Carl, it seems you have given up on answering Victor, but for the sake of others (if not yourself), we’ll tie up a few loose ends here.
You wrote:
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This is my reason for asking assistance in discernment because some of the things on Gary's site is worth reading, as I see Henk has observed. And I can not totally agree with Jason regarding error in truth, as this implies even ONE ERROR falsifies someone's statements, hence they are branded a false teacher. The late L. Ray Smith is also considered a false teacher yet he also doesn't teach the Trinity like here. I feel in some things Gary might overstep his revealed boundaries, but that is just me, and the reason for posting here.”
Henk didn’t say the site was worth reading, but that it contained some “fascinating truths.” Henk didn’t specify what any of those truths are, or what makes them “fascinating.” For example, Jesus Christ is Lord. There is no truth more fundamental or earth-shaking, yet would one call it “fascinating”? I wouldn’t. I’d say it’s much greater than that. It’s the revelation of God and His claim to our lives.
But Henk has hit on something by his use of this word “fascinating.” Gary Naler specializes in providing beguiling reasoning based on his independent thoughts, which directs you to him and being your own god rather than to the Lord Jesus Christ with Him being your God. For this reason, we say Gary is not worth reading.
Jason never said or implied that one error made a man a false teacher. And he went on to say that Gary shows many errors, readily mixing truth and falsehood, which is the nature of his “ministry.” This is not the way of a teacher sent by God. Can you show otherwise? Where in the Scriptures do you find a man of God presenting mixture and speculation in the Name of Christ?
L. Ray Smith is a false teacher, not because he teaches some true doctrine, but because he taught and exemplified the power of knowledge rather than the Life of Power. Ray wasn’t walking in the Spirit of Christ, even as it appears you allude to in the way Ray answered Gary Naler. We can’t say for sure, as the link you provided doesn’t work, but we have no problem believing Ray dismissed Gary out of hand and without understanding because
he did the same thing with us.
I’ve red through enough of Gary’s links to answer about his presentation of unlocking the Bible’s contradictions and riddles. Gary is altogether in error, using these apparent inconsistencies and mysteries to vaunt himself as one holding the key to salvation. The man is a blaspheming imposter.
For example, the kingpin of his presentation, the apparent contradictions in the Lord’s instructions to His disciples of what to take as He sent them out to preach the Gospel, is nothing other than misunderstanding and presumption on Gary’s part.
The Lord appears to contradict His instructions to not take certain things in Matthew, when in Mark He tells His disciples to take those same things (staves and sandals) with them. Here are the Scriptures with the true explanation of what the Lord was saying:
“Do not provide gold nor silver, nor copper in your purses, nor a bag for the journey, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staves. For the workman is worthy of his food” (Matthew 10:9-10 MKJV).
The Lord was telling the disciples they didn’t need to load up on things as would be wise in a worldly journey, because they were working for God and He would provide for them along the way. For this reason they didn’t need to bring two coats or extra sandals or staves (staffs).
The word translated as “provide” actually means “to get or acquire,” which supports the proper interpretation:
Ktaomai
ktah'-om-ahee
A primary verb; to get, that is, acquire (by any means; own): - obtain, possess, provide, purchase.
The disciples didn’t need to buy their food or clothing because God would make sure they had everything they needed.
In Mark, the following is recorded:
“And He called the Twelve and began to send them out by two and two. And He gave them authority over unclean spirits, and commanded them that they take nothing in the way, except only a staff [stave]; no bag, no bread, no copper in the belt, but tying on sandals, and not to put on two tunics” (Mark 6:7-9 MKJV).
This presents no conflict or contradiction with the instructions in Matthew. The Lord is saying not to take two coats, only one, along with a staff and sandals – no extras needed to begin with and they would be provided with more along the way as called for. It really is a very simple message of faith, based on the principle that the servant of God must trust in Him Who has supplied and will. He is faithful!
Gary writes:
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I suggest to you… and to everyone, that these obvious contradictions in the Bible are entirely divinely intentional.”
Everything in the Bible is intentional, even the tares planted by the enemy. (See our section on
How We View and Use the Scriptures) In the case just discussed, it’s been shown there’s no real contradiction, only the appearance of one. In other cases, like the examples Gary cites from Matthew where some things are doubled (reviewed in the section linked above, under "The Book of Matthew Corrupted"), there is a real problem to consider.
