Bible Myths will state a common belief among Christians and then show what the Bible really teaches. Each explanation may be incomplete in and of itself as the goal is to keep this a simple list. If you know a belief that just is not true feel free to send it in. Several of the "myths" below have been contributed by readers of this page. Thanks to all who have!
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Money is the Root of all Evil
This one is really obvious, but we had to include it.
The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."
The church is a building.
I have made it a habit over the years to say "church building".
The Bible says that the church (ekklesia) is the "called out", the assembly, those whom Christ has added.
Jonah was swallowed by a Whale
I think this one has become obvious. It could have been a whale, but the Bible just says "big, huge or great fish".
Jonah 1:17 And Yahweh had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so the Son of Man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Eve ate an Apple
Well she might have eaten an apple? The scripture does not say what kind of fruit was eaten.
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
The scripture says that the tree was good for food so it was not sex with the serpent as some argue. The tree represented the law of God for partaking of it made Adam and Eve wise to know good and evil. That is what the law of God does for us.
God Hates Divorce.
The Bible says,
"the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away."
Malachi 2:16 "For Yahweh, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith Yahweh of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously
This verse does not teach that God hates divorce. Many translations have mistranslated this verse. It is important to understand the difference between the words "divorce" and "put away" in scripture. Put away without divorce is only separation. Marrying a woman who is only separated would be adultery. That is what this verse is talking about. Find more information at this listing of Bible verses on divorce.
Three Magi gave gifts at the birth of Christ
The scripture never says there were three. Some versions use magi, but wise men would be more precise. The scripture does not say they were kings. We do not know exactly when they came, but it was most likely early in the first two years after the birth of Christ. When Herod killed the children in Bethlehem he killed all the male children who were two years old and younger based on the information given him by the wise men. The definitions also include that they were Orientals. The Bible just says that they came from the east.
Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem".
Jesus did away with the Law of God.
The Bible says that Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill the Law.
Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
What did Jesus fulfill? Luke 24:44 says, "
that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."
For many years I went to churches that taught this myth. Ending the Law destroys grace, the new covenant and even Christ. Christ is the Word of God. The Word includes God's moral Law. Verse 19 is ignored. Note the verb tense.
Matthew 5:19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Verse 18 is a compound statement.
Matthew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."
Two things must occur before the Law can pass away.
Heaven and earth must cease to exist.
All that the Law and prophets have said must have occurred.
Neither of those have happened yet. All about Christ was prophesied to do has happened, but there is much, much more.
The meek have still not inherited the earth.
God loves everyone.
The Bible says that God hated Esau. Malachi 1:3, Romans 9:13
The Bible says that God does "hate all workers of iniquity" (lawlessness). Psalms 5:5
The Bible says that God hates "A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren". Proverbs 6:16, 19
Here is a sermon by John Weaver on the subject.
Biblical Doctrine of HatredLove sub page
You should love everyone too.
The Bible very clearly says that we should love. The Bible also explains who we are to love. However the Bible also says,
"Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate Yahweh? therefore is wrath upon thee from before Yahweh1." 2 Chronicles 19:2
King David, a man after God's own heart, said, "Do I not hate them, O Yahweh, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:21
2 John is virtually ignored today.
2 John 1:7, 9-11 "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."
The Bible therefore teaches that we should love our enemies, but hate the enemies of our King, Yahweh.
Here are three 20 minute radio broadcast from 1982 from Sheldon Emry.
Should Christians Love the Wicked 1Should Christians Love the Wicked 2
Should Christians Love the Wicked 3
Love sub page
We All Worship the Same God
1 John 2:22-23 "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also."
Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ".
Isaiah 43:11 "I, I am Yahweh; and beside me there is no savior."
John 10:30 "I and my Father are one."
So you see those who reject Christ are rejecting the Father also. There is another aspect that is rarely taught. Take a look at the differences between the promises made to Abram and then later the promises made to Abraham. There is one major difference. God promised to be the God of Isaac, not Ishmael. This continues to Jacob over Esau and continues all the way through Revelation. If you look carefully at the wording without spiritualizing new testament verses you will see that this was the case all the way through, even to the end of the new testament scripture.
Thou Shalt Not Lie.
