Acts 13 - Some Tough Words About False Prophets...

For what it is worth, I've been reading blogs a lot about false prophets and the impact on the church today. But this is nothing new...I will try to pull out a portion of what I've seen from my recent Bible reading....it's a theme that goes back as far as time does.

Here Paul has a direct encounter.

Act 13:6  And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

Act 13:7  Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

Act 13:8  But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

Act 13:9  Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

Act 13:10  And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

Act 13:11  And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

Act 13:12  Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

Peter had earlier dealt with another Simon....a bit different, but same words are used to describe him.

Simon the Magician Believes

Act 8:9  But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

Act 8:10  To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.

Act 8:11  And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

Act 8:12  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Act 8:13  Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

Act 8:14  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

Act 8:15  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

Act 8:16  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

Act 8:17  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Act 8:18  And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

Act 8:19  Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

Act 8:20  But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

Act 8:21  Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

Act 8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Act 8:23  For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Act 8:24  Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

We don't actually know what became of him.

This also is seen in a form in Paul's writing to Timothy, and the reference even to Moses time.

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,

2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2Ti 3:8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

2Ti 3:9  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

A theme here is the absence of truth.

Of course these can take extreme forms such as we read in Acts 19, in Ephesus I.e., certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, or the goddess worship:

Act 19:35  And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

Paul direct confronts these both.

Later he warns the elders to watch even in the church...

Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

I've also been reading in 1&2 Kings of 

Jehoshaphat King in Judah

And the taking away and keeping of certain high places of false worship. And the false prophets.

2Ch 17:3  And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;

1Ki 22:43  And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.

Gill writes:

nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places; he took away the high places and groves for idolatrous worship, 2Ch 17:6, but not the high places in which sacrifices were offered to the Lord, which ought to have been, especially since the temple was built; and those in the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were altogether inexcusable, being near to the temple, and under no restraint, as those of the ten tribes were; but the people were fond of them, because of their antiquity, and it was difficult for religious princes to remove them, if inclined.

Hard to get rid of all false worship.

2Ch 18:4  And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.

2Ch 18:5  Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand.

2Ch 18:6  But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?

2Ch 18:27  And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye people.

Anyway this is just a taste...the Bible if full of false prophets.

We can go over another time who and what are today's false prophets and teachers.

If you are interested in one direction you might start with this article..it might open some unexpected new windows also.

Christianity versus Mormonism: Scripture

Paul M. Elliott
January, February 2017

Download the PDF version of this review. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat installed on your system please click here on Adobe Acrobat Reader to download.

Editor’s Note: This article contains the first two articles by Dr. Elliott of a 16-part series he wrote on Christianity versus Mormonism. The whole series can be found at TeachingtheWord Ministries web site, www.teachingtheword.org, in the Bible Knowledgebase.

Or this recent stream, but as I said there are many other examples. This one is hard to stomach, but at the least it raises the issue of why anyone would write this way. What are they thinking?

‘WHAT’S NEXT – TEMPLE PROSTITUTES?’

POSTED BY MARSHA WEST ∙ 15 FEBRUARY 2017 ∙ IN OPINION ∙ MYSTICISM

LTRP Note: This short article might be disturbing to read, but what is being described here is happening now in the church. Please take heed and pray for discernment as you listen to Christian speakers and read their books. The links below this article are to articles that substantiate what Lynn Lusby Pratt is saying.

Not sure I would go to that extreme but you can see some pretty bizarre things being introduced if you believe the reporting.

If you do read the last one....it just beings back to mind the Acts 19 events, btw:

G735 Ἄρτεμι Artemis Thayer Definition:

Diana = “complete light: flow restrained”

1) Artemis, that is to say the so called Tauric or Persian or Ephesian Artemis, the goddess of many Asiatic people, to be distinguished from the Artemis of the Greeks, the sister of Apollo. A very splendid temple was built to her at Ephesus, which was set on fire by Herostratus and reduced to ashes; but afterwards in the times of Alexander the Great, it was rebuilt in a style of greater magnificence.

Part of Speech: noun proper feminine

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: probably from the same as G736