The Making Of A “False Witness of God”

1 Cor. 15:15

Jay Horsley

The Corinthians faced a grave danger to their souls. Some men in Corinth were teaching that there was no resurrection. Paul warned that if their doctrine was true, then the rest of the gospel would be set on its ear. Paul said that if they are right the consequences were:

1.) “Not even Christ has been raised.” (vs. 13)

2.) The apostles’ “preaching is vain.” (vs. 14)

3.) Their “faith also is vain” and “worthless.” (vss. 14,16)

4.) The apostles would be “even found to be false witnesses of God” because they said God did something that He didn’t do. (vs. 15)

5.) “You are still in your sins.” (vs. 17) You are lost in sin.

6.) All “who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.” (vs. 18) They are permanently lost in sin.

7.) Certainly the apostles, and probably most Christians, are the most “pitiful” of men. (vs. 19)

False doctrines always has grave consequences -- and very often much more than we realize. But let us look at one of these consequences in more detail.

In vs. 15 Paul stated that if the resurrection denying doctrine was right then he and the apostles were made “false witnesses of God.” Paul accepted and explained the full consequences of not preaching the truth revealed by God. He said that he would be a liar in God’s name as a result. Now brethren, that’s a serious thing. What do you think God thinks of those who would go around teaching people lies and making them disciples to that He did not teach? We don’t have to guess the Divine reaction to it, for Paul states that they and their disciples will be lost. “Your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins” (vs. 17) if the doctrine preached was wrong.

If Paul came preaching the resurrection when it was not true he would be causing people to lose their souls. He would have been one of those who had “gone astray [erred - KJV] from the truth... and thus they upset the faith of some.” (2 Tim. 2:18) He would even have been a “false teacher...who will secretly introduce[d] destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.” (2 Pet. 2:1)

However some today would object to calling Paul a false teacher even if he had taught soul destroying doctrine. But they object to what Paul freely admits. Paul says that if he did this he would be “found to be [a] false witness of God” because of this false doctrine. How was he a witness? He preached to the brethren what he said he saw, “but we preach Christ crucified.” (1 Cor. 1:23) But if he preached it wrong, he would be a liar, a “false witness,” (1 Cor. 15:15) a false “preacher,” (1 Cor. 1:23) and a “false teacher.” (2 Pet. 2:1)

Today’s sensitive brethren might give a number of reasons not to “mark and avoid” (Rom. 16:17) a man like Paul even if he began to deny the resurrection. After all, Paul had done a lot of good work in the past. He had been a tireless and effective worker, “...in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger...” (2 Cor. 5:5,6) Not only that, he had the respect and esteem of brethren world wide. Even an apostle had called him “our beloved brother Paul.” (2 Pet. 3:15) On top of that, he had great personal character and was very conscientious. “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” (Acts 23:1) But even with all this, if he denied the resurrection he would have been a “false witness against God,” a “false teacher” and a soul destroyer.

If Paul, after developing such a resovior of respect by doing so much good among brethren, would have taught anything that destroyed his hearer’s souls he would have become an instrument of Satan, a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” (Matt. 7:15) Even if someone has a great resume, the rule is still “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matt. 7:26) This is true no matter who they are. Paul not only acknowledged this, he admitted it repeatedly. “But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:8)

If Paul admits about himself that false teaching would make him a false witness, a false teacher, a false preacher, a teacher of error to be marked and avoided -- then why can’t we admit that about some men today? There are some men who have done much good in the past to build up the church, have been held in high esteem by brethren, are greatly loved and seem to live fine lives -- BUT NOW they teach or tolerate things that will cause men to lose their souls. Are we happy to announce this? No. We have the same mind as Paul, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Phil. 3:18) But many want to hide this fact and not proclaim the same thing that Paul did -- that these have become false witnesses, false preachers, false teachers, disturbers of souls who must be marked and avoided.

If the apostle would not give himself a pass, why do we give one to men that we esteem? Is it because we have not learned another lesson that the apostle taught, “not to think of men above that which is written?” (KJV 1 Cor. 4:6)