False Christian teaching does not need to blatantly and obviously lie to achieve its aims.  It only needs to shift our allegiance and attention away from the Bible to rightly deserve the label of "heresy".

This special revelation of God through the Holy Scriptures has been written in human language, and its authors were directly instructed and inspired by God.  The words God employed, through His human agents, are adequate to reveal His purposes, character, will, commandments, and other linguistic expressions of His meanings.  Therefore, the Bible is God's personal and specific revelation to all of mankind which expresses objective, adequate and understandable meanings in human language.

The Bible consistently stands the test of lower-level, textual criticism regarding its origin and authorship, the integrity of its various original-language manuscripts, and the accuracy of the existing copies.  Because of the overwhelming evidence for the preservation of textual accuracy in these manuscripts, with the effect that we can be assured the original meanings of the Bible have been faithfully preserved, certain reliable Scripture translations are now available in modern languages.  As a result, faithful Scripture translations exist which accurately preserve the intended meanings of the original Biblical writings to such an extent of reliability that the modern Christian can be assured they literally hold the Word of God in their hands.

However, Bible translations are also subject to intense textual analysis and scrutiny, since no modern translational effort, nor its results, can be regarded as directly "inspired" or "instructed" by God in the way the original writings were directly inspired.  Therefore, only to the extent that these modern translations faithfully present an accurate rendition of the original-language manuscripts are they also to be considered inerrant or infallible.

A corollary to this is that, even though certain faithful Bible translations can sometimes be shown to contain minor, non-doctrinal errors, the presence of these few and minor errors does not in any way significantly diminish the general authority of these translations or make them either untrustworthy, inapplicable or unusable to the modern Christian.  Minor variations between reliable translations have been identified; however, such differences do not deal with basic doctrinal issues.  For example 1 Peter 1:10,11 in the New American Standard translation reads:

As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
1 Peter 10,11 NAS [emphasis added]

The New International Version instead reads:

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
1 Peter 10,11 NIV [emphasis added]

To quote the Bible scholar and translator Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., on the issue of these particular variations: "I strongly affirm that the prophets claimed ignorance only on the matter of time ... Scholars err badly when they translate the Greek phrase ['what time or what manner of time'] as if it meant 'what [person]!'  The Revised Standard Version [RSV], the New American Standard Bible [NAS], the Modern Language Bible [MLB], and the New English Bible [NEB] are definitely incorrect here.  It is a grammatical impossibility!  The passage teaches that these men were most aware of what they were writing."

Careful study and comparison of the various translations of these passages shows that the error in the NAS, RSV, MLB, and NEB translations is actually minor -- it does not deal with a significant doctrinal issue.  These kinds of slight errors in modern translations are not doctrinally significant, although they should be corrected in subsequent publications.  Therefore, such seldom and minor errors which can sometimes be found in reliable translations do not detract from their general doctrinal authority or their usefulness to the common Christian as a source of truth for faith and daily practice.

Although teachers in the church are necessary for more advanced topics to foster spiritual maturity, they are not necessarily required to convey basic, essential doctrine.  Although authentic discipleship is shown to usually happen in a Biblically-based church environment, each believer is able to be individually taught by the Holy Spirit through personal Bible study on all issues fundamental to faith, salvation, and discipleship.  In addition, even unbelievers can understand the meaning of the Gospel, the good news of Christ's salvation.  The Holy Spirit's direct intervention is necessary for them to be able to apply it to themselves (to exercise true faith).  Even for an unbeliever in the preliminary process of coming to a point of salvation, gaining an understanding of the Biblical Gospel message does not require a human teacher to explain it in detail.  It may just need someone to relay the Biblical message of the Gospel clearly.

For example, a common error  in group Bible study occurs when the broad question is asked of the group, "What does this verse mean to you?"  Or, "What do you get out of this Scripture?"  Such questions usually are only interested in understanding personal applications or private interpretations -- they are not necessarily interested in what the Bible actually means.  Distinguishing between personal application and the correct interpretation is not optional -- the two concepts are definitely not the same.  Personal views about the relevance of truth are highly subjective and are open to private interpretation, misunderstanding, and therefore misapplication.  The actual meanings of Biblical truth are objective and independent of personal relevance.  Scriptural truth, if properly interpreted, will imply and encourage one or more personal applications.  But the truth objectively and independently stands on its own, regardless of how it may relate to an individual.  How someone might apply the Biblical truth to themselves does not tell anyone what the Bible actually says.  Only by first differentiating between Scriptural meanings and their personal applications will Christians be able to properly interpret and apply the Word of God to their lives.

God has already revealed and finalized His written truth in the form of the Holy Bible.  Any other representations of doctrinal truth are untrustworthy and fundamentally evil.  The God of the Bible is the sovereign and exclusive originator, interpreter, arbiter, and ultimate eternal judge of all truth.  Spiritual doctrines embodied in any teaching that significantly contradict God's Word are only blasphemous counterfeits.

Doctrines necessary for eternal salvation
The true good news of Christ

1. All humans are spiritual, eternal beings in their basic essence; this is the way God has made us.  He has created us to exist forever, even after our physical death.
   (Genesis 1:26,27, Genesis 2:7, Matthew 25:31-46, John 5:28,29)
2. God loves the entire world -- all humans.  His desire for all humans is that we know Him personally and that we become who we should be and do what He wants.  God wants all people repent of their sin, to turn to Him, humble ourselves and serve Him, and fulfill His personal plan for each of us.  God ultimately wants everyone to go to Heaven.
   (John 3:13-21, 2 Peter 3:3-9, Ephesians 2:4-10, Romans 8:12-17, 2 Corinthians 7:9-11)
3. As eternal, spiritual beings, we will all either live eternally in His presence in Heaven or we will be eternally separated from Him in hell and the lake of fire.
   (Matthew 7:17-23, John 5:24,25, 2 Corinthians 5:9,10, Hebrews 9:23-28, Titus 1:1-3, Revelations 20:11-15)
4. All humans except Jesus Christ are inherently sinful (we are all born into a natural state of opposition to God).
   (Romans 3:9-18, 21-26, Isaiah 53:5,6)
5. God is supremely righteous and holy; He can never excuse or overlook any opposition to Him -- He will not tolerate sin in any form.  Since all humans except Jesus Christ are inherently sinful, God will not tolerate or accept us in our natural, sinful state.
   (John 3:18-20, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:13-21, Matthew 5:48)
6. Unless we can become spiritually acceptable to God, our ultimate destiny is eternal damnation and separation from Him.
7. We cannot ever become righteous and acceptable to God through our own condition, good works, or other efforts.  It is completely impossible to change ourselves in order to satisfy God's holy standards, regardless of how hard we try or how "good" we seem to be.  Therefore, left to ourselves, we are all bound for the eternal destruction we rightly deserve.

God's provision for our salvation

1. Just because of His love, God has freely provided a solution to our sinful condition and our "impossible" dilemma -- He has voluntarily given us the only way we can escape our well-deserved eternal damnation, become acceptable to Him, and go to Heaven.  God's way of salvation from our eternal doom is provided only through His Son, Jesus Christ.
2. Through His death on the cross, Jesus Christ paid the full price God required for the forgiveness and removal of all our sins.  He took our sins upon Himself, assumed our place of guilt, and bore God's judgment Himself on our behalf.
3. Jesus Christ has even paid the price required to transform us from a basic condition of being sinners into an eternal state of righteousness as holy children of God.  He has done all this for us by voluntarily dying on a Roman cross and being bodily resurrected from the dead.
4. By doing these miraculous and self-sacrificing works of love for us, Jesus has completely taken the full brunt of our punishment for sin.  He has totally borne upon Himself our deserved condemnation and judgment before God by paying the full price required to redeem us from hell and make us eternally acceptable and righteous in God's sight. Therefore, through His Son Jesus, God has freely given us the way to have salvation from sin and to obtain eternal life.
5. He has done all this even while we were in our natural state of evil and rebellion and therefore were His enemies.  He has done all this even while we hated Him or had no desire or saw no need to be saved.  We can never deserve His love -- He has offered it to us freely, without requiring that we earn it or pay back our debt to Him.

The way to receive God's salvation

If we:

• believe what God said about our sin, salvation and Jesus,
• reject faith in ourselves,
• turn away from our sins,
• place our total confidence in what Jesus Christ has done for us,
• ask Him to forgive us and save us from sin and hell,
• and completely, unconditionally give our lives to Him,

we then have truly believed in Christ.  At that moment, we are "born again" by the miraculous power of His Holy Spirit.  We then have Jesus' promise of eternal life, have become God's child, and are filled with His Spirit.  After being born again, we have the power and the opportunity to complete God's purpose for our life and ultimately fulfill our eternal destiny.

