When the Pulpit Becomes a Paycheck

[IndianaRob]

In that case the preacher doesn't even need to mention translations. He either avoids talking about the doctrines he doesn't believe, or he misrepresents them.

David, here’s a good example of what I mean by interpreting verses.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”

If a person takes that exactly as it is written—without inserting what they think it means—they will come to a very different conclusion then someone who takes the words to mean exactly what they say.

The only conclusion to those words, exactly as written, is that Paul includes himself among “those who are alive and remain” which means, those verses cannot be “the rapture” as most churches teach it today.

 

[soberxp]

People always lose to reality.
I want people to open their eyes to see and understand God's word.
There is no need for meaningless criticism. Leave judgment to God, who is the best judge.

 

[St. SteVen]

Ministers who are in it for the money take the glory of Christ and exchange it for the cheap temporary satisfaction of wealth. They may win a large following, but they will lose the blessing of God. And one day they will give account to the Chief Shepherd for every word and every dollar that has been entrusted to them in false pretenses. The gospel is priceless, and it must never be for sale.

This is an interesting topic, but I would take into account some other aspects of ministry.
Easy for us to criticize those who have made a profession of ministry.

Consider the track most of them have taken to get there.
They felt the call of God on their lives. They pursued an education so that they might be ABLE to do it full time.
The state requires licensing. (think about that) A responsible person will support themselves and their family.

When they graduate, the supporting denomination requires them to sign an agreement.
This is to prevent them from preaching anything not approved by the denomination.
If God wants them to speak outside of that, they risk being blacklisted by the denomination.

Some will hold a secular job to be out from under the thumb of a denomination.
But they have to operate without the benefits of denominational support.

Leadership in a church like that is sketchy. The Pastor "owns" the church. Who will fire him?
Where is the accountability? Can a minister like that be trusted?

[

 

[bdavidc]

Absolutely, they should be paid by us--

1 Cor 9:13-14 --could not be more clear--
Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

Paul chose to support himself when in Corinth as he took no pay there, but he said he used the pay from the other churches to do so.

2 Cor 11:7-8
Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you;

Most are not wealthy but taken care of, as it should be.

We also need to remember in the USA where you live vs. the cost of living widely varies.
You can live in a mansion with acreage in many parts of the South, while that same amount of money in California just buys a small rancher on a small plot.

So, there is no one saying they should not be paid.

I said:

"To be sure, faithful ministers should be supported. The Scripture says that “the elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17–18). This is the right of those who labor in the gospel. But there is a difference between receiving support and pursuing the ministry as a way to get rich. A true servant will preach the truth whether or not he is supported, he will endure hardship for the sake of Christ, and he will care more about the salvation of souls than about his own comfort."

 

[soberxp]

So, there is no one saying they should not be paid.

I said:

"To be sure, faithful ministers should be supported. The Scripture says that “the elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17–18). This is the right of those who labor in the gospel. But there is a difference between receiving support and pursuing the ministry as a way to get rich. A true servant will preach the truth whether or not he is supported, he will endure hardship for the sake of Christ, and he will care more about the salvation of souls than about his own comfort."

Who will define what is preached as truth? Do I say God wants me to correct you? Who will believe it?

 

[marks]

Who will define what is preached as truth? Do I say God wants me to correct you? Who will believe it?

Ephesians 4:11-16 KJV
11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

This is the answer.

Much love!

 

[bdavidc]

In that case, I hope you are aware that the translators of the KJV (or "AV" as they would have known it) did not claim perfection for their translation.

They viewed their work as a faithful translation of God’s Word, not as a replacement for the originals.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should mistrust the Bible in the KJV or ESV. Perfection and authority are not qualities of translations. The inspired Scriptures and God’s given them to us in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek (2 Timothy 3:16, Psalm 12:6–7). Faithful translations like the KJV and ESV are able to convey God’s Word in English even if they are not 100% word-for-word the same in every nuance in the originals.

