Is Francis Chan a False Teacher?
I take no pleasure in writing this post. I wish that I did not have to. But to be true to you, dear reader, I must.
I take no pleasure in writing this post. I wish that I did not have to. But to be true to you, dear reader, I must.
On the surface, Francis Chan looks good on paper. He is a graduate of John MacArthur’s Master’s University and Seminary, an institution that teaches important doctrines such as the sovereignty of God, the inerrancy of Scripture, and the cessation of the apostolic gifts of tongues and healing.
But it ends there… Francis Chan has turned away from sound teaching and now mixes Catholic mystical and gnostic practices with New Apostolic Reformation faith healing. (The New Apostolic Reformation, is an unbiblical religious movement that emphasizes experience over scripture, mysticism over doctrine, and modern-day “apostles” over the plain text of the Bible. Gnostics claim secret spiritual knowledge that is not found in the Bible and known only to them.)
Chan has been on the speaker circuit of several crusades alongside such heretics as Mike Bickle; Lou Engle; Beth Moore; Mark Driscoll; Rick Warren; Todd White and Rapper Lecrae (who has embraced the social justice gospel and who has consistently approved of abortion and homosexuality).
Sadly, it gets worse…
Chan endorses the unbiblical ecumenical movement that seeks to unite Catholics and evangelical Christians. Ecumenicism is nothing more than a dangerous on-ramp leading to a one-world religion described in chapter 17 of the book of Revelation that speaks of a false end-times religious movement.
At the same time, Chan has embraced the Roman Catholic heresy of transubstantiation which teaches that the bread and wine of communion is the literal flesh and blood of Jesus. Transubstantiation is seen by Catholics as a "re-sacrifice" of Jesus Christ for our sins. This clearly contradicts the Bible that holds that Jesus died "once for all" and does not need to be sacrificed over and over again…
“By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10 NASB).
As if that is not enough, Francis Chan has been openly speaking in tongues and healing people by merely touching them. In his “Final Message to America,” Chan describes how he recently laid hands-on and healed an entire village of unbelievers saying “I am Jesus right now” and likened himself walking through a village as literally no different than if Jesus was walking through that village and engaging in mass healings.”
When challenged about appearing with other false teachers, Chan claims that it allows him to share the Gospel with people who might not otherwise hear it. The problem with this is that when a person claims to be a Christian teacher and appears at the same conferences with known false teachers (or even promotes their materials), they are giving implied approval to those false teachers. This is exactly why scripture tells us not to associate with false teachers…
“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NASB)
Sadly, Francis Chan is a false teacher. Why mention this? We are commanded by scripture to call out false teachers…
“Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them...” (Ephesians 5:11 NASB)
Are Francis Chan’s books or videos materials in your home or used in your church? If so, you have a decision to make…
“Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; 11 for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. (2 John 8-11 NASB)