By johninnc
2 Corinthians 4:3-4: But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
One of the most frequently-viewed articles we have on this site is called “The Gospel According to Internet Comments.” The article highlights some of the false gospel teachings that have imbedded themselves into professing Christendom. Since we posted the article in early 2015, it has been viewed more than 14 thousand times, and has been commented on 1,362 times. There seems to be no end to the perversions of the gospel that we find manifesting themselves in internet comments.
But, from where do these perversions arise? They are all the devices of Satan, whom the Bible calls “the god of this world.” Their purpose is to draw people away from Christ Jesus. It is evident that people are paying rapt attention to false doctrine, even taking copious notes, as they parrot the false doctrine in their comments. The god to whom they ascribe their false attributes is not the God of the Bible.
Following are examples of doctrine of men that people falsely claim are biblical truths. These comments, or excerpts from comments, all came from one internet article about the death of President Trump’s younger brother, Robert:
It is more than that, it also calls for personal repentance for sin. The Gospel of Christ is God’s method of salvation faith.
My comment: The gospel is what Christ did for us, not what we do for Him. Personal repentance for sin is not a requirement to receive eternal life.
WE don’t accept God, He accepts us and gives us faith. It is all God the Holy Spirit’s doing.
My comment: God does not give us faith. That is a false Calvinist teaching. If God did choose who would believe in Jesus as Savior, that would mean that His offer of eternal life was not valid except for those whom He chose to believe. The God of the Bible does not decide who will believe.
I think both are true
My comment: This commenter is trying to “ride the fence” between Calvinism and truth. The truth is that God desires all men be saved. The Bible also teaches that many people will not be, including some who claim to have done many great things in the Lord’s name. If God desires that all men have eternal life, and not all men have eternal life, it is clear that he allows man to choose whether or not to believe the gospel. So, Calvinism and the truth cannot both be true.
Classic Christianity accepts both predestination and free will, without requiring the tension between them be fully resolved.
My comment: Another fence rider. There is no such thing as “classic Christianity.” There is Christianity, and then there are the assaults on the gospel, such as Calvinism, that are tolerated or embraced by much of professing Christendom.
The Bible teaches predestination in Ephesians 1:3-6.
My comment: False. This is a common Calvinist proof text, taken out of context, to support their false doctrine. God predestines that all who believe in Jesus as Savior will be justified and glorified. It does not mean that God predestines who will believe.
Free will is a fantasy. See Ephesians 2:1-3.
My comment: Nowhere does the Bible teach that God chooses who will believe. The Bible teaches that one becomes a child of God by believing in Jesus as Savior.
Blessed Mother Mary is the mediator/mediatrix between human race and her SON JESUS CHRIST. Mary leads us to her SON.
My comment: This teaching is indicative of Roman Catholic dogma, and is not biblical. The Bible says that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.
THAT’S WHY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH has THE REAL PRESENCE of JESUS CHRIST HIS BODY, BLOOD, SOUL and DIVINITY in The HOLY EUCHARIST- OUR LIVING BREAD/MANNA.
My comment: This person is shouting false Roman Catholic dogma. The Lord’s Supper is a commemorative ordinance. Anyone who has ever believed in Jesus as Savior has eternal life that can never be lost or forfeited. The so-called “Holy Eucharist” of the Roman Catholic church has no part in receiving or keeping eternal life.
CATHOLICISM is the fulfillment of JUDAISM because JESUS CHRIST FULFILLED it.
My comment: Huh? The word “Catholic” does not show up anywhere in the King James Bible.
The Catholic Church was the only Christian church until the reformation when others thought they knew the word of God better than anybody else.
My comment: The Roman Catholic church was never the only Christian church. It is a false religion of works. The so-called “reformation” was a failed attempt to fix a false religion. Most of so-called “Protestantism” is Roman Catholicism “light.”
Based on the above comments, and many others I have heard and read through time, it is obvious that people are being taught elaborate hoaxes in their religious training. And, as the old saying goes, “it is easier to fool people than to get them to believe they have been fooled.” That is because the process of being fooled involves a willingness to latch onto a narrative without proper verification.
