Warning after warning is given in Scripture such as in Colossians 2:8: ‘Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.’  Another in Galatians 6:9 says, ‘If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.’ In I John 4:1 we are warned that ‘…many false prophets are gone out into the world.’ The apostle Paul urged Timothy and Titus about the need to hang on to sound doctrine and warned against those who are deceivers.    

In order to help Christians in this process, Crosstalk welcomed Jill Martin Rische.  Jill is the eldest daughter of Walter Martin and the founder, along with her husband Kevin, of Walter Martin Ministries at waltermartin.com.  She’s an adjunct professor at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul and Crown College.  She has degrees both in Old Testament Literature and in Humanities/History. She’s the editor of Walter Martin’s 1965 classic work, ‘The Kingdom of the Cults,’ and co-author of ‘The Kingdom of the Occult.’  Her appearance centered around discussion of ‘The Kingdom of the Cults Handbook.’

What made Jill feel there was urgency for production of a handbook based upon ‘Kingdom of the Cults’?  She felt it was a great opportunity to address requests that have come to the ministry over the years for a study guide/book that could be used to start or take to a Bible study without having to carry the large, original version.

What exactly is a ‘cult’?  Jill described a cult as a group of individuals who gather around someone who believes they’re the only one qualified to interpret the Bible.  This may be someone who claims to have had visions or talked with God. From this they create their own truth and redefine God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  

If you’re curious as to whether ‘The Kingdom of the Cults Handbook’ is a reference tool that may help you determine truth from error, review this Crosstalk broadcast as Jill also addressed the following:

–Why defending the faith is not judgmentalism.

–Jehovah’s Witnesses

–Christian Science 

–Mormonism

–Yoga 

–Comments from Crosstalk listeners.