JoWilli

Satan operates to mix his own opinions and ideas with the Word of God, both to negate It as he might wish, and to pollute It with impurities. This happened in the Garden of Eden, and in the Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness.

How often does the mixing of Scripture, the pure Word of God, with personal opinions, desires, imaginations, and expectations occur today? A lot. So called "Devotional Materials," "Bible Studies," "Sermons," and "Expository Teaching" are most often filled with human ideas not required by an accurate interpretation of Scripture. Scripture may be on occasion masterfully stated and put into context, but most often the presenting person then takes his liberty to start filling in, adding, "explaining," "illustrating," and "fleshing out" material not at all from Scripture, and not directly called for by Scripture.

The most skilled at this are the "Pentecostals," where human imagination, in spite of what Scripture clearly says about the evilness of human imagination, who give huge license and delightful merit to anyone claiming to be "anointed."

Even the most humble appearing and studious "students" and "teachers" of God's Word always have their own little spin to add to pure Scripture. Most often, these people use the familiar and authentic appearing language of "preacherese," or a "spiritual sounding" vocabulary, to get people to think they are telling the Truth.

Naturally, both the "Pentecostal" style and "humble studious" style cannot be corrected, because they both confidently view themselves as "Just being Faithful to the Lord!" in all of their pronouncements.

Proverbs 10:19 is a guide from God to prevent all of this:

"In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin, but he that refraineth his lips is wise."

JoWilli.

twistedLinen

so how are we going to determine or discern who is speaking the truth? This sometimes lies on what we have been taught ahead of what we have read, right?

I don't know but there are many people who argue a lot of things about this, just like the book Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. Some says that there are lot of statements and ideas that is written in it that are not biblical and purely personal opinions, likewise for the I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. Well for me both are great books..(now am i out of topic?)

__________________
it is better to be loving than to be right

LA-girl

I agree! I have acually started to read "The Great Contoversy" which explains how paganism started to enter into the church, it polluted true christianity and has continued to do so ever since. Truth mixed with error is probably the most successful strategy Satan has taken advantage of. That is why it is so important to keep studying the Bible.

"The spirit of compromise and conformity was restrained for a time by the fierce persecutions which the church endured under paganism. But as persecution ceased, and Christianity entered the courts and palaces of kings, she laid aside the humble simplicity of Christ and His apostles for the pomp and pride of pagan priests and rulers; and in place of the requirements of God, she substituted human theories and traditions."

"In order for Satan to maintain his sway over men, and establish the authority of the papal usurper, he must keep them in ignorance of the Scriptures. The Bible would exalt God and place finite men in their true position; therefore its sacred truths must be concealed and suppressed. This logic was adopted by the Roman Church. For hundreds of years the circulation of the Bible was prohibited. The people were forbidden to read it or to have it in their houses, and unprincipled priests and prelates interpreted its teachings to sustain their pretensions."

From The Great Controversy

You can listen to it online here:
http://www.greatcontroversyonline.com/listen.html

JoWilli

Yes, Twiste,

Many people never achieve the capacity to assess Truth, even as it would be right in front of their faces. Many can never see the wool over their eyes.

Such unfortunate souls will just have to keep "believing" all those things which "seem nice," and nod away with the statements from "important sounding" talkers in the church.

JoWilli.

Pastor Gary

Blindly following the 'teachings' of any denomination is dangerous - especially for the individual who is complacent and is comfortable with only 'following denominational orders'. It is a benefit for anyone stuck in this rut to STUDY on their own, too, and find the Scriptural basis (if any) for the denominational orders and THEN see what the Original Manuscripts actually said before the traditions of man changed the words. We all have the power of Discernment... the ability to reason and to question those things which are unclear or do not make sense to us and to get the answers on our own without just listening to the words coming from a pulpit and accepting those words as fact. It is our responsibility as Christians to confirm in our own minds as to what we are being told. To do anything less is to be lazy and unconcerned. Far too many "Sunday Christians" make a church appearance and then during the rest of the week - God is not part of their lives and they couldn't care less about individual studies. Unfortunate.

Use your logic and powers of reading to verify what you are told and confirm those facts. The study tools are inexpensive and available to everyone who wishes to know the Truth. Make the time, apply yourselves and learn. Do not be deceived by false or inadequate teachers - involve yourself in learning God's Word properly.

Banarenth

While I completely agree that blindly following any teaching or doctrine is dangerous, I've seen many cases where ignoring all doctrines and strinctly following your own interpretation to the scripture is just as dangerous. Basically, I feel that we need that common ground to begin our walk and have something to "fall back on" during times of confusion. It helps to give a focus to our own walks and study of the Bible, providing of course that you DO actually study the Bible. The real danger is to follow a doctrine without a personal study into the Bible to better understand what the basis of that doctrine.

Yes, denominations are basically doctrines by committee, and since we are humans, it's unlikely any of us have got it "exactly right". But it helps to have a foundation, or at least a starting point to ease the confusion until your knowledge and faith have grown sufficiently to expand into more areas of understanding.

JoWilli

And, what would be the pupose of listening to words coming from the pulpit if those words cannot be accepted as fact?

JoWilli.

JoWilli

Having a "common ground" to "give a focus to our own walk" is a very subtle, yet horrific pitfall, which leads people away from maturity and an ability to discern. Standing around nodding our heads in response to nominally comfortable churchy sounding ideas is nothing which Jesus demonstrated or taught.

The only "common ground" which Scripture specifies for us to have, and is the basis for the unity commanded in Scripture for the Church, is the unity of God's Word, not what other people happen to agree on. I look at huge numbers of people in congregations who have, evidently, never "eased the confusion," because they are mamby little pew sitters living in a spiritual welfare system. Their "wonderful," "wise," and so very "loving" preachers are paid to give them prechewed, partially digested, and regurgitated "sprirtual food," year after year.

Does that sound like "expanding into more areas of understanding?"

This idea of operating from a "foundation" and "growing" from it into understanding is just imaginary, and does not happen, except in a feminized, "nurturing" mindset. The true Gospel is apprehended amidst trauma, angst, under pressure, in desperation, and at a cost. Whatever is attained easily without personal cost or effort is of no value or impact in a person's life.

Weak and hypothetical explanations of how the Gospel and spiritual life supposedly operate, yet not demonstrated by Jesus, are of no value.

JoWilli.

Pastor Gary

It is a STARTING POINT for information as with any other teaching. However, since the salvation of the soul is at stake, the studies one does on their own to reinforce and to expand upon those teachings is of utmost importance.

You can not learn to drive a car out of a text book only. The teacher is there to start you on that procedure but additional studies behind the wheel is what will get you to your destination. In the same light, just listening to a preacher is the basic 'classroom' part of your journey. Doing your own studies of God's Original Word in the Original Languages is the way to confirm what you have been told... and with the number of false teachers out there today, your own studies are mandatory to expose the false teachings.

JoWilli

Learning to drive a car is not done by mere talk. It is done by participating in material action, something preachers do not do.

We should make up our minds about whether "studies one does on their own reinforce and expand teachings," or if "your own studies are mandatory to expose the false teachings." Or, maybe some people want it both ways.

If "your own studies are mandatory," why are all preachers satisfied to make them purely optional for their pew sitting listeners ... ?

Maybe the preachers are not strong enough to exercise their "authority?" Maybe they are just good at talking, and not good at material examples in their own lives, and not good at requiring accountability.

JoWilli.