The results of being saved

1. All believers in Christ, once they have placed their faith in Him, have salvation for all eternity.  They can never miss out on God's promise and lose their salvation, no matter what they do.  All true Christian believers' destiny is eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit from the time of their salvation onward, and they have no further choice in this matter.  Once one truly believes in Christ, they permanently belong to Him and will always be His child.  Nothing can affect a believer's identity as a child of God; nothing can separate them from the love of Christ -- nothing.
    
2. Every true believer in Christ will behave differently after they are saved.  Because they have become what the Scripture calls a "new creature", their previous values of life will dramatically change.  Their focus will be on Christ and on serving Him.  This will result in a very visible transformation of their character and their daily actions.  They will no longer engage in the sinful activities they once practiced.  They will instead express a deep desire to know God's will, to read and study His Word, and to fellowship with other Christian believers.  Their behavior will be markedly different from what it was before they were saved.  Their entire life emphasis will shift away from one that seeks to fulfill selfish desires toward one that seeks to know and obey Jesus.  They will want to tell other people about Christ so they can be saved too.  They will want to learn more about what God's will is for them personally.  They will become more loving toward others.  In short, they will undergo a basic and visible transformation of their entire system of values and their world view, and this dramatic change will be obvious through their daily behavior.  Their life will no longer be characterized by sin.  They have become "slaves of righteousness".
    
3. All true Christian believers, those who have been actually born again by the miraculous intervention of God's own Holy Spirit, are permanent "bond slaves" of Christ, from the moment of their salvation and onward into eternity.  They eternally belong to Him -- they are totally His own possession, for Him to do with as He wills.  Their lives, futures, careers, hopes, family relationships, desires, reputations, and personal goals all completely belong to Him.  They no longer control and determine the direction of their lives.  All is now given over to the direction of the Master.  Jesus Christ is the eternal Lord, not just Savior.  If He is not obeyed because He is the Lord, then He is not the Savior either.
   
   To put it another way, God is never someone's "co-pilot".  He is the sole pilot of the plane.  He is the plane itself and the fuel that powers it.  He is the air the plane flies through.  He is the in-flight meal, drinks, and entertainment.  He has bought our plane ticket.  He is the final destination of the journey.  And the only luggage to arrive at our destination are the good works we do in obedience to His commandments.

   All who are truly "born again" will continue a struggle to obey His commandment to lay down their life, take up their cross and follow Him.  If someone claiming to believe in Christ persistently refuses to surrender themselves to obeying Him, they do not really believe in Christ, and their faith is worthless.  Jesus will not be relegated to being only "Savior" and not "Lord" also.  God will never accept an invitation to be "co-pilot".  If He is not everything to us, He is nothing to us.  If He is not our Lord, He is not our Savior either.
    

4. If we truly place our faith in Him, Jesus has also given us the promise of being physically resurrected to eternal life after we die, just as He was.  Therefore, we will never really die if we have genuinely believed in Him, even though our body will temporarily die.  After our physical death, we will be bodily resurrected, just like Jesus.  Christ has purchased for us eternal life by conquering sin and death through His own sacrificial death and His physical resurrection from the dead.  All who truly believe and place their complete faith in Jesus Christ will therefore physically live in Heaven with Him through eternity.  They will therefore never really die.  This is the ultimate "good news" of Jesus' gospel.

Doctrines necessary for Christian discipleship
Fulfilling God's purpose for our salvation and earthly life

Confidence in God's Word

1. The Bible is God's only written revelation of truth to all humans and is the literal and unique "Word of God".
2. The special revelation of God's truth in the Bible is completely authoritative, without any error, beyond possibility of any fallacy, totally reliable, constant and unchangeable, understandable, relevant and useful, necessary, independently objective, exclusive of all other doctrinal truth, complete, and eternal (see the section "Self-evident attributes of the Bible").
3. The Word of God is alive and powerful; it is completely representative of and synonymous with Christ Himself.  We should rely on His Word to help us know Christ better, to lead us into all truth as a "light unto our path", to teach us to obey His commandments, to give us power over the darkness of sin, and to equip us to fight the spiritual war all Christians engage in, our battle against the enemy of this world, Satan.

God's character, revelations, and intentions

1. God exists and had no beginning -- He has always existed.
2. God has designed and created everything else that exists for His own purposes and His own glory.
3. God has created humans, and He has fashioned the universe and the Earth as a living environment for us.
4. God loves us and desires to have a personal relationship with us.
5. God has directly revealed Himself and His character to us personally.  He has revealed Himself and shown us what He is like through nature, through the Bible, and through His "only begotten" Son, Jesus Christ.
6. All three of God's revelations to us (the Bible, nature, and Jesus) are in complete agreement.
7. God has revealed Himself as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  All three "persons" are still one and the same God.  There is only one God, but He has revealed Himself as three distinct persons, yet totally one and the same.  This is a mystery which we cannot currently comprehend, but this is how God has revealed Himself to mankind.  We must accept and trust in what He has shown us about Himself.

Jesus Christ and His Body, the church

1. Jesus Christ lived as a real human in history, and He was born as a human after the Holy Spirit caused His virgin mother, Mary, to become pregnant.  He was therefore born as "God in the flesh" and was both fully divine and fully human at the same time.
2. As a human, Jesus Christ was still completely without sin and therefore was absolutely unique among all other humans in history.  He is the spotless "Lamb of God", our perfect sacrifice, and He is without defect.
3. The Holy Spirit is the very Spirit of the Father and of the Son, Christ Jesus.  When we believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit of Christ (God) comes to literally live within us.  We essentially each become the temple of God at the time we are saved -- we become His eternal dwelling place.
4. Jesus Christ is the living "Word of God", and He is the eternal embodiment of God's Truth -- Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  He is the Son of God, and as the "Word of God" also, He has created everything that exists.
5. All true believers in Christ living on the Earth, together with those believers who have already died, comprise the eternal "Body of Christ", His church.  All living believers therefore are collectively the physical representation of Jesus still remaining on the Earth, even though Christ has already ascended into Heaven.
6. Jesus Christ will physically return to the existing Earth.  He will judge Satan, sin, and all other created beings, including humans.  He will then set up His eternal kingdom after creating a new Heaven and a new Earth.
7. The Holy Spirit has given each Christian believer a role in the church and has provided them the opportunities, abilities, and special spiritual gifts needed to fulfill their own task in His Body and His Kingdom.

Commandments for all believers

1. At the time of their salvation or soon thereafter, Christian believers should participate in the sacrament of water baptism, as a symbol of our being "buried together with Christ" so that we will be "raised together with Him" unto everlasting life.
2. On a regular basis, believers gathered together should observe The Lord's Supper (Holy Communion, or the Eucharist) in remembrance of Christ's sacrifice of His body and blood for the redemption of our sins.
3. All believers must study and learn from God's Word, the Bible, both individually and through other believers in the church, in order to know and obey Christ's commandments and thus fulfill His purpose for their life and salvation.
4. Christ requires all believers to preach His gospel of salvation to all the world.
5. Christ requires all believers to teach other believers to obey His commandments (to make disciples).
6. All Christians should be an active part of a local church that respects these essential doctrines, as shown through their regular practices.
7. All believers must submit themselves to local church authority which meets the Scriptural requirements for church leadership (i.e. the leaders are Biblically qualified and they submit to Christ by obeying His Word).  However, Christians must not submit to church authority that violates the Scriptural leadership qualifications and responsibilities; instead, they should find another church where the leadership itself follows Jesus and fulfills their Biblical responsibilities.
8. All believers should gather together regularly for worship, teaching, preaching, and Christ-centered fellowship.
9. All believers should submit themselves to each other out of reverence for Christ, being accountable to each other in their personal relationships.
10. All believers should build each other up in their Christian faith in both the pleasant and the sometimes unpleasant ways, including fulfilling the Scriptural responsibilities of exhorting, rebuking, and correcting when necessary.
11. All Christians must love each other the way Christ has loved us; i.e., we should sacrifice for, accept, and serve each other.
12. All believers should live their lives with a constant desire and expectation of Christ's return to Earth.  Thus, we should strive to be prepared to meet Him whenever He appears.

