"When, as you advance, the Lord your God exterminates the nations whose country you are entering to occupy, you will take their place and settle in their land. After they have been destroyed, take care that you are not ensnared into their ways. Do not enquire about their gods, saying, ‘How used these nations to serve their gods? I too shall do the same.’ You must not do for the Lord your God what they do, for all that they do for their gods is hateful and abominable to the Lord. Even their sons and their daughters they burn in honour of their gods. See that you carry out exactly what I command you: you must not add anything to it or take anything away from it." (Deut 12:29-32, REB) *This is under Moses and the Old Covenant, Mosaic Law
"Go therefore to all nations and make them my disciples; baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. I will be with you always, to the end of time.’" (Matt 28:19-20, REB) * This is under Jesus and the New Covenant. Our law for obedience comes from Jesus Christ, not Moses. Read Deut. 18:15-20 referenced in Acts 3:19-24
"My friends, I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, so that you may take our case as an example, and learn the true meaning of ‘nothing beyond what stands written’, and may not be inflated with pride as you take sides in support of one against another." (1Cor 4:6, REB)
"I am against those prophets, says the Lord, who concoct words of their own and then say, ‘This is his word.’ I am against those prophets, says the Lord, who deal in false dreams and relate them to mislead my people with wild and reckless falsehoods. It was not I who sent them or commissioned them, and they will do this people no good service. This is the word of the Lord." (Jer 23:31-32, REB)
"He answered, ‘How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you hypocrites in these words: “This people pays me lip-service, but their heart is far from me: they worship me in vain, for they teach as doctrines the commandments of men.” You neglect the commandment of God, in order to maintain the tradition of men.’" (Mark 7:6-8, REB)
"For if some newcomer proclaims another Jesus, not the Jesus whom we proclaimed, or if you receive a spirit different from the Spirit already given to you, or a gospel different from the gospel you have already accepted, you put up with that well enough...Such people are sham apostles, confidence tricksters masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light, so it is easy enough for his agents to masquerade as agents of good. But their fate will match their deeds. (2Cor 11:4, 13-15, REB)
"Be on your guard; let no one capture your minds with hollow and delusive speculations, based on traditions of human teaching and centred on the elemental spirits of the universe and not on Christ...You are not to be disqualified by the decision of people who go in for self-mortification and angel-worship and access to some visionary world. Such people, bursting with the futile conceit of worldly minds,...Did you not die with Christ and pass beyond reach of the elemental spirits of the universe? Then why behave as though you were still living the life of the world? Why let people dictate to you: ‘Do not handle this, do not taste that, do not touch the other’— referring to things that must all perish as they are used? That is to follow human rules and regulations. Such conduct may have an air of wisdom, with its forced piety, its self-mortification, and its severity to the body; but it is of no use at all in combating sensuality." (Col 2:8, 18, 20-23, REB)
"In the past there were also false prophets among the people, just as you also will have false teachers among you. They will introduce their destructive views, disowning the very Master who redeemed them, and bringing swift destruction on their own heads. They will gain many adherents to their dissolute practices, through whom the way of truth will be brought into disrepute. In their greed for money they will trade on your credulity with sheer fabrications. But judgement has long been in preparation for them; destruction waits for them with unsleeping eyes...Above all he will punish those who follow their abominable lusts and flout authority. Reckless and headstrong, they are not afraid to insult celestial beings, whereas angels, for all their superior strength and power, employ no insults in seeking judgement against them before the Lord. These men are like brute beasts, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They pour abuse upon things they do not understand; they will perish like the beasts, suffering hurt for the hurt they have inflicted. To carouse in broad daylight is their idea of pleasure; while they sit with you at table they are an ugly blot on your company, because they revel in their deceits. (2Pet 2:1-3, 10-13, REB)
Switching to a older, literal translations now -
"...and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in the Christ;" (2Cor 11:3, YLT)
WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER A LONG-WINDED, CONVOLUTED EXPLANATION OF SCRIPTURE, BEWARE... THERE IS SIMPLICITY IN THE CHRIST!
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa 8:20, KJV)
"Go therefore to all nations and make them my disciples; baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. I will be with you always, to the end of time.’" (Matt 28:19-20, REB) * This is under Jesus and the New Covenant. Our law for obedience comes from Jesus Christ, not Moses. Read Deut. 18:15-20 referenced in Acts 3:19-24
"My friends, I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, so that you may take our case as an example, and learn the true meaning of ‘nothing beyond what stands written’, and may not be inflated with pride as you take sides in support of one against another." (1Cor 4:6, REB)
"I am against those prophets, says the Lord, who concoct words of their own and then say, ‘This is his word.’ I am against those prophets, says the Lord, who deal in false dreams and relate them to mislead my people with wild and reckless falsehoods. It was not I who sent them or commissioned them, and they will do this people no good service. This is the word of the Lord." (Jer 23:31-32, REB)
"He answered, ‘How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you hypocrites in these words: “This people pays me lip-service, but their heart is far from me: they worship me in vain, for they teach as doctrines the commandments of men.” You neglect the commandment of God, in order to maintain the tradition of men.’" (Mark 7:6-8, REB)
"For if some newcomer proclaims another Jesus, not the Jesus whom we proclaimed, or if you receive a spirit different from the Spirit already given to you, or a gospel different from the gospel you have already accepted, you put up with that well enough...Such people are sham apostles, confidence tricksters masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light, so it is easy enough for his agents to masquerade as agents of good. But their fate will match their deeds. (2Cor 11:4, 13-15, REB)
"Be on your guard; let no one capture your minds with hollow and delusive speculations, based on traditions of human teaching and centred on the elemental spirits of the universe and not on Christ...You are not to be disqualified by the decision of people who go in for self-mortification and angel-worship and access to some visionary world. Such people, bursting with the futile conceit of worldly minds,...Did you not die with Christ and pass beyond reach of the elemental spirits of the universe? Then why behave as though you were still living the life of the world? Why let people dictate to you: ‘Do not handle this, do not taste that, do not touch the other’— referring to things that must all perish as they are used? That is to follow human rules and regulations. Such conduct may have an air of wisdom, with its forced piety, its self-mortification, and its severity to the body; but it is of no use at all in combating sensuality." (Col 2:8, 18, 20-23, REB)
"In the past there were also false prophets among the people, just as you also will have false teachers among you. They will introduce their destructive views, disowning the very Master who redeemed them, and bringing swift destruction on their own heads. They will gain many adherents to their dissolute practices, through whom the way of truth will be brought into disrepute. In their greed for money they will trade on your credulity with sheer fabrications. But judgement has long been in preparation for them; destruction waits for them with unsleeping eyes...Above all he will punish those who follow their abominable lusts and flout authority. Reckless and headstrong, they are not afraid to insult celestial beings, whereas angels, for all their superior strength and power, employ no insults in seeking judgement against them before the Lord. These men are like brute beasts, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They pour abuse upon things they do not understand; they will perish like the beasts, suffering hurt for the hurt they have inflicted. To carouse in broad daylight is their idea of pleasure; while they sit with you at table they are an ugly blot on your company, because they revel in their deceits. (2Pet 2:1-3, 10-13, REB)
Switching to a older, literal translations now -
"...and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in the Christ;" (2Cor 11:3, YLT)
WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER A LONG-WINDED, CONVOLUTED EXPLANATION OF SCRIPTURE, BEWARE... THERE IS SIMPLICITY IN THE CHRIST!
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa 8:20, KJV)
