMI) autous meti sullegousin (3PPAI) apo akanthon staphulas e apo
tribolon suka
Mt 7:20; 12:33; 2 Pe 2:10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18; Jude 1:10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19) (Lk 6:43, 44, 45; Jas 3:12
WATCH WHAT THEY DO
AS MUCH AS WHAT THEY SAY
Jesus now addresses how His followers can recognize these false teachers.
Spurgeon - How? By their eloquence? No. Some of the worst of teachers have
had great persuasiveness. You shall know them by their earnestness? No.
Some have compassed sea and land to make proselytes to a lie. You shall know
them how, then? ;If their teaching makes you better, if it makes you love God,
if it draws you to holiness, if it inspires you with noble and heroic sentiments,
so that you imitate Christ, then listen to them.
Know (1921) (epiginosko from epi = intensifies meaning of + ginosko = know
by experience) means to fully know them or be fully acquainted with. False
doctrine cannot restrain the flesh, so false prophets will always eventually
manifest the innate wickedness of their hearts. (2Pe 2:1-see notes on false
teachers beginning in 2Pe 2:1). The conduct of one's life is the true mirror of
one's doctrine.
As Vincent says "Character is satisfactorily tested by its fruits." Remember
however that character and reputation are not synonymous, because

reputation is what men think you are while character is what God knows you
are.
Lincoln
Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we
think of it; the tree is the real thing.
John Calvin
If we would judge rightly of any man we must see how he bears good and bad
fortune.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Our behaviour in times of need and crisis proclaims what we really are.
Matthew Henry
The Lord knows them that are his by name, but we must know them by their
character.
Samuel Smiles
Daylight can be seen through very small holes, so little things will illustrate a
person's character.
Geoffrey Wilson
The actions of men form an infallible index of their character.
R. B. Kuiper
A man's heart is what he is.
Blaise Pascal
Orthodoxy of words is blasphemy unless it is backed up by superiority of
character.
Fruit trees may be beautiful but they have as their primary purpose the
bearing of fruit, and so they are judged not by looks but by fruit produced.

Jesus is saying that in the same way a prophet or anyone who speaks for God
is to be judged by his life and not just by his lips (words). Just as a genuine
fruit tree cannot keep from being revealed by its fruit, the nature of the
prophet cannot help being revealed. Jesus is making it quite clear that
although false prophets will come, we do not have to be deceived by them but
we can in fact accurately identify them if we look closely at their "fruit". On
the other hand, the implication is that if genuine believers fail to look closely
at the "fruit" of a prophet's life, they can be ensnared by them.
Fruit Test (Thompson Chain Ref) - Mt 3:8, 7:16, 7:20, Lk 13:7 Jn 15:8 Php
4:17
Baker Evangelical Dictionary notes that...
John the Baptist and Jesus teach that the disciple is to produce fruit (good
works) as evidence of true repentance (Matt 3:8; Luke 3:8), and they explain
that a good tree (the repentant individual) cannot produce bad fruit, that is, a
life filled with wicked Acts, and a bad tree (an unrepentant person) cannot
produce good fruit, that is, a life of godly works (Matt 3:10; 7:16-20; Luke
3:9; 6:43). (Ref)
Guzik comments that...
There are many who would try to guide us along the broad path that leads to
destruction; how can we guard ourselves against them? We guard ourselves
against false prophets by taking heed to their fruits. This means paying
attention to many aspects of their life and ministry.
We should pay attention to the manner of living a teacher shows. Do they
show righteousness, humility and faithfulness in the way they live?
We should pay attention to the content of their teaching. Is it true fruit from
God's Word, or is it man-centered, appealing to ears that want to be tickled?
We should pay attention to the effect of their teaching. Are people growing in
Jesus or merely being entertained, and eventually falling away?

This fruit is the inevitable result of who we are. Eventually - though it may
take a time for the harvest to come - the good or bad fruit is evident, revealing
what sort of "tree" we are. (Ref)
Fruits (2590) (karpos) in this context refers to one's manner of life or what a
person does. Although karpos can refer to one's words (cf Mt 12:33, 34, 35, 36,
37), here karpos refers more to who the individuals are and how they behave,
for they can say the right things and deceive saints who have not obeyed
Jesus' command to be continually on guard (Mt 7:15). Character is
satisfactorily tested by its fruits. It is not the outward appearance that is
important, but the things these false prophets do, the produce so to speak of
their thought, words and deeds.
Here is Jesus' key point - If we take note of what these false prophets do and
refuse to be charmed or enamored by their false words and their golden
oratorical skills, we will recognize them for what they are -- what they teach,
how they conduct themselves, their lifestyle, their conduct in general ()
As Kistemaker says...
Good fruit proves that the tree from which it came is healthy. Worthless fruit
shows that the tree from which it fell is sickly. This cannot be otherwise. What
a man is in his inner being comes to expression outwardly, especially in words
and deeds...character reveals itself. To be sure, the false prophet may be able
for a little while to deceive people, and to hide his real face behind a mask of
seemingly pious words and deeds. This cannot last. “Nothing is more difficult
than to counterfeit virtue” (Calvin). The fruit will show the true character of
the tree.
Constable summarizes the significance of "fruit" noting that...
Fruit in the natural world, as well as metaphorically, represents what the
plant or person produces. It is what other people see that leads them to
conclude something about the nature and identity of what bears the fruit.
Fruit is the best indicator of this nature. In false teachers, fruit represents
their doctrines and deeds. Jesus said His disciples would be able to recognize
false prophets by their fruit, their teachings and their actions. Sometimes the

true character of a person remains hidden for some time. People regard their
good works as an indication of righteous character. However eventually the
true nature of the person becomes apparent, and it becomes clear that one’s
apparently good fruit was rotten. Prophets true to God’s Word would
produce righteous conduct, but false prophets who disregarded God’s Word
would produce unrighteous conduct. A poisonous plant will yield poisonous
fruit. It cannot produce healthful fruit. Likewise a good tree, such as an apple
tree, bears good nutritious fruit (v. 18). The bad fruit may look good, but it is
bad nonetheless (v. 16). A false prophet can only produce bad works even
though his works may appear good superficially or temporarily. (Tom
Constable, T: Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible) (Bolding
added)
Fruits includes deeds and doctrine (Mt 16:12; 1Jn 4:1, 2, 3). A person
speaking in the name of God is to be tested by the doctrines of Scripture. The
same principle still holds true today. Speakers and teachers should be tested
against the truths in God’s Word (Jude 1:3; Rev 22:18, 19) for as the true
prophet Isaiah wrote
“If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them” (Is 8:20, NKJV)
Do they feed pure milk or is is diluted with worldly wisdom, cute stories, etc?
(1Pe 2:2-note)
Do their lives demonstrate the power of godliness (2Ti 3:5-note).
Do their disciples exemplify a heart for holiness and a persevering faith
(Hebrews 3:14-note).
An art enthusiast displayed on the walls of his office a collection of etchings,
including one of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Every morning he noticed it was
crooked, so he straightened it. Finally one evening he asked the cleaning
woman if she was responsible for moving the picture each night. "Why, yes,"
she said, "I have to hang it crooked to make the tower straight!"
In a similar way, some people have the habit of twisting the Scriptures to
make their imperfect lives look better or to justify their own opinions. Jesus

warns us about the kind of people who do not approach God's Word with
honest motives and respect for its authority, and who consequently distort and
twist the truth.
In summary, we need to beware of their manner of living and whether they
show righteousness, humility and faithfulness in the way they live. We
obviously need to be wary of the content of their teaching, especially does it
square with God's Word, or is it sensationalist, feelings oriented, emotional,
man-centered or appealing to ears that want to be tickled. Finally we need to
pay attention to the effect of their teaching and whether or not people are
growing in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ or whether they
are merely being entertained, and eventually fall away. Though it may take
time for the harvest to ripen, the fruit, whether good or bad will become
evident and reveal the character of "tree" they are.
False prophets can also be identified by the character of their converts and
followers. Their followers will be like them in that they are egotistical, proud,
self-centered, self-indulgent, self-willed, and self-satisfied, while being
religious. They will be both self-oriented and group-oriented, but never God-
oriented or Scripture-oriented.
What is sad is that those who should be attracted to God are often attracted to
His enemies, Jeremiah recording that...
“The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority
and My people love it so!” (Jeremiah 5:30-31;).
“The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent
them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you
a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds”
(Jeremiah 14:14).
“Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: the
committing of adultery and walking in falsehood, and they strengthen the
hands of evildoers, so that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of
them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

15 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets, 'Behold,
I am going to feed them wormwood and make them drink poisonous water,
for from the prophets of Jerusalem pollution has gone forth into all the
land.'"
16 Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets
who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a
vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD.17 "They
keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You will have
peace"' And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart,
They say, 'Calamity will not come upon you.'
18 "But who has stood in the council of the LORD, that he should see and
hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?
19 "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling
tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked. 20 "The anger of the
LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the
purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it.
21 "I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But
they prophesied. 22 "But if they had stood in My council, Then they would
have announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back
from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds.
23 "Am I a God who is near," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off? 24
"Can a man hide himself in hiding places, So I do not see him?" declares the
LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD.
25 "I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My
name, saying, 'I had a dream, I had a dream!' 26 "How long? Is there
anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these
prophets of the deception of their own heart, 27 who intend to make My
people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just
as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? 28 "The prophet who has a
dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in
truth. What does straw have in common with grain?" declares the LORD.

29 "Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which
shatters a rock? 30 "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," declares
the LORD, "who steal My words from each other. 31 "Behold, I am against
the prophets," declares the LORD, "who use their tongues and declare, 'The
Lord declares.' 32 "Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false
dreams," declares the LORD, "and related them, and led My people astray by
their falsehoods and reckless boasting yet I did not send them or command
them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit," declares the
LORD.
33 "Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you saying, 'What is
the oracle of the LORD?' then you shall say to them, 'What oracle?' The
LORD declares, 'I shall abandon you.' 34 "Then as for the prophet or the
priest or the people who say, 'The oracle of the LORD,' I shall bring
punishment upon that man and his household. 35 "Thus shall each of you say
to his neighbor and to his brother, 'What has the LORD answered?' or, 'What
has the LORD spoken?' 36 "For you will no longer remember the oracle of
the LORD, because every man's own word will become the oracle, and you
have perverted the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God. 37
"Thus you will say to that prophet, 'What has the LORD answered you?' and,
'What has the LORD spoken?' 38 "For if you say, 'The oracle of the LORD!'
surely thus says the LORD, 'Because you said this word, "The oracle of the
LORD!" I have also sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The oracle of the
LORD!'"' 39 "Therefore behold, I shall surely forget you and cast you away
from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. 40
"And I will put an everlasting reproach on you and an everlasting humiliation
which will not be forgotten." (Jeremiah 23:14, 16-40)

Know them by their fruits - THE renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore (1832-
1883) lost his passport while traveling in Europe. When he came to a border
crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards. Giving his name
to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass. The
guard, however, said that many people attempted to cross the border by
claiming to be persons they were not.

Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be. "All right," said the
official, "we'll give you a test, and if you pass it we'll allow you to go through."
Handing Dore a pencil and a sheet of paper, the official told the artist to
sketch several peasants standing nearby. Dore did it so quickly and skillfully
that the guard was convinced Dore was indeed who he claimed to be. His work
confirmed his word!
Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16). Although
He was telling people how to identify false prophets, the principle is just as
true for believers. We too are known by the work our lives produce. (See
James 2:14-26-note)
Someone once asked: "If you were accused of being a Christian, would there
be enough evidence to convict you?" We claim to be followers of Christ. Do
our lives prove it? —R W De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC
Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
MEN KNOWN
BY THEIR FRUITS
Mt 7:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Charles Simeon...
THE greater part of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount was intended to
counteract the errors of the Pharisees, and the false glosses by which they had
obscured the law of Moses. But, in the words before us, our Lord seems to
have intended to counteract the general influence of the Pharisees. They were
in high repute for sanctity among the people, even whilst they were filled with
all manner of malignant passions. They pretended to have a high regard for
religion; but they were, in fact, the bitterest enemies of all vital godliness. It
was of great importance that the followers of Christ should know how to
distinguish them: and for that purpose our Lord gave them a rule which, in its
use and application, was easy, certain, and universal.
Let us consider,
I. Against whom we are here cautioned—

The term “prophets,” though often applied to those who foretold future
events, is often to be understood of those only, who, like common ministers,
were engaged in preaching the word of God. Of these, many were occupied in
disseminating error, rather than truth and therefore they are justly called
“false prophets.” (2Pe 2:1. False prophets and false teachers are synonymous.)
They were indeed, for the most part, very fair in their pretences, and specious
in their appearance and in this respect were in sheep’s clothing but their views
and designs were hostile to the best interests of the Church: they were proud,
selfish, covetous, worldly, and oppressive and when any opportunity arose of
gratifying their malignant dispositions, they manifested their true nature, and
shewed themselves to be no other than “ravening wolves.” Of this kind are
they,
1. Who lower the standard of the law—
[This was the constant aim of the Pharisees: they explained away the
spirituality of the law, and reduced it to a mere letter. Their great object was,
to reduce all religion to a few unmeaning observances. Against such persons
our Lord, not only in this, but in almost all his discourses, guarded his
hearers. He represented them as hypocrites, and said, “Beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, which is hypocrisy.” Against such also
it is necessary to guard men in every age. Persons of this description often
obtain considerable influence by means of their rank and office in the Church
and make little use of that influence, except to decry all serious religion. Every
thing beyond their own attainments they call enthusiasm and profligacy itself
finds more favour in their eyes than true piety. Whatever therefore be their
station or their influence, our Lord bids us to “beware of them.” If indeed
they sustain the sacred office of ministers, then we must “observe and do
whatsoever they enjoin,” so far, at least, as it accords with the word of God.
But we must not follow them one hair’s breadth beyond: we must not be led
by their influence, either to reject truth, or to embrace error but must be on
our guard against them and “follow them only so far as they themselves are
followers of Christ.”]
2. Who corrupt and pervert the Gospel—

[Thus it was with the Judaizing teachers: they blended the observation of the
Mosaic ritual with an affiance in the Lord Jesus Christ and thus, in fact,
destroyed the very foundations of the Gospel. St. Paul tells us, that they
perverted the Gospel, and introduced another Gospel, which was, in truth, no
Gospel at all (Gal 1:6, 7, 8, 9): and he guards us against them with a holy
vehemence, which might appear almost to border on impiety: “If any one,
even though he be an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you
than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” “I repeat it,” says he: “if an
angel from heaven so corrupt the Gospel, let him be accursed.”
But are there no such teachers in later ages? Yes in every age of the Church
they are very numerous. Men are prone to unite something of their own with
the meritorious work of Christ, as a joint ground of their hope and they are
very specious in their arguments: they seem as if they had a great zeal for
morality, and were only afraid of countenancing licentiousness. But, whatever
be their pretences, we must be on our guard against them. Hear how pointedly
the Apostle speaks: “Beware of dogs, beware of evil-workers, beware of the
concision.” Beware then of all such persons, and of their fatal errors; for “by
the works of the law shall no flesh be justified,” either in whole or in part: nor
“can any man lay any other foundation than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ.”]
3. Who distract and divide the Church—
[Many there were of this description even in the Apostolic age men who would
bring forward their own particular notions with a view to draw away disciples
after them. Some would insist upon something under the name of science or
philosophy: (Col 2:8) others would deny some of the plainest truths of
Christianity: others would plead for a latitude in the indulgence of some
particular sins: others would exalt one teacher or Apostle above all the rest. In
short, they were men of an unquiet, disputatious, forward, contentious
disposition (1Ti 6:3, 4, 5) loving to have any kind of pre-eminence, and to raise
their own credit or interest on the divisions and dissensions of the Church (Jn
3:9. Gal 6:13). Now, says St. Paul, “Mark men of this description, and avoid
them.” “Receive them not into your house,” says St. John, “neither bid them
God speed.” (2Jn 2:10) And well may we be on our guard against them. Many

