False christs

[civic]

Will the Real Jesus/Messiah please stand up. Many want to have their ears tickled. Jesus and the Apostles warned us about false messiahs/christs. We see on out forum many false christs being promoted.

Can you spot a counterfeit ?
What is your criteria ?


A false christ or a false messiah is a pretender who claims to be the One sent from God to save humanity. In Matthew 24:23–24, Jesus says, “And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.” This is part of a larger teaching about what to expect in the end times. In Matthew 24, Jesus repeats this teaching, adding, “So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (verses 26–27).

The “end times” means several things in the Bible. According to Hebrews 1:2, the “last days” is the New Testament era, starting with the first coming of Jesus Christ. This is also the sense in Acts 2:16–17, 1 John 2:18, and 1 Peter 1:20. In this sense, we are living in the “end times”; that is, we are in the final dispensation before the second coming of Christ. In Matthew 13:49, the “end of the age” refers to the time of judgment at the Lord’s second coming. The Lord’s return and the events leading up to it (see Revelation 6–16) are commonly referred to as the “end times” today. Although the “end times” may have begun 2,000 years ago, there will be a rapid escalation of the signs Jesus gave as time draws nearer to His return. We believe the “end times,” as commonly understood, will begin with the rapture of the church.

False christs have come and gone since the first century (Mark 13:22; 2 Peter 2:1). They arise when someone claims to be the Messiah or when a branch of Christianity veers from the clear teaching of God’s Word and tries to define Jesus as other than He is. The apostles dealt with false doctrine in many of their letters to the churches, warning believers about the false christs and false prophets in their midst (2 Corinthians 11:13). John gave a clear definition of accurate Christology: “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God” (I John 4:2–3).

False christs have continued to make their appearance. Even within the last century, certain men such as Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, and David Koresh have risen to prominence by claiming to be God or His right-hand man. They often started with the Bible but then seized one verse or idea and built their own theology around it, turning their group into a self-affirming cult. Cult leaders often attract their victims by presenting themselves as Bible-believing Christians. Groups such as the Mormons, Christian Science, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses all claim to be Christian, but they all deny the deity and work of Jesus, the Son of God, as our only path to forgiveness and eternal life (see John 14:6).

Closer to home, a proliferation of false christs has arisen in unexpected places: Christian church pulpits. When a teaching reinvents Jesus as someone other than He is or intentionally minimizes the more difficult truths of His gospel, it presents a false christ. With the surge of hyper-grace teaching and Your Best Life Now theology, the glory of Jesus Christ has been minimized in favor of self-worship. Jesus, when mentioned at all, is often presented as merely the ticket to receiving God’s blessings. In this generation of biblical illiteracy, many hearers eagerly swallow this man-made version of Christ, never challenging the twisted doctrine that conceived it. Even when people are given an opportunity to “make a decision” for Jesus, one must wonder: to what Christ are they committing themselves?

Second Timothy 4:3–4 warned us that a time was coming when people would not tolerate sound doctrine. As the days grow darker and sin escalates, a more palatable christ becomes attractive to those who “loved the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19). Second Thessalonians 2:11–12 explains why so many are attracted to false christs. Verse 10 says, “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” When people refuse to love the truth, the real Jesus, or God’s holy Word, God gives them over to their own ideas and their false christs, none of which have any power to save (Romans 1:21–23).got?

 

[civic]

There are counterfeit christs and a counterfeit gospels .The enemy is the great counterfeit. A counterfeit looks almost identical to the real thing. Its an imposter. It takes training and discernment to tell the difference between the true gospel and the false gospel.

The banker is trained to see and feel the genuine bill so that when he feels a counterfeit he immediately knows it's one. He is an expert in handling the real $100 bills to when a counterfeit crosses their hands it stands out like a sour thumb. Know the truth and the truth will set you free. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

When we are so familiar with the real Jesus of the Bible and His claims we can spot something is " off " whe the counterfeit shows up. It's easy to "flush " it out in a conversation with only a few questions.

Here is an example of one test from Johns epistle.

Do you know the real Jesus from a fake ?

How to test the spirits as John taught us below.

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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 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.

