Watchout For WOLVES: Keys To Discerning Authentic Ministries & Evaluating Doctrinal Trends

3. Watch out for those who major on the minors.

This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” 2 Corinthians 13:1 Whenever someone uses one or two obscure passages of Scripture to develop a whole system of thought, a red flag should go up. Every major or essential truth is taught clearly and repeatedly in the Bible. It is important never to build a doctrine on one verse alone or on an unclear passage. Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? Although studying the context of this passage will shed great light on the subject, the fact that no other verse in the Bible suggests that this was the practice of the Early Church should be sufficient to throw up a red flag. Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus spoke of the narrow way that leads to life. Often times the narrow way or the right path is the narrow line or the balance between two extremes. The Mormons justify the baptism for the dead from a verse in the New Testament (1 Cor. 15:29).

4. Watch out for extremes or truth out of balance.

A good example of this is the debate over Calvinism and Armenianism. In the extreme, both of these views are

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