Introduction

While theology has developed over time, it is usually to clarify things when attacks (false teachings) come in. But the fundamentals never change. New in theology is usually bad. The great truths of the Christian faith are timeless and constant, "the faith once and for all delivered to the saints".

The great battles of Christian history center around three things:

• The nature of justification.
• The nature of God (and man in comparison to Him).
• The authority of scripture.

The same battles are raging today, and we are currently in an "ebb", where loyalty to God's word is diminishing.

This document is primarily a brief summary of Christian history focussing on two areas:

• Charismaticism.
• The foundational doctrines of the faith.

I end with some of the big surprises for me when I studied the history of the Christian faith.

Battle History

• Gnosticism - early forms Paul wrote against. (means hidden knowledge)
  One of Gnosticism's main tenets was subjectivity over doctrine and the word. God could only truly be known through "gnosis" or direct mystical experience. Truth becomes what God reveals to you personally. Huge resurgence today in the form of postmodernism and the emergent church. Subjectivity is everywhere today in the church, doctrine has been abandoned for feelings and experience. Mysticism is also entering the church through various avenues today.
  - Miracles and mysticism mean more than the plain testimony of God's word.
  - Love for God's word has grown cold.
  Jesus said this:
  "a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign..."
  Seeking miracles is no sign of spirituality.
  This applies to those ignorant of doctrine and those knowlegeable in it.
  True doctrine is what you believe, and what you believe you will act on.
  Knowing and believing are two different things. Both are necessary.
• Arianism - AD 300, it almost killed the church, was the most popular viewpoint of the day, Athanasius stood alone when he refuted it.
  Arius denied Jesus was God, said he was a created being (one of many early attacks on the trinity).
  Jehovah's witnesses hold this view, mormonism is similar but say Jesus was procreated instead of created.
  Jesus said "unless you believe I am who I say I am, you will perish in your sins".
  Athanasius is considered the father of the modern doctrine of the trinity.
  The athanasian creed spells it out in detail.
  It merely states clearly what the scripture teaches and was developed to refute error, as virtually all major doctrines like this were.
  Athanasius was exiled to an island for the rest of his life (to save him from the Arians who were trying to kill him).
• Roman Persecutions
  There were ten major persecutions of Christians by the Roman Empire before emperor Constantine (who was a Christian) legalized and promoted Christianity. All they had to do was say "Caesar is Lord" and deny Jesus and they would have been spared. They were killed in the most horrible ways, had to watch their children die first (torn apart by lions), then it was their turn. Historians remark that it was strange how the Christian children often didn't cry or act afraid, they just stood there and let the lions come. What a testimony to God's grace.
• Pelagianism - 500 AD, Augustine refuted Pelagius who taught salvation by works and that man is not naturally sinful (born innocent instead of dead).
  The Catholics teach salvation by grace and works, a fatal mixture.
  Paul: "If you seek to be justified by works of the law, you have fallen from grace" a clear statement that you won't enter heaven that way. Augustine also refuted the idea that we choose who is saved. "God is soverign" theology dates to Augustine and earlier (to Paul and Jesus actually): Jesus: "I chose you, you didn't choose me".
• The end of miracles (100 years after the last apostle died). Justin Martyr was the last Christian apologist to write about miracles still in existence (120 AD). Only the apostles ever had the ability to "impart" gifts by laying on of hands. This ability was solely to authenticate their offices as apostles. And when those people died, the miracles died with them.

  A hundred or so years later the church fathers were writing that all miracles had ceased. Augustine explained it in 500 AD that Scripture was complete, so miracles had fulfilled their purpose.

  The resurgence of (claimed) miracles (to support false doctrines) started soon after, and has had slow steady growth to their "explosion" today, so it is not new at all.

  How does the bible characterize the end of the age? Not a mighty rise in miracles, but apostacy, sin, greed, and false miracles.

• Montanism - one of a dozen or so smaller heresies, smaller only in popularity, not in deadliness.

  It represents the earliest form of Charismaticism in that the gifts were claimed restored around 300 AD. Montanus travelled with two women (Phrygia and Maximilla) who also claimed to be prophets. He was excommunicated as a heretic by the Church fathers who said he had a familiar spirit (they were demon possesed). He had many false teachings, Phrygia claimed Jesus appeared to her in female form. Montanism had followers until about 800 AD when it died out. Later Montanism was mostly modalist in its view of God (denies the Trinity).

