Beware of False Prophets

Beware of False Prophets

Feb. 26, 2025

Host: Hon. Sam Rohrer

Guest: Carl Broggi

Note: This transcript is taken from a Stand in the Gap Today program aired on 2/26/25. To listen to the podcast, click HERE.

Disclaimer: While reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate transcription, the following is a representation of a mechanical transcription and as such, may not be a word for word transcript. Please listen to the audio version for any questions concerning the following dialogue.

Sam Rohrer:

Welcome to this Wednesday edition of Stand In the Gap Today, and it’s also our bimonthly emphasis on Israel, the Middle East and a biblical prophecy. Now, Dr. Bill Salas, I have to share some information with you. Dr. Bill Salas, founder and president of Prophecy Depot Ministries was scheduled to be with me today, but sadly, he will most likely be unable to join with us any longer on this program. I just learned. and Bill shared with me that he was diagnosed a short time ago with Parkinson’s Disease, which is affecting his speech. And I’ve talked with him and he’s agreed that I could share this diagnosis with you, all of our faithful listeners and asked that we join together in prayer for healing, if that is the Lord’s will and for wisdom for those who are those medical professionals who are giving him input every time a physical ailment afflicts us as human beings.

It seems like it’s increasing and beyond normal, doesn’t it? I mean so many people sick and getting sick and sick and get sick again and again, it reminds me of how much we as believers should rightly long to be with the Lord when our bodies will be changed and freed forever from any impact of sin. I look forward to that day. I hope that you are too, not just for that obviously more so to be in the presence of the Lord forever, but that’s one of the benefits of being in His presence will not put up with all these things that we so frequently encounter. So I would ask all of you to pray for Dr. Bill Salas and that you know why at this moment you’ll not be hearing him on this program every other Wednesday as he’s been with us and we’ve been together now for well over three and a half years.

I’m thankful, however, that Dr. Carl Broggi, senior pastor of Community Bible Church in Beaufort, South Carolina and host of his own radio program called Search the Scriptures, was able to step in again at the last moment and be back with us today. Dr. Broggi, as you know, is our other anchor authority pastor teacher on matters of Israel and biblical prophecy. So when it comes to Israel in the Middle East, there’s so much that we could talk about from what appears to be a building, a potential major Middle East war to a fleeting hope for peace scenario. We don’t know, do we? But today I’ve decided to address an area not so specific of that, but an area of warning and they prophecy because it speaks of the days in which we live. And so that’ll be the connection. It has application of course to all of Israel, but as well to all believers living in this age and frankly since the time of Christ.

That’s the reality of false prophets. Jesus warns significantly about the need to beware of false prophets and for various reasons. But what is a false prophet? What is the real danger of a false prophet? Can we identify a false prophet and according to God’s word, how should we respond to and fortify ourselves against the seduction of false prophets? What we’re going to deal with these questions and more here today on Stand in the Gap Today, the theme I’ve chosen for today’s program is simply this, beware of false prophets. And with that, Carl, thank you again. You’re such a busy schedule for being willing to step in here in our time of need here today. Thanks so much.

Carl Broggi:

Well, Sam, our prayers are with Bill, and as always, it’s great to be with you, especially as we dig into such an important issue that believers are facing everywhere because there’s a rise in false prophets.

Sam Rohrer:

And that’s where I want to go first, Carl, and that is the reality of false prophets. Many places in scripture you’ve preached on it many, many times to your people. In Matthew 24, mark 13, Jesus warned for false Christs and false prophets shall arise, shall show signs and wonders and seduce, and then some other things. Jesus then said of Matthew seven 15, beware of false prophets. So here’s my first question to you here. How much of a reality are false prophets today? Was Jesus’ warning for the early church? Was it then for the church back then? Is it for now? And is there a difference, frankly, put it in here from difference between false prophets, false Christs and false teachers, frankly all referenced in these verses?