Whether it is catechism or reform(ed) school, much of what is being taught as biblical truth is not of the God of the bible, but is of the god of this world.
If you would like to know the truth about how to have eternal life click here: The Gospel
Notes From A Retired Preacher 
hollysgarcia…
Yeah, there’s a lot of spiritual noise around our politicians. The people around the president have me concerned.
Interesting about how the Left Behind book got you talking with a catholic friend. Back when I was in Jr. HS (and being a “good Catholic”) a friend of mine who was–I think–a Baptist mentioned what was going on in Israel at the time (June, 1967). He told me how it related to biblical prophecy, which piqued my interest. It was the first and last thing about the Bible he ever said to me, but it formed the first significant crack in my “I’m a Catholic” wall which began my journey out of the RCC. That took about 8 years.
Lately I often wonder what would have happened if my friend had taken a more aggressive approach to “witnessing” to me. It probably would have put me off, and I’d have dug my RC heels in. The Lord seems to remind me of that a lot lately regarding my own approach to Catholics online.
Chas, so many involved in politics are involved in some pretty scary belief systems. I know the pillow guy is having a revival, I think it’s called ‘the Return’. And of course they have the false Profit Jonathan Cahn trying to throw people into fear with this ‘last chance’ (of course sow your best seed money). These people selling their false merchandise with a God stamp on it put the money changers to shame.
JohnWI
It’s funny, years ago when I had been so messed up by so many churches and hadn’t been going, I was reading Left Behind. At the time it wasn’t a series and I know that there have been some that have spoken of issues, it’s been too long for me to know what they may have been.
But it’s what first got me and a Roman Catholic friend talking, she came and wondered what I was reading and what it was all about. Over the years I have witnessed to her, she confesses to believing, and I hope that’s the case because I usually can’t get her to talk much about it.
I pray your parents will be interested sheerly because you said you enjoyed it.
Chas, thanks for the update!
Update on message to Stone:
Yesterday morning I got an email from “The Stone Team” regarding the message I sent last Saturday. They thanked me for “reaching out” and said they “will pass on the message to Roger.”
That’s a pretty quick response. I thought it would take a week at least just for someone to get to it, but it seems they’re on top of things. We’ll see.
Chas, I have prayed that your email will get Roger Stone’s attention.
I just sent an email to Stone’s website expressing my concern about the kind of spiritual input he’s been getting lately. I also attached the Gospel booklet pdf and directed Stone’s attention to the pages on repentance. Hopefully it will get through the tons of email he must get.
Alice, we are glad that you find the site to be a blessing and we appreciate your encouragement.
chas, yeah, that’s a mess. I am concerned for both Roger Stone and the people sitting under the false teaching of that church.
Speaking of internet comments… ugh. I was reading another article about Roger Stone wherein he comments on his newfound commitment to (hopefully) Christ. This Sunday he’s giving a message at a church in Tennessee called “Global Vision Bible Church”. (The event has attracted some attention because of anti-Stone graffiti sprayed onto the church’s building; some of it obscene, some of it Bible quotes, all of it hostile.) Naturally, I had to check the place out…
Gotta admit, whenever I see the word “global” in the name of any fellowship, I’m wary. Sure enough, I find this on their “beliefs” page:
Sounds good so far, but then this:
(Bold, mine.) You have to read quite a ways through their “What We Believe” page to get to that blatantly LS statement. On the way they make several other statements that sound like Free Grace, but, a little leaven… In typical LS fashion, they avoid saying just what “any way they so desire” means, let alone what the acceptable standard for Christian living is that will verify a person’s salvation.
Poor Stone. He has fallen into the compromised hot mess known as “Conservative Evangelicalism” and it’s getting him all messed up. May the Lord lead him to free grace in Christ.
Thanks for all the posts and comments on ExP which are very instructive.
JohnWI, I have prayed for you and your wife in sharing the gospel, and for your parents.