We are warned not only from Jesus but Peter,Paul and John about false teachers that would arise among the flock of God. Here in this most important passage the apostle John lays out for us a way to know for sure if a “prophet or teacher” is of God or the spirit of antichrist. Remember there are only one of 2 spirits that any message being communicated about Jesus can be from, the first is the Spirit of God and the other is the spirit of antichrist. Believe it or not the apostle John gives us the tests to prove whether one speaks by the Spirit of God or antichrist regarding the person of Jesus. We need to ask ourselves what does it actually mean to confess Jesus has come in the flesh? This becomes the litmus test for the Christian or we can call it the lie detector test. We can hook someone up to the polygraph machine on this one and detect the truth from a lie, the Spirit of God verse the spirit of antichrist. Did you in order to spot a counterfeit, the agents in banks are not trained by studying fake $100 bills but the real ones? It is only in knowing the genuine articles that the fakes are easily spotted. Such is the case with the bible. Unless you know it, you will accept a fake and believe it is real. John lets us know in his epistle how to spot a counterfeit.

To confess- NT:3670

1. homologeo (‎o(mologe/w‎, NT:3670), lit., "to speak the same thing" (homos, "same," lego, "to speak"), "to assent, accord, agree with," denotes, (a) "to confess, declare, admit,"

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

To confess means to agree with, say the same thing or to admit what has been declared about Christ. What John is telling his readers is that they must agree with him what has been declared about Jesus. When we look at John writings we see that The Word was God and the Word became(a coming with an abiding effect)flesh. This is fundamental to the Christian faith the Incarnation. God became(permanently) man and dwelt among us. John makes that clear when he says that Jesus has come in the flesh.

Has come- this is in the perfect tense which means a past action with continuing results in the present. John is telling us at the time he penned these words that Jesus came in the flesh in the past and that He continues in the flesh in the present, well after His ascension to the Father. Christ took upon Himself flesh and this has become His permanent dwelling. This is a direct refutation of the Gnostic Cerinthus who taught that Christ only temporarily assumed a body.

So we can see from John here that anyone that does not agree the Jesus is both permanently God and man is the spirit of antichrist and this persons message is not from God. John is writing after the resurrection and is using perfect tense in Greek which denotes a past action with continuing results into the present, and continuing on through eternity. Christ came in the flesh, He rose from the dead in the flesh, Ascended into heaven in the flesh and is now 2000 years later still in the flesh. The same body that He was born and died with that still bare the marks of His crucifixion, He rose with from the grave. If one claims that Christ rose as a spirit being and not in His physical material body of flesh and bones, they are of the spirit of antichrist. One cannot deny the Deity of Jesus or His humanity. Those who deny any of these truths according to John do not have the Father, the Son or the Spirit.

1 John 4:2
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

2 John 7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.



Erchomenon the present participle in 2 John 7

Alford- the present tense is timeless(pg 274 RNTC on 2 John)

Brooke- the Incarnation is not only an event in history, it is an abiding truth(pg 274 RNTC on 2 John)

Stott- the two natures manhood and Godhood were united already at His birth, never to be divided. In 1 John 4:2 and here in 2 John 7 emphasizes this permanent union of the natures in the One Person ( TNTC pages 209-210) He who denies the Incarnation is not just a deceiver and an antichrist but “the deceiver and the antichrist”. There is in this heresy a double affront: it opposes Christ and deceives men.(stott TNCT page 210)

Marshall- the use of the present and perfect tenses becomes significant if the point is that Jesus Christ had come and still existed “in flesh”. For him(John) it was axiomatic that there had been a true Incarnation, that the word became flesh and remained flesh. It is a point that receives much stress in 1 John 2:18-28, 4:1-6, 5:5-8. (NICNT pages 70-71)

Smalley- the present tense emphasizes the permanent union of the human and Divine natures in Jesus. Gods self disclosure in Jesus took place at a particular moment in history , but it has continuing effects in the present and into the future(Word Biblical Commentary page 317)

Nicoll- the continuous manifestation of the Incarnate Christ(Expositors Greek Testament Volume 5 page 202)

Akin- Much has been made of the fact that John uses the present tense in this Christological confession. Literally the verse reads, “Jesus Christ coming in flesh.” “Coming” is a present active participle. This stands out in remarkable contrast to the affirmation of 1 John 4:2, where the text states that “Jesus Christ has [emphasis mine] come in the flesh.” There the perfect active participle is used. The key, it seems, is to discover what John is affirming. Here in 2 John the emphasis falls on the abiding reality of the incarnation. First John 4:2 teaches that the Christ, the Father’s Son (v. 3), has come in the flesh. Second John affirms that the wedding of deity and humanity has an abiding reality (cf. 1 Tim 2:5). The ontological and essential nature of the incarnation that would receive eloquent expression one thousand years later in the writing of St. Anselm (1033–1109) in his classic Cur Deus Homo is already present in seed form in the tiny and neglected letter of 2 John.

