Theology

Disclaimer: The fact that a site appears in this category simply means that I found helpful material there. It does not necessarily reflect agreement in every regard with every document you will find at these sites.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

A coalition of evangelicals who remain committed to evangelical principles as spelled out in the historic Protestant confessions of faith. This organization has roots that go back to Donald Grey Barnhouse, and today it is one of the more important groups that remains committed to evangelical truth while the bulk of the evangelical movement has gone off in pursuit of newer trends. In my assessment, ACE and other organizations and individuals like them represent some of the finest and most important champions of true, biblical ministry in the present generation.

Baptist Standard Bearer

Be wary of the hyper-Calvinistic slant you'll find here. Also some of the works on Baptist history represented here are tainted with Baptist successionism, which wrong-headedly attempts to claim several cults and heresies as Baptist forebears. Other than that, you can find some excellent resources here, including fine editions of John Gill's works.

Baptizo

A collection of articles and links showing why believers' baptism (credobaptism) is the biblical pattern rather than infant baptism (paedobaptism). If you're studying the baptism issue, make this site your first stop.

Believers Chapel

Selected articles and other resources from Believers Chapel in Dallas—perhaps best known for the excellent teaching of the late Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. Downloadable here are sound files featuring a rich array of sermons from Johnson, current pastor Dan Duncan, and a few guest speakers. Johnson's classic messages, together with transcripts and other material, are also being made available at a new sister site, The SLJ Institute. So set your browser there, too. These are some of the finest, meatiest sermons ever preached, and they are all downloadable for free. Load your iPod.

The Berean Society International

Check the "Favorite Articles" link for several superb articles from Charles Spurgeon, Arthur Pink, Rolfe Barnard, and others.

Biblical Studies

Fred G. Zaspel's site. Fred is a proponent of "New Covenant Theology" (see comments below under "Sound of Grace"). There's also a superb collection of articles on the atonement, Baptism, and the charismatic movement.

Biblical Theology and Redemptive Historical Hermeneutics

A helpful site assembled by some devotees of Geerhardus Vos and the hermeneutical approach he pioneered. Both "biblical theology" and "redemptive-historical hermeneutics" can be (and sometimes are) abused, but overall, this is a helpful approach to understanding the Bible. It reminds us that Christ is the focus of all Scripture, and that genuinely "biblical" preaching should therefore always be Christ-centered.

The Calvinist Corner

A collection of articles defending the doctrines of grace—but with a charismatic slant. (Be wary of the way some of the articles here seem to equate the term "experiential Calvinism" with charismatic mysticism. That's not what the term historically signifies.)

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

An extremely well-designed site with some valuable resources to address a critical issue.

Darkness to Light

Some very helpful articles here on various subjects, from a Particular Baptist perspective, by Gary F. Zeolla. I especially appreciated the material defending the doctrine of the Trinity from the perspective of the post-apostolic church.

Desiring God Ministries

John Piper's Web site. Lots of valuable and useful resources here.

DrBarrick.org

This Web site is both wonderfully personal and rich with helpful resources. Dr. William D. Barrick teaches Hebrew exegesis at The Master's Seminary, and this is his contribution to theology on the Web.

Fontes

The blog and archives of Michael A. G. Haykin. Anything Michael Haykin writes or publishes about church history, I want to read. There's a rich collection of his material on this site. Check it out.

The Foundation for Biblical Studies

An extensive site, with a thorough list of links to various Reformed resources, featuring many by Greg Durand. Read with care. There are many provocative articles here, a few of which might rate linkage in my "Bad Theology" category, but the majority of which are perceptive and timely.

The Founders Online

Here you'll find a wealth of historical documents, insightful contemporary analyses, and other info about Calvinism in the SBC.

Free Church of Scotland

A wonderful site filled with both historical and contemporary information, a wealth of resources, and some pretty good links.

Grace for Today

A thorough, growing collection of tracts, articles, links, and lists of contacts of interest to Reformed Baptists. Phil Simpson, who is partly responsible for this page, has also contributed many sermons to . There's a generous abundance of fascinating historical and contemporary pieces here.
One gentle word of caution, however: hyper-Calvinists such as William Huntington and J. C. Philpot are featured here without disclaimer. And several of the articles at this site seem to favor the ultra-high Calvinism of John Gill. As Spurgeon noted, the tendencies of Gill's approach to the doctrines of grace are often spiritually chilling. Nonetheless, if read with discernment, the material you'll find here has great value.

"Grace to You" Radio Broadcast

John MacArthur's daily radio broadcast—which happens to be the ministry I work for full time. This link goes to the daily radio program and weekly television broadcasts, which stream at OnePlace.com. For the Grace to You website (which is also loaded with great resources), click here.

The Highway

Hard to navigate and not particularly stunning aesthetically, this site nevertheless hosts hundreds of articles about Reformed theology and a lively discussion forum.

His by Grace

Like so many of the Calvinist sites with high-yield content, this one is really badly designed. But once you get past all the blinking graphics and garish colors, you'll fine some very good resources defending the doctrines of grace. Be sure also to check out the audio files.

Ligonier Ministries

R. C. Sproul's ministry online. Excellent resources, including several free audio files.

David Linden's Theological Papers

A brilliant collection of essays on justification, the atonement, and other vital issues. David Linden writes with uncanny clarity and insight. The lack of any design or aesthetic obscures the value of this site. Highly recommended.

Living Waters/The Way of the Master

This is the ministry of Ray Comfort, who is best-known for his sermon, "Hell's Best-Kept Secret"—which sets forth the main theme of this ministry. Comfort skillfully demonstrates how God's law is designed to make our sin appear exceedingly sinful (cf. Romans 7:13). He makes excellent use of the Ten Commandments for that purpose. Comfort is having an important ministry correcting one of the major imbalances of contemporary Christianity, and he has done a fine job reminding Christians of the importance of preaching the law to sinners.
A further reminder is strongly advisable here, however: While it's true that contemporary evangelicalism has often been guilty of omitting the work of the law and understressing the reality of sin, it's also vital to guard our evangelism against an imbalance the opposite direction. While "Hell's Best-Kept Secret" is a good tape with valuable insight, don't forget heaven's best-kept secret: the doctrine of justification by faith, and especially the imputation of Christ's perfect righteousness to the believing sinner. I appreciate the diligence with which Ray Comfort has sought to maintain the proper balance.

Way of the Master Radio

Todd "Freakishly Tall" Friel broadcasts daily from Minneapolis. He's edgy, funny, and a brilliant analyst (and critic) of the various fads and fashions that vie for evangelicals' attention. His insights are always thought-provoking, informative, and edifying. Especially interesting are the daily evangelistic encounters with people on the street. Usually Ray Comfort or Kirk Cameron will join up live from California during the evangelistic segments. I try to listen at least three or four times a week via their convenient podcasts. It's my favorite talk show, bar none.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Sermons and articles by the Doctor, and selected biographical material, too.

The Martyn Lloyd-Jones Recordings Trust

This is a ministry I am privileged to be personally involved in, featuring tapes and writings by one of the premier expositors of all time. The Lloyd-Jones tapes are a fabulous legacy, and I'm glad to see them available via the Web. Go here if you're surfing in from Canada or the United States.

The Master's Seminary

A superior Web site with an abundance of important links—and it originates from the seminary located at my own home church's campus. (Several of the faculty here are friends of mine, but I'd be enthusiastic about this site no matter what.)

Monergism.com

This is the premier Reformed site on the Web. It's a great guide to all the best Reformed literature on the Internet, in bite-size portions, updated weekly. There's a good balance of historical theology and timely material here, with links to lots of must-read material. Monergism.com has always been a first-class site, but it just gets better all the time. Don't miss the insightful original articles by Greg Fields arguing against what Fields labels Neo-gnostic 'Calvinism'—a novel and extremely intolerant brand of hyper-Calvinism. The resources dealing with the "New Perspective on Paul" are excellent, too.

Mt. Zion Online

A wonderful collection of literature and sermons from Mt. Zion Bible Church in Pensacola, FL. This church's literature ministry has quietly, faithfully been sowing seed for years. Only heaven will reveal how bountiful the harvest has been. The Web site has an amazingly full collection of choice documents—including the complete works of John Bunyan. Mt. Zion supplied many Spurgeon sermons for when we were just starting out.

IX Marks

Excellent articles, reviews, audio resources and other material from Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C.

Piper's Notes

Sermon notes by John Piper. This is a superb resource.

