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Scripture-Twisting Methods Of The Wicked

                       SCRIPTURE-TWISTING METHODS OF THE CULTS


In debating and discussions with non-Christians such as Mormons
or atheists, I have found many areas of twisting of   the
Scriptures. In the book "Scripture Twisting," James Sire has a
chapter devoted to each of the methods, and I have seen them ALL
used from time to time.

1. INACCURATE QUOTATION: A biblical text is referred to but is
either not quoted in the way the text appears in any standard
translation or is wrongly attributed. Example: The Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi says, "Christ said, 'Be still and know that I am
God.'" Whereas this text is found ONLY in Psalms.

2. TWISTED TRANSLATION: The biblical text is retranslated, not in
accordance with sound Greek scholarship, to fit a preconceived
teaching of a cult. Example: the Jehovah's Witnesses translate
John 1:1 as "In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was
with God, and the word was A god."

3. BIBLICAL HOOK: A text of Scripture is quoted primarily as a
device to grasp the attention of readers or listeners and then
followed by a teaching which is so nonbiblical that it would
appear far more dubious to most people had it not been preceded
by a reference to Scripture. Example: Mormon missionaries quote
James 1:5 which promises God's wisdom to those who ask him, and
then follow this, by explaining that when Joseph Smith did this
he was given a revelation from which he concluded that God the
Father has a body.

4. IGNORING THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT: A text of Scripture is quoted
but removed from the surrounding verses which form the immediate
framework for its meaning. Example: Alan Watts quotes the first
half of John 5:39 ("You search the Scriptures, because you think
that in them you have eternal life"), claiming that Jesus was
challenging His listeners' over emphasis of the Old Testament,
but the remainder of the immediate context reads, "and it is they
that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you
may have life" (verses 39-40), which shows that Jesus was
upholding the value of the Old Testament as a testimony to
Himself.

5. COLLAPSING CONTEXTS: Two or more verses which have little or
nothing to do with each other are put together as if one were a
commentary of the other(s). Example: The Mormons associate
Jeremiah 1:5 with John 1:2,14 and thus imply that both verses
talk about the premortal existence of all human beings; Jeremiah
1:5, however, speaks of God's foreknowledge of Jeremiah (Not his
premortal existence) and John 1:2 refers to the pre-existence of
God the Son and not to human beings in general.

6. OVERSPECIFICATION: A more detailed or specific conclusion than
is legitimate is drawn from a biblical text. Example: The Mormon
missionary manual quotes the parable of the virgins from Matthew
25:1-13 to document the concept that "mortality is a probationary
period during which we prepare to meet God." But the parable of
the virgins could, and most probably does, mean something far
less specific, for example, that human beings should be prepared
at any time to meet God or to witness the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ.

7. WORD PLAY: A word or phrase from a biblical translation is
examined and interpreted as if the revelation had been given in
that language.Example:MARY Baker Eddy says the name Adam consists
of two syllables, A DAM, which means an obstruction, in which
case, Adam signifies "the obstacle which the serpent, sin, would
impose between man and his Creator."

8. THE FIGURATIVE FALLACY: Either (1) mistaking literal language
for figurative language or (2)mistaking figurative language for
literal language. Example of (1): Mary Baker Eddy interprets
EVENING as "mistiness of mortal thought; weariness of mortal
mind; obscured views; peace and rest." Example of (2): The Mormon
theologian James Talmage interprets the prophesy that "thou shalt
be brought down and speak out of the ground" to mean that God's
Word would come to people from the Book of Mormon which was taken
out of the ground at the hill of Cumorah.

9.SPECULATIVE READINGS OF PREDICTIVE PROPHESY: A predictive
prophesy is too readily explained by the occurance of specific
events, despite the fact that equally committed biblical scholars
consider the interpretation highly dubious. Example: The stick of
Judah and the Stick of Joseph in Ezekiel 37:15-23 are interpreted
by the Mormons to mean the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

10. SAYING BUT NOT CITING: A writer says that the Bible says such
and such but does not cite the specific text (which often
indicates that there may be no such text at all). Example: A
common phrase "God helps those who help themselves" is not found
in the Bible.

