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"The word of God is quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even
to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart." (Hebrews 4:12 KJV). The ability to utilize the Word
of God accurately and correctly in the witnessing situation is a
great asset. When dealing with people who already have a faith
structure, it is vital.
This booklet outlines 100 verses
of Scripture that have proven effective in the witnessing
situation with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, or, the Mormons. This listing of verses is the
result of many hundreds of hours of one-on-one and sometimes
one-on-twenty witnessing, ranging from people's homes to street
corners, Mormon pageants, and even the Temple in Salt Lake City
during General Conference. They have been tested under fire, and,
when properly used, have proven their worth.
Of course, any verse without a
context is a pretext, and you will want to be thoroughly familiar
with the context of each of these passages. Still, the ability to
quote a verse from memory and skillfully utilize that text in
debate is needful to the person who wishes to be truly equipped
and prepared. Most conversations between a Christian and a Mormon
will be moving far too fast for looking up verses in the
concordance of a Bible, and I have found that being able to quote
a verse quickly and accurately gives the Christian the advantage
of keeping control of the conversation, an occurrence all too
rare in most cases.
This booklet alone cannot provide
you with all the information you need to be properly prepared to
enter the battlefield. Study of Mormon doctrine is important, and
even more important is the study of the basic Christian
doctrines. Hopefully memorizing 100 verses will set you on a
life-long course of Scripture memorization that will help you
grow in the knowledge of God's Word and in your relationship with
Him. I openly acknowledge the great influence of one of the best
missionaries to the Mormons, Wally Tope. Though not specifically
involved in the production of this work, his book On the
Frontlines Witnessing to Mormons provided me with my "basic
training" years ago, and that influence can be seen in the
Scripture selections found herein.
How Do I Memorize that
Many Verses???
Different people memorize in
different ways. Don't believe the old excuse that you simply
cannot memorize verses - I feel anyone is able to accomplish that
task. When you think about it, you memorize a great deal of
information every day. How many phone numbers do you know? How
many addresses? Most of us, if we sat down and took the time to
do it, could create a long list of names and phone numbers and
combinations and codes and so on and so on. Hence, you are able
to memorize Scripture is you really want to. That is the key -
you must desire it with all your heart, and be willing to make
the commitment that it takes to get the job done.
Repetition is important in
learning. Somehow you must devise a system whereby you are able
to review your verses on a daily basis. This is not something
that will end after the 100th verse is memorized - it will go on
for the rest of your life if you really want to keep the verses
fresh in your mind. My system began by keeping a master list of
all verses memorized, as well as those being worked on. Once a
verse is memorized, it is placed on the list and reviewed each
day for ten days, a place for a mark being available for each of
the days. When the ten day review is over, it is placed in a
category that is reviewed once every week or month.
But how do I memorize the verse?
The most effective method I have found involves quotation and
writing. Read over the verse three or four times, noting the
natural breaks and rhythms. Begin trying to quote from memory,
making sure to check your accuracy - you don't want to start off
memorizing it incorrectly! Once you can quote it ten times
straight, take out a sheet of paper and begin to write it. Check
the written verse for correct-ness. Write it again, and check it
again. Write it at least 5 times. This seems to really ingrain
the verse in the memory. Make sure to review it each day for at
least 10 days.
Once you begin to have a fairly
extensive list, you may want to upgrade your system. I eventually
had to go to a 3 X 5 card system. This is especially handy in
reviewing a long list of verses, as it cuts down on having to
look up each verse in the Bible. It is also helpful to be able to
categorize the verses in general category headings.
There are numerous variations on
the above method, and you may not like any of them. No matter how
you do it, make it a priority. Without a commitment to following
through you will never get the verses down. Believe me, the
thrill of being able to answer the attacks of a whole group of
Mormon Elders while pushing forward the claims of Christ on their
lives is well worth the effort of memorization.
But Which Version Do I
Use??
That is a very good question. Most
would immediately answer - "why, King James of course!"
It is true that since the LDS Church accepts only the KJV, it is
the one familiar to most Mormons. However, many Christians today
perfer memorizing the Word in a translation that re-presents both
modern language and modern textual inform-ation. As many of these
verses will mean much to you in your personal life, the choice is
up to you. I personally began with the King James Version and
switched to the New American Standard at a later time, a
situation which presents its own problems, to be sure. If you
choose to go with a more modern version, realize that you will
need to be able to give a good, quick, concise and accurate
explanation of how we get the Bible, including textual history
and translation. Most Mormons don't know a thing about the
subject whatsoever, and rarely does a Christian have to go very
in-depth. But if you use another translation other than the KJV,
you will have to give a good reason for it. For the sake of
simplicity, I will follow the KJV in quoting the verses, and will
point out translation difficulties when they arise.
The Program
The verses will be broken up into
topical sections. It is vitally important that background
information be included, not only to give you needed data, but
you will find it extremely helpful to be able to explain the
context and importance of a verse to a Mormon, who will 95% of
the time be ignorant of solid rules of interpret-ation as well as
Biblical backgrounds, both of which are necessary to understand
the Bible and its message. If you don't have a plan of attack or
a goal you are working toward in the witnessing encounter, you
will be lost. But if you have a goal, say, to deal with the
Mormon testimony, you can organize your thoughts, marshal your
verses, and present your case convincingly. Believe me, a person
who has memorized these verses and is aware of his/her own faith
as well as the errors of Mormonism will be well equipped for the
task. With that, lets get started!
Section I
The
Authority of God's Word
Verses:
1. Proverbs 30:5-6
2. Proverbs 13:13
3. Isaiah 40:8
4. Matthew 24:35
1. Proverbs 30:5-6: "Every
word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their
trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee,
and thou be found a liar."
Comment: These verses, as is
obvious, discuss the authority of God's Word, its
unchangeableness, and the foolishness of adding to it or
slighting it. Many Mormons have trouble accepting the authority
of the Bible in their lives. These verses may help.
2. Proverbs 13:13: "Whoso
despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the
commandment shall be rewarded."
3. Isaiah 40:8: "The grass
withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand
for ever."
Comment: Peter's use of this
passage and his inter-pretation of it at 1 Peter 1:23-25 is
interesting, as well.
4. Matthew 24:35: "Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Section II
The Mormon
Testimony
Verses:
5. Proverbs 14:12
6. Jeremiah 17:9
7. Acts 17:11
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
9. James 1:5
5. Proverbs 14:12: "There is
a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof
are the ways of death."
6. Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart
is deceitful above all things, and desparately wicked: who can
know it?"
Comment: I have found these verses
to be extremely effective in communicating to LDS the Bible's
position concerning what is and what is not truth. The Mormon's
"burning-bosom" experience is frequently used by them
as their basis of truth. They need to realize that to trust their
eternal welfare to a feeling that a shot of Alka-Seltzer could
get rid of is the extreme of folly. We all know people who
believe many things very sincerely, and even feel that the
"Holy Ghost" has told them that what they believe is
true. They may be just as sincere as the LDS person is - so what
is the difference? We all have testimonies, and if having one
makes you right, then we are all right and we might as well
forget it. Instead, the Bible provides us with an unchanging
standard by which our feelings must be measured, not the other
way around.
7. Acts 17:11: "These were
more noble minded that those is Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the
Scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
Comment: This is a very important
verse that you cannot simply rattle off. It must be explained to
be effective. Begin by explaining the background - possibly like
this: "Paul and Silas are kicked out of Thessalonica. They
come to Berea and begin to preach the Gospel. Now, the
Bereans have never seen Paul and
Silas before, nor have they heard this Gospel. How are they going
to know that it is true? If the Mormon position is right, we
should read that they hit their knees and began praying to
receive a testimony. Is this what we find? No." At this
point you quote the verse, emphasizing the last clause which says
"and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were
so." You then might continue by pointing out the fact that
the Word of God was the standard the Bereans appealed to, not
their emotions. Then, before the Mormon does so, move to the next
verses.
8. I Thessalonians 5:21:
"Prove all things, hold fast that which is good."
9. James 1:5: "If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
Comment: I Thessalonians 5:21 is a
verse that will come in handy in many situations and with many
different groups. I know a large number of Christians that should
take its advice as well. At any rate, you will want to back up
Acts 17:11 with this, and then move straight to James 1:5 before
the Mormon does. Since it is claimed that James 1:5 gave Joseph
Smith his impetus to go out into the woods to pray before the
First Vision experience, most Mormons are familiar with it, and
will use it to try to make prayer more important than God's
revealed Word in determining truth. It is very effective to go to
the favorite verses of Mormons, and interpret them correctly
before the LDS person can give his false view of it. This is one
of the keys of keeping control of the conversation! You might do
it like this, "Now, it is true that James tells us that if
we lack wisdom, we are to ask of God. However, it is important to
note that the word used at James 1:5 is wisdom (Gr: sophia), not
knowledge (Gr: gnosis)." [You may wish to learn the Greek
words and use them at this point]. "Hence we see that the
Bible does not contradict itself, but does indeed tell us that
God's revealed Word is the final authority, not our feelings or
prayers, no matter how strong those feelings, or sincere those
prayers." This series of verses, properly utilized, can open
many doors that otherwise would be shut. Learn them well.
