Chuck Swindoll and the Essentials Lie

(Update: Chuck Swindoll is not the only person who believes and preaches the essentials lie.  Thy are also found among the Southern Baptists (see the SBC Wikipedia page), and others like Harold Welwood of Quora (not sure if he is a teacher, but he does espouse the essentials lie, likely not the only one who answers religion questions on Quora.)  Seriously, there are so many false teachers out there.)

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

I have heard that Chuck Swindoll was a false teacher.  One has said he was an "OSAS wolf" (OSAS being "once saved always saved").  I even asked an AI to tell me the controversial teachings of Mr. Swindoll.  I was told that conservatives criticize him on focusing more on grace and less on performative action.  As for he who called Mr. Swindoll an OSAS wolf, I asked the person if he knew of any exact quotes of Mr. Swindoll's, response pending.

Yet, I had to find out for myself.  So, I went to insight.org, the website for Mr. Swindoll's ministry Insight for Living, and immediately, something caught my eye: "Essential Beliefs".  Oh great.  Is Mr. Swindoll another one of those "essentials" teachers?  Let's see:

And while a grace-based ministry such as ours allows for freedom of interpretation and expression in many areas of Christian practice, we believe that the following essential beliefs are absolute and non-negotiable.

Ah.  There it is.  "freedom of interpretation".  This is a classic heresy.  In order to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), interpretations of Scripture must not be loose.  The Bible must mean what it says, and say what it means.  Otherwise, is the Bible really that authoritative?

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

(Mat 7:28-29)

As for "essential beliefs", which in most modern false churches, include the 66-book Biblical canon, the "Trinity", man's sinfulness, the way of salvation, the final resurrection, the Church, etc (most of these doctrines I take no issue with btw), two problems.  Firstly, if we are to talk about foundational doctrines, why is the modern list different from a list such as this:

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.

(Heb 6:1-3)

Is Chuck Swindoll saying that repenting from dead works, baptism, and laying on of hands, are non-essential doctrines?  The writer of Hebrews includes them in Christianity 101!  Obviously, the writer of Hebrews is not saying that all other doctrines besides that list are non-essential, lest he himself doesn't believe that man lives by "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God".

Secondly, is Chuck Swindoll suggesting that the doctrines of the Sermon on the Mount are non-essential?  Some of which speak of Hell, not going to Heaven, or not being forgiven of sins? (Matthew 5:20 on exceeding the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, v. 22 on "thou fool", v. 29-30 on removing sources of temptation, 6:15 on nonforgiveness, 7:13 on the broad road to destruction, 7:21-23 on "I never knew you").

To be a Christian and be saved, you must believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31), who is the Word of God (John 1:1, 1:14, etc., also see Luke 8:12).  To believe in the Word of God is not to believe part of it and ignore the rest.  You must believe ALL of it, or you don't believe it at all.

If Chuck Swindoll's teachings are rooted in the essentials lie, he is a false teacher, and he is not saved, and he is leading many to Hell.

Original Citations:

“Essential Beliefs.” Essential Beliefs - Insight for Living Ministries, www.insight.org/about/essential-beliefs. Accessed 4 Jan. 2025.