Many may ask, “What an odd question. Of course, we should be students of the Bible!” they might reply.
But I tell you the truth: To be duped into believing that one is to be a Bible Student is blasphemous, even idolatrous and such a notion that one is to be a Bible student is a gross deviation from the commandment of God and the teachings of Christ himself.
Those of you who profess belief in Christ and at the same time believe that you are to be students of the Bible, should pause and really think about what I just stated.
First of all, the Bible is not your Teacher, Christ is. Did he not say this at Matthew 28:8-10?
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
If anyone calls themselves a Bible student, what then are they really professing? This: That the Bible is the teacher and they are the student. Yet, Christ taught that we are to be his disciples (students).
Why The Insistence?
What accounts for the insistence among so many – even among so-called scholars and so-called Christian religous organizations – that one be students of the Bible?
One reason is that they assume that The Bible is the Word of God. This teaching has gone unquestioned and unchallenged since the creation of the imposter religious system called Christianity, as it has been the primary vehicle promoting false teachings about God and Christ and – in particular – creating a deviation away from those teachings and ensuring that the masses in the world remain on that deviated path. If one has come to accept that the Bible is The Word of God, then there would be no need to question or challenge it. This is the posture many professing Christ as Lord sit in.
Another reason is what is written at 2 Tim 3:16:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The problem with this who told them that The Bible Scripture? They have made another false assumption. When the Apostle Paul wrote these words, there was no such thing as a Bible. Then the question one has to ask themselves, “What is Scripture?”
Second Timothy 3:16 says all Scripture is God-breathed. In other words, Scripture would be anything spoken by God. Additionally, since Christ is the Word of God – God’s only authorized spokesman – anything he says is Scripture as well.
Jesus acknowledged at John 8:28 that he spoke only what his Father in heaven taught him. So all that he taught was not of his origination but that of the Father. Thus, all that Jesus taught was from the Father – Scripture.
When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.
Can one reasonably conclude that the Bible – as a whole – is God breathed? Absolutely not! Why? Because others are breathing (speaking) in it. The Serpent in Genesis is speaking to the woman Eve; Satan is having an exchange with God concerning the man Job; the Devil is conversing with Jesus during the temptation; and many other persons are speaking in the Bible a part from God. Are we to conclude that Satan’s words are “The Word of God?”
Additional questions are to be asked: “Who authorized mankind to compile such a book out of 84 scrolls, but only 66 of them were included? Who told the compilers to give it that name? Who told them to call it holy? Who told them to call it Scripture? Who told them to call it “The Word of God” and why does it share the same lofty title as the one who is The Word of God, Christ Jesus?”
What in the world is going on?
Therefore, the Bible is not the Word of God. Just as there is only one God, there is only one Word of God, Christ himself. (Revelation 19:13)
A Great Deception Perpetrated
When something is substituted and aggressively promoted as The Word of God – when it is not – then it becomes an object of idolatry and is blasphemous. Permit me to use Moses as an analogy. God used Moses to free the ancient Hebrew captives in Egypt and lead them to His holy mountain. Likewise, the Greater Moses – Jesus – was used by God to free and lead the masses in the world to His holy mountain (Kingdom).
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
It would not be a book that would be that way, the truth and the life. It would be Christ only. Yet, what has occurred right under our noses is that a book has been promoted and elevated to a lofty position in place of God’s son and the world fell for it hook, line and sinker.
The religious system called Christianity has an idol and image to itself and it is called The Bible and it has been promoted as The Word of God and people are being taught that they must study the Bible and join the religious organizations who house this idol within them.
I tell you the truth: It is not a book that will lead one to the Father and that life (eternal life) Christ referred to, but only Christ. Christ in the sense of following him. In what way? His teaching. Therefore, we are to be his students or disciples. Now is that not what Christ ask us to become?
Jesus said at John 8:31-32:
If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
He also said that once one becomes his disciple, that they were to teach others what he taught them so that those persons would become disciples. At Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus commanded:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Notice that there is no mention of a book or a religious system as being his teaching; but he himself is that Teacher.