• Good Bible instruction, as its primary quality, consistently respects and promotes all the attributes of Scripture described in the Bible (see "Self-evident attributes of the Bible" above).
• Sound spiritual teaching continues to emphatically repeat the underlying theme of the Scriptures -- the true gospel of Christ's redemption and God's love for all of mankind.
• Good Biblical teaching is consistent and harmonious with Scripture and stresses the complete authority of the Bible for all believers.
• Authentic Bible instruction consistently avoids dogmatic teaching of human or church tradition and instead strictly focuses on the teachings of the Scriptures.
• Principles taught are balanced, not one-sided; they reflect a more complete view of what the Bible says about a topic.
• What is taught is understandable to all believers directly, not just to a privileged few.  It is not vaguely mysterious, inscrutably "deep", nor is it available only through either advanced education or by personal exploration and experience.
• Reliable spiritual instruction does not isolate the Scriptural message from the personal, cultural, language, or historical context of its original human authors and therefore does not obscure its originally-intended meaning.
• The teaching does not misinterpret or misapply the Scriptural meanings to any significant degree.
• The overall body of teaching does not perpetually remain elementary and basic; rather, it progressively delves into the same level of detail the Bible does for each topic being presented.
• A by-product of the teaching process should be that it encourages and equips believers to individually study the Bible to know the truth for themselves.  This has the dual effect of promoting authentic spiritual growth and also equipping some believers to eventually become Bible teachers in the church.  A good Bible teacher will therefore eventually make their own direct role unnecessary.  Individual believers will come to learn for themselves from the Bible, and some will also become ready to assume their Biblical role of teacher in the church.
• The teachings quote only from reliable Bible translations and consistently avoid highly inaccurate texts (such as The Message, The Living Bible, etc.).  Sound teaching strictly relies on faithful, accurate translations and the original-language Scriptural manuscripts.
• When interpretive violations (significant errors either in meaning or application) are discovered in the teaching, they will be promptly corrected, at whatever effort and cost are necessary.
• The overall effect of good Bible teaching should be to draw the the learner closer to God and to His Word, both requiring and encouraging believers to become more obedient to Christ's commandments; i.e., the teaching is able to produce true disciples of Christ.

... it is much easier to know the truth as a means for detecting error than it is to become an expert on sin.  The best way to recognize a counterfeit is to know the real thing first.

Many Christian authors or ministry leaders seem to regularly obey some sort of overpowering compulsion to present their own private interpretation of the Scriptures.  They add their own personal applications, anecdotes, and viewpoints onto the Biblical text to explain the points they are trying to make.  But in the process of supplying their "added insight", they often either warp or greatly expand the plain meanings depicted in the context of the Bible passages they quote.  In examining the many examples of such interpretive violations we have witnessed, we can only come to one conclusion about why these distortions so regularly occur: such teachers want to convey a special message to their audience, and they will expand or distort the Biblical message in whatever way is needed to communicate their own meanings.

We therefore strongly urge each Christian, when reviewing the teachings of any church leader or popular author, to carefully look at the Scripture to see if what they are saying is actually true (Acts 17:11).

In this age of superstars and hero-worship, it is all too easy to be attracted to the charisma of someone who is perceived to be a great leader, especially when such a person makes us feel good about ourselves, tells us what what we naturally want to hear, or represents to us an ideal we would like to personify.  Focusing on such self-centered desires instead of on God Himself is what the Bible plainly labels as "idolatry", and if we claim to love and belong to Christ, we should care deeply about this concern.  Christian believers should worship God alone, strictly out of love for and gratitude to Christ Jesus.  When a popular teacher places emphasis on themselves through their own personal charm and dynamic or exciting style, we must recognize this false emphasis for what it actually is -- a temptation to worship an idol.  Our focus should be fixed on Christ and God's Word alone, not on someone else who embodies our selfish ideals or somehow holds out a promise of personal fulfillment.  Following the "beautiful people" rarely produces beautiful results in our lives.  Following Christ alone is the only process whereby we can truly reflect His matchless beauty.

Some parts of Scripture are difficult, and they can be understood only through detailed Bible study, proper teaching, and spiritual maturity.  Also, certain teachings of the Bible are just harder to accept.  For example, many Christians believe they are perpetually and unconditionally in a state of forgiveness of their sins by God.  However, Christ clearly disagreed in His teaching about prayer, when He said, "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Matthew 6:14,15 NAS)  Such a teaching may be hard for some believers to accept.  It is not hard to understand, however.  And this Scripture does not require a human teacher to launch into an explanation of what it means and how it could be true or to offer the evil suggestion that it may not really say what it actually says, in order to make it easier to accept.  Rather, what is needed is our obedience; in this case, to forgive others and thus be in a position for our own sins to be forgiven.  This is one of many Biblical examples where the teaching is difficult to accept and obey, not difficult to understand.  It does not require a teacher; it requires our humble obedience, which is often far more difficult than gaining understanding.

Another common form of the "Modern and Easy" fallacy is a consistent attempt to "modernize" the Biblical text by stripping away the Scripture's original meaning and force-fitting each message into a contemporary social context or modern language usage, where it may not be able to adequately fit.  As a historical and cultural book, the Bible's messages must be properly viewed through the lens of the history, language and culture contemporary with its authors.  If the Bible's original context is stripped away, its truth will also be lost in the process.

Overall, if a teacher seems to always have an amazingly simple, contemporary explanation for every Biblical issue, they are likely falling into this trap and their teaching should be generally distrusted and carefully scrutinized against Scripture.

Twisting of the Scriptures is also accomplished by citing faulty texts, such as unreliable Bible translations or paraphrases (e.g. The Message, The Living Bible, etc.), which may seem to support the teacher's points.  Only proven-reliable, accurate Bible translations should be cited as a teaching authority.  As a general rule, Bible paraphrases should never be used as a source of reliable truth and they should generally be regarded as worthless.  Only authorized, proven-reliable and accurate translations, such as the Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, the New American Standard, and the King James Version should be used as the foundational text for Bible studies or Christian teaching.  If paraphrases or highly-questionable translations are used as sources of truth and authority, the teaching must be distrusted.

If the teaching either removes Scriptures from their context or quotes from unreliable texts to put forth its private message, thus obscuring or changing the true meaning of the Biblical message, it is false.

In a broader and more generally-applicable sense of the concept of tradition, the modern church commonly observes and teaches various time-honored practices not clearly supported by Scripture for Christian believers, including (but certainly not limited to):

• Rituals and oaths required for gaining church membership
• Particular worship forms (ex: music styles, liturgies, chants, responsive worship, symbolism, creeds, clothing, specific days for meeting, forms of prayer or meditation, physical gestures, etc.)
• Human corporation-style church authority structure and function (as opposed to the authentic Biblical church model)
• Enforcement of other non-essential doctrines (ex: particular forms of water baptism, dietary restrictions, Calvinism vs. Arminianism, private interpretations regarding spiritual gifts, etc.)
• Denominationalism
• Old-testament (Mosaic-law) tithing (10%)

As long as church members realize that mere human traditions are not to be treated as "sacred", there is not necessarily a problem.  Only when the traditions are dogmatically enforced, and therefore supersede Biblical teaching, are they to be regarded as heresy.  The serious problem with mandating traditional religious practices such as these is that they are not required by God for the New Testament church.  Nonetheless, they are often taught as "commandments" in the sense that they are presented as mandatory for believers who want to become joined to a particular group.  Any contravention of Biblical authority by requiring observance of human traditions represents only human "religion", especially when they are enforced as a condition of church involvement or acceptance by a group.  Such practices do not represent the "pure and undefiled religion" described in the Bible (James 1:27).

One of the major problems that has historically arisen from dogmatically requiring human traditions is that they have divided Christian believers from each other into distinctly separate "denominational" or "non-denominational" groups.  Such groups do not usually cooperate with each other the way Biblical teaching requires for the Body of Christ.  The anti-Scriptural disunity that results from enforcing these practices clearly opposes one of the deep passions of Christ, shown when He petitioned the Father for a close, intimate degree of unity between believers and between us and Him, as recorded in the following Scripture passage:

For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:19-23 NIV [emphasis added]

Notice in the above passage that one of Jesus' primary motives for our unity is that "the world may believe that you have sent me."  The church cannot obey Christ's commandment for evangelization and cause others to know that God has sent Him without the spiritual unity Christ desired.  Human traditions separate people from one another and therefore contradict the passion of Christ for the church's spiritual unity -- a passion for the lost world to believe in Him and be saved.

As we have stated, it is necessary to understand that traditions in themselves are not inherently bad as long as they do not clearly contradict the Scripture and are not enforced as required "doctrines".  As a primary example of valid traditions, Christ commanded two regular practices for all believers -- the sacraments of baptism at the time of salvation and frequent participation in the Lord's Supper ("Holy Communion", or the "eucharist").  Furthermore, the New Testament tells all believers that they should assemble together regularly as a church body (Hebrews 10:25).  And Christ Himself participated in the Jewish traditions of their religious festivals, which were mandated by God in the Mosaic covenant; Jesus observed these festivals as part of His complete fulfillment of the Law of Moses and His deep respect for the Scriptures.  But we can see in all these examples that the traditions were clearly in obedience to God's commands in the Scripture.