Actually the command is:
Deuteronomy 5:20 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
Be careful when you consider who is your neighbor. The New Testament defines who your neighbor is and it is not just anyone.
Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace.
The Bible doesn't say this anywhere. Everything we believe should have a book, chapter and verse. Let's make slogans out of actual Bible verses. The Bible does teach what baptism, immersion, is for and how it is performed. Here is a listing of verses with the word baptism.
You have a Soul.
Genesis 2:7 "And Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul".
The word soul comes from the Hebrew word nephesh, Strong's number 5315. Nephesh means breathing creature. Verse seven states that Adam became a breathing creature or living soul. So you don't have a breathing creature or soul, you are a breathing creature or a living soul. The correct term to use is spirit.
The "Rapture" is for those written in the Book of Life.
I was unable to find a Bible version that even has the word rapture in it. However most Christians have the order reversed on who is "raptured" if you want to use that term. The Bible plainly teaches who is going to be removed, but only one verse used by those who teach a rapture indicates who it is that is removed. In fact some who teach the rapture doctrine are aware of what I am about to show, but use the rapture as some use the doctrine of hell to get people saved. Read the parable of the Wheat and Tares found starting at Matthew 13:24. The obvious question is who gets removed first, the wheat or the tares? Look at Luke 17:34-37. Eagles are scavengers. What is it they are found doing to those who are "raptured"?
Mathew 13:30 "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."
The Saved Spend Eternity in Heaven.
There is not a single verse in the entire Bible that states that the saved will go to or reside in heaven. There are verses that talk about the saved and the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven and heaven are not necessarily the same thing. Let me ask you what is it that the meek inherit? Click on the link. You might be surprised like I was with how many times the Bible teaches about this subject.
Noah Took Two of Every Animal on the Ark
This one has been ignored perhaps. Noah knew God's food laws. When God gave his instructions on how to fill the ark he knew what to do.
Genesis 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the land.
Noah's Flood was World Wide.
Noah's flood was local. Once again we have misunderstanding due to poor translation of scriture. The word translated earth should have been translated land or country as in a local area. Erets is most commonly translated land and infers a limited land area.
The ark was not big enough to hold two or seven of every type of animal on the face of the earth and the provisions that would have been required to feed all of them. The historical records of the Egyptians, Grecians, Persians and Syrians prove that Noah's flood could not have been world wide. The Chinese record how far the flood went in one particular area. They were directly affected by the reseding of the waters and they wrote about it. Click here for an article by a friend on Noah's flood.
If Noah's flood was world wide then one must believe evolution produced all the different races. God created them in Genesis 1. Also just for fun if one believes that erets must means earth in a global sense then we are aliens from another planet because here is what Genesis 12:1 would say.
Genesis 12:1 Modified "And Yahweh said to Abram, Go out of your earth, and from your kindred, and from your father's house into an earth that I will show you."
As you can see the translators used the appropriate word when they were forced to do so.
Gomer Ran Away
We were all taught it. Even the chapter heading says so. Hosea chapter 3 though never says that Gomer ran away and had to be bought back. Read what it actually says. It works well with prophecy about the two houses of Israel. It is fulfilled in Ephesians 2 and the parable of the Prodigal Son. God told Hosea to marry a second adulteress, a beloved friend of Gomer.
We are All Adopted into the Church
Romans 9:4 "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises"
Paul says the adoption only belongs to Israel. The actual Greek word that means adoption as we think of it, is not found in the new testament. The word means "the placing of a son". That is the placing of one who already is a son. That is a true physical Israelite (not a modern day Jew). Your preacher at church may be telling you to steal someone else's inheritance! That is unless you are actually an Israelite and do not know it.
Spiritual Israel
This phrase is not in the Bible. In fact when you start looking at the physical side of prophecies and statements of fact concerning Israel you will find that true physical Israel is exactly what is being prophesied about or mentioned as a matter of fact.
Daniel 2:44 "and the kingdom shall not be left to other people."
Jesus was a Jew or "My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter".
The Bible says that Jesus was a Galilaean. Matthew 21:11, Luke 23:5-7.