A Place for Truth

These pages by Charles Biggs are full of insight and encouragement. The essays and sermons are all rich and thought-provoking, but the real gem of this site is the page of in-depth topical studies. Don't miss his excellent studies on the historic Christian creeds. I don't agree with everything here, of course (it's too covenantal and Presbyterian for a baptist and Spurgeon aficionado like me), but it's a superb resource.

PressieChurch.org

"The Australian Home of Covenant Theology." Again, as premillennial Baptists, we do not endorse Presbyterian sacramentalism, hard-line Covenantalism, or doctrinaire amillennialism. All of those are advocated at PressiChurch.org. So why have we listed them with the "helpful" resources? Because virtually every article here is informative and thought-provoking. The site has some excellent resources on soteriology, the doctrine of justification, and other miscellaneous topics (the charismatic movement, the Sabbath, gender issues, and creationism). Lots to read and profit from, but be on guard against the Presbyterian and Amillennial propagandizing.

A Puritan's Mind

This site features Puritan bios, Puritan writings, Puritan Creeds—plus articles on theological issues, T-shirts, and more. There's material from Turretin, Ames, and Christopher Love—nearly all quite good. This site was created by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon. and is a portal to a sister site, the Puritan Board discussion forum, reputed to be one of the more interesting forums on the Web. (I've never had time to participate, but people send me items from there all the time.)

The Reformed Reader

A wonderful collection of historic Baptist Resources. Highly recommended.

Reformed Theology Resources

This site has long been near the top of my "favorites" list. It's well formatted and content-rich, offering a number of classic books and resources, many paginated as in the originals. When it comes to sacramentology and eschatology, I demur, of course. But it the main, the resources you will find here are meaty and valuable.

The Reformed Theology Source

A wealth of articles and links to some of the best sermons, articles, and historical documents on the Web. See also the fine collection of sermon notes by Bryn MacPhail, who created this site.

Scottish Preachers

A rich collection of sermons and articles from some of Scotland's finest preachers.

The Scripture Memory Connection

Scripture memory helps.

Scripture Studies: A Journal of Exposition

A journal of expositional material. See the index for a list of resources in biblical order.

Solo Christo

An intriguing collection of links and resources. Reformed. Baptistic. Holding to the perspective known as "New Covenant Theology" (NCT)—featuring a different approach to the Mosaic Law and the Ten Commandments than you'll find at most Reformed sites. I'm not an advocate of NCT, but there's much helpful and thought-provoking material in their resources. For the premier "New Covenant" Web site, "Sound of Grace" (below.)

Sound of Grace

Calvinism with an emphasis on the discontinuity of the Old and New Covenants. In distinction from more covenantal Reformed and Reformed Baptist views, the "New Covenant Theology" featured at this site downplays the role of the Law in the Christian's sanctification. As noted above, I'm not a proponent of NCT, but I've found my interaction with these views stimulating and helpful. This is the on-line version of the periodical founded by John Reisinger, whom I love and respect, despite our occasionally different points of view. (I would have categorized this site under "Christian Periodicals," but there's much more here than the journal featured on the opening page.)

The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

A number of helpful resources are linked here, including some interesting audio files and link to President Al Mohler's articles and his daily weblog.

www.SpiritualDisciplines.org

The Web site of Donald S. Whitney. Mr. Whitney is a superb author and speaker. His books and articles are all rich with insight and spiritual passion.

St. Thomas Evangelical Library

Perhaps this should be listed under "Books," but the site is so rich with doctrinal and devotional insight that I had to put it here. Be sure to look at the "Desert Island Books" feature, which will introduce you to some of the best literature you can find anywhere. This is a supremely helpful site.

True Covenanter

Most of the documents and sermons posted here are fascinating to read and historically valuable. An honest word of caution is in order, though: The tone and flavor of some of the editorial comments you'll read at this site are too petty and censorious for my tastes. Many these days who talk obsessively about "covenanting" are simply hyper-fundamentalists in Reformed dress. Their movement suffers from the same kind of hyper-separatism and harsh infighting that characterizes some of the old-style southern fundamentalists. Still, the historical documents that make up the bulk of this site are too rich and too valuable to consign this site to any other category than "helpful."

21st Century Puritanism

Here's an interesting site with some great links and several provocative articles by Mitch Cervinka and others. While I would not be in agreement with Mitch's ecclesiology or his views on celebrating holidays like Christmas, he nonetheless has posted some good studies on issues related to Christian liberty, the Sabbath, head coverings, etc. The site is well-organized, the articles are well-written, and there's much here that is profitable.

Peter Wise's Internet Biblical Resources

Peter is a friend of mine who has collected a number of valuable resources. This site is particularly useful for teachers.

The Berean Corner

Daniel Fuller's on-line Bible studies. You'll find some helpful material here, but two problems relegate this site to the thumbs-down category: One is Fuller's denial of the plenary inerrancy of Scripture. The other is that he seems to back away from the historic Protestant stance on justification by faith alone (sola fide). (I also believe his views on the ordination of women are out of harmony with the clear teaching of Scripture.)

Berean Bible Society

This Web site is home of the Berean Searchlight, the foremost ultradispensationalist journal since 1940. This group was founded by Cornelius Stam and J. C. O'Hair, two Chicago-area ultradispensationalists whose ministries peaked in the '40s and '50s respectively. Their distinctive teaching is that the apostle Paul inaugurated a new dispensation of grace, unveiling a brand-new gospel and (according to some) a whole new way of salvation. Paul's teaching is thus set against the rest of the New Testament and interpreted in a way that renders most of Jesus' teaching utterly irrelevant to the present age. Thus the Word of God is mangled in the name of Bereanism. Though no longer the force it was in the mid-20th century, this organization has stayed alive by adopting the cultish strategy of targeting untaught lay people to whom this bizarre hermeneutical approach (buttressed with selective proof-texting) appears deep and sophisticated.

Berean Grace Church

A well-designed Web site, presented with a sense of humor—but watch out for the doctrinal poison. This church's doctrinal distinctives include King-James-Onlyism and "Pauline dispensationalism" (ultradispensationalism). See notes on the Berean Bible Society (above) Bad theology in a pleasing package.

The Bible Believers' Home Page

Some of the articles and arguments at this site have improved ever-so-slightly since I first linked to it, but it's still a fertile source of bad theology on almost every page. The site obsessively defends a strain of KJV-onlyism which insists that the King James Version of the Bible is as flawlessly inerrant as the Bible's original God-breathed manuscripts. For example, an article here states. "The original autographs were inspired. The King James Bible is those same autographs preserved up to today." That statement is laughable nonsense, because "original autographs" are by definition neither copies nor translations, but the original text on its original parchments. No reasonable or sensible person wishing to make an honest argument would claim that the autographs themselves are "preserved" in the KJV or any other translation. What the writer apparently wants to claim is that the KJV is a letter-perfect, inerrant translation—and yet he is backing away from the indefensible position of those who insist the KJV is inspired. This sort of twisted theology results from imbibing a steady diet of camels while obsessively straining out gnats. For a good antidote, see James White's page of KJV-only resources.

Bible Believer's Resource Page

An uneven collection of articles—some exposing errors, some actually attacking sound doctrine. Kelly Condron maintains the site, which takes a militantly separatistic, quasi-Arminian, fundamentalist point of view. The tone and depth of several of the articles leave much to be desired. But the design is above average.

Blessed Quietness Journal

Steve Van Nattan's Web site—formerly "Balaam's Ass Speaks." The name change seems to have signalled a slight mellowing in the tone and content of this fundamentalist "journal." But don't expect too much. Steve has a hard time toning it down, it seems. Almost everything here will jar your sensibilities in one way or another—from the annoying flamenco music which (at this writing) plays in the background on the front page, to the endless variety of more or less lowbrow anecdotes and illustrations. (For a classic example of the kind of thing I'm talking about, don't miss "Donkey Dung.")
Incidentally, you might want to mute your sound before visiting, because background music comes up on most pages. You can turn off the noise one page at a time, but you have to look for the imbedded-player buttons, and if you return to any page you've already visited, you'll have to shoot the piano player again. Steve's musical tastes seem to run to fundamentalist piano tunes with a honkey-tonk rhythm and style. (He tunes and repairs pianos professionally, so you'll find links to some interesting DIY info on piano maintenance on the side.)
I've had this site listed in the "bad" category for nearly a decade with a two-sentence annotation that gave practically no rationale for classifying it as "bad." (In the earlier days of "Balaam's Ass Speaks," no explanation seemed necessary.) Aside from that notation, I don't think I have ever mentioned Steve or his website. Yet Steve lists me as one of his "adversaries," and has some characteristically colorful things to say about me. He's a rather eccentric fundamentalist who (ironically) has little appreciation for fundamentalist preachers. He dogmatically affirms KJV-onlyism, fiercely opposes Calvinism ("Did you notice that KJV haters seem to run with Calvinists?"), loves conspiracy theories, and was blessed with ten times more zeal than understanding. He's very clever with over-the-top sarcasm designed mainly to shock, and his rants and diatribes can be quite entertaining to read (in small doses, of course).

