Salvation by Works: A False Doctrine

Salvation by Works: A False Doctrine

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, August 17, 2026 (Donate)

Author and General Editor of the popular book series: World Religion and Cults

If one looks at the state of religion throughout the world, you cannot miss the fact that religions are massively different—even in their ultimate goals. Atheistic worldviews offer no final salvation at all. If death is simply the end of a person and all their works are useless—then there is ultimately no rescue from death, no final restoration, and no eternal hope.

Many Eastern mystical religions offer a very different goal. Some teach various forms of reincarnation that you can work for, enlightenment, liberation, or absorption into an ultimate impersonal reality. The individual hopes to escape the cycle of suffering and distinctions. From a biblical perspective, however, this offers no genuine hope of eternal life with the personal God who created us.

Pagan, moralistic, and works-based religions fare no better. People are told, in one form or another, to do enough good, obey certain rules, perform religious rituals, avoid certain sins, or accumulate enough merit in the hope that things will turn out well in the end. But how much good is enough—and what do you mean by good anyway? How can a sinful person know that the debt of sin has actually been paid? What about the guilt?

Then there are religions that mimic certain aspects of Christianity and look forward to an end result described as heaven, paradise, resurrection with new bodies, or eternal blessing. This includes more than half of the world's population.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

But how do we get to heaven? Most religions answer with some form of works. Do this. Avoid that. Perform this ritual. Keep these commandments. Join this religious organization. Accumulate enough merit. Perhaps, if your good outweighs your bad, things will, “cross your fingers”, work out.

Yet God's answer is radically different—and remarkably simple.

God Said What?

According to Scripture, salvation is by God's grace through faith. It is a free gift. We don’t earn it by works.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9, NKJV).

Salvation is free to us, but it was certainly not without cost to God. We sinned against our infinite and holy Creator and deserved His righteous judgment (Genesis 2:17, 3:19). We could never pay that debt through our own good deeds. In fact, doing good, doesn’t negate that we deserve to be punished by God. We sinned, that needs to be dealt with by a perfect and righteous Judge—God.

Jesus Christ did what we couldn’t do. Christ, God the Son who came in the flesh, lived without sin and died in the place of sinners. He was buried and rose bodily from the dead, showing…and proving…His victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Christ fully satisfied God’s wrath on our sin through His death and resurrection. This is why Paul and Silas could answer the Philippian jailer's question so simply:

"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30, NKJV).

Their response wasn’t, "Perform enough good works." It was:

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31, NKJV).

Those who believe in the Jesus Christ of Scripture, trusting in His death, burial, and resurrection for their salvation, are saved. Genuine saving faith will then produce fruit with God’s help. Repentance, obedience, love for God, and good works should flow from salvation, but they don’t purchase salvation. This distinction is essential. We aren’t saved by good works. Bu t instead we are saved and then do good works because of our love for God to be obedient to Him (Ephesians 2:10).

What Are We Saved From Again?

Why do we need a Savior in the first place? The answer goes back to Genesis. God warned Adam concerning the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, "in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:17, NKJV). Adam rebelled against God, and death entered God's once "very good" and perfect creation (Genesis 1:31; Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 5:12).

Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

The problem is therefore much greater than merely needing to become a slightly better person. We have sinned against our infinite Creator.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NKJV).

We sinned in Adam and we sin ever since. And the consequence is death:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, NKJV).

Apart from Christ, sinners face God's final judgment and the second death (Revelation 20:11-15). We therefore need far more than moral improvement in our actions. We need to be rescued form death!

We need a Savior. The wonderful news is that believers don’t have to live their entire lives wondering whether they have accumulated enough merit. Scripture says believers can know they have eternal life:

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13, NKJV).

When we believe in Jesus Christ (the Son of God), and His death and resurrection, we are saved. Our assurance rests ultimately in Christ, not in our ability to do enough “good works”.

That Seductive Error Of Works

The false doctrine of salvation by works is extremely seductive because it appeals to human pride. We naturally want to contribute something. We want to believe that we helped earn our salvation. But if salvation could be earned, grace would no longer be grace. Paul writes:

"And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace" (Romans 11:6, NKJV).

