THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW!

David L. Odom

1. God has NEVER allowed man to ‘add to’, or ‘take away’ from His Word:

a. Deuteronomy 4:2 - “You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it, that you may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.”

b. Deuteronomy 12:32 - “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.”

c. Proverbs 30:6 - “Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.”

d. Revelation 22:18, 19 - “18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”

2. Our responsibility:

a. I Peter 4:11 - “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles (utterances, very words) of God…”

b. I Corinthians 4:6 - “Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us you might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.” THIS GOES BACK TO CHAPTER 1:10-13:

c. I Corinthians 1:10-13 - “10 Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I mean, that each one of you says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized into the name of Paul?”

3. What if we DO go beyond the things which are written?

a. Galatians 1:6-10 – “6 I marvel that you are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel; 7 which is not another gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert (distort, change) the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema (accursed, condemned). 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preaches unto you any gospel other than that which you received, let him be anathema (accursed, condemned). 10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ.”

b. 2 John 9 – “Whosoever transgresses (goes onward), and abides not in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ, has not God. He that abides in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.”