CHRISTENDOM'S FALSE DOCTRINES IDENTIFIED IN SCRIPTURE

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works”.

We regularly quote these words from Paul’s second epistle to Timothy in public lectures, and these words being true, have much to tell us about the introduction of heretical doctrine into the world. Whilst it is right to go outside the Scriptures to show from history books how the prophetic word has been fulfilled, yet there is a danger in studying treatises published by Christendom about their beliefs that we ourselves, being mortal flesh, become deluded thereby. As Paul wrote, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science (or ‘knowledge’) falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith…(1Tim.6:20 –21). It is safer and wiser to view false doctrine from the Divine standpoint, rather than from listening to the carnal mind justifying itself.

However, we regularly have to discuss the Truth with strangers, and of course false teachers (2Pet.2:1) have ever sought to introduce into the ecclesia ‘new’ doctrines, which are not new, but are recycled pagan teaching, clothed in a modern and purportedly enlightened vocabulary. The Scriptures of Truth however reveal to us the origin of this teaching, in order that we can identify that its source is the carnal mind and not the Holy Spirit.

The prime example of this is of course the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, the source of which we regularly in lectures identify as the product of the serpent lie, when he said Ye shall not surely die (Gen.3:4). The carnal mind has always sought to reject the righteous judgment of God that death is the consequence of sin and is a cessation of existence. This pernicious doctrine of the immortal soul has through the millennia of pagan, Jewish and Christian philosophy acted like a drug to dull adherent’s minds against the ‘hard’ saying that death is a cessation of existence. Revelation 9:21 reads, “Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts”. Here the word sorceries is from the Greek pharmakeia, (the English word ‘pharmacy’ is a related word), and involves the dispensing of drugs – and this false doctrine is like a drug enabling millions to comfort themselves that death is not actually death, but a transfer of the immortal soul, even as a person might walk from one room to another. It is pertinent that despite the trumpet judgments described in Revelation 9, the Roman religion would not give up such doctrine, and it is not surprising that sometimes those who are learning the Truth find it difficult to accept the mortality of man.

It is noteworthy that when a feature of the Truth is denied, then there is automatically a subsequent denial of other doctrines. It resembles a domino effect. When it is asserted that man has an immortal soul, then it follows that the soul has to migrate somewhere at death – either to heaven or to hell. So ‘heaven-going’ is a consequence. A place of hell-torment requires a personal fallen angel devil, and man’s salvation becomes a warfare between the gods of good and the gods of evil. Further, even if some fundamental principle of the Truth such the doctrine of the atonement, is denied in whole or part, and then covered with ambiguous statements which ‘all’ might be able to accept, the above-mentioned ‘domino effect’ still takes place over time. Ecclesias in their deliberations must always consider the histories of Israel and the early ecclesia, and must, as surprising as it sounds, look ahead three or four generations as to what impact such deliberations will have in the long-term. It is true that we are very sure that the coming of the Lord is at hand, but the ecclesia has a great responsibility concerning faithfulness as the repository of the Truth.

Here are some examples of Christendom’s doctrines which feature in Scripture and are shown thereby to originate from pagan theology:

The Immortal Soul

It is not surprising that the doctrine of the immortal soul appears in several places in Scripture, one of which is in Deuteronomy 18:9 – 20, which covers both false doctrine practised by the nations, who were to be displaced by Israel, and also false prophets arising from within Israel. In verse 11, there is a prohibition against a consulter with familiar spirits and likewise a necromancer (one who enquires of the dead). The term ‘familiar’ here has a meaning in old English of ‘family’ rather than ‘well-known’, and reflects the Hebrew word used. Clearly, such abominable practices involve a belief that the ‘dead’ are contactable rather than having no existence.

The Trinity

2 Kings 4:42 “And there came a man of Baal-shalisha,…”

The latter term means ‘Lord of the trinity’

The Incarnation

Acts 14:11-12 “And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker”.

These verses show that pagan theology contained a belief that gods came down from heaven in the form of men. This same citation also reveals that Mercurius (Hermes in Greek, and Nebo in Akkadian) ‘was the chief speaker’, and this idea seems to have been transferred to Christendom’s teaching that the ‘logos’ of John 1 was the spokesman of the Trinitarian god(s).

The Worship of Mary

I Kgs 11:33 “Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians,……”.

This female deity was manifest as the Babylonian ‘Ishtar’, the Egyptian Isis, the Grecian Artemis, and described by her Roman name, Diana of the Ephesians in Acts 19:24. In Jer.7:16 – 20, in a religious family festival which has resemblance to Christendom’s Easter, Ashtoreth is described as ‘the queen of heaven’ a title attributed today to ‘Mary’.

It is noteworthy and ironical that the worship of ‘Mary’ became an official doctrine of the Catholic Church in 430AD at Ephesus. Once again with such teaching, an acceptance of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul is essential, but when the mortality of man is understood from the Scriptures of Truth, then obviously, the true Mary of the Bible, who is blessed among women, the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ is dead, asleep in the dust of the earth, awaiting the day of resurrection, and therefore prayers to her are of no avail (Psa.6:5, John 3:13; Ezek.18:20; 1 Cor. 15:22 – 23).

So again, the Scripture identifies the source of Christendom’s veneration.

The afore-mentioned information confirms that the Babylonish Egyptian, and Canaanite theologies which seduced Israel, were basically the same religions which under different names challenged the ecclesia in the first century and corrupted the church between the third and fifth centuries A.D.

Rather than giving a Scriptural exposition of why and how Christendom is astray, the purpose of this article is to emphasize that the Scripture identifies for us the sources of those false doctrines. Perhaps readers might wish to search the Scriptures when reading the daily chapters for other examples, and it is likely that the editor would welcome other illustrations.

Russell Ebbs

NOTES:

1—Further, our time is better spent studying the Scriptures and reading pioneer writings and other valuable books emanating from the brotherhood. Indeed, the writer’s experience is that there are not enough hours in the day sufficient for such.

2—Lecturing brethren may wish to take note that it is therefore inaccurate to say the word ‘Trinity’ cannot be found in the Bible – the word does occur in Scripture, but shown to be associated with Baal worship. Gesenius confirms that ‘Shalishah’ (Strong’s nos. 8028 and 8030) means ‘triad’.

3—The ‘Incarnation’ asserts that ‘Jesus’ existed before his birth, and divested himself of his God-nature’ and took upon him a human form

4—Artemis’s chastity was emphasized by Greek poets, and Isis holding her son Horus, were revered as the perfect mother and child.

Russell Ebbs