What everyone in the world is obsessed with, God makes a distant second. He’ll give you what you need to live on if you need Him in order to live.
David Powlison

How Should The Bible Be Interpr

How Should The Bible Be Interpr

How Should The Bible Be Interpreted?

The following is provided by The Bible Study Center of Irvine, Kentucky as a thought starter from one of over 2200 in-depth Bible Studies we have available. If you would like more Info, write to us at P.O. Box 1, Irvine, Kentucky 40336 or call our computer bulletin board at (606) 744-6079 OR (606) 723-3333 to download files of ascii text Bible Studies which you can use with any type of computer. Most of the Bible studies on the BBS get into much deeper areas of the scriptures including many aspects of REVELATION and prophecy for today covered in deep detail. If you like more depth to your studies than most people are used to getting, give the board a try. YOU WILL NEVER BE ASKED FOR DONATIONS, ETC. We offer NO OBLIGATION Bible Studies WITHOUT anyone pestering you for money or anything else. Our studies will only interest SERIOUS Bible students and will DOWNRIGHT BORE anyone else. Over 2200 studies available; 300/1200/2400/9600/14400 baud (v.32/v,32bis/HST/v.42bis) 24 hours a day. This study may be freely posted on other bbs’ and distributed to others provided this leader remains with the study text at all times.

Our purpose in this study is to let the Bible itself answer the question; “HOW SHOULD THE BIBLE BE INTERPRETED, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE TRUTH?

In Genesis 3, we read the first message ever to be preached by anyone other than God Himself. In verse 4, the serpent says “Ye shall not surely die”! THE SERPENT TOLD THE TRUTH IF YOU INTERPRET HIS MESSAGE IN A LITERAL AND PHYSICAL MANNER. HOWEVER, IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT GOD SPOKE TO BE SPIRITUAL IN THEIR REFERENCE, THEN GOD TOLD THE TRUTH AND THE SERPENT LIED. In other words, THERE ARE TWO MAJOR methods, that are used to interpret the Bible. The “literalist” says the Bible is to be read in strictly a literal manner, just as you would read a newspaper or most other books. The other method is to interpret the Bible in a “spiritual” or symbolic manner. Although there certainly are texts of scripture that indicate within their contexts that they have only a literal meaning, to limit the entire Bible to a strictly LITERAL interpretation is to limit the amount of revelation that one can obtain from the scriptures.

Let’s notice something carefully! The serpent was a “literalist”. God had said in Gen. 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” The serpent may very well have eaten from that forbidden tree in the past and therefore knew that he did not die (literally and physically). Whatever the source of his reasoning, he seemingly knew that death (in the flesh) would not come to Eve as a result of eating the fruit. Yet, even though the serpent was right in a LITERAL sense, Adam and Eve DID die SPIRITUALLY in the day that they ate of the forbidden fruit. Listening to a strictly LITERAL interpretation of the Word of God got them and all of us into alot of trouble.

Since the days of Adam and Eve, even the devil himself (Beelzebub) has demonstrated that he uses a literalist approach in his preaching. If we study Jesus’ temptation in Matthew 4:1-11 for example, the devil’s message was about literal bread, while Jesus’ concern was spiritual bread. He told Jesus, that He should cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, because God had promised to prevent Jesus from being harmed. Our Savior realized, that the scripture the devil used, referred to spiritual protection, so he rebuked the devil by putting the word of God on him. Even the last temptation was an attempt to interest Jesus in literal kingdoms, rather than the spiritual kingdom Jesus was setting up!

From our study thus far, it would appear that the devil is a literalist preacher. That should not surprise us. Paul taught in II Corinthians 3:6 that “the letter (ie: the Greek word for letter means literal) killeth, but the spirit (ie: spiritual) giveth life.” The entire context is basically a study of the TRUE METHOD of interpreting and ministering the word of God. This passage is not the only teaching that Paul gives us on this subject. In I Corinthians 2:6-7, he contrasts two different types of wisdom.

  1. The wisdom of this world.
  2. The wisdom of God. Paul gives us a great deal of help in these verses. We know that the world’s wisdom is LITERAL, PHYSICAL understanding of things. Paul tells us that the world’s type of wisdom (literal) will come to nothing. However, he shows us that there is a “hidden”, or “mystery” wisdom that is of God. If it is hidden or concealed, then it has to be disguised in symbolism. Multitudes of people are constantly trying to figure out God’s symbolism, but there is only one way. GOD MUST REVEAL IT TO US!! He does that by actually hiding the keys to understanding the Bible in the Bible itself. The only way to prevent us from being deceived by wrong interpretations is to allow the Bible to interpret itself.

The “keys” have been hidden so as to only allow the “Family of God” to have access to them. That way, only saved people have the means of fully understanding the DEEP TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD (I Cor. 2:9-10). This is what Paul was showing us in I Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” We can understand who the “natural Man” is, when we realize the Greek word translated “natural”, is the same word as is translated “sensual” in Jude 19 “These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” It is obvious from both contexts, that the “natural man” is a LOST PERSON. Friend, we need to face facts. The LOST PERSON can receive or understand the Bible if it is to be taken literally (ie: for only what it means on the surface). In fact, the interpretation that the lost consider foolish, is the way the Bible interprets itself.

Paul hits another “home run” for spiritual interpretation in I Corinthians 2:13 “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” In other words, man’s wisdom didn’t determine the words Paul used when he preached. Let’s face facts; to communicate with words in a literal manner, man’s wisdom is all that is needed. However, Paul did not communicate with just literal meanings of words. He also spoke often in a symbolic manner. Let’s look briefly at a few of the passages where Paul used spiritual symbolism in his letters. In I Corinthians 3:2, Paul said, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” That of course is a very simple spiritual symbolism. As we all can quite readily see from the context, Paul had to preach very simple messages at Corinth and he had to hold back the more complex truths. You will not find any deep spiritual “meat” in Paul’s letters to the ” church of God at Corinth.”