In the paper this important point is made:
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Not all those things that people find fault with in Matthew or anywhere else in Scripture are faulty. There are wonderful explanations and valid justifications for many apparent inconsistencies in Scripture, which assure the sincere seeker of truth of the godly veracity of such things that carnal men fault.”
Whatever kind of contradictions are cited from the Scriptures, they often, if not always, don’t mean what Gary says because he goes by his own thoughts and not God’s. He is carnal and confounded.
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And as such, they offer very unique riddles, hidden riddles, that reveal God's divine works and plans for mankind.”
ALL of the Scriptures are hidden to the carnal man. It’s only by the grace of God and His gift of faith in Christ that any person can receive the revelation of Who He is and what He is saying. There is no extra secret layer of Scripture to penetrate after one receives the Light of Men within and is given understanding from above:
Colossians 1:9-17 MKJV
(9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
(10) that you might walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing, being fruitful in every work and increasing in the knowledge of God,
(11) being empowered with all power, according to the might of His glory, to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness,
(12) giving thanks to the Father, Who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
(13) For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son;
(14) in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins.
(15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of all creation.
(16) For all things were created in Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him.
(17) And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.
Paul is saying, by the Holy Spirit, that the secret to our salvation isn’t in discovering the hidden meaning of riddles in the Scriptures, but is in the Lord Himself. And God’s provision in Christ is thorough, meeting every believer’s every need.
But Gary preaches spiritual elitism through esoteric knowledge, making himself the Great One of God who provides it. It’s just more of the serpent’s subtle offerings from the Tree of Knowledge, presented as the Tree of Life. It is wickedness and temptation to sin.
Naler goes on:
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So why have men not seen this before in 2,000 years of church history? For two reasons. First, the Holy Spirit has not chosen to reveal it to us. Frankly, all men, including Christians, are very blind. For the one who is a Christian and is offended by this statement, I simply offer - If Christianity is not blind, why are there 22,000 different sects and denominations of Christianity that differ, often dramatically, in what they believe and proclaim is true? If Christianity saw all things with clarity, then it would agree in what is truth. But no, the truth is elusive and muddled for the Christian as well. And truth concerning the riddles of contradictions is one simple case in which Christianity has not seen either the evidences or the conclusions of these riddle messages.”
Can Gary honestly say nobody has understood the things he claims to understand? Can he say he has a true understanding? How so? As well, has he heard out the doctrine of all “22,000” groups? How does he know there weren’t others who knew what they were talking about? The man is an arrogant know-it-nothing.
Besides, isn’t Naler speaking of false Christianity? True, mature Christians aren’t sectarians or part of the 22,000 works of men referred to by him. True Christians have “come out from among them” (2 Corinthians 6:17) to walk with the Lord without the camp.
But this proud man doesn’t distinguish between true Christians and false because he is false and without discernment despite his claim to being separate and higher with greater knowledge. Within, Gary is no different from any other tare, which makes him worse because of his pretensions. Thinking to be so wise, he makes a damned fool of himself by denying
the new birth through the baptism in the Holy Spirit:
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The one critical element missing in order for man to flourish and do only good in the kingdom of God is to have a ‘change of clothing.’ Man must be ‘born from above,’ as Yahshua told Nicodemus (literal of John 3:3 & 7). Being ‘born from above’ is putting off this earthly-born body and receiving an incorruptible body from above, from heaven. No man up to now (other than Yahshua) has received this heavenly-born body.”
No, Carl, this man is not to be followed, and those who eat of his dainties are not wise.
“Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat” (Proverbs 23:3 KJV).
Regarding apparent contradictions in the Scriptures, we answer some here:
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We also address the errors and erring ways of Preston Eby and Stephen F. Jones, two false teachers you’ve mentioned:
Eby:
http://www.thepathoftruth.com/the-issue ... -grace.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Jones:
http://www.thepathoftruth.com/false-tea ... -jones.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Finally, you say:
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But you can't just reject some teachings outright because there's others you don't agree with.”
We don’t. We only reject what is false.
“And they will not follow a stranger but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:5 MKJV).
Carl, time for you to repent of your knowledge and failing ability to understand. With sin cleared away by and before the Lord, you won’t be considering foolish doctrine and asking silly questions. Repent.