Section III
God
[Note: This section is divided
into three different presentations. Of course, this listing is
not meant to be exhaustive, and includes only those verses that
lend themselves to the battle-line situation. There are many,
many more that say the same things.]
- There is only ONE God -
Verses
10. Deuteronomy 6:4
11. Isaiah 43:10-11
12. Isaiah 44:6, 8
13. Isaiah 45:5-6
14. Isaiah 45:22
15. Psalm 96:5
10. Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O
Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:"
Comment: [For the reason LORD is
in small caps, see verse 16 below]. This verse is known as the
Shema (from the Hebrew word translated "Hear!"). It was
recited every morning by every good Jew. It is the heart and soul
of Judaism - it is sheer monotheism - one God. The passage goes
on to talk about loving Yahweh (LORD) with all
your heart and soul - a pretty tough trick if there is more than
one God hanging around out there!
11. Isaiah 43:10-11: "You are
my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that
ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before
me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I,
even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour."
Comment: I doubt there is a more
often used verse in dealing with Mormons than Isaiah 43:10. The
reason is clear - the LDS law of "eternal progression"
[intelligence -> spirit -> man -> god] is cut right in
half by this verse. There were no gods before Him, and there will
be none after him. As Wally Tope likes to put it, there is no
"Future Gods of America Club" - God is not advertising
for vacancies. The Christian finds firm ground in this verse upon
which to make his stand, and stand he should! Unless a Mormon
comes to realize that there is only one true God, he is going to
have a tough time understanding the salvation offered by that one
God! [You may also be interested to know that this verse is the
source of the name for another rather famous cult - Jehovah's
Witnesses].
Few Mormons have ever seen or read
Isaiah 43:10, and even if they did, they probably missed it, so
effective are the Mormon blinders of false doctrine and the
"testimony." But a few have run into it in debate
before, and may try to use an old trick on you. They will point
out (rightly, as far as it goes) that the context here is in
reference to false gods - hence, God is simply saying that He is
the only God for this planet, and that we should not worship
false gods. As you can see that ploy does not really address the
issue, but it seems logical to the Mormon. How do you deal with
that? Simple. You might do it like this: "Then what you are
saying is this, "before me there were no false gods formed,
and there will be none after me"? Certainly you can see that
that doesn't work. God is proclaiming his uniqueness - there is
only one true God, and He is it!" You would then move
quickly to consolidate the Biblical position with one or more of
the following verses.
12. Isaiah 44:6, 8: "Thus
saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of
hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is
no God...Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee
from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.
Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not
any."
Comment: Two more strong verses in
proclaiming monotheism to the polytheistic Mormon. Verse eight is
best introduced with a question - "Does God know about all
those other gods out there?" The answer, from the LDS
viewpoint, is obvious - they must answer yes (if they don't you
might want to point out Psalm 147:5). "Well, if He knows of
all those other gods out there, why does He say in Isaiah
44:8..." [Note - the New American Standard will have,
"Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other
Rock" rather than the KJV "God." The difference is
purely translational, as the word translated "rock" is
frequently used of God in the OT].
13. Isaiah 45:5-6: "I am the
LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me:
I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know
from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none
beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else."
Comment: Modern versions will
translate the phrase "from the west" much more
accurately, recognizing it as the idiom for the setting of the
sun.
14. Isaiah 45:22: "Look unto
me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and
there is none else."
Comment: You may wish to point out
the fact that since this one true God is the only one who saves,
it is important to know Him.
15. Psalm 96:5: "For all the
gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the
heavens."
Comment: This verse will be useful
when a Mormon dredges up some obscure reference to
"gods" in the Bible (see specific examples of this
below under the Miscellanious category).
- Who are/is Yahweh and
Elohim? -
Verses
16. Deuteronomy 4:35
17. Psalm 100:3
18. 1 Kings 18:39
19. Isaiah 44:24
20. Psalm 97:9
16. Deuteronomy 4:35: "Unto
thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he
is God; there is none else beside him."
Comment: Though it is important,
especially in this series of verses, to stick with the KJV,
please change "shewed" to at least "showed"
if not "shown." Thank you.
This section of verses introduces
an aspect of witnessing that few have undertaken to use very
often. We at Alpha and Omega Ministries have found it to be
helpful, and so I share it with you. In Mormonism, the two Hebrew
words which refer to the one true God are mixed up. Mormons
believe that "Elohim" (which is translated
"God") is the Father, and that "Jehovah" is
the Son. Now, "Jehovah" is a false pronunciation of the
Hebrew word "YHWH," correctly pronounced
"Yahweh." This is God's "personal" name in
the Old Testament. Unlike Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons rightly
believe that Jesus is Jehovah (YHWH) - unfortunately, since they
miss the clear fact that there is only one God, they miss the
significance of the whole thing. At any rate, in Mormonism the
Father and Son are two distinct personages and two distinct gods
- hence, the Bible should support this teaching. Does the Bible
teach that "Elohim" and "Jehovah" are two
beings?
Before we can answer that, we must
figure out how to recognize the Hebrew words themselves in an
English translation. A vast majority of the time, the word
"God" in the English Bible is the translation of the
Hebrew "Elohim." If you are in doubt about a specific
passage, consult an exhaustive concordance of the Bible (such as Strong's). The way you recognize the Tetragrammaton
(=YHWH) is
that the English Bible will translate it "Lord" but
will have the "o-r-d" in capitals, yet a smaller size.
We will indicate this by typing it "LORD". Should
you need to give support for this to the Mormon (which you
probably will) see the Bible Dictionary in the back of the King
James Version published by the Mormon Church (1979 and after),
page 711, top left column (or, under "Jehovah"). This
should satisfy them.
Hence, if we can find Scripture
identifying Elohim as Jehovah, or Jehovah as Elohim, the Mormon
teaching is in trouble, to say the least. Now, I have been kicked
out of Mormon Visitor's centers for showing these verses to
people they are so plain, especially to Temple Mormons. Allow me
to explain. In the temple ceremony, Elohim and Jehovah appear as
separate and distinct individuals. They talk with each other and
interact - there is no way to confuse them. In Talmage's book
Articles of Faith, pages 466-473, we have "The Father and
The Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The
Twelve." It clearly identifies the Father and Elohim and the
Son as Jehovah. Why go into all of this? The only way Mormons can
get around the fact that the Bible says Elohim is Jehovah is to
deny that they really identify the Father as Elohim; "that
is just a matter of convenience" is one excuse I have heard.
Most Mormons won't do that - only those who know they have a real
problem supporting this teaching.
Now, what does all of this have to
do with this section of verses? You may have already guessed. As
you look at Deuteronomy 4:35, you will notice that it says
"...the LORD, he is God..." With your new
knowledge, you can tell that the Hebrew text reads,
"...Jehovah, he is Elohim..." Oops, the LDS church has
a problem here. Now you can see the value of these verses. Look
at the next one.
17. Psalm 100:3: "Know that
the LORD he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we
ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."
Comment: You can see the direct
connection between Dt. 4:35 and Psalm 100:3 - both say
"Jehovah, he is Elohim." Notice also the problem
polytheism has with these passages - Dt. 4:35 says there is none
other beside him, not them - which is what it would have
to say if Jehovah and Elohim were different beings.
18. I Kings 18:39: "And when
all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said,
"The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the
God."
Comment: Again, the identification
of Jehovah as Elohim is here made, twice even!
19. Isaiah 44:24: "Thus saith
the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the
womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth
for the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by
myself."
Comment: This verse provides what
might be called a "sanctified trap." It can be used to
make a Mormon see the contradiction between his temple ceremonies
and the Bible. In the temple ceremony, Elohim directs Jehovah and
Michael to go down and organize an earth similar to the ones they
have already made. Hence, Jehovah is not alone in creating the
earth - Elohim is in charge and Michael is with him. By asking a
question like, "Was Jehovah alone when he created the earth,
or did he have help from others? Was Elohim involved?" you
can lead into this verse quite nicely and present yet another
problem for the Mormon's polytheistic ideas.
20. Psalm 97:9: "For thou, LORD, art
high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all
gods."
Comment: Should the LDS person
persist in his belief in polytheism, this verse will present
another difficulty. In Mormonism, it is impossible for Jesus
(Jehovah) to be exalted above his Father (Elohim). Hence, when
faced with the above verse, the Mormon must admit either 1) the
"gods" mentioned are not real gods but false gods, or,
2) that Jehovah is exalted far above all gods, including
"Elohim". Either position causes problems for his
argument.
[Note: the above section presents
some somewhat complicated information - use your best judgment as
to whether the situation warrants its use.]
- God's Nature -
Verses
21. Psalm 90:2
22. Malachi 3:6
23. Numbers 23:19
24. Hosea 11:9
25. Jeremiah 23:24
26. 2 Chronicles 6:18
21. Psalm 90:2: "Before the
mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth
and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art
God."
Comment: I have not yet had an
even semi-reasonable rebuttal of this verse by a Mormon of any
rank. The best they have ever offered is, "Well, he is the
God of this eternity, but not other eternities."
This, of course, involves a redefinition of the very term
"eternity." I use my hands to point one direction while
quoting "even from everlasting..." and then, pointing
180 degrees the other direction, "...to everlasting, thou
art God." It is good to emphasis the present
"art." He not just "was" or "will
be," He is God, and has always been God and always will be
God. Press the claims of this verse strongly.