If we were to take time to carefully examine the spiritual “milk”, or simple symbolism in Paul’s letters to the Corinthian saints, we would learn the following:

  1. Preaching is symbolized by planting and watering (I Cor. 3:6-8).
  2. The CHURCH is a spiritual building; a temple (I Cor. 3:10-17)
  3. A spiritual building can go through the test of spiritual fire; which comes through the preaching of God’s word (I Cor. 3:13-15); see also Jer. 5:14; Ps. 104:4
  4. Christians are spiritual KINGS that reign over Satan and over their flesh. (I Cor. 4:8); see also Rev. 1:6
  5. Leaven is a symbol of malice and wickedness. Unleavened bread is a symbol of TRUTH. (I Cor. 5:6-8) see also John 6:24-64.
  6. The passover lamb is a symbol of Jesus as our sacrifice. (I Cor. 5:7) see also I Peter 1:19.
  7. A true church is spiritually the BODY OF CHRIST. (I Cor. 6:15 and 12:27).
  8. Oxen are symbols of God called and sent preachers. (I Cor. 9:9-10).
  9. A crown is a symbol of victory in the Christian race. (I Cor. 9:25)
  10. The rock from which the children of Israel obtained water was a symbol of Christ. (I Cor. 10:4)
  11. The spiritual meat or manna was a type of Christ as the word of God. (I Cor. 10:3; John 6:31-63).
  12. The children of Israel were a spiritual, symbolic picture of Christian people. (I Cor. 10:1-11; Rom. 2:28-29; Gal. 3:16 & 29).
  13. A physical body and its various parts portrays a spiritual picture of the church. (I Cor. 12:12-27).
  14. A “glass” or mirror is a symbol of the word of God. (I Cor. 13:12) see also James 1:22-24.
  15. A trumpet represents the sounding forth of the word of God. (I Cor. 14:8) see also Rev. 1:10 & 4:1; Ezek. 33:1-7.
  16. Adam was a type or symbol of Jesus Christ. (I Cor. 15:45-47) see also Rom. 5:14.

We could actually cover quite a few more that we skipped in I Corinthians, and we could gain many more symbols from Paul’s other writings. However, this should be sufficient to show that even when the word of God is sent to carnal “babes” (another symbol, I Cor. 3:1), it still is sprinkled with much spiritual symbolism.

We need to always keep in mind that God’s symbolism is consistent. Though some symbols may portray a dual meaning, they will always represent the same things wherever they are found. As you study the historical events described in the Bible (which have not always happened literally), keep in mind that each one is a spiritual “type” or picture that we can interpret by means of the Bible’s consistent symbolism, and they will teach us wonderful spiritual truth (ie: they’ll no longer be mysteries to us).

Another aspect of simple symbolism is the way the Bible uses so many things to spiritually typify Christ. Just a few of the many are as follows. “Door”–John 10:9 “Vine”–John 15:1 “Good Shepherd”–John 10:11 “Lamb”–John 1:29 & I Peter 1:19 “Cornerstone”–I Peter 2:6 & 7; Eph. 2:15-22 “Bread”–John 6:26-66 “Rock”–I Corinthians 10:4 “Temple”–John 2:19-21 “Kingly Lion”–Revelation 5:5 (which is contrasted with Satan as a devouring lion – I Peter 5:8) “The Word of God”–John 1 & Rev. 19:11-16 “Altar”–Hebrews 13:10 “Way”–John 14:6 “Truth”–John 14:6 “Life”–John 14:6 “Water”–John 7:37 “Resurrection”–John 11:25 “Light”–John 12:35 & 46 “Sun”–Malachi 4:2 & Matthew 13:6 & 21 “Bridegroom”–John 3:29 “Hart”–Song of Solomon 2:9 “King”–Revelation 19:16 “High Priest”–Heb. 7:17-26 & 4:14-15 “Prophet”–Matthew 13:57 & Acts 3:22 “Branch”–Zechariah 3:8 & 4:12 “Brazen Serpent”–John 3:14-15 “Judge”–Acts 10:42 “Star”–Rev. 22:16 “Myrrh”–Song of Solomon 1:13 “Fountain”–Jer. 2:13 & Zech. 13:1 “Eagle”–Deut. 32:11-12; Exodus 19:4 “Rose of Sharon”–Song of Solomon 2:1 “Refining Fire”–Malachi 3:2-3 “Fuller’s Soap”–Malachi 3:2-3 “Advocate”–I John 2:1 “Counsellor”–Isaiah 9:6 “Foundation”–I Cor. 3:11; Isa. 28:16 “Heir”–Heb. 1:2 “Witness”–Rev. 3:14: Rev. 1:5 “Root”–Rev. 22:16 “Lily of The Valley”–Song of Solomon 2:1 “Man of War”–Exodus 15:3 “Tower”–Psalms 18:2; Proverbs 18:10 “Refuge”–Hebrews 6:18; Psalms 46:1

Surely we could continue on and on giving symbols used to represent Jesus. However, these should at least give us a glimpse of spiritual symbolism. Jesus is not LITERALLY these various things. Think, for example, of the difficulties of being both fire and water, or both shepherd and lamb. Surely the words of Paul in Colossians 3:11 describe our Lord well. CHRIST IS ALL!!!

Someone might ask, “Why would God want to conceal the true spiritual meaning of His word and only allow saved people to understand it? To answer that, let me ask the reader a question. Do husbands and wives want everything they have to say to one another to be heard by everyone? Do families sometimes talk over things amongst themselves that they would rather not discuss among strangers? Remember, God’s church is the BRIDE of Christ and the FAMILY of God. Therefore, the word of God only yields its true meaning to TRUE SPIRIT BORN CHRISTIANS!! They are the ones who will be THRILLED by the word of God. Just picture a wife who genuinely and wholeheartedly loves her husband. If he speaks, she LOVES to hear him express his will since she wants so much to please him. His word is precious to her. That’s the way that saved people react to the word of God. It is the manifestation of Jesus Christ, our beloved (spiritual) husband.

In Matthew 13:10-17, Jesus was teaching on these very lines. The disciples asked him why he taught in parables. He explained that it was because he wanted some (His true people) to understand, while the same message would confound and confuse others (the unsaved). A parable is a means of speaking in symbolism. Though the Bible is historically true, God has chosen certain portions of history to be recorded, and has caused them to be written down in a way that forms parables or spiritual pictures. The Bible is not given to be a history book alone. Those stories convey spiritual symbolism for us today. As we have already noted, we must let the Bible provide us with the keys to the symbols, if we are to interpret the scripture correctly.

Let’s notice a few passages of scripture, and see what they would teach if they were taken at literal, face value:

  1. Talking stones and boards. (Hab. 2:11)
  2. Trees clapping their hands. (Isa. 55:12)
  3. Trumpets talking. (Rev. 1:10 & 4:1)
  4. One third of the stars in the sky are cast down on the earth, yet the earth is not destroyed. (Rev. 12:4)
  5. The earth has a mouth that can open and drink a flood. (Rev. 12:16) 6.Jesus carries His sword in His mouth. (Rev. 1:16 & 19:15)
  6. Grape juice up to the horse’s bridles in a space about 200 miles long. (Rev. 14:18-20)
  7. A city built on this planet that is 1500 miles long, 1500 miles wide, and 1500 miles high. (Rev. 21:16) The earth is only about 8000 miles in diameter.
  8. Saved people are beasts that look like LIONS, CALVES, MEN, and EAGLES; they have six wings, and never sleep. (Rev. 4:7 & 8 and 5:8-10)
  9. Jesus is a gold dealer and a clothing salesman. (Rev. 3:18)
  10. Clouds with no water in them are actually false prophets. (Jude 12)
  11. Wells that are dry are actually false prophets (II Peter 2:17)
  12. If you believe in Jesus, you really DO NOT believe in him. (John 12:44)
  13. Jesus does not save people; He saves sheep. (John 10:26-28)
  14. True believers can be identified by a strange stomach condition. (John 7:38)
  15. We receive eternal life by practicing cannibalism. (John 6:53-57)
  16. If the Bible is only literal, it teaches reincarnation. (Mal. 4:5)
  17. The SEA gets converted. (Isa. 60:5)
  18. Trees are righteous. (Isa. 61:3)
  19. Everyone must move to one part of the earth for the literal sun to shine on them, because it will never set, and the moon will remain in one place also. (Isa. 60:20)

Naturally, we realize that all of those passages are spiritually symbolic. However, you can see from these few examples how that people come up with some very strange teachings.