The Bible says that Jesus was from Nazareth. Matthew 21:11, Matthew 26:71
The Bible says that Jesus was of the tribe of Judah, a Judahite, because his lineage went back to Judah. Matthew 1.
The term Jew in many places should have been translated Judean (as in country). Any one who lived in Judea was called a Judean which is erroneously translated Jew in the scripture. The word Jew in scripture is not equivalent to the word Israelite. In other words not all "Jews" are Israelites and not all Israelites are "Jews" or not all Judaeans are Israelites and not all Israelites are Judaeans!
The term Gentile means non-Jew.
Gentile is a Latin word that was first used by Jerome in his Latin translation. It was not the best choice for obtaining the meaning of the Hebrew word "goy" and the Greek word "ethnos". Goy and ethnos simply mean nation. If one looks, the context for goy and ethnos can even be Israelites. The original meaning of the word Gentile was "non-Roman citizen" and was first used over 300 years after the new testament was written. If one wants to understand what the writers of the new testament actually intended you to understand then one must read Gentile as nation and let the context of the text determine the who. Many times in fact they are Israelites, especially Israelites of the ten Northern tribes who lost the right to be called Israelites. Scripture correctly then calls those who lost the right as nations. They were nations because as scripture says, they were afar off and were already forming many nations as promised to Abraham, Jacob and Ephraim. Here are three examples of where one finds the word Gentile the context demands that those people are people of the Ten Northern tribes. Romans 2:14-15, Romans 9:24-26 and Ephesians 2:11. See if you can find more.
The Modern Day Jews are God's Chosen People, Israelites.
Nothing could be further from the truth yet it is preached from almost every church pulpit in America. Unfortunately it means that most preachers and preacher schools have not done some very simple investigation. The fact, admitted to by Jews in numerous sources (here is one), is that 90% of today's Jews are descended from Japheth through Gomer and Ashkenaz. Further information shows they are from Togarmah, a grandson of Japheth. The other 9% are from Esau. Esau was Jacobs's brother who despised his birthright and who God hates. Esau is Edom. The only relation these Ashkanzi or Khazar Jews can claim to Abraham, as they did in John 8:33, is through Esau since they had never been in "bondage to any man". The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1925 edition, Vol. 5, p. 41, says, "Edom is in modern Jewry." It is this Edomite and Canaanite influence that has created the modern day Pharisaic Judaism which is not Biblical Hebrewism. For information on who is true physical Israel this study should help. For more information on who was living in Judaea during the time of Christ let me suggest Olivet Prophecies by E. Raymond Capt.
God's Law Was Nailed to the Cross
Colossians 2:14 is not about nailing God's law to the cross. "Handwriting of ordinances" is a bill of debt. It was our debt of sin that was nailed to the cross.
Law has three components. Each must be considered when you read the word Law in scripture. There is the command, the statutes to explain the commands and the judgments. God didn't destroy his morals. For Christ is the end of the law [judgment of death] for righteousness to every one that believes. Romans 10.
Eternity in Torture
What we believe vs what scripture says.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not have everlasting life in torture, but have everlasting life" (in peace, joy and love).
What does John 3:16 really say?
Who Gets Raptured?
The rapture doctrine is backwards.
Proverbs 10:30 "The righteous will never be removed, But the wicked will not inhabit the earth."
Matthew 13:49 "So shall it be at the end of the age: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just"
Overpopulation
The problem is that as Christians we have stopped reproducing and are allowing a pagan world to take our place.
"Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it. And have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heavens, and all animals that move upon the earth." Genesis 1:28
Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are the inheritance of Yahweh; the fruit of the womb is a reward."
Abraham Was An Idolater and Lamech was Evil.
Abraham grew up in the house of Shem learning God's Law. Abraham married his niece.
Lamech killed Cain, by accident.
The Book of Jasher tells us many things that scripture is silent about. It also tells us the reasons for the flood at the time of Noah and explains about Jannes and Jambres who are only mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:8. Jasher is not inspired or complete, but it is the only book we have that scripture twice tells us to read. It is a fun read. Click here for more information.
Do you have a Bible Myth to add?
Notes:
1 The translators replaced the name of our God with "the LORD" 5,806 times and with "GOD" 309 times.
Feel free to send your helpful comments.
Thank You
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