22. Malachi 3:6: "For I am
the LORD, I change not."
Comment: Notice only the first
part of the verse is given, as the last portion goes on to
re-join the contextual discussion. God does not change - because
of that we can have trust in God and His plan of salvation. This
idea can have a very strong effect on a Mormon, especially one
who is realizing the sheer folly of any kind of works-salvation
system. Many Latter-day Saints long to have security - long to
have a righteousness not based on their works (Philippians 3:9!)
but on God's grace. In my first encounter with Mormon
missionaries I brought up this very fact, that my salvation as a
Christian was based on the word of an unchanging, eternal God,
while his salvation was based on the word of a god who was once a
man. The point drove home, I could tell.
23. Numbers 23:19: "God is
not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he
should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he
spoken, and shall he not make it good?"
Comment: God is not a man - not
even an exalted man. God is a completely different order of being
than is man - man is God's creation. Be prepared for the sharp
Mormon to take you to Genesis 6:6 and try to show a contradiction
in the Bible (interesting, isn't it, how the cults must attack
the Bible?). Problem is, they are ignoring the context of the
passages and the meanings of the words. The word literally means
to "sigh deeply" or be troubled. In Genesis 6:6 the
rest of the verse expresses God's deep sorrow at the wickedness
of man. Such is not the case at Numbers 23:19 - here the context
clearly is in reference to a changeableness like man's.
24. Hosea 11:9: "...for I am
God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee..."
Comment: Again, the whole verse is
not given here.
25. Jeremiah 23:24: "Can any
man hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith
the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD."
Comment: The Mormon has been
taught that the Christian's view of God is some fuzzy ethereal
essence floating about through space like some kind of cosmic
fog. The very idea of a God who is omnipresent and unlimited was
held up to open ridicule in the Mormon temple ceremonies (as was
the doctrine of salvation by grace) all the way up to 1990. Since
man cannot imagine such a majestic, glorious, eternal and
unlimited being as the God who reveals Himself in the Bible, he
comes up with squashed-down, man-like imitations that are much
more to his liking. Such is the Mormon doctrine of God. Joseph
Smith reached up and pulled God down from his throne and made him
a man, while reaching down and pulling man up by his boot-straps
and making him a god-in-embryo (yet another Wally Topism). The
Bible will have none of this kind of teaching. God Himself says,
"Do not I fill heaven and earth?" "Oh,
yes!" says the Mormon, "God fills heaven and earth
through his influence, His Holy Spirit!" But is that what it
says? God says, "do not I fill heaven and earth,"
not "does not my influence fill heaven and earth."
26. 2 Chronicles 6:18: "But
will God in very deed dwell with men on earth? behold, heaven and
the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this
house which I have built!"
Section IV
Jesus and
Lucifer
Verses
27. Colossians 1:15-17
28. John 1:3
29. Ezekiel 28:13
30. Revelation 22:13
27. Colossians 1:15-17: "Who
is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things
were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things,
and by him all things consist."
Comment: This section of verses
addresses a vital topic in Mormon teaching - Jesus, according to
Mormons, is the spirit-brother of Lucifer! This amazing teaching
is based on the idea that since Jesus is God the Father's literal
offspring (in his case, both spiritually and physically) as is
Lucifer, they must be spirit-brothers. This blasphemy is based
upon numerous other errors such as polytheism, which we have
already addressed. At any rate, it is quite useful (as well as
important) to be able to demolish this falsehood Biblically, and
these verses provide a framework in which to do it.
By utilizing the Colossians
passage above, you will force the Mormon to see the Scriptural
position concern-ing Christ over against their limited ideas. The
LDS Church does teach that Jesus created all things - while at
the same time denying that. Yes, I know that doesn't make sense.
See, the Mormon limits the Bible's authority spacially - i.e.,
the Bible is true only as long as it rests on planet earth - it
is "only for this world." Hence, when the Bible says
"all things" the Mormon auto-matically thinks of only
those things related to this world - they cannot understand it to
mean what it says, "all things..." They must
alter the Scriptures at this point in their thinking. The
Christian must point out this illogical thinking, and that is not
easy. Mormons do not have the concept of the true, eternal,
almighty, omnipotent God of the Bible that Christians do. The
Bible clearly states that Jesus created all things - there are no
exceptions.
(Note: some Mormons will actually
ask you, "so who created God? Did Jesus create God?"
Psalm 90:2 will help.)
28. John 1:3: "All things
were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was
made."
Comment: Make sure to familiarize
yourself with the context of this verse. You will again need to
set the stage before using this, making sure the Mormon realizes
that the "him" in verse three is in reference to the
Word who is Jesus Christ (1:14).
29. Ezekiel 28:13: "Thou hast
been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy
covering...the work-manship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was
prepared in thee in the day that thou was created."
Comment: You may wish to memorize
this one in the NASB or some other modern version -
"tabrets" and "pipes"? At any rate, the verse
is important because of its reference to one who was "in
Eden." The next verse this person is identified as "the
anointed cherub that covereth" and that this one was
"upon the holy mountain of God." Many scholars would
identify this passage as having a double audience - one, the
obvious "king of Tyre" (vs. 12), the other Lucifer
himself. Be aware that there are Christian scholars who would not
push this passage that far - they do not see Satan addressed
here. Most, however, see Satan referenced both here as well as in
Isaiah 14. It seems fairly obvious to me that Ezekiel 28 does
refer to Satan, and in that, says that he was
"created." The important point is that Satan is a
created being - and, since we have seen, Jesus Christ created all
things, how could the Creator (Jesus) be the spirit brother of
His creation (Satan)? That is the point!
30. Revelation 22:13: "I am
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the
last."
Comment: This passage could be
used as the "stinger" in this discussion. I usually use
it like this, "the Bible says Jesus is the Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end, the first and the last, not number
165,000 on the totem pole." The fact is Jesus is supreme -
He is not one of many gods, but is the One True God.
Section V
Blood
Atonement
Verses
31. I John 1:7
32. 1 Peter 1:19
33. Matthew 12:31-32
31. I John 1:7: "But if we
walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth
us from all sin."
32. I Peter 1:19: (ye were
redeemed...) "...with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot..."
Comment: These verses put forth
the Biblical teaching that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is
all-powerful and all-sufficient. There is no trespass, no sin, no
in-fraction that is so serious that the blood of Jesus Christ is
not powerful enough to cleanse it. This is not the case in
Mormonism, however. A sinful man's blood is more powerful than
Christ's for the forgiveness of serious sins such as murder in
the LDS Church. Now, as soon as you quote the above two passages,
the Mormon will bring up the next verse, so lets move on to it...
33. Matthew 12:31-32:
"Wherefore, I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy
shall be forgiven men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost
shall not be forgiven men. And whosoever speaketh a word against
the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in
this world, neither in the age to come."
Comment: At this point the Mormon
will bring up the "unpardonable sin." They identify the
unpardonable sin with their idea of blood atonement. Hence, the
Christian must be able to deal with the unpardonable sin issue in
a fast, logical, easily communicated way.
Now, I will be the first to admit
that there are a number of different views to be found amongst
Christians concerning this topic. The view I take I freely admit
comes from a professor I had in college by the name of Dr. D. C.
Martin. At first I didn't like the way Dr. Martin (to be
distinguished from Dr. Walter Martin) put this, but as I dealt
with the topic in relationship to the cults, I found his
explanation to be very consistent.
Basically, this is how I handle
the unpardonable sin:
The context of this passage is
vital to an understanding of it. Just before these words of Jesus
He had cast out a demon. The Pharisees had come to Him and
accused Him of casting out demons by the prince of demons, Beelzebul, or Satan. This charge provides the background for
understanding verses 31 and 32. The Pharisees had identified the
working of the Holy Spirit with the power of Satan - they had
called God the devil.
Jesus identifies this act, that of
calling that which is good evil, as the unpardonable sin. Why is
this un-pardonable? Is it unpardonable because it is so serious
that even the sacrifice of Christ cannot atone for it? No, I
don't believe so. Lets see why.
When one blasphemes the Holy
Spirit, he (or she) is cutting himself off from the presence and
work of the Spirit. When one rejects the work of the Holy Spirit
(by attributing it to evil, as the Pharisees had done), one is
cut off from His convicting power. Remember that the Bible tells
us (John 16:8) that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to
bring conviction of sin to the heart of man.
This is what makes the
unpardonable sin unpardonable - it is not the seriousness of the
sin itself, as the effect it has - one cannot ask for forgiveness
of sin unless one is convicted by the Holy Spirit. When one cuts
oneself off from His convicting power, one cannot any longer ask
for pardon, hence the unpardonable sin. As Dr. Martin put it, it
is unpardonable because it is unpardonable - you can't ask for
forgiveness from it.
Now, it may be asked, who would
commit this sin? First, we can see that the person would have to
be terribly twisted, calling what is obviously good, evil, and
what is obviously evil, good. Isaiah put it this way, "Woe
unto them who call evil, good, and good, evil; who put darkness
for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and
sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20). The most likely candidates
for this, ironically, are religious people - the very ones who
have the most "light" in which to walk are the ones who
can become so twisted as to commit this sin. I have seen, sadly,
such people involved both in cults, and more often, in atheism. I
remember debating a man who was once a minister but who now is an
active atheist, a "minister preaching the good news of freethought." Such a person,
by his own
statements, is a likely candidate for the unpardonable sin, and
most definitely falls in the category of one spoken of in Hebrews
6:4-6.