Typical examples of a lost person misunderstanding the word of God, are given in John 3 and 4. In John 3, Nicodemus thinks that being “born again” is a literal, fleshly birth (verse 4), and in John 4, when Jesus offers the Samaritan woman the water of life, she thinks He means literal water (verse 15). These are simple, historical passages, which God saw fit to include in the Bible to help us easily see His word is symbolic.

Another scripture that can help us to know how to interpret the Bible, can be found in Luke 24:27, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” If we give this situation a little careful thought, we can readily see that it says alot more than might first meet the eye. Jesus is teaching about himself, from ALL of the scriptures which people commonly call the Old Testament (Actually the Old Testament was a certain will or covenant God made, and not a particular part of the Bible). Our scripture here especially emphasizes the writings of Moses (ie: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), and those of the prophets. When Jesus explained what those scriptures meant (as pertaining to himself), HE WAS NOT JUST TEACHING FROM PASSAGES THAT WERE OBVIOUS REFERENCES TO CHRIST! He was revealing hidden truth; opening up the “door”, that would allow the two disciples to understand the spiritual symbolism. The disciples worded it this way in Luke 24:32, “And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” If we also notice Luke 24:44, Jesus tells us again that there is alot of teaching about him (AND HE IS FULFILLING ALL OF IT SPIRITUALLY TODAY!!! Examine contexts of passages referring to Jesus literally.), in the writings of the prophets. This lets us know that we have a vast amount of scripture to study in those passages if we are to have the scriptures “opened” to us, so we can see the hidden spiritual truths that teach us SO MUCH MORE ABOUT JESUS. There is alot more truth about Jesus in Moses’ writings than what you can find in the four gospels. In fact, EVERY “STORY” in the “Old Testament” (which includes the four gospels – Hebrews 9:16-17), has a HIDDEN SPIRITUAL MEANING. Some passages contain much deeper symbolism than others. The only way to definitely know the true meanings of any “types” in the Bible is to learn the meanings of each of the “key” symbols. Then the Holy Spirit will help you to grasp the true significance of the overall story.

Many people mostly ignore what they call the “Old Testament” (Genesis through Malachi) when it comes to teaching church doctrine today. However, Romans 15:4 says: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

The Greek word translated “learning”, is generally translated “doctrine” in the Bible. Paul is referring back to the scriptures that were written during the Old Covenant (Old Testament). Peter tells us these scriptures were inspired by the Holy Ghost.

II Peter 1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Since the (so-called) Old Testament was inspired by the Holy Spirit, God was able to convey the historical events in such a manner as to portray spiritual truth in a hidden or disguised form. That way, the lost people would be kept from knowing the “secrets” that God only wanted to reveal to His family. Just think, if your family were scattered in different parts of the world and you were going to try to communicate private family information to them (ie: by way of some internationally circulated publication), wouldn’t you want to disguise the message in some way so that only your family would understand? That is the way God wanted it. He does not want to “feed” his spiritual food to the whole world. He wants to “FEED” his family (Acts 20:28, John 6:53-63, and Jer. 3:15).

II Timothy 3:15, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” verse 16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

Paul has given us a “key” in this passage, as to WHICH SCRIPTURES he is especially referring. He was writing to Timothy, who was a grown man and a preacher of the gospel. When Timothy was a child not very many of the (so-called) “New Testament” scriptures had been written. That means that Timothy had (mostly) been taught from Genesis to Malachi. Paul certainly included these then when he said “ALL SCRIPTURE” is profitable for “DOCTRINE”.

We want to stress one more time that if (for example) Genesis is mostly history and does not (as we have taught) have a much deeper SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE, then God really wasted alot of space in the Bible and gave us more history than doctrine. Since John 21:25 tells us that if everything that Jesus did were written down the world could not contain all the books, we must realize that the Lord was very selective in choosing what He would put in our Bible. EVERY STORY has a hidden, spiritual meaning that will convey to us spiritual LIGHT, if we will only be willing to receive it and LIVE BY IT.

Many people listen to doctrines preached week after week, without stopping to check the Bible to see if they are being taught false doctrine. We would like to challenge the reader to carefully compare the thoughts on the following pages with the scriptures that are given, to determine whether or not you are being taught the truth. Friend, we do not have to be afraid to search the scriptures. If we really love the Lord, we want to be certain that we are “feeding” on His word, and not the words of men. TRUTH WILL STAND! We do not have to worry about truth being taken from us if we will carefully search out ALL the scripture on the subject. The following brief thoughts and accompanying scriptures ARE BY NO MEANS COMPLETE STUDIES OF THE VARIOUS SUBJECTS! They are intended only to give the reader some seed thoughts on these various subjects, to challenge our thinking, and to enable us to study and see if perhaps we may be wrong in some of our beliefs. We realize there are scriptures that seem to teach contrary to these we list. We only want to inspire the reader to study these subjects.

Many people are taught, that at the end of time, the EARTH AND THE UNIVERSE WILL BE ANNIHILATED. We realize that II Peter the third chapter seems to teach this (at first glance), but that comes as a result of the terminology used in the translating. Have you ever considered these passages?

Psalms 104:5, “Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.”

Psalms 72:17, “His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.”

Ecclesiastes 1:4, “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.”

Psalms 78:69, “And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.”

Psalms 89:37, “It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.”

Psalms 102:26, “They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:”

The reader should make a study of the word “perish”. Food that has perished is not annihilated; it is spoiled. The word refers to the corrupting of the earth, and the fact that the Lord will have to “change” it at the end of time. We realize that there are spiritual lessons in these passages that are much more important.

Most people are being taught that the LITERAL JEWS ARE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE. This is because they do not understand the true manner of Bible interpretation. They do not realize that God used the LITERAL events of the Old Testament to portray SPIRITUAL lessons for the people of God today (I Cor. 10:1-11). God made some promises to Abraham and his seed. Who are Abraham’s seed? Have you considered these passages?

Galations 3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” verse 26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” verse 27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” verse 28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” verse 29, “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Romans 2:28, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:” verse 29, “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” Romans 9:4, “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises:(?)” verse 6, “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:” verse 7,”Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” verse 8, “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

(A careful study of this last passage will reveal that either Paul contradicts himself in this passage, or else verse 4 is asking questions that he goes on to answer. In any case, verses 6 to 8 should be studied in the light of what Paul teaches in Romans 2:28-29, as these verses are written earlier in the same letter.)

