Q: What do the “Christian beliefs” in the list below have in common?
A: None of them are taught by the Bible.
“Christian beliefs” that the Bible doesn’t teach:
- There is a Trinity of Persons in God
- We are saved by faith alone
- Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins
- The Bible is inerrant
- Only Christians can be saved
All of these beliefs were originated by human beings hundreds or even thousands of years after the Bible was written.
Are they wrong? I think so. But the purpose of this article isn’t to show that they’re wrong. It’s to show that even though millions of Christians believe them, they are not actually taught by the Bible. They are human interpretations.
People who believe these things quote many Bible passages to support them. But they can’t point to a single passage that clearly teaches any of these things. And some of these beliefs are specifically denied by the Bible.
There are many valid Christian beliefs that require interpretation of the Bible. However, any belief that is essential or fundamental to Christianity and to salvation should be clearly taught in the Bible. It should not require interpretation.
Does this mean that people who believe the things on the list will go to hell? Of course not! That’s not taught by the Bible, either.
Here is a quick look at each of these “Christian beliefs”:
“There is a Trinity of Persons in God”
The word “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible. And though the Bible does mention the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it never calls them “persons.”
The idea that there is a Trinity of Persons in God is one of the oldest “Christian beliefs” that the Bible doesn’t teach. However, it still did not become a part of “Christian belief” until several centuries after the last books of the Bible were written. It was originated by human beings who were having trouble understanding the meaning of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament.
It’s not surprising that early Christian theologians were confused by the mention of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Many of them were converted pagans, or came from pagan backgrounds and cultures. For these former polytheists, who were still surrounded by people who believed in many gods, the idea that there were three distinct “persons” of God probably seemed fairly ordinary.
In short, the idea that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit form a “Trinity of Persons” in God is a human interpretation; it is not taught in the Bible.
For more, see:
- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
- What is the Biblical basis for disbelief in the doctrine of the Trinity?
- Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? What about that Holy Spirit?
“We are saved by faith alone”
Salvation by faith alone is the idea that the one and only thing that saves us is believing in Jesus Christ. Nothing we do, good or bad, has any effect on our salvation. Only believing that Jesus Christ died for us matters. Once we believe this, we are automatically saved. This idea is common among Protestant Christians—especially fundamentalist and evangelical ones.
However, “faith alone” appears only once in the Bible, and in that one passage, it is specifically denied: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). Please read the whole passage, in which the apostle James teaches that faith without works is dead: James 2:14–26.
The apostle Paul does not teach faith alone, either. When Paul said, “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the Law” (Romans 3:28), he did not mean we do not have to do good works in order to be saved. He meant that those who believe in Jesus do not have to follow the laws of animal sacrifice, circumcision, and the other ancient Jewish ritual and behavioral codes found in the Hebrew Torah, or Law (the first five books of the Bible).
In fact, Paul made it very clear that we must do good in order to be saved. See Romans 2:5–16.
For Jesus’ own teaching about who will be saved and who will not, read Matthew 25:31–46.
The doctrine of salvation by faith alone did not become a widespread “Christian belief” until after Martin Luther promulgated it as part of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.
After the Trinity of Persons, salvation by faith alone is one of the most common “Christian beliefs” that the Bible doesn’t teach.
For more, see:
- Faith Alone Does Not Save . . . No Matter How Many Times Protestants Say It Does
- Faith Alone Is Not Faith
- What is the biblical basis against Sola Fide (salvation by faith alone, apart from works)?
- Doesn’t Ephesians 2:8–9 Teach Faith Alone?
“Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins”
Sorry, the Bible just doesn’t say this.
The closest it comes is 1 Corinthians 15:3: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.” But dying for our sins is not the same thing as dying to pay the penalty for our sins. If an innocent person dies because of another person’s wrongdoing, the person who did wrong is still guilty. Whenever the Bible talks about penalties, it always attaches them to the one who committed the offense.
No matter how hard you search, you will not find a single passage in the entire Bible that says anything about Jesus paying the penalty for our sins. That’s because this is a “Christian belief” that the Bible doesn’t teach.
The technical, theological name for this belief is “Penal Substitution,” which is a variation of the “Satisfaction Theory of Atonement.” It is also sometimes called “The Vicarious Atonement.” These ideas are not taught anywhere in the Bible. In fact, they were not part of Christian doctrine or belief for the first 1,000 years of the Christian Church. They were then originated and developed by human beings who were having trouble understanding what the Bible teaches about how Jesus Christ saved humanity.
For more, see:
- Did Jesus Really Die to Pay the Penalty for our Sins?!?
- The Faulty Foundations of Faith Alone – Part 5: Jesus Paid the Penalty For Our Sins?
- Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? What about that Holy Spirit?
“The Bible is inerrant”
The word “inerrant” does not appear anywhere in the Bible.
In fact, it was only in the last couple of centuries that some conservative Christians began saying that the Bible is inerrant. They came up with this idea, not because it is in the Bible, but because they believed they had to defend the Bible against modern science and history.
The passage most commonly quoted to say that the Bible claims inerrancy for itself is 2 Timothy 3:16–17. But that passage does not say that the Bible is free from error. It says, “All scripture is inspired by God.” The idea that “inspired by God” means that everything it says is historically and scientifically true exactly as written is a human interpretation.
In the same way, the Bible never says that everything in it is literally true. If anything, the Bible cautions us against overly literal interpretations. Jesus commonly spoke in “parables,” or figurative language. Perhaps the clearest statement in the Bible about a literal vs. a spiritual view of the Bible’s Christian message is found in 2 Corinthians 3:5–6: “Our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.”
The idea that the Bible is inerrant and literally true throughout is a fairly recent “Christian belief” that the Bible doesn’t teach. It is a human interpretation that goes back only as far as the 1800s.
For more, see:
- Can We Really Believe the Bible?
- The Bible: Literal Inerrancy vs. Divine Depths of Meaning
- How God Speaks in the Bible to Us Boneheads
“Only Christians can be saved”
Those who believe this may think they have an open-and-shut case because of passages such as these:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:16–18)
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
First, these passages do not actually say that only Christians can be saved. And the problem with reading them that way is that the Bible also tells us how non-Christians can be saved:
God will repay everyone according to what they have done. To those who by patiently doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Gentile; but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:6–11)
And even more briefly:
Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
And once again, for Jesus’ own teaching about who will be saved and who will not, read Matthew 25:31–46.
If our interpretation of passages such as John 3:16–18 and Acts 4:12 is contradicted by clear teachings elsewhere in the Bible, then we must be mistaken in our understanding of those passages. Would the Bible really contradict itself on such basic a issue as who can be saved?
This is too large a subject to deal with in such a small space.
However, here’s the key to understanding John 3:16–18, Acts 4:12, and similar passages: If Jesus Christ is God as Christians believe, then anyone who believes in God and lives according to the teachings that God gave us as the Lord Jesus Christ is, in fact, believing in Jesus Christ and in the “name,” or reputation and character, of Jesus Christ. This is true even if they don’t identify God as Jesus Christ.
For more, see:
- Is Jesus Christ the Only Way to Heaven?
- Does John 3:18 Mean that All Non-Christians Go to Hell?
- Did Jesus ever actually say, “If you don’t believe in me you will go to hell”?
- If there’s One God, Why All the Different Religions?
What does it all mean?
I realize that all of this may be very upsetting to people who believe these things. Millions of people have been taught these things, and have believed in them all their lives. Millions of people have staked their eternal salvation on them.
If any of this is upsetting to you, relax! It’s not the end of the world. You are not going to hell if you believe, or don’t believe, any of these things. God is far bigger than any of these beliefs. And there are much deeper and more satisfying beliefs, which the Bible does teach.
If you are confused, or searching, or even angry that these “Christian beliefs” should be questioned, we invite you to explore the linked articles. We invite you to browse through Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life. See if you find something that gives you greater understanding and peace of mind.
Of course, we also invite you to:
- Ask questions
- Post Bible passages that you’d like to understand better
- Bring up other “Christian beliefs” that you wonder about. (We might add them to the list!)
If you are happy with your current beliefs, we wish you Godspeed. We have no desire to debate them with you.
But if you are looking for a deeper and more soul-satisfying Christian belief, we invite you to join us on the spiritual journey.
