There are many false doctrines in the church today, but none pose a greater threat to Christians today than the Charismatic Movement. False teachings like speaking in tongues, healing ministries, expecting miracles, and new prophecies and revelations are leading Christians astray and bringing new believers into a false doctrine that they are unaware of.
The Charismatic Movement is a dangerous false doctrine and needs to be addressed so unexpecting Christians and new believers are aware of the dangers associated with it. The topics covered in this list are not exhaustive but are the main points that the Charismatic Movement promotes.
Table of Contents
Speaking in Tongues
In the Charismatic Movement, speaking in tongues is something that happens in public. The purpose is to show that a person has the Holy Spirit within them and they are showing that through their “ability” to speak in tongues. However, that is not the intended purpose of speaking in tongues. Let’s look at some examples where speaking in tongues is used in public and in private.
Outside of the Gospels, speaking in tongues is first found in Acts 2, where Luke records the events of Pentecost. Verse four states, “And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” This is a unique circumstance. If you keep reading past verse four, you will see that there were men, and presumably their families, from every nation under heaven (v. 5). Many languages were spoken there, but so everyone could understand what was being said in their native language (v. 6).
The speaking in tongues event that was recorded in Acts 2 was an event that occurred out of necessity. Peter was preaching to every person gathered there, and unlike previous times, some could not understand the language. So, God made a way for every person to hear what was being said in their native language.
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul writes that tongues are to be spoken to God. “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up” (v. 2-5).
The person who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God. That is crucial to understand because speaking in tongues only builds up the person speaking in tongues. What good does it do to speak in tongues in public if no one can understand you? Unless an interpreter is present, it is not beneficial to speak in tongues.
For a more in-depth analysis of speaking in tongues, you can check out this article.
Healing Ministries
Before we dive into the healing ministries of the Charismatic Movement, I would like to clarify that healings that match biblical standards can happen today. Our God is an awesome God, one of His many names is the Great Physician! However, some things must be present to be a true biblical healing. Costi Hinn from For the Gospel has a great article on this, you can check it out here.
Healing ministries are a branch of the Charismatic Movement where a person or group heals the sick. These ministries have many different names but do not be confused with who they are. They are false teachers who look to deceive you. Their ministries often center around some form of monetary gain, usually through donations to their ministry.
These false teachers generally focus on ailments that are not physical and can be treated through the power of suggestion. Ailments like arthritis, migraines, or other non-physical health issues are things that are focused on because the person can say they have been healed although there is no physical evidence to prove they were.
This is where the power of suggestion comes in. If the person walks up on stage to the faith healer and the person experiences a supernatural event, after the healer touches them and tells them they are healed, the person believes the healer. However, this often is not the case. This is an example of the placebo effect, where the person experiences a sense of relief, but not a lasting cure.
I mentioned the words supernatural event above, I would like to clarify this statement. Supernatural events are not limited to God and His angels. Remember, Satan and his demons are supernatural beings too. This is why John tells us to test the spirits in 1 John. Not all spirits are from the Lord, so we must test them, and compare them to what Scripture tells us.
Miracles
The Charismatic Movement promotes the idea that Christians can perform and should look for miracles today. I would like to present you with a few passages of Scripture that contradict this idea.
First, there is Matthew 12:39 states, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Think about what Jesus said here, that an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign. Does this mean that the people in the Charismatic Movement are evil and adulterous? Not necessarily, but actively seeking a sign from God places them in that category. Those are Jesus’ words, and He was clear about seeking signs and wonders.
Next is 2 Corinthians 12:12, which states, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.” Paul makes it clear that only true apostles performed signs and wonders, making it clear that Christians today can not perform signs and wonders as the apostles did. There are no apostles today, no one meets the qualifications as given in Acts 1.
Finally, there is Romans 10:17, which states, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Faith does not come from seeing miracles, faith comes from hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Consider the Pharisees of the day when Jesus was performing miracles. The Pharisees had the opportunity to see Jesus perform miracles, yet they did not believe in Him.
This is not a crusade against miracles today, our God is capable of anything and everything. If God has a miracle in store for us, then He will perform the miracle and every Christian will know that the miracle is from God and no one else.
However, I am against the approach that the Charismatic Movement takes towards miracles. All Christians are not able to perform miracles and Christians should not pursue miracles. Your spiritual life is not dependent on whether or not you can perform miracles or have seen a miracle. Your relationship with Jesus Christ is a personal decision you have made to accept Him as your Lord and Savior and you follow Him daily.
New Prophecies
Whether you search the internet or YouTube, you will not be hard-pressed to find a person who has a new prophecy for an upcoming election, solar eclipse, political happening, etc. However, there is an important thing to consider when we hear these new prophecies: what does Scripture say?
Ephesians 2:20-22 states, “… built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
Paul tells us that the foundation of the church was built on the apostles and the prophets. The prophets came before Jesus, all of whom were in the Old Testament, except for John the Baptist. The apostles came after Jesus, they were with Him through His ministry, and then He charged them to go and share the Gospel. After the apostles died, the foundation of the church was complete.
The best Scripture regarding new prophecies can be found in Revelation 22:18-19. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Jesus spoke clearly when He gave this warning to John, the author of Revelation. Those who add to or take away from the Bible are in dangerous territory.
The Dangers of the Charismatic Movement
The Charismatic Movement brings many dangers to the table, major issues have been discussed above but there are also individual false teachings and groups to watch out for. The Charismatic Movement is not confined to one denomination or a specific type of church, any church can take any part of the movement and incorporate that false teaching into their theology.
The best practice for each Christian is to compare everything you read and hear to what Scripture says. When John tells us to test the spirits, he is also referring to all teachings we hear. Compare the teachings you hear from any pastor, professor, or speaker to what Scripture says. Scripture is the final authority. Man can make mistakes, whether they are intentional or unintentional, but Scripture is the source for truth.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus mentions false prophets and how Christians should be wary of them. In Matthew 7:15-16 Jesus preaches, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” The leaders in the Charismatic Movement are false prophets that Christians need to be aware of. Know their tactics and stay on guard as they continue with their dangerous ministries.
Compare all things to Scripture, God’s Word will tell you whether a teaching is true or false.
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