Don't get trapped in doctrine
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. 2 He was in the beginning with Elohim. 3 All came to be through Him, and without Him not even one came to be that came to be.
The term “Word” or “word” appears often in Scripture and can have a slightly different meaning depending on context and the Hebrew or Greek word used. In John 1:1 the term translated “Word” is logos, which basically means “the expression of a thought.” While “word” without a capital “W” refers to a spoken word by mankind. The original Greek word that we translate as “Word” is Logos and can be thought of as the total message of the Father (Yahuah) to man. An example of the two uses are below, in Acts 11:1 the reference is to a word spoken by Yahuah. In John 5:38 it is a reference to the total message of the Yahuah.
Acts 11:1 And the emissaries and brothers who were in Juḏah heard that the nations also received the word of Aluah.
John 5:38 “And you do not have His Word staying in you, because you do not believe Him whom He sent”
The Messiah (Yahusha) embodied the total message of the Yahuah, and that is why He is called the “Logos,” or “Word.” The Word of the Father Yahuah was the Messiah.
The Word of Yahuah has been perverted and confused since the Garden of Eden. What better way is there to discredit the Word of Yahuah than to compromise the Scriptures with errors such as error in teaching, false beliefs and rituals, integrating paganism into worship, mistranslations, changes to text and at times, outright lies.
Enforcing those errors onto people, teaching incorrectly, so that they believe they know the truth, but in reality they are spiritually blind is not an alignment with the Scriptures, it is an alignment with our enemy who seeks to destroy you.
Such teaching looks valid and normal but once learned, it is difficult to undo. An example is that you do not need to obey the Torah, follow the Ten Commandments, you do not need to honour the Feasts of Yahuah, but it is OK to remember thinly disguised highly pagan feasts such as e-a-s-t-e-r or c-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s. Maybe you also indulge in pagan rituals, magic and spiritual events without knowing it because you have been taught that this is OK? This is all part of false doctrine and pagan rituals. It is introducing witchcraft into your mind and into your belief.
Doctrine is defined as a “belief or set of beliefs, especially political or religious ones, that are taught and accepted by a particular group” It also means dogma, “a fixed, especially religious, belief or set of beliefs that people are expected to accept without any doubts.”
The word dogma is used in Scripture to indicate laws that are manmade, and not the Laws of Yahuah (the Torah). The word “dogma” is often mistranslated in bibles as law, regulation or ordinance, depending on the version of bible.
Consequently, many people believe that the term refers to the Torah, when in reality it does not. It refers to man-made rules such as the rules that the pharisees imposed on Israelites at the time of the life of the Messiah (making life a heavy burden for the Israelites). But it is none of these, I have shown the correct translations from Greek text below for just two of the verses that use this term.
Acts 17:7 whom Jason has received. And all of them are acting contrary to the dogmas of Caesar, saying there is another sovereign, Yahuah.”
Colossians 2:20 If, then, you died with Messiah from the elementary matters of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to dogmas: “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” – 22 which are all to perish with use – according to the commands and teachings of men?
Most denominations today teach many and different doctrines (dogmas) rather then what the Scriptures actually say. Denominations have a certain view based on a historic position. These are often contradictory between each denomination and at times depart from the Scriptures. Particular styles of translation or prophetic twists are done to the Scriptures to support the doctrine which is often based on error, deceiving believers into an incomplete version of the truth. Effectively denominations are turned into entertainment venues - select the one that best suits your lifestyle......
You may ask, how can so many sincere people around the world be deceived by false doctrine? The answer is that they have had their spiritual education based on error and mistranslation of the Scriptures and false teaching. Once a person has been educated and assimilated that learning, they will filter any new information with what they have already learned.
This is a sort of programming and is why believers should stay away from any teaching or Scriptures that could compromise them. Once a person has learnt to think and interpret information in a certain way, it is very difficult to reprogram perception. This is the way that brainwashing works, it is normalising perception in accordance with a certain belief. False doctrine, once normalised into a persons mind impacts what they read from the Scriptures. Instead of testing information with learning from the Scriptures and the Ruch HaQadash, people test what they want to believe and let into their minds with what another person believes. This is placing your salvation in someone else’s hands, and is not what the Scriptures teach. False doctrine is one of our enemies most powerful tools. He cannot defeat the Scriptures, but he has been able diminish the Scriptures message and power by providing alternatives, mistranslations, false prophecies and blending with paganism.