The Boston Christian Bible Study Resources

Steve Amato (who maintains this site) has always struggled with the doctrine of original sin. In the 1990s, he was peddling rank Pelagianism in various on-line theological forums. What he's teaching nowadays looks more like a do-it-yourself variety of semi-Pelagianism. It's not really clear whether Steve has finally nailed down a position he's going to stick with, but he clearly has no taste for the truth that Adam's sin left us all guilty and condemned (Romans 5:18). Steve has modified virtually every aspect of soteriology—original sin, grace, election, faith, sanctification, etc.—to fit his conviction that salvation ultimately hinges on human free will rather than divine grace. This is classic home-brew theology, making up its own definitions on the fly and devising novel explanations for vital points of theology as the situation demands. Along the way, Steve Amato takes a few humorous potshots at Calvinism in general and John Calvin in particular. Interesting stuff, but not to be taken seriously.

Brethren Online

This is the best Plymouth Brethren page I have seen on the Web, including a couple of informative FAQs and plentiful links to other PB sites. Plymouth Brethren are known for their opposition to paid clergy, their commitment to doctrinaire old-line dispensationalism, and some other quirks that compel me to put this page in this category. Nothing personal, though. Some of my best friends are Brethren.

Doorway papers by Arthur Custance

Custance was a scientist, anthropologist, inventor, and eccentric intellectual. He defended the "gap theory" of creationism, and wrote some fascinating bits about science and the Scriptures. He also wrote a fairly competent book in defense of divine sovereignty, called The Sovereignty of Grace, but at the end of it, he denied the everlasting punishment of the wicked. There's a mixture of good and bad here. You'll profit from what is good, but be on guard against the bad.

Evangelical Outreach

Not really as evangelical as the name suggests. This is sheer semi-Pelagianism, teaching that salvation is a cooperative effort between the sinner and God—with final salvation depending on the sinner's performance. The bulk of the articles here are written (by Dan Corner) to argue against the perseverance and security of the believer. A sample of what you'll find: "The real issue is not God's faithfulness to us, but our faithfulness to Him to the very end of our lives." Wow! On the other hand, there's actually some good here, but it's seriously tainted by so much semi-Pelagianism. (Moreover, they regard Charles Spurgeon as a complete rogue because he wrote "A Defence of Calvinism" and smoked cigars. No doubt Spurgeon would have borne the reproach of their disapproval gladly.) The site has a new, slick-looking but hard-to-decipher Flash intro, but the pages underneath are formatted in a fashion that matches the doctrine taught therein: slipshod and utterly unappealing.

Flashpoint

The ramblings of Texe Marrs, who never met a conspiracy theory he didn't like.

Grace Evangelical Society

Masters of voodoo exegesis. Look for the "Grace in Focus" link—a misnomer if ever there was one. It takes you to an on-line collection of mini-manifestos for GES's unique brand of antinomianism. Other resources here all tout the radical anti-Lordship doctrine this group exists to promote.

Grace Fellowship International

Charles Solomon's "Exchanged Life" approach to counseling and sanctification. It's a hodge-podge of deeper-life doctrine, armchair theology, pop psychology, and amateur exegesis. My major complaint about Solomon's approach is that while he insists that "the cross" is central to his message, he has subtly shifted focus, so that rather than being a message about what Christ has done to redeem sinners, "the cross" in Solomon's system signifies a quietistic method by which the believer can supposedly attain "victory." This has a lot in common with the classic Keswick approach to sanctification. B. B. Warfield's critique of Charles Trumbull's Victory in Christ in Warfield's classic Studies in Perfectionism will be helpful to anyone who wants to understand what is wrong with this kind of teaching.

The Gospel Way

Formerly "The Baptized Way." Don't let the new title mislead you. Anthony Lawson originally used his Web site to tout Baptist successionism. Now the Baptist history material is gone and Mr. Lawson has apparently shifted his focus away from that error to an even more serious one: hyper-Calvinism. Here you'll find a collection of links to just about every major classic hyper-Calvinist article on the Web. Several helpful articles are featured here, too—chiefly those defending the doctrine of the imputation of Christ's righteousness. But they are like jewels of gold in a pig's snout (cf. Proverbs 11:22). The best of them were written by Reformed teachers who would in no way affirm the narrow hyper-Calvinist message of this Web site.

Zane C. Hodges

The godfather of antinomianism.

House Church Central

For those who want to play "church" but despise authority. This branch of the house church movement embraces an unbiblical egalitarianism that subverts the role Scripture assigns to elders and overseers of the flock of God (cf. Hebrews 13:7, 17). From the Web site: "One of the main distinctions of house church vs. institutional church is the use of dialogue rather than lecture and sermon." Now there's an unbiblical recipe for shepherding the flock. But biblical shepherding is inherently out of sync with house-church populism. Predictably, this site is hostile to formal training and full-time pastors. The result is a theological home-brew that is both inconsistent and confusing. Don't waste too much time here. The pseudo-scholarly pontifications on doctrine and church history aren't worth the bandwidth it takes to download them. NOTE: I have nothing against churches that meet in houses, but I object to those who insist that's the only way a church should meet. As for their opposition to biblical eldership, see 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Corinthians 9:5-14. The approach to church government advocated here is a recipe for weak teaching and discord in the flock. It is also unbiblical. See Hebrews 13:7, 17.

William Huntington

The Coalheaver. He was the father of British hyper-Calvinism, and much of his teaching was deplorable. But some of his material is excellent, if you weed out his hyper-Calvinism.

Living Way Ministries

Jack Hayford's media ministry. Hayford makes a false dichotomy between "head" and "heart"—constantly pitting subjective feelings against rational intellect and invariably championing "heart" over "head." (When Scripture uses the term "heart," it includes the intellect. The proper biblical meaning of the term has very little to do with subjective feelings.) In Hayford's FAQs, for example, he admits that there is no reference in the Bible to being "slain in the Spirit." He nonetheless lists biblical references about people who fell prostrate when they encountered the Lord, and he tells readers, "As you look up these passages, pray and ask the Lord to confirm to your heart the truth of this . . . [And] if you are ever in a situation where someone is 'slain in the spirit,' just ask the Lord to witness to your spirit if this was really from God or not. He will"—as if the Holy Spirit would confirm to our "hearts" something Scripture doesn't teach to our "heads." Taking this approach to "discernment" has naturally set Hayford against those who see that biblical discernment requires us to understand and defend sound doctrine. Hayford believes this is inherently hostile to "Christian unity."
Hayford himself has endorsed everyone from Fred Price to Benny Hinn—further undermining both true biblical discernment and true Christian unity. While Hayford is an articulate speaker, his teaching is too full of error (and personal whimsy) to be recommended.

Modern Jesus Army Streetpaper

. . . championing every wrong cause, it appears. Here's a quarterly digest of British evangelicalism's pathological inability to exercise biblical discernment. The "Jesus Army" is a charismatic ministry with a minimalist creed doing outreach work among homeless and poverty-stricken young people in the UK. But the "Streetpaper:" reveals an obsession with typical evangelical faddism and an uncanny knack for obscuring the actual facts of the gospel while trying to appear streetwise.

New World Order Global Religion & Government of the Beast!

If you're a conspiracy-theory buff, this page is for you.

One 4 the Child

The owners of this site wish to defend the sanctity of marriage—a worthy goal, but they take a wrong approach. They insist (with selective biblical proof-texting) that an act of sexual intercourse establishes a permanent bond of marriage in God's eyes. So if someone has sexual relations even once as a teenager, then later marries a different partner, the later "marriage" is merely an adulterous relationship in God's eyes—and the former act is not simply fornication, but rather a permanently binding union. Try to reconcile that with Jesus' remark that the woman at the well had no husband, even though she was cohabiting with (at least) her sixth partner (John 4:16-18).
Biblically, what constitutes marriage is the covenant between husband and wife (Malachi 2:14), not the act of sex. The whole point of the marriage ceremony (in virtually every culture) is to solemnize and make public the covenant vows between husband and wife. To treat a covert act of fornication as equivalent to a valid marriage covenant is to subvert the sanctity of marriage, not defend it. What you'll find at this site is selective Bible-quoting with a topical, issue-driven agenda. And that almost always breeds bad theology.

