What Is False Teaching?

In this hard-hitting episode of Kingdom Polemics, Pastor Aldo Leon takes listeners deep into Scripture to answer a question often misunderstood in the modern church: What actually makes someone a false teacher? Many assume false teaching only occurs when someone denies core doctrines like the Trinity, the deity of Christ, or justification by faith. But Aldo shows from multiple biblical passages that false teaching is far broader, often rooted not in doctrinal error alone but in immorality, neglect of pastoral duty, worldliness, hypocrisy, abuse of the flock, or promoting behaviors Scripture warns will lead to damnation. Aldo walks through texts from 1 Corinthians, 1 Timothy, Matthew 23, Jude, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Titus, Philippians, and more—demonstrating that Scripture repeatedly labels as false teachers those who distort ethics, promote lawlessness, preach earthly obsessions, deny creational goodness, refuse discipline, live in unrepentant sin, or shepherd for selfish gain—even when their doctrinal statements appear orthodox. Episode Highlights: False teachers in Scripture are often condemned for behavioral and pastoral corruption, not just doctrinal error. Teaching that excuses or blesses sins Scripture says will damn is itself false teaching. Ministers who refuse to shepherd, discipline, protect, or care for the flock are called false shepherds (Ezek. 34). Jude warns of teachers who turn grace into lawlessness, not doctrinal heresy alone. Jeremiah and Ezekiel condemn leaders who preach their own ideas, avoid exposing sin, or offer light, weightless "words from God." 2 Peter describes teachers enslaved to immorality—not doctrinal error—as "false prophets." Paul calls men "dogs" and "enemies of the cross" for ethnic boasting or earthly-minded ministries, not for denying substitutionary atonement. Egalitarianism and kinism distort biblical ethics rooted in gospel doctrines and therefore reflect underlying theological drift. Many today hide behind confessional affirmations while practicing or promoting behaviors Scripture itself identifies as heretical. The biblical category of "false teacher" is much wider than modern evangelicals or Reformed Christians often permit. If this episode sharpened your understanding of biblical discernment, consider supporting the ministry by buying a coffee at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kingdompolemics Check out Aldo Leon's book In Christ's Crown, Christianity, & The Civil Realm, which makes a compelling biblical case for the Reformed doctrine of the civil magistrate under Christ's mediatorial rule. Available now at Berith Press: https://www.berithpress.com/bookstore/p/christs-crown-christianity-the-civil-realm . Join the conversation and leave your thoughts on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@kingdompolemics Your engagement helps us continue producing content grounded in Scripture, conviction, and clarity.