Christians Dislike The Bible

(They Really do)

 

All Scripture Quotations are from the King James Bible

 

By Dr. Ken Matto

 

Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?  (Jeremiah 23:29)

 

There is a serious trend happening in Christianity today and it is the dislike of God’s word.  If you ask most Christians how they feel about the Bible they will tell you they love the word of God.  That is, until it interferes with their plans and favorite beliefs.  Basically, they do not like it when the Bible interferes with their plans since many believe in free will and that they can do what they want.  However, that is not the case because the verse above speaks about the word of God in two ways.  First it speaks of it as a fire and fire in the Bible was a symbol of judgment and secondly, it is likened to a hammer, one which is a sledge hammer that has the ability to break rocks.   The word of God is a very convicting element and should never be reworded or redefined.

 

God spoke the Bible in words and not concepts, intents, or principles but contained in those words are concepts, intents, and principles and that is why the words of Scripture are very important.  This is why there are warnings in Scripture against taking away and adding to Scripture.  (Revelation 22:18-19)  Removing or adding words to the Bible is not the only method.  One can impeach the true meaning of scripture by taking words and instead of believing what that word actually says, engage in over justification or biased interpretation of a word or passage which will be just as evil as if the word was omitted.  For example the word “election” in the King James Bible comes from the Greek word “eklogḗ” which means “chosen or selection.”  Whenever that word is approached by a free willer, they come with the long explanation that God looked down the corridors of time and knew who was going to choose him and therefore God elected that person.

 

Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.  (1 Thessalonians 1:4)

 

1 Thessalonians 1:4 is a very simple verse and Paul is telling the Thessalonians that he knows their election of God.  Paul does not place in that verse some type of elongated biased meaning.  Election is election!  Accept the words of the Bible or else do not say you love the word of God when you disdain its contents.  Alternate definitions are given to many passages which free willers do not agree with as they are written.  Sometimes scripture is just ignored and there are no Scriptures which are more ignored by Christians and churches than the ones on marriage and divorce.

 

{11} And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.  {12} And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.  (Mark 10:11-12)

 

Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.  (Luke 16:18)

 

And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.  (Matthew 19:9)

 

Over the years quite a number of Christians have approached me on this subject and asked me what the Bible teaches about marriage after divorce.  I gave them the scriptures above which reference marriage after divorce being adultery.  Here are some responses I received.

 

·         A woman came to me and asked me about divorce and remarriage so I gave her the same scriptures.  She then went and found 4 people who told her what she wanted to hear, not one referenced the scriptures but just gave opinion and the pastor of my

           church married them.

 

·         In my pre-seminary days a fellow asked me about marriage and divorce and I gave him the same Scriptures.  He told me I was wrong and that his pastor knows better because he went to seminary.

 

·         I approached a minister who was going to be married after divorce and he told me “I think it is better this way.”

 

·         A man came to me who was divorced and asked me what the Bible teaches about marriage after divorce.  I gave him the same scriptures which he read for himself.  He got married anyway.

 

If you notice one overriding theme in those four responses I received is that man sits in judgment of the Bible especially when it interferes with what a person wants to do.  It is not only in the area of free will where people disdain the Bible but in their personal lives. The majority of churches have become “cleave – leave – cleave” temples where the leaders as well as the congregants pay no attention to the Scriptures only their personal feelings and preferences and then they are in church the following Sunday wanting to hear the word of God.  If that is not the essence of hypocrisy, I don’t know what is.

 

Another instance where the free will churches reject the word of God and that is when they do an altar call.  Have you ever heard them quote John 1:12?

 

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  (John 1:12)

 

I have heard that verse quoted numerous times in both evangelistic meetings and regular church services.  Notice at the end of verse 12 there is a colon (:).  The colon means the sentence is not done and that it precedes an explanation or enumeration or list.  In this case it is an explanation.

 

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  (John 1:13)

 

When we look at verse 13, we see that it builds on verse 12.  Notice in verse 13 it states that we were “born not of blood.”  This is not speaking about being born the first time because John is speaking to those who were already born and physically living but being born the second time.  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  (John 3:3)  John 1:13 is speaking about being born again but not by the will of the flesh because the flesh is loaded with sin.  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  (Romans 7:18)  It is not by the will of man either because the unsaved man is spiritually dead.  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;  (Colossians 2:13)  A person is born again only by God.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.  (John 5:25)  Do you see how important verse 13 is since it actually gives the way a person becomes saved?  When the free willer cuts this sentence in half to protect his pride, he is removing the fact that man cannot save himself but only God can give life to the spiritually dead by quickening us or making us alive and that speaks only of the spiritual life since the people being spoken to are already physically alive.

 

This is another way that free willers show their contempt for the Bible by cutting out the parts of Scripture giving glory to God for his salvation program so they can bring glory to themselves by numbers of “decisions.”  We must take in all the Scriptures, even those we don’t like which goes against our lifestyle decisions.  God wrote the Bible for our benefit and not to hurt us.

