BiblioGrace

Please understand that the only true apostolic authority today is the Apostles’ doctrine, which is found solely in the closed canon of Scripture.
Beware of “heavy shepherding” practices!

“Heavy shepherding”, also known as the Discipleship Movement is a form of psychological and spiritual control used by abusive churches and cult-like groups.

Any leader who demands blind obedience and unquestioning submission is operating on a false foundation of authority. True spiritual authority comes from God alone. It cannot be claimed by men who simply desire power, control, or admiration. When someone asserts authority merely based on their title, role, or office, they are misusing their position.

Heavy shepherds act as religious power brokers, manipulating people through fear. They often preach heavily on themes like authority, submission, judgment, prosperity, and end-times. These false shepherds present themselves as the sole source of truth and divine guidance. They shame or punish those who don’t meet their standards and label them as unworthy of God’s approval, completely ignoring the truth that believers are already accepted by God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. No one can “earn” God’s favor through works or performance.

Be cautious of any group or church that teaches unbiblical concepts such as “shepherding,” forced “submission,” or spiritual “covering.”
We have been bought with the precious blood of Christ and brought into the glorious freedom of God’s children (Romans 8:21).
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
(Galatians 5:1)

The Holy Spirit and the Word of God

The Holy Spirit will always point a person to the Word of God. The Word of God is literally God-breathed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus is 100% God and 100% man, the Word of God is 100% written by the Holy Spirit and 100% written by man.

If your relationship with Jesus isn’t leading you to go deeper in studying and meditating on God's Word, then something may be wrong. Worse, you might actually be following another Jesus or a different gospel.

> "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully."
—2 Corinthians 11:3-4

God’s Word is truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. If you're truly following the biblical Holy Spirit, He will always point you to the truth of God's Word. If you're not growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through His Word, it could mean you're being led by a counterfeit spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4).

> “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”
—John 17:17

> “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
—John 16:13-14

> “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
—John 4:24

> “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
—2 Peter 3:17-18

Sadly, many Christians today prioritize superficial unity over spiritual unity in the truth. But we must go back to Jesus’s High Priestly prayer in John 17. We should not take it in pieces. He clearly prayed, “Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). True unity comes only when we are united in the truth of God's Word.

When what someone is teaching or doing doesn’t line up with God’s Word, we are commanded:

“by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).

We are told to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (II Tim. 4:2).

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (show them for what they really are) them.” (Eph.5:11).

The reason we must obey this command is to protect the young believers who just don’t know better yet and who are easily influenced by unbiblical teachings and practices that will damage their walk.

Some people say that “the truth can defend itself, and that there is no need to address falsehood.”This statement is not only unbiblical, but almost always leads to disaster. Jesus, Peter, Paul, John, and Jude all addressed error and falsehood. Real Apostles called out false teachers by name and exposed false doctrines, unlike much of these pseudo-apostles parading around today.

It is the mature believers who judge rightly.

Those who are spiritually mature, are those who have trained themselves by exercising their senses to discern between good and evil through the Word. Those who do not judge are infants still on the milk of the word (Hebrews 5). Many have not become mature so they are unable to tell the truth from error.

The fact is, if you’re not actively discerning, than you are already deceived. Discernment is a command for all believers, we’re all commanded to examine all things and test everything according to God’s Word!