Things that Differ

In spite of the fact that the word of God plainly tells believers in this present age to follow the apostle Paul (e.g. 1 Cor. 11:1), many professing Christians resent that idea when presented with it and claim to follow the whole Bible instead. That is not even possible because God’s word has different things to say to different people living under different dispensations. Even a casual reading of the Bible reveals that there are different instructions given concerning the same issues! For example, concerning the simple matter of what we are to eat, are you going to follow the instructions God gave Adam, Noah, Moses, or Paul?

All of the Bible is the word of God and is therefore profitable FOR us (2 Tim. 3:16), but it is not all written TO us (2 Tim. 2:15). We need to read and study the whole Bible. When we come across something that does not line up with what the apostle Paul taught in his epistles, we are to follow what CHRIST said through Paul directly to us in this present age (1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13).

All of the truth in the Bible is good, but there are things that are more excellent for us in this present age of grace (Phil. 1:9-11). The law revealed through Moses for Israel was more excellent than what all of the other nations lived by (Rom. 2:17-20). However, under grace we have something more excellent than the law (Phil. 3:1-10)!

Here is a list of 23 examples that prove you cannot follow everything the Bible says, and that it must be rightly divided to be understood. 

COMPARE (1 Cor. 2:13)

1) Gospel - Matt. 4:23; 17:22-23; 24:14 with Acts 20:24; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Col. 1:5-6

2) Audience – Matt. 10:5-7; Lk. 24:47; Acts 11:19 with Acts 26:17; 1 Tim. 2:4

3) Salvation - Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38 with Acts 16:30-31; Eph. 2:8-9

4) Justification - Jam. 2:24 with Rom. 3:28; 4:5

5) Righteousness - Deut. 6:24-25; Lk. 1:6; Rev. 19:8 with Phil. 3:4-10

6) Forgiveness - Matt. 6:14-15 with Eph. 4:32

7) Acceptance - Acts 10:35 with Titus 3:5; Eph. 1:6

8) Love of God - Jn. 15:10; Jude 21 with Rom. 8:38-39

9) Security - Matt. 24:13 with 1 Cor. 1:8

10) Sealed with Spirit - 1 Sam. 16:14; Ps. 51:11 with Eph. 4:30

11) Blessings - Deut. 28:1-5 with Eph. 1:3

12) Coming of the Lord - Matt.24:15 (signs) with Phil. 3:20 (no signs)

13) Law - Matt. 23:1-3 with Rom. 6:14

14) Diet - Lev. 11:46-47 with 1 Tim. 4:1-6

15) Circumcision - Gen. 17:9-14 with Gal. 5:2

16) Holy days - Lev. 23:1-3 with Gal. 4:8-11; Col. 2:16

17) Water Baptism - Matt. 28:19 with 1 Cor. 1:17

18) Signs - Mk. 16:17-18 with 1 Cor. 13:8-13

19) Teachers - 1 Jn. 2:27 with Eph. 4:11

20) Prayer - Matt. 21:22 with 2 Cor. 12:8-9

21) Provision - Acts 4:34-35 with 1 Thess. 4:11-12

22) Riches - Matt. 19:21-24; Jam. 5:1 with 1 Tim. 6:17-19

23) Giving - Mal. 3:6-10 with 2 Cor. 9:7