It's interesting that Dr. Piper's advice is generally good regarding what to do if a person is in a church where the pastor is falsely teaching, but the subject verse is not about that. John was warning "the chosen lady" about itinerant false teachers. Such people ought not even be guests in her house.
Side note: Who was this lady? Was she in the leadership of a church needing encouragement and exhortation? Was she a nobody trying to decide whether or not to stay in a church? Why does John refer to her in such glowing terms?
This is important because Dr. Piper is applying the subject matter as if it's advice to a person or to a church. This muddles the issue considerably when we read the letter as a whole.
Ironically, though Dr. Piper provides some good teaching he misses the point of the letter, which means we must deem this Bad Bible teaching.
Lastly, in the midst of good teaching he reveals his Calvinism/Reformed doctrine. We have written extensively about the false teaching that Jesus was punished by the Father.
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Audio Transcript
How do we identify and respond to false teachers — specifically, pastors who persistently teach false doctrine? We hope we never face this dilemma. But if we do, the Bible tells us exactly what to do. It’s the application of tomorrow’s Bible reading in today’s question from Devon.
“Pastor John, hello and thank you for this podcast. I’m seeking clarity on how to apply 2 John 10–11 (Let's quote:
Must We Leave?
First, are we obligated to leave a church where a pastor persistently teaches false doctrine? And that question arises, like all the others do, out of 2 John 10–11, which says, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [that’s crucial; we’ll come back to that], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” (unfortunately, Dr. Piper affirms the questioner's incorrect context, that this is about pastors and attending this church.)
The answer is pretty clear, I think, whether you stay in a church with a pastor doing this teaching. What is this teaching? Second John 7 defines what this teaching is. Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (?? John's remarks are not expository. He was not writing a narrative, he was writing a series of stand-alone statements.
John opens with a new command, to love one another, and to be obedient to Christ's commands. This is the crucial purpose of his letter to the chosen lady and her children.
Is the Gospel Safe?
That leads now to the second question: How do we distinguish between a pastor who is simply mistaken on secondary issues and one who falls into the category of a false teacher described in 2 John? (Dr. Piper has yet to demonstrate that John's subject was church and pastors.)
Let me suggest one basic criterion for serious false teaching, with four applications — four places where you can see it manifesting itself. The basic criterion would go like this: To the degree that a doctrine or a practice tends to undermine the gospel of salvation, to that degree should you treat it as very serious false teaching.
And I use the term “gospel of salvation” consciously because that’s what the gospel is for. The gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). So, to undermine the gospel of salvation is to hinder people from being saved. That’s serious. And since God saves people for the glory of his grace, hindering people from being saved is an attack on the glory of God — and that’s serious.
Now, there are four applications of this basic criterion for how to discern very serious false teaching, and I would name them Christ, cross, faith, and Christian life. (Now comes some generally good teaching. Until...)
Christ
Here’s what I mean. Any view of Christ that undermines his capacity to save sinners is a serious false teaching. In 2 John, the false teachers were denying that the Christ came in the flesh. That undermined the reality of his bodily suffering and death, and that undermined salvation. So, any view of Christ that hinders our understanding of his death, resurrection, and capacity to save sinners as the incarnate, divine Son of God is going to be a very serious false teaching.
Cross
Second, the cross. Any view of the cross that undermines Christ’s finished achievement there — in being the wrath-bearing, substitute punishment for sinners (...he veers off into Calvinism/Reformed doctrine.
Faith
Third, faith. We are justified by grace alone through faith alone, apart from works of the law (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16). If salvation is turned into something that comes to us by works or by sacraments, that is a very serious mistake. Salvation is at stake not only in how Christ provided it but also in how we receive it: by grace through faith.
Christian Life
Fourth, the Christian life. Paul said, “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10). In other words, they will not be saved.
Therefore, if a teacher says that these behaviors don’t matter or are good, such as greed or drunkenness or practicing homosexuality, that teaching is a very serious error — because it’s hindering people from being saved by encouraging them to do what keeps them out of the kingdom of God. So, the Christian life matters.
In summary, then, that’s one basic criterion for determining how false teaching can be very serious — namely, to the degree that a doctrine or a practice tends to undermine the gospel of salvation, it is a very serious error. And that error can show itself in wrong views of Christ, wrong views of the cross, wrong views of faith, or wrong views of the Christian life.
How Should We Respond?
The third question that Devon asks is this: What does it look like to deal with such a leader, a false-teaching leader, while upholding biblical love and humility?
