Topical Bible: Lying: False Prophets Addicted To

◄ Lying: False Prophets Addicted To ►

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Lying, as a deliberate act of deception, is a sin that is consistently condemned throughout the Bible. Among those most frequently associated with lying are false prophets, who are depicted as individuals addicted to deceit, leading others astray from the truth of God’s Word. The Bible provides numerous warnings against false prophets and their deceptive practices, emphasizing the spiritual danger they pose to the faithful.

Old Testament Warnings

The Old Testament contains several admonitions against false prophets who speak lies in the name of the Lord. In Jeremiah 14:14 , the Lord declares, "The prophets are prophesying lies in My name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the deceit of their own minds." This passage highlights the false prophets' addiction to lying, as they fabricate messages that God has not given them, driven by their own deceitful imaginations.

Similarly, in Ezekiel 13:6 , the Lord condemns false prophets: "They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the Lord,’ when the Lord did not send them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word." Here, the false prophets are portrayed as being so entrenched in their lies that they even anticipate the realization of their deceitful prophecies, further illustrating their addiction to falsehood.

New Testament Exhortations

The New Testament continues to warn believers about the presence and influence of false prophets. In Matthew 7:15 , Jesus Himself cautions, "Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." This metaphor underscores the deceptive nature of false prophets, who outwardly appear harmless but are inwardly consumed by their addiction to deceit and destruction.

The Apostle Peter also addresses the issue in 2 Peter 2:1 : "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves." Peter warns that false prophets and teachers will continue to arise, spreading lies and heresies that lead believers away from the truth of the Gospel.

Characteristics and Consequences

False prophets are often characterized by their smooth words and appealing messages, which are designed to deceive and manipulate. In Jeremiah 23:16 , the Lord warns, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord." This passage reveals that false prophets are adept at crafting messages that resonate with their audience, yet these messages are rooted in lies rather than divine truth.

The consequences of following false prophets are severe, both for the deceivers and the deceived. In Deuteronomy 18:20 , the Lord declares, "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death." This severe penalty underscores the gravity of lying in the name of the Lord and the importance of maintaining the purity of God’s revelation.

Discernment and Vigilance

Believers are called to exercise discernment and vigilance in identifying and rejecting false prophets. In 1 John 4:1 , the Apostle John advises, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." This exhortation emphasizes the need for spiritual discernment, urging believers to evaluate teachings against the truth of Scripture to avoid being led astray by lies.

In conclusion, the Bible consistently warns against the dangers posed by false prophets addicted to lying. Through both Old and New Testament teachings, believers are encouraged to remain steadfast in the truth, discerning the spirits and rejecting deceitful teachings that contradict the Word of God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 23:14
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none does return from his wickedness; they are all of them to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 22:28
And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies to them, saying, Thus said the Lord GOD, when the LORD has not spoken.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Blast of the Trumpet against False Peace
... The motive with these false prophets is an abominable one ... deceive them, hush for
ever every false and tempting ... find first satiety, and then disgust lying at the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/a blast of the trumpet.htm

Letter Xciii. (AD 408. )
... in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in ... how shall the imperial province
of Mauritania, lying rather to ... gain, not in the words of false witnesses, but ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter xciii a d 408.htm

The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
... The ninth command, not to bear false witness against one's ... the command is also
interpreted so as to include lying. ... its day; but inasmuch as the prophets and law ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study x the foundations of.htm

Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.
... on the words "Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every ... which were before supposed
to be false were really ... calls his own' than from the Prophets and Apostles ...
/.../various/life and works of rufinus with jeromes apology against rufinus /

Thoughts Upon Our Call and Election.
... himself to damn them, that make lying their usual ... from amongst us all hypocritical
and false hearted Persons ... For when the Prophets could not be credited, God ...
/.../beveridge/private thoughts upon a christian life/thoughts upon our call and.htm

Of Immediate Revelation.
... Because a lying spirit spake through the four hundred ... in their common operations;
both which are false. ... by his Spirit to the patriarchs, prophets, and apostles ...
/.../proposition ii of immediate revelation.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... was but a child or stripling, he had but few equals for lying, swearing, and ... was
jealous of receiving comfort, lest it might be based upon any false foundation ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm

The Mystery
... v.15-17, "From the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness ... with all power, and signs,
and lying wonders, and ... and not before, that the Roman false prophet, with ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mede/a key to the apocalypse/the mystery 2.htm

Homiletical.
... the subject matter of all of which is the false and unreal ... Fasting begets prophets,
strengthens strong men ... not follow rhetoricians in the art of lying....I have ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/basil/basil letters and select works/iv homiletical.htm

Colossians iii. 17
... all, but the having come to a false conclusion ... to understand the lessons of the law
and the prophets. ... the holiness of its characters, without lying against our ...
/.../arnold/the christian life/lecture xxxix colossians iii 17.htm