“Who were the Essenes? Was John the Baptist an Essene?”……The Essenes were a Jewish mystical sect somewhat resembling the Pharisees. They lived lives of ritual purity and separation. They originated about 100 B.C., and disappeared from history after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Essenes are not directly mentioned in Scripture, although some believe they may be referred to inMatthew 19:11"Not everyone can accept this statement," Jesus said. "Only those whom God helps,Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."

Colossians 2:8,18,23Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.Don't let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires.

Interest in the Essenes was renewed with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were likely recorded and stored by the Essenes.……It has been popular among some scholars to claim that John the Baptist was an Essene. There are some similarities between John and the Essenes:

1. John was in the desert Luke 1:80John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

The Essenes were in the desert.

2. Both John and the Essenes used Isaiah 40:3Listen! It's the voice of someone shouting,"Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!. to describe themselves as the voice in the wilderness.

3. The baptism (or washing) practiced by John and the Essenes required a change of heart.

At the same time, there are significant differences between John the Baptist and the Essenes:

1. The Essenes hid themselves away from society in the wilderness. John was a very public figure.

2. John had a much more strict diet

Luke 7:33For John the Baptist didn't spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, 'He's possessed by a demon.' than did the Essenes.

3. John preached Jesus as the Messiah. The Essenes did not recognize Jesus as Messiah, but they thought that the Teacher of Righteousness would himself be an Essene.

4. There was a strong organization among the Essenes that was missing among John the Baptist's disciples. So, was John the Baptist an Essene? While it is possible, it cannot be explicitly proven either biblically or historically.……The Essenes as a sect of Judaism do not exist today. However, there are fringe groups that call themselves Essenes. One such group is the Essene Church of Christ, which declares itself to be "the authorized custodians and chief disseminators of the true teachings of Lord Christ and Lady Christ."

They share similarities with all cultsand false religions (see def. of a cult below): their "holy book" is something other than the Bible;

They rely heavily on mysticism and occult revelation;

They believe they and they alone possess truth;

They deny the Trinity; and

They deny biblical doctrines including original sin, heaven, hell, and salvation through Christ.

As purveyors of false doctrine, modern “Essenes” are to be avoided.

“What is the definition of a cult?”……When we hear the word "cult," we often think of a group that worships Satan, sacrifices animals, or takes part in evil, bizarre, and pagan rituals. However, in reality, most cults appear much more innocent. The specific Christian definition of a cult is "a religious group that denies one or more of the fundamentals of biblical truth."

Or in simpler terms, a cult is a group that teaches something that will cause a person to remain unsaved if he/she believes it. As distinct from a religion, a cult is a group that claims to be part of the religion, yet denies essential truth(s) of that religion. A Christian cult is a group that denies one or more of the fundamental truths of Christianity, while still claiming to be Christian.……The two most common teachings of cults are that

1. Jesus was not God and that

2. salvation is not by faith alone.

A denial of the deity of Christ results in Jesus' death not being a sufficient payment for our sins. A denial of salvation by faith alone results in salvation being achieved by our own works, something the Bible vehemently and consistently denies.

The two most well-known examples of cults are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. Both groups claim to be Christian, yet both deny the deity of Christ and salvation by faith alone. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons believe many things that are in agreement with or similar to what the Bible teaches. However, the fact that they deny the deity of Christ and preach a salvation by works qualifies them as a cult. Many Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, and members of other cults are "good people" who genuinely believe they hold the truth.

As Christians, our hope and prayer must be that many people involved in the cults will see through the lies and will be drawn to the truth of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.