13 False Doctrines Being Preached in Modern Churches

1. Prosperity Gospel

This teaching suggests that faith is a direct path to personal wealth and success. It implies that if you’re not wealthy or healthy, your faith isn’t strong enough. This view distorts the idea of blessings and ignores the Bible’s teachings about the value of trials and the reality that faith often involves sacrifice and challenges.

James 1:2 “2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”

Hebrews 13:16 “16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

King David Had Challenges

1 Samuel 17:36 “36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”

2. Hyper-Grace

Hyper-grace overlooks the need for confession and repentance, suggesting that God’s grace covers us so completely that our actions no longer matter. It misses the biblical balance that while grace is indeed amazing and covers all our sins, a true response to that grace includes a transformation of our lives and a desire to turn away from sin.

1 Peter 5:12 “12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.”

Romans 5:21 “21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

3. Universalism

The belief in universalism argues that all paths lead to heaven and that ultimately, everyone will be saved, regardless of their beliefs or actions. This contradicts the Bible’s clear message that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone and that there are eternal consequences for rejecting this salvation.

John 14:5–7 “5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”

4. New Revelation

Claiming that God is still revealing new, scripture-level truths today can lead to confusion and diminish the final authority of the Bible. While God does speak to us in various ways, the Bible is presented as the complete and final revelation of God’s will for us, sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness

Revelation 22:19–20 “19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

5. Denial of Trinity

Claiming that God is still revealing new, scripture-level truths today can lead to confusion and diminish the final authority of the Bible. While God does speak to us in various ways, the Bible is presented as the complete and final revelation of God’s will for us, sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.

Matthew 28:19 “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

6. Work-Based Salvation

This doctrine suggests that our actions can earn us a place in heaven, essentially saying Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross wasn’t enough. It undermines the core gospel message that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our own efforts.

1 Thessalonians 5:8–10 “8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

James 2:18 “18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

7. Denial of Hell

Ignoring the biblical teaching about hell minimizes the seriousness of sin and the need for salvation. The Bible describes hell as a real, eternal separation from God for those who reject Him, underscoring the urgency and importance of making a decision to follow Christ.

Mark 9:43–46 “43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

8. Name It and Claim It

This belief treats God like a genie who grants wishes if we just believe hard enough. It misrepresents faith, reducing it to a tool for personal gain rather than a relationship with God built on trust, even in suffering or when prayers seem unanswered.

1 Peter 4:19 “19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

James 4:3 “3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

9. Over-Spiritualization

Seeing every event as directly caused by spiritual forces can lead us to overlook practical, natural explanations and personal responsibility. While spiritual forces are at work, the Bible also teaches the importance of wisdom, discernment, and engaging with the world in a thoughtful, informed way.

1 Corinthians 12:6–12 “6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”

10. Replacement Theology

Believing the church has replaced Israel overlooks the ongoing promises God has made to Israel and the Jewish people. It neglects the complex, rich relationship between the church and Israel outlined in the Scriptures, particularly in Romans 9-11

11. Denial of Christ’s Humanity

Downplaying Jesus’ humanity ignores the incredible truth that He fully experienced human life, with all its limitations and sufferings. This makes His teachings, His sacrificial death, and His resurrection even more powerful and relevant for us.

1 John 1:14 “14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

12. Denial of Christ’s Return

Questioning or spiritualizing Jesus’ promised return overlooks a central hope of the Christian faith. The Second Coming is not just a symbolic idea but a future event that will fulfill God’s promises and bring ultimate justice and restoration.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–4 “1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”

13. Relativism

Embracing the idea that truth is subjective and personal dismisses the Bible’s claim to be the ultimate standard of truth. It challenges the foundation of Christian faith by suggesting that biblical truths can be interpreted or dismissed based on personal preference or cultural trends.

Situation Ethics

Genesis 3:1–4 “1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:”

2 Timothy 4:3–5 “3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”