Volume 1, Issue 2 – March 2025
Revival or Deception? A Call for Discernment Amid Neo-Charismatic and Apostolic Movements in Thailand
Date: 22 March 2025
Author: Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak (Professor of Religious and Missiology), Theological Commissions & Religious Liberty Commissions of Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand & Asia Evangelical Alliance (a WEA-Regional Alliance) | Author’s Profile
As the Neo-charismatic and Apostolic Movements continue to grow globally and in Thailand, evangelical leaders in Thailand are increasingly encountering their influence. While we recognize the hunger for spiritual vitality and revival among Thai Christians, we must address several excesses within these movements that raise grave theological and pastoral concerns. These excesses have the potential to distort the gospel, undermine biblical authority, and harm the spiritual health of churches.
One of the most serious concerns is the elevation of personal revelation above Scriptural authority. Many within these movements claim to receive direct revelations, prophetic words, and visions, which are often treated as authoritative. This emphasis threatens the principle of Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) by placing subjective experience over the final authority of the Bible. When personal revelation is prioritized, sound doctrine becomes fluid, leading to doctrinal confusion and spiritual instability.
A second critical issue is the restoration of modern-day apostles with governing authority. The claim that God is restoring apostles who govern churches and regions, often through apostolic networks, introduces unbiblical leadership structures. These "apostles" are often accountable only to themselves, resulting in authoritarianism, spiritual manipulation, and a departure from the New Testament model of servant leadership and eldership.
Furthermore, the prevalence of Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith teachings within these movements is alarming. These teachings promise wealth, health, and success as guaranteed outcomes of faith, positive confession, and financial giving. Such doctrines distort the nature of biblical blessing and undermine the theology of suffering and discipleship. In the Thai context, these teachings can easily merge with karmic views of merit and reward, further leading believers away from the true gospel of grace.
Another area of concern is the obsession with signs, wonders, and emotional experiences. Services often focus on supernatural manifestations such as falling, shaking, and laughter as evidence of God’s presence. While we affirm that God can and does work miraculously, prioritizing signs over Scripture-centered worship fosters emotionalism, spiritual immaturity, and susceptibility to deception.
Lastly, many of these movements exhibit a disregard for sound doctrine and church history. A common refrain is that "God is doing a new thing," often used to bypass theological accountability and historical orthodoxy. This disdain for doctrine opens the door to heresy and isolates believers from the wider body of Christ.
As evangelical leaders in Thailand, we must shepherd the Church with discernment, grounding our faith communities in Scripture, sound doctrine, and Christ-centered worship. While seeking the power of the Holy Spirit, we must reject excesses that lead believers astray. Let us hold fast to the truth once for all delivered to the saints, guarding the Church in Thailand for the glory of God and the advance of the true gospel.
- Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak (Professor of Religious Studies and Missiology) is a theologian and missiologist based in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. He serves on the Theological Commission and Religious Liberty Commission of the Asia Evangelical Alliance and the Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand, contributing to theological development and religious freedom initiatives in Southeast Asia. He also serves as an Asian theologian for the World Evangelical Alliance. With over 30 years of ministry and leadership experience, Dr. Saiyasak has led Christian educational and theological institutions, community development projects, and church planting movements across Thailand and Laos. He holds a Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies from Evangelische Theologische Faculteit (Belgium) and Doctor of Ministry from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (USA), and has completed advanced leadership programs at Harvard University, Yale School of Management, and Oxford University. Through his work with organizations such as the SEANET Missiological Forum and the Lausanne Movement, Dr. Saiyasak is committed to advancing Gospel-centered leadership, contextual theology, and mission engagement in Buddhist-majority societies.
About the Author
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