What does the Bible say about exposing false teachers?
Let's take a look. What does Proverbs say about correcting and exposing false teachers?
Proverbs 15:32 says, “Those who disregard discipline, despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction, gains understanding.” An example of that, would be trying to correct someone from doing wrong, and instead, he despises instruction and correction, but if he would listen, then he would gain understanding and wisdom. Jesus tells us not to despise correction, but correction, of course, should be done in love, not yelling at someone who merely dissgreed with you, like some do.
Proverbs 12:1 - Whoever loves instruction, loves knowledge, But he who hates correction, is stupid.
Should We Call Out False Teachers or Ignore Them? by Pastor John Piper
Beware the Wolves
So let’s begin with what Jesus said in Matthew 7:15: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” And the word "beware" means all of us should be alert, but especially shepherds, to identify not just false teaching, but false teachers, whose ways are subtle. They’re clothing themselves with lamb’s wool, while inside, Jesus said they’re wolves.
And Paul used the same Greek word for "beware", in Acts 20:28–29, when he warned, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. . . . I know that after my departure, fierce wolves will come in among you. Christians, and shepherds in particular, should be discerning, and alert to behavior and teaching that dishonors Christ and destroys people — and not treat it in a casual or harmless way. Souls are at stake and Jesus takes that very seriously. In fact, He said the following, in Matthew 18:5 and 6:
"And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth Me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." The same applies to false teachers. Jesus warned us all, about false teachers.
And then in 1 Timothy 5:19–20, Paul went beyond just “avoid them” but to “rebuke them publicly.” So, those who persist in error, persist in sin, are guilty of the sin of false teaching, “rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” In order to protect the flock, we should expose false teachers and minimize the spread of the false teaching.
But for now, our job is indeed to do mouth judgment, writing judgment, behavior judgment — not a heart judgment, but mouth and writing and behavior judgment. When a mouth speaks unbiblical, destructive teaching, when a blog or an article or a book publishes unbiblical and destructive teaching, when a body — a human body, a physical body — behaves with unbiblical and destructive behavior, in all these cases, we are to be discerning. And according to Ephesians 5:11, we are to expose the error. “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” “Censure them; show them to be wrong” is what the word elegchō means.
Here's what to consider when exposing a false teacher publicly:
Did they make one blunder or are they constantly teaching false doctrine?
Consider the vulnerability of the people for whom they are responsible.
The responsibility in warning shepherds, who really need to be alerted for who the false teachers are.
When you do name a false teacher, it’s best to do it in a setting where you explain the error, you give reasons for rejecting it, you communicate complexities, you set a tone of longing for truth and love — you’re not just slinging mud.
The last thing I would say, is to let your teaching be so powerful in clarifying the greatness and the beauty and the worth of God’s truth, that people will smell error, before it infects their lives. The best protection against the darkness of error, is the Light of Truth. Jesus said that we will know false teachers and prophets, by checking to see if what they teach, matches up exactly with God's Word. If it doesn't, then leave them and find a church or group who teaches the truth and pure gospel of Christ.
