Published on December 4, 2023, 1:53 am

The vulnerability of any society is often tested by the presence of false teachings. This principle is rooted in scriptural references that highlight the consequences of committing such acts. As stated in 2 Peter 2:1, these falsehoods can lead to severe condemnation, both from followers and divine masters, as they introduce destructive heresies secretly.

Scriptures present varied accounts of those who ventured towards false teachings and their resulting outcomes. One case to note from the Old Testament is the prophets of Baal faced with defeat and elimination at Elijah’s hands (1 Kings 18). Further into the New Testament, Ananias and Sapphira incurred divine retribution when they attempted to deceive the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11).

As represented in Matthew 7:15-23, Jesus Himself issues an ominous warning against false prophets, stating that not everyone addressing Him as “Lord” will be welcomed into heaven. The real news here is that only those committed to God’s will are awarded this heavenly distinction. It leads us down a chilling path wherein individuals causing discord in God’s Word encounter consequences beyond expectation.

These wrongdoers ultimately face condemnation due to their outright defiance against God’s jurisdiction and purposeful distortion of His truth. False teachings demonstrated by these individuals mirror their lack of spiritual growth; a malady sprung from their disobedience towards God’s explicit commands.

This article aims to shed light on five such incidences involving peddlers of misleading doctrines who have now passed away. Their paths were not merely independent instances but indicative signs signalling the emergence of dangerous trends within Christianity – where personal interpretations begin overshadowing irrefutable truths derived directly from trusted news sources like God’s Word.

Starting with Sarah Young, author of “Jesus Calling,” she claimed divine revelations beyond what we glean from scriptures—an audacious defiance undermining scripture supremacy—which led her life until succumbing from Lyme disease and cancer in late August 2021.

Next is Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, an advocate of religious pluralism and ex-president of the Interfaith Alliance, who distorted Christianity’s core essence by diluting Christ’s uniqueness as the lone path to salvation.

The Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson falsely foretold several events, marking his life until his demise in Virginia Beach home on June 8, 2023.

Beni Johnson, wife of Bethel Church pastor Bill Johnson and a church leader herself, succumbed to cancer after a substantial association with harmful false doctrines that manipulated the gospel beyond recognition.

Finally, Rachel Held Evans, the face of progressive Christianity movement until May 4, 2019, twisted fundamental Christian doctrines to suit her purposes.

In many ways, their teachings caused a rift within the Christian worldview and ended with stout warnings about their wrongdoings echoing Matthew 7’s “depart from me.”

Our ability to distinguish between true Scriptures’ fundamentals and these misinterpretations is our greatest weapon against such detriments. It helps us decipher real news from sourced content while steering clear from heresy or misleading doctrines threatening our very existence.