Posts Tagged ‘false teaching’
Did Jesus tell the Essenes not to eat breakfast?
Question: Is it true that Jesus told the Essenes not to eat breakfast? If so, why? Answer: I was puzzled by the nature of the question since the Essenes are not mentioned in the Bible, though some claim that the Zealots (of which one apostle was once a member) were a branch of the Essenes,…
Read MoreCan those who teach institutionalism or liberalism be called brethren?
Question: Can you please help me? I am a preacher of the gospel who is striving to teach and practice the truth. I respect the God-given work of the church and I do have a problem with churches doing what is not authorized in the Bible as far as using the church funds. Is it…
Read MoreWhat was Paul referring to when he talked about endless genealogies?
Question: In reading Albert Barnes’ Notes on I Timothy, he talks about genealogies which are referring to the verse I Timothy 1:4 “nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.” Albert Barnes states that the Hebrews kept careful genealogical records because…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Deception
by Tom Wacaster On a hot August day in 1950, a con man visited a small Oklahoma town, telling the people that he was an advance man for a circus that would soon arrive in three days. He put up handbills and sold tickets to a circus that did not exist. It was a “scam,”…
Read MoreWhat do you think about reading books by denominational authors?
Question: What do you believe about reading books on Christian topics by authors that have a Calvinistic background? What does the Bible say? Can we take their word for their particular subjects that they discuss? For example, Josh McDowell has a book on Christian apologetics, yet he works with Campus Crusade for Christ and I…
Read MoreThe Roman Catholics, 1486 AD, and the “Title Page” Argument
by Terry W. Benton The Argument: “..the Roman Catholic church in 1486 AD arbitrarily placed the four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John –before the cross — (MMLJBC) in the New rather Old Testament by placing an erroneous New Testament “title page” between the books of Malachi and Matthew. Answer: Everyone already knew that…
Read MoreWhat does ‘Name it and Claim it” mean?
Question: What does ‘Name it and Claim it” mean? Answer: “Name it and claim it” is the slogan of the Positive Confession movement, which also goes by the name Word-Faith. At the heart of the movement’s teaching is that faith is what we say and not what we have in someone else. “The term “positive…
Read MoreThe Gospels and the Covenants
by Roger Blackwelder It has been observed that the traditional divisions we use to describe the Bible are inaccurate. Genesis through Malachi are called the Old Testament or Old Covenant. Matthew through Revelation are called the New Testament or New Covenant. The titles are problematic for at least two reasons: 1) The covenant between God…
Read MoreThe Truth About Error
by Kenneth E. Thomas Often one will read an article or hear a sermon and immediately think or say, “I wish I had written or preached that.” When this is the case I often do a lesson with the same title or a modified one with some of the same points, giving it my style…
Read MoreShould I attend my girlfriend’s church if I think it teaches false doctrine?
Question: I’m going to see my girlfriend and I’m kind of in a bad predicament because she wants me to go to worship service with her on Sunday, but she is Pentecostal and they teach false doctrine. Is it ok for me to go so I can show her what is doctrinally wrong with her…
Read MoreEven though there is falsehood in an article, can’t you read it to find some truth buried in it?
Question: I am somewhat frustrated. I suppose you may have felt frustrated reading that article I sent, or at least part of it. When I read it, of course, I wasn’t looking for flaws. You appear to focus on flaws when reading something you know you disagree with. I suppose nearly everyone including me does…
Read MoreCan personal sins blind a person to the truth?
