What Is LEGALISM and Its Four “Limbs”?
Here’s a summary of general legalism and its four “limbs”:
General Legalism refers to legalism in general. It’s an obsession with legalities and could just as well be described as law-ism or rule-ism. It’s the emphasis on the outer at the expense of the inner. As such, outward conformity to the letter of the law is what’s most important to legalists. For instance, as long as you go to multiple church services each week, wear the “right” clothes and say the right things you’re good to go; it doesn’t matter that you’re a practicing liar, gossip, slanderer, abuser, thief, drunkard, druggie or porn addict the rest of the week. Why? Because legalism is a spirit of religious hypocrisy. It’s only concerned with the appearances of godliness, not godliness itself. It’s fake Christianity. For details go here.
Rigid Sectarianism refers to an unhealthy devotion to one’s sect or group. People infected by this strain accept or reject others based on whether or not they’re part of their group and how devoted they are to their sect’s distinctive doctrines and rules. All pseudo-Christian groups are, of course, steeped in this, like the Jehovah’s False Witnesses and Mormons, but Evangelical, Charismatic and Mainline groups can be infected just as easily. Legalism is no respecter of church, ministry or denominational boundaries. It can infect anyone, anywhere, anytime, but only if you’re unaware of it and allow it. For details go here.
The Spirit of Religious Formal Death is a sterile “go through the motions” disposition. The older a sect or person is, the easier it is to fall into this legalistic rut. Groups that veer toward formality and ritualism naturally have a greater tendency of being infected by this strain. Don’t get me wrong here as there’s a time and place for formality and ritual,* but each must be kept in check; they shouldn’t spill over into every area of life. If you’re a spiritual believer and the church services you’re experiencing are dreadfully boring you can be sure the assembly is infected by this strain. For details go here.
* Ritual will take you further than desire because it’s habitual—it’s something you do no matter what because it’s a disciplined activity. Desire, by contrast, is whimsical.
The Spirit of Bondage is a sourpuss spirit that’s obsessed with numerous religious rules. You’ll observe many peculiar rules and sense a suffocating vibe of bondage rather than freedom. Becoming an elder or teacher is more involved than flying to the moon; sometimes merely becoming a member of the congregation. Contrast this to what Paul simply taught in 1 Corinthians 14:26 (and, no, I’m not suggesting that people of very questionable character should be allowed to serve at churches). To leave such groups is tantamount to getting a divorce and disobeying the LORD because these types seek to keep you in bondage to them. They’ll even cite prophesies to wield power and prevent you from leaving. Groups that try to put New Testament believers under the yoke of Old Testament Law are steeped in this form of legalism, like the Hebrew Roots movement. For details go here.
The Spirit of Condemnation and Authoritarianism refers to those who typically tear down believers rather than build them up. Since the Bible clearly teaches that ministers are supposed to build believers up, those who tear them down are actually doing the opposite of their purpose as ministers! The teachings of those infected by this strain aren’t about setting believers free but rather tearing them down. It’s all about power, intimidation, fear and manipulation. These types love to dominate others with a “lord it over” disposition rather than serve or lead by example. As such, they’re not truly ministers because ‘minister’ means “servant.” For details go here.
Here’s an image that might help you visualize all of this (click to enlarge):
A Quintessential Example of Legalism
Now that we have a biblical understanding of legalism and its several manifestations, allow me to share a fascinating brush with legalism I had many years ago.
It was late June, 1993. My aging mother wanted to see Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, so I took her. We went south from Northeast Ohio into the heart of West Virginia where we stopped to eat. We observed a large framed photo on the wall of the restaurant, which we discovered was a picture of the New River Gorge Bridge in South Central WV. The bridge was so spectacular we decided to take the detour to see it.
When we arrived at the bridge the park was full of visitors. I had driven over five hours and it was a real hot one so I immediately took off my muscle shirt. After unleashing some pent-up energy—dashing around and taking pictures—my mother and I climbed down the lengthy wooden stairs that culminated in a scenic overlook. Mom immediately sat down at the overlook while I proceeded to get some shots of the bridge.
I only half noticed a well-dressed family on the overlook platform. The family consisted of a young couple and maybe three little kids. They were done sightseeing and started to climb back up. While enjoying the view and snapping pictures, I observed that the husband turned around and came back down the stairs to hand my mother a pamphlet. Curious, I joined them and discovered that it was an evangelistic tract.
A smile beamed on my face as I said to the young man, “Oh, you’re a Christian, so are we!” He looked at me with an utterly dead countenance, turned around and walked back up the stairs, saying nothing. We were dumbfounded by this peculiar reaction but didn’t give it much thought and certainly didn’t let it ruin our visit to the park.
At the time, I belonged to a thriving church that had a spirit of life and grace (my mother too, albeit a different assembly) so this was a relatively new experience for me. In other words, even though I was almost ten years old in the Lord, I wasn’t used to run-ins with sourpuss religionists.
Over the many years since this experience the Lord has repeatedly brought me back to it. It’s sad, but the man was clearly a prisoner of legalism. How so? Think about it, he couldn’t even enjoy an afternoon at the park with his family without feeling compelled to “witness” to two individuals who had no need of his evangelistic efforts. My mother and I were solid churchgoing Christians and I was in the Word and prayer daily, serving the LORD.
Consider his response when I said, “Oh, you’re a Christian, so are we!” He looked at me with a dead visage, turned around, and walked away. This indicates a few obvious things: 1. He had no joy; 2. what he was really saying by this rude response was, “There’s no way on God’s green earth that you’re a Christian”; and 3. he condemned us—or rather me—based on appearances alone. How do I know? Because, unless smiling and being friendly are heinous sins, my mother and I did nothing to suggest that we were lost sinners. This indicates that he judged me by appearances alone. Now, at the time, my hair was sort of long in the back but the rest of it was rather short; my ears weren’t covered and neither was my face. In short, I didn’t look like Charles Manson. It’s true that I had taken my muscle shirt off and all I had on were shorts, socks and tennis shoes, but this was entirely appropriate apparel for a park in the middle of a hot summer day, even more so for vacationers, which many of the people were. For whatever reasons, my appearance and free-spirited manner offended his religious sensibilities and he deemed me a diabolical heathen when nothing could’ve been further from the truth.
Interestingly, the man showed signs of all five of the main strains of legalism as follows:
General Legalism: He clearly focused on the outer at the expense of the inner. I spoke to him with a spirit of joy and kindness and all he could see was that I didn’t have a shirt on and my hair was kind of long in the back (the horror, the horror). Apparently, he felt that true Christians should dress to the nines when they visit a park in the heat of the summer. And, by golly, they’d better have a close-shaven 50’s-styled haircut!
Rigid Sectarianism: Why didn’t this man accept that I was a fellow believer? Likely because I didn’t look like someone from his church. Simply put, I wasn’t one of them, so I must’ve been a desperately lost soul. After all, a truly saved person would look and dress exactly like the people in his congregation. Why sure!
The Spirit of Religious Formal Death: Like I said, he and his family were dressed to the nines without exception—ties, long white dresses and so forth. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this. Some people dress up more than others. I enjoy dressing up when appropriate. Yet it did seem strange that they were so spit and polished for a frolic in the park on a hot summer afternoon. Then again, it might have been a Sunday and they were simply visiting the park after their church service (I can’t remember what day it was). The point is that the man was all tight-wound and formal, way too much for the occasion. Apparently, my utter lack of formality offended him, possibly my spontaneity as well. God forbid that someone should have fun at a park in the heat of a summer day!
The Spirit of Bondage: As noted above, the man couldn’t even enjoy an afternoon at the park with his family without feeling compelled to “boldly minister” to a couple of people who had absolutely no need of his evangelism. One thing’s for sure, he wasn’t led of the Holy Spirit since we were already devout believers. However, even if we weren’t believers, his efforts would have been worthless because he had no joy and was inexplicably rude to boot. Needless to say, no one in their right mind would want to be like him and serve his God! The man was like a lifeless robot merely following his programming. I can just see the pastor of his church ranting during a sermon: “You’re not witnessing enough! You need to go out there and boldly witness! I know you’re not evangelizing because there aren’t any new people here! And you call yourself a Christian?!” This type of shame-based “preaching” may manipulate some to go out and pass out tracts or what have you, but they won’t have any life or joy doing it. They’ll be miserable because they’re stuck in a miserable church that has a spirit of religionist bondage. Bondage always brings misery and this guy was clearly miserable, at least that day at the park he was.