God has kept His Word so that His truth would not be lost (Isaiah 40:8, Matthew 24:35). The fact that translators are human does not mean the Bible you have is inaccurate. It means we read it with the awareness that when there are minor wording differences between versions they are usually about clarity, sentence structure, or synonyms, not about taking away any of God’s truth.

If you have a faithful translation, you can read it with confidence knowing that you are reading God’s Word in your language. The important thing is to make sure it is accurate and has not been changed to advance man’s agenda (Galatians 1:8–9).

 

[bdavidc]

reprobate silver . Many leaders today have no true concern for the flocks . ITs all about HOW to survive in this
ever changing world and continue to keep a paycheck .
This is why it keeps going from bad to worse .
They know if they speak against the tide . IF they correct sin and error
THEY fear they will lose their financial support .
There is no TRUST IN GOD for these leaders . Its became like a business to them .
When it did the flow of the ever changing culture became the concern .
Its went on so long now and the infiltration of this agenda grew and set in,
that many no longer have any idea what TRUE CHRISTANITY TRULY MEANS and ENTIALS .
They have no idea what the church has lost and they have no idea they themselves are lost .
TO MANY this is the image of God to them . THEY beleive in this god
In this image of what man has recreated into their minds .
And it has grown massively worse . And folks think satan cant wear wool
and appear as an angel of light
and that his own minstiris cannot appear wearing wool . OH BUT THEY CAN and THEY HAVE .

Yes, I do think that is a big part of the problem. Do you think it is because there are so many seminaries that are corrupt now? Many so-called pastors and seminary graduates have turned ministry into a career path, not a calling from God. When the paycheck becomes the priority, the message becomes soft. Instead of preaching the whole counsel of God (Acts 20: 26–27), they’ll no longer rebuke sin because they’re afraid to lose members, donors, or influence.

The Bible told us this would happen. Paul said, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3). When a church is run like a business, the culture determines the message instead of God’s Word. This produces a man-made version of “God” that embraces sin and disregards holiness.

Satan loves this because it gives people a false sense of security. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13–14). Many pulpits today are staffed by ministers in sheep’s clothing leading people toward destruction, while speaking smooth words that sound loving but deny the truth.

True Christianity is not self-indulgent. It’s about denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following Jesus (Luke 9:23). Any leader who won’t confront sin or call people to repentance is not shepherding God’s flock, they’re just running a religious business.

You might enjoy this message: Ten Shekels and a Shirt – by Paris Reidhead

 

[bdavidc]

David, here’s a good example of what I mean by interpreting verses.

1 Thessalonians 4:15 – “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.”

If a person takes that exactly as it is written—without inserting what they think it means—they will come to a very different conclusion then someone who takes the words to mean exactly what they say.

The only conclusion to those words, exactly as written, is that Paul includes himself among “those who are alive and remain” which means, those verses cannot be “the rapture” as most churches teach it today.

If you interpret 1 Thessalonians 4: 15 “literally, word for word” you will still need to interpret it in light of the immediate context and the whole of Scripture since God will never contradict Himself. “We which are alive and remain” does not literally mean Paul expected to still be alive at the Lord’s return. Paul’s use of “we” includes himself with the audience he is writing to, which is a common usage in Scripture (for example, 1 Corinthians 15: 51 is another example where this is not a literal promise about the author’s own future).

In the immediate following verses (1 Thessalonians 4: 16–17) Paul writes of the Lord’s descending from heaven, the dead in Christ rising first, and then those alive are “caught up” to meet Him with the dead in Christ. This is exactly where the “rapture” comes from, the Greek word harpazō, which means to seize or snatch away. Paul’s expectation to be alive or not at that time does not change that.

Read without inserting ideas not in the text, the order is that the dead in Christ rise first and then the living believers are caught up. Paul’s use of “we” does not negate the event, he simply places himself among all believers alive at that time.

 

[bdavidc]

Who will define what is preached as truth? Do I say God wants me to correct you? Who will believe it?