The main point of all this is the
fact that the unpardonable sin is not one that by its grossness
or severity is beyond the reach of Christ's power to forgive - it
is unforgivable because of the position it places the sinner in,
a position from which he cannot cry for forgiveness. Indeed, it
is my opinion that the one who has committed the unpardonable sin
will not care about it - his conscience is seared and he is not
concerned at all. By the same token, if a person is concerned
about his having committed this sin, it is very doubtful that he
has.
Section VI
Priesthoods
Verses
34. Numbers 16:40
35. Hebrews 5:4
36. Hebrews 7:3
37. Hebrews 7:12
38. Hebrews 7:24-25
39. Hebrews 8:4
40. Matthew 27:51
41. John 1:12
42. Revelation 1:5
43. 1 Peter 2:5
[Note: It is not my intention to
go deeply into the topic of the priesthoods in this section. That
must be left up to your own study and work. Comments will be
limited to technical aspects and suggestions]
34. Numbers 16:40: "To
be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, who
is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before
the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the
LORD said to him by the hand of Moses."
Comment: Again, the context and
background must be discussed. Learn about Korah's rebellion, and
how this demonstrates that one must be a Levite of the family of
Aaron to officiate in the Aaronic priesthood. Then, you must
point out that in the Mormon's "patriarchal blessing"
he was told that he was of the tribe of Ephraim or Manassah - not
the tribe of Levi or the family of Aaron! Hence, he cannot hold
the Aaronic priesthood, at least not at the same time maintaining
that it is the same priesthood that was in existence in that day.
35. Hebrews 5:4: "And
no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of
God, as was Aaron."
Comment: This is a favorite verse
of Mormons, which in reality condemns their position. They
usually quote it thinking that they were called even as Aaron
was. A quick glance at Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8 will reveal how
Aaron was called - modern LDS certainly are not called in that
way! (Some LDS might say the "call" came from God and
that is what Hebrews 5:4 is about - fine. Then what does Hebrews
5:4 have to do with their claim to the Aaronic priesthood at all?
This interpretation, which is correct, causes the LDS position
severe troubles in light of the rest of the book of Hebrews'
presentation of what is, and what is not, the priesthood.)
36. Hebrews 7:3: "Without
father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning
of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, [he]
abideth a priest continually."
Comment: Much more important than
the "Aaronic" priesthood is the supposed
"Melchizedek" priesthood held by Mormon elders 19 years
of age and older. Hebrews is the source of our information about
this priesthood, and to it we will turn. Note that 7:3 gives us a
description of the Melchizedek priest - he is without father,
mother, descent, and is eternal. Few Mormons will claim to fill
those requirements. Also,
as soon as this topic is broached,
you will surely be asked, "Well, who was Melchizedek then?
Isn't he still a priest?" We are given very little actual
information about the historical person Melchizedek, so it is
hard to answer that question. The writer of Hebrews' point is
that the Melchizedek priesthood is completely and totally unique,
and so we can't get a lot of information from that source. Many
scholars feel Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus
Christ, and this is the position I personally take. Of course,
Mormons don't take much stock in what scholars think about
anything - they just accept what their own leadership teaches. It
would be best to keep the conversation on the subject by pressing
the claim of the Scripture at that point, or by bringing in
Hebrews 7:24-25 at this point (see below).
37. Hebrews 7:12: "For
the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a
change also of the law."
Comment: The word translated
"change" is the term metatithemi. Dr. A. T.
Robertson commented on this passage, "God's choice of
another kind of priesthood for his Son, left the Levitical line
off to one side, forever discounted...." Some really sharp
Mormons might say, "Yes, the priesthood has been changed -
now today we don't have to be of the tribe of Levi!" Of
course, this ignores what Hebrews is talking about in the first
place. This response is very rare - most Mormons would recoil
from the very idea - but it could come up.
38. Hebrews 7:24-25: "But
this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable
priesthood. Therefore, he is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them."
Comment: This is an extremely
important passage to get down. Of course, I would suggest getting
the context of the entire discussion of the priesthood in Hebrews
down first. Then, get specific with this passage. The
"man" is, of course, Jesus Christ. The writer says that
because he continueth ever, he has an unchangeable
priesthood. Now, first notice that the basis of the priesthood is
the fact that "he continueth ever" - He is eternal. How
can a Mormon claim this? Next, the word translated
"unchangeable" is very important. Since it is used only
here in all the Bible, it is hard to be dogmatic about the
translation. At the same time, it is clear that the meaning is
"intransferrable," (Strong's) and "unchangeable,
and therefore not liable to pass to a successor" (Thayer's
Greek Lexicon). A. T. Robertson commented "God placed Christ
in this priesthood and no one else can step into it," and
the Expositor's commentary says "...that the new priest is
sole and perpetual occupant of the office, giving place to no
successor." Some Mormons would argue this meaning (very few
know anything about it at all) and would say that it is referring
to the eternal nature of the priesthood more than inviolability.
Fine. Then the question must be asked, if Jesus holds this
eternal, unchangeable priesthood, why should anyone else? Is not
Jesus' work sufficient? That is the whole point of this passage.
The very next verse goes on to proclaim the fact that because of
Jesus being our one high priest after the order of Melchizedek,
He is able to save "to the uttermost" (completely)
those who come unto God by Him. Can the Mormon elder claiming to
hold the Melchizedek priesthood claim to save people completely,
to the uttermost? I certainly hope not. The Mormon claim to the
priesthood is based on a complete misunderstanding of what the
priesthood did and now does.
39. Hebrews 8:4: "For
if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there
are priests that offer gifts according to the law."
Comment: This is a not-very-often
used verse that makes two points - one, Jesus' priesthood is not
an addition to or a furtherance of the old priesthood - His is
one that is completely and totally unique, since Jesus is
completely and totally unique Himself. His priesthood is based on
His completed work, while the old priests offered sacrifices that
simply pointed to the eventual fulfillment of all things in
Christ. Second, if the Mormons are right about needing the
priesthood to have authority, what authority did Jesus have while
on earth since He was not a priest until after His death and
resurrection? Hmm.
40. Matthew 27:51: "And,
behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to
the bottom; and the earth did quake and the rocks rent;"
Comment: First change "was
rent in twain" to "was torn in two" and "the
rocks rent" to "the rocks were split." That might
help some. The point of memorizing this verse is to point out
that when Christ died on the cross, God made a statement about
the priesthood and He made it loud and clear. Once a year the
High Priest went through the veil to offer the atonement for the
sins of the people. The only access the people had to the
presence of God in the Holy of Holies was through the priesthood
and that once-a-year event. Hence, when Christ died, God showed
once and for all that everyone now had access directly into the
presence of God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He
symbolized this by tearing the veil that separated the Holy of
Holies from all else from top to bottom (notice not
bottom to top as man would do), opening the way directly into His
presence. Now, this was definitely a supernatural event, as that
veil was made of woven cloth at least four inches thick! The
point you will want to make in the witnessing situation is this -
God has opened the way for each and every believer, whether male
or female, bond or free, Jew or Gentile (see Gal. 3:26-29) to
have direct access to Him through Jesus Christ. The old function
of the priesthood has passed away - it has been fulfilled in
Christ - so why recreate it? The Mormon teaching in effect does
away with what Christ accomplished on the Cross! The entire
Mormon plan of salvation does this also, so this is just part and
parcel of a larger false teaching.
41. John 1:12: "But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name;"
Comment: The word translated
"sons" in John 1:12, tekna, is more accurately
rendered "children," especially in the Gospel of John.
At any rate, this verse is my first response to the inevitable
Mormon question, "Well, what is your authority? By what
authority do you do these things?" My response centers
around John 1:12. The word "power" is the Greek term exousia
which can also be translated "authority" (see Mt.
21:23 where the KJV translates it in this way). Our authority as
Christians is not bound up in some mythical priesthood based on a
human organization - no! Our authority comes directly from the
Lord Jesus Christ! We are made children of God by faith in Jesus
Christ, and there can be no higher power than that!
42. Revelation 1:6: "And
hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be
glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Comment: You will probably want to
dump the KJV at this point and go to the NASB: "...and He
has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to
Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
The KJV here mistranslates basileian and misses yet
another example of Granville Sharp's Rule (see our information
sheet on this rule if you are interested). All that technical
stuff aside, the verse is fairly clear. We are a kingdom, and
each one a priest unto God. Now, we are not Aaronic priests, or
Melchizedek priests, or any other kind of priest that is involved
in sacrifices or anything else - we have already seen that from
Hebrews. Instead, we are believer priests, a royal
congregation of called out ones who make up the body of Christ,
the Church (Ephesians 1-2). Notice especially that all are
included - male or female, quite unlike the male-only Mormon
priesthood.
43. 1 Peter 2:5: "Ye
also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy
priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ."
