If we could see what false teachers really look like...

A Brief Confessional/Presuppositional Analysis of Modern Theological Deviations

The darkness that shrouds false teaching seldom announces itself with the clarity of a winter storm. Instead, it creeps like mist through the halls of congregations, weaving between earnest believers with serpentine patience. The Apostle Peter warned- no, he promised that "false teachers among you will secretly bring in destructive heresies" (2 Peter 2:1).

The Foundation of Discernment

The 1689 London Baptist Confession provides a robust framework for identifying theological error, firmly anchoring its epistemology in the sufficiency and authority of Scripture. When we examine false teaching through the lens of Van Tillian presuppositional apologetics, we must begin with this foundational axiom: all reasoning must submit to the self-authenticating authority of God's revelation. Any theological system that elevates human reason, experience, or tradition above Scripture implicitly denies the Creator-creature distinction that forms the backbone of biblical theology.

False teachers do not typically approach with horns protruding from their brows or spectral energies emanating from their persons. They come bearing gifts of apparent wisdom, cloaked in the language of piety. Their danger lies not in their obvious malevolence but in their subtle departures from revealed truth—departures that seed themselves in the soil of compromise and bloom in the garden of apostasy.

The Charismatic Distortion

The modern charismatic movement, emphasizing continuing revelation and experiential theology, represents a profound epistemological threat to biblical authority. By suggesting that God's voice comes through subjective impressions, emotional experiences, or contemporary prophecies, charismatics inadvertently establish a competing authority alongside Scripture. This contradicts the confession's clear teaching that "the Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience" (Chapter 1, Paragraph 1).

The danger here is subtle but severe. When personal revelation becomes the arbiter of truth, theological accountability evaporates into the mist of subjectivity. The charismatic's "Thus saith the Lord" becomes indistinguishable from "Thus I feel," rendering systematic theology impossible and doctrinal coherence optional.

The Roman Catholic Dilemma

Roman Catholic apologists present a different but equally significant challenge to biblical authority. By positioning the magisterium as the authoritative interpreter of Scripture and tradition as its equal partner, Rome establishes an epistemological framework that places human institutions in judgment over divine revelation.

This approach fundamentally inverts the proper relationship between Scripture and the church. As the 1689 Confession states, "The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, depends not on the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God its Author" (Chapter 1, Paragraph 4). The Catholic system, by contrast, makes Scripture's authority contingent upon ecclesiastical authentication, thereby subordinating God's word to human judgment.

From a presuppositional perspective, this represents a failure to acknowledge the Creator-creature distinction in epistemology. Van Til would argue that by positioning the church as the ultimate interpretive authority, Roman Catholicism implicitly elevates human reason above divine revelation, contradicting the fundamental principle that creatures must submit to their Creator's self-disclosure rather than standing in judgment over it.

The Arminian Challenge

The Arminian rejection of Calvinistic soteriology presents perhaps the most subtle challenge, as it often occurs within otherwise orthodox evangelical circles. Yet, at its core, Arminianism's elevation of human free will in salvation subtly diminishes divine sovereignty in ways that undermine the consistent application of biblical authority.

By suggesting that God's saving purposes can be thwarted by human choice, Arminianism implicitly establishes human autonomy as a limiting principle on divine authority. This runs counter to the confession's clear teaching that God "hath most sovereign dominion over all creatures, to do by them, for them, or upon them, whatsoever himself pleaseth" (Chapter 2, Paragraph 2).

Presuppositionally, this represents a compromise with autonomous human reasoning—a refusal to fully submit human intuitions about fairness and free will to the clear testimony of Scripture regarding God's absolute sovereignty in salvation (Romans 9:14-24). While many Arminians are sincere believers, their theological system inadvertently introduces inconsistencies that weaken the foundation of biblical authority.

The Nature of Discernment

Identifying false teachers requires more than doctrinal checklists. It demands a presuppositional awareness of how theological systems cohere—or fail to cohere—with the fundamental principles of biblical revelation. The false teacher need not deny Scripture outright; he need only subtly shift authority from the text to something else: experience, tradition, reason, or cultural sensibilities.

The most dangerous false teachers are not those who openly reject Christianity but those who modify it just enough to render it powerless while maintaining its outward form. They speak of Christ but mean something different; they reference Scripture but interpret it through alien frameworks; they preach salvation but define it in ways that diminish God's glory and exalt human autonomy.

The Path Forward

The remedy for false teaching has never changed. We must return to the sufficiency of Scripture, the necessity of sound hermeneutics, and the priority of systematic theology that faithfully represents the whole counsel of God. We must recognize that theological error is not merely academic but spiritual—arising not simply from intellectual mistakes but from the continuing influence of sin upon the human mind.

Presuppositional apologetics reminds us that neutrality is impossible. Every theological system begins with foundational commitments that shape all subsequent interpretation. The question is not whether we will have presuppositions, but whether our presuppositions will submit to the authority of God's self-revelation or assert autonomous human reasoning in its place.

The 1689 Confession provides a coherent theological framework precisely because it consistently applies this fundamental principle: "The supreme judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and by which must be examined all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, and doctrines of men and private spirits, can be no other than the Holy Scripture" (Chapter 1, Paragraph 10).

Conclusion

False teachers rarely appear as we might expect. They come not with blatant heresies but with subtle distortions. They speak not against Scripture but around it, adding to it, or subtly shifting its emphasis. They appeal not to our worst instincts but to our noblest desires—for spiritual experience, historical continuity, or human dignity.

The path of discernment requires vigilance, theological precision, and a willingness to submit all human wisdom—including our own—to the searching light of Scripture. It requires the humility to acknowledge that our own reasoning is affected by sin and must constantly be reformed by God's word. And it requires the courage to stand firm when prevailing theological winds blow against the clear teaching of Scripture.

In this way, we follow the example of our Baptist forebears who, amid persecution and cultural pressure, held fast to the principle that God's word alone must govern Christ's church. May we prove equally faithful in our generation.

"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20)

Scripture References (Legacy Standard Version)

On False Teachers and False Teaching

• Matthew 7:15-20 — "Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will recognize them by their fruits."

• 2 Peter 2:1-3 — "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. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be blasphemed; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."

• 1 John 4:1-3 — "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. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world."

• 2 Timothy 4:3-4 — "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths."

• Romans 16:17-18 — "Now I urge you, brothers, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting."

On Scripture's Authority and Sufficiency

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 — "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

• Psalm 19:7-9 — "The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether."

• Hebrews 4:12 — "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

• Galatians 1:8-9 — "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!"

On God's Sovereignty in Salvation

• Romans 9:15-18 — "For He says to Moses, 'I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.' So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH.' So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires."

• Ephesians 1:4-6 — "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."

• John 6:44 — "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day."

• Ephesians 2:8-9 — "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

On Continuing Revelation and Spiritual Gifts

• Revelation 22:18-19 — "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book."

• Jude 3 — "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."

• 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 — "Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away."

On the Dangers of Tradition Over Scripture

• Mark 7:6-8 — "And He said to them, 'Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: "THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN." Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.'"

• Colossians 2:8 — "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."

On Biblical Discernment

• Acts 17:11 — "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."

• 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 — "But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil."

• Proverbs 14:12 — "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

• Hebrews 5:14 — "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."

On the Importance of Sound Doctrine

• Titus 1:9 — "Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict."

• 1 Timothy 4:16 — "Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you."

• 2 John 9-11 — "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds."