Click here for part 1 of this article
In my recent discussion with Pastor O, it came up that he teaches that some of Paul’s writings are uninspired opinions only – not all of what Paul wrote in the New Testament was the inspired word of God. The pastor did this because he needs to bring the Bible down to the level of his church’s founder and prophetess Ellen White, who contradicts the Bible and prophesies falsely on many, many occasions.
In a follow-up e-mail, the pastor shared this example of one such statement by Paul that he considers to be opinion. His statement is in green:
HE WISHED ALL MEN COULD BE LIKE HIM (SINGLE) IN ONE VERSE, BUT YOU KNOW THAT WAS OPINION. COMMON SENSE. HE SAID IT IS BETTER TO MARRY THAN TO BURN. YOU KNOW THAT WAS NOT OPINION. COMMON SENSE.
The pastor is referring to 1 Cor 7:8-9, quoted here (in red) from the King James Version:
1 Cor 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
1 Cor 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
The pastor considers verse 8 to be merely an opinion expressed by Paul, while verse 9 is the inspired text. He uses his own common sense to determine the meaning of the texts he reads, and to determine which texts are inspired and which are merely opinion. What sort of a method is that? Where in the Bible does it tell us to use our common sense to determine which texts are inspired and which are not? I haven’t seen one, but maybe common sense should tell me it SHOULD be there.
The pastor also wrote:
ALSO PAUL WOULD TELL YOU WHEN HE WAS GIVIING JUST AN OPINION.
I do not see where Paul told us that his statement in 1 Cor 7:8 was opinion and uninspired. I guess the pastor got that wrong … or common sense let him know Paul’s thoughts on the matter. Verse 6 … this is not telling us that it is Paul’s opinion, rather it is inspired advice on a non-essential aspect of Christian life. But the inspiration is still there, something the pastor denies.
Christians who believe the Bible and who don’t need to bring the Bible down to the level of human beings will read the text and understand that in verse 8, God inspired Paul to use himself as an example. Paul’s life was an example for us, an example God inspired Paul to mention in that verse. But to the pastor, this seems like a good text to use to show that not everything Paul wrote was inspired. That way he has a door open to classify other texts – such as Paul’s statements on the Sabbath – Rom 14:5-6, Gal 4:10-11, Col 2:14-17 – as uninspired.
How sad it is when a pastor who is supposed to teach from the Bible has such a poor knowledge of it, and is ready to call it uninspired if it dares question his church’s prophetess and her failed prophecies.
He is called to be a shepherd to his flock, and instead he takes their food, the word of God, and poisons it.
