30/08/2020 - DON´T TURN AWAY FROM SOUND DOCTRINE

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and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 2 Timothy 4:4

Attachment to the Law of Moses was a problem in the early years of the Church. Because of this attitude, many were outside the Word, including some who walked with the Savior. The enemy, as dirty as ever, drove several people away from Christ, and Paul was told to write about this danger that prevented individuals from enjoying the abundant life offered by Jesus.

Over the years, some “doctors” made the revelation of Scripture a religion, replacing divine power with the doctrines they wanted to implant in the Church. These religious leaders then met in councils to approve such changes. They still believed they had the authority to excommunicate anyone who did not adhere to their ideas.

In AD 150, the operation of the power of God suffered a heavy blow when it was attacked by apologists of the Roman Empire, who ridiculed the work of the Church. Worshipers of the gods of the Roman pantheon and renowned scholars of the culture of the time, they invented barbarities about the Christian faith, attacking it by teaching people to believe in one God.

At that time, a preacher named Montano began to gain prominence because he cast out demons and healed the sick using the Name of Jesus. However, he offered a misinterpretation of the Bible and considered himself to be Elijah to come. That and the fact that people were terrified of what the sages said about that new religion made the Church decree the ban on speaking in tongues and the liberation of the oppressed.

As time went by, deviations in faith only increased: they authorized the use of images; they forbade the marriage of priests; created the veneration for Mary; they deified people used in healing, taking them to the position of “saints” – considered intermediaries between God and men -, when we know that only Jesus performs this function.

The list of actions condemned by the Word, but consented by the “religious”, is long, and this shows the total disrespect for the Scriptures. These aberrations nullified Jesus’ teachings, validating what those “knowledgeable” in spiritual matters decided. Faith is no longer what the Lord preached.

It is sad to see how the Church returned to fables and, in some cases, went even further by being inspired by pagan cults, the work of demons. How some make everything difficult! It is not complicated to do the Father’s will: it is enough to instruct people in the Gospel, which is simple. When faith arises in their hearts, the Lord will work miracles.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares