The book explains: "The original Greek word for 'apostasy' was derived from treason in battle. A military term, it referred to war when a soldier abandons their nation, betrays their king, and joins the enemy side of the battle."
An apostate is like a soldier who deserts to the enemy. They once wore your uniform and knew your secrets. Now they use that knowledge to fight against you. This makes them more dangerous than someone who was never on your side.
"The most famous apostate is Judas Iscariot, who spent three years as a leader in Jesus' ministry, stealing from Him the entire time, and plotting with enemies to murder the King of Kings by the power of Satan, whom Judas welcomed to possess him."
The book states: "Many formerly Christian denominations are apostate, as demons love to run denominations and turn them into abominations."
"They may have beautiful buildings, but the Spirit of God is not there, and the Word of God is not honored. Their buildings are nice coffins for people with dead souls."
Once professed Christianity but have abandoned core doctrines. They use Christian language and meet in church buildings, making them deceptive.
More dangerous because they appear Christian while teaching false doctrine.
Groups like Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Unitarians are "not Christian but are pretending to be Christian." They have "a different Jesus and a different gospel."
Easier to identify because they openly hold different beliefs.
How to recognize when a church or denomination has become apostate:
Treating the Bible as a human document that can be reinterpreted or overruled by modern culture.
Rejecting the Trinity, deity of Christ, virgin birth, physical resurrection, or exclusive salvation.
Celebrating abortion, same-sex marriage, transgenderism, or other sins as good.
Participating in worship or prayer with non-Christian religions as if all paths lead to God.
Changing doctrine to match current cultural trends rather than standing on biblical truth.
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared."
- 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (ESV)
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."
- 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV)
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us."
- 1 John 2:19 (ESV)
The book describes apostates as "doing the work of the anti-Christ by deconstructing Christianity." The modern "deconstruction" movement often leads to apostasy when people:
If you're in an apostate church:
On Righteous Fellowship, we identify apostate churches and denominations based on:
Churches and denominations marked as apostate receive the lowest courage ratings and are listed on our Churches to Avoid page.
