Linda’s Reviews > The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin > Status Update

“All things, including God, are subject to this ‘force of faith’ because it works according to spiritual ‘laws’ of the universe….The world and the physical forces governing it weee created by the power of faith - a spiritual force.’” And faith is a substance God transported in a container of words.

“The (Word Faith) movement ‘uses so much evangelical and Pentecostal terminology and so many Biblical proof texts that most believers are lulled into a false sense of security as to its orthodoxy.’”

Good summary. “While the (Word) Faith movement is undeniably cultic - and particular groups within the movement are clearly cults - it should be pointed out that there are many sincere, born-again believers within the movement.” They are wholly unaware of the leaders’ heretical teachings and haven’t internalized them.

“New revelation outside of Scripture is a mark of all of the cults.”

“Adherents of the cults ….are, almost always, victims of what might be termed a mass delusion of grandeur coupled with a dogged sense of personal pride.”

“There is no authority in the Word of God for neglecting one’s responsibility as an ambassador of Christ, and the cults do not constitute a special category of evangelism.”

Also true that the reprogramming/exit counseling method (with the assumption of inevitable victimhood) “makes the cultist not responsible for his cult membership, the gospel extraneous, and the solution a social reorientation rather than salvation by grace alone”.

True enough about the “psychological barrier…that cultists must be a special breed of individuals impervious to standard techniques of evangelism and generally well enough versed in the Bible to confuse, if not convince, the average Christian.”

“I learned much about cult methodology on the mission fields…the cults generally are happy to remain virtually anonymous until they have established a bridgehead. This is important in an area where a work has already begun or has been functioning for many years.”

“The persons deceived into believing false teachers…come from a wide cross-section of the Christian community. Sometimes followers…band together to form a tight-knit group that is based primarily on the prophetic scenarios…put forth by their leader. When the leader additionally incorporates heretical doctrine and enforces allegiance to heresy by his followers, an apocalyptic cult comes into being.”