I was apprehensive about downloading a short ebooklet entitled Does Your Church Possess… -“The Whole Truth”? “Apprehensive” because you never know with these things until you figure out who wrote it and why. Turns out, though, it was written by Raymond F McNair, and is available via HTML format as well at Does Your Church Possess… “The Whole Truth”? by Raymond F. McNair. It’s actually a good read.
I have often wondered about ministers who will proclaim they teach “the whole truth” or “the entire truth”. How can they say that? In order to teach the “whole” truth, they would have to know the whole truth, and that would mean they would know the date and time of Christ’s return.
That would mean they know more than Christ Himself!
33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. (Matthew 24:33-36, King James Version)
42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:42-44, King James Version)
13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 25:13, King James Version)
3Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelation 3:3, King James Version)
So, if a minister says he or his organization teaches the “whole truth”, he must either:
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Be saying he knows when Christ will return. If that is the case, run and don’t walk to the nearest exit.
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Admit that he doesn’t know the “whole” truth.
If he can do neither, he is a liar and shouldn’t be listened to.
Some other things he probably doesn’t know:
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The exact day and hour that the earth was created.
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The exact day and hour man was created.
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Do wormholes really exist? If so, are they really portals into another universe or are they just pathways to different parts of our own?
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Can time exist outside of matter? If not, then how were angelic beings able to cope prior to the earth’s creation?
You get the point. Only God is omniscient. No man is.
You are making too much out of the statement "preaching the whole truth". It could simply mean preaching the main doctrinal truth, not every nook and cranny. To call someone a liar without qualifying what they are saying is not wise.
@Porky: No, I don't think so. Either it is the "whole" truth or it is not. It is either a true statement or a lie. We are either men or we are God. It is that simple. Men set themselves up to be perceived as being "next to God". It is pride, it is exalting themselves and it is a lie. No qualification needed.
Does the booklet ever quote John 14:6? Or I John 5:6?
Jesus said He was "the truth." And at the risk of being controversial, John wrote the Holy Spirit "is truth" (KJV; "is the truth" NIV).
If a congregation or denomination doesn't utilize all Biblical definitions of "truth" (beyond John 17:17), methinks their knowledge of the truth is incomplete.
@Richard: No, the booklet does not quote those verses. You make some good points, and one of them even points back to the earlier post today. 🙂
Having said that, I don't know that either verse takes away from McNair's main point in the booklet. I would actually go so far as to say, those verses would have probably strengthened his argument if you think about the implications long enough.
Jesus was God in the flesh, full of the Holy Spirit. He had a right to claim that He was The Truth. I don't think any prophet, evangelist or apostle can lay claim to that right.
I have a challenge for anyone who wants to take it up: Which of the apostles ever claimed to have the "whole truth", "complete truth" or the "entire truth"?