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Date Posted: 19:59:45 06/15/02 Sat
Author: Rev. Jack Howell
Author Host/IP: 68.12.221.220
Subject: Re: I agree....read on
In reply to: Don 's message, "I agree....read on" on 19:45:49 06/15/02 Sat

Definition: A cult is a group of people gathered around someone's misinterpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christian doctrine relative to the cardinal truths of the Christian faith, particularly the fact that God became man in Jesus Christ. A cult then, is a perversion or distortion of New Testament Christianity and/or a rejection of the historic teachings of the Christian Church. The Apostle Paul warned there would be false christs and a false gospel that would attempt to deceive the True Church and the world. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

Listed below are several traits or marks common to most of the cults. If you come into contact with any group that exhibits one or more of these traits, you should be cautious, for chances are, you are dealing with a cult, or at best an aberrant form of Christianity that has one foot in Biblical orthodoxy and the other foot in what has come to be known as "The kingdom of the cults".


1. Cults often, but not always deny the Biblical doctrine of the Triune Godhead. Some claim to uphold the Trinity, but modify it to suit their peculiar teachings. For example, some groups who claim to uphold the Trinity doctrine, such as The Local Church of Witness Lee actually teach the doctrine of Modalism. Others claim to uphold the doctrine of the Trinity, but relegate Christ to the position of a created being, such as the Seventh Day Adventists who say that Jesus is actually the archangel Michael.

2. A cult denies the Deity of Jesus Christ and relegates to Him the position of a created being rather than Creator (John 1:3,10; Colossians 1:16,17).

3. Some cults deny the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Some, while professing to believe in the virgin birth, actually teach that Mary had sexual relations with God and thus produced Jesus.

4. Cults often deny the Person of the Holy Ghost and consider Him to be nothing more than in impersonal force or power radiating from God that He sends forth to accomplish His Will. To these, the Holy Ghost is an "it" rather than "He" (John 14:16,17; 16:13,14).

5. A cult centers its teachings on their founder's or leader's misinterpretation of the Bible. For example, the Seventh Day Adventists follow the misinterpretations of Ellen G. White, the Mormons follow the misinterpretations of Joseph Smith Jr., the Jehovah's Witnesses follow the misinterpretations of Charles Taze Russell and Joseph Rutherford, and the Christian Scientists follow the misinterpretations of Mary Baker Eddy. It is interesting that the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses are now denying that they follow the teachings of their founders. This is their attempt to distance themselves from the embarrassing statements and practices, such as Ellen White's plagiarisms, as well as the false prophecies uttered by their founders, but the facts clearly show that despite their denials, they do indeed adhere tenaciously to the teachings of their founders, else they would publicly disavow their founders' false teachings and change their doctrines to conform to Biblical orthodoxy just as the Worldwide Church of God has done.

6. Cults claim to be the only genuine Christians and all others outside their group are deceived by the devil and under his influence. They claim to be THE Remnant Church, or the Church RESTORED to the earth after centuries of its absence due to apostasy. They claim to have restored certain "truths" which they claim the early Church departed from centuries ago. They claim that God is displeased with all the churches, and that until their group came into existence, there was no true expression of Christianity on the face of the earth for many centuries. Such claims contradict the promise made by Jesus concerning the Church at Matthew 16:18. Secular history also contradicts and refutes that claim, for even though the Church did enter into a state of general apostasy, there were still numerous groups of Christians who held true to the Bible and were persecuted by the apostate system as a result.

7. Cults generally have extra-biblical sources of truth. The Mormons have The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The Seventh Day Adventists have the writings of Ellen G. White, and the Jehovah?s Witnesses have the publications of their Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and Governing Body. The Christian Scientists have the books written by Mary Baker Eddy. These extra-biblical sources always contradict the Bible and often themselves as well as other works produced by the same author.

8. Cults often publish their own version of the Bible in order to make the Bible appear to support their heretical teachings. Instead of conforming their teachings to the Bible, they conform the Bible to their teachings. For example, the Mormons have their Joseph Smith Translation (also known as the Inspired Version) which is a revision of the KJV with scriptures deleted that do not support LDS doctrine, and many scriptures reworded to support their doctrines, as well as many scriptures added, such as can be found in Genesis where Joseph Smith added much to the account of the Garden of Eden and also inserted a prophecy about himself. The Seventh Day Adventists have their Clear Word Bible which is rendered to support SDA doctrine pertaining to the 7th Day Sabbath, and the Jehovah?s Witnesses have their New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures which is rendered to support their heretical teachings.

9. Some cults deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, and substitute it with a spiritual resurrection in which Christ was raised as a spirit creature. Such groups argue that for Christ to have been raised bodily, this would mean that He was taking back His ransom sacrifice on the cross.

10. Some cults deny the literal, physical Second Coming of Christ to the earth. Some teach that He has already returned invisibly and is now reigning over the earth.

11. Cults add to the Biblical Plan of Salvation. While some claim to believe in salvation by grace through faith, they add to it the necessity of Sabbath observance, tithing, attendance at their meetings, observance of the Law of Moses, etc. some also teach that salvation is only through their particular organization since they claim to be the only true Church and all others apostate.

12. Some cults exercise strict control over their members, dictating practically every aspect of their lives and failure to obey results in disfellowshipping (ex-communication) wherein it is claimed that the leaders of such a group have the power to take away the salvation of any who disobey or who question the group's teachings. Such a form of church government is forbidden by scripture (1 Peter 5:3).

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