To Arnold Murray and the Followers of Shepherd’s Chapel
A Rebuke Concerning Apostasy, the False Messiah, and the Duty of the Elect
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ, who alone is the Lamb of God, the Alpha and Omega, and the victor over Satan. I write this letter with righteous indignation, for your teachings concerning apostasy, the false messiah, and the so-called duty of the elect are an affront to the gospel of grace and a betrayal of the clarity of Scripture. Your words distort the truth, twisting prophecy into vain imaginations and placing burdens on believers that God Himself has not commanded.
On Apostasy and the False Messiah
You rightly define apostasy as “giving up or renouncing one’s professed principles or faith.” But what follows in your teaching is a distortion that undermines the message of Christ. You claim that the lamb of Revelation 13:11—this false messiah—will deceive Christians into believing he is Jesus Christ, attributing this deception to the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture.
This claim is rooted in confusion and lacks biblical support. The lamb of Revelation 13:11, who “speaks like a dragon,” is indeed a deceiver. However, the text does not suggest that he will masquerade as Christ to deceive “pre-tribulation rapture Christians.” Such speculation arises not from sound exegesis but from sensationalism.
Scripture assures us that Satan’s schemes, no matter how cunning, cannot prevail over God’s elect. Jesus warns in Matthew 24:24:
“For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”
This verse, understood within a dispensational understanding of Matthew 24:14, emphasizes the strength of God’s protection over His people. The gospel message—the proclamation that the kingdom will be preached to all nations—is fulfilled by Christ’s sovereign plan, not human speculation.
Your teaching undermines this assurance. It implies that Christians can be so thoroughly deceived that they fail to discern the true voice of their Shepherd. Yet Jesus says:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28).
Furthermore, you assert that Christians must actively stand against the false messiah in synagogues, as though their strength can thwart the schemes of Satan. This is sheer folly. Christ declared, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Victory belongs to Christ alone, who will destroy the dragon and false prophet with the word of His mouth and the breath of His coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:15-21).
Your doctrine shifts the focus from Christ’s completed work to human effort, robbing Him of the glory that is rightfully His.
On the Duty of the Elect
You claim it is the duty of the elect to “stand and witness in the synagogues, allowing the Holy Spirit to give His message to the world through you.” This interpretation reeks of arrogance. The gospel of grace, as revealed in Scripture, does not depend on human effort or permission to accomplish its purpose. The Holy Spirit works sovereignly to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8).
Your misuse of Mark 13:9 twists a passage that pertains specifically to the apostles and their persecution in the early church into a universal command for believers to engage in spiritual combat. The apostles fulfilled this prophecy, standing before councils and synagogues to proclaim Christ crucified and risen. This is not a mandate for modern believers to take up arms against Satan in some imagined cosmic courtroom.
The elect are called to stand firm in faith, clothed in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11). Yet it is Christ who fights the battle and secures the victory. Your teaching implies that the elect must actively win spiritual victories, a claim that spits in the face of the gospel. On the cross, Christ declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30), and His resurrection sealed His triumph over sin, death, and the devil. The elect do not fight for victory; they fight from victory, standing firm in the triumph that Christ has already secured.
The Gospel of Grace and the Danger of Your Doctrine
Arnold Murray, your doctrine is a parasite, feeding on fear and misunderstanding. You burden believers with visions of battles they cannot fight, portraying the church as warriors rather than sheep under the care of the Good Shepherd.
You emphasize human effort at the expense of the gospel’s central truth: salvation is the work of God, accomplished through Christ’s sacrifice and applied by the Holy Spirit. This is the message proclaimed in the gospel of grace book, which emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work.
Your teaching turns the eyes of believers away from Christ and toward themselves, replacing the sufficiency of His sacrifice with the insufficiency of human striving. This is not the gospel. It is a perversion, as damning as the lies of the serpent in the garden. Paul reminds us in Romans 1:16:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”
Your teaching undermines this power, distorting the gospel into a message of fear, effort, and self-reliance.
Conclusion
You speak of the false lamb, but in truth, your teaching bears its mark. By twisting Scripture, exalting human effort, and robbing Christ of His glory, you lead believers into error and burden them with responsibilities that are not theirs to bear.
Repent of this error, Arnold Murray, and proclaim the true gospel—the gospel of grace, which declares that Christ alone is sufficient, His victory is complete, and His elect are preserved by His power, not their own (1 Peter 1:5). May you turn away from speculation and rest in the truth of God’s Word, which assures us that the dispensational understanding of Matthew 24:14 calls for the proclamation of Christ’s kingdom, not human-centered fears.
May the Lord have mercy on you and open your eyes to the truth.
In Christ’s Service,