The Danger of Erroneous Teachers and Doctrines

Our Lord warns us of false teachers in Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."  They will appear to be godly, but they are not.  Satan himself can transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).  The Bible makes it clear that some will teach truth while others teach error.  What makes false teachers so dangerous to our souls is their appearing to be righteous.  "For many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).  We have many false teachers today teaching many different doctrines Any deviation from the scriptures makes a doctrine false, even when it is only a slight departure.  We also read in Acts 20:30, "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."  False teachers are becoming more prevalent today with the apostasy that is now occurring.  Many of these teachers focus only on love and relationship while disregarding the following of God’s will revealed through His commands (Luke 6:46).  2 Peter 2:1 says, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."  Notice, often they do it secretly and people are unaware of what is happening.  They are destructive because of all of the souls that will be lost.
How do false teachers spread these false doctrines?  "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:18).  Also "… through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." (2 Peter 2:3).  What they say may sound good, and they may cause many people to follow after them.  Yet, we are not to be "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Ephesians 4:14).
We are warned, "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines" (Hebrews 13:9).  Why are we warned in this manner?  Because we are to "Let no man beguile you of your reward" (Col. 2:18).  We can be cheated and lose our souls forever in eternal punishment if we follow any of these many false doctrines that are being promoted today.  The next logical question is how should we treat those who are promoting these false teaching?  2 John 10-11 commands, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds".  His point is we must never give anyone encouragement in their false teaching.  If we do, we also become guilty.  Yet, it does not stop there, we are to correct those who teach falsely.  Titus 1:11 “Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake”. This may requires both private and public rebuke and correction (Titus 1:13, 1 Tim 5:20). So we must beware of false teachers because they are very dangerous to our souls.  Like the Bereans, we must "search the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).  Be careful, it is only the scriptures "which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15).