Of all the deceptions that exist, there is nothing so egregious than that of religious deception. People can and do (unfortunately) deceive others on a great variety of issues; but the one who deceives in religious matters brings God into his sin, associating Him with a lie. This is why false teachers are so destructive, they not only mislead people, but they also tarnish the reputation of Christ before a watching world.

Recently, a false prophet named Joseph from South Africa predicted that Christ would “rapture” His church on the Feast of Tabernacles, September 23rd or 24th of this year. He claimed with “a billion percent” certainty that Jesus Himself had spoken to him in 2018 about this event. Many pre-tribulation believers joined in his prediction, some even livestreaming the impending rapture.

When those days came and went, there were no clouds of glory, only clouds of disappointment. It would not be overstating the case to say that on September 25^th, there were a lot of discouraged and hurt people. The rapture did not happen. Christ did not come as predicted, and the world of non-believers stood laughing at the spectacle. Most would dismiss this nonsense as just that; however, in this case it was not just a few people on the far fringe of the church who accepted the testimony of this false prophet. There were many world-wide who enthusiastically echoed Joseph’s claim. The echo chamber became so loud that mainstream media outlets worldwide began commenting on the prediction. The result is that the believers who promoted this have tarnished the name of Christ. The gospel’s credibility was once again undermined by association with false prophecy. The tragic fallout in such events is the people who will dismiss the gospel as a result.

For this reason, the church is called to protect itself from deceivers like Jospeh. Scripture is clear that false prophets will arise in the church (Matt. 7:15; 1 John 4:1). And the true, God called leaders are commissioned with the task of protecting the church from such as he (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:9). And that’s the main point I want to make. The church is called to listen to true God called leaders. Two of the qualifications for leaders is that they are not to be novices and they are to first be tested (1 Timothy 3:6, 10).

This raises an important principle: people who come out of nowhere making audacious and unbiblical claims should not be listened to. By definition they are not qualified to lead the church. Unfortunately, many today are eager to listen to self-proclaim teachers/prophets without considering where they are coming from. However, Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11 that, “He Himself (referring to Christ) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” (4:11). The word gave (Greek: δίδωμι, didōmi) means to bestow for the advantage of another. In other words, leaders are gifts from Christ to the church. They are not self-appointed, but God-appointed.

Two truths flow from this. First, true leaders are given for the church’s benefit. In other words, Jesus calls and appoints leaders to serve the body of Christ. They are given for the advantage of the church. Specifically, in the context of the Ephesians 4, they are given to equip the body for the work of ministry and given to grow believers into spiritual maturity. Second, when the qualifications for leaders are added to the discussion, we see that true leaders are validated by the church. Their calling is recognized, tested, and confirmed within the body of Christ. So, Jesus picks who the leaders are and then equips them, trains them, and using the body as a whole, confirms their leadership role. They don’t just come from nowhere. There should be a church (at the minimum) who can validate they are called by God and can testify to the fruitfulness of that calling. By his own testimony, Joseph has no such calling.

Much confusion and error can be avoided by observing this one simple principle. This does not mean, however, that people who are in leadership positions that have validation do not teach error, but it does begin to limit the influence the church allows to speak into the lives of believers. There are also some other implications we should pay attention to.

Today, anyone with a computer and a YouTube account can claim to be a teacher. There are many self-appointed teachers who have large followings on the internet. Unfortunately, this reflects the spirit of the age. We live in a narcissistic culture obsessed with self-expression; and platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook amplify the voices of self-appointed prophets. However, the vast number of people claiming to be teachers has not benefited the church but have only created division and confusion. Our God, however, is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33). Indeed, speaking about self-expression the Bible warns, “A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart” (Proverbs 18:2). Every self-called teacher should memorize this scripture and ask why they believe Christ needs them to become a teacher.

If one studies the testimony of biblical leaders, however, it becomes clear that most of them were reluctant to lead or teach. Because the Spirit of Christ was in them, humility dictated their calling. They became leaders, not because they thought they had something important to say, but out of obedience to God. For example, Moses claimed he did not have the ability to speak (Exodus 4:10-11); Jeremiah claimed he was too young (Jeremiah 1:4-10); Gideon claimed his clan was the weakest and that he was the least in his family (Judges 6:15); and though Paul became a bold apostle, he admitted his weakness when he said, “I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3-5). His calling was not rooted in self-confidence but in obedience to Christ, allowing Christ’s power to be evident in his weakness. If alive today, I do not believe one of them would have opened a YouTube account. This does not mean all such teachers are invalid. Many are pastors of churches. But the vast majority are seeking self-expression and believe they have something important the church needs to hear.

Ultimately, the church must exercise discernment in who they listen to. Much harm could have been avoided with Joseph in exercising this simple principle. He came from nowhere, making a very bold, and I would add, unbiblical claim about the return of Christ. In contrast, during the 2020 pandemic, a pastor got on YouTube and shared what he believed was a message from God concerning the time. He began his channel because his church compelled him to, saying they believed more people needed to hear the message. That by itself does not validate the message, but it is qualitatively different. He was already a pastor of a church, and the church encouraged him to broaden his audience. He was initially reluctant to do so.

However, the most important principle is even more simple. If you want to hear God speak, read His Word. God has revealed Himself through Scripture. He speaks to His people through it. True teachers do not invent new revelations; they open the Bible and explain what God has already spoken. The Bible is the foundation for our knowledge about God. Through it he has revealed Himself, His will, and His promises concerning our salvation. He has given us His Word, and it is sufficient for all our needs. We do not need another source of knowledge about God. We just need to exercise faith as we read and seek understanding of God’s revelation.

So, when someone stands up to teach, the most trustworthy words they can say are, “Open your Bible to….” Absent that invitation, we should listen with great caution.

False teachers will always arise, but the church is not defenseless. God has given true leaders to guide His people, and He has given His Word as the unchanging foundation of truth. The test remains simple: are they validated, humble, and faithful to Scripture? If not, they are unworthy of a hearing. The deception of Joseph serves as a warning, but also as a call to anchor our faith not in self-proclaimed prophets, but in the sufficient Word of God preached by the Spirit-given leaders Christ Himself appoints for His church.