How Does One Teach Christ If Not From The Bible?
Many argue the point that one cannot know Christs teachings if it were not from the Bible. My answer to them are the words of the Master at Luke 9:41:
You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?
If those professing belief in Christ beleive that the Bible is The Word of God, then they do not really believe that Christ is The Word of God. (One cannot serve two Masters). If the so-called believing world really believed that Jesus is the only Word of God, it would not allow anything to stand next to him (or above him) as The Word of God.
After his ascension into heaven almost 2000 years ago, those who would become disciples of Christ had no Bible. So how did they become disciples? How did they come to learn about Christs teachings?
Obviously, via word of mouth and being taught by those who were taught by Christ himself; his closest companions, the Apostles. What many people overlook is that the Apostles and others who became disciples of Christ after he ascended continued to receive additional teaching from Christ from heaven via Holy Spirit. Those teachings are not penned in a book. Additionally, if there was some knowledge that they required, they did not consult a book (that they did not have) but would ask the Father in prayer – as Jesus directed them to do – and they would receive from the Father.
This is utterly mind-blowing to me: To use prayer to ask the Father in heaven for wisdom, knowledge and understanding – in recognition that Jesus is the only channel God will use to dispense to us what we asked of him (in Jesus’ name) – and not relying on a book! What an incredible testimony and exercise of faith in God and Christ before all of the heavenly host that the invisible God through His invisible Son of God powerfully infuses us with His wisdom, understanding and knowledge through His Son and not through a book. That, indeed, takes faith. And, faith my friends, is a requirement to the worship of God.
With regards how God is to be viewed (visualized) and worshiped, Jesus said at John 4:24:
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
Jesus said that God is spirit. What does that mean? It means that He is not flesh and blood. It means that he is invisible. The Apostle Paul at Col 1:15 attest to the fact that God is invisible:
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
So, it takes faith to believe in and worship something one cannot see. And, neither can we see The Son of God.
So God is to visualized as a Spirit, one who is invisible, not as flesh and blood. And, as Jesus said, our worship to the Father must be with Spirit and Truth. If anyone thinks that the Bible or the study of the Bible is to used to worship the Father, then they have missed the boat. Jesus is “The Truth” and it is only through Christ (his teachings) that the Father can be worshiped. Any other way is a waste of time. Please do not make “The Bible” that way.
Conclusion
Study of the Bible or becoming students of the Bible does not lead to eternal life. One cannot put faith in the things one can see. We can see the Bible can we not. The very definition of faith given at Hebrews 11:1 is:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Do not put your confidence in a book. Put it in that what we do not see: The invisible God and His son.
See the much bigger picture here that a great deception has been perpetrated that has been carefully crafted to steer you into believing that you must attach yourself to a book in order to learn about God and Christ and gain salvation to eternal life.
Focus the eyes on the person who is the only one who knows the way to the Father. Stubbornly keep him the only Word of God and stand up nothing else beside him in that capacity. In fact, reject anything called The Word of God except the Christ.
Use an under utilized and misused mechanism to gain understanding, wisdom, and knowledge from the Father in heaven: Prayer. This is the secret.
What does a child do when it wants to know or understand something. It asks the parent. The Father is our parent! So ask him!
When asking, do not turn to a book (The Bible) for the answer. Why? Because if you do, then you are essentially saying that God uses it as the way to communiciate with you. Remember, the Bible is not the way, Christ is the way and it is through him that the Father will transmit what we ask of Him to us.
Is Christ still able to teach? No doubt! He said at Matthew 28:20:
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
So truly be his disciple – his student – and not students of the Bible.
Is there benefit reading the Bible? Yes, but know what it is not. Never should expressions such as “The Bible says or the Bible teaches” leave your lips.
Rather, it should be Christ says or Christ teaches.
He is your Teacher, is he not?
