(mobile friendly version-click here)  

SOME SCRIPTURES WRESTED TO TEACH HERESY

  (note  that  the  Scriptures  teach  "the devil"  has, in  some

  sense, been "destroy(ed)",  Hebrews 2v14...how could this

  be true of the orthodox "devil"?...see below for comments)

 

  concerning "demons" link to 'spirit' - page 2

 

   Hebrews 2v14 - In addition to previous comments(see p1), we here ex-

   pand  on this verse. In every case, except one,  personal   sin  has     resulted

   in death,  Romans 5v12,  James 1v13-15.    Death is the just recompense

   for sin, Romans 6v23,  but  because  Jesus  Christ "did no sin",  & no-one

   could accuse Him of sin,   1st Peter 2v21-23, John 8v46,   Hebrews 4v15-

   "God  hath  raised (him) up,  having loosed the pains of death: because it

   was not possible that  he should be holden of it",  Acts 2v24.     Therefore,

   "the devil"  (sinful human nature)  has been rendered  powerless,   or "des-

   troy(ed)" - THIS IS CURRENTLY FULLY EFFECTIVE  ONLY FOR

   CHRIST.  This  does   not  happen  for the faithful until the change of na-

   ture at the Judgment  Seat  of  Christ.   But Paul explains that after believ-

   ing  the  Truth,  and  baptism  into Christ,  we  should  be "dead to sin",&

   "henceforth  we  should  not serve sin",  Romans 6v2,6.         If  we  do  this,

   "the  end  (will be)  EVERLASTING LIFE",  see  v22.   During  this  time

   of probation,  believers can,  by  the grace of God,     reverse  the  process

   of  degeneration  enacted  in  Eden. The  reversal is exactly opposite,  i.e.

   a  renewal-  firstly  mental,  secondly  moral. Then, thirdly, if we pass the

   Divine   scrutiny   at     the   judgment seat,    it   will    become   physical.

   A parallel verse to Hebrews 2v14 is Hebrews 9v26 -

   "he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" ... and thus

   "God...condemned sin in the flesh" - Romans 8v3.

 

   Matthew 4v1-11,Luke 4v2-7-"Then was Jesus..tempted of the de-

   vil..the  tempter  came  to him...Jesus..was..tempted  of the devil".

   EXPLANATION.  It  is  evident  that  the  record  involves  an  external

   agency.This  is underlined in Luke 4v13 - "And  when  the devil had end-

   ed  all  the  temptation, he departed from him for  a season".    We have al-

   ready seen  that  "the devil" is  a  personification of sin.This personifica-

   tion  is  applied  to the serpent,  the flesh,  a person,a group of  people, a

   nation,  etc. In  this case, the "devil",  or  false  accuser,     appears  to have

   been   the  Jewish  leaders,  who  had  already  visited     John  the  Baptist,

   and who had been  then  directed  to  Jesus, John 1v19-34. Failing in the

   wilderness, this  composite "devil..DEPARTED  from him  FOR A SEA-

   SON".  At  the end of  Jesus' ministry, they returned, to tempt Him again.

   See Matthew 22v15-40. On  both  occasions  three temptations were as

   those  in  the  beginning, after  the   adoption  of   the serpent-mind. They

   are defined as"the  lust  of  the  flesh, the  lust  of  the eyes, and the pride

   of life"- 1st John 2v16.  Compare Genesis 3v6-    "the  tree  was good for

   food..it was pleasant to the eyes..a tree   to be desired    to make one wise".

 

   Compare Matthew 4v3 - "command  that  these stones be made bread"..

   v8,9 -  "all  the  kingdoms of  the world..All these things I  will give thee"

   v6 -      "cast   thyself   down..He  shall  give  his  angels  charge    concerning

   thee".  A  consideration  of  Matthew  22v15-40  will show  the similarity

   once  again  to    the  original  and  wilderness  temptations..This  is fitting,

   for Jesus  was  tried  as "the last Adam" - 1st Corinth.15v22,45-47.    See

   Hebrews 4v14,15 -     "Jesus..was in all points tempted  like as we are,yet

   without  sin". Jesus  identified  these  evil  tempters  as "serpents..(a) gen-

   eration  of  vipers", Matthew 23v33*.  On both occasions, He  answered

   them, and  put  them  to  silence,   with quotations from the word  of God-

   cp Matthew 4v4,7,10;22v29-32,37-45.

   *This is the same terminology used by John the Baptist - Matthew 3v7.