of them are extremely subtle and some would almost withstand an Apostle
himself. (2Ti 4:15) But they are only wolves, yea ravening wolves too, in
sheep’s clothing and though they may express much concern for the welfare of
the Church, they fatten on the spoils of every fold to which they can get access.
(Titus 1:10, 11)]
But as it may often be difficult to discern the characters of these men, our
Lord lays down,
II. The rule whereby we are to judge of them—
It is a plain, acknowledged truth, that we must judge of trees by their fruit—
[No person will expect for a moment to find “grapes on a thorn, or figs on a
thistle:” common sense will tell him, that every tree has its own proper
productions and that even the fruit it does bear will not be found in
perfection, unless the tree itself be good. “A bad tree cannot bring forth good
fruit; nor can a good tree bring forth evil fruit.” The quality of the fruit will
infallibly mark the quality of the tree itself. If the fruit be good, it will mark
the tree to be deserving of culture and regard; but if bad, to merit nothing but
excision and the fire.]
Precisely in the same manner we must judge of those who call themselves
prophets of the Lord—
[Twice is it repeated, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” We should inquire,
What is the fruit of their doctrine upon themselves and on their hearers? If
the people themselves be proud, worldly, covetous, and despisers of real piety,
we have no reason to think that they will ever produce the opposite
dispositions in us. If they be resting on a wrong foundation themselves, they
are not likely to build us up upon that which God has laid in Zion. If they be
disputatious, contentious, ambitious of pre-eminence among their fellows, they
are not calculated to be useful to us in bringing us to a meek, humble, and
heavenly frame.
If our access to them be not such as to enable us to judge of their spirit and
conduct, then we must endeavour to notice the effect of their doctrines upon
others: and if we find that this is altogether unfavourable, we must be on our

guard to prevent any evil accruing to ourselves. We may see in the Holy
Scriptures, what was the temper, and what the conversation of Christ and his
Apostles: and, if we find the word ministered unto us has a tendency to
assimilate us to them, we may safely yield ourselves to its influence: but, if it
be calculated to lower the standard of real piety, and to make us rest in low
attainments, we should beware lest we be led astray by it, and beg of God that
nothing may ever “corrupt us from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus.”
It may be said, that this will lead those who ought to be learners to put
themselves in the seat of judgment and to become judges even of their own
teachers. But it must be remembered, that it is one thing to erect a tribunal
for the exercising of public judgment, and another thing to form a judgment
for the benefit of our own souls. The former is wrong, unless we be officially
called to it: but the latter is necessary for our own salvation. We are
commanded “not to believe every spirit but to try the spirits, whether they be
of God.” We are told also to “prove all things, and to hold fast that which is
good.” But this we cannot do, unless we examine what we hear, and bring it to
the unerring standard of “the word and testimony.” Though, therefore, we be
not qualified to lay down the law for others, we must all judge for ourselves
since on the exercise of that judgment the eternal welfare of our souls
depends. And, if we feel ourselves incompetent for the work, we may apply to
God for help, assured that “the meek he will guide in judgment” and that “a
way-faring man, though a fool, shall not be permitted by him to err,” in any
thing that shall be necessary for the salvation of his soul.]
As a proper improvement of the subject before us, we would recommend to
your attention the following advice:
1. Take care to profit by the ministry that you do enjoy—
[Though we must so far have our judgment exercised respecting the ministry
of the word, as to determine whether its general scope be likely to profit us or
not, yet, when we have reason to believe that the truth of God is proposed to
us, we should not listen to it with critical ears: we should rather receive it with
all humility of mind and “receive it with meekness, as an engrafted word, able
to save our souls.” We should not be satisfied with understanding and

approving of what we hear, but should endeavour to reduce it to practice. “If
we be hearers only of the word, and not doers, we deceive ourselves” — — —
Let us then look well to the effect produced on our own souls, and, “as new-
born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow thereby.”]
2. Judge of your own state and character by the fruits you produce—
[If we are concerned to judge of others, much more are we of ourselves: for
however wise and pious our instructors may be, it will be of no use to us,
unless we be pious ourselves nor, however erroneous they be, shall we suffer,
if we be taught and sanctified by the Spirit of God. We must therefore not be
contented with adopting right sentiments; but must take care that they
influence us in a becoming manner. We should often bring ourselves to the
touchstone of God’s word, and examine candidly what advancement we make
in the divine life: knowing assuredly that if we be found cumberers of the
ground at last, we shall be cut down and cast into the fire: but, if we have
abounded in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of our God, we shall be
accepted for Christ’s sake, and be acknowledged by him as good and faithful
servants, who shall for ever participate his joy.
END OF PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES

Matthew 7:15-20
KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE, AM 8/17/03
#23 – SERMON ON THE MOUNT

According to R. Kent Hughes, Chuck Swindoll, the radio preacher on Insight
for Living, tells a story about a friend of his who attended a get together in the
elegant home of a physician in the area of Miami, Florida. Hors d’oeuvres
were served and Swindoll’s friend thought they were delicious and kept
coming back for more. The doctor’s wife was serving meat “on delicate little

crackers with a wedge of imported cheese, bacon chips, and an olive, topped
with a sliver of pimento. She served these morsels on a beautiful silver tray.
The wife “had just graduated from a gourmet cooking course and decided she
would put her skills to the ultimate test…”. She wanted to see if she could
dress up something that people would not normally eat and have them eat it.
Imagine the surprise of her friends when they discovered that the meat served
on little crackers with a wedge of imported cheese, bacon chips, and an olive,
topped with a sliver of pimento was…………….dog food!
R. Kent Hughes, The Sermon on the Mount - The Message of the Kingdom
(Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2001) p. 247

What is the point of this story? Make something look good enough and taste
good enough, and people can be fooled. This is especially true in Christianity,
where throughout all denominations this morning there are people standing in
pulpits who look religious, who sound religious, but they are phonies. They
are deceivers. They are leading people astray.
They work for Satan and not for God.

Satan is a deceiver. He makes himself and his servants look beautiful,
wonderful and even religious and God fearing. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

As we wind down our study of the Sermon on the Mount we discover that
Jesus is giving us a very definite warning against pretenders in the pulpit who
are the agents of Satan and not of God. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus tells us to
beware of false prophets, of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

THE DANGER OF FALSE PROPHETS

Matthew 7:15 - Beware of false prophets…

Because we love our children we will warn them more than once. God loves
us. And because He does, he warns us in His Word more than once about false
teachers.

Here are some examples: 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 2 John 1:7, Jude 1:3-4

Jesus says, Beware of false prophets…

What comes into your mind when you hear the word “prophet”?
Probably you think of someone who predicts the future like a Jeremiah or an
Isaiah.
In the Bible a prophet was not only a foreteller, but a forth-teller. Sometimes
he predicted the future, and others times he simply spoke, representing
someone else. God’s prophets were God’s representatives who spoke for God.

Today God has appointed evangelists, pastors and teachers to speak for Him.
Ephesians 4:11-12

Jesus commanded the apostles to go and preach the Gospel and this is the
responsibility of all of us today, especially preachers and teachers. Mark 16:15

God has ordained that through the preaching of the cross of Christ, people
will come to Him.

1 Corinthians 1:21

God has further ordained that Christians will mature as they adhere to the
accurate preaching of God’s Word. Paul told one of his associates, Timothy in
2 Timothy 4:2: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Throughout Christianity this morning there are literally thousands of people
who claim to speak for God. Many of these people do. Many do not. Just
because a person has gone to Bible college or seminary, it doesn’t mean that
he or she is a true spokesman for God.

THE DECEPTION OF FALSE PROPHETS

Matthew 7:15 - Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

In order for false prophets to deceive they wear sheep’s clothing. According to
John MacArthur, this does not mean that they dress up to look like sheep.
They dress up to look like the shepherd! What were the shepherds’ clothes
made of? Wool! Shepherds wear sheep’s clothing and so do ravening wolves
who are trying to destroy God’s flock instead of building it. John MacArthur,
The MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Matthew 1-7 (Chicago,
Illinois: Moody Press, 1985), p. 465

So, the people who get up and preach on Sunday Morning who are false
prophets, false ministers of God often look, act, and sound like true ministers
of God. How then are we going to be able to tell the difference? 1 John 2:20

We have the Spirit of God living inside of us, who, if we let him, will guide us
so we will know when a person is a true representative of God or not.

THE DOCTRINE OF FALSE PROPHETS

Doctrine, of course, is teaching.
You must listen carefully to what preachers are saying.
You can tell if a person is a false prophet based on what he teaches or doesn’t
teach.

Last week we examined Matthew 7:13-14

· A false prophet will give you a wide gate and a broad way to Heaven.
· A false prophet might teach that loving your neighbor is all you need to
enter Heaven.
· A false prophet might teach that keeping the Ten Commandments will
get you into Heaven.
· A false prophet might teach that living morally will get you into Heaven.
· A false prophet might teach that giving money to Him or his church
might get you into Heaven.
· A false prophet might teach that doing good works will get you into
Heaven.
· A false prophet may tell you that as long as you are baptized you will go
to Heaven

· A false prophet might not even discuss how to get to Heaven or how to
be forgiven of sin.
· A false prophet might suggest any number of ways to get into Heaven,
but he will not show you the entrance through the straight gate and the
narrow way.

Entering through the straight gate means coming through faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to earth and lived a sinless life.
Jesus then died on the cross taking our punishment for sin. Isaiah 53:5
Jesus didn’t stay dead. He arose on the third day.
Because Jesus died for you, all you need to do is to place your faith in Him, for
forgiveness and eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9

John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This is the narrow way.
Any preacher or teacher who does not teach this way to Heaven is a false
prophet.
Some false teachers will tell you other ways to get Heaven other than the
prescribed way.
Many false teachers will never tell you how to get to Heaven.

THE DETECTION OF FALSE PROPHETS

Matthew 7:16-20 - Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of thistles? [17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good
fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. [19]
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the
fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

You would not want to eat a “grape” that was really a thorn.
It would not satisfy.
You would not want to eat a “fig” that is really a thistle. This will not satisfy
either.
If the lives and teachings of false prophets do not bring forth, good satisfying,
fruit we can detect that they are false prophets.
Jesus says, “Look at the fruit” and detect or discern who the true prophets of
God are.

A good tree will bring forth good fruit.
A corrupt tree will bring forth corrupt fruit.

I suggest to you that there are at least three types of fruit that a true
messenger of God will show, and that a false prophet will not show.

Look at a preacher’s life and see if you can detect,
· THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

No preacher is perfect, but a true messenger of God is going to show the
evidence of a spirit-filled life.

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is
no law.

If the fruit of the Spirit is not evident in the preacher’s life, the preacher is
either backslidden and in need or repentance, or he is not a believer, and
henceforth a false prophet.

Look at a preacher’s life and see if you can detect,
· THE FRUIT OF SOULS

A true minister of God, as we have said before, will preach the Gospel of
Christ. As a result, there should be those coming to faith in Christ.
Sometimes, there are many, sometimes they are far and few between, but
there should, at least once in a while, be conversions to Christ.

The Apostle Paul was one who was constantly looking to be fruitful among
those who needed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:13

The true ministers of Christ will have a burden for winning souls to Christ
and will see the fruit of their labors. Psalm 126:5-6

Look at a preacher’s life and see if you can detect,
· THE FRUIT OF SAINTHOOD

What is a saint?
A saint is someone who is set apart for God.
It is someone who has trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior.
How does God want his saints to live?
When saints were saved they were justified, or declared righteous by God.
Now God wants us to show the fruit of sainthood by living righteous lives.
Romans 6:18, 1 Peter 1:15-16

And please note what John tells us in
1 John 3:7 - Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

A preacher of righteousness will practice righteousness.

1 John 3:10 - In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the
devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth
not his brother.
http://www.sermonseeds.org/Sermon%20On%20The%20Mount/23%20-
%20Knowing%20The%20Difference%20-%207,%2015-20.htm

Mark of a False Teacher
In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warns his disciples against the false teachers who
will surely come; they will seem harmless or even attractive, but inwardly they
will be like wolves—savage, wild, and destructive.
The mark of the false prophet or teacher is self-serving unfaithfulness to God
and his truth. It may be that he says what he shouldn’t; but it is far more
likely that he will err by failing to say what he should. He will gloss over all
the tough questions and issues as did the false prophets in the Old Testament
who went around saying, “Peace, peace,” when there was no peace (Jer. 6:14).
They wouldn’t speak the tough word calling for repentance nor suggest that
Israel was out of sorts spiritually. Instead they brought groundless comfort,
lulling people into a false sense of security so that their hearers were totally
unprepared for the judgment which eventually came on them.
There are teachers in the church today who never speak of repentance, self-
denial, the call to be relatively poor for the Lord’s sake, or any other
demanding aspect of discipleship. Naturally they are popular and approved,
but for all that, they are false prophets. We will know such people by their
fruits. Look at the people to whom they have ministered. Do these folks really
know and love the Lord? Are they prepared to take risks, even hazard their
lives, for Jesus? Or are they comfortable, inactive, and complacent? If so, they
are self-deceived, and those who have irresponsibly encouraged their self-
deception will have to answer for it.
Anyone who is in a position of spiritual leadership who fails to teach the more
demanding, less comfortable, “narrow gate” and “rough road” side of
discipleship becomes a false prophet.
https://bible.org/illustration/matthew-715

Matthew 7:15

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A hanged wolf in sheep's clothing. A 19th century illustration of the mediaeval
fable attributed to Aesop
Matthew 7:15 is the fifteenth verse of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of
Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This
verse begins the section warning against false prophets.
Content[edit]
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
The metaphor[edit]
The metaphor of 'a wolf in sheep's clothing' has become a common English
expression. It is alluded to in Romeo and Juliet, where a character is called a
"wolvish ravening lamb."[1] See The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing for some other
cultural uses of the phrase.

Sheep were an important part of life in Galilee of Jesus' era, and the
metaphor of the pious as a flock of sheep is a common one in both the Old and
New Testaments. Wolves were regarded as greedy and malevolent predators
who were a threat to the innocent, and such wolf metaphors are also found in
several other parts of the Bible. Schweizer feels this metaphor may be linked
to the traditional description of the prophets being clad in skins.[2]
It is an open question who, if anyone, this verse is directed against. At the time
the gospel was written the Christian communities had several opponents, who
may be being targeted by the author of Matthew in this verse. Davies and
Allison note several groups that scholars have proposed. There are several
false prophets mentioned in the literature of the period such as Simon Magus
and Bar Kokba, but the text has no hint that it referring to one of these in
particular. France notes that the wording refers to the prophets coming to you
implies that these prophets are from outside the community of disciples.[3]
The Pharisees are the primary opponent of the righteous through the Gospel
of Matthew, and this could be another attack on them. However, Matthew
7:22 seems to make clear that the false prophets are Christian, rather than
Jewish. This also could rule out other Jewish sects active in this period such as
the Essenes and Zealots. While in later years Christian groups such as the
Gnostics would become prominent rivals to mainstream Christianity,
Gnosticism was not yet a major concern at the time this Gospel was
written.[4] Scholars who see a rivalry between the Jewish Christianity of
Mathew and the wider gospel of St. Paul have read this verse as an attack on
Pauline Christianity.[5][6] Schweizer supports the notion that the idea of false
prophets is closely attached to eschatology, and that this passage refers to
events expected to occur in the end times, not to any current rivals.[7] False
prophets were a frequent concern in the Old Testament, such as in Jeremiah.
France believes that even without any current threats the history in the Old
Testament would lead Jesus to be concerned about the dangers of false
prophets.[8] The figures in Matthew 7:21-22 are themselves surprised to be
judged harshly, but the word inwardly makes clear that prophets in this verse
are knowing deceivers of the faithful.[9]

Gospel of Matthew Matthew 7:15-20

The King’s Sermon – Beware of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

In this sermon Jesus warned about two gates, two ways, two destinations, and
two groups. In this text He warned about false prophets. The context of His
warning is critical. False prophets lead people to the wrong gate and into the
wrong way. The main reason so many people are on the wrong road and
heading toward the wrong destination is because they listened to false teachers
and accepted their teachings. John Phillips comments: “False prophets are
Satan’s emissaries to lure people along the broad road that leads to
destruction” (Exploring the Gospel of Matthew, 128). Not every person who
claims to speak for God actually does so. Christ is saying: “Just as there is a
misleading gate and a misleading way, there are also misleading preachers
and teachers who point to that gate and promote that way. Beware of those
who would mislead you.” The Bible is full of warnings about false teachers
and their false teachings. The New Testament speaks of false apostles (2 Cor.
11:13); false brethren (2 Cor. 11:26); false Christs (Mt. 24:24); false teachers
(2 Pet. 2:1); false witnesses (Mt. 26:60); and false prophets.

1. The DANGER of false teachers

False teachers are not just wrong; they are dangerous. When Jesus spoke
these words, there were many sheep and many shepherds. The greatest
enemies of sheep were wolves. They would often hunt for stray sheep or sickly
members of the flock. But even a full-grown healthy sheep was totally
defenseless against wolves. Just as vicious wolves were a constant threat to

sheep, even so false teachers have been a serious threat to God's people of all
ages. As long as God has had true prophets, Satan has had false ones. We
read about false teachers in both the Old and New Testaments. Paul warned
the leaders of the church at Ephesus, Acts 20:28-30 Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own
blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in
among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. The Apostle
John warned in 1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the
world. He warns again in 2 John 7 For many deceivers are entered into the
world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Scripture tells
us that the situation is only going to get worse in the last days, Matthew 24:11
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. Paul warned
Timothy about false teachers in 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly (clearly), that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing (deceiving) spirits and doctrines of demons. 2
Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers (deceivers) shall become worse and
worse, deceiving and being deceived. False teachers are dangerous because of
their nature and their number. They teach lies and lead men away from God
and His truth.