Various human traditions, while not mentioned in the Bible, are in themselves not inherently "sinful", especially when these practices have been closely associated with individual believers' personal faith.  For example, although observance of the the birth of Jesus at Christmas and His death and resurrection at Easter are not mentioned in the Bible, these traditions are deeply meaningful and closely associated with the personal faith of most Christians.  Romans 14 speaks strongly to the issue of not judging others for their observances of "non-essential" practices, which many Christian believers follow out of personal conviction, arising from a deep feeling of obedience to and worship of God.  Therefore, far be it from us to make a general condemnation of all human traditions!  Our only rejection of tradition is based on the standard that Christ spelled out clearly -- when human traditions are essentially represented as the commands of God, especially when they separate Christian believers or groups from each other.

The "Time-Honored" heresy is an expression of the human tendency to place priority on human preferences and traditions instead of on God's commandments.  Observance and teaching of time-honored traditions instead of God's Word was repeatedly the subject of Christ's scathing, public attacks on the religious leaders of His day.  The Bible shows clearly that He does not feel any differently about this issue of hypocrisy and heresy now than He did when He walked the Earth.  However, centering people's attention on human traditions is clearly an effective tactic for gaining and maintaining a loyal and cohesive following within the various fractured and independent groups of Christian believers.  Such spiritual division and contravention of God's Word is clearly condemned by Christ, His appointed apostles, and by other principles in Scripture.

Teachings which place higher value on time-honored traditions than on God's commandments, especially those which have the effect of separating Christian believers from one another, are clearly opposed to sound Biblical teachings and are contrary to Christ's expressly-stated desires.  In these cases, dogmatic human traditions must be treated as yet another form of heresy.

This heretical tactic is a common thread that runs through all other heretical tactics.  It resurfaces in all the cases of false teaching, and people seem to be willing to accept any form of falsehood to serve their own desires.  This fallacy is simply an expression of the belief that people fundamentally regard themselves as the final authority -- they indulge in the "right" to decide what is good or bad on the basis of their own thinking and desires, and ignore what God actually says about the topic, just because they don't agree with it or are not willing to pay the personal price required to obey it.

Spoon-fed believers will remain stunted and disabled in their knowledge of God and His Word.  Because of their very slow or halted spiritual growth, in which they remain largely unchanged, they run the risk of being ineffective and essentially useless in the Body of Christ and even risk failing to fulfill God's purpose for their life, missing out on His reason for saving them in the first place!  Teachings that are perpetually limited to "sound bites" of Scripture, which never expound on the details of truth God explains in His Word, do a deeply hurtful disservice to the Christian in the long run.  Believers who continue to remain content with brief explanations of the Bible (as long as they are fun and interesting), and are dissatisfied when they don't move along to other subjects at a certain pace, show that they are disinterested in what God really wants to teach them.  Therefore, spoon-feed teachings that cater to these impatient, easily-dissatisfied Christians will only have the long-term effect of being false by depriving believers of God's truth in very important areas and keeping them from growing spiritually.  This false teaching tactic is closely related to the "Cafeteria Line" tactic in that its emphasis is to maintain the interest of these immature believers by catering to their desire for variety, fun, and ongoing change, presumably so they will not become bored or overly-challenged.  This "spoon feed" tactic is another expression of the modern marketing philosophy "Give the customer what they want."

To summarize "The Spoon Feed" tactic, bodies of spiritual teaching, whether from local church leadership or from a popular teacher, often keep things at an elementary level.  This practice demonstrates deep disrespect for God's Word by ignoring the clear Scriptural obligation for true discipleship in the church.  Such discipleship is a necessary process of spiritual growth, and this is directly commanded by Christ as a fundamental purpose for the church.  If a body of teaching ignores the need for such growth by perpetually keeping things at an elementary level of "milk" instead of teaching people to eat the "meat", this teaching is contrary to one of the most fundamental purposes of the church as commanded by Jesus -- that is, to "make disciples of all nations, ... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:18-20)  If this pattern of milk-toast doctrine is perpetuated, it will have the effect of limiting a believer's knowledge of and obedience to Christ and will interfere with their Biblically-mandated function in the Body of Christ.  Perpetually-elementary teaching will keep church members totally dependent on their leaders and will ensure they will remain spiritually immature, ineffective as Christians, and easily controllable.  Is this what legitimate and loving Christian leaders want for the church?  More importantly, is this what Christ wants?  Of course not.

Such violation of Christ's direct command for ongoing discipleship actually represents a heresy -- it is false teaching overall.  But it works well for maintaining a loyal following, since they will keep coming back for more and will continue to open wide as they enjoy the never-ending variety of the easy, fun, and non-confrontational spoon feeding routine.

We have observed two major problems with the "Apostles and Prophets" tactic:

• Problem 1: The modern concept of "Apostles and Prophets" is not supported by Scripture
  The idea that either apostles or prophets exist in the modern day, in the way this concept is "sold" to the church, is not a Biblically-supported idea at all.  This concept especially is not supported by the New Testament texts.  This "office", "calling", or "gift" of apostleship or prophecy, in the way modern teachers usually express the concept (described below), is not at all illustrated in Scripture.  Specifically, the manner in which the first-century apostles and prophets communicated is dramatically different from the modern expressions of these functions.  The first-century church apostles clearly demonstrated a supreme respect for prior Scripture.  They quoted, alluded to, and accurately applied existing Scripture in an authoritative manner, and their messages illustrated a clear harmony with prior Scripture, without exception.  In fact, the apostle Luke, a leader in the first-century church and a prolific Biblical author, singled out and praised the Christian believers in Berea, of whom he said that "they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what [apostle] Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11b)
  
  These consistent behaviors of the first-century apostles and prophets stand in stark contrast with the deep disrespect for Holy Scripture reflected in modern "prophetic" messages and by "apostolic" messengers.  These latter-day, self-proclaimed "holy men of God" instead attempt to shape the Scripture like clay so it will resemble and support whatever new message they wish to convey.  In the process, they fabricate completely new doctrines and bodies of teaching which significantly contradict and "add to" the Bible.  Their basis of authority for doing these things is supposedly that they are apostles and/or prophets.  They apparently rely on their followers to either remain blissfully ignorant of or entirely ignore the Scriptures and instead accept the teacher's independent authority.
  
  In addition, in both the Old and New Testament Scriptures, we read that God frequently attested to the authority and truth of the prophets or apostles by performing special miraculous works.  Christ's own earthly ministry is the most vivid example.  Jesus' miraculous works verified the validity and authority of His identity and His message -- He said that these miracles were one of the proofs of His authenticity which "testified of Him" (John 10:25).
  
  But when we listen to the public statements of the self-proclaimed modern apostles and prophets, we often hear their claims that they are doing similar miracles.  However, we cannot see any credible evidence to support such claims.  Where is the real, miraculous proof of their independent authority to speak for God?  Does God attest to the legitimacy of these so-called apostles and prophets with hard facts, in the way recorded in the Scriptures?  Are the medical reports (which should prove their claims of miraculous healings) available for public inspection?  We challenge the reader to find such reports.  And obviously, if these miraculous events were actually happening, wouldn't we be able to see the masses of people following after these leaders in a similar way they flocked to Christ, or to Peter or Paul?  Don't you think accounts of such amazing signs and wonders would constantly appear in the global new headlines?  The obvious conclusion in all these cases is that these modern miracle workers are nothing more than charlatans.  Without the objective evidence that God is using these "special" people to accomplish the miraculous, without the proof of their independent authority in the way the Biblical pattern demonstrates, we can see these self-proclaimed "men of God" for what they actually are -- blasphemous and contemptible frauds.
  
  Yet another reason (and possibly the most important reason) the modern concept of the office of apostle or prophet is not supported by Scripture is that no direct or implied Biblical statements can be found, nor can any Scriptural principles be clearly seen, which show that these authoritative functions of apostles and prophets are intended for today in the same way they clearly were meant for the first-century Christian church.  The most reasonable conclusion about why the Bible does not say these special "offices" persist into the indefinite future is that the entire body of inspired Scripture (the canon) is now complete, and the Bible is now the final authority and the ultimate verification of Christian faith.  This complete finality of God's revelation has therefore rendered the function of apostles and prophets unnecessary, in the way it was clearly expressed in the first-century Christian church.  The Scripture's omission of statements or principles that even imply the authoritative function of apostle or prophet were to survive the first century most reasonably indicates that God intended them to become obsolete.  He foresaw these functions as being unneeded when His written Word became complete and was circulated and preserved within the Church in the final form of the original manuscripts, verbatim copies, and subsequent faithful, accurate translations.
   