11. SELECTIVE CITING: To substantiate a given argument, only a
limited number of text is quoted: the total teaching of Scripture
on that subject would lead to a conclusion different from that of
the writer. Example: The Jehovah's Witnesses critique   the
traditional Christian notion of the Trinity without considering
the full text which scholars use to substantiate the concept.

12. INADEQUATE EVIDENCE: A hasty generalization is drawn from too
little evidence. Example: The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that
blood ÿtransfusions are nonbiblical, ÿbut the biblical data ÿthat
they ÿcite ÿfails ÿeither to speak directly to the ÿissue ÿor ÿto
adequately substantiate their teaching.

13. CONFUSED DEFINITION: A biblical term is misunderstood in such
a way that an essential biblical doctrine is distorted or
rejected. Example: one of Edgar Cayce's followers confuses the
eastern doctrine of reincarnation with the biblical doctrine of
being born again.

14. IGNORING ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS: A specific interpretation
given to a biblical text or set of text which could well be, and
often have been, interpreted in quite a different fashion, but
these alternatives are not considered. Example: Erich von Daniken
asks why in Genesis 1:26 God speaks in the plural ("us"),
suggesting that this is an oblique reference to God's being one
of   many   astronauts and failing to   consider   alternative
explanations that either God was speaking as "Heaven's king
accompanied by His heavenly host" or that the plural prefigures
the doctrine of the Trinity expressed more explicitly in the New
Testament.

15. THE OBVIOUS FALLACY: Words like OBVIOUSLY, UNDOUBTEDLY,
CERTAINLY, ALL REASONABLE PEOPLE HOLD THAT and so forth are
substituted for logical reasons. Example: Erich von daniken says,
"Undoubtedly the Ark [of the Covenent] was electrically charged!"

16. VIRTUE BY ASSOCIATION: Either (1) a cult writer associates
his   or her teaching with those of figures   accepted   as
authoritative by traditional Christians; (2) cult writings are
likened to the Bible; or (3) cult literature imitates the form of
the Bible writing such that it sounds like the Bible. Example of
(1): Rick Chapman lists 21 gurus, including Jesus Christ, St.
Francis and St. Theresa, that "you can't go wrong with." Example
of (2): Juan Mascaro in his introduction to the Upanishads cites
the New Testament, the Gospels, Ecclesiastes and the Psalms, from
which he quotes passages supposedly paralleling the Upanishads.
Example of (3): The Mormon DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 93 interweave
phrases from the Gospel of John and maintains a superficial
similarity to the Gospel such that it seems to be like the Bible.

17. ESOTERIC INTERPRETATION: Under the assumption that the Bible
contains hidden, esoteric, meaning which is open only to those
who are initiated into its secrets, the interpreter declares the
significance of biblical passages without giving much, if any,
explanation for his or her interpretation. Example: Mary Baker
Eddy ÿgives ÿthe ÿmeaning ÿof the first ÿphrase ÿin ÿthe ÿLord's
Prayer, ÿ"Our Father which art in heaven," ÿas "Our Father-Mother
God, all harmonious."

18. SUPPLEMENTING BIBLICAL AUTHORITY: New revelation from post
biblical prophets either replaces or is added to the Bible as
authority. Example: The Mormons supplement the Bible with the
Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great
Price.

19. REJECTING BIBLICAL AUTHORITY: Either the Bible as a whole or
texts from the Bible are examined and rejected because they do
not square with other authorities - such as reason or revelation
= do not appear to agree with them. Example:Archie Matson holds
that the Bible contains contradictions and that Jesus himself
rejected the authority of the Old Testament when he contrasted
His own views with it on the Sermon on the Mount.

20.   WORLD-VIEW CONFUSION: Scriptural   statements,   stories,
commands or symbols which have a particular meaning or set of
meanings when taken within the intellectual and broadly cultural
framework of the Bible itself are lifted out of that context,
placed within the frame of reference of another system and thus
given a meaning that markedly differs from their intended
meaning. Example: The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi interprets "Be still,
and know that I am God" as meaning that each person should
meditate and come to the realization that he is essentially
Godhood itself..

