Psalms 78:2-4
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of Yahweh, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.
It first entered my mind some years ago to write a book that addressed the beginnings of the creation. It seemed needful to lay a solid foundation for understanding the first things pertaining to this creation: the first appearance of the Son of God; the formation of the heavens and the earth; the creation of the angelic hosts; and the birth of mankind.
We live in an hour when there is much discussion in the church about ancient times. Doctrinal models pertaining to the state of humanity before the flood of Noah, the appearance of Nephilim - giants and mighty men of old who were the offspring of fallen angels and women, theories of alien visitors, and Kabbalistic teachings about an evil race of mankind referred to as “the serpent seed,” have become the fodder for Internet discussion, best selling books, and Hollywood productions.
There is a vast amount of error being taught about these matters. Rarely does one encounter teaching which is Biblically sound. Satan seems intent in sweeping all mankind away on a tidal wave of false histories, fictional mythologies, and lying fables. If Christians do not understand the beginnings of their history, and the rudimentary facts of the creation of God, they become easy prey for false doctrines and speculative fantasies that captivate the naive and Scripturally ignorant.
In this hour, many Christian teachers and authors are looking to extra-Biblical sources: apocryphal writings, pseudepigrapha, the occult teachings of Kabbala, the holy books of false religions, even the writings of Freemasons and Rosicrucians, to guide them. An increasing number of books and blog sites are serving up teachings derived from unclean, Satanically inspired sources which are unwisely used as guides for interpreting the Bible. The result is a growing darkness that is permeating the culture of the church of Christ.
This book will look to the Bible alone, and the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, as the authorities upon which an understanding of the foundations of this present creation might be established. There is a Latin saying that is recorded as “hominem unius libri timeo.” Translated into English the statement reads, “I fear the man of a single book.” This saying is attributed to Thomas Aquinas. By this phrase he meant to convey that a man who has thoroughly mastered one good book is dangerous as an opponent.
The Bible is THE Good Book. To many who occupy the seats of teaching among the body of Christ, the Bible has become a secondary source of information. Like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who interpret the Bible through the matrix of The Book of Mormon, many bloggers, book authors, and Christian teachers are promulgating spurious explanations of Bible passages as they look to an array of extra-Biblical writings for insight.
What the church needs are saints who have cut their teeth in the study of the Bible. It needs men and women who have immersed themselves in that text which alone bears the testimony of being written by “men moved by the Holy Spirit who spoke for God” (II Peter 1:21). Rather than interpreting the Bible through a confusion of writings whose pedigree is far inferior, the Bible should be used as the standard to judge them. By this measure, many of these extra-Biblical writings stand condemned as works of deception, false copies of more ancient works that have been lost, and intentional works of darkness inspired by the enemy of mankind who desires to replace truth with lies.
As we near the end of the age and the soon revealing of the Son of God, Satan will increase the flood of deceptive works in an attempt to sweep away the people of God to destruction.
Revelation 12:15
And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.
The people of God need a sure anchor to resist the fierce current of the times. They need to look to the Spirit and the Word to hold them fast to the bedrock of truth. As we look to understand the foundations of this present creation we need to hold fast to the one sure foundation of truth which is Jesus Christ/Yahshua the Messiah.
I Corinthians 3:11
For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Yahshua Christ.
May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.
The Foundation of Truth, Wisdom, and Knowledge
An appropriate place to begin a book titled Foundations is to speak of the foundation of Christian truth. Where does spiritual revelation come from? How does a man or woman arrive at the knowledge of the truth, specifically those truths that are the focus of the Bible? Let us begin to answer these questions by considering what passes for truth today.
At this present hour there are a myriad of books being marketed to the millions who identify themselves as Christians. Many of these books are fantastical. Their subject matter ranges from stargates to nephilim, ancient astronauts (aliens) to the spawn of the serpent and Eve. These writings allure with a promise of mysteries explained. They titillate with conspiratorial theories of the working of Satan in these last days before the return of Christ.
These books are rife with error, spurious conjecture, and unsupported speculation. Imaginative descriptions of the ancient history of the creation, and spectacular predictions of future events, are boldly proclaimed. A wide range of Scripture passages are cited as “proof” of an author’s theories. Yet, a careful examination of the Scriptural interpretations and arguments presented reveals their naked deception. Sensational doctrines are revealed to be founded upon faulty exegesis (critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of Scripture). The author is revealed to have practiced unethical eisegesis (an interpretation that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, or bias, rather than the meaning of the text).