2. The DECEPTION of false teachers

They are especially dangerous because they are disguised. They seem to
represent God and teach the truth. False teachers mix just enough truth to
make their teaching acceptable. The story is told of a certain woman who
inherited a sizable estate and hired someone to write a book about her family
tree. The author did some research and found out that one of her
ancestors had been in prison and eventually was executed in the electric chair.
When she learned this, she told the writer to find a way to hide the truth if he

could. So the author wrote: “One of her relatives occupied the chair of
applied electricity in one of America's bestknown institutions. He was very
much attached to his position and literally died while serving there.” False
teachers are capable of deceiving many people, Matthew 24:24 For there shall
arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders: insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Jesus warned: "It will be hard not to believe the things they say.” A false
prophet never says, "I'm here to deceive you. I am the devil's spokesman."
Paul warned of the craftiness of false apostles, 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 For
such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the
apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light. Dr. Erwin Lutzer stated: “We have underestimated the ability
of Satan’s messengers to position themselves as the Lord’s ministers.”

3. The DETECTION of false teachers

If false teachers are so common, so dangerous, and so deceptive, how is it
possible to discover them before it is too late? We must be able to spot the
counterfeits. Here are seven ways to discover false teachers:

How to Unmask a False Teacher:

A. Does his teaching match his personal life and character?

Jesus spoke of two kinds of trees and two kinds of fruit (Mt. 7:16-20). He said
“by their fruits you shall know them” (vs. 16, 20). Howard Vos offers this
analysis: “The question of verse 16 e serves as an introduction to the simile of
verses 17-20, which teaches the relationship of the tree to the nature of its
fruit. Verse 19 evidently refers to the judgment awaiting false teachers”

(Bible Study Commentary: Matthew, 67). We are not called to be judges, but
we are required to be fruit-inspectors. Phillips states: “The ultimate test of a
false prophet is not the attractiveness of his personality, the persuasiveness of
his eloquence, or the size of his following, but his doctrine and the manner of
life” (Exploring the Gospel of Matthew, 129). It is important to know as much
as possible about the life of a spiritual leader. It is sometimes said that a
preacher lives in a glass house. In other words, people are always watching
what he says and does. That's as it should be.

B. Does his teaching include predictions?

God gave this guidance to His people Israel: Deuteronomy 18:21-22 And if
thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath
not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing
follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not
spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be
afraid of him.

C. Does his teaching focus on the whole Bible?

Any Scripture text without a context is a pretext. Beware of a person who
claims to have something “new” to share. If it's new, it's not true. Beware of
anyone who purports to give some new revelation. The canon of Scripture is
complete, and God is not giving any new revelation. Scripture is the sole
authority for what we must believe and how we must live.
The abiding principle established in the Reformation is Sola Scriptura
(Scripture alone is sufficient).

D. Does his teaching agree with other Scripture?

Galatians 1:8-9 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Ephesians 4:13-14 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive

False teachers don’t teach a lot about the dangers of sin and the depravity of
man. They don't teach much about repentance, forgiveness, or the new birth.
They prefer not to talk about judgment and eternal punishment. They do not
insist on brokenness over sin and a quest for personal holiness. They have
easy answers for small problems. And for all these reasons, false teachers are
often very popular and have a large following. E. Does his teaching glorify
Christ or himself?

John the Baptist, a faithful man of God, said: “He (Christ) must increase, but
I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). False teachers usually focus on themselves rather
than God and Christ.

F. Does his teaching hold up under close examination?

The Apostle Paul was grateful when his hearers searched the Scriptures to
validate his teaching: Acts 17:10-11 And the brethren immediately sent away
Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the
synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in
that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the

scriptures daily, whether those things were so. If a teacher seems to resent
being questioned or challenged, this may be a red flag.

G. Does his teaching attract and develop godly disciples?

False teachers usually attract false believers. Birds of a feather flock together.
In summary, John MacArthur provides these insights: “False prophets talk
much about the love of God but nothing about holiness, much about people
who are deprived but nothing about those who are depraved, much about
God’s universal fatherhood of every human being but nothing about His
unique fatherhood only of those who are His children through faith in His
Son, Jesus Christ, much about what God will give to us but nothing about
obedience to Him, much about health and happiness but nothing about
holiness and sacrifice. Their message is a message of gaps, the greatest gap of
which leaves out the truth that saves. False prophets can also be identified by
their converts and followers. They will attract to themselves people who have
the same superficial, self-centered, and unscriptural orientation as they do”
(Matthew 1-7, 472).
http://www.liberty-online.org/pastor/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Matthew-
7.15-20-Beware-of-Woves-in-Sheeps-Clothing.pdf

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
To Remember: Not everyone who claims to teach the truth really does

Vocabulary
False Prophet - Someone who claims to teach God's Word, but who teaches
something wrong or less than the whole truth

Lesson - Matt 7:15-23
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good
tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every
tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many
will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name,
and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I
will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (NIV)
Some people are like wolves who pretend to be sheep. They act and dress like
the sheep, only to destroy the lambs once they are among them. Click for
Larger picture of sheep and disguised wolf.

Jesus said that we can figure out which sheep are true sheep, and which are
wolves. He said we'll know, because even if a wolf is dressed like a sheep, it
acts like a wolf. A wolf can't baaa like a sheep, it can't chew cud like a sheep,
it can't eat grass, or even smell like a sheep. Jesus said that a wolf can try to
look like a sheep, but you can tell it apart by its actions.

Jesus also compared people like this to trees. If a tree has apples on it, what
kind of tree is it? An apple tree! Will an apple tree ever grow pears? No -
that's what a pear tree is for. Jesus said our actions are like fruit. If a man

lies, he is a liar, no matter how often he says he isn't. A man can say he is a
Christian, but if he doesn't act like a Christian, then you know he is false.

In fact, Jesus said there would people on judgment day that would claim that
they had done great things for Jesus, and he would say: "I never knew you,
depart from me, you who work iniquity." In other words, not only had they
not done what Jesus wanted, they had done evil instead. These people may
have thought they were pleasing God, but in fact they weren't. How do we
find out what will please God? By reading the Bible.

SING: This little Christian Light of Mine

Activity: Matching game. Use two pictures of trees, a twisted, dead and black
tree labeled Bad Fruit and a living, healthy, leafy tree labeled Good Fruit. On
pictures of fruit, list good and bad traits. Mix up the fruit and have students
sort them accordingly.

Describe several situations and have students decide whether a person who
does this is a sheep or a sheep in wolves clothing. (You can give each student a
picture of each to hold up, post a picture of each and have students stand
before the appropriate character, or have students place tokens on the
character on the table.)

Someone who cheats on a test. (wolf)
Someone who is polite to everyone. (sheep)
Someone who is only polite to people she wants to impress. (wolf)

Someone who admits when he is wrong. (sheep)
Someone who is difficult to upset. (sheep)
Someone who blames others for her mistakes. (wolf)
Someone who exaggerates. (wolf)
True or False
God knows who is true and who is false. T
We can know who is true and who is false. T
A wolf can smell like a sheep. F
An apple tree can grow pears. F
Our actions are our fruit. T
If someone does evil things, he can still be a good person. F
God will judge us by our actions. T
Memory Work Matthew 7:21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will
enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who
is in heaven. NIV

Review Questions(can be used with gameboard)

linguistic questions
What does the wolf represent?
What are some good "fruits" we can grow in our lives?
activity questions
Act out the wolf who is trying to act like a sheep.

Act out a sheep who discovers another "sheep" is a wolf.
Act out the farmer sorting good fruit from bad.
emotion questions
How does Jesus feel about the wolves among his sheep?
Describe how a person (sheep) feels when it discovers that the person it
believed in is actually evil (a wolf)?
How should we treat a 'wolf'?
application questions
Are we supposed to be on the look out for those that would deceive us?
How do we protect ourselves from evil people?
How can we tell if someone believes in Jesus? (if the act like Jesus)
fact questions
How do farmers judge which fruit trees to keep, and which to destroy?
What did God give us to help decide which fruit is bad and which is good?
Will we ever run into someone who would deceive us?
review questions
Will everyone who claims to please God be saved?
What happens if the wolf is allowed in with the sheep?
How do we know if we are pleasing to God?
https://sundayschoolsources.com/lessons/wolves.htm

5 Ways to Recognize "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing"
Debbie McDaniel
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
2015
10 Nov
COMMENTS
1

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ferocious wolves." Matthew 7:15
What does "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" mean?
Sometimes the truth can get twisted in this life. Blurred. Manipulated. Lines
get crossed. Things once seen as black and white may start to appear grayer.
It may seem harder to recognize what’s true or what’s false. What’s light and
what’s dark?

At the heart of the battle, we face every day, is a real enemy who prowls
around seeking someone to devour. (1 Pet. 5:8) He’ll stop at nothing to gain
new ground. He and his forces have quoted God’s words since the beginning
of time, twisting it, trying their best to manipulate the truth, their main goal
only to deceive and lead astray. They know who God is and the Bible says they
“shudder” in fear at His name. (James 2:19) They know that God alone will
be victorious and no matter what traps are used today to try to distract us
away from Him, in the end, they will not win.

Many times the wolf disguised in sheep’s clothing knows God’s Word better
than we thought, crafting and twisting it so much, we might even find
ourselves feeling confused over what real truth is anymore. So how can we see
through their deception to protect ourselves?

The best way to expose the false lies of the enemy is to know the Truth of the
One voice who matters most. Know the real and you'll know what is false.

One way federal agents are trained to detect counterfeit money is by learning
how to spot what is "fake," by understanding first what is "real." They study
real money, for hours and hours, every part of it. They know it so well when
the counterfeit is set before them, they immediately know that it's false.
Because they know the real thing.

And so it is with us. As we keep pressing in to know God, who is real, who is
Truth, and we set our minds on His Word, spending time there, meditating on
it, eventually we become very trained in detecting the "fake."

How to Spot a Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: 5 Reminders from God’s Word

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1. Watch out.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly
are ravenous wolves. Matt. 7:15
God reminds us in His Word to “watch out,” “beware,” to stay awake. He
knows and understands how difficult it can be to fight this spiritual battle.
Some days we get weary, or we get so busy and distracted, we’re not watching
anymore for ways we might get tripped up. But he tells us, “Be on your guard;
stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Cor. 16:13
He desires the best for us and knows how important it is for us to live aware.
He freely gives us his strength and protection to stand strong each day, he will
never leave us defenseless on our own.

2. Know the real and you’ll know the fake too.
“You will recognize them by their fruits…” Matt. 7:16

God’s Word is clear, it says they’ll be known by their fruits. Not by how much
money they have. Not by how many followers they have. Not by how many
books they have written or the great things they have done. They’ll be known
by what fruit exists in their lives. Is there love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control? Are they sharing the
gospel of Christ, and pointing others to the forgiveness and freedom that He
alone can bring? What do they say about who Jesus is? What do they believe
about the authority of God’s Word?
We may have to look more closely than what is on the outside. The world
often views “success” and popularity differently than how God sees. What’s at
the heart? Eventually, the truth of who they are will be brought into the light.
“He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives
of the heart.” 1 Cor. 4:5
We can trust His word to be true and rely on Him for guiding us.

3. Know God’s word and you’ll know when it’s being twisted and
manipulated.
“For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his
servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will
correspond to their deeds.” 2 Cor. 11:14-15
Sometimes deception may be hidden well, manipulated and cunning, for the
Bible makes clear that even Satan disguises himself as light.
If we don’t know His truth, we will never know when we’re being deceived.
Study it. Meditate on His words. Guard them in your heart. “I have hidden
your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Ps. 119:11
Press in close to God. Spend time in His presence. Pray, talk to Him, listen to
His voice through His word. Staying close to His side, living under the
protection of His armor and covering, helps us to know when we’re staring
straight into falsehood.

4. Trust the discernment and wisdom of God’s Spirit living through your life.
“…false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to
deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.” Matt.
24:23-25
God gives us His Spirit to guide us in discernment and wisdom. “When the
Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” John 16:13
He wants more than anyone, for us to be guided by Truth. He tells us “I have
told you ahead of time,” so that we will be prepared and watching. Walking in
the Spirit and not in the flesh. We don’t have to wander through life blindly,
unsure of what’s true and what’s not. When we’re daily asking for his
leadership and direction, submitting to his authority over our lives, we can
trust the leadership of His Spirit. When feeling unsettled or sensing something
is just not “quite right,” we can press in close to Him, knowing He’s faithful to
guide us.

5. Surround yourself with other believers you know and trust.
“Knowing this…scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following
their own sinful desires.” 2 Pet. 3:3
Use caution in who you listen to and choose to take guidance from. Sometimes
when we’re in a place where it’s hard to see clearly, maybe because of our
own pressing worries or cares, we need a trusted friend who can speak the
truth in places we need to hear. This is often true in marriage. Learning to
listen to one another and take into consideration what the other might be
sensing or discerning can often have great power in saving us from a heap of
trouble up ahead if we’ll only heed the warnings that someone we love may
speak our way.
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors
there is safety.” Prov. 11:14
Recognize that sometimes believers may simply disagree. It doesn’t
necessarily mean that one is a “false teacher,” but only that both might be

doing their best to follow God’s Word and what He’s leading, they just may
not agree on everything. We see this in Scripture and we see it all around us
today.
Let’s not waste time-fighting against ourselves, but recognize who the real
enemy is.
We can choose to give each other grace and kindness.
We can hold on to what matters most, and pursue unity in the body of Christ.
Standing strong together, on Christ the Solid Rock.
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

Debbie McDaniel is a writer, pastor's wife, mom to three amazing kids (and a
lot of pets). Join her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead's Facebook page,
http://www.facebook.com/DebbieWebbMcDaniel, for daily encouragement in
living strong, free, hope-filled lives. Find her also at
http://twitter.com/debbmcdaniel.
Publication date: November 10, 2015

JESUS STRAIGHT TALK - Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing
Matthew 7:15-20 (p. 679) May 21, 2017
Introduction:
Every Thursday morning I get to spend about a half hour reading with my 8
year old buddy named Ethan…and the Thursday before I left for vacation
Ethan brought in a book about little Red Riding Hood, only this one was

written from the wolf’s perspective. How misunderstood he was…how he was
really trying to help Grandma out…how he really had the best of
intentions…Ethan read and then looked at me and said, “I think he’s lyin.’”
And I laughed out loud and said…“I think so too Ethan.”
And both of us were proved right because at the end of the story the wolf,
dressed in Granny’s robe and cap still tried to eat Little Red Riding Hood.
And he said “I can’t help it…I’m a wolf.”
Wolves by nature are predators. Their goal is to devour whatever they
can…whether it’s pigs in straw houses…or little girls in red clothing.
If the wolf is at your door, then you know it’s bad news. No one is going to see
a snarling wolf and think “Oh, what a cute little puppy…I think I’ll play with
him.”
I remember Ethan saying during our storytime…I bet the wolf tries to
disguise himself…and sure enough he did.
Scripture has a lot to say about wolves too. And it’s never good. Wolves are
treacherous and dangerous when presented in God’s Word…and when Jesus
says:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matt. 7:15)
This is spiritual straight talk from the Son of God.
And this warning takes place right after Jesus describes two ways of life…one
that leads to eternal life and one that leads to destruction…It’s in this context
that Jesus says:
I. WATCH OUT
I remember being at a lot of softball games where a foul ball was hit into the
stands and everyone yelled “Heads up!”
If you weren’t paying attention there was a pretty good chance you’d get
clocked in the head. Watch out…Heads up…aren’t spoken lightly. They are
words of caution.

On the road of life it’s easy to get lulled into complacency…to lose sight of the
finish line. It’s easy to be turned aside…to backslide in our faith unless we
“Watch out.”
Have you ever known someone who was on fire for Christ…dedicated to
following Him and His Word…They were serving out of love…connected to
the Church as their family…and now they’re not? Anyone know anyone like
that? Probably all of us…so what happened?
They stopped watching out…Instead of being self controlled and alert…their
enemy, Satan, prowled into their life like a roaring lion…seeking to devour
them. And, He probably used other people to turn them aside…People who
taught false truths…false prophets.
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We don’t stay on that narrow road by accident…we stay on it by being guided
by Jesus and His Word…It’s why in this context Jesus says: “Watch
out…heads up…be alert for those who would lead you off my path of life.”
But Jesus clearly tells us what to watch out for…or maybe better put…“Who”
to watch out for.
II. WOLVES DISGUISED AS SHEEP
Let me ask you an important question. What do you think is the most
important and probably the most dangerous priority of a shepherd?
We’d all agree it’s protecting the flock…guarding his sheep.
If a wolf shows up snarling and frothing out the mouth…stepping between
him and his sheep is his duty…but it’s also dangerous.
But Jesus gives an even more dangerous situation…what if that wolf quietly
slips in among the sheep…covered in fleece and disguised as one of them.