The world's religions are filled with systems in which people perform works while hoping for something better after death. Islam, for example, rejects the Jesus of Scripture and saving work of Christ and instead incorporates obedience and deeds into its understanding of final judgment—a very sexualized paradise.

Other religious groups likewise require religious works, rituals, ordinances, or organizational loyalty while often redefining Jesus as a created being, lesser divine figure, prophet, or one god among others.

From a Protestant perspective, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theology also creates serious problems where sacramental participation, merit, indulgences, or other works are incorporated into the process of justification rather than justification being received through faith apart from works. Protestants historically—and rightly—objected that such systems obscure the sufficiency of Christ's finished work.

The Reformers repeatedly returned to the biblical teaching summarized by the phrase sola fide - faith alone. But Protestants shouldn’t become proud. Protestant churches can fall into similar errors. Sadly, some Protestants teach:

·       Believe in Jesus plus baptism.

·       Believe in Jesus plus confession.

·       Believe in Jesus plus church membership.

·       Believe in Jesus plus speaking in tongues.

·       Believe in Jesus plus a particular spiritual experience.

·       Believe in Jesus plus enough good behavior.

·       Etc.

Whenever something is presented as an additional basis for justification before God, we should immediately compare that teaching with Scripture. Adding unto salvation can be very dangerous!

What About Repentance?

Repentance deserves special attention because Scripture clearly commands people to repent (Acts 17:30). Does that mean repentance is a good work that earns salvation? No.

Biblical repentance is a change of the state of mind and heart regarding God and sin that accompanies genuine faith. When someone truly turns to Christ, that person is turning away from unbelief and rebellion and turns to God. Repentance is therefore inseparably connected with saving faith, but it should never be turned into a merit-based work that purchases or earns God's forgiveness. Keep in mind that repentance is something granted by God (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

Consider someone who says they believe in Jesus and his death and resurrection, but explicitly says they refuse to repent and they love their sin and want to keep sinning. Does this person really have a saving faith in the Jesus Christ of Scripture? No. They still idolize their sin above Christ, and Christ is secondary at best.

Consider someone who says, they need to clean themselves up and repent first before they consider Christ. They do these works in an effort “to be better” so they think they are earning a worthy place before they receive Christ. This too is in error. We don’t clean ourselves up enough to become worthy of Christ. We come to Christ because we aren’t worthy and desperately need His mercy.

Getting Precise

Adding anything to God’s salvation draws one into error—potentially a grave error. Even those who argue carefully sometimes fall into an error that can be subtle. So, I suggest we be gracious. Let me explain.

Consider if someone is arguing that the work of baptism is a requirement for salvation. This is quite common and stems in part from a misunderstanding of Acts 2:37-38. Baptism is extremely important. Christ commanded it (Matthew 28:19), and believers should gladly obey Him.

However, in Acts 2:37, the crowd was cut to the heart by the Gospel message they heard and now believed unto salvation after hearing about Jesus and His death and resurrection.

So, they were saved at that belief. But then they are told in Acts 2:38 to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. It is easy to see how one might think these factors were conditional for salvation. But these other doctrines of repentance and baptism are distinct from salvation that already occurred in Acts 2:37. This position is called baptismal regeneration.

I once had a person say to me that those who held to baptismal regeneration aren’t saved because they add a work to salvation. But here is where we need to be very careful and get very precise.

A person who errs on the proper understanding of baptism still believes in the Jesus Christ of Scripture and His death and resurrection. So, this person is still saved, regardless of their understanding of the baptism. Just because they have a misunderstanding of baptism—does that negate their salvation in Christ when they believed on Him? No.

But look at the converse. When someone says that a baptismal regenerationist isn’t saved, then they just added something to salvation. Did you catch that? They just added that one must believe in the Jesus Christ of Scripture and His death and resurrection PLUS also they must have the correct understanding of baptism to be saved.

If someone has a false Christ, then we can certainly point out that that person is not saved. For instance, if one denies that Christ came in the flesh (i.e., God in the flesh) then they are an anti-Christ and not saved.

If someone suggest they are good enough for heaven based on their works, then they aren’t saved because they haven’t believed in Jesus. But we need to be careful to see if they believe in the correct Jesus of the Bible and His death and resurrection—that is the key.

Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

This is where Christians need to be careful. It is possible to oppose works-based salvation so aggressively that we accidentally create another requirement for salvation. If perfect doctrinal understanding were necessary for salvation, none of us could have assurance because we would constantly wonder whether some theological misunderstanding had invalidated our faith.

This doesn’t make theological error unimportant. False teaching should be identified and corrected from Scripture. But we must distinguish between an error about a secondary doctrine and an error that destroys the object or basis of saving faith. Throughout Scripture, salvation is repeatedly connected to believing in Christ.

Consider Cornelius and his household. The Holy Spirit came upon them before their water baptism (Acts 10:43-48). Their baptism followed as an act of obedience and public identification with Christ.

The thief on the cross provides another important example. He had no opportunity to be baptized, join a local church, take communion, accumulate years of good works, or complete a religious program. Yet Christ told him:

"Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43, NKJV).

Christ was enough. Other passages compliment this (NKJV):

·       Acts 16:30-34: And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

·       John 3:16-18: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

·       Romans 10:9-11: that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

·       Romans 3:22: The righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference.

·       Ephesians 1:13: In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

·       Mark 16:16: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

·       Romans 9:3: As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

·       Romans 10:4: For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

·       Galatians 2:16: “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

·       Galatians 3:22: But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

·       1 Timothy 1:16: However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

When Does Error Become Fatal?

We should distinguish between misunderstanding something about salvation and trusting in something other than Christ for salvation.

Suppose a person says:

"I am going to heaven because I have lived a good enough life."

That person is trusting in his own righteousness rather than Christ. They aren’t saved.

Suppose someone says:

"I don't need Jesus. My religious works will save me."

Again, Christ has been rejected. They aren’t saved.

Or suppose someone denies the biblical identity of Christ altogether. Scripture warns strongly about false Christs and those who deny Jesus Christ coming in the flesh (1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 7). A counterfeit Jesus cannot save.

This is why Paul's warning in Galatians is so severe. Certain teachers wanted to add circumcision and law-keeping to justification. Paul responded:

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ" (Galatians 2:16, NKJV).

The question we should ask isn’t merely, "Does this person have every doctrine perfectly correct?" Rather, we should be asking, who are they trusting to save them?

Are they trusting Jesus Christ and His finished work? Or are they ultimately trusting themselves, their works, their rituals, their church, their goodness, or a false version of Christ? That distinction matters enormously.

But Aren't Good Works Important?

Absolutely! Rejecting salvation by works doesn’t mean rejecting good works. James famously says:

"Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26, NKJV).

James isn’t contradicting Paul. Paul explains the basis of justification: we are justified through faith apart from works. James explains the evidence of genuine faith: real faith produces fruit.

In the same way, Christians do good works because God has saved them. Good works demonstrate genuine faith; they don’t purchase eternal life. If you see someone professing to be a Christian and their works are the opposite…then you can judge a fruit by its tree! That person isn’t living as a saved person does. Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 7:17-20). Paul likewise teaches that believers were "created in Christ Jesus for good works" (Ephesians 2:10, NKJV).

So good works have their proper place—but they aren’t essential to salvation—Christ is. Works are the fruit of salvation, not the basis of salvation.

Final Thoughts

Don’t add to God's salvation. Christ didn’t “almost accomplish salvation” and leave us to finish the job. His work was sufficient to unto salvation—only His work. On the cross, Jesus declared:

"It is finished!" (John 19:30, NKJV).

That should give every believer tremendous comfort. Our salvation doesn’t rest upon whether we have performed enough religious rituals, accumulated enough good deeds, attended church enough times, been baptized correctly enough, given enough money, or understood every secondary doctrine perfectly. Our salvation rests in Jesus Christ and His work alone.

At the same time, we should be cautious when evaluating others. Some theological errors genuinely undermine the Gospel by replacing the biblical Christ or substituting human merit for His finished work. Other errors are serious misunderstandings held by people who nevertheless genuinely trust Christ. Salvation isn’t Christ plus our works. Salvation is found in Christ alone.

"For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved" (Romans 10:13, NKJV).

