PUTTING UP READILY WITH A DIFFERENT GOSPEL (PART III)

“Symbiosis of False Teachers & Their Followers”

By Akin Ojumu

Until the advent of social media, criticisms of preachers were few and far between. In fact, it was, and still is, the accepted norm amongst church folks that you do not, in any way or for any reason, challenge the man of God. Because the man of God is thought of as the representative of God Himself, anyone who speaks out against him is pretty much speaking out against God. And anyone who speaks against God’s anointed is damned.

In the last installment of this commentary series, we explored one of the reasons church folks readily accept false teachers and shy away from criticizing false teachings. We did point out that a symbiotic relationship exists between false teachers and their followers. Both parties in this predatory interaction believe they are deriving mutual benefits.

False teachers and their followers feed off of each other. Like the typical obligate mutualism found among animals, false teachers and their followers are entirely dependent on each other. In the false teacher, the followers get a leader, somebody to take them where they want to go, variously described as purpose and destiny. The false teachers teach them what they want to hear, justify their lust and greed, vindicate their selfishness and pride, and legitimize their sin and rebellion.

Of course, false teachers benefit from this symbiotic arrangement as well. As a return on their false teaching investments, they get huge followings and massive platforms. They obtain affirmation and acquire power. The followers generously support their ministry, loyally purchase their products, faithfully promote their teachings, and enthusiastically grow their social media platforms. By meeting the desires of their followers, false teachers get a mass of people to exploit. They amass untold riches, build their prestige, burnish their reputation, and sometimes, they even often use their followers to gratify their lustful passions.

Jim Osman, who pastors the Kootenai Community Church in Idaho, provides an apt description of this symbiotic relationship between false teachers and their followers.

There is a market for error, and it pays lucratively well. False teachers rise up to meet the demand that is there amongst the people, and the people reciprocate by supporting those who meet that demand. The crowd demands the teaching, and the teachers meet the demand. The false teacher demands a following and money, and the crowd that follows after him is happy to meet that demand.

So, both the teacher and the follower are exploiting and being exploited. Each of them is exploiting the other. Both of them are being exploited by the other. And they are both content with that arrangement. They both get something out of the exchange, and they both are using the other to get what they want. One gets the lies that they crave, and the other gets the money that they crave.

And here is something that will never cease to amaze me. Both of the false teachers and their followers will cry foul if you step up to them with the truth and rain on their parade. They will both attack you because of this symbiotic relationship, they love it to be this way.

False teachers pave part of the broad road that leads to destruction. And their followers are on that road. The false teachers are on that road. They are not the only ones on it, but they are certainly on it. In Matthew 7, Jesus described this. Enter through the narrow gate, for the way is wide, the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

That word translated “destruction” is used twice in 2 Peter chapter 2 verses 1-3. It’s translated there at the end of verse one as “swift destruction” and is translated at the end of verse three, their “destruction is not asleep.” It’s the same word that Jesus used to describe the destruction that awaits those who are on the broad road.

2 Peter 2:1-3

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

The sad part is that while false teachers and those who follow them are sauntering down the broad road, they are convinced and honestly believe that they are on the narrow road that leads to life. Deceiving and deceived, both of them revel in their symbiotic relationship.

It’s such a sad state of the modern-day Church! But we aren’t even done yet. Stay tuned till next time.