False prophets will hurt God’s people by creating division in the church and spreading false doctrine. Most probably they teach some form of antinomianism, whereby believers are free to ignore the law of God and the commandments as taught by Jesus.1 If they are the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day, then they would also teach some kind of works righteousness whereby our obedience to the law is seen as a means of ensuring God’s favour (the legalism countered by Paul in Galatians).
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.