□

Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Image generated by ChatGPT

 

Biblical Objections To The False Doctrine Of Purgatory

Biblical Objections To The False Doctrine Of Purgatory

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, August 13, 2026 (Donate)

Purgatory is a teaching of the Roman church. Due to biblical teachings, Protestant Christians objected to many of Rome’s teachings—including that of purgatory.

Protestants rightly reject purgatory because it conflicts and contradicts with several clear biblical teachings. When something contradicts God’s Word, it is wrong. So, what is purgatory and why is purgatory wrong biblically? Let’s dive into it.

What Is Purgatory?

Purgatory is a [false] doctrine taught by the Roman Catholic Church concerning what happens after death to certain people who die in God's grace. It isn’t considered a second chance for unbelievers to be saved. Rather, Catholic teaching describes purgatory as a temporary state of purification for those who die ultimately destined for heaven but who still require purification from the effects of sin (i.e., a secondary “purging” of sin process).

According to Roman Catholic theology, Christ forgives the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment or remaining consequences of forgiven sin may still need to be purified. This purification can allegedly occur during one’s earthly life or, according to the doctrine of purgatory, after death.

Roman view after death; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Catholics have traditionally connected this teaching with prayers for the dead, indulgences, and apocryphal books (e.g., 2 Maccabees 12:42-46). Some might even appeal to an odd interpretation of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 to suggest purgatory, but that is without warrant. 

Christ's Sacrifice Fully Pays For Sin

Most Protestants reject purgatory because it isn’t taught in the 66 books of Scripture and conflicts with the complete sufficiency of Christ's atonement. We point instead to passages such as Hebrews 10:10-14, Romans 8:1, Luke 23:43, and 2 Corinthians 5:8, arguing that believers who die are with Christ rather than undergoing additional punishment or further sin purification before being pure enough to enter heaven.

One of the strongest objections to purgatory, therefore, is the sufficiency of Christ's atonement. Scripture presents Jesus' sacrifice as completely sufficient for the believer's sins. Nothing else is required—no works, and definitely no purgatory to further satisfy God’s wrath on your sin.

"For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14, NKJV)

Jesus declared from the cross, "It is finished!" (John 19:30). The Holy Spirit in the book of Hebrews points out that Christ offered Himself "once for all" (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; 10:10). To say we still need our sins purged in purgatory is in clear violation and in mockery of what Christ did on the Cross.  

Therefore, Protestants argue that believers don’t need a post-death purification involving punishment or satisfaction for remaining temporal penalties. Christ has already borne the punishment their sins deserve (Isaiah 53:5-6; 1 Peter 2:24).

Purgatory isn’t merely a doctrine lacking sufficient biblical evidence. It strikes at the sufficiency of Christ's atonement. The believer's hope should, therefore, rest entirely upon Christ's work and His righteousness rather than Christ's work plus additional punishment after death.

Believers Are Fully Justified By Faith

Scripture teaches that those who trust in Christ are justified, or declared righteous, before God.

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1, NKJV)

Likewise,

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1, NKJV).

Protestants therefore object that purgatory appears inconsistent with the believer's complete justification. The Christian's righteousness before God rests upon Christ, not upon additional suffering after death (Romans 3:21-28; Philippians 3:9).

When we receive Jesus Christ, His pure, perfect righteousness is imputed or transferred to us. Christ took our sin and the punishment for it and clothes us in His perfection. This is why we are seen as spotless on Judgment Day. So, when one says, “Christ’s sacrifice wasn’t good enough and you still need to have your sins purged in purgatory”, it is a blatant denial of Christ’s perfect righteousness and His imputation of that righteousness to us (see Romans 4:5-25).

Believers Who Die Go To Be With Christ

The New Testament commonly presents death for the Christian as departure to be with Christ rather than entrance into an intermediate place of purification.

Paul desired "to depart and be with Christ" (Philippians 1:23). He also wrote that being "absent from the body" meant being "present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Jesus told the repentant thief:

"Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43, NKJV)

There is no mention of the thief first being confined to purification in purgatory!

