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For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. – Revelation 22:18,19

Some unhealthy churches teach as if the New Testament was initially all written together in book form and Revelation was the final chapter. They will claim that if someone adds to or takes away from anything written in the entire Bible, they will be lost. The above passage in Revelation is normally used to support this thought. In addition, there are a few other Bible passages that speak against adding to the words of God, such as Proverbs 30:5-6, Deuteronomy 4:2, and 12:32. This teaching often places fear in people, causing them to worry that their name might be removed from the book of life or that God will hit them with plagues should they get anything wrong. What is ironic is that many who teach this distortion are often breaking it with their added rules and regulations to which they believe Christians must adhere. Let’s take a closer look.

Keep in mind that Revelation 1:11 states, “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.” This passage gives context to Revelation 22 and it can clearly be seen that John was to send this writing to seven distinct places because the counsel and warning it contained was directed toward them. According to Strong’s Concordance, the word which was translated ‘book’ means ‘a papyrus roll.’ Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states, “a small book, a scroll: …a written document; a sheet on which something has been written”. In Luke 4:17 the same word was used to refer to the scroll of Isaiah. Since the New Testament was not compiled until a great many years later, the comment about adding to or taking from it was never directed to the entire Bible or New Testament.

God didn’t write the Bible and then hand it to us from heaven. The New Testament writings were not all written at the same time, nor by the same individuals. In fact, they were never written by the authors with the thought that one day they would be placed together in a book that we would call the New Testament. Each letter was written to a specific person or group of people for a specific reason. In this, we must keep in mind that while Revelation is the last book in our Bibles, it was never written as such but is a result of people from hundreds of years ago deciding upon which writings would be included and in what order. So when Revelation talks about adding to or taking away from the prophecy found therein, it is only speaking of that letter written by John. It is specific to the things John wrote in that letter and has nothing to do with the rest of the books of our Bible.

Let’s take a quick look at the other passages I mentioned. Proverbs 30: 5-6 (NASB): “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” These are the words of Agur and note that what was written did not proclaim anyone lost if this happened. He is speaking about what God has spoken and not what people have spoken about God.

Deuteronomy 4:2 (NASB): “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” Reading in context, this was spoken to the Israelites by Moses. He was teaching them the “statutes and the judgments” that God had given him for the people to follow. This pertains solely to the things that Moses delivered to them as God had directed. If they added to what he taught them, or took away parts, they would no longer be following these statutes.

Deuteronomy 12:32 (NASB): “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.” This goes right along with the above mentioned fourth chapter.

None of these are warnings about adding to the Bible as a whole. They were specific to what was written that God had spoken. The Bible isn’t something believers should fear and it was never meant to be something where one had to be frightened they might get some wording incorrect or make an error in quoting from it. People may misunderstand some things. There is no threat of being lost because you might wrongly quote something in the Bible or have an incorrect or incomplete understanding of something in its pages.

If we want to see a perfect example of adding to what God had spoken, we have it in the Pharisees. They had added so many rules to what God had instituted that they were following their traditions and not God’s commandments. See what Jesus said about this in Matthew 15 (NASB):

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? “For God said, ‘HONORYOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’”

This passage in Matthew shows what was meant by Moses when he instructed the Israelites to neither add to nor take from the commandments God had given. This is a tragic result of the Pharisees doing this very thing.

I hope this helps someone to break from this faulty teaching. Your walk with God is not about your performance of dotting every i and crossing every t and having everything right. If that is how the walk of a believer truly is, no one stands a chance as even the early believers and apostles, who walked side by side with Jesus, got things wrong. Fear permeates the teachings of unhealthy churches. May all who experienced this fear break free of its chains.

Examining Teachings #1: Drunk In The Spirit?
Examining Teachings #2: Jezebel and Shamefaced
Examining Teachings #3: Peculiar And Separate
Examining Teachings #4: What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Examining Teachings #5: Faith Without Works Is Dead

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Some time ago, during my online scouring of information about particular religious denominations, I stumbled across a video on YouTube labeled “Why are Oneness Pentecostals often nasty, proud & aggressive?” (The video has since been made private.) Lately, I’ve thought about this question a lot. And not in criticism but in an attempt to understand the mentality I have rejected, after being ‘that’ for 15 years. In that 15 years, I never purchased this idea of militant recruiting and aggressive methods.

By way of example, I have been labeled by people in the church I left as a ‘Godless Alcoholic’ (yes I have a few drinks sometimes). What was my best friend no longer speaks to me, because I exposed his Pastor lying on the stand of a Court of Law, looking at the actual court depositions. The right-hand #2 man in the church literally ignored my presence just last week, standing 5′ from me when I tried to speak to him, and the ‘bishop’ ignored me completely in front of a mutual acquaintance, even when I, trying to be friendly, waved and said hello.

So how does this mentality become justified? How does someone decide, that as for those who disagree or choose not to be like us, they are not worthy of their attention or friendliness? Is having a different way of thinking or a different way of worship worthy of shunning and disfellowship? When do you feel approved of by Jesus, to adopt the hateful attitude, ‘I’m not even going to try to be nice to anyone involved in talking about Scripture?’

Perhaps, it is true that I am vocal in my arguments against the legalism practiced by some churches and for that, I am a threat and an aggressor. So I’ve taken myself out of the equation – rather, I’ve considered the stories, history, and accounts of others who have had the same treatment due only to deciding ‘not to attend’ this particular church system.

And yet I feel compelled to mention, that these types of religious systems (such as Oneness Pentecostals) often practice a dogma known as Sacerdotalism, which expresses that God will only work through the local pastor/bishop. You cannot be saved without that pastor. You can’t choose another pastor without the original pastor’s permission, which locks your salvation into a single living man. If God wants you to do something, only the pastor can approve of it. This removes Christ from the people (reversion to Law) and puts back the rent veil of the temple and re-establishing the Priesthood.

