Much has been written and spoken from pulpit, podium, radio, television and by way of the printed word concerning “the gospel of Jesus Christ”–its Author, its subject, its message and its timing. The Institutional Church has managed to get all four wrong. How is this possible? How could so many people be so wrong for so long? Answer: Scripture judging combined with Scripture nullification. As did her spiritual ancestors in Eden, the church has taken it upon herself to edit God’s Word, declaring selected passages either “right” or “wrong” while doing away with those she declares to be totally unacceptable. She skillfully torques “wrong” verses and passages to make them acceptable while doing away with those that expose her as a false religion. The religious masses, unwilling to study the Bible for themselves, believe what they are told. And woe to the soul who shows them God’s Truth in His Word.

As is the case with all Scriptural messages, God commands that we “Prove all things” (1 Thes. 5:21) in order to avoid the errors that become “Bible Truth” when the Scriptures are merely read for the purpose of confirming a belief rather than studied in search of Truth. In order to avoid error, God commands that we “STUDY” to show ourselves approved of Him (2 Tim. 2:15). The church, on the other hand, considers only those Scriptures that are approved by the church hierarchy of the sect in which one is involved. There being two major divisions within professing Christendom and hundreds of denominations, churches, etc. found in one of the divisions, should one change from one division or denomination to another there is of necessity a certain amount of unlearning and fresh learning. The idiocy of such a scenario is beyond description.

In obedience to His commands, true saints diligently study according to the “how to” message given in Isaiah 28:9,10,13: “Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from milk and drawn from the breast.” Having told us WHO God can instruct–those hungry for the things of the Spirit–Isaiah then tells us HOW to learn and receive instructions from the Lord: “For precept must be upon (added to) precept, precept upon precept, line upon (added to) line, line upon line, here a little (Scripture), there a little (Scripture).” Clearly, the Lord expects Truth seekers to diligently study, combine, compare, etc. all Scriptures related to the subject at hand. Each “line” and “precept” is “A” Truth; one must combine them to find “THE” Truth relative to the subject. Many a church doctrine has been declared “The Word of the Lord” that is in reality nothing more than man’s manipulation of God’s Words. Many doctrines are little more than wishful thinking based on a single verse which is either “wrested” (2 Pet. 3:16) to make it say what the denomination/ church/faith, etc. wants it to say, or is taken out of context. In many cases both manipulations are needed to make the passage fit the organizational narrative.

One of the errors concerning the GOSPEL is that it is strictly a New Covenant Church concept. This error is put forth by those who want to separate the Old Testament from the New Testament, thereby declaring the old no longer relevant. Such people believe that the Old Testament was written for the Israelites of old and headed by God the Father. The New Testament, they contend, is designed for a totally new group of believers–the church headed by Jesus Christ. God declares this theology to be totally wrong as the postings titled The God of the Old Testament, The Importance of the Old Testament, Replacement Theology and White Fields reveal.

That the gospel was an Old Testament concept is brought out in Paul’s letter to the Galatians where he tells the church that the Scripture (Word-Jesus Christ-Jn. 1:1-4) PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO ABRAHAM, the father of the Israelite nation (3:8). This passage alone proves that Jesus of Nazareth was the God of the Old Testament, and that the gospel was His message then just as it is today. In the New Covenant we find Paul warning the descendants of the Old Testament Israelites not to reject the gospel as had their ancestors after the Lord (the Word/Scripture/Jesus) had led them out of Egyptian slavery. Paul goes on to say to the New Covenant Hebrews that the same gospel that Jesus preached to “them” (Old Testament Hebrews/Israelites) was preached to “us” (New Covenant Hebrews–the Church of God), thereby proving that the gospel–God’s “how to” book–has been the subject of the Lord’s ministry throughout all ages (Heb. 3:4-4:13).

Future postings relative to the gospel of Jesus Christ will reveal that, as stated earlier, the church has been wrong on all four counts of God’s indictment against her. She has been mistaken about the gospel’s Author, its message, its subject and its timing. Due to selective ignorance, laziness, pride, fear and unbelief, she has been overcome by the enemy of the Lord. To be continued. L.J.