Cults
So
what's wrong with the other religions?
"INSPIRED" PROPHETS:
A prophet, as was seen in the Old Testament, is no longer necessary.
- Hebrews 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers
through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in
these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir
of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
Christ is the only bridge we need to close the gap which our sins
creates between God and us. We do not need another human being, including
these so-called "prophets", and yes, that includes Catholic priests.
- 1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom
for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.
What is so special about these leaders, these founders of the religions
which were derived (or depraved) from the Bible anyway? These people
claim to know something which we, the "common folk" do not. Sure,
certain aspects of the Bible are more complicated than others,...
- 2Peter 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means
salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom
that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters,
speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that
are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as
they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
...yet, it is clear that the Bible was written for all men to understand,
be them brilliant or dim. It is simply a matter of reading the scriptures
for yourself.
- Psalms 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving
the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the
simple.
- Psalms 119:130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives
understanding to the simple.
If still further proof is needed about false prophets, look no further
than the scriptures.
- Deuteronomy 18:21 You may say to yourselves, "How can
we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" 22 If what
a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come
true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken
presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
In other words, if someone claims to be a prophet who can forsee the future,
then an easy test for them would be to see if they foretold about an event
that did not come to pass.
SELECTIVE SCRIPTURE
HOPPING:
This is the act of picking and choosing Bible verses based on their
support of what you would like them to say. I have been to church (cult)
services where the speaker would deliberately skip around the Bible, jumping
over and around verses that clearly contest their doctrine.
Some cults even state that we, as humans, do not sin, even while basing
their religion on the Bible! To them I would like to point out that
"sin" occurs in 421 verses in the Bible! Others attempt to redefine or
distort it to mean something other than it's original
definition. Here is my favorite verse regarding
the aspect of denying sin's existence in our lives:
- 1John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make
him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
OLD TESTAMENT RULES and TRADITIONS:
The following of Biblical Old Testament rules and traditions no longer
determines our salvation.
- Romans 7:6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been
released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not
in the old way of the written code.
- Galatians
3: (all)
- Colossians 2:13-14 He forgave us all our sins, 14 having
canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and
that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
INCORRECT INTERPRETATION of SCRIPTURE:
This is the act of misunderstanding the meaning of what the Bible is trying to
say. The easiest way to do this is to concoct an opinion about a subject
by reading only one or even several verses. To get a good, sound
understanding of a topic, one must take into account what the whole Bible says
about it. Yes, I know that this web page does just what it is that I'm
warning about, but that is only in the interest of conserving space and because,
of course, I cannot include the whole Bible on this web site. To confirm
(or denounce) my opinions on these matters, I would suggest the purchase and
usage of a good, well recommended book on Systematic Theology. I think the
most popular one is probably that of Wayne Grudem, titled Systematic
Theology. He is a well established theologian who writes in a manner which
is easy to understand, not above the average layman's head. D.A. Carson is
another very respected theologian who has written many books related to the
subject.
Continue to "Disputable
Issues"
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