Comment: You may want to put
"living" for "lively" to avoid any unwanted
ideas. This verse teaches that all Christians who are in the
Church are part of a holy priesthood that offers sacrifices, not
for sin (like the old priests) but spiritual sacrifices. What are
these sacrifices? We offer praise, obedience, even our very
bodies (Romans 12:1) to God. The Biblical teaching about this is
quite different from the LDS conception of a formal authority
structure, is it not?
Section VIl
Salvation
[Note: This section is divided
into five sub-sections. Again, as with our discussion of God,
this is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of verses.]
- The Gospel -
Verses:
44. I Corinthians 15:1, 3-5
45. I Corinthians 1:14, 17-18
44. I Corinthians 15:1,
3-5: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you...For I delivered unto you first
of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he
rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; and that he
was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve."
Comment: This verse needs an
introduction. This is the way I have used it - when the subject
of the Gospel comes up, the Christian needs to point out that the
"gospel" of Mormonism is not the Gospel of the Bible.
Hence, another question/answer situation is helpful. I normally
start like this: "Do you know where the classic definition
of the Gospel is found in the Bible?" I cannot honestly
remember ever getting the proper answer from a Mormon, but if you
did I wouldn't let it bother you. Chances are that Mormon has
spoken to Wally Tope or one of the volunteers from Alpha and
Omega Ministries. At any rate, you then continue on (no
matter what the response), "It can be found in 1 Corinthians
15, where Paul says..." and then you quote the above
passage. After having done so, you might continue, "See, the
Gospel is the story of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. It is
the message of His death, burial and resurrection. Now, let me
ask you a question - did you hear any ‘laws and
ordinances’ in that Gospel?" (Mormons believe in
"gospel ordinances and principles - Third Article of Faith).
The answer is, of course, no. Now, the Mormon will immediately
jump into some "works-salvation" prooftext which you
will have to properly exegete for him (probably James 2:20), but
before you let him/her direct the conversation in that direction,
reiterate the fact that Paul preached a gospel that centered on
the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, not on the person and works
of the sinful man. It will be incumbent upon you to make sure the
Mormon sees the difference!
45. I Corinthians 1:14,
17-18: "I thank God that I baptized none of you,
but Crispus and Gaius...for Christ sent me not to baptize but to
preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of
Christ should be made of no effect. For the preaching of the
cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are
saved it is the power of God."
Comment: This passage is a good,
quick rejoinder to the Mormon contention that baptism is part of
the Gospel, as you can see. Verse 17 makes a clear distinction
between baptizing and preaching the gospel - if baptism was part
of the gospel then why did Paul say this? Also, I threw in verse
18 for your edification. You will, if you do this long enough,
experience the truthfulness of this passage for yourself. I have
not yet had the privilege (?) of attending the Manti Miracle
Pageant, but someone who has was telling me about it at General
Conference recently. She told about how at one point in the
Pageant the choir mockingly sings "At the Cross,"
poking fun at those silly "Christians" who sing it. It
is sad indeed, but the cross is foolishness to Mormons, at least
in its real meaning. They certainly would not say such a thing,
but its absence is conspicuous in their buildings, its effect is
negated through their doctrines of blood atonement,
works-salvation and the priesthood, and the very idea that
Christ's sacrifice is not a unique event (what happened on all
those other worlds?) is enough to convince the Christian person
of the truthfulness of I Cor. 1:18.
- Sin -
Verses:
46. Romans 3:23
47. Ecclesiastes 7:20
48. Romans 3:10-11
46. Romans 3:23:
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God..."
Comment: Most of you will already
have this verse memorized, and many Mormons do also. You might
wonder why we even bother mentioning it here, but there are
several reasons. First, I would suggest to you going verse by
verse from Romans 1:1 to this point and get the context down
really well. You will find that it is the climax of an argument
Paul has been pursuing for quite some time. Also, continue on
through chapter four and you will find the ultimate refutation of
the entire LDS doctrine of salvation in Paul's discussion of the
grounds of righteousness.
Believe it or not, I once sat in a
Mormon bishop's office for forty-five minutes talking about sin.
Now, I had been asked to go into his office after having gotten
up during a Fasting and Testimony meeting and giving my
testimony. For some reason they didn't appreciate my testimony of
salvation by grace through faith. At any rate, the bishop
informed me that Spencer Kimball taught that there were perfect
men on earth who had not sinned. I never expected to have to
prove universal sinfulness to a Mormon, but it happened. You may
never need to use these verses in this kind of situation, but it
is best to be prepared. The other, more prevalent reason for
talking about sin has to do with the Mormon misunderstanding of
it. The Book of Mormon says, "Adam fell that men might be;
and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25).
Biblically, nothing could be farther from the truth. God did not
have to utilize sin to bring men into a position where they could
have joy. Sin brings death, not joy. As with most human beings,
Mormons have fallen prey to the belittlement of the seriousness
of sin. What is even more ironic, the Mormon system then goes on
to destroy the plan by which God deals with sin! It is a sad
state of affairs, to say the least.
47. Ecclesiastes 7:20: "For there is not a just man upon
earth, that doeth good and sinneth not."
48. Romans 3:10-11: "As
it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is
none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after
God."
Comment: Many other verses touch
on this subject. The Christian witness needs to be aware of the
fact that, like many Christians, Mormons feel that somehow God
was under compulsion to save us - He owed it to us somehow. They
feel we deserve a chance - that we are worth it. The Bible does
not present a God who is in a situation where He has to give
anyone anything. If God gave us what we deserve, we would all
receive death and hell. Anything beyond simple punishment of sin
is grace - anything. Mormonism has such a twisted idea of
grace because Mormonism does not have a sovereign God nor a
Scriptural view of sin. Since they don't understand that there is
absolutely nothing we as human beings can do to save ourselves or
to provide for so much as one scrap of righteousness on our own,
they accept a salvation system that includes within it
ordinances, principles, rules, and works that must be done.
Grace, real grace, is not found in Mormonism - oh yes, the word
is, but the meaning is not. I've gotten on my soap box here - the
main point to get down is that there is none who seeks
after God - no one! If it were not for God's sovereign grace
moving in the hearts of men, none would be saved.
- Faith -
Verses:
49. John 5:24
50. John 3:17-18
49. John 5:24: "Verily,
verily I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on
Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life."
Comment: This is a very important
verse. Most Mormons know all about the Great White Throne
judgment described in Revelation 20:10-14. Mormon missionaries
daily talk to people about the fact that "we are all going
to be judged by our works, just like the Bible says in Revelation
20." Unfortunately, it’s like all LDS Bibles don't
contain verse 15, or so it seems, as they don't seem to have read
that far. Friend, if you are going to be at the Great White
Throne judgment, you've got a problem! I'm sure glad I won't be
there! Why, you ask? Two reasons: 1) there is no mention of
anyone in Revelation 20:11-15 who is not thrown in the
lake of fire - see, if you are judged by your works, you are in
big trouble, for "by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified" (Romans 3:20). Also, the passage clearly says
that the ultimate criterion was not their works (all were found
wanting in that aspect), but whether their names were written in
the Lamb's book of life (v.15)! Second, John 5:24 (the verse
under consideration here) says a few things about this subject.
First, notice that Jesus says that
the one that believeth (not the one that remains worthy, is pure,
or works really hard) has everlasting life. In both Greek
and English the present tense comes through - eternal life is a
present possession of all believers. Jesus promised it, believe
it. Most cultists cannot answer the question "do you have
eternal life right now as a present possession?" in the
affirmative, because they don't. Next, Jesus goes on to say that
those who believe in Him and have eternal life "shall not
come into condemnation...." It is at this point that again
you will want to go to a modern version, because the word is
"judgment." Jesus says that we shall not enter into
judgment, because we have already (past tense) passed out of
death and into life. Here Jesus defines what the judgment touches
- life or death. Our sins were judged on the cross of Calvary
once and for all. There is no judgment concerning life for the
Christian - that was decided long ago. Now, the Bible does talk
about a judgment of Christians for our works as Christians (1 Cor. 3:10-15), but this passage clearly points out that this is
not in reference to salvation but rewards. At any rate, John 5:24
contains some beautiful promises for Christians.
50. John 3:17-18: "For
God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on
him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God."
Comment: Again,
"condemned" is actually "judged" as in 5:24.
Notice that verse 18 makes the sole grounds of judgment rejection
of Jesus Christ, thereby emphasizing the fact that the sole
grounds of salvation is faith in Jesus Christ (works are excluded
from both aspects).
- Justification -
Verses:
51. Romans 3:20
52. Romans 3:28
53. Romans 4:2-5
54. Galatians 3:10-11
55. Romans 10:4
56. Romans 11:6
57. 2 Corinthians 5:21
51. Romans 3:20: "Therefore,
by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight;
for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
52. Romans 3:28: "Therefore,
we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law."
Comment: We enter here upon a
difficult discussion - not because the Word is not very clear on
the subject - it most certainly is - but because the Mormon has
no basis upon which to understand the Bible's teaching. One
cannot understand the Christian teachings concerning salvation
(sin, punishment, the atonement, faith, grace, adoption,
righteousness, security, election, etc.) without first
understanding 1) the authority and accuracy of God's Word the
Bible, and 2) the existence of the sovereign, omnipotent God.
