Heresies in China
Link to the Chinese Version of this article
Excerpt from the Returnee Handbook
There are many heresies being propagated in mainland China. They tend to spread quickly and broadly. We must do our best to recognize heresies and avoid the harm caused by them. Special attention must be paid to distinguishing heresies, cults, and extreme teaching. Great offense to God and harm to ourselves and others can result if we do not have a clear understanding of Biblical truth.
Some secretive “underground churches” in China are in fact cults. They cleverly take advantage of people’s sympathy for house churches and their lack of understanding of sound doctrine to deceive. They post Christian signs, claim to be Christian churches, conceal their identities, cheat people for money and sex, and deceive and destroy believers. Some of these heretical factions do not preach the gospel to non-believers. Instead, they purposely seek to infiltrate existing churches, mislead preachers and believers, and thus cause chaos and confusion in the churches. The strategies of those spreading false teaching include seducing people to deviate from truth, brain-washing brothers and sisters, “stealing sheep” and splitting the church. Since many Chinese non-believers and even government officials are unable to distinguish between true and false Christians, these cults have greatly damaged the image of Christianity in China.
Some of the most influential indigenous cults in mainland China include: The Church of Almighty God (formerly known as “Eastern Lightning”); the Spirit Church; the Three Grades of Servants Church; the Disciple Church (aka “Three Ways of Redemption”). There are also cults from other places: Holy Laughter, from Korea; God the Mother Church (World Mission Society Church of God); Young Disciples of Jesus; The Upper Room of Mark. There are also cults from the U. S. in China including: Jehovah’s Witnesses; the Mormon Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints); Apostolic Faith Mission; the New Age Movement; Gate of Heaven; The Family International. Some of the more recent heresies even have leaders who claim to be the mother or the son of Jesus.
We need to emphasize here that the leader of cult may knowingly and deliberately misrepresent Christianity and blaspheme the Holy Spirit for his/her personal benefit. But the people who are taken captive by these heresies are to be pitied and need mercy. At the same time, the true church should be mindful of its responsibility to actively evangelize and refute false teaching.
Heresies have a number of common traits: the first involves denying the person of Christ; the second involves denying the integrity of Christ’s redemptive work; the third involves denying the absolute authority of the Bible. In these ways, cults distort and add to the teachings of the Bible. There are also some common characteristics such as: a. Strong exclusivity, claiming that the teachings of other churches are heretical and that only their teaching is correct and pure; b. Leaders regard themselves as having the highest authority and expect complete submission; c. Specific end-times prophesies and claims about days and times; d. Enforced isolation from the outside world and the sheltering of believers, sometimes in locked compounds; e. Inconsistent arguments and teaching. Christians should remember that the Lord himself called the devil “the father of lies” (John 8:44).
The key to guarding against heresies and lies is investing in your spiritual growth by being deeply rooted in Biblical truth. Rely on the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Keep in mind the fundamental truths, such as the Bible alone as the highest authority, the doctrine of the trinity, the deity of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, salvation (by grace through faith), eschatology, ecclesiology and other fundamental biblical truths, to these hold fast.
In addition, it may be helpful to spend some time with a pastor for counseling and carefully read some materials on how to guard against heresies. A few good resources include Pastor Lu Wen’s Heretics Disturbing China (卢文《异端扰中华》) and Rev. Thomas Wang’s Handbook of the Truth (王永信《真道手册》). For English materials, please refer to the online article “Heresies and Cults in China Today” by Tony Lambert.
It’s best to err on the side of caution. If you are given contact info of a church or invited to a church by someone you don’t know, it’s important that you make an effort to check out their beliefs. You might consult with trusted church leaders overseas that you keep contact with. It is advised not to join a church prematurely. To avoid getting involved in a cult, take time to evaluate, pray and assess their teaching against the teachings of Scripture.
Excerpt from the bilingual Returnee Handbook e-book, Overseas Campus Ministries and ReFrame Ministries, 2020 (pre-order the e-book here)