• The fall of the church and the rise of the RCC (700 AD). The Bishop of Rome declared himself head of the Church as Peter's successor and Papal dominion began. Theology initially embraced salvation by baptism (baptismal regeneration), which is salvation by works, and eventually many other heresies too numerous to mention here, a good fit for the great harlot in revelation, the mother of abominations.
  • We call the reign of the RCC the dark ages because knowledge of God was suppressed for almost 1000 years. Bible existed only in original language and in latin, and was a banned book, penalty of death. Only small pockets of true chrisianity survived until the reformation.
  • The crusades began in 1095 AD, the first Christian-Muslim war, continued for centuries, there were many crusades. All instigated by the Popes, the false church.
  • Most people don't know the Popes ruled Europe with an iron fist for centuries. After Rome fell, it was reborn as the Holy Roman Empire, ruled by the Pope.
  • RCC killed 50 million people as heretics during it's 10 century reign, which was finally ended by Napoleon in the late 1700's. That is 100 people a day, sustained, for ten centuries.
  • It is the only "church" that ever had a beaurocratic arm devoted solely to finding and executing heretics.
  • "Heresy" was redefined to mean any disagreement with the church on doctrine, and carried the penalty of death. Previously it meant a clear departure from the faith.
  • The inquisitions brought torture to new levels, mind boggling it you study it.
  • John Hus burned at the stake in the early 1400's for exposing the Catholic miracles as false.
  • Consider the bleeding and lactating statues of Christ and Mary. A bleeding statue that survived to today was found to have duck blood on it.
  • A modern prophet became well known (in the last year or so) for having gold dust fall from her hair during worship services. It was analyzed and found to be plastic glitter from a drug store.
• The reformation 1500 AD - return of salvation by grace through faith alone.
  • Luther initially stood alone, but soon joined by a host of others. A true move of God results in loyalty to His word, humility, repentance, and obedience, lack of those things is false revival, which we have lots of today. Jonathan Edwards wrote on this extensively in the 1700's.
  • The greatest theologian of the reformation, John Calvin, came 10 years after Luther began his stand against the RCC. Institutes of Christianity the most published and hated book (by the RCC) next to the Bible (the RCC banned the bible in native languages). It was simply a book written to describe the basic tenets of Christianity, and it refuted the errors against them.
• Reformation Theology

  The five solas (latin for only or alone).

  • Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) - scripture is the sole authoritative word from God. And scripture is fully sufficient for our needs. denounces all modern visions, dreams, purported revelations from God. Since they generally violate scripture anyway, easy to debunk.
    Also denies any external authorities such as the Catholic Magisterium (their name for the Church authority). RCC claimed it alone had the right to interpret scripture, and like the Pharisees before them, nullified the commands of God for traditions of men.
  • Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) - we are saved by grace alone, not by any agency of ourselves (including any illusional "willingness" on our part). By nature we are enemies of God, incapable of choosing Him.
  • Sola Fide (Faith Alone) - we are justified by faith alone, trusting in works (self-righteousness) is fatal.
  • Solus Christus (Christ Alone) - we are saved by Christ alone.
  • Soli Deo Gloria (for God's Glory Alone) - God made the world to glorify Himself, both His love (expressed on the cross), and his Holiness (expressed by His eternal wrath upon sinners). All will ultimately glorify God, it is just a question of how.

  TULIP - The famous acronym of the reformation (Calvinism or the doctrines of grace).

  • Total Depravity - Every part of our being is contaminated by sin, we are incapable in an of ourselves of doing any good whatsoever. We are natural enemies of God, unwilling and incapable of receiving the things of God.
  • Unconditional Election - God chooses who gets saved, we don't. "I decided for Christ" is an unbiblical statement. Election is the most anti-flesh doctrine in Christianity, it leaves no room to boast at all, and destroys self-righteousness like no other, hence it is the most hated doctrine among professing Christians. "seperates the sheep from the goats like no other" (Arthur Pink).
  • Limited Atonement - Christ died for the "elect" only.
    "The shepherd dies for His sheep" says the Bible, he doesn't die for the goats. If Christ died for everyone's sins (that is paid for them) then they would not have to go to Hell to pay for it themselves. If He died for the goats then He failed in His mission on the cross (impossible).
    Asserting that Christ died for all in fact denies the substitutionary atonement entirely, it is the moral government theory, that all He secured was potential forgiveness later.
    This is a huge fallacy, Christ died for our actual sins, and infallibly secured the eternal salvation of the elect on the cross, the Bible is quite clear on this actually, but the flesh doesn't want to hear it.
    There is a weaker version of this that says that the Cross offers salvation to all (we are commanded to preach it to all), but because of total depravity, only those regenerated by God will ever receive it (proof of the wicked sinfulness of mankind and the necessity of saving grace).
  • Irresistable Grace - Regeneration changes a person, faith, repentance, obedience are all consequences of being born-again. You can only "decide" for Christ after He has decided for you. "I chose you, you didn't choose me". "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws Him"
  • Perseverance of the Saints - Those truly born-again (a small percentage of the claimants) will be kept by God. Jesus: "I will lose not one of those the Father gives to me". It needs to be pointed out that for Jesus to lose one of the elect would be to violate His Father's will, an impossibility of course.
• Historical things against Charismaticism
  • Charismaticism is a subtle denial of sola scriptura with its emphasis on the subjective and willingness to accept false prophecy. It denies the sufficiency of scripture since it implies we need more than the plain teachings of the Bible.
  • Jonathan Edwards in the 1700's wrote against "enthusiasts", excessive emotionalism, physical signs, falling down, ecstatic states.
  • Spurgeon n the 1800's also denounced enthusiasm.
  • Every major reformation writer wrote against the "enthusiasts" of their day.
  • What passes for the "gifts" today, is a pale imitation of what the Bible describes. More later.
• Reformation view on Dreams, Visions, and Voices in your head
  • Based on Sola Scriptura, the reformation recognized only two methods of communication from God as active today:
  • 1) Divine providence. God controls everything, circumstances and people are regularly manipulated to achieve God's will.
  • 2) The only direct communication they recognized was what today we would refer to as a "calling".
  • John Flavel (A puritan in the 1600's) had a vision of Christ after a day of prayer and fasting: "Avoid Satan, I know no image of Christ but the scriptures!" That is what Sola Scriptura means, the Bible alone is God's revelation to us today. Jesus could not possibly be more clear than his final words in Revelation, special revelation is closed, complete.
  • Today, there is a non-Charismatic thread that acknowledges what critics call "low-grade fallible revelation". John Piper is the most well known advocate of this view. It is the idea that subjective feelings or thoughts in your mind can be from God.

