ORIGINS OF FALSE GOSPELS
The basic reason false gospels exist is that religious people do not understand that God’s written word and God’s spoken word are not the same thing. They believe that everything God has to say is contained in the literal words of the Bible. They know that the Bible is difficult to understand, but they have no appreciation for or understanding of Bible mystery and symbolism.

STUDY TIPS: See Bible History for understanding of how Bibles came to be written.

Also see this link for understanding that God’s written word and God’s spoken word are not the same thing.

Also see this link for a comparison of the Bible and God’s voice.

Because the written Bible is full of Symbols, Signs, Types, Parables, Copies, and Shadows that are impossible to understand and obey when interpreted literally, religious leaders are compelled to divine (i.e. imagine, contrive, make up) explanations that explain difficult scriptures to religious people who depend on religious teachers for understanding of spiritual matters. Religious followers depend on human leaders because they do not know how to hear God’s voice themselves.

The explanations religious leaders offer to their followers are presented in sermons, books and music. Religious people who hear/read these interpretations accept them as being legitimate parts of the gospel of the written Bible — even though these explanations cannot be found in the written Bible. Religious people who accept these interpretations do so ignorant of the fact that the leaders who teach them are false prophets. Since they accept the words of the teachers they follow, they in effect give to the teachers the same authority as they would give to God. Thus the teachers become Gods and the followers become idolaters.

STUDY TIP: See Religion is Idolatry for God’s view of idolatry. Also see this link for understanding of God’s view of an intimate relationship with his people.

In the world of religion, the first two gospels are the most common. We know this because they can be seen and heard with natural eyes and ears. Because they can be seen and heard in public settings, they are the products of religion — not faith.

Religion and faith are not the same. Religion can be seen and heard in public but faith is the substance of things not seen or heard and only exists out of public view in clean, pure hearts. Thus it must be said that gospels preached and written by religious leaders are false gospels that lead to fake faith. These are “different gospels” mentioned by the Apostle Paul.

The true gospel is the word of God spoken by true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses and warriors. They are anointed by God and sent by God to speak for God to people who cannot hear God’s voice because they have hard hearts.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of how to identify true prophets who preach the true gospel.

False gospels (i.e. different gospels) can be identified by evaluating the false prophets who preach/teach them. Preachers of false gospels are typically associated with a religious organization of some kind. Preachers of false prophets will always receive some kind of compensation for their message.

STUDY TIPS: See Religion is Commerce and Examples of Business and Commerce in Religion for understanding of the contexts in which false gospels are preached.

It must be said that a person does not need to be a paid, professional preacher/teacher/writer/musician to qualify as a false prophet who preaches a different gospel. If a religious person receives a false gospel from a false prophet, and then shares that gospel with another person verbally or in writing, then that religious person qualifies as a false prophet even though he/she does not receive monetary compensation for teaching.

The criteria for distinguishing the true gospel from a false (i.e. different) gospel is the source of the gospel. True gospels are preached by true prophets who are sent by God to speak for God. The words they speak are not their own, they are the words of God.

STUDY TIP: See True Prophets for more understanding of true prophets.

Every true prophet is a messiah anointed by God to preach the true gospel. Jesus was the prime example of a true prophet, and all New Covenant disciples who follow him are also true prophets. But, just like Jesus who did not refer to himself as a prophet, they do not call themselves prophets. Evidence of their anointing exists only in the power of their words. Some hearers will recognize that they speak for God, and some will not.

STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of why real Jesus’ followers do not need to testify about their status as prophets of God.