It is largely evangelicalism, especially American evangelicalism, which today teaches lots of different heresies prevalent in USA, UK, etc., but sadly the errors were already there in the Reformation doctrine. Instead of unifying believers around the simple call to follow Christ, it introduced a divisive standard that no one could agree on. Some believers began doubting the sincerity of others’ faith, accusing them of practicing “works-based salvation” simply because they took obedience seriously. This turned faith into a kind of internal self-examination rather than an active life of discipleship. Instead of building up the Church, this doctrine undermined its unity and effectiveness. Even before the Reformation the damage was being done to the pure faith with Church Councils and Church Fathers and teachers like Augustine. The creeds and the teachings of these teachers, claim to maintain distinction between the Father and the Son but actually elevated Jesus to be fully coequal with the Father in a way that goes beyond His own teachings. While Jesus is given divine authority, He never claimed absolute equality with the Father but instead affirmed that He was sent, taught, and empowered by the Father. Augustine and later councils, made this equality official doctrine, reinforcing a theological framework that serves church hierarchy rather than Christ’s own words. In times before these ‘Trinitarian’ teachings reached maturity, and then again relatively recently in USA too, ‘Modalism’, or recently, ‘Oneness’ teachings, merged Jesus and the Father into a single person, denying the distinction Jesus Himself made. By doing this, they too erase His humble subordination to the Father and contradict His own words, such as when He prayed to the Father, acknowledged the Father’s greater authority, and submitted to His will. This view ultimately distorts the relationship Jesus taught, making it impossible to understand the true order within God’s design. These two main theological sets of teachings account for most USA churches and even most churches worldwide. These two sets of teachings, legacies of times long before the Reformation, in different ways, remove Jesus’ eternal submission to the Father, replacing it with concepts that fit human philosophy more than the original gospel. Instead of teaching as Jesus did—that the Father is the ultimate authority—these doctrines create confusion and shift the focus away from the true relationship between Father and Son. Jesus is the true light for all. Receiving his light requires belief in him, so he is especially the light for those who really believe that he is, and are prepared to ignore or counter the teachings which were introduced as alternatives to his teachings, as heresies.
