What Is Biblical Christianity?

The crisis of our times forces us to make a clear distinction between Biblical Christianity and Secular or Humanistic Christianity, whether it be by group, teaching or practice. Biblical Christianity was never meant to change and it hasn't, but many false forms, techniques and practices have arisen, since its inception about 2000 years ago, that has drastically changed the world’s perception of Christianity! That is why we must attempt to distinguish between true Biblical Christianity, and its many counterfeits which we will call Secular or Humanistic Christianity which relies more upon the opinions of men than the Word of God.

Satan has always tried to muddy the clear, pure waters of God’s Word. Immediately after creation we find him using his deceptive methods to discredit God’s Word and to lead God’s people astray (Gen. 3). Down through the centuries he has used every diabolical trick imaginable in an effort to defeat and destroy the purposes of God. He will never be content with partial victory, therefore, our only recourse is to continually oppose and expose him.

The danger has become so great that I feel like Jude who cried out, "Beloved, my whole concern was to write to you in regard to our common salvation. [But] I found it necessary and was impelled to write you and urgently appeal to and exhort [you] to contend for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints [the faith which is that sum of Christian belief which was delivered verbally to the holy people of God]. For certain men have crept in stealthily [gaining entrance secretly by a side door]. Their doom was predicted long ago, ungodly (impious, profane) persons who pervert the grace (the spiritual blessing and favor) of our God into lawlessness and wantonness and immorality, and disown and deny our sole Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:2-3).

GALATIANS 1:6-12.... I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel. Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not]. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

¹⁰ Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah). For I want you to know, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed and made known by me is not man's gospel [a human invention, according to or patterned after any human standard]. For indeed I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but [it came to me] through a [direct] revelation [given] by Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

How Can We Know The Real From The Counterfeit?

From the above passages of Scripture we see the Satanic influence already at work in the first century Church, it has continued down through the centuries and has increased tremendously in the last few years. Multitudes are being lead astray without even realizing it, both inside and outside the Church. Basically, we could say that Biblical Christianity believes, trusts and relies upon what God has revealed to us in His Word; while Secular Christianity puts more confidence in human ability and understanding, and feels free to disregard or explain away the Word of God, either intentionally or unintentionally. It is done intentionally by those who have no confidence in God’s Word; it is sometimes done unintentionally by good, well-meaning people who fail to rightly interpret or understand God’s Word, and then misapply it. Having named the two groups we wish to investigate and compare, let us now consider how we may go about that task.

Historically, Christianity has accepted the Bible as God’s authoritative, infallible and inspired Word because it was God who moved upon men to record it – as the following Scriptures state. "Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). "[Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving). For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so--it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21).

William MacDonald explains:

In some way which we cannot fully understand, God directed these men as to the very words to write, and yet He did not destroy the individuality or style of the writers. This is one of the key verses in the Bible (2 Pet. 1:20-21) on divine inspiration in a day when many are denying the authority of the Scriptures, it is important that we stand firmly for the verbal, plenary inspiration of the inerrant word.

By verbal inspiration we mean that the words as originally penned by the forty or more human writers were God-breathed (see 1 Cor. 2:13). God did not give a general outline or some basic ideas, then let the writers phrase them as they wished. The very words they wrote were given by the Holy Spirit.

By plenary inspiration we mean that all the Bible is equally God-given from Genesis through Revelation. It is the word of God (see 2 Tim. 3:16). By inerrant we mean that the resultant word of God is totally without error in the original, not only in doctrine, but in history, science, chronology, and all other areas.

We need not be perplexed about how God communicated to these writers the very words to use, because He knows everything about us, even the very number of hairs upon our heads (Matt. 10:30). These were men that God prepared at just the time He wished to use them, for the special task designed for them. The same truth can be stated in a number of different ways, so God, knowing the extent of their vocabulary and manner of speaking, could have merely chosen the words they would use if they perfectly understood the truth of which they wished to speak. The writing thus produced would bare the character and speech of the human author, but also be recognized as from God because it goes beyond the ability of the individual. In fact, no one can know spiritual truth unless God reveals it to them. The probable process that we just described would be no problem at all for our great God! "Then he said to me, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 4:6b)

This historical position concerning the Bible, is the first principle of Biblical Christianity. However, problems have developed down through church history because of the many different interpretations drawn from Scripture and thus beliefs among those who call themselves Christians. Therefore, we need specific instructions from the Bible to determine the bare minimum criteria with which we are to judge true Christianity. We find that criteria in the following Scriptures.

"I WISH you would bear with me while I indulge in a little [so-called] foolishness. Do bear with me! For I am zealous for you with a godly eagerness and a divine jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one Husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But [now] I am fearful, lest that even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted and seduced from wholehearted and sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For [you seem readily to endure it] if a man comes and preaches another Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the [Spirit] you [once] received or a different gospel from the one you [then] received and welcomed; you tolerate [all that] well enough" (2 Cor. 11:1-4)!

"I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel. Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not]. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)! As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)" (Gal. 1:6-9)!

The above specific Biblical criterion or criteria has three basic elements to it: First, we must proclaim Jesus accurately, just as He is presented in the Bible; Second, we must proclaim the Holy Spirit in the same way; Thirdly, we must accurately ascertain the true facts concerning the essential elements of the redeeming ministry of Christ. We could call this the second basic principle of Biblical Christianity.

Even though we may have narrowed down our search criteria, we are reminded that the Church has struggled and fought for almost two thousand years over the various conclusions arrived at while using these criteria. Therefore, we are not suggesting that our task is a simple one, but only that it is a necessary one. Each of us has the God-given responsibility, aided by the Holy Spirit, to search the Scriptures daily to properly understand the truth of God’s Word, and Jesus has said "If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32).

The typical approach to gaining an understanding of the various religious groups and movements has been to put questionable ones into groups that adhere to similar beliefs and practices. Over the years special Christian ministries have arisen that have investigated these groups, some of these ministries are mentioned on our home page. Armed with this information and helped by these special Christian ministries, we should be able to progressively become better equipped to recognize true Biblical Christianity and its counterfeits

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible , an English version of the Bible which claims to Capture the Full Meaning Behind the Original Greek and Hebrew.