God, and God alone, gets to determine what is true. He has already done this, by revealing it to us in His Word. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). No man, denomination or seminary gets to redefine truth. If what a man preaches or teaches lines up with Scripture in context, it is true. If it does not line up with Scripture it is an error, no matter who preaches it or where he came from.

“But you say ‘God wants me to correct you.’ The only way that correction has any weight is if it is based on Scripture and carried out according to the biblical pattern (2 Timothy 3:16–17, Galatians 6:1). The question of “Who will believe it?” is answered the same way Jesus answered it, those who are of God will hear the words of God (John 8:47). Whether or not they believe does not change the standard. Faithfulness to God’s Word is the standard.

 

[Traveler]

View attachment 68341
God’s word makes it clear that the work of the ministry is a sacred calling, not a business. “A hireling,” Jesus said, “does not care for the sheep, but a wolf snatches them away. He does this because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep” (John 10:12–13). Too many pulpits are now filled by men who are more concerned with profit than with the truth. The success of their ministry is measured by the size of their offering and the upgrades in their lifestyle, not by their fidelity to God’s Word.

The apostle Paul was clear in his rejection of such men: “We are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word” (2 Corinthians 2:17). Peddle is a military word that means to market for personal advantage. These preachers make a product out of the gospel. They manipulate the emotions of people to wring donations from them, promise blessings in return for money, and lead a life of luxury while their flocks live in poverty. Peter said that false teachers “in their greed… will exploit you with false words” (2 Peter 2:3).

To be sure, faithful ministers should be supported. The Scripture says that “the elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17–18). This is the right of those who labor in the gospel. But there is a difference between receiving support and pursuing the ministry as a way to get rich. A true servant will preach the truth whether or not he is supported, he will endure hardship for the sake of Christ, and he will care more about the salvation of souls than about his own comfort.

Ministers who are in it for the money take the glory of Christ and exchange it for the cheap temporary satisfaction of wealth. They may win a large following, but they will lose the blessing of God. And one day they will give account to the Chief Shepherd for every word and every dollar that has been entrusted to them in false pretenses. The gospel is priceless, and it must never be for sale.

I noticed this way back. A lot of the prosperity teachers I discovered were also ex salesmen. They were teaching how to manipulate God into providing blessings. So much for you cannot serve two masters !Fact is in recent years we now have Christ sellers not Christ servants.

 

[amigo de christo]

Doing that basically erodes trust in the words as they are written which leads to complete error. Every single word matters, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little. Each doctrine is a key to unlocking another doctrine.

Look at your first line again .
You said DOING that basically erodes trust in the words as they are written which leads to complete error .
AND ITS EXACTLY WHY SATAN who uses men who love the flesh , DID THIS .
People seem to either have forgotten OR NEVER KNEW ,
NO MAN HAS SEEN GOD . Moses barely was allowed to catch even a glimpse of his most hinderparts .
NO MAN has seen CHRIST .
SO the question begging to be asked is
SO THEN HOW DO THEY KNOW THEY BEEN LOVING THE RIGHT GOD , THE RIGHT CHRIST .
Now allow me a real simple childlike faith truth .
DO YA REALLY THINK if a man hollers i love THEE ALL MIGHTY GOD , I LOVE THEE CHRIST
YET sure do seem to have a problem with THE WORDS HE INSPIRED , REALLY DOES LOVE HIM .
What i say to one and i must again now say to all .
IF A MAN LOVETH NOT THE TRUTH , AND GODS WORDS ARE TRUTH
THEN that man DONT LOVE HE WHO IS THE TRUTH and WHO INSPIRED SUCH LOVELY BEAUTIFUL WORDS .
Many are madly in love with another image of what they so hold to as GOD as CHRIST
but i tell us all , GOD aint , CHRIST AINT , THE SPIRIT AINT , in the business of TWISTING THE WORDS OF GOD OF CHRIST
OF WHICH THE SPIRIT DID INSPIRE . ONLY the serpent would twist such words . AND HE DO twist such words .
ALWAYS using scrips in the dark light of what many SEE AS LIGHT
IN order to do one thing . CAUSE UNBELEIF IN GOD , IN CHRIST , IN HIS WORDS . We are not IN A GOOD PLACE at all .
THESE ARE THE UPMOST Late and last hours and many now love and are in love with a lie and the father of lies
BUT THEY THINK ITS GOD , ITS CHRIST , ITS LOVE LOVE LOVE .

