“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
-2 Timothy 4:3-4
"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!"
-Galatians 1:8-9
"The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."
-Acts 17:10-11
As a Christian, it is vital to understand what you believe and why you believe it. If you are not well grounded in the scriptures, then it is easy to be led astray into error or worse. While sincere believers may disagree on secondary matters, certain core doctrines—especially the nature of God, the person and work of Christ, and the way of salvation—are non-negotiable. The following movements and churches teach doctrines that depart significantly from historic Bible-based Christianity and often compromise the gospel itself.
Denominations & Movements which claim to be Christian, but have questionable beliefs :
Prosperity Gospel (Word of Faith Movement)
Core error: God guarantees health and wealth to those with sufficient faith and who “sow financial seed.”
Key texts misused: Malachi 3:10; John 10:10; 3 John 2; Deuteronomy 8:18
Texts that contradict it:
Philippians 4:11–13 – “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am… I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
2 Corinthians 12:7–10 – “…there was given me a thorn in the flesh… He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’”
1 Timothy 6:6–10 – “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment… For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil…”
Ephesians 2:8–9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Gospel danger: Ties divine favor or blessing to giving, undermining Ephesians 2:8–9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Oneness Pentecostalism
Core error: Rejects the Trinity; baptism in Jesus’ name only + tongues required.
Key Trinitarian texts denied:
Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
2 Corinthians 13:14 – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”
Salvation-by-faith-alone texts contradicted:
Romans 10:9 – “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Seventh-day Adventism (traditional and some branches)
Problematic distinctives: Saturday Sabbath as morally binding; 1844 Investigative Judgment.
Key texts that undermine Sabbath-as-salvation-issue:
Colossians 2:16–17 – “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”
Hebrews 4:9–10 – “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.”
Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Hyper-Charismatic Movements (e.g., New Apostolic Reformation)
Core error: Ongoing apostles/prophets with new revelation equal to Scripture. Extreme practices like "grave soaking" (absorbing anointing from deceased leaders’ graves) or mandatory spiritual warfare rituals for salvation.
Key texts on sufficiency of Scripture:
2 Timothy 3:16–17 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
Revelation 22:18–19 – “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book…”
Salvation Issues: Elevating extrabiblical revelations or rituals as necessary for salvation undermines sola scriptura and faith alone.
Christian Universalism / Unitarian Universalism (and liberal “Christian” offshoots that still claim the name)
Core error:
All people will eventually be saved regardless of faith in Christ (or even without any faith at all).
Denial of eternal punishment and of Jesus as the exclusive Savior; many also reject the Trinity and the deity of Christ.
Key texts contradicted:
John 14:6 – "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'"
Acts 4:12 – “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Matthew 25:46 – “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Romans 10:9 “…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
1 Timothy 2:5 – “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
Salvation Issue:
Universalism directly nullifies the repeated New Testament emphasis on faith in Christ as the only means of salvation and turns clear warnings of eternal judgment into metaphors or temporary states.
Rejection of the Trinity and the deity of Christ (common in most Unitarian Universalist circles today)
(Note: Modern Unitarian Universalism as an association no longer identifies as exclusively Christian and openly includes atheists, pagans, and Buddhists. The few remaining “Christian” universalist groups or individuals who still use the Bible are the ones addressed here.)
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Belief:
Deny the deity of Christ saying that Jesus is a created being (Michael the Archangel).
Salvation requires faith, works, and adherence to Watchtower teachings.
Only 144,000 believers will reign in heaven (Revelation 7:4)
Deny bodily resurrection, soul sleep, etc.
Deny Hell/eternal punishment : the wicked are annihilated
Criticism:
(deity of Christ)
John 1:1–3 — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
Colossians 1:16–17 — “For by Him all things were created… He is before all things…”
Colossians 2:9 — “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”
(denial of the Trinity)
Matthew 28:19 — “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 13:14 — “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”
(the Holy Spirit as personal “Helper/Advocate,” not an impersonal force)
John 14:16–17 — “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
John 14:26 — “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
John 15:26 — “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.”
