Joel Osteen, the smiling preacher in designer clothes, is "the opposite of nice" by God's standard, and Justin Peters and his guest Todd Friel explain why. Working from 2 Peter 2, they show how false teachers use "plastic words" to make merchandise of souls, driven by money, fame or power, and sex. Peters points out that 26 of the 27 New Testament books contain direct warnings about false doctrine or false teachers.

The conversation covers a lot of ground. They talk about why some are crossing the Tiber to Rome, and why Roman Catholicism, with Mary as co-redemptrix, purgatory and the mass, is a different gospel. Peters defends eternal security from Romans 11. They also discuss Benny Hinn and Bryce Crawford's interview with Kenneth Copeland, which Peters warns gave one of the darkest, most evil false teachers a platform.

Friel also talks about his book, Go Serve Your King: The Key to Extraordinary Purpose in Everyday Life. Borrowing Heidegger's term unheimlichkeit, he takes on the sacred-secular divide. Drawing on 1 Corinthians 10:31, he argues that a believer in Christ lives all of life as a royal priest of the King, and that God's commands are always best. Peters adds Hebrews 1:3 and the doctrine of simplicity.

This episode matters because it refuses to treat false teaching as a secondary issue. It also reclaims biblical purpose, joy and the beauty of Christ from the teachers who have twisted them.

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