Remember the words of the Messiah in John 4:22. The Samaritan woman knew that the Messiah was coming, but as Samaritans only believed in the Pentateuch, and did not use the remainder of the Books in the Old Testament, she was unaware of the prophecies surrounding the Messiah.
John 4:22 “You worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because the deliverance is of the Yehuḏim. 23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also does seek such to worship Him. 24 “Elohim is Spirit, and those who worship Him need to worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming, the One who is called Anointed. When that One comes, He shall announce to us all.”
We need to ensure that we are not like the Samaritans, and take a full and wide view of the Scriptures and know what we worship, and worship in spirit and in truth. This includes discerning and separating false teaching and doctrine from our minds so that we filter information and understand the world around us in the way that Yahuah intends us to.
There are many examples of false teaching and doctrine that ranges from false prophecy and prophets, to pagan rituals and false deity worship (e.g. e-a-s-t-e-r or c-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s).
There are many references in the Scriptures about avoiding false doctrine (about 54 I think). The Messiah certainly did not hold back has criticism of the pharisees false doctrine. Many believers that have fallen for these lies and were misled have their faith compromised, they feel confused, discouraged, and betrayed. They may see the pagan rituals for what they are and not know who or what to believe anymore. They may be thoroughly compromised and decide that there is no substance to any denomination or the Scriptures and may remain so for the rest of their lives.
False teaching and doctrine entered the church at a very early stage. As early as the first century AD, false doctrine was infiltrating the church, and many of the letters in the New Testament were written to address those errors. (Refer to Galatians 1:6–9; Colossians 2:20–23; Titus 1:10–11)
Examples of false doctrines include not keeping the Messiahs instructions, not keeping the Sabbath, blending paganism and the Scriptures (c-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s, e-a-s-t-e-r, some music, entertainment churches), false prophets, ignoring the salvation plan set out in the Feasts, the rapture, eternal hell.
Have you heard of the Feasts that are set out in Scripture? Do you ever wonder why the Jews keep the feasts but no one else does? Have you ever wondered what the word “forever” means in the Scriptures? Do you wonder why many churches teach that “forever” means only for a time and not forever?
We should be learning what is right and pleasing to the Father and the Messiah and unlearning what is wrong, and is not pleasing to the Father and the Messiah. We should be learning from the Scriptures and changing our ways to the Messiahs ways, keeping His commandments, and changing our behaviour to do the right thing and please Him. We do all of this by studying his word with an open mind and allowing the Set-Apart Spirit to teach us.
What we are taught in denominations is not necessarily exactly what the Scriptures say, relatively small translation changes, or misunderstood detail can change significantly what we understand. What better way is there to hide the truth than to confuse people with a message mixed up with some paganism and error? What better way is there to make your salvation look legitimate, but in reality for that salvation to become ineffective? Do you ever wonder if the message you are receiving is accurate and true? If our eyes are spiritually blind, we will not know that the path we tread on is not the Messiahs narrow path.
The Messiah set this very powerfully in Matthew chapter 7. There will be people who have done good works, but have failed to walk the Way that the Messiah has instructed to.
Matthew 7:14 “Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 15 “But beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are savage wolves. 16 “By their fruits you shall know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Matthew 7:22 “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ 23 “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’
To recap. False doctrine is formed when teaching is interpreted out of context with Scripture, and applied in ways that it was not meant to be. While it is easy to treat the Scriptures as a conspiracy theory, analysing spiritual secrets and projecting outcomes rather than seeking the truth and understanding the simple message of salvation that Yahuah has made available to us. Conspiracy theorists run the risk of leading themselves and others into compromise, refusing to recognise when specific claims have been proven wrong and claim special revelation and understanding.
Paul directly warned us against this practice in 1 Corinthians 4:6
1 Corinthians 4:6 And these matters, brothers, I have applied in a figure to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you might learn not to think beyond what is written, so that none of you be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
The simple message is, if it is not written in the Scriptures, it is not of Yahuah. False doctrine creates a false sense of reality where people believe they have received salvation, when they actually have not
