When I was in Malawi, Africa, I spent one week teaching at a Bible college and the following week at a pastor's conference. I was exposed to the common false teaching among the students and pastors. We see much of this false teaching in the church today, including in the United States, versus only in Africa.

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Table of contents1. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because the Descriptive Is Confused with the PrescriptiveWhat If People Don't Hear Audibly from God?2. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because of Belief in Modern-Day Apostles and Prophets3. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Wealth Is Considered a Sign of GodlinessThe False Prophet, Bushiri4. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because People Are Elevated Above ScriptureTeaching Under the New Covenant5. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because Theatrics Are Elevated Above UnderstandingEzra Wanted the People to UnderstandOur Accountability Is High in the United States

In Malawi, Africa, I kept notes about things I felt burdened to share with the congregation when I returned. Many of my notes were about the false teaching I observed. I attended a Bible college the first week and a pastor’s conference the second week, which gave me insight into church leaders' beliefs. The title is “Five Reaons for False Teaching in the Church Today” rather than “Five Reaons for False Teaching in Malawi,” because much of the false teaching is prevalent in our country, too. So, I’ve chosen reasons that apply anywhere.

1. There Is False Teaching in the Church Today Because the Descriptive Is Confused with the Prescriptive

Malawi is a very charismatic country. There’s a strong belief in the supernatural, but not in a good way. I don’t mean believing the supernatural events in Scripture. I mean believing the same supernatural events are happening today.

One of the most common mistakes people make when reading Scripture is turning a descriptive passage (or one that merely describes what happened) into a prescriptive passage (or one that prescribes). In Malawi, this is a huge problem! For example:

Acts 5:12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that AS PETER CAME BY AT LEAST HIS SHADOW MIGHT FALL ON SOME OF THEM.

Do you see the problem with making descriptive language prescriptive? You could be led to believe that you can healed by a false teacher’s shadow falling on you.

Acts 8:26 Now AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID TO PHILIP, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And THE SPIRIT SAID TO PHILIP, “Go over and join this chariot.”

Should we expect the angel of the Lord or the Holy Spirit to speak audibly to us? No. That wasn’t my point with these verses last week. My point was that we step out in faith – like Philip – and walk in obedience, and God’s plan tends to unfold. Usually, we don’t get to see the second step until we take the first step. That’s part of the application of these verses. But if we looked at this account and thought that the angel of the Lord or the Holy Spirit would speak audibly because He did with Philip, we would be in trouble.

What If People Don't Hear Audibly from God?

When we don’t hear audibly from God, there will be four possible outcomes,