Many people are being taught, that SOON THERE WILL BE A WAR THAT WILL BE SO TERRIBLE, THAT MEN’S BLOOD WILL FLOW “UP TO THE HORSE’S BRIDLES.” This is an interpretation of Revelation 14:20. Have you considered the context of that verse? Revelation 14:18-19 show that if taken LITERALLY, these verses are talking about GRAPE JUICE up to the horse’s bridles. However, we must stress that NONE of these verses are meant to be taken LITERALLY. Certainly if they were, then it would be speaking of LITERAL HORSES, AND LITERAL GRAPE JUICE. Instead, the Lord is revealing to His people (TRUE CHRISTIANS), that there is not only a TRUE VINE (John 15:1- 7), WHICH IS THE VINE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, but there is also a “VINE OF THE EARTH”. Jesus and his church are the “true vine”, so the vine of the earth would picture the EARTHLY or FALSE CHURCH SYSTEM which is to face the wrath of God.

Many people are being taught that GOD LOVES EVERYBODY. We realize that John 3:16 SEEMS to teach this doctrine. Naturally, everyone is familiar with that verse. However, have you considered these verses?

Psalms 5:5, “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.”

Psalms 11:5, “The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”

John 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Malachi 1:2, “I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob,” verse 3,”And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.”

John 15:10, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”

(compare Hebrews 12:6-8 with Proverbs 13:24.)

Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” verse 7, “If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” verse 8, “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”

Proverbs 13:24, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”

In other words, if God loves you, He chastises you. If He does not HE HATES YOU.

Most people are being taught the GOOD FRIDAY MYTH. That is, that Jesus was crucified on Friday, and rose on Sunday. Many people even say they do not see what difference it makes. Matthew 12:39, “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:” verse 40, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” This means that IF JESUS DID DIE ON FRIDAY AND ROSE ON SUNDAY, HE IS A FRAUD! Even if you do not figure time in the manner that the Jews did, and even if you count all parts of days, you can not get more than two nights from Friday to Sunday. You will probably be surprised what a careful study of the Bible will reveal.

Many people are taught that you receive the Holy Spirit SOME TIME LATER after being saved, IN A SECOND WORK OF GRACE. However, even though there are some passages of scripture that seem to teach such a doctrine at first glance, have you considered Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you, Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”? A carefull study of the entire chapter will reveal that a person who is “in the flesh”, IS NOT JUST A REFERENCE TO HAVING A HUMAN BODY! Instead, Paul has described such a person as being “carnally minded” (the words “flesh”, “carnal”, and “carnally” are all translated from the same Greek word in these verses). This type of person is spiritually dead (vs. 6), and is an enemy of God who is not subject to His law (vs. 7), and cannot please God (vs. 8). This is definitely a picture of a lost person. Verse 9 shows us that the only way that you are not in this condition (lost), is IF THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS IN (ie: INSIDE) YOU! He continues by saying that if the Spirit of Christ is not in us, we are not saved. Should someone object and say that the Spirit of Christ is not the Holy Ghost, please study the following verses carefully.

I Peter 1:10, “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:” verse 11, “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”

II Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

In I Peter, it tells us that the men of God in the Old Testament were inspired by the “Spirit of Christ”. II Peter tells us that they were inspired by the “Holy Ghost”. ??????????????? The Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of God are the same, “one Spirit” (Eph. 4:4).?????????????????????

Many people are taught that Elijah went to heaven (where God dwells) in a whirlwind and a chariot of fire. However, if the reader will make a careful study of the thought in John 3:13, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”, AND the reference to Elijah writing a letter in II Chronicles 21:12 (as well as the chronology of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat), you will find that God only took Elijah up into the sky, and transported him to another part of this world (ie: the letter was written several years after Elijah’s “sky-ride”).

Many people are being taught that IF YOU GET SAVED, ALL YOUR TROUBLES WILL BE OVER. However, have you considered these scriptures?

John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

II Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” verse 13, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”

Matthew 10:34, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” verse 35, “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” verse 36, “And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”

Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” verse 11, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” verse 12, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” I Peter 2:19, “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.” verse 20, “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” verse 21, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”

I Peter 3:14, “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”

I Peter 4:12, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” verse 13, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” verse 14, “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” verse 15, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” verse 16, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”

Psalms 34:19, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”

Many people are taught that an ANTICHRIST will soon rule the world. Because of this teaching, many people misuse Paul’s teaching in II Thessalonians (2:1-12). There are NO REFERENCES in the Bible to AN ANTICHRIST, but there are references to MANY ANTICHRISTS. All false religions are of the “spirit of antichrist.”

I John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” verse 19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

I John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” verse 2, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:” verse 3, “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” verse 4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” verse 5, “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.” verse 6, “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us, Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.” THIS SCRIPTURE DOES NOT TEACH THAT EVERYONE WHO SAYS THAT JESUS “CAME” IN THE FLESH IS OF GOD. However, we cover this subject in another study.

Most people today are talking exitedly about THE GREAT REVIVAL OF OUR DAY. They believe that multitudes of people are being saved. IF THIS WERE REALLY TRUE, WE ALSO WOULD GREATLY REJOICE. However, are these GENUINE EXPERIENCES? We all realize that Jesus’ greatest enemies in the days that He walked physically upon this earth (AND IN ALL AGES), have been RELIGIOUS PEOPLE. Thus, Beelzebub would rather you be a GOOD, WELL BEHAVED, RELIGIOUS PERSON, than a drunkard in the gutters, or a harlot in a house of prostitution. Paul, before his conversion would have been gladly accepted by most churches today as a pastor. However, as GOOD a person as “SAUL” (ie. Paul before conversion) was, he lived his day by day life persecuting the church of God. (Gal. 1:13) Today, Beelzebub’s desire is to turn the world to different forms of false “christianity”. They will WORK AS HARD to make “converts” as Paul did before he got saved. This will make the work of God’s TRUE PEOPLE much harder. People will find it hard to grasp GENUINE FAITH because of so many counterfeits. HOW CAN WE KNOW WHAT IS THE TRUTH? It will always be rejected by the majority, even as Jesus and his message was. Many people see Jesus speaking to the multitudes, and forget that they rejected him. Look at what happened in John 6 after Jesus preached a sermon of SPIRITUAL SYMBOLISM to the multitudes. They all forsook him, even though they had just seen him perform great miracles. The total number of genuine converts from the combined ministry of Jesus and John the Baptist were 120 (Acts 1:15–Jesus told his followers to tarry there and those who truly believed him did just that.) TRUE CHURCHES will grow rather steadily, BUT NEVER FAST. The “type” of our day in the life of Noah showed “few” saved. I Peter 3:20, “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherin few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” Other scriptures also teach the same thing.

