Shincheonji builds much of its teaching on the idea that the church must always pass through three stages: betrayal, destruction, and salvation. One of their key proof texts is Matthew 16:18, where Jesus tells Peter, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Shincheonji argues that this promise allows for the church to fall into betrayal and destruction before salvation comes through their leader. But when we look carefully at the context, Matthew 16:18 says the exact opposite. Jesus does not promise that His church will collapse and need to be rebuilt by a future pastor. He promises that the church He establishes will endure, guarded by His Spirit, and that the gates of death itself will not prevail against it.
Be aware that groups like Shincheonji often respond to criticism by subtly adjusting their doctrine—a common tactic involving denial, adaptation, and manipulation; is a common tactic among high-control organizations. They may gather information on critics and “flip the script,” portraying exposure as persecution or misinformation. It’s essential to carefully observe doctrinal shifts rather than accepting new explanations at face value. Stay vigilant against gaslighting through evolving teachings designed to counter today’s realities and criticisms. (Read More)
Potential Response from SCJ for Matthew 16:18
SCJ could argue that when Jesus said, “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it,” He was speaking about the community of those who receive eternal life. To them, the “church” is not the historical institution of Christianity, which they claim fell into corruption, but rather the true assembly of believers at the time of fulfillment who are born of God’s seed and do not face spiritual death. In this view, the “rock” is the revelation of Christ’s identity — a revelation that, at the Second Coming, is fully revealed through the promised pastor. Thus, Jesus’ promise points to an eternal kingdom composed of those who overcome, in whom Hades (death) has no power.
They would also interpret the “gates of Hades” as the power of death itself. Even though physical bodies may die, those who receive the revealed word — the hidden manna and the open scroll — remain alive spiritually and enter eternal life. Just as Jesus said in John 11:25–26, “the one who believes in me will live, even though they die,” SCJ sees Matthew 16:18 as confirming that those who are part of the true church cannot be overcome by death or corruption. From this perspective, the verse is not primarily about the survival of the historical church but about the eternal life guaranteed to those who belong to the true church at the time of fulfillment.
Finally, SCJ would fold Matthew 16:18 into their larger framework of God’s plan of Betrayal, Destruction, and Salvation. They claim this pattern repeats throughout biblical history: Israel betrayed, was destroyed, and then God brought salvation through a new chosen people. In their reading, the same applies to Christianity — the church after Jesus’ ascension entered betrayal and destruction, but at the Second Coming, salvation is accomplished through the establishment of the new church that receives eternal life. For them, Matthew 16:18 is ultimately a prophecy about this final phase of God’s plan, where the true church is revealed and death no longer has any power.
Who/what is being safeguarded?
What Jesus is safeguarding in Matthew 16:18 is the ekklesia, the gathered assembly of believers who are built upon Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This is not a promise to one individual alone, nor merely to future isolated believers, but to the corporate body of people who confess Jesus as Messiah and Lord. By declaring, “I will build my church,” Jesus establishes that the foundation of the church is not human strength or institutional power but His own identity as the Christ. The focus is on the enduring community of faith that belongs to Him, a people called out from the world and bound together by the truth of His person and work. This promise ensures that the church as a body—rooted in the confession of Christ’s lordship—will continue to exist and grow, safeguarded by the One who builds and sustains it.
What threat is in view?
The threat Jesus identifies is expressed in the phrase “the gates of Hades” (ᾅδου πύλαι), a common Jewish idiom referring to the realm and power of death (cf. Isa 38:10; Job 38:17). In ancient imagery, the gates of a city symbolized its strength and authority, and to speak of the “gates of Hades” was to speak of death’s attempt to hold people captive within its domain. Gates, however, are defensive structures, not offensive weapons, which means the picture is not of Hades storming the church but of death itself being unable to withstand or imprison the people of God. Jesus is therefore assuring His disciples that the power of death, which looms over all humanity, will never be able to overpower or contain His church. The promise declares that, though believers may face suffering and martyrdom, even the grave cannot break the continuity or ultimate victory of the community Christ builds.
How is the promise secured?
The promise of Matthew 16:18 is secured by Jesus’ own resurrection, which stands as the decisive victory over death and the grave. By rising from the dead, Christ not only broke through the gates of Hades but also took authority over them, declaring that He now holds “the keys of Death and Hades” (Rev 1:18). This means He has complete power to open and shut, to release and to judge, rendering death ultimately powerless against those who belong to Him. In this way, the assurance that the church will not be overcome is firmly anchored in Easter: because Christ Himself triumphed over death, the church He builds cannot be extinguished by persecution, silenced by martyrdom, or destroyed by the grave. His resurrection guarantees both the endurance of His people in history and their final victory in eternity.