Mormonism will have nothing to do with these things - hence, the
Mormon teaching concerning justification and grace is, from the
Biblical viewpoint, terribly twisted and unsound. Allow me to
give some background before we begin, as this point is,
unfortunately, rarely addressed in so-called
"anti-Mormon" literature.
The following statement is one of
the best I know in exposing the Mormon doctrine of salvation. It
is found in Mormon Doctrine, page 339: "Grace
is granted to men proportionately as they conform to the
standards of personal righteousness that are part of the gospel
plan." I've read many books and many authors on the subject,
but this is one of the best examples I know of in reference to
the backwardness of Mormon salvation. There are a number of
points that must be pointed out in reference to this statement:
1) If grace were granted proportionately to man's conformance to
the "standards of personal righteousness" then the more
sinful a person is, the less grace is granted; conversely, the
more righteous a person is the more grace is granted. This is
completely the opposite of the Biblical teaching (see Romans
5:20, etc.) which posits grace as the basis of all God's actions
toward us, and clearly proclaims that grace is granted to us
because God desires to grant it, not because our "personal
righteousness" merits it or draws it. Such a teaching on the
LDS Church's part destroys the very meaning of grace itself (see
#56). There is no way one can read the Bible and come up with the
idea that grace is granted only to the righteous - such is
calling white black and black white. It is backwards. Who needs
the most grace - the righteous or the sinner??
2) There is no such thing as
personal righteousness." Righteousness is the gift of God,
not something that finds its source in mankind. Romans 5:1 says
we are justified by faith. The word "justified" is dikaios,
which is the same word from which we get the term
"righteousness," making "justified" and
"righteous" complete synonyms, as they translate the
same Greek term. Romans 3:24 says very clearly "Being
justified freely by his grace...." Since our
righteousness is given to us freely on the basis of
God's grace, it follows that the above statement by a
Mormon apostle is absurd from God's view-point, as it presents
the basis of the reception of grace as man's righteousness,
whereas the Bible says righteousness is the gift of God based on
His grace! There is so much more to be said about this, but I
cannot due to space. Notice, however, that though Bruce R.
McConkie (the above apostle) used Christian terminology,
the resultant teaching was exactly opposite of Christian
teaching.
3) Again, the above statement
presents the gospel as a "plan" by which a person,
through adherence to certain standards, "gains" or
merits righteousness. Not only have we already seen what 1
Corinthians 15:1, 3-5 says about this, but nothing could be
farther from the Biblical truth concerning how one is made
righteous. The sinner receives righteousness as a free gift from
God on the basis of God's grace - the sinner is never
"granted" righteousness in response to deeds done or
merit gained.
Another passage I will briefly
mention is found in the Book of Mormon at 2 Nephi 25:23. It reads
in part, "...for we know that it is by grace that we are
saved, after all we can do." I always reply, "It is not
by grace that we are saved after all we can do, it is by grace we
are saved in spite of all we've done!" 2 Nephi 25:23 is
saying the same thing as Bruce R. McConkie above - and both he
and Joseph Smith suffered from the same eternally fatal flaw -
they did not understand the grace of God!
With all of this as a background,
let’s get back to the two verses we are working on. As you
can see, it would be best to simply memorize Romans 3:20-28 as an
entire block, but we will deal with them as two single verses
right now. Romans 3:20 contains a very important phrase, "in
his sight." Literally the phrase is translated "before
Him." Paul uses the same phrase in Ephesians 1:4 where he
says that the result of our being chosen eternally in Christ is
that we should be holy and blameless "before Him." Why
is this important in dealing with LDS? James 2:24 talks about
justification coming not only by faith but also by works. James
2:20-24 is a favorite passage of Mormons. Problem is, James is
not talking about justification in the sight of God ("before
Him") but he is talking about justification before men.
There is a big difference. Paul's point is that there is no
possibility of being set right with God by keeping any law,
whether the law of Moses or any other. However, James' point is
that the only way you can demonstrate your faith before men is to
follow God's commands. The two passages are not contradictory or
exclusive but harmonious.
I have utilized Romans 3:28 as
another "sanctified trap." I ask a young Mormon
missionary, "Would you agree that we are justified by faith
apart from the works of the law?" They will normally answer,
"No, I would not agree with that." I then ask them to
read Romans 3:28 and move on from there. The word translated
"without" in the KJV is best translated "apart
from." Also, an important point - the word "law"
in Romans is often (as here) anarthrous - that is, without
the article. In this form the word refers not specifically to the
Law (as in Law of Moses) but to a law principle, that being the
idea that by righteous works we can gain favor with God (as the
Judaizers were saying). This is an important point as the Mormon
will readily agree, "Oh yes, we cannot be saved by the Law
of Moses, but instead we obey the Law of Christ" which to
them includes "gospel ordinances and principles."
53. Romans 4:2- 5: "For
if Abraham were justified by works, he hath something of which to
glory, but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham
believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now
to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of
debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness."
54. Galatians 3:10-11: "For
as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for
it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all
things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. But
that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is
evident; for, The just shall live by faith."
Comment: I have grouped these two
verses together due to the fact that I utilize them together so
often. They present two different aspects of the same point.
Romans 4:4-5 makes the point that to the one who works, his wage
is not given to him as a gift, but as what is due him. But to the
one who does not work, but believes, his faith is reckoned to him
(imputed) as righteousness. The word translated
"counted" or "imputed" refers to the act of
deposit, and Paul says faith is the key by which righteousness is
deposited to our account. On the other hand, Galatians 3:10-11
makes it clear that those who are under the law (trying to please
God by legalism) are under the curse, not because the law is
evil, but because men simply will not fulfill all the righteous
demands of the law, and hence will be in violation of it! Paul's
point in the Galatians passage is that there simply is no way for
man to keep the law in its entirety. Not only is this true of the
Law of Moses, but any law that man might create - ironically, we
don't even live up to our own standards! Hence, these two
passages together make a powerful point - legalism brings
condemnation and a curse, while faith in the One who
"justifies the ungodly" (notice it is the ungodly that
are justified - not the self-righteous) brings righteousness!
This is an important aspect that must be made clear. Be prepared,
however! Few topics bring out more scorn than this one!
55. Romans 10:4: "For
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that
believeth."
Comment: Though the point of
utilizing this verse is rather obvious, it is just as obvious
that you will have to first explain the above item about the law
principle before this verse can be used. Again, here,
"law" (Gr: nomos) is anarthrous (without the
article).
56. Romans 11:6: "And
if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no
more grace."
Comment: This verse is so
important you may wish to memorize it in NASB for clarity:
"But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of
works, otherwise grace is no longer grace." This is the
whole verse, as the second section found in the KJV is a later
insertion. This verse is really wonderful. Unfortunately, we miss
some of it in English. Paul's point has to do with the very
meaning of the word "grace." Grace is unmerited favor,
something that is totally undeserved. Grace is outside the realm
of works, legalism, etc. Hence, Paul's point is that grace cannot
ever be bought, earned, paid for or even begged - it is given as
the free gift of the bestower. Hence, graphically, it may be
expressed like this:
works<
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>grace
Both terms are mutually exclusive
and are at opposite ends of the spectrum in reference to gaining
righteousness. One of my favorite phrases is "Grace plus
works is dead, being meaningless." This is not to say that
doing good works as a Christian is unimportant - it is just that
we are not talking about living the Christian life, we are
talking about how one enters it! I would suggest as further
reading a wonderful chapter by William Barkley entitled "The
Essential Grace" from his book The Mind of St. Paul.
57. 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For
he hath made him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
Comment: How does one go from
being guilty (unrighteous) to being not guilty (righteous)? There
is only one way. That way does not lie in the path that seeks
after "standards of personal righteousness" through
works of a law. If we someday stand before God clothed in our own
righteousness, we will face only His rejection, wrath and
judgment. The only possible righteousness is the righteousness
given as a free gift by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. God's
plan is simple - He made Jesus Christ, the sinless Lamb of God,
to be sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Christ. What a deal! We trade our sinfulness for His
righteousness! We trade death for life, misery for joy, turmoil
for peace! How foreign to the
striving-for-worthiness-through-personal-righteousness-so-I-can-get-grace
Mormon! And what a tragedy that is!
One of the main reasons salvation
by grace through faith is so difficult for LDS (and many others)
to understand and accept has to do with our own sinful pride. God
has provided salvation, it is true. But He demands that we come
to Him in a certain way - not a way of legalism and works which
find their origin, source and power in human kind - but He
demands that we come to Him realizing our own helplessness and
unworthiness. We must come to Him admitting our sin and the fact
that there is not so much as one thing we can do to save
ourselves, not one little thing we can do even to help God save
us. We must acknowledge our powerlessness in the face of the
omnipotent God. Now, mankind does not like to admit that he
cannot do something - especially for men in our culture, that
simply isn't "macho." Mankind, therefore, decides to
"help God out" by adding in all these works that we can
do and point to and say "see how I helped God out?" God
will have nothing to do with a person who comes to him on
their own terms! We must come to Him on His terms - the
merciful terms of faith.
- Works -
Verses:
58. John 3:5
59. James 2:20-24
60. Genesis 15:6
61. Galatians 2:20-21
62. Ephesians 2:8-10
63. John 6:28-29
58. John 3:5: "Jesus
answered, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God."
