The purpose of the scriptures is to point us to Christ. The scriptures SPEAK of the tree of life, but we must EAT of the tree of life.
I really like that saying.
The purpose of the op is to point to the danger that existed then and exists today; having a belief set based on parts of the bible by which we justify ourselves, instead of seeing the deeper purpose and going to Christ to receive life and truly be transformed... And walk in the same power as the Apostles and the prophets!
My personal attitude is a simple one. If it's there in the scripture I believe and obey it.
What has alarmed me (and put me off very severely over the years) is this business of possessing the holy spirit, and claims to do so.
This 'speaking in tongues' business, is quite comical in my mind. The spectacle of going into a church where they are rolling around on the ground, frothing at the mouth, creating huge rackets, and pouring out gibberish while claiming to be speaking in 'tongues' is quite simply appalling. Ridiculously so.
I was door-knocking one day, when a little lady came to the door, and we got into conversation, she being of the spirit-filled variety. 'Haven't you ever felt the spirit grabbing you and shaking you?' she asked. 'No' said I, whereupon she leapt back into the hallway, and started 'speaking in tongues'! I was slightly stunned, because she merely appeared incoherent, rather than bringing a message of some kind to me.
Eventually she returned to normality, and resumed the conversation.
On another occasion, I went into a church in Port-of-Spain, and resisted all the altar-calling of the minister. Many of the congregation went up to be 'saved', but the most alarming thing was when the service ended, there was one girl still wandering round the stage - completely out of her mind, it seemed to me: not violently so, but she was far, far away. Eventually, someone went up and took her by the hand and brought her back to her seat.
The point of telling you all this is simply this: how does anyone KNOW they are 'filled with the holy spirit'? How can such claims be made? With what justification? And if the claim is false, or merely imaginary, then can that be classified as 'blaspheming against the holy spirit', because a false claim is being made?
These are serious matters, and they become far more so in the business of church leadership.
As far as I know, almost EVERY church under the sun claims to be led by the spirit.
From catholics to anglicans, to jehovah's witnesses, to seventh day adventists, to each and all of the pentecostal churches notably the charismatic ones, etc etc etc. With one accord, they ALL claim to be led by the holy spirit.
Let's face it, they CAN'T POSSIBLY be all led by the holy spirit. God is not the author of confusion - and that is precisely what we see if we take a dispassionate look at their teachings.
Some teach heaven going, others say no.
Some teach a trinity, others teach the unity of God.
Some appoint leaders in conclave, others by democratic voting, or by weight of financial power.
Some say you must speak in tongues, or you can't be saved. Others say no, that is incorrect.
I could go on, but you know what I mean.
Therefore, since all claim 'spirit guidance', then the spirit obviously doesn't know what it is doing, or the claims are false.
Which option do you choose? And why?
Which brings us back to the original point of this post.
HOW CAN WE KNOW WHETHER A CLAIM TO SPIRIT GUIDANCE OR SPIRIT POSSESSION IS CORRECT, OR NOT?
IMHO, there is only one way, and that is the war cry uttered so long ago by Isaiah 8. 20
To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Which essentially is saying 'search the scriptures' and check whether these things are so or not.
And even then there are problems. I see Angeline quoting Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;
but be filled with the Spirit;
It's a nice-sounding passage, but what exactly does he mean? Since he's not here to tell us, what do we do? Simple, we search the scriptures to see what they say!
And what do they say?
Well, looking up 'FILLED' we come cross passages such as this one:
Ro 1:29 Being
filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
It's obvious, isn't it, that he is telling the disciples in Ephesus, to do the exact opposite of these things? Of course he is. But is he saying that you've got to be filled with the holy spirit IN ORDER to do these good things?
I somehow doubt it, because again, searching the scriptures, I find this:
Acts 10.1 ¶ There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
This is Cornelius, who hadn't been baptised, either with the holy spirit, or with water as yet - and still did all these wonderful things. How did he manage this? By knowing what God had commanded in the Word.
I think you are right in drawing our attention to the excesses of the scribes and Pharisees, but the passage DOES say this too:
Jn 5. 39
[Part 1] You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life;
and it is they that bear witness to me;
40 yet you refuse
[Part 2] to come to me that you may have life.
You've got Part 1 right, He says, but you miss out Part 2.
