Refuting the Insanity

Shawn McCraney teaches that true Christian faith is subjective and personal, independent of any human authority or church hierarchy, emphasizing that justification comes through faith in Christ alone, not through works or adherence to the law. By referencing Paul's writings in Galatians, he argues that personal faith in Christ negates the need for external validation or accountability, advocating for spiritual growth through living by the Spirit rather than the flesh.

Shawn emphasizes the centrality of faith and love in Christianity, teaching that true liberty in Christ means being free from the constraints of legalistic religion, which often imposes unnecessary burdens on believers. He underscores the message that all are equal in Christ, encouraging a life led by the Spirit, characterized by the fruits of love, joy, and peace, while dismissing unfounded assertions like the construction of a physical third temple.

A replica of the Second Temple is being constructed in Mitzpeh Yericho, but Shawn argues that a third Temple in Jerusalem is unnecessary because Jesus has already fulfilled the roles of the Temple, priesthood, and sacrifices, making a new Temple redundant. He emphasizes that prophecies, like those in Ezekiel and Haggai, point to Jesus as the ultimate realization of God's purposes, with His eternal priesthood and the establishment of a new covenant through His death and resurrection.

The Second Temple, as prophesied by Haggai and referenced by Paul and Peter, marked the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant with Christ's first advent, His atoning death, and subsequent exaltation fulfilling all prophecies, making a third temple unnecessary. Claims that a future temple is needed for Christ's second advent are misleading, as the finality of Christ's work negates the necessity for another temple, a sentiment left unchallenged by some evangelical teachings and theologies like those influenced by the Scofield Reference Bible.

The idea of constructing a Third Temple in Jerusalem is refuted by the claim that Jesus Christ himself is the fulfillment of the Temple, rendering any future physical construction unnecessary and detracting from the significance of the New Covenant and the Gospel. Interpreting biblical prophecy as calling for a literal Third Temple risks returning believers to obsolete Old Testament legalism, thereby undermining the grace-centered teachings of the New Testament.

The teaching emphasizes that the Epistle to the Galatians no longer aligns with the vision of the New Testament temple seen in Ephesians, highlighting the unity of Jew and Gentile through Christ's sacrifice, and questions the futurist interpretation of a Third Temple, which is seen as contradicting the completed work of Christ. It suggests that interpretations of scripture should focus on the most reasonable explanations, cautioning against views that negate Christ's accomplishments.