Comment: This is a favorite verse
of Mormons to "prove" that baptism is necessary for
salvation. Of course, Mormons are not alone in utilizing this
verse to make this point - many "Christian" groups do
the same thing. I feel sorry for someone who believes in
baptismal regeneration when they run into a sharp Mormon - they
are in big trouble, since, in my opinion, their viewpoint is much
more similar to the LDS position than it is to the Bible's. At
any rate, does John 3:5 teach that baptism is necessary for
salvation? A better question might be, is "being born of the
water" the same as water baptism? Let's look at the passage
in its context and find out.
First, it must be pointed out that
the phrase "born of the water" is never used of baptism
in the Bible. If this is a reference to baptism, therefore, it
must be the only example we have of this usage. Second, the
context calls for a different interpretation. The concept of
water and Spirit has been seen before in Scripture, specifically,
in the prophecy of Ezekiel: "Then I will sprinkle clean
water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all
your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give
you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will
remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of
flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in
My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My
ordinances" (Ezekiel 36:25-27). There is only one act of
being "born" in this passage, and one means: by water and Spirit, not by water (one act) and then
the Spirit. Jesus is talking about the new birth in this passage,
not baptism plus something else. One birth, brought about by the
cleansing and regeneration of the person so born. This is the
same concept found in Titus 3:5-7.
59. James 2:20-24: "But
wilt thou know, 0 vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was
not Abraham, our father, justified by works, when he had offered
Isaac, his son, upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with
his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture
was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was
imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the friend
of God. Ye see, then that by works a man is justified, and not by
faith only."
Comment: You enter here upon a
passage that is probably the most often discussed verse in the
one-on-one witnessing encounter with a Mormon. I early on lost
count of the number of times this verse came up in conversation.
Now, there are two ways of handling this. If you are in a
situation where time is of the essence, I would suggest getting
to James 2:20 as quickly as possible, using it to make your
point, and then moving on to more fertile ground in Romans and
elsewhere. It is not that James 2 is something to be feared - it
just takes a good deal of time to handle. I would do it something
like this: we are talking about salvation, and I have quoted,
say, Romans 4:2-5. "Now, we know that faith is something
much more than just tipping our hats toward God. James says in
James 2:20 that faith without works is dead, so we see that a
true, saving faith will result in good works. An empty,
meaningless faith will result in nothing at all. So when Paul
says we are made righteous by faith he was referring to the real
kind of faith. Now, let’s look at Romans 3:20...." By
using James 2:20 first, and using it to make your point, you will
probably be able to be in a conversation based on the great
passages about the subject. However, it normally won't be that
easy. More often than not James 2 will come up and will stay
there till you deal with it. That is fine. Now, you need to get
the following information down pat, because if the Mormon sees
you struggling with it, you are in trouble. Realize also the fact
that you are at an immediate disadvantage in this situation - the
Mormon does not have a background upon which to understand the
passage, and you are supposed to be able to provide that
background and then build upon it all in a few minutes in a
normally emotionally-charged, public situation. With all that in
mind, let’s look at what James was saying.
If the context of James 2:20-24
was the same as, say, Romans 3:20-5:10, then a good case could be
made for a direct contradiction. But such is not the case. How
are we to understand what James says, then! I will deal with the
two main points of the passage. First, James 2:20 is (for some
strange reason) more popular amongst LDS than James 2:24, though
personally I feel James 2:24 presents more difficulty than does
2:20. Wally Tope's tract, "Faith Without Works is Dead"
deals with 2:20 quite quickly and quite well. The front of the
tract has the title, and then the first paragraph reads,
"Yes, faith without works is dead, but you’re
still saved by a saving faith alone. Try to understand
this: "Faith alone saves, but a saving faith is never
alone." In other words, the kind of faith that can save you
will eventually result in good works. For example, sheep
don't go "baa, baa" to become sheep, they go
"baa, baa" because they already are!" Touche,
Wally. The "baa, baa" illustration needs some
expansion. I could wrap myself up in wool, get down on all fours
and crawl around the room bleating like a sheep from now till
doomsday and I still would not be a sheep. Why? Because all that
outward stuff doesn't change my inner being - I'm still a human
being (albeit a strange one at that). A sheep bleats because it
is its nature to do so. Going "baa, baa" is the natural
result of its inner being as a sheep. In the same way, I can do
good works all my life, but unless my inner being is changed, I
will never be a Christian. Acting like a Christian does
not make one a Christian. However, when that inner change
does take place, the natural result will be good works - they
come forth from my changed nature. See the parallel? (I would
suggest memorizing Wally's phrase "Faith alone saves, but a
saving faith is never alone.") We will look at 2:24 after
listing the next verse.
60. Genesis 15:6:
"And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it
to him for righteousness."
Comment: As I mentioned, I feel
2:24 demands more work than does 2:20, mainly because it seems
directly opposed to Romans 3:28. Now, I don't believe it is, but
showing that to a Mormon is the trick. Let’s look at the
passage and see how it fits. I feel the key to understanding
James 2:24 is the preceding example used by James, that being the
story of Abraham and his offering of Isaac upon the altar. At
what point in time does the Bible tell us Abraham was made
righteous? When was righteousness imputed to him?
The answer is to be found in a
passage that is quoted at least four times in the New Testament,
including here at James 2:23 - Genesis 15:6. Go back and read
what happened. On what basis was Abraham made righteous - his
works, or his faith? Read Romans chapter 4. Paul's argument in
Romans 4 is that Abraham was made righteous by faith and not by
works of the law, and he backs up his argument by pointing out
that Genesis 15:6 took place hundreds of years before the
law was given! Therefore, how could Abraham have received
righteousness by works of the law when the law had not yet been
given?! Now, what is the time relationship between Genesis 15:6
and the imputation of righteousness to Abraham, and his offering
of Isaac on the altar? In other words, which came first - the
proper relationship with God (i.e. righteousness) or the works
that demonstrated Abraham's faith in God? The answer is quite
clear, as the story of the offering of Isaac is found in chapter
22 of Genesis, which would indicate that this event took place at
least twenty, and possibly as long as forty years after
Genesis 15:6. Hence, the Bible makes it clear that the act of
faith recorded in Genesis 15:6 was the basis of Abraham's
salvation - he demonstrated that faith many years later in
reference to Isaac. Then the question must be asked, what does
James mean when he uses the term "justified"? Is he
using the word in the same sense as Paul did? I would have to
say, based on the foregoing discussion of Genesis 15/22 that he
is not.
The context of James is in
reference to living the Christian life in a non-Christian world.
James would be using the phrase "justified" in
reference to a demonstration of faith before men - a
justification of his claim to know God and to follow Him. The
important distinction between justification before God and
justification before men can be seen in two ways - 1) man must
have visible, outward deeds upon which to make a judgment, while
God does not. Works are visible and outward, faith is not.
Therefore, for men to see our faith, it must result in tangible,
visible works. 2) Paul makes it very clear in Romans 3:20 and
Galatians 3:11 that justification before God (in the sight
of God) is by faith and not by works. This is a very important
differentiation to grasp - which is more important, justification
before men or before God? Can a man be just before men without
being just before God? Possibly. But can a man be just before God
and not give evidence of this before men? Both Paul and James
would give a resounding "no" to that question. We will
see the perfect harmony of faith and works in #62 below.
61. Galatians 2:20-21:
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and
gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if
righteousness come by the law, then Christ died in vain."
Comment: Unfortunately, this
booklet isn't meant to be a devotional guide, so I must repress
my natural preaching tendency and get on with the topic. Verse 21 flings a bold claim in the face of all
legalistic systems that dare call themselves
"Christian." "If," Paul exclaims, "a
person could gain so much as one ounce of right standing before
God through law (the word is without the article again!), then
not only is the grace of God made null and void (again pointing
out the contradictory nature of law and grace), but travesty of
travesties, the death of Christ was in vain! Why? Because we had
the route of salvation all the time - keeping laws! We had the
ability all the time within ourselves to pull ourselves up by the
boot-straps and obtain a right standing with God. Paul here makes
it very clear - it is all or nothing at all - either one is saved
by God's grace through the efficacy of the death of Christ, or
one is saved by keeping the law - THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND! Paul
was more concerned with those who attempted to mix grace and
works (thereby destroying both) than he was with those who
totally rejected grace and strove for worthiness through works. A
grace-plus-something-more salvation plan is the false gospel Paul
anathematizes in Galatians 1:6-9, and that is exactly what we are
dealing with in Mormonism!
62. Ephesians 2:8-10: "For
by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God - not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them."
Comment: This passage is
undoubtedly the most oft repeated come-back for the Christian. I
would suggest holding it until its full effect can be utilized.
If the Mormon expects it right off the bat, then stay cool and
delay its use until you have been able to build a solid
foundation upon which to place it. The Greek phrases "not of
yourselves" and "not of works" both use the word
"ex." Literally it would mean "not out of
yourselves" and "not out of works." What he is
saying is that the basis or origin of our salvation is not found
in man, nor in works of the law, but in the grace of God. Oh how
vastly different than the thousands of man-made systems such as
propounded by the LDS Church! He calls salvation the "gift
of God." Again, you will have to make sure the Mormon
understands that you are not just talking about the old
"salvation = resurrection" scheme he is used to. A gift
is something freely given - there is no price, no earning of a
gift. And why has God ordained it so? Well, the Bible certainly
does know men well! "lest any man boast." If we had a
part in creating, bringing about, earning or keeping our
salvation, would we not boast? Most assuredly we would! But there
is no boasting before God, because God is the one who saves in
spite of man! Works-salvation systems put man in a place
where he can boast of his accomplishments - Christian salvation
gives all the glory to God.
