Are we allowed to add to God’s Word or take anything away from God’s Word?
The answer, according to almost every Christian I’ve ever met, is an emphatic no.
Sure, you’ll get some groups that claim to be Christians, such as Mormons, that argue the Word needed a “vital companion” because what we have is insufficient. Muslims claim that the Qur’an is necessary because it clarifies the Word due to “corruptions” in translations over time.
There’s not much that needs to be said. Galatians 1:6-9 and Jude 3-4 handle those types of ideas perfectly.
What’s more dangerous is the idea that people need to adapt the Word to match the culture around us. That the Bible does not give us “all things pertaining to life and Godliness,” as 2 Peter 1:3 claims—or, if it does, it only provides a groundwork for us to build off of.
Some people hold this view explicitly. Dr. Bob Utley, a professor of Hermeneutics, said of Deuteronomy 12:32 that “we must apply the truths of the Bible for every new age and culture.”
I realize that, because of my stance on Biblical inerrancy, I’m probably in the minority. Hopefully not, but probably.
But adapting the commandments of God to culture is exactly what God fought against in Deuteronomy 12:32. The whole chapter is about annihilating all the page practices that exist in Canaan, and replacing them with what He wants. Deuteronomy 13 is about how to handle the introduction of false doctrine.
So the whole section that Deuteronomy 12:32 reinforces the concept that His Law is immoveable. It’s not subject to change; that’s why we are not to “add to or take away” from His Word.
John provides the same warning in Revelation 22:18-19. He says that anyone who adds to or takes away from the prophecies in this book will either have the plagues “added to” him or have his name “taken away” from the Book of Life.
Ask yourself: How could God have made His desire any plainer? How could He have expressed Himself any clearer that His Word is perfect and unchangeable?
As mentioned before, though, the problem is not with intentional changes, but with unintentional changes. We believe we know “what He’s really getting at.” We argue this or that passage is outdated. We claim that “the original languages say…”
Let me be clear: I believe that historical context, original languages, and understanding of culture are necessary to good Bible interpretation.
But if we reach for explanations that justify ignoring what God tells us to do, what are we really doing? Understanding Scripture or abusing it?
Instead, we should take the mentality that Paul said when he found out that coveting was wrong: “Sin became alive, and I died” (Romans 7:9). And if I recognize that I have died, I also recognize that I need to change to be born again.
Many of us will never do this. We’ll add to or take away from Scripture in our own way, hoping to justify what we want to do. It won’t be obvious that that’s what we’re doing, but the result is the same. God’s Word has changed by our hand.
How did that work out for Israel?