This is what false prophets and false teachers do…The Apostle Paul also knew
this would be one of the greatest dangers for God’s Shepherds…He says, “I
know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not
spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the
truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard.” (Acts
20:29-31a)
Be on your guard…Watch Out! Heads up!
So how do shepherds identify wolves among the flock?
Peter tells us in his second letter:
2 PETER 2:1-3 (p. 853)
1. They introduce divisive things secretly.
When you examine the fruit that comes from these people’s life, it’s
destructive….it’s poisonous…it’s deadly…It doesn’t create a sweet unity of
purpose and spirit…it preys on the weak…the spiritually immature…and it’s
never about the truth of God’s Word…it’s about something
false…heretical…and self focused.
God is a God of light…He reveals truth…His Word is truth…and His people
walk in the light….they’ve put away secret and destructive practices.
John says in his first letter… “This is the message we have heard from Him
and declare to you. God is light, in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim
to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not
live out the truth.”
Wolves in sheep’s clothing claim a fellowship with God…claim to walk in the
light…but much of what they do and say is done secretly…privately…behind
the scenes…It’s done to draw people to their beliefs…It’s divisive and it preys
on the spiritually weak and immature.
“Watch out” for those who would secretly draw you away from God’s
fellowship with divisive heresies!
You can also identify wolves in sheep’s clothing because:

2. They begin to deny the sovereign authority of Jesus.
The road that leads to life is narrow because only Jesus will get us there!
The word sovereign means “to possess supreme, or ultimate
power…unlimited power.”
False teachers who mingle among the sheep would never just say, “I don’t
believe in Jesus.”
In the early church as well as today these wolves try to replace the power of
Jesus with other things.
Peter says, “These people are springs without water and mists driven by a
storm.
(2 Peter 2:17)
Jesus said much of the same thing in our text. They promise figs and grapes,
and deliver thorn bushes and thistles. You can recognize them by the fruit
they produce…you can recognize false teachers by the disciples they
produce…They talk about Jesus…they teach scripture…but they produce
divisive disciples without any of Jesus’ power, grace, and truth in their lives.
Peter promises: “Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the
way of truth into disrepute.” (2 Peter 2:2)??Here are some questions we ought
to ask when confronted with spiritual teaching…
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1. Where does this message come from?
Is it from God’s word or a cleverly invented story?
2. What is the substance of the message?
Is Christ central…is it unifying or divisive?

3. Where will this message leave you?
Closer to Christ or farther from Him and His church?
4. What kind of people does this message produce?
(Good trees with good fruit…or bad trees with poisonous fruit)
5. Why should you listen to this message?
(Because it’s God’s Word and His plan…or somone’s preference and opinion?
6. Where does this message ultimately take you?
Closer to the Lordship of Christ…or to a place where you say Lord, Lord, but
He responds “Depart from me, I never knew you.”
God’s plan is that we be “transformed into the image of His Son, Jesus
(Romans 8:29). Any teaching that doesn’t do that is false teaching and comes
from a teacher with ungodly motives.
The 3rd identifier for wolves in sheep’s clothing is:
3. Their greed makes them people exploiters.
Everyone of us have seen preachers who promise health and wealth if you just
send them a $1,000 check as a “seed of faith.” As if they are a “special”
prophet who can deliver these promises through their ministry.
Peter says, “In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated
stories.”
I believe there will be a special place in hell for those who live in a 40 million
dollar house and travel in a 10 million dollar Gulfstream private jet all paid
for by preying on the hopes of parents with dying children and the weak and
sick. Jesus is used as a sales pitch for promised healing…and these charlatans
pad their bank accounts on broken dreams.
“Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction
has not been sleeping.” (2 Peter 2:3)

Watch out for those who would promise you the ability to buy God’s
favor…and promote themselves as the conduit for this to happen. They are
wolves in sheep’s clothing and the fruit they produce is beyond “Bad.”
Let me end with this truth…God does the miraculous…people don’t…the best
shepherd’s lay down their lives for their flock…like Jesus. It’s never about the
esteem of the shepherd…it’s about the health and protection of His sleep.
Jesus straight talk…Good trees bear good fruit…bad trees bear bad fruit.
And if a tree doesn’t bear good fruit it will be cut down and thrown in the
fire…You can recognize good trees by their fruit.

[I started out this message talking about my buddy Ethan…this year when we
started he had to carry a clipboard around with him and would receive checks
when he paid attention, kept his hands to himself…didn’t talk during the
teacher’s explanations…I see a lot of myself in Ethan…and I love this little
boy. I just received this message from his teacher:
“Thanks so much for all you’ve done with Ethan this year. He has grown so
much this year. (He stopped needing the clipboard halfway through the year.)
You were a big part of this growth. He needed you in his life! Thank you isn’t
enough…Have a great day. Dana Bradford.]
How will we protect our children from the wolves if we don’t shepherd them
with love? They need us in their lives. And folks WE NEED THEM IN OURS!
Let’s pray.

"Wolves in Sheepskins"
Matthew 7:15-20
Theme: We are to be alert to "prophets" whose "fruit" proves them to be
false.

(Delivered Sunday, May 29, 2005 at Bethany Bible Church. All Scripture
quotes, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New King James Version.)
I can't imagine that anyone would consider this morning's passage to be one
of their favorites. It comes from our Savior's beloved Sermon on The Mount;
but it's not one is considered "beloved". It's not one that we hear quoted very
much. Rarely do we ever hear a sermon preached from it.
But at the same time, there are few things more important to hear than the
warning Jesus gives us in Matthew 7:15-20. He begins with the word "Beware
. . ."; and we should always take it very seriously whenever our Lord tells us
to "beware" of something. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the thing
our Lord seeks to protect us from in this passage is the most dangerous thing
in the world.
* * * * * * * * * *
People would place a variety of things in the category of "the most dangerous
thing in the world". I suspect that, currently, most people would say that
terrorism is the most dangerous thing in the world today. Certainly, we have
extended a great deal of effort into combating it. Others, I'm sure, would
insist that the threat of the use of nuclear weapons between hostile nations is
the most dangerous thing in the world today. Some would certainly suggest
that the terrible epidemic of AIDs is the most dangerous thing in the world.
But as dangerous as these things and other things like them are, I would argue
that none of them are as dangerous as the thing that truly is the most
dangerous thing in the world.
It is my conviction that the most dangerous thing in the world is false
doctrine. You see; all of those other things are dangerous because they take so
many human lives. And of course, that makes them truly and very gravely
dangerous things. But from the perspective of our God - who sees beyond time
and into eternity - something that can take our lives is only dangerous in a
temporal sense, but not in an ultimate and eternal sense.
Consider what our Lord Jesus has told His followers;

"And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. But rather
fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell" (Matthew 10:28).
In these words, Jesus teaches us that true, ultimate danger is found in that
which may result in our being destroyed in hell. Whatever may result in that
horrible destiny truly IS more dangerous than things that can only take away
our physical lives.
The ultimate danger, then, is in that which prevents us from being delivered
from God's wrath for sin through through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. It lies
in that which would cause us to remain unconverted from the path to eternal
destruction and loss. And on the basis of THAT perspective, I submit to you
that the most dangerous thing in the world is false doctrine - anything form of
teaching, or system of philosophy, or body of propositions that is contrary to
the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that calls us away from a simple
trust in Him as the Bible has presented Him to us.
And along with this, I would submit that the most dangerous people in the
world are those who spread the most dangerous thing in the world. The most
dangerous people in the world are those who present themselves as teachers of
the truth of God; but who, in reality, persuade people to believe false doctrine
- false teachers who lead people away from the saving truth of the gospel, and
who encourage them to follow a course that will lead them to ultimate
destruction. They are, in an ultimate sense, instruments of the devil and the
enemies of humanity. They truly deserve to be considered the most dangerous
people on the face of the earth.
* * * * * * * * * *
Now; I realize that what I've just said sounds very harsh. Many people living
our pluralistic culture would be deeply offended by what I just said. Many
would consider it "narrow". But please consider what our Savior says in the
verses just prior to this morning's passage. You find them in Matthew 7:13-
14:
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that
leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is

the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find
it" (Matthew 7:13-14).
There is a gate that leads to eternal life; but as our Lord here tells us, it is a
narrow gate, and it leads to a difficult way. It's not a very attractive way to go,
and many people simply refuse to take it. There is also a gate that leads to
destruction; and it is a much more "wide" gate, and the way that leads from it
is much more "broad". It's much more attractive, and most people prefer to
take it.
Every man and every woman must make a choice. They must choose the
narrow gate to life or the wide gate to destruction. Jesus urges us to choose the
narrow gate of faith in His sacrifice on the cross for us, and the difficult way
of discipleship as one of His obedient followers; for that choice alone is what
will lead us to eternal life.
But this leads us to this morning's passage. Jesus warns that there will be
some who will come along and proclaim the exact opposite of what He says.
They will insist that you don't have to be so "narrow" as to go through the
narrow gate. They will argue that Jesus is A way; but that He is not the
ONLY way. They will declare that the gospel message about Him in the Bible
is not exclusively true; and that there are actually many, many paths that lead
to life. They will make a convincing case for choosing the "wide" gate and the
"broad" way - and they will thus lead many, without their realizing it, down
the path to eternal destruction.
And so; to those of us who hear His words, Jesus says, "Beware!" That's the
first word in this morning's passage. In the original language, it's in a tense of
the verb that calls for continuous action - that is, we are to always be alert,
and always on our guard. He tells us to beware, so that we will not be fooled;
and that we will stay on the path that leads to eternal life. He tells us to watch
out, so that we will not become victims to the most dangerous thing on earth.
In this morning's passage, our Savior says;
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather

grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears
good fruit, but a 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. Therefore by their fruits you will know
them" (Matthew 7:15-20).
* * * * * * * * * *
Let's consider these words carefully. And let's begin by hearing the
implication of Jesus' words; that . . .
1. FALSE PROPHETS WILL ARISE (v. 15a).
Even if you don't know anything about New Testament Greek, I believe you
will still very easily understand the meaning of the Greek word that is used
here: pseudoprophêtês. It's one word made from two very easily recognizable
Greek words.
The first word is pseudos; which means "false". Our English suffix "pseudo-"
comes from this. A pseudonym, for example, is a fictitious name used by an
author; or to say that something is "pseudo-scientific" means that it only
pretends to be scientific.
And the second word is the word prophêtês; which, of course, means "a
prophet" - someone who speaks forth a message given to him or her by God.
And so a pseudoprophêtês is a "false prophet" - someone who presents
himself or herself as God's spokesman, and who pretends to speak a message
from God; but who, in fact, is a deceiver.
* * * * * * * * * *
If you are a student of the Bible at all, you'll agree with me: One of the most
repeated warnings God gives His people in the Bible is that false prophets will
arise. In fact, its amazing how often God warns us of this in the Bible. Clearly,
its a warning we need to be reminded of again and again.
But let's be very careful. In speaking of these repeated warnings, we're not
talking here of people who are simply in error in what they believe. When
someone believes in false doctrine and is mistaken concerning the truths of the

faith, we need to be very tender with them. Folks who simply fail to
understand the truths presented to us in God's word, or who are caught in the
grips of doctrinal error, need to be gently corrected and set on the right path.
We need to lovingly help such a person come to terms with God's revealed
truth. We need to, as the Bible says, take such a person aside and explain to
him the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:26).
But that's not the kind of person we're talking about. What we're speaking of
here are those individuals who intentionally raise themselves up as "teachers"
and as "spokesmen" for God, and who propose to speak forth ultimate truth;
but who, in fact, preach false doctrine and lead people astray. God calls such a
person "the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have
not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods"
(Deut. 18:20). Of such "prophets", the Lord says, "The prophets prophesy lies
in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them;
they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the
deceit of their heart" (Jeremiah 14:14).
And throughout the Bible, God's people are repeatedly warned to be on the
alert against such false prophets and false teachers. Even we - who live in the
New Testament era - are sternly warned against them. Jesus once spoke to His
disciples regarding the last days, and told them ". . . False christs and false
prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the
elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand" (Mark 13:22-
23). The apostle Paul once spoke to a group of pastors gathered together from
Ephesus; and he was probably thinking of our passage this morning when he
told them, "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among
which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God
which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my
departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also
from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw
away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch . . ." (Acts 20:28-31). Do
you see how often the warning is attached - "Beware"? "Take heed"?
"Watch"?

Paul once wrote to pastor Timothy and said, "Now the Spirit expressly says
that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to
deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having
their own conscience seared with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:1-2). And he later
warned him to preach God's word carefully to the people under his care;
because ". . . the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap
up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth,
and be turned to fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The apostle Peter warned, "But
there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false
teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even
denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift
destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom
the way of truth will be blasphemed" (2 Peter 2:1-2).
Listen carefully to this warning from the apostle John;
For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus
Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to
yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may
receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine
of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both
the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this
doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets
him shares in his evil deeds (2 John 7-11).
How many times does God have to tell us a thing? Once should be enough!
But here, we see that God warns us repeatedly to "Beware!" "Take heed!"
"Look to yourselves!" Clearly this is a serious matter; and we need to pay
attention to this warning from our Lord.
* * * * * * * * * *
Now; I thank God for the many, many great Bible teachers and preachers
that God has given us today. We live in a wonderful time of an abundance of
great teaching from the Bible. Many of the teachers and preachers we hear in
various churches, on the radio or television, or that we read in print or over

the internet, are very sound and trustworthy. A good preacher of the word is
a blessing to the world; and in this respect, our land is blessed by God many
times over. Wouldn't you agree?
But at the same time, I would suggest to you that it is a very foolish and
reckless and dangerous thing to expose one's self to the teaching of just
anybody who appears on television or on the radio, or who publishes a book,
or sells tapes and CDs, or holds conferences and seminars, or even in a church
pulpit. John tells us, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,
whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the
world" (1 John 4:1).
This leads us, secondly, to notice something else about these false prophets;
that . . .
2. THEY ARE VERY DANGEROUS (v. 15b).
Our Lord hints at the danger when He tells us to "Beware of false prophets,
who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."
This saying of our Lord, of course, has almost become proverbial in our own
day; hasn't it? We often speak of "wolves in sheep's clothing". And think of
the picture it presents! It would almost be funny, if it wasn't so horribly
serious! Imagine a fold of sheep - the most innocent and gentle and naive
creatures on earth - peacefully and innocently grazing. But there, in the midst
of the grazing sheep is the mortal enemy of the sheep itself - the creature that
presents the greatest possible danger to them - a wolf. Somehow, he snuck into
their midst. And they are utterly ignorant of his presence, because he is
dressed up in the skin of one of their own. He looks to them just like a sheep -
but inwardly, he is a wolf. And he's not just any wolf; he is a particularly
ravenous wolf - ready to pounce on any one of them and fill his stomach with
their flesh at the first possible opportunity. What a picture of danger this
presents!
* * * * * * * * * *

And think of what a picture it presents us of the dangerous character of false
prophets. First of all, they are terribly deceiving, because they appear to be
followers of Christ. That's one of the things that makes them so dangerous.
They fool other believers because they talk just like Christians. They know
how to speak what I often call good "Christian-ese". They pepper their talk
with phrases like "Praise the Lord, brother!" and "Hallelujah!" and "Glory
to God!" They quote Bible verses - and even seem to know the Bible better
than most. They talk in theological terms and use theological phrases. But
very often, if you ask them what they mean, you find that the meaning they
give to those terms and phrases is different from what is meant by those who
stand firm in the truth. They may speak of "Christ"; but they mean a
different Jesus than is found in the Bible. They may speak of His
"resurrection"; but they don't mean what the apostles meant by it. They may
talk about "salvation"; but they don't mean salvation in the biblical sense at
all. But unless you asked, you'd never know the difference!
Sometimes, they fool other believers because they look just like Christians.
They aren't going to walk around wearing a big red sign that says, "Warning:
I am a false prophet!" On a superficial level, you can't tell them from a
genuine believer. They often appear to be living very decent lives. They may
go to church. They may even be involved in the ministry of a church. They
may even be in the leadership of a church. They may even be in the leadership
of a denomination! They may wear a clerical collar. They may have a
theological education; and may have earned a prestigious theological degree.
They may have an impressive title after their name. And yet, they are not
what they appear. You can't always tell just by looking on the surface.
Sometimes, they fool others by their winning manner. They have pleasant
personalities; and appear to be very sincere and caring. They impress people
because they have a large following. Perhaps they have a successful television
or radio program; or because they have a best-seller out on the market. Very
often, they are gifted speakers; and are very funny or emotionally moving.
Most people like to hear them. They are often extremely popular. Their
message is very pleasant. They speak, as someone has suggested, of 'a God
without wrath, who brought men without sin into a kingdom without

judgment, through a Christ without a cross'. Now who could be offended by
that?
* * * * * * * * * *
They look for all the world like sheep! But the whole time long, inwardly, they
are nothing in the world but ravenous wolves. They are very dangerous. And
you would never know otherwise; because you can't tell by simply looking on
the surface. You have to dig a little deeper; and then you discover the truth!
Do you want to find out if you're dealing with a wolf in sheep's clothing? Just
try confronting that person about a matter of sin; or ask them about a
questionable practice or a problem you see in their private life. Confront them
with a question you have about a erroneous doctrine that they've been
teaching; or about the way they may be mishandling God's word. Or try to
ask them about why they don't teach from the Bible at all. Or just try to place
a hand on their cash box! Ask for some accountability in their accounting!
Try any of these things; and you'll find out pretty quickly the truth of what
you're dealing with! Many of us in the body of Christ have learned this from
personal experience! We've extended a correcting hand to what we thought -
at first - was another member of the sheep-fold . . . and were surprised when
we nearly got that hand bit off by a snarling wolf!
* * * * * * * * * *
Now; before we go another step further, I want to urge that we deal with this
whole matter very carefully. Jesus is giving us a warning to be on the alert.
He's letting us know that false prophets will creep into the church; and that
they are very dangerous. He's letting us know that we need to be on our
guard, and keep on the defensive against them.
But I don't believe that this should be taken as a call to go out on the offensive,
and hunt down the heretics among us. I don't believe we should run right out
and go on "wolf-hunts". We should be on the alert; but we shouldn't walk
around in paranoia - looking for false prophets under every rock! If we are
alert, and if we do the things that Jesus tells us to do, we wont have to go on
hunts for them. They will make themselves known.