 

[amigo de christo]

I noticed this way back. A lot of the prosperity teachers I discovered were also ex salesmen. They were teaching how to manipulate God into providing blessings. So much for you cannot serve two masters !Fact is in recent years we now have Christ sellers not Christ servants.

What a good example my traveling friend .
But lets reword you last sentence .
You wrote
Fact is in recent years we now have Christ sellers and not Christ servants .
OH my dear dear friend.
THEY aint been selling us Christ , THEY BEEN SELLING US another image of SAID CHRIST .
THEY SERVANTS all right . to The sin they love , NOT TO GOD , NOT TO CHRIST .
And i beleive its high time someone exposes this all .
SO , by grace i shall continue to do what i have been doing BY grace for many years now .
Exposing anything and everything contrary TO THE HOLY GOD and HIS CHRIST .
But for my LOVE i be one hated creature .

 

[amigo de christo]

I noticed this way back. A lot of the prosperity teachers I discovered were also ex salesmen. They were teaching how to manipulate God into providing blessings. So much for you cannot serve two masters !Fact is in recent years we now have Christ sellers not Christ servants.

seeing i do expose all sins
would you allow me a brief chance to show you something .
YOU wrote so much for you cannot serve two masters . AND RIGHT YOU ARE MY FRIEND .
SO allow me a question .
THEN WHY ON EARTH are and is anyone sitting at the table of compromise .
WHY are they sitting at the table of that which is of anti christ
WHY are they sitting at the table of Satans key jewel of that which is of anti christ .
INTERFAITH FINDING COMMON GROUND .
cause my friend , WHAT ON EARTH DO WE HAVE IN COMMON with such a table that we would
even sit at it . to EVEN TRY and serve two masters . THEY DARN SURE AINT SERVING GOD OR CHRIST
cause i seen what those men of satan , of anti christ , of belial , of baal , of the nicolations
OF the king of all darkness said . AND IT WAS OF ANTI CHRIST .
telling all them false religoins , YES THE MUSLIM RELGIOIN IS OF SATAN
as is new age , as is buddism , as it any other religoin
THAT WE ALL SERVING the same GOD in different ways . NOW WHY , OH WHY ,
would anyone even dare to sit at such a table
OR EVEN SUPPORT any who do bring us to such a table . Remember when i said
FOLKS gonna hate me . oh they do , cause i expose ALL sins , all errors . THIS SHEEP dont pick and choose .

 

[amigo de christo]

God, and God alone, gets to determine what is true. He has already done this, by revealing it to us in His Word. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). No man, denomination or seminary gets to redefine truth. If what a man preaches or teaches lines up with Scripture in context, it is true. If it does not line up with Scripture it is an error, no matter who preaches it or where he came from.

“But you say ‘God wants me to correct you.’ The only way that correction has any weight is if it is based on Scripture and carried out according to the biblical pattern (2 Timothy 3:16–17, Galatians 6:1). The question of “Who will believe it?” is answered the same way Jesus answered it, those who are of God will hear the words of God (John 8:47). Whether or not they believe does not change the standard. Faithfulness to God’s Word is the standard.

