Of all the New Testament writers, no one understood this more than Paul; he wrote of it plainly in 2 Thessalonians regarding the Man of Sin. We see confusion in the denominational churches, where each is based in a view of Scripture though not necessarily the truth of it. But, this actually comes down to the Word of God and the heart receiving it.
For God is not of confusion, but of peace… (1Corinthians 14:33)
From the confusion hidden comes the spirit of correction through repentance, for when we see our error the LORD will guide us to His truth, though not everyone might see it at first…
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which said, by hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For truly I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (Matthew 13)
When Jesus said this to the Apostles it was to make an important point, not everyone who hears (or reads) Scripture will be given it. To fully take in its truth our heart must first be open to the LORD and His Christ. Until it is, the full nature of God will be forever closed to the enquirer. It is denied us when we believe on the basis of hearsay, pre-conceived ideas or religious notions: disseminated, not according to apostolic doctrine, but the teaching, laws and doctrines of men.
When we raise ourselves above Scripture we become blind to its revelation.
Essentially, this is about non-belief, which started in Eden with Satan’s deception; coming down though Edenites, Hebrews and Israel, yet with notable exceptions. Enos, Job, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Josiah and the Prophets, all believed the LORD. In them we see a division between the godly and the worldly. We see confusion in Jesus’ time, when He engaged with the Pharisees, closed to the truth He was the completion of prophesy. They had their own agenda, standing above the Prophets.
It is most visible in the Churches. Each has their own outlook confusing the clear message of the Gospel; water baptism a case in point. Jesus said that to obtain salvation we must be baptised. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but that believes not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)
He also said, for John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and yet ye believed him not: (Matt 21:32) for John truly baptized in water… (Acts 1:5)
Our redemption is via the Waters of Repentance, the Blood of Remission, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, the idea has emerged baptism of the Holy Spirit has since replaced the water, when it was a message only for the Apostles prior to Pentecost. Peter shows us the proper order in Acts 2:38; the Spirit comes after repentance and baptism. Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. We cannot change the order given: belief/repentance; baptism/remission; the gift of the Spirit.
This is just one example of the confusion hidden in God’s Word. It comes when we place our own reading above the LORD’S established order.
By following the correct path, by keeping the Commands of Jesus, our way is made clear.
We will now look at some confusion paths, which have sidetracked us over the years. From Genesis to Revelation, minefields for the unsuspecting sit in every chapter and verse; they are there to correct or condemn according to our faith. But, the first thing we must do is the most difficult. Clear our minds of everything we believe about the Holy Bible, the Prophets, Jesus and God, as some of us may need to start over again.
Confusion corridors
The Apostle John urged that we test everything we see and hear: believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: (1John 4:1) James also gave us a way to recognize it; for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. (James 3:16)
Paul showed us a root of confusion when writing to (Titus 3:9) but avoid foolish questions, and genealogies and contentions, and strivings… for they are unprofitable and vain. These come from Satan’s seed of doubt planted in Eden come down through the generations. But, the heart of confusion in the modern church was set in place at Nicaea.
The Council of 325 was essentially about the diverse opinions in the minds of men about the substantive nature of God. Instead of accepting the Commands given to Moses, who then preached the LORD’S requirement, they asked about the nature of the one who gave them.
Instead of belief, they issued confusion, further cemented in the idea of a three part deity when Moses declared the LORD is one Lord.
By the Church not fully comprehending the LORD’S definitive statement: (Isaiah 45:18) I am the LORD and there is none else, confusion quietly seeped into the Church blinding the faithful to the LORD and His Christ. When we understand the witness of the Prophets there is no confusion.
And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father; the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. (Isaiah 9: 6-7)
Isaiah made it plain that Jesus is the Everlasting Father. So, when we attempt to justify another opinion, or ignore Jesus’ Spirit in the Prophets, the confusion hidden in God’s Word will divert us from its certainty. When we replace God’s testimony, its truth is removed. The evidence is clearly visible in the number of congregations claiming to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
None may make such a claim when they refuse the Command of Jesus the LORD is one Lord; or Peter who declared that Jesus is both LORD and Christ.
When we see the truth of the LORD and His Salvation, Scripture will begin to release its treasures.
Another confusion path is Israel. It’s founding was the result of western political aims driven by Zionist and Christian rhetoric. Unfortunately the oratory was based in a deep misunderstanding of Scripture where confusion reigned, conquering any attempt at reason by the erudite Christian scholar and the many Rabbis opposed to the Zionist State. The birth of Zionist-Israel was a fait accompli at the hands of the ill-informed. So, here’s the paradox created by the promotion of a new home for the Jews, when the LORD Himself had cursed and banished them from the land. (Jeremiah 24:9) In fact the ironies are so numerous; we will look at only two.
In 1948, when Zionists took control of what is now Israel, Christians made up 21% of the Arab population, it is now less than 8%. In 1950, Bethlehem and surrounding villages were 86% Christian; it has collapsed to 11%. Bethlehem is now walled off to non-Jewish settlements. In 1975, West Bank Christians made up 5% of the entire population;
they now comprise only 2%. Indigenous Christians are in effect non-existent when compared to earlier times.
Supporting the idea of a Jewish homeland has in effect wiped out the Christian population of the Holy Land.
