Christ Church

What is a Cult? What is a Sect? What is a Church?

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INTRODUCTION

Whenever we are confronted with a new problem, our first instinct as Christians ought to be that of turning to the Scriptures. What does the Bible say about this? And in our current mayoral election, since one of the candidates is running on the platform of fight the cult, referring to all of us, perhaps it would be a good idea if we turned to Scripture in order to hammer out a few definitions.

THE TEXT

“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29–30).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Paul is here speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus, and he is preparing them for the days to come, after he is no longer present with them. He says that “grievous wolves” will come, and they will savage the flock (v. 29). He also says that corruption will arise from within, and that some of them will start teaching twisted things, in order to gain their own following (v. 30). If you want to carve off a following for yourself, you need to come up with something distinctive, something to set you apart. The Ephesian leadership apparently took Paul’s warning about corrupt doctrine to heart, in that this church was greatly commended for their doctrinal watchfulness (Rev. 2:2, 6). But the apostle John then had to warn them about a new danger, that of falling away from their first love (Rev. 2:4-5).

SOME DEFINITIONS

We have two basic categories here. They are orthodoxy and orthopraxy, which translated, refer to straight doctrine and straight living. Paul tells Timothy to watch his life and his doctrine closely.

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16, ESV).

We should want our definitions to be objective, and not emotional and subjective. Unless we are careful, we will wind up defining a cult as any intense religious group that we don’t happen to like. But we are not the standard. To the Scriptures, always to the Scriptures.

There are four basic options. A group can be orthodox and holy (a church). A group can be orthodox and unholy (a sect). A group can be heterodox and externally moral (a legalistic cult). And a group can be heterodox and immoral (an antinomian cult). And because one sin always leads to others, groups can always morph from one category to another. That happens also.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

You are in a church now, but the price of keeping it a church is constant vigilance. Maintain your first love (Rev. 2:4-5). Hold fast to the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Grow in grace (2 Pet. 3:18).

As you do this, here are some of the things to watch out for, things that signal sectarian or cultic temptations ahead.

Imperious rule: “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not” (3 John 9).

Weird teaching: “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Cor. 11:19).

License to sin: “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols” (Rev. 2:20).

Complacency: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:15–16).

Abusive leadership: “For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face” (2 Cor. 11:19–20).

TRUE KOINONIA FELLOWSHIP

In many cases, cults are a fleshly attempt to counterfeit what God gives to His people by grace.

Individual Christians are not the only ones summoned to follow the Lord in obedience. Churches are also called to live together in a particular way. Think of all the one anothers that we find in Scripture. The New Testament presupposes godly life together in community, and that community is required to have a particular flavor to it.

For example, we are told to have fervent love for one another (1 Pet. 4:8). We are commanded to strive for like-mindedness (Rom 15:5; Phil. 2:2). We are enabled, by the grace of God, to gather together with other sinners, and yet still be characterized by gladness and simplicity of heart (Acts 2:46). Our lives together are marked by a deep attraction to music of a kind that glorifies God (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Our worship of God together is disciplined and focused (Col. 2:5). The morale is really high, and is characterized by great gladness and loud instruments (2 Chron. 30:21).

And all this fervent love, and like-mindedness, and simplicity, and singing, and liturgical rigor, and great gladness, all of it, is suffused with the fear of God.

“And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces” (Lev. 9:23–24).

The word shouted here can be rendered as to rejoice, or to exult. Something terrifying happened here, and yet the people shouted for joy. The glory of the Lord, the weight of His awesome holiness, was manifested to all the people—the people saw. The glory of the Lord was located in a particular place, because fire erupted from the place right before where the glory was, and that fire shot across and incinerated the sacrificial animal that was on the altar. And what was the reaction of the people? It was an exultant shout of joy.

CHRIST IS THERE

Remember this, Christian. Christ is your altar. Christ is your high priest. Christ is your temple. Christ is your sacrifice. And Christ is the consuming fire that takes all of it up to your God.

And so the striking thing about a faithful church is that Christ is there. Christ is always there. And if the bridegroom is present, you can be sure that the bride is there also. She is His church, and not a sect, and never a cult.

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Silver Shrines of Artemis

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THE TEXT

When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, but he himself stayed in Asia for a time.

