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VBVMI StaffWhat is the duty of a Christian if he/she hears a false teaching from another local church? We were invited to attend another local church and found the message we heard from the pastor to be false teaching (i.e. that we are Hebrew not Gentiles, asking the audience who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit like the pastor was in control of it, etc.)
According to the Bible, all believers have a responsibility to avoid false teachers and false teaching, while pastors and teachers have an additional responsibility to point out false teaching to the brethren:
The repeating counsel of Scripture is to avoid the false teachers, pointing out their errors to others, and seek for better things.
However, there is no requirement to personally challenge or correct a false teacher, nor are we charged with seeking to remove such men from leadership positions or persuade others to do so. Though it may be appropriate to raise concerns through some formal process, the general biblical requirement is simply to flee the false teaching while pointing it out to others. Share your concerns with your friends, but do so in love.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org