Many seem surprised at how easily and quickly blatant false teaching is spreading today throughout the Evangelical church. But in fact, what we are seeing is not something new – heresy and deception have been with us since the beginning. The first deception is that of Satan himself, and that involved self-deception. Isaiah 14 recites the arrogant claims of the King of Babylon. According to the Faithlife Study Bible, verse 13: …serves to identify the … Continue reading
Category Archives: False Teacher
After I spoke at a church this past weekend, I was asked, “How is it that so many celebrity preachers, celebrity Christian authors, and celebrity pastors take the stage with known (and popular) false teachers?” There are, of course, many possible reasons. It could be they seek to maintain or add to their own personal popularity. It may boost their ego to speak to large crowds of 25-50,000, or it may boost their personal wealth … Continue reading
In the public debate over the orthodox vs heretical nature of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation), the appeal to signs and wonders as evidence by those fully invested in the movement is a recurring theme. Detractors spend a great deal of time attempting to prove the claims of miracles, signs and wonders within the movement are fraudulent schemes being perpetrated on the unwary. What begins as a debate over evidence usually degenerates into emotional defense … Continue reading
When someone leaves a cult or spiritually abusive religious group, it often means they will be abandoned by everyone who was their friend when they were inside the group. This practice is called shunning, and cult members take very seriously their spiritual “duty” to shun former friends and even family members who leave the group. So, for many former cult members, the statement “they were my friends” brings on terrible sadness and angst. Were they … Continue reading
Creating a god in your own image can have many temporal benefits. Such a deity would reflect your views and sanctify your behavior. He or she might even make your own behavior look better in comparison. The ancient Greek and Roman gods, who could be extremely nasty and selfish beings, are good examples of this benefit. The gods of other pagan cultures were no better. These various gods and the God Who revealed Himself in … Continue reading
When books or articles feature questions such as, “When Did Jesus Become the Christ?” or “When Did Jesus Become the Son of God?” it usually indicates that we are about to be introduced to a heretical view about the identity of Jesus. Most often the proposed answer to the question will demonstrate a lack of any real familiarity with Scripture or history, and nearly always employs strawman arguments that the author erects and then boldly … Continue reading