Matthew 7:13, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” verse 14, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Matthew 20:16, “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”

Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Luke 18:8, “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? ”

False religion is taking prophesies of the EARLY CHURCH (the day of the main harvest), and applying them to our day (the time of the final gleaning; see picture in Matthew 13). Do not let your eyes and ears deceive you. Beelzebub’s counterfeits are sweeping the world today. People are talking constantly about “signs”. Jesus said that it is “evil” people who seek after signs (ie. Matt. 12:39).

Many people are being taught that if they are saved, they do not commit sin, and that anyone who commits any act of sin is of the Devil. WE WANT TO STRESS RIGHT NOW THAT GOD HATES SIN, WE HATE SIN, AND WE DO NOT TEACH THAT YOU HAVE TO SIN, OR THAT YOU WILL WANT TO SIN! However, because of the weakness of our flesh, we as Christians DO STUMBLE, and commit sin unintentionally. The Bible speaks of several instances that Paul sinned “unintentionally” after he was saved. One instance he refers to in I Corinthians (11:7 and 12:13), where he speaks of his offense (same Greek word is used over 170 times in the Bible and in EVERY other place it is translated “sin”) and of his “wrong” (same Greek word that is translated “unrighteousness” in I John 5:17, “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”). Certainly this is partly why Paul did not claim to be “perfect” in Philippians the third chapter (vs. 12). True, Paul DID say he was perfect in verse 15. However, he did not contradict himself. He used a different Greek word which meant that he was a “mature” Christian. That is also the meaning of the word “perfect”, that the Lord tells us to attain (ie. “Be ye therefore perfect…”).

I John 3:8-9 is speaking of HABITUAL SIN. He is saying that it is impossible for a Christian to sin HABITUALLY (a careful study of the context and meanings of the Greek words will prove this). However, John has already balanced his statement earlier in his letter. I John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth (Greek shows CONTINUAL action of this verb) us from all sin.” verse 8, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. and the truth is not in us.” verse 9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” verse 10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (speaking to saved people – note I Jn. 2:1, “My little children”… along with I John 2:12, 13, 18-21, 24, 28 —- John uses the same term “we” in I John 3:1-2 that he used in I John 1:7-10).

I believe the words of Job are a very good lesson for us today (DO YOU CLAIM TO LIVE MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN JOB UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES?).

Job 9:20, “If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.”

Many people today are taught that sin is a “WILFULL” transgression of the law. However, we need to notice the scripture carefully.

I John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Sin is the transgression of the law, but not necessarily a WILFULL transgression of that law. In fact, Paul made the statement in Hebrews 10:26, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,” verse 27, “But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”

Paul would not have said “if we sin wilfully”, if it were only possible to sin in a wilfull manner. The Bible definitely shows us that men and women who are saved can sin unintentionally. This type of sin is called “errors”, or “secret faults” in Psalms 19:12, “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.” Compare this to the presumptuous sins in Psalms 19:13, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” In Leviticus chapters 4 and 5, and in other chapters in the Old Testament, this type of sin is called “sins of ignorance.”

What does the Bible actually tell us that sin is? Have you considered these verses?

I John 5:17, “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.”

James 4:17, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

James 2:9, “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”

Romans 14:23b, “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
Proverbs 21:4, “An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” This verse of scripture actually describes what sin is. Sin, from the Greek word “hamartia”, means to fall short of the target: to miss the mark. Paul is saying in Romans 3:23 that “all have MISSED THE MARK, and come short of the glory of God.” Paul is seemingly picturing a target being set up before the marksmen. These marksmen are naturally trying to hit the very center of the target, yet Paul shows us that even though we strive as Christians to hit the target of the glory of God, if we fall short of that target, we sin. This is why Paul taught us in Philippians (3:14), that he was still “pressing toward the mark”, or in another words, he was still striving to hit the target of the glory of God.

Most people today are taught that SATAN WAS ONCE AN ANGEL IN HEAVEN who rebelled and was kicked out of heaven. This teaching comes as a result of literalizing certain passages of scripture that are intended for spiritual lessons. We do not have space here to go into great details, to prove that the devil was never in heaven, but have you ever considered these scriptures?

Isaiah 45:7, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.”

This passage tells us that God created “evil”, even though that some people try to take away from its real meaning by saying that the evil refers to “calamity”. We need to recognize that the Hebrew word translated evil in this passage is the same Hebrew word that is translated evil in Genesis 2:17 in reference to the tree of the knowledge of good and “evil”. This Hebrew word is always used in contrast to the word “good”. It means the opposite of “good”.

Colossians 1:16, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” verse 17, “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist,” verse 18, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” This passage shows us that everything that is in existence, whether literal or spiritual, was made by Jesus Christ. That would even include the Devil himself. Job 41 teaches us that God created a creature called “leviathan”, who is spoken of in verse 34 as a “king over all the children of pride.” Any person studying the Bible from a spiritual point of view can readily see that this chapter is a description (spiritually) of Satan. Studying other passages of scripture which refer to “leviathan” will enable the reader to understand that he definitely is used throughout the Bible as a symbol of Satan. Psalms 104:26, “There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

This speaks of “leviathan” as being “made” by the Lord. This lets us see that Satan was not created to be an angelic being, but was created to “play in the sea”. The “sea” is a symbol of wicked people (study Isa. 57:20, Rev. 17:15, Isa. 60:5 and context, Jude 13 and context). He was created as an ungodly and wicked spirit, to “play” amongst wicked people. Many people cannot understand why God would have created an adversary to His people. We must remember that without an adversary, we would have no means to have a choice whether we would serve the Lord, or serve another god.

II Corinthians 4:4, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Satan is called the “god of this world.” By setting another god, an evil god, before the world, God enabled each man to “CHOOSE” whom he would serve. Many people make the statement that it is not fair for God to create the devil to do what he is doing, and then to punish him for all eternity. These people have not studied their Bibles carefully enough. If we study, we will find that there are no scriptures that actually teach that Satan will be punished in any manner. Many people will run to the passage in Revelation 20:10, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” A careful study of the entire chapter will reveal that the devil mentioned in Rev. 20:10 is the same devil called the “dragon” which is the ” devil and satan” which is mentioned in Rev. 20:2. We must be very careful not to assume that every person or thing that is called Satan or the Devil is actually Beelzebub (ie: the evil spirit who is the “god of this world”). For example, in Matthew 16:23, Jesus called Peter, “SATAN”. In John 6:70, Jesus called Judas “a devil.” In I Timothy 3:11, Paul said a deacon’s wife must not be a “slanderer”, and used the same Greek word that is translated “devil” in Revelation chapters 12 and 20. The words “devil” and “satan” are not actually names. They are translated from descriptive Greek words which mean “false accuser” (devil) and “adversary” (satan). If this dragon in Revelation 12 and 20 is literally Beelzebub (the god of this world), then he also is literally a red monster so huge that his tail extends beyond our galaxy (Rev. 12:4), and even after he is kicked out of heaven (Rev. 12:9) he still persecutes a woman who is IN HEAVEN (Rev. 12:1 & 13). If you will study in Revelation 12, you will notice that this “dragon” is not actually Beelzebub (ie: Satan) himself, but is the PAGAN ROMAN EMPIRE (PAGANISM) that is shown to be opposing and killing God’s people. Paganism is definitely tormented in the (spiritual) lake of fire. However, Satan does not have a body, and never will. As a result, Satan will not suffer in literal flames, neither can he suffer in spiritual flames. The spiritual torment in the lake of fire is the pain of eternal seperation from the presense of God. Since Satan is not tormented by being separated from the presense of God, then he will not suffer for eternity, but rather will find that hell will be a reward for him and his demonic spirits.