    Note: I have stated repeatedly we are to reject false prophets, but what I mean are those who claim to be prophets or have the gift of prophecy, or to be speaking for God today, and cannot pass the test of inerrancy.

    I do not practice this kind of rejection with those of the John Piper variety. Piper himself is a well-known defender of the faith, neither does he claim to speak for God in any way other than as a bible teacher. I still disagree with his position, but it is a friendly disagreement between brothers in Christ. I do believe however he is in serious danger of being led into error.

  • Jonathan Edwards had the following to say about this:

    "I know of no faster way to surrender control of the church to the Devil than following after mental impressions attributed to God."

  • Like John MacArthur, I personally agree with Edwards. I followed my mental impressions with great zeal for a while, and got into a whole lot of trouble. It was fine when I didn't take them that seriously. I challenge anyone who believes in this to seriously follow their impressions for a while, and see where it gets them, and if they can demonstrate inerrancy.
  • I also journalled my dreams, and daydreamed for Christ, none of it lead anywhere but trouble.
  • My opinion is that when people have thoughts, they would be better off casting them as the non-inspired thoughts of a renewed mind, and thus godly wisdom, and not direct revelation from God.
  • The risk is committing the sin of false prophecy, and being led into error.
  • A related idea that is popular idea today is that you must find God's will for your life, and that you can somehow "miss" it. This twist on the denial of God's sovereignty fails to acknowledge that God is fully capable of ensuring that His plans for everyone are carried out. But that won't help book and conference sales for people promising to help you find His will. This teaching exists to fleece the sheep. It should be noted that desiring to know God's will for your life is commendable, and is a good sign, however, you will find His will infallibly expressed in only one place: The Bible.
• Really Brief History of the Reformation
  • Luther and Calvin started it all in the early 1500's.
  • Luther went on trial for heresy, and was condemned to die, however the saxon king was sympathic to his teachings and protected his life.
  • Luther best known for championing "salvation is by grace through faith alone", and refuting the Catholic heresy that salvation is by faith and works. Luther however considered his "Bondage of the Will" his most important work, which in essence teaches that God chooses us, we don't choose him, and that until regeneration we serve evil continually and willingly.
  • Calvin ended up ruler of Geneva for a bit, a somewhat failed attempt at a protestant Christian theocracy. Those who tell you Christians should rule would do well to remember Geneva.
  • The council of Trent (Catholic) in 1563 permanently anathemized salvation by faith alone, thus confirming Catholicism is a cult, and irreconcilable with protestantism.
  • The Arminian controversy spawned TULIP in 1618. Jacobus Arminius denied total depravity, asserted free-will (we choose for God), synergistic view, salvation can be lost. Painfully in opposition to Luther, Calvin, Augustine, and the plain teachings of the Bible.
  • Lots of religious persecution, mostly from the Catholic side but some atrocities were committed on the protestant side too. Today we believe Government's responsibilities are to provide freedom of religion, not to legislate religion as they did then. The religious persecutions, especially in England, were characterized by monarchial changes, first a protestant, then a Catholic, and back again. Bloody Mary got her name because she executed all the protestant ministers in England after she was crowned queen. And she wasn't alone, just the worst example.
  • 1700's saw the great awakening, lead by Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards considered to be the greatest non-inspired theologian on revival in the history of the church. His insightful descriptions of what constitutes true and false revival have never been equaled before or since. In short, true revival is not about emotionalism or religious activity, but rather repentance of sins, fidelity to God's word, and lives changed from above rather than by human effort (which always fails). He also preached the single most famous sermon on God's wrath ever, called "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God".
  • 1700's saw George Whitefield found Methodism as a Calvinist denomination, saw John Wesley single-handedly convert it to Arminianism, much to Whitefield's dismay. Virtually all Arminian denominations today can trace their roots back to Methodism.
  • The 1800's saw the prince of preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, widely regarded to be the greatest preacher who ever lived short of prophets sent by God. He was so prolific his life's work is larger than a modern encyclopedia. He was the most popular preacher in London by his early 20's. Spurgeon was a baptist and a staunch calvinist (as were all the reformers but Wesley), and is credited with two major things:
    • Introducing credobaptism (eliminating child baptism)
    • The downgrade controversy. He noticed that denominations tend to apostasize and fall unless they police themselves diligently. He accused his denomination, the baptists, of failing to do just that. He eventually seceded from the baptist union over just that issue. So today he is rememberd as a hero of the faith for defending the pure Gospel, even at the cost of his career.
  • 1800's saw the so-called second great awakening under Charles Finney, but it is a misnomer, more later.
  • The 1900's saw so many great teachers there are too many to count, my favorite is Arthur Pink, among guys who are dead, and John MacArthur among those still living. R.C. Sproul also comes to mind of those still living.
  • Sadly the 1900's also saw the greatest apostacy since before the reformation move into full swing. More in the next section.
• The roots of the modern apostacy
  • Charles Grandison Finney in 1850's.
  • Introduced emotionalism (with physical signs like falling down, crying etc.), altar calls (a non-biblical method to replaced baptism), perfectionism, salvation by works,
  • All services were liturgical until Finney. Edwards read his sermons in a monotone voice because he did not want the flesh to interfere with God's word.
  • Unlike the "enthusiasts" before him, Finney was not denounced completely, and many today consider him to be a great man of God.
  • Finney discovered that emotionalism appealed to women, and the women brought their men with them. Critics call this the feminization of the church. This is why more women than men attend churches today, they are more easily seduced by emotionalism. But ridiculous things like "The Barbarian Way" and men's movements are not the answer (promise keepers is apostate too, sadly). Return to sound biblical preaching and practice is.
  • Denial of substitutionary atonement, moral government theory.
  • Fully Pelagian - a non-Christian false teacher.
  • The "burned over district" was the end result of Finney's efforts, it became the most unchurched area in the nation. Finney did more harm than good. False fire (emotionalism) has no power to save.
• Rise of Pentecostalism in the early 1900's
  • Azuza spawned four denominations, one apostate, and one apostacized soon afterwards, yet all claimed the "gifts", the "mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit":
    • The Church of God in Christ formed 1907;
    • The Assemblies of God formed in 1914;
    • The United Pentecostal Church (UPCI) formed in 1914; (modalists) Modalism denies the Trinity, and as such is fully apostate.
    • The Pentecostal Church of God formed 1919 at the Sharon Bible school which later became the area of the Latter rain in 1948 through William Branham’s anointing (another man who denied the pre-existence of the Son of God and the Tri-unity of God).
    • (the above from www.letusreason.org).
  • God does not give gifts to the apostate, yet the RCC and the modalists claim them to this day, many cults claim miracles, are they anointed too? Hindu Kundalini remarkably similar to Brownsville and Toronto blessings.
  • God is a god of peace and of a sound mind, not uncontrolled twitchings and ecstatic experiences (those are demonic). Those who seek those things do not love God, rather they want their emotions tugged, and their ears tickled. They are not satisfied with the plain teachings of the Bible, and instead seek after every unclean thing.