The Spirit of Condemnation: It’s true that the man didn’t speak a word to me, but his expression and actions spoke volumes. Communication is more than verbal. By looking at me with contempt and silently walking away he was most certainly condemning me. He was basically saying, “There’s no way you are a Christian!” Legalism doesn’t extend love and grace because it has neither. Legalism unjustly condemns because that’s its nature: “the letter kills.”
I don’t share this story with carnal anger or hatred toward this man. I didn’t feel hostility toward him then and I don’t now. At the time, I was simply perplexed by his actions, but not any longer. I now understand what went wrong in his spiritual walk. He was infected by legalism. I feel sad for him and people like him. For whatever reasons, they’re stuck in a legalistic rut. They’re prisoners. What’s sadder is that they don’t even know it, which is something we’ll address in the next section—deception. They sincerely think they’re walking according to true Christianity when nothing could be further from the truth.
Although I don’t feel anger or hatred toward this man I DO feel anger and hatred toward legalism itself—righteous anger and righteous hatred. The Bible emphatically declares “To fear the LORD is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13) and legalism is thoroughly evil. In a way it’s even more dangerous than conventional fleshly antics like sexual immorality, theft and drunkard-ness because legalism always hides under a mask of religious respectability, like the warden in the popular film The Shawshank Redemption. The Bible also says “The righteous hate what is false” (Proverbs 13:5) and legalism is false to its rotten core. It’s phony Christianity.
The reason I wrote this article is because I loathe legalism in all its ugly forms and I’m righteously angry that so many have been deceived by it; not just those infected by legalism, but all the innocent believers in their midst who have experienced so much legalism that they start to think it’s real Christianity when, in fact, it’s the express opposite.
How to Purge Legalism
How should you and I deal with this spiritual disease if we observe it in ourselves or others? What should we do if we see it taking root in our churches? Here’s a 5-point plan of action:
1. Knowledge Is Power
The book of wisdom says: “A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength” (Proverbs 24:5). If knowledge is power then ignorance is the opposite—weakness and limitation. Jesus said “the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). “Truth” refers to accurate knowledge; and accurate knowledge that’s understood and applied naturally sets free. Freedom is the purpose of this this article—freedom from the yoke of religious bondage. (Freedom from lawlessness, aka hedonism, is just as important, which you can read about here).
So acquiring knowledge is the first step to freedom because people can’t very well walk free of legalism if they don’t even know what it is. Knowledge will empower you. So go over this article & the linking materials and the numerous scriptural passages as necessary until you master the material, particularly the parts that really register. Seek the LORD for understanding and insight, as encouraged in Proverbs 2:1-7.
Remember, knowledge is power whereas ignorance is weakness, limitation and even ruin.
2. Examine Yourself Regularly and Be Honest About It
The Bible instructs us to honestly look within and examine our actions and motives in view of God’s Word with the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides us into all truth (2 Corinthians 13:5, John 14:26 & 16:13). This should be done regularly. It’s the answer to any flesh problem or legalistic corruption; it’s also the answer to deception, including self-deception.
Think about it: When people are deceived they don’t know they’re deceived. For instance, the Pharisees are the quintessential example of legalism in the Bible. They sincerely believed they were God’s children, but Jesus squarely told them that they were children of the devil (John 8:41,44). Was Jesus being mean? No, he was walking in “tough love” because the first thing deceived people need is the truth since only the truth counteracts lies and sets free. I said that they “sincerely believed” they were God’s children, but sincerity by itself isn’t good if what you sincerely believe is a lie. They may have been sincere in their belief but their belief was sincerely wrong.
Think of all the deceived people who grow up in cultish quasi-Christian groups or false religions. They’ve been indoctrinated to believe that their group is the one true sect or religion, just like the Pharisees. Such people don’t know they’re deceived because that’s the nature of deception.
Mainline, Evangelical, Charismatic and other Christian groups are not exempt from such deception. There’s enough false teaching, legalism and lawlessness to go around.
The answer to deception is truth. How do people who are deceived in one or more areas get set free if they don’t realize they’re deceived? Simple: When you regularly examine yourself, be honest about it. Be honest with yourself, be honest with the LORD, and be honest with his Word. Ask something like: “Heavenly Father, if I am deceived in any area; open my eyes to the truth through your Word by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May the truth continually set me free!”
You can be sure that any believer who regularly does this will move steadily forward, becoming more and more spiritually mature, walking in greater and greater insight, truth and freedom (Proverbs 2:1-7).
Consider this passage:
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
Psalm 36: 9
God isn’t just the Creator of life; he’s the Fountain of Life! He gushes forth life constantly like a fountain or geyser gushes water. This is why the Bible constantly encourages believers to get close to God and stay close—because there’s LIFE in his presence. This is why David emphasized the incredible JOY in His presence (Psalm 16:11 & 21:6)! There’s no depression or sterility in God’s presence—there’s JOY and LIFE!
The passage states that when we experience the light of God’s presence we’ll naturally “see light.” Spiritual light is the opposite of spiritual darkness and parallels truth, life and freedom. This is the answer to any type of deception—getting close to God and staying close. Religion will always deceive you one way or another but a relationship with the Fountain of Life will enlighten you and set you free. That’s why Christianity is a relationship with God and not just another religion.
3. Repent as Necessary
It’s important to keep in repentance whenever you discern deception or error in yourself or your belief system.
Although ‘repentance’ has a negative connotation in modern times it’s actually a very healthy attitude and practice; it simply means to change your mind—your thinking—for the positive. For instance, if you’re currently believing something that you discover is false or partially false then stop believing the lies and embrace the true belief and mindset (at least as “true” as you presently can fathom it). Thinking is linked to behavior. This is why Paul instructed believers to count themselves as dead to sin but alive on to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11-12). Paul then went on to relay the law of displacement: If your behavior is in error, immediately stop the behavior and start implementing the right action. This is true repentance, not mere words. The law of displacement works in a spiritual sense just as it does in the physical, which is why it’s vital that you replace the false belief with true belief (or, at least, more accurate belief) and the erroneous behavior with righteous behavior.
Continually changing for the positive—repentance—is literally the way to life:
the corrections of discipline
are the way to life
Proverbs 6:23
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life
Proverbs 6:23 (NKJV)
Regularly give yourself a spiritual examination and be honest about it; seek the Fountain of Life through His Word and the help of the Holy Spirit. Keep with repentance, as John the Baptist put it (Matthew 3:8 & Luke 3:8), and the Lord will continually purify you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9). This will keep you spiritually healthy and free from the poison of legalism.
4. Examine Believers Near You, Including the Church and Sect to Which You Belong
You should only do this if you’re freed-up of legalism yourself through applying the three previous points, otherwise you’ll be guilty of hypocritical judging, something Jesus squarely condemned in Matthew 7:1-5. “Hypocritical judging” is when a man judges and condemns another person for something he himself is doing. Christ concluded this passage by saying that the believer with a figurative plank in his eye can help the believer with a speck once he removes his plank and can “see clearly.” Only then is he able to help the other with his speck. This is just common sense since we can only give what we have; if you don’t have freedom you can’t give freedom.
It’s important to stress that the Lord meant “Do not judge” only in this hypocritical sense, as there are numerous examples of righteous judging in the New Testament. For example, Christ condemned the legalists for wanting to stone an adulterous woman because they were just as guilty (John 8:1-11). Yeshua rightly condemned their hypocritical judging but proceeded to righteously judge the woman by telling her, “Go now and leave your life of sin.” You see, Jesus made a righteous judgment about her immoral lifestyle and didn’t hesitate to instruct her to repent, i.e. change for the positive.
Paul did the same thing when he judged an unrepentant fornicator at the Corinth church and encouraged the believers to expel him (1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 9-13). The good news is that the man later repented whereupon Paul readily instructed the believers to welcome him back into their fellowship (2 Corinthians 2:6-11).