• If Christian teachers implicitly question God's character or supersede His Word in this way, they obviously are not representing God as they claim to be.  They are only serving their own interests.

  Problem 2: The modern messages consistently contradict Scripture
  Upon close inspection, one will discover that the "divine revelations" coming from the self-proclaimed, modern apostles and prophets inevitably disagree with or violate Scripture, in one or more of the ways identified in this list of heresy-teaching tactics.  When the credibility and truth of their messages cannot stand up to an accurate interpretation of Scripture, they can be seen for what they actually are -- messages not from God.  When teachings contravene the Bible, we know these messages are not given by God, because according to the Scriptures, He "cannot lie", as shown in the following passages:
   

  " in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago," Titus 1:2 NAS " so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil," Hebrews 6:18,19 NAS

In addition to the above passages, many other Scriptures clearly illustrate the self-consistency, integrity, and unchanging truth and character of God, including: Lam. 3:23, James 1:13, Num. 23:19, Jer. 23:28, Ps. 119:86, Ps. 119:138, 2 Tim. 2:11, 13, Titus 3:8, Rev. 1:5, Rev. 3:14, Rev. 19:11 (and many other Biblical references).

We can readily see throughout Holy Scripture that God reveals a basic principle of absolute truth, a truth which is self-consistent and cannot contradict itself.  Scripture's depiction of the nature of truth and its Source clearly demonstrates the logical principle of "non-contradiction".  This principle of non-contradiction most basically states that if "A" is true and if "B" is true, neither "A" nor "B" can contradict or otherwise nullify each other.  That is, if both "A" and "B" are true, "A" cannot contradict "B" or cause it to be false, and "B" cannot contradict "A" or cause it to be false.  In addition, if "A" is true, it is not possible for "A" to be false, and it also follows that if "B" is true, it is not possible for "B" to be false.  Also, if "A" is true, and "A" shows "B" to be true, then "B" must be in fact true, and "B" cannot possibly contradict "A".

If this logic is confusing, just think of it this way -- real truth cannot conflict with any other real truth, and any true statement or belief cannot possibly conflict with the source or originator of that statement or belief.  On the basis of the truth and divine self-consistency illustrated in the Bible, we can understand and trust that God will not, and even cannot, contradict Himself.  If He says one thing, He will not turn around and reveal something else that contradicts it, at any time or in any context.  Therefore, if a human claims to directly speak for God, but they contradict, twist, or supersede the Biblical text (what God has already said), both their teachings and their claims of authority are clearly shown to be false.

In light of all the available evidence, it is easy to deduce a reason why the "office" of apostleship or prophecy (as it is commonly touted) is being resurrected in our times, after the Bible has apparently put to rest the need for this office.  That is, the reason for the resurfacing of this belief clearly seems to be that the independently-authoritative "Bible" teachers are willing to employ any method they can to obtain and preserve a loyal following of disciples.  For whatever reason, these modern "apostles" and "prophets" market themselves as those who directly speak for God.  They seem to expect others to believe and follow them strictly on the basis of their claims of authority, special revelation, and divine power, regardless of the clear statements of Scripture which directly oppose their claims.

The most deeply grievous and alarming aspect of this particular heresy tactic, as compared with the other tactics cited, is that these independently authoritative teachers are brazenly trying to position themselves in a place above God.  Their messages clearly contradict specific Biblical doctrines and therefore attempt to supersede the general authority of Holy Scripture.  A parallel example of such contravention of God's authority is illustrated in Lucifer's (Satan's) own behavior throughout pre-history and in human history, including his temptation of Adam and Even in the garden of Eden.  The striking similarities between Satan's deceptive tactic and the typical modern apostle's or prophet's behaviors are especially disturbing.  The "$60,000 question" then is this: "Why, if someone claims to speak for God, would they contradict His already-revealed Word or attempt to add to it?"  If Christian teachers implicitly question God's character or supersede His Word in this way, they obviously are not representing God as they claim to be.  They are only serving their own interests.  The apostle Peter spoke directly to this issue in 2 Peter chapter 2.  This chapter deserves serious consideration as a further demonstration of God's clear warning against such heretical and damnable practices.

In summary, it is sufficient to say that the Bible itself speaks volumes on the issue of its holy, "God-breathed", Holy Spirit-inspired qualities, including its supreme authority, inerrancy, and completeness.  While the scope of this most fundamental doctrine of the final authority of Scripture is much larger than what we are able to adequately discuss here, there are many very scholarly and well-respected writings available on this subject, some of which are completely understandable by the average Christian.  But more important than these subsequent scholarly writings, the Holy Bible itself is clear and understandable on the most essential points, and we should primarily avail ourselves of the resource of God's Word before listening to human teachers.

As an example, we read in the Bible that the initial public message of Jesus' earthly ministry, as He delivered it to the masses, was simple, sharp, and confrontational, when He emphatically proclaimed, "Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near."  (Matthew 4:17)  Scripture shows that Christ believed the first step in teaching people was to confront them with the requirement to repent of their sins.  He believed and taught that, without true repentance as the first step in being "born again", one cannot enter into fellowship with God or be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven.  Furthermore, the Bible is filled with examples of the urgent need to confront sin in the church and between fellow believers.  It is important to observe that Jesus Himself spent more time talking about sin and its deadly consequences than He talked about more pleasant, comfortable issues such as Heaven or solving life's daily problems.

But how many sermons are preached from the modern pulpit that passionately call for a real repentance from sin, especially the personal sins of the church members listening?  How many popular teachers focus on the issue of personal sin in a truly Biblical manner which convicts the learner of their own failure and rebellion against God?  How much emphasis is really placed on our desperate need for God's own righteousness and His holiness?  What teachings really "bring it down to earth" by focusing on our own hypocritical and selfish practices?  In our observation, very few messages honestly talk about the subject of sin, although Christ obviously thought it was very important.  In fact, His very presence on Earth was to address the deadly issue of our sin.  If we reject the Biblical message of repentance from sin in favor of a "feel-good" or "felt-needs" gospel, on the basis that such "negative" teaching makes us feel bad, we are in fact rejecting Christ's own message of salvation.

The reason the doctrinal narcotics dealers' tactic of false teaching is so successful is because it caters to people's self-focused desires.  After all, who wants to feel bad?  Isn't it better to feel good?  Aren't "bad" feelings evil and "good" feelings more righteous?  The Bible clearly shows this simplistic, self-centered thinking to be false.  Without the fear, uncertainty, and general torment that results from true conviction of our sins, we will not repent, and as a result, we and others around us will therefore continue to suffer the grave (and even eternal) consequences.

Sin in our lives and in the church is a deadly cancer.  If it is not adequately addressed in the Biblical manner, it will destroy individuals, families, and the church at large.  Toleration of sin is an affront to God's holiness and it makes light of the precious sacrifice of Christ.  So the heresy of avoiding this fundamental sin problem, out of fear that preaching about repentance from sin will drive people away from the church, actually drives people away from God and even deprives many of eternal life.  Essentially, a focus strictly on "good feelings" represents a false gospel -- it is not "good news" at all.  This false, emotionally-based message stands condemned in light of Scripture, and it tramples on the very blood of Christ.

• The "Word of Faith", "Positive Confession, or "Kingdom Dominion" doctrines
• Teaching that emphasizes certain "signs" and "wonders" (ministries that focus on "miracles" instead of on Christ, His true gospel, and the Bible in general)
• Special doctrines of financial giving to religious leaders (and the presumed personal rewards that will result)
• Other teachings which supposedly reveal deep spiritual principles that can be used by anyone, presumably so they can enjoy "abundant life", whatever one may think that means

All the principles taught which fall into this "Dominion Now" or "Heaven on Earth" fallacy share a common emphasis -- an appeal to personal, selfish desires.  After all, who wouldn't want to perpetually enjoy health, wealth, and general freedom from hardship?  Who wouldn't want to experience personal power over all of life's circumstances? Isn't this the "abundant life" Christ talked about?  As a short answer, the Scripture clearly demonstrates it is absolutely not what Jesus described as "abundant life".  Our life is in Him alone, not in manipulation of our own circumstances to fulfill our wishes. (John 14:6)

This heresy, in all of its various forms, clearly violates God's primary commandment -- that we worship Him alone, exclusive of everything else, especially our own understanding and selfish desires.  It also patently violates the Scriptural principle of God's independent sovereignty, since He alone possesses power over our life and over the world at large.  We cannot be so foolish as to believe that somehow we have the wisdom to know what is best for our lives -- only God does.  We also cannot be so naive' as to assume we can exercise "authority" over our circumstances as only God can.  And of course, we cannot be so arrogant as to think we can somehow exercise deep "spiritual" faith principles which supposedly God Himself also uses to accomplish miraculous works.  As God clearly communicates through this and many other Scriptures:

Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:7-9 NAS

Nothing is greater than God.  He is the source of all truth and all principles, and He answers to nothing and to no one.  We are made in His image, but He is not like us.  He does not employ "higher" spiritual principles -- He creates, defines, and manipulates them, according to His own wisdom and for His own independent purposes.  He is above all and He is The Almighty.  We cannot in any way impersonate or "utilize" God's incomparable, holy, and infinite sovereignty.