Recent threads of Apostacy

• The demise of the mainline denominations in the 20th century.
  • During the 20th century, the mainline denominations abandoned the word of God and adopted liberalism, thus proving Spurgeon correct.
  • In brief, the large denoms, prebyterians, baptists, methodists, lutherans, united church of christ, every one of them fell in 1900's.
  • Smaller denoms (presby, southern baptist, lutheran, and others survived, but the larger they are the more under attack they are today).
  • Key features of liberalism are lack of acknowledgement of the authority of God's word (they give it lip service only), and a tendency to substitute social justice as the main goal of the church.
  • Deny necessity of repentance of sins, salvation is from misery today, not Hell tomorrow.
  • Denominations that will not continually purge heretics from themselves (as the Bible commands) will inevitably fall.
  • God will judge any church that fails to obey His commands in this area.
  • Early in the 20th century a group of conservative theologians wrote a large volume of writings entitled "Fundamentals of the Faith" to combat liberalism, from that the label fundamentalism was born.
• Paul said that heresies must be among us, they are permitted by God, to reveal who is true to His word, and who isn't.
• "Restored davidic tabernacle worship"
  • name given to modern worship service (emotionalism cloaked in a thin biblical garb).
  • People equate "feelings" with the presence of God, this is simply idolatry, since God is everywhere always.
  • Just an excuse to entertain the flesh, and an open door for demons to give "ecstatic" experiences and deceive the gullible.
  • Worship is often viewed as an excercise to "call down" the presence of God, you might as well call it a seance, or a mesmerization service.
  • Being emotional during a worship service is ok, but it is wrong to equate that to the presence of God, or believe that spiritual gymnastics somehow will summon Him.
  • Self-denial, repentance, obedience to Christ, and loyalty to His word are the true signs of the Spirit's presence.
• William Branham in the late 1940's invented latter-rain teachings.
  • Latter rain was the idea that a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit would occur at the end, and the church would be victorious, then Jesus would return (Post-Mil). It has been altered to pre-mil saying the revival will precede the rapture.
  • The verse used to justify "latter rain" is from Joel, which Peter said explicitly was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, so latter rain teachings have no ground to stand on.
  • First to begin practicing the transferrable anointing (an occult practice). He duplicated Christ's efforts by laying hands on 70 disciples to anoint them with power, and sent them out across the nation, with explosively successful results.
  • Branham denied the trinity (pre-existance of Christ).
  • Denounced by the Assemblies of God as a heretic in 1948, and opposed by them until his death in 1965.
  • Teachings kept alive by Demos Shakarian & Full Gospel Businessman's Association although they distanced themselves from his more outrageous heresies.
  • Today they still teach holy spirit baptismal regeneration, that you must speak in tongues to be born again.
• 20th century Evangelicalism in America
  • One of the major bright spots of the 20th century.
  • Evangelical originally meant one who held to the fundamentals of the faith, like the divinity of Christ, justification by faith alone, the virgin, birth, the penal substitutionary atonement, the reality of Hell, and the second coming.
  • Time magazine declared 1976 the "Year of the Evangelical", this seems to represent the peak of evangelicalism in America.
  • Now, 30 years later, the term "Evangelical" is degenerating to mean anyone who claims to love Christ and is interested in evangelism. Doctrine, or the fundamentals of the faith are being marginalized and forgotten.
  • Rick Warren, purveyor of the malfocussed, doctrinally misleading "Purpose Driven Life", claims the name evangelical, and his critics wonder if he is even a Christian at all. Certainly his presentation of the Gospel in that book is deficient to the point of being false by omission.
  • Joel Osteen is another example, he has never preached the authentic Gospel to anyone's knowledge, yet he claims the name evangelical.
  • Feel-good Christianity, man-centered, man-pleasing, and rapidly apostacising is how we would characterize mainstream evangelicalism today.
  • Another example: Who here considers George Bush to be a Christian? He certainly claims that title. But he is on record as saying "Islam and Christianity worship the same God". Bush is not a dumb person, and only the ignorant or apostate would make such a statement. We can't know for sure if he is one of the elect, but it is doubtful.
• Latter Rain merged with parts of Pentecostalism, the name Charismatic came into being in the 70's, the word of faith movement was started by Kenneth Haigin around the same time.
  • Latter rain thrives today in the Word of Faith and deliverance movements and is heavily infiltrating traditional Charismaticism and Pentecostalism.
  • Haigin died around 2000, and Kenneth Copeland is the defacto leader of the WoF today, with Rod Parsely (a modalist) the heir apparent.
• Haigin's false vision
  • Jesus comissioned him to be an evangelist in an out-of-body experience. He saw the triangular nail holes in the palms of Jesus' hands. Ten years later archeologists dug up the first of what would become many crucified skeletons from Jesus time. Then we learned that the nails went through the wrists. He is a false prophet. But his followers are not fazed.
• Jesse Duplantis false vision
  • Described in his DVD "Close Encounters of the God Kind."
