In the spirit of the OP I offer the following: Yes I have become a skeptic. But from my childhood I was a devout believer: Upon graduation from High School I attended Christian Colleges, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Bible with a minor in Koine Greek and a 2nd minor in Communications. I became a preacher in 1978 and preached my last sermon in 2001, still a believer when I stepped down from the pulpit for the last time. I prayed to God in the privacy of my bedroom and dedicated myself to his service.
I haven't forgotten the things I knew then. Although I have learned new things since that have undermined the core beliefs I once held I believe I am quite capable of defending them now just as a debate student must be capable of defending an issue whether or not he or she believes it to be true.
For purposes of this thread I will be the man who stepped down from that pulpit 18 years ago. Anyone, believer or skeptic alike, is welcome to challenge me. Let us begin:
I am a member of the church of Christ. Although many outsiders believe that the church of Christ is a protestant denomination, we reject this appellation. We are not a denomination at all. We are simply the true, living, church of Christ which Jesus began and authorized his Apostles to spread to the entire world in the year 33 A.D. Nothing more.
Over the years Satan found ways to appeal to the pride of men and cause them to corrupt Christ's church, stealing away members with cunning lies and deceit. Paul and others fought tirelessly against such corruption, but it goes on today. Still yet the true church remains and as has been the case throughout human history, is a small minority. But we take heart and persevere, knowing that Jesus prophesied this very condition in Matthew 7:14, saying that "strait is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it."
Above all, Satan does not want people to be saved. He wants to destroy that which God has created and to subvert the salvation which God has prepared for his people. His very name (Satan) means "The Adversary" and he has made it his purpose to ensure the damnation of as many of us as possible.
It is important to understand that while God loves us he does require obedience to his commandments. God has given us in his word
everything we need to know in order to be pleasing to him and to obtain salvation.
II Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of god may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The idea that we cannot understand God is an unscriptural one. It smacks of giving up on this promise made by God's inspired writer.
At the heart of understanding God and what it is that he requires of us is respecting the scriptures he has given us and accepting them as the primary source of our salvation. It is when we begin polluting these divinely authorized scriptures with the opinions and philosophies of mere mortals that we are led away from truth and into Satan's waiting arms.
Alexander Campbell summed this principle up nicely as follows: "Speak where the bible speaks; be silent where the bible is silent. Do bible things in bible ways and call bible things by bible names. Always have a 'Thus saith the Lord' for everything that we do or preach."
This principle is borne out in scripture or it would not be valid. "Revelation 22:18-19 - For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
Do not tamper with the word of God. In Leviticus 10:1-2, Nadab and Abihu dared tamper with the word of God and were consumed immediately with fire from heaven in front of their own father and everyone else watching. This was done as an example to demonstrate that God does not take lightly those who would change his commandments. God would not even permit their father (Aaron) to grieve over their deaths. God loves us and desires that all persons should come to salvation (II Peter 3:9) but salvation must be on his terms.
In II Timothy 2:15 Paul writes "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Those among us who do not know God's word have reason to be ashamed. Studying it and allowing it to guide our minds and lives is the path towards truth and salvation. What does it mean to "rightly divide" the word of truth?
First of all, it involves understanding which parts of the bible apply to us today and which apply to someone else. The bible is a large book and it contains instances of interactions between God and mankind that encompass thousands of years. What God told one person may not apply to another person. God's law for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was quite simple, and there was only one thing they could do that would violate his law. When they did so there were consequences. Today, we are not amenable to the law God set in the Garden of Eden - we are amenable to a different law. As Paul said, we must "rightly divide" the word of truth in order to know what law we are amenable to today.
The book of Galatians was written to people who were struggling with that same question. "Are we amenable to the Old Testament as well as to the New?" To answer that question, Paul referred to the Old Testament as a "Schoolmaster" that taught us when we were young, but when we reached adulthood we were no longer under that schoolmaster (Galatians 3:25). The law of Christ is a law of "faith" as opposed to the law of Moses which was primarily a law of "works."
In its context this passage spells things out quite succinctly:
Galatians 3
:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
This is getting way too long, for which I apologize. I have much else to say but will pause here, having laid the foundation for that which is to follow.
