If you don't know who Arnold Murray is, you are
blessed. If you come across his name or his teachings, run don't walk,
away. He is the classic cult figure who manages to reel in some naive
followers and fill their minds with twisted biblical heresy. This is a
man who leads a church in Gravette, Arkansas called Shepherd's Chapel.
Unfortunately he has managed to pollute the radio airwaves with his
dangerous teachings and his caustic rhetoric is also available over 200
television stations. The Lord's warning: "Beware
of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15), certainly applies to
this man and his ministry.
Those who have investigated Murray's method of
teaching have learned that he has a technique of going through the Bible
verse by verse adding his own interpretations and using the Strong's
Concordance to try to cunningly support his position. Those who do
not understand the Word of God and have had little exposure to the
Scriptures are easily influenced by Murray's erroneous logic and Greek
word misapplications, which he uses to support his positions.
Arnold Murray's background is shrouded in secret
and no on is sure what his education and work experiences are. He calls
himself, "Doctor" but no one seems to know why. Doctor of "what" remains
to be a question. The church's website has virtually no information on
their profession of faith or much of anything else.
One very revealing finding is that the Murray and
his group are said to be often very rude and condescending. The
followers of this man, like their leader, regularly call others liars,
deceivers, idiots, losers, etc.Arnold Murray is full of disparaging
comments about anyone who disagrees with him. A recording exists of
Murray pulling a gun on someone who disagreed with him in a teaching
setting.
Following are some of the aberrant teachings by
Arnold Murray:
Unorthodox False Teachings:
1. Denies
the Trinity and teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are really
three offices held by
the one God.
2. Denies the existence of eternal hell.
3. Denies the doctrine of the Rapture.
4. Denies physical
resurrection of believers. We will be raised spiritually.
5. Teaches annihilationism: non-existence after death for sinners.
6. Teaches that certain Old Testament kosher laws regarding meat should
be followed.
7. Teaches Serpent Seed doctrine: Eve had
literal sexual relations with the serpent.
8. The offspring of
Eve's impregnation resulted in Cain, Satan's offspring.
9. The
Kenites are the tares of the parable of the wheat and the tares in
Matthew 13.
10. Satan's fallen angels impregnated women around
the time of Noah.
11. Interracial marriage is wrong.
12. Being born again is to enter into this body from a spiritual body of
another age.
13. America and Britain are the lost tribes of
Israel.
14. People were alive in a pre-existence.
15. There was an earth age prior to Adam where a race of people lived.
16. The Rapture is a false doctrine.
Orthodox Biblical
Teachings:
1. Satan is a literal being.
2. Jesus
will return.
3. Jesus will set up a future millennial kingdom.
4. The Bible is the inerrant word of God.
Other
1. The earth is millions of years old.
2. Arnold
Murray is one of God's true teachers on earth today.
Murray will have much to answer to when He is face
to face with the Lord on judgment day, and from the way it looks unless
he repents it will be at the White Throne judgment. The damage he is
doing for the cause of Christ is evident because he is leading others
astray away from the true gospel of Christ.
References
http://carm.org/shepherds-chapelold