Spiritual teaching about "higher" principles which humans can supposedly use to accomplish the miraculous (like God presumably also does) is nothing other than foolish, anti-Scriptural, and blasphemous arrogance.  Such teaching reflects a gross misunderstanding of the Bible and of God's nature and character.  God's power and His principles are not tools for humans to manipulate to follow our own whims, just because we are so brash as to believe we know what is best for us and think we too can act like God.  Apparently, many people are willing to believe that through our own knowledge and formulaic practices, we are able to impersonate the Almighty and shape our lives and circumstances, independent of His own sovereign power and wisdom.  It sounds like we believe we can become "gods" in our own right, doesn't it?  Such beliefs much more closely resemble Mormon, New-Age or eastern religious doctrines than they sound like good Biblical teaching.

Neither God, "faith", nor spiritual principles can be treated as some sort of "genie in the lamp", where all we have to do is to learn how to rub the lamp in the right way and POOF!  our life solution miraculously appears.  This is not faith.  It is only self-centered idolatry and foolish, dangerous disrespect for the Almighty.

The following stratagems are being used by the Emergent church to promote their global agenda, which upon careful inspection can be seen for what it is -- dangerous heresy.  Close study of their stratagems most reasonably suggests that the Emergent Church is using these methods in an attempt to redefine Christianity at the most fundamental levels.  The Emergent Church's tactics include:

• Publicly presenting the gospel of Christ's salvation as a more socially-acceptable, generally-appealing, and less restrictive or offensive set of beliefs
• Embracing people of different "faiths" and welcoming all into the broader group, presumably to communicate love, tolerance and acceptance, even to the point of allowing doctrinal idolatry and pagan worship practices to continue unchecked
• Incorporating modern economic, sociological, psychological, philosophical, and even political concepts into the core teachings and practices of the church
• Appealing to the "felt needs" of all individuals who presumably are seeking for truth and acceptance, so as to attract them to the church and maintain their loyalty
• Building a grass-roots, local network of individual, personal home groups, complete with unified teaching, inter-personal accountability, and enforced adherence to higher-level church authority
• Creating ties between major church leaders and world political leaders
• Developing and proposing grand plans and methodologies for world peace and general good will and coexistence
• Appealing to the perceived need for a non-confrontational, common-sense, and "kinder, gentler" approach to spreading Christianity on an interpersonal level
• Building a networked infrastructure of local churches that are committed and tied into the global Emergent Church movement, which are accountable to the highest levels of authority
• Publishing teaching materials on a mass scale which are targeted not just to the church, but to non-Christians as well
• Developing unified training curricula and programs for pastoral and lay-leader instruction at the local level
• Actively pursuing mass-media exposure and key public associations with famous figures
• Employing highly questionable (heretical) teaching materials and heavily citing unreliable Bible "translations" or paraphrases instead of quoting from verified, accurate translations
• Promoting websites oriented to information, ministry resources, and social networking, which are targeted at pastors and Christian leaders.  Such websites include Rick Warren's popular Pastors.com site (see http://www.pastors.com).  Websites such as this are geared toward achieving a "unification of thought and purpose" within local church leadership, presumably to get the masses of pastors "on board" with the global Emergent Church agenda.  They attempt to achieve this unification by disseminating Emergent Church teaching information, encouraging inter-pastoral communication and accountability, and monitoring the dialog between individual pastors and lay leaders within the church.  While the superficial, visible aspects of such websites may seem good, the underlying heretical values and agendas are clearly revealed through a closer inspection of the doctrinal positions, public statements, and publications of the leaders and organizations who promote such sites.

These Emergent Church activities in recent decades are well documented, being publicly touted by the prominent individuals and organizations at the center of this coordinated, global initiative.  Many prominent church leaders, authors, and philosophers are at the forefront of this world-wide effort.  These leaders' public statements, activities, and publications have consistently promoted the idea that a "new paradigm" is viewed as necessary for the church to remain relevant, to become more "effective" in the modern world, and for Christianity itself to even survive as a viable religion.

The serious doctrinal problem with these modern, "progressive" philosophies is that in most respects they are blatantly opposed to Scripture.  While some of the Emergent Church activities may seem good at first blush, its philosophies flatly contradict some plain Biblical teachings:

• The Bible states that most people will be offended by Jesus' gospel and that they will be eternally condemned as a result (i.e. if His message of salvation is "softened" to not be offensive, it is no longer His gospel).  (1 Cor. 1:18-25, John 3:18-20)
• The Bible states that the unbelieving world will hate Christians because they "do not belong to the world" (John 15:18-20, Matt. 10:22, Luke 6:22,23).  God did not provide a remedy in the Scriptures to this condition of enmity between Christians and the evil world system.
• The Bible states that the gate to eternal life is narrow, and few will enter therein (as opposed to the liberal and open-armed approach of the Emergent Church). (Matt. 7:13,14)
• The Bible states that Christ "did not come to bring peace, but a sword", over the issues of salvation and discipleship, even to the point of bringing division within families! (Matt. 10:33-38)
• The Bible states that although Christians are "in the world", we are not (and should not be) "of the world" (John 17:14-18, James 4:4,5).
• The Bible states that there can be no fellowship between Christian believers and the Satanic world order; there can be no agreement or compromise between light and darkness -- the two systems are irreconcilable and eternally incompatible. (1 Cor. 10:14-22)
• The Bible states that the Gospel of Christ will be foolishness to non-believers (i.e. we cannot make it acceptable). (1 Cor. 1:18-25, 2 Cor. 2:15-17, 2 Cor. 4:1-5)
• The Bible clearly shows that the church of Christ grows only through the powerful and direct action of the Holy Spirit, Who causes people to believe in Christ, not through any human methods of "wisdom" or "enlightened" influence. (John 6:42-44, Acts 2:44-47, John 3:5-8)
• In stark contrast to the siren calls of many popular church leaders, the Bible does not urge Christians to transform themselves to become more acceptable to the non-Christian world.  To the contrary, Scripture requires that we not be conformed to the world but rather be transformed by renewing our minds in Christ Jesus. (Romans 12:1,2)
• The Bible states that Christ is "the same yesterday, today, and forever". (Hebrews 13:7-9)

Tip: To conduct further personal research about these concerns, we recommend you start with a Google search for the term "emergent church" and a separate search for the term "church growth movement".

The "New Horizons" heresy is well documented in various other published and thoroughly-researched resources, which provide great detail about the history, activities, and theology of both the Emergent Church and the Church Growth movements.  Suffice it to say that the picture these new initiatives paint of world evangelization, discipleship, and church growth differs dramatically from what the Holy Scriptures describe.  More information on this is available on the "Questionable Teachings" webpage at http://risingbread.org/Articles/Questionable.htm, under the titles "The Market-Driven Church", etc., and these phenomena are well documented in many other web-based and printed publications.

In summary, we choose to focus on the picture God has painted and believe that no new paradigm is needed, since He knew all along what mankind requires in order to come into personal fellowship with Him.  He sent His Son and established and preserved His written Word to reveal these things to us.  We don't need new human wisdom to "enlighten" us differently.

In sharp contrast to this evil and deceptive philosophy, the Bible communicates a basic message -- truth is real, it is absolute, it is unchanging, it is objectively defined and knowable, and it only comes from God.  Specifically, the Holy Scripture not only presents itself as God's truth, but it also shows that Christ is both the pure embodiment of truth and that He literally is the "Truth".  The Bible in no way teaches us that we can only know the truth through our own personal exploration, experimentation, or experience.  On the contrary, Scripture presents truth as an external, objective, and unchanging set of principles and beliefs to which all humans are accountable.  It shows that we can know this Truth not through private, subjective experience, but rather through exercising faith in God's independent revelation of truth, most especially through believing in His only begotten Son, Jesus.