Nevertheless, many readers never discover the error. The vast majority of Christians today have neglected to devote themselves to the study of the word of God. In fulfillment of the ministry entrusted to me I encounter these individuals frequently. I am appalled at the absence of Bible knowledge among people who have been Christians 5, 10, 20, even 30 years or more. Many have rarely opened the Bible outside of a church service. Few have made the apprehension of Biblical truth a focus of their lives. They have been content to let others tell them what to believe, and to permit strangers to interpret the Bible for them.
One of the complaints I frequently hear in letters sent to me is that the Bible is a closed book, hard to understand, and that study of it is dry and bereft of fruit for the individual. Having found the Bible to be an enigma, its treasures difficult to mine, its secrets shrouded as if by an impenetrable veil, many Christians lose interest. Because the fruit of knowledge and understanding does not drop readily into their grasp, many Christians abandon personal Bible study.
The veil over the Scriptures perceived by these individuals is not an illusion. It is quite real. In the Bible we read:
Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
Yahweh has locked understanding of the mysteries of His kingdom away as with a key. Truth is highly valued by Yahweh. It is not dispensed indiscriminately. Those who prove themselves worthy are granted access to the secret things of God. Notice the condition to gain understanding that is set forth in the following verses.
Psalms 119:100
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.
Psalms 25:14
The secret of Yahweh is for those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
The guarding of truth has ever been the practice of Yahweh. The concealing and restricted unveiling of divine truth was demonstrated vividly in the life of Christ. When speaking to the multitudes Christ cloaked His meaning through the use of parables. It was before His disciples alone (those who followed Him obediently, sharing in His sufferings) that He would remove the veil from His words and explain to them the hidden things of God.
Matthew 13:10-11
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.”
Mark 4:33-34
And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Christ is called “The Word made flesh” and the Bible is known as “the Word of God.” Both are an enigma. The apostle Paul speaks the following about the Messiah.
Colossians 2:2-3
Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Note carefully that the apostle does NOT say “Christ in whom are contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” If the Son of God was merely a container for the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, then all mankind might be able to come and take freely of these treasures. The apostle says that in Christ are “hidden” all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Greek word from which the English “hidden” is translated, is derived from the root “apokrupto.” Strong’s Concordance defines this Greek word in the following manner.
apokrupto; to conceal away (i.e. fully); figuratively, to keep secret:
In Christ are “concealed away” all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If one would gain access to these concealed treasures they must be intimate with Christ. Like the disciples who went aside from the multitudes and privately inquired about the meaning of the parables, those who want to arrive at the knowledge and understanding of the secret things of God’s kingdom must prove that they are disciples, and not merely confessors, of Christ. The qualifications of discipleship are exceedingly high. It will cost a man or woman everything in order to be a disciple of Yahshua.
Luke 14:26-27
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Luke 14:33
So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.
[Amplified Bible]
Understanding that the treasures of wisdom and truth are concealed by the godhead, to be revealed to those who will pay the cost of surrendering their lives to the lordship of Christ, one can begin to perceive why the Bible remains a closed book to so many. It also explains why many authors, teachers, and Internet bloggers are deriving so many spurious interpretations of the mysteries contained in the Bible. The price of access to divine truth is costly. Many look for a way to acquire knowledge while avoiding the high cost of discipleship with its self-denial, and suffering.
Many of the best selling authors in Christendom today are promulgating doctrines and theories which did not originate in Christ, who is the source and guardian of divine truth. Their teachings have arisen from the counsel of their own soul, the fruitless imagination of the carnal mind. Many are looking to occult and deceptive writings for inspiration. Consequently they are being led astray into much error and are influencing others who stumble with them in the darkness.
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of Yahweh, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.
It first entered my mind some years ago to write a book that addressed the beginnings of the creation. It seemed needful to lay a solid foundation for understanding the first things pertaining to this creation: the first appearance of the Son of God; the formation of the heavens and the earth; the creation of the angelic hosts; and the birth of mankind.
We live in an hour when there is much discussion in the church about ancient times. Doctrinal models pertaining to the state of humanity before the flood of Noah, the appearance of Nephilim - giants and mighty men of old who were the offspring of fallen angels and women, theories of alien visitors, and Kabbalistic teachings about an evil race of mankind referred to as “the serpent seed,” have become the fodder for Internet discussion, best selling books, and Hollywood productions.
