The Wolves Among Us

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves". (Matthew 7:15)

Jesus warned his disciples, early on in His ministry, about the danger of men who would come with the appearance of godliness and wisdom but who inwardly would be of a wolfen nature working to infiltrate and devour the flock. In likening these false prophets to ravenous wolves Jesus indicates they would not outwardly resemble wolves, as that would reveal their true nature, but rather they would "come...in sheep's clothing" so as to appear non-threatening. How much more relevant must these words be in the 21st century with falsehood having such a long time to develop and with the wolves having so many generations to perfect their beguiling craft?!

I read the following quote provided by an administrator at the NTRmin.org forum. This quote is from John Charles Ryle (1816-1900), a minister and bishop in the Anglican Church, who became a famous defender of the evangelical reformed faith in England:

"I ask your special attention to this point. Such is the simplicity and innocence of many Churchmen in this day, that they actually expect false doctrine to look false, and will not understand that the very essence of its mischievousness, as a rule, is its resemblance to God's truth. A young Churchmen, for instance, brought up from his cradle to hear nothing but Evangelical teaching, is suddenly invited some day to hear a sermon preached by some eminent teacher of semi-Romish, or semi-sceptical opinions. He goes into the church, expecting in his simplicity to hear nothing but heresy from the beginning to the end. To his amazement he hears a clever, eloquent sermon, containing a vast amount of truth, and only a few homeopathic drops of error. Too often a violent reaction takes place in his simple, innocent, unsuspicious mind. He begins to think his former teachers were illiberal, narrow, and uncharitable, and his confidence in them is shaken, perhaps for ever. Too often, alas! It ends with his entire perversion, and at last he is enrolled in the ranks of the Ritualists or the Broad Churchmen! And what is the history of the whole case? Why, a foolish forgetfulness of the lesson St. Paul puts forward in this text. As the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtlety, so Satan beguiles unwary souls in the nineteenth century by approaching them under the garb of truth". J. C. Ryle, Warnings to the Churches (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, reprinted 1992).

I have heard it said that when a criminal prints a counterfeit $20 dollar bill, he does not use a picture of Liza Minelli. A counterfeit, by definition, is an imitation of an original made with the intent to deceive. And if one is not trained to know the difference between the original and the imitation, the true and the false, then they are predisposed to accept the counterfeit. This applies not only to money but also to spiritual truths. If one is not trained to discern the difference between biblical Christianity and the counterfeits that so subtly pervade the minds of the 'simple' and 'unsuspicious', they are in danger of unwittingly following erroneous beliefs.

J.C. Ryle rightly observed in his time the dangers of preachers using "clever" and "eloquent" speech to hide specks of malignant falsehood amidst an abundance of truth. During his time there was a growing camp of ecumenists that sought to bridge the gap between roman catholicism and Protestantism. What is known as the tractarian controversy saw notable religious leaders attempting a return to the rituals and traditions of popery. J.C Ryle sought to defend the reformed faith, a biblical faith, against the errors of the roman catholic church and those seeking a 'religious unity' with them. Those familiar with Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT), a disturbing and unfortunate joint declaration of beliefs between leading 'evangelicals' and catholics, will recognize it's similarity with the unbiblical ecumenical ideas posed in Ryle's day.

Biblical Christianity today faces not only the dangers of roman catholic ecumenism but many other subtle counterfeits that hide errors behind an appealing veil of truth. And it is not only those so obviously unchristian, such as Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses, that can appeal to the baby Christian. Many counterfeits within the walls of Christianity operate, some with sincerity but deceived themselves, others more "ravenous", to gather sheep to a different pasture. Whether in the Toronto 'blessing' movement, liberal 'Christianity' or pragmatic charismania, there is always something fundamental about Biblical Christianity being compromised. And the Christian owes it to himself or herself, or maybe more importantly out of the love for Him who bought us, to read the Bible and pray that God would strengthen them with His Spirit to "sanctify them in the truth" (John 17).

While I can not in good form, and without possibly resorting to attacks ad hominem, outline a detailed expose on wolves in sheep clothing, I would be remiss and foolish not to acknowledge that many leaders, whether self-appointed or put on a pedestal by well-meaning people, have deviated from the biblical truths of the Gospel and are perpetuating error under the guise of truth. If there were dangers of false teachings two-thousand years ago, then there certainly are today. The Jews in the days of Jesus' ministry were warned of such people. The apostles after the death and resurrection of Christ painstakingly preached to and pleaded with believers to watch out for false teachers and false prophets. Post-apostolic church fathers fought against a number of heretics and their heretical teachings. The Reformers, seeking a return to true Biblical Christianity, fought against the errors, corruption, and unbiblical tradition of the roman catholic church. How much more relevant then, in our day and age after 2000 years for the cancer of error to have metastacised, do you think the warnings of false teachings are? We cannot afford to resign to complacency or compromise when the truth of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is at stake.

J.C. Ryle wrote of the importance to stick to the Word of God, and nothing else, as the rule of faith and practice - especially when faced with the alluring but subtly dangerous errors of heresy:

"The first leading feature of Evangelical Religion is the absolute supremacy it assigns to Holy Scripture, as the only rule of faith and practice...Show us anything plainly written in that Book, and, however trying to flesh and blood, we will receive it, believe it, and submit to it. Show us anything, as religion, which is contrary to that Book, and, however specious, plausible, beautiful, and apparently desirable, we will not have it at any price...Here is rock: all else is sand".

Ryle here, at the end of the quotation, appeals to the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:24,26 - "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock...Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand". He (Ryle) precedes this with an endorsement of one of the Reformation's most cherished truths - that of sola scriptura - that the only rule of faith and practice is the Word of God found in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. Nothing else, however "specious", "plausible", "beautiful" or "desirable" should be received at any price. Truly the wise man builds his house on the Rock of the Word...the fool on the sands of error.

However appealing the words of men may be let us always, as exhorted to in scripture, turn to God's Word only as our guide - just as the Bereans in Acts 17 "received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily" - and act on the words of Jesus our - Rock and our Salvation.