Walk into ten different churches, watch ten different sermons online, or scroll through Christian social media for ten minutes, and you’ll probably hear ten different opinions about God.
One pastor says Christians should do this. Another says Christians should never do that. One preacher insists a certain teaching is essential, while another barely mentions it. Some claim they alone have discovered the “real truth.”
This is confusing to mature Christians. But for a new Christian, it can be overwhelming.
Who do you believe?
The answer isn’t, “Who sounds the smartest?” or “Who has the biggest church?” or even “Who has been preaching the longest?”
And don’t even consider, “Who is the best looking?” or “Who has the best stage voice?” or even “Who put on the best presentation?”
There’s only one true answer:
Believe what agrees with God’s Word.
That is exactly what Paul is warning about in Romans 16:17–19:
“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.” – ESV
He tells believers to watch out for people who create divisions and teach things that don’t agree with the truth they have already received. He even says to avoid them because these people aren’t truly serving Christ. Instead, they deceive others through smooth speech and flattering words.
That warning wasn’t just for the church in Rome.
It’s for you today.
False Teachers Are Not Imaginary
Many Christians like to think false teachers are something from biblical times. Surely they don’t exist today, right?
Jesus said otherwise.
In Matthew 24:11, He warned:
“And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” – ESV
Notice He didn’t say “a few.”
He said many.
The Old Testament contains the same warning.
In Jeremiah 23:16, God told His people not to listen to prophets who spoke visions from their own minds instead of from Him.
Ezekiel 13:2-3 condemns prophets who followed their own imagination and claimed God had spoken when He hadn’t.
And Micah 3:5 describes prophets who changed their message depending on what benefited them.
Different centuries.
Different prophets.
Same problem.
People claiming to speak for God while actually speaking for themselves.
Read that again.
You don’t want their opinion. You want biblical facts and truth.
Does this have your attention?
A Confident Voice Doesn’t Guarantee Biblical Truth
One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is assuming confidence equals correctness.
Someone speaks passionately.
They quote several Bible verses.
They have thousands—or even millions—of followers.
Their sermons make you laugh, cry, and feel inspired.
None of that proves they’re teaching the truth.
Paul says false teachers use smooth words and flattery.
In other words, they’re often persuasive.
That’s what makes deception so dangerous.
If false teaching always sounded ridiculous, nobody would believe it.
The most convincing lies usually contain enough truth to sound believable.
That’s why your feelings can never become your standard.
Scripture must ALWAYS be your standard.
Your Pastor Is a Teacher—Not Your Final Authority
Good pastors are one of God’s gifts to the church.
They help explain Scripture.
They encourage believers.
They shepherd God’s people.
But even the best pastor is still human.
Every preacher has experiences, traditions, preferences, and blind spots that can influence how they understand certain passages.
That doesn’t make them bad.
It makes them human.
This is one reason it’s unhealthy to listen to only one pastor for years without hearing other biblically sound teachers.
If one person’s interpretation becomes the only one you ever hear, it becomes easy to mistake their opinion for God’s Word.
Hearing multiple trustworthy, Bible-centered teachers can help you notice when faithful Christians agree on essential truths and where sincere believers may differ on secondary issues.
Most importantly, it reminds you that your faith rests on Scripture—not on a particular personality.
Don’t Build Your Faith Around One Bible Translation
The same principle applies to Bible translations.
Every so often you’ll hear someone insist that the King James Version is the only true Bible.
The King James Version is a beautiful and faithful translation that has blessed Christians for centuries.
But it isn’t the only faithful English translation.
The Bible wasn’t originally written in seventeenth-century English.
God inspired Scripture in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
Faithful translators work carefully to bring those original languages into modern English so today’s readers can understand what God said.
Reading several reliable translations can actually strengthen your understanding. Sometimes one translation makes a phrase easier to understand, while another highlights a different shade of meaning.
The goal isn’t loyalty to one English translation.
The goal is understanding God’s Word accurately.
Become a Student of the Bible (aka Study your Bible)
Paul never tells believers to stop listening to teachers.
He tells them to recognize when teaching doesn’t match Scripture.
That means you have to know Scripture for yourself.
Ask simple questions whenever you hear a sermon:
- Where does the Bible actually say that?
- Is that verse being read in context?
- Does this teaching agree with the rest of Scripture?
- Am I accepting this because it’s biblical—or because I like how it sounds?
