The False Teaching
Protestants commonly
teach that the Law of Moses is too hard to keep. Paul, the false
apostle, is the author of this false doctrine, so we go directly to
him. He draws first on his own experience, then applys it
universally.
Paul (Rom. 7:7f FNT)) For I had not known desire (to covet)
unless the law was saying: You will not desire (covet). But receiving
opportunity, sin through the law works in me every desire
(covetousness). For apart from [the] law sin [is] dead. But once I was
zoe-living apart from the law, but the commandment having come, sin
came-to-zoe-life, So I was dead. And the commandment [which was] to
zoe-life was found by me [to be] to death. . . . I find therefore the
law [that] when I wish to be doing the good, that the evil is present
in me. For I concur with the law of God according to the inner man, but
I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and
imprisoning me in the law of sin [which] is in my members. Wretched man
[am ]I! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?
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Exposing the Error
Paul was a weak man - a slave to his flesh - and the Law was too hard. But the scriptures state that the Law is not too hard. "For the commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It
is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up for us to heaven
and bring it to us, that we may hear and do it?' Neither is it beyond
the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us, and
bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it." (Deut. 30:7f. RSV.) Paul adulterated this: "For Moses writes that: The man having done the justice of the law shall
zoe-live in them. But the justice from belief he says thus: You should
not say in your heart, who shall ascend into heaven? That is, to bring Christ
down. Or, Who will descend into the abyss? That is, to bring Christ up
from the dead. But what does it say? The word is near
you, in your mouth and in your heart - that is, the word of faith which we
proclaim. For if you profess with your mouth [the]
Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved." (Rom.10:5f. FNT). He adultered Moses!
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Declaring the Truth
Why do you call me 'lord lord', and not do what I say? Everyone coming to me and hearing my words and
doing, I will show you what he is like. He is like
[a] man building [a] house, who dug and deepened and placed [the] foundation
upon the rock. But when flood came to pass, the river dashed against that house,
and it was unable to shake it because it was well built.But the [one] having heard and not having done is like [a] man
building [a] house upon the ground without [a] foundation, against which the
river dashed, and it was straightway shaken, and great was the fall of that
house.(Luke 6:46f.FNT)
Jesus' commandments are
such that, by keeping them, one becomes complete as the Father is
complete. They are hard, but if we love him, we will keep his
commandments. But we will surely fail? Are we not then condemned? No, not if we repent and forgive
others. Here is the Word: And whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, in
order that your father in the heavens forgive you. But if you do
not forgive, neither will your father in the heavens forgive your trespasses. (Mk.11:25,26FNT)
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