Examining "A More Christlike Word" by Brad Jersak
Day 48
“For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” (Paul’s concern from 2 Corinthians 11:4)
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The False Filter |
The Biblical Filter |
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The word OR the Word |
The Word THROUGH the word |
Satan has one aim in his activity of
stealing, killing, and destroying our confidence in the authority of God’s word
as we have it in the Bible. He wants us to attach to him in his “Did God
actually say…?” so he can trick us into letting him be the authority in telling
us what to think, believe, and do. That is the case in Brad Jersak’s books, and
it is why I am so excited to share another testimony of how God ministered to
me through his word in the Bible simply as I listened along during my morning
exercise routine.
Today I traveled through II Thessalonians, I
and II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and into the ninth chapter of Hebrews. Here
are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that stood out as a rebuke to Brad
Jersak’s false teachings.
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Application |
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9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all
power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those
who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11
Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is
false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth
but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (II Thessalonians 2) |
What stood out was the way the apostles were always warning the
churches about the devil’s work. It encourages me that we must call false
teachings “wicked deception” because of how they deny people the truth that
would save them. But we also must see that God himself sends “a strong delusion” to
those who have already rejected the truth because they find so much pleasure
in unrighteousness. Perhaps that is the reason for BJ’s itching-ear success. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later
times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful
spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose
consciences are seared, (I Timothy 4). |
Just a reminder that people departing from
the faith as Brad Jersak is doing, and devoting themselves to “deceitful
spirits (a different spirit)”, and “teachings of demons”, is exactly what the
Holy Spirit said would happen. But we still must warn people to avoid them. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and
does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching
that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands
nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about
words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and
constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the
truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (I Timothy 6) |
The BJs are clearly teaching different
doctrines from Jesus and the apostles. They do not agree with Jesus’
teachings. We must apply the verdict that BJ is “puffed up with conceit and
understands nothing,” hence getting it wrong about any Scripture he has used.
The rest totally applies as well. It is just sad that, with all the warnings
of such things in Scripture, people like this are still able to use their
version of good behavior as a means of financial gain. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to
you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called
“knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. (I
Timothy 6) |
Guess what! “Irreverent” means “profane adjs.
— characterized by violating the sacred character of someone or something
(like a place, object, or institution)” (BSL), and that is exactly what the
BJs are doing by impugning God’s character in the Hebrew Scriptures. And,
“babble” means “prattle n. — idle or foolish and irrelevant talk; especially
empty of any edifying value” (BSL), which is the essence of BJ’s books! We
have also found that the author excels in “contradictions” which means “contradiction
n. — a statement that is necessarily false” (BSL) because everything he has
said about the Bible has been false! And his books are “falsely called
‘knowledge’” because they are in absolute denial of what is known from God’s
word. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant
controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant
must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently
enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps
grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may
come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being
captured by him to do his will. (II Timothy 2) |
What I loved about hearing this afresh was
that it reminded me of what we really want with those like BJ who have fallen
into “the snare of the devil”, and have been “captured by him to do his
will.” Instead of “foolish, ignorant controversies” that only “breed
quarrels” (I’m glad I hate such debates), we can show kindness, teach who
will listen, patiently endure the evil expressed towards us, and keep trying
to correct our opponents with gentleness. The rest is God’s work, but it is
really what I want, that God would perhaps lead the BJs to repentance so he
could lead them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they would come to
their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. Yes, hearing this again, that
is truly what I want and pray for. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,
so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified
regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will
be plain to all, as was that of those two men. (II Timothy 3) |
As those two men opposed Moses, so we see the
BJs opposing Moses to this day (by claiming he got it wrong about God), and
continue to “also oppose the truth”. We must see such people as “corrupted in
mind and disqualified regarding the faith.” Although we pray for their
salvation, we must name them just as Paul did with Jannes and Jambres. They
are simply doing too much harm to too many people. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly
life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors
will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (II Timothy 3) |
Paul had given his testimony of suffering for
Christ, and presents this fact of life that persecution will come to those
who seek to live godly lives by the word of God, while the others will keep
deceiving and being deceived. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every
good work. (II Timothy 3) |
It is fitting that this is where we come to
such a crucial Scripture in this journey down the garden path. It is in the
context of false teachers like the BJs that Paul reminded everyone to trust
in the Scriptures as “breathed out by God”. They are absolutely authoritative
to lead God’s people. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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1 I charge you in the presence of God and of
Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing
and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season;
reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the
time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching
ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
(II Timothy 4) |
I must remind everyone that the chapters and
verses in our Bibles are not part of the original Scriptures. They were added
for convenience, but sometimes they get in the way. The flow from Paul
talking about the breathed-out words of God to charging Timothy to “preach
the word” must not be missed. It all goes together, as is shown by again
referring to people with “itching ears” preferring those who “suit their own
passions” in contrast to those who proclaim “the whole counsel of God”. The Bible has
collected the Scriptures known to be the word of God, and we must live by
