Adding and Taking Away

Deuteronomy 4:1-2

I have often wondered why so many Christians observe Lent. There is no Biblical basis for the church to do so. I'm not saying it is wrong either. I am simply pointing out that it is an extrabiblical practice. There are many things that we do in and around church that are. These are fine until they take precedent over scripture.

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“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2

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As Israel was preparing to enter the promised land, Moses warned the people against changing what God had said. He knew that there would be a temptation to make God's Word say what they wanted it to say. Some 2,000 years after Jesus, and we have seen that happen. There are an estimated 200 different denominations in the U.S. alone. Some of those (not all) are in existence because they added to or took away from what the Bible taught. In some cases, the change is so drastic that they hardly resemble what the Bible teaches at all. They are "Christian" in name only.

For the Jews, this is exactly what happened to them as well. To begin with, they permitted the worship of idols. In a sense, they took away the commandment that said you shall not make an idol (Exodus 20:4). After they were exiled as judgment for this sin, then they went to the opposite extreme. The Pharisees added to God's Word by placing ridiculous expectations on the people. This, too, had the effect of nullifying God's Word in their hearts. It became a different type of oppression, instead of the liberty that should have been found in God's Word.

Today, people say that the Bible is outdated because it calls certain behaviors sin or because it teaches that the man is the head of the home. They want to take those scriptures away. Others add new regulations and requirements if a person is to be holy and accepted by God. They add to the scriptures their own traditions. Both practices are condemned in scripture. Yes, there are things that we will do in church that are not explicitly covered in the Bible. However, we do not teach these things as doctrine.

Take for instance, the use of different instruments in the church. Some people believe that the only acceptable form of music for worship is the piano. The problem with this is that there are not pianos in the Bible. The modern piano was invented in 1700, and its predecessor, the harpsichord, was invented in the 1400s. Both of those were centuries after the church had begun worshiping together. Others believe that drums should not be used in worship at all. Amazing Grace is holy if sung to the music of a piano, but it is demonic if sung with a drum beat. While there is much that could be said about this, the biggest issue is that Psalm 68:25 says that the women followed the singers playing their timbrels, which was a hand drum called a tof in Hebrew.

I am not here to argue one way or the other about these issues. What I am saying is that we need to be careful what we proclaim about God's Word. If we are going to accuse God of saying something, we need to make sure He said it. Remember, Jesus said, "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:7-9). We do not want to be guilty of that indictment.

Father, You gave us Your Word and far too often we are not satisfied with it. Sometimes people change it because they do not like what You said. Other times people change it because they think they are improving upon what You said. May we always remember that Your Word is perfect, and the power is not in the words, but in the conviction, corrections, and instruction that Your Spirit gives in conjunction with Your words.