Carl Broggi:

Well, certainly it’s been taught all the way from the Old Testament about false prophets in the Torah. Moses gives some warnings in Deuteronomy 13, Deuteronomy 18 of how to identify them. Peter, when we come to the New Testament, he says, but false prophets also arose among the people. He’s talking about the Old Testament era when Israel was plagued with the presence of false prophets. Then he says, just as there will be false teachers among you, now he’s moving into the New Testament era. And so since the inception of the church, Jesus and the kingdom parables, and Matthew 13 speaks about how the evil one Satan through his servants of course, goes out and they sow false seed. How does he do it? Through false teachers, through false prophets. So they’ve always been with us. And many times when we look for Satan, we should never fail to look in the church.

Sometimes such teachers are right in the pulpit itself. And so in terms of the distinction you ask between false prophets and false Christ and false teachers, there’s some inner relations like I would say, that all false Christ are teaching false doctrine. There are false teachers and the like, but not all false teachers, they are false Christ. So a false prophet I would say by definition, is someone who claims to speak on behalf of God, but he’s misleading. And so in Deuteronomy 13, Moses gives some tests. He said, listen, if someone comes along and he’s teaching you to go after another God, don’t listen to him. It doesn’t matter how authoritatively he speaks or how charismatic he might be, don’t listen to him. And so when someone comes with a revelation, a teaching that’s contrary to what God has already revealed, then you’re listening to a false prophet.

And then he gave another test, of course in Deuteronomy 18, he said, ah, a real test of a prophet is if he can’t give a short range prophecy that comes true, then certainly don’t believe his long range prophecy. Now we live in a different age. I believe the canon of scripture is closed, though we have a movement that has swept Western Europe and now it is frontline in the United States Evangelical church, a movement called Bethel- Hillsong is their counterpart in terms of music. And so the New Apostolic Reformation movement, Sam, they teach that there are prophets and a lot of these men, like that lead pastor at Bethel has made prophecies that haven’t come true. And what they say is, well, it’s kind of like the gift of teaching. Maybe in your early years you taught some things and you’d go back on them. It takes time to develop it. And so they say with their so-called gift of prophecy, now we have a completed canon of scripture. You can’t add or subtract to it. God’s given us a plumb line. And false prophets and teachers will typically add to it some new revelation. It creates a crowd, a false Christ or a false messiah. They present themselves as a representative for the Lord. And a false teacher is someone who just has distorted biblical truth. They have introduced heresies that lead people away from sound or healthy doctrine.

Sam Rohrer:

And with that, Dr. Carl Broggi, thank you so much. Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re just tuning in, our theme today is this beware of false prophets. We just gave the reality of it. Jesus warned about it, said it would increase. As we approach these end days, we come back, we’re going to get into the danger of false prophets. What is the actual danger that is so bad that Jesus says beware? Well, if you’re just tuning in today, this is stand in the gap today. I am Sam Rohrer, and my special guest today is Dr. Carl Broggi. Our emphasis today, we do it every other Wednesday. We try to with the Lord’s help focus Israel, the Middle East and biblical prophecy. Today we’re bearing down on a piece of biblical prophecy, something that the Lord said, and then it’s throughout scripture, but the Lord himself said it in Matthew seven, beware of false prophets.

So that’s where we’re going. Stay tuned because do you know a false prophet? Do you know how to identify a false prophet? We’re going to cover these things through the bound of the program. Whenever Jesus spoke of false prophets, false Christs or false teachers, as Carl just talked about and defined briefly in the last segment, it was always in the context of warning for his children, his people. And no matter how and what context, it was always in the context that these entities were dangerous. They’re not good for your health, physical or spiritual frankly. So beware of them. Now, note and give He, that’s what beware means. Be attentive to. Now, according to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, and I go there often because Noah Webster was a believer, it’s probably the only dictionary I know of that has a biblical worldview built into it. But it says this, beware means to literally to restrain or guard one’s self from anything that may be dangerous, injurious or improper. So Carl, in this segment, let’s expand our conversation about the seriousness of Jesus’s warning and to the extent of the danger created by false prophets. So here’s a short question, but let’s get us started. What does the scripture say a false prophet does that makes them so dangerous?