  • He was taken to heaven, Jesus was there, the Father was there, but the Holy Spirit wasn't, when Duplantis asked "Where is the Holy Spirit" the response: "He is on earth".
  • One of the classic verses on omnipresence:
    psa 139:7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
    psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
    Thus the vision is exposed as false, and he is a false prophet and teacher.
  • We are to reject utterly the ministries of false prophets, not cherry pick.
• Deliverance
  • These views are espoused by Derek Prince, Frank Hammond, Frank Marzullo, Glenn Miller (not the musician), and many others. A classic work on the subject is "Pigs in the Parlor" by Frank Hammond.
  • Deliverance and latter-rain teachings tend to go together today. Lake Hamilton Bible Camp (featuring the Red Book) are a latter-rain group.
  • The idea that a Christian can be demon posessed is new, created by the deliverance teachers of today. It substitutes deliverance for repentance of sins, grace, and sanctification. It also sneaks in justification by works. As such it is a major error and will be fatal to those who fall for it.
  • Throughout the history of the church, deliverance was treated as minor, deliverance is accomplished by preaching the Gospel, in goes the Holy Spirit to regenerate someone, out go the demons if any.
  • There is a famous incident early in the reformation where a Catholic bishop successfully cast out a demon and the reformers couldn't. No mere priest would do either. The woman became a celebrity in the RCC, since she was "proof" that the RCC was right and the reformers wrong, they had the "power" of God on their side. The fact she became a celebrity is all that is needed to explain her behavior, no real demons needed to explain that scenario. And if it was truly demonic, God allowed it to test the faithful.
  • Many false teachings about demons came out of that event. Some survived to today such as witches have the ability to "curse" people with demons. The accusation was made that a witch had caused the demon posession. And yes, the witch (in all probability an innocent man), was burned at the stake.
  • Deliverance is one of many deficient views of the cross, the Catholics think purgatory is needed to help out since in their mind the cross did not entirely pay for sins.
  • Deliverance says that when you sin demons have a legal right to enter you and torment you (and your descendants). This is an affront to Jesus finished work on the cross. We are declared sinless legally by the work of the cross. Consider that our "legal" standing is what gets us into heaven. Deliverance is a round-about way of denying justification by faith and substituting justification by works which makes it a perilous teaching indeed.
  • Deliverance also has a deficient view of sin. A proper study of the law and of sin will reveal that we all sin continually in every way. None of us loves God with all his heart, mind and strength (only Jesus ever did that). None of us are immune from pride. None of us are immune from lust, or covetousness. Failure to realize this is to be blinded to the true nature of your sin, and is yet another perilous thing indeed.
  • A proper view of sin combined with deliverance teachings would cause us to conclude that Christians are the most demon infested people ever, ridiculous of course.
  • Our sins are as scarlet, but seperated as far from us as the bottom of the sea says scripture.
  • I have also heard it taught that we must do our own advocacy and refute the accuser (Satan) before God's throne, this is more baloney and is dangerously self-righteous. Jesus is our advocate, and He never tires, and He never fails in His advocacy. His claim to have paid for our sins is effective 100% of the time. To hear the deliverance teachers of today, you would think that He is a lot less effective than that.
  • If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive them.
  • deliverance teachings also recast the battle against the flesh as a battle against demons. Even minor personality defects are blamed on demons, major defects are thought to take many demons cooperating together. In Romans Paul clearly describes the Christian's battle as against the flesh, not demons.
  • Many people today think they are born-again and are not, demonic manifestations of today are staged acts by demons to deceive the unsaved, and to sustain the false doctrines about demons. So when a so-called Christian manifests a demon, your first thought should be "tare".
  • Example: when a demon "manifests" at the presence of an "anointed" preacher, the real purpose is to pump that preacher's ego, and sustain the false doctrines about demons, and probably the preacher's other false doctrines as well.
  • Bob DeWaay calls it Satan's Protection Racket. Both the delivered and the deliverers are deceived, spinning their wheels in a hellbound dreamworld.
  • In reality God is sovereign, the Devil is a tool in God's hands, and can only do what God lets him do, and even that will fulfill God's purposes. The NT commands us to not fear the Devil but to fear God. Deliverance teachings turn this on its head.
  • Demons pose only two threats to a Christian:
    • deception.
    • temptation.
  • In summary deliverance teaches the following false doctrines:
    • deficient view of the cross (atonement).
    • justification by works.
    • deficient view of sin.
    • ignores the fallenness of the flesh and blames it on demons.
    • substitutes "deliverance" for repentance.
    • fear of demons instead of fear of God.
• Today's False Healers (all of them, but here are some examples)
  • Claims are big, but verified healings are non-existent.
  • Amy Simple MacPherson (founder of Four Square denomination) staged her own death to carry on an adulterous affair during her ministry.