There is a vast amount of error being taught about these matters. Rarely does one encounter teaching which is Biblically sound. Satan seems intent in sweeping all mankind away on a tidal wave of false histories, fictional mythologies, and lying fables. If Christians do not understand the beginnings of their history, and the rudimentary facts of the creation of God, they become easy prey for false doctrines and speculative fantasies that captivate the naive and Scripturally ignorant.
In this hour, many Christian teachers and authors are looking to extra-Biblical sources: apocryphal writings, pseudepigrapha, the occult teachings of Kabbala, the holy books of false religions, even the writings of Freemasons and Rosicrucians, to guide them. An increasing number of books and blog sites are serving up teachings derived from unclean, Satanically inspired sources which are unwisely used as guides for interpreting the Bible. The result is a growing darkness that is permeating the culture of the church of Christ.
This book will look to the Bible alone, and the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, as the authorities upon which an understanding of the foundations of this present creation might be established. There is a Latin saying that is recorded as “hominem unius libri timeo.” Translated into English the statement reads, “I fear the man of a single book.” This saying is attributed to Thomas Aquinas. By this phrase he meant to convey that a man who has thoroughly mastered one good book is dangerous as an opponent.
The Bible is THE Good Book. To many who occupy the seats of teaching among the body of Christ, the Bible has become a secondary source of information. Like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who interpret the Bible through the matrix of The Book of Mormon, many bloggers, book authors, and Christian teachers are promulgating spurious explanations of Bible passages as they look to an array of extra-Biblical writings for insight.
What the church needs are saints who have cut their teeth in the study of the Bible. It needs men and women who have immersed themselves in that text which alone bears the testimony of being written by “men moved by the Holy Spirit who spoke for God” (II Peter 1:21). Rather than interpreting the Bible through a confusion of writings whose pedigree is far inferior, the Bible should be used as the standard to judge them. By this measure, many of these extra-Biblical writings stand condemned as works of deception, false copies of more ancient works that have been lost, and intentional works of darkness inspired by the enemy of mankind who desires to replace truth with lies.
As we near the end of the age and the soon revealing of the Son of God, Satan will increase the flood of deceptive works in an attempt to sweep away the people of God to destruction.
Revelation 12:15
And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.
The people of God need a sure anchor to resist the fierce current of the times. They need to look to the Spirit and the Word to hold them fast to the bedrock of truth. As we look to understand the foundations of this present creation we need to hold fast to the one sure foundation of truth which is Jesus Christ/Yahshua the Messiah.
I Corinthians 3:11
For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Yahshua Christ.
May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.
The Foundation of Truth, Wisdom, and Knowledge
An appropriate place to begin a book titled Foundations is to speak of the foundation of Christian truth. Where does spiritual revelation come from? How does a man or woman arrive at the knowledge of the truth, specifically those truths that are the focus of the Bible? Let us begin to answer these questions by considering what passes for truth today.
At this present hour there are a myriad of books being marketed to the millions who identify themselves as Christians. Many of these books are fantastical. Their subject matter ranges from stargates to nephilim, ancient astronauts (aliens) to the spawn of the serpent and Eve. These writings allure with a promise of mysteries explained. They titillate with conspiratorial theories of the working of Satan in these last days before the return of Christ.
These books are rife with error, spurious conjecture, and unsupported speculation. Imaginative descriptions of the ancient history of the creation, and spectacular predictions of future events, are boldly proclaimed. A wide range of Scripture passages are cited as “proof” of an author’s theories. Yet, a careful examination of the Scriptural interpretations and arguments presented reveals their naked deception. Sensational doctrines are revealed to be founded upon faulty exegesis (critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of Scripture). The author is revealed to have practiced unethical eisegesis (an interpretation that expresses the interpreter's own ideas, or bias, rather than the meaning of the text).
Nevertheless, many readers never discover the error. The vast majority of Christians today have neglected to devote themselves to the study of the word of God. In fulfillment of the ministry entrusted to me I encounter these individuals frequently. I am appalled at the absence of Bible knowledge among people who have been Christians 5, 10, 20, even 30 years or more. Many have rarely opened the Bible outside of a church service. Few have made the apprehension of Biblical truth a focus of their lives. They have been content to let others tell them what to believe, and to permit strangers to interpret the Bible for them.
One of the complaints I frequently hear in letters sent to me is that the Bible is a closed book, hard to understand, and that study of it is dry and bereft of fruit for the individual. Having found the Bible to be an enigma, its treasures difficult to mine, its secrets shrouded as if by an impenetrable veil, many Christians lose interest. Because the fruit of knowledge and understanding does not drop readily into their grasp, many Christians abandon personal Bible study.