23 And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of [a]Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. 25 He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. 26 Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. 27 So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and [b]her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

28 Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” 29 So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. 30 And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. 31 Then some of the [c]officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. 32 Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. 34 But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

35 And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess [d]Diana, and of the image which fell down from [e]Zeus? 36 Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of [f]your goddess. 38 Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a [g]case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. 40 For we are in danger of being [h]called in question for today’s uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly (Acts 19:21–41).

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Seven Sons of Sceva

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THE TEXT

And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God. But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed (Acts 19:8–20).

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Resurrection Authority (Easter 2021)

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INTRODUCTION

Because Jesus rose from the dead, in fulfillment of the words of the ancient prophets (Acts 3:24), and because He did so in fulfillment of His own confident pronouncements that He would rise (Matt. 20:18-19), the gospel message of the resurrected Christ has true authority. It is not the thing that must be proven, it is the ultimate and most glorious proof. Moreover, the preached message of the resurrection is not something to be placed under a microscope and examined in order to be proven. Rather, the declared message is also itself a proof. The resurrection proves, and also the preaching of the resurrection proves.

THE TEXT

“And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand” (Acts 4:1–4).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

In the early chapters of Acts, the apostles and early disciples had received the power of the Spirit poured out upon them at Pentecost (Acts 2). Remember that this Holy Spirit who is poured out upon them is the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Rom. 8:11). So all this activity is all part of the same “motion,” as it were. As a result, all of Jerusalem was in a churn. Thousands were coming into the church, three thousand on the first day alone (Acts 2:41).

On one of these early occasions, they were preaching Christ (Acts 3), and in the course of that message, Peter said something really profound, something that goes down to the bedrock of all reality. He preached to the crowd that they were the culprits, and that they were the ones who “killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses” (Acts 3:15). One might ask how the Prince of life could ever be killed, but apparently the question should be how the Prince of life could possibly remain dead.

As this was going on, the authorities stepped in with an attempt to regain control of the situation (Acts 4:1). They were deeply pained that the apostles were teaching the people, and were preaching “through Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (v. 2). Apart from the Sadducees, the Jews were firmly convinced of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. And these followers of Christ were preaching that this doctrine had just been accomplished through Jesus. The end of the world had broken out in the middle of history. So the authorities laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, because it was getting late (v. 3). But even though the preachers were hauled off, many still believed. Believed what? They believed in the resurrection through Jesus. The number of men in the church by this point was about five thousand (v. 4). The church is exploding. And the next day, when Peter is explaining how the cripple was made whole, he does it by naming “Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead . . .” (v. 10). He simply declares it as a fact.

PROVING THE PROOFS

Christ was truly kind to His disciples after the resurrection. In one place it says that they disbelieved on account of their joy (Luke 24:41). He condescends to invite Thomas to put his finger in the wound in His side (John. 20:27), which should be considered a proof. And we find this in the opening verses of Acts:

“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

All this was Christ’s condescension and kindness. Remember what He said to Thomas:

“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

So it is not the case that Thomas had the best of it. It is not the case that he had all the security he could wish for, but then we have to walk across the lake on the thin ice. No—we are under the blessing of Christ. We have not seen, and yet we have believed. But although we have not seen, what do we have? We have heard, which is best of all.

Hearing about the resurrection when it is preached is not the tail end of two thousand years of playing the telephone game. No. The Spirit inhabits the preaching of the resurrection, and when Christ risen is preached, the work of resurrection is ongoing and continuing.

DECLARED WITH POWER

How do we know that Jesus will judge the whole world? We know because God raised Him up. The resurrection here is the proof, it is the evidence.

“Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

Jesus is declared to be the Son of God, and what is it that cinches that declaration? It is the resurrection from the dead.

“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4)

The Lord Jesus came back to life after He had been killed, but we have to note the context. He came to life again after having been killed in a world governed by death. That resurrection was like sticking a piece of paper into the fire, and setting the corner of the sheet of paper on fire. You watch it glow, and then catch, and then spread. As it spreads, please remember that it is the same fire.

“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

When the resurrection is preached, and people come to life under the hearing of it, it is the same life that brought Jesus out of the grave again. Not a different life, but the same life. The Christ has been raised, and we know that He has been raised because He is here with us, in us, under us, and above us. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

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