People to People

Bob George's variety of "Classic Christianity" is a novel sort of antinomianism. In short, Bob teaches Christians that their position in Christ means they no longer need to ask God to forgive them for their sins (thus nullifying one of the main points of the Lord's Prayer).

Plains Baptist Challenger

Here's an archive that goes from 1995-August of 2007. New issues are no longer being posted to the Web. E. L. Bynum, who edited this newsletter for several years, usually managed to make his rag just a little more feisty, a little more pugnacious, and a little more separatistic than the other independent fundamental Baptist scandal sheets. Like the others, he favored the cut-and-paste approach to journalism, and the "news" items published in the "Plains Baptist Challenger" sometimes appeared years after they were really "news." He also adhered to an extreme KJV-onlyism that stopped just two ticks short of Ruckmanism. But it was usually an interesting read nonetheless.

Protestant Reformed Church

There are some helpful, even excellent, resources linked here. I deliberated long and hard about whether to put this in the "Helpful Resources" category. The problem is that the PRC holds to an extreme Calvinism that denies God's common grace and the free offer of the gospel. This is a form of hyper-Calvinism, and is fraught with many dangerous ramifications. I could not with good conscience give it a thumbs up. Not a few people have written to ask how I could class a denomination that adheres to the Three Forms of Unity in this category. But the PRC's most distinctive feature—its utter denial of the gospel's free offer—is, after all, bad theology.

Rapture Ready

More rapture hype. Don't miss the "rapture index," a ridiculous attempt to provide "a Dow Jones Industrial Average of end time activity" and measure the nearness of the Rapture by tracking 45 leading indicators. The index is maintained by periodically assigning numerical quantifiers to categories such as "satanism," "unemployment," and "the mark of the beast" ("New advancements in microcircuit technology has [sic] upgraded this category"). Though this looks like it might be a joke or a parody, apparently it is for real.

Sound Doctrine

Not quite. Check the article titled "Another Gospel!"—which argues (in contradiction to Romans 4) that Old Testament saints were not justified by faith the same way Christians in this age are. The doctrine represented here is fraught with Scofieldian error, unfortunately.

Miles J. Stanford

Here you will find the musings of the late Miles Stanford, one of the last devoted guardians of "Pauline dispensationalism." Stanford held to several of the more arcane idiosyncrasies of early dispensationalism long after most dispensationalists had quietly disowned them as ill-advised novelties lacking any biblical support. Stanford insisted, for example, that there are two distinct gospels in the NT. He taught that Christ gave the apostle Paul a new and different gospel, not the same message that was theretofore being preached by the other apostles. In the mid-twentieth century, that same notion (which had percolated among Darbyites and Scofieldians for some time) gave rise to ultradispensationalism, and the folly of the two-gospels idea quickly became evident. Most leading dispensationalists, including Charles Ryrie and John Walvoord denied that Paul's gospel was different from Jesus' gospel. Stanford was piqued by modern dispensationalists who abandoned those and other bizarre features of old-line dispensationalism. He wrote and distributed papers challenging the views of those whom he believed were drifting. Those papers, and several of Stanford's other writings, are catalogued here. They contain numerous peculiarities on sanctification, the believer's relationship to the law, the covenants, etc. Also, Stanford's quaint jargon ("horizontal dispensationalism"; "the identification truths"; etc.) is often hard to decipher. A better glossary would help. The chief value of this site is the graphic proof it provides to show that dispensationalism is not, and never has been, a monolithic system.

Calvinism—Ten Little Caveats

Bob Moore reckons he knows what is wrong with the church. It's Calvinism. And Bob says unless Calvinists change their views, the world will not be able to believe, because "Calvinians" are disrupting the unity of the church. (Bob has an annoying tendency to refer to Calvinists as "Calvinians.") Although Bob seems to regard himself as neither Arminian nor Calvinist, what he proposes as an alternative to Calvinism is indistinguishable from historic Arminianism. Beginning with a rejection of unconditional election, Bob is forced to adopt a very Wesleyan view of prevenient grace in order to reconcile his presuppositions with the doctrine of human depravity. Then he argues that election is based on God's foresight of events He has forfeited His sovereign control of. (Note: There's another Bob Moore online whose theology is much better. Don't confuse the two.)

Theologia

This site is the work of Mark Horne (whose writing is wonderfully crisp and lucid) and his brother Jay (who handles the technical end). When I first discovered it in the mid-90s, it was one of most provocative and interesting theological sites on the Web, featuring an impressive collection of meaty articles.
But I noticed Mark seemed be writing more and more material that troubled me—championing sacramentalism (including paedocommunion) and nuancing the doctrine of justification in ways that seriously compromise the principle of sola fide. His unrelenting advocacy of N. T. Wright and the "New Perspective on Paul" finally persuaded me to move this link (with deep regret) to the "Bad Theology" category. Mark labels me "Romophobic"; and indeed, precisely what I fear in so much of what he writes is a not-so-subtle Romish tendency. There's still some good to be found here if you sift through all the chaff. Do it with extreme caution, though. Chaff often looks very much like grains of wheat.

Way of Life Literature

David Cloud maintains this site, which includes the "End-Times Apostasy Database," an archive of "O Timothy" magazine, and Mr. Cloud's assorted pronouncements against virtually all who are not "fundamentalist Baptists" sharing his precise convictions on a long list of secondary issues. His stance on most of those issues appears to mirror very closely that of The Sword of the Lord during its heyday under John R. Rice (Arminian, combatively separatistic, narrowly Baptistic, and somewhat more concerned with practical, rather than doctrinal, standards). There is one notable difference: unlike Rice, Cloud holds strongly to KJV-onlyism, and he has made that issue one of his favorite hobby-horses. Mr. Cloud is a better writer and somewhat more refined in his rhetoric than most publishers of the popular IFB rant-rags. But bad theology in dressed-up rhetoric is still bad theology.

The Wesley Center for Applied Theology

Everything you wanted to know about Wesleyan theology.

Whosoever Will

These are Herman Hoeksema's writings on grace and the gospel call. His perspective on these issues amounts to a kind of hyper-Calvinism. He denies that the gospel invitation includes a bona fide offer of salvation to anyone but the elect. Hoeksema was brilliant, and a good writer. In fact, there is enough of real value here that I originally placed it in the "helpful" category. But the more I see of the fruits of this kind of thinking, the more convinced I am that it deserves to be plainly labeled as bad theology.

Words of Righteousness

Here's a slick-looking site peddling a skewed view of the gospel. I was immediately troubled by the many articles at this site that downplay or denigrate the significance of Christ's righteousness imputed to believers—and stress instead the believer's own works of righteousness. More troubling still, the theology taught here suggests that heaven will be bifurcated between believers who will rule because their earthly works were sufficiently righteous, and believers who will be ruled over because they did not attain sufficient righteousness in their earthly lives. This not-so-subtly sneaks the issue of human merit back into the salvation formula, teaching, as do all the various cults and isms, that full redemption depends to some degree on the sinner's own righteousness. Although the writer of this material pretends merely to be remedying an imbalance while giving lip-service to justification by faith, this is patently bad theology.

5solas.org

There are a few good articles in the "library" section of this site. But there are far too many other articles here that defend various hyper-Calvinist notions. Indeed, high-Calvinist extremism seems to be the distinctive theme of 5solas.org. Its agenda, apparently, is to drive people to still more extreme positions. As a matter of fact, this is the parent site of "Pristine Grace," which takes hyper-Calvinism to new levels of absurdity (see below).

NOTE: I originally placed this site in the "Bad" category, and several regulars from the "5solas" forum wrote to protest that I was being unfair. They demanded a reconsideration and an apology. So I went back and re-read more of the forum just to make sure I wasn't being overly critical. The more I read, the more deeply concerned I became. The Webmaster here is convinced that no Arminian can possibly be a true brother or sister in Christ; he responds with hearty approval to a post charging that Charles Spurgeon preached a false gospel and was a servant of Satan; and he declares that he despises the very notions of human duty and human responsibility. Other forum participants are regularly ungodly in their speech as well as their doctrine. Apparently, no position is too extreme to get a sympathetic hearing from the folks in this forum. This is an unhealthy place to hang out, and I herewith apologize for failing to list it in the "Really Bad" category in the first place.

