Why Truth Matters: Common Errors in Doctrine

By Rose Publishing

Learn to recognize the counterfeits through the light of God’s truth.
Christians often wonder why certain religious groups are called cults or are said to have cultic teachings. The answer is fairly simple. The Scripture mentions 10 key Christian beliefs that cult leaders or aberrant teachers ignore or twist. In Why Truth Matters you will learn each of these 10 beliefs and be able to give examples of truth vs. counterfeit teachings.

What is truth, and how can we know? The Bible plainly reveals the errors and false teachings that Christians will be expected to identify and defend against.

The 10 Common Doctrinal Errors include False Gospels, False Doctrine, False Gods, False Christs, False Spirits, False Prophets, False Apostles, False Teachers, False Visions, and False Miracles. Study questions are included for personal or group use. For example:

• Read panels 1-2. Have you talked with someone who used biblical words such as Jesus, salvation, or faith, but they seemed to mean something else? According to Scripture, what did Jesus’ death accomplish? On panel 2, three different examples are given of false gospels. How do these false gospels try make Jesus’ death less important?
• Read #2 False Doctrines. What does the Bible say about itself and the reliability of its doctrines? What common ways do cultic groups try to introduce their own teachings into Scripture?
• Read #3 False Gods. God is not a force field or an idea of goodness. The Bible is clear who God is—and that he exists as the Trinity. How does this contrast with the false gods mentioned in this section?

BONUS: Includes a list of reliable ministries with up-to-date information so that you can look up specific cult groups and new religious movements.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Release date: Apr 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781628621129

Book preview

Why Truth Matters

The apostle John once lamented that many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1). False religions and erroneous beliefs have proliferated in the past two centuries and are more popular than ever. It seems that every year a new destructive cult or bizarre sect makes headlines. A myriad of religious groups, some on the fringes and some in the mainstream of society, offer a bewildering variety of beliefs about God and human destiny. The authors of bestselling books appear on television confidently proclaiming that they have the answers for solving humanity’s problems.

What’s more, most of these religious teachers and groups claim that their beliefs are either true Christianity or at least consistent with the Christian faith. They talk about God, Jesus, faith, and love; they usually quote the Bible.

How can we know what is true and what is not? How can we determine if someone’s teaching or claim is consistent with faith in Jesus Christ? It is not possible for anyone to be conversant with every individual religious sect, book, or teacher. However, it is possible to know the truth that is essential or basic to a healthy, authentic Christian faith and to be able to discern when someone’s teachings are not consistent with that faith.

Moreover, the Bible gives us specific warnings about false teachings and the teachers who promote them. In the pages that follow, we will look at ten types of false claims and what the Bible says about them. With some biblical perspective on these issues, we can be prepared to discern in most instances whether a particular claim or teaching is consistent with the truth of the Christian faith. In each case, we will see why it is important to know the truth and avoid