For the companion piece, see:
Christian Beliefs that the Bible Does Teach
See also:
The Christian Church is Not Christian
Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life 
Here’s an article about basically the same subject: https://www.relevantmagazine.com/faith/7-unbiblical-statements-christians-believe/
What do you think about it?
Hi WorldQuestioner,
I think it’s mostly rather unimportant things, on some of which the article is wrong.
For example: “5. God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle”
The Bible actually does say this:
It’s just that the Bible also says the opposite:
This is a bit inconvenient for biblical literalists, as the people at the linked website seem to be. But you can’t just accept one thing that the Bible says and ignore the other if you claim to believe everything the Bible says.
Back to the main issue: The article is simply wrong about its point 5.
Though I couldn’t easily find a statement of faith on the website, it seems to accept the usual unbiblical traditional Christian beliefs covered in the above article. These are much bigger and more important errors than the rather minor seven points taken up in the linked article.
In short, I think the article, and the website that hosts it, is straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel.
What about the doctrine of eternal security? If there is no eternal security, how can I know for sure that I am going to heaven?
“Once saved, always saved” is not in the Bible.
Hi WorldQuestioner,
“Once saved, always saved” is plainly contrary to the Bible, which talks on multiple occasions about righteous people backsliding into sin, resulting in death. See, for example, Ezekiel 18:24.
Why do you want to know for sure that you’re going to heaven? Just keep walking the Christian path, loving God above all and your neighbor as yourself, and leave your eternal fate to God. God is loving and compassionate, and will not send you to hell for no cause. Your job is to do your best to follow God’s commandments, especially the two Great Commandments.
See also:
Did Jesus Really Die to Pay the Penalty for our Sins?
What about 1 John 5:13?
Hi WorldQuestioner,
Basically, 1 John 5:13 says, “Trust the Lord.” I’m saying: Don’t worry about whether you’re saved. Just follow the Lord’s commandments, and God will do the rest. Worrying about our salvation is failing to trust in God’s love and mercy.
Have you seen Psalm 12:6 and 19:7 and Proverbs 30:5? What about 2 Timothy 3:16? Don’t they suggest Biblical inerrancy, at least for the original Hebrew and Greek texts?
Hi WorldQuestioner,
It all depends on the mind of the person reading. For a person with a materialistic or “fleshly” mind, these passages will look like they’re talking about literal inerrancy. For a person with a spiritually awakened mind, they will look like they are talking about spiritual matters, not physical ones.
For those reading in, here are the verses:
Does the Bible teach that God is infinite? I believe that hte word “infinite” is not in the Bible. As far as I know, there is no Greek or Hebrew word for that. The word “Infinite” is native to Latin. Did Romans say “Infinitus” which I think may be the Latin form? Or was that word invented centuries later?
I know the Bible uses the term “Almighty God,” for example the Isaiah verse series “For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. And his name shall be called wonderful counselor, almighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace.” I don’t remember the reference.
Does the Bible teach that God is omnibenevolent (all-good)? I know that there’s a Psalm and a verse in 2 Samuel that says “As for God, his way is perfect.” What’s the Hebrew word for perfect and what does it mean? I don’t know which verse. I’m not all that good at remembering references.
Hi WorldQuestioner,
For the most part, the Bible doesn’t use philosophical language such as “infinite” and “omnibenevolent.” The closest the Bible comes to philosophical thought is in the Gospel of John, which has some highly philosophical passages, including in its opening chapter. However, even these tend to be more practical than the theories of your average Western philosopher.
Still, it’s pretty clear that the Bible writers did view God as almighty, infinite, eternal, omniscient, omnibenevolent, an so on, even if they used more practical terms such as his mercy having no bounds, or his mercy enduring forever. You’ve quoted some of these passages yourself. It would be tedious to go through them all. You’ll encounter them as you read the Bible for yourself.
Many Bible scholars and religious leaders have become confused because the Bible also attributes limited human attributes to God, such as anger, jealousy, changing his mind, and so on. These are human appearances of God’s nature, but many Christians read them literally, at face value. They therefore build up a limited and faulty image of God in their minds.
In general, the words in such languages as Hebrew, Greek, and Latin that are commonly translated into English as “perfect” have the root meaning of “complete, finished, whole, entire.” From there they take on the meaning of “without blemish,” since something that is complete is also something that has every attribute it is meant to have in full measure, without lacking any of them.
Specifically, the Hebrew word used in 2 Samuel 22:31 and its parallel passage in Psalm 18:30 is תָּמִים (tāmîm), whose root meaning is indeed “complete, finished.”
Another example of this root meaning of “perfect” is that in grammar, the “perfect tense” is not the greatest, unblemished tense, but rather the tense that indicates completed action that is now in the past.
In relation to God, the meaning of “perfect” also carries this root meaning of being “complete, finished,” in the sense of being fully “developed” (but this is not a temporal thing with God), and having every possible attribute in all completion. That these attributes are unblemished and sinless, to use the common present-day meanings of the word “perfect,” is a corollary of the primary meaning. That sort of perfection is also true of God, but it is a secondary attribute of God, whereas God having every possible attribute in all completion is the primary meaning of God’s perfection.
However, the Bible doesn’t dwell on these philosophical issues. The Bible’s primary purpose is to lead people to eternal life. This involves teaching and moving people to repent from their evils and sins, and live a good life of love and service to God and the neighbor instead. Salvation is not a philosophical pursuit, but a practical pursuit. Therefore the Bible mostly remains in the realm of the practical.
Philosophy is not bad. But it can easily lead intelligent, educated people to get all wrapped up in theory, and neglect the work of rebirth. That work is not all in the head, but necessarily involves getting our hands dirty.
Do you believe the Holy Spirit God? Swedenborg didn’t. But doesn’t the Bible equate the Holy Spirit with God?
Doesn’t the Bible ever say “Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” verbatim?
Hi WorldQuestioner,
Where did you get the ridiculous idea that Swedenborg didn’t believe the Holy Spirit is God? Certainly not from anyone who knows what Swedenborg taught.
I would suggest reading Swedenborg’s True Christianity. It has a whole chapter on the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, here’s the short, plain English version:
Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? What about that Holy Spirit?
The source is https://www.gotquestions.org/Swedenborgianism.html It says the following: These writings include teachings such as: God has many names, depending on the beliefs/religion of the individual; the Holy Spirit is not God; the Trinity does not exist; Jesus Christ’s death did not atone for our sin; salvation comes by practicing what you believe, whatever religion it might be; the afterlife is spiritual, but dependent on how well you lived in your physical body.
Hi WorldQuestioner,
That makes sense. Gotquestions is a fundamentalist site that is wrong about almost everything it teaches because it accepts human tradition rather than the Word of God. Clearly its authors have very little knowledge of what Swedenborg teaches, matching the ignorance of most fundamentalists about Swedenborg.
Gotquestions lost me with this (regarding whether people who have never even heard of Jesus are going to hell): We are called to spread the gospel throughout the nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). We know people reject the knowledge of God revealed in nature, and that must motivate us to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Only by accepting God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ can people be saved from their sins and rescued from an eternity apart from God.
Me: We enter the world a blank slate. We have to be taught things, including about God. To say that someone who doesn’t even know that God/Jesus exists can somehow read Him into nature is preposterous. If everyone could do that, then evangelism would be pointless because we would just “know.”
Hi Sarah Lea,
As I said to WorldQestioner in my previous reply to him, GotQuestions is wrong about almost everything it teaches because it follows human dogmas and traditions rather than the Word of God.
Yes, the Bible calls us to spread the Gospel throughout the world. But it never says that people of other religions will go to hell. There are certain passages that traditional and fundamentalist “Christians” such as the ones at GotQuestions twist to make them sound like those passages say this, but the Bible itself never actually says that all non-Christians go to hell. In fact, in Matthew 25:31–46 and Romans 2:5–16 Jesus and Paul tell us that people of all nations, Christian and non-Christian alike, who live good lives according to their conscience are saved by Jesus Christ.
I linked you to a number of articles about these things in my earlier reply to you here. Just one more for now:
Is Jesus Christ the Only Way to Heaven?
Don’t pay any attention to GotQuestions and similar sites. They are blind leaders of the blind, so that both fall into the ditch.
What of those passages where Christ says to sell or give away all possessions -seemingly implying it’s sinful to own stuff?
