RESPONDING TO THE CULTS KEVIN LEWIS

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Rosamund Cannon
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1 RESPONDING TO THE CULTS KEVIN LEWIS I. Introduction: The Scope of Apologetics Regarding Cults A. Polemical theology: attacking other systems of thought 1. Deals with refutations of those systems 2. Attacks heresy a. To refute error b. To forewarn Christians 3. Presupposes existence of objective truth 4. Offensive (as opposed to defensive) in nature B. Meta-apologetics: methodological issues 1. Is there truth, and can we know it? 2. Worldview issues, such as naturalism versus theism C. Apologetics: a reasoned defense which uses evidences D. Unique difficulties with cult apologetics 1. You appear to be divisive to the church (a heresy hunter ). 2. We need to convince people there are true and false versions of Christianity. 3. What is the basis for true Christianity? a. Common, unique Christian beliefs about how we are saved b. Common, unique Christian beliefs about our Lord 4. What are consequences of doctrinal error? a. Depends on which doctrine b. Regarding salvation, it is crucial. II. Biblical Foundation for Doing Counter-Cult Apologetics A. 2 Cor. 11:14: Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, to appeal to people. He cloaks falsehood in more beautiful packaging. B. Matthew 7: Subject: false prophets (who do not speak for God) 2. They look like the people of God. 3. They produce false disciples as their fruit. 4. There are people who call Him Lord, yet He tells them to depart from Him. C. Acts 20: Paul gives key things to pass on. 2. False teachers will arise, to draw away people. 3. We are charged to warn people. D. 2 Cor. 11:3,4 1. A different Jesus, spirit, and gospel were being spread in the first century.

2 Kevin Lewis 2 2. False apostles do this, disguised as servants of light. E. Gal. 1: Accursed damned, anathema 2. Even if Paul preached a different gospel, it was not to be believed. F. 2 Tim. 4: Keep fighting the good fight. 2. Others will distort it. G. 2 Peter 2: Heresy: a teaching that is sufficient to divide one from the true church, or truth from falsehood 2. Historically a. Material: held out of ignorance b. Formal: person willingly holds error and rejects truth III. How Do We Deal With False Leaders? A. Name names 1. 2 Tim. 2:16, 17; Paul mentions names. 2. He names the teaching itself. 3. Yet, we need to be sure. Verify that this is being taught, and do not slander. B. Silence them 1. Titus 1:9-11: an elder is to hold fast the faithful word, to refute those who contradict it. 2. Silence : Greek to muzzle an animal 3. How? By not giving them an opportunity to speak 4. 2 John 10, 11 a. The issue here is not about not letting cultists into your house. b. There were very few public buildings where Christians met, so they met in house churches with itinerant teachers. c. Key: do not let such people have teaching authority. IV. Cults of Christianity A. Claiming to be Christian 1. Example: Islam makes no claim to be Christian, yet claims that it has the truth (like Mormonism) a. The claim: Old and New Testaments are so corrupt b. An old heresy: dynamic monarchianism c. We need to establish the authority of the Bible. 2. Mormons and Jehovah s Witnesses do claim to be Christian. a. So, our methodology changes. b. They accept the Bible as an authority. c. They also accept Jesus in some shape or form. 3. All groups that deny Christianity are false. a. All cults are false religions. b. But not all false religions are cults.

3 Kevin Lewis 3 c. So, strategies differ in witnessing. B. What do they believe? 1. Jehovah s Witnesses system is the most complex. a. The use detailed arguments. b. They also use scholars. 2. Mormonism is less complex. a. Why? They say you cannot rely on the Bible, so they refer to other sources. b. Yet, they are becoming more scholarly and precise. c. Moroni 10:4: burning in the bosom an existential claim, and not an argument 3. Children of God a. Not a complex system b. Purpose of salvation: to have as much sex as possible c. Later, claimed to have revelations from God C. Criteria for a cult 1. A doctrinal truth claim is needed to be a cult. 2. Must be taught by an individual leader, a group of leaders, or an organization 3. Claims to be Christian 4. Charisma is not a necessary quality (either implicitly or explicitly). 5. Doctrinal system denies one or more essential Christian doctrines. IV. Essential Christian Doctrines A. The concept of sin 1. God s holiness is expressed in the law. 2. Why are we punished eternally for sins committed temporally? a. It depends on the being against whom we sinned. b. The offense committed is against the perfect God. c. Those most like God are most valuable, while those least like God are least valuable (a hierarchy). d. There is little problem when we harm cockroaches, yet there is more when we harm dogs. e. But if you intentionally take another human s life without justification, the debt you incur is equal to another human life. (1) Genesis 9:6 (2) This is to balance the scales of justice. (3) If we offend God, who is an infinite, holy being, the debt is infinite separation from God without common grace. 3. How do you pay an infinite debt? a. The answer of the world religions is to be good. (1) But this is absurd. (2) We do not accrue merit by keeping the law, which is God s standard. b. Having broken the law, God justly judges us.