The sad fact is that verse 10
normally goes unquoted and it certainly should not, important as
it is. Verse 10 provides the perfect balance of works and faith.
It says that we have been created in Christ Jesus unto good
works. Now, notice it does not say that good works created us in
Christ Jesus! First comes the creation in Christ (salvation),
then the good works. How sad it is when the order gets mixed up.
God's work in our lives will bring about good works, but to place
the proverbial cart before the horse and make good works a
prerequisite for salvation is to miss the whole point of
salvation itself! The Jews had a similar problem, as we shall see
in the next set of verses.
63. John 6:28-29: "Then said
they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of
God? Jesus answered, and said unto them, This is the work of God,
that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
Comment: The Jews asked Jesus
about doing works, and Jesus replied by saying the work of God is
real faith. Most LDS think Christians have a pretty low view of
faith. Maybe we have, by our mass-appeal, health-wealth
"gospel" (which I feel is just as false as any other
un-Biblical gospel) given them sufficient reason to think so. Be
that as it may, real faith is a scary thing. Faith trusts in
Christ and NOTHING ELSE. True faith looks to the Lord and says,
"Lord Jesus, you said that if I believed in you, you would
raise me up at the last day (Jn. 6:40, 44). Well Lord, I am going
to trust you to do that. I am going to hold on to you, and
absolutely nothing else. I am not going to trust in my church, my
friends, my good works - nothing. Only in you. And Lord, if you
don't do it, nobody will." That is faith. It is not just a
tipping of the hat toward God - it is a complete and total
sell-out to God.
Section VII
Miscellaneous
This section consists of verses
that just don't fit neatly into any of the above categories.
These are verses you will want to have memorized due either to
their popularity amongst LDS (#'s 64, 65 and 68) or due to their
usefulness to the Christian (#'s 66 and 67).
Verses
64. I Corinthians 8:4-6
65. John 10:34
66. Hebrews 1:1-3
67. Luke 16:16
68. I Corinthians 15:29
64. I Corinthians 8:4-6: "As
concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered
in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the
world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there
be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, (as there
be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God,
the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."
Comment: [I give you here the same
material as is contained in our information sheet entitled,
"Many gods, many lords]. The above passage opens a
discussion by the Apostle Paul on the sensitive topic of behavior
among believers, and the matter of each person's conscience. He
is answering a question that must have been included in a letter
sent to him by the congregation at Corinth. Idols were a very
common sight in Corinth, as in most ancient cities of the time.
Some of the believers, having been involved in idol worship,
could not with a clear conscience partake of meat that they knew
had been sacrificed to idols. This was a serious problem, as just
about every bit of the meat supply in the city may have been
involved in such practices.
Paul addresses the problem by
first saying that idols "are nothing in the world." An
idol has no power over the Christian. It has no reality other
than the demonic power that would cause someone to worship it.
There was no real Diana, or Jupiter, or any of the other false
gods of the era. He then puts forth the fact that though things
or people may be called gods, to the Christian there is only one
God, the Father, and one Lord, Jesus Christ (obviously connecting
them in a supernatural way.) In the process, Paul says that
"there are gods many and lords many." Obviously what he
meant by this is that there are many false gods and false lords
being worshiped by non-believers, but these are simply idols. One
can make a god out of almost anything - as one person put it,
some people get up in the morning and shave their god in the
mirror, others get into their god and drive to work, others sit
in front of their god for hours each night and watch it.
The fact that Paul is alluding to
false gods is brought out more clearly in more modern
translations:
"For even if there are
so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are
many gods and many lords,..." (New American Standard Bible)
"For even if there are
so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there
are many "gods" and many "lords"),..."
(New International Version)
The Bible clearly says that
"all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made
the heavens." (Psalm 96:5). In context, then, Paul is not
saying that he believed in polytheism, the belief in many gods,
but rather that he was a monotheist - he believed in only one
God.
In light of the clear Biblical
position on this, it is amazing to read the words of the Mormon
"prophet" Joseph Smith in regards to this verse:
"You know and I testify that Paul had no allusion to the
heathen gods. I have it from God, and get over it if you can. I
have a witness of the Holy Ghost, and a testimony that Paul had
no allusion to the heathen gods in the text." (Teachings
of the Prophet Joseph Smith by Joseph Fielding Smith, page
371.) Which would you rather believe - God's Word, or a false
prophet?
66. John 10:34: "Jesus
answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are
gods?"
Comment: This verse is often used
out-of-context by LDS to "prove" that men can become
gods. A few quick observations you may wish to share with a
Mormon that uses this verse. First, the passage clearly says that
Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament. Does the LDS person know
from whence this quotation came? Most probably not. The Lord is
here quoting Psalm 82:6. You will want to point out that Psalm
82:7 says "But ye shall die like men, and fall like any one
of the princes." Doesn't sound like we are talking about
eternal gods here, does it? In fact, if you will read Psalm 82
you will find that it is about unrighteous judges in Israel, not
about gods in heaven. The Israelite judges, sitting as it were in
the place of God as they judged the people, had become corrupt,
and this psalm is a song of judgment upon them. (I have only had
one Mormon argue that scholars feel the "gods"
mentioned here are not judges. Should you ever run into that one
person, you may want to refer him to the commentary of Keil and Delitzsch, volume 5, pages 400-404. This volume is really
three-in-one (how ironic), and the pagination starts over each
time. This is part of the second volume.) Hence, the OT
background from which Jesus is quoting does not allow for the LDS
interpretation.
Second, notice that Jesus says
"ye are gods," not "ye shall become gods."
The present tense is used, indicating a continuous, present
action. Now, a bunch of mad Jews standing around with rocks in
their hands about to stone the Son of God hardly seems to me to
be the most likely candidates for godhood! Since Jesus was
addressing them as judges in Israel, not as eternal gods, the LDS
view is again seen to be off-base.
66. Hebrews 1:1-3: "God, who
at sundry times and in divers[e] manners spoke in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto
us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom
also he made the worlds; who, being the brightness of his glory,
and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by
the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high..."
67. Luke 16:16: "The law and
the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God
is preached..."
Comment: Briefly, these two verses
are helpful in discussing the sufficiency of the revelation of
God in Jesus Christ. Many LDS quote Amos 3:7, thinking that we
must have Scripture-giving prophets around today. I would suggest
reading our tract "Jesus is Sufficient" for some ideas
on how to approach this issue.
68. I Corinthians 15:29:
"Else what shall they do who are baptized for the dead, if
the dead rise not at all? Why are they, then, baptized for the
dead?"
Comment: This is one of the most
difficult passages to deal with. The Mormon does not see how it
is illogical for him to attach his own theological baggage to
this passage, and how by doing so he makes it meaningless in its
context. To help you explain it, we will look at what it means.
The Christian church had never practiced baptism for the dead in
the sense that the LDS Church wants us to believe. They are
forced to take 1 Corinthians 15:29 out of its context and force
their own peculiar meaning on it. First, the Bible does not teach
that baptism saves anyone (even 1 Peter 3:21, upon close
examination, does not do so), hence it certainly would not be
needed to "redeem the dead" as Mormons put it. 1
Corinthians 15:29 is found in the "resurrection
chapter." The needed clue to its meaning is found in the
language in which it was originally written, that being Greek.
The word "for" is the Greek term huper. It refers to
the taking of someone's place, or to substitution. Baptism
"for" the dead is not baptism of a living person in
behalf of or for the benefit of a dead person, but rather the
immersion of a living person in the place of or into the former
position of a now deceased person. It is the baptism of a new
convert who takes the place in the church of one who has died.
The baptism of a young child, for example, the day after an
elderly saint of the Lord has passed away could be viewed as the
younger person coming to "fill" the position of the
person who has gone home to be with the Lord. This vein of
thinking is carried on in the context when Paul says in the next
verse, "Why are we also in danger every hour?" (NASB).
Being a Christian in those days was a dangerous business. Paul's
whole point in the entire passage has to do with the fact that if
the dead are not raised (v. 12) there is absolutely no point in
bringing new converts into this dangerous position through
baptism when there is no future life to promise them, no reward
in the future for their faithfulness. Why not just let everyone
die off without filling their positions in the church, since, if
there is no resurrection, "we are of all men most to be
pitied" (v. 19). Belief in baptizing the living to somehow
help in saving the dead demonstrates a complete misunderstanding
of the New Testament teaching concerning the nature, extent, and
purpose of salvation.
Congratulations! You have come to the end of the 100 verses
relevant to sharing the Gospel with Mormons. (Though only 68
references are given, the total number of verses is 100). To sort
of round-out your education, I would like to list five references
from the Book of Mormon that you may wish to memorize as well,
helpful as they are.
2 Nephi 2:23, 25
2 Nephi 25:23 |