Hi K,
On that, please see this article:
You Cannot Serve both God and Money
Hi Lee I got this comment off a Youtube video explaining the differences between evangelical Christianity and Swedenborg.
” Evangelical “christianity” is heretical in that it says, as you put it, all one simply needs to do is believe, when our Lord Jesus (as well as Peter, Paul, John, and James) plainly says we also have remain in Him by obeying His commandments and endure to the end — the end being death and the last judgment. In preaching against the necessity of remaining in Jesus, the evangelical movement is leading a lot of people away from Jesus and thus to Hell and damnation.
The problem with Swedenborg’s gospel — even more heretical than evangelicalism — is that he thinks we just have to do good according to our own conscience, a very humanistic approach and certainly not even in Christ to begin with, let alone remaining in Him. For this reason, Swedenborg is farther along the spectrum of heresy. But nonetheless, both evangelicalism and Swedenborg are wrong. And really they are on the same spectrum, for in the “just me and my Bible” and “all I need is my own faith” mentality of evangelicals, they essentially put themselves on the humanistic spectrum of Swedenborg, who claims we just follow our own conscience. In both evangelical heresy and Swedenborg heresy, the fundamental assumption is that each individual man gets to decide what God says, not God or His Church, whether through interpreting the Bible for oneself (evangelicalism) or simply following one’s own conscience (Swedenborg). Both these positions are lacking dependence on Jesus Christ and His Church that He established and relying more on human efforts.
The truth is, the Bible teaches us to be obedient and to be zealous for holiness, remaining in our Lord Jesus and His commandments. Read 2 Peter and you will see that the gospel is not protestant. Peter says, “Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation.” And so says Paul… “as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
and this remark
“Swedenborg’s material was all channeled. He later admitted that the “angels” that spoke to him would often lie …and wanted people that are deceptive. All cults seem to “make sense” to the devotees…..”
Hi tammi85,
Saying that Swedenborg “thinks we just have to do good according to our own conscience” is a major oversimplification of what Swedenborg said. But on that subject, notice this statement of Paul:
Paul himself says that for non-Christians, it will be their conscience that bears witness and either accuses or excuses them on the day of judgment.
For Christians, it is a different story. Yes, of course, Christians must live according to their conscience. But more importantly, Christians must live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Otherwise they are not even Christians. That’s why Jesus asked, rhetorically, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46).
In response to this:
That is a rather free and interpretive translation of 2 Peter 1:20. It is clear enough from the next verse that what Peter is saying is that the prophecies do not come from the prophet’s own interpretations:
In other words, what the prophets spoke was not their own idea, but was inspired in them by God.
In response to this:
Whoever wrote this is just plain ignorant. Swedenborg’s material was not channeled, nor did he “later admit” that it the “angels” who spoke to him would often lie. I don’t know where this person even got that.
In fact, in his last-published work Swedenborg emphatically denied that any of the teachings of the New Church came from angels (let alone from spirits):
There was no “later” for him to “admit” the opposite. Even on his deathbed, when the Rev. Arvid Ferelius, the Swedish Lutheran pastor who was resident in London at the time of Swedenborg’s death, asked him if there was anything he wished to recant now that he could gain nothing more from it, Swedenborg rose up in his bed, put his hand on his heart, and said:
For more about Swedenborg and the nature of his inspiration and spiritual experiences, please see:
Do the Teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg take Precedence over the Bible?
How do you respond to people that say he was a heretic, insane or a cult leader speaking to demons that deliberately misled him?
Hi tammi85,
Honestly, I mostly just ignore them. They clearly are entirely ignorant of the reality of who Swedenborg was and what he taught. Why throw pearls to pigs?
This is the video those comments came from by the way.
Hi tammi85,
I’m watching the video, and will make some comments along the way. (I hope you don’t mind if I edited your link to remove the timestamp, so that the video would start at the beginning rather than halfway through.)
The first, historical part of the video is reasonably accurate, with only a few small glitches. For one thing, people were beginning to read Swedenborg’s writings while he was still alive, not only a decade after his death.
But the real problems begin when the video starts talking about Swedenborg’s teachings. The YouTuber has clearly done some research—which is more than I can say for many non-Swedenborgians who post videos and articles about Swedenborg—but he does not have a full understanding of what Swedenborg taught, and falls into a number of errors that are especially common among evangelical Christians.
On the Trinity, the video falls into the common error that Swedenborg’s teaching is the same as Oneness Pentecostalism. This is not true. Swedenborg’s teaching about the Trinity decisively rejects modalism, which is what Oneness Pentecostals believe. See:
What is the difference between the Swedenborgian and Oneness Pentecostal doctrines of God?
“Swedenborgianism denies the distinction, saying that we are ontologically the same kind of being as God.”
This is incorrect. Ontologically, God is made of divine substance, whereas humans are made of spiritual substance, and, during our lifetime on earth, of physical substance as well. There is a clear and ineradicable distinction between God, who is infinite and uncreated, and humans, who are finite and created. Created humans are human in the image and likeness of God, who is the only fully, infinitely human being. Ontologically, humans are a limited reflection of the infinite humanity of God.
About rebaptism, this also varies among Swedenborgian denominations. Historically, most have accepted any Christian baptism, and have not practiced rebaptism. Some of the more conservative denominations, such as the General Church (where the YouTuber probably got this information) do practice rebaptism.
Similarly, he seems to have gotten his information about the Holy Supper from the General Church website. The GC does insist upon fermented wine. Other bodies of the New Church don’t believe that is critical. Many of them serve both fermented wine and grape juice (“unfermented wine”). Some serve only grape juice.
About the canon of scripture, the YouTuber neglects to mention that from a Catholic and Orthodox perspective, Protestantism itself has rejected a number of books from Scripture. See:
Why Isn’t Paul in Swedenborg’s Canon?
The video just assumes that the Protestant canon is correct. But even outside of Swedenborgianism, there are various canons of the Bible. Swedenborg’s just happens to be the smallest.
As for those Swedenborgians who believe that Swedenborg’s writings are the Word of God, put simply, they are wrong. Swedenborg never said any such thing. I have read the book this YouTuber mentions titled What the Writings Testify Concerning Themselves. As hard as the compiler of that book tried, he could not find a single passage in Swedenborg where Swedenborg says that his writings are the Word. There are two schismatic bodies who believe this: the General Church of the New Jerusalem and the Lord’s New Church which is Nova Hierosolyma. Schisms tend to be based on human-invented beliefs not found in the Bible or in the other sacred writings of their religion. This is precisely the case with the error that Swedenborg’s writings are the Word. See:
Do the Teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg take Precedence over the Bible?
“Doing good things to obtain salvation is damnable.”
The implicit error contained in this is that Swedenborg taught that we should do good things in order to obtain salvation. That’s not what Swedenborg taught. He taught that we should do good things out of obedience to God, out of understanding and accepting the truth and goodness of God’s commandments and teachings, and out of love for God and the neighbor. That’s an entirely different thing than doing good works in order to obtain salvation.
“Swedenborg’s theology was very close to universalism, which teaches everyone goes to heaven.”
Entirely incorrect. Swedenborg did not teach that everyone goes to heaven. He never gave any number or ratio comparing how many people are in hell compared to how many are in heaven. But his visits to hell make it clear that there are myriads of people in hell, from all different parts of the world. If his theology was “very close to universalism,” there would be few to no people in hell. That’s simply not what Swedenborg reported. Yes, Swedenborg taught that all people who live good lives, regardless of their religion, go to heaven. But the reality is that many people, of every different religion, do not live good lives, and choose to go to hell instead.
About hell, the quotation from OffTheLeftEye is okay, but there actually is torment in the hell that Swedenborg describes, and many people there really don’t have a very decent life at all. It’s just that all the torment comes as a direct consequence of the evil actions that people in hell engage in on an ongoing basis because that’s what they love to do. The OffTheLeftEye quotation is reasonably accurate about the higher (milder) hells, where people’s lives tend to be a lot like the lives that jerks and selfish people live among themselves here on earth. But things get rapidly worse for people in the lower (worse) levels of hell.
