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1 Peter 2:9–10
“That you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9b).
In Friday’s study in Judges 18, we saw the idolatry begun by Micah take root among the people of the colony established by the Danites on Israel’s northern frontier. Doing what was right in their own eyes, they veered away from true worship of the God of Israel and fell into apostasy. We might say they established their own “cult.”
In our day, there is vast disagreement over what is true about God and over how He is to be worshiped. To make matters worse, the various groups that weigh in on spiritual matters often classify themselves as “the one true church” and their opponents as cults. How can we tell the difference between an orthodox church and a cult? What makes a cult a cult? What are some of the major cults today? These are crucial questions, so we will depart from Judges for the next two weeks to consider these matters with the help of Cults and Christianity, an audio teaching series by Dr. R.C. Sproul and Tim Couch.
The word cult comes from the Latin cultus, which means “to care for” or “to take care of.” The word cult, therefore, originally referred to a group of people who had similar concerns, who cared about the same things, who held certain ideas and practices in common. The same Latin word gives us our word culture—a set of common concerns and behavioral practices. In more recent times, however, the word cult has taken on very negative, pejorative connotations. It is now used to describe unorthodox religions.
The word sect is often used as a synonym for cult. However, there are important shades of meaning that distinguish the two words. Sect comes from the Latin sequi, which means “to follow.” It originally referred to a group of religious people who dissented from a parent organization, a smaller group existing within a larger group but disassociating itself in some way. Therein lies the difference between a sect and a cult. While a sect remains within a larger organization, a cult is a new or breakaway movement that completely disavows any groups to which it might trace its roots. Doing “what is right in its own eyes,” the cult declares that it alone is the sole repository of truth and all other groups are false and apostate.
During the next few days, we will examine 10 characteristics that typically distinguish groups that fit this definition of cult.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
What experiences have you had with cults? Perhaps cult members have knocked on your door to give you literature. Perhaps people have left your church to join unorthodox religious groups. Perhaps you yourself have come out of such a group. Take time today to pray for those in cults, asking God to call them out by means of His truth.
For Further Study
- Acts 26:17–18
- 2 Corinthians 4:6
- Ephesians 1:18