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PERVERTING THE WORD

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Mar 22, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 12.

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PERVERTING THE WORD.

By S.

PERHAPS in nothing is the perversion of Scripture teaching more apparent than in the attitude taken by many religious teachers respecting the law of God in answering conscientious questioners whose minds have been exercised over the matter of the true Sabbath day. Many such inquiries are constantly coming to pastors and to the editors of church papers in regard to this matter. One of many such inquiries reads like this: “Is the law of God, which enjoins the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath, still binding? Are we to follow Christ’s example in keeping the Sabbath He and His disciples kept?”
To such conscientious inquiries by men and women seeking after the truth of God, listen to an actual answer given by the editor of the Gospel Trumpet: It is a sample of the answers generally given to such queries:
Christ and His disciples observed the Sabbath (seventh) day because it was not yet at that time abolished, and the Saviour was particular to be obedient to the law in full. The time of its abolition was when Christ was crucified. See Col. 2: 14-17. It was not observed by the early church except that they sometimes went into Jewish synagogues on that day for the purpose of preaching to the Jews. As we have said, the Christians held their own assemblies on the first day of the week, Sunday.
To the person giving such answer, what weight does such a scripture as this have: “Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets; I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5: 17-19.
Who is this talking?—Jesus Christ. Yet the writer above referred to would have it that He came to do the very thing He declares He did not come to do. The writer above quoted would have it that Christ’s death abolished the law. Christ declares it must not be altered by the fraction of a letter while heaven and earth shall stand. That writer teaches that the commandments of God are not only altered, but completely abolished.
Jesus Christ declares that they who teach thus “shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven.” That writer teaches that it is not necessary for men to keep the commandments of God now. Jesus Christ declares that they who teach them and do them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Whom shall we believe, Christ, or those who, claiming to be His, flatly contradict the plainest statements He has ever made? Whom shall we believe, Christ, or those who consider inconvenience a sufficient excuse for disloyalty and open disobedience?
The humble, loyal child of God will have no difficulty in answering this question for himself. He has a soul to save. He can not save his soul by laying the blame upon false instruction. God’s Word is clear enough, plain enough, to lead him into the kingdom of heaven if he will but heed its counsel; but if we follow the counsel of false teachers, we will perish with them.
It will be noticed also in the quotation above referred to that an attempt is made, evidently unintentionally, to make our Lord contradict His own words. The writer says: “The time of its [the law’s] abolition was when Christ was crucified.” Now Christ says: “I came not to destroy [the law], but to fulfil.” The writer of that extract would make Him say: “I came not to destroy [the law], but to abolish.” In other words: “I came not to destroy [the law], but to destroy it.” This is a fair and necessary conclusion of such teaching as that in the above extract. What nonsense it would make of plain Bible truth! What a perversion of Scripture!
The text which the writer of the quotation refers to (Col. 2: 14-17) has no bearing whatever upon the great, eternal, unchangeable law of God. The text itself shows to what the apostle refers. “The handwriting of ordinances,” or “the bond written in ordinances,” refers to a code of ceremonies entirely apart and distinct from the law graven on tables of stone, and under the new covenant written on the heart. Therefore the Christian is not to be judged concerning the matter contained in those ceremonial observances, meats, drinks, holy days, new moons, or the annual sabbaths which the Jews observed.
One writer, referring to the use so frequently made of Col. 2: 14-17 says: “He who endeavors to hide behind this scripture as his defense for the neglect or violation of any moral duties, will stand at last in the judgment ashamed of his folly and speechless in his condemnation.” These words are true. Christ could not have nailed the Ten Commandment law to the cross without destroying it; and He declares He “came not to destroy, but to fulfil.” Remember His words: “Till heaven and earth pass.” As they have not passed away, the law stands unaltered. S.
[See article in this department next week on “The True Christian Attitude toward the Law of God.”]