The veil over the Scriptures perceived by these individuals is not an illusion. It is quite real. In the Bible we read:
Proverbs 25:2
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
Yahweh has locked understanding of the mysteries of His kingdom away as with a key. Truth is highly valued by Yahweh. It is not dispensed indiscriminately. Those who prove themselves worthy are granted access to the secret things of God. Notice the condition to gain understanding that is set forth in the following verses.
Psalms 119:100
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.
Psalms 25:14
The secret of Yahweh is for those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.
The guarding of truth has ever been the practice of Yahweh. The concealing and restricted unveiling of divine truth was demonstrated vividly in the life of Christ. When speaking to the multitudes Christ cloaked His meaning through the use of parables. It was before His disciples alone (those who followed Him obediently, sharing in His sufferings) that He would remove the veil from His words and explain to them the hidden things of God.
Matthew 13:10-11
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” And He answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.”
Mark 4:33-34
And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Christ is called “The Word made flesh” and the Bible is known as “the Word of God.” Both are an enigma. The apostle Paul speaks the following about the Messiah.
Colossians 2:2-3
Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Note carefully that the apostle does NOT say “Christ in whom are contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” If the Son of God was merely a container for the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, then all mankind might be able to come and take freely of these treasures. The apostle says that in Christ are “hidden” all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Greek word from which the English “hidden” is translated, is derived from the root “apokrupto.” Strong’s Concordance defines this Greek word in the following manner.
apokrupto; to conceal away (i.e. fully); figuratively, to keep secret:
In Christ are “concealed away” all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If one would gain access to these concealed treasures they must be intimate with Christ. Like the disciples who went aside from the multitudes and privately inquired about the meaning of the parables, those who want to arrive at the knowledge and understanding of the secret things of God’s kingdom must prove that they are disciples, and not merely confessors, of Christ. The qualifications of discipleship are exceedingly high. It will cost a man or woman everything in order to be a disciple of Yahshua.
Luke 14:26-27
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Luke 14:33
So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.
[Amplified Bible]
Understanding that the treasures of wisdom and truth are concealed by the godhead, to be revealed to those who will pay the cost of surrendering their lives to the lordship of Christ, one can begin to perceive why the Bible remains a closed book to so many. It also explains why many authors, teachers, and Internet bloggers are deriving so many spurious interpretations of the mysteries contained in the Bible. The price of access to divine truth is costly. Many look for a way to acquire knowledge while avoiding the high cost of discipleship with its self-denial, and suffering.
Many of the best selling authors in Christendom today are promulgating doctrines and theories which did not originate in Christ, who is the source and guardian of divine truth. Their teachings have arisen from the counsel of their own soul, the fruitless imagination of the carnal mind. Many are looking to occult and deceptive writings for inspiration. Consequently they are being led astray into much error and are influencing others who stumble with them in the darkness.
In discoursing with a brother in Christ on this subject recently, I shared with him the following:
I have often reflected on the error of the Christian religious system that has chosen its own model to prepare men for ministry. Christ's model was to take a group of men and have them walk with Him, to share in His trials, His hardships, and His reproaches. Mankind today virtually ignores this experiential aspect of discipleship and training for ministry. Instead it substitutes classroom instruction, the reading of text books, and written and oral examinations. Bible colleges and seminaries have become a substitute for a life of surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is little wonder that so many come out of these institutions with their minds confused, and filled with the errors that pass for orthodox belief today.
Brothers and sisters, the greatest safeguard against error and apostasy is to embrace a life of surrender to the leading of the Spirit of Christ. If we do not walk with Christ in a surrendered life we will find ourselves separated from Him, and lacking that intimacy that is necessary to hear His voice and be guided into all truth. A self-directed life, no matter how noble in appearance, does not bear the same fruit as a life of abandonment that has yielded to go wherever Christ says go, and to do whatever He commands.
Because the price of discipleship is so high, there are very few Christians today who qualify as disciples. There are myriads of confessors of Christ who are following the counsel of their own soul, pursuing the course that seems good to them. Many of these individuals aspire to be ministers, Bible teachers, and authors. Yet, because they are not disciples who are denying themselves and bearing their cross, they are often found to be running with a message that Christ has not given them. Not having access to the privy counsels of Christ, they feed upon one another, repeating and embellishing the ideas of other men and women.