Carl Broggi:

Well, that’s a great question. I would say first and foremost, Sam, they look like believers. They resemble the flock. That’s why Jesus could say beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly, they’re ravenous wolves. He doesn’t come into the church or on some platform with some sign around his neck saying, I’m a false teacher. No, they come in the guise of Christianity. And the scripture says in two Corinthians 11 where he’s dealing with false prophets who even claim to be apostles and that Paul was not, and he said, for such manner false apostles, deceitful workers disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. Then he adds no wonder for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it’s not surprising if his servants also disguised themselves as servants of righteousness whose end will be according to their deeds. So they come, well, how can you know?

Well, you know them by their fruits, they can come empowered either orally or they can come empowered miraculously Jesus in the all of it discourse, he gives a very, very similar warning. He says, for false Christ and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders so as to mislead if possible. Even the elect that is believers behold, I’ve told you in advance. So if they say, behold he’s in the wilderness, don’t go out, behold he is in the rooms in a room, don’t believe him, they’ll come and they’ll do the miraculous because Satan has limited power to do the miraculous, but he can do miracles all the way back in the Exodus, we see his magicians doing what they’re able to do. They can’t totally reproduce what Moses did, but they were doing miracles. Even the antichrist, he will do real miracles, but there’ll be lying miracles, so to speak, because they’re empowered by the evil one.

And so you see some person and he heals say, and someone’s been in a wheelchair and all of a sudden they can walk. And I know a lot of it is fake and contrived, but sometimes these things happen and people say, well, look, he healed my brother, and this will reach its peak during the time of the great tribulation where the spirit of antichrist and all of his false Christ are going 110%. And they’ll see wondrous things and they’ll say, well, he must be a man of God. Look what he did. But it always goes back to doctrine. Much like the test in Deuteronomy 13. If someone is refuting what God has already previously revealed, then there are false prophet. Doesn’t matter how powerful they may be in their presentation, how charismatic or even signs and wonders that can accompany their message.

Sam Rohrer:

Okay, Carl, that’s great. Let me just go a little bit deeper into that fact other than the fact of what you are saying, a false prophet presents himself harmless, but he’s really, a wolf can speak and do what would appear to be well copies perhaps of what Christ himself did heal and do some things alright. Now, other than being fooled and thinking that they have power that they don’t or however it may be, take the danger ultimately and it ought to be obvious. Ultimately it goes right down to the souls of men that’s at it. But if a person is deceived and believes a false prophet, right? What’s the danger? I mean it’s obvious, but build it out so people understand that there is real danger. It’s not just to say, oh, well I heard somebody say something the other day and you know what? It wasn’t quite right then. Life goes on, there’s no consequences. What are the consequences of listening to a false prophet?

Carl Broggi:

Well, there’s two levels. One for the believer and one for the unbeliever. Start with the unbeliever. If he embraces a false prophet, he’s going to embrace a different way of salvation. And there’s only one way of salvation. And yet we have these people today in liberal Protestantism who compare God to the center of a bicycle wheel. And there’s many spokes to get to the center. Even the pope, I remember on my birthday on September the 13th of last year, he was in Singapore and he was speaking to thousands, thousands of young people and he said, all religions are a pathway to reach God. And he made the comparison between different languages, different dialects, and so it is with different religions. You can’t say, and I’m paraphrasing him, but almost quoting him, he said, you can’t say my religion is more important than your religion. That mine’s true and you’re resistant.

Where will that lead us? And so he says, there’s only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. That’s absolute heresy that contradicts I am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father, but through me that contradicts Pope Peter as they would refer to him. And there is salvation in no one else for there’s no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. So it has grave implications on the unbeliever because it can lead him to hell and it has grave implications on the believer who comes under false teaching. Satan knows if you’re truly saved, you’ll never renounce Christ. But if he can knock you off center, if he can get you distracted and into things that you shouldn’t be focusing on, then you become less of a threat. He has a very simple game plan to take as many people to hell. And if you become ineffective through false teaching, then your ability to win people to Jesus and to disciple them in the faith is greatly diminished and the kingdom of darkness continues on.

Sam Rohrer:

Alright, that is excellent ladies and gentlemen, I hope you got that again. You come back and pick up this program, read the transcript and get the whole program. Let me go just a little bit further in Matthew chapter 24 and other places, but it says in 24, 24, there shall rise, false Christ and false prophets. We’ve already talked about them signs and wonders. You already referred to that in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect. Here’s a question I have for you. Is there a particular message to which Jesus may be referring in this passage that false prophets and false Christ will communicate? Is it in our day? Is it in the tribulation day? Or what is it that could be so alluring that if possible even the very elect would be deceived? What is that message do we know?

Carl Broggi:

Well, in the immediate context, he’s dealing with people who claim to be the Messiah. And of course he wants to make it very clear. You’ll know when the Messiah comes as the lightning flashes from the east to the west. There’ll be a dramatic presentation when he shows up on the scene. So anyone who comes along because they’re going to be looking for them as high when they’re in the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy, they know they’re at the end of the age leading up to the visible physical return of Jesus to the earth. And some will capitalize on naive people because those who are left behind are all new Christians who are one to Christ. Their ability to discern is somewhat limited. And so they could easily be swayed, not away from the way of salvation once they’re truly saved, but again, knocked off kilter as to what this person is teaching.

And that will be his goal for tribulation saints, but Satan’s goal through the antichrist and those who are working under the spirit of antichrist, because this will reach a peak during the tribulation period when the church that acts as a restrainer, the Holy Spirit is restraining evil through the church. And so when the church is removed, literally all hell is going to break loose and Satan is going to have a holiday. And so a new group of believers will come along through the preaching of the 144,000, et cetera, but it will be slow to grow and it will take time for these new believers to mature. And so it won’t be possible. But he’s saying it is so compelling what they will be doing. These signs, wonders, and miracles mimicking, no doubt the very miracles that Jesus did, they’re going to say, wow, these people must be men of God. And they’ll step back and they’ll realize, no, Jesus warned us in advance. Don’t believe it because until the lightning flashes from the east the west and there’s that dramatic visible presentation, he’s yet not returned.

Sam Rohrer:

Carl, that was a tremendous answer, clear, hopeful, ladies and gentlemen, you got that. The theme today, beware of false prophets, it’s all through scripture. Jesus made it very clear, repeated it over and over again. So it behooves us to understand what he means, the reality of false prophets rising, the danger of false prophet, we just talked about that we come back, we’re going to go a little bit further and say, Jesus warns us about somebody who’s dangerous. Don’t you think he’s going to tell us how to identify him? Well, the reality of false prophets, Jesus said to beware of false prophets. So it’s real. He said they would rise in their frequency, perhaps intensity, perhaps deceptiveness, perhaps a host of things. But we are seeing that, are we not? So there’s a danger, we talked about that in the last segment, but how do you identify one Jesus’ direct warnings in the other warnings of other righties of scripture?

They all say, I just said beware. Take heed, be alert, be attentive. Because these false prophets, these individuals, these false Christs, these false teachers would of course if he didn’t tell us how to identify him, they’d just be idle words sensationalism. But Jesus was never sensational for the sake of being sensational. Rather he did it because was serious beware. So Jesus frequently speaks of these false prophets within the context of deception such as the days we’re now in. So therefore it’s obvious that their identification, the identifying a false prophet wouldn’t be necessarily that easy. As Dr. Carl Broggi who’s with me today said before, if a false prophet got up into the pulpit and he had a sign hanging around his neck, I am a false prophet. Well, everybody would know and they wouldn’t listen. But that’s not the way it works, right? So it requires great diligence and wisdom and a great deal of discernment. So Carl going further here, according to scripture, which is where we want to always go, what does the Bible say according to scripture? What characteristics of false prophets can the average person, the astute believer through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, identify and note, because we are to note these guys when we identify them. So what do you say?

