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Listening to Bible teachers without really studying the passages being taught in my Christian infancy especially, I like perhaps many of you accepted without question what was being said. For me, it was not that the teacher was a media star or mega church pastor, it was my own ignorance and the acceptance church folk around me granted to what was being taught along with the authority figure--mostly a pastor--teaching it. This is how error is perpetuated even by those who know better as the apostle Paul showed in his letter “to the churches of Galatia;” rebuking Peter for his hypocrisy and exposing the active complicity of Barnabas in the process (Galatians 1:1-2, 2:11-13, NKJV).
As the Holy Spirit deepened my diligence as a Bible student, I began to be more intentional to compare what was being taught to me by whomever with what the Scriptures actually said. My purpose was not to be anyone’s critic, but to protect myself from being led into error and avoid teaching it to others knowing God is deadly serious about the consequences of doing so (James 3:1; 2 Peter 3:14-18). This does not mean I think myself infallible. But fearing God “the Word” who is, I seek to be as careful as possible to say only what Scripture says knowing He will not fault that nor the plain exposition of it after receiving His instruction (Psalm 119:97-104, 113-120; John 1:1, NKJV)!1
No one claiming to love God shown as Christ Himself teaches by obedience in first priority (John 14:15) not emotion (so prevalent in much of post-modern professing Christianity), can long purposely believe and teach error to His people who he is also supposed to love (John 21:15-17)! Yet, having been in biblical error myself, I painfully know how easy it is to unintentionally slip into it as Peter did among the Galatians; whose rebuke from Paul no doubt, snapped him back to spiritual sobriety leading to repentance.2 Or else, how do we have his two letters written after this unless the Lord had inspired and entrusted a forgiven Peter to write them (1 Peter 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:1-2:3)?
Only by his compromising actions in error had Peter not been “straightforward about the truth of the gospel” causing other Jews watching him to follow suit and misleading the Gentile believers in their midst (Galatians 2:14-21, NKJV). What about the many unintended corruptions of God’s written Word that are taught and persist as tradition within professing Christianity today? Do they not have the same negative outcomes in our contemporary churches as they did among those back in Galatia? Yes, and it is worse since all of what the Lord specifically wills for us is written in the New Testament as settled instruction!3 Here briefly are just three well practiced unintended corruptions of Scripture.
First, there is the “Jesus walked out of the tomb” corruption spoken by many preachers waxing eloquent on Easter. This is not minor. The four Gospels are clear that the women followed by Peter and John did come to an empty tomb. However, if the Lord had to wait until someone rolled the stone away to walk out of the tomb, the supernatural character of His resurrection is removed; His death questionable. The stone rolled away or found so reveals the empty tomb and reality Christ was not only raised in power leaving His burial strips intact, but after neatly folding the cloth on His head, “vanished” as He also did later (Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-31; John 20:1-10, NKJV)!
A second unintended corruption is repeated by many well known and meaning Bible teachers seeking to give assurance of salvation to believers. They quote only the first half of Romans 8:1 stressing “There is therefore now no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus” and leave the absolutely essential conditional second part “who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” unspoken (NKJV). As the immediate context in chapter seven clearly shows, Paul is not attempting to give believers eternal security in Romans 8:1, but begins to triumphantly declare the superior experience we have serving God in the power of the Holy Spirit rather than through the flesh! Condemnation is the only outcome for those who attempt to please God in the flesh (Romans 8:2-17).
Last, Galatians 3:26-29 is unintentionally corrupted by some (others, intentionally) to literally remove all mortal distinctions of ethnicity, social condition or gender among Christians to the end primarily of giving what is called equality to women. It is fitting that we return to Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia where Jewish legalism was also undermining the Gospel to close out this post and call the guilty to repentance. For as the Lord has led me to write before,4 in context, Paul in this passage plainly intends to comfort believers from all backgrounds that we have an equal eternal spiritual standing as sons of God in Christ Jesus! Nevertheless, he recognizes and teaches mortal distinctions to include for example, gender roles (1 Corinthians 11:3). Men are God’s elect leaders!5
1 There is no greater “Exegete” of God’s Word than God Himself! For this reason, the very first principle of sound Bible interpretation and application is prayer. Learn more sound principles of Bible interpretation in summary form by way of a free one sheet document the Lord led me to prepare to help those intent on “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV) you can download from the Strong Man Store. Understanding Scripture was never intended to be the exclusive domain of a relative few educated elite, but all and the lowliest among us who will be teachable by God (Psalm 119:33-35; Luke 24:44-45; James 1:5-8).
2 Besides the spiritual and biblical ignorance typical to newborn Christians along with the sin failures, flaws, faults and inconsistencies that have plagued me struggling to grow into maturity, I have transparently written in various places including my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, about my initial fear of obedience driven compromise in error to honor manmade tradition over what Scripture teaches on the role of women in His house. Rebuked by God, like Peter, I repented as anyone read- ing this that is guilty should also do--unless, of course, you are greater than the apostle Peter! Read the September 20, 2020 post, What Will It Profit A Man?, under the category, The Cause. You can pick up a copy of the book at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store.
