WATCH YOUR MATH

At some point in my past, I cannot remember when or where, I met a man who believed only the first five books of the Old Testament were God's revelation, and that the rest of the Bible was a man-made concoction. I did not understand how he came to his conclusion that only those books known as the "Pentateuch," "the Books of Moses," and "The Law," were legitimate and the rest were not. Perhaps he recognized that the Jewish leaders had taken God's law, and expanded it to over six hundred laws in order to give them power and wealth. It is possible that he, and others like him, read Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:32, and thought God was through communicating with man; I never asked him why.

Jesus had much to say about the abuses of His people by the self-righteous, greedy, power-hungry leaders of His day. Chapter twenty-three of Matthew's Gospel is a blistering attack on such men. He repeatedly refers to them as hypocrites. They made laws for others that did not apply to themselves. It sounds a lot like our Congress in America, doesn't it?

I also met some men who believed that the Old Testament and the Gospels were the Word of God, but not the rest of the Bible. I do not know if there is a name for the belief of the first guy I mentioned, but these fellows are known as Ultra-dispensationalists. In other words, they interpret the admonition to rightly divide the Word of God (2 Tim. 2:15), as God's instructions to "weed out" that which is not inspired. Strange, isn't it, that a verse regarded as the fabrication of man, rejected as being part of the Word of God, would motivate them to reject twenty-three books of the New Testament?

In Proverbs 30:5-6, the writer warns his readers to make sure they do not add to God's words. I suppose there may be folks who accept everything in the Bible up to the Book of Proverbs because of this warning, but fortunately, I have not met any.

As far as I am concerned, I praise God that I have read all the way to the end of Revelation's last chapter! To think that I may have read only through Deuteronomy, or only through Proverbs and stopped, I would have missed out on the greatest news of all! God loves me (Jn. 3:16)! And, He does not expect me to keep over six hundred rules, but in reality, only one (Gal. 5:14)! All I have to do is believe He loves me (Rom. 10:9-10), and the result will be that I will love others (1 Jn. 4:19-21)! Why do religious people make it so difficult? God loves you, and by loving others, you are really loving Him!

NOTE: In case no one has noticed, the warnings against adding or taking away from God's word were in The Law (Deut.), The Prophets (Rev.), and in the writings (Prov.); the three areas of God's Word.

Also, please pray for my computer; it is acting up, and without it, I will not have a ministry. Thank you.