Carl Broggi:

Well, several factors I think by which we can identify them. First and foremost is a contradict sound doctrine. Again, God has given us a plumb line. It’s the scripture, the 66 books, none other than those. And so now we have a measuring stick, which is what the word can and means from the Latin by which we can take any idea, any belief we have and put it into the mirror of scripture. And so what’s happened, and it’s sad, but I think it was Satan’s evil strategy because it produced such large numbers in megachurches as you had pastors who are no longer expositing the scripture, but on Sunday mornings giving Ted talks good, feel me, kind of Ted talks and you’re left with a good feeling but not grounded in the doctrine. And Satan knew that if he could get churches across the nation to emulate this evangelical churches that given enough time, people would know the difference between truth and error.

So part of discernment is being grounded in sound doctrine. And so Jude speaks of the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. Paul will say to Timothy to teach sound doctrine according to the gospel that I’ve given you. Secondly, I would say a false teacher promotes immoral living. Jude again, and I would say too second Peter two in Jude would be two great chapters for someone to study. If they’re trying to learn more about the characteristics of a false teacher, the book of Jude is totally dedicated to it, and both Jude and Peter underscore that they turn the grace of God into life consciousness. So when you see these denominations standing up and saying, well, we need to be supportive of the L-G-B-T-Q-I-A lifestyle, you’re listening to a false teacher. When you have a pastor and he knows there’s known, say, immorality taking place in his congregation and he refuses to address it, he’s either acquiesced to the spirit of the age and not doing his job as a pastor, or he might just be a false teacher himself.

But one of the things a false teacher does is that they’re ruled by their own sinful loss and not by the word of God. And so they promote false immorality, immoral living. They will also, I would say, based on what Jesus said in Matthew seven, Sam, they’ll deemphasize not just sin but the judgment that comes with sin. I just turned to Jeremiah chapter six, and they’re the prophet said from the least of them, even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain. By the way, that’s one of the characteristics of a false teacher. They’re in it for the money. And from the prophet, even to the priest, everyone deals falsely and they have healed the brokenness of my people superficially saying, peace, peace. But there is no peace. So they make the gate wider and the road broader than it really is. They’re afraid to say thus sayeth the Lord.

If you reject Jesus, there is an eternal consequence. I’ve prayed for the Pope the last few days. I think he’s going to die any moment. I could be wrong, but I’m hoping he’ll repent because he denied that Jesus was the only way to God. I don’t care the fact that he is a leader of a world movement to deny that Jesus is the only way to heaven is to basically say I’m a false teacher, I am an unbeliever. And so people who are false teachers, they tend to divorce God’s love and God’s grace from his holiness and from his justice, God is loving, he is gracious, but he’s holy and he’s just, and the scripture warns that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled. They’ll accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. They’ll turn their ears away from the truth. We’ll turn aside to miss that they here are congregations who are looking for teachers who will basically tell them what they want to hear.

Sam Rohrer:

So you identified three things in what they say, they will contradict scripture. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s obviously where it starts. We say the authority of scripture. Why? Because that is the truth. If anything is counter to that, alright, then that’s one issued. Second is promotes immoral living, immoral activity often associated with the love of money. And again, you can see a third one you mentioned Karl was deemphasizing God’s hatred for sin or his judgment against sin, which obviously ladies and gentlemen necessitates that there’s only one way to heaven and that’s the narrow way through Jesus Christ was the life, the truth and the way. Alright, so I’ll just put those three out there, let them there. Let me back ask you this, Carl, how long does it take to identify a false prophet? In other words, how many of the false prophet tests does a person have to fail in order to identify as a false prophet? One contradiction of scripture. Does that make him a false prophet? One prediction of some prophecy coming down the road that did not happen. Is that enough to make one? What’s it take to identify a person as a false prophet?

Carl Broggi:

Well obviously I think it’s more subtle when you’re dealing with say, evangelicalism versus non evangelicals because most evangelicals would say no, the canon of scripture is closed. So if someone is even making prophecies, they would say, oh, that guy, he’s out to lunch. Don’t even listen to him. When you’re dealing with Bible believing churches, let’s say you have a good solid group of people, there’re sound in their faith, they have a walk of holiness, they want to please the Lord. There’s mature aspects and a new pastor comes in and he immediately creates division. Sometimes a pastor will come in and he’ll create division because of the fact that there’s so many unbelievers in the congregation and they’ve been untaught for so long, he ends up separating believers from unbelievers. But if it’s a sound church and a man comes in and he creates the vision, well Paul says, and Jude says, let me read Jude.

