False Prophets, Introduction and Overview

False Prophets, Introduction and Overview is a general overview of the issue of false prophets, defining a few of the concepts.

Introduction

When we talk about false prophets, there is a central concern. This has two parts. Firstly, a false prophet can do a lot of spiritual damage to people, including even causing financial losses that are not in the will of God as well as sometimes sexual abuse. But the concern is abuse of Christians by a spiritual wolf who does not care if he harms anyone or not.

The second concern is related to this first, in that we can define what a good pastor should be by contrasting the wolf and the good pastor. As a clarification, we see Jesus as the Good Pastor. All pastors on earth that are legitimate, not an abusive false prophet, are under obligation to be similar to Jesus’ pastoral ministry to us.

But if we examine this issue and understand it, actually, everything that the false prophet does is related to his wicked character. What most Christians do not understand is that God has made man to be like clay, and in that, every person is in a way affected by what they see, hear, and the examples of other people’s lives around them. This influence can be both spiritually harmful or spiritual edifying (i.e. one is benefited by observing the good example of others).

While we should not “give a pass” to anyone here, every human is in a minor way a false prophet, but we just call them sinners. They ill-affect others with their sins. But a false prophet is different in that they don’t just sin, they teach others in a more formal way the paths of error. This makes them very dangerous. They use logic and other “tricks and traps” to get people under their control, and so the false prophet can take advantage of them somehow.

As a pastor, I have talked with people in the past that were under false religious systems, as well as abusive pastors which even identify the same as I personally identify with, Baptist, Independent, Fundamental. It is with great heaviness of heart that I have to analyze and conclude from their actions, these pastors are abusive pastors, and some just pass into the beginning stages of forming their own cult, being a false prophet.

Truthfully, this work cuts two ways. I understand the false prophet, the mystery of iniquity, working in our world by God’s statements on this subject. I condemn them as I feel God also condemns them. But this equally cuts into me as a minister and pastor. I find myself nearing some of these elements, and as a pastor, I need to secure my own path in the ministry and stay clear of these elements of the false prophet.

The Essential Element

What we are defining here is very simple men who are “ministering” in a spiritual sense, but they are not following God’s commands. That is always the issue that we constantly return to throughout this work.

The situation is not that you can do some great good, and that excuses your disobedience with God on another matter. We either obey God or over other situation we are obeying God.

Strong’s Concordance

pseudochristos: a false Christ or Messiah
Original Word: ψευδόχριστος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: pseudochristos
Phonetic Spelling: (psyoo-dokh’-ris-tos)
Definition: a false Christ or Messiah
Usage: a false Christ, pretended Messiah.
Strong’s Greek 5580
2 Occurrences ψευδόχριστοι
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

Englishman’s Concordance

Matthew 24:24 N-NMP
GRK: ἐγερθήσονται γὰρ ψευδόχριστοι καὶ ψευδοπροφῆται
NAS: For FALSE Christs and false prophets
KJV: there shall arise false Christs, and
INT: There will arise for false Christs and false prophets
Mark 13:22 N-NMP
GRK: ἐγερθήσονται γὰρ ψευδόχριστοι καὶ ψευδοπροφῆται
NAS: for FALSE Christs and false prophets
KJV: For false Christs and false prophets
INT: There will arise for false Christs and false prophets

Thayer’s Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5580: ψευδόχριστος
ψευδόχριστος, ψευδοχριστου, ὁ (ψευδής and χριστός), a false Christ (or Messiah) (one who falsely lays claim to the name and office of the Messiah): [Matthew 24:24](https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/24-24.htm); [Mark 13:22](https://biblehub.com/interlinear/mark/13-22.htm).