Interestingly, 2 John 6 points to a striking connection between love and false teaching: “This is love, that we walk according to his commandments.” Then 2 John 7 begins with the word for or because, and says, “[Because] many deceivers have gone out into the world.”
When it says to love one another according to the commandments because a lot of deceivers have gone out into the world, it means that the danger of false teaching is a motivation for the church to guard its love for one another. Or to say it another way, loving one another in the church is a strong antidote to false teaching. Love one another because many false teachers, many deceivers, have gone out into the world.
Now, I know that’s not exactly the question that Devon asked — but it is right there in the text, and it’s worth noting. Biblical love among Christians protects us from unbiblical teaching. (No, biblical love is obedience to Christ's teaching [vs. 6].)
More to Devon’s point, that same love will guide them in how they deal with the false teachers.
Audio Transcript
How do we identify and respond to false teachers — specifically, pastors who persistently teach false doctrine? We hope we never face this dilemma. But if we do, the Bible tells us exactly what to do. It’s the application of tomorrow’s Bible reading in today’s question from Devon.
“Pastor John, hello and thank you for this podcast. I’m seeking clarity on how to apply 2 John 10–11 (Let's quote:
2Jn. 10-11 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.
Let's see if Dr. Piper properly explains this.)
in identifying and rejecting false teachers, particularly when it comes to pastors within a local church. I’m not in this situation now, thankfully, but I want to be prepared. The passage warns against even greeting those who do not bring the apostolic teaching, which raises serious concerns about continued association with a pastor who distorts or denies biblical truth. If a pastor persistently teaches false doctrine and the elders fail to act, does this mean the congregation is obligated to leave the church altogether? How do we distinguish between a pastor who is simply mistaken on secondary issues and one who falls into the category of a false teacher described in this passage? Additionally, what does it look like in practice to avoid, rebuke, or call out such a leader while still upholding biblical love and humility? I’d appreciate your wisdom on how to faithfully apply this passage in today’s church context.” (From the questioner's comments it seems clear he is misrepresenting this Scripture. Now certainly, many of the things he mentions are discussed in other Scriptures, but this particular Scripture has nothing to say about pastors teaching false doctrine. Nor does it speak to whether or not a person should attend a particular church where a pastor is teaching falsely.)
There really are three questions in that question, so I’ll take them one at a time. I thought I would pick one, but I think I can do all three briefly.
There really are three questions in that question, so I’ll take them one at a time. I thought I would pick one, but I think I can do all three briefly.
Must We Leave?
First, are we obligated to leave a church where a pastor persistently teaches false doctrine? And that question arises, like all the others do, out of 2 John 10–11, which says, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [that’s crucial; we’ll come back to that], do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” (unfortunately, Dr. Piper affirms the questioner's incorrect context, that this is about pastors and attending this church.)
The answer is pretty clear, I think, whether you stay in a church with a pastor doing this teaching. What is this teaching? Second John 7 defines what this teaching is. Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (?? John's remarks are not expository. He was not writing a narrative, he was writing a series of stand-alone statements.
Let's quote a larger portion of the letter:
2Jn. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. [John's purpose for writing. This echoes 1Jn. 3:11: This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.]
2Jn. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. [John defines love as obedience to Christ's commands.]
2Jn. 7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. [A warning about deceivers.]2Jn. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. [An exhortation to persevere in the faith.]2Jn. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. [A general warning about others who run ahead and not continue in the teaching.]2Jn. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. [A command not to welcome visitors who don't have this teaching.]2Jn. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. [Welcoming such a person means approving of the false teaching.]
John opens with a new command, to love one another, and to be obedient to Christ's commands. This is the crucial purpose of his letter to the chosen lady and her children.
Verse 7 is a warning about deceivers in the world, not in the church. Then notice that verse 8 is a personal admonition, followed by a general caution in verse 9.
Now we can clearly see what "this teaching" is, referred to in verse 10. It is the new command from verse 6. This is the only teaching John wrote about. This is the answer to the question raised.)
This false teaching has sometimes been called Gnosticism, but what’s clear is that the false teaching denied that the Christ came in the flesh. It denied the incarnation: “Jesus was not the incarnation of the Christ, the Son of God.” And John says this is so serious that we should not do anything that participates in this evil teaching. (??? The teaching John wanted to ensure was about the perils of Gnosticism? What?)
So, I think it is right to say that worshiping week after week under such a ministry would be wrong. (This passage has nothing to do with what church a person ought to attend.)
So, I think it is right to say that worshiping week after week under such a ministry would be wrong. (This passage has nothing to do with what church a person ought to attend.)
