"You don't know his heart" meme - Famine in the land

This is a supposedly clever meme: 

Here's the unquoted Scripture: 

Ac. 17:11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

So many issues with this meme:

• It's a category error. The first category (knowing his heart) is a different category than the second (examining Scripture). 
• The meme term-switches from "know his heart" to "examine his heart."
• Paul was not accused of being a false teacher, but the meme draws this comparison.
• The soundness of Paul's doctrine wasn't under review by the Bereans, it was the things he was teaching. 
• The Bereans were searching the OT to confirm what Paul was saying. He was giving a brand new teaching about Jesus as the Christ. Therefore, the Bereans were not checking him to see if he lined up with what they had already been taught.

In fact, we are unfamiliar with anyone defending a teacher by saying that we don't know his heart. Nevertheless, the point about heart status is actually a good one. The Doctrinal Police frequently render judgment regarding the salvation status of teachers they don't like. They are rarely content with simply examining someone's teaching. Too often, they presume the teacher is not saved. Thus the meme inadvertently addresses the idea that a mistaken belief does not speak to salvation status.

But if you're a person who insists on doctrinal perfection then any deviation from that means a teacher is false. And if the person is a false teacher he is not saved. And if he's not saved he doesn't deserve respect. Therefore any and all attacks are permissible.

Here is an example of a discernment ministry critiquing an unfortunate woman:

• hideously ugly
• post-menopausal woman 
• bizarre wardrobe choices
• a penchant for cackling
• no personal charisma
• a face that scares children
• a voice that sounds like nails down a chalkboard
• pugnacious
• unladylike
• uglier on the inside than she is on the outside
• the personality of a Roomba 
•  the personal charisma of fetid corpse
• unpleasant and evil woman

Here is someone who is more than happy to rate the worst Christian of the year.

Here's a self-described "discernment minister" who wants all charismatics to die: 

Might God use coronavirus to wipe the plague of charismaticism off the map and sweep these charlatans into the dustbin of history. Might God place the entire world into a quarantine against the Satanic false claims of charismaticism and innoculate (sic) us against their devilish assertions. Might God rid the world of every last one of them.

Here is someone who actually condemns someone as having committed the unforgiveable sin.

Now, these are not fringe people, they are recognized and celebrated discernment ministers. 

This is simply unchristian behavior.

A teacher would need to do more than just teach a bad doctrine in order to be a false teacher.

It is notable that there is only one mention of false teachers, (pseudodidaskalos). It is found here:

2Pe. 2:1-2 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 sovereign Lord who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

We see there are some particular characteristics that mark false teachers, including

• secretly introducing heresy
• denying the Lord
• bringing the truth into disrepute
• exploiting people with false stories
• follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority (vs. 10)
• are bold, arrogant, and slanderous (vs.10)
• blaspheme (vs. 12)
• carouse in broad daylight (vs.13)
• are adulterous, always sinning, greedy (vs. 14)
• are boastful and entice people to sin (vs. 18)
• are slaves to depravity (vs. 19)
• escaped the corruption of the world only to return to it (vs 20-21)

A false teacher started out true to the faith, but didn't stay there. He returns to wallowing in sin day and night, publicly and brazenly. There is no mistaking a false teacher by the lifestyle he lives, the excess that characterizes his life, the dissipation he engages in (1Pe. 4:4), and the continual and public sin.

These criteria constitute a high bar. And it certainly should be. A false teacher is not a person with different doctrines than you. This is not a person who speaks in tongues or believes in prophecy. This is not a person who believes in preterism, healing, modalism, Armenianism, or home churches.

No, a false teacher is way beyond this, false not only by what they teach but false by the way they lead their lives. They are the "whole package," false in every way. God-denying doctrines and lascivious lifestyles.

Therefore, we should be a bit more circumspect before we consign someone to this category.

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1Co. 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.