There are many biblical texts that, when exegeted carefully, refute a lot of the
false theologies within much of so-called “Orthodox” or “mainstream”
Christianity. As I have shown in a few previous posts, the various theologies
of Sola Fide (there are different formulations of this doctrine, both
historically and in modern times, thus the plural theologies) runs
counter to many biblical texts, when carefully examined in their historical/cultural/grammatical
context (one example is this post).
In my daily Scripture reading, I came across this
passage which records the words of David:
For I have kept the
ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his
judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. I
was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
Therefore, the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness;
according to my cleanness in his eye sight. With the merciful thou wilt shew
thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright. (2
Sam 22:22-26)
This is the polar opposite of much of historical and
modern Protestantism—not a hint of alien imputed righteousness; not a hint of
the total depravity of man; not a hint of our works being menstrual rags in the
eyes of God (on the misuse of Isa 64:6, see my post here). Instead, David, due
to his keeping the statutes and commandments of God, Yahweh will reward him, not
based on an alien imputed righteousness which is the only ground of one’s
salvation, per Reformed commentators, but due to David’s own righteousness (צְדָקָה; LXX: δικαιοσύνη).
In light of all the cries that Evangelical
Protestantism, the theology espoused by most theistic critics of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is “biblical Christianity,” that on core
doctrines (e.g., Christology; anthropology; baptism; in this instance,
soteriology) they teach a “false gospel” (cf. Gal 1:6-9)—one would find the
irony funny if it did not have eternal consequences, which is captured in the .gif I encountered recently (many more names could be added, alas [Desmond Ferguson; Bobby Gilpin; Mike and Ann Thomas, etc]):