If proper steps to change the leadership fail, then yes, it is right to leave a church where that kind of teaching, that level of seriousness, is prominent or is present.
Is the Gospel Safe?
That leads now to the second question: How do we distinguish between a pastor who is simply mistaken on secondary issues and one who falls into the category of a false teacher described in 2 John? (Dr. Piper has yet to demonstrate that John's subject was church and pastors.)
Let me suggest one basic criterion for serious false teaching, with four applications — four places where you can see it manifesting itself. The basic criterion would go like this: To the degree that a doctrine or a practice tends to undermine the gospel of salvation, to that degree should you treat it as very serious false teaching.
And I use the term “gospel of salvation” consciously because that’s what the gospel is for. The gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). So, to undermine the gospel of salvation is to hinder people from being saved. That’s serious. And since God saves people for the glory of his grace, hindering people from being saved is an attack on the glory of God — and that’s serious.
Now, there are four applications of this basic criterion for how to discern very serious false teaching, and I would name them Christ, cross, faith, and Christian life. (Now comes some generally good teaching. Until...)
Christ
Here’s what I mean. Any view of Christ that undermines his capacity to save sinners is a serious false teaching. In 2 John, the false teachers were denying that the Christ came in the flesh. That undermined the reality of his bodily suffering and death, and that undermined salvation. So, any view of Christ that hinders our understanding of his death, resurrection, and capacity to save sinners as the incarnate, divine Son of God is going to be a very serious false teaching.
Cross
Second, the cross. Any view of the cross that undermines Christ’s finished achievement there — in being the wrath-bearing, substitute punishment for sinners (...he veers off into Calvinism/Reformed doctrine.
Jesus was not a wrath-bearing substitute, He is the Lamb of God who spilled His blood to wash away our sins. He did not substitute His life for us, because we must die as well. Jesus' blood is enough, there was no need for the Father to punish Him in addition.
See the links in our introduction for a deeper explanation.)
— would undermine salvation. Christ died to save sinners. That’s at the heart of the gospel. To distort or deny what Christ did, or what happened on the cross, is serious.
Faith
Third, faith. We are justified by grace alone through faith alone, apart from works of the law (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16). If salvation is turned into something that comes to us by works or by sacraments, that is a very serious mistake. Salvation is at stake not only in how Christ provided it but also in how we receive it: by grace through faith.
Christian Life
Fourth, the Christian life. Paul said, “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9–10). In other words, they will not be saved.
Therefore, if a teacher says that these behaviors don’t matter or are good, such as greed or drunkenness or practicing homosexuality, that teaching is a very serious error — because it’s hindering people from being saved by encouraging them to do what keeps them out of the kingdom of God. So, the Christian life matters.
In summary, then, that’s one basic criterion for determining how false teaching can be very serious — namely, to the degree that a doctrine or a practice tends to undermine the gospel of salvation, it is a very serious error. And that error can show itself in wrong views of Christ, wrong views of the cross, wrong views of faith, or wrong views of the Christian life.
How Should We Respond?
The third question that Devon asks is this: What does it look like to deal with such a leader, a false-teaching leader, while upholding biblical love and humility?
Interestingly, 2 John 6 points to a striking connection between love and false teaching: “This is love, that we walk according to his commandments.” Then 2 John 7 begins with the word for or because, and says, “[Because] many deceivers have gone out into the world.”
When it says to love one another according to the commandments because a lot of deceivers have gone out into the world, it means that the danger of false teaching is a motivation for the church to guard its love for one another. Or to say it another way, loving one another in the church is a strong antidote to false teaching. Love one another because many false teachers, many deceivers, have gone out into the world.
Now, I know that’s not exactly the question that Devon asked — but it is right there in the text, and it’s worth noting. Biblical love among Christians protects us from unbiblical teaching. (No, biblical love is obedience to Christ's teaching [vs. 6].)
More to Devon’s point, that same love will guide them in how they deal with the false teachers.
- Love is patient, so they will not have short fuses but seek to correct with patience.
- Love rejoices in the truth, so they will not rejoice in theological combat but in the greatness and beauty of the truth that they contend for.
- Love is not arrogant, but humble, so they will defend the truth for Christ’s sake and not to prop up their ego.
- Love does no wrong to a neighbor (even a false-teaching neighbor), and therefore, love desires no harm for the false teacher, but reconciliation in the truth.
John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of Desiring God and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Foundations for Lifelong Learning: Education in Serious Joy.
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