Our
number one desire for these Bible lessons are for them to be understandable,
defendable, and most important for the Holy Spirit to bear witness that the
conclusions are the true, and correct interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
Guidelines
for our Bible studies on this website:
1. We treat the living words of the
living God as spoken by the Lord Jesus and given to the Apostle Paul for the
Body of Christ the same importance, as
the words of the Lord Jesus recorded in red
letters in the books of Matthew – Acts Chp. 8, as what should be known as the
instructions to the nation Israel.
2. We will not be wresting the scriptures
against each other, we will look at the verses in their context, and will not
try to make the scriptures say anything, but what they say.
3. We will be using the verses out of the
Authorized Version, commonly known as the KJV. It is fine if you want to look
the verses up in other translations if you like, but we will consider the
Authorized Version as our final written authority.
4. We do not and will not use the Greek,
Hebrew, Aramaic, or Latin languages to prove any points, or give any indication
that the Authorized Version has been incorrectly translated.
2Tim.2 [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth.
I
hope these studies are interesting enough to provoke you to study your Bible
and for you to grow in the grace and knowledge of our savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ.
All Bible proof texts and
verses used in this study will be in context, and the words of the scriptures will not be twisted
to mean anything but what they mean.
To begin we start in Romans 11, and determine that the Apostle Paul, is the apostle to the Gentiles.
Rom.11 [13]
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I
magnify mine office:
In the books of Romans,
Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians we establish that Paul was given a
mystery by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ who was in heaven, and
that this mystery had been kept secret since the world began, no one prior to
Paul had been let in on this mystery. Read the following verses several times
until you get it. No one prior to Paul knew this information/mystery.
Romans 16 [24]
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. [25] Now to him that
is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept
secret since the world began, [26] But now is made manifest, and by the
scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting
God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: [27] To God only
wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
Galatians 1
[11] But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is
not after man. [12] For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but
by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 3 [1]
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, [2] If ye
have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to
youward: [3] How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery;
(as I wrote afore in few words, [4] Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ) [5] Which in other ages was not made
known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit;
Colossians 1
[25] Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which
is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; [26] Even the mystery
which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made
manifest to his saints: [27] To whom God would make known what is the riches of
the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope
of glory:
I will consider the
verses supplied, enough to establish Paul’s commission to the Gentiles.
Now let’s look at Smith
Wigglesworth and see if we can determine if he was a charlatan using the
instructions/scriptures given to us by the Apostle Paul who got the
instructions for the Body of Christ, from the Lord Jesus Christ, (aka the
Church) for Christians living in the dispensation of grace (current time
period).
Wigglesworth in 1907, visited Alexander Boddy
during the Sunderland Revival, and following a laying-on of hands from
Alexander's wife, Mary Boddy, he experienced speaking in tongues. Smith largely
believed his ministerial success was due to his "speaking in tongues".
Ok, for clarification when
a Pentecostal preacher or person, talks about “speaking in tongues” they are
always talking about someone crying out with their voice a bunch of
unintelligible jibber jabber.
They are not talking
about the Biblical experience of speaking in tongues, which was a known
language, as was every case where a person spoke in tongues that is recorded in
the Bible.
The following proof text is offered for a clear definition of speaking in tongues.
Acts.2 [1] And
when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one
place. [2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] And there
appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of
them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. [5] And there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. [6]
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were
confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
[7] And they
were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these
which speak Galilaeans? [8] And how
hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
No Jibber Jabber here, we
are talking known languages! I find no where recorded in the Bible where any
woman laid hands on any man which resulted in the man “speaking in tongues”
(known language or Jibber Jabber) not one case.
The only case in the Bible where someone spoke in tongues after the
laying on of hands is when the Apostle Paul laid hands on people in Acts
chapter 19 verse 6.
Now let’s look at Smith Wigglesworth’s
methods of healing, and raising people from the dead, to see if any of his ways
can be reconciled with the scriptural instructions given to the Body of Christ
(Christians saved during the dispensation of grace.)
There were numerous
claims of divine healing during Wigglesworth's ministry.
These include a woman
healed of a tumor, a woman healed of tuberculosis, a wheelchair-confined woman
walking, and many more.
There were reports that
people were raised from the dead, including his wife Polly.
Many people said they
were cured of cancer by him.
His methods often
involved hitting, slapping or punching the afflicted part of the body.
On a number of occasions
his approach to persons suffering from stomach complaints was to punch them in
the stomach, sometimes with such force that it propelled them across the room.
Now, I could not find one
case in the Bible where Jesus, or his disciples, had to hit, slap, or punch
someone to heal them. In fact, the most often recorded method used by Jesus and his disciples were to simply speak to the people and they were healed.
Again, I could find no Bible
proof texts or verses supporting Wigglesworth’s methods.