3 The completed written New Testament we have today became widely accepted in the fourth century A.D.
4 See the September 8, 2019 post, Confusing The Issue, under the category, Call To Repent.
5 Paul and Peter are in harmony on this enduring point of biblical doctrine where it plays out first in the home (Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; Titus 2:1-5; 1 Peter 3: 1-7). In consistency, the apostle Paul also teaches how this doctrine is to be manifested and honored secondarily in the local churches (1 Corinthians 14:34-40; 1 Timo- thy 2:11-15). Not by corrupting God’s Word, but speaking and doing all things in accord with His will in it are Christians “salt,” “light” and distinctive in a dying world dark- ened in rebellion against Him (Matthew 5:13-16; Ephesians 5:8-14, NKJV)!
In presenting the final unintended corruption of Scripture sample in last week’s post,1 I noted in parentheses that there are those that intentionally misinterpret and apply Galatians 3:26-29 for their own end primarily to give women their version of equality. Now, I fully understand knowing the intent of the heart is exclusively the domain of God’s judgment which in fear, I also know He carries out (Proverbs 24:12; Jeremiah 17:9-10; John 2:23-24; 1 Corinthians 2:11, 4:1-5)! Nevertheless, those that corrupt Scripture typically expose their motive(s) by their supporting explanation(s). We judge their doctrine, actions and persons (Romans 16:17-20; 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Timothy 1:1-11, 4:12-16).
The foregoing statement of course, and the apostolic teaching in the New Testament passages cited flies in the face of the contemporary falsehood held throughout much of Western professing Christianity that there is no place of judgment among believers! However, this being so, where do local church, denominational and ministry leaders get off judging anyone’s doctrine and conduct as they govern, enlist those who serve or hire as examples? Some also wrongly confuse the apostle Paul’s instruction not to judge a brother in things God grants us freedom of conscience as a prohibition to judge at all (Romans 14). Biblically, nothing could be further from the truth! 2
In general, I prayerfully give most Bible teachers the benefit of the doubt about motive when from what I know about their love of Christ and the brethren, denomination (if any) and its tenets, doctrinal bent and broader context of their instruction a passage of Scripture is apparently corrupted by them. With others more knowledgeable that enrich me, I declare God’s Word as it is written in accord with His calling and gifting as a corrective in the course of the messages and instruction He gives me so that if they will, these Bible teachers can repent as I have had to do in my own journey; in obedience striving not to quarrel with anyone (Ezekiel 33:1-9; 2 Timothy 2:23-26).
To the end of doing “nothing against…but for the truth” of God in His Word (2 Corinthians 13:8, NKJV), at His directive I have also at times fervently cried out against what is the blatant corruption of Scripture, rebellious doctrines and deeds that follow. This includes the demonically inspired corruption of and casting aside of Scripture to justify adopting the worldly feminist view of women’s equality that is widely evident among American churches (1 Timothy 4:1-2).3 Besides Galatians 3:26-29, other Bible passages such as Genesis 3:16b are corrupted to tarnish and undo God’s original purposeful design of male headship as I write in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.4
Genesis 3:16b is wickedly interpreted to be God imposing male headship as a judgment upon Eve instead of as a clarifying directive to her and the women coming after. God’s clarifying command is obviously needed and firmly given since Eve ignored the facts from the ground that her husband was created first and tasked to lead! She also willfully usurped him to lead them both into sin (1 Timothy 2:11-14). If Genesis 3:16b is punitive, who authorized it to be revoked? The pastors, elders, churches and other entities that have unilaterally chosen to corrupt or set aside God’s Word to dismiss His order of mankind from creation have committed grave transgression and iniquity.
Tragically for the guilty unless they repent, here briefly are some other intended corruptions of Scripture supporting false doctrines and wicked actions I have called out writing at length about or touched on briefly previously. One is the uniquely American constructed gospel of prosperity and health that falsely assures a Christian is to prosper financially, materially and physically at all times. This false teaching corrupts passages such as Malachi 3:8-12 spoken to Israel from the Law and 3 John 2 by couching it solely in covetous and material terms. A favorite for physical healing is Isaiah 53:5d though, the apostle Peter plainly shows its first priority application is spiritual (1 Peter 2:20-25).5
Many of those that practice manmade Christianity the religion purposely welcome devils into their midst as church members by willfully corrupting the Lord’s interpretation of His own “tares of the field” parable (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, NKJV). He says the field is the world; they say the local church. A growing number of those among my ethnicity cry out corrupting Scripture, “black Jesus!” I understand why you do it after centuries of corruptly having a “white Jesus” shoved in our faces. Do “two wrongs make a right?” Not His typical as foretold 1st century Jew in the land olive complexion saves, but faith in His red blood poured out for all our sins (Isaiah 53:1-6; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 3:1-3)! Finally, believers “left behind” at any return of Christ corrupts His promise in John 12:26 and 14:1-3.6
God graciously calls professed Christian male and female feminists with all of the guilty corrupters of His Word to repent since you cannot serve Him and the world (Luke 16:1-18)! Either God’s unchanging Word is right for all time or it has not been from the beginning. Neither God nor His Word evolves with the times of sinful flesh (Psalm 119:144, 152; Matthew 24:35). And if one believes only certain liked parts, but rejects the rest of the Word haven’t you become an evil judge of God who inspired it all (2 Timothy 3:16-17)? If you are ashamed of biblical Christianity, why don’t you just walk away? Your end as a rebel is the same (Mark 8:34-38; Hebrews 10:26-31)! Therefore, receive God’s grace and repent or in proud obstinacy, His eternal damnation (Mark 9:42-48).