Many people today are taught that LUCIFER IS BEELZEBUB, THE DEVIL. However, we need to make a careful study of Isaiah 14 in order to know the person to whom this passage refers. Have you ever considered the context of Isaiah 14:12? In Isaiah 13 the subject is the Medes coming against the nation of Babylon.

In Isaiah 14:4, the prophet says “take up this proverb against the king of Babylon.” A careful study of Isaiah 14:9- 10, will show that before the events concerning Lucifer (Isa. 14:12-17) took place, there had been other kings of many nations that had lived on this earth. This means the kings of the nations of the world would have had to have lived before the time Satan was cast out of heaven (if Lucifer were literally THE DEVIL). We need to realize that Isaiah 14 is a symbolic passage of scripture, dealing with the king of Babylon who would try to exalt himself, or lift himself up above God and His people. This king was Nebuchadnezzar, who not only took the people of Jerusalem captive and lead them away into Babylon, but who also caused the people of God to fall down before the idols of Babylon. In doing this, Nebuchadnezzar attempted to exalt his throne or his rule above that of God, and the “stars” of God (ie: the people of God; Daniel 12:3). There are many descriptions in Isaiah 14 that will show us that Nebuchadnezzar is the person being referred to as Lucifer. We need to stop and consider that chapter 13 is a reference to ancient Babylon. Then chapter 14 goes on in verse 22-23 and continues to speak of the destruction of ancient Babylon. Even though these things also convey spiritual lessons, they were prophecies concerning literal events that took place under the Old Testament covenant. Today, they ARE being fulfilled SPIRITUALLY, in the false religious system of spiritual Babylon. They have no reference whatsoever to Beelzebub as Jesus called him (that is Satan himself), but are only a picture of the system that Satan has used against the people of God.

There is much confusion in the world today on the subject of the LORD’S SUPPER. Most people feel they regularly participate in the Lord’s Supper when they eat a piece of unleavened bread, and drink some grape juice or wine. Many prople practice what they call “mass” or the “Lord’s Supper” nearly every service when they gather together in their church buildings. However, they are actually falling prey to the same gross error that caused the multitudes to forsake Jesus Christ in the first century. Though Paul did not deal with the thought in great detail, he made a statement in I Corinthians 11:29 (“For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”) that is worthy of our consideration. We need to notice that word “discerning”, realizing that it means to be able to determine or judge what is the Lord’s body. Paul was showing us that many people do not know what the real Lord’s supper is supposed to be, or what is to be fed upon in the true Lord’s Supper. We find this to be true in the religious realm today, as people constantly partake of literal food, thinking that they are feeding on the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. John 6:53, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” verse, “54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” verse 55, “For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.” verse 56, “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.”

Then Jesus went on in verse 63 to explain that the people had misunderstood his purpose or meaning.

John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

Jesus was teaching us that His WORD is the means of our feeding upon His flesh and blood. When Jesus gathered with the disciples, and participated in the passover meal (commonly called the Lord’s Supper), it was actually done for a “type” set forth during the Old Testement (which did not fully come to an end until 37 years after Jesus’ death), so that we might be able to learn the spiritual lessons for us today. Friend, the only way to eat the Lord’s Supper is to feed upon the word of God. This is why that in Acts 20:28, Paul did not say that we should take heed to feed men and women on the unleavened bread and on the grape juice. Instead, Paul did say that we should take heed to feed the church of God. That feeding is spiritual. It is the same kind of feeding mentioned in Jeremiah 3:15, “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Unless we have this kind of food week by week; unless we receive the word of God regularly, we will die spiritually, and be without hope for all eternity.

Many people today are being taught what is commonly called a RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH (I am not talking about the thought of resurrection in general). This teaching tells us that there will be a time when the Lord will resurrect all who are saved, and those who are saved and living at that time, and those who have been resurrected, will be taken to be with the Lord, while the wicked are left here upon the earth. This teaching is totally contrary to the word of God, and is commonly taken from the passage in Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

This passage in Revelation 20:4 speaks of a thousand year reign, but it also describes the people that take part in this thousand year reign. They are spoken of as “SOULS” that were “BEHEADED” for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. A careful study will show us that those who are reigning with Christ during this time (described in Rev. 20:4), are slain or martyred for the cause of Christ. Certainly this is not the picture that is being painted by the religious world today, of that which is commonly called the rapture. Does the Bible really teach that the saved will be taken from this world while the lost are left here for a period of tribulation? In Paul’s writings in the book of Acts, he described one general resurrection for both the saved and the lost. Acts 24:15b, “…that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”

Jesus taught in John 5:28-29 that ALL that are in the graves (saved and lost) will resurrect at the same hour. John 6:39, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”

Jesus speaks of the saved persons being raised up in the LAST DAY. He reemphasizes the fact in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 6:54, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

He once again stresses the LAST DAY. If Jesus is to resurrect saved people in the LAST DAY, then there will be NO days left for the lost to dwell upon the earth.

Various churches that stress EMOTIONALISM cause people to feel that to be excited or in a state of tears or ecstasy in the flesh is a tremendous religious experience. Some people even go so far as to feel they are more spiritual when they experience some form of unusual fleshly feeling. We need to always remind ourself that there are not any scriptures showing us that Jesus acted in such a manner. There are no scriptures that describe Jesus going through the experiences of fleshly emotionalism that are so prevalent in modern day religion.

Acts 17:24, “God that made the world and all things therin, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;” verse 25, “Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;”

We would like to draw your attention to verse 25 where Paul said that God is not “worshipped with men’s hands.” We realize that we use our hands in different ways to serve God, and we can raise our hands in testimony of the goodness of God as we sing in the church services. However, we do this for the purpose of giving forth our testimony to our fellow saints. The raising of our hands has NOTHING to do with the worship of God, neither do ANY activities of our flesh. God is worshipped in “SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH” (Jn.4), and our flesh has little to do with it. We realize that many times in striving to demonstrate humility in worship, we may get down on our knees or fall upon our faces to pray or worship God, but that is not what gives God worship. We could get on our knees and STILL FAIL TO WORSHIP IN OUR HEART. If that were the form of worship, then lost people would be able to worship God because they could go through the bodily motions or fall down upon their knees. However, the Bible shows us that ONLY SAVED people can truly worship God, and God is not worshipped with men’s hands or men’s flesh. This means that these ecstatic emotional experiences in the flesh are a means of possible deception brought about as a work of the devil. For this reason, we must be ever so careful that we are not mislead and deceived by the emotional religions of these last days.

