Are False Teachers Aware of Their Deception?

Over the years, I’ve had many conversations about false teachers. Researching that topic was actually the OG hobby that the Holy Spirit used as a catalyst to lead me back to Christ during a massive faith crisis. In these conversations, the question inevitably comes up, “do you think these false teachers KNOW they are deceiving people, or are they themselves deceived?”

I’ve tried to maintain a tension with this question because the landscape of false teaching is ever-shifting, but I’m also weary of being a ghostbuster for Jesus - seeing bad guys with bad motives around every corner and reveling and even rejoicing in the worst as I’ve noticed that discernment ministry can sometimes stumble into. It’s easy to do! When you see blatant scripture twisting and so many people being led away from the saving Gospel for personal gain, it brings up a righteous indignation that can putrify if we’re not careful.

The New Testament tells us in no uncertain terms that there will be false teachers. We are to keep our eyes open, our minds tuned to truth, and mark and avoid those who teach abhorrent theology, but I do think we have to maintain a posture of humility in that process. We can’t judge motives. We can, however, judge words and actions.

Is Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California aware of his deception? He seems very sincere. Only God knows for sure, but years ago, Johnson was telling his people that God physically manifested Himself by way of miraculously appearing feathers, jewels, and gold flakes. He specifically told his church that these manifestations had been following him around. Incredibly, the gold flakes started making an appearance at Bethel in their worship services to the amazement of their congregation.

The flakes, however, ended up being identified not as a heavenly gift, but as as ordinary craft glitter and placed in the air ducts by volunteers who have since revealed themselves. Literally, a geochemist from the University of Toronto did an investigation into several “glory cloud” events and found that “the specks did not contain any gold or platinum but were some type of plastic film.” Whoops?

So is Bill Johnson aware of his deception? Well, if the “glory cloud” as he called it was indeed real, it probably would’ve continued to this day. It would’ve held up under scrutiny. It would’ve squared with scripture. Those volunteers weren’t behind this strange plot. They had to have been instructed to secretly place glitter in the air ducts to fool people into thinking Bethel is where you go to be close to God. But people found out what was happening, and this particular miraculous sign miraculously stopped. I don’t know the motives of Johnson’s heart, but those actions reek of deception.

Some ask, “so what? So he put glitter in the air duct. He wanted people to feel close to God. What’s wrong with that?” I once heard a quote about Mormonism that has never left me. “If it comes not from the throne room of heaven, from whence cometh it?” If it’s not true, it’s harmful. Good motives are no substitute for truth, and they won’t ever bear spiritual fruit. Rather than being directed toward the soul-refreshing water of the Word and worshipping Him in spirit and truth, people were dazzled and distracted by plastic flakes. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only or even close to the worst thing to come out of Bethel theologically.

So to the original question of a false teacher’s awareness of their deception. It’s honestly hard to say. I think some do and some actually don’t. To a certain degree, all of them are decieved and are being used by the devil to accomplish an age old task, and for that, my heart breaks for them and the people they’re deceiving. The enemy is masterful at using positions of power, fame, money, glory, and sexual exploits to harm the church. I do think, however, that some are sincere and blind in their misguided attempt to lead God’s people.

Jesus’ own words in Matthew 7:22-23 reveal that there will be those who thought they were doing good things, but were either using it as a cover for their sin, or were actually blind to their own corruption. He says, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’” This is the verse that changed my life and turned me back to Christ.

This is why theology is so so so so important. The truth of the gospel is not to be hindered, even by good intentions. I believe many false teachers today have either been brought up in a certain abhorrent faith tradition, or they just don’t really know the Word and unknowingly rely on their own perceptions of what theology should be, or they’re surrounded by others who teach the same thing and they just don’t realize how poisonous it is, or they know exactly what they’re doing and intend on utilizing the name of Jesus to bring fame, glory, and riches to themselves. None of that changes the standard God sets for teachers of the Word, nor does it make anything taught falsely acceptable or tolerable, but it is something I think about when approaching this topic.

I believe if our hearts stay in a soft place of loving Christ, His true church, and the integrity of His Word with humility, the very present reality of false teaching is something that we can and should engage with as it’s warned about all over the place in the New Testament. We are to mark and avoid those who are harming the church regardless of what their motives may be. But may we do everything with a charitable and humble posture, not in anger or hostility, but in reasonableness and a sound mind for the true glory and treasure of Christ and His saving gospel.