He says, in the last time there will be mocks following after their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who caused divisions, worldly minded, devoid or without the Holy Spirit. That would be like a telltale sign immediately. This man who we thought was a good pastor is a false teacher because he’s dividing good godly people with the new doctrines, these new things that he is teaching. And as a general rule, if it’s new, it’s not true. But again, we need discernment in our day. And the writer of the Hebrews rebukes, the Jewish believers, and he says Solid food is for the mature who because of practice have their senses trained gem nazo, they have them gize that we get our word gymnasium from it to discern good and evil. And so the ability to discern very quickly good and evil is someone who is well grounded in the scripture.

This is why it’s a requirement for an elder. He has to be able to refute what is false. He has to be able to teach what is good. And so if you have elders shepherds over the congregation, then they ought to be able to easily identify false in a short period of time. It shouldn’t take months or years, it should happen very quickly. But if you have a congregation that’s untaught, if you have men who are in the pulpit who are not really elder qualified, pastor qualified, then these people can slip in and really lead a church down the wrong road very, very quickly.

Sam Rohrer:

Carl, that brings us right up to the end. So it’s not enough time to ask you another question here, but ladies and gentlemen, one of the things, as Dr. Carl Broggi was saying, he identified some of these things here I’ve already gone over, but in other passages, I won’t give you all the references, but scripture talks about the false prophet, they deceive, we know that they contradict scripture. That was one of them. Seduce, that’s a strong word. But they actually lead people intentionally away. They devour, they dev divide, they distract the believer from concentrating on the main thing, the main thing that’s living a holy life and communicating the gospel with others who are in need and they lead the unsaved right to hell. Alright, so those are things, but there are markers there and scripture says that one of the things that we should do is when we identify we should mark them well for what purple come back.

We’ll talk about how to deal with the biblical ban regarding false prophets. Well, we’re going into our final segment here now. And if we talk about it often here and all of the issues that we look at from headline news, from whatever’s perspective to now, we’re looking at this warning from Jesus about beware of false prophets. But in all areas of life, in living, the scripture does provide to all who seek to know the truth and obey it. It provides for them all the information, all the instruction that we need to do what? Well, to live righteously and godly in this present age. That’s what we are to do. Now in this final segment, Carl, let’s close with identifying the biblical commands for those who believe in regard to how the Lord says we should respond to the reality of false prophets, the danger of false prophets and the ability we just talked about to accurately identify false prophets so that we are not seduced and deceived. So there’s a purpose all the way through. Jesus didn’t say idle words ever all for a purpose. And this is for our good that we are not deceived. So here’s the question for you. What are the choices that alert believers they need to go together? Not all believers, but alert believers, those who say, all right, Lord, I know what you said, beware. I want to take your warning in regard to false prophets. Okay? What are the choices alert believers should make in response to the reality and the danger posed by false prophets?

Carl Broggi:

Well, false teaching really expresses itself in two ways. First inside the church and then outside the church. So I think it’s important when we’re speaking to this subject that if someone has a false teaching, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re a false prophet, but neither should we leave it uncorrected because false teaching leads to greater error in eventually to a denial of the absolute truth. So Paul, in two Timothy two, I just turned there, he says, the Lord’s bond servant must not be quarrelsome, must be able to teach patient when wrong, gentleness, correcting those who are in opposition. So sometimes a pastor has to correct error in the church. You’ve got someone like Apollos. He wasn’t an apostate or a false teacher, but at the time he was teaching some false teaching because of a lack of information. And Priscilla and Aquila came alongside and gave him the way of God more accurately.

Paul had to confront Peter as described in Galatians two to his face in the presence of everyone because of some hypocritical behavior. But then there’s what we call false teachers. These are unbelievers who may try to make their way into the church. And so part of our job as leaders, as pastors and those Christians who are alert is not merely building up the church but tearing down that which is wrong. And so again, when the qualifications for an elder is given, and he must hold fast, the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort and sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. So I’m not saying that he should walk around with a chip on his shoulder and he’s certainly not to be pugnacious, Paul says to Timothy, but if a pastor or even a leader in the church can’t refute those who contradict, then he shouldn’t be a pastor.