Note that in this “reaction comment,” I am making no attempt to demonstrate the unbiblical falsity of the beliefs this YouTuber identifies as evangelical beliefs. I’ve done that in many, many articles here on Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life. Here I’m just pointing out some of the factual and conceptual errors this YouTuber has made about Swedenborg and the New Church. He gets a B+ for actually doing some solid research on Swedenborgian websites, but an F for perpetuating a number of errors and fallacies about Swedenborg and the New Church that are especially common among evangelical Christians.
In short, this isn’t the worst video or article I’ve seen by non-Swedenborgians attempting to explain the New Church. He does provide some good quotations and explanations of various Swedenborgian teachings. But it still contains many basic errors that are common to people who do not have a full understanding of Swedenborg’s teachings.
I have always understood that Jesus paid for ALL sins (past, present, and future), not just the ones that Christians commit. Is that what you’re saying here (in your fifth point)? Also, I have a friend whose 19-year-old son died in an auto accident, and she is beside herself thinking he may not have made it to Heaven (even though he was raised as a Christian) because he rebelled against his faith in later years (she said he was just trying to figure things out), so I quoted this scripture to her (which was quoted to me over 20 years ago when I asked a friend whether we could lose our salvation if we sin after becoming saved): For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38).
Hi Sarah Lea,
Thanks for stopping by, and for your comments. I hope you will find the articles here enlightening and helpful.
First of all, the idea that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins is not biblical. If you read the Bible for yourself, you will find that it never says that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. This idea was invented by human beings 1,500 years after the last books of the Bible were written.
What Jesus did was not to pay the penalty for our sins, but to save us from the power of the Devil by fighting against and overcoming the Devil, and breaking the Devil’s power over humans on earth. Because he did this for us, if we call upon him, he will give us the power to overcome the Devil in our own life also.
For more on what Jesus did to save and redeem us, please see the sections that start with “What is Redemption?” in this article:
Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? What about that Holy Spirit?
For more specifically about the false idea that Christ paid the penalty for our sins, please see these two articles:
About your friend’s nineteen-year-old son, this kind of fear and anxiety is the result of the unbiblical and false doctrines that the traditional “Christian” churches teach their people. It is absolutely false that only those who believe in Jesus will be saved. The Bible specifically rejects this idea in many places. See, for example, Matthew 25:31–46 and Romans 2:5–16, where first Jesus, then Paul, teach us how people of all nations and religions who live good lives according to their conscience are saved by Jesus Christ.
The Bible simply never says that all non-Christians will be damned to hell. There are many articles about this here. See, for example:
The passage you quote is also a very beautiful one showing the great love that God has for all of us, God’s children.
Here are two more articles that I hope will help in overcoming your friend’s fear and anxiety about her son’s tragic death, and where he is now in the afterlife:
(I know your friend’s son was not a gang member. But that article deals with the issue of troubled or struggling teens who die, using an extreme case.)
Put simply, as covered in many articles here on Spiritual Insights for Everyday Life, there is no reason to think that your friend’s son would be going to hell, and every reason to think he will be going to heaven. God is love, and God lifts up to heaven people of every nation and religion if they are willing to accept God into their heart, mind, and life. Being confused about God and questioning the beliefs we were taught is a natural part of life that many teens and young adults go through. It is part of the messy process of emancipating ourselves from our parents mentally and emotionally, and arriving at our own faith and belief.
I hope this reply, and the linked articles, are helpful to you and your friend. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. True Christianity does not make our burden heavier. It lightens the yoke on our shoulders.
Hi, I’d like to here your take on this paragraph on swedenborgs views.
https://academic.oup.com/book/6712/chapter-abstract/150789321?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Hi Foster,
It’s a mixed bag, but overall, the author of this book does not know or understand Swedenborg’s teachings very well. As is common with Nicene Christians who want to dismiss Swedenborg’s teachings, he has wrongly linked him with a standard historical Christian heresy—in this case, Pelagianism—and used that as an out to avoid engaging seriously with Swedenborg’s teachings.
I’ll take the points in the Abstract one by one. First about Swedenborg’s view of heaven:
This is generally accurate. However, putting “real” in quotes makes it sound like the author thinks Swedenborg’s experience of heaven was not real, but was generated from Swedenborg’s own mind, as “psychological states.” This is a popular way of dismissing the reality of Swedenborg’s experiences of heaven. You’ll have to make up your own mind about that. Obviously, I think people who dismiss Swedenborg’s spiritual experiences in this way are mistaken.
It is true that Swedenborg was the “inventor of the modern heaven.” After Swedenborg published Heaven and Hell and his other theological works, the popular idea of heaven and angels changed dramatically. That book has had wide-ranging influence on people’s concept of the afterlife throughout the Western world, and even in the non-Western world. This is covered in the (non-Swedenborgian) scholarly book Heaven: A History, by Colleen McDannell and Bernhard Lang. (The link is to its Amazon page.)
This is also generally correct. Swedenborg did speak of human beings as microcosms of heaven, though not so much as microcosms of the universe. And he did see great powers and possibilities in human beings. However, contrary to where this author goes from here, Swedenborg saw these powers and possibilities as coming entirely from God, so that humans can claim no credit for or ownership of them.
Yes, although Blake, like many other mystics, had a love/hate relationship with Swedenborg. Mystics generally love Swedenborg’s otherworldly experience, but hate his Christian doctrinal specificity.
Quite true. Heaven is simply the state we live in when we have goodness and love in us. Hell is simply the state we live in when we have selfishness, evil, and hatred in us. Though there are punishments in hell, that is not the purpose of hell; it is simply the result of its residents’ ongoing evil actions, which bring punishment upon themselves. Heaven is also not a reward for good behavior. It is simply the consequence of living from God’s love, according to God’s truth. But once again, we must add that being good and filled with love is possible only if we accept God into ourselves, because all goodness and love comes from God alone and is God’s alone.
This is utterly false. I have no idea where this author gets this idea.
Swedenborg’s heaven, and entire cosmos, is entirely God-centered. In heaven, the very sun that shines above the head of everyone who lives there is the abode of God, so that God is present with all angels, all the time, giving them all of their life, love, understanding, and everything else. Angels are constantly turned toward God, and never turned away. Swedenborg’s heaven is thoroughly God-centered.
True. There is no place in the Bible for these things either, nor is there any place in true Christianity. Original sin is a false doctrine perhaps invented, but definitely popularized by Augustine several centuries after the last books of the Bible were written. The Bible specifically and emphatically rejects the idea that one person can be guilty based on another person’s sin. See:
The Faulty Foundations of Faith Alone – Part 2: Original Sin?
Jesus was not an ascetic. In fact he was accused of being “a gluttonous man and a winebibber,” to use the colorful old KJV language (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). Only later, as the Christian Church rejected Jesus’ message of abundant life (see John 10:10), did certain self-righteous “Christians” begin to practice self-denial and asceticism, adopting the supposedly “spiritual,” but non-Christian, practices of so many non-Christian religious elites.
Here the author tips his hand that he doesn’t know or understand Swedenborg’s teachings. The battle between the Pelagians and the Augustinians was one of people out on opposite poles who were on those opposite poles because they did not understand how human life works in relation to God and God’s life. The Augustinians thought human life and salvation was all God and little or nothing of the human being. The Pelagians thought that human life was al about the human being and had little or nothing to do with God. Both were equally wrong—though the Augustinian position that won out was probably more damaging overall than the Pelagian position that lost out and was therefore labeled “heresy” by the victors.
The truth is that human life is a relationship between God and humans. All life, goodness, truth, and power comes from God. But humans must freely accept these things into their lives by welcoming God’s love and wisdom into their lives and living according to it. We humans can take no credit whatsoever for the good in us. In this, Pelagius was wrong. But we humans also must live as if we were living from ourselves, so that we can have our own identity and agency, and therefore be human beings in mutual, freely chosen, and loving relationship with God. In this, the Augustinians were wrong—and still are.
In short, Swedenborg rejected the core idea of both Augustinianism and Pelagianism.
Once again, this author simply found an easy way out of seriously engaging with Swedenborg’s teachings by grabbing the nearest heresy he could find and falsely labeling Swedenborg as adhering to that heresy. In reality, both the Pelagian position and the author’s Augustinian position are unbiblical and heretical from a genuinely Christian perspective.
