Thomas Brooks and False Teachers: part 2

I once had the joy of spending a Saturday listening to J.I. Packer teach on the book of Colossians. During a break someone asked him about reading Puritan authors. His reply was to the effect that one would do well if they spent their whole life in the reading and study of Puritan writers. So continuing on …

Thomas Brooks, one of the Puritan pastors of the seventeenth century, in his book, Precious remedies against Satan’s devices, lists seven characters of false teachers. I have listed and written about four of the traits in my last post. I will list the last three characters and examine them in this posting.

The fifth character: “False teachers cover and color their dangerous principles and soul-impostures with very fair speeches and plausible pretences, with high notions and golden expressions."

Brooks states that in his day many are “bewitched and deceived by the magnificent words, lofty strains, and stately terms of deceivers …” But all days, all years, are, seemingly like that. Brooks lists some of the stately terms used: “illumination, revelation, deification, and fiery triplicity.” And those words are not unfamiliar to the postmodern world particularly when a form of Gnosticism or New Age spirituality gets in the mix of some teachers and preachers in the Church.

Brooks refers to several verses, Gal 6:12, in which Paul points to the false teachers who wanted the believers to be circumcised, so that the teachers “will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 2 Cor. 11: 13-15, is another text where Paul explains that false teachers “disguise themselves as servants of righteousness,” since they are servants of Satan who disguises himself as “an angel of light.” Romans 16:17-18, refers to the “smooth and flattering speech” of false teachers. Another is Matt 7:15 which refers to those who come in sheep’s clothing but instead they are “ravenous wolves.”

The important point in all of this is that without the true goodness and purity of the gospel false teachers have to search for all kinds of ways and words to attract people to themselves. Jesus Christ lifted up draws the needy home. The gospel doesn’t need glitter but counterfeit teachers do.

Brooks’ reference to “fiery triplicity” is interesting although I admit I don’t know what he is speaking of with those words. He was in London during the “Great Fire of 1666,” and wrote a treatise titled “London’s Lamentations (based upon Isaiah 42. 24-5) …” it might be interesting to read the work and find out if there is a connection. (it is only 312 pages!)

The sixth character: “False teachers strive more to win over men to their opinions, than to better them in their conversations.”

Bettering others in their conversation has to do with “mending” and transforming their hearts. The good news that Jesus transforms the sinner is important here. To paraphrase Brooks, false teachers are simply interested in changing people's minds not their hearts. Only the Lord can change the whole person so the true teacher of the gospel points her hearers away from herself and to the cross and Christ’s transforming work. The false teacher points to herself and her own opinions.

The seventh character: “False teachers make merchandise of their followers.”

Brooks refers to 2 Peter 2:1-3 here.

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”

Brooks also refers to Jer. 6:13.

That verse is, “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely.” Brooks does not list the following verse. But it is so full of the hurt people of God that I will end with it.

“They have healed the brokenness of my people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace.”