I also can not find one
person that was healed after the transition book of Acts was completed, (The
book of Acts records the transition period, from the Gospel of the Kingdom (Apostle
Peter, Jews), to the Gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection from the
dead for the forgiveness of sins (Apostle Paul, Gentiles). From Romans to
Philemon (Pauline Epistles) not one example of anyone being healed is recorded.
In fact, what is recorded, and does has proof texts or verses, is the Apostle
Paul who did have the gift of healing, no longer had it.
Proof Texts for Paul no
longer being able to heal. Paul had to leave his coworker Trophimus sick at
Miletum and Epaphroditus it is recorded was close to death. Interestingly Paul
in the book of Acts was able to send handkerchiefs out to the sick and heal
people, but by the time he writes 2nd Timothy and Philippians he no
longer has the gift of healing.
Acts 19 [11]
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: [12] So that from
his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases
departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
2Timothy 4
[18] And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me
unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. [19]
Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. [20] Erastus abode
at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
Philippians 2
[25] Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and
companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that
ministered to my wants. [26] For he longed after you all, and was full of
heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. [27] For
indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on
him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Simple logic dictates if
Paul still had the gift of healing, he would simply have healed his friends and
coworkers!
On January 6, 2019 Steve
Yuke of Park Avenue Baptist Church, Titusville, FL told a story of about Smith
Wigglesworth raising Polly his wife from the dead, by rebuking the spirit of
death off of her cold dead body.
Yuke tells this story and
presents it to his followers as if it is true, and not the silly unbiblical lie
that it is. I encourage everyone reading this to go to the Titusville Park
Avenue Baptist webpage and listen to this foolishness. The link is http://parkavenue.org/media/
Sunday January 6th sermon for anyone interested in keeping up with
how Christians, or people who take the name of Christ, can be deceived and
follow a deceiver.
Now on to the story,
supposedly Wigglesworth went into the bedroom where his dead wife was laying,
and he asked everyone to leave the room, (this means no one but a dead woman
and himself were in the room), he then supposedly rebuked the spirit of death
off of her and she sat up and talked with him forty minutes. She then
begged her to let her go back (die again) which supposedly he did. How many
witnesses of this were there, only one Smith Wigglesworth, the other witness
was dead!
It is hard for me to
believe that grown adults, especially Christians, would believe and support this kind of unsound
foolish doctrine!
Again, I could no place in the Bible where Jesus, his disciples, Old Testament prophets, or Paul raised someone from the dead, and the only
witness was the dead person who was still dead!
Now let’s do some real
Bible study and see what is really going on today in 2019 with this so-called
Pentecostal holy ghost revival. Let’s look at some Bible proof texts and verses
and see if it shines some light on this subject for us.
Mark 16 [15]
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature. [16] He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned. [17] And these signs shall follow them that
believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues; [18] They shall take up serpents; and if they drink
any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on
the sick, and they shall recover.
Now let’s look at these
verses and see what they are telling us, I believe as always, the scriptures
are easy to understand for Christians who want the truth. Here Jesus states
that these signs shall follow them that believe, casting out devils, speaking
with new tongues, taking up serpents, drinking poison, or any deadly thing
having no hurt, laying hands on the sick and they shall recover.
What the problem is and
bear with me before you think I have gone off my rocker, but these verses mean
exactly what they say and these signs were going to follow this group of
believers, but this group of believers were believers that were part of the
Earthly Kingdom that Jesus and his disciples were preaching, they are not
believers saved in the dispensation of the grace as given to the Apostle Paul.
We are here confronted
with the main reason for all the confusion in Christian circles and churches of
today. The confusion among Christianity/Christians today can be attributed to
the simple fact that the church, the Body of Christ, does not recognize the
separate, distinct, and unique apostleship, ministry, and message of Paul.
The modern-day Christian
instead of being able to rightly divide the word of truth, is always trying to
fit the Prophetic program of the Old Testament Prophets, into the Mystery
Program (Body of Christ) that was given to the Apostle Paul, and make them one.
The things spoken of in
Mark 16, simply are not doctrinally correct for Christians living today!
Just like we learn from Paul that unlike the Old Testament Jews being forbidden to eat swine, Christians of today can eat all the bacon they want.
Just like we learn from Paul that unlike the Old Testament Jews being forbidden to eat swine, Christians of today can eat all the bacon they want.
This attitude towards the
Bible is like having pieces from two different puzzles and trying to make them
fit together, as this is impossible, it is impossible to fit Law and Grace
together!
Now to finalize, if the
signs were still in effect for this dispensation it would make it really
difficult to tell the real believers from Satan’s group and believers who have
been deceived and led astray. Lets look at a few more proof texts and verses
and then we will finalize this study.
Matthew 24
[23] Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe
it not. [24] For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect.
Jesus warned his Israeli followers
in Matthew chp. 24 that in the future there would arise false Christs and false
prophets, and guess what when then show up they are going to show up with great
signs and wonders, that are so convincing that even the very elect would be
deceived if that were possible.
Compare a similar warning
given by the Apostle Paul to believers in the dispensation of grace.