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The God Delusion (part 1)

“If this book works as I intend, religious readers who open it will be atheists when they put it down.” –Richard Dawkins, Preface to The God Delusion

For those of you who have not heard of him, Richard Dawkins is the best-selling author of many books, which include The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, and the book of discussion in this article, The God Delusion. The inside flap of the book claims Dawkins as “the world’s most prominent atheist” who will, “assert the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11.” I have heard atheist circles claim his arguments as “brilliant” and have been told that Christians, “fear him and his reasoning more than they fear their imaginary friend God.” Maybe you are wondering, “Why would you take the time to read 374 pages of somebody attacking God?” I did for a couple reasons. First, atheist circles are making a big deal of this book (as I stated above). This made me very curious as to what the “brilliant” arguments were that Dawkins was putting forth. The second reason I chose to read the book was to let other Christians know what he was saying, without having to take the time to read through it, which is why I am writing this article. It is very possible that you will encounter an atheist while witnessing, who throws information from this book at you. I hope that this ‘review’ will provide you with the answers to those possible objections. With that said, let’s jump in.

I will say right off the bat, I did enjoy the book. This probably shocks me as much as it shocks you. Recently, I also took the time to read Sam Harris’s book The End of Faith, which came with huge recommendations from Dawkins. I found Harris’s book repetitive and poorly written. If Dawkins was recommending it, how much better could his book possibly be? Quite a bit in my opinion. Does that mean I found his arguments convincing, or even reasonable? Not at all. Actually, I agreed with almost nothing Dawkins said. But, I did think it was well written, passionate, and for the most part, interesting.

Perhaps the most quoted portion of The God Delusion is this sentence, which appears on page 31:

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all of fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”

You don’t have to know the meaning of these words to realize one thing: Dawkins has a very strong view towards God. He specifies in this sentence that this is his view of the “God of the Old Testament”, but Biblically, this is his view of the God of the entire Bible, not just the Old Testament. Hebrews 13:8 says that God (Jesus Christ), “is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” I found this interesting, because later in the book, Dawkins refers to Jesus with almost a sense of respect. He tells his readers:

“Well, there’s no denying that, from a moral point of view, Jesus is a huge improvement over the cruel ogre of the Old Testament. Indeed Jesus, if he existed (or whoever wrote his script if he didn’t) [I will discuss this comment later in the article] was surely one of the great ethical innovators of history.”

He goes on to say,

“But the moral superiority of Jesus precisely bears my point. Jesus was not content to derive his ethics from the scriptures of his upbringing. He explicitly departed from them, for example when he deflated the dire warnings about breaking the Sabbath.”

Dawkins then goes on to quote Mark 2:27. To quote this scripture to make the point that Jesus completely dismissed the Old Testament, or “departed from them [the scriptures of his upbringing]” is nothing short of poor hermeneutical practice.. What was the context of this scripture? Jesus was talking to the Pharisees (see verse 24). The whole point of this scripture was to tell how Christ showed the Pharisees (men who were supposedly experts on scripture) that they were ignorant of what it actually taught. Ironically enough, Jesus references the Old Testament in His response to the Pharisees. He says, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; and how he entered the house of God in the time of Abithar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except to the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” (Mark 2:25-26). John MacArthur points out in his Bible commentary (which I highly recommend):

"According to 1 Samuel 21:1, Ahimelech was the priest who gave bread to David. Abiathar was Ahimelech’s son, who later was the high priest during David’s reign."

Jesus referenced the Old Testament to prove His point! But, does Dawkins mention that to his atheist readers who you can almost guarantee will not pick up a Bible and check his reference? No, he jumps right to verse 27, which says, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” Again, we turn to MacArthur’s commentary,

"God instituted the Sabbath to benefit man by giving him a day to rest from his labors and to be a blessing to him. The Pharisees turned it into a burden and made man a slave to their myriad of man-made regulations."

Let’s do a quick summary. Dawkins quotes Jesus Christ in an attempt to say Christ rejected the Old Testament, but he fails to tell his readers that Jesus referenced the Old Testament in His point to the Pharisees. In addition to that, the scripture he does reference he uses to make a point that the verse does not say. Jesus was stating that the Pharisees were using the Old Testament teaching wrongly, not that it was a poor rule that should be thrown out because it came from the Old Testament. Unfortunately, this sort of “scripture twisting” appears frequently in The God Delusion.