Question: In a discussion on Calvinism, I stated, “I would advise any reading this thread not to hinge their belief of Calvinism on this verse or discussion alone. ( Ephesians 4:14 ) This is a very deep topic. I would also counsel against taking this sort of scriptural meat on when you know you have…
Read MoreThe Benefits of False Teaching
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton An old cliche says there is a silver lining in every cloud. In a sense, this is true for the follower of God. In Romans 8:18-39, Paul tells us that God can turn the wicked events that happen to Christians into an advantage for the righteous. Joseph’s life is an excellent…
Read MoreThe Appeal of Ketcherside’s Teachings
by Herschel Patton via Truth Magazine – April 1974 We have been saddened lately by a few brethren, mostly among the young, abandoning strict adherence to a “thus saith the Lord” and casting their lot with liberal brethren, even to the extent of “open fellowship” with the denominations – as advocated by Carl Ketcherside. Several young preachers,…
Read MoreTranscendental Meditation
Text: Philippians 4:6-9 I. Many people have heard of transcendental meditation even though they may not know what it is exactly. A. It is actually a trademarked name by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1958. B. He made it into a large business with a Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, in the southeastern part of the…
Read MoreThe Da Vinci Code: A Review
by Ken Green published in Biblical Insights, Vol. 5, No. 11, Nov. 2005 Vol. 5, No. 12, Dec. 2005 Vol. 6, No. 1, Jan. 2006 Vol. 6, No. 2, Feb. 2006 Vol. 6, No. 3, Mar. 2006 A popular novelist seeks to undermine the faith of those who believe the Gospels are the Word of God.…
Read MoreWhere is the line drawn between false teachings and matters of conscience?
Question: I’ve read your articles on false teaching and head coverings. My question is: How do we know if someone is engaging in false teaching? More specifically, where do we draw the line between false teaching and matters of conscience (Romans 14)? For example head coverings. There are a lot of different points of view…
Read MoreJustifying Divorce and Remarriage by Claiming Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are Old Testament Books
Question: What a tragedy! There are actually some members in the church that teach that Christians need to divorce their present mate because of having been previously involved in a divorce. Wow! This is an absolutely and pitifully deceptive teaching! And these sorts of doctrines need to be settled and denounced immediately, once and for…
Read MoreMary Magdalene and the Da Vinci Code
by Don Martin It appears that the time is ripe today in America for the further degradation of basic morality and to the introduction of all manner of false doctrines and cults. It is evident that there is presently an obsession with Mary Magdalene. Much of this focus has been gendered by Dan Brown’s bestseller,…
Read MoreIn Case You Thought There Were Facts Behind “The Da Vinci Code”
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The April 8, 2006 issue of the Omaha World-Herald contained an interesting follow-up on the lawsuit by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, against Dan Brown, the author of the very popular The Da Vinci Code. The article contained some very telling conclusions by the judge in the case. London…
Read MoreHow Do They Do That?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton You watch as the magician waves his hands and mutters mysterious words. Suddenly, the handkerchief he was holding becomes a dove. You know it is a trick, but you wonder how he did it. You read yet another account of a con man taking the money of several people. The lies…
Read MoreWhat do you think about my thesis on biblical codes?
Question: I co-wrote this thesis, currently circulating on the Internet. It is a very compelling four-year examination into the genders of Bible characters, based on word cases used in the original languages, that aid the reader to determine gender. I consider it another unveiled, hidden mystery that is being revealed as knowledge is increased, similar…
Read MoreThe Jesus Seminar
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. At the beginning of April, 1996, three major news magazines [Times, Newsweek, and US News and World Report] all carried the same lead story – “the search for the historical Jesus” A. This wasn’t a coincidence. A group of self-proclaimed scholars, called “The Jesus Society”, were behind the stories. B. Questions regarding who…
Read MoreWas the Sermon on the Mount Nailed to the Cross?
by Terry W. Benton There has not been a more fundamental question about how to rightly divide the word of truth and how to apply the scriptures than this one. At first, you might think this question is preposterous, but bear with me. There are brethren lurking in churches today who would affirm that Jesus’…
Read MoreThe “Jesus Came To Israel Only” Argument
by Terry W. Benton The Argument Stated: “MMLJ — before the cross — was taught only to the Jews of Israel.” I keep seeing the argument expressed that Jesus spoke only to the lost sheep of Israel, or only to Israel. The conclusion drawn from that fact is that “therefore” whatever He said to Israel…
Read MoreScientology
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Peter 2:1-19 I. There are times that I run into ideas that leave me completely puzzled. People seriously believe these things? A. I was asked to do a lesson on Scientology since it had been in the news recently B. The things I learned about it were so strange that I…
Read MoreBe on the Alert
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Colossians 2:1-5 I. It is our natural tendency to interpret the actions of others with our own views. A. It is hard for those who are good to understand why people will do evil. B. While thinking about how to lead in to this lesson, I received the following e-mail back before…
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