Lets look real closely again at what you even wrote .
You darn right , ITS ONLY GOD and HE ALONE , get to determine what IS TRUE .
You correct HE DID do this , JESUS IS HIS WORD and HIS WORD dont contradict THE WORDS OF GOD .
so far so good my friend .
you then said a very good truth . NO man , no demoniation , NO not the RCC EITHER , gets to redefine truth . VERY GOOD my friend .
THEN you said , IF what a man preaches or teaches lines up with scripture in context , it is true .
BUT LETS HOLD THE BRAKES . Cause many darn sure seem to use a CONTEXT that is simply
REDFINING what it is THEY BELEIVE , A lie of course . You would marvel at how often
i have heard one say , YA GOT to keep it in context , ONLY TO FIND OUT what they really mean and meant was
IN CONTEXT of what MY so called denomination , my so called teacher , MY so called etc etc etc , SAID .
THEY USE CONTEXT TO SUPPORT bad teachings . I SEE and HAVE SEEN THIS SO many times
if i were to count it and asked many to hold up even their fingers so i could continue to count
WE WOULD BE COUNTING LOTS OF HANDS and lots of fingers .

 

[IndianaRob]

If you interpret 1 Thessalonians 4: 15 “literally, word for word” you will still need to interpret it in light of the immediate context and the whole of Scripture since God will never contradict Himself. “We which are alive and remain” does not literally mean Paul expected to still be alive at the Lord’s return. Paul’s use of “we” includes himself with the audience he is writing to, which is a common usage in Scripture (for example, 1 Corinthians 15: 51 is another example where this is not a literal promise about the author’s own future).

In the immediate following verses (1 Thessalonians 4: 16–17) Paul writes of the Lord’s descending from heaven, the dead in Christ rising first, and then those alive are “caught up” to meet Him with the dead in Christ. This is exactly where the “rapture” comes from, the Greek word harpazō, which means to seize or snatch away. Paul’s expectation to be alive or not at that time does not change that.

Read without inserting ideas not in the text, the order is that the dead in Christ rise first and then the living believers are caught up. Paul’s use of “we” does not negate the event, he simply places himself among all believers alive at that time.

I’ve read many of your posts, bdavidc, and I respect you greatly—so please don’t take what I’m about to say the wrong way.

You’re approaching this passage with a bias shaped by other verses you’ve interpreted in the same way you’re interpreting this one.

First, Jesus said that whoever believes in Him will never die. Most people insert the word “second” into that statement because they know the human body dies—and yes, it does—but the believer’s spirit is translated to heaven (Just like Enoch) before physical death, so the body dies without the spirit.

I say that to emphasize this: what you and most others call “the rapture” is really the blessed hope of the believer - that we will never see death. Just like Paul said, “we who are alive and remain” will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.

 

[bdavidc]

Lets look real closely again at what you even wrote .
You darn right , ITS ONLY GOD and HE ALONE , get to determine what IS TRUE .
You correct HE DID do this , JESUS IS HIS WORD and HIS WORD dont contradict THE WORDS OF GOD .
so far so good my friend .
you then said a very good truth . NO man , no demoniation , NO not the RCC EITHER , gets to redefine truth . VERY GOOD my friend .
THEN you said , IF what a man preaches or teaches lines up with scripture in context , it is true .
BUT LETS HOLD THE BRAKES . Cause many darn sure seem to use a CONTEXT that is simply
REDFINING what it is THEY BELEIVE , A lie of course . You would marvel at how often
i have heard one say , YA GOT to keep it in context , ONLY TO FIND OUT what they really mean and meant was
IN CONTEXT of what MY so called denomination , my so called teacher , MY so called etc etc etc , SAID .
THEY USE CONTEXT TO SUPPORT bad teachings . I SEE and HAVE SEEN THIS SO many times
if i were to count it and asked many to hold up even their fingers so i could continue to count
WE WOULD BE COUNTING LOTS OF HANDS and lots of fingers .

I made it clear that truth is determined by God alone and revealed in His Word, and that the standard is whether something lines up with Scripture in context. That is fully consistent with meaning the context of God’s Word, not man’s opinions or traditions. I never insinuated that “in context” meant anything other than in context with God’s Word, the Bible. When I say something must be in context, I mean exactly what Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 2:13, that we compare spiritual things with spiritual, not with the opinions or traditions of men. The Bible interprets itself, and the only valid context is the one God gave in His Word, confirmed by the whole counsel of Scripture. Anything else is not context, it is distortion.

