Surveys have shown that only about 10% to 30% of modern-day Christians have ever read through the entire Bible, much less extensively studied it. Instead, most Christians rely on their church for the majority of their understanding of the teachings of Jesus. Exclusively relying on one institution for such vital information can be dangerous, yet this seems to be a trend in our society. Beware of Hypocrisy was written to explain why this trend is dangerous and to encourage Christians to study the New Testament themselves.
Modern churches have such diverse doctrines that people can now shop around for a church with teachings and doctrines that are copacetic with their chosen lifestyle. Because the Bible does not give specifics on every issue, people oftentimes demand the churches provide definite, unambiguous doctrine on all important issues so they can live their lives without questioning whether or not something they are doing, or not doing, is a sin. Churches need congregants for their survival; therefore, many have evolved to accommodate the desires of the masses.
After almost 2,000 years of making assumptions and inventing doctrines, churches have subtly changed, over time, the teachings of Jesus into something different from what is presented in the Scriptures. This will be demonstrated by analyzing the teachings of Jesus regarding a given topic as presented in the Bible, and then contrasting it with what churches teach and do regarding the subject.
The issues of greatest concern, which will be discussed in this book, include how churches have effectively reversed the teachings of Jesus regarding adultery, marriage, greed, prayer, and idolatry. I will also show that the Catholic Church considers itself infallible, and how this has caused serious problems for that church.
Because the churches seem to have participated in and condoned sin throughout history, they should not be relied upon as an individual’s primary source for seeking the truth about God, Jesus, sin, and repentance. Instead, the reader is encouraged to study the Bible, which is necessary when facing challenges and temptations in life. Without knowing and understanding Scripture, people are too easily convinced by a church’s doctrine that may not be based on God’s Word. Furthermore, acting on these false assumptions could be detrimental to their souls.
The book concludes with encouragement from hope in the Word of the Lord. The reader is encouraged to pray for positive changes in the established churches and for new churches to come into existence that better follow the teachings of Jesus as presented in the New Testament. Techniques for studying the Bible are presented along with recommendations on Bible translations, dictionaries, and apps.