- Enter the false prophets . . . . . . . . . go
- What is the "sheep`s clothing" ? . . . . . . . . . go
- What are the good fruits that bring SALVATION (real righteousness) . . . . . . . . . go
- Avoiding false righteousness yourself . . . . . . . . . go
- What is a corupt tree and what is a good tree ? . . . . . . . . . go
- Is the Holy Spirit available to anybody ? ...and who gets to heaven ? . . . . . . . . . go
- The pharisees were examples of False Prophets, wolves in sheeps clothing . . . . . . . . . go
- The law was made for man, and not man for the law . . . . . . . . . go
- Why is the OT law so harsh ? (stone to death and stuff) . . . . . . . . . go
- In the scripture it says Jesus broke the sabbath and it was ok, he didnt sin . . . . . . . . . go
- Jesus is AGAINST the strict, condemning attitude regarding the law: . . . . . . . . . go
- Jesus is not for abolishing the law either, but for understanding it better . . . . . . . . . go
- Jesus is the ultimate authority, not "the bible" . . . . . . . . . go
- Are the today`s fundamentalists the same as yesterday`s pharisees ? . . . . . . . . . go
- This article is not for condamnation, but to help you discern . . . . . . . . . go
- “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private...” . . . . . . . . . go
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1. Enter the false prophets:
Matt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
What is the sheep`s clothing ?
What is evil fruit ?
What are the good fruits that bring SALVATION ?
What does it mean that a tree is corrupt ? What is this coruption ?
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2. What is the "sheep`s clothing" ?
Sheep`s clothing is having the APEARANCE of righteousness.
In this example we can use "fasting" as a metaphor for righteousness:
Isaiah 58:
4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me.
5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like a blade of grass in the wind. You dress in sackcloth and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD?
6 "No, the kind of fasting I want [...]
Fasting, penance, bowing of heads in church, even dressing in sackcloth.
So the above is not really righteousness, but it surely has the apearance of it, doesn`t it ? And I bet it would fool alot of people..
So, is all this stuff wrong then ? No, Jesus Himself recomends fasting. The problem is is where is the priority: The above verses dexcribe people who "have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others" (Matt 23:23)
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3. What are the good fruits that bring SALVATION (real righteousness)
(Isaiah 58 Continued)
5.[...] Do you really think this will please the LORD?
6 "No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you. Treat them fairly and give them what they earn.
7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 "If you do these things, your salvation will come like the dawn. Yes, your healing will come quickly. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.
Notice the last verse: "If you do these things, your salvation will come like the dawn. Yes, your healing will come quickly."
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4. Avoiding false righteousness yourself:
Matthew 6:1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. (Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.)
3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
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5. What is a corupt tree and what is a good tree ?
What is a “good tree” ?
inside is full of "justice and mercy and faithfulness"
or as Paul later describes it: a good tree is full of "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance"
The Holy Spirit is an example of a good tree, and theese are its fruits in our hearts and souls:
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance
John 15:5 "I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But without me, you can't produce anything ."
So, if we have theese qualities in our hearts we are a good tree, and not a corupt tree.
What is corupt tree:
"within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."
Hypocrisy, lack of mercy, legalism, and worse, instead of using the law to help man, they use it against man:
Matt 12:7 "But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
breaking the commandment "love your neigbour" by comitting Bibliodolatry (bible - idolatry) - by putting legalism above mercy and:
...neglecting "the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness"
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6. Is the Holy Spirit available to anybody ? ...and who gets to heaven ?
John 14:22 Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Matt 7:21 "Not everyone who keeps saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will get into the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who keeps doing the will of my Father in heaven.
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
What does Jesus mean "‘I never knew you" ?!?!
This is what he means:
"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
This is why He will "know" you. Because, when you start to apply this law:
Galatians 6:2 "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
...then:
John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
See also one of the previous sections called - "What are the good fruits that bring SALVATION".
