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