How to believe and teach false doctrines using Scripture.

Eisegesis

Proof - Texting

Inference

Rationalization

Assumption

Logical Fallacies

Improperly drawn out conclusions

Redefining of words and terms

Transference or Substitution Theology

Accusatory language usually in conjunction with any of the above.

Outright ad hominem attacks against those who refute what you believe.

Those who are deceived and go about deceiving (2 Timothy 3:13) incorporate some or all of these methods listed above, while ignoring the proper methods of biblical study and scholarship. Even when their methods are exposed for what they are, they often continue in their erroneous methodology, being utterly and completely convinced their deceptions are truth, believing this somehow justifies their use of these deceptive methods.

Some of these methods of deception overlap, such as proof-texting and eisegesis. When it is all said and done, the resultant deceptions create a theology where one falsehood props up and supports other falsehoods. This house of cards appear stable and immovable, and the constructors of these houses will defend their structures to the bitter end, and I do mean bitter.

Show them where Scripture refutes one of their supports, and they deny the truth of the Scripture by pointing to the other supporting structures of their house of cards. It’s as if two supposed truths of Scripture outweigh one truth of Scripture, thereby allowing them to ignore the one in favor of the two. Knock down a second support of their structure with Scripture, and, lo and behold! They have reconstructed the first knocked down support as evidence to reject the second refuted belief. Trying therefore to dismantle these buildings of their own imaginations becomes an impossible task. To them, no other structure is possible besides their structure. It must be their way – no other building is possible. They have taken the foundation which is Christ, and constructed their own building, thinking it stands on Christ.

You cannot build the proper structure on this foundation using faulty construction materials and faulty plans. If your theology is dependent upon these methods of deception, you live in a house destined to fall, and it will fall, no matter how appealing it is; no matter how strong and solid it appears.

There are methods of proper study and scholarship that are useful for discerning truth from fable, yet you never see these methods being employed by those who believe and teach falsehoods. They are sound principles of understanding, yet to those who have been deceived and who in turn go about passing on those deceptions, these sound methods of study and discernment are perceived as being the methods of deception!

A case in point. One of the most basic methods of proper study and scholarship is to apply the criteria of “who is speaking, and who is being spoken to?”

Often in Scripture, we see where God addresses the children of Israel in relation to the law. In legalistic groups today, it is commonplace to see them take that which God said and commanded the Israelites to do and conform to, and apply it to the Christian collective. This is commonly referred to as “Substitution Theology” or “Replacement Theology.” It is an invalid form of scholarship.

Other invalid forms of practice are applied in order to overcome this invalid form of “proof” such as claiming Christians are the true “Israel of God” and as such are required to do those things God instructed the children of Israel.

Can the reader comprehend now the basic structure of this house of cards? What we have is a case of “false precept upon false precept; false line upon false line – here a bit of falsehood and there a bit of falsehood” until you have a complete theology constructed upon “sand” that can be completely believable.

When properly examined, the house built by sabbatarians such as the SDA and the Worldwide splinters, reveals that the “construction materials” and the “plans” used are substandard. The house stands and looks sound, until the storm or earthquake hits.

Christians are indeed referred to as the Israel of God – “spiritual” Israel. But by using the formula of deception in regards to replacement theology, a justification results that attempts to claim that what God commanded of “physical” Israel now applies to “spiritual” Israel, ignoring what it means to be “spiritual” Israel, redefining the term.

Spiritual Israel has a spiritual circumcision and not a physical one. Spiritual Israel has the spiritual sacrifice found in Christ, and not the physical sacrifices commanded of Israel.

When a falsehood is applied by the deceived and the deceivers, another method of proper understanding and scholarship is ignored in the process; the methodology that states that a belief or condition must affect everything associated with it. In other words, if you come up with a conclusion such as the one here that whatever God commanded Israel is required of “spiritual Israel” then everything without exception God required of Israel must also apply to “spiritual Israel.” You cannot “pick and choose” what applies and what does not. If you discover that there is something that does not comply with your conclusion, it is intellectually dishonest as well as spiritually dishonest to just ignore the “evidence to the contrary.” God commanded all Israelites (males) to be circumcised. Is there evidence to the contrary found in the N.T. writings? Yes indeed. Do those holding to the belief that what applied to physical Israel applies to spiritual Israel conclude the belief is therefore invalid? Not on your life! Instead, another method of deception is incorporated to cover over the discrepancy; another false “card” or support is set in place on this house built on sand. Falsehood supports falsehood. Truths of Scripture are conveniently ignored using the false methodologies of deception. The truths of Scripture are seen as being outweighed and outvoted by other Scriptures that the deceived treated with the methods of deception.

One of the best examples of this is found in Romans chapter 7 and verse 6:

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

It is ignored. It is rejected. It is overcome through the methods of deception, taking the next verse and treating it eisegetically in order to negate the plain sense of what is stated here.

The same holds true for all such passages. This same theme is repeated in II Corinthians chapter 3:5-17:

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

To those who have bought into deceptions and the methodology of deception, truth is rejected outright, for truth does not comply with the methods of deception. The methods of deception are used to overcome truth; to bury it and to make it unattainable to those who follow deceivers and the deceptions they construct.

Those who look to and follow the law; the old testament / covenant are those who are blinded by this vail mentioned here. These are those who serve in the oldness of the letter, contrary to Romans 7:6. These are those who ignore Galatians 4:21-5:1, seeing as they are the children of Hagar, adhering to the old covenant teachings. These are those who attack, persecute, and wear down those of the new covenant based in the spirit of the law and not the letter. These are those who choose the yoke of the law; the bondage of the law over the liberty found in Christ; the liberty; the freedom from the letter of the law.

God in Christ warned his followers of those who would deceive in places like Matthew chapter 24. I have shown what the methodology is that deceivers use to spread deceptions. The burden therefore is on the reader. If you fail to heed, you have no one to blame save yourself. All too often the deceived are convinced they cannot be deceived due to their inflated egos. “I’m too smart to be deceived” is the mindset. “I’m smarter than the average guy out there who is deceived.”

If you have not subjected your beliefs to the proper methods of study and scholarship, and you have not studied into the methods employed in deceptions, then you only deceive yourself in regards to deceptions. I’ve never been confronted by someone yet who examined their beliefs critically and properly. I’ve never been confronted by someone who knew and understood the methods of deception.

The easiest person for you to deceive is yourself.

Bill Hohmann