Absolute Holiness

The gospel according to Pelagianism: "What must I do to be saved?" Easy; you just stop sinning. This Web site teaches that sinners cannot be justified solely by the imputed righteousness of Christ. Instead we must have a "perfect" righteousness of our own. Unfortunately, in order to explain how such "perfection" is attainable by sinners, the author of this Web site is forced to redefine sin, righteousness, perfection, justification, sanctification—and a host of other biblical terms. What need is there for grace in a system like this? (Hint: you won't find much about grace here.) The spirit of Pelagius and Finney is alive and well on the Web, nowhere more evident than at the "Stop Sinning" Web site. My advice is to skip this one, unless you want to read the pages of invective he aims my way.

Affirmation & Critique

This is the journal of "The Local Church" movement (aka Living Stream Ministry), whose guru was Witness Lee. They have some—um—rather unusual views on church polity, mysticism, and the Scriptures. The vagueness of the pseudo-scholarly writing you'll find in the journal is the only thing that disguises how bad this theology is. Incidentally, this group is notoriously prone to be litigious against people who label them a "cult" (see the annotation and links to "Contending for the Faith" below). Cult or not, I think their theology is deplorable. So sue me.

All Men Are Saved!

The heresy of universalism, presented here with overblown assertions and selective Bible quoting. This is seriously dangerous teaching, not only because it lulls sinners into a false sense of security, but also because destroys the fear of God and denies the necessity of faith for salvation.

Are Men Born Sinners? The Myth of Original Sin

Tom Overstreet's facile dismissal of the doctrine of original sin. In the tradition of his mentor Finney, Overstreet complains that "the one great problem of original sin is that it clashes with man's irresistible convictions of justice"—i.e., he just doesn't "feel" it's right. But the alternative Overstreet proposes is the same utterly graceless theology touted by his spiritual ancestors, Finney and Pelagius. This is serious error, not worthy of the name "Christian."

BibleStudyGuide.org

Classic Campbellite theology, distilled in easy-reference format. These folks have borrowed Pelagianism's denial of original sin, mixed it with baptismal regeneration, anathematized everyone outside their circle of Campbellite congregations, declared human merit necessary for salvation—and yet they claim they have no creed but Christ.

Bible Truths

The theology purveyed at this site is even cheesier than the animated .gifs you'll find adorning its home page. These folks deny every biblical truth that points to the sinner's utter inability to save himself. And likewise, at every opportunity, they exalt the sinner's works as instruments of justification. Teaching baptismal regeneration, denying original sin, and aggressively attacking "the view that man's salvation is wholly of God,"—this is sheer Pelagianism. At one point, they unabashedly ask: "Could it be, though, man has focused so entirely on Jesus and his accomplishments in making possible man's salvation that he has diminished or removed man's part in obtaining his salvation?" Wow.

The Robert Brow Model Theology Web

Brow is a Canadian Anglican pastor and author who is determined to wear the label "evangelical" but who rejects virtually everything else associated with evangelicalism. Brow's famous article "Evangelical Megashift" in the 19 Feb 1990 issue of Christianity Today correctly predicted the doctrinal drift seen today in the Emergent movement. Brow called it "'new-model' thinking" (though it looks remarkably like old-model heresy). The point of view he advocates on his website is a curious mixture blending generous doses of Socinianism, modernism, and theological liberalism with post-modern relativism. (There's a troubling measure of libertinism thrown into Brow's strange brew, too. He believes all kinds of sexual fantasy can be explored freely without guilt unless our imagining "turns into a decision to commit adultery." His article "Sodomy in Leviticus" also suggests that Scripture is tolerant of homosexual activity as long as it doesn't involve penetration.) But the worst aspect of Brow's theology is his unrelenting attack on the forensic "model" of justification and the substitutionary "model" of the atonement. Brow insists he has new, better "models" for these doctrines—but what he is really selling is the dressed-up wreckage of early-model liberalism. To label such notions "evangelical" is simply duplicitous. Or maybe somewhere along the line he got diverted from the models and started sniffing the modeling glue.

Rodney Howard Browne

He calls himself "the Holy Ghost Bartender." Christianity literally laughed itself sick over this man in the mid-1990s. For the life of me, I cannot see why anyone would place any credence in such a man.

Brother Jed

Jed Smock is a campus preacher who is legendary for his eccentricities. He has openly embraced the heresy of Pelagianism.

The Cathars

(Click past the multiple "welcome" pages.) This group trace their lineage to a Medieval sect (The Cathari, also known as the Albigenses), who were targeted by the Catholic Church in the Inquisition. Though some of their practices anticipated the Anabaptist and Protestant movements, the Albigenses also had ties to older Gnostic heresies. The dualism of the Manichaeans is still evident in Cathari doctrine, which relegates all material things to the kingdom of darkness—thus inclining the Cathars to an unwholesome spirit-matter dualism. Some of the material you'll find here attempts to downplay this group's dualism. (Whoever wrote the material doesn't seem to have a clue what dualism or gnosticism are or why those are dangerous systems.) But a link on their site directs readers to a document about Cathar belief that reads like a Gnostic manifesto. At the same time, there seems to be an almost unbridled willingness to embrace all kinds of creeds (except Roman Catholicism). The Cathars aren't wrong about everything, of course, but at the end of the day, their system is more cultish than Christian.

Crisis Publications: A Call To Reform

The subtitle of this page is bitterly ironic, because they obviously hate the theology of the Protestant Reformation. The doctrine featured here is a revival of the ancient Pelagian heresy blended with some bizarre notions about sinless perfection borrowed from the most extreme elements of the "Holiness Movement"—served up with a chip-on-the-shoulder contempt for John Calvin and the theology that borrows his name.

Christian Churches of God

The theology you'll find here is an amalgamation of legalism, Arianism, and several other deadly errors. It mirrors the original (strongly anti-trinitarian) doctrine of the Herbert W. Armstrong cult, of which it is an offshoot.

Kim Clement

The Trinity Broadcasting Network's newest, goofiest false prophet. This guy has invented his own unique theology and sells it with classic overblown TBN flamboyance. Another wolf in televangelist's clothing.

Contending for the Faith

"The Local Church" (see "Affirmation and Critique" above) has often been called cultish, and they have used litigation to try to quell their critics. This Web site is devoted to telling their side of those conflicts, while explaining why they reject historic Christianity. The documents you'll find here are fascinating. But they don't tell the full story. For instance, there's nothing here about how the group acquired and squelched Jim Moran's Light of Truth Ministries Web Site. After Moran's unexpected death in January 2003, The Local Church purchased Moran's Internet domain (ltm.org), including all rights to his in-depth exposés of their group. They replaced Moran's material with their own literature, including this legal notice, and have managed thereby to get Moran's critique of their movement out of circulation. These tactics are a classic example of how easily truth can be twisted and disguised in the hands of people willing to employ whatever pragmatic tactics they can to defend their errors. Make no mistake, however: the theology promulgated by this group is really, really bad. For an account of why it is bad theology, see this page from the Apologetics Index. Also, while we do not recommend Miles Stanford's material in general, (see under "Bad Theology"), he wrote an informative critique of Nee and Lee.

Dad's Day Off

One struggles to find words to express the Really-Deep-Down-Badness of this site. Let's just say it is b-b-b-b-bad to the bone. This guy hates the doctrine of the Trinity, insists there will be no everlasting punishment of the wicked, and is convinced the epistles were included in the New Testament canon by mistake—just to name a few of his more glaring errors. Things only get worse from there. Here's a statement from one of his articles: "It was not necessary for Jesus Christ to come to earth, in physical form as a man born of woman, in order for man to gain preservation for his soul. Practice under the Mosaic Law, if followed faithfully, was quite adequate and effective to accomplish 'soul saving.'" Obviously, that flatly contradicts Hebrews 10:4; Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16—and scores of other biblical statements that point to Christ's atonement as the only way anyone can be saved.
The proprietor of "Dad's Day Off," Noah Russell, is a black-belt master at ripping proof-texts from their contexts to lend artificial credence to his views. He sneers at his theological critics: "With the mountain of evidence that is provided herein from the Bible, are you sure that you want to 'blacklist' my website?" Well, let us be the first to offer an emphatic "YES!" "Dad's Day Off" is a good signpost, however, to remind us that armchair theology and Internet access can be a deadly combination.