Lenski- In 1 John 4:2 we have ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα, the perfect participle, “as having come in flesh” (incarnate, John 1:14); here we have ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί, “as coming in flesh,” although the participle is present in form it is really timeless.


of Christ as "still being manifested." See the note at 1 John 3:5. In 1 John 4:2 we have the manifestation treated as a past fact by the perfect tense, ‎eleeluthota ‎"has come

Robertson- That Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh ‎Ieesoun ‎‎Christon ‎‎erchomenon ‎‎en ‎‎sarki‎. "Jesus Christ coming in the flesh." Present middle participle of ‎erchomai ‎treating the Incarnation as a continuing fact which the Docetic Gnostics flatly denied. In 1 John 4:2 we have ‎eleeluthota ‎(perfect active participle) in this same construction with ‎homologeoo‎, because there the reference is to the definite historical fact of the Incarnation.

Vincent- Is come ‎erchomenon‎. Wrong. The verb is in the present participle, "coming," which describes the manhood

conclusion: those who deny Christ is fully God and fully man and remains a man having a human glorified body forever have a false christ.

hope this helps !!!

 

[civic]

the late Dr Martin

Jesus , the Real One always separates the different religions, faiths of this world. Its why so many times the New Testaments talks about false Christs, false teachers, deceivers etc......

Some do this intentionally while others I believe are deceived into thinking they have the real Jesus. But there are many "tests" in the N.T. where we can discern the real from the fake much like trained bankers can spot a counterfeit $100 from the genuine $100.

I will quote the late Dr. Walter Martin. What we deal with most of the time is a language barrier. We read the same words in the Bible and have a different definition and vocabulary than those with a different Jesus, a different gospel. Its the semantic game being played out on a regular basis with online forums and when you answer the person knowing at your door to talk about the Bible.

Here is Dr Martin below in his summary of this issues we encounter :

"The historic doctrine of the Trinity is seldom, if ever, considered without careful redefinition. If the reader consults the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary, published by the Unity School of Christianity, he will see the masterpiece of redefinition for himself. For in this particular volume, Unity has redefined exhaustively many of the cardinal terms of biblical theology, much as Mary Baker Eddy did in her Glossary of Terms in the book Science and Health With Key to the Scriptures. The reader will be positively amazed to find what has happened to biblical history, the person of Adam, the concept of human sin, spiritual depravity, and eternal judgment. One thing, however, will emerge very clearly from this study: Unity may use the terminology of the Bible, but by no stretch of the imagination can the redefinition be equated with the thing itself. Another confusing aspect of non-Christian cultists’ approach to semantics is the manner in which they will surprise the Christian with voluminous quotations from no less authority than the Bible, and give the appearance of agreeing with nearly every statement the Christian makes in attempting to evangelize the cultist. Such stock phrases as “We believe that way too; we agree on this point” or the more familiar, “[Mrs. Eddy, Mr. or Mrs. Fillmore, Mr. Evans, Dr. Buchman, Joseph Smith, or Brigham Young] says exactly the same thing; we are completely in agreement.” All such tactics based upon the juggling of terms usually have the effect of frustrating the average Christian, for he is unable to put his finger on what he knows is error, and is repeatedly tantalized by seeming agreement which, as he knows, does not exist. He is therefore often forced into silence because he is unaware of what the cultist is actually doing. Often, even though he may be aware of this in a limited sense, he hesitates to plunge into a discussion for fear of ridicule because of an inadequate background or a lack of biblical information.


The solution to this perplexing problem is far from simple. The Christian must realize that for every biblical or doctrinal term he mentions, a redefinition light flashes on in the mind of the cultist, and a lightning-fast redefinition is accomplished. Realizing that the cultist will apparently agree with the doctrine under discussion while firmly disagreeing in reality with the historical and biblical concept, the Christian is on his way to dealing effectively with cult terminology. This amazing operation of terminological redefinition works very much like a word association test in psychology.