  • Kathryn Kuhlman married a divorced man for a year (he left his wife for her), whom she later divorced to return to her ministry.
  • Benny Hinn has not one medically documented miracle in his entire ministry, despite paid physicians on staff to try to produce one. If you go his crusades, you will notice that those with physically visible problems are hidden way in the back, cause they are never healed.
  • All of them use mesmerization, physical healings are claimed, but none can be produced or documented. All you will ever see is "the pain is gone", course when it returns an hour or day later when the suggestion wears off, you won't see that on TV.
  • It doesn't work for them either:
  • Rodney Howard Browne's 11 year old daughter died because he denied her medical care, believing she was "healed" after prayer. Prayers for her resurrection failed also.
  • Haigin died from a heart condition a few years after he claimed his heart condition was "healed". Prayers for Kenneth Haigin's ressurection by his followers also failed.
  • More children die in the US from WoF and similar teachings than die from the cults that deny blood transfusions. This is deception on a large scale.
• Word of Faith (WoF) has a false God and false cross.
  • False God (Copeland: "God is a faith creature, He is powerful because he believes everything He says." The Bible says God is Spirit. A false God.
  • Copeland quoting Jesus in one of many claimed visions "I never claimed to be God, I just said I walked with Him". Thus echoing William Branham who also denied the Trinity.
  • "Have faith in your faith" says Copeland. Have faith in God says the Bible.
  • Says God must speak (or we must speak for Him to accomplish anything).
    • This is rubbish, lots of examples of God doing things without us or Him speaking.
    • Transforms God into our servant, a genie called out by saying "In Jesus name".
    • Speaking Jesus name like that is an incantation of witchcraft, might as well say allakazam, or hocus pocus.
    • Our words have no power to curse or bless, God alone has this power.
    • Our words have the power of life and death in this way only: "for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned".
    • We are not "little gods", this is New Age self-deification. Hinn, Copeland, and others are on record as describing Christians as "little gods". Creflo Dollar goes further however, he teaches his people to rebuke Satan this way: "Get behind me Satan, I AM THE LORD THY GOD".
  • False Cross: Jesus took on a sin nature, any born-again believer could have died for sins (this is blasphemy). Both Haigin and Copeland are on record teaching this.
  • Jesus Himself was born-again in hell (more blasphemy).
  • These are not small things.
  • Pentecostalism and Charismaticism are arguably Christian (but in error).
  • Word of faith appears a small step, but is a complete departure from the faith.
  • Can buy miracles and anointing with money (seed), this is the sin of Simon.
    • The apostles' response: "may your money perish with thee".
    • All our rights with God for prayer come from the cross, period.
    • Anything else ushers in works righteousness.
  • Bible says reject false prophets.
  • Kirk Cameron maybe the last (and only) Christian ministry on TBN. The rest are word of faith and other perversions.
• Leaders of the word of faith cult that have a false cross and a false Jesus
  • Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Marylin Hickey, Jerry Savelle, Joyce Meyer (yeah that one surprised me too), and many many others. We should mention Joel Osteen too, but he really preaches a synthesis of easy believism (described later) and word of faith.
  • see www.deceptioninthechurch.com for a full list.
• More WoF Theology: Health, Wealth, and Spiritual Power
  • Promising health now (when the promise is for our resurrected bodies), and blaming people for lack of faith when they don't get healed is the essence of this evil doctrine. Giving large offerings is supposed to help (the sin of Simon again). The actual effect of this doctrine is to cause people to strive for what they can't have and to fleece the sheep.
  • Wealth (prosperity) is simply preaching covetousness in His name, a violation of the 10th commandment. Buying God's blessing (seed faith) repeats the sin of Simon again. The actual effect of this doctrine is to fleece the sheep.
  • Power is self-deification, reduces God to our servant. The actual effect of this doctrine is to puff up pride like almost nothing else will "I have the POWER of God in my life". And donating to anointed ministries helps you obtain their anointing. Again it repeats Simon's sin and fleeces the sheep.
  • Anybody else see a pattern here?
• Self admitted modalists
  • names: T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar, Rod Parsely.
  • denominations: United Pentecostal Church International.
  • Do you understand these people are not Christians at all and are ministers of Satan?
• Tithing.
  • Attempts to style it as a creation ordinance are false.
  • Abraham "tithed" only once, and it was the spoils of war.
  • The jewish state was a theocracy, the tithe was God's taxation system. If you pay your taxes you have discharged your duty.
  • Giving in the new testament is freely and by conscience only.
  • Legalistic giving is an abomination to God (like all legalism).
  • Tithing is taught because greed and legalism reigns in many pulpits today.
  • Fleecing the sheep is what false teachers do (make merchandise out of you).
• Third Wave late 1900's.
  • azuza dubbed first wave, charismaticism dubbed second wave,
  • New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) leads the third wave.
  • NAR lead by C. Peter Wagner. Professor of Evangelism Fuller Theological Seminary (has spawned many abominable theologies here in the US).

