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The
Lord Jesus Christ
warned "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits" (Mt.
7:15,16) Our Lord wanted his disciples to be discerning and alert to those
who claim to speak for God, but do not. He told his hearers to judge these
prophets and teachers by their fruits. This does not mean to study how
successful they are or how nice or godly appearing they might be. Jesus used
the horticultural imagery to say that they would know truth by what it
produces, as opposed to what the false produces. Teaching that is not truth
produces very bad theology, and as a result, a whole system and culture of
beliefs, practices, and problems. Often the fundamental error or wrong
teaching is buried deep within the teachings of groups following deviant
teachings. Nevertheless, one small falsehood, like a bent coin, placed at
the foundation of a person or groups belief system will cause every coin
stacked upon it to lean. Eventually, as the good coins are stacked higher on
the bent coin, the whole pile will fall and crash.
The Apostle Paul reported
to the churches of Galatia that he was shocked that they were turning away
to another gospel.
I am astonished
that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of
Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel
at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are
trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from
heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let
him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again:
If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let
him be eternally condemned! (Gal 1:6-9)
He
told them that their
adopted gospel was in no way "good news." He warned them that they were
being fooled by "those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ."
That is the most significant problem that comes from adopting or teaching
something less that the Apostolic, Biblical Gospel: it subverts the
truth about Christ.
This page is the
most sobering of this ICA! Ministries web site. Here we must address the
teachings of those who, we believe, either speak of another gospel or are in
danger of teaching another gospel than that which the Scriptures and the
Apostles teach. We do not assume this authority to ourselves, but make our
conclusions carefully and humbly by the authority of Scripture alone.
Certainly our opinion is not infallible. Be we must speak the truth in love
and warn those that appear to have departed from the faith of the Gospel.
We
will share our
understanding of the leaders, history, and teachings, of the "other gospels"
groups. Then we will test them by the words and teachings of the Bible. We
realize that those who find themselves listed here will not appreciate our
position. Some may argue, "We should not name names or judge others, but
simply love one another and let God take care of it." However, Apostle Paul
and Apostle John named names:
Holding on to
faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have
shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I
have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Tim. 1:19-20;
cp 2 Tim 1:15 & 2:17,18)
I wrote to the
church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do
with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing,
gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to
welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them
out of the church. (3 John 1:9,10)
John and Paul also told Christians and Church
leaders to challenge the wrong teachings within the church. They were to be
identified, shown as contrary to Scripture, and the teachers were to be
rebuked.
Dear friends,
do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are
from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (NIV 1
John 4:1)
As I urged you
when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command
certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer. (NIV 1 Timothy 1:3)
Preach the
Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and
encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction. (NIV 2 Timothy
4:2)
For there are
many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of
the circumcision group.11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining
whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach-- and that for
the sake of dishonest gain. (NIV Tit. 1:10,11)
I know your
deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot
tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles
but are not, and have found them false. (NIV Revelation 2:2)
But,
we know that the Apostle
Paul risked being misunderstood and disliked in order to warn and instruct
those who were in danger of deserting the one who called you by the
grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -- which is really no
gospel at all. (Gal. 1:6, 7)
In many cases the
drift away from the Gospel can take place over many generations. It is
almost imperceptible to most in that church or group. It happens when
unbiblical teachings grow larger in their important in the
thinking and practices of the group. Then, they begin to slowly push sound
doctrine or biblical theology quietly into the background. Whereas, for
example, a first generation of a movement, denomination, group, or church
may retain much of justification by faith in their understanding, by the
third or fourth generation, the doctrine is totally unknown because the
teaching emphasis is placed on something other than the biblical Gospel.
This is a very insidious process which too many fail to recognize among
their constituency. It is always "others" who are failing the truth.
Tragically, those oblivious to their own departures from the biblical
teaching of the Gospel commit the same mistakes, unconscious of what they
are doing.
In
such cases, it
takes nothing less than the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit to open
the latter generations to a fresh understanding of Scripture and the Gospel.
Their enculturation to the ways of the previous generations is so strong and
deep, that they resist even the Scripture itself, in order to maintain their
cultural (movement, denominational, group, or church) identity. This is the
most deceptive danger of replacing the commandments of God with the
traditions of men. "Thus you nullify the
word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do
many things like that." Mark 7:13
In many cases it
is the teachings of a group or movement and not the individuals within them
with which ICA!M is at odds. We have many friends and loved ones who are
part of some of these groups. We do not reject or seek to offend them. Our
greatest desire and hope is that they will see that the Scriptures proclaim
a more marvelous Christ and Gospel than has been taught to them. We know
that many of our friends love Jesus Christ and are deeply committed to Him,
many having served him for 30, 40 or 50 years. But, in many cases these
honest and sincere people were taught a meaning of the Gospel which
undermines its true nature. They still operate under certain understandings
which in fact change, distort or confound the power and beauty of the true
Gospel. Ironically, they do this while seeking to declare "the gospel".
It
is our prayer that
our words would ultimately encourage those who read them to be in awe of the
amazing grace of God and the wonder of Christ and His glorious Gospel.
The links here are
those groups with which we have some experience. The links will take you to
a number of pages which contain those subjects with which we take issue with
the named group. In time, we will add a number of other groups or doctrines
currently drifting from the Gospel or teaching that which will lead
believers away from the Gospel of Christ.
Christian Research Institute
Inner-City Christian Discernment Ministries
Cross+Word
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