John 16:13–14 — “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
Why these verses are decisive against the “active force” teaching:The Holy Spirit is repeatedly referred to with the personal masculine pronoun ἐκεῖνος (“He”) in the Greek, never the neuter πνεῦμα (“it”).
He teaches, reminds, testifies, speaks, hears, discloses, guides, and glorifies—actions that only a person can perform.
Jesus calls Him “another Helper” (ἄλλον παράκλητον), placing the Holy Spirit in the same category as Himself (a divine Person).
These texts (along with Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Acts 5:3–4, etc.) make the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ impersonal-force view grammatically and theologically impossible from the biblical text itself.
(salvation requirements)
Ephesians 2:8–9 — “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works…”
Galatians 2:16 — “…a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus…”
(denial of Hell)
Matthew 25:46 — “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Revelation 14:10–11 — “…he will be tormented with fire and brimstone… the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever…”
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons/LDS)
Belief :
Teach multiple gods (not the eternal, uncreated divine trinity)
God was once a man
Mankind's eternal progression to godhood (men can become gods)
Baptism for the dead (attaining salvation for unrepentant dead ancestors)
Claim that the original Scriptures of the Bible have been corrupted. Joseph Smith produced his own revision (the Joseph Smith Translation or JST), which changes or adds thousands of verses. Significant portions of the JST are canonized in the Pearl of Great Price (e.g., Moses, Joseph Smith—Matthew) and appear as footnotes or appendices in the official LDS KJV edition.
Additional scriptures (Book of Mormon, etc.) that contradict the biblical canon.
Continuing revelation of their prophet has equal weight to the Bible.
Criticism:
(Nature of God, other gods, becoming gods)
Isaiah 43:10 — “Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.”
Isaiah 44:6, 8 — “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me… Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.”
Isaiah 46:9 — “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me.”
Psalm 90:2 — “Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
Malachi 3:6 — “For I, the LORD, do not change…”
(additional scriptures, continuing revelation)
Galatians 1:8–9 — “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”
Revelation 22:18–19 — "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book."
Deuteronomy 4:2 — "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."
Proverbs 30:5-6 — "Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar."
(baptism for the dead) It is too late to repent after you die...
Hebrews 9:27 — “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”
Luke 16:25-26 — "But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ "
These teachings are heresy.
Definition of Heresy:
(From a strict Sola Scriptura perspective)
Heresy is the willful, persistent denial or distortion of any doctrine that the Bible itself clearly teaches as essential to the being of God or the way of salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of the incarnate Son.
Generally recognized historical heritcal teachings:
Docetism
1st–2nd century
Jesus only seemed to have a real human body; He was pure spirit.
John 1:14; 1 John 4:2–3; Luke 24:39
Ignatius, Irenæus, Tertullian
Ebionism
2nd century
Jesus was a mere man, not divine; the Son of God only by adoption.
John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9
Irenæus, Hippolytus
Gnosticism (Valentinian, etc.)
2nd–3rd century
Matter is evil; salvation through secret knowledge; Christ brought the spark of divinity, did not truly become flesh.
Genesis 1:31; John 1:14; Colossians 2:8–9
Irenæus (Against Heresies), Tertullian
Marcionism
144 AD
Rejected the Old Testament and its God; taught two gods (OT cruel Creator vs. NT loving Father).
Luke 24:27, 44; Romans 3:21–31
Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenæus
Sabellianism / Modalism
3rd century
God is one Person who wears three masks (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in sequence; denies three distinct Persons.
Matthew 3:16–17; 28:19; John 14–17; 2 Corinthians 13:14
Tertullian (Against Praxeas), Dionysius of Rome
Arianism
Condemned 325
Jesus is a created being, the first and highest creature, but not eternal God.
John 1:1–3; 8:58; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:2–3
First Council of Nicaea (325)
Apollinarianism
Condemned 381
Jesus had a human body but not a human mind/soul; the divine Logos replaced the human spirit.
Hebrews 2:17; 4:15; Luke 2:52
First Council of Constantinople (381)
Nestorianism
Condemned 431
Christ is two persons (divine + human) loosely joined, not one Person with two natures.