In fact, I take great comfort in the ongoing ministry of the indwelling Holy
Spirit. He cares continually for the body of Christ; and He will reveal the
truth to us - if we are listening to Him. The apostle John spoke of Him in the
context of being on the alert against false teachers and false prophets; and he
said;
But the anointing which you have received from Him [that is, the Holy Spirit
sent to us by Christ Himself] abides in you, and you do not need that anyone
teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is
true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him (1
John 2:27).
* * * * * * * * * *
And this leads us to a final point in Jesus' teaching about false prophets; that .
. .
3. WE WILL KNOW THEM BY THEIR "FRUITS" (vv. 16 -20).
Jesus is the Master/Teacher. He desires to get the truth into us; and He's
certainly not afraid to use a mixture of metaphors in order to do so. (He
clearly didn't have the English teachers I had in school!) He switches from the
metaphor of sheep and wolves, to trees and the fruit they produce. You will
know these 'wolves in sheepskins', He says, "by their fruits."
* * * * * * * * * *
I have found it helpful to consider these verses in terms of the different
principles of "spiritual horticulture" Jesus presents to us. The first principle I
see is that one's true nature determines the kind of "fruit" he will bear. Jesus
asks, "Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" (v. 16).
Apparently, in Jesus' day, there was a certain thistle called "the buckthorn";
and it bore black berries that looked very much like grapes. And there was
also a certain thistle that had a flower; and that flower, from a distance,
looked like a fig. But one bite from this berry would prove that it certainly
wasn't a grape; and a closer look at this flower would prove that it certainly
wasn't a fig. A man may. at first, mistakenly look for grapes from such

thornbushes or figs from such thistle flowers; but if, after he discovered the
truth, he kept going there to look for grapes and figs anyway, he would be a
fool!
Once you've determined that the thornbush isn't a grapevine, and that the
thistle isn't a fig tree, you might as well become resolved to the fact that it will
never find grapes or figs from them - no matter how many times you look. It is
only in the nature of grapevines to produce grapes, and in fig trees to produce
figs. The true nature of a tree determines what its fruit will be. Jesus says,
"Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit" (v.
17).
* * * * * * * * * *
Many people believe that becoming a "Christian" is a matter of externals:
that is, you agree to a certain standard of doctrine, you attend a church, you
do charitable deeds, and you behave in a moral way. But really, becoming a
Christian involves a "radical" transformation - "radical" in the formal sense
of "down to the root". A Christian is someone who has become a completely
different person on the inside. A Christian, in the final analysis, is someone in
whom Jesus Christ dwells through the Person of His indwelling Holy Spirit;
and all the changes and behavior in a Christian's life are produced by the
indwelling Holy Spirit of Christ from the inside out - and not the other way
around.
This leads us to a second principle: that one cannot produce fruit contrary to
true nature. Jesus goes on to say, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can
a bad tree bear good fruit." A false teacher can never produce good fruit. He
or she simply cannot! The only fruit, in the end, that he will produce is bad
fruit; because that's the nature of a false prophet.
When it comes to the question of what constitutes "good fruit", I believe a
good, biblical answer is found in Galatians 5:22-23, where we read of the fruit
of the Spirit: the fruit of "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

The fruit of the Spirit is a picture of Jesus Himself; and the fruit of the Spirit
is a matter of Him living His life out through us. And so, when someone is
examined as to whether or not they're a genuine teacher of God's truth, you 'll
find the Lord Jesus displaying His characteristics - the fruit of the Spirit - in
that person's life. Such a person will display genuine and active sacrificial
love, an attitude of joy that prevails over the circumstances, a peace within
and a desire to seek peace with others, a patient and longsuffering manner
toward others in error, an active kindness and a desire to see goodness prevail
in the lives of those around him, a good record of being faithful and honest, a
humble gentleness toward those who are in opposition, and personal conduct
characterized by self-control.
By contrast, a false prophet would be characterized by what Paul referred to
as "the works of the flesh": "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contention, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish
ambition, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the
like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that
those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God"
(Galatians 5:19-21).
* * * * * * * * * *
Those last words of Paul lead us to a third principle of "spiritual
horticulture": that that which does not produce good fruit is removed. Their
fruit proves that Christ is not in them. And such will not inherit the kingdom
of God. Jesus says, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire."
You may be surprised to discover that these words are the very same words
that John the Baptist spoke before Jesus' public ministry began. He spoke to
the hypocritical Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him for a sham
baptism; and he rebuked them strongly, saying, ". . . Even now the ax is laid
to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is
cut down and throne into the fire" (Matthew 3:9).
And clearly, such lack of good fruit in someone's life is meant to prove that
they do not have a relationship with Christ by faith, and that He was not

dwelling in them; because Jesus - on another occasion - said, "I am the vine,
you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast
out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into
the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:5-6).
* * * * * * * * * *
One's true nature determines the kind of fruit they will produce. No one
produces fruit contrary to their true nature. And what's more, everyone who
does not produce good fruit is doomed to be removed from the scene. And so,
when it comes to false prophets, Jesus tells us, "Therefore by their fruits you
will know them" (v. 20). In fact, He tells us this twice in this passage. It's
something He clearly wants us to know.
May God help us to heed Jesus warning. It concerns the most dangerous thing
in the world. May he help us to "Beware" of wolves in sheepskins.
Missed a message? Check the Archives!
Copyright © 2005 Bethany Bible Church, All Rights Reserved

Three Ways to Spot a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Author: Leslie Vernick Category: Blog, Counseling
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One of the methods bank tellers and merchants learn in order to distinguish
real money from counterfeit bills is to examine genuine $100 bills over and
over again so that they more likely to spot the counterfeit bills when they see
them. In the same way we can learn to recognize destructive people by
knowing what to look for.
Some may object to any attempt to identify wolves among us because it sounds
uncharitable and judgmental to call someone a wolf. Only Jesus knows a
person’s heart so who are we to judge? Yet, Jesus himself warns us that there
are those who claim to be believers, they may even be leaders in the church,
but they are vicious or ravenous wolves dressed up in sheep’s clothing
(Matthew 7:15).
The apostle Paul warns Timothy that there will be people who act religious,
but are puffed up with pride, who are unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, and
cruel (2 Timothy 3:2-9). Part of spiritual maturity is gaining the ability to
discern between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). Why is this necessary?
Because Paul reminds us that even Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2
Corinthians 11:14). Evil pretends to be good, especially among church folk.
Sometimes as Christian counselors we make a naive assumption and it gets us
into terrible trouble. We assume that if someone claims to be a Christian and
talks like a Christian, and knows biblical principles, that means he or she is a
committed Christian. That’s not true.

Just like there are counterfeit $100 bills that attempt to pass for the real thing,
there are those among us who attempt to pass for Christians but underneath
they are ravenous wolves. How do we tell the difference?
Jesus said by their fruit we will know them. A wolf can be an expert at
talking like a Christian but over time, when you observe his or her behaviors,
they look more wolfish (aggressive). As the saying goes, the sweetest tongue
often has the sharpest tooth. Here are three things to watch out for.
Wolves live for the love of power rather than the power of love. Wolves refuse
accountability and resist submission to authority. You’ve heard the phrase
lone wolf? Wolves in sheep’s clothing put themselves as their highest point of
reference. They often use charisma and charm to “win” people over but they
do not have mutual or reciprocal relationships. People are to be used,
possessed, exploited, or controlled rather than loved.

Wolves look like sheep and talk like sheep but they bite like wolves, especially
when the sheep are disagreeing or dissenting. Winning and being right are
their highest values and they do whatever they need to in order to stay “on
top”. When operating in church or religious settings their methods are often
underhanded and cunning in order to appear less aggressive. They don’t want
to look like wolves, that’s why they pretend to be sheep.

When you challenge or confront a client what happens? Is he humble?
Reflective? Willing to consider what you are saying? Or does he bristle,
attack you, deflect, or blame? Remember, when someone willingly comes for
counseling, he or she is asking for your help. When you try to give it to them,
do they receive it or is their presence in counseling for a different purpose?

Wolves are experts at deceit. That’s why they are successful at looking like
sheep. Wolves pretend to be good and care about the sheep but those closest to

them (their family) know the truth. They’ve been bitten again and again and
again.

But the wolf’s ability to maintain his cover is one reason why it’s so difficult
for church leadership (including Christian counselors) to believe the person
(sheep) who has been wounded by the wolf. Those in charge fail to see him as
a wolf and assume that what is happening is merely two sheep biting one
another. Look again. Look harder. Wolves have much sharper teeth and
stronger jaws than sheep do. A sheep cannot harm a wolf even if he pretends
he’s wounded. A wolf kills the sheep.
It’s interesting that God chose a wolf as a poignant word picture to portray
this type of person who lives among us. A wolf is a predator. It has a strong
jaw and 42 sharp teeth designed to stab its prey to death. The Bible warns us
that, “reckless words pierce like a sword (Proverbs 12:18). Verbal abuse is
real and it when regularly done, lethal to the person being pierced by it.
Let’s not naively close our eyes and think that there are no wolves in our
churches. They are everywhere.
https://christiancounseling.com/blog/counseling/three-ways-to-spot-a-wolf-in-
sheeps-clothing/

Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

The above verse speaks of one who looks one way outwardly but inwardly is
very different. We know from scripture that Jesus is the Lamb of God. We

also know that the bible speaks of a judgement where God’s sheep are divided
from the goats. Here, a wolf is seeking to appear as a lamb. They have the
appearance of being lamb-like if you judge based only on the outward.
However, it is the inward motivation that really makes the Lamb “the Lamb”.
Outward appearances may fool some of God’s people, but they never fool
God. He looks on the heart.

It is in its innate nature that we truly find the difference between a lamb and a
wolf. A wolf uses it’s power to get what it wants. A lamb has no teeth or
claws in order to force getting what it wants. It must depend on the Good
Shepherd. But a wolf not only has tools such as teeth and claws but it has the
nature that will go after what it wants. The wolf in sheep’s clothing will look
lamb-like until it does not get its way, then it will resort to wolf methods.

A wolf does not believe it can get what it needs and find security through a
Lamb nature. Such means seem absurd to a wolf. It holds to Darwin’s theory
more than to God’s nature – “survival of the fittest.” But at the creation of
animals on the sixth day, God created lambs. Since Jesus was a lamb slain
before the foundation of the world, then the animals that represented God’s
nature were probably immediately created. We know by fossil records that
dinosaurs also existed at some point on this planet. The most fearsome of all
dinosaurs was the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a terrible meat-eater that terrorized
all other creatures. But with all its power and ability to lord over all other
creatures; it is extinct. However, the lamb that was endowed with no ripping
teeth, claws, or means of personal self-defense still lives on and thrives.

Money, power, position, and influence with someone higher are just a few of
the claws and teeth that modern day wolves must use to force their point, get
back at someone or see to it that they get their way. A wolf has no heart to lay
down its own life – it would rather a lamb would lay down its life so that the
wolf might survive. The wolf, because of its ravenous appetite, cannot

patiently wait on the Lord’s provision or deliverance; it must manipulate,
influence others in its favor, or rashly lash out on its own behalf.

It is not in the day to day affairs that you spot a wolf in sheep’s clothing. In
convenient times with smooth sailing it has the appearance of all other sheep.
But it is during the crisis that the wolf tendencies begin to surface. It is when
things are out of its control that we see its fangs appear. A swift bite, a flash
of its claws, and the wounded lamb that opposed the wolf scampers off and
then all is peaceful again and the wolf can then continue its charade as a
sheep.

A common phrase in Texas is “a lone wolf.” The phrase brings up a point. A
lamb sticks close to the flock. It also follows the shepherd. Since it has no
natural defenses it must depend on a God – given shepherd. The lone wolf
needs no shepherd and can just as easily put down or down play the need and
influence of a shepherd as it can to follow along with the flock. The wolf’s
guidelines are not of divine origin. It goes along with what suits it best. It
appears one way at one moment, but rages on the flock behind the watchful
eye of a God-given shepherd. (Acts 20:29).

2
Another common trait to the wolf is that it eats flesh. It does so in order to
feed its own flesh. This can be a clear identifier for those who desire to
discern. Sheep always eat only from the pasture of the Good Shepherd while
wolves must feed their flesh from time to time by resorting to fleshly escapes.
In order to maintain its appearance as a sheep the wolf may restrain itself
from ravenous forays in the consumption of flesh, but that is its desired diet so
it must do so from time to time. It makes allowances for putting a certain
flesh before its eyes, or another kind of flesh into its body. The wolf may even
feel more “sheep-like” because it does not just rip loose and devour everything
around it and live free as a wolf would. But the wolf is willing to sacrifice its

freedom of an on-going wolf lifestyle for the satisfaction of being accepted by
the flock. At this point in time, the wolf in sheep’ clothing finds it more
satisfying to be among the flock and hear the shepherd’s voice.

Time is the enemy of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The wolf can only hold back
its nature for so long. Yes, all along there have been little outbreaks of wolf
temperament, but the wool covering eventually begins to unravel. The wolf in
sheep’s clothing’s greatest nightmare is that what is underneath be brought
out into the open and all finally label it for what it is. Then the wolf will
receive no more kind treatment as what a lamb would receive. People will
narrowly look upon them for what they truly are and no longer based on the
grand appearance it had previously displayed.

Since the wolf is not a sheep at all, it does not truly like the ways of a lamb, a
shepherd, or a flock. These slow paced ways are tolerated for a while, but
with time they move from being an irritation and boil up into a critical spirit
froth with bitterness and anti-flock sentiment. When this stage is reached in
the life of a wolf in sheep’s clothing only one of two things must happen. The
first option is that the wolf must find an amiable way of departing the flock or
all will erupt into a terrible break. With an amiable departure the wolf may
still be able to be accepted by the flock as a sheep while still getting the “relief
valve” it so desperately needed. The wolf has no heart for “flock-life”, but it
would like to draw off some of the benefits of “flock fellowship.”

The second option is the worst thing that could happen and that is that the
wolf be forced to throw off its wool and openly attack the flock and shepherd.
While this may be what is natural to it and could bring great personal
satisfaction, the consequences could be monumental. The wolf jeopardizes its
relation with other specific sheep that it loves and respects. It also threatens
its hope for future “flock fellowship”. More importantly, it may affect its own
future and relationship with the Good Shepherd Himself. But probably most

importantly it will have to face and live with the reality that deep down it was
and is a wolf. It may even have to go so far as to face that the issues between
the wolf and the flock were not because of intentional actions on their part or
bad flock management on the part of the under-shepherd, but because a wolf
trying to live within a lamb environment will never work no matter how many
adjustments and concessions are made in order to make the wolf fit in. That
wolf would not fit in to any agricultural society and would find fault
regardless of the specific personalities of sheep or shepherd. This can easily
be discovered by the wolf leaving one flock and going to another. After an
extended period of time the wolf in sheep’s clothing will be confronted with
the same issues. The differences that lay between wolves and sheep are not
personal - it is just the way it is. These are hard realities to come to and it is
even harder to face them squarely.