Continuity, not collapse:
Jesus reinforces His promise of the church’s endurance by assuring His disciples of His abiding presence “to the end of the age” (Mt 28:18–20), guaranteeing that His people would never be left to stand or labor on their own. The church, described by Paul as the “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15), serves as the visible and enduring witness to God’s revelation in Christ throughout history. Its stability rests not on shifting human leaders or institutions but on the unshakable foundation laid by the apostles, with Christ Himself as the cornerstone (Eph 2:19–22; 1 Cor 3:11). This once-for-all foundation ensures that the church is not a temporary or replaceable structure but a permanent dwelling of God’s Spirit and the chosen means through which the truth of the gospel is preserved and proclaimed until the fulfillment of all things.
Parables of persistence:
Jesus’ parables consistently emphasize the persistence and steady growth of God’s kingdom rather than its disappearance or collapse. In the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven (Mt 13:31–33), the kingdom begins small and seemingly insignificant, yet it expands continuously until it becomes a great tree where birds find rest, or like leaven that permeates the entire loaf of dough. Likewise, in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Mt 13:24–30), both the good seed and the weeds coexist in the same field until the final harvest. This means that while false believers and corrupt influences may be present, the true seed is never eradicated; the field is never reduced to zero. Instead, the parables point to God’s preserving hand ensuring that His kingdom advances, endures, and remains visible in the world until the appointed time of judgment.
“Once for all” deposit:
Christ is the climax of that pattern:
Christ is the climax of the biblical pattern of Betrayal, Destruction, and Salvation, and His coming fulfills what Israel’s repeated cycles were pointing toward. Through His once-for-all sacrifice, Jesus inaugurates the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31–34, which the book of Hebrews affirms has replaced the old covenant system permanently (Heb 8–10). With the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2), believers are now sealed as God’s people (Eph 1:13–14; 4:30), marked with His presence and guaranteed an inheritance in Christ. While the church may be disciplined, purified, and refined through trials, it cannot be erased or made void, for Christ’s work is final and His covenant unbreakable.
The New Testament also makes clear that the kingdom Jesus established is unshakable and eternal. Hebrews 12:28 describes the church as receiving “a kingdom that cannot be shaken,” and Daniel 7:14 foretells the Son of Man being given everlasting dominion that will never pass away. This stands in direct contrast to SCJ’s framework of total collapse followed by a later restoration, which would imply that the kingdom actually did fail and that the gates of Hades prevailed for centuries. Such a conclusion is impossible if we take Jesus’ words seriously, because His promise is that His church and His kingdom endure without interruption, built on His eternal victory over death.
Ephesians 4 further reinforces the church’s continuity by showing how Christ Himself sustains it through the ministry of the Word and the equipping of leaders. Paul explains that Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to build up the body of Christ until it reaches maturity and unity in faith (Eph 4:11–16). This provision ensures that the church will not be tossed about by every wave of false teaching but will grow steadily into the fullness of Christ. The assumption here is one of ongoing life and development for the church, not its disappearance or absence until some twentieth-century restoration movement. By Christ’s own design, the church has within it the means to persevere and thrive throughout history.
The New Testament repeatedly and clearly promises eternal life to those who believe in Christ (John 3:16; 10:28; 11:25–26), leaving no doubt that eternal life is a central theme of the gospel message. However, Matthew 16:18 is not primarily focused on that promise; rather, its emphasis is on the endurance and preservation of the church throughout history because Christ has already defeated death. By declaring that the “gates of Hades” will not prevail, Jesus is assuring His disciples that the church He is building will never be overcome by death, persecution, or destruction. To interpret this verse only in terms of individuals receiving eternal life is to collapse it into truths already expressed elsewhere in Scripture, making the promise redundant. More importantly, such a reading strips away the distinctly corporate and historical dimension of Jesus’ words: that His gathered people—the visible, living body of believers—would continue to exist and persevere in the world until the end of the age. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus is not merely pointing to an individual’s future hope but guaranteeing the ongoing victory of His church as a community grounded in His resurrection.
Shincheonji teaches that the visible church fell into betrayal, entered destruction, and now requires salvation through their own movement. In their framework, the truth was lost for nearly two thousand years, leaving no genuine church or saving gospel until their founder appeared. But such a claim directly contradicts Jesus’ promise in Matthew 16:18, where He explicitly assures His disciples that the gates of Hades would not prevail against the church. If the church truly disappeared or if all believers were left without saving truth for centuries, then death itself would have triumphed over Christ’s people, nullifying the very guarantee Jesus made. This creates a theological impossibility: either Christ’s words stand, or SCJ’s narrative of total collapse is correct—but both cannot be true.