It is simple for a cultist to spiritualize and redefine the clear meaning of biblical texts and teachings so as to be in apparent harmony with the historic Christian faith. However, such a harmony is at best a surface agreement, based upon double meanings of words that cannot stand the test of biblical context, grammar, or sound exegesis. Language is, to be sure, a complex subject; all are agreed on this. But one thing is beyond dispute, and that is that in context words mean just what they say. Either we admit this or we must be prepared to surrender all the accomplishments of grammar and scholastic progress and return to writing on cave walls with charcoal sticks in the tradition of our alleged stone-age ancestors. To illustrate this point more sharply, the experience of everyday life points out the absurdity of terminological redefinitions in every way of life.



A quick survey of how cults redefine Christian terminology illustrates this important observation.

Cult​	Term​	Cult Definition​	Christian Definition​
Mormonism​	God​	Many gods​	One God​
Jehovah’s Witnesses​	Jesus Christ​	Not god, created by Jehovah​	God the Son, Creator of all​
Christian Science​	Sin​	Illusion, error, not real​	Disobedience to God​
New Age​	Salvation​	Becoming One with the Universe/God​	Reconciliation with God by means of Christ’s atonement​

Is it any wonder, then, that orthodox Christians feel called upon to openly denounce such perversions of clearly defined and historically accepted biblical terminology, and claim that the cults have no rights—scholastically, biblically, or linguistically—to redefine biblical terms as they do? "

hope this helps !!!

 

[civic]

The false christ and false gospel go hand in hand together. The false christ/gospel will redefine Gods love for all men, the meaning of the world, promote a special group of sinners that can be saved, promote legalism and the law over grace, mercy, love, judgement over forgiveness, misrepresent Jesus and the Apostles teaching on being a disciple, are more concerned about being right vs living right, want to receive Gods mercy but not extend it to others and the list goes on and on and on. They have created a god after their own image, not the God of the bible. They worship an idol, a book and have no relationship with the living Lord. Its a religion void of relationship with the One who died for them. Their christ is nothing but an idea, a man who once lived and whom they do not know personally. Just empty words in 66 books that are not alive/living speaking to them personally, convicting them daily, calling them to repentance, creating in them a humble heart etc...... but are filled with pride, ego, arrogance unable to be corrected or ever wrong. See Ephesians 4:14, Galatians 1:6-9, Colossians 2:8, 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 1 Timothy 4:1-4, Jude 1:12-13 and many other passages.

sharpen that sword !

hope this helps !!!

 

[civic]

How can I recognize a false teacher, a false prophet, a false christ ?

Jesus warned us that “false Christs and false prophets” will come and will attempt to deceive even God’s elect (Matthew 24:23–27; see also 2 Peter 3:3 and Jude 1:17–18). To guard against falsehood and false teachers, it’s important to know the truth and know the characteristics of the counterfeit. Any believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and who makes a careful study of the Bible can identify false doctrine.

Jesus said, “A tree is recognized by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33). So, believers are to be fruit inspectors. Knowing the look, texture, and taste of a healthy apple is important. So is knowing the look, texture, and taste—and smell—of a rotten one. Here are three specific tests to apply to any teacher to determine the accuracy of his or her teaching:

1) What does this teacher say about Jesus? In Matthew 16:15-16, Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and for this answer Peter is called “blessed.” In 2 John 9, we read, “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” In other words, Jesus Christ and His work of redemption is of utmost importance; beware of anyone who denies that Jesus is equal with God, who downplays Jesus’ sacrificial death, or who rejects Jesus’ humanity. First John 2:22 says, “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.”

2) Does this teacher preach the gospel? The gospel is defined as the good news concerning Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). As nice as they sound, the statements “God loves you,” “God wants us to feed the hungry,” and “God wants you to be wealthy” are not the complete message of the gospel. As Paul warns in Galatians 1:7, “Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” No one, not even a great preacher, has the right to change the message that God gave us. “If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:9).

3) Does this teacher exhibit character qualities that glorify the Lord? Speaking of false teachers, Jude 1:11 says, “They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.” In other words, a false teacher can be known by his pride (Cain’s rejection of God’s plan), greed (Balaam’s prophesying for money), and rebellion (Korah’s promotion of himself over Moses). Jesus said to beware of such people and that we would know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:15-20).

For further study, review those books of the Bible that were written specifically to combat false teaching within the church: Galatians, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, and Jude. It is often difficult to spot a false teacher/false prophet. Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15). Only by being thoroughly familiar with the truth will we be able to recognize a counterfeit.got?

hope this helps !!!