Distorting the Scriptures

  1. INTRODUCTION

    1. In 2Timothy 2:15, Paul gave this instruction to Timothy, which also applies to us:

      Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

    2. However, "untaught and unstable" men have mishandled the word of truth as Peter indicated in 2Peter 3:14-16:

      14Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

    3. Presently, let us briefly consider some of the common distortions of both Paul's writings and the rest of the Scriptures.  Let us also seek to correct those distortions.

       

  2. DISTORTIONS OF PAUL'S WRITINGS

    1. Distortion: Man has a sinful nature.

      1. This doctrine is founded on a distortion of passages such as Romans 3:10, 23 and 7:18, 25.  These latter two verses are even distorted by the NIV translations, which interpret the Greek word sarx as "sinful nature" rather than the accurate translation of "flesh."

      2. These verses allude to the fact that all men have sinned and do sin (1John 1:8), but that is not the same as having a sinful nature.

        1. A sinful nature would mean that God created man with an innate desire for evil, and that is false. Ecclesiastes 7:29 says, "Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices."

        2. God made man in His own image (Gen. 1:26-27), which certainly does not include a sinful nature. Man learned sin from the lusts that are in the world (1John 2:16), and sin became a second nature to him (Eph. 2:3).

        3. Thankfully, we can escape "the corruption that is in the world by lust" (2Pet. 1:4) through Christ.

    2. Distortion: We are saved by grace through faith only, and no works are necessary.

      1. Teachers of this doctrine distort passages like Romans 4 and Ephesians 2:8-9.  Whereas these passages speak explicitly about the absence of the works of the Law of Moses from the gospel of Christ, distorting teachers misapply them to all works, including works of faith (Jas. 2:14-26)

      2. While it is true that we cannot save ourselves by our own works, the Scriptures repeatedly teach that we will be judged by our works (Matt. 7:21-23; 25:31-46; Rom. 2:5-8, 12-16; 2Cor. 5:10; 1Pet. 1:17; Rev. 20:12). Therefore, good works are necessary (Eph. 2:10).

    3. Distortion: Once a man is saved, he will always be saved.

      1. This Calvinistic doctrine of "perseverance of the saints" or "security of the believer" arises from a distortion of such passages as Romans 8:38-39 and Ephesians 4:30.

      2. Although nothing can separate us from the love of God, and Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit, we are not prevented from turning away from Christ and grieving the Holy Spirit.

      3. The possibility of apostasy is implicit in all of the New Testament's warnings to Christians, and it is explicitly expressed in many passages (2Cor. 11:3; Gal. 5:4; 1Tim. 1:19; 4:1-3; 5:8; Heb. 6:4-8; 10:29; 2Pet. 2:20-22).  These eliminate the possibility of "once saved, always saved."

    4. Distortion: The Holy Spirit endows Christians with miraculous spiritual gifts today.

      1. Pentecostals and Charismatics make claims to such gifts by twisting certain passages like Romans 8:9, 1Corinthians 12-14, and 1Timothy 4:14.

      2. These false teachers neglect the context of such passages, which were written in the first century before the Scriptures were completed. Now that "perfect" (complete) knowledge and prophecy have come, miraculous spiritual gifts have ceased (1Cor. 13:8-12).

      3. They also neglect the fact that the Spirit dwells in Christians by faith in much the same way that Jesus dwells in us (Rom. 8:5-11; Eph. 3:17).  The Spirit is made evident by faith, not miracles.

      4. Moreover, Pentecostals supposed exercise of spiritual gifts does not resemble that which is recorded in the New Testament concerning the early church.  Their behavior resembles demon possession more than the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which were always under control (1Cor. 14:32).

  3. DISTORTIONS OF THE REST OF THE SCRIPTURES

    1. Distortion: Jesus forbids us from forming judgments about others.

      1. This popular idea is a distortion of Matthew 7:1.  It is frequently quoted whenever someone's deeds are identified as sinful.

      2. The true meaning of Christ's words is understood by reading the full context of Matthew 7:1-5.  Jesus did not forbid judgment, but hypocrisy.  His instruction is to take care of your own sins first and then help your brother with his sins.

      3. In John 7:24, Jesus said, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  He did not contradict Himself, but rather in both passages He gave instructions for how to have proper judgment.

      4. Also, Jesus did not speak of judgment in the sense that He will judge us at the end of time.  No one has such judgment except Jesus alone (John 5:22).

    2. Distortion: Jesus is the vine, and denominations are the branches.

      1. This teaching results from a twisting of John 15:1-11 in which Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches" (v. 5).

      2. By context, the branches in Jesus' figure represent individual Christians rather than denominations or even single congregations. He spoke these words to His disciples concerning their individual responsibilities to abide in Him by keeping His commandments.

    3. Distortion: Jesus will come back to earth to reign for one thousand years.

      1. This is the doctrine of Premillennialism, and it is a distortion of Revelation 20:1-7

      2. This passage is filled with figures, including a key, an abyss, a great chain, and a dragon.  The term of one thousand years is also figurative and should not be taken literally.  It merely represents a long period of time in which Satan's ability to deceive nations was restrained.

      3. Any figurative passages should not be interpreted in a way that conflicts with a plain, literal passage.  Because we know that Christ will not come back to earth (1Thess. 4:13-17, we will "meet the Lord in the air") and that the Judgment will immediately follow the resurrection of the dead (John 5:28-29), the doctrine of Premillennialism is false.

    4. Distortion: The six days of creation were actually long periods of many years because a day is as one thousand years to God.

      1. Some who seek to incorporate the theory of evolution into Scripture twist Ps. 90:40 and 2Peter 3:8 to accomplish their purpose.  Thus, they interpret the six days of creation (Gen. 1; Ex. 20:11) as millions or billions of years.

      2. These passages were not given as a key for interpreting the days of creation.  They were given as a figurative expression of God's timeless, eternal nature and His patience.  In other words, time is nothing to Him, and He can wait indefinitely.

      3. Each day of creation is defined in the context of Genesis 1 as a period consisting of evening and morning.  In other words, the days of creation were ordinary twenty-four hour days and not thousands, millions, or billions of years.

    5. Distortion: Jesus spoke of American Indians and the Mormon religion when He said that He had sheep from another fold.

      1. This doctrine of the so-called Latter Day Saints is a distortion of John 10:16.  They sight this passage as a prophecy of Joseph Smith and the events described in his Book of Mormon.

      2. The clear explanation of this passage is that Jesus was speaking of the Gentiles.  He laid down His life for both Jews and Gentiles so that all could be part of His sheep in the body of the saved (Isa. 2:2-4; Rom. 1:16-17; Eph. 2:11-22). Joseph Smith was a false prophet.

    6. Distortion: Once a man is saved, he will always be saved.

      1. We already considered how Paul's words are twisted into this false doctrine.  Notice here that the Lord's words in John 10:27-30 are also twisted.

      2. The Lord stated that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him and that no one shall snatch them out of His hand.  However, He did not say that the sheep could not stop following Him or leave His protection by their own choice.  Therefore, it is possible to be saved in Christ's flock and then wander away into destruction (Matt. 24:10; Luke 8:13).

         

  4. CONCLUSION

    1. These are just a few samples of how the Scriptures are distorted by men.

    2. Let us be careful that we are not deceived by such distortions or guilty of doing the same.