Cults & False Religions

Cults & False Religions: Distortions of the Truth and the Witnesses Who Prove It

Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God consistently warns His people about false prophets, counterfeit religions, and spiritual distortions that lead people away from the truth. Jesus Himself warned that many would come in His name, claiming to be sent by God (Matthew 24:5, NLT). Paul echoed this concern: "Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you" (Galatians 1:8, NLT).

What Makes a Religion False?

The New Testament defines false religions and cults not merely by their label but by their doctrine. They consistently:

• Preach a different Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4, NLT)

• Add to or subtract from Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2, Revelation 22:18–19, NLT)

• Replace grace with works (Galatians 3:3, NLT)

• Claim special revelation or secret knowledge (1 Timothy 6:20, NLT)

• Deny Christ's full divinity or full humanity (1 John 4:2–3, NLT)

The Greek word αἵρεσις (hairesis), translated as "sect" or "heresy" (Strong's G139), originally meant a school of thought but by New Testament usage had taken on the meaning of a faction that deviated from true doctrine. Peter warned, "There will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves" (2 Peter 2:1, NLT).

Christianity: A Faith Grounded in Eyewitness Testimony

Unlike every major world religion, Christianity is rooted in eyewitness accounts. The New Testament documents were written by direct disciples of Jesus or those who interviewed firsthand witnesses (Luke 1:1–4). Peter declared, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw His majestic splendor with our own eyes" (2 Peter 1:16, NLT).

Paul emphasized the historical basis of the resurrection: "He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive..." (1 Corinthians 15:5–6, NLT). These are not vague metaphysical claims; they are historical assertions. The apostles died not for philosophy but for the claim that they saw the risen Christ.

Compare that to historical accounts of Alexander the Great. The most comprehensive sources are Plutarch and Arrian, who wrote 300–400 years after Alexander's death, relying on secondhand reports and traditions. Yet few historians doubt Alexander's existence. If secular scholars accept ancient biographies written centuries later, how much more confidence should we have in the New Testament documents written by contemporaries of Jesus?

Islam: A Fictional Revision of Established History

Islam emerged in the 7th century A.D., over 600 years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and claims to correct and complete the biblical record—yet does so without any apostolic lineage, prophetic continuity, or eyewitness support. The Qur’an contradicts central Christian doctrines, such as the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the death and resurrection of Jesus. Most notably, it denies that Jesus was crucified at all (Qur’an 4:157), directly opposing the unanimous testimony of first-century eyewitnesses and non-Christian historians. Islam teaches that Muhammad received divine revelation alone in a cave—an event with no witnesses and no corroborating miracles. As Paul warned: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8 LEB). Islam offers no historical documentation from the time of Christ, no New Testament manuscripts, and no first-century believers who confirm its claims. It reinterprets biblical figures without respect to historical chronology or source reliability, and it advances a salvation model based on works and submission, not grace. Like Mormonism, Islam is a lone-prophet religion: one man rewriting divine revelation centuries later, without witnesses, and in contradiction to well-established Scripture.

Islam, founded over 600 years after Christ, offers a different version of biblical history that contradicts what was already widely circulated and established by the first century. The Quran claims Jesus was not crucified (Quran 4:157), despite overwhelming historical and textual evidence to the contrary—both Christian and non-Christian. In other words, Muhammad claimed a "revelation" that rewrote foundational events already affirmed by countless eyewitnesses.

But who witnessed Muhammad’s revelations? No one. He was alone in a cave, later convincing others of what he said an angel told him. The Quran even contradicts itself in places and offers no verified miracles or fulfilled prophecy as the Bible does. Islam replaces evidence with assertion, and it does so centuries after the events it claims to correct.

Mormonism: The American Cousin of Islam

The Book of Mormon, written by Joseph Smith in the 1800s, follows a suspiciously similar pattern. Smith claimed to receive golden plates from an angel named Moroni. No one ever saw the plates without Smith controlling the viewing. Like Muhammad, Smith proclaimed revelations that changed biblical history, created a different gospel, and redefined Jesus Christ into something unrecognizable.

The parallels are stunning:

• Both claim angelic visitation.

• Both contradict established Scripture.

• Both lack credible eyewitnesses.

• Both formed new religious empires centered on their founder.

Contrast this with the New Testament: dozens of witnesses, multiple authors, fulfillment of ancient prophecy, and a consistent message centered on salvation by grace through faith in Jesus.

Mormonism, though cloaked in Christian vocabulary, presents a radically unbiblical system built on the alleged revelations of one man—Joseph Smith—without any corroborating eyewitnesses or historical validation. Smith claimed that all other Christian doctrines were corrupted and that he alone restored the true gospel through golden plates revealed to him by an angel named Moroni—a claim no one else saw or verified. The Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible on multiple foundational doctrines. It teaches that God was once a man, that men can become gods, and that Jesus and Lucifer are spirit-brothers—all direct denials of biblical truth (see Isaiah 43:10 LEB: “Before me there was no god formed, and after me there shall not be one.”). It also promotes salvation by works and temple rituals, contradicting Ephesians 2:8–9 (NLT): “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done.” In reality, Mormonism is a modern Gnostic-style cult, blending American folklore, pseudo-Christian terminology, and speculative doctrine into a man-made religion devoid of biblical grounding, apostolic authority, or prophetic credibility. Like Islam, it stands on the claims of one man with no historical or prophetic continuity—a clear mark of heresy.