These questions aren’t signs of rebellion.
They’re signs of spiritual maturity.
God never intended for Christians to become spiritually dependent on someone else doing all their thinking.
He wants you to grow.
Read More Than the Verse on the Screen
One of the easiest ways to misunderstand the Bible is by reading only the verse someone quotes.
Always read what comes before it.
Read what comes after it.
Learn who is speaking, who they’re speaking to, and why. Hint: A study bible really helps with this.
Context keeps you from building an entire belief system around one sentence taken out of its original meaning.
Many false teachings survive because people never check the surrounding passage.
Know the Truth So You Can Recognize the Lie
Romans 16:19 contains a beautiful balance.
Paul says believers should be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
Notice what he doesn’t say.
He doesn’t tell Christians to spend all their time studying every false religion or every false teacher.
Instead, he tells them to become experts in the truth (which you can do only by learning the Bible).
Think about how bank tellers are trained.
They don’t spend months studying counterfeit money.
They spend countless hours handling genuine currency.
Then, when a fake bill appears, they recognize it almost immediately because they know the real thing so well.
Your relationship with Scripture works the same way.
The more familiar you become with God’s Word, the easier it becomes to recognize teaching that doesn’t belong.
Your Faith Should Rest on Christ, Not Charisma
God has given the church wonderful pastors, teachers, and leaders.
Be thankful for them.
Learn from them.
Pray for them.
But never give any human being the authority that belongs only to God’s Word.
Pastors are servants.
The Bible is the authority.
The next time you hear a sermon, watch a Christian video, read a devotional, or listen to a podcast, don’t ask only, “Did I enjoy that?”
Ask something even more important:
“Can I see this taught clearly in Scripture?”
If the answer is yes, hold onto it.
If the answer is no, keep studying before accepting it as truth.
Romans 16 reminds you that deception is real. Jesus warned that false prophets would come. The prophets of the Old Testament warned that people would claim to speak for God while spreading their own ideas.
Those warnings weren’t written to make you fearful.
They were written to make you discerning.
Your faith doesn’t have to depend on whoever has the loudest microphone or the largest audience.
It can rest on something far more trustworthy—the unchanging Word of God.
When you make the Bible your final authority, you’ll be far less likely to be led astray, no matter who is standing behind the pulpit.
The Best Defense Against False Teaching Is Daily Bible Learning
You cannot recognize what is false if you do not know what is true.
That is why learning the Bible cannot be limited to Sunday mornings, occasional devotionals, or whatever verse happens to appear on your social media feed. If you want to protect your faith, you need to spend time in God’s Word for yourself—every day.
In Acts 17:11, the Bereans were praised because they received Paul’s teaching eagerly, but they still examined the Scriptures daily to make sure what he said was true.
“The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true.” – GNT
Think about that: they even checked the apostle Paul’s teaching against Scripture. They did not assume that a respected teacher was automatically right. They listened, opened the Scriptures, and verified his message.
We should do the same. Your pastor or priest may be sincere, gifted, educated, and trustworthy—but he is still human.
Do not place any spiritual leader on a pedestal so high that you become afraid to question his teaching or compare it with Scripture. Respecting your pastor does not mean believing that he is incapable of making a mistake.
Honor faithful church leaders, but remember that no pastor, priest, preacher, Bible teacher, or Christian author should ever take the place of God’s Word.
That’s right—open your Bible. God’s Word cannot guide you, correct you, or strengthen your discernment if it remains closed on the nightstand or collecting dust on your coffee table.
Read your Bible. Study it. Compare translations.
Look at the surrounding verses instead of building a belief around one sentence pulled out of context.
Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom, and take the time to learn what Scripture actually says. The more familiar you become with biblical truth, the easier it will be to recognize teaching that twists, adds to, or contradicts it.
If you are unsure how to begin—or if reading the Bible has always felt confusing or overwhelming—my new book, The Beginner’s Guide to Reading the Bible with Purpose, can help. It was written to help you approach Scripture with greater confidence, understand what you are reading, and develop a meaningful habit of learning from God’s Word.
You do not need a theology degree to practice biblical discernment. You simply need a willingness to learn, the humility to ask questions, and the discipline to keep opening your Bible.
Do not hand your spiritual understanding entirely to someone standing behind a pulpit. Listen carefully, test every teaching, and let Scripture have the final word.
For more encouragement, visit SurvivingSalvation.com.