Category Apostasy & False Teaching

“Apostasy” is the condition of having rebelled against God’s Truth as revealed in His Holy Word. Apostasy in the church is the false teaching that results from a rejection or manipulation of the Bible in favour of one’s own preferences. The apostles warned the first-century church to beware of apostates; those who abandoned the Truth of Christ for other doctrines. The false teachings then were as diverse as the present day, incorporating humanism, Gnosticism, and paganism in its many presentations. As the article list grows, many of the modern appearances of these false teachings will be addressed.

What is “This” in Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 (AV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:

8 (ignt) τη γαρ χαριτι εστε σεσωσμενοι δια της πιστεως και τουτο ουκ εξ υμων θεου το δωρον

9 (AV) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

9 (ignt) ουκ εξ εργων ινα μη τις καυχησηται

(for full parsing, please see the following link: https://scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/NTpdf/eph2.pdf)

To what does the word “this”, touto  in the Greek, refer in Ephesians 2:8-9? Every pronoun must refer to a noun used in the same context, usually prior to the use of the pronoun, though not universally so, or to a concept expressed in relationship to its use...

Read More

Should We Understand the Bible As it is Written?

If none of the Bible can be read and understood as it is written, then it cannot be understood at all, and this is impossible. Only if the Bible means what it says, can it be understood, known, and useful for salvation and living a godly life, as Paul and Peter assured their readers that it would.Read More

Test All Things

How shall we know if what we believe is the truth, if we refuse to listen to and test the words of those who tell us that we are in error? Read More

Further Thoughts on “Mark and Avoid”

What is wrong with a generalized instruction to "mark and avoid" those who teach differently from or challenge teachings of a particular leader or group? If we refuse to listen to and test the words of those who disagree with what we have been told is true, we insulate ourselves from the possibility of being shown why our beliefs do not conform to Holy Scripture and finding our way to understanding God's Word more properly.Read More

Whom to Mark and Avoid

Certain groups presenting a Christian face and apparent Christian message, admonish their followers to "mark and avoid" anyone who may speak against their key doctrines. Whom did Paul instruct to "mark and avoid", and for what reason were they to do so? Do modern teachers or leaders have the authority of the apostles to be free from question of their teachings or lives, or is such an instruction the mark of a cult?Read More

Overview of the Emergent Church Movement / The New Spirituality, and the Contemplative Movement

EMERGENT CHURCH; EMERGING CHURCH; NEW SPIRITUALITY; CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY

Emergent church is blend of Christian vocabulary with New Age spirituality via RC mysticism.

Many well-known and popular writers, teachers, speakers, promoting emergence, or the “new spirituality” as they have started calling it.

Emergence, emergent church, new spirituality IS NOT Christian, despite having co-opted Christian vocabulary and basing teachings on their interpretation of the Bible.

God” began personal, singular, and non-Trinitarian, but many promote a “God” that, when you pay attention, is not necessarily personal, having more fully adopted the New Age concept of “God”.

Jesus Christ is NOT God, but few of them come right out and say so directly...

Read More

Parable of the Wedding Invitation

Matthew 22:1-14

And answering, Jesus again spoke to them again in parables saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened to an human king, who makes marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call the invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come.

Again he sent other servants saying, “Tell those having been invited, ‘Look! I have prepared my dinner: my bulls and my fatlings have been killed, and all are ready! Come into the wedding.’”

But uncaring, those went away, one indeed to his own field, the one yet to his merchandise.

But the rest, taking hold of his servants, abused and slew them.

But hearing [this], the king was angered, and sending his armies, destroyed those murderers and burned up their city.

Then he said to his servants, ‘Indeed, the wedding is ready...

Read More

Are Babies Born Totally Depraved?

Jesus told the Pharisees that, “If you were blind, you would not ever have sin. But now you say, ‘We see’, then your sin remains.” John 9:41

In other words, if any of His hearers had been incapable of seeing, they would not have been guilty of sin. Jesus is not referring to physical eyesight, but the ability to perceive and comprehend what sin is. Without that ability, a person does not have sin.

An infant is born completely incapable of such perception and comprehension, and lives a significant time before possessing those abilities. Consequently, an infant does NOT have sin at birth, nor does a child, until that time when they are capable of seeing, and comprehending what they see...

Read More

The Christmas Controversy – Is the Celebration of Christmas and Its Traditions Rooted in Paganism?

Christmas time is here, and as with many of the past Christmases, some well-meaning, and other self-righteous, professors of Christian faith begin to slander and condemn the saints of Christ who chose to celebrate the birth of the Saviour on and around December 25. They regularly repeat the false accusation that Christmas (and Easter in its turn) are pagan festivals reappropriated by Christians to somehow clean up the paganism and give Christians something better to do at that feast time.

The second accusation is that all of the symbols of Christmas are pagan...

Read More

Whose Ears and Eyes Does Jesus Say are Closed in Matthew 13:10-16

Matthew 13:10-16

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, ‘Why speakest thou unto them in parables?’

11 He answered and said unto them, ‘Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which says, “By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they...

Read More