Is the 'New Apostolic Reformation' movement a cult?
Background: The other day someone posted an interesting question at Yahoo! Answers: "Is the New Apostolic Reformation a cult?" I think this question goes right to the heart of some important issues. Here is the answer I wrote.First, here is the full question.
Is the New Apostolic Reformation a cult?I may be wrong but what I hear is they want to install a theocracy and claim some of their leaders are apostles of the same level as Jesus' original 12 apostles. Are they a reputable branch or Christianity or a cult one should steer clear of?
The quick answer is that the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) movement is probably not a cult; nevertheless it is a dangerous, unbiblical movement and people should steer clear of it. Let me explain.
Many of the teachings of the NAR movement are aberrant and some-- such as the "Manifest Sons of God" teaching that is promoted by some influentual NAR leaders--may even qualify as being truly heretical.
There are a couple of distinctions that should be made for clarity.First, there are two main ways to define the word cult: (1) in sociological terms, and (2) in theological terms. In sociological terms, a cult is a group of people whose leaders exert undue control over their lives and who are involved in practices that may seem odd to the mainstream of society. This is the way the mainstream media generally uses the word cult.If this is the way one is using the word cult, then some people may think that the NAR movement qualifies as a cult—though many others would disagree. But I don’t think the sociological definition of the word cult is particularly helpful since it is extremely subjective.I think the theological definition of a cult is more helpful. In theological terms, a cult is a group that claims to be part of a specific religion, such as Christianity, yet that group denies essential teachings of that religion. For example, Mormons are classified as a cult of Christianity because they claim to be Christians, yet they deny many teachings that are considered to be essential (or non-negotiable) to Christianity, including the belief that there is only one God, the Trinity (Mormons say they believe in the Trinity, but have redefined it), and that forgiveness of sins is by grace alone without works.The second important distinction to understand is the difference between teachings that are “heretical” and teachings that are “aberrant.” A heretical teaching is one that denies an essential teaching of Christianity. For example, the teaching that Jesus started out as a human being and then became divine is heretical because it denies his eternal status as the Second Person of the Godhead--which is an essential teaching in Christianity. Thus, those who hold to heretical beliefs are considered to be outside of Christianity.But an “aberrant” teaching may not qualify as heretical, yet the teaching is seriously erroneous and, thus, is viewed as dangerous to the person who accepts the aberrant teaching. Many NAR teachings qualify as aberrant because they may not be outright heretical, yet they still deviate significantly from the teachings of mainstream, orthodox Christianity. Examples of NAR teachings that are aberrant are the teachings that all churches must submit to the authority of NAR apostles and accept the new truths being revealed by NAR prophets.In addition to the aberrant teachings promoted by NAR leaders, there are some teachings--not held by everyone participating in the movement--that may even qualify as heretical, such as the “Manifest Sons of God” teaching, which appears to deify human beings.Yes, you heard correctly: NAR leaders do teach that the NAR apostles have the same functions as the original Twelve apostles. And they also teach that NAR apostles will do even more spectacular miracles than the original apostles and even Jesus himself.The ultimate goal of the NAR movement is to get all Christians to submit to the leadership of their apostles and prophets so they can lead the church in setting up God’s physical kingdom on earth through a combination of political means and displays of mighty miracles. The movement is “dominionist” because its goal—stated throughout its literature—is to take dominion of all the nations—that is, sociopolitical control. They refer to their dominionist agenda as the “Seven Mountain Mandate.”The bottom line: Even if the NAR movement does not qualify as a full-fledged cult according to the theological or sociological definitions of the word, its teachings do not represent mainstream, orthodox Christianity.