False Teachings

This article examines the false teaching of annihilationism, also known as conditional immortality, which claims that the wicked will not suffer eternal conscious punishment but will be completely destroyed or cease to exist. Annihilationists argue that God will eventually annihilate the unsaved, ending their existence rather than tormenting them forever. Scripture, however, clearly teaches that the punishment of the wicked is everlasting, conscious, and unending. The same Bible that speaks of eternal life for the righteous speaks of eternal punishment for the wicked.

This article examines the false teaching of antinomianism, which claims that because Christians are saved by grace through faith, the moral law of God no longer applies to them. Antinomians teach that believers are not obligated to obey the Ten Commandments or any moral precepts, and that good works are unnecessary or even detrimental to spiritual life. This teaching directly contradicts Scripture, which declares that faith without works is dead, that believers are created for good works, and that the law is holy, just, and good. Antinomianism is a distortion of grace that leads to licentiousness.

Antitrinitarianism denies that God exists as one being in three eternal persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—contradicting core biblical teaching and the foundation of Christian faith.

This article examines the false teaching of Arianism, which denies the full deity of Jesus Christ. Arianism teaches that Jesus Christ is a created being, the first and highest creation of God, but not eternal God. Arians claim that there was a time when the Son did not exist, and that He is not of the same substance as the Father. This teaching contradicts the clear witness of Scripture, which declares that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, that He is one with the Father, that He existed in the beginning with God, and that He is God. Arianism is a Christological heresy that undermines the deity of Christ and the efficacy of His atonement.

This article examines the false teaching of asceticism, which claims that spiritual growth or salvation is achieved through severe bodily discipline, self-denial, and the rejection of physical pleasures. Asceticism teaches that the material world is inherently evil and that denying the body's legitimate needs and desires leads to holiness. Some ascetics forbid marriage, require celibacy, mandate fasting beyond biblical instruction, or demand the rejection of certain foods as unclean. Scripture, however, teaches that God's creation is good, that bodily discipline has some value but not for salvation, and that true godliness comes from the heart, not from external severity.

This article examines the false teaching of Donatism, which claimed that the spiritual purity of the minister determines the validity of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord's Supper). Donatists taught that if a bishop or priest had denied the faith under persecution, or lived in sin, his administration of the sacraments was invalid. The church would then need to rebaptize those baptized by such ministers. This teaching was condemned as heresy by the early church. Scripture teaches that the validity of the sacraments rests on Christ's institution and faithfulness, not on the moral character of the minister.

This article examines the false teaching of Gnosticism, which claimed that salvation comes through secret knowledge (gnosis) revealed only to an elite few. Gnostics taught that the material world is evil and was created by a lesser, ignorant deity (demiurge), while the true God is distant and unknowable. They denied that Jesus came in the flesh, teaching that He only appeared to have a physical body (Docetism). This teaching directly contradicts Scripture, which declares that the material world is good, that God created all things, that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and that salvation is through faith in Him, not through secret knowledge.

This article examines the false teaching of hyper-Calvinism, which goes beyond the biblical doctrine of sovereign grace by denying that God sincerely offers the gospel to all people. Hyper-Calvinists teach that the gospel should only be preached to the elect, that there is no free offer of salvation to the non-elect, and that human responsibility is incompatible with divine sovereignty. Scripture, however, clearly commands that the gospel be preached to every creature, that God sincerely desires the salvation of sinners, and that all who believe will be saved. Hyper-Calvinism distorts the biblical balance between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility.

This article examines the false teaching of kenoticism, which claims that when Jesus Christ became man, He emptied Himself of some or all of His divine attributes. Kenoticists teach that Jesus set aside His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, or other divine qualities during His earthly ministry. They base this on a misunderstanding of Philippians 2:7, where Paul writes that Christ "emptied Himself" (ekenosen). Scripture, however, teaches that Jesus remained fully God while also becoming fully man. He did not cease to be omniscient, omnipotent, or omnipresent; He voluntarily veiled the exercise of these attributes in submission to the Father's will.

This article examines the false teachings concerning Mary, the mother of Jesus, that have been elevated to dogma by the Roman Catholic Church. These include the Immaculate Conception (that Mary was conceived without original sin), the Perpetual Virginity (that Mary remained a virgin her entire life), the Assumption (that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven), and Mary as Mediatrix (that Mary participates in the mediation of Christ). Scripture nowhere teaches these doctrines. They contradict the clear testimony of God's Word and detract from the unique person and work of Jesus Christ.