Jeremiah 23:30-32
"Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," declares Yahweh, "who steal My words from each other. Behold, I am against the prophets," declares Yahweh, "who use their tongues and declare, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams," declares Yahweh, "and related them, and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit," declares Yahweh.
Foundations are extremely important things. The psalmist laments, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalms 11:3) If the foundation of truth is not firmly established in a man’s life, seeking to access the treasures of wisdom and knowledge according to the divine pattern of obedience and surrender, the beliefs and doctrines of the man will be unstable.
I have often reflected on the error of the Christian religious system that has chosen its own model to prepare men for ministry. Christ's model was to take a group of men and have them walk with Him, to share in His trials, His hardships, and His reproaches. Mankind today virtually ignores this experiential aspect of discipleship and training for ministry. Instead it substitutes classroom instruction, the reading of text books, and written and oral examinations. Bible colleges and seminaries have become a substitute for a life of surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is little wonder that so many come out of these institutions with their minds confused, and filled with the errors that pass for orthodox belief today.
Brothers and sisters, the greatest safeguard against error and apostasy is to embrace a life of surrender to the leading of the Spirit of Christ. If we do not walk with Christ in a surrendered life we will find ourselves separated from Him, and lacking that intimacy that is necessary to hear His voice and be guided into all truth. A self-directed life, no matter how noble in appearance, does not bear the same fruit as a life of abandonment that has yielded to go wherever Christ says go, and to do whatever He commands.
Because the price of discipleship is so high, there are very few Christians today who qualify as disciples. There are myriads of confessors of Christ who are following the counsel of their own soul, pursuing the course that seems good to them. Many of these individuals aspire to be ministers, Bible teachers, and authors. Yet, because they are not disciples who are denying themselves and bearing their cross, they are often found to be running with a message that Christ has not given them. Not having access to the privy counsels of Christ, they feed upon one another, repeating and embellishing the ideas of other men and women.
Jeremiah 23:30-32
"Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," declares Yahweh, "who steal My words from each other. Behold, I am against the prophets," declares Yahweh, "who use their tongues and declare, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams," declares Yahweh, "and related them, and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit," declares Yahweh.
Foundations are extremely important things. The psalmist laments, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalms 11:3) If the foundation of truth is not firmly established in a man’s life, seeking to access the treasures of wisdom and knowledge according to the divine pattern of obedience and surrender, the beliefs and doctrines of the man will be unstable.
Foundations undergird everything that rests upon them. If the foundation is flawed, the structure arising from it will be unsound. Many are attempting to be teachers of the Bible, expositors of the mysteries of creation, without embracing the suffering of the cross. Consequently, their teachings are riddled with corruption. The things they so confidently proclaim do not stand the test of truth.
Foundations are lowly things. To lay a sure foundation of truth a man or woman must humble themselves. The cross is an instrument of abasement and humility. The cross will put the self-life to death. The cross engenders reproach. Those who desire popularity, acclaim, and riches will inevitably despise the disciple’s cross. Refusing to humble themselves, they will not receive the grace of God that alone results in an unveiling of divine truth.
James 4:6-7
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit therefore to God.
There are numerous men and women who are selling millions of books, audio messages, and videos. People flock to their conferences in great numbers. Media tables are set-up at their speaking events where those in attendance converge to fill up bags with books and videos that promise to impart to them the secrets of successful living and happiness, or to unveil the hidden things of God. Yet, the vast majority of this material is bereft of the divine truth it promises. Both shepherd and sheep are drinking from polluted streams, lying down in defiled pastures. Many of those who promote themselves as guides are in fact blind leaders of the blind. What is needed is a return to the foundations of truth.
James 4:6-7
God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit therefore to God.
There are numerous men and women who are selling millions of books, audio messages, and videos. People flock to their conferences in great numbers. Media tables are set-up at their speaking events where those in attendance converge to fill up bags with books and videos that promise to impart to them the secrets of successful living and happiness, or to unveil the hidden things of God. Yet, the vast majority of this material is bereft of the divine truth it promises. Both shepherd and sheep are drinking from polluted streams, lying down in defiled pastures. Many of those who promote themselves as guides are in fact blind leaders of the blind. What is needed is a return to the foundations of truth.
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of Yahweh is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.