This is generally true. But in using the word “erotic,” the author betrays his physical-minded view of love and marriage, which is typical of Nicene Christians. Marriage is not about “the erotic.” It is about a spiritual oneness that expresses itself in physical oneness. And its origin is the marriage of love and wisdom in God, which is the center and source of everything in the universe. That divine marriage of love and wisdom is expressed in human marriage, just as it is expressed in lesser form throughout the vast realms of nature, both living and non-living.
To sum up, this author has a superficial and faulty knowledge of Swedenborg’s system, leading him to make a number of ignorant and false statements about Swedenborg’s teachings, despite some true statements about it here and there. His mind is skewed by his Augustinian/Nicene beliefs so that he cannot have a clear and true understanding of Swedenborg’s non-Nicene, non-Augustinian, and also non-Pelagian teachings.
Lee, a well done and important article. I suggest you add no. 6: “The Bible contains all truths about Christianity.” This is not found in the Bible (Paul himself refers to traditions) but oddly, you seem to be an adherent: “However, any belief that is essential or fundamental to Christianity and to salvation should be clearly taught in the Bible. It should not require interpretation.” Have you not hoisted yourself with your own petard with that “un-biblical” statement?
Hi klucey22,
Thanks for stopping by, and for your comment and challenge.
However, my quoted words do not say that all truths about Christianity are clearly taught in the Bible. I say, rather, that any belief that is essential or fundamental to Christianity should be clearly taught in the Bible.
Not all Christian beliefs are essential or fundamental to Christianity. There are many secondary beliefs that do require thought and interpretation. They cannot, however, conflict with the essentials that are taught clearly in the Bible.
As for whether the principle I stated is essential Christian belief: probably not. However, Christianity takes its name from Jesus Christ. It would be odd to call it “Christianity” while not basing it on what Jesus Christ taught in the Bible.
But Lee, it was called The Way at first, and there was no New Testament for decades. Certainly, you would not say that Christianity didn’t exist then. And at that time it was based entirely on what was passed down orally. Your idea that essential Christian truths ought to be found in the Bible has problems: 1) nowhere in the Bible does it say that essential Christian truths must be found in the Bible, and ; 2) Christianity existed for decades without a New Testament yet had many established doctrines during that time. As much as I love the Bible, I can’t buy into the idea that because the Bible does not use the term “Trinity,” for example, that the doctrine of the Trinity is not valid. On sola fide, however, you and I are on the same page. Thank you for your blog. It is excellent.
Hi klucey22,
Thank you for your kind words.
It was not only called “the Way.” It was also called “Christian” from the time of the Apostles. See Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16.
It is true that initially the teachings and actions of Christ were passed down orally. But we are not privy to those oral teachings. What we have is what was preserved in the Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation, and perhaps in some other writings from that time, though the books that were ultimately included in the New Testament were the ones considered most reliable and authoritative, and probably best represent the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
In short, the argument that the teachings were at first passed down orally is true, but not particularly relevant, except to give us a better understanding of how the books of the New Testament originated. The Gospel of Luke offers a particularly clear statement of this source and origin of the New Testament:
In short, what we have to base our Christian beliefs on is the Bible, and especially the New Testament. But the New Testament cannot be properly understood without a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Old Testament.
On your point 1: That’s why I would not insist that it is an essential Christian truth that essential Christian truths must be found in the Bible.
But where else are we going to find them? Can we just make up whatever teachings we want, and call them essential Christian truths?
On your point 2: I’ve already responded to this at least partially above. Whatever doctrines may have been adopted and followed during the initial oral transmission stage of Christianity, the only record we have of them is in the books of the New Testament and other early Christian books. But the books of the New Testament are generally recognized and accepted as the foundational books, whereas the others are generally considered secondary. I happen to agree with that assessment.
About the Trinity, indeed there is a Trinity. Even Swedenborg, our great theologian, teaches this.
What there isn’t is a Trinity of Persons. This idea was not developed until two or three centuries after the lives of Christ and his Apostles. It is not present in the New Testament. If it were a secondary doctrine of the present-day Christian Church, then I suppose some argument could be made for its validity. But it is not. It is the central doctrine of present-day and historical Christianity from the fourth century onward—though it was not universally accepted in the first century or two of its existence. Even today there are significant sects of Christians that do not accept it, such as the Oneness Pentecostals.
However, I’ve already covered this issue much more thoroughly in this article:
What is the Biblical basis for disbelief in the doctrine of the Trinity?
Now this might be my last message.
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div>“God never changes his mind” – is th
Hi WorldQuestioner,
Sorry, but whatever you’ve been using to post messages here for the last few months hasn’t been working. I got:
and then it stopped.
God never changes his mind – is that in the Bible?
Hi WorldQuestioner,
Yes it is. For example:
God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19)And:
However, the Bible also says that God has changed his mind. For example:
And:
The Lord relented concerning this; “It shall not be,” said the Lord. (Amos 7:3, 6)There are more examples of both in the Bible.
Aren’t all of God’s plans foreordained from eternity? God is omniscient – that means he knows all the past, and can predict indefinitely in the future, right? More precisely, God is outside of time, isn’t he?
Hi WorldQuestioner,
God exists outside of time. For God, “eternity” does not mean “from forever, to forever,” but “timeless.”
God does not “predict indefinitely into the future.” That would imply that God exists within the arrow of time, looking to the future from the present as we do. But God is not limited by time. God simply sees past, present, and future events all together from an eternal present state of being. For a much fuller explanation of this, please see:
If God Already Knows What We’re Going to Do, How Can We Have Free Will?
Are you non-trinitarian? Do you believe Jesus is God?
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for stopping by, and for your comment and question.
I am a non-trinitarian as that is usually defined. The Trinity of Persons is taught nowhere in the Bible. See:
What is the Biblical basis for disbelief in the doctrine of the Trinity?
But I do believe that there is a trinity in the one person of God. See:
Who is God? Who is Jesus Christ? What about that Holy Spirit?
And yes, I believe Jesus is God. Not half of a third of God, as in the Nicene doctrine of the Trinity of Persons, but the one God of the universe.
IF JEsus did not pay our penalty, why does he need to die?
Hi Daniel,
It’s an excellent question. A full answer would require an article of its own. But consider Jesus’ own words about his impending crucifixion:
First, he says, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.” By “the ruler of this world” he means Satan, or the Devil.
Here he teaches us that through his death, his victory over the Devil will be completed. The Devil will no longer be the ruler of this world. From now on he, Jesus Christ, will be the ruler of both heaven and earth. This is how he saved us, and continues to save us, from the Devil’s power over us.
Then he said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
His death on the Cross shows his great love for us. As he said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). That great love for us—a love that is so great that he is willing to die for us—draws to him all people who truly see and understand what he did for us.
Jesus also said just before his crucifixion:
Here he teaches us that his impending death on the cross would complete the process of his “glorification,” which is explained in this article:
What Does it Mean that Jesus was “Glorified”?
Jesus says nothing at all about his death paying the penalty for our sins, nor does anyone else in the Bible. But Jesus does teach us that his death:
Hi Lee,
I am a Protestant believer for all my life. 40 years ago, I got saved and told God I am committed to seeking him and seeking the truth. I have looked under every stone I can find and joined half a dozen different denominations. All have failed me. Not one could even tell me the true meaning of baptism. First I started listening more at church. About 30 years ago, I read the Bible through for the first time. Once I did that, I started asking questions. I’ve asked pastors, church elders, and other members. None can explain the importance of baptism and other simple concepts from the Bible. At best, they can only explain why their denomination is better than another. This year, I have found my answer on baptism, on my own.
I look forward to reading more of your material. All these things you are saying, I have found to be true just this year on my own, through the Holy Spirit. I started reading about Discipleship by Bill Hull this year which opened my eyes in more ways than one. I am seeing much corruption in the church now and feel that only by God’s grace are people still getting saved. I feel like it has been corrupted since 312AD and although the Protestant movement did some good, most corruption still remains. And that goes by seeing so many “man-made” doctrines still prevalent in the church. I see denominations that say they are “Bible only” and yet have just as many “man-made” doctrines as the Catholic church does.
I have recently come to the conclusion that either the Catholic church has been correct all along or that all the churches remain in corruption. I am glad to see that others are coming to similar conclusions that I have. As a layperson, I have zero influence in my bubble so I am so happy to see you are getting the word out and more people will come to understanding of the Bible and scripture.
