Proverbs 30: 6

Proverbs 30:6     Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Proverbs 30:6.  Centuries later, in Revelations 22: 18, the Apostle John said the same thing.

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; Iand if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (Revelations 22: 18, 19)     

John’s warning is found in the last chapter of the last book of the canonized Bible.

At the time Agur wrote Proverbs 30: 6, the Bible, the written canonized Word of God was far from complete.  None of the New Testament had been written, and most of the Old Testament prophets hadn’t even been born.  Agur wasn’t writing the last book of the Bible.  This wasn’t even the last chapter of the book of Proverbs.

So, Agur isn’t warning against adding text to the Book.  Agur is warning against attaching unauthorized ideas to the Word.

When someone preaches, prophesies, or teaches from the Bible, he/she is speaking the Word of God.  To deliver the Word in a way that makes sense, you use stories, analogies, and references that are not in the Bible.  And that’s fine.

We can expand on the illustrations and applications of Scripture; but we must never change the point, message, ideas, or ideals of the Scripture.  We can use our personal experiences to explain meaning in the Bible; but we must never allow our personal experiences to define meaning in the Bible.

If you, or I, or anyone adds meanings to God’s Word that God didn’t put there, then we are lying on God.

Let God be true but every man a liar. (Romans 3: 4)

This is what Jesus condemned the Pharisees for doing.  He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition”. (Mark 7: 9)

We have our old traditions, and we have our new and emerging traditions.  Trends.  We call an emerging tradition a trend. 

When personal/ social trends and traditions disagree with the Word of God, Christians have 2 choices:

(A)   Reject the tradition (be it old or emerging) and hold to the eternal and infinitely applicable Truth of God; or
(B)   Add unauthorized ideas to the Word of God and attach to the scriptures meanings that God didn’t put there.

Jesus said that the 2^nd option means making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. (Mark 7: 13)

We make the Word of God of no effect when we hop up and say “The Bible says, ‘Thou shalt not,’ but God really means ‘Thou shalt go ahead because social norms have changed.’ ”   That's lying on God, and that’s a dangerous thing to do because God does not take it well when anybody---you, me, or angel (Galatians 1: 8)--- lies on Him.

God has not changed His opinions on sin or life in general (Malachi 3: 6).    God has said what He meant and He still means what He said (Isaiah 40: 8).  

Human cultures, laws, traditions/trends do change with the times.  But, God doesn’t.   

Rituals, forms, languages, and styles of worship do evolve.   But, the Truth of God’s Word doesn’t. 

Don’t change it.  Don’t lie on God.  If you do, the lie will only hurt you and those you convince. 

Let God be true but every man a liar. (Romans 3: 4)

Not the other way around.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

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