Is there any hope for this sad condition of a wolf in sheep’s clothing? Yes
there is! God extends hope to all men, in all conditions, and is no respecter of
persons. The remedy is the same for all whether ravening wolf or roaring
lion; whether leopard or bear. The following verses identify all of these
differing negative conditions.
3
Isaiah 11: 1 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
Branch shall grow out of his roots.”

Isaiah 11:6-10 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall
lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their
young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child
shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in
all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse,

which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and
his rest shall be glorious.” In these verse we find that the wolf will finally
dwell with the lamb. It will not be required to put on an outward covering
that appears lamb-like while at the same time fighting the frustrations of an
inward wolf nature. No, important changes have come. The wolf is allowed to
keep its wolf exterior. There is no requirement to “dress up” like the Lamb.
The reason for this is because there has come an inward change. Though the
outside looks like wolf, the inside is Lamb.

And with the inward change of nature has come outward changes also. There
is no more need to rip other sheep’s flesh. The wolf no longer feeds on flesh,
but on “Lamb food.” Isaiah 65:25 “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's
meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the
Lord.” Because its nature and its diet are different, even so the hurting and
destroying that was its nature is now gone.

How does such a transformation take place? We find the answer back in
Isaiah 11: 1 and 10, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,
and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” “And in that day there shall be a
root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the
Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” In verse on Jesus is described
first as the “stem of Jesse and a branch” and then in verse ten is described as
the “root of Jesse” who shall stand as a standard for the people. It is to THIS
One that the outsiders will seek and find a rest that is glorious.

First lets examine the contents of verse one. Before Jesus is described as the
root of Jesse, He is described as the Branch. The Father was His Vine. All of
the nature, attitudes, and attributes of the Father flowed through Him as a
Branch. This may not seem like such a great thing since His nature was
divine and He did not need the divine flow of Another. However, Jesus was

preparing the way for a method for all men who had no resource in
themselves. When Jesus came to the earth, He was the Lamb of God (John
1:36) in nature and we were as ravening wolves who had the nature of our
father, the devil (John 8:44, Eph. 2. 2-3).

A salvation experience alone will not be enough to transform us. We still need
the renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:2). The key to not bringing forth the fruit
of the nature of a wolf but bringing forth out of His divine nature is to become
a partaker of it (I Peter 1:4). The method God has established for this to take
place is for us to become a branch just as Jesus once was. John 15:5 says “I
am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Isaiah 11:1 and 10 shows that when Jesus walked the earth He did so as the
Branch plugged into the Father. But in His risen form He is now the Vine and
the Root and we are His branches. Think of the Vine as a Lamb and the
branches that have been drained of their wolf nature and are
4
being filled up of His. This is not a salvation experience. This is for one who
may truly be saved from hell and the penalty for their sins, but is not yet
“saved by His life” (Rom. 5:10). They have not been saved from their own
wolf ways.

Thank God a wolf does not simply have to resort to shuffling through outward
changes to appear like Jesus in nature. The need is not just for a change of
appearance but a change of life. A wolf is doomed to remain a wolf unless the
Vine be laid hold of in this way. But there are wolves in sheep’s clothing out
there who will no longer continue to try to pull the wool over their own eyes
and that of others. They long to lay down with the Lamb and dwell with Him.
They will fight through cover ups and self – deceptions. They have no more

strength to hold up appearances. They are ready to drop all the pretenses,
humble themselves, and break before the Good Shepherd and the flock. They
are now willing to appear as they are, and take the lowest seat of learning if
that seat will lead to Christ being formed in them (Gal. 4:19). The sheepskin
covering method was not a start at all. They have not yet started. Insanity is
doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. Starting
over doesn’t seem so bad when you consider the alternative and end of what
remaining as a wolf in sheep’s clothing leads unto.

The Good Shepherd now wants to relate as the Vine and wants us to relate as
His branches. What is the hope for a lone wolf? “Christ in you the hope of
glory”. That’s right! Not Christ in heaven or Christ watching over you as a
Good Shepherd. The only hope for a lone wolf is Christ in you, as your life
and nature.
http://lifeinthespiritministries.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/4/0/26405431/wolf_i
n_sheep.pdf

"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"

Watch Out For Wolves! (7:15-20)

INTRODUCTION

1. Many people like to think that you can trust religious leaders...
a. Ministers normally rank high in polls concerning people you can
trust

b. People will often accept whatever a preacher, priest, or rabbi
says as the truth

2. Yet Jesus told His disciples to beware of false prophets - Mt 7:
15-20
a. They may appear like sheep, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves
b. We need to be able to identify them, knowing what to look for

3. Are you concerned about false prophets today? You should be!
a. The great diversity of teaching suggests that many are being
misled
b. We need to be reminded of the danger, and know how to spot any
"wolves" that might come our way!

[With the words of our Savior in Mt 7:15-20 fresh on our mind, I wish
to use this opportunity to remind us to "Watch Out For Wolves!" Let me
first re-emphasize the point that...]

I. THERE WILL BE FALSE PROPHETS

A. AS PAUL WARNED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS...
1. To the Ephesian elders - Ac 20:28-31

a. Telling them to take heed
b. For even from among themselves would men arise, misleading
people
2. To the church at Corinth - 2Co 11:13-15
a. Referring to false teachers present even then
b. Appearing as ministers of righteousness, even as Satan
appears as an angel of light
3. To the young preacher Timothy - 1Ti 4:1-3; 2Ti 3:1-9
a. Warning of the apostasy that would come
b. Describing the character and tactics of those who would
mislead others

B. AS DID OTHER NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS...
1. Peter, in telling of the rise of false teachers - 2Pe 2:1-3
2. John, in calling for people to "test the spirits" - 1Jn 4:1
3. Jude, in writing of some who had already come - Jude 3-4

[With so many warnings, this is not a subject to take lightly! But how
can we spot such "wolves" when they appear so disarming (like sheep)?
Thanks to Jesus and the Word of God...]

II. WE CAN IDENTIFY FALSE PROPHETS

A. BY EXAMINING THE FRUIT OF THEIR LIFE...
1. We can know them by their "fruit" - Mt 7:16-20
a. What is truly in their heart will eventually come out
b. For from the heart proceeds any sin that may be there
- cf. Mk 7:21-23
2. Thus false teachers and false prophets are often betrayed...
a. By their greediness (e.g., as manifested by their lavish
lifestyles)
b. By their immorality (e.g., as manifested by adulterous
relationships)
c. By their lust for power (e.g., as manifested by religious
empires)
-- Given time, the true character of many false prophets will be
exposed by the fruit of their life!

B. BY EXAMINING THE FRUIT OF THEIR TEACHING...
1. Taking notice of their methods
a. Working secretly - cf. 2Pe 2:1
1) Their ministries (especially finances) will be shrouded
in secrecy
2) Rather than being open to one and all - cf. 2Co 8:20-21

b. Appealing to covetousness - cf. 2Pe 2:3
1) They draw people with an appeal to what people often
covet (such as health and wealth)
2) Rather than preparing people for what Christians can
expect - cf. Ac 14:23; 2Ti 3:12
c. Using deceptive words - cf. 2Ti 3:13; 2Pe 2:3
1) Twisting the scriptures to support their message (just
as Satan did in trying to tempt Jesus)
2) Rather handling the word of God rightly - 2Ti 2:14-16
2. Taking notice of their doctrine
a. How they twist and pervert the scriptures - cf. Ga 1:8-9
1) Their gospel may start out right, but becomes twisted
along the way
2) Their teaching often expressed in the terms of man, not
Scripture
b. How they teach that which is clearly contrary to the
scriptures - cf. Deut 13:1-4
1) Even if they appear able to perform signs and wonders!
2) The final test is how their teaching compares to the
word of God and that of His apostles - cf. 1Jn 4:1,6

CONCLUSION

1. It is not necessary to judge the hearts of those who claim to speak
for God...
a. We need only to be "fruit-inspectors"
b. The fruit of their life and teaching will become apparent soon
enough
-- This is how we can "Watch Out For Wolves!"

2. Of course, this presumes that our knowledge of God's word is
sufficient...
a. To know what to look for in the life of a false prophet
b. To know what to listen for in the teaching of a false prophet
-- Otherwise we will be no different than Israel, of whom God said:
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." - Hos 4:6

Are you equipped to identify a wolf in sheep's clothing if you saw one?
http://executableoutlines.com/matt/mt7_15.htm

Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
Posted on January 23, 2014
by Fr Joseph Gleason

MP3 Audio: WS330301_Dn-Joseph_Wolves-in-Sheeps-Clothing.mp3 This
homily was preached on Sunday morning, August 25, 2013, at Christ the King
Orthodox Church in Omaha, Illinois, by Dn. Joseph Gleason.
~
Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:15-21
Christ has taught us to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, our God is
one.
There once was this newlywed couple, and they started attending this small
Orthodox Church. And they really liked the people there. And they liked what
they learned there. But there was one particular doctrine that just didn’t quite
set right with them. They just had trouble believing it. But they calmed their
fears a bit, because they were assured by the priest and by the other people in
this congregation, that this doctrine was true, it was Orthodox, it was
Christian, it had been passed down from Jesus and the apostles, and was even
confirmed by Scripture.
But as time went on, they met other Orthodox Christians from other parishes,
and they found out that a lot of other Orthodox Christians that go to other
churches–they had these same doubts. They had the same suspicion that this
particular doctrine was not true. And so their own doubts arose again.
And this newlywed couple started doing some research. They talked to several
Orthodox priests from other congregations, and lo-and-behold, these priests
agreed with them, and not with their own priest, not with their own
congregation. And then they went even farther, and they interviewed several
Orthodox bishops, and all of the bishops they talked to once again agreed with
them and their doubts, and did not agree with this one little church that sat in
the minority.
And so, armed with this research, they finally decided to reject this particular
doctrine. And instead of looking at themselves as being unorthodox and in the
minority, they looked at their church as being unorthodox and in the

minority. They looked at their priest, and the people in their church, as being
outside of the teachings the Orthodox Church. And they took comfort in the
fact that they were in agreement with all these other churches, and all these
other priests, and all these other Orthodox bishops.
And in so doing, in the fourth century, this newlywed couple rejected the deity
of Christ.
The 4th Century – Arianism
In the fourth century, in the Roman Empire, there was a scourge that infected
the Church, not from without, but from within. It was the Arian heresy, the
teaching that Jesus is not really God, that he was created.
And he [Arius] was a shrewd Orthodox priest. He even wrote songs; he might
have been one of the first contemporary Christian musicians, circa fourth
century A.D. He wrote this one song that said, “There was a time when He
was not.” You can imagine that to a little praise and worship music–“There
was a time that He was not”–singing about Jesus, saying that there was a time
that He didn’t exist yet. “He was a created being. He’s the greatest of all
created beings. He’s the tops, but He’s not God.”
For three centuries the church had suffered great persecution, bloody
persecution, at the hands of various emperors the Roman Empire, all the way
down to Diocletian. But once the bloodshed stopped, then the insidious
infiltration began. For now you did not have wolves from without, overtly
attacking and trying to shed the blood of Christians. You had wolves within,
dressed in priests’ clothing, working to destroy the very souls of Christians.

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Realize, Arius was not some pagan priest attacking Christianity. No, this was
Father Arius. Orthodox Christians would go to his church every week and
take communion from his hands. He had been ordained by an Orthodox
bishop who was in the line from Christ and the apostles. This guy was legit, he
had all the credentials. And we are not just talking a few weeks, or a few

months, or even a few years, but we are talking a good two or three
generations.
There was a period of time in the fourth century, that this was not some
minority sidelined heresy, but this was what most Orthodox bishops and
priests were teaching! Let that sink in for a moment. That was not just this
one robed guy over here, this one robed bishop over here, it was the majority.
Now, there were famous exceptions, famous people who to this day we
venerate as saints, and we look up to as defenders of Orthodoxy, defenders of
the Christian faith. An excellent example is St. Athanasius of Alexandria,
Egypt. He was a deacon by the time of the First Ecumenical Council in 325,
and then he was later made priest and bishop. And he is known to this day as
Athanasius, “contra mundum”–“against the world”.
And those who are ignorant of the Church’s history often assume that they
know what that means. They think, “Oh! Well, of course he is against the
world, as we all are, against the world, the flesh, and the devil, against the
sinful world out there that’s attacking the Church and telling us not to be
Christians. Yeah, he was against the world.”
Well, all Christians are against the world in that sense, all true Christians. But
that’s not how he got that nickname. For, you see, they called him
Athanasius–against the world of bishops. He is a saint in the church today,
and venerated and honored today, because he had the guts to stand up against
the majority of Orthodox bishops in his day, and called them liars to their
face. He was standing against the world of the episcopate, of which he himself
was a part.
He was exiled five times. He would be exiled, thrown out of Alexandria, and
then he would come back. And then somebody else would be in power, and he
would be exiled again, and he would have to leave. And then he would come
back. And then he would be exiled, and then he would come back. He had a
long, hard, difficult life of fighting for the historic Orthodox faith. And finally
in the year 372, he reposed in the Lord, and he went to his reward.

Nine years later, in 381, is the Second Ecumenical Council in
[Constantinople]. The emperor Theodosius is in power, and it is now made
law of the Empire to hold to the Nicene Creed, and to believe in Jesus as God.
And Orthodoxy finally won out. The Arians were finally pushed to the fringes.
And even so, the Arian heresy persisted for a few hundred years. But never
again did it become such a scourge within the Church itself.
The Fifth Century – Nestorianism
It is not the only time in history that this has happened. In the fifth century, if
you lived in the center of Christendom worldwide, in Constantinople itself–the
Hagia Sophia is where at the time you had the very heartbeat of Christianity–
what used to be called Byzantium, and became the capital seat of the
Byzantine–the Roman–Empire. In Constantinople, you don’t just talk about
what a priest believes in the church, you don’t just talk about what a bishop
believes in the church, but the most honored of all the bishops in that area was
the Patriarch himself–the Patriarch of Constantinople! How much, even
today, would you be honored to meet Patriarch Bartholomew, whom they
interviewed on 60 minutes a couple years ago?
Well, in the fifth century, there was a Patriarch of Constantinople by the
name of Nestorius, a name which was honored then, until his teaching became
farther known and people recognized it for the heresy that it is. And he was
finally anathematized, his teachings rejected. To this day, no Christian in his
right mind would probably be likely to name his child “Nestorius”. His name
is now “mud”, so to speak. He taught that it was a sin to call Mary “the
Mother of God”, the Theotokos. He said,
“Well, she is the mother of Christ, in his human nature, so we will call her
‘Christotokos–Mother of Christ’, just not ‘Theotokos’ . . . not the ‘Mother of
God’. I can’t call her the ‘Mother of God’. She is just the mother of his human
nature, but not of his divine nature.”

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And at first this sounds good, because we know that God has existed for all
eternity, before time, and Mary has not. And we know that the only thing that
Jesus got from her was His humanity. We know that. But couched in this
rejection of Mary as the mother of God, is logically required a splitting of the
Incarnation, a denial of the Incarnation, and the dividing of Christ into two
persons, because you cannot be the mother of a nature. You can only be the
mother of a person.
And the question is, the person–of whom Mary is the mother–the person who
was in her womb, is that person God? If you say “yes”, then you are not
Nestorian. But if you say “no”, well, then what person is she the mother of? A
human person? Well, then are there now two persons in Christ, a human
person and a divine person? They are just really close? They are really close
together in one body? But that would not be the Incarnation, that would be a
possession, almost like a demon possession. This person, this demon, comes
and takes over your body and controls you, and now there are two persons
within one body. Is that all it was? Was this just a possession? Did God
possess the human Jesus and use him like a puppet? Now, that’s not the
Incarnation. The Incarnation says that God himself took on human flesh, and
that the person that was in Mary’s womb was the eternal God who had
created Mary herself.
But in Constantinople, you might have been in a church where they rejected
this heresy, where they rejected this teaching. But you get to asking all the
other priests around and the other bishops around, and the other Christians,
and you start to say,
“Well, my little church here is in the minority. Everybody else says that
Nestorianism is good and true, and even the Patriarch himself believes in it.
So, who are you to disagree? You know what? I’m going to go with the
majority. I reject the world, I reject the devil, I reject stuff outside the
Church, but within the Church I’m going with the majority! That’s safe,
right?”