Many people are taught that salvation automatically makes you a part the church. This teaching has been handed down through the last several generations, and comes as a misunderstanding of Acts 2:47. Actually, if everyone who is saved is a part of the church of God, then that would mean that they were the church of God wherever they went to church, and this would take away the need to call God’s people out of Babylon (i.e. FALSE religion). Actually the word church in the Greek language comes from a word which means gathering or assembling together. The church of God is the gathering of God’s people. To be a part of the church of God, one must gather with God’s people. One must faithfully come to the services that they might be able to be fed upon the the word of God. Someone might ask, “what does Acts 2:47 mean if it doesn’t teach that God automatically adds people who get saved to the Church?” In answer to that question we must remember that when Acts 2:47 took place, SPIRITUAL BABYLON did not exist. In fact, Christianity had not yet begun to apostatize, so there was NO FALSE Christianity at that time. As a result, when anyone got truly saved, they joined themselves to God’s true people, and became a part of “the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood” as described in Acts 20:28.

For this reason, it could truly be said that “the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved”, because every time that a person was saved they became a part of the assembly of God’s TRUE people. However, in our day and time there are many deceptions and counterfeits. As a result, some people get genuinely saved and then find themselves deceived, and falling prey to false forms of religion. They do not become a part of God’s church. They need to “come out” of Babylon (Rev. 18:4).

Many people today are taught that THE PLAN OF SALVATION is described in Acts 2:38. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

If people would make a careful study of this passage of scripture and its context, they would find that Peter was addressing the message to the “house of Israel”, or the literal Jews who were gathered on the day of Pentecost. These men are described in Acts 2:5, where it tells us that they were “Jews, devout men” who had gathered there in Jerusalem out of every nation under heaven to worship God. Many of these men were saved under the Old Covenant experience of salvation. They had all the experience of salvation they could possibly have until the time they could come to realize that Jesus Christ was truly the son of God and that He had fulfilled the role of the Messiah, bringing the means of redemption for their sins. This is why Peter told them in Acts 2:38 to “repent and be baptised” in the name of Jesus Christ. They needed to repent of the fact that they had rejected Christ, even though they had thought they were doing right. They thought he was an imposter since they felt that the one that was the Messiah would come and set up a literal kingdom. Since Jesus came and set up a spiritual kingdom and refused to be their literal king, they rejected him as the Messiah. Peter made very clear that his message was addressed strictly to literal Jews (the men of Israel). In Acts 2:22, he spoke of the “men of Israel” being the ones who should hear his words. In Acts 2:36, he addressed his message to the “HOUSE OF ISRAEL.” When they were convicted by his sermon they asked Peter and the apostles, “Men and brethren what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) They spoke desiring to know what they should do because they had rejected their Messiah and crucified him. Peter told them they needed to “repent and be baptised” in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (or in other words, they would receive New Testament salvation).

The real passage of scripture tht describes how to be saved (for us as Gentiles today) is in Acts 16:30-31. The jailer of the prison where Paul and Silas were held captive at Philippi asks the question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:31 says, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” Paul let us know that in order to be saved, we must have genuine faith to believe in, or in other words, to RECEIVE Jesus. In fact, in John 1:12 he said; “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” This shows us that receiving Jesus, and believing in Jesus are one and the same. This is why, in Acts 16:31, we are told to believe on (ie: receive), the Lord Jesus Christ. We might consider briefly the question that is often asked; “How can one who is spiritually dead manage to believe in or receive the Lord Jesus Christ”? Ephesians 2:8 says that we are saved by “grace” through “FAITH”. Romans 10:13-17 teaches that “Faith comes by HEARING (not reading) the WORD OF GOD” when it is preached. This implies that salvation comes through the WORD OF GOD. James 1:18 testifies to this truth by stating that true Christians are “begotten” by GOD through the “WORD of truth”. This means that we are conceived spiritually through the WORD OF GOD.

Peter also taught the same in 1 Peter 1:18-25. Verse 23 says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever “. Although the translaters have rendered the Greek language to refer here to the BIRTH process (“born again”), it is obvious that Peter was referring to the conception process or in other words, the initial GIVING of LIFE. This can be seen by his mention of the “seed”. Seed has to do with the fathers part in bringing forth life which is conception and certainly not birth.

We have heard from Paul, James, and Peter as to how we can be saved. Now let us listen to what John has to say when he speaks to us the very words of Jesus on this matter. John 6:53, 54, and 63, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. ” ” It is the spirit that quickeneth (giveth life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. ”

All of these texts teach us the very same thing as many other scriptures and types. We must spiritually FEED on the word of God if we are to have spiritual life and be children of God.

Many people teach that it is entirely wrong for a church to speak against another church. They use the scripture in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” They take that passage out of its context, and teach that it is actually WRONG TO JUDGE in any situation as a child of God. However, let’s notice the context of the scripture they use.

Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. verse 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” This passage of scripture shows us how to know who are false preachers. However, we cannot beware of false preachers if we have no means to judge or discern who false preachers are. The scripture tells us that they wear sheep’s clothing. This means that they have the appearance of being sheep (ie: true Christians). Jesus lets us know that on the “outside” (of their lives), they appear to be genuine children of God. However, he says that their inward condition is terrible. It is like a “ravening wolf” and extremely dangerous. We MUST JUDGE to determine whether or not a preacher is false or whether he is a true man of God.

Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” verse 22, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” verse 23, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

In these passages, Jesus shows us that false preachers will be very busy in the work of the Lord. They will be preaching in the name of the Lord. They will be working miracles in the name of the Lord. However, when the time comes that they are judged, they and their fellows will hear the words, “I never knew you.” Friend, how sad it is if we have no means of judging to determine who is false and what is true when it comes to the work of God. Paul said in I Corinthians 6:1 “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?” verse 2, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” Paul is showing us in this passage of scripture that the saints of God should be able to judge one amongst another to determine who is right and who is wrong in the church. This is definitely necessary to be able to carry on the true work of God.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1 were “Judge not that ye be not judged.” He went on to show us His real teaching was that we should not judge someone else when we ourselves might be as guilty or even more guilty than they are whom we judge. We need to remember this whenever we have to make a judgement and take care that we are longsuffering, and that all judgements that we make are from a heart of love and genuine concern for God’s people (1 Peter 4:8).

Most false doctrines that are being taught today are believed by people because they do not understand the KINGDOM OF GOD. Many people believe that there is a difference between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. It is quite easy to prove the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are one and the same. There is one kingdom, and as John tells us in Revelation, he was in the kingdom when he wrote Revelation. (Rev. 1:9).

