What theological things were you mistaken about in your growing knowledge of God's Word?
Here is my list.
#1. I used to believe we had to follow the Old Testament laws in addition to the New Testament laws. Until one day I discovered verses that the New Covenant began with Christ's death and it ended the Old Covenant. In other words, I believe that believers today are to primarily follow the New Testament commands because we are New Covenant believers.
#2. I used to think that Christians could go to war and or they can respond with violence when attacked. But I have come to later learn that the Scriptures teach Non-Resistance (while believers live out their faith).
#3. I used to believe Romans 3:25 was a verse that proves past sins are forgiven for a believer. But this verse is actually talking about those who sinned while under the Old Covenant.
#4. I used to believe that believers can use the same miraculous gifts that the early church had. Today, I lean more towards Cessationism (even though I leave a little bit of room for mystery that I could be wrong).
#5. I used to believe in Eternal Conscious Torment. I believe I was mistaken on this belief after learning of the truth on Dualistic Conditional Immortality. This is the view that hell is a very real place of punishment, but the wicked will be destroyed (erased from existence) in the Lake of Fire after the Judgment and after they have been punished for a set amount of time for their sins. Note: At one point in time, I was on the fence on these two beliefs, until Scripture convinced me otherwise.
#6. I used to think believers could be rich by how we generally understand that word. Meaning, I thought we could be millionaires and still be in service to Christ. But I have learned that this is not so. 1 Timothy 6 is a big refutation of that idea.
#7.
John 19:14 says the sixth hour is when Pilate mocks Jesus before a crowd. Yet, on the sixth hour, Scripture says darkness came upon the land after he was on the cross (
Matthew 27:45). Many have tried to resolve this supposed contradiction in the Bible in many ways. I used to think the sixth hour in John 19:14 was in reference to flash forward in time.
However, I abandoned this idea.
I now believe there two different clocks here. Christ’s clock (or hours); And the normal reckoning of hours within a calendar day.
1. Christ’s 1st hour. This the 1st hour of when Christ is betrayed into the hands of sinners
(Christ’s 1st hour: See
Matthew 26:45). This is Christ’s hour because Christ’s says elsewhere, “My hour has not yet come.” (
John 2:4).
2. Early the next morning, Jesus is judged by Pilate (a Roman) early in the morning.
3. Jesus is then whipped and mocked.
4. Christ’s 6th hour. This is after six hours have past from the previous night of the 1st hour of when Jesus was betrayed into the hands of sinners (
Matthew 26:45): Pilate sets Jesus before a Jewish audience and says to them, “Behold your king!” (Christ’s 6th hour: See
John 19:14).
5. Then at 9:00AM (3rd hour of the Day): Jesus is crucified.
6. Darkness within the sky comes upon the land at 12:00PM (6th hour of the Day).
7. Then at 3:00PM (9th hour of the Day) Jesus dies and He becomes our Passover Lamb, Christ is sacrificed for us (man).
#8. I used to think time exists like it does in time travel movies, books, comics, etc.; Meaning, I used to believe God existed in all points in time (past, present, and future). However, I have abandoned this idea based on what Scripture says. I believe God simply exists in the present moment of time like all of us do (However, God can obviously see what is going to happen before it happens, though).
#9. At one point in time, I briefly believed for a few days in the Pre-Wrath model. Today, I hold to the view that there is a potential Pre-Trib Rapture, and another event that is the gathering up of the saints by angels in the Middle of the Tribulation (after the abomination of desolations takes place).
#10. I believed in Once Saved Always Saved very briefly (Note: I think it was like 1 or 2 hours), until I researched the Scriptures later that night and learned that it was false.
#11. I used to believe that Christians had to tithe, until I learned that tithing was Old Covenant and that Paul tells us in Corinthians to give what God has purposed in our heart to give.
#12. I used to think church was going to a big building to worship God amongst a bunch of strangers, or people you could not connect with, but I have come to discover that the church are a people, and the early church gathered in each other's homes, and they were close friends and they knew each other.