If he just likes to be liked, he’s creating problems for his church and he has to openly address these things. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. And so people don’t know any better. Look, we’ve got the head of Christianity today now who is promoting all kinds of wrong theology, but people are afraid to say anything. We have to and we have to correct it. We have to refuse support for someone who is involved in false teaching. When John writes, he says, if anyone comes to you, does not bring this teaching, don’t receive him into your house. Give him a greeting for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. Case in point years ago, the Mormon church in our town, they came to me and they said, Hey, we wanted to have this public, a protest about pornography in our community.

This was like 15 years ago when you could still buy it in a store. People don’t need to anymore because of the internet. Will you help us with it? In fact, we need some tables. Would you loan them to us? I said, I can’t. I said, because you do not embrace the teaching of the New Testament that Jesus is God. You deny his deity, you deny the doctrine of the Trinity, you deny the authority of the Bible, you deny the virgin birth, you deny the substitutionary atonement defined biblically, you’re not Christian. So for me to help you or to participate with you is to violate scripture when we’re called to separate from those who teach such false doctrine. So we have a responsibility to maintain the purity of the church and the testimony of the body of Christ.

Sam Rohrer:

Alright, that is excellent. That was a good illustration because again, that required a discernment to make that determination, but it required a knowledge of scripture to be able to do that. And it took courage in order to say, no, no, I will not. So ladies and gentlemen, mark, those we are, say mark those avoid those who are teaching, promoting that which is against what God says. Alright. Now, yesterday, Carl, there was somebody that had a communication with somebody who said they were listening to someone on the radio and they do believe that they’re probably going off in the area of healing and certain other things that were being prosper to gospel type things. But they said they thought that well because they really liked them. They thought that they could continue to listen to them and just cut out the bad and hold on to that, which is good. Would you give counsel to anybody who’s listening that if somebody they know God has brought to their mind that there’s something not right, is it wise ever to well just continue to listen and say, well, I can sort out the pearls from the coal.

Carl Broggi:

You need to be very careful what we listen to. Jesus said this, mark four, I’m teaching the gospel of Mark, just started it verse by verse, and I’m reminded of Mark 4 24, take care, take heed. I think the king James says, pay attention to what you listen to. And then he said, by your standard of measure, it’ll be measured to you and more will be given you Beside it’s in the context of the parable of the sower and why different people don’t respond properly. But the Bible warns that we can be influenced by bad teaching. And it’s in that context that Paul says to the Corinthians, do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals. He’s dealing with false doctrine. Now we apply it to youth and the people they hang around with, and that’s a legitimate application. But Paul is saying, in reference to theology, bad company corrupts good morals.

He’ll say very similarly, you just quoted it, I urge you, brethren, keep your eye or mark them who caused dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you’ve learned. Turn away or avoid them, mark them, avoid them. That’s what God says to do. And so Paul will write to the church at Thessalonica, if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with them so that he will be put to shame. Yeah, today we can associate with the radio, through the internet, through social media, and that day you had to physically be present, but it’s the same unchanging principle. You need to be careful what you let into your heart. And if we think, well, it’s no big deal, I can handle this. Don’t B2C, bad company corrupts good morals, he’ll say, I’ll have you to be wise to the things that are good in the same context. When he says mark them, avoid them, then he’ll say, I’ll have you to be wise to what is good and innocent, to what is evil. So we need to be naive in reference to certain things and we need to be very careful.

Sam Rohrer:

Dr. Carl Broggi, thank you so much for being with me today on this important topic. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being with us today and I know a lot of things were shared. Again, you can go get all this on our archive, stand on the gap radio.com or on our app Stand in the Gap. You can pick up that transcript along with it and read through that. And if this has been a help to you and I hope and pray that it has, share it with a friend, there is no better way pass it along, which is easy to do by the app or by the computer itself. And Lord willing, we’ll see you back here tomorrow.