4 Kevin Lewis 4 c. Only an infinite person, who is both God and man, can pay an infinite debt. d. A substitute is needed since we cannot pay an infinite debt. 4. Those who have never heard will be judged because they have sinned. B. Essential Christian doctrines 1. What is necessary for salvation? a. Authority of scripture (our cognitive foundation for theological systems) b. God is triune, or else the New Testament does not make sense. (1) Modalism: God is one person; the Father, who became the Son, who became the Spirit (2) Luke 23:39-43: (a) Instantaneously, today, the thief would be with Jesus in paradise. (b) Confession: agreeing with God that I am a sinner (c) Result of repentance (d) Simple faith: he knows Jesus has the authority to permit him entrance into the kingdom by forgiving sins 2. This approach helps you discern cults, as well as non-believers, from bornagain Christians. 3. Essential Christian doctrines include: a. Trinity b. Deity of Christ c. His incarnation d. Vicarious atonement e. Salvation by grace through faith f. Bodily resurrection (which is how you know your sin has been paid for, by having bodily life) 4. How do you distinguish essential, secondary, and tertiary doctrines? a. Secondary ones are those on which Christians must agree to have a harmonious local body. (1) Example: having congregational form of church government, versus bishops (2) Method of baptism: sprinkling or immersion? (3) Cessation of sign gifts at end of last apostles (4) Egalitarianism b. Tertiary ones are ones over which you can disagree and yet have a harmonious local church (1) Example: timing of the rapture (2) Spiritual warfare methodology c. Note: being a theist is not sufficient to be saved. V. Statistical Examples of Cults A. Mormonism

5 Kevin Lewis 5 1. Membership is around million (yet, it is hard to get former Mormons off the statistics). 2. Growth rate: in 1985, there were about million members, so it doubled in 15 years 3. 60,000 fulltime missionaries 4. Second only in church wealth to the Roman Catholic church worldwide 5. They de-emphasize their distinctives in order to appear to be another denomination. B. Jehovah s Witnesses million baptized members 2. In 100+ languages 3. Four city blocks in New York for printing presses 4. Very active in mission fields VI. Theological Characteristics A. Emphasis on miracles or experiences over doctrine, which diminishes the authority of scripture B. Cultists have to reduce biblical authority in order to reject contrary passages (such as about Jesus deity or full humanity). C. Example of the Trinity 1. Definition of the Trinity: there is one infinite, personal, independent Spirit who is self-existent, good, holy, and just (Is. 44:24). Three personal instances of this one undivided essence exist at same time (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). 2. Three categories of such text: a. There is only one God. b. Those that teach the deity of each person c. Those that simultaneously mention all three persons as distinct persons 3. False views a. Tritheism (1) Three gods (2) Denies textual category a, above b. Modalistic monarchianism: (1) One person in Godhead, yet successively plays three roles (but never simultaneously) (2) Denies texts of category c c. Unitarian (1) Jehovah s Witnesses, orthodox Jews, Muslims (2) Dynamic monarchianism: one person in Godhead, so Jesus is a man empowered by God (3) Explicitly deny the Trinity (category b) d. Mormons (1) Polytheists (an infinite number of finite gods)

6 Kevin Lewis 6 (2) Mormons might say they are henotheists (as opposed to monotheists), in that they worship one god, although there is a series of gods. e. United Pentecostal: modalistic monarchianism (Sabellianism) D. Salvation by grace through faith 1. What happens when Christ pays our debt and we receive the benefits (including justification, reconciliation, regeneration) 2. Ephesians 2: Denials: Mormons: we believe in salvation by grace, just like you. a. Yet, for them, general salvation is by grace (meaning the reversal of Adam s transgression by providing a resurrection for everyone). b. But, the kingdom you end up in is 100% due to your effort ( exaltation ). E. Denials of the sufficiency of Christ s work for salvation 1. David Koresh, who thought he had to finish the job 2. Brigham Young, and the doctrine of blood atonement: our sins are so egregious that Christ s blood cannot cover them. So, you have to shed your own blood to atone for them. 3. Moonies: a. Christ accomplished only spiritual salvation. b. Now, we need Moon to accomplish physical salvation (i.e., perfect the human race). F. All cults either reduce the Bible s authority, or have a wrong approach to interpreting scripture. 1. Jehovah s Witnesses retranslate the Bible, or their publications state that they have the true interpretations of scripture. 2. Mormons believe in the Bible, but only insofar as it is correctly translated. Thus, we need a prophet and other books. 3. Methodologically, Kenneth Copeland thinks his teachings come from revelation knowledge (direct propositional knowledge from God that tells him what the Bible means). VII. Summary A. Revelation 20:11-15: we need to be doers of the word. B. The end of those who do not know Christ is the lake of fire. C. They will be judged by their deeds. D. Do we really believe this? How many people do we know who do not know Christ? E. We need to think of sending missionaries to cults and not just to ethnic people groups.

Detailed Statement of Faith Of Grace Community Bible Church

Detailed Statement of Faith Of Grace Community Bible Church THE HOLY SCRIPTURES We believe that the Bible is God s written revelation to man, and thus the 66 books of the Bible given to us by the Holy