The Bible talks about spiritual food as “milk” or “meat”. I know it isn’t in the Bible but I have come up with 2 more – “spiritual junk food” and “spiritual poison”. I call all these “man-made” doctrine, which are outside of scripture and have not bearing on salvation, as “spiritual junk food”. I don’t mind these but they should not be taught in the church setting. They can be fun to talk about and argue amongst the learned but has nothing to do with church. Church is supposed to be a house of prayer and worship, not to teach false doctrines of man. The other is spiritual junk food. This is where Christians are attacking each other with poisonous words. Today, Christians attack Christians more than the World does. These are things such as “Christians start religious wars”, “Christians started the witch hunts”, “that denomination over there is a cult”, and I would also classify this with things like “prosperity gospel”, and “snake handling”. Things that make the church look foolish and undesirable to those who would be seeking God.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for stopping by and telling your story. I am glad the Lord is opening up your eyes to see what the Bible does and doesn’t say, in contrast to what so many so-called Christian churches say it says—which it does not.
I would date the downfall of the Christian Church (Catholic, and later Orthodox and Protestant) to 325 AD, when the Trinity of Persons was first officially adopted, and when Christianity became the state church of the Roman Empire. The “Christian Church” has been a worldly institution ever since, seeking power and wealth for itself rather than God and salvation for its people. As a result, its doctrines and beliefs have gone very far off track. See:
And there are plenty more where those came from!
I like your idea of spiritual junk food and spiritual poison. That’s exactly what so many very popular and very wrong beliefs are that are floating around these days.
Just one more link for now, about baptism:
The Meaning and Power of Baptism
If there are any other topics you have a special interest in, please let me know and I’ll refer you to any articles I may have on them. I hope you will find these enlightening and enjoyable.
Meanwhile, Godspeed on your spiritual journey.
Some part of me knew that penal substitution was illogical or didn’t make sense, or however you say it. And now what that part of me knew has been realized.
Hi World Questioner,
God leads us along the path toward truth as we are ready for it.
Hi Lee,
Is Jesus’s resurrection simply a correspondence or did that happen in our material reality as well? I was reading on your website and from Swedenborg how the Bible has an inner and outer nature as well which is a correspondence to us. But wasn’t sure if the resurrection was both or just spiritual.
Thank you Lee
Hi Sam,
Jesus’ resurrection does have a correspondence, but it also happened in reality more or less as described in the Gospels. (The accounts in the different Gospels don’t fully agree with one another on the details, so it’s best not to take the story too literally as a precise historical account.)
Did Jesus’ resurrection happen in material reality? That’s a trick question! Paul said:
In short, we humans die in our physical body, but are raised in our spiritual body.
In Jesus’ case, what died on the cross was also his physical body. However, uniquely, what was raised was not a spiritual body such as we created humans have, but a divine body. It was the glorified divine humanity of the Lord God. It was a real resurrection, but it was not a material resurrection because Jesus’ resurrection body was not made of physical matter like the body that died on the cross. It was made of divine substance. In other words, it was God just as much as the divine soul, called “the Father” in the New Testament, is God.
For a little more on Jesus’ resurrection body, see the section headlined “During his life on earth Jesus became fully divine” in this article:
If Jesus was God, How was God Still in Heaven?
For a more general overview of the process of Jesus’ human nature becoming fully divine, please see:
What Does it Mean that Jesus was “Glorified”?
What do you think of http://curiousheretic.com/2022/11/27/10-religious-teachings-i-had-to-unlearn/? I even posted a comment on that post linking him to this post of yours, but it may be awaiting moderation. I think I know where this is going – “You will not convince him” as you’ve said before.
Hi World Questioner,
It’s a good article. I don’t have any significant disagreement with anything it says. Unfortunately the existing false “Christianity” has driven millions of people away from religion.
The author had already responded to you by the time I got there, and it looks like it’s not as simple as “You will not convince him.” 🙂
Hi Lee,
I have a Bible app and you can see certain discussion around certain topics or Bible passages and I usually never read the comments but this one was the first one under the Bible verse and it caught my eye and I wanted to ask you about it.
The commentator says how “Our universe was created from nothing by a spiritual being, an ET, or ancient alien if you want to call God that… “ and that “there are other spiritual beings in abundance that we do not see. Angels and demons, Nephilim, hybrids, etc.”?
Never heard of a hybrid in the Bible before. Or how God is a an ET, or ancient alien.
This is the full quote below:
“God created the heavens and the earth… Genesis 1:1. Be not anxious, Jesus tells us for His disciples will know the truth…
So, what is truth? Pontius Pilate posed that when he talked with Jesus. God’s Word is truth… So, how much do we trust what it says? The Bible, which Bible, KJV. NIV, the book of Mormon, the JW Bible? I use the KJV because it is from my experience the best translation from ancient Hebrew (OT) and Greek (NT) that was ever made. I became convinced in the credibility of Scripture based on two things I discovered in reading/studying Scripture. Isaiah 46:9,10 states that God “knows the end from the beginning.” He has proven that via the predictions/prophecies made by OT Prophets. They documented the virgin birth of Christ, the betrayal of Christ and the crucifixion of Christ, along with many other details about Him in writing long before His birth circa 4BC. No other literature in the world has that kind of internal evidence.
Secondly, I was raised an evolutionist, public school trained, a “Big Bang” guy all the way until I investigated evidence, historical and scientific. Cosmology is a good avocation for the evolutionist because you can pose just about any “crazy idea” and someone will buy or get stirred up about it, because they are so far out there, they cannot be proven or disproven except by Scripture. Our universe was created from nothing by a spiritual being, an ET, or ancient alien if you want to call God that… He has always existed, and He is powerful enough to do whatever he wants. As He states in the passage from Isaiah. He created us in His image, so we are unique in comparison to the other creatures that inhabit the earth. The earth is unique with oceans, atmosphere, forests and rivers, plants and animals all interacting in “a circle of life.” However, there are other spiritual beings in abundance that we do not see. Angels and demons, Nephilim, hybrids, etc. They are spoken of in Scripture, but the Christian need not fear them, even Satan can be resisted by believers, though he stalks the earth “like a roaring lion seeking to devour.” So, our Lord tells us to be anxious for nothing, but make our inquiries to Him in prayer. Our mission is simple enough, believe in Him, the Word of God, our Creator, love Him and love our fellow men and women, treating them as we desire to be treated.
When I examine the various arguments made by those who do not believe in God, I can rapidly discern their error(s)… I once was one of them but now I have been intellectually convinced that God’s Word is truth, proven over and over in many ways too numerous to count. They are as Paul describes in the first chapter of Romans, “thinking themselves wise they are fools”, they worship the creature rather than the Creator, and they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Their fate is sealed for the wrath of God will be poured out on them, the one who created them and gave them life, the One they spurred and humiliated, even though He died a horrific death to beckon them to turn back to Him before it was too late.
Even many of the top cosmologists are abandoning the stardust to man over billions of years fiction. They are grasping at any straw they can to prop up their nihilistic notions. Do not let them dazzle with erudite fictions, look at what is actually real. A love of the truth is needed for salvation and when they abandon it God gives them over to delusion. 2 Thessalonians 2:10. Continue to investigate but also study the Word of God which is Jesus documented and seek in prayer Jesus who is the Word of God personified.”
Some else also added that “God is a spiritual being and created the universe. This person is just espousing what he thinks might be other explanations of who God is. Truthfully no one knows exactly how God created the universe. And that The nation of Israel reborn in a day as prophesied in Scripture. The nations of the world aligning up against Israel as we see happening now, and America backing away from her. Which nation will stand with Israel when Russia and Iran go to war against Israel, in support of their ally Syria. War between Israel and Syria rages now with most of the details hidden by the media.”
But I just wanted to get your clarity on this. I’m actually going to get a physical copy of the Bible and not use an app anymore because there’s so many people pushing unbiblical ideas.
Thank you kindly Lee
Hi Sam,
This is a lot of personal opinion masquerading as Bible commentary. It’s a mixed-up blend of fact and fiction.
First, the Bible doesn’t say the universe was created out of nothing. That’s Catholic dogma. Most of what Protestantism believe comes from its mother, the Catholic Church.
We do know exactly how the universe was created. It’s all laid out in Swedenborg’s Divine Love and Wisdom, which I highly recommend you read when you get to it. It’s a brain-bender, but it explains all of these things, including how the universe was created, not out of nothing, but out of the substance of God, which is love, while still not being God.
