Originally posted on May 29, 2007
People are constantly cooking up schemes to harm other people. Very few really care about the truth or justice in the last Generation. People used to care about being morally or logically consistent but now most people figure that they can use propaganda or spin to twist people’s perceptions of the facts and either cover up or justify the inconsistency.The following are brief descriptions of some types of schemes executed in the end times.
The time will come when people will selectively choose who they will listen to. We see this clearly in the political media. They cherry pick the sources of info they like and listen to only those want and buy into any fable or story, no matter how ridiculous. This approach is very common on the internet. Stories have to be checked out, often comparing diverse sources or sources unlikely to make up the story at hand.
2 Timothy 4:2-5 KJV Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (5) But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Schemers will play with words and twist their meanings or take them out of context. Instead of sound doctrine or logical reasoning the result is chaos which breeds all sorts of conflicts.Schemers will fight over the minutae of words to deconstruct a passage or exploit minute variations of a text to create meanings not intended by the author. This misapplication of language creates inner conflict(envy), conflict between people(strife), and railing (blasphemy). The Greek translated ‘ evil surmisings ‘ in 1 Timothy 6:3-5 (see passage below) could just as easily be translated ‘conspiracy theories’
The philosophical method called deconstruction did not formally develop until Jacques Derrida coined the term in the 1960’s, but the Bible anticipated this development in the following passage written 1900 years previously in the 60’s ad:
1 Timothy 6:3-5 KJV If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; (4) He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of wordsG3055, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,G5283 (5) Perverse disputingsG3859 of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
The deceivers makes calculated use of words designed to exploit people’s lusts. Schemers exploit other people’s lusts in order to fulfill their own they use the greed and lust of their victims to turn them into merchandise-property -slavery by manipulation
2 Peter 2:1-4 KJV But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2) And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (3) And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (4) For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Scripture twisting has become especially popular today, particularly among controversial cultural and political topics
2 Peter 3:14-18 KJV Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (15) And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; (16) As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (17) Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. (18) But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Another passage on deconstruction and Scripture twisting
2 Timothy 2:14-21 KJV Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. (15) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (16) But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (17) And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; (18) Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. (19) Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (20) But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. (21) If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Here are two classes of questions to avoid. Foolish questions and Unlearned questions. The Greek translated foolish questions literally means absurd questions or logically impossible questions. Unlearned questions are stupid questions and as such are a waste of time since either the questioner already knows the answer or he will never get it. These kinds of questions do not serve any purpose of the legitimate search for knowledge but are designed to create controversy or doubts.
2 Timothy 2:23 KJV But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do genderG1080 strifes.
Here we are warned that people who are actually enemies of Christ will seek to infiltrate the church for the purpose of destroying it or converting to an agenda hostile to Christ. This sometimes called a fifth column. Todays Evangelical Church has been infiltrated by Jesuits, Marxists, Neo-Pagans, politicians, and other New World Order elitists
2 Timothy 3:1-9 KJV This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, (4) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (6) For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, (7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (8) Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (9) But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
The Pharisees tried to present Jesus with a false dilemma. Jesus grabbed both horns of the dilemma and brilliantly answered.
Matthew 22:15-21 KJV Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. (16) And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. (17) Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? (18) But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? (19) Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. (20) And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? (21) They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
The word ‘ hypocrisy ‘ in the Greek means pretender or actor. In Greek contemporary usage it was used to refer to people who acted in the theater. When Jesus called the Jewish religious leader hypocrites he was not saying that they were inconsistent but that they pretending to be faithful Jews. The Jewish religious leaders had sold out to Rome and to their desires that they ceased to be righteous. They were passing themselves off as something they were not.
Even today many pass themselves off as Evangelical leaders who hold to neither Evangelical doctrine nor allegiance to Jesus Christ. In fact, many of the most prestigious leaders in the Evangelical movement are enemies of Christ who have infiltrated the Church.
Matthew 23:25-32 KJV Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (26) Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. (27) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. (28) Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (29) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, (30) And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. (31) Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. (32) Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
G3055
λογομαχία
logomachia
log-om-akh-ee’-ah
From the same as G3054; disputation about trifles (“logomachy”): – strife of words.
G3054
λογομαχέω
logomacheō
log-om-akh-eh’-o
From a compound of G3056 and G3164; to be disputatious (on trifles): – strive about words.
G3056
λόγος
logos
log’-os
From G3004; something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension a computation; specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (that is, Christ): – account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say (-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.
G3004
λέγω
legō
leg’-o
A primary verb; properly to “lay” forth, that is, (figuratively) relate (in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 and G5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 means an extended or random harangue]); by implication to mean: – ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say (-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.
G3164
μάχομαι
machomai
makh’-om-ahee
Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to war, that is, (figuratively) to quarrel, dispute: – fight, strive.
G5283
ὑπόνοια
huponoia
hoop-on’-oy-ah
From G5282; suspicion: – surmising.
G5282
ὑπονοέω
huponoeō
hoop-on-o-eh’-o
From G5259 and G3539; to think under (privately), that is, to surmise or conjecture: – think, suppose, deem.
G5259
ὑπό
hupo
hoop-o’
A primary preposition; under, that is, (with the genitive) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative) of place (whither [underneath] or where [below]) or time (when [at]): – among, by, from, in, of, under, with. In compounds it retains the same genitive applications, especially of inferior position or condition, and specifically covertly or moderately.
G3539
νοιέω
noieō
noy-eh’-o
From G3563; to exercise the mind (observe), that is, (figuratively) to comprehend, heed: – consider, perceive, think, understand.
G3563
νοῦς
nous
nooce
Probably from the base of G1097; the intellect, that is, mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by implication meaning: – mind, understanding. Compare G5590.
G1097
γινώσκω
ginōskō
ghin-oce’-ko
A prolonged form of a primary verb; to “know” (absolutely), in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as shown at left, with others not thus clearly expressed): – allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) known (-ledge), perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.
G3859
παραδιατριβή
paradiatribē
par-ad-ee-at-ree-bay’
From a compound of G3844 and G1304; misemployment, that is, meddlesomeness: – perverse disputing.
G3844
παρά
para
par-ah’
A primary preposition; properly near, that is, (with genitive case) from beside (literally or figuratively), (with dative case) at (or in) the vicinity of (objectively or subjectively), (with accusative case) to the proximity with (local [especially beyond or opposed to] or causal [on account of]). In compounds it retains the same variety of application: – above, against, among, at, before, by, contrary to, X friend, from, + give [such things as they], + that [she] had, X his, in, more than, nigh unto, (out) of, past, save, side . . . by, in the sight of, than, [there-] fore, with. In compounds it retains the same variety of application.
G1304
διατρίβω
diatribō
dee-at-ree’-bo
From G1223 and the base of G5147; to wear through (time), that is, remain: – abide, be, continue, tarry.
G1223
διά
dia
dee-ah’
A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal or occasional). In composition it retains the same general import: – after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) . . . fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through (-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general import.
G5147
τρίβος
tribos
tree’-bos
From τρίβω tribō (to “rub”; akin to τείρω teirō, τρύω truō, and the base of G5131, G5134); a rut or worn track: – path.
G1080
γεννάω
gennaō
ghen-nah’-o
From a variation of G1085; to procreate (properly of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively to regenerate: – bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.
G1085
γένος
genos
ghen’-os
From G1096; “kin” (abstractly or concretely, literally or figuratively, individually or collectively): – born, country (-man), diversity, generation, kind (-red), nation, offspring, stock.
G1096
γίνομαι
ginomai
ghin’-om-ahee
A prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate), that is, (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.): – arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.