It’s important to point out from Matthew 7—the very chapter where Jesus said “Do not judge”—that he also instructed believers to judge the fruit of those who propose to speak for God (7:15-23). Christ stressed: “By their fruit you will recognize them,” referring to those who falsely speak for God (verses 16 & 20). Why is this important? Because not everyone’s genuine; there are false prophets all over. A “false prophet” is anyone who falsely speaks for God, usually people in positions of spiritual authority, whether pastor, teacher, elder, prophet or what have you. Christ pointed out that they can be easily recognized by their fruit. Do you see consistent fruit of the spirit in their lives or do you see works of the flesh, as detailed in Galatians 5:19-23? Not that anyone’s perfect and even Christian servant-leaders miss it now and then (1 John 1:8-9), although they should certainly be mature enough that they’re freed-up from major flesh issues (1 Timothy 3:1-6). After all, if someone in a leadership position has major flesh problems that tells you he or she is not a worthy servant-leader.
The difference between genuine believers and counterfeits is that genuine believers have a humble spirit and therefore readily confess and repent when they miss it, while counterfeits are stubborn and proud. The latter refuse to admit their error and turn from it, even when legitimately corrected; in fact, they’ll hate you for correcting them (Proverbs 9:7-9). This is how you discern the genuine from the disingenuous. Do you see an elder or pastor who has an arrogant, stubborn spirit that refuses to repent, even when corrected in love? You can be sure that he or she is false or, at the very least, unworthy of following at the present time. Leave them! They are blind guides; if the blind follow the blind they will both fall into a pit (Matthew 15:13-14).
5. Implement Spiritual Warfare
As a faithful “fruit-watcher,” if you discern legalistic qualities in others, including those in servant-leadership positions, you must implement spiritual warfare ASAP. “Spiritual warfare” means to overcome evil with spiritual activities. Here are some powerful warfare tactics that are 100% scriptural:
Prayer. This is where you’ll always want to start because prayer is the vehicle that literally releases God’s will and his kingdom to reign in people’s lives and situations for which you intercede. If someone somewhere doesn’t pray and “loose” God’s will and kingdom on the scene, his will won’t be done and his kingdom won’t reign in the situation for which you’re praying. Someone might understandably argue: “Well, why doesn’t God just do it? Why does someone have to pray?” Because, although God is sovereign and reigns supreme, the kingdom of darkness has authority on this Earth until the end of this age, which is why this current era is called “the present evil age” in Galatians 1:4. Thankfully, the kingdom of darkness has no authority over members of the Church. ‘Church’ is ekklesia (ee-KLEE-see-ah) in the Greek and means “called-out ones.” Believers are called out of this present darkness and have the authority to bind the kingdom of darkness and loose God’s will and kingdom.*
* For details and scriptural support see the article Spiritual Warfare — The Basics, particularly the section Binding & Loosing through Prayer. Also see the article SPIRITUAL WARFARE — Do You Know What You’re Fighting For?
Again, prayer is the vehicle that releases God’s will and power into people’s lives and situations on Earth. Why do you think Christ said we need to pray for our enemies? Because if someone is attacking you without cause you can be sure that he/she is walking in the flesh and God’s kingdom is not reigning in his/her life. Praying for the individual is the antidote.
If people are walking in overt legalism they may not be a personal enemy, but they are an enemy of the kingdom of God, whether they know it or not, just as the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law were enemies of Christ. Pray for them regularly; pray in the spirit, which is the seventh piece of the armor of God, even though it’s not given a figurative description (Ephesians 6:18); I call it the artillery or missiles of praying in the spirit because you can effectively pray for people miles away or on the other side of the planet.
Teaching/Preaching. This doesn’t refer to just sermons but any occasion where you might have the opportunity to give a “word of instruction” (1 Corinthians 14:26), like when you’re out for coffee or emailing. It simply refers to sharing the truths of God’s Word. As such, teaching/preaching isn’t limited to pulpit ministers who hail from respected cemeteries, I mean seminaries. Keep in mind that in the early Church believers normally met in houses where the groups were relatively small and there were no literal pulpits, nor were there any seminaries as we understand them. Ministers were raised up and trained in the assemblies.
Teaching or sharing biblical insights is important because it provides the opportunity to sow God’s Word into others’ lives. If someone is infected by legalism, the Word of God is the antidote because it is the truth and has the power to set free (John 8:31-32 & 17:17), assuming of course it’s “rightly divided,” i.e. properly interpreted.
Setting a Godly Example. Some may scoff at this one because it’s so simple, but it’s a powerful principle nevertheless. Why else do you think Peter included it in his list of the four main duties of pastors, along with feeding the Word, overseeing and serving? See 1 Peter 5:1-3.
Consider these examples:
- If you observe an authoritarian spirit, counteract it by setting an example of humble service.
- If you see some believers getting overly technical with religious rules, set an example of the spirit of the law in question, as well as the spirit of grace.
- If you see condemnation, set an example of building others up.
- If you see greed, set an example of cheerful generosity.
- If you see an unbalanced emphasis on appearances, set an example of inward godliness.
- If you see an attitude of rigid sectarianism, set an example of openness to believers outside your group.
- If you see a sourpuss spirit, set an example of joy.
- If you witness stifling bondage, illustrate true freedom in everything you do.
- If you witness dreadfully boring formality, set an example of spontaneity and passion. Etcetera.
Setting an example is often more effective than verbal confrontation because actions speak louder than words.
Confront as Led of the Holy Spirit, Gently or Sternly. If prayer, teaching, and setting a godly example fail to produce positive results you may have to confront and offer correction. The Holy Spirit may even lead you to do this immediately when encountering legalism in one form or another, as was the case with Paul’s open rebuke of Peter in Galatians 2:11-14. Provoked by the Spirit, Paul sought to nip Peter’s blatant display of legalism in the bud because so much was at stake at that critical juncture in history. Paul loved the Lord and people too much to allow the gospel of grace to be poisoned by legalism. Had he not acted decisively at that moment the positive worldwide impact of Christianity would have suffered.
Open correction is necessary in such cases. Paul was walking according to biblical wisdom:
Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Proverbs 27:5
This kind of correction need not be unnecessarily stern since “a gentle tongue can break a bone” (Proverbs 25:15), but sometimes you’ll have to take a stricter approach. Paul was stern with Peter in the above confrontation but he certainly wasn’t radically stern. I encourage you to be as gentle as possible with confrontations since gentleness “turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1); only take a severer approach when mandatory, as led of the Spirit, whether mild sternness or heavy sternness. Jesus took the mildly strict approach when he called Peter “Satan” in Matthew 16:23 and he obviously took the radically stern route when he openly called the legalists “hypocrites,” “blind fools,” “snakes,” “brood of vipers” “full of wickedness” in Matthew 23.
The only type of people I know who seem to enjoy such confrontations are those with strong Type A personalities. These are people who typically throw their weight around, so to speak. No one else enjoys confrontation, but sometimes it has to be done, as Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15-17 and Luke 17:3-4.
Although I don’t mind confrontation and correction when it comes to mild things, I hate it when it concerns serious issues. I’ll only do it when there’s no other recourse or if I’m seriously provoked by the Holy Spirit. Here’s one occasion:
Years ago, about 15-20 believers were hanging out in the opening room of the church facility that Carol and I were attending. One group consisted of the pastor, two associates and a couple others. I was about 10 feet away talking with other believers but I couldn’t help overhear some of the conversation of the other group because it was so loud and biting. Headed by the pastor and assistant, they were slamming a ministry couple from a different church who organized and implemented special concerts at our assembly once a month. I tried to ignore their conversation and concentrate on the people I was with, but their gossip went on and on. Not only were they overtly gossiping, they were fault-finding. What a great example to set for others, huh?
After about twelve minutes I just couldn’t take any more and so turned to them and said loudly, “Will you chill out; they’re not that bad!” This is not my typical manner but I couldn’t stand idly by another second while church leaders behaved in such an ignoble fashion. The associate pastor turned to me with anger and corrected me for having the audacity to confront elders. He was much older than me and I respected him in many ways, so I kept my mouth shut. This is what the Spirit led me to do. I even said I was sorry, but I didn’t apologize for what I said—since what I said was right and I was provoked of the Spirit—I simply apologized for having to say it.
So, by keeping mum and apologizing I ate humble pie, but I didn’t mind because the confrontation and correction immediately stopped the juvenile backbiting. In other words, it accomplished its purpose. Except for the brief knee-jerk response of the associate, they were all stunned to silence and clearly ashamed. The gossip stopped and no one ever discussed the occasion again; that is, not in the open community.