1 Read the September 12, 2021 post, Unintended Corruptions Of Scripture, under the category, Call To Repent.
2 The same apostle of Jesus Christ that instructs refraining from judging each other in liberties God grants us, also teaches in appropriate instances of doctrine and conduct that corrupts or violates apostolic teaching (now, Scripture) we are to judge; meting out discipline in accord with God’s Word as it is written (Matthew 18:15-20)! This is im- possible when a relative few honors God’s Word this way. Hence, the spiritual chaos and conflict that is raging across Christendom.
3 To be sure, the motives I have encountered for doing this by those convinced that God sees things their way in childishness, emotion, experiences and worldly thinking run the evil gambit of supporting justifications (see all five of my May 2015 posts, under the category, The Cause). Most common among the justifications is agreement with the world that Scripture is out of step with the times followed closely by the noble sounding objective of making the local church more acceptable to prospective worldly visi- tors and future members to increase the numbers. Is Christ’s Church about numbers by any means or in obedience preaching the Gospel and letting Him add to it those to be saved (Acts 2:36-47)?
4 You can pick up a copy of my book at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store.
5 The better verse in Isaiah 53 for hope in the Lord’s willingness to physically heal is 4a quoted in that sense as “fulfilled” by Matthew as he described the healing ministry of Christ in Israel (Matthew 8:16-17, NKJV). Not everyone was healed back then, nor is this the case today usually due to unbelief, but also the sovereign will of God (Mark 6:1-6; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10). Has the Lord healed folk who were standing on Isaiah 53:5d? Yes and why? The Lord Jesus ultimately honors faith in Him (Matthew 9:18- 22)! His stripes work God’s priority spiritual healing or restoration to relationship with Him and the resulting benefits as Paul celebrates in Romans 5:6-11 and throughout his Epistles along with Peter as cited.
6 If a professed Christian is to be “left behind” by Christ in an any moment, secret appearing as the Tim LaHaye fictional work asserts or His biblically taught one and only globally seen and heard Second Coming, it would mean he or she was not an authentic Christian (Matthew 7:21-23), an apostate or a neglectful, unfruitful and disobedient servant (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, 24:45-51). In the false secret instance of Christ’s appearing, professed Christians that missed the cut are able to go through the “great tribulation” as a sort of Protestant version of purgatory to earn a second chance to be with Him eternally (Matthew 24:15-28, NKJV). In the biblical instance of Christ’s Second coming, there is no second chance; you are either faithfully in with Him at His appearing and Kingdom or left out forever (Matthew 24:29-31, 36-44, 25:1-13)!
I trust God last month’s trilogy of posts presenting and exploring His future promise to us who are the meek, His faithful saints and eternal sons were a source of encouragement and uplift.1 This is a major purpose of Bible prophecy besides glorifying God who knows all things and the reason it along with the whole of His Word should be treated with the utmost reverence and care in objectively reading, interpreting and applying it as the Holy Spirit leads (Isaiah 41:21-24, 43:8-13, 44:6-8; John 13:19, 14:25-29; 2 Peter 1:16-21)! For our best days are not found in this present life and world, but all that God has yet planned for us in Christ Jesus contrary to popular teaching today.
Popular teaching today focuses primarily on what “God wants to do for you materially now.” But while God with Fatherly love and wisdom provides all of our needs and some wants according to His will (Matthew 6:24-34; Philippians 4:19), our salvation completed and glorious eternal future with Christ is the major thrust of the Bible’s New Testament all hinged on His finished work on Calvary, death, burial and resurrection (1 Timothy 6:6-16). The apostle Paul is very direct and clear on this when he writes defending Christ’s resurrection and empty implications of a future without it: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable,” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NKJV).