If the persecution of Arab Christians isn’t enough, the second is outright conceit. It is the belief the so-called return to Jerusalem will accelerate the arrival of Jesus to convert the Jews. Who, of sound mind would imagine such a thing when lo and behold; God is no respecter of persons. Jesus will not be influenced by what we think, say or do. He is the LORD, we are not. He gave us the Commandments, we didn’t write them for ourselves. This is what happens when Scripture is wrongly used; God will send us into a tailspin of delusion heading towards the pit.
A third example of how wayward ideas permeate the fabric of church thinking is the Man of Sin in 2 Thessalonians. This is a much misunderstood chapter in the letters of Paul, and has been erroneously linked to Revelation 13, and the mark, and the number of the beast. It has nothing whatsoever to do with fanciful ideas to come out of Jesuit meddling with God’s Word, further promoted by mistaken western evangelism. This is a prime example of getting it wrong.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2Th 2:3-4)
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12)
The only times the term ‘son of perdition’ is used in the Bible are the two above. The one from Jesus (in red) refers to Judas Iscariot. The other from Paul pertains to you and me; the rest of 2 Thessalonians 2 is on the same topic. Son of Perdition means anyone who has fallen into the spiritual abyss, like Judas who sold out Jesus for money or Esau, who sold his birthright for a meal; it is tied to the beast in Revelation, which rises from the pit and goes into perdition; a spiritual void. (Revelation 17)
The falling away is removing oneself from the Faith of Jesus and His Commandments. In other words, the regard for creeds and laws become pre-eminent over the teaching and Commands of the LORD and His Christ.
While the Bible contains the most remarkable historical narrative the world has ever seen, it primarily concerns matters of the spirit. It is this Paul is drawing our attention to when writing about Lawlessness and the spirit of iniquity at work. It is about our deception in not loving the written truth. It is the strong delusion that we will believe a lie as Isaiah foretold: Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves. (Isaiah 28:15)
We make a covenant with hell and death when we shape the Scripture to suit ourselves. Paul is telling us to reflect on the Kingdom of God that dwells within us. (1Cor 3:16) The same House of God Peter discussed in his first letter. (1Peter 4:17) For if Jesus does not dwell there, who does?
The Man of Sin speaks to unfaithfulness; the number 666 is that of men, not any alleged despot that will rule the World.
The mark is the buying and selling of God’s Word; truth in exchange for falsehood. To buy is to redeem; to sell is to exchange.
The LORD redeemed through Blood, yet we exchange that redemption for false teaching, like the prosperity gospel. If we trade in such tales we are redeemed by them and exchange our redemption for a lie. While Eve and Adam were deceived by Satan; it is the LORD who blinds us for our error.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Thess 2:11-12)
But, one of the most pervasive drivers of confusion in recent times is Dispensationalism and its unholy kin the Rapture of which there is nothing confirming, only unrelated Scripture cobbled together to mask an illusion. These recent diversions are superb examples of confusion when we attempt to match Scripture to an assumption. The Word as written is the word that’s written, and not our re-imagining of it. We are told not to change it in any way to build ‘a truth’ from an idea that pleases us. If God’s Word does not come simply, we must examine ourselves whether we are in the faith (2 Co 13:5) and revisit the Scripture with a new and open mind. Scripture will always take Scripture as a witness of itself.
The Plain Truth
For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. (Isaiah 38:18)
Isaiah is speaking of the confusion hidden in God’s Word. It also speaks to the state of teaching today; for when we are dead in the Word we are dead to the truth. So, it is for us to be made alive through belief. Our task then, is to first understand the truth of Gospel is the truth of the LORD and His Christ. This we do by repentance earnestly made. By contrition in Jesus’ Name, the beginning of understanding will come to the patient in faith.
Jesus said: the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-4)
When we live by this rule it will lead to the truth of Scripture freeing its wisdom and knowledge. Yet, His Word is not only truth, but the law of our faith. When we keep this law we keep our faith undefiled.
- When Isaiah says the Christ to come is the Everlasting Father, then Jesus is Almighty God.
- When Jesus said; I and Father are one
- And to Philip, if you have seem me you have seen the Father
Then it must be the truth, for who can believe in a God of falsehood?
When we believe on the Gospel of Jesus, the testimony of His appointed Prophets and Apostles, when we do not judge them, confusion will be removed. We will learn the Angel of the LORD is Jesus’ Spirit of Witness, the same He sent to Moses, Abraham, Balaam, David, Joseph, Peter and Philip: the same He sent to testify of Himself through His Holy Word. That when we read, let us make man in our image, it is the LORD and His Christ who spoke. But when we make our own image of His word, He will release the confusion hidden to be as a serpent in our hand.
While I greatly admire the authority and truth of Paul’s writing, I am very much moved by the love and affection we find in Peter. His oratory at Pentecost has become a template for the great speeches given by leaders and clerics for at least a thousand years. In Peter we see a love of the LORD born of trial and misgiving, a love that blossomed into undefiled faith through the Spirit of Jesus resident in his heart. He was a humble man who believed he was unworthy of the attention paid him, and yet was given the Keys to the Kingdom. We each and every one, are worthy of Jesus’ love even after denying Him as Peter once did.
The door is always open for a new beginning when we accept the truth of the Ever-Living God.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw and was glad. And then the Jews said to him; thou art not yet fifty years old, and thou has seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, truly, truly, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am. (John 8:56-8)
In love and peace as always,
James