What is the definition of a cult?

It is one mark of anti-Christian religions, masquerading as Christian, that they one and all unite in denying the Deity of Jesus. On other points they differ widely, but in this they agree, betraying their common origin, as Satanic. The branches of a tree may travel in contrary directions, but they are supported by the same trunk and fed by the same roots.

It began with Higher Criticism, started by a Frenchman, Astruc, and fathered by Jews, who hated the name of Christ, and finally adopted by so-called Christian professors in Germany. It has spread to Britain, America, Australia, indeed, all over the world, and has undermined the faith of multitudes in the inspiration of Scripture. It made the success of Darwinism and New Theology possible. Alongside of this corruption of orthodox religion there is the swarm of anti-Christian cults which number their followers by the million. We refer to Christadelphianism, Seventh-Day Adventism, Millennial Dawnism (Jehovah’s Witnesses), Christian Science, Mormonism, and the like. Each with distinctive features, they all unite in denying the deity of Christ, the value of His atoning death and the eternal punishment of the wicked as described by Scripture. Then, again, The Tongues Movement with its extravagancies and more than suspicion of demon origin is significant. Whilst few will assemble to hear the Gospel faithfully preached, crowds will flock to hear these lies of the devil.

Moreover, we are faced with a number of religious cults professing to be Christian, such as Christian Science, Christadelphianism, and the Oxford Group Movement, which do not, like infidelity, deny the truth, but, none the less resist the truth by imitation. They seek to imitate the new Christian life, which is the result of the grace of God, by changing and reforming the old life as the result of human efforts. They may indeed, deceive the unwary by producing a changed life, but it is only the old life reformed and not the new life of Christ. The leaders of these evil cults are exposed by the word of God as "men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith."

There are in Christendom many forms of denying the Son, some gross, some subtle. Unitarianism comprehends many varieties of disbelief in the Deity of Christ. Christadelphianism and similarly perverted creeds deny the eternal Sonship of Christ, teaching that the "title," Son of God, should only be predicated of the human nature, born in time. The adherents of Christian Science, and those of some other modern cults, hold in a restricted sense that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but all of them deny that He was such from all eternity, that is, in virtue of His Own Essential Being.

They vary considerably in their teaching, but they all unite in refusing the deity and true manhood and atoning work of the Lord Jesus.

Here we have plainly denied the Deity of the Lord Jesus. No one can be saved if they deny that which is absolutely vital to the Christian faith. This one denial is enough to demonstrate the deadly poison of this antichristian system.

But we are looking not at mere errors, but marking those chiefly that denied the full truth of the Person of Christ, which are not errors, but infidelity. A man may hold wrong views concerning many things in the Bible. He may be singular in his views as to the mode and subjects of baptism, as to the doctrines of election and the Lord's coming; if he be sound and scriptural as to the Person of Christ, His perfect manhood, and His perfect deity he cannot be fatally wrong upon other and lesser points. But the heretic who denies the true humanity, or essential Godhead of Christ is an infidel.

Romanism, nationalism, and all the varied forms of dissent, are alike in this, that they have each departed from the pure standard of Scripture as their only guide. Some have deviated, some have added, some have subtracted — but all have departed from it as the sole and all-sufficient test. No need to dwell on the grosser errors of doctrine, or the monstrous pretensions of worldly hierarchies. It is enough for us that they have not adhered absolutely to the Word, for in this lies the real germ of sectarianism. It is not a question as to whether they hold more or less doctrinal truth, whether they have among them a greater or smaller number of genuine believers. The only question which the person who wishes to act in subjection to God's will needs to ask, is, whether there is entire surrender to the teaching of the Word; and if anything is practised which that Word does not enjoin, or anything omitted which it does enjoin, the system is a sect, and his duty is to separate himself from it.

But there is another form of departure from the truth which may hinder God's children from keeping the unity of the Spirit. By misuse of doctrine or discipline they may form a unity not only in fact but in principle and design narrower than Christ's body. Are such on God's ground? I trow not. They may openly draw up their own form of government, or they may privily have an understood, though unwritten, system of rules which exclude saints as godly as themselves who cannot accept these rules. Here we have a sect. Their decrees are not the commandments of the Lord, yet they become practically as authoritative as His word, or (as is usual) yet more so. What is it for men to pretend that they have no human rules, when they introduce some unheard of conditions of fellowship, here rigidly, there loosely, according to varying policy or the caprice of their rulers, for those who come within their range? Anything of this nature takes the shape, not exactly of nationalism, but of sectarianism, which (instead of too wide or loose borders) rather seeks to split up those who should be together, making their communion express their difference from their brethren, and in no way standing together on that unity which is of God. It is in principle sectarianism; and, if they know better, they are more guilty than ordinary dissenters.

The word αἱρεσις is from 'to choose.' The same Greek word is translated 'sect' and is applied to the sects among the Jews, as the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Acts 5:17; Acts 15:5; Acts 26:5. It was employed by the Jews respecting Christianity. Acts 24:5, 14; Acts 28:22. Heresies and sects were developed early in the church, they were the result of the working of the will of man in some form. The root of the Greek word being 'to choose' shows that a heresy is something peculiar. The doctrine held and enforced may be true in itself but may be exaggerated or put out of its connection. The common result is, a party or sect is formed. 1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20; 2 Peter 2:1. One who adheres to a heresy is a heretic, and after the first and second admonition is to be rejected. Titus 3:10. God having given in His word all things needed for the church, there is no room for man's choice or man's will: he must be a humble receiver: cf. 1 Cor. 4:7.