The apostle Peter, who writes in his second epistle to condemn and warn about false teachers along with scoffers, also exhorts us to be guided in our living by God’s planned future following the fiery end of this present creation in the “day of the Lord,” (2 Peter 2:10-13, NKJV). He writes, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless,” (2 Peter 2:14, NKJV). The Lord’s “longsuffering” “is salvation” (ours, having already come to Christ and those still to come the Lord foreknows and waits for) he writes, which the apostle Paul too, wrote about and “untaught and unstable people twist” (2 Peter 3:15-16, NKJV).2
Despite Peter’s solemn warning that such people distorted Paul’s writings “to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (saying this, Peter elevates Paul’s writings to the level of Scripture as he earlier does his own--2 Peter 3:1-2), has not been enough to deter others from doing so to this hour (2 Peter 3:16, NKJV)! Knowing the end of such people “beforehand” he has written and warned about starting at 2 Peter 2:1, the eyewitness apostle further soberly warns: “beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.” Instead, “grow in the grace and (true, biblically sound) knowledge of Christ,” (2 Peter 3:17-18, NKJV).
It is purposefully corrupt teaching that the Lord has had me crying out against and calling the guilty to repentance from with true revival; teaching that has spiritually ill-equipped a generation to face biblically foretold times such as we are in right now, and that will only grow progressively worse until the glorious return of our Lord. Indeed, because the guilty from many different ethnicities and socio-economic groups profess so loudly to be bona fide Christians, it has been amazing to see their incredible obstinacy I have witnessed during most of the thirty-five years of this Ministry the Lord led me to found and that officially came into existence on August 12, 1985 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Surely, if God has used any man as a prophet among the churches to hew the unfaithful with His Word since the prolific pens of the reformers, I am among them by His will as many in Dallas/Fort Worth for twelve years and here in the Northwest throughout the past twenty-three can attest (Hosea 6:4-6)! Over three hundred posts since 2014 in this forum alone; closing in on seventy “Call To Repent” posts that include several this year before and after God’s Coronavirus judgment and this two-part post.3 And why is this so? The Lord who gifted and called me loves you, is gracious, merciful, forbearing, patient and eternally consistent in His actions (Luke 3:7-9, 11:47-51).4
In obedience, I have sounded the Lord’s call to repent and will as often as He directs going forward to deliver the willing from judgment (Jeremiah 7:21-27, 8:18-22, 25:1-7, 26:1-6; Ezekiel 2:1-3:7, 33:1-9; Jude 20-23)! As I spent all of these years warning with the Lord’s leading, the days of His escalating warning judgments have come with the Coronavirus and there will be no going back to “normal.” Still, many remain obstinate as was ancient Israel; the Lord sending plague after serious plague upon His stubborn, unfaithful people who refused to repent as He speaks through the prophet (Amos 4:6-13). How long though, will the Lord hold back greater judgment upon guilty professed Christians who are supposed to be “the salt of the earth,” (Matthew 5:13a, NKJV)?
1 The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth posted on July 12, 2020 under the categories, Black History and Encouragement. It was followed July 19th by Ruling The Earth Un-
der Christ and on the 26th, Earth As An Eternal Inheritance both under the category, Bible Prophecy.
2 Many Bible teachers today regularly distort Scripture by reading into and using it out of context to support their own ideas rather than going to it to objectively pull out
what is there in a straightforward manner. Beyond this is their accurate reading of Scripture, then, corrupt explaining away of the plain truth or command in it to justi-
fy their disobedience. Our Ministry offers a sound Bible Interpretation summary document for free download in the Strong Man Store to help those who want to pro-
perly interpret “the word of truth,” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV).
3 Read the April 5, 2020 post, God Is Speaking and Does Anybody Repent Anymore? posted on April 19, 2020 both under the category, Call To Repent
4 I can only shake my head with sadness when I hear renowned conservative pastors and Bible teachers arrogantly dismiss the spiritual gift of prophecy and ministry of
prophets from operation today in the Body of Christ so plainly taught by Him and His apostles in the New Testament. If this gift was only for the first century and until
the cannon of Scripture sealed as they presumptively supposition with no support whatsoever from Scripture itself, then, tell me why is church history filled with pro-
phets (to include many reformers) if not in name, function to this hour? Also, tell me how to escape the move of the Holy Spirit to speak and write what He puts in my
mouth of things present and future completely consistent with the Word written--not that I want to escape since His Word is joyful fire in my belly, but I call out the in-
ferred slander that I am self-called and deluded (Jeremiah 20:7-10; Matthew 10:27; Luke 24:30-32)? Scripture does declare when prophecy will cease and God stops
using prophets: at the Second Coming of Christ (Zechariah 13:2-6; 1 Corinthians 13:8-12)!
The Son of Almighty God came riding a donkey humbly into the city of Jerusalem on this day almost two thousand years ago to celebratory shouts of praise and laying of palm branches before His procession. Christians call this day Palm Sunday because of this event which occurred in precise fulfillment of prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) and is recorded in all four New Testament Gospel accounts (see for example John 12:12-15). The Lord Jesus rode into the holy city openly presenting Himself as God’s Anointed One and King! By Friday He would be soundly rejected as the religious leaders and many of the people following their leadership called for His crucifixion (Luke 23:13-25).