    A self proclaimed apostle and prophet. Teaches fallible prophecy, claims a 95% hit rate and the best track record of any prophet today. Says prophets start at around 10% and train up to 50% easily.

    Teaches dominionism, christians will take over the world. No different from Islam or Catholicism in this respect, only the methods differ, not the goals. World peace is the dream. Rick Warren teaches the same with his P.E.A.C.E. plan.

  • Bible demands 100% accuracy or repent of sin of being a false prophet, he and his entire movement condemned as false by his own words.
  • Bible teaches there are exactly 12 apostles, names engraved on the foundations of the heavenly city (since they founded the faith). Any claim to be an apostle or a prophet today is false. Many throughout the centuries have claimed it, none since the apostles have passed the 100% test. There are no prophets today, except false ones.
  • Remember the Bible's description of the end-times church as a remnant? Jesus never taught dominion for the church, he taught that we would suffer and be persecuted until His return.
  • Notice that dominionism agrees with latter-rain teachings and the liberal social justice teachings, so natural ecumenical alliances are being formed, while at the same time jockeying for who will rule.

The terrible price of anti-intellectualism

• Head knowledge quenches the spirit is the cry. Cold dead doctrinalism has no life, we have the Spirit (and are thus superior).
• This theme began with pentecostalism, and continues to be echoed by charismatics and word of faith teachers today. The very word theology is feared as life threatening. All a theologian is is someone who teaches the Bible accurately.
• In reality ignorance leaves you vulnerable to false teaching.
• I liken this to a predator encouraging an ostrich to keep its head buried in the sand. Only false teachers have anything to fear from sound doctrine. Keeping your followers in darkness is the only way to retain your success as a false teacher.
• The most theologically educated man in the Bible was Paul, who was educated from his youth, and what did God use him to do? Write scripture. And what was Paul's primary subject? Theology.
• Dr. Luke was also an educated man, he said this:
  luk 1:3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
  - Note that he carefully investigated things, and he wrote scripture.
• It is true that there are cold dead doctrinalists, but their problem is exactly the same as the wild-eyed charismatics, lack of faith.
• True faith brings scripture to life, doctrines are not cold and dead, they are life and treasures worth more than anything else. Similarly, Charismatics would not be seeking after extra biblical revelation if the Bible alone was brought to life for them by their faith.

Mysticism and Christianity

• Christianity is inherently a rational religion.
• Mysticism is associated with the cults, Catholicism and Emergents are highly mystical, given to meditation, and many unbiblical practices.
• Mysticism is infiltrating the church from all sides today.
• The emergent church calls it by such terms as "Contemplative Prayer", "Spiritual Formation" and "Soul Shaping". They say it is simply meditating to empty your mind of thoughts so that Christ can come in. Often chanting is used. The idea is that such spiritual gymnastics cause your "soul" to grow and mature spiritually (no biblical support for this exists).
• In reality it is transcendental meditation, straight from the New Age (and Hinduism). The new agers use it to contact the spirit world (open their minds to demons and familiar spirits).
• In the Evangelical world, Beth Moore recently lent her name to a CD called "Be Still", that teaches contemplative prayer.
• Biblical meditation is contemplating the word of God, not emptying your mind.
• Beware of mysticism, it has no place in the Christian Church.
• Contacting the "spirit world" is expressly forbidden in the bible.
• Attaching "Christ" to it does not make it less of an abomination to God.

Religious Addiction

• The reality of Charismaticism is that it is a new form of emotionally addictive gnosticism, seeking one experience after another, one emotional high after another. Accepting those who have private revelations uncritically, despite the vast number of biblical warnings against false prophets.
• It rejects sound doctrine as dead head knowledge that quenches the spirit, and so in reality has its followers in bondage to darkness.
• The focus is ever on "what has God done for me lately." Tales of the latest miracle, sign, wonder, dream, or vision is the focus.
• The plain teachings of God's word are marginalized and eventually abandoned in favor of subjectivity and emotional highs.

Surviving streams of authentic Christianity

• The pure "reformed" strains, small (not the liberal apostate large) presbyterian denominations. The non-apostate Lutherans fit here, again it is the smaller denominations.
• Reformed Baptists, tend to follow Spurgeon's teachings. distinguished from the above by credobaptism, church government.
• The MacArthur variety (me), synthesis of Calvinism and dispensationalism. Dispensationalism is new, which is usually a bad thing in theology, but I believe it anyway. You could argue that eschatology is the only doctrine up for change over time, since as history passes we have more to go on to properly interpret scripture (Daniel states this explicitly).
• The Arminians, this is pretty much everybody else, who hold to loose theology, free-will (false), and allow almost anything goes. As long as salvation (from sins) is by faith alone, and the Bible is the sole authoritative word of God, repentance and obedience are taught, they are arguably orthodox as long as no other heresies are there.

  However many engage in a feelings over doctrine, subjectivity over God's word, and compromise so as not to offend seekers, all of which are clear violations of God's word. They also tend to be man-centered, that is catering to the flesh, instead of Christ focussed, on what is pleasing to Him. The trend of the day is away from doctrine and towards apostacy, my take is this is a possible candidate for the falling away in 2 thessalonians, or is perhaps a precursor to it. Mega-shifts like this do not happen over night and take decades or centuries. But we won't know for sure until you-know-who (Mr 666) shows up.

Easy Believism, the most popular false Gospel of today.

• Many denoms have orthodox sounding statements of faith, but preach the most popular error of our day: easy believism. Just accept Jesus into your heart and you will be born-again. This is a false Gospel. You must repent of your sins and obey Jesus as Lord, or you are not a Christian at all.