The moral of the story is that sometimes the Spirit will compel you to open rebuke even if it’s not your forte. It’s a powerful principle that brings positive results, as long as the people receiving the correction are godly (Proverbs 9:7-9). But please don’t misuse this principle by using it to dominate others, which is arrogance. Always strive for humility and a servant’s heart; humility attracts God’s grace whereas arrogance repels Him (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5 and Proverbs 3:34).
Victory over Legalism
To recap, these five factors are essential to purging legalism in yourself and others:
- Acquire knowledge about legalism.
- Examine yourself according to that knowledge and be honest.
- Repent as necessary and keep in penitence.
- Examine the fruit of others near you, particularly spiritual leaders; but also relatives, friends, people at work, government bureaucrats, etc.
- Implement spiritual warfare whenever you observe legalism—pray, share the truth, set a godly example and confront when necessary.
If you keep a tight relationship with the LORD and implement these warfare tactics you’ll surely incur the wrath of legalists, but don’t be concerned. All they can do is reject you, slander you, and prevent you from ministering in their circles. Jesus said to rejoice when people persecute you in this way (Matthew 5:11-12). As was the case with Christ, these persecutors will often be “God’s people.” In other words, those attacking you will put on the appearances of being godly and devout when nothing could be further from the truth. They’re legalists and therefore fake. Again, don’t be concerned. They can’t stop someone who’s anointed of God. They can’t win.
The legalists of 1st century Israel tried to find a way to murder the Messiah “yet they could not find any way to do it” (Luke 19:47-48). Many times they tried to apprehend him and kill him, but they couldn’t achieve it.* The only time they were able to apprehend him was when they captured him in order to crucify him. Of course, this was according to God’s will so he could die for our sins, which opened the door to eternal salvation for humanity.
* Examples include: Luke 4:28-30 where the offended people of Nazareth attempted to throw Christ off a cliff but he escaped by mysteriously walking “right through the crowd”; John 7:30,44 where those who wanted to seize the Messiah couldn’t lay a hand on him “because his time had not yet come”; John 8:59 where the offended religionists picked up stones to slay Yeshua but he miraculously hid himself and slipped by them; and John 10:31,39 where a group tried to murder him in Solomon’s Colonnade and he “escaped their wrath.”
To Cut Ties or Not to Cut Ties?
What do you do when hardcore legalists refuse to repent even after implementing the above strategies with much patience? The Lord advised departing from so-called spiritual leaders who are dyed-in-the-wool legalists (Matthew 15:14). This would include pastors and the assemblies they shepherd. In such cases, simply seek the Lord about finding a new fellowship, obviously one that’s spiritually healthy. But, if it comes down to having to do this, keep your former assembly in prayer. Who knows? Yahweh is a miraculous God who changes people’s hearts—if they’re willing—and the door may open one day to go back to a former fellowship or, at least, restore relations with people there. Whatever you do, don’t allow bitterness and hatred to take root in your heart. Never let the darkness in others take away your light!
What if the legalist in question is a family member, relative, friend or someone at the work place? How do you “leave” such people when you’re bound to run into them now and then? You can “leave” them in the sense of not being close to them. Don’t buddy around with them. If possible, don’t eat with them (1 Corinthians 5:11). Of course, continue to walk in love toward them when you inevitably brush shoulders, including walking in tough love when appropriate. But don’t hate them or become bitter; and please don’t gossip about them. Keep ’em in prayer. One day the LORD may break them, so to speak. If so, the door will be open for you to cultivate a closer relationship. Amen.
This article was edited from chapters 8–9 of…
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Related Topics:
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
SECTARIANISM — What Is It? What’s Wrong With It?
Beware of RELIGIOUS FORMAL DEATH
Condemnation & Authoritarianism
LEGALISTS Are Obsessed With the LETTER of the LAW
Christianity — Does it Weaken People or Empower?
Law (Torah) — New Testament Believers are NOT Under the Law
Libertinism — What’s Wrong with It and How to Walk FREE
What Is the “BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE” in Malachi 3:16?
Let’s read the verse in question:
Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll [book] of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.
Contextually, Malachi was saying that the LORD had not forgotten “those who feared the LORD and honored his name” amidst the 50,000 exiles who had returned from Babylon as opposed to those who had succumbed to a spirit of complacency and indifference. Their names were written in a “book of remembrance,” which brings to mind the Persian practice of recording in a book all the actions of a person that should be rewarded in the future. Here’s an example from Scripture:
That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
Remember, Babylon was part of the Persian Empire, which is where the exiles stayed for 70 years.
David also spoke of such a book:
Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll — are they not in your record?
Bringing this home to us today, Malachi 3:16 could be applied to all believers in the simple sense that God remembers those who honor him. Even if faithful people feel forgotten, acts of loyalty to the LORD – which indifferent people treat with cynicism – will be rewarded in due time.
Related Topics:
Is Christianity a “RELATIONSHIP With God”?
INTIMACY WITH GOD and Its Benefits
How Can You HEAR FROM GOD?
The Bible reveals seven general ways that you can hear from the LORD and discern Divine will on a matter:
1. Through the Holy Scriptures
The Judeo-Christian Scriptures are said to be “God-breathed” and therefore it’s “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Every believer has an anointing to receive insights from God’s Word with the help of the Holy Spirit, who is our Counselor and Teacher that guides us into all truth (1 John 2:27, John 14:26 & John 16:13).
Notice what David said about the revealed Scriptures of his time:
7The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Psalm 19:7-11
14I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.
15I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
16I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
Psalm 119:14-16
If you’re a person who doesn’t like to read, then get an audio version of the Scriptures. You can listen to them while you’re doing this or that around the house or driving in your vehicle, etc.
2. Through Responses in Prayer
Such answers from the LORD can manifest in several ways:
- The peace of God (Philippians 4:6-7).
- An “inner witness” or impression/revelation (Amos 4:13).
- A gentle whisper, aka “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12), or a clear audible voice (1 Samuel 3:1-14), Acts 8:29 & Acts 13:2).
Concerning that last one, for anyone who argues that Samuel wasn’t praying when the LORD spoke to him in 1 Samuel 3:1-14, ‘prayer’ simply means “communion with God” and so, if the LORD speaks to you, that’s communion with the Creator, aka prayer.
3. Through the Peace of Christ in Your Heart
We are instructed to let the peace of Christ rule (govern) within us (Colossians 3:15). In light of this, don’t do anything you don’t have a peace about doing (assuming you have a choice in the matter). For instance, if someone’s trying to sell or convince you of something using manipulation or pressure and you don’t have a peace about it, don’t buy it or accept it.
You might have noticed that this is somewhat relevant to the first point of the previous section.
4. Through the Wise Council of Others
The truths of Holy Scripture are able to make us wise (2 Timothy 3:15) and so you can receive God’s leading on a crucial matter through the wise council of worthy souls (Acts 27:31, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 20:18 & Proverbs 24:6).
By contrast, don’t listen to the council of fools — such as those who embrace & advocate LIEberal idiotology — for that is the path to destruction (Proverbs 14:7 & Proverbs 13:20).
5. Through Dreams and Visions
Peter quoted Joel 2:28, saying:
“ ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.”
While this prophecy is referring to the New Covenant era, the LORD spoke to people through dreams and visions even in earliest times (Job 33:14-17).
6. Through a Prophetic Word
God spoke to people through genuine prophets in the past (Hebrews 1:1 & Amos 3:7), but still uses prophets in the New Covenant era. For instance, the prophet Agabus came to the assembly at Antioch and prophesied that a famine would hit Judea, which moved the believers to provide for their brothers & sisters down south; this was God’s will (Acts 11:27-30).
Please keep in mind, however, that it is the Holy Spirit’s job to guide believers in the New Testament era (John16:13 & Romans 8:14) so you don’t need the gift of prophecy for this function. If a prophet prophesies over you and says you’re to do this or that and go here or there, don’t receive it unless the Spirit has already been leading you in this direction and you have a peace about it. In other words, prophecies in the New Testament are to confirm what the Holy Spirit has already been leading you to do. You could say it’s an external source to confirm or compliment the believer’s internal source of direction from God.
This explains why Paul instructed believers to test prophecies and “hold on to the good,” which means to eat the meat and spit out the bones (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21). Nowhere are we instructed to blindly accept a prophecy spoken over us, especially from a supposed prophet who’s arrogant and likes to throw his/her weight around in an obnoxious manner. Christ said “By their fruit you will know them” (Matthew 7:15-23). If a prophet or any minister is pompous and rude, head for the hills (Matthew 15:14).
