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Thought Experiment on False Gospels: The concept of “false gospels” comes primarily from the New Testament, especially Galatians 1:6–9, where Paul warns against any message that distorts or adds to the true gospel of Jesus Christ—centred on salvation by grace through faith in Christ’s death for sins and resurrection, apart from human works or merit (Ephesians 2:8–9). A “false gospel” is any teaching that subtly (or overtly) replaces, supplements, or redefines this core message, often making it more appealing to human desires, culture, laziness, or self-reliance.

In the world today of 2026, Christian thinkers, theologians, and ministries from various evangelical perspectives frequently identify several prevalent distortions of concern. These are not exhaustive, but they represent the most commonly discussed ones across conservative, Reformed, and broader evangelical sources.

Here are some of the most widely recognized false gospels circulating in churches, media, and culture at large:

1. Prosperity Gospel (Health & Wealth Gospel)
   This teaches that faith in Jesus guarantees physical health, financial wealth, success, and material blessings in this life. Sickness or poverty supposedly result from lack of faith, negative confession, or insufficient “seed” giving. It portrays God primarily as a means to personal prosperity rather than the sovereign Lord who may call believers to suffering or sacrifice (as seen in the apostles’ lives). Widely promoted by certain televangelists and megachurch figures, it remains one of the most exported and critiqued distortions globally. Leaders of these movements have private jets and support a lavish lifestyle. It runs rampant in Latin America and Africa.
2. Therapeutic / Self-Esteem Gospel
   Sin is mainly a problem because it damages our self-worth or prevents personal fulfillment/happiness. Jesus becomes a life coach or therapist who boosts our sense of value, helps us reach our potential, and gives us our “best life now.” This includes the Self-Improvement Gospel” (Jesus helps you become your best self through effort and a manicured public image). The focus shifts from repentance and reconciliation with a holy God and with other people, even our enemies, to emotional healing, self-actualization, and feeling good about ourselves.
3. Social Justice Gospel (aka The Social Gospel)
   The primary mission of Christianity becomes systemic societal change—fighting inequality, racism, poverty, or climate issues—as the main expression of the gospel. Personal salvation from sin and the cross can be downplayed or treated as secondary. While biblical justice matters as per the prophets of the Old Testament and the Sermon on the Mount, this version often elevates cultural or political activism to the level of the gospel itself, sometimes redefining sin primarily in corporate terms rather than individual rebellion against God. Certain versions of Liberation Theology fall under this category. But we must remember, Jesus is prophet, priest, and king–human rights and wellbeing are important to God.
4. Legalistic / Moralist Gospel
   Salvation (staying saved/assurance of salvation) depends on following rules, moral performance, church attendance, baptism, or good works. Grace is undermined by a constant emphasis on behaviour modification. This includes people who claim certain forms of “baptism save me” or “I’m a good person / I go to church” as sufficient, turning faith into a checklist rather than trust in Christ’s finished work. Rejoinder: Jesus does want us to live a good life that honours God and cares for other people–basic discipleship.
5. Permissive / Hyper-Grace Gospel (Bonhoeffer’s Cheap Grace Critique of the German Church during the Holocaust) 
   Grace is presented as a license for ongoing sin without need for repentance or holiness. Let’s all just get along. Since we are “under grace,” behaviour barely matters, and conviction of sin is dismissed as legalism. This distorts true grace, which teaches and empowers believers to say no to ungodliness (Titus 2:11–12), and yes to righteousness and right living–good deeds (wisdom in of James 3:13-18),  according to Jesus’s and the Apostles’ moral teaching and the fruits of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul often dedicates the last half of each letter to fruitful living or Christian formation.
6. Universalist or Inclusive Gospel
   Everyone (or nearly everyone) will ultimately be saved regardless of faith in Christ. Salvation is available through many paths/many religions/many spiritual techniques. Jesus is just one option among many that one can choose. His exclusivity as the way, truth, and life is softened to avoid offence in a pluralistic age. People become agnostic about the right way to peace with God, neighbour, and self.
7. Political / Nationalistic Gospel/Populism
   The gospel becomes fused with a particular political ideology, charismatic leader, party, or national identity (e.g., “God’s will is right or left”). We are on the side of goodness and truth. Those who disagree with us are a problem (sometimes called evil). Patriotism or cultural/political power replaces the kingdom of God and humble servant leadership as the central hope and Christian trajectory. It destroys critical thinking about social affairs, hurts democracy, because people think as a block or stand behind a flag. It often leads to violence and injustice against the ‘Other’.
8. New Age / Christ Consciousness Gospel
   Jesus is a spiritual guide or example of “Christ consciousness” available to all, blending Christianity with mysticism, New Age philosophy, pantheistic or panentheistic self-divinity, or universal energy teachings. Catholic leader Richard Rohr promotes this false panentheistic doctrine.

Other frequently mentioned variants include the “Cultural Christian Gospel” (Christianity as moral tradition only without personal conversion), or the “Signs & Wonders Gospel” (faith is measured primarily by continuous miracles rather than trust in Christ crucified, the cruciform life of faithfulness, self-denial, and self-sacrifice). This is the tendency in the New Apostolic Movement out of California. Another is the AI Gospel which we will leave for another post.

These distortions often contain partial truths (God does bless, care about justice, and heals people on occasion as we cry out to him), but they go wrong by making secondary things central, adding requirements to grace, or shifting focus from Christ’s atoning work to human achievement, experience, or outcomes. Have you noticed that the word ‘Impact’ is big these days?