Bible Teachers Also Make Mistakes

 

Any student of Bible study will tell you that a verse should be studied within the context in which it appears. That no scripture should be studied except it be compared to other scripture. As Peter says in 2 Peter 1:20 , “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”

 

Also, scripture should not be taken out of context or only partially quoted. The famous example of this is Psalm 53:1 where it says, “…there is no God.” Of course the complete sentence is, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.”

 

Yet I have heard and read knowledgeable and learned teachers of the Bible commit this trespass when dealing with the subject of “going to heaven” or when their belief in going to heaven led them to overlook the scripture’s real meaning.  Let me give you just a few examples:

 

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

 

This sure sounds like the believer will receive those mansions in heaven. When the following verse is quoted the picture changes.

 

John 14:3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

 

Now we learn Christ is coming again and then will receive us unto himself. So those mansions (rewards) are prepared for us in heaven but are delivered to us when Christ returns. What a difference when we consider both verses. Also considering other Bible verses it is obvious Christ and the New Testament writers were always concerned with His second coming.

 

Here’s another example:

 

1 Peter 1:3-4  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

 

Notice these verses conclude with a comma. There is more to come. But when the speaker stops here it appears our incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us, will be delivered to us in heaven. Really? Let’s continue in Peter. I have underlined a few words.

 

1 Peter 1:5-7 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

 

Now we see that inheritance will be received when Christ appears at the last time, not in heaven.

 

Does this agree with other scripture? Absolutely! Isa. 40:10, 62:11, Mat. 16:27, Luke 14:14, 1 Thes:2:19, 2 Tim. 4:8, Rev. 22:12.

 

The verses that expose the true meaning of the verse in question do not always follow the “heavenly” verse. Sometimes they precede it.

 

2 Tim 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.

 

It appears Paul is looking for a kingdom IN heaven. But what has Paul written previously to this in 2 Timothy?

 

2Ti 4:1  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

 

2Ti 4:7-8  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

 

Paul statements agree with the rest of scripture. Our inheritance, our hope, our crown of rejoicing, will be delivered FROM heaven at the appearing of Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

 

Another example:

 

2Co 5:6-9 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

 

“Absent from the body and present with the Lord.” The Lord is in heaven. Does Paul mean that when he dies (absent from the body) he will be in heaven with the Lord?

Notice those verses begin with the word “Therefore.”  It demands THEREFORE that we consider what Paul has written just previously to this:

 

2 Cor. 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

 

Does this sound like Paul expected to go to heaven to be presented to Christ or to be presented at the resurrection?

 

2 Cor. 5:1-4  For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

 

Paul is speaking of the resurrection of the dead. Of his being presented to Christ at the resurrection when Christ returns. He is speaking of his new eternal body (tabernacle) FROM heaven that he will receive at the resurrection. In other words, absent from his present body and with the Lord in his new body at the resurrection. This, again, agrees with all scripture.

 

Also Paul said “absent from the body” he also mentioned being before the judgment seat of Christ. That happens at the resurrection. Psa. 75:2, John 12:48, Acts 17:31, 1 Cor. 4:5, 2 Tim. 4:1. This verse is used repeatedly to “prove” the dead go to heaven. It does just the opposite.

 

And that is the problem with quoting or accepting only part of scripture. We not only destroy the true meaning, we reverse the meaning to say exactly opposite to what it does say. Just as “…there is no God” destroys and reverses the meaning of Psalm 53:1, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.”

 

Finally there are cases when the teacher's belief of going to heaven completely erases from his memory the actual verse in scripture and he unintentionally changes it to fit his view. A pastor, in preaching on marriage in Ephesians said there would be no marriage "in heaven." Yet the actual scripture says,
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. Mat 22:30. This is repeated in Mark and Luke.

 

And when shall we be judged and receive rewards, scripture is abundantly clear it will be when Christ returns and the dead are raised, but how many times have I heard, "...when we get to heaven."

 

In all of these examples the return of Christ is diminished, made secondary, and at worst, forgotten!