Holly, My wife and I watched the first of Pastor Tom Cucuzza’s Armagedon Series yesterday. After we watched it my wife sent it to several of her friends that she has witnessed to and a couple of them actually watched it right away. We are praying for them, that they understand the gospel and trust Jesus as their savior.
I want to send it to my parents to watch, who are RC, but I am procrastinating, because I know their responses in the past, but I know the time is short. Please pray for me that I will contact them and ask them to watch it.
Thank you Johninnc.
Normally I wouldn’t share end time things with a non-believer, but he was specifically asking about the AC and he had heard about a Tribulation, so I was able to share about Daniel’s prophecy and how 7 years were left to be fulfilled. I decided to share Tom’s Armageddon series, I’ve shared the gospel enough times, so maybe he will watch it and be interested. I appreciate it. He even unfriended me at one point but came back. Praying for him.
Holly, I have prayed for the young man whom you mentioned.
Fryingpan9, laughing at your mic drop. Had a guy in one of our groups going on and on about ‘orthodox Christianity’ or the ‘limits of orthodoxy’ in a group the other day, all while he insisted upon some pretty unbiblical understandings and a lack of willingness to examine context.
Chas, my late husband was raised Roman Catholic, did the Catholic schools and always had questions, never believed what they were telling them made sense. I’m sure you know, they cannot say they’re saved, because it’s a sin of presumption.
I always ask them, and that gives me an opportunity to say I know where I’m going when I die. My husband would ask people – one night it was two friends and Adam (my son), one friend who was Catholic if she knew where she was going when she died, and it would anger them. But he was to die about a month later, and I gave the gospel at his service, so they cannot say they never heard. I pray that people will see the truth before it’s too late, we’re never promised tomorrow.
On a side note I’ve been conversing with a younger Jewish guy, hostile years ago, mocking. Now far less and listening, even asking me questions about end times and how he will believe if these things happen. I told him there is no guarantee we even have tomorrow, let alone being tricked, so he needs to get into the Bible and figure it out for himself.
Chas, very sad!
It is hard to get religious people out of their comfort zone.
J and H; a little “venting”…
Ironically (and for anyone who doesn’t know), though the RCC likes to take credit for “preserving” the Bible, the hierarchy doesn’t like it when you actually believe the Bible apart from their supervision. A certain Catholic relative of mine insists that I “worship the Bible” because I regard it above any RCC dogmas. It’s gotten very frustrating to talk with her about anything even remotely biblical.
A couple days ago I came across another comment on a news blog from a “proud Catholic” (his words) who comments regularly on the site. (And by “regularly”, I mean every 5 minutes, in almost every thread.) He is always chiming in about the fact that he’s RC, posting about his church visits like some people post pix of their lunch. “Attending Mass at St. Whoever’s… Father Whosits just gave a great sermon…” etc. etc. as if posting about it would reduce his time in Purgatory. It’s enough to make a non-Catholic wonder, and an EX-Catholic (like me) nauseous.
Anyway, lately he’s posted a few sad entries that illustrate the mental state of the most fervent Catholic; crushing doubt about his eternal destiny. Somehow a thread discussion turned to the 2nd Coming, and that brought out the legalists. This guy (I’ll call him Mr. RC) let slip that he hoped he wouldn’t be around at the 2nd Coming because–now get this–he wasn’t sure he’d recognize Jesus. Now, even at my lowest point in the RCC, I never had the slightest worry about recognizing Jesus when He appears the 2nd time. After recovering from my state of shock from the absurdity of such an idea, I tried to explain to him why no one who’s on the earth when the Lord returns will wonder about His identity, because, you know, IT”S THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST forcryinoutloud. But apparently Mr.RC thinks the 2nd Coming will be much like the 1st but without the manger and stuff.
