False Doctrine

Detecting false doctrine is not always an easy endeavor. However, we are called to "watch" for it so that we don't fall prey to it. Phil Newton offers some helpful ways to detect false doctrine:

• teaching that in any way denies the deity of Christ or the coequality of the Trinity.


• teaching that substitutes anything for the sufficiency of the death of Christ in atoning for our sins.


• teaching that denies the need for God's justice being satisfied in order for sinners to be saved.


• teaching that robs God of glory by insisting that salvation is not totally a work of God's grace.


• teaching that denies the bodily resurrection of Christ.


• teaching that claims to have revelations that are not contained in the canons of the Old and New Testaments.


• teaching that insists upon some kind of work or self-denial or ascetic practice to improve one's standing before God rather than simply resting upon the merits of Christ.