 

[PS95]

Yes, I am KJV-only. For the first 15 years of my Christian life, I mostly read the NIV and NASB, and I also dabbled in Greek and Hebrew dictionaries. When I discovered the significant differences between those translations and the KJV, I became KJV only and have been for about 16 years.

Ok- well I use several translations and always have. I don't prefer the NIV or any transliteration which is how I see that one.. My background caused me to be extra cautious of any bible. I have basic knowledge of the Greek-only 1.5 years but sometimes a little knowledge can be very dangerous!

One verse in the KJV that I appreciate is Ro 8:1. It seems odd to leave the last half of the verse off and leads many to the wrong idea especially the cherry pickers. But I dont see that as intentional to deceive. Either the manuscripts have it or they don't.
I haven't gotten into the KJV debate seriously by any means- I know a little not much- but I do not and can not trust the backgrounds of Wescott and Hort! How could anyone?!

But-- the Comma- I just don't see it in the early Father's writings- and considering Arius, if the comma was there- the Father's absolutely would have used it against Arius. Agree? It's nowhere.
I don't have a problem with what the comma says-- it is absolutely justified biblically, but was it there originally? The evidence seems to say no. How else can we know for certain other than the early father's? Isn't that how they decided the canon?

My understanding of this kjv controversy is so very limited--
However, I concluded that older isn't necessarily better though since corruption was around all along- Gnostics were interpolating very early.
But earlier is perhaps less likely to be corrupted.. in comparison to much later copies.

I am unaware of all of the differences. I know a few. Most that I know of didn't make a significant difference. I also have a hard time with the archaic language- do you see the NKJV as corrupted?

 

[bdavidc]

I’ve read many of your posts, bdavidc, and I respect you greatly—so please don’t take what I’m about to say the wrong way.

You’re approaching this passage with a bias shaped by other verses you’ve interpreted in the same way you’re interpreting this one.

First, Jesus said that whoever believes in Him will never die. Most people insert the word “second” into that statement because they know the human body dies—and yes, it does—but the believer’s spirit is translated to heaven (Just like Enoch) before physical death, so the body dies without the spirit.

I say that to emphasize this: what you and most others call “the rapture” is really the blessed hope of the believer - that we will never see death. Just like Paul said, “we who are alive and remain” will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.

Jesus did say, “whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11: 26), but He qualified that statement by explaining exactly what He meant during the very same conversation. Just one verse earlier, He said, “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Physical death is not ruled out for believers, but it will have no victory over them anymore (1 Corinthians 15:54–55). The Bible plainly records many believers who have died physically after trusting in Christ (Acts 7: 59–60; Philippians 1:21–23; Hebrews 9:27), so “never die” is speaking of the second death, the eternal separation from God, rather than physical death never occurring. Paul himself wrote that “it is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9: 27) and that not all believers will die before Christ returns, but for those believers who are alive when Christ comes, they will be “caught up” after the dead in Christ have first been resurrected from the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). This is not the promise that every believer escapes physical death, but that all who are in Christ will be gathered up to Him, whether that happens through resurrection from the grave or a transformation from the living state (1 Corinthians 15:51–52). To take “we who are alive and remain” as a promise that no believer will ever see physical death makes an assertion far beyond what the text and the rest of Scripture actually teaches. And NO, this is not coming from bias, nor am I reinterpreting these verses, I am simply stating them the way the Bible says them, in their immediate context and in harmony with the whole counsel of God’s Word (1 Corinthians 2:13, 2 Timothy 3:16–17).

 

[PS95]

Who will define what is preached as truth? Do I say God wants me to correct you? Who will believe it?

We do. We are to test all things. The Spirit leads us.