Biblical Myths: We Were Often Taught The Bible Wrong As Children - Jimmy Hall

I am a Christian. Having said that, do you remember being a young child in Sunday School? I do. We all got a sweet and sugar-coated version about God and the Bible. We were told that He loved everyone, did not hate anyone, and was always sweet and nice. Remember? (Ask the Midianites, Giants, Canaanites, lost Sinners, and Egyptians how nice God can be!)

God’s Wrath & Hate

As children we were not smart or clever enough to realize how often God kills and destroys even large groups of people in the Bible (that deserved it). Nor did we know how He Himself spoke of hating so many people, some (like Esau) even before they were ever born. (We were never taught Revelation much either; that would totally have blown the cover story!)

Our parents and the other adults basically hid the wrath and hate of God from us all. I was never told the numerous groups He hates in Psalms, either. Why? Since whatever God does or did is righteous, why not tell us? No one has to cover for Him. God is righteous.

I suppose they did not think that our young minds could handle it; yet, they taught us many outright lies like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and other things that are diametrically opposite of Christian Beliefs and are damaging. Did they even know about God’s True character themselves?

What about Good Friday? December 25^th? 1 Earth Age? Sunday Sabbaths? (You get the idea.)

Man has odd ideas, not always factually-based. We make things as we desire them to be ourselves. We do what we want to in The Name of God and Scripture, regardless of the facts.

Here is a hint: If God did not want His hate and wrath taught, it would not be in His Holy Word – the Bible. It is present from Genesis through Revelation for a reason. Nowhere does He say to sugarcoat or to neglect it.

Jesus Taught Only The Old Testament and His Fulfilling It

Keep in mind that on earth, Jesus Christ Himself taught ONLY the Old Testament – the judgment and wrath and future plans of our righteous God. There was no New Testament, and would not be for a long while. He revealed Himself as the Messiah of Scripture.

Slaughter Of Midianites, Egyptians, and Others

I do not recall my Sunday School class every studying God’s ordering of all Midianites, including women and children, to be slaughtered without mercy (Genocide) – nor God’s punishment (killing) of many of the Israelites when some of the Midianite women and children were initially spared. Do you?

We hardly heard about the Great Flood or the Egyptian Plagues either. Death was hidden. Wrath was denied. God loved everyone, even on earth! LOL.

God Never Changes

As we know even from the New Testament, God never changes. He was not of one character in the 4 or so Old Testament Covenants and a different one in the New Testament. In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament, Jesus teaches that the Law (Old Testament covenants) is to be obeyed as long as this world stands (unlike the belief that we were taught, that the Old Testament somehow no longer counts!).

No one taught us that each successive covenant was included in the next one progressively, and that only the sacrifices and related redemptive items were invalidated since Christ took the place of them.

God’s Dietary Laws

We were also taught that we could now eat ham and catfish and shrimp, and mushrooms – all likely untrue (though I used to eat and love them all). Peter’s vision was used to justify this, although the vision is clearly explained, and has nothing at all to do with food (but rather Gentiles and Jews). No one bothered to teach the next dozen or so verses.

In fact, the food in the vision went back up uneaten. Read it.

ONLY clean food is to be eaten with thanksgiving, without question, as well – NOT everything, as is so often taught. God made dietary rules for reasons; think about it. He gave food laws for our sake; it is all scientific.

The Rapture?

We were also taught what was called “The Rapture Doctrine.” This was developed in 1830 by a bizarre woman that did not know the proper Greek translation in I Thessalonians.

Two or three ministers heard her bizarre idea and by 1832 or 1833 were teaching it as the Gospel. The word “air” in I Thessalonians actually means “breath,” not atmospheric air! Check the Greek.

This idea or doctrine was NOT taught for the first 1800 years after Christ ascended back into Heaven, but you would never know it now! (In fact, the word “rapture” is not even found in the Bible.)

Parables of Jesus

Another incredibly naïve notion on our part were the reasons for the parables of Jesus. The adults told us that Jesus spoke in parables so that they would be easy to understand! We believed it. NOPE.

In fact, Jesus says JUST THE OPPOSITE. He tells the Disciples that He spoke in parables so that only they that are supposed to understand will, or else everyone that heard Him speak would be saved. He spoke in parables to restrict the understanding – by His own words. Google it. Read Scripture for yourselves! He explains it twice, in 2 of the Gospels.

Jesus Said He DID NOT Come To Bring Peace

Another interesting idea was taught to us, that Jesus came to bring peace and love. Again - not exactly so. He Himself says that He “did NOT come to bring peace, but rather a sword.” What?

Yes - Jesus said that He would cause division even amid families, and that family members and in-laws would hate each other for His sake.

Also, doesn’t He lead an army in Revelation that slaughters evil people? Isn’t most of mankind annihilated? The last book of the Holy Bible is not very peaceful, to say the least. Don’t ignore it; read it!

Forget Traditions of Men, Study Holy Scripture

The point to all of this is that traditions of men are not what Christianity is about. Christianity is all about God’s provision for us and our sin via the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary. This is all found in the exact Word of God, and its true principles.

We take for granted many things as truths, that simply are not truths in the Bible. Investigate for yourselves. Read for yourselves; do not listen to the traditions you have been taught since childhood – when many are just plain wrong or unproven.

Christians Are Saved By Grace Through God’s Faith To Us

Jesus has carried out the prophecy of dying on the Cross and rising again to defeat death and sin and Satan. We are now saved by grace and through faith, which is not our own – but rather from God.

The Law and its sacrifices (solid holy principles) cannot save us, nor are they required to now; Jesus’ finished work has occurred, and is no longer a future event of the Law. IT HAPPENED.

Mankind no longer looks forward to the Cross (as future prophecy) but back at it (as history/prophecy that has been fulfilled). The Messiah has come.

Both Testaments Are Holy and Work Together

The Law demonstrates sins, and Jesus’ work destroys them through belief. The Law brings conviction when used by The Holy Spirit upon our hearts; Jesus brings redemption. The curse is repelled.

There is no old and new Bible – it is all God’s Word working together for us. Let no man deceive you, Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and also Son of God amid the Holy Trinity. He created the Universe, as St. John proclaims.

Salvation & Eternal Life Come With Belief In Christ

As John and also Jesus explain, he that believeth in Jesus Christ as Savior shall not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth NOT is condemned already. We were all born wrong the first time. Amen.

Do you feel convicted and called by God? Are you one of His own?