To illustrate the "Personal Experience" heresy, we observe that various teachings have been promulgated within the church, some even centuries old, which suggest that believers are able to know "truth" only by exploring deep, hidden things through some sort of mystical process of personal peace and enlightenment.  One of the more popular, contemporary examples of such heresy is found in the teachings about "contemplative prayer", which is a centuries-old, Catholic mystical tradition of meditation that has resurfaced in recent years within the Protestant church (see the book excerpt "The Subtle Deception of 'Contemplative Prayer'" at http://risingbread.org/Articles/Be Still.pdf).  In this particular case, it is suggested to the Christian believer that in order to really "hear from God" and experience His presence and personal peace, one must immerse themselves into a mindless, quiet meditative state by following a proscribed formula for meditation.  This heretical philosophy has been resurrected from past centuries of Catholic tradition and is being actively promoted by modern teachers such as Beth Moore, Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and Max Lucado.  As with all other false teaching, the problem with this particular prayer doctrine is that it violates the Scripture, most especially Christ's own principles and instructions for prayer.  But more fundamentally, it violates the Scriptural doctrine of God's truth by consigning the significance of true prayer and fellowship with God to something that you can only know through a mystical, personal experience, as opposed to the Christian experience that should result from authentic Biblical prayer.

Whatever form of "Personal Experience" heresy is taught, it will embody the concept that one can know and believe in truth only through private exploration, experimentation, and subjective discovery.  Such teachings are directly opposed to what God has revealed about the general concept of His specially-revealed truth in the Bible and are especially opposed to the specific embodiment of Truth in the real, historical person of Jesus Christ.

Some very worthwhile, prominent Christian ministries have a primary focus of helping others; Compassion International is a great example.  Our personal experience with Compassion International has been excellent in all regards, and they overtly promote the gospel of Christ and Biblical discipleship.  See the "About Us" page on their website at http://www.compassion.com/about/aboutus.htm.  We would especially invite you to read the following pages:

• The Compassion Mission Statement
• The Compassion Commitment
• The Compassion Statement of Faith
• Compassion's Leadership Principles

Our long-time personal experience with Compassion International tells us that all the things they claim to believe about their mission, commitment, faith, and principles are actually true, and they deserve Christian's full support.

By contrast with Compassion International, there are other public organizations which superficially resemble Christian benevolence efforts.  A notable one is Children International.  Their name is similar to Compassion International, and even their logo looks somewhat like Compassion's logo.  Looking at their website (http://www.children.org), it becomes clear that Children International employs emotionally-based appeals to garner support, including testimonials from celebrities such as Maureen McCormick ("Marsha Brady" from the TV show "Brady Bunch").  Watch her video testimonial on Children International's sponsorship page (http://www.children.org/AChildJustForYouSW2-ChildrenInternational.asp?WT.mc_id=S_Google&RS_ID=2&WT.srch=1).  You will see that the message here emphasizes children's faith "in people, in the world, and in themselves".  They say nothing about children's faith in God, either in this testimonial or in other areas of their website.  Maureen's video testimonial also states, "Your decision to sponsor a child now will change your sponsored child's life forever."  The problem with this statement is that Christians have no reason to believe anything eternal ("forever") will be changed about the child's condition because of Children International's efforts.  In this regard, we should especially observe that this organization was originally called "Holy Land Christian Mission" (see their history at http://www.children.org/history.asp?sid=B7838A22-70B5-42F4-964E-57CC61864261).  The organization was renamed to Children International, and all references to Christ and Christianity are omitted from their website and their promotional materials.  Therefore, while on the surface it would appear that Children International is doing "good" things, it is also evident that they are no longer doing these things for Christ's sake.  It is also clear they have shifted their emphasis away from the Gospel of Christ and toward human, public benevolence.  And finally, they tell you "You are truly a special person", presumably because you give money to Children International.  Should Christians think they are a "special person" because they give money to a benevolent organization that has abandoned the cause of Christ and therefore is not also caring for children's real eternal needs?  Of course not.

So in cases such as these, the Christian should ask, "What could be bad about 'good' works?"  The natural tendency is to automatically object to anyone like ourselves who presumes to question the apparent value of benevolence and supposed "kindness"; any such objection is entirely understandable on the surface.  In this regard, we must first emphasize our strong conviction that work and giving on behalf of others can be a very good thing.  We believe this strongly, and we are regularly occupied with doing such things ourselves, although we will never publicize them.  The reason for questioning the value of works done publicly is based on the need to understand the motive for public good deeds and see the bigger picture -- those deeds' broader context.

Specifically, the other activities so-called "ministries" engage in are at least as important as their acts of physical care, and even more so.  If their other activities are shown to be highly questionable or devoid of any Christian emphasis, we are obligated to wonder why they are involved in public benevolence.  We must step back to see the entire picture painted by a ministry's overall efforts.  And in many cases, we must also question why "good" works are often done in such a visible, public manner.  Directly examining these issues will help us determine the real value of a ministry's acts of public benevolence.  We must not make overly-simplistic assumptions about basic value when we see a public effort visibly promoting their good works.  As Christians, we must carefully look at the situation more completely before we decide to support them.

So let's repeat an overly-obvious statement: certain public organizations do conspicuous things that help people meet their physical needs; in a general sense, this naturally appears to be noble and good.  But we can often (and far too often) observe that some organizations portrayed as Christian ministries (or which once depicted themselves as "Christian") publicly advertise their works of benevolence.  Some of these organizations regularly violate Scriptural doctrines or ignore Christ's gospel entirely, through the overall messages they convey in their teachings.  If significant Biblical violations are clearly demonstrated by the regular practices of so-called "ministries", we should be compelled to critically examine the overall value of such organizations, including the real value of their good works in light of Biblical truth.

In this examination process, we must first look at the statements of Scripture that clearly demonstrate "good" works do not (and cannot) in themselves justify or vindicate the wrongness of an overall false Christian message.  We must also respect Christ's judgment about the issue of performing benevolence publicly.  Along these lines, there are some necessary questions to answer when we see an organization involved in public benevolence but otherwise ignoring the Bible or preaching a false doctrinal message.  Such questions include:

• Why are they doing these apparently loving things?
• Don't their good works validate their ministry?
• Can't we overlook their other faults and see them as having a good Christian emphasis?
• Shouldn't the kind things they do for others be done publicly, so people can be a part of that by supporting them financially?
• Shouldn't we support them anyway, regardless of their other problems, because they are helping people so much?

These are necessary questions to answer.  We read in the Bible that God addressed these concerns directly, as shown in the following Scriptures (emphasis added):

Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in Heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-6 NAS

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 NAS

Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Romans 4:4-6 NAS

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'  Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:15-24 NAS

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:4-10 NAS

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Isaiah 64:6 NAS

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
Isaiah 53:6 NAS

And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.
Matthew 10:42 NIV

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Matthew 25:37-40 NIV

We can readily see in the above Scriptures that God's emphasis for Christian good works is an exclusive focus on Christ and on expressing our love to Him by demonstrating His love to others -- His complete, Biblical form of love.  In both these and in other passages, the Bible also shows clearly that humans are inherently unacceptable to God in our naturally sinful condition, and that only God's provision for our righteousness can make us acceptable.  In addition, we can also observe from the Bible that Jesus wants our good works to be private whenever possible, seen only by those we directly benefit and seen by God; it should never be our intention for our good works to be visible to others so they can see how "good" we are and therefore earn their admiration and support.  If we have such selfish intentions, Christ assures us that our only reward will be the temporary admiration of others.  There is no lasting value in this.  In short, we cannot show true love for others while violating God's commandments or acting selfishly.

Through all of our Christian good works, we should be doing good for others because we are truly impersonating our Master -- "because we are His disciples".  By loving others in the way Christ commanded and exemplified, we are actually loving Him, and we are therefore demonstrating His authentic love to others.  We are truly acting like Jesus, and we are thus shown to be His disciples.  Therefore, neither individuals nor Christian ministries should draw attention to themselves through their good works or presume that such good deeds can either demonstrate or earn any measure of righteousness.  According to the Bible, the overall goal of good works must be to "glorify your Father who is in Heaven" (Matt. 5:16), not to attract attention to a human organization or effort.  And above all, a Christian ministry must not communicate to the public that good works are any basis for acceptability, either by God or by others.  Such a representation would be a false gospel.  Jesus' good news of the Gospel is based solely and completely on His redemptive act of sacrifice for all mankind, and He completely opposes the human concept of gaining acceptance through what humans naturally view as "good".