You can read important details about New Testament prophets (and Old Testament prophets) here.
7. Through Circumstances and Events
This can be observed when Jonah tried to flee from the LORD’s instructions and so God had to get his attention through a life-threatening storm at sea to turn him around so he would fulfill his commission (Jonah 1:4-16).
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Related Topics:
BEREAN SPIRIT — What Is It? How Do You Cultivate It?
Hermeneutics—Proper Bible Interpretation
What’s the Diff between “Milk” and “Solid Food” (or “Meat”)?
What’s the Difference between TEACHING and PREACHING?
Who Wrote the New Testament Books? Who Authorized them as Scripture Canon?
What is “KJV ONLY”? What’s Wrong with It?
The Fivefold Ministry Gifts — Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher
What Are the Nine GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT?
Why Did Jesus Say THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR?
Both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ preached that the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God was near:
1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 3:1-2
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
The Kingdom of God was near because the King was near, who introduced God’s plan of salvation and He is the central figure. Christ’s life, death and resurrection paved the way for reconciliation with God (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and obtaining eternal life (2 Timothy 1:10), which starts with spiritual rebirth (John 3:3, 3:6 & Titus 3:5). John the Baptist preached this before the Messiah did because his mission was to “prepare the way for the LORD” (Matthew 3:1-3 & Isaiah 40:3).
Can This Be Connected to Revelation 21:3 & 21:7?
Let’s look at these verses:
And I [John the apostle] heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
Revelation 21:3
6He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”
Revelation 21:6-7
Yes, these verses can be connected to the kingdom of God being near because spiritual regeneration is the first stage of what the Bible calls “the restoration of all things” (Matthew 19:28 & Acts 3:21). There are four stages to this restoration with the last one being what these verses in Revelation are specifically referring to. For important details, go here.
Related Topics:
Why is this World so Messed Up?
The Fall of Man (Humanity) and Slavery to Satan
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
KINGDOM OF GOD — What Does It Mean?
Being an Heir to the Kingdom of God, Inheriting It and Seeing It
What Happens to the SPIRIT at the Second Death?
Addressing the death of an unredeemed person, Ecclesiastes 12:7 says “the spirit returns to God who gave it.” “Spirit” here refers to the “breath of life,” aka the animating life force from God, noted in what theologians call ‘the creation text’:
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Keep in mind that the Hebrew words for ‘spirit’ – neshamah and ruach – can also be translated as “breath” or “wind.” It’s the same with the Greek word for ‘spirit,’ pneuma.
The souls of unredeemed people of course go to Sheol (Hades) when they perish to be held for Judgment Day wherein they will be resurrected to stand before the LORD, as observed here:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15
As you can see, on the Day of Judgment the LORD will resurrect every unsaved human soul held in Sheol (Hades) for Divine evaluation. How does God resurrect these dead souls? By sending a “breath of life” (or “spirit of life“), which animates them and enables them to stand before their Creator. Their bodies will also be resurrected. As you can see in verse 15, “anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” which is where God will “destroy both soul and body” (Matthew 10:28).
This is when “raging fire will consume the enemies of God” (Hebrews 10:27). Christ gave an illustrative example of this in his Parable of the Ten Minas: “But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them — bring them here and kill them in front of me” (Luke 19:27). When this “everlasting destruction” takes place (2 Thessalonians 1:9) the “breath of life” — aka “spirit of life” — merely returns to God who gave it.
This of course refutes the doctrine that unredeemed people possess an “immoral soul” apart from Christ, which the Bible denies point blank:
but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Could it be any clearer? Immortality and eternal life are only available to people through the gospel of Christ; it’s not something we intrinsically possess apart from redemption in Christ! Elsewhere, Scripture makes it plain that God only gives eternal life to those who seek immortality (Romans 2:7), which is available through the Son and nowhere else. If unsaved people inherently possessed immortality and eternal life, why should they seek it? Obviously because they don’t have it, which John attested to:
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
This question of course ties into the issue of human nature — spirit, mind and flesh — which you can read about in detail here.
Related Topics:
IMMORTALITY — Only Available Through the Gospel
HELL (Human Damnation) — Questions and Answers
Q&A on SHEOL / HADES, the Intermediate State of the Unsaved
Are Believers the RESULT OF a Covenant or IN COVENANT?
There’s this teaching going around that believers are not in a covenant with God but, rather, are the result of the covenant between Abraham and the LORD (Genesis 12:1-3 & 17:4-5). A minister can be observed teaching this in this 7.5 minute video.
He is correct that believers in Christ are the product of the Abrahamic Covenant (Galatians 3:16 & 3:29), but he’s incorrect to say that believers don’t have a covenant with the LORD. All spiritually-regenerated believers (Titus 3:5) are under what the Bible calls the New Covenant, which is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant, but separate from it.
So the quick answer to the title question — Are believers the result of a covenant or in covenant with God? — is both.
To explain, let’s start with…
What Is a ‘Covenant’?
‘Covenant’ is a word usually only heard in Judeo-Christian circles. In the Koine Greek, ‘Covenant’ is diathéké (dee-ath-AY-kay), which simply means “a set-agreement with terms determined by the initiating party.” In short, it’s an agreement between two parties with terms (unless of course it’s an unconditional agreement).
With this understanding, consider this minister’s illustration of a couple who are in a marital covenant and they have a child. He says that the husband and wife are in covenant (agreement), which is true, but he claims that neither the father nor mother are in covenant with the child.
This is incorrect. Every child has a social contract (agreement) with his/her parents, even if it’s unspoken. For instance, if the child disobeys he or she will be disciplined in some manner and, in extreme cases, kicked off the property, assuming they’re of age. In radical cases where the offspring is stubbornly impenitent, the consequences can be loss of inheritance or even disownment. Only if there were no social agreement with terms — a covenant — would there be no discipline or repercussions.
Speaking of which, the minister emphasizes how believers are heirs to the eternal kingdom and coheirs with Christ, which is absolutely true (Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:29, 4:7 & Ephesians 3:6). But this doesn’t mean that there’s no agreement between the believer and the LORD with the corresponding terms, i.e. a covenant. Evidence of this covenant can be observed here:
5And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:5-11
For the LORD to discipline us like this, there has to be some sort of agreement in which God holds the believer accountable to conditions. This agreement is…
The New Covenant — the Believer’s Contract With the Creator
It is true that God’s promise to Abraham was to his seed, not seeds, and that seed is Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16 & 3:29). This makes sense when you understand that all genuine believers are in Christ and therefore part of the body of Christ, aka the worldwide Church. However, it’s error to say that the LORD does not have a covenant with individual believers, i.e. an agreement with terms.
For more specific proof, Hebrews 8 speaks of the New Covenant in contrast to the Old Covenant that God had with the Israelites. Verse 6 says “…the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs (the Hebrews’ covenant with God) as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.” In the following verses he quotes Jeremiah 31:31-34; please observe what this passage says about the New Covenant:
7For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8But God found fault with the people and said :
“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
9It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
13By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
Hebrews 8:7-13
Notice clearly that this “new covenant” — as the LORD calls it — is with the believing people. In other words, God indeed has a covenant with the individuals who believe and He calls it “a new covenant.” So much for believers not having a covenant with the LORD.
Someone might argue that the text is specifically referring to a New Covenant (agreement) that the LORD has “with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah” (verse 8), but we know from many other verses that the eternal salvation provided in the New Covenant is for both Jew and Gentile (Romans 1:16) and, furthermore, Gentiles are Hebrews in a spiritual sense (Romans 2:29), proven in this article. “Scripture interprets Scripture” is a common sense hermeneutical rule.
Elsewhere, Paul plainly spoke of the New Covenant, which believers have with the LORD. In this passage he quotes the Lord Christ:
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
And here Paul contrasts the superior New Covenant that believers have with God with the inferior Old Covenant that the Israelites had, which he refers to as “the letter” (Hebrews 8:6).
He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
In light of all this, it’s a great mystery how a fivefold minister can suggest that believers are not in covenant with God.
