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Is the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Biblical?

Name: GodlyScore Review: Is the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) Biblical?
Item: New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)
Rating: 0.8
Author: GodlyScore

Is the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) biblical? The NAR is one of the most significant and fastest-growing movements in contemporary Christianity — and one of the most theologically concerning. Understanding it is essential for Christian discernment.

GODLY

New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)

Avoid

★☆☆☆☆0.8/5 · GodlyScore 15/100

The New Apostolic Reformation's core claims — that God has restored the offices of apostle and prophet with authority over the church, and that Christians must take dominion over the Seven Mountains of culture — directly contradict Scripture and historic Christian theology. These are not peripheral disagreements but structural theological errors that affect how authority, Scripture, and the church's mission are understood. 15/100 Avoid.

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What the NAR Is

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a movement within charismatic Christianity, primarily associated with figures like C. Peter Wagner (who coined the term), Bill Johnson (Bethel Church), Mike Bickle (IHOP-KC), Cindy Jacobs, and Lance Wallnau. It teaches that God is restoring the five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4:11 — specifically the offices of apostle and prophet — to the church today, and that these modern apostles and prophets have governmental authority over the church comparable to the original apostles.

The NAR also teaches "dominionism" — the Seven Mountains Mandate — which claims Christians must take dominion over the seven cultural "mountains" (government, media, education, family, religion, arts/entertainment, business) to bring about the Kingdom of God on earth before Christ's return.

Why the NAR Is Theologically Dangerous

The apostolic office has closed. Ephesians 2:20 describes the church as "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." Foundations are laid once. The apostolic office required being an eyewitness of the risen Christ (Acts 1:21-22; 1 Corinthians 9:1). No one alive today qualifies. When contemporary figures claim apostolic authority, they claim a biblical authority the Bible denies them.

Extra-biblical revelation becomes normative. When modern "apostles" and "prophets" claim to receive revelation from God with authority comparable to the biblical apostles, this necessarily elevates their words above or alongside Scripture. This is exactly the mechanism that defines theological cults — human leaders claiming revelation authority that bypasses or supplements the Bible.

Dominionism contradicts biblical eschatology. The Bible does not teach that the church will gradually take dominion over world governments and culture before Christ returns. It teaches the opposite — increasing tribulation, apostasy, and the need for Christ's personal return to establish his kingdom (Matthew 24, Revelation 20). The Seven Mountains Mandate is based on a misreading of Matthew 28:18-20 that confuses the church's evangelistic mission with political/cultural dominion.

The Gospel Coalition's assessment of NAR and GotQuestions' thorough evaluation provide the most comprehensive evangelical critiques. See also Is Bethel Church a Cult?, our Prosperity Gospel guide, and our Church Assessment hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the New Apostolic Reformation biblical?

No — NAR's core claims contradict Scripture. The apostolic office closed with the first generation (Ephesians 2:20, Acts 1:21-22). Modern claims to apostolic authority create a mechanism for bypassing Scripture — the same structural error in theological cults. The Seven Mountains dominionism mandate misreads the church's Great Commission mission and contradicts biblical eschatology. 15/100 Avoid.

What churches are associated with NAR?

Bethel Church (Redding, CA, Bill Johnson), IHOP-KC (Mike Bickle, Kansas City), Harvest International Ministry, Global Spheres (Cindy Jacobs), and many charismatic megachurches with looser affiliation. Many churches incorporate NAR elements without using the NAR label. Key markers: claims of modern apostles/prophets, Seven Mountains teaching, dominionism, and emphasis on supernatural manifestations as normative.