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7. The pharisees were examples of False Prophets, wolves in sheeps clothing:
Matt 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward (APEARANCE of righteousness) , but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
"Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto
men" - sheep`s clothing.
"but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." - "inwardly they are ravening wolves"
Matt 23:15 "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.
Theese pharisees werent exactly layzy were they ? They were pretty fervent and active, preaching to sinners and stuff... Making converts...
Matt 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin (you make men give a tenth of all sorts of sweet-smelling plants), and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! (who take out a fly from your drink, but swallow a camel)
...have neglected the **weightier** provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness"
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8. The law was made for man, and not man for the law:
Galatians 6:2 "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
[Mark 2:27] Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."
Jesus **did not** dispute the validity of the law prohibiting harvesting grain on the Sabbath. He instead put things in right perspective:
the Sabbath was for man's benefit, not to restrict him, and human needs take precedence over the law of the Sabbath. This actually is a broad principle and applies to more than the Sabbath; human law was made for human welfare.
It is Jesus Himself who is speaking in the next passages:
[Matthew 12:3] Have you not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him; 4. How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat
which was not **lawful** for him to eat
[Matthew 12:5] Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?
are **blameless** -- even though they broke the law
[Matthew 12:7] "But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
**innocent** -- because -- 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' -- the purpose of the law is compassion and not sacrifice.
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9. Why is the OT law so harsh ? (stone to death and stuff)
1 Timothy 1:9: "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
Galatians 3:19 "Wherefore then serves the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made…
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10. In the scripture it says Jesus broke the sabbath and it was ok, he didnt sin
John 5:18 "This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God"
<--- if all scripture is perfect and true, then what does this verse mean ? It does not say they acused Jesus of breaking the sabbath but that it wasnt true, it says plainly that he did break the sabbath; The scripture says about Jesus, and Jesus confirms in his own words that He is without sin.
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11. Jesus is AGAINST the strict, condemning attitude regarding the law:
"Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, 'Stand up in front of everyone.'
"Then Jesus asked them, 'Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or kill?' But they remained silent.
"He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus" (Mk 3:1-6).
Jesus knew the Pharisees were trying to catch him breaking the Sabbath law. So he openly confronted them by having the man stand where everyone could see. He asked them a challenging question but they refused to answer him. Notice his reaction to their strict, condemning attitude regarding the law: "He looked around at them in anger . . . deeply distressed." Scripture identifies only a few times Jesus became angry and it was usually the result of people's strict legal interpretation of the law which violated the intent of the law.
One day Jesus passed by the pool at Bethesda and saw a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk," and at once the man was cured. "The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, 'It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.'" They didn't celebrate his healing after 38 years of lameness; they adamantly insisted the man stop violating their Sabbath laws (Jn 5:1-18). Do you see a trend?
Jesus ministered to people's needs, even if he broke the law by doing so.
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12. Jesus is not for abolishing the law either, but for understanding it better:
Matt. 5:17,18
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
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13. Jesus is the ultimate authority, not "the bible"
The pharisees clinged to the letter of the law as the final authority, but the etter of the law is not the final authority, the spirit of the law is, and that is embodied in Jesus. (and the word became flesh...)
You can see that clearly in the conflicts between Jesus and the pharisees.
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14. Are the today`s fundamentalists the same as yesterday`s pharisees ?
Luke 6:39 And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.
(will be like his teacher - so if they are trained by a bad tree they will also become a bad tree, or a "blind" guide)
41 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
43 “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.
44 “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.
And now He comes to the part where He explains that the coruption of the tree is in the heart, and the goodness of a good tree is also in the heart:
45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.
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15. This article is not for condamnation, but to help you discern
This article should be NOT used to condemn, but to help discern who`s teaching is good or not, what "prophet" is false or not, and also to help us understand what "righteousness" is.
To help discern the truth.
Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
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16. “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private...”
Mathew 18:15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
17 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
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