The Terms of the New Covenant
While the believer’s covenant is a one of faith and the corresponding repentance (Acts 20:21), “faith works in love” (Galatians 5:6). These are the terms of our covenant (agreement) with God. To explain, New Covenant believers are not under the Mosaic law, but under the law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-21 & Galatians 6:2). This is the law of love, which Yeshua said had three simple applications in Matthew 22:37-40:
- LOVE GOD
- LOVE PEOPLE
- As you LOVE YOURSELF
Paul explained this law as such: “whoever loves others has fulfilled the Law” (Romans 13:8), which includes tough love when appropriate (Proverbs 27:5). This is how we “Keep God’s commands,” as the apostle plainly taught (1 Corinthians 7:19). Meanwhile James referred to this law of love—the law of Christ—as “the royal law” in Scripture (James 2:8).
Can Believers Lose Their Inheritance If They Don’t Comply With These Terms?
Yes, but it should be emphasized that God is extremely patient and lovingly merciful, as observed in Luke 13:1-9.
For glaring evidence that foolish Christians can lose their inheritance through stubborn impenitence, note what Paul said, by the Spirit:
9Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
The apostle was addressing believers in Christ, who — again — are heirs to the eternal kingdom and coheirs with Christ (Romans 8:17, Galatians 3:29, 4:7 & Ephesians 3:6). Yet Paul plainly warns them — stressing “do not be deceived” — that those who unrepentantly walk in sin as a lifestyle “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” In other words, those who foolishly refuse to walk according to the law of Christ will be disowned by the LORD, as observed in this passage:
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 7:21-23
These are people who openly confess Christ as “Lord” and are involved in good works to some degree (which Jesus does not contend), but they’re obviously walking in the flesh as a lifestyle because Yeshua plainly refers to them as “evildoers,” that is, unrepentant practitioners of lawlessness, aka sin.
This coincides with something Paul said:
11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
2 Timothy 2:12
Praise God that, if we are faithless and fall into sin, the LORD remains faithful and therefore is ever willing-and-ready to forgive us when we humbly ‘fess up in repentance (1 John 1:8-9). However, if we disown Him, He will disown us.
Now, someone might argue that we have to verbally disown the Lord in order to actually disown him, but Christ said that it’s possible for people to say one thing while the truth of the heart is quite the opposite; in other words, they’re hypocrites, aka fakes (Mark 7:6). Paul backed this up when he warned Titus of false believers, including staunch legalists: “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him” (Titus 1:16).
The minister noted at the beginning of this article revealed his motivation for the claim that believers are not in covenant with God: In the opening of his video he talks about how “you’ll be struggling to fulfill your part of the covenant so that God will fulfill His part of the covenant.” Any believer who’s struggling in this negative sense has fallen into the rut of legalism and needs to break out in favor of the awesome freedom available in the New Covenant (Galatians 5:1).
In short, the law of Christ — the law of love — is not burdensome. Notice what Christ and John said on this point:
28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
By “His commands,” John was talking about the aforenoted law of love — love God, love people, as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37-40), which he stresses is not burdensome.
As the Messiah said, there is a yoke and burden to serving the Lord but, unlike the yoke of the flesh or the burden of religion, Jesus Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light. How so? Because that’s the nature of the law of love and love is the fulfillment of the Law (Romans 13:8-10).
Related Topics:
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled
Christianity — Does it Weaken People or Empower?
Once Saved Always Saved? — Answering the Best Arguments
LEGALISTS Are Obsessed With the LETTER of the LAW
LEGALISM Creates Sheeple; CHRISTIANITY Creates Unique People
The Seven FREEDOMS — Take Hold of ‘Em!
Why DIDN’T Catholics Want People Having Access to Scripture?
Historically, Catholic leaders have curiously objected to people having access to the Holy Scriptures. For instance, when the codex book form replaced the scroll, and parchment made from sheep or goat skin replaced papyrus, the Catholic Council of Toulouse, France, 1229, forbade anyone who was not a priest from owning a translation of the Bible or any part of it.
John Wycliffe was one of the first to make the Bible available to the average person. He argued that the Scriptures did little good locked away in Latin that few could understand. He finished the first complete English translation based upon the Vulgate in 1382. Hand-written copies were widely circulated and eagerly read. In 1408, nearly a quarter century after Wycliffe’s death, Catholic leaders outlawed the reading of Wycliffe’s translation. So England had a Bible in the English language, but it was a forbidden one.
It gets worse: The Council of Constance condemned Wycliffe in 1415, ordering his body exhumed and burned, along with his books. Yet even the most energetic opposition could not wipe out this powerful movement to translate the Bible into the languages of the common people.
In 1522, William Tyndale conceived the project of translating the New Testament directly from the Greek, bypassing the Latin Vulgate. To a critic of this plan he boldly declared: “If God spare my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost.”
To carry out his noble project, Tyndale had to flee to Germany because of strong opposition from religious authorities in England. He would never return to his home country.
After Tyndale finished his translation, copies were smuggled into England and widely distributed. But, when discovered, Catholic leaders ordered these Bibles gathered up for burning! Tyndale was betrayed in 1535, kidnapped, and imprisoned by papal agents near Brussels. He was tried for heresy and condemned to death. A decade earlier they had burned the translation; now they intended to burn the translator!
Tyndale went boldly to the stake circa October 6, 1536, still defending his belief that the English should have a Bible in their own language. He was strangled at the post before they burned his body. With his last breath he cried out, “LORD open the king of England’s eyes!” His prayer was answered seven decades later with the King James Bible manifesting in 1611, which used about 84% of Tyndale’s words for the New Testament and 76% for the Old Testament (these are conservative estimates).
The KJV was the most popular English version of the Bible for almost 400 years. The New International Version (NIV) has since usurped this position, which you can observe here. (This explains, by the way, why the NIV is the primary version we use on this site).
Tyndale’s life-mission coincided with the Protestant Reformation, which had just begun in 1517 with the publication of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses in northeast Germany followed by his excommunication by Pope Leo X in early 1521.
The clarion call of the Reformers was sola scriptura, a Latin phrase meaning “(by) Scripture alone.” You see, they were protesting the unbiblical doctrines and practices of the Catholic religion that had accumulated over the centuries and stripped believers of freedom in Christ and the corresponding dunamis power. This explains why these reformers came to be called Protestants, i.e. protest-ants. The God-breathed Scriptures are the LORD’s blueprint for authentic Christianity. In other words, the Bible is the basis for all Christian doctrine & practice and corrections thereof, as plainly stated in Holy Scripture:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Notice clearly that we are to go to the God-breathed Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21) for legitimate Christian teachings and these Scriptures are the basis for proper doctrine and correction in matters of belief or practice (assuming, of course, they’re “rightly divided” based on common sense hermeneutics). Nothing is said about a pope, cardinal, bishop or priest having the power to override clear biblical teachings.
Of course, the Catholic organization never outright denied the authority of Scripture, they just placed extrabiblical traditions and the teachings of Catholic leaders on a level of authority that superseded Holy Scripture. Some quick examples include: the papacy, apostolic succession, papal infallibility, equating Catholic traditions with Scripture, praying to dead saints, praying to Mary, obsession with religious statues to the point of smacking of idolatry, regular confession to priests, infant baptism, celibacy mandated for ministers, Amillennialism, transubstantiation, the absurd granting of indulgences, the immaculate conception, perpetual virginity, the assumption of Mary and mediatrix. You can read more about these unscriptural doctrines/practices here.
This tendency of fallen humanity and the religious spirit explains the biblical rule Paul had for his assemblies:
“Do not go beyond what is written.”
In other words, don’t go beyond what is written in Holy Scripture in regards to Church doctrine and Christian living. The Lord Himself said we need to “continue in his word” so that “the truth will set us free” (John 8:31-32). He also said to the Father, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
Even long after the Reformation, the Catholic organization conveyed the Word of God in Latin at services and so the common person couldn’t even comprehend it. My wife’s father came from a Catholic family and attested to this. He said he never understood a word of what was preached at services. The absurdity of having masses conducted in Latin wasn’t corrected until 1969, obviously due to social pressure since “Protestant” ministers were actually helping the masses with biblical truths. I’m speaking as a humble nonsectarian who simply goes by the scriptural name Christian (Acts 11:26). (If you’re not familiar with sectarianism, go here).
Maybe the Catholic sect has changed in modern times, I don’t know since I don’t attend masses or read Catholic literature (I hope they’ve changed for the sake of their parishioners). But the documented facts plainly show that Catholic leaders have, historically, hated the notion of the common people having access to Holy Scripture — the Word of Truth — or even hearing it at their services.