  The God of easy believism is a false mush God of all love with no holiness, hatred of sin, or any demands of obedience.

• Those who teach easy believism, but who themselves have "opted in" to obedience are themselves Christians (we don't anathemize them), but are in error and are deceiving many to hell. They are the exception however, many who preach easy-believism live it too and are as lost as those they mislead.
• If you see someone in deliberate continual unrepentant sin (only God gets to call something sin, beware of legalism that adds requirements), then they are not a Christian at all.

The True Gospel and how to know it.

• You must:
  • Acquire knowledge of God and yourself, He is Holy (hates sin), you are a worthless sinner, under just condemnation and destined for eternal wrath.
  • This includes an orthodox understanding of the Trinity and of man's sinful state.
  • Abandon all hope in yourself (self-righteousness).
  • Trust in Christ alone for salvation.
  • Repent of your sins.
  • Follow after Christ in humility and obedience for the rest of your days.
  • Accept the Bible as absolutely authoritative. You can't claim to obey someone if you don't believe what He says.
• Leaving out any of those elements is a false gospel.
• Doing all of these things is the only evidence you are truly born-again. The entire book of 1 John is devoted to examining yourself to see if you are truly in the faith (and it doesn't mention a sinners prayer at all). It has nine tests, all of which must be "passed".
• Praying some silly unbiblical sinner's prayer means nothing.
• Neither does responding to an unbiblical altar call, prior to Finney the Biblical command to baptize those who believed was followed at the first moment of credible confession.
• It is much harder to become a Christian than is commonly taught! It is in fact impossible with men (as Jesus said so clearly).
• Many who think they are born-again will hear those terrible words: "I never knew you".
• Ecumenicalism today embraces the false and true Gospels without any discernment and if anything is slowly rejecting the true entirely.
• Discernment is gained by theological study, rightly dividing the word of God. Doing like the Bereans, comparing teachings to scripture. Lack of discernment is a plague upon the modern church.

True Church, Maturity in Christ, Sound Doctrine

• Bible teaches the church will be a remnant in the last days, not a world dominating political force (that is what the false church will become).
• Jesus commends the faithful in the seven letters solely for holding fast to His Word. Not a peep about spiritual mapping, or pulling down strongholds with mighty Devil bustin' power. He said they would suffer, and those that endured to the end would be saved.
• Contending for the faith is about sound doctrine, repentance of sins, holy living, humility (abandon all hope in yourself, depend on God alone for imputed righteousness and sanctification, bought on the cross by Jesus Christ our savior).
• Maturity in the faith is about two things:
  • Character: sanctification, holiness, includes love of God, the brethren, and hatred of sin.
  • Sound doctrine: knowledge of the Word.
• Like sanctification, sound doctrine can only be had by grace. Additionally it requires a good teacher. The cults read their bibles, it doesn't help them. God gave us teachers for a reason, who you listen to is therefore a life and death decision. The Bible is not an easy book to read, it even says that truth is hard to come by, it must be searched out with diligence.
• Try sitting at the feet of the great bible teachers of history and you will see the difference between them and the sickly-sweet arsenic-laced milk so common today. Find a teacher today who teaches the same thing and you will do well.
• We are commanded to reject false teachers, not to cherry pick from their ministries (false in this case means clear departure from the faith).

Judgement on America

• John MacArthur believes some of the leaders of the false movements know they are deceivers, it is about money, greed, and power, and fleecing the sheep to get it. They are a judgement on the church for lack of fidelity to God's word. And the masses following them are a judgement on the world for sin. According to MacArthur God has abandoned America, and judgement is being poured out. The worst thing God can do to us is leave us to our own devices. We are naturally rebellious, idolatrous, and enemies of His word, while trumpeting proud claims of self-righteousness, an abomination to God, storing up judgement for ourselves. It has nothing to do with the Devil gaining victory over God, God is behind it all, the Devil can only do what he is allowed to do.

The two greatest teachings of the Reformation (and the Bible)

• The second greatest teaching of the reformation is this:

  God is absolutely sovereign

  • It is not up to us to change things, dominate the world, or save anyone.
  • God does it all because He is completely in control.
  • Our job is to submit our minds to His word (possible only by grace), and to obey, (again possible only by grace), and to preach the pure Gospel, not water it down to appeal to unsaved sinners (only regeneration allows one to follow after Christ).
  • The unregenerate mind is an enemy of God, and cannot submit to His word (many plain scriptures state this outright). Arminianism, the most popular view today, denies this, and says we make the decision for Christ, which flies in the face of many scriptures. It often results in a watered down Gospel designed to appeal to the flesh, such a Gospel has no power to save.
• The Gospel properly preached starts with the Law and God's holiness, the good news has no meaning until people understand they are justly destined for hell without salvation.
  Knowledge of sin and God's holiness in modern times is non-existant outside the church.

• The single greatest doctrine of the Bible is (drumroll):

  Justification by faith alone

  • Luther said this is the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls.
  • Modern ecumenicalism ignores this doctrine, as do the cults.
  • They don't see that this is the principal battle ground.
  • It has been under constant attack throughout history.

Join in and fight the real battles of the faith, abandon demonism and deliverance, false gifts, false healing ministries and their occult practices, and contend instead for the purity of the Gospel.

And seek maturity in the faith, which means sound doctrine instead of being blown about by the winds of false doctrine.

Date: July 2007