2 Corinthians
11 [13] For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ. [14] And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light. [15] Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works.
Notice in Paul’s warning
that this group looks really good they appear as apostles of Christ, Jesus said he was
the light of the of the world, here we see Satan himself transformed into an
angel of light (Satan is a false Christ) notice Satan’s ministers are
transformed as ministers of righteousness.
I used to hear preachers warn of deception but since the majority of believers and preachers no longer have or believe in a final authority that all spiritual things can be judged by the Bible (KJV), not these modern day perversions of God’s Holy Word we don't hear much from them about deceivers.
Once Satan convinced the majority that the Bible could not be trusted and could only be understood by Greek and Hebrew scholars, Satan was able to steal the Word of God from the Christians. Yes, I use the word Christians albeit they have been fed with tainted milk, and most are malnourished and still baby Christians for the most part.
I used to hear preachers warn of deception but since the majority of believers and preachers no longer have or believe in a final authority that all spiritual things can be judged by the Bible (KJV), not these modern day perversions of God’s Holy Word we don't hear much from them about deceivers.
Once Satan convinced the majority that the Bible could not be trusted and could only be understood by Greek and Hebrew scholars, Satan was able to steal the Word of God from the Christians. Yes, I use the word Christians albeit they have been fed with tainted milk, and most are malnourished and still baby Christians for the most part.
So how do we determine if these modern-day
tongue talkers, healers, serpent handlers, etc are Satanically inspired and
controlled, we have to go to God’s Holy Word as found in the Authorized Bible or
KJV.
This will be the final proof texts or
verses for this lesson.
Matthew 28 [18] And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven
and in earth.
Notice that in Matt. 18 Jesus said he
has “all power” in heaven and earth, well guess what there is only two verses
in the whole Bible where the two words “all power” show up together, the one above
referring to the Lord Jesus, the one below referring to the Antichrist who
is the incarnation of Satan.
2 Thessalonian [8] And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [9] Even
him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power
and signs and lying wonders, [10] And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the
truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this cause God shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: [12] That they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
I put forth the understanding that
after Jesus established the Apostle Paul, as the apostle to the Gentiles, that
the sign gifts ceased as the Lord Jesus gave Paul the written words which became
the scriptures equal to the very words, that the Lord Jesus gave Moses in the
book of Exodus that we know as the Law.
So, with this understanding that the
sign gifts are no more, it is easy for the true believers to spot Satan (angel
of Light) and his ministers of righteousness like people who are showing signs
and wonders!
Smith Wigglesworth had to be a Charlatan! as well as the preachers who support his position.
I
am so thankful for the Preachers that were my mentors were Bible Believers and
not bible correctors!
Satan
is having a field day with the Body of Christ with all these modern-day
preachers
proclaiming
the gospel of the kingdom with its earthly kingdom hope, repentance, confession
of sins, and water baptism required to be saved or a member of a denomination,
Miraculous signs as evidence of salvation, such as speaking in tongues and
healing; Teaching the observance of the law, teaching the conditional
forgiveness of sins based on forgiving others, teaching forsaking all and
selling all to gain eternal life, Having the authority to forgive sins,
Reaching Jerusalem and Israel first.
These
things are simply incompatible with the truths found in the Pauline epistles,
and the gospel of the grace of God. Even if you believe the Bible and you fail
to understand the word of truth rightly divided you can still be misled, not
lost just misled, and rendered a useless Christian witness.
We
are saved not by our works, but by our faith in the crucified and risen Lord
Jesus!
With
modern day technology being what it is, it is very easy to do word searches and
check when someone quotes a Bible verse or tells you something is in the Bible
for you to look it up and verify if they are pulling your leg!
Acts 17 [11] These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that
they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures
daily, whether those things were so.
The
Truth of God’s Holy word is easy to determine if you let the Holy Spirit lead
you.
Remember
all of the confusion among Christianity/Christians today can be attributed to
the simple fact that the church, the Body of Christ, does not recognize the
separate, distinct, and unique apostleship, ministry, and message of Paul.
If you have never trusted the Lord Jesus as your savior, I
encourage you to believe in him and invite him to save you today! All one need
do is to trust and believe in the Lord Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection
for the forgiveness of sins to be made new in him.
Gal.2 [16] Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,
and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the
law shall no flesh be justified
Eph.3 [17] That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, [19] And to know the love
of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the
fulness of God.
What
a great day that will be when Jesus Christ returns in all his glory, friend
don’t let that day take you unawares. Today Jesus has his arms outstretched and
open to sinners to put their trust in him. One day we will all stand before him
either as our savior or our judge, don’t put it off invite Jesus to save you
today!
"The crowd
that will not accept one truth will decay to the point that it does not accept
one God: many denominations, many translations, many gods."
The
words of our Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles!
2Tim.2 [15] Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Come
join with us as we study God’s Holy Word!
Remember
most unsound Bible Doctrine, is sound Bible Doctrine misapplied to
the wrong time period, or wrong group of people.
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