Scripture is not the only topic Dawkins twists in order to make a point. In his section entitled “Secularism, the founding fathers and the religion of America” he opens by saying:

“It is conventional to assume that the Founding Fathers of the American Republic were deists [actually, that is not true at all.. Most of the Founding Fathers were Bible believing Christians, not deists].. No doubt many of them were, although it has been argued that the greatest of them might have been atheists.”

That is true; many do argue and claim that the Founding Fathers were atheists. But I have also seen people argue today that the world is flat. Simply because something is argued, does not make it true. No one who has studied American history can honestly make the argument that our “greatest” Founding Fathers were atheists. Still, Dawkins goes on,

“But whatever their individual religious views in their own time, the one thing they collectively were is secularists”

Secularism can be defined as, “a system of political or social philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship.” Secularist? The argument can firmly be made that if it wasn’t for Christianity, our country would not even exist. It appears that of all the Founding Fathers, Jefferson is Dawkins’s favorite. More than once, he quotes Jefferson saying things such as, “Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man”. I am not saying Jefferson was a Christian, but I do think Dawkins quoting him in the manner he did was nothing short of dishonest. He fails to mention things Jefferson said such as:

“The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man.”

“Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus.”

And, the sure to be controversial,

“I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus.”

Again, I am not arguing that Jefferson was a Christian, I do not know. But I do know that the manner in which Dawkins quotes him (and many of the other Founding Fathers) is nothing short of misleading. If you would like to read more quotes from the Fathers on Christianity, please click here. For more information on how our country was founded on Christianity and our Christian heritage, please visit Christian Heritage Tours (I have not been on one of their tours, but I did have the opportunity to hear one on the radio. It is eye opening to say the least).

Go to: The God Delusion (part 2)

False Teachers

7 Characteristics of False Teachers by Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)	The Gospel According To Satan by Steve Camp
THE TRUE AND FALSE SHEPHERD by Robert Murray M'Cheyne	How to Test the Spirits by John MacArthur {audio}
Scripture Twisting Methods of the Cults by James Sire	A Work of the Spirit - Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Contend Earnestly For the Faith by Mike Ratliff

THE BELGIC CONFESSION OF FAITH
Article XXIX - The Marks of the True Church, and Wherein it Differs from the False Church -
We believe that we ought diligently and circumspectly to discern from the Word of God which is the true Church, since all sects which are in the world assume to themselves the name of the Church. But we speak not here of hypocrites, who are mixed in the Church with the good, yet are not of the Church, though externally in it; but we say that the body and communion of the true Church must be distinguished from all sects that call themselves the Church.
The marks by which the true Church is known are these: If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if it maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ; if church discipline is exercised in chastening of sin; in short, if all things are managed according to the pure Word of God, all things contrary thereto rejected, and Jesus Christ acknowledged as the only Head of the Church. Hereby the true Church may certainly be known, from which no man has a right to separate himself.
With respect to those who are members of the Church, they may be known by the marks of Christians; namely, by faith, and when, having received Jesus Christ the only Savior, they avoid sin, follow after righteousness, love the true God and their neighbor, neither turn aside to the right or left, and crucify the flesh with the works thereof. But this is not to be understood as if there did not remain in them great infirmities; but they fight against them through the Spirit all the days of their life, continually taking their refuge in the blood, death, passion, and obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom they have remission of sins, through faith in Him.
As for the false Church, it ascribes more power and authority to itself and its ordinances than to the Word of God, and will not submit itself to the yoke of Christ. Neither does it administer the sacraments as appointed by Christ in His Word, but adds to and takes from them, as it thinks proper; it relies more upon men than upon Christ; and persecutes those who live holily according to the Word of God and rebuke it for its errors, covetousness, and idolatry.
These two Churches are easily known and distinguished from each other

Why Does God Permit False Prophets? -

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, (2) "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'; which you have not known; 'and let us serve them,' (3) "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (4) "You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. (5) "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.