The foretold spiritual realities and truths surrounding all of the foregoing are intended by God to remain unchanged forever! For in them and all that follows bound up in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the glorious outcomes are issues of eternal life and death for mortal man. And yet, nearly two millennia later, professing Christianity is completely twisted and conflicted on even the most basic elements of God’s salvation through the Gospel and written instruction that comprises “the faith” as proud men and women in the thousands clash over their personal theologies. In the edited 2012 blog repost for this Palm Sunday, I exalt the one Lord and one faith He has established for us through His blood as it is written in Holy Scripture (Ephesians 4:1-6).
Originally Posted March 25, 2012
As the annual commemoration of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ approaches, I am reminded from the New Testament accounts of His ministry that He never allowed for anyone to believe He represented any way to God but one: through Him (John 14:6)! Similarly, Jesus always stood on the righteousness and wisdom of God as already written in the Old Testament Scriptures (Matthew 4:3-10). He is never quoted as citing the writings of the great minds of history to give authoritative weight to His teachings. He also never offered opinions but taught the people in the absolutes of authority. No mystery here as to why since He is the eternal Word of God made flesh (John 1:1, 14-18). He was faithful to all of His own previously written Word and the divine will.
While even the Lord’s eyewitness apostles initially struggled to fully grasp and faithfully disseminate the essential Gospel and instructions of the faith to believers in the early years of Christianity (Acts 10:1-11:18, 15:1-29), the apostle Paul was absolute by the late fifties of the first century that there was only one Gospel and called for the divine destruction of any one preaching another (Galatians 1:6-9). Certainty does not elude Jude, the half-brother of the Lord either when he writes his short epistle calling for believers “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints,” (Jude 3, NKJV). Most Bible students would agree Jude writes well after Paul wrote his Galatians epistle. The point being that contrary to the madness that exists in the world today, the Bible unapologetically asserts there is only one way to relationship with God and that is through faith in the one Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-11).
Too, in spite of the insane confusion that exists doctrinally in and among the churches today, there is only one faith plainly presented in the pages of Scripture and gladly illuminated by the Holy Spirit to all who will take the time to seek Him. Otherwise, those that are presenting their many different theologies supposedly taken from the Bible would have us believe contrary to it that God is confused and tolerant to the point He is the author of confusion among those He loves (1 Corinthians 14:33). This is outrageously evil beyond words and blasphemy! There is a such thing as error which is clearly seen when any doctrine of sinful men arises that does not only line up with a particular passage of Scripture, but the whole thrust of instruction in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation inspired by God (Galatians 2:1-4:31; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Yes, believers are free in Christ to live and conduct our lives how we please before God as it concerns personal freedom. But this freedom is by no means a license to sin, invent doctrines that flow from our own prideful flesh or speak authoritatively on spiritual matters apart from drawing directly out of Scripture (Romans 14:1-15:6; Galatians 5:1-15). In my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, I present faith in Christ crucified, buried and risen as the only way to salvation. I also declare Him to be the One bidding men to follow Him in the one and only faith He and His apostles present from the whole counsel of God existing in the Bible. Aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ embrace the one, true biblical faith and are ready to die in contending for its veracity, their Lord and hope in Him (Luke 9:23-26). In His footsteps, truly, a number have died and will die doing so in days ahead in accord with God’s eternally enduring Word (Luke 21:12-19, 33; Revelation 6:9-11, 12:7-12).
I ended my last post of 2021 citing Daniel 9:26c of two prophetic Scriptures supporting the truth “things are not going to get better before the glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ, but worse.”1 The content of Daniel 9:26c is near the end of four pure prophecy verses out of twenty-seven that make up a powerful chapter as context. The prophecies are delivered to Daniel in answer to his prayers by the angel, Gabriel, and are intended to give him the ability “to understand” further and more deeply from God about what He intended for Israel after their Babylonian captivity (vs. 20-23, NKJV). It was not an easier to read Bible, but God’s help he needed to get that understanding!
As Daniel 9:26c objectively and literally read in the immediate context of the verse asserts, destruction that brings “desolations” to cities such as did happen to Jerusalem and the second Jewish Temple at the hands of the Romans in A.D. 70 “are determined” by God “till the end of the war,” (NKJV). What war? In the larger context of the whole Bible, the war is the one ongoing in the spiritual and breaking into the physical realm; Satan and his angels warring against God after their rebellion, eviction from residence in Heaven, conquest and conscription of man and ultimate eternal sentence to Hell by His decree (Genesis 3:1-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
The ongoing war of the ages as a spiritual and historical context was important for Daniel (and us) to have to understand what God is doing in the world. In Daniel’s specific case, knowing about the overarching spiritual war would help him understand more deeply the why and what for of future events impacting his people, the Jews. Indeed, as recorded earlier in chapter nine, Daniel’s heart to understand the future of his people beyond Babylon was triggered by his having read and “understood by the books” prophecy God gave Jeremiah the prophet that “He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem”--a span then, near its end (Daniel 9:1-2, NKJV).2
Clearly, Daniel read the Old Testament scrolls containing Jeremiah’s prophecy from God objectively and literally as God expects all of us to do who know and love Him unless the text itself suggests we do otherwise such as with figurative language, symbols or metaphors often used in parables.3 He understood the plain reading of the text in his Hebrew language. He did not need to consult any number of translations--none were even available until the third century B.C. well after his time--for easier reading and a better understanding.4 Daniel took God’s Word at face value as it was written in the Old Testament books that were copies of the originals!