As for the Big Bang, it has actually stood the test of time very well. This isn’t just idle speculation, and it’s certainly not grasping at straws, nor is it a “nihilistic notion.” It is the result of millions of people and hours engaging in painstaking research and experimentation. Every other theory put forward has failed to correctly explain what we actually see out there in the physical universe.
Ironically, many materialistic scientists initially opposed the Big Bang precisely because it looks too much like a Creation event. But the alternate theories they came up with in an attempt to avoid it just kept getting disproven by scientific observation and evidence.
This writer’s opposition to the conclusions of scientists and scientific method is not based on understanding, but on a materialistic and literalistic interpretation of the Bible. This has blinded him to a massive amount of truth, both physical and spiritual.
God gave us the Bible to teach us and guide us spiritually, not to tell us about science and history.
Hi Sam,
Of course, God is not an ET, and all those Nephilim and such are mythical beings of vision, not literal creatures. Thinking they are real creatures is like encountering a monster in your dreams and convincing yourself that it is real.
All these heavenly and demonic beings have symbolic meanings relating to our spiritual battles.
Hi Lee,
Thank you kindly for the explanation on these topics regarding God, Nephilim to science and how a lot of these things are just peoples beliefs with the veneer of trying to act like it comes from the Bible. Which is horrible because what if someone who wasn’t knowledgeable about the Bible read that or didn’t know someone who they could ask took it at face value. Like you said it would blind so many people from physical and spiritual truths.
And I am definitely breaking out Divine Love and Wisdom for tonight’s reading as well! To know how God created the universe is a spiritual journey in itself! I’ve read True Christianity about the universe but I’m looking forward to sit down and really dive deep into Divine Love and Wisdom.
Thank you again Lee
Hi Lee,
I wanted to ask you on a quote I remember reading about the Bible and how there is no spiritual or heavenly meaning to it. What you see is all there is. In a way almost like a materialist view of the Bible like how spirits or “daemons” are “bacteria and viruses”?
Even though like you said in the article above how the Bible never says that everything in it is literally true.
This is the quote:
“There is no “deeper meaning” in the Bible and that what the Bible says we should take as literal truth. I do hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible unless the text itself suggests otherwise. God is not a God of confusion. Unless you take a subjective approach to the interpretation of Scripture, where everything is metaphorical and exaggerated. God doesn’t want us confused, as His word declares, then why would He hide everything behind metaphor; why would He disguise the truth? The Bible says, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Psalm 119:160); and Jesus, praying to the Father says, “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17b).”
And
“Remember, those people being talked to in that time were not privy to modern scientific language or explanations (as accurate or inaccurate as those may be). So for example, when the Lord speaks of living beings, invisible to the eye, causing all these disorders and diseases as spirits or daemons, was He “wrong” because we NOW call them bacteria or viruses? Do you really think they would have grasped the nuances of modern scientific language and explanation?”
Thank you Lee
Hi Lee,
I wanted to ask you on a quote I remember reading about the Bible and how there is no spiritual or heavenly meaning to it. What you see is all there is. In a way almost like a materialist view of the Bible like how spirits or “daemons” are “bacteria and viruses”?
Even though like you said in the article above how the Bible never says that everything in it is literally true.
This is the quote:
“There is no “deeper meaning” in the Bible and that what the Bible says we should take as literal truth. I do hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible unless the text itself suggests otherwise. God is not a God of confusion. Unless you take a subjective approach to the interpretation of Scripture, where everything is metaphorical and exaggerated. God doesn’t want us confused, as His word declares, then why would He hide everything behind metaphor; why would He disguise the truth? The Bible says, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Psalm 119:160); and Jesus, praying to the Father says, “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17b).”
And
“Remember, those people being talked to in that time were not privy to modern scientific language or explanations (as accurate or inaccurate as those may be). So for example, when the Lord speaks of living beings, invisible to the eye, causing all these disorders and diseases as spirits or daemons, was He “wrong” because we NOW call them bacteria or viruses? Do you really think they would have grasped the nuances of modern scientific language and explanation?”
Thank you Lee
Hi Sam,
Considering that most of Jesus’ teaching to the crowds was in the form of parable, which is precisely metaphor, this view of the Bible doesn’t hold any water at all.
Why would Jesus choose to mostly teach in parables and metaphor if metaphor is just “subjective” and “exaggerated”? Clearly whoever wrote this is wiser than Jesus, because this person wouldn’t make the terrible mistake that Jesus does of speaking mostly in metaphor!
It is true that the teachings we need to live a good life that leads to heaven are stated plainly, in the plain literal meaning of the Bible. Swedenborg himself says that the teachings of the Christian church should be drawn from the literal meaning of the Bible and supported by it. He specifically rejects the idea of basing Christian doctrine on the spiritual meaning of the Bible.
However, if we limit ourselves to reading everything literally that we possibly can, we render most of the Bible moot for Christians. What use does a Christian have for the book of Leviticus, which is all about how the ancient Jewish priesthood was to administer the rites and sacraments of the Temple, including detailed instructions for exactly how animals are to be sacrificed for various rituals of atoning for sin, giving thanks, celebrating happy occasions such as births or victories, and so on? Since Christians no longer follow the law of sacrifice literally, there is very little we can gain from that entire book if we insist that it has no spiritual meaning.
This writer should read the letter to the Hebrews, which makes it very clear that the Temple and all its rituals are symbolic of Jesus Christ. Swedenborg expands this to say that at its deepest level of meaning the entire Bible is symbolic of Jesus Christ. In a less deep meaning, it is all about our process of spiritual rebirth.
Further, why should Christians bother reading all of the history of the Israelites in the books of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, and so on? Sure, there are some nice moral lessons there. But what does it really matter to Christians today that the Israelites were miraculously rescued from slavery in Egypt by God, and then wandered in the desert for forty years until they were finally ready to conquer the Holy Land? If we reject any spiritual meaning to this, these are just stories of an ancient race getting freed from slavery and going on to conquer and occupy other people’s land. What’s so holy about the ancient Israelites wiping out whole clans and nations and taking their land?
Without a spiritual meaning, none of this is holy at all. Really, from a purely literal perspective, much of the Bible narrative is quite repugnant.
But with a spiritual meaning, these books tell the story of God delivering us from slavery to selfishness and materialism, guiding us through the difficult and dry times that come when we leave behind all our favorite materialistic and selfish indulgences, and then helping us to achieve victory over the evil desires and false ideas that occupy our mind and heart, so that we can dwell secure in the spiritual Holy Land of living from love for God and love for the neighbor.
Whoever wrote the stuff you quoted has a mind that is earthly and materialistic. That’s why this author rejects any spiritual meaning to the Bible, and sticks to the literal. For such people, that’s the best they can do. And once again, all the basic teachings we need to live a good life that leads to heaven are right there in the plain, literal meaning of the Bible. Even biblical literalists can learn from the Bible what’s right and wrong, and how to live according to God’s commandments. God composed the Bible so that it can speak to people at all levels of spiritual enlightenment and lack thereof.
And for those whose minds are capable of deeper, more spiritual thought, the Bible is so much more! The literal meaning is like a treasure chest. The spiritual meaning is like the gold, diamonds, and rubies inside. Rejecting the spiritual meaning is like adoring the treasure chest, and never opening it up to see what’s inside.
Hi Lee,
Thank you for the eye opening true meaning of the Bible! And what you said about how only taking a literal approach is like “adoring the treasure chest and never opening it up to see what’s inside.” Which really sums up well everything else you wrote about it! It’s amazing how much materialistic Biblical teachings people spread like spirits were actually “germs” to sleeping in the grave… really that’s no different than any other materialism. There is even people who claim to be “Christian Atheist” were they view Jesus’ stories as something good but doesn’t believe there is anything spiritual let alone the Divine. These were some of the quotes I had in my question list I saved when I stumble across something but I also occasionally encounter other Christians who I meet in person and I tell them I am a Swedenborgian. They usually say that I should be reading what the Bible says instead of “spiritualism”. But everything that Swedenborg says is in the Bible and what Jesus wrote. But like you said God wrote the Bible to reach everyone’s spiritual journey whether earthly or heavenly.