Well, going with the majority, going with what you thought was safe, would
have made you an Arian in the fourth century, and a Nestorian in the fifth.
The Fifteenth Century – The Council of Florence
Fast forward a thousand years to the 15th century, in Florence, Italy. You
have the Council of Florence, at which you have many Roman Catholic
bishops and also many Eastern Orthodox bishops, come together and discuss
the possibility of reunion, which is a wonderful idea. I would love to see the
schism healed. I would love to see East and West reunited. But the terms were
unacceptable.
You see, the terms were that we give up Orthodoxy: that we accept the
filioque, that we accept the Roman Catholic papacy and all that entails, that
we accept the Roman Catholic understanding of the sacraments, the Roman
Catholic understanding of how the church works, the Roman Catholic
understanding of salvation, and that we wholesale turn to Roman Catholic,
Western, Latin doctrine, hook, line, and sinker.
And you know what? Every single Orthodox bishop [at the council], except
one, agreed to it! They signed up for it. They said, “Yeah, we’ll do it.” And
church bells rang across western Europe to announce the reuniting of East
and West, that the schism had been healed. Every single one of those
Orthodox bishops that had been at the Council, except for St. Mark of
Ephesus–the only one of those bishops that we recognize today as a saint–only
one bishop stood up against them.
Ah, but you see, a very interesting and wonderful thing happened when those
bishops got back home. When those bishops got back home, the other priests
and the laity didn’t just say, “Okay, this is what the bishops say. I guess we
better go along with it. You can’t disagree with the bishop.” You see, in their
heresy–in their rejection of the historic Orthodox faith–the bishops had given
up their right to authority and their right to power. And so, for a short time,
to preserve the life of the Orthodox church, the laity picked that very scepter
up, and took it from the bishops. They recanted.

[The Council of Florence was broadly rejected by the laity, civil authorities,
and monks of Constantinople, and most of the bishops eventually recanted.
Over in Russia, the Council of Florence was angrily rejected, and they ousted
any prelate who was even remotely sympathetic to it. In both Constantinople
and Russia, the laity refused to follow the bishops, when those bishops fell into
heresy.]

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And the bishops [eventually] did exactly what the laity told them to do. And
because of that, Orthodoxy persists to this day. This should be eye-opening to
us, because many people think,
“You know what? As long as I just go along with what the majority of the
Orthodox Church teaches–as long as I follow what most Orthodox priests,
and most Orthodox bishops, and most of the Orthodox books that I see–as
long as I follow that, then I’m safe, I’m good, I’m in line with what the
apostles taught. I am in line with the historic Orthodox Christian teaching
that has been passed down from Christ and the apostles.”
But you see, if you take that approach,
That approach would have made you an Arian in the fourth century.
That approach would have made you a Nestorian in the fifth century.
That approach would have made you a Roman Catholic in the fifteenth
century.
And if that approach would not have worked then, what makes us believe that
approach would work now?
Wolves that Look Like Sheep

Now this is a very popular passage from Scripture, where Jesus warns us to
beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. And I think sometimes people read this
too quickly. Even I sometimes, I think, read it too quickly, and don’t really
think about the warning that Jesus is giving here. Because, you ask somebody,
“Well, how do you detect the wolf?” And they will say,
“Well, obviously he has big fur, and ears, and fangs.”
And so you say, “Well, give me some examples of that in real life.”
“Wow, well, if you find somebody that is, you know, an abortion doctor,
there’s a wolf. If you find somebody that is in favor of homosexual marriage,
if you find somebody that is pushing to destroy Christianity . . .”
Well, yes, those are wolves. They have the big fur, and fangs, and they are
evil. But those are not wolves in sheep’s clothing. You see, if you want to find a
wolf in sheep’s clothing, you have to find someone who looks like a sheep.
An abortion doctor doesn’t look like a sheep, he looks like a wolf.
A sodomite marching in a gay-rights parade doesn’t look like a sheep, he
looks like a wolf.
Somebody who is an atheist, attacking Christianity and saying, “Jesus is not
God, he never died for your sins, he never rose from the dead . . .” That’s not
a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s just a wolf!
A wolf in sheep’s clothing is somebody like:
Fr. Arius, the beloved Orthodox priest who gives you communion every
Sunday.
The beloved Patriarch Nestorius, who presides in the grandest Orthodox
church, in the very center of Christendom.
The venerated bishops who are called to the Council of Florence–to Florence,
Italy–in the 1400’s. They are to represent us, as we seek unity, to restore the
schism between us and Rome.

If you want to find a wolf, those are easy to find. Just flip on your television.
You can find wolves galore, out in the world. But Jesus, here, is not warning
against wolves. He is warning about wolves in sheep’s clothing.

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And so if you want to find a wolf in sheep’s clothing, you should find
somebody who is a baptized, Chrismated, communing Orthodox Christian in
good standing, somebody–maybe a layman–very well learned. They can talk
for hours about Orthodoxy, and the history of the Church, and the doctrines
of the Church, very convincing. They may be ordained, like Fr. Arius or
Bishop Nestorius. They may be an Orthodox priest that you have known for
years. They may be an Orthodox bishop that you have honored for decades.
The wolves in sheep’s clothing are not those without, but they are those
within, that are beloved, and trusted, those that we feel safe with, those that
we love, those that don’t raise our suspicions.
So, that tells us the first way not to identify a wolf in sheep’s clothing: You
don’t look for the fangs, you don’t look for the ears, you don’t look for the big
werewolf eyes. No, you look for a sheep! But that should at that point scare us
just a little bit, because, “Well, you look like a sheep, you look like a sheep, I
look like a sheep, you look like a sheep, he looks like a sheep. Our Priest, our
Bishop, our Metropolitan, our Patriarch, they all look like sheep.” “But if this
type of horrible person looks like a sheep, then how can I tell them apart?”
Well, that’s the $64,000 question, isn’t it?
You see, most of the sheep that you know as sheep, are sheep. They are fine.
But some of the sheep that you know as sheep, are actually just covered with
the skin of a dead sheep, and underneath beats the heart of a fanged wolf. Sort
of like Little Red Riding Hood, “What sharp teeth you have, Grandma! What
big eyes you have, Grandma!”

It’s a wolf.
So, you cannot identify the wolf in sheep’s clothing, by looking for somebody
that looks like a wolf. But as we have seen, you also cannot identify a wolf in
sheep’s clothing by siding with the majority of Orthodox Christians in any
given age. Because, multiple times throughout the history of the Church–not
the whole Church, mind you, the gates of hell cannot prevail against the whole
Church–but a large section of it, a majority of it, they have gone off into all
kinds of heresies. You’ve got Arianism, Nestorianism, the Meletian schism,
Acacian schism, the Photian schism . . . we could go on and on and on.
And there have been multiple times throughout the history of the Church that
one or more–or even the majority–of a group of the church, for a while goes
nuts, and goes off into some heresy. And so you can’t just trust that “Well, so-
and-so is my priest, or so-and-so is my bishop, or here’s what most Orthodox
priests teach, or here’s what most Orthodox bishops teach.” That is no
guarantee of safety. Sometimes the majority of the sheep are wolves in sheep’s
clothing. So what do we do?
Do Not Merely Consult the Living
What do we do? I believe there is one case in which it is safe to consult the
majority, but not the majority of the living. For you see, a living Christian can
still turn his back on God. A living saint can turn back into a sinner. A living
Bishop, or Metropolitan, or Priest, or Deacon, or layman, can lie to you and
can go astray. But the funny thing about the dead is that they don’t change
their minds.
What Athanasius wrote 1700 years ago, is still what his books say today when
you read them. It hasn’t changed. What St. Basil the Great–and other
Cappadocian fathers–wrote over a millennium and a half ago, is still what it
says today, if you read what they wrote. The decisions of the Seven
Ecumenical Councils–over 1000 years later–today they are still the same
decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. You go back and you read the
canons of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, and iconoclasm is still called
anathema. Anybody who rejects the veneration of icons, and icons in the
church, and incense burned to icons, are anathema. That’s the word used:

anathema. The canons don’t change, the Councils don’t change, the Fathers
don’t change.

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And so what I think is much safer, is that if there’s a particular doctrine that
bugs you, that questions you, that you see division in the church over that
particular doctrine . . . Don’t consult the majority, because they may or may
not be correct. But go to the Fathers. Go to the Councils. Go to what the
Church has taught for 1900 years prior to this century. If you find virtual
unanimity there, then I would feel at greater ease to side with them, than to
side with even the majority of Orthodox bishops today.
Because, you see, at the end of the day, disagreement, dissension, and rebellion
are inevitable. The question is, are you going to rebel–in that particular case–
are you going to rebel against the living bishops, the living priests? Or are you
going to rebel against all of them throughout history?
Think about the various doctrines that the church questions, various doctrines
that various Christians wrestle and struggle with: family issues, marriage
issues, questions about birth control, questions about marrying people who
are outside the Orthodox Church, questions about how we should live our
lives as Orthodox Christians … you have to make a choice.
Because, to side with [what some people have taught] in the church for the
past hundred years, in some cases is to rebel against what all the bishops and
priests taught for the 1900 years before that. Whose side are you on? Which
side do you believe holds the sheep, and which side holds the wolves in sheep’s
clothing?
You Shall Know Them By Their Fruits

Jesus, in this passage, also tells us that they can be known by their fruits. He
doesn’t say they can be known by how well they make you feel when you’re in
their presence, with how loved and accepted you feel when they’re around.
The devil is able to copy that. The devil is able to soothe you, and to make you
feel loved, and wanted, and accepted. But look at the fruits.
Let’s say somebody wants to give you marital advice. They are on their second
marriage, and the marriage they are in right now is a shambles. Probably not
the best person to take marital advice from. Look at the fruits. No matter how
good or wonderful what they say may sound to you, look at the fruits.
Someone may want to give you parenting advice. They say, “Look, this is what
the Church teaches about parenting, and this is what you should do as a
mother or a father.” And then you look at their children, you look at their
grandchildren, and you just see a big mess. You don’t see a bunch of people,
most of whom are devoted to Orthodoxy and who are close to Christ, but you
just see a mess. Don’t go to them for counseling about how to raise your kids!
At least on that particular issue, treat it like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Now, that doesn’t mean that they are damned, doesn’t mean they are going to
hell, doesn’t mean that they are not truly a “sheep” in other aspects. But on
that particular issue, if you see the fruits are not there, back off. Get your
advice from somebody else. If you want marital advice, go to somebody with a
good marriage. If you want advice on how to raise your children, go to
somebody that has good, godly kids. If somebody is going to give you advice
on how to help the poor, then find out whether they actually do it themselves.
Look at their fruits. Look at what they do. Look and see whether what they
say, and what they do, is in line with what the Fathers have taught for 2000
years before them. You look at their actions. You look at their words.
If you look at their teachings, and they run diametrically opposed to what the
Fathers have taught, to what the Councils have taught, they are a wolf in
sheep’s clothing, and the radar should start flashing red lights at that point.
How Do The Wolves Deceive Us?

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But we still may ask, “How could this be?” Because if they are going to look
like a sheep, then they are going to at least give lip-service to going along with
the Fathers and going along with the Councils. Because, if somebody just
overtly says, “Oh, ignore what the Fathers taught, ignore what the Councils
taught,” well, that’s a big flashing red light that this person is a wolf. And yet,
if they are going to give lip-service to following the Fathers and the Councils,
how could it possibly be that they are going to teach something the opposite?
Well, there are many ways that people do this. I’m going to give you just one
very popular example of how they do it. It is very unlikely that you are going
to run into a wolf in sheep’s clothing in the Orthodox church, who is going to
be so brazen as to say, “Oh, don’t worry about the Seventh Ecumenical
Council; that doesn’t count anymore.” “Oh, don’t worry about what the
Cappadocian fathers taught.” “Don’t worry about the teachings of the
Fathers; we don’t live by that anymore.” You are probably not going to run
into that. That would be too bold, too open, too obvious. But here is an
example of what you might hear. Someone might say,
“Oh, we absolutely need to hold by what the Fathers taught. We need to have
respect for St. Athanasius and St. Basil the Great. We need to have respect for
the Fathers that have gone before us, and what they taught at the Ecumenical
Councils, and the regional councils, and what the saints have passed down to
us, and this wonderful deposit of faith in the Orthodox Church.”
“But we must be wise. We must take great care in how we interpret what the
Fathers said, because ultimately, at the end of the day, what’s important is not
really the conclusions that they came to, at that time, in that place, for those
people. But the real question is, ‘If those Fathers, if those saints were alive
today, what decisions would they make?'”
“Now, yes, I know in regard to birth control, in regard to marriage, in regard
to family life, in regard to worship, in regard to fasting, etc., etc., in regard to

these particular doctrines, yes I know what the Fathers taught in the fourth
century, and fifth century, and 10th century, and 15th-century. But in today’s
culture, with today’s people, with the problems that we have today, what we
really need to ask ourselves is, ‘If the Cappadocian fathers were alive now,
how would they interact with this situation? How would Athanasius deal with
this issue today? The Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, how would
they interact with people today?”
And then they will come up with some answer. And you say, “Well, but that
conclusion is different from the conclusion that they came to then.”
“Yes, yes, yes, but because today is different, I think the Fathers would have
come to a different conclusion in response to it. And since we should follow the
teaching of the Fathers, and since we should follow what the Saints would do,
then whatever I believe they would do today, that’s what I’m going to do
today too.”
Do you see the sleight-of-hand? Do you see the magic trick that they are doing
right before your eyes? They are denying what the Fathers taught, even as
they claim to follow the Fathers. Because, now, instead of encouraging you to
emulate and to copy and to follow the example of what the Fathers actually
did, they are encouraging you to speculate on the psychology of the Fathers
and to imagine this fairytale land in which Athanasius and Basil the Great
and St. Benedict happen to be alive today, and are faced with today’s
problems, and try to imagine how I think they would react to it.
And notice, they are having to use their own mind, their own imagination,
their own psychology, their own biases, as they do this guesswork. And so
that’s where they introduce themselves into the mix. And once they have done
all this guesswork, they come up with this conclusion, “Well, I think the
apostles would have interacted with this issue in this way. I think the Saints
would have interacted with this issue in this way.” And having already
introduced their own biases, and putting their own words into the mouths of
the apostles and the saints, then they get, “Here’s what I think they would
do.” And then they still make it look like they are following the Fathers, and

they are following the Saints. And they say, “Well, since that’s what I think
they would do, then that’s what I think I will do too. It is submission to them.”
This is the type of speaking you can expect from a wolf in sheep’s clothing,
verbally pretending to honor the Fathers, and to honor the Scriptures, and to
honor the traditions that have been handed down, even as with their very
actions–their very fruits–they obliterate the traditions, they stomp on the
teachings that have been passed down, and they absolutely turn their backs on
what the Church has consistently taught and done for 1900 years on that
particular doctrine.
How To Avoid the Wolves
This is something we can apply to every doctrine:
If the Orthodox Church teaches something for 1900 years, and then today
most Orthodox priests and bishops teach the same thing, then we say, “Praise
God, hallelujah! They are in line with what the Church has always taught. I
am going to submit to that.”
But if we see that the Church consistently taught the same thing for 1900
years on some other doctrine, and then today you find some Orthodox Priest
or Bishop or Metropolitan or Patriarch or even the majority of them all,
teaching something else, let your radar go off, for you have discovered them
by looking at their fruits, for they deny the Tradition, even as they claim to
uphold it.
So, as Jesus has warned, beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. They don’t look
like wolves. They look like sheep.
In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, our God is one.
~
This homily was preached on Sunday morning, August 25, 2013, at Christ the
King Orthodox Church in Omaha, Illinois, by Dn. Joseph Gleason.

Wolves In Sheep's Clothing
(Part of a series on the Sermon on The Mount)

Matthew 7:15-23 HCSB "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's
clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. (16) You'll recognize them by their
fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? (17) In the
same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad
fruit. (18) A good tree can't produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce
good fruit. (19) Every tree that doesn't produce good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire. (20) So you'll recognize them by their fruit. (21) "Not
everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. (22) On that day many
will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out
demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?' (23) Then I will
announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!'
Introduction
Every now and then we hear about some outrageous cult such as David
Koresh and the Branch Davidians or we get a knock on our door from the
Mormons or the Jehovah's Witnesses. We are aware of cults but few people
are fully aware of the damage they are causing to society. According to the
respected Wellspring Institute:
The magnitude of the cult problem is staggering. Estimates of the number of
cult members in the United States range well over 10 million. An estimated
2,000-3,000 cults exist in the U.S. Many of those who leave such groups will
sustain lasting psychological problems. Few of those will understand the
extent or the nature of the damage they have sustained.

To put the problem in perspective, note the following statistics:

The chances of succumbing to a destructive cult are twice as great as those for
catching chicken pox.

The chances of contracting measles are approximately 1850 times less than
those of joining a destructive cult.

The chances of joining a cult are more than three times greater than the
chances of contracting AIDS.