2 Timothy 4:3-5 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; (4) and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (5) But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

2 Peter 2:1-3 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. (2) And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. (3) By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

1 Timothy 1: 3-7 "...remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions."
[Paul's charge to expose unaided speculation and error in the church is done with the motive of love. While we must always teach with gentleness and respect, yet this passage affirms that the purpose of exposing bad doctrine is loving, in fact, the most loving thing a person can do for you.]

1 John 4:1-6 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (2) By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, (3) and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (4) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (5) They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. (6) We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

2 John 1:7-11 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (8) Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. (9) Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. (10) If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; (11) for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

Romans 16:17-18 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. (18) For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

Titus 1:9-14 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. (10) For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, (11) who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. (12) One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." (13) This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, (14) not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

2 Corinthians 11:3-15 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (4) For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted you may well put up with it!
(5) For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. (6) Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.
(7) Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? (8) I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. (9) And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. (10) As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. (11) Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!
(12) But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. (13) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. (14) And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Colossians 2:16-19 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, (17) which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (18) Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (19) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. (9) The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, (10) and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, (12) that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, (4) he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, (5) useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

Deuteronomy 13:1-18 "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, (2) "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’ which you have not known‘and let us serve them,’ (3) "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (4) "You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. (5) "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn [you] away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.
(6) "If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, (7) "of the gods of the people which [are] all around you, near to you or far off from you, from [one] end of the earth to the [other] end of the earth, (8) "you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; (9) "but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. (10) "And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. (11) "So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.
(12) "If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell in, saying, (13) ‘Corrupt men have gone out from among you and enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods"‘ which you have not known (14) "then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently. And [if it is] indeed true [and] certain [that] such an abomination was committed among you, (15) "you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword utterly destroying it, all that is in it and its livestock, with the edge of the sword. (16) "And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. (17) "So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, (18) "because you have listened to the voice of the LORD your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do [what is] right in the eyes of the LORD your God.

Ezekiel 34:1-10 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, (2) "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? (3) "You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, [but] you do not feed the flock. (4) "The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. (5) "So they were scattered because [there was] no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. (6) "My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching [for them]."
(7) ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: (8) "[as] I live," says the Lord GOD, "surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because [there was] no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock" (9) ‘therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD! (10) ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I [am] against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them."

Jeremiah 7:1-34 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, (2) "Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all [you of] Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!’" (3) Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. (4) "Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD [are] these.’
(5) "For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, (6) "[if] you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, (7) "then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.
(8) "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. (9) "Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, (10) "and [then] come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? (11) "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen [it]," says the LORD.
(12) "But go now to My place which [was] in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. (13) "And now, because you have done all these works," says the LORD, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, (14) "therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. (15) "And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren the whole posterity of Ephraim.
(16) "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you. (17) "Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? (18) "The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and [they] pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. (19) "Do they provoke Me to anger?" says the LORD. "[Do they] not [provoke] themselves, to the shame of their own faces?" (20) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched."
(21) Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat. (22) "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. (23) "But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ (24) "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels [and] the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. (25) "Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending [them]. (26) "Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.
(27) "Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you. (28) "So you shall say to them, ‘This [is] a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
(29) ‘Cut off your hair and cast [it] away, and take up a lamentation on the desolate heights; for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.’ (30) "For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight," says the LORD. "They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it. (31) "And they have built the high places of Tophet, which [is] in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command, nor did it come into My heart.
(32) "Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "when it will no more be called Tophet, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Tophet until there is no room. (33) "The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth. And no one will frighten [them away]. (34) "Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. For the land shall be desolate.

Jeremiah 8:7-12 "Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD. (8) "How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. (9) The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have? (10) Therefore I will give their wives to others, And their fields to those who will inherit them; Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is given to covetousness; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely. (11) For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace. (12) Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed, Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; In the time of their punishment They shall be cast down," says the LORD.

