DISCERNING BETWEEN FALSE GOSPELS AND THE TRUE GOSPEL
The story of Adam and Eve tells us that it is not easy to recognize the difference between false gospels and true gospels. We cannot understand the symbolism of the story, however, unless we first understand the symbolism of trees.
STUDY TIP: See Wood (trees) for understanding Biblical references to trees.
The story of the two types of trees is an introduction to the theme of two kinds of gospels that appears throughout the Bible. In the beginning there are two kinds of trees with different kinds of fruit: Fruit of the Tree of Life and Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of fruit.
Since Adam and Eve are a parable for all humanity, we learn that we can eat the fruit of one tree but not from the other. Eating the fruit of one tree leads to life, and the fruit of the other tree leads to death.
That simple proposition is complicated by the fact that the fruit of both trees appeared to be good for food.
STUDY TIP: See this link for understanding of food in the Bible.
So we might wonder how Adam and Ever (i.e. all humans) are to know which tree is the tree of life and which tree is the one that has fruit that we cannot eat. This is a big problem because both trees appear to be good for food. If we can’t tell which is the good tree and which is the forbidden tree by looking at them, there must be another way to know figure out which tree is which. But how do we know which tree has good, clean spiritual food and which tree has evil, unclean food?
The simple answer is that we listen to God’s spoken voice. We identify the tree by their fruit.
God and the people he sends to speak for him (i.e. true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses, warriors and apostles) preach the true gospel. All other preachers are false prophets who preach false gospels.
Here are a few clues that are useful in the challenge to recognize false gospels and true gospels:
| BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FALSE GOSPELS AND THE TRUE GOSPEL |
|
| FALSE GOSPEL | THE TRUE GOSPEL |
| Summarized in doctrines about Jesus and salvation: |
|
| Written, spoken or sung by religious people (e.g. Pastors, Priests, Rabbis, Apostles, Bishops, Elders, Deacons, Overseers, Rabbis, Popes, Missionaries, Evangelists, authors and musicians, etc.) who have made names for themselves as authorities of Bible interpretation and doctrine and earn incomes from their teaching, books and music. | Written and spoken only by true prophets, angels, messiahs, high priests, witnesses and warriors who have been sent by God to speak for God. |
| Can be heard by anyone. | Heard only by New Covenant disciples whose hearts have been born again. |
| Based on the literal words of the Bible. | God’s spoken word written on hearts of New Covenant disciples . |
| Changes from one religion to another and from one time to another. | Neither God nor his God’s words change. |
| Is man’s gospel created by man and taught by man. | Is not taught by man but is received by revelation from God’s spoken voice to the heart. |
| Is well known, articulated and understood by people. | Is a mystery hidden in God’s spoken voice. |
| Typically shared in an Old/First Covenant religious environment (e.g. church, synagogue, conference, tent meeting, music concert, etc.) that receives offerings, requires a payment for entrance, or an expectation of compensation for administration of a religious ceremony (e.g. weddings, funerals, etc.) | Free gift. |
| Presented in more-or-less formal presentations in Old/First Covenant religious environments by religious leaders to an audience that has traveled a specified location to hear the leader speak. | Presented in casual conversations at any time in any location — but not in religious buildings |
| Exhortations to obey religious laws. | Encouragement to quit religion, quit listening to religious leaders, and train people who hear God’s voice. |
| Always presented in programs that include music and singing. | Never amplified by music and singing. |
| Tell religious people what they want/expect to hear. | A consuming fire that refines the hearer. |
| Promote religious laws. | Affirms God’s spiritual laws. |
| Encourage people to participate in religious rituals. | Encourages people to stop practicing religion. |
| Increase religious pride. | Arouses humility in the hearer. |
| Human words that are understood with the natural, intellectual mind. | Spiritual language that is understood in the heart. |
| Inspire religious people to recruit more people to become religious. | Arouses hearers to overcome injustice, slavery and oppression of people who are in bondage to religion. |
| Based on the literal words of the Bible. | Explains the symbolic, spiritual meaning of the literal words of the Bible. |
| Presented by false prophets who have recognizable characteristics. | Presented by true prophets who have recognizable characteristics. |
| Typically presented by people who have received formal training in religious ministry. | Presented by common people who have no training or credentials for teaching. |
These comparisons force the conclusion that the true gospel is God’s spoken word.
Since God is consuming fire and a refining fire, his word is a refining fire. Therefore, the true gospel is a refining fire that will turn religious people from religion to worshiping in spirit and truth.
What God wants to do is refine the religion out of religious people. Refining is a process by which ore is purified. Purification happens by applying heat to the ore.
The true gospel is the fire (i.e. God’s spoken word) that refines people. But God’s word has a different effect on religious people than it has on New Covenant disciples. See the different effects in the following table:
| HOW THE TRUE GOSPEL AFFECTS RELIGIOUS PEOPLE | HOW THE TRUE GOSPEL AFFECTS NEW COVENANT DISCIPLES |
|
|
When God said that his word will not return void, he meant that his word will have an effect on anyone who hears it. But the effect is has on religious people is different from the effect it has on New Covenant disciples.