And also that’s a good thing to look out for when people talk like this acting like you said they are “wiser” than Jesus and creating a “this is the way or you’re wrong” type of preaching.
Thank you again Lee
Hi Lee,
What would your advice be for a family member who thinks Swedenborg is “all imagined” and how we shouldn’t trust him because the “Bible is older” and “contradicts what the Bible says”?
They even said how they heard “experts” say how our “spirit” (which is made up of some matter) just goes back to the universe or theyre from the devil tricking people and that’s why when there are NDEs or spiritual experiences they are similar (or different) because that’s the brain shutting down or doing this big song and dance to get us to relax because it’s “lights out forever”. They also commented on how there is no older text than the Bible and how we will all get judged on judgement day on whether we go to hell or heaven like some boring existence. They actually think Jesus will come down and only the chosen will be saved like the Left Behind movies or the parting of the Red Sea actually happened and if we believe then “that’s what counts” which they even went on to say “that’s why I don’t worry about things and feel good about myself” And how there are so many other religions because of nefarious reasons and a history of spiritual experiences doesn’t mean anything. I remember them even using the Bible as a means to be mean or disparage people who are “sinners”. Not to mention political reasons. They sorta flip between materialism and literal Biblical readings which I found ironic.
I talked about Swedenborg and about the Bible’s inner spiritual meaning about being a good neighbor and how there are differences in spiritual experiences because we are all different and how some are similar because of spiritual communities we are in and how there is a reason behind why things happen because of Divine Providence. And then they said “oh so there isn’t a God then or a heaven and we just go off to the random place then when we die” and “but what do the experts say about this (they think watching TV paranormal shows are experts like Josh Gates on the discovery channel for example or even Bigfoot)” and “who knows in reality maybe there’s robots pointing and laughing at us”.
Again I talked about Swedenborg and they practically said that’s all made up because he contradicts the Bible and he can’t know what happens after death so it’s “silly to read those imagined books”. Casting doubt on an afterlife and afterlife experiences and everything I learned.
They even said it’s “obviously sleep paralysis” or “latest studies” of “quantum entanglement of the brain” and how these experiences are essentially “digging in the dirt for meaning”.
It was like talking to a wall to be frank about it. And the most frustrating part of it was they always had a phrase or some counter arguments to knock down what I was trying to say to them. And looking at me like I’m foolish. I can only imagine what Swedenborg went through when he was publishing his spiritual books! It’s like what Swedenborg talks about in Conjugal Love 232. But I just wanted to ask for your advice when people are like this.
Thank you Lee
Hi Sam,
My general advice is the same as Jesus gave when he told his disciples that if a town they went to didn’t accept them, don’t stay there, and shake the dust off their feet as they leave. In other words, don’t waste your time with unreceptive people, and shake all their mental “dust” (misconceptions) out of your mind. Their minds are already made up. They’re just going to throw up more and more arguments against everything you say. Better to move on.
You can still have pleasant external relations with them if they are willing. This means talking about things you can agree on, or that aren’t controversial. If they try to bait you into religious arguments, don’t take the bait. You know what you believe. You have nothing to prove.
Jesus also told us that we will be known by our fruits. Whatever you believe, if you treat people well, it will show what’s in your heart and what’s in your head better than words. Perhaps seeing your kindness and good character, at some future time when they are struggling they will turn to you for help. But whether they do or they don’t, we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves, which means treating other people well, regardless of how they treat us. (But it doesn’t mean making ourselves into a doormat.)
As you suggested, it’s ironic that this person says that we must follow the Bible, but then uses all sorts of non-biblical arguments. These are really just opinions and interpretations.
Incidentally, the Bible is not the oldest text we have. There are many texts that are much older. See: Wikipedia -> Ancient Literature.
About spirits, once again, Swedenborg himself said that he did not receive any of the teachings for the new church from any angel (or spirit) but from the Lord alone while reading the Bible. See True Christianity #779. It is a popular misconception that Swedenborg’s writings came from spirits.
I know you would like to share your wonderful newfound beliefs with everyone around you. Unfortunately, most people just aren’t receptive. Best not to beat your head against a wall. You may find a few people who are receptive, and will share your faith. Treasure those people, and don’t worry about the rest. The world and all its people is still in God’s hands. Each of us can only make our own small contribution.
Hi Lee,
Thank you kindly for your advice and everything you said, that’s exactly what I am going to do from now on! Ever since learning about Swedenborg and what true Christianity is, it has brought so much joy, meaning, and peace that I always try and spread it to those who I find are spreading misinformation and causing harm in the name of Jesus or even spirituality for that matter. And thank you for sharing that great story of Jesus, it’s amazing how the Bible truly tells the story of what it’s like to be earthly and that spiritual journey of being reborn and becoming a church. But knowing I don’t have to prove anything brings a lot of peace as well and all that anyone can do is be a good neighbor but also learning to stick up for yourself as well. And also how the Bible isn’t the oldest but how there’s been religion all over the world across all time periods really shows Divine Providence.
I don’t have a lot of experience of talking about Biblical or spiritual things to people in person. Next time I won’t let it go that far and move on than taking the bait like I did and just let everything else in God’s hands like you said which is such a calming and reinsuring feeling!
Thank you kindly again Lee
Hi Lee,
I was reading a passage off my Bible app and there was a slide show type of segment on it from a pastor who said:
“In the book of Galatians, the apostle Paul was astonished that the church was so quick to believe false claims. Legalists had crept into the church and started claiming that salvation in Christ alone was not enough. They claimed that a person must be saved by faith plus works. This was not the gospel that Paul had preached to them. He said, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:8).
An early conspiracy: Matthew 28:11-15, The guards at Jesus’ tomb were paid to fabricate a false story concerning the Resurrection. The chief priests and elders bribed the soldiers to say that Christ’s disciples had come and stolen the body of Jesus. This was to appease the political needs of the day as well as being a attempt to discredit the supernatural resurrection of Christ. People are prone to believe false reports especially when they do not want to believe the truth in the first place.”
This reminds me like Martin Luther who was spreading that faith alone saves. But this person is going as far as saying believing in faith and doing the hard work of being a good person is actually unbiblical. That kinda blows my mind that someone and a pastor on top of it could actually spread such an idea plus it doesn’t even make sense. But I just wanted to get your thoughts on that passage that’s being quoted and how they could even get this idea from that?
Thank you Lee
Hi Sam,
The irony is that this pastor is himself preaching a Gospel that Paul never preached. He is not preaching the Gospel of Jesus, or even the Gospel of Paul. He is preaching the Gospel of Luther.
No one before Luther claimed that good works are not saving. Paul himself never says we are saved by faith apart from good works. Look it up for yourself. You will see that it is always “works,” never “good works.” And he never says that we are saved by faith alone. Pastors such as this one add these words into the Bible to make it conform to Luther’s doctrine. Luther himself added the word “alone” to “faith” in Romans 3:28 in his German translation of the Bible.
Paul makes it very clear what he means by using the word “works” when he uses the full version, “the works of the Law,” and when he goes on to talk about circumcision and uncircumcision, Jew vs. Gentile, and so on. All you have to do is read Acts 15 to get the full background and context of Paul’s argument. If Paul had meant that we are saved by faith without good works, or by faith alone, he would have said so. He had the vocabulary and the writing ability. But he never did. James did use the term “faith alone” (in order to reject it), so it’s not as though that term didn’t exist among the early followers of Jesus.
This pastor is guilty of doing the very thing he preaches against: preaching a false, legalistic Gospel that is contrary to the teachings of both Jesus and Paul.
Are you aware that another name for the satisfaction theory of atonement, including its Protestant penal substitution version, is “forensic theory”? The word “forensic” is just a fancier word for “legal.” This pastor preaches an explicitly legalistic theory of atonement while railing against legalism. Paul, who spent so much energy attempting to do away with legalism, would be turning in his grave.
Hi Lee,
Very interesting and eye opening! It’s crazy how people claim to be Christian and “follow” Jesus and say what’s “biblical and what’s not” are they themselves spreading unbiblical knowledge, and when reading the passage it says nothing of the sort, definitely ironic! I can’t believe stuff like this is still preached and prevalent when anyone can see it’s not true. I can only imagine Paul would be facepalming at all the ways his words are being twisted.
Thank you for the clarification