   *It is significant  that  in  John 8v43-47  Jesus, when contending with this

     class, stated:"ye cannot hear my word..Ye are of your father the devil…

     He...abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him..he is a liar...

     And because I tell you the truth,ye believe me not.Which of you convin-

     ceth me of sin?  And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

                             He that is of God heareth God's words:

                ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God".

     The parallel with the events in the wilderness is obvious.     The "devil" or

     "tempter"  fits this description perfectly.            Both the original serpent

     and its spiritual "seed"(link to'promises')have twisted the word of God.

     Note the Apostle Paul's concern expressed  in   2nd Corinthians 11v1-4.

     This class continues the practice today!               Jesus answered them with

     the Truth,    which they could not comprehend,  being "not of God"         but

           "of (their) father the devil" as "serpents..(a) generation of vipers".

     It is because of this inveterate opposition to the Truth, whilst at the same

     time falsely claiming to be stating it,     that they also,     like the original

             serpent, qualify as "the satan"- link to 'satan' for more details.

 

   2nd Timothy 2v26-"And that they may recover themselves out of

   the snare of the devil,  who  are  taken captive by him at his will".

   EXPLANATION.  Here  "the devil" represents the flesh and its evil ten-

   dencies. The  background  of  Paul's remarks above is the foolish sin of

   Miriam  and  Aaron,  recorded  in  Numbers  12.  The  Revised Version

   reads (last part of v26) - "having  been taken captive (mg."taken alive")

   by  the  Lord's  servant  unto  the  will of God". This  was  literally  true,

   Numbers 12v9-15.See a verse by verse exposition  of    2nd Timothy 2

   v15-26 - link above or go via 'Index'.

 

   Jude 9-"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the de-

   vil he disputed about the body of Moses..". EXPLANATION. "The

   devil" (=false accuser) here was the Samaritans,  who made false  accusa-

   tions  against  the  Jews  who returned from Babylon,  see  Ezra 4. They

   "weakened  the  hands  of  the  people  of  Judah, and  troubled them  in

   building",  v6,  and "went  up  in  haste  to Jerusalem unto the Jews,  and

   made  them  to   cease  by  force and power", v23.     Thus  did "the devil"

   "dispute about the body of Moses" with the angel.    The  "body  of Mo-

   ses"  means  the  remnant  of  Israel  which  returned  from  Babylon, cp

   1st Corinthians 10v1,2.  Israel  was  the  "body of Moses"  whereas  the

   believers  in  Christ  are  the   "body of Christ",  1st Corinthians  12v27.

 

   Jude is referring to Zechariah 3v1,2,  and  the Samaritans were rebuked

   when  a  second  enquiry was sent  to the Persian court(Ezra 5), and the

   first  decision  was reversed (Ezra 6).  "Joshua"  was  the "high priest" at

   this time, cpZechariah 3v1,Ezra 3v2,Haggai 1v1.  He  helped  to  imple-

   ment  this  reform, Ezra 5v2,  against "the adversaries of Judah and Ben-

   jamin", Ezra 4v1.  "The devil"  is  also  termed  "satan"  in  Zechariah  3v

   1,2. This word simply means 'adversary',  and  is  dealt  with extensively

   elsewhere - link  to 'satan' or  go  via  'Index'. The  Samaritans, besides

   falsely  accusing the Jews, opposed  them, or  were adversaries to them.

   God   duly  "rebuke(d)"  this  adversary,   for  "the  LORD..hath  chosen

   Jerusalem",  through  "the  angel  of  the LORD",     shown to be "Michael

   the  archangel",  Zech.3v1,2  cpJude9,  Ezra 5v5,    2nd  Chronicles16v9.

   Compare also the following paragraph.

 

  1st Peter 5v8,9-"Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the

  devil,as a roaring lion,walketh about,seeking whom he may devour"

  EXPLANATION. Following on from the previous passage, we see a

  similarity of events. The difference here is that this form of "the devil"

  had the power to "devour" - i.e. this referred at the time to the pagan

  authorities. They had the power to "cast..into prison"-Revelation 2v10.

  Yet such persecution is attributed to "the devil". It is evident that they

  were "false accusers" of the believers, even as the Samaritans (above)

  had been - but with the power to carry out persecution, as prophesied.

  Finally, see the same terminology used in Isaiah 5v26-30, where the

  "roaring" of "a lion" is associated with the persecution of pagan rulers.

  Paul was"delivered out of the mouth of the lion"-2nd Timothy 4v16,17.

                  return to p.1   go to satan 

                   return to home page-index