The Story Behind the Study
During my time as a preacher of the Word of God, many of my studies have been prompted by varying activities and aspects of life. The study, “Let Us Unite Against Error” is no exception. This study began with a disagreement over who is and who is not a false teacher.
Who is a false teacher? This question has spawned two different answers. Some will look at the only passage in the Bible which uses the phrase "false teacher" (2 Peter 2) and will define a false teacher as one who is morally corrupt, having a bad or flawed character. These brethren derive the moral corruption and flawed character from Peter's descriptions which show the "false teacher" to be deceptive, divisive, covetous, and possessing evil lusts or desires. Other brethren will expand their definition of a "false teacher" beyond the boundaries of 2 Peter 2, saying that anyone who leads others astray by teaching error and is unwilling to repent is a false teacher. To this "side," a person's character is not an issue.
I know preachers on both "sides" of this discussion. (I have found that both "sides" make good arguments for there position.) However, concerning the preachers with whom I have spoken, most agree that their differences regarding who is and who is not a false teacher is not an issue as long as both "sides" are willing to expose the error and the one teaching error, and obviously, withdraw their fellowship from the erring brother.
However, not long ago, I came across a brother who believed differently. This brother, during a sermon, stated that a liar will say that a man is not a false teacher unless he has a flawed character. This brother indirectly called every Christian a liar who is unwilling to label a brother teaching error a false teacher if he does not have a character flaw. (This brother then used as an example a preacher whom I had known for nearly 15 years. I knew this preacher not to be a liar. I called the accused preacher regarding this accusation. The accused preacher explained to me his position regarding the term "false teacher" as used in 2 Peter 2.)
During a later discussion with the accusing brother, as well as one of his sermons, this brother went on to say that he could preach a whole sermon on the false teaching of a particular brother whom he deemed a false teacher, without referring to him as a false teacher during his lesson. However, the brother stated that if he came up to you and asked you if you were willing to call the erring brother a false teacher and you said no, then you would be sinning. At this point, this brother has effectively drawn lines of fellowship, not over whether or not you expose the error and the teacher of error, but over whether or not you are in agreement with him regarding his assessment of a particular brother being a false teacher.
This brother asked me if I thought it was a matter of indifference regarding whether or not I was willing to call a particular person a false teacher. I told him I believed it was a matter of judgment based upon one's understanding of 2 Peter 2 and one's knowledge of the erring brother in question. However, I then explained that what was not a matter of judgment was the responsibility to expose the error as well as the one teaching the error, along with removing one's fellowship from the erring brother.
As a result of my discussion with this brother, I decided to embark upon a rather lengthy study of whether or not the warning issued by Peter was intended to unite brethren or divide brethren regarding whom they would and would not label as a false teacher. To make the study more comprehensive, I looked at all the passages I could find where Jesus and His apostles warned the saints about those who would use error and division to destroy local churches. I have titled this study, "Let Us Unite Against Error."
