How can Christians recognize false teaching?

Christians recognize false teaching by comparing all teachings with Scripture. False teachers distort the gospel, deny biblical authority, and often seek personal gain. Scripture warns in 2 Peter 2:1–3 and Acts 20:28–30 to be watchful and grounded in truth.

Why is discernment important for believers today?

Discernment is essential because false teaching still arises within the Church. Sound biblical discernment protects believers, strengthens the Church, and keeps Christians anchored in Christ’s truth amid spiritual confusion.

What are the marks of a false teacher according to Scripture?

According to Scripture, false teachers distort the gospel (Galatians 1:6–9), deny Scripture’s authority, appeal to greed or sensuality, and draw followers after themselves instead of Christ.

Recognizing False Teaching

Name: Recognizing False Teaching | Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins
Uploaded: 2025-10-16
Duration: 11 min
Channel: Dave Jenkins
Description: Dave Jenkins explains how to recognize false teaching and stay anchored in biblical truth. Drawing from 2 Peter 2 and Acts 20, this episode explores the marks of false teachers and why discernment matters for every believer.

⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 1 min read

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Recognizing False Teaching

Anchored in the Word – October 16, 2025

Host: Dave Jenkins

Series: Anchored in the Word – Clarity in Confusing Times

In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins helps believers recognize and resist false teaching by grounding their discernment in God’s Word. Drawing from 2 Peter 2:1–3 and Acts 20:28–30, Dave shows that false teaching often arises from within the Church, distorting the gospel and leading many astray.
Listeners will discover the biblical marks of false teachers and why knowing Scripture is essential to staying anchored in Christ.

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Key Scripture References

2 Peter 2:1–3
Acts 20:28–30
Galatians 1:6–9

Additional Resources

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Dave Jenkins( Executive Director )

Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.

Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.

He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).

You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.

When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.

Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

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