John 1:14; Colossians 2:9; Philippians 2:6–8
Council of Ephesus (431)
Eutychianism / Monophysitism
Condemned 451
Christ has only one nature; the human nature was absorbed into the divine (or blended into a third nature).
Hebrews 2:14, 17; 1 John 4:2–3
Council of Chalcedon (451)
Pelagianism
Condemned 418 & 529
Adam’s sin affected only Adam; humans are born sinless and can choose God without prevenient grace.
Romans 3:10–18; 5:12–19; Ephesians 2:1–3, 8–9
Councils of Carthage (418), Orange II (529)
Semi-Pelagianism
Condemned 529
Man’s fallen will can take the first step toward God; grace only helps afterward.
John 6:44; Ephesians 2:1–5
Second Council of Orange (529)
Adoptionism / Dynamic Monarchianism
2nd & 8th centuries
Jesus was a mere man who was “adopted” as Son of God at His baptism or resurrection.
John 1:1, 18; Romans 1:3–4
Early fathers; later condemned again in 8th century
Iconoclasm
Condemned 787
Images of Christ and saints are idolatrous and must be destroyed.
John 1:14; Colossians 1:15 (Christ is the image/icon of God)
Second Council of Nicaea (787)
Socinianism (early Unitarianism)
16th–17th centuries
Denied the Trinity, pre-existence, and deity of Christ; salvation by example and moral effort.
Same Trinitarian and Christological texts as Arianism above
Virtually All Christians Agree These Are Heresies
Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans, Reformed, Baptists, and most evangelicals all accept the first seven Ecumenical Councils as correctly identifying the major Christological and Trinitarian heresies (Nicaea I through Nicaea II).
The Pelagian/Semi-Pelagian condemnations are accepted by Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, and Reformed; many Baptists and evangelicals also reject Pelagianism outright.
These are the “big ones” that every major branch of historic Christianity labels as formal heresy—the willful denial of essential doctrines about the being of God or the person and work of Christ necessary for salvation.
What are some specific churches and their alignment to these practices/doctrines?
Joel Osteen Ministries (Lakewood Church, Houston, TX)
Denomination/Movement: Non-denominational, aligned with Prosperity Gospel/Word of Faith
Belief/Practice: Promotes the Prosperity Gospel, teaching that faith, positive confessions, and tithing lead to material wealth and health. Osteen often cites verses like Malachi 3:10 ("open the windows of heaven") to promise financial blessings.
Alignment: Critics argue this takes Scriptures out of context, emphasizing material gain over spiritual growth and suggesting salvation or divine favor is tied to financial acts, conflicting with Ephesians 2:8-9 (salvation by grace). Osteen’s sermons frequently frame God’s blessings as wealth and success, which some see as a works-based distortion of the gospel.
Salvation Issue: While Osteen rarely preaches overt works-salvation, the constant implication is that lack of faith/positive confession/tithing blocks God’s blessings, which functionally undermines the freeness of grace (Eph 2:8–9).
T.D. Jakes Ministries (The Potter’s House, Dallas, TX)(formerly affiliated with the Oneness Pentecostal movement)
Denomination/Movement: Non-denominational, strong Prosperity/Word-of-Faith influence
Belief/Practice: Heavy emphasis on prosperity, “destiny,” and positive confession; teaches that believers should expect health and wealth.
Current status on the Trinity: Jakes formally distanced himself from modalism/Oneness Pentecostalism around 2012 and has repeatedly affirmed belief in the Trinity (though some critics still find his wording imprecise).
Salvation Issue: Prosperity focus can imply that material success is evidence of faith/right standing with God, risking a subtle works/faith-plus-performance distortion of the gospel.
United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) – First Pentecostal Church of North Little Rock, AR
Denomination/Movement: Oneness Pentecostalism
Belief/Practice: Rejects the Trinity, teaching God is one person manifesting as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Salvation requires repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name only, and speaking in tongues as evidence of Spirit baptism (Acts 2:38).
