be wary of bible teachers who...

Claim to have the power to heal and/or miraculous powers.

While the Lord can certainly empower humans to do miraculous things as He did in Bible times, it wasn’t prevalent back then and we shouldn’t expect it to be here in the 21^st century either. I’m of the opinion that it’s wise to have a healthy skepticism of such claims.

Talk a lot about donating money to their ministries and use phrases like “sow a seed.”

There’s nothing wrong with ministries asking for money, but if it’s a frequent topic our spiritual antennas should go up. The sad reality is there are people who are in ministry for the primary purpose of financial gain. Be discerning and use the Lord’s money wisely.

Frequently use phrases like, “God told me.”

While this may be a harmless phrase (i.e., “God told me, using such-and-such verse, to do such-and-such thing” or “God told me via a prompting of the Holy Spirit”), it could be an effort to convince hearers that the communicator has some kind of special connection with God. The result can be undeserved attention and credibility.

Never talk about sin.

While not every sermon or teaching time needs to mention sin, if it’s a rarity we should be cautious. After all, the basis of the Christian faith is that Christ died on a cross for our sins. Oops: There’s that word. The good news of Jesus Christ is only good news if sin is a reality. And it is. Therefore, it needs to be mentioned from the pulpit at least time-to-time. If not, well, I’m thinking it’s time to find yourself another Bible teacher.

Claim that God wants us to be healthy and wealthy.

While God does want the best for us, the reality is we live in a sin-stained world that includes pain, suffering and financial hardship. The Bible never promises believers in the one-true God health and wealth. Those who claim it does are either misinformed or not being honest with the text. Remember Jesus’ words? “Pick up your cross and follow me.” That doesn’t exactly sound like the easy life.

Advocate the worship or exaltation of anyone other than God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

This is a clear indication that you should plug up your ears and run for the hills. Only the triune God of the Bible is worthy of our worship and adoration. And that includes Mary, the mother of Jesus, who, despite being a godly woman, was nonetheless still a woman. Thus, she was a sinner—and unworthy of worship—like everyone else. Let’s save our adoration for the only one who is worthy of it: The Lord our God. 

Consider anything other than the Protestant Bible as authoritative.

Only the Christian Bible is God-breathed and thus reliable. Whatever is not from God’s Word may indeed be valid and of benefit, but there’s no guarantee. If a communicator believes that something other than the Bible is spiritually-authoritative, my advice is to get out of town.  

Say that rule-keeping and severe bodily discipline is necessary for the Christian life.

Legalism and treating our physical bodies in harsh ways have no place in Christendom. We’re saved and kept saved by the grace of God, not through following a list of do’s and don’ts. Likewise, self-abasement is of no value in the spiritual realm. Once we choose to follow the Lord our obligation is to love Him and other people. There’s no mention of harsh treatment of the body. Find another Bible teacher and fast.

Claim to have secret knowledge and/or had a vision.

There is no secret knowledge when it comes to the Christian faith. The Lord has revealed what He wanted to reveal to us in the pages of Scripture. And while God can certainly appear to people via a vision, it was rare in Bible times and it should be considered equally rare here in the 21^st century. Personally, I’d steer well clear of people like this.

Live extravagant lives with an abundance of wealth and possessions.

While the Lord has certainly blessed some Christians with wealth and many possessions, those who spend an inordinate amount of money on themselves vs. sharing it with others in need should expect to have some doubters. Count me among them, especially if those communicators are described elsewhere in this list.

Are personally immoral and/or teach no moral restraints.

Immorality in one’s personal life is a sure sign that the communicator has a sin problem, and a destructive one at that. If that’s the case, use extreme caution since the person’s relationship with God is impeded. And if the person actually teaches that believers can sin because our sins are forgiven, well, do you really need to be convinced to move on?

Are obsessed with end-time prophecy.

This one may surprise you or make you question whether you should be wary of me. The fact is there are many godly men and women who “specialize” in the area of prophecy and are worth listening to. That said, in my experience people who are obsessed with it are often out of balance when it comes to the Christian life. That is, in their fervent pursuit of their particular viewpoint they sometimes neglect other important parts of the Christian life (i.e., personal holiness, evangelism, discipleship). Worse still, I’ve met a few who have adopted bizarre and borderline heretical viewpoints, and crashed and burned when it comes to the faith. All I’m saying is be very cautious with so-called “experts” on prophecy. And please don’t send me hate mail.