 

One of the arenas where the Bible is shown contempt for is in the King James Bible camp.  Now I am a proponent of the King James Bible as being the only Bible I use for all my studies and writing and am an advocate for King James only.  Pick up a copy of my book “The Modern Version Incursion” and you will see why none of the modern versions can be trusted.  Those within the King James Bible camp have posted and written that the King James Bible is infallible, perfect, inspired, superior, and none of the modern versions can come up to its standards.  There is no problem with what is written on the subject.  What baffles me is the same advocates of the King James Bible reject the teachings coming out of the King James Bible.  What good is having an infallible and perfect translation of God’s word if you do not believe what it teaches?

 

Words like “chosen, ordained, elect, election, predestinated, predestinate, called” are all explained away with free will terms so the person hearing will feel more comfortable believing they are in charge.  Those words are hated and abhorred by people who believe in free will yet they are in the Bible which many free willers claim is the inerrant word of God.  If it is inerrant, then why do the words have to be over-justified and explained away until they have lost their real meaning?  They do it to protect their pride and arrogance in believing they have authority over the Bible.  The Roman Catholics believe their church is a higher authority than the Bible.  Please tell me the difference when the free willers place themselves above the Bible by judging all the words the Lord gave and then changing their meanings?  By the way, the four people I mentioned above concerning marriage after divorce are all in the free will camp.  Free will is the path to disobedience not obedience.  This is why the modern church is in such disarray because everybody is doing what is right in their own eyes.  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.  (Judges 21:25)  This is the final passage in the book of Judges.  Will this be the testimony of the church on the last day when there will be no king in Israel (spiritual Israel-the body of believers namely Christ) because everyone will be doing what is right in their own eyes?  Maybe this is why the Lord asked the question that when he returns will he find faith on the earth?  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?  (Luke 18:8)  If you know you are kept by the power of God, then you will know you are kept on the path of obedience.

 

Songs which go against Scripture

Even much music within Christianity goes opposite of what the Bible teaches.  Songs should be the musical arm of teaching but it is not because most songs feed the ego of the free willer.  Here are some examples:

 

A New Name Written Down in Glory – The Bible teaches that all names of the Elect were written down before the foundation of the world.  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  (Revelation 13:8) 

 

The Joy of knowing Jesus -  It has a line in it which goes like this “The angels rejoiced when my soul made the choice…” The Bible teaches that Jesus chose us, we did not choose him.  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.  (John 15:16)  The line should read “The angels rejoiced when the Lord made the choice.”

 

Just One more Soul - 'Cause if just one more soul Were to walk down the aisle…” The Bible teaches that no one wants God and that he has to draw us, literally drag us.”  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.  (John 6:44) 

 

Jesus Christ is Risen Today – We normally sing this hymn at Easter and the original line in that hymn was “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  (Matthew 28:6)  The modern revisionists have removed the Lordship of Christ from that hymn making him equal to any other man on earth instead of having an exalted position.  This is why the free willers like these revisions because it puts Christ on the same footing as them.  It feeds their ego!

 

Modern Bible Versions

Christians also show their contempt for the word of God by using the modern Roman Catholic based Bibles without any concern for their twisted message.  Ask any Christian what they think about Jesus and they will tell you they love him and worship him, yet what is that under their arm?  It is an ESV, NIV, NASV or other modern version which attacks the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

1 Corinthians 15:47

(KJB) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

(ESV)  The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

(NIV) The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.

 

The modern versions remove the fact that Christ is the Lord from Heaven. 

 

1 Corinthians 16:22

KJV) If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.

(ESV) If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!

(NASV) If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.

 

The modern versions remove the specific name of Jesus Christ from the title Lord and this is because of the Gnostic influence upon these verses and perpetuated by the modern day scholars and seminaries.

 

My question to those who claim they love the Lord Jesus Christ is, why then do they cherish and defend the very counterfeit versions which denigrate and degrade him?  That does not sound like love to me because it sounds more like they disdain the truth of scripture and that is why they hold on to the counterfeit versions because they create Christ in their own image like bringing him down to be equal with men.  If Christ was glorified and revealed properly like he is in the King James Bible, then the free willers would not be able to command him to save them as they think they can do.

 

Summary

I have heard countless numbers of sermons by free will pastors and many Christian songs which tend to alter the meaning of the text of the Bible because the free willers do not want to relinquish control of their lives.  Obviously they do not want to be under the authority of God since they believe they can command God to save them anytime they want by means of saying a sinner’s prayer.  They have twisted the meanings of words found in the Bible and explained away all the comforting and encouraging verses which can sustain a believer in this world far beyond their belief that they are in charge with their “free will.”  The next time you hear a sermon and the pastor gives an invitation with only John 1:12, go to him and ask him why he neglected verse 13?  It is a sin to explain away the words of Scripture to make it palatable for people to hear.  The Gospel is an offense.  And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.  (Galatians 5:11)  What is it an offense to?  It is an offense to the pride of man who thinks he is the potter and not the clay!

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