As I discovered to my horror while researching what extant Bible translations Martin Luther may have used when he uncovered again God’s salvation by grace through faith alone plainly stated throughout the New Testament, there are today, over nine hundred (900) just English language translations of the Bible in whole or in part!5 This is a recipe for destructive confusion in great spiritual desolations as Satan has already wrought among so many in the war as ostensibly under the guise of easier reading and a better understanding, many of these translations corrupt God’s Word. A number of the translators wickedly seek not to offend people and pander after what they want, not God.6
I realize my New King James Version Bible of choice (updating the 17th century King’s English) is a translation as are all Bibles apart from the original manuscripts. I consult a few other modern translations (which is how I know what they say) and teach others--aspiring strong men and great women of God--to do the same for possible greater language clarity.7 However, over nine hundred different English translations each with their unique selling points is overkill. Besides, whether easier to read or not, it is the truth in direct assertion, transcendent eternal principles, morality and ethics along with any deeper meanings in application embodied in the Scripture that we students like Daniel are after. These come only from God in the way He in sovereignty chooses to reveal them.
It may be an angel as Daniel experienced, but most commonly as Christians it is the Holy Spirit with Christ resident inside of us that reveals the truth of God in Scripture and anything deeper related to us (John 14:15-18, 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16)! If you are not understanding what you are reading in the Bible, pray and ask God to help you since it is His will in general that you understand what is written though, some prophecies remain closed for now (Luke 24:44-45; James 1:5-8; Revelation 13:18). As the Lord leads, I will continue working through chapter nine of Daniel in each of the posts this month to the end someone else will be helped as we receive understanding of the times Daniel was told of in advance that we are now, living in and which approach their climatic end!
1 See the December 19, 2021 post, Christmas: Love, Joy And Peace, under the category, Holidays.
2 Dating from the year of Babylon’s first invasion of Judah and taking of captives (such as Daniel) in 605 B.C. to 539 B.C. the first year of the Medo-Persian conquest of Babylon as Daniel historically notes in vs. 1, would have been nearing the end of the seventy years pro- phecy.
3 Daniel’s approach to objectively reading, literally interpreting and applying Scripture is that of every godly person in the Bible to include the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11)! For help, download the free one page document the Lord led me to create summarizing Seven Principles of Bible Interpretation in the Strong Man Store.
4 See the Encyclopedia Britannica article on the Septuagint--the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
5 Read the 2017 Christianity Today article, The Most Dangerous Thing Luther Did by Ben Witherington III.
6 Woe to those who seek to deconstruct the Bible to make it more amenable to people! Your actions are instigated by Satan as one of many stratagems he is using in his war with God. If he could widely corrupt the Book with God’s direct revelation, expressly stated will and mes- sage of salvation as he has done, the resulting confusion would destroy many souls as it is doing. For this reason, God holds account- able and destroys the corrupters of Scripture as it is written (2 Peter 3:14-16)! See my August 2, 2020 post, Flavorless Salt Is Worthless, under the category, Call To Repent along with part two in particular of Daughters Of This Age, posted April 25, 2021 under the category, God’s Creatures.
7 This approach is especially helpful to all of us that do not normally read, write or speak Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek. Learn about aspiring strong men and great women of God in Christ’s image in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics along with companion works The Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store.
Looking back over everything the Lord has led me to post this year thus far, I am struck by how many bedrock New Testament commandments and instructions are being blatantly trampled upon by the many leaders and people that profess to be Christians in the churches they make up. I wrote about how as “ambassadors” of the “one Lord” Jesus Christ we are all supposed to be saying the same thing (2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 4:1-6, NKJV).1 Ambassadors represent a country or kingdom and speak and do among those in the nations they are assigned what their leader that appointed them has commanded. Not to do so is to invite certain consequences including dismissal!
The apostle Paul rhetorically asserts our Lord Jesus Christ is not divided (1 Corinthians 1:13), but we are and willfully so as each theologian, denominational leader, pastor, etc. teaches his following in accord with what is right in his own sight in spiritual lawlessness rather than what the Lord has purely declared in His Word; not “repeating God’s words after Him” as the religious educated elite are fond of saying (Judges 17:6; Proverbs 14:12). Paul also tells us why this is all so. In fulfillment of his prophecy each one teaches with a nuance that attracts followers to his wisdom and himself, not God and His wisdom in the Gospel resulting in followers for Christ (Acts 20:26-30; 1 Corinthians 1:17-25).