End-Time Deliverance Center

Stan and Elizabeth Madrak, Demonbusters. According to these people, all your problems are demonic, and they can teach you about "deliverance." Learn how to "return all curses sevenfold." Read the on-line deliverance manual (IF you can GET PAST the ODD TEXT FORMATTING, that is. SOMEONE at demonbusters.com CANNOT LAY OFF the CAPS-LOCK KEY!) And here's something you probably do not know: "You do not have to have your demons cast out to make it to heaven, but it sure makes your life down here better."

Essays on Theology and Ethics

In the words of this page's author, this site promulgates "the views of a theologian deeply influenced by modern science, historical studies, cultural relativism, ecological concerns, pragmatism, and the like"—everything but Scripture, which is decidedly against the views you'll find here.

The Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary

A "Protestant" nunnery. The late Mother Basilea Schlink was the order's founder. She blended mysticism, crypto-Catholicism, Proto-Mariolatry, and all the accoutrements of medieval asceticism and convent life. No wonder the term evangelical has all but lost its meaning. Note: For an insiders' look at what life in this cult is like, read "Charlene's Personal Story: A First-hand Account of a Former Sister of Mary."

Exposing Those Who Contradict

L. Ray Smith rants and raves with sophomoric sarcasm against the doctrine of eternal punishment. He also insists evil was "created" by God. He seems to have a particular vendetta against D. James Kennedy. This would be amusing if it were not so thoroughly unbiblical.

Family Radio

This is Harold Camping's network. The music is very nice and nostalgic if not a little kitschy, sounding very much like Moody Radio did in the 1960s. But the teaching here is profoundly bad. After being out of control for more than a decade (during which Camping's board and co-workers refused to hold him accountable to Scripture) he finally wigged out completely shortly after the turn of the millennium. He had already utterly embarrassed himself and sacrificed all credibility in the early 1990s by predicting that Christ would return to earth on September 6, 1994. After that prediciton failed to materialize, Camping continued to make false prophecies, culminating in his absurd pronouncement that the Church age has come to an end and we are living in the Tribulation. God is through with the church, Camping insists—and judgment has now begun. Camping tells his listeners they need to leave their churches and look to Family Radio to be the main vehicle through which the gospel is preached to the whole world. (You can guess where Camping thinks Christians need to send all their money.) This once-fine ministry is a tragic example of what can happen when one man is given too much control with no accountability.

Charles Finney Sermons and Articles

A collection of sermons and other material from the 19th-century revivalist who steered American evangelicalism onto a theological dead end.

Note: In response to several e-mail messages challenging my right to classify Finney as "really bad," I posted an article explaining why he was a heretic, and documenting his errors with his own words. You'll find that article at http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/finney.htm.

The Gospel Truth

Don't let the name fool you; neither the gospel nor much truth of any kind can be found here. This is sheer and unfettered Pelagianism, featuring, of course, the favorite patron saint of all modern Pelagians: Charles Finney. For those naive souls who continually insist that Finney was no Pelagian but has merely been misunderstood by his critics, that argument is debunked by the unedited versions of Finney's original works, which can be found here. Moreover, follow the link to "Subjects of Importance by authors other than Charles G. Finney," and you'll be led to a plethora of articles attacking the doctrine of original sin, excoriating Augustine, and extolling Pelagius (or "St. Morgan of Wales," as he is known in the whitewashed retelling of his life featured here). "Moral government theology" (complete with its toned-down doctrine of the atonement), manipulative evangelism, perfectionism (along with its evil twin, so-called "holiness" doctrine), and Scripture-twisting that specifically targets Romans 6—11 are all hallmarks of classic Pelagianism. You'll find them all in copious quantities here. Watch out; this stuff is deadly heresy—not "the gospel truth" at all, but a different gospel completely (see Galatians 1:8-9).

Benny Hinn

Do I really need to explain how completely bad Benny is?

The Interactive Bible

This is a huge repository of Q&As, warnings against "false doctrines," and various opinions on certain doctrinal issues. The problem is, many—perhaps most—of the "answers" you'll find here are wrong. This is mostly classic Campbellite theology, married to a strong Pelagian denial of original sin, resulting in a different gospel from the one taught in Scripture. Don't be confused by what you find at this site. The error may be very subtle, but it is quite deadly.

Isaiah 58 Broadcast & Tracts: A Pentecostal Resource Center

Radical Pentecostalism, with a strong penchant for all the worst theological aberrations. According to various articles you'll find here, the Bible is NOT the Word of God; if you do not speak in tongues you are not truly converted; "there is no such thing as a 'sinner saved by grace'"—and salvation is merited by works of obedience. This is "another gospel" (Gal. 1:8-9). One article at this site says, "We have no part with Christianity." They got that right!.

The Latter Rain Page

A mind-boggling (and brain-numbing) collection of confusion and seriously flawed theology. This is an amalgamation of the worst errors of pentecostalism, blended with the rankest variety of Semi-Pelagianism, seasoned with a lot of homespun misinterpretations of Scripture—pretending to be delivered by divine inspiration. According to the author of this page, if you oppose his views on the so-called "latter rain" or "the five-fold ministry" (i.e., if you deny that the leaders of his movement are true "Apostles and Prophets" with full apostolic authority and miracle powers), you are part of the harlot church and are probably guilty of blaspheming the Holy Ghost, too. No sign of the gospel here, either. The page of articles on "Theology" has nothing whatsoever to say about justification by faith.

Liberals Like Christ

More seepage from the sewer of Socinianism. Here's a site that pits the apostle Paul against Christ in order to justify a socialistic gospel—touting leftist politics and kneejerk liberalism, rather than faith in Christ alone, as the way of salvation. Skubalon.

The Light Unto the World

Yet another self-anointed expert who reckons he is the first person in nearly 2000 years of church history to figure out the true message of Christ. And (surprise!) according to him, the gospel demands that you attain sinless perfection. Above all, you have to obey the Mosaic ceremonial laws regarding holy days. If you fail to observe Pentecost (or any of the other Jewish feasts or Sabbaths), you will go to hell. Want to go to the hottest part of hell? Observe Christmas. Apparently Colossians 2:16-17 and Romans 14:5 are not in this fellow's Bible. Neither is Galatians 5:4. The "light" offered on this page looks an awful lot like old-fashioned legalistic, Pelagian darkness. This guy would have welcomed the false teachers the apostle Paul condemned in Galatians. (And why is it that these people with an Elijah complex always seem to favor screaming bold typefaces, wall-to-wall text, and lots of underlining and exclamation marks?)

More Light Presbyterians

A misnomer if there ever was one. These people say they are "seeking the full participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith in the life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church." I'd love to turn John Knox loose in one of their conventions and see what would happen.

Newswatch Magazine

This is what happens when you try to revive the legalistic heresies of Herbert W. Armstrong by force-feeding them a steady diet of classic right-wing conspiracy-buff fodder. Although this site suggests that its mission is "Making clear today's news in light of Bible prophecy," you'll find precious little here that is clear, and even less that has any legitimate connection to Bible prophecy.

Outside the Camp

An on-line periodical whose editors once labeled themselves "Calvinists," but who in reality always promoted an especially pernicious variety of hyper-Calvinism. This site's reprehensible "Heterodoxy Hall of Shame" condemns Thomas Boston, Charles Spurgeon, Horatius Bonar, A.A. Hodge, John Murray—and John Calvin himself!—as quasi-Arminian heretics for their stance on issues such as the free offer of the gospel. The owners of this site despise "Tolerant Calvinism"—the view held by those of us who think evangelical Arminians, though wrong on the doctrine of election, are nonetheless our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jesus Name Apostolic Holiness Church

I first noticed Steve Winter (the proprietor of this site) several years ago because of his viciously abusive Usenet posts. In those days his website was called "The PreRapture Web Page." It's full of proof that not everything that masquerades as Bible-believing Christianity really is. From his writings, it seemed pretty clear that Mr. Winter was rather seriously mentally deranged. The video-sermonettes now posted on the web site erase all doubt about that.