Being pre-trib, I also mentioned why I wasn’t worried about it personally; that at His return to the earth, believers in Christ would be returning with Him, having been already removed from the earth before the 2nd coming occurred. (I had already discussed the Gospel of free grace with him in the past. Naturally, he regurgitated the usual James 2 misunderstandings. He’s a “good Catholic”, fer sher.) I attempted to avoid getting mired in a pre/post trib discussion (since Mr. RC wasn’t equipped for it) but he countered with “Catholics don’t believe in the rapture. That was settled in 1988 when it didn’t happen.” Okaaayyyyy…
Great. Just great. RCC historicism on the one hand and “evangelical” end-times excess on the other both serve as ammunition to confuse and sow religious fear in a poor, unsuspecting, self-righteous-yet-still-self-aware… Catholic. I pointed out to him that, yes, many had made fools of themselves by trying to predict an event time that the Lord hasn’t revealed and that, nevertheless, the Rapture is taught in Scripture and therefore will happen whether he believes it or not… but it was useless. His RCC ducks are in a row, and there’s always Purgatory to take up the slack. His payment plan has been filed, although from time to time he’ll crank out a post revealing that even he doesn’t have total confidence in said plan.
I know exactly how he feels. In spite of the oppressive burdens, there’s still a strange, familiar comfort that comes from resting in “the Mother Church”, which of course is tantamount to resting in one’s own RCC-approved righteousness. That comfort is short-lived; destined for flames, but for the time being it works for the proud Catholic. As the world goes on, I’m seeing more and more people who evidently will not be pried loose from their comfortable religion by anything less than the Rapture that they don’t want to think about. Personally, I’m looking forward to it.
Holly, there were tons of comments that were extra biblical and, like you said, claims that we only have the Bible thanks to the RC church.
Great article. The Catholics firmly believe (of course) more of their extra biblical writings and the ‘apostolic’ fathers then they do what is written in His Word. But if you tell them that, they will tell you we got the Bible because of the Catholic church 🙂
Lots of people trying to do good and be a good Catholic, and yet most of the emphasis is on Mary who we know was blessed, but was the first to rejoice in Her God and Savior.
chas, I think that not only has the Roman Catholic church hijacked the small “c” catholic, but I haven’t found any reference to the small “c” “catholicism.”
Chas, I thought about the claim that “catholic” just means universal, and how that supposedly means that the Roman Catholic church is the universal church. In my view, this is similar to the Church of Christ’s false claim that they are the one true church when they so thoroughly corrupt the gospel.
fryingpan, I think this was the first time I had seen that exact term. I have seen other similar false claims, such as the claim that lordship salvation is within the limits of orthodoxy.
I forgot to mention; when I Binged the word “catholic” with a small “c” the search still came up loaded with Catholic links, pictures of popes, cardinals and priests, Wiki articles about the RCC, etc. I had to dig through tons of RCC links before I could find a simple definition of the word and its Greek origin. Such is the RCC’s control of common perception.
The RCC’s expropriation of the word “catholic” (from the Greek word “katholikos”, meaning “universal”) is another textbook example of RCC word games…
Yeah, right. Just like calling your store “Best Buy” automatically means nobody else could possibly offer a lower price.
And like so many other RCC redefinitions, it only causes confusion. Meanwhile, the devil laughs at them.
‘There is no such thing as “classic Christianity.” There is Christianity, and then there are the assaults on the gospel, such as Calvinism, that are tolerated or embraced by much of professing Christendom.’
BOOM!
(Mic drop . . . No autographs, please.)
ACountryBoy, thanks for coming by.
We are glad that you find the article to be a blessing.
Excellent post
Nina Ruth, welcome and thanks for your comment.
You are right that the gospel is not good news with all of the man-made add ons, much less a reason for joy and gratitude.
Finally! Everything else is mediocre news at best. Having to do all of these things in order to be saved, is not Good News! But the true and simple and plain gospel, as presented in the Bible, and as you have explained so well, is very Good News! Glad Tidings of great joy! No wonder the first followers of Jesus were so excited! What total relief the true Gospel is! How can anyone not be grateful and excited with such a lifter of burdens as this?!