Don’t these type of religious leaders want people set FREE? Don’t they realize that the Word of God is the “sword of the spirit,” the believer’s most effective weapon in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:17)?
Christ answered such questions in the 1st Century when talking to the legalistic Pharisees and Teachers of the Law:
46Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them…
52“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”
Luke 11:46,52
When Church leaders become infected by forms of legalism, they lack the capacity or desire to set people free. On the contrary, they’ll do the very opposite—they’ll load people down with heavy and unnecessary burdens that they’re unwilling to help carry. It’s what counterfeit religionists do.
The other glaring reason Catholic officials didn’t want believers to have access to God’s Word is that they feared their organization’s unbiblical doctrines & practices would be exposed as bogus and there’d be a great reformation which, of course, is what ultimately happened.
A Catholic wrote me claiming that, until the last few hundred years, the majority of believers didn’t have access to the Holy Scriptures and, even if they did, it would’ve done little good since most people were illiterate. (Notice, interestingly, how he plays down the importance of the Word of God in people’s lives).
Actually, the early Church had the Hebraic Scriptures, which pointed to Christ (John 5:39), as well as the verbal Scriptures via the apostles who literally walked with the Messiah for 3.5 years before His teachings were written down in the four Gospels (Paul didn’t walk with Christ during the His earthly ministry, but had a life-changing encounter with the risen Lord, as noted in 1 Corinthians 15:8). Thirty years after Yeshua ascended, Peter cited Paul’s epistles as Scripture and they were circulating amongst the assemblies (2 Peter 3:16). So the early Church did have access to Old and New Covenant Scripture.
As for believers in subsequent decades & centuries, the Marcionite canon from 130-140 AD listed nine of Paul’s New Testament epistles while the Muratorian Canon from circa 170 AD featured all of what became the New Testament except the epistles Hebrews, James, 1 Peter and 2 Peter (the mini-epistles 2 John and 3 John were considered possibilities). This indicates that the essential texts that would ultimately be accepted as New Testament canon were already acknowledged by early believers 100-145 years after Christ’s crucifixion. This was long before what is known as Catholicism originated.
It is true that the public masses were largely illiterate and hardly anyone who was literate had access to the Scriptures until after 1600 because books of the Bible or whole Bibles were all hand-written, but this just shows the responsibility of Church servant-leaders — e.g. pastors & teachers — to feed believers under their care the truths of God’s Word (Ephesians 4:11-13 & 1 Peter 5:1-5). The Bible clearly says that such ministers will be held accountable to what they effectively teach or don’t teach at the Judgment Seat of Christ, not to mention they’ll be judged “more strictly” than other believers because of this responsibility (James 3:1 & 2 Corinthians 5:10).
This article should not be viewed as “anti-Catholic,” it’s simply pro-history, pro-truth and pro-Lord Jesus Christ. God isn’t concerned about the sectarian tag believers go by — whatever that might be or might not be — but rather what’s going on in the individual’s heart; specifically, their faith (belief), as well as their corresponding fruit and actions. Speaking of which, notice this general biblical prayer for believers by the apostle Paul:
9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
Colossians 1:9-10
How exactly can believers be “filled with the knowledge of His will” and “grow in the knowledge of God” if Christian leaders refuse to teach or preach God’s Word in the vernacular of the people? How can believers be filled with such knowledge and grow in it if they’re forbidden to even possess it or read it (or have it read to them, if they’re illiterate)?
This illustrates the gross error of Catholic leaders denying believers access to the Word of Truth over the centuries of Church history. And by ‘Church‘ I’m referring to “the holy nation” of genuine believers (1 Peter 2:9) who are spiritually-regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5), regardless of the individual’s preferred sectarian label.
Related Topics:
Does Matthew 16:18-19 Support the Idea of a Pope?
Who Wrote the New Testament Books? Who Authorized them as Scripture Canon?
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
BIBLE — You Own One at a Huge Price!
What is KJV ONLY? What’s Wrong with It?
BEREAN SPIRIT — What Is It? How Do You Cultivate It?
What Makes a Believer a “LEGITIMATE CHRISTIAN”?
The Origin of the MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT
It helps to understand what’s happening in the Middle East by examining where this ongoing conflict started, as revealed in Scripture.
Abram, who was soon renamed Abraham, found favor with the LORD and God viewed him as a friend (Genesis 12:1-7 & James 2:23). He was promised that his descendants would be “a great nation” “as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore” (Genesis 22:17).
Abraham’s wife was Sarai, renamed Sarah, and she began to doubt Gods promise of a son because she was getting on in years, about 75 years-old. So, she suggested that Abraham sleep with her much younger Egyptian maidservant, Hagar. The lass must’ve been attractive because Abraham didn’t put up much of a fight and so Hagar became pregnant with Abraham’s first born, Ishmael (Genesis 16). Fourteen years later, Sarah birthed Abraham’s second son, Isaac, at the age of 90 when Abraham was 100 (Genesis 21:5). People lived longer back then, for anyone who’s wondering.
The Fruit of Ishmael and Isaac
So, Ishmael sprang from Hagar and Isaac came from Sarah. Ishmael was born against the will of God and so, from the beginning, Ishmael’s descendants have been hostile toward Issac’s descendants. Notice what the Angel of the LORD prophesied to Hagar about her son:
11The angel of the Lord also said to her:
“You are now pregnant
and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the Lord has heard of your misery.
12He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers.”
Genesis 16:11-12
- From Ishmael came the Arab Nations and Mohammed, who wrote the Islamic Quran 2200 years after the time of Ishmael. The Quran instructs followers of Islam that Jews & Christians and those of any other faith are infidels and, if they refuse to convert to the Muslim faith, must be eradicated.
- From Isaac came the physical nation of Israel, as well as Judaism, and — eventually — Jesus Christ as a blood sacrifice for humanity’s sins (1 Peter 2:24), which gave birth to Christianity and the spiritual nation of the Church, whose genuine members are all “children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).
You can probably see how the Middle East has been labeled “the cradle of civilization” or “the fertile crescent.” Abraham originated from the southeastern end of this crescent, in Ur of the Chaldeans, which is roughly 150 miles northwest of the Persian Gulf.
Ishmael’s descendants don’t believe that Jews and Christians have a right to live if they reject embracing Islam. That’s why Iran — like the head of an octopus — directs the tentacles of Hamas, Hezbola, ISIS and other Islamic terrorist organizations to chant “Death to Israel” or “Death to America” and murder innocent people, such as the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Their religious war, which they call jihad, has been going on since the time of Ishmael and will still be happening when Christ’s Second Coming takes place and ends the violence for His peaceful Millennial Reign on Earth, which is the precursor to the eternal age of the New Heavens and New Earth (2 Peter 3:13).
LIEberals Side With the Terrorists While Conservatives Side With Israel
I live in America and this country has been greatly blessed as it has been a defender of Israel and the Hebrews. Remember what the LORD prophesied to Abraham:
2“I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:2-3
You may have noticed lately that the youth of America & other Western Nations have been supporting the Islamic terrorists and protesting on behalf of them. Leftist academics have taken advantage of their naïveté and indoctrinated them so that they don’t even understand the blind folly of their position. With satanic Leftists in positions of authority and influence in politics, the lamestream media, academia and entertainment, America is only a generation away from turning its back on Israel, unless we repent.
Thankfully, with the 2024 election, the political situation in America is currently being purged of the entrenched LIEberals, along with the collapse of the mainstream media — which is an auxiliary of the Demonic-rat Party, satan’s favorite political party in light of their glaringly bad fruit (Matthew 7:15-23). America has obviously been granted a reprieve by the Sovereign LORD. Pray for the American Church to be wise and not allow satan’s children to take over our political system again. Also pray for our academia to be purged of LIEberal idiotology to save our youth from the corresponding satanic brainwashing. This will of course have a positive impact globally.
Please understand that this article is speaking in generalities about Israel and the Hebrews. They are obviously not good in the absolute sense; nor are all Arabic peoples savage murderers. Only the LORD is good in the absolute sense (Mark 10:18).
Related Topics:
HEBREWS / ISRAELITES / JEWS — Why Did God Choose Them?
Are Gentile Believers SPIRITUAL JEWS?
Was Jesus White, Black or Yellow When He Was on Earth?