The only social and health problems that exceed the harm inflicted by cults
are drug and alcohol abuse, family violence, violent crime, accidents, all forms
of cancer combined (cult involvement exceeds the total of any one type of
cancer), syphilis, gonorrhea, colds, and flu.

When I was in Australia I used to do cult research and seminars and assist
with cult exit counseling. One highly destructive cult in the Australian
outback was so ruthless it even employed a hit-man to kill someone who left
the group. Other cults broke up marriages and most left people very confused
and psychologically damaged. Religion is powerful and affects us deeply and
when religion goes wrong it messes people up deeply. On average it takes two
to five years to recover from cult involvement, with some people never
recovering.
That is why Jesus tells us to be very careful about the spiritual teachers that
we listen to. We should not believe just anyone who makes religious claims, we
should stand back and check them out to see the fruit on their lives. If the
fruit is bad – as with David Koresh or the Moonies or Scientology – then you
should stay clear of it.
False Prophets

Well what is a “false prophet”? The Greek word here is “prophetess” and
means someone with spiritual or ethical insight, even Greek mathematicians
and philosophers were called “prophetess”. It is closely equivalent to
“spiritual expert” or “guru” or “seer”. It is a very broad word for a spiritual
expert of some sort and is not exactly the same as the Old Testament prophets
but includes them as well. It is basically just someone with spiritual or ethical
leadership based on insights and teachings. A false prophet is just basically a
bogus expert on spiritual matters. They do not have to make prophesies about
the end times, or have dreams and visions, they can just teach that which is
wrong and lead the sheep astray.
Wolves In Sheep's Clothing
These bogus spiritual experts are called 'wolves in sheep's clothing” this is
Jesus quoting a well-known parable of Aesop.
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (From http://www.aesopfables.com/)
A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to
the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found
the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it
put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep.
The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was
wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so,
leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and
for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying
hearty meals.
Moral: Appearances are deceptive.
The false prophets are like the wolf in sheep's clothing and their real intent is
to devour the flock. They have the appearance of sanctity but are inwardly

greedy, manipulative and exploitative. Paul says that they will appear to be
“ministers of righteousness” while in fact being servants of Satan.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 HCSB (13) For such people are false apostles, deceitful
workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. (14) And no wonder! For
Satan himself is disguised as an angel of light. (15) So it is no great thing if his
servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their destiny
will be according to their works.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 MKJV Know this also, that in the last days grievous times
will be at hand. (2) For men will be self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) without natural
affection, unyielding, false accusers, without self-control, savage, despisers of
good, (4) traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God, (5) having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn
away from these. (6) For of these are those who creep into houses and lead
captive silly women loaded with sins, led away with different kinds of lusts, (7)
ever learning and never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth.
Acts 20:29-30 HCSB I know that after my departure savage wolves will come
in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) And men from among yourselves will
rise up with deviant doctrines to lure the disciples into following them.
False teachers would not get too many followers if they told the truth such as:
“I am just after your money” or “I am really just a fake who wants his ego
boosted”. They have to tell lies and make false representations and some of
them are very good at it.
Generally speaking if someone is “too good to be true” or “too smooth” or
“too perfect” then they are hiding something. Real people have visible faults
and imperfections. People like the apostle Peter or Thomas are real people
with real humanity. Fake humanity is the sign of an actor or a hypocrite.
Christians have to learn the difference between character and personality.
Personality is the exterior mask that people wear. It is how they project
themselves to others and is not their true self. Character is the deeper self.
Some people with boring personalities can have great character and some

people with wonderful personalities can be charlatan's and rogues. Here in
California the cult of personality is strong and religious fakes abound. We
have to be a lot more careful about who we choose to follow.
You Shall Know Them By Their Fruit
OK then how do we know true from false? Jesus says “you shall know them
by their fruit”. The fruit of the ministries of David Koresh and Jim Jones and
the Reverend Moon is obvious. Ruined lives. If a ministry clearly produces
neurotic and bizarre individuals such as Scientology has with Tom Cruise,
then that is a sign that it should be avoided. If a ministry makes people highly
guilt-ridden and anxious and rigid and unnaturally conformist like the
Jehovah's Witnesses does then you clearly have a problem. Or if there are
massive family problems such as with the polygamist Mormon fundamentalist
break-away groups then you know you are not looking at a good tree with
good fruit.
On the other hand if I go to a church and experience sound bible teaching and
love and the people are normal and are free to be themselves and are growing
in God, then that is good fruit. If the people go on to lead good lives and raise
good families then that is a sign of good fruit in the ministry.
It can take some time to work out if a ministry has god fruit or bad fruit but
there are certain warning signs:
Attacks on Jesus and On God
All cults draw the person away from the truth concerning Jesus Christ ; this is
done in a number of ways:

(1) By denying Jesus Christ is God.

(2) By identifying Jesus with other bible characters or spiritual people e.g. by
saying that instead He is the archangel Michael or Satan's brother conceived
when the Father had sex with Mary.

(3) By saying that Jesus was god with a small g and that we all can become
god, as the Mormons (Latter Day Saints) believe.

(4) By saying God is "The Force" or some sort of creating/evolving energy,
not personal, does not possess the ability to love, forgive, hold judgment etc.

(5) By saying Jesus did not come in the flesh but is instead a divine principle a
Cosmic Christ or other such being.

(6) By seeing Christ as just human nature achieving at top potential - human
potential. we all have "Christ in us" and our job is to "get in contact with it"
and achieve our inner potential. However this "Christ" is not a historical
person

(7) Jesus not historical - " Christ consciousness" is substituted for faith in a
historical Jesus.

(8) Jesus not God, became the Christ when he attained Christ-consciousness
at age 30.

(9) Two Jesus theory - outer historical and inner mystical Jesus.

(10) Jesus one of many ascended masters

(11) Jesus just a good man, prophet or teacher.

(12) Holy Spirit not God but a force emanating from God.

If a group teaches any of these things it is NOT historical, biblical
Christianity. Such a group is not teaching the truth about God as recorded in
the Scriptures and should be avoided by Christians.
The Characteristic Behaviors of Cults
Cults are remarkably alike in that they exhibit certain "odd' behaviors in
order to appear more spiritual than the truth and freedom that is in Jesus
Christ. In the end though these "super-spiritual behaviors" are profitless and
often make a person eccentric, bizarre and spiritually proud.
(1 Timothy 4:1-7 NASB) But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some
will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines
of demons, {2} by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own
conscience as with a branding iron, {3} men who forbid marriage and
advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully
shared in by those who believe and know the truth. {4} For everything created
by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude;
{5} for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. {6} In pointing
out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus,
constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine
which you have been following. {7} But have nothing to do with worldly fables
fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose
of godliness....
Our first four behaviors from the above passage are:

1. Involvement with spirits - which deceive them.
2. Forbidding marriage

3. Dietary restrictions on normal foods
4. Ungodly Superstition

We see cults forbidding marriage, or arranging marriages or in the case of
David Koresh claiming all women belonged to him. Most cults have some
dietary restrictions and forbid certain kinds of foods , not out of common
sense or health reasons but but out of the desire to "be spiritual" or attain
"energy" or to seem pure and exalted above the common lot of mankind.
Thus people substitute food for character and handling for holiness. They
think "I am good person because I do not eat pork" rather than "I am a good
person because I love God and my neighbor." This leads to a false sense of
spirituality that is so common in cults.

In his letter to the Colossian church Paul writes:

(Colossians 2:16-23 NASB) Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to
food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- {17}
things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs
to Christ. {18} Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in
self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he
has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, {19} and not holding fast
to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by
the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. {20} If you
have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you
were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, {21} "Do
not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" {22} (which all refer to things destined
to perish with the using)-- in accordance with the commandments and
teachings of men? {23} These are matters which have, to be sure, the
appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe
treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Here Paul lists a few more behaviors associated with the false spirituality of
cults:

5. Legalism - do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.
6. False humility
7. Harsh treatment of the body -especially for so called "purification"
8. Worship of angels (and other such beings)
9. People going into great detail about what they have seen in the spiritual
realm.
10. Enormous spiritual pride
11. Experience takes over, Christ is no longer central and no longer a source
of life.
12. Emphasis on religious festivals, new moons and Sabbath days.
13. Their regulations appear to be wise but are in fact ineffective for
restraining fleshly indulgence.
14. Self-made religion - worship made up by man rather than truly revealed
from God and inspired by God

The apostle Peter also had a few words to say about this self-deluded form of
worship:
(2 Peter 2:18-19 NASB) For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice
by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who
live in error, {19} promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of
corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.

Thus we see that cults are frequently:

15. Boastful
16. Promise false "freedom" - many cults do this.
17. Appeal to the lusts of the flesh - a wise sales tactic
18. Slaves to sin and corruption

The final words must be with Jude the brother of Jesus who writes:

(Jude 1:8-16 NASB) Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming,
defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. {9} But
Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the
body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but
said, "The Lord rebuke you." {10} But these men revile the things which they
do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like
unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. {11} Woe to them!
For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong
into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. {12} These
men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with
you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along
by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; {13} wild waves
of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom
the black darkness has been reserved forever. {14} And about these also
Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold,
the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, {15} to execute
judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds
which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which
ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." {16} These are grumblers, finding
fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people
for the sake of gaining an advantage.

19. Boastful to the point of rejecting all authority, even that of angels.
20. Pollute their own bodies
21. Without shame
22. React abusively against whatever they do not understand.
23. Live by instinct and run headfirst into evil.

Some cults involve the promotion of the grossest immorality under the banner
of "love-ins' and David Koresh's gross immorality was so he could
"experience the depths of sin" for the world. These 23 points cover most of the
behaviors commonly associated with cults in Scripture. Any one of them
should be a "red flag" to a Christian. When three or more of them are
present, the group is almost certainly wandering away from the will of God.
You Have To Walk Your Talk (Being A Great Communicator Is Not Enough)
After talking about good fruit and bad fruit Jesus goes on to outline the need
for a godly life:
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Being very religious is not enough. Lip-service does not fool God. If you say
“lord, Lord” then you should obey the one who you are calling Lord! Jesus
makes quite clear that obedience is necessary when He says: but only the one
who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Grace does not mean that you have a license to sin. You have to walk the talk.
Some Christians seem to think that being a communicator is enough. That if
they are good at witnessing or writing or the Internet and can explaining
Christianity to others, then that is enough, so that God will be pleased with
their communicating and they can go and have an affair or be greedy or
proud or supercilious. Wrong! Christians have to walk their talk. Even if you
have a television audience of twenty million people you still have to live a
godly life. Many televangelists and Christian conference speakers live more

like film-stars than saints. There are exception, people like Bill Bright and
Billy Graham did both – they were a godly men and great communicators.
False Miracles In The End Times
“On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your
name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?'
(23) Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you
lawbreakers!'”
These verses refer to the last days many bogus ministries will arise and do
false miracles by the power of Satan.
(2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 NKJV) And then the lawless one will be revealed,
whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with
the brightness of His coming. {9} The coming of the lawless one is according to
the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, {10} and with
all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not
receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. {11} And for this reason
God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, {12} that
they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.

Satan is a great counterfeiter. He devises false teachers and false prophets (2
Peter 2:1) , false apostles with false gospels (2 Cor 11:1-15) and false miracles
(2 Thess 2:9). In the end times these will combine into a powerful deception
that will even seem to threaten the existence of the church itself. Scripture
states seven times that false miracles will mislead many (Matthew 7:21-23,
24:24, Mark 13:22, 2 Thess 2:8-12, Rev 13:13,14, 16:14,19:20) and it seems
that this will involve a large section of the world's population (the Greek word
for many has the connotations of a majority). Those deceived will believe that
they are serving God in the name of Jesus when in fact they are "workers of
iniquity".

Here is a "artists impression" of what I believe this final deception will be
like:

It will be breathtakingly spectacular with great wonders happening. Fire will
fall from heaven to earth on command. People will be spectacularly and
genuinely healed. There will be triumph over the forces of nature and a sense
that a new "magical realm" has arrived on earth. It will appear to be a
wonder-full breakthrough into the instant and easy life. Many people will talk
of Utopia being realized and world peace a certainty. The Beast, an
apparently benign dictator will appear to be both militarily and spiritually
invulnerable. There will be a centralized rule of law on earth under him. The
slogan will be something like "Peace through strength" ... "and they
worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war
with him?" (Rev 13:4) The world will sparkle with magic and dazzle the
senses. God and Christianity will seem strangely irrelevant, morals as things
of the past. The promise of instant gratification will over-ride everything and
people will wonder and be in awe of this marvelous new age, its "promise"
and its "freedom". It will suddenly feel OK to be selfish and wonderful to take
part in magic.

A false prophet will emerge who will at first appear to be saintly, lamb-like,
and meek.. "He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon." (Rev
13:11) He will win the trust of many. When all the world is convinced then he
will lead them into worshiping the image of the Beast. People will follow first
of all because of the cunning promises, then because of the great signs he
performs and lastly out of the sheer power of economic compulsion. Then as
blasphemy increases and Christians are persecuted God's judgments will be
poured out on the Earth and the "magical kingdom" shown to be a powerless
sham. Few will repent. Most will try harder in their magic and harden in their
rebellion until on one day they all assemble at a place called Armageddon to
do battle with God - and lose.

The false miracles at the end of the age will have one main object - the
deception of the whole earth into following an idolatrous system of worship - "
it deceives the inhabitants of earth, telling them to make an image for the
beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived;" (Rev 13:14) . The
end-times religion will be both idolatrous and magical. Idolatry is the
substitution of the creature for the Creator. Magic is any system that claims to
give people access to God's power without having to accept God's will.

This false religion, led by a false prophet will have enormous power and be
able even to call fire to fall from heaven in the presence of all (Rev 13:13). The
deception will be enhanced by appearing to have a superficial resemblance to
Christianity (Matt 24:24) and may even use the name of Jesus in its magical
formulas ... "have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your
name, and done many wonders in Your name?" (Matt 7:22). The
"masterminds" will be an "unholy trinity" - the dragon, the beast and the
false prophet. They will be potent sources of demonic spiritual power which
will work false miracles. (Revelation 16:13-14)

The focus of this deception will be the world leaders, the deceiving spirits will
" go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle..." .
However, the net is a wide one and will catch everyone who is greedy for
economic gain. "Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor,
both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no
one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast
or the number of its name" (Rev 13:16-17) .

In fact unless God has written your name in the Book of Life you will fall
under this deception. (Revelation 13:8 ) It will be a multi-faceted assault on
the Truth by the forces of evil. Paul describes it as "every kind of wicked
deception for those who are perishing," ( 2 Thess 2:10) there will not be a
deception missing from Satan's plan -every kind of deception will be there!

And prominent among all these deceptions will be "all power, signs, lying
wonders,.." (2 Thess 2:9).
Conclusion
Spiritual deception is alive and well on planet earth. It is practiced by
everyone from the poor old Jehovah's Witnesses to Muslim suicide bombers to
the government of North Korea and the cult of Kim Jon-Il. It affects hundreds
of millions of people globally and will increase as we approach the End Times.
We need to be aware of it and to be wise and very careful about who we
choose to believe.
This article may be freely reproduced for non-profit ministry purposes but
may not be sold in any way. For permission to use articles in your ministry, e-
mail the editor, John Edmiston at [email protected].

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Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing - Poem by Micron

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Some they only seem to see the sheep
Those that are blind and often weak
They agree with his every idea and word
Believe constantly everything that is heard
I’m helping you, I’m your mate, I’m your best friend
But his actions will send you round the bend
Everything he asks is always for his own good
Not considering others as he should
He thinks he is clever and so strong
But can’t see he’s doing so much wrong
There are some that have seen whats inside
For there a calculating selfish wolf does reside

He’s sly and careful all the time
And to most will appear just fine
But then the inner wolf does appear
And then beware when he’s near
For the wolf acts when others can’t be seen
If he catches you alone he’s dreadfully mean
For to have no witness of anything you see
Means its one word against another so he can flee
Teflon shoulders he has as nothing ever sticks
So he continues with his tricks.
Micron

We must always be aware
Of all that is around
The devil comes as a light
With a soft whispering sound

A mask of love
To deceive your very soul
He sits and he waits
To devour you whole

If your life's a witness
Others look and see God
Satan wants your soul
Under his feet to trod

A wolf in sheep's clothing
The purest and the white
Covering all the filth
And death in the night

He comes to seek
Whom he may devour
Only but to realize
The blood and power

Satan has no hold
He can not and will not win
A wolf in sheep's clothing
The father of all sin

Our Lord God in Heaven
Will expose his very sin

Then you all will see
Behind the faces who has been!
Lagaya Evans

Wolves in sheep's clothing

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Wolves in sheep's clothing