Some 25 years after the founding of the New Covenant Church Paul wrote to Timothy telling him that he (Paul) had been persecuted for speaking the Holy Scriptures, and that Timothy should prepare to be persecuted for the same reason. Paul reminded the young evangelist that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer as he had. Timothy was encouraged to continue ministering the Holy Scriptures which he had been taught from childhood which, if believed and obeyed, would result in his salvation (3:10-15). In verse 16 Paul makes a statement that everyone who calls himself a Christian can recite but which practically no one understands: “ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God and (ALL IS) pro- fitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (which is nec- essary for salvation-1 Pet. 3:12;4:18), that the man of God might be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

In Acts 17:11,12 Paul relates how he and Silas had preached to men in Berea whom he characterized as “noble” because they had RECEIVED THE WORD WITH ALL READINESS OF MIND AND SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY to determine if what Paul was telling them was true. This passage has been totally misunderstood by the Institutional Church.

What the church either cannot or will not grasp is the fact that Paul is referring to the Old Testament in both cases. The Old Testament was THE ONLY SCRIPTURES (WRITTEN CHURCH COMMUNICA-TIONS) IN EXISTENCE AT THAT TIME. THE NEW TESTAMENT WOULD NOT COME INTO EXIS- TENCE FOR MANY YEARS FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE LAST APOSTLE–JOHN, WHO DIED AROUND 100 A.D.

Notice that the apostles all taught the New Covenant believers out of the Old Testament. Every passage of Scripture they quoted or referred to came from the Old Testament which was as important as what the apostles wrote and spoke during their lifetimes. This is brought out in Ephesians 2:19,20 where Paul states that the New Covenant Church–the “Household of God”- is built on the teachings of both the PROPHETS AND THE APOSTLES. Notice that Paul does not place one source above the other. Notice also that when God decreed that He would make a new covenant with Israel (God’s New Covenant Church–Gal. 6:16), the only thing He changed was the placement of the Law–He would write it on the hearts of His saints (Jer. 31:31-33/Heb. 8:8-12). What the church does not understand and rejects when it is shown her is that the New Testament is simply an extension of the Old Testament, and that the God who wrote it in stone on Mt. Sinai many years ago is the same God who writes it on the hearts of His saints today. See The God of the Old Testament. Because God nailed to the cross the parts of the Old Testament “that were against us” (Col. 2:14), which He called “our schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24), we now are free to walk according to the “voice” of His Holy Spirit, which always leads us to the Truth–God’s Word (Jn. 17:17).

By rejecting almost the entirety of the Old Testament the Counterfeit Church rejects some 80% of God’s Word to His saints. ALL Scripture means exactly that–ALL–not just the parts that agree with man’s religious desires.