The main way to recognize false teachers is to become completely familiar with the truths of Scripture. The more we understand what God says, the more obvious it will be to discern what He hasn’t said.
Anyone trained to recognize counterfeit money knows the best method is to be so familiar with the real thing that the inconsistencies of the fake are obvious. There are countless books and websites that claim to offer insight into the Bible, and countless religions that offer the “truth.” For those of us who are resolved to believe God’s Word, however, the Bible is the first and last authority. Anyone who teaches differently—man or angel—is to be “accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9).
To recognize false teachers, it is essential to become deeply familiar with the truths of Scripture, as the more we understand God's Word, the easier it is to spot inconsistencies. False teachers often distort key aspects of God's nature, the nature of Jesus, the Gospel, humanity, and eternity. They may deny essential doctrines such as the divinity of Jesus, salvation by grace through faith, and the reality of heaven and hell. The Bible warns against those who teach a different gospel and emphasizes the importance of solid doctrines like Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, and Solus Christus. To guard against false teaching, we must study the truth of the Bible and stay alert to its misinterpretation in the world today.
There are also five solid doctrines that can help us discern between Gospel truth and false teaching.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) – The Bible is the final authority on all things. Any doubt about its inerrancy or historical accuracy is immediately suspect.
Sola gratia (Grace alone) – Salvation is offered to mankind solely on the basis of God’s love for us and His grace that freely offered Jesus on the cross to atone for our rebellion.
Sola fide (Faith alone) – We can only receive the gift of salvation through the belief and acceptance that the work has already been done for us. Even this faith to believe comes from God.
Solus Christus (Christ alone) – Only Jesus Christ is worthy of all praise, worship, honor and glory. There is no other name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone) – Everything we do as believers should be for God’s glory, shining His light and love into a lost and hurting world. We are not to preach for financial gain, for fame or for power over another person, but to bring God the glory due His name.
The apostles warn that during the end times, false teachers will become more and more common and we need to be prepared (2 Peter 3:3; Jude 1:17-18; Matthew 24:23-27). That doesn't mean we should go looking for false teaching. Part of "rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15) is studying the truth—the Bible—and not exchanging it for a lie (Romans 1:25).