Adapting God's Word: Order IS Important!

The definition of 'adapt' is: "to make suitable to requirements or conditions; adjust or modify fittingly". As this term relates to God's word, two possibilities exist: adapt God's word to man, or adapt man to God's word. You may be thinking that no one in their right mind would dare to adapt or modify God's word to make it suitable to man. However, evidence from man's own writings prove otherwise.

God's word is truth (John 17:17). God's word is incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23). God is unchanging (Malachi 3:6). With God, there is no variation (James 1:17). The only way that this can be true, is because God's word is unchanging and without variation. In God's word we also read of two things that are said to be "immutable": God's promises and God's oaths (Hebrews 6:18). Immutable means "fixed, unalterable". Because of this we can be certain in saying that truth never changes. God gave us truth and grace through Jesus (John 1:17). We are taught by God's grace (Titus 2:11-12). This truth is found in the gospel message. The gospel message is the means by which God calls us out of sin. When we respond to His call, we are said to "call upon" Him. (Romans 1:16-17; 10:13). The Psalmist wrote, "The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." (Psalm 145:18). The point of all this is that God has declared what truth is. Man must never adapt the conditions that truth defines.

There is that which is true and there is that which is false. There is the real and there is the imitation. In the matter of doctrine, there is soundness, and there is falsehood. We read of sound speech, sound words, and sound doctrine (Titus 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:13; Titus 2:1). God's 'doctrine' is 'sound' in that it has sense or meaning. It makes an appeal to our mind. It "calls" to our inward being, which is spirit and in God's image rather than an emotional appeal to our flesh. Any change of mind is based upon God's word rather than human emotion. While there will be an emotional effect when we understand God's truth, our emotional feelings will FOLLOW, not PRECEDE our understanding. Salvation is based upon faith, not feeling. We will KNOW whether we have been saved, because of TRUTH versus relying on an emotional FEEL about it.

But we are addressing the concept of 'adapting' as it relates to God's word. The Bible reveals that there were those who, being called of God, sought to explain what God said in His word. An example of this is found in Nehemiah 8:8, "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." Then there have been those who sought in their teaching to "explain" what God 'meant' by His word. Jeremiah and Ezekiel warned of those who would "speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD." (Jeremiah 23:16; Ezekiel 13:17). As a result, God is worshiped as the teachings of men so state, but not as God's word teaches. These teachings of men are not only numerous, but contradictory of each other as well as contrary to God's word. Jesus condemned this in Matthew 15:8-9, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

It is in these teachings of men that we see the 'adapting' of God's word to man rather than the 'adapting' of man to God's word. Order is important! God's word cannot be adapted through means of legislation by men. People have come to view these "doctrines and commandments" of man as God's word. The doctrines of men are ever undergoing evolution to suit the current thinking, adapt to cultural desires or, in short, make them most appealing. As an example consider the following two quotations:

1. "No divorce, except for adultery, shall be regarded by the church as lawful; and no Minister shall solemnize marriage in any case where there is a divorced wife or husband living; but this rule shall not be applied to the innocent party to a divorce for the cause of adultery..."

2. "In view of the seriousness with which the Scriptures and the Church regard divorce, pastors may solemnize the marriage of a divorced person only when they are satisfied by careful counseling, that (1) the divorced person is sufficiently aware of the factors leading to the failure of the previous marriage, (2) the divorced person is sincerely preparing to make the proposed marriage truly Christian, and (3) sufficient time has elapsed between the divorce and the contemplated marriage for adequate preparation and counseling."

Did you note a little difference? Both are quotations from the Methodist Discipline. The difference being that the first quotation is from the 1904 edition, and the last quotation is from the 1972 edition. Neither edition is the true standard for determining faith or practice – only God's word can do that - but at least the 1904 edition far more closely represents what God's Word says in Matthew 19:9.

Why the change? Because this creed (like all other creeds) is merely the product of man and the basis of a church of man, and it is not confined to consistency. It can be altered, updated, rewritten and modified through the years. But it did not lead to salvation in 1904, 1972, or today, because it is not the Word of God, but the doctrine of men.

God never intended for the church to decide doctrine. Jesus alone, as head over the church, has that right. Those He ordained, or 'set' (1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-13) were for the purpose of leading by example and edifying the church in the truth HE revealed. No one has authority to decide truth for themselves. Those who love God continue even to this day "in the apostles' doctrine" (Acts 2:42).

Let us heed Paul's warnings to Timothy and the churches of Christ in Galatia, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

"I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" (Galatians 1:6-9).

4/17/2020

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