This article examines the false teaching of modalism, also known as Sabellianism, which denies the distinct personhood of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Modalists teach that God is one person who manifests Himself in three different modes or forms at different times. They claim that the Father became the Son, and the Son became the Holy Spirit. This teaching contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct persons who simultaneously exist and interact with one another. Modalism is an ancient heresy that denies the biblical doctrine of the Trinity.

This article examines the false teaching of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), which claims that the offices of apostle and prophet are being restored to the church today. NAR teaches that modern apostles and prophets have authority over churches, regions, and nations, and that they receive new revelation from God. Some NAR leaders claim to perform signs and wonders greater than those recorded in Scripture. This teaching contradicts the clear testimony of Scripture that the foundation of the church was laid once for all by the apostles and prophets of the first century, and that no new revelation is needed because the canon of Scripture is complete.

This article examines the false teaching of open theism, which claims that God does not know the future free decisions of His creatures. Open theists argue that God has limited His knowledge to make room for human free will, and that He learns and changes as events unfold. This teaching directly contradicts Scripture, which declares that God knows all things from eternity, that His knowledge is infinite and perfect, and that He declares the end from the beginning. Open theism denies the omniscience of God and undermines the certainty of prophecy and the security of salvation.

This article examines the false teaching of Pelagianism, which denies original sin and the inherited corruption of human nature. Pelagius taught that Adam's sin affected only himself, that all people are born morally neutral, and that humans have the natural ability to choose good or evil without special divine grace. This teaching directly contradicts Scripture, which declares that all have sinned in Adam, that all are born with a fallen nature, and that no one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him. Pelagianism is a fundamental error that undermines the necessity of grace and the work of Christ.

This article examines the false teaching of the prosperity gospel, which claims that God's will for every believer is physical health, financial wealth, and material success. Prosperity teachers assert that poverty and sickness are the result of sin, lack of faith, or a failure to claim God's promises through positive confession. They teach that faith, combined with financial sowing (giving to their ministries), guarantees a multiplied harvest of earthly riches. This teaching directly contradicts Scripture, which warns against the love of money, promises suffering for believers, and declares that godliness with contentment is great gain.

This article examines the false teaching of replacement theology, also known as supersessionism, which claims that the church has permanently replaced Israel as the people of God. Replacement theology teaches that the promises made to Israel in the Old Testament are now fulfilled in the church, and that ethnic Israel no longer has a distinct role in God's redemptive plan. Some forms teach that God is finished with Israel entirely. Scripture, however, teaches that God has not rejected His people Israel, that His gifts and calling are irrevocable, and that all Israel will be saved. The church has not replaced Israel; it has been grafted into the olive tree alongside believing Israel.

This article examines the false teaching of Sabbatarianism, which claims that Christians are still bound to observe the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday) as a day of rest under the Mosaic Law. Some Sabbatarians teach that worship on Sunday is the "mark of the beast." Others teach that while worship on Sunday is permissible, the seventh-day Sabbath remains the commanded day of rest. Scripture clearly teaches that the Sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic Covenant, fulfilled in Christ, and that Christians are not bound to observe it. The Lord's Day (Sunday) became the day of Christian worship in commemoration of the resurrection.

This article examines the false teaching of soul sleep, which claims that between death and the resurrection, the soul enters a state of unconsciousness or nonexistence. Adherents teach that the dead are not conscious and do not experience anything until they are raised on the last day. Some soul sleep advocates teach that the soul ceases to exist at death and is recreated at the resurrection. Scripture, however, clearly teaches that at death, the soul of the believer goes immediately into the presence of the Lord, and the soul of the unbeliever goes immediately into conscious torment. The intermediate state is one of conscious existence, not sleep.

This article examines the false teaching of universalism, which claims that all people, regardless of faith or works, will ultimately be saved and reconciled to God. Universalism denies the reality of eternal punishment, the necessity of faith in Christ, and the justice of God. Scripture clearly teaches that not all will be saved, that hell is real and eternal, and that only those who believe in Jesus Christ receive eternal life. This error must be corrected by the clear and repeated testimony of God's Word.

Works righteousness teaches that human effort and moral merit can earn or contribute to salvation, contradicting Scripture's clear teaching that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.