Paul tells us in Colossians 1:13 that he had been translated into the kingdom of God’s dear son. Many people might believe that the kingdom of God and the kingdom that Jesus established are different kingdoms. However, the Bible shows us that they are one and the same. Study and compare the accounts that are described in the gospels and you will find that in the very same events (as described by different writers) the terms “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” are used interchangeably. The writers of the gospels had come to realize that the kingdom was spiritual and that there was only one kingdom referred to by several different titles.

Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom. This was not understood by the mobs in the time of Christ. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem upon the colt, the crowds gathered around and hailed him the “king of the Jews.” Jesus did not come to be a literal king. He came to set up a spiritual kingdom, and because his desire was in the spiritual realm the people rejected him. If Jesus had been willing to be a physical and literal king and to overthrow the Roman government, then the Jewish people would not have crucified him. The sad situation is that in our day and time most men and women still believe in a coming literal kingdom. As a result, if Jesus were to come today most people would reject him as being false because they would be looking for a LITERAL KINGDOM and the opportunity to possess great wealth in the material and physical realm. Jesus’ teaching will always enable us to learn to put aside the things of the material world and to strive towards the things of the spiritual realm which will last through all eternity. Jesus definitely succeeded in his mission when he came to this earth. He DID establish his kingdom. Today, if you are saved you are in the kingdom of God. If you have received Jesus Christ as your King, you are a part of that kingdom. There will never be a literal kingdom of God upon this earth. Definitely, God is striving to awaken men and women to the truth that either they get in the kingdom now, or they will never get into the kingdom of God.

Luke 17:20, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:” verse 21, “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”

If men and women could just understand this simple truth; the kingdom of God comes as the result of the King (Jesus Christ) reigning in the hearts and lives of his people (through the Holy Spirit/ Word of God).

Most people today believe in what is commonly called the TRINITY doctrine. However, most people are confused as to the meaning of the trinity, and whether or not there are actually three separate Gods or whether there is one being manifested in three different ways. If we study the Bible carefully we find that Jesus gave us some important teaching on these lines in John 17:20-23. Jesus prayed in verse 21 that we might be one even as he and the Father are one. Now we realize that we as Christians are not just one individual. We as Christians are many individuals, yet there is a oneness, or a unity that is what Jesus was referring to. He was speaking of the unity of the faith and the unity of the Spirit. Jesus was not in any manner teaching that He and the Father are one individual or one person. Rather, he was teaching that he and the Father are one in SPIRIT and in TRUTH.

Isaiah 44:6, “Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

There are many passages such as this in the scripture that speak of God as one God, and yet the context shows that He is actually speaking of two beings. This describes the Lord the King of Israel, AND His Redeemer the Lord of Hosts. This passage pictures two beings; Jesus Christ (before he gave up his position as God to be our savior; for more information please contact us) and God the Father. Many other passages of scripture throughout the Bible also describe two distinct beings as God.

Many people today feel that they are fulfilling the word of God by literally practicing feetwashing in the manner they feel is illustrated in John 13. We do need to realize that every literal event taking place in the scriptures up to the time of Jesus’ death is in the Old Covenant. These historical events illustrate to us spiritual lessons as we have mentioned already in this booklet. Certainly there are some passages of scripture in John 13 that give us keys to a proper understanding of what Jesus was trying to portray. If you would like further information we would be glad to send you a booklet on “Spiritual Feetwashing.” If you are not certain whether this passage is teaching literal or spiritual feetwashing, then we would like to draw your attention to John 13:7, “Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” Certainly Peter was able to realize what Jesus was doing in a literal or fleshly sense. Even if Jesus had desired to illustrate humility to his disciples he still would have been able to explain to them his purpose. Humility was a subject of the Old Testament scriptures, and certainly could have been comprehended by those who followed Christ. However, Jesus was illustrating a lesson that they were not capable of knowing at that time, and yet would be able to understand at a later time. Jesus actually was illustrating the lesson that Paul taught in Galatians 6:1, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

There is certainly a much greater lesson in John 13 than just a teaching of practicing feetwashing with pans of water and towels. Even the fact that Jesus removed his clothes was an important part of the lesson in the spiritual sense.

Most people today seem to believe that SALVATION comes by praying, and asking God’s forgiveness for one’s sins. Most evangelists and preachers ask lost people to pray after them repeating the words so that these individuals might be saved. However, the Bible makes some very plain statements about the fact that God WILL NOT hear the prayer of a lost person. Many times in preaching, ministers will make the statement that God will not hear a lost person’s prayer except the prayer of repentance. However, this also is an unscriptural teaching. The Bible fact is, GOD DOES NOT HEAR ANY LOST PERSON’S PRAYER!!! The only means of salvation is receiving Jesus Christ (as we mentioned earlier), that we might be able to approach God and ask His forgiveness. Jesus Christ becomes our intercessor or mediator to enable us to approach the throne of grace as Paul teaches us in Hebrews 4:14-16.

Let us look at some of the scriptures that show us that God will not listen to a lost person’s prayer:

Psalms 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”

Proverbs 28:9, “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”

Proverbs 15:29, “The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.”

I Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Micah 3:4, “Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.”

Isaiah 1:15, “And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.”

John 9:31, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” (Note that Jesus did not correct them on this)

Proverbs 1:24, “Because I have called, and ye refused: I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;” verse 25, “But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:” verse 26, “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;” verse 27, “When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.” verse 28, “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:” verse 29, “For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:” verse 30, “They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.” verse 31, “Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with with their own devices.”

Paul teaches us in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” However, he is not teaching salvation by prayer. Paul tells us that it is impossible to call on the name of the Lord, until one has first BELIEVED. This shows us that the means of salvation comes through believing so that a person might be enabled to call upon the Lord. Paul tells us they cannot believe unless they have heard and they cannot hear without a preacher that is truly sent be God to bring forth the word of truth.

Many people use I John 1:9 to teach people how to be saved. They stress that confession of sins is the means of salvation. However, in I John 1:9 the writer is speaking to Christian people who have stumbled in their Christian walk (see previous part of this booklet). John is not referring to the means of salvation, but rather to a privilege that we enjoy in salvation. Paul perhaps worded it best in Hebrews 4:14, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” verse 15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” verse 16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Certainly this is the manner of calling upon God’s forgiveness, and it is reserved for those who have Jesus Christ as their High Priest. This is definitely not a passage of scripture teaching us how to be saved.

There are hundreds of other subjects we would like to mention, but space will not allow us in this booklet. It is our sincere prayer that something in this study will inspire you to dig into the wonderful word of God. Just remember, there are THOUSANDS of “types” (spiritual pictures portrayed by literal history) that will reveal even the VERY DEEP THINGS OF GOD (I Cor. 2:10).

If you would like to obtain more free Bible Studies, please write to us at the Bible Study Center, 851 S. Elm St., West Carrollton, Ohio, 45449, or call our computer bulletin board to download ASCII files of Bible Studies at (513) 866-6435.