Critique of Aberrant Religions - Part 3

References: (1) We were discussing the Church of Latter-Day Saints or Mormonism. LDS cites 2 Thess. 2:3-4 as supporting their view of the total apostasy of the church. However, the common evangelical interpretation of the entire chapter 2 of 2 Thessalonians is elucidated by discussing a few terms:      a. That Day (v.2). Usually it is interpreted as the day of the Lord – the climactic time when Christ returns in glory to judge all the world and establish his kingdom (compare 1 Thess. 5:2 and Joel 2:31). The apostle Paul is reassuring believers in Christ that that day has NOT YET COME, because certain events must happen FIRST.      b. Most scholars commonly understand the phrase “falling away” (v. 3) as referring to a widespread departure from the true Christian faith before Christ’s return. Some view it as the rise of false teachers, moral compromise, and rejection of biblical truth (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1, and 2 Tim. 3:1-5).      c. The phrase “Man of sin or man of lawlessness” (v. 3) is commonly identified with the Antichrist– a future, personal, charismatic WORLD LEADER, who opposes God, exalts himself, and demands worship (cf. Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13). The Antichrist is viewed as the ultimate embodiment of human rebellion against God.      d.  The phrase “mystery of lawlessness” (v. 7) refers to the hidden, ongoing power of REBELLION against God, already at work in the world, even before the Antichrist is revealed. This mystery means that lawlessness is already operating in subtle, deceptive ways, restrained now by God‘s appointed power (often understood as the Holy Spirit or a divinely ordained authority).      e.  “Coming of the lawless one” (v.9) describes the Antichrist’s public rise to power, accompanied by satanic deception, counterfeit miracles, and persuasive lies. His arrival is contrasted with Christ’s true coming – the Antichrist’s rule will be short-lived and destroyed by the brightness of Jesus‘s return (v. 8). (2) Jesus promised His followers that He would be with them in their ministry of making disciples, baptizing, and teaching “even unto the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). He promised that He would build His church, and that the “gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Such promises would have been BROKEN had Jesus allowed His church to go into complete apostasy. While the Bible does mention that “some [would] depart the faith” (1 Tim. 4:1), it never implies that a great apostasy would take place prior to His return. The fact that “some would depart the faith” implies that others would not. God’s word stands forever and will not fail to accomplish His purpose (Isa. 40:8; 55:11) and that is totally contrary to the Mormon doctrine of the great apostasy. (3) Salvation in Mormonism is by WORKS, including faithfulness to LDS church leaders, LDS baptism, and tithing. (4) The gospel of Mormonism is one of WORKS, which is contrary to the gospel of grace taught in Eph. 2:8-10. The Mormon gospel falls into the category of “a different gospel” (Gal. 1:8). (5) LDS believe in a different AFTER LIFE than that of Christianity. They believe that all people end up in one of 3 kingdoms of glory — the celestial, the terrestrial, or the telestial rather than what the Bible asserts that people will end up either in heaven or hell in the after life, depending on whether they have trusted in Christ.      a. The celestial kingdom is the highest degree of glory and is inhabited by faithful Mormons.      b. The terrestrial kingdom is reserved for non-Mormons who live moral lives as well as “less than valiant” Mormons      c. The telestial kingdom is populated by those who have been carnal and sinful throughout life. (6) Certainly the last 6 commandments of the Decalogue are instrumental to determine morality for Judaism and Christianity. Christianity says we are saved by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-10). Moreover, works are the EVIDENCE of true faith, but not the BASIS for salvation — works FOLLOW salvation. (7) There is no denying that men like Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon practiced plural marriage. Instead we find polygamy being tolerated by God rather than being commanded by Him, because it often caused conflict and sometimes led the family into idolatry. Monogamy was always the rule, and polygamy was always the exception. A man was to cleave to his wife (not wives), and as Jesus confirmed, these two shall become one flesh (Gen. 2:24; Mark 10:8). The apostle Paul wrote that every man should have his own wife and every woman her own husband (1 Cor. 7:2), assuming monogamy as the norm. This pattern is also expected for those seeking office in the church (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6). The NT never condones any marriage but a relationship of one man and one woman. Thus, there is no same sex marriages. (8) Mormon doctrine stands in STARK CONTRAST with Jewish and Christian MONOTHEISM, which teaches contrary to the POLYTHEISM of LDS that there is only one TRUE God and that every other god is a false god. (9) LDS theology denies the biblical gospel of grace (Eph. 2:8-10;  Gal.1:6). The Book of Mormon teaches, “Be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after ALL WE CAN DO” (2 Nephi 25:23). This is episode 238.