Because His program matters as I write in this edited 2012 Commentary, God’s judgment of the errant, disobedient and usurping ambassador/teachers is just (1 Corinthians 3-4:13; 2 Peter 2:4-11).
Originally Published March 2012
As I remind pastors in the closing chapter of my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics,2 Scripture plainly holds Jesus Christ up as Lord and Head of His Church (Ephesians 1:15-23). Christ presents His will (God's program) for those that belong to Him through new birth and supposedly make up the churches in the same Scripture He is proclaimed Lord! The local churches therefore, are not free to do as they please apart from the will of Christ. Yet, the evil spirits of disobedience, heretical corruption and apostasy that well began their work before the passing of the 1st century eyewitness apostles have brought their efforts in these latter days to a near frenetic intensity.
The aspiring strong man and great woman of God in the image of Christ delight to honor Him as Lord. They honor Jesus as Lord in their personal lives, in the local churches and before a watching world. They willingly honor Jesus as Lord out of their embrace of that factual truth from Scripture, the reality of meeting and walking with Him in His Lordship (John 14:18-20) as well as the joy of Holy Ghost fired affirmation (1 Corinthians 12:1-3)! As a result, they are not rebellious against or selective in their obedience to the Lord as the normative experience of their lives. When they sin, they do not delay to confess and repent before the Lord in all sincerity (1 John 1:5-2:6).
In the churches aspiring strong men and great women of God eagerly seek to fulfill His program to preach the Gospel to and make disciples of the nations; baptizing and teaching them to obey all of His will expressed in commandments communicated by His eyewitness apostles (Matthew 28:19-20). They do their part in God's program according to the gifts, calling and ministries they receive from the Lord through the agency of the Holy Spirit. They fully understand the Church is the Body of Christ and He the eternal Head. They labor in love to faithfully serve the members therein; being careful to obey the Lord's order of His assembly presently on earth (1 Corinthians 12:4-14:40).
Too many times I have heard preachers, teachers and professed Christians dismiss obedience to God's Word as an unimportant side issue to relationship with God. They portray God the Father as some benign, doting grandfather, Jesus as a cool, anti-rule keeping hippie sage and the Holy Spirit as a feel good force that just want us to love the Lord. However, Christ died to reconcile us back to God who had breached the relationship beginning with the disobedience of our forefather, Adam (Romans 5:6-21). Willful disobedience is not to characterize the New Covenant relationship of the Christian with the Lord he loves (John 14:15, 21-24; Hebrews 10:15-22; 1 John 3:4-10, 5:3).
The apostle Paul upbraided the Jews of his day for their hypocritical conduct that caused the Gentiles to blaspheme the name of God. How much more would he upbraid Christians in likeness today (Romans 2:17-24)? Indeed, the name of our God and His Son are regularly blasphemed in the media and on the streets of our nation due to the hypocritical conduct of professed Christians and churches that have no shame. The Gospel is maligned because racial division and bitterness mark the churches more than love. God's Word in the Bible is maligned because proud church leaders and teachers in disobedience will not say the same thing doctrinally (1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Peter 3:8).
If professed Christians and their churches will not honor Jesus as Lord and obey the divine will revealed in Scripture, then who else on the planet will? If professed white Christians and those of color refuse to love one another in disobedience to Christ, then how will the world know that we are truly His disciples (John 13:34-35)? If professed Christians regard the instruction of Scripture on God's family order, gender roles and responsibilities as dated, then how valid is Scripture as a continuing source of authority for other aspects of our faith and practice?3 Clearly, the foretold latter day apostasy and deception are upon us to the eternal detriment of the guilty (1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:3-4)!4
God's program matters because men are saved and built up when we who say we love Him remain true to it. Moreover, God's program matters because Christians as aspiring strong men and great women of God in the image of Christ are the living signs of His Kingdom coming to earth; lights shining in a dark world (Philippians 2:14-16). Finally, God's program matters because the Father, Son and Holy Spirit share a holy disposition and wrath toward unrepentant sinners including those that profess to be Christians (Psalm 2:7-12; Isaiah 63:7-10; Matthew 7:21-23; John 8:21-29; Acts 5:1-11; Hebrews 10:26-31; Revelation 19:11-16). Repent! The time is nearer than you think. The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the opening of the March 31, 2019 post, Technically Speaking…, under the category, The Cause.
2 The book is available at all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore or in the Strong Man Store.
3 As the Lord led, I wrote the following as an addendum to this Commentary in our March 2012 Strong Man Of God Newsletter: “The final source of Christian authority is
the unchanging Word of God contained in Bible translations that are true to the earliest preserved manuscripts (2 Timothy 3:14-17). It is not what fallen men say or
even say about the Word no matter how credentialed who easily read into the texts and twist the Word to say what they want bringing judgment on themselves (James
3:1; 2 Peter 3:14-16).”