Alignment: Denies Trinitarian doctrine, misinterpreting passages like John 1:1 and Matthew 28:19. Critics argue the requirement of tongues for salvation adds works to faith, contradicting Romans 10:9 (confess and believe for salvation).
Salvation Issue: Adds extrabiblical conditions (baptism in Jesus’ name, tongues) to salvation, seen as heretical by Trinitarian Protestants for denying the Trinity and altering the gospel.
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) – Greater Bible Way Temple, Jackson, MI
Denomination/Movement: Oneness Pentecostalism
Belief/Practice: Similar to UPCI, teaches Modalism (one God, one person) and requires Jesus’ Name baptism and tongues for salvation, citing Acts 2:38 as the complete salvation formula.
Alignment: Rejects Trinitarian theology, taking Colossians 2:9 ("fullness of the Godhead") out of context to deny distinct persons in the Godhead. Critics argue this misaligns with John 14:26 and risks isolating believers from orthodox Christianity.
Salvation Issue: Mandates specific rituals (baptism, tongues) for salvation, seen as a works-based addition to grace, contrary to Galatians 2:16.
Seventh-day Adventist Church – Loma Linda University Church, Loma Linda, CA
Denomination/Movement: Seventh-day Adventism
Belief/Practice: Emphasizes Saturday Sabbath and teaches the 1844 Investigative Judgment doctrine.
Alignment: While official SDA statements affirm justification by faith alone, the unique emphasis on the Sabbath and the unbiblical Investigative Judgment can functionally add law-keeping to assurance of salvation in the minds of many members.
Salvation Issue: Risks legalism and confuses the finished work of Christ, though mainstream SDA repudiates works-righteousness.
Bethel Church, Redding, CA
Denomination/Movement: Non-denominational, aligned with New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)
Belief/Practice: Promotes modern apostles and prophets with new revelations, spiritual warfare against territorial demons, and practices like "grave soaking" (absorbing anointing from graves). Emphasizes the Seven Mountain Mandate for Christian dominion over society.
Alignment: Critics argue these practices lack biblical grounding, misapplying Ephesians 4:11 (five-fold ministry) to justify new apostolic authority beyond Scripture (Revelation 22:18-19). Grave soaking is seen as superstitious, with no biblical precedent.
Salvation Issue: Requiring submission to modern apostles or specific spiritual experiences (e.g., prophetic acts) for spiritual fullness risks adding to the gospel, challenging sola scriptura and sola fide.
International House of Prayer (IHOPKC), Kansas City, MO
Denomination/Movement: Non-denominational, aligned with New Apostolic Reformation
Belief/Practice: Emphasizes prophetic revelations, 24/7 prayer, and spiritual warfare to establish God’s kingdom. Leaders like Mike Bickle claim new apostolic insights, citing Joel 2:28 (pouring out of Spirit) to support ongoing prophecy. Following the 2023–2024 moral failure of founder Mike Bickle, IHOPKC has undergone leadership changes, but the emphasis on new prophetic revelation continues.
Alignment: Critics argue that prioritizing new revelations over Scripture violates 2 Timothy 3:16 (Scripture’s sufficiency). Spiritual warfare practices often lack clear biblical support and can elevate experience over doctrine.
Salvation Issue: While not explicitly tying salvation to prophetic acts, the reliance on new revelations can imply incomplete faith without NAR practices, potentially undermining sola scriptura.
Victory Channel (Kenneth Copeland Ministries), Fort Worth, TX
Denomination/Movement: Non-denominational, aligned with Prosperity Gospel and New Apostolic Reformation
Belief/Practice: Teaches prosperity through faith confessions and tithing, with programs like FlashPoint promoting NAR’s apostolic alignment and spiritual warfare. Copeland cites Deuteronomy 8:18 (wealth from God) to support prosperity.
Alignment: Critics argue prosperity teachings misinterpret Scripture, ignoring passages like 1 Timothy 6:10 (love of money). NAR’s apostolic alignment lacks biblical precedent, elevating human authority over Scripture.
Salvation Issue: Links financial giving to divine favor, risking a works-based view of spiritual standing, contrary to Ephesians 2:8-9.