Other Worldviews: Philosophies Without Anchors

Most non-Christian worldviews (Buddhism, Hinduism, New Ageism) make spiritual or moral claims without any grounding in historical evidence or prophetic fulfillment. They rely entirely on mystical experiences or the teachings of one individual. While some promote noble ideas, none are anchored in verifiable events like the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Even secular atheism often borrows morality and value from Christianity while denying its Source. As Paul says, "Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools" (Romans 1:22, NLT).

Counterfeit Christianity: Heresies in the Name of Christ

False teachings aren’t just outside the Church—they come from within. Paul warned: "I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock" (Acts 20:29, NLT). Some examples include:

Jehovah’s Witnesses – Deny the deity of Christ, rewrite Scripture (New World Translation), and claim only 144,000 will be saved.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, founded by Charles Taze Russell in the 19th century, deny the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, and the existence of hell—all essential doctrines of biblical Christianity. They published their own translation of the Bible (The New World Translation), which alters Greek grammar and inserts words not found in any manuscript to fit their theology. For example, they change John 1:1 to read “the Word was a god”, despite every credible Greek scholar affirming it should read “the Word was God” (Greek: καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος / kai theos ēn ho logos – Strong’s G2316). They teach that Jesus is Michael the Archangel, not God incarnate, and that only 144,000 will go to heaven—again, a serious misreading of Revelation. Their false prophecies about the return of Christ in 1914, 1925, and 1975 expose them as a false prophetic movement (see Deuteronomy 18:22). Despite rigorous door-to-door campaigns, they preach “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4) and a gospel of works and rigid institutional obedience, not salvation by grace through faith. Their doctrine is not merely flawed—it is heretical and dangerous, twisting Scripture while denying its core truths.

Christian Science – Denies sin and illness, undermines the atonement.

Founded by Mary Baker Eddy in the late 1800s, Christian Science denies the reality of sin, death, and even sickness—insisting that all material existence is an illusion. The Bible, however, speaks clearly: “It is appointed for people to die once, and after this, judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 NLT). Christian Science spiritualizes nearly everything in Scripture, rejecting the historicity of Jesus' physical resurrection, the reality of suffering, and even the personhood of God. Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures is treated as divinely inspired, effectively replacing biblical authority. Her teachings contradict not only Scripture but also observable reality and historical Christian belief. The movement is Gnostic at its core—denying the goodness of creation and the reality of Christ's atonement.

Unitarianism – Rejects the Trinity and reduces Jesus to a moral teacher.

Unitarianism rejects the biblical doctrine of the Trinity, asserting that God is one person, not three, and denying the deity of Jesus Christ and the personhood of the Holy Spirit. While this view attempts to preserve monotheism, it does so by undermining the very nature of the God revealed in Scripture. Unitarianism is not a modern innovation—it echoes the ancient heresy of Arianism, condemned at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Arius claimed Jesus was a created being, not God, and modern Unitarians walk the same doctrinal path. However, Scripture is explicit: “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became human and made his home among us” (John 1:1, 14 NLT). The Greek text confirms this: καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (kai theos ēn ho logos)—“and the Word was God” (Strong’s G2316 – Theos). Additionally, Jesus receives worship (Matthew 28:17), forgives sins (Mark 2:5–7), and is declared to be the One through whom all things were created (Colossians 1:16–17), which are actions reserved for God alone. The Holy Spirit is also described as a distinct person who speaks (Acts 13:2), can be lied to (Acts 5:3–4), and intercedes (Romans 8:26).

Unitarianism strips away the richness of God’s self-revelation and leaves behind a god who cannot save. Only the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—can account for the incarnation, atonement, and indwelling presence that Scripture affirms. To reduce God to a single-person framework is not merely a theological misstep; it is a rejection of the biblical gospel and the God who reveals Himself as Three-in-One.

Hebrew Roots Movement / Sacred Name Cults

These groups claim that true believers must keep the Mosaic Law, use Hebrew names, and reject the New Testament church, all while implying that modern Christianity is a pagan corruption. But Scripture declares: “The law was our guardian until Christ came… But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Galatians 3:24–25 LEB). Paul warns that requiring Torah observance after Christ is to fall from grace (Galatians 5:4).

These groups distort the gospel by adding legal requirements and often cast doubt on the New Testament canon itself, reflecting an elitist mindset divorced from the gospel of grace. Ironically, Paul—an ethnic Hebrew—called such teaching "another gospel" and anathema (Galatians 1:6–9). Their obsession with names and rituals often misses the message entirely.

The Greek word ψευδοπροφήτης (pseudoprophētēs) means "false prophet" (Strong's G5578). Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves" (Matthew 7:15, NLT).

The Solution: Scripture, Sound Doctrine, and the Spirit

God has given us all we need to detect false religion:

• The Word: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true..." (2 Timothy 3:16–17, NLT)

• The Spirit: "The Holy Spirit...will lead you into all truth" (John 16:13, NLT)

• The Church: "The household of God...the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15, NLT)

Don’t be swayed by sensationalism or spiritual experiences without scriptural grounding. Test everything. "Examine what is pleasing to the Lord... Take no part in the fruitless works of darkness" (Ephesians 5:10–11, LEB).