Just as important, an unavoidable fact Christians must face when meeting others' personal needs is: without exception, every single person we physically help is still going to die and face God.  So in the process of helping them with their temporary, physical requirements, what are we doing to lead them to Christ?  Are we presenting them with the true Gospel?  Through all our efforts, are we meeting their eternal needs?  We must point out that both Scripture and recorded history shows that every person Christ healed, fed, befriended, or even raised from the dead nonetheless eventually ended up dead anyway.  Faced with the inevitability of death for all humans, what are Christians really doing to care for others' eternal needs?  Is what we do for others done with a real concern for their ultimate destiny?  Do we really place value on these eternal realities the Bible says we must, and therefore express real love for those around us?

In His brief ministry on Earth, Jesus placed His primary emphasis on repentance from sin and eternal reconciliation with God by exercising faith in Christ.  He did not primarily emphasize meeting people's temporary needs.  In addition, the Bible shows Christ used His good deeds as a platform for preaching His good news of salvation and motivating others to believe in Him.  Looking at Jesus' example and comparing it to others', we should ask questions like: Do Christian ministries that openly publicize their benevolent works consistently preach Christ's true Gospel as Jesus did?  Or do they instead present their good works as a badge of authenticity, a supposed proof of their righteousness, to garner and maintain the financial support they claim is required to continue their "work for God"?  Through all their efforts, are they meeting people's most basic, eternal needs as the Bible describes them?  Truly honest answers to these questions, in light of Scripture, should primarily influence our opinion of a Christian ministry and the real value of its overall messages.  Believers in Christ must not be deceived by a superficial demonstration of public good works which lack the validation and substance of the true, eternal Gospel.

Another very important note on this issue -- many non-Christian organizations are regularly involved in public acts of physical care, including the Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, etc.  Is there a tangible, Biblical reason for Christians to think their acts of personal kindness will meet others' eternal needs any better than the activities of these Biblically-condemned religious movements and the organizations associated with them?  A responsible, Christian answer to this question must be based solely on a Biblical evaluation of whether such acts of benevolence actually meet the eternal needs of others in the process of addressing their temporary, physical requirements.

The over-arching Christian emphasis in our personal care for others should be that we are truly loving them by doing the work of authentic evangelism and discipleship, as commanded by Christ for the church (and therefore for all believers).  All acts of Christian care must therefore express Christ's genuine love for mankind by fulfilling His primary passions -- salvation and discipleship.  Jesus was not (and is not) focused on merely addressing the temporary problems of human life, so that should not be the Christian's primary focus either.  Out of love for and allegiance to Christ, all Christian believers should be obsessively preoccupied with demonstrating and preaching His true gospel message of eternal salvation and making "disciples of all nations", as He has told us to do.  Out of a sincere motive of love for Christ and for others, Christians should use acts of benevolence as a tangible, forceful tool for preaching the eternal good news of Jesus (in the way the Bible describes the true Gospel).  That should be our ultimate agenda.  Anything less is nothing more than typical, human works of "righteousness".  All of these good works will one day be obliterated and will become meaningless without what is able to validate them, that which God says has eternal value.

So some necessary questions to answer in this regard are:

• Why should we financially support a Christian ministry?
• Do we approve of them because we believe their good works demonstrate God's complete, Biblical form of love? (i.e., Do we support a public benevolence effort because we are assured our support is actually serving Christ's own interests?)
• Are we contributing to their ministry because it makes us feel good about ourselves, as if we are vicariously doing good works also?  Are we giving because we want to think of ourselves as "special people"?
• Do we have a Biblical reason to believe our contributions to a Christian ministry have any real, eternal value (i.e. does our supposed "love" through supporting a ministry truly reflect Christ's love)?
• Can we clearly see that a Christian ministry is acting as Christ's true disciples?

We must also stress the point that just because a Christian ministry makes their acts of kindness very public, this in itself does not invalidate their ministry.  Certain Christian efforts which are primarily aimed at caring for the orphans, the widows, the helpless, and the poor clearly exemplify the true religion the Bible describes.  Consider a Biblical summary of such true religion:

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James 1:27 NAS

So in the process of caring for others, does a Christian ministry also keep itself "unstained by the world" by not compromising on Jesus' command to spread His gospel and make disciples?  Again, Compassion International is a good example of a Christian effort that is spreading the good news of Jesus by doing like Jesus did -- meeting peoples' personal needs as a platform for introducing them to Christ and helping others learn how to obey Him.  Such ministries should be strongly supported.

Another vital question to ask when evaluating a Christian ministry's benevolent activities -- Are they doing this to be seen by others (Matthew 6:1-6)?  A strong evidence of such a motive is revealed when a very public "Christian" care effort actually omits or distorts the true Gospel of Christ in their overall process.  If they do this, their giving to others has no real, lasting benefit and should instead be seen for what it actually is -- a hypocritical, self-serving effort that has only temporary value.  Only the pure, Biblical good news of Christ is able to validate the good-works efforts of a Christian ministry; otherwise, such efforts have no lasting or inherent value.

In summary, if a public organization which labels itself as "Christian" is using their public acts of benevolence to draw attention to their "goodness" and thus gain financial support, especially if they are not faithfully preaching the true Gospel of Christ and discipling Christian believers in a truly Biblical manner, their message is clearly false and heretical.  Their claims of loving others and loving Christ are shown to be hypocritical and have no real credibility.  They are instead presenting nothing more than an evil, counterfeit gospel.  They are only drawing attention to and glorifying themselves instead of serving and exalting Jesus, whom they claim to be impersonating and obeying.  Through the presentation of a false gospel, such benevolent practices only represent patent heresy and a hypocritical, self-serving lack of love for others.

• What "salvation" is and our need for it
• God's provision for our salvation
• The way to receive God's salvation
• The results of being saved

Tragically, the modern church is often guilty of preaching a false gospel, and this counterfeit message has eternally destructive consequences both for those who preach it and for those who believe it.  The false gospel is a message that tells people they are approved by God, or they will be approved by God, without telling them the truth about what Christ's salvation actually is, why people need His salvation, how God has provided for us to be saved through His Son, or how to actually receive His salvation.  The counterfeit gospel lulls the listener into a false sense of security by hiding the truth and telling them they are OK, when in fact they are still in a state of eternal condemnation.  The false gospel is heretical and damnable.  It is evil and deceptive, and its counterfeit message causes people to falsely believe they belong to Christ and are saved, and it also blasphemes the value of Jesus' blood sacrifice.  A false gospel eternally damns humans souls.

A counterfeit version of the good news of Christ is overly simplistic, appeals to human thinking and personal desires, and omits many Scriptural truths about eternal salvation and the need for it.  Its deceptive message includes one or more of the following false beliefs:

• People have intrinsic, redeeming qualities; at their core, they are either good or can become good.  Most people cannot be regarded as evil and repugnant to God.  If certain people are viewed as "bad", it is just because of their poor upbringing or circumstances.
• "Sin" is just an example of a defect or an imperfection.  Wrong behavior only reveals a personal weakness that needs improvement.  Sinful behavior or a sinful condition are not eternally deadly evils in themselves.
• Religious people (such as those who attend church) are already believers, and there is no need to preach to them about the need for salvation.
• Jesus came to bring us peace, happiness, answers to our life questions, and victory over hard circumstances.
• The human idea of "good" and "bad" is what God thinks about it.
• Believing in Christ means that one accepts Him into their "heart" or somehow makes Him a part of their life.
• No one needs to give up their prior beliefs or sacrifice their personal dreams or relationships in order to be saved.  No one needs to give up their own life to obtain salvation.
• People can do righteous works to gain God's acceptance.
• Anyone can be saved just because they want to be; it is only a matter of their personal choice.
• Salvation can be obtained by performing particular rituals, such as reciting a certain prayer, being baptized, partaking in holy communion, becoming a church member, repeating a "confession of faith", etc.
• Being saved is just a result of human action.  It does not result from God's will and powerful intervention.
• There are many paths to God.  The Biblical description of salvation is not the only way to be saved -- it is just one of many.
• Calling oneself a Christian and doing "Christian things" means that one is actually saved.
• Salvation does not require obedience to Christ's commandments.  One can be "saved" and still live a life that ignores Scriptural requirements for their behavior.
• One is automatically "saved" because they were raised in a Christian family or because they think they have always believed in Christ.

If any religious teaching promotes or tolerates one or more of these false beliefs and yet claims to be telling others about the good news of Christ, its message is actually a false, heretical gospel.  If a church omits regular preaching of the true gospel of Christ, and instead assumes that everyone in the church is a believer, it is preaching a false gospel.  If a Christian teacher avoids or makes light of the issue of personal sin and mankind's depraved sinful condition, their message presents a false gospel.  If anyone teaching about God distorts God's own description of our need for salvation and His only manner of saving us, their message is deceptive and heretical.