4 In the same addendum I concluded: “Christians have been forewarned by the Lord Jesus and His apostles that false messiahs, prophets and teachers would rise up
to deceive (Matthew 24:4-5, 11; 2 Peter 2:1-3). It is so. They also warn about latter day apostasy (as the Commentary above references) that is very unambiguous in
its full blown form (Matthew 24:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). It has been unfolding in earnest for a generation complete with outrageously deceitful teachings and
growing hostility toward the faithful. If the Lord Jesus and His apostles warn that falsehood and apostasy are to typify the days leading to His return, then professing
Christians need to snap out of their worldly slumber, strengthen their resolve to stand firm on God’s Word alone and prepare for worse (2 Timothy 3:1-13).”
The Lord has previously led me to write about the foretold apostasy in progress within professing Christianity.1 As well, He also had me write to instruct the faithful about the distinguishing mark of a true Christian and His call to stand firm for the faith as it is written in the pages of the Bible.2 In light of these unfolding, foretold times of pervasive falsehood, the Lord would have me briefly add to those important former instructions His warning about the critical need to avoid being led into error by those professing to be Christians that are outright false as impostors or true, but deceitful in disobedience who have no compunction about corrupting Scripture to further their own ends.
How easily many professed Christians, self-styled apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, secular political, social, cultural, educational and even non-Judeo-Christian religious figures quote the Bible to support their own ideas today. In so doing, by association with His Word, God is being portrayed as endorsing all manner of evil from fornication, abortion, shacking, divorce and same sex marriage to women taking authority over men in His house and religious ecumenicalism. I often wonder, are we all reading the same Bible? And of course, that question is complicated by the fact many are boldly creating corrupt Bible translations that support their theological bents.
Persons outside of a Judeo-Christian framework are following millennia of falsehood and deceit through biblical corruption by those within it that have justified and even blessed evil calling it good (Isaiah 5:20)! Their part in this matter is understandable given their complete alienation from God. But many come ostensibly into the faith as professed Christians and deceivers as they have since the first century to this hour and getting worse as foretold (2 Timothy 3:13). They willfully generate falsehood and false doctrines by corrupting not hard to understand Bible passages, but those that are plain as false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:12-26; Galatians 1:6-7, 2:1-5)!
It is entirely as foretold in these latter days by the Lord and His apostles (Matthew 24:1-5, 11; 2 Peter 2:1-3)! The leadership of typical professed Christian churches believes they can spot and have circled their wagons against the obvious onslaught of false messiahs, prophets and teachers with their falsehood. In fact, some are so closed up as I can attest, not even those that are biblically solid may address their flocks unless they walk in exact denominational and/or personal lock step with these leaders on every single point of doctrine they hold true. Which leads to an important question: who protects us from them when they become corrupters of God’s Word and deceivers as a result?
Sadly, too many superstar pastors with their adoring, supporting cast of church elders and/or deacons are elevating their personal convictions to the level of Scripture as the final authority that cannot be challenged lest one be considered divisive. Never mind apostolic instructions about the divisive person had to do with those that were in clear sin being disobedient to authoritative apostolic revelation and teaching as well as Scripture, not the personal convictions of pastors and elders themselves guilty of the same (Romans 16:17-20; Titus 3:9-11). These are men (and today, women) who as foretold seek to draw away disciples from Christ to make them their own (Acts 20:28-30).
Some of these pastors that cannot be challenged on their personal convictions are outright rebels, impostors or willful and de facto apostates as has been reported in secular and Christian media.3 Many are religionist keepers of the manmade church status quo; unwilling themselves and not allowing anyone else to challenge creeds, covenants, traditions and practices they know are not biblical to supposedly preserve unity and peace, but in actuality, their “jobs.” Others--especially of the larger churches--are puffed up in pride and arrogance believing that they stand above correction because of their education, position or success as though success alone confirms God’s approval (reality check: false messiahs, prophets, teachers, religions and cults have great success too!).
Starting with erroneous ideas and suppositions outside of Scripture, the personal convictions of pastors and elders as final authority that conflict with and disobey it span the behavioral and doctrinal spectrum in their churches. Or, for example, how can one sit in a mixed gender congregation with a Bible open to learn its authoritative instruction under a woman pastor, speaker or teacher and ignore what it plainly teaches forbidding her to do this (1 Corinthians 14:34-40; 1 Timothy 2:11-15)? Is it not because for whatever all of the reasons in deceit to include Christianity as a unique, American cultural form of religion, the pastor’s unchallengeable personal conviction on the matter has taken preeminent authority over what the Word of God says?4
1 Read my March 20, 2016 blog, Willful And De Facto Apostates under the category, The Faith followed by those referenced in its introduction.
2 Read the March 1-29, 2015 blogs under the category Instruction that further discuss what a real Christian and the true faith is.
3 Google “Apostate Christian Ministers” to find reputable articles like this one I found by Dr. Albert Mohler in 2010.
4 See the September 4, 2016 post, Christianity The Religion American Style, under the category, Call To Repent.
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