Islam and Christianity: A Side-by-Side Comparison
Islamic Terrorists — Why Do They Do It?
Religion and Christianity — What’s the Difference?
Understanding the Religion of LIEberalism
Is Name-Calling Ever Appropriate?
Did PAUL’S MESSAGE Contradict Jesus & James’ Gospel?
Here’s the argument in question:
The book of James declares works, the keeping of the commandments, as part of the process of justification. From James’ point of view, salvation is by faith plus works. This contradicts Paul’s salvation by grace through faith and not of works.
Actually, there is no contradiction. Let me offer plain evidence from the Holy Scriptures…
Let’s start with what Paul went on to say in Ephesians 2:
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Also notice what Paul prayed for regarding Gentile believers:
9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
Colossians 1:9-10
These verses suggest that genuine faith naturally produces good works and the corresponding fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) whereas dead, useless faith does not. The latter was James’ point in his epistle:
14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
James 2:14-24
James is simply saying that genuine salvation faith produces the corresponding deeds and he illustrates this through the example of Abraham from Genesis 22. Abraham is our “father of faith” (Romans 4:17). God made one nation through the loins of Abraham, Israel, but many nations through the faith of Abraham, which is one global spiritual nation regardless of sectarian tag, i.e. the Church of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:9), consisting of both believing Jews and Gentiles.
Paul and James’ statements about salvation faith and works are relevant to the saying: Don’t put the cart before the horse. In short, don’t put works before faith. You see, works do not save the believer, but genuine faith naturally produces works and the corresponding fruit of the spirit. Faith that doesn’t do this is obviously dead, useless ‘faith’ — mere mental assent.
Now let’s consider the linking argument:
Many statements in the New Testament by Christ, James and John stress the keeping of the commandments, such as John 14:15, 1 John 2:3-4 and Revelation 14:12. However, Paul taught salvation by grace through faith and not of works. He taught that “no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin” (Romans 3:20).
This suggests Paul did not teach believers that they are obligated to fulfill the moral Law, yet this is a lie, a false doctrine. It is true Paul emphasized that believers are not under the Mosaic Law (Galatians 5:18, Romans 6:14 & Romans 7:6), but he said we are obligated to fulfill the moral Law, as observed here:
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
This corresponds to what Paul openly preached to both Jews and Gentiles:
I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
True faith involves repentance, that is, changing one’s mind accordingly, which naturally has a positive effect on one’s actions and lifestyle. Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin and this explains why they’re the first two doctrines of the six basic doctrines of biblical Christianity (Hebrews 6:1-2). Christ taught the same thing in Mark 1:15.
But how do believers “uphold the law”? Here’s how:
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The “righteous requirements of the law” refers to the moral Law. Believers are responsible to fulfill the moral Law, but this cannot be accomplished by the flesh, as sufficiently proven in the Old Testament; it can only be done by living according to the spirit. This means to live out of your reborn spirit that was “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). Thus Paul taught: “So I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). The primary fruit of the spirit is love (Galatians 5:22-23 & Colossians 3:14).
Speaking of which, Paul stressed how New Covenant believers are not under the Mosaic law, but under the law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-21 & Galatians 6:2). This is the law of love, which the Lord said had three applications in Matthew 22:37-40:
- LOVE GOD
- LOVE PEOPLE
- As you LOVE YOURSELF
Paul explained this law as such: “whoever loves others has fulfilled the Law” (Romans 13:8), which includes tough love when appropriate (Proverbs 27:5). This is how we “Keep God’s commands,” as the apostle plainly taught (1 Corinthians 7:19). Meanwhile James referred to this law of love—the law of Christ—as “the royal law” in Scripture (James 2:8).
All of this plainly shows that Paul advocated fulfilling the moral commandments of Old Testament Law. He simply taught the proper, effective New Covenant way of doing it.
For further proof that Paul didn’t support some vague faith that is nothing more than mental assent and otherwise useless, notice what he plainly taught the believers at Corinth:
7The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:7-11
Paul was talking to believers here and says that those who impenitently transgress the moral Law with no concern of penitence—that is, as a lifestyle—will not inherit the kingdom of God, which means they can kiss eternal salvation goodbye. He even adds “Do not be deceived”!
All believers miss it now then on their earthly journey of sanctification (1 John 1:8), but that’s different from living in sin as a lifestyle with no care of penitence. It’s necessary for every believer to “keep with repentance” (Matthew 3:8 & Luke 3:8), which enables the LORD to regularly “forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
I’m trying to grasp what the people who make such arguments (in red above) are trying to say. Are they saying that Gentile believers should only take heed to Paul’s epistles and skip out on the rest of the New Testament, at least as far as practice goes? Completely ignore what Christ, James and John said, not to mention Peter? Even if this were true, it’s proven above that Paul clearly taught believers to uphold the “righteous requirements of the law” by walking according to the spirit and not the flesh. He plainly stressed “whoever loves others has fulfilled the Law.” Obviously Paul was very concerned about believers fulfilling the moral commandments of the Mosaic Law but, again, he taught the effective way of doing it, the superior New Covenant way, which is, walking in the spirit.
The likely reason for this curious position is that these people have loved ones who only mentally assent to faith in Christ, but are otherwise walking in the flesh. Another possibility is that they themselves are stubbornly living in the flesh (at least in regards to a pet sin) with no concern of penitence. I don’t know; I’m just guessing.
Whatever the case, the idea that Paul preached a different gospel from the one Christ, James and John preached is a grossly false doctrine. It’s only true that Paul focused on reaching the Gentiles whereas James, Peter and John concentrated on reaching Hebrews (Galatians 2:9). There was some crossover, of course. For instance, the Jerusalem church had a number of Gentile congregants while Gentile assemblies, like Antioch, had a smattering of Jewish believers (Acts 11:19-26 & Galatians 2:13). In other words, it’s not like James, Peter and John only ministered to Jews and Paul only ministered to Gentiles.
Lastly, consider this…
If Paul preached a different gospel to the Gentiles, as opposed to that of Christ, James, Peter and John, he would’ve had to say something somewhere in his epistles to the effect of:
This is to the Gentile believers only, not the Jewish believers in your midst. As a Hebrew of Hebrews, I and the Jewish believers amongst you follow the gospel of Jesus, James, Peter and John, but you Gentiles follow a different message, the gospel of Paul, which — again — I can’t follow because I am a Hebrew.
See how absurd it gets if we accept this false doctrine?
Related Topics:
Law (Torah) — New Testament Believers are NOT Under the Law
The Salvation Equation: Faith = Salvation (+ Fruit + Works)
How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled
What Makes a Believer a “LEGITIMATE CHRISTIAN”?
Once Saved Always Saved? — Answering the Best Arguments
What Are the APOCRYPHA and PSEUDEPIGRAPHA?
The books contained in the apocrypha (ah-POK-rah-fah) & pseudepigrapha (soo-doh-PIG-rah-fah) are noncanonical writings from the intertestamental period, or “400 silent years,” between the Old and New Testaments; and up to 300-400 AD. ‘Apocrypha’ means “hidden away” while ‘pseudepigrapha’ means “false writings,” mostly because the claimed author of the text is not the actual author. Some of what these books say is true, but some is questionable or false.
It’s similar to the gazillion of Christian books available today, depending on the author and their sectarian bias. Don’t get me wrong, there are many worthwhile Christian books out there, but the best ones are those that stick closely to the Scriptures and rightly-divide them (2 Timothy 2:15 & 3:16-17). In light of this, if you read any books from the apocrypha & pseudepigrapha, it’s necessary to “test them all; hold on to what is good,” as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 puts it. In other words, eat the meat and spit out the bones since they’re not Holy Scripture.
Speaking of which, stick with God’s Word in regard to Christian doctrine (belief) and practice, which explains Paul’s rule “Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Related Topics:
Hermeneutics — Proper Bible Interpretation
Who Wrote the New Testament Books? Who Authorized them as Scripture Canon?
What Does “Do Not Go Beyond What is Written” Mean in 1 Corinthians 4:6?
Berean Spirit — What Is It? How Do You Cultivate It?
SECTARIANISM — What Is It? What’s Wrong With It?
HEBREWS / ISRAELITES / JEWS — Why Did God Choose Them?
What Did Paul Mean by “According to the Scriptures”?
What Are the Sources of Truth (Reality)?