I enjoy TikTok, and I have made some videos, mostly on car stuff. I tend not to get too theological on TikTok. I do enjoy some content by some Christian creators on TikTok, but I have seen a lot of bad theology. I have seen some really, really bad theology on TikTok. I have come to one conclusion, Tiktok is not the place to establish your theology.
Here is the issue when we give everyone a platform. People will find some rare, obscure interpretation or theory or idea and then go on like they have the keys to the universe. They are going to show up and teach you something that no one has taught you. It is basically the theological equivalent of a conspiracy theory. They will pull some obscure references from a single translation, work some mental gymnastics, and tell you something "new".
Let's be honest, it's not new. Heresies began before the New Testament was complete. Judiaser, Gnotics, and Nicolatians all show up in the New Testament. Arianism, Antinomianism, and syncretism all appeared shortly after. Any time there is truth, someone will distort it for their own purposes. On TikTok, that purpose is usually to get views. They will call themselves "experts" or "scholars" and will often seek to debate others by chopping at logic focusing on individual trees and ignoring the forest.
The scripture is an interconnected book, and the 66 individual books need to be taken as a whole. Taking a part from a passage to make a point is a horrible way to do exegesis. We use the Bible to interpret the Bible, and pulling one verse or part of a verse out of a passage and using it as proof is what we call "proof-texting". It is exactly the same thing as finding a speech and taking a sound bite out as a "gotcha" moment. It is theologically inconsistent, logically flawed, and deceptive as best.
Remember, TikTok exists for entertainment. It does not replace church, study, or legitimate books, study aids, and commentaries. There are 2,000 years of Christian history filled with individuals looking for the truth. If someone shows up on TikTok who can "prove" or "disprove" based on some interpretation they pulled out of nowhere, they are just another in the long list of heretical false teachers who are looking to lead God's people astray. Don't fall for it!