By contrast, the biblical storyline after the resurrection consistently presents the church as advancing in the midst of opposition, not vanishing and awaiting a future reboot. The book of Acts portrays the gospel spreading from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth despite persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom. The epistles encourage believers to remain steadfast in the truth already delivered, not to expect a later rediscovery of it. Revelation itself, though written in the context of tribulation, shows the Lamb and His people conquering by perseverance and testimony—not by abandoning the church for two millennia. From Pentecost onward, the church has faced false teachers, divisions, and corruption, but always alongside growth, mission, and the preservation of the gospel. The pattern is refinement and endurance, not extinction and restoration. This is the trajectory Jesus promised, and history confirms His words.
The Setting: Peter’s Confession (Mt 16:16–17) – The immediate context is Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds by affirming that this revelation came from the Father, and upon this confession He would build His ekklesia (church). The term ekklesia means “assembly” or “gathered people” and deliberately echoes Old Testament imagery of Israel as God’s assembly (cf. Deut 4:10; Ps 22:22). By using this word, Jesus signals that He is establishing a new, reconstituted people of God—not just saving isolated individuals, but building a corporate body, a renewed Israel made up of those who recognize Him as Messiah.
The Promise: Endurance Against Hades:
Jesus then promises, “the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” In Jewish thought, the “gates of Hades” referred to the power of death. This is not simply an assurance that believers will live forever (though that is true elsewhere in Scripture), but that death itself cannot destroy Christ’s new covenant people. Just as Israel in the Old Testament often failed, Jesus here guarantees that His new Israel—the church—will not fail in the same way. The corporate body He builds will not be snuffed out by persecution, corruption, or even death.
The Larger Canonical Context: A New People of God
Elsewhere, the New Testament confirms that the church is the continuation of God’s people: Paul calls believers the “Israel of God” (Gal 6:16) and a “holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9). In Christ, the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile has been broken down, creating one new humanity (Eph 2:14–16). This spiritual Israel is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone (Eph 2:20). Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 therefore cannot be reduced to a promise of eternal life for individuals; they are a covenantal guarantee that the people of God, redefined around faith in Christ, will endure as His chosen community until the end of the age.
Why This Counters SCJ’s View
If Matthew 16:18 were only about eternal life, it would add nothing new to Jesus’ already clear teaching in passages like John 3:16 or John 11:25–26. But in context, it addresses something broader: the survival and endurance of the community Jesus is building—His “spiritual Israel.” SCJ’s claim that the church fell into darkness for centuries undermines this promise, since it would mean that death and corruption actually prevailed. The biblical context instead shows that Christ guaranteed the continuity of His people, the new Israel, throughout history, preserved by His resurrection victory over death.
| Category | SCJ’s Interpretation | Biblical Context (Matthew 16:18) |
|---|---|---|
| “Church” (ekklesia) | Refers only to the true believers at the time of fulfillment (SCJ members), not historical Christianity, which they claim fell into betrayal and corruption. | Refers to the gathered body of Christ’s people, the new “spiritual Israel,” built on the confession of Christ as the Son of God (Mt 16:16–18; Eph 2:19–22). |
| Focus of the Promise | Primarily about eternal life for individuals who receive the revealed word from SCJ’s promised pastor. | A corporate promise: the endurance and continuity of the church as Christ’s gathered body throughout history. |
| “Gates of Hades” | Seen as corruption, apostasy, and spiritual death that overcame the church until restored by SCJ. | A Jewish idiom for the power of death (Isa 38:10; Job 38:17). Jesus promises death itself cannot destroy or imprison His people. |
| View of History | Church fell into total darkness for ~2,000 years until SCJ restored truth through Lee Man-Hee. | After the resurrection, the gospel advances amid opposition (Acts; Mt 24:14). The church faces persecution and false teachers, but never extinction (Jude 3; Rom 11). |
| Theological Implication | God’s plan follows Betrayal → Destruction → Salvation, culminating in SCJ as the “true church” today. | Jesus is the climax of salvation history; His once-for-all sacrifice and resurrection secured the permanence of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31–34; Heb 8–10). The church can be disciplined but not erased. |
| Result if SCJ is right | The gates of Hades did prevail for centuries, contradicting Jesus’ words. | Jesus’ resurrection victory guarantees His church’s endurance, showing His promise stands true in history and eternity. |
Of course, despite the obvious contradictions to the direct words of Jesus, a Shincheonji member would instead insist that since they have the fulfillment of Revelation, it must mean that Shincheonji is the truth.
In this article, I will provide a thorough refutation of Shincheonji’s doctrinal claims of “Betrayal, Destruction, Salvation”.
Please take the time to check the Bible verses we’ve provided as references. Use them as a guide for your own understanding and discernment. It’s important to verify and confirm information with external sources, witnesses, and experts to ensure validity and transparency. Additionally, remember to pray for wisdom as you seek to identify any errors and ensure that your understanding aligns with biblical teachings.