Leaving Beyond – Grounded In Scripture

Written by: April J. Buchanan

Heresy and aberrant teaching thrive wherever Scripture is no longer regarded as the sole, final, and sufficient authority. When the Word of God is displaced, even subtly, error does not merely creep in. It takes root, grows, and eventually defines the system itself.

False teachers, unregenerate men, wolves masquerading as shepherds, draw multitudes by means of false teaching. While their immoral lives may remain hidden for a time, we were never without the ability to know them for what they are. Scripture has always provided the standard by which doctrine is tested. The failure has never been a lack of revelation, but a refusal to submit to it.

Many do not test doctrine at all. Instead, they believe whatever these wolves teach because those teachings promise what sinful hearts already desire. Truth is not rejected because it is unclear, but because it is costly. Error is embraced because it affirms, flatters, and reassures rather than confronts and exposes.

Some assume that if a teacher’s immoral life is uncovered, it will bring an end to his ministry. That assumption ignores a far more sobering reality. Many who follow these men are false converts themselves, unregenerate, undiscerning, and unmoved by truth. Exposure does not dismantle movements built on doctrinal error. More often, it deepens loyalty, reinforces deception, and hardens resistance to correction.

There is currently a concerted effort to expose patterns of cover up and egregious immorality within the charismatic movement. While such exposure is necessary, it ultimately fails to address the underlying problem. The issue is not a few false prophets, a handful of bad actors, or sincere brothers who merely need correction. Nor is this a case of a doctrinally sound church in which a wolf has arisen from within and must be removed.

The problem is far more fundamental.

False teachers are not anomalies within the movement. They are its natural product. Bad trees bear bad fruit. When a system consistently produces men and women who misrepresent God, redefine Scripture, and elevate subjective experience to a position of authority, the outcome should not surprise us. What we are witnessing is not a deviation from the movement’s trajectory, but its inevitable result.

The charismatic movement now finds itself in a difficult position. It must either submit fully to the authority of Scripture and repent of its false doctrines and practices, or it must continue to provide an environment in which wolves are able to thrive. There is no neutral ground.

The movement cannot objectively call these men out on doctrinal grounds without indicting itself. To do so would be to admit that what produced them is not an unfortunate accident, but a theological framework that has abandoned the sufficiency of Scripture. That is why doctrinal exposure is avoided. Instead, the movement waits.

For what?

For immorality.

Moral failure becomes the acceptable line of demarcation because it allows the problem to be isolated to the individual rather than traced back to the theology that formed him. Immorality distracts from the teaching. It shifts the focus from false doctrine to personal sin, allowing the system itself to remain intact and unquestioned. The wolf is condemned only after his life collapses, not while his doctrine devours the flock.

Many are discussing Mike Winger’s extensive video concerning Shawn Bolz. I did not watch it in full, not because of its length, but because it was not worth the time. I have spent many hours engaging long form content when it is substantive and faithful. This was not. Watching portions of the video, along with the concluding segment, was sufficient.

Winger fails to identify the root problem. He remains convinced that the movement can be reformed. He does not recognize that it is producing exactly what it is designed to produce. His analysis treats the fruit while leaving the root untouched.

I came out of that movement myself. For a time, Winger was among those I listened to, and in some ways he was helpful. Over time, however, significant deficiencies became clear. His theology lacks the conviction necessary to identify wolves as Scripture identifies them. His continued refusal to call false teachers what they are, choosing instead to refer to them as brothers, has contributed to misplaced trust and prolonged deception.

This is not a matter of tone or temperament. It is theological. Because biblical terms have been redefined, clarity has been lost. Words such as prophecy, revelation, apostle, discernment, and even the voice of God have been emptied of their biblical meaning and refilled with subjective experience. When experience is allowed to interpret Scripture, Scripture no longer functions as the supreme authority, regardless of how frequently it is quoted.

This distortion is not benign. It misrepresents God, undermines the sufficiency of Scripture, and collapses the unique and unrepeatable role of the Apostles and Prophets into a continuing expectation. The result is doctrinal instability, confusion, and a steady production of false teachers.

If we do not stand where Scripture stands, there are consequences. These consequences do not appear overnight. They unfold gradually, normalize error, and eventually shape generations who are unable to distinguish truth from counterfeit.

The call is not to adjust the system, but to return to sound doctrine, grounded in the Word of God, governed by Christ alone, and guarded by the truth He has already spoken.

Grace and peace, y’all.
Soli Deo Gloria