False Teachers

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False Teachers False Teaching
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2 Peter 213

• 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 maligned
  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.

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Tests for False Teachers

• Three Tests in 2 Peter 2
• The blood test (vs. 1)
• The character test (vs. 2)
• The vocabulary test (vs. 3)

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The Blood Test

• False teachers and their religious systems fail
  the blood test they deny the power of the blood
  of Jesus Christ.
• Four Questions
• Where do false teachers come from?
• How do they operate?
• What is the effect of these heresies?
• What is the focus of these heresies?

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Four Questions

• Where do false teachers come from?
• False prophets arose from among you.
• How do they operate?
• Secretly introduce destructive heresies.
• What is the effect of these heresies?
• Bring swift destruction.
• What is the focus of these heresies?
• Denying the Master.

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The Character Test

• False teachers usually fail the character test by
  pursuing their own greed and lusts.
• False teachers often gain a following merely
  because they are successful.
• Often leaders live in splendor because their
  followers spend every day peddling candy or
  flowers on the street.
• Others extract a large tithe or have expensive
  seminars.

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The Vocabulary Test

• False teachers fail the vocabulary test by using
  false words.
• False teachers in their greed will exploit (make
  merchandise of) their followers.
• They use false words (plastic) which are meant to
  mislead or deceive.
• They use words that may sound Christian but are
  not. Need to define your terms.

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False Teachers

• Erwin Lutzer has written a book about
  discernment.
• When you judge Doctrine, False Prophets,
  Miracles, Entertainment, etc.
• Characteristics of False Teachers (2 Corinthians
  11).

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False Teachers

• Characteristics 2 Corinthians 11
• They have their own Jesus (vs. 4)
• They have their own Gospel (vs. 4)
• They have their own source of power (13-15)
• They have their own means of control (20)
• They have their own means of self-exaltation

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2 Corinthians 114

• For if one comes and preaches another Jesus
  whom we have not preached, or you receive a
  different spirit which you have not received, or
  a different gospel which you have not accepted,
  you bear this beautifully.
• They have their own Jesus.
• They have their own Gospel.

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2 Corinthians 111315

• For such men are false apostles, deceitful
  workers, disguising themselves as apostles of
  Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises
  himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is
  not surprising if his servants also disguise
  themselves as servants of righteousness, whose
  end will be according to their deeds.
• They have their own source of power.
• They have their own means of control.

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False Teaching
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The Da Vinci Code

• Questions started surfacing in Spring 2003.
• Didnt drop out of the sky but came from this
  bestseller.
• Book has been on the best seller list for nearly
  a year and sold almost 5 million copies.

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Biblical Challenges

• p. 231 The Bible is a product of man, my dear.
  Not of God. (231)
• p. 235 Almost everything our fathers taught us
  about Christ is false.
• p. 233 Youre saying Jesuss divinity was the
  result of a vote?

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Biblical Challenges

• p. 231 More than eighty gospels were
  considered for the New Testament.
• p. 249 Mary Magdalene carried the royal
  bloodline of Jesus Christ?
• p. 249 Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married
  and had a child.

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Sound Familiar?

• Most of the ideas can be found in the book Holy
  Blood, Holy Grail.
• The difference?
• The book Holy Blood, Holy Grail sold 20,000
  copies while The Da Vinci Code has already sold
  nearly five million.

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What is the Da Vinci Code?

• Mary Magdalene is in Leonardo Da Vincis painting
  The Last Supper (244).
• V-shape is the symbol for the Holy Grail.

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Who was Mary Magdalene?

• Mary was from the town of Magdala.
• Mary traveled with Jesus (entourage).
• Mary was at the cross, at the burial, and at the
  resurrection.
• Mary was not a prostitute
• Misperception began with Pope Gregory (AD 591)
  who conflated two different people into one.
• Confused with prostitute (Luke 736-50) who
  washed the feet of Jesus.

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New Testament

• No reference to Jesus being married.
• Gospels talk about his natural relatives (father,
  mother, siblings), but never a wife.

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Jesus Other Women

• Unlike other Jewish leaders, Jesus had close
  relationships with women.
• Several women (Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and
  Susanna) helped support Jesus and the disciples.

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How do we answerthe challenges of The Da Vinci
Code?
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The Last Supper
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Gnostic Texts

• Discovered at Nag Hammadi in Egypt in 1945.
• They were an important archaeological find.
• Yielded 45 works, five of which were called
  gospels.
• Gospel of Truth, Thomas, Egyptians, Philip, and
  Mary.

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Gnostic Texts

• A few of the texts are cited in The Da Vinci
  Code to prove that Jesus was married to
  Mary Magdalene.
• These are
• Gospel of Mary (2nd C.)
• Gospel of Philip (3rd C.)

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Gospel of Mary

• But Andrew answered and said to the brethren,
  Say what you (wish to) say about what she has
  said. I at least do not believe that the Savior
  said this. For certainly these teachings are
  strange ideas. Peter answered and spoke
  concerning these same things. He questioned them
  about the Savior Did He really speak with a
  woman without our knowledge and not openly? Are
  we to turn about and all listen to her? Did He
  prefer her to us?

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Gospel of Mary

• Then Mary wept and said to Peter, My brother
  Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I
  have thought this up myself in my heart, or that
  I am lying about the Savior? Levi answered and
  said to Peter, Peter, you have always been hot
  tempered. Now I see you contending against the
  woman like the adversaries. But if the Savior
  made her worthy, who are you indeed to reject
  her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. That
  is why He loved her more than us.

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Gospel of Philip

• And the companion of the Mary Magdalene.
  loved her more than all the disciples and
  used to kiss her often on her . The rest
  of the disciples were offended by it and
  expressed disapproval.
• Gospel of Philip 6333-36

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Gnostic Evidence

• Both texts are probably symbolic.
• Gospel of Mary Peter (Orthodox), Mary
  (Gnostics).
• Gospel of Philip kissing is most likely
  symbolic.
• Neither teaches that Jesus was married.

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Other Evidence

• Mary traveled with Jesus.
• She was not the only women to do so.
• Mary had a special relationship with Jesus.
• Even if this is true, notice that this is never
  called marriage.
• Jesus as a good Jew would be married. He was
  also a teacher and functioned like a rabbi (Mark
  1121).

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Was Single UnJewish?

• Jesus was not technically a rabbi, nor did He
  portray Himself as one.
• Jesus talks about eunuchs for the kingdom
  (Matthew 1910-12) and appears to model it after
  Himself.
• The Essenes were known for their emphasis on
  celibacy (Josephus, Antiquities 18.1.5.21 Jewish
  War 2.8.2.121-122 Philo, Hypothetica 11.14-18).

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Contrary Evidence

• Mary is not tied to any male anywhere when she is
  named in Scripture.
• Jesus shows no special concern for Mary Magdalene
  at the cross.
• Other disciples were married, but Jesus is not
  named (1 Corinthians 94-6).
• Early church had no problem with prominent women
  (e.g. Mary, the Mother of Jesus).

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Conclusion

• Jesus was not married to Mary Magdalene.
• She was not pregnant with his child
• She did not flee to France.
• There is no royal bloodline.
• There a no conspiracy to cover up what never
  happened.
• Thus, the premise of the book is false as are
  many other elements within the book.

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For More Information

• Probe Ministries
• www.probe.org
• Point of View www.pointofview.net
• Watchman Fellowship
• www.watchman.org