The Preterist Archive

Preterism suggests that the Tribulation prophecies of Matthew 24 were fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. But much of the propaganda you'll find here is not mere preterism; it's hyper-preterism (though on this Web site the terms "consistent preterism" or "full preterism" are generally preferred). Call it what you will; this view is heresy. It echoes the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus, who taught that the Second Coming was already past, thus overthrowing the faith of some (2 Tim. 2:17-18). Hyper-preterists teach that all New Testament prophecy is now fulfilled; the Lord has returned; and we now live in the New Heavens and New Earth. Sound bizarre? It is. Modern preterism is largely a reactionary movement against the fanaticism of premillennial end-times extremists. Hyper-preterists react to the end-of-the-world doom-and-gloomers by running to an opposite extreme, but their fanaticism is actually driven by a similar spirit.
The proof is seen in the evolution of this website. Its webmaster recently said he has abandoned full preterism in favor of something he calls "preterist-idealism." The site features an article celebrating preterism's universalist roots. It's a quagmire.
Here's a rule of thumb: when you encounter someone whose whole view of theology is shaped and driven by any eschatalogical theory (be it pre- post- or a-millennial), so that eschatology becomes that person's primary concern and the issue to which every conversation inevitably returns, you've found a candidate for the "really bad theology" category.

Pristine Grace

That's an odd name for a site that is doing more to befoul and degrade the doctrines of grace than practically any other Web site I have seen. This is classic hyper-Calvinism of the most virulent kind, teaching that the gospel is not to be preached indiscriminately to unbelievers; insisting that faith in Christ as Savior is not the duty of all who hear the gospel; and denying that the gospel message contains a well-meant offer of divine mercy to all who hear.
One featured article insists, for example—contrary to 2 Corinthians 5:20—that "the gospel is not a plea." The forum is mostly devoted to arguments supporting various fallacies associated with hyper-Calvinism. The Webmaster, Brandan Kraft, seems naturally drawn to radical ideas. (The name he uses in the forums is "Darth Gill; Absolute Hardshell Hyper.") He recently renounced hyper-preterism, which was a step in the right direction. But he hasn't yet come to grips with the evils of hyper-Calvinism. He is teaching, in essence, that sinners are under no obligation whatsoever to obey God. That, by any biblical measure, is really bad theology.
By the way, for an antidote to this site's historical revisionism about the doctrine of common grace, read Louis Berkhof or John Murray on the subject.

Pristine Grace Website

This is the original "Pristine Grace Website," apparently unaffiliated with 5solas.org (see entry in this category)—but equally devoted to the very same hyper-Calvinistic hobby-horses (denying common grace, the free offer, faith as a duty, etc.) This site includes an abridged version of Joseph Hussey's 1707 work God's Operations of Grace But No Offers of Grace, which is one of the earliest manifestos of hyper-Calvinism. Other articles of historical interest here include sermons by J. C. Philpot and John Brine. The Webmaster here is Mike Krall, who likes hyper-preterism almost as much as he likes hyper-Calvinism. The layout won't win any awards for ease of use or aesthetics, but it's a veritable gold-mine if you're looking for polemical material defending virtually any kind of hyperism.

The Prophecy Reformation Institute

More hyper-preterist drivel. This site is little more than unabashed self-promotion by John Noe, who peddles his hyper-preterist books here. Noe is convinced hyper-preterism is "the only solution to the liberal/skeptic attack on the Bible"—as if anti-Christian theology were an apt reply to anti-Christian philosophy. No, thanks. You'll find nothing at The Prophecy Reformation Institute worthy of the name "reformation."

Profitable Doctrines in God's Word from an Endtime Prophet

Originally subtitled: "Topics For Adult Male Pentecostals Only." Here's another self-appointed "prophet" whose sick obsessions are evident even in the list of topics he writes about. According to him my merely posting this negative review of his Web site falls under the category of blasphemy according to the "Nine Noahchide Laws for Gentile observance" which sets forth this principle: "Gossip, talking about Pentecostals behind their backs with negative statements is sin." If you want to see the full significance of this "prophet's" own waywardness, note his paraphrase of Galatians 1:10: "The life goal of all Pentecostals is to daily persuade [convince] God, they are living holy enough to be saved in the resurrection day."
But I can't leave this site without giving you a sample of what sort of "Bible study" (by which he evidently means "Scripture twisting") you'll find here. This is what the "prophet" says in a study titled "Job's First Ten Children": "For Job's years of dedication to God, and support of them they lived a double standard, hypocritical lifestyle, and repaid their father with dishonor. This is a good argument for Pentecostals not to have children, because of the almost certainty they will serve the Devil, and reject God's direction for eternal life in Christ Jesus." OK. Well, I know one Pentecostal whom we certainly hope does not have children.

The Prophetic Equipper

It's a pity the theology isn't as good as the graphics you'll find here. Despite its promise of "advanced training," there's precious little sound theology at this site. Its original incarnation (known as "The Christian Student Equipper") featured a lot of homespun musings about various issues—always leaning toward classic Pentecostal-Arminian positions, notably lacking in biblical substance, and with a slight post-modern slant. The current website reflects the drift hinted at in the new name: it's all about "prophetic" ministry—which seems to entail just about everything but biblical teaching. Subjectivity blended with a postmodern worldview and gone to seed.

Restoration Movement

Information about the Campbellite movement and its history.

Dr. Gene Scott®

W. Eugene Scott, Ph.D. actually registered a trademark for the name "Dr. Gene Scott." He was the quintessential Southern California religious wacko—until he dropped dead from a stroke in February 2005. If you think a foul-mouthed, immoral, cigar-chomping, narcissistic windbag would make a good spiritual leader, Doc would have been the perfect guru for you. One of his best-loved "worship" choruses was a little ditty he wrote titled "Kill a Pissant for Jesus." He's gone, but his website lives on.

Pastor Melissa Scott

Dr. Gene Scott®'s teaching lives on, too. His third wife, Melissa, took over his pastoral position and his teaching role. Slightly more cogent than her husband, she still teaches the same bad theology.

Seventh-day Adventist Church

A modern version of the same kind of legalism that threatened the Galatian Church in the New Testament.

Shepherd's Chapel

Arnold Murray is this group's guru, and he teaches a host of errors, including the notion that modern Jews are really descendants of Kenites, whom Murray claims descended from Cain and usurped the chosen-people status of the true Israelites. Murray's teachings are immensely popular in the "Christian Identity Movement," which advocates racism and white supremacism. The Christian Research Institute archive has a helpful on-line exposé of Murray and the Identity Movement.

Streams Ministries Online

The design here is fairly slick, but that's about the only good thing I can say about this site. This is the ministry of John Paul Jackson, one of the infamous "Kansas City Prophets." He's still peddling his own imagination as if it were the Word of God. He now specializes in interpreting dreams and visions. You can submit your dreams to him for interpretation (I advise strongly against this), or he offers something called the "Dream Certification Process." This seems to be a training program where you can learn to invent dream-interpretations like Jackson does. But I couldn't tell for sure, because you have to register to use that part of the website, and since I take Deuteronomy 13:1-5 seriously, I want nothing to do with a "prophet" who usually gets his predictions wrong.

TBN

"The largest Christian television network in the world"—unfortunately. The spirit of Tetzel is alive and well on cable TV. Bad doctrine, spurious claims of divine revelation, mawkish emotions, gaudy makeup, and tawdry decorations all contribute to the unique ambience that is TBN. To borrow some biblical language, TBN is "the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird" (cf. Rev. 18:2).

Tentmaker Online

More universalism masquerading as biblical Christianity. Recently the proprietor of this site has added "full preterism" to the list of heresies he embraces.

a true church

This group used to be called "God's Word Fellowship." The original name was inappropriate enough, but the new name could hardly be less fitting. In the first place, this is not a true church at all, but a cult based on the teaching of one man—Darwin Fish (yes, that's his real name). In the second place, the indefinite pronoun is misleading, because Darwin and his acolytes don't really believe there are any other true churches out there. As a matter of fact, their public "ministry" consists mainly of picketing churches and large evangelical gatherings while handing out literature condemning all the best-known Christian leaders and historical figures as heretics. Among their more serious errors, they deny the doctrine of the Trinity and teach that God is human. See our FAQ warning about the errors of this group. Or see this page for an analysis of Mr. Fish that mirrors his own look and feel.

The United Pentecostal Church

Oneness Pentecostalism—a deadly blend of Pelagianism, Sabellian modalism, and extreme Pentecostalism.

