VERSES: Don’t add to or take away from God’s Word (NOTES)
KEY VERSES:
Mat 4:4; 5:19; 28:18-20; Luke 6:46-49; 1Cor 4:6; 2Pet 3:15-18; Rev 22:18-20; Lev 18:4; Dt 4:1-2; Psa 119:1-2; 10-11; Ezekiel 36:26-27; and numerous others!).
========NEW TESTAMENT=======
Matthew 4:4 NKJV
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
Matthew 5:19 NKJV
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches [them], he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:19 ESV
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
[If this is what God thought of those who “relaxed” one of the least of the Old Law’s commandments, I wonder what He thinks of those who relax minor things of the New Covenant? By this statement we can be confident that God cares that we not only do the minor things of the New Testament, but teach others to do the same.]
Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
————
Luke 6:46-49 NKJV
But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:
He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.
Luke 6:46-49 ESV
Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you what he is like:
he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
————
1 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV
Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
1 Corinthians 4:6 RSV
I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond [nkjv: “think beyond”] what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
1 Corinthians 4:6 ESV
I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.
————
2Pe 1:3
[Jesus’] divine power has GIVEN to us ALL THINGS (not just most, or a lot, but ALL THINGS)
that pertain to LIFE and godliness, (ABUNDANT and ETERNAL LIFE is what we seek, and what we are promised–but ONLY IF we live a godly life – noticed next) through the KNOWLEDGE of Him (this knowledge is found in the COMPLETED WOG-Jhn16.13) Who called us by glory and virtue,
————
2Pet 3:15-18 ESV
15–and consider [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation–as also our beloved brother Paul, according to
the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16–as also in all his (Paul’s) epistles(letters), speaking in them of these things (living holy, godly, and blameless lives, etc), in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught (ver: ignorant) and unstable [people] TWIST (ver: distort) to their own destruction, as [they do] also the rest of the Scriptures.
————
NIV: His (Paul’s) letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people DISTORT–as they do the other Scriptures–to their own destruction (failure to carefully read and properly understand the WOG can literally lead to our eternal destruction, whether we believe in Jesus or not!).
(see 1 Jn 4.1; Mt 15.14; Acts 20:28-30; Rom 16.17; 1 Cor 15:12,33-34; 1Ti 1:20; 2Ti 2:17-18; 2 Tim 4.3-4; Heb 13:8-9; 2Pe 2:1-3; 2Pet3.15-16; 1 Jn 4.1; 2Jn9)
————
17–You therefore, beloved, since you know [this] beforehand, beware lest you also FALL from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
————
FALL–1c10.12; 1c15.1-2; g5.4; g2.2. SEE ALSO: matt15.9; mk7.7; gal2.2; 3.4; 4.11; 6.13; 1c15.2,58; phil2.16; 1thess2.1; 3.5.
————
18(Peter’s last inspired words to humanity)–but GROW in the GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him [be] the glory both now and forever.
————
Revelation 22:18-19
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things,
God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
–BOOK OF LIFE: see also Rv 3.3-5; 20.15; 21.27; Philippians 4.3)
========OLD TESTAMENT=======
Leviticus 18:4 ESV
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.
————
Deuteronomy 4:1-2 NKJV
Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you.
You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
(Question: Do you think it’s logical to think that while it was wrong to add/subtract from the Law of Moses, it’s just fine to add/subtract to the Law of Christ (1 Cor 9.21)?)
————
Psa 119:1-2 NKJV–Blessed [are] the undefiled in the way [ver: those whose way is blameless], Who walk in [ver: according to] the law of the LORD! Blessed [are] those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! [ver: with all their heart]
Psa 119:10-11 NKJV With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from [ver: stray from] Your commandments! Your word I have hidden [ver: stored up] in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
————
Ezekiel 36:26-27 ESV
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit [see Jn. 3 – “born of the spirit”] I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to keep my laws.
———————————————————————————-
SOME VERSES THAT STRONGLY ENCOURAGE US TO “STRIVE FOR PERFECTION” IN OUR TEACHING
(see also: “PERFECT DOCTRINE–The doctrine of 100% accuracy”)
———————————————————————————-
Matt 4:4 “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”
Matt 5:48 ..be perfect(i.e. complete), just as your Father in heaven is perfect(i.e. complete).
Matt 5:6 Blessed are those who HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS (#4) For they shall be filled.
1Jo 3:7…let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
Matt 23:23 Do the big things first, but don’t forget about the little things either
Luke 16:10 “He who is faithful (iow, trustworthy) in what is least(GR: very little, smallest) is faithful(iow, trustworthy) also in much; and he who is unjust(GR:unrighteous, wrong) in what is least(GR: very little, smallest) is unjust(GR:unrighteous, wrong) also in much.
Deut 4:1-2 Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.
Deut 4:5-6 I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them CAREFULLY…
Deut 5:32 BE CAREFUL to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.
Deut 6:3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.
Deut 6:25 MOSES:…if we are CAREFUL to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.
Deut 7:11-12 Therefore, take CARE to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today.
If you PAY ATTENTION to these laws and are CAREFUL to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers.
Deut 8:1-2 Be CAREFUL to follow EVERY COMMAND I am giving you today, so that you may LIVE and INCREASE (instead of DIE and DECREASE, as their parents did in the desert) and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to TEST you in order to know what was IN YOUR HEART, whether or not you would KEEP HIS COMMANDS. (By the way, God tests us the same way today, to see if we are going to make sure to follow ALL OF HIS TEACHINGS, and to make sure we follow each one of them CAREFULLY. This applies to EVERY DOCTRINE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.)
SO, WE MUST NOT ONLY FOLLOW GOD’S LAWS, BUT ALSO FOLLOW ALL OF THEM, AND FOLLOW ALL OF THEM CAREFULLY!
THESE ISRAELITES HAD LOST ALL OF THEIR PARENTS (except Joshua and Caleb) IN THE DESERT BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS FAILED TO FOLLOW
THE FEW SIMPLE COMMANDS GIVEN TO THEM BY GOD…MUCH LESS TO FOLLOW THEM “CAREFULLY.”
THE HEBREW WRITER SAID THIS:
Heb 2:1(NIV) We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
Heb 2:2 For if the word SPOKEN through angels (i.e. the OT) proved steadfast, and EVERY transgression and disobedience received a just reward,
Heb 2:3 how shall we escape if we NEGLECT(be careless about, negligent of) so great a salvation…
2 Peter 3:15-16
…and consider [that] the longsuffering of our Lord [is] salvation–as also our beloved brother Paul, according to
the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
…as also in all his (Paul’s) epistles(letters), speaking in them of these things (living holy, godly, and blameless lives, etc), in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught (ver: ignorant) and unstable people TWIST (ver: distort) to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
Luke 8:18 – Jesus said: “Consider CAREFULLY HOW you listen.”
Interestingly, He did not say: “Consider carefully WHAT you listen to.” Of course, that is also very important.
Here we see that Jesus was focusing on the ‘HOW’ of our listening.
In other words, the attitude we have. Whether or not past indoctrinations are coloring our conclusions.
Whether or not we are willing to accept the logical conclusions of these teachings NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE.
This should be our unshakable resolve—because, after all, it is God’s Word we are dealing with.
So, we must exercise caution and care in our interpretation of any and all passages of Scripture.
1 Timothy 4:16–Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine (Scriptures). Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself AND those who hear you.
–ESV: Keep a close watch on yourself, and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing
you will save both yourself and your hearers.
–NIV: Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do,
you will SAVE both YOURSELF and your HEARERS.
–See also: 1 Tim 1.19-20.