More thoughts on yeast

I wanted to post some of my reflections from last week on the yeast of false teaching, seeing we have such limited time together...

I would describe a false teacher as anyone who claims to instruct others about God and His ways, but does so in a manner that does not bring the hearers under the rule of God and into direct relationship with the Father through the Son, but rather under the rule of men and into some kind of indirect relationship with God through a person, organization, or institution.

Bottom line:

False teachers don't lead people to a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

They lead people to something other than the purity and simplicity of devotion to Jesus.

They have some other agenda.

Consider Acts 20:

24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. 25"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of everyone. 27For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number some will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.

vs. 24 - Here Paul speaks of his task : to testify to the good news of God's grace.
False teachers do no not teach grace, unless they distort the grace of God into being a license to sin without the need for repentance. They typically lead people into guilt, fear, pride, and slavery to something or someone other than the Lord himself.

vs.25 - Paul preached the kingdom of God - the rule of God.
False teachers seek to bring people under the rule of men (albeit in the name of God!).

vs.27 - Paul proclaimed the "whole will of God".
False teachers distort the scriptures by teaching a part of the truth, but not the whole truth.  They will use the bible to justify their ideas - they use the bible to serve their purposes.

vs.30 - Paul reveals the primary motivation of false teachers - pride.
One of the primary motivations of false teachers is that they are seeking the position of being the leader.  And leaders need followers.  The way they gain followers is by distorting the truth.  They use the bible, but they distort it to serve their own ends. They draw people away from the unity of the Spirit and after themselves.  They lead people to derive an identity from belonging to their group.  Instead of simply being a member of God's family in Christ, they seek membership for their group.  It is primarily numbers they care about, more than the unity of the Spirit among the people of God or the individual.  Success is measured by numbers of followers/attendees/members/etc.

vs.31 - Be on your guard! 
Paul is echoing Jesus word to his disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  Look out! Be on your guard!  Paul warned the disciples (with tears) that these false teachers would come.  The unity of the Spirit among God's people was very important to Paul (and Jesus - see John 17).  False teachers have no concern for that unity whatsoever.  After all, they are seeking their own glory (through the number of followers they gather around themselves and their group) rather than the glory of the One who purchased for Himself a people from every nation, tribe, and language with His own blood.

vs.32 - Paul commits the disciples to God and to the word of His grace.
True teachers trust God to do the work of leading people to Himself.  False teachers insert themselves between God and His people, claiming to be the ones leading others to truth (through their teachings of course!).  False teachers point to themselves - trying to make others dependent on them and their unique insights.  God's teachers point to God, to the word of His grace, and have great confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit - who leads every believer into relationship with the Father through the Son!  There is one mediator between man and God - and that is Jesus our King.  True teachers encourage others to receive from the diversity of ministries and gifts the Lord has given to His church for its growth in love.  False teachers always want to limit truth to themselves, their interpretations, and their group.  Any time we find ourselves listening to a single teacher, instead of a diversity of teaching ministries in the church, we are in danger of allowing false teaching to take root in our lives.

vs. 33-34: Paul was not motivated by greed.
Notice Paul talks about not coveting people's money, but working hard to provide for not only his needs, but the needs of those traveling with him who were helping with the work to which God had called him (and them).  It seems another motivation of false teachers is they seek people's financial support rather than working themselves. Be on guard!

Other passages I found speaking about false teachers:
2 Peter Chapter 2, 1 John Chapter 4, 1 Timothy Chapter 1