Worldwide Church of God

Once a cult, always a cult, it seems. This is the group founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, who blended elements of Arianism, Seventh-day sabbatarianism, Anglo-Israelism, Galatian-style legalism, Pyramidology, and various other quirks and heresies into a deadly mix of false doctrines. Armstrong also falsely prophesied some end-times events, including the "rapture" of the church (he predicted the group would be miraculously taken to Petra in Jordan in 1972). After Armstrong's death in 1986, the group abandoned his anti-trinitarianism, disclaimed his rigid Saturday-Sabbatarianism, and made several other significant and much-publicized concessions to historic Christian orthodoxy.
But are they really orthodox? They teach a doctrine of post-mortem salvation; a muddled view of justification; and a confusing version of "the gospel of the kingdom" that still contains strong elements of Armstrongism. Doctrinal confusion seems rife within the group, and their teachings have been constantly in flux since Armstrong's death. Their halting movement toward evangelical "orthodoxy" still looks as if it may de-rail before they actually shed all their founder's false teachings.
WCG's published "Statement of Beliefs" does include an appendix with the Nicene Creed, the Disciples' Creed, and the definition of Chalcedon. But there is no explicit affirmation of these historic formulae—and the introduction to them warns that "creeds can become formal, complex, abstract, and sometimes equated with Scripture." Furthermore, the modern doctrinal statement offered by the WCG fudges on issues like soul sleep and eternal punishment. ("Does the punishing of the wicked last forever? The Bible can be interpreted in different ways on that." The Bible can be interpreted "many ways" on just about everything. It has only one true meaning, however—and therefore only one right interpretation.) And when the WCG deals with vital doctrines like justification by faith, those articles of faith are abbreviated and framed in unnecessarily ambiguous language. (For example, Scripture is affirmed as inspired and "foundational to the church"—but not expressly said to be the sole and sufficient rule of faith.)
The WCG today is certainly not as solidly in the mainstream of the evangelical movement as some of the recent giddy reports (cheered on by the WCG's own tireless PR department) have tried to make out. It appears uncertain at this point whether they intend to be truly orthodox, or merely stake out a permanent position on the fringe, doing what they have always done: borrowing popular errors from other groups and trying to amalgamate them into a mongrel system that is uniquely their own.
In any case, as much as we would have liked to see them in a different category, Scripture and conscience compel us to say frankly that the theology of this group is still really bad.

Youth With A Mission

If you wonder why I would link a well-known and widely respected organization like YWAM in the "Really Bad" category, see "Youth With A Mission and Theology: A History"—an account of YWAM's propagation of "Moral Government Theology." See also "The 'Spiritual Mapping' of Youth With A Mission" for even more documentation regarding YWAM's dangerous flirtation with Pelagian ideas. YWAM has long touted a faulty view of the atonement in their training sessions at home and overseas. The result has been a proliferation of pseudo-Christianity, weakened churches, and Pelagian tendencies wherever these doctrines have taken hold.

Martin Zender.com

Here's a dude who bills himself as "the world's most outspoken Bible scholar." Brazen he surely is; scholarly he most certainly is not. Zender has a cocky yet blathering style of teaching that (apparently) some have mistaken for proficiency in handling Scripture. Like the proverbial stopped clock, he even manages to intersect with a point of truth from time to time. But this guy is by no means to be trusted. His best-known heresies are his denial of hell and his belief that God is going to save everyone. Despite his angry claim that he "defies labels" (I_am_not_a_goshdanged_Universalist), he is a universalist. "Universalism" is, after all, the technical name for the doctrine he is peddling. You'd think the world's most outspoken theological hack would understand that much. But, then, that's why we think he's a Really Bad hack.

Angelic Revelations of Divine Truth

"The Gospel revealed anew by Jesus"? I don't think so. This little enterprise is called "The Truths Project." Hard to think of a less fitting name.

The Church of Christ, Scientist

Christian Science was the most successful of several metaphysical cults that sprung up in the 19th Century in and around Boston. Mary Baker Eddy was the founder of this neo-gnostic cult, still thriving after more than a century. This is the Web site hosted by the group's mother church.

Friends of OSHO

Osho's friends claim he was "never born, never died; only visited this earth between Dec. 11, 1931—Jan. 19, 1990." Osho's name used to be The Bagwan Shree Rajneesh. You may remember the havoc he and his followers wreaked when they took over an Oregon town and renamed it "Rajneeshpuram."

Glide Memorial United Methodist Church

. . . Offering a home to every aberrant view that wants to identify with Christianity. A den of apostasy.

Godhatesfags.com

Here's a Topeka, Kansas, "Baptist" church that has managed to mangle the gospel so completely that hate, rather than love, is at the heart of the message they proclaim. They picket funerals of AIDS victims, carrying signs saying "No Tears for Queers." This "church" is actually a small cult comprised mostly of "Pastor" Fred Phelps's own offspring and their children. An eye-opening expose of the Phelps clan ("Addicted to Hate," by investigative reporter Jon Michael Bell) is on line, Exhibit A in some court documents in a lawsuit involving a Topeka newspaper.
As a Calvinistic Baptist, I'm embarrassed by the Web presence of this "church." What you'll find here is a radically different gospel from the good news proclaimed in Scripture, so this is an apt candidate for the "really, really bad" category.

"God's Web"

Another kook who has fabricated a substitute for God's Word out of his own imagination. This guy has apparently been peddling his own deadly delusions as "prophecy" since 1967. His message begins with this lie: "God has much love and compassion for those faithful now attending church, knowing that scientific facts do not support His creation. He realizes man's intelligence is now at a very high level, and he truly loves each member of his congregations that are now attending church for the sole purpose of showing their love for Him. He forgives mankind at present, for not attending church, because of.... the scientific conflict in creation....!!!" This is what happens when a delusional person makes his own fantasies his god.

The Gnosis Archive

Gnosticism is alive and flourishing on the WWW.

Gnosis Magazine

More of the modern gnostic heresy.

Gnostic Friends Network

Despite the friendly-sounding page title, the domain name ("enemies.com") is much more fitting. Here you'll find some of the most virulent enemies of the gospel anywhere on the Web—and plenty of proof of how Satanic gnosticism really is.

The Human Jesus and Christian Deism

Ironically, the original edition of this page had an annoying background midi version of "Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus." The site itself is devoted to turning you away from the biblical Jesus, substituting instead a creature invented by one John Lindell, who maintains this site. "Christian Deism" is, after all, a contradiction in terms. What you'll find here is nothing more than skeptical rationalism cloaked in pious terminology, denying both the deity of Christ and the authority of Scripture while masquerading as Christianity. What Mr. Lindell does not explain—cannot explain—is why he thinks his own musings are any more authoritative than the rantings of Ms. Murray-O'Hare, with whom Mr. Lindell shares more of a spiritual kinship than he realizes.

The Inner Voice

"An Inspirational Magazine"—exemplifying all that is wrong with mysticism. According to this site, "Inside each of us, a voice stands ready to provide spiritual love and guidance. The question is how to find it, and then how to listen." Don't listen to anything you find here.

The Jesus Seminar Forum

Robert Funk's "scholarly" skeptics' club. This is liberalism's famous dog and pony show that has gained so much media attention over the past decade or so. Here's graphic proof of theological liberalism's spiritual indigency. (Click Here to read John MacArthur's assessment of the "Jesus Seminar.")

Share International

The followers of Maitreya (pronounced my-tray-ah) claim he is the Second coming of every "messiah" from Krishna to the Imam Mahdi. His bio page claims "he has been expected for generations by all of the major religions." Does that mean he's a reincarnation of David Koresh too?

A New Christianity for a New World

Bishop Spong's spew.

The New Church

Swedenborgianism. This movement is an echo of ancient gnosticism and a forerunner of the modern New Age Movement.

Share International Magazine

Propaganda touting Maitreya (see above in this same category) as the Messianic hope of the world. Gag me with a turban.

Universe of Yahweh

"Yaweh Ben Yahweh" claims he's the new Messiah. Cites his arrest record as proof.

The Urantia Foundation

A post-modern gnostic cult.

Whosoever

"An online magazine for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered Christians." So what's next? Resources for pedophile "Christians"? A "Christian" who justifies and even celebrates a sinful lifestyle is a contradiction in terms.

World Union of Deists

Deism is rationalism distilled to a religion. Deists are often as overtly hostile to Christianity as rank atheists (this site offers abundant proof of that), but deism papers over the ugly side of unbelief with a smarmy religiosity. Deists set reason in the place of revelation, denying that God has revealed Himself to humanity and insisting that human reason is the ultimate test of all truth.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The latest and most systematic digest of the official Roman Catholic "deposit of faith."