This is heavily influenced by the Roman Catholic dogma whereby they name the Pope the Vicar of Christ and believe that he, being the representative of Christ, has all authority to create church doctrine and dogma.

This is NOT an attack on Christians!

Phew – had to get that out of the way – I’m talking about sects of Christianity that feel it their mission to only love other people so long as they accept their way of thinking, and to gossip about, ignore and judge any who do not.

I’m talking about those ‘Christians‘ that make it their goal to troll others online in social media. Protest gay weddings and funerals of military personnel. It is their mission to interrupt church services to proclaim that they have the only truth and your church is teaching false doctrine.

I’m talking about those ‘Christians‘ that will cut themselves off from family and friends who do not live their way and ensure that every conversation must involve their proclamation that you must conform, or suffer eternal damnation.

And most interesting of all is the wrestling of Scripture to support this militant way of serving Christ. For instance, a commonly misquoted verse is Matthew 10:34-36;

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword [of division between belief and unbelief]. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not]. (Amplified Bible)

The followers of these hyper-aggressive systems will take this Scripture and say that even JESUS promoted dividing families and made the point that He didn’t come to be ‘friendly.’

Yet for all that, they miss the central purpose of this passage. It was not the followers of Christ turning against each other for dressing differently, having a different order of service or method of worship, or even *gasp* doctrines. Christ’s message was simple. He knew that the result of His message was that people who choose to follow him would be hated by those who rejected him.

The central message of Christ was an abounding LOVE and Kindness to ALL Mankind, even those who disagreed!

Christ specifically told His disciples, ‘preach this message – if any reject you, they do not reject you personally, but they are rejecting me. Simply dust off your feet and keep going.‘

For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39, Amplified Bible

The Fruit of having His Spirit is, according to Galatians 5:22,23 is Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance. If this is to be believed, then those practicing hyper-aggressive, militant methods to convert people to their doctrines and who shun those that do not accept it, are not filled with the Spirit of Christ and do not practice Christianity.

You can view the original article here: https://dividetheword.blog/2018/05/01/do-you-know-an-aggressive-militant-christian-who-is-unlike-christ/

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In April 2018, the blog section of the spiritual abuse website had 9119 visits, with 5309 being unique. Below are the top ten read posts for April from five different authors.

We are always looking for new people to join our group of bloggers, so please consider registering and watch your email for more information. How frequently you post is up to you. Let your voice be heard and help others recover. You may find healing for yourself as well. Read here for more information.

Commenting directly on the blog is an encouragement to our writers as they often cannot see all the places where their words are shared and discussed on social media.

Signs of Religious Abuse, Part 1 – author Through Grace (accessed 686 times)

How to spot Pastor/Leader Worship – author Dividing His Word (accessed 517 times)

What’s Love Got To Do With It? – author Nana5 (accessed 351 times)

Leaving an Unhealthy Church #11: Confusion & Not Knowing Who or What to Believe – author Lois (accessed 327 times)

Ruining Communion Through Fear – author Lois

The United Pentecostal Church and Sexual Abuse – author Lois

Stumbling block: a little about what happened to me – author Mary

United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 1 – author Lois

Signs of Religious Abuse, Part 2 – author Through Grace

A UPC Church Responds To Sexual Abuse – author Lois

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Jesus was spiritually abused. It’s something that many people don’t pick up on today, it seems. The priests, scribes, and Pharisees were his religious leaders. And for his entire ministry, they abused him.

They tried to stone him (Jn 10:31).
They accused him of sinning by breaking their rules rather than caring for others (Jn 9).
They tried to trick him many times (Jn 8, Mk 12:13, Mt 16:1-4, Lk 20:20).
They tried to convince others not to listen to him and not to believe him by tricking him and threatening them (Jn 8, Jn 9, Mk 12, Mt 16, Lk 20, etc).
They slandered him (Jn 9).
They had him arrested on false pretenses.
They crucified him.

Does God understand spiritual abuse? He went through the same things we did. And though that doesn’t fix anything or even necessarily make it better, it does show that he isn’t complicit in that abuse, but instead is merciful, patient, gentle and kind.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are… Hebrews 4:16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.

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There were several passages that helped me maintain my sanity after leaving an unhealthy church. One of those has become a theme in my life. It’s long, but there’s so much in it. The gist is this:

John 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”… [so they asked his parents if this was their son who’d been blind] 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
…28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”…
[the formerly blind man answered them] 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

And so… we have a group of Pharisees that is sure Jesus is a sinner because he didn’t follow their rules, even though what he did was very good and miraculous. In their minds healing a blind man was bad because it was done on the wrong day. So they questioned the blind man. They didn’t quite believe he had been blind at first. (They’d walked by him surely, but they hadn’t really noticed him, perhaps. That in itself says a whole lot.) Then they were upset that he really had been blind and that “this sinner” (Jesus) had healed him on *gasp* the Sabbath. The parents were afraid to answer because they might be kicked out of the temple. The man had to stand alone. Not even his parents would back him just in saying Jesus healed him! They insulted him. He answered amazingly wisely. They accused him of being born in sin and threw him out of the temple. They kicked him out! And Jesus came to him. This is the only passage in the Bible where Jesus went back to someone he’d healed. Some went back to Jesus, but this is the only person the Bible says Jesus went back to… and one of the only people Jesus revealed himself to by saying who he was so directly.

Jesus has a special care, I believe, for those who were spiritually abused. He understands the depth of that hurt and the confusion of the aftermath of spiritual abuse. And he cares, in a deep, gentle, loving way.

Does God punish those who leave abusive churches? Part 1

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