“every word that comes from the mouth of God” as the Bible gives us. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great
harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. (II Timothy 4) |
Just pointing out that Paul was referring to
God “repaying” someone “according to his deeds”, the very thing the BJs
insist God would never do. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of
Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of
the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which
God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time
manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted
by the command of God our Savior; (Titus 1) |
Look at how Paul’s preaching and writing
attach to what God had already given in his word. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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10 For there are many who are insubordinate,
empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11
They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching
for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans, a
prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy
gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that
they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths
and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all
things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but
both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know
God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient,
unfit for any good work. (Titus 1) |
Just pointing out the way Paul described
people who were trying to weave Old Covenant practices into the New Covenant
as BJ is doing. Timothy was to “rebuke them sharply” because of how serious
this is. Specifically, people are not to devote
themselves to “Jewish myths” as BJ is calling people to turn back to Jewish
practices. And the rebuke against those “who turn away from the truth”
certainly applies as well. We must take seriously that people can
“profess to know God, but they deny him by their works,” as BJ is doing in
his works of writing books against God. The BJs are exactly what Paul
described! |
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Scripture |
Application |
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1 But as for you, teach what accords with
sound doctrine… 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model
of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound
speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame,
having nothing evil to say about us. (Titus 2) |
To teach what accords with sound doctrine
means to make applications to life situations that are completely consistent
with God’s word. That is clearly not the case with the BJs! The rest is such a contrast in what Paul
expected of Timothy and Titus that the BJs clearly do not expect of each
other! |
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Scripture |
Application |
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9 But avoid foolish controversies,
genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are
unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after
warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing
that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. (Titus 3) |
In my response to BJs book, I am not seeking
to enter into a controversy. I simply want to speak truth in love. But look
at what Paul would do with such a person “who stirs up division”! Anyway,
Paul is pretty clear, and that’s why BJ doesn’t want us to treat his writings
as the breathed out words of God collected into the Bible so we can easily
test everything by the word of God. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God
spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken
to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also
he created the world. (Hebrews 1) |
Please notice that the writer of Hebrews views “God” as SPEAKING “to our fathers by the PROPHETS”, not saying one thing to suggest they wrote or did anything to “mess up” what God was trying to say to his people! Now we have Christ himself as the spokesman of God, and the Bible containing the words of God Jesus told us to live by! And not one word from Jesus correcting anything in the Hebrew Scriptures! |
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Scripture |
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11 About this we have much to say, and it is
hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this
time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic
principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for
everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since
he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their
powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from
evil. (Hebrews 5) |
This stood out because it may explain why so
many are having difficulty “distinguishing good from evil” in relation to
these false teachings. I would just say that, if we have found we are still
on a diet of milk and pablum, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”
just as the word of Christ teaches us to do! |
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Scripture |
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4 For it is impossible, in the case of those
who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have
shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God
and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore
them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God
to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. (Hebrews 6) |
Look how serious this is! BJ has a testimony of once believing God’s
word, but now has “fallen away” into something that is easily proven to be
false. With his “another Jesus”, “different spirit”, and “different gospel”
he is clearly “holding Jesus up to contempt”. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes
the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is
ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8) |
The old covenant is “obsolete”. We are NOT to
follow any of its patterns of annual feasts or festivals. |
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Scripture |
Application |
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15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new
covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal
inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the
transgressions committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9) |
Jesus mediates the new covenant in his blood,
not the old. But notice why it is that “those who are called may receive the
promised eternal inheritance”. It is because “a death has occurred” (Jesus’
death) “that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first
covenant”. Jesus’ death was to redeem sinners! Any thought that Jesus did not
die in the place of sinners, that he was not punished for our sins, or that
he did not provide redemption (atonement, propitiation) is bogus and must be
silenced. |
Once again, I simply wanted to show how
God’s word speaks for itself. The authority and clarity of God’s word has
always been the reason for Satan’s, “Did God actually say…?” My answer to Satan
and his servants is, “Yes, he absolutely and authoritatively did!”
© 2024
Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8
Email: in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the
English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text
Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.)
A More Christlike Word © 2021 by Bradley Jersak Whitaker House 1030 Hunt
Valley Circle • New Kensington, PA 15068 www.whitakerhouse.com
Jersak, Bradley. A More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture the
Emmaus Way. Whitaker House. Kindle Edition.
Definitions from the Bible Sense Lexicon (BSL) in Logos Bible Systems
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