Teach the whole counsel - Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

Acts 20:29-31 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. (31) "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

Job 42:7-10 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me [what is] right, as My servant Job [has]. (8) "Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you [according to your] folly; because you have not spoken of Me [what is] right, as My servant Job [has]." (9) So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite [and] Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD commanded them; for the LORD had accepted Job. (10) And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Jeremiah 23:9-40 My heart within me is broken Because of the prophets; All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, And like a man whom wine has overcome, Because of the LORD, And because of His holy words. (10) For the land is full of adulterers; For because of a curse the land mourns. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course of life is evil, And their might [is] not right. (11) "For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness," says the LORD. (12) "Therefore their way shall be to them Like slippery [ways]; In the darkness they shall be driven on And fall in them; For I will bring disaster on them, The year of their punishment," says the LORD. (13) "And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal And caused My people Israel to err. (14) Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
(15) "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: ‘Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And make them drink the water of gall; For from the prophets of Jerusalem Profaneness has gone out into all the land.’"
(16) Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD. (17) They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, "You shall have peace"‘; And [to] everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’" (18) For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD, And has perceived and heard His word? Who has marked His word and heard [it]? (19) Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury A violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. (20) The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. (21) "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. (22) But if they had stood in My counsel, And had caused My people to hear My words, Then they would have turned them from their evil way And from the evil of their doings. (23) "[Am] I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God afar off? (24) Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.
(25) "I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ (26) "How long will [this] be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed [they are] prophets of the deceit of their own heart, (27) "who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.
(28) "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What [is] the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. (29) "[Is] not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer [that] breaks the rock in pieces?
(30) "Therefore behold, I [am] against the prophets," says the LORD, "who steal My words every one from his neighbor. (31) "Behold, I [am] against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’ (32) "Behold, I [am] against those who prophesy false dreams," says the LORD, "and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all," says the LORD.
(33) "So when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, ‘What is the oracle of the LORD?’ you shall then say to them, ‘What oracle?’ I will even forsake you," says the LORD. (34) "And [as for] the prophet and the priest and the people who say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ I will even punish that man and his house. (35) "Thus every one of you shall say to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, ‘What has the LORD answered?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ (36) "And the oracle of the LORD you shall mention no more. For every man’s word will be his oracle, for you have perverted the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God. (37) "Thus you shall say to the prophet, ‘What has the LORD answered you?’ and, ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ (38) "But since you say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Because you say this word, "The oracle of the LORD!" and I have sent to you, saying, "Do not say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’" (39) ‘therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you and forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and [will cast you] out of My presence. (40) ‘And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.’"

Ezekiel 13:1-23 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, (2) "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’"
(3) Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! (4) "O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. (5) "You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD. (6) "They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. (7) "Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken."
(8) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I [am] indeed against you," says the Lord GOD. (9) "My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I [am] the Lord GOD.
(10) "Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when [there is] no peace and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered [mortar] (11) "say to those who plaster [it] with untempered [mortar], that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear [it] down. (12) "Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where [is] the mortar with which you plastered [it]?’"
(13) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume [it]. (14) "So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered [mortar], and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I [am] the LORD.
(15) "Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered [mortar]; and I will say to you, ‘The wall [is] no [more], nor those who plastered it, (16) ‘[that is], the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when [there is] no peace,’" says the Lord GOD.
(17) "Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them, (18) "and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the [women] who sew [magic] charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive? (19) "And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?"
(20) ‘Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I [am] against your [magic] charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. (21) "I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I [am] the LORD.
(22) "Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. (23) "Therefore you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I [am] the LORD."‘"

Matthew 7:17-18 17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor [can] a bad tree bear good fruit.

Matthew 24:11, 23-26 (11) "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
(23) "Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here [is] the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe [it]. (24) "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (25) "See, I have told you beforehand. (26) "Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; [or] ‘Look, [He is] in the inner rooms!’ do not believe [it].

Jude 1:4-19 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (5) But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. (6) And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; (7) as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
(8) Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. (9) Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (10) But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. (11) Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. (12) These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving [only] themselves. [They are] clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; (13) raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. (14) Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
(15) "to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." (16) These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling [words], flattering people to gain advantage. (17) But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: (18) how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. (19) These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Colossians 3:1-4 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (4) When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ,
(False teachers & doctrines will emphasize physical manifestations(tongues, healings, etc.) & blessings rather than the gospel & spiritual blessings.)