I challenge you to ask yourself this question about your beliefs: Does the Doctrine of “___________” (e.g. Purgatory, Sunday Worship, Moral vs. Ceremonial laws) contradict other Scriptures? Require God to Change? Make prior passages become a lie or of non-effect? Elevate certain prophet’s or disciple’s teachings about God’s or the Messiah’s? Require certain rules of interpretation that aren’t applied to all scripture? >>> When the answer to any of these questions is yes, will you have the strength to throw out that doctrine?
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Let’s apply this to the 4th Commandment (Keep the Sabbath holy), which mainstream Christianity says we don’t have to do anymore. Does this:
1. Contradict scripture? >> Yes. You will not find one bible verse that teaches we don’t have to keep it anymore. On the contrary, over and over there are reminders and commands to keep it.
2. Require God to Change? >> Yes. We know God is eternal and He is perfect. Why would He change His own command?
3. Make prior passages become a lie or of non-effect? >> Yes. There are many passages that remind us to keep it, where God clearly instructs us to keep it forever. So if we say we don’t have to keep it anymore, we are saying those passages are lies. E.g. Matthew 24:20 speaks of the end times, during Tribulation. Why would He hope we don’t have to flee during Shabbat if we don’t need to keep it anymore?
4. Elevate certain prophet’s or disciple’s teachings about God’s or the Messiah’s? >> Yes. Many say “But Paul said…” Paul would not teach anything that contradicts God’s commands. What authority would he have? Many misunderstand Paul’s teaching/words. Paul’s letters are not easy to understand. That’s why Peter said “There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:16)
Fruit for thought…