There are no shortcuts to truth that circumvent the obedience of the cross. This is as much a fact for the readers of books as it is for the authors. The apostle Paul described those in the church who were “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (II Timothy 3:7). Christians may be purchasing millions of copies of the latest religious best sellers, but what are they gaining? They are not arriving at the knowledge of the truth. The church must embrace the cross. They must accept the cost of discipleship if they are to receive from Christ access to His most holy things.
The apostle Paul in writing to the Hebrews addresses the problem of feeding on “strange” and erroneous teachings. In his words are contained a deep truth, conveyed through means of symbolic speech.
Hebrews 13:9-10
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefitted. We have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Teachings are compared to food. The soul feeds on ideas in the same way the body draws sustenance from various foods. Yet even as there are junk foods in abundance at this hour, there are also teachings in abundance that do not profit. There are multitudes of books, sermons, and videos that do not lead to truth. They do not nourish the soul. Instead, they produce weakness and sickness among the body of Christ.
Paul states “We have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.” What does the apostle intend to convey by these words? The fleshly body is described in the New Testament as a tabernacle, or temple, in which the Spirit of God resides. The apostle Paul has himself frequently resorted to this imagery.
I Corinthians 3:16-17
Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
How do men destroy, or defile, the temple of their body? They do so by indulging the flesh. In this same epistle the apostle chastises men in the church who have been fornicating with prostitutes from the local pagan temples.
I Corinthians 6:15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot?
These statements of the apostle reveal the symbolic meaning of his statement in the book of Hebrews. Those who serve the tabernacle are those who serve the flesh. The apostle states that such ones are restricted from receiving food from the holy altar of God. When Paul says, “We have an altar...” he is speaking of himself and those other obedient disciples of Christ who buffet their bodies and keep them under subjection. He is speaking of those who do not live for the flesh, but live to do the will of Yahweh.
If you would be assured that you are not counted among those professors of Christ who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” then you must not serve the flesh. You must be a servant of God, living to do His pleasure and to fulfill His righteousness. Then Yahweh will take food from His holy altar and give it to you to eat. If you will answer the call to “take up YOUR cross and follow” in the footsteps of Christ, then He will call you aside and explain those things that are hidden to the understanding of the multitude. Obedience to God is the foundation upon which truth must be established.
The fear of Yahweh is the instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility.
There are no shortcuts to truth that circumvent the obedience of the cross. This is as much a fact for the readers of books as it is for the authors. The apostle Paul described those in the church who were “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (II Timothy 3:7). Christians may be purchasing millions of copies of the latest religious best sellers, but what are they gaining? They are not arriving at the knowledge of the truth. The church must embrace the cross. They must accept the cost of discipleship if they are to receive from Christ access to His most holy things.
The apostle Paul in writing to the Hebrews addresses the problem of feeding on “strange” and erroneous teachings. In his words are contained a deep truth, conveyed through means of symbolic speech.
Hebrews 13:9-10
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefitted. We have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.
Teachings are compared to food. The soul feeds on ideas in the same way the body draws sustenance from various foods. Yet even as there are junk foods in abundance at this hour, there are also teachings in abundance that do not profit. There are multitudes of books, sermons, and videos that do not lead to truth. They do not nourish the soul. Instead, they produce weakness and sickness among the body of Christ.
Paul states “We have an altar, from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.” What does the apostle intend to convey by these words? The fleshly body is described in the New Testament as a tabernacle, or temple, in which the Spirit of God resides. The apostle Paul has himself frequently resorted to this imagery.
I Corinthians 3:16-17
Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
How do men destroy, or defile, the temple of their body? They do so by indulging the flesh. In this same epistle the apostle chastises men in the church who have been fornicating with prostitutes from the local pagan temples.
I Corinthians 6:15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot?
These statements of the apostle reveal the symbolic meaning of his statement in the book of Hebrews. Those who serve the tabernacle are those who serve the flesh. The apostle states that such ones are restricted from receiving food from the holy altar of God. When Paul says, “We have an altar...” he is speaking of himself and those other obedient disciples of Christ who buffet their bodies and keep them under subjection. He is speaking of those who do not live for the flesh, but live to do the will of Yahweh.
If you would be assured that you are not counted among those professors of Christ who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” then you must not serve the flesh. You must be a servant of God, living to do His pleasure and to fulfill His righteousness. Then Yahweh will take food from His holy altar and give it to you to eat. If you will answer the call to “take up YOUR cross and follow” in the footsteps of Christ, then He will call you aside and explain those things that are hidden to the understanding of the multitude. Obedience to God is the foundation upon which truth must be established.
Credit to Joseph Herrin