Judgment Follows Death

God states in the book of Hebrews:

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27, NKJV)

Scripture speaks of death followed by judgment—not purgatory. The destinies of the saved and lost are one of two places (Heaven and Hell)—not three—even if it is alleged to be temporary (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:11-15). Christians argue that Scripture never clearly establishes a third post-death state in which justified believers suffer temporarily to be purified before entering heaven.

The biblical view as held by Protestants; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Christians certainly undergo sanctification during this life, and their works will be evaluated by Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). But the testing of a believer's works isn’t the same thing as the believer being punished in purgatory.

Purgatory Isn’t Clearly Taught In Scripture

Protestants argue that no passage in the 66 books of Scripture explicitly teaches the doctrine of purgatory. Some Roman Catholic arguments appeal especially to 2 Maccabees 12:38-46, but rightly Protestants don’t recognize the books of the Apocrypha/Deuterocanon as inspired Scripture.

Other passages sometimes used to support purgatory, such as Matthew 12:32 and 1 Corinthians 3:15, are interpreted by Protestants differently using proper hermeneutics (interpreting Scripture with Scripture). First Corinthians 3, for example, describes a person's works being tested by fire, not a saved person's soul being purified through suffering.

Purgatory Undermined Assurance Of Salvation

Christians should rest in God's promises and Christ's finished work rather than live in uncertainty about whether punishment for sin remained after death.

Do not forget to connected assurance of salvation with justification by faith through God's grace. If a justified Christian must still undergo punishment after death, then this would render our rest and comfort in Christ meaningless (Romans 5:1, Romans 8:1, and Romans 8:33-39).

Purgatory Was Closely Connected With The Abuse Of Indulgences To Drive Money-Making

This was enormously important historically for Luther—just look at the 95 Theses. The Roman system of indulgences was connected with the remission of temporal punishment for sins, including concern for souls believed to be suffering in purgatory. If you “pay” the church, they could relieve this punishment being dolled out by God on people they cared about. It was quite the scheme!

Selling indulgences to reduce time in purgatory; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Luther's 95 Theses of 1517 repeatedly addressed purgatory and indulgences. He especially objected to claims that purchasing indulgences could benefit departed souls. His controversy over indulgences became one of the sparks of the Protestant Reformation.

It is important historically, however, that Luther didn’t reject every concept associated with purgatory immediately in 1517. His position developed as his conflict with Rome progressed as can be ascertained by his extensive writings.

Scripture Does Not Authorize Christians To Make Satisfaction For Sin After Death

The Reformers distinguished God's fatherly discipline of Christians in this life from judicial punishment intended to satisfy divine justice. In other words, God growing us and disciplining us for sanctification and maturity in our faith here on earth is not the same thing that a post-death punishment, pre-heaven punishment.

Hebrews 12:5-11 certainly teaches that God disciplines His children. But this is different from saying Christians must suffer after death to satisfy temporal punishment remaining because of forgiven sins. Christ's satisfaction was sufficient:

"And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 2:2, NKJV)

This became particularly important in theologies coming out of the Reformation.

Purgatory Encouraged Practices The Reformers Considered Unbiblical

Purgatory did not exist merely as an abstract doctrine. It was connected with prayers and masses for the dead, indulgences, almsgiving on behalf of the deceased, and other practices intended to assist departed Christians.

The Reformers asked a basic question: Where did Christ or the apostles command the church to conduct such practices to shorten the suffering of departed believers? We should echo this same question!

Because Reformers believed Scripture to be the church's supreme authority, the absence of clear biblical authorization was a serious objection. If Rome appealed to themselves (mere men compared to God), which they did when they proclaimed papal and church authority, they lost the debate immediately. People in church—including leaders—are not in a position to supersede God and His Word.

The Biblical "Fire" Passages Were Being Misinterpreted

First Corinthians 3:13-15 became particularly important:

"If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:15, NKJV)

Catholic theologians sometimes associated this passage with purgatorial purification. Note the contextual shift—Paul says the person's "work" is tested. The context concerns the quality of what someone has built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11-15), not a description of souls suffering in purgatory. Thus as mentioned, the Roman claim is without warrant.

Conclusion

During the Reformation, believers objected to more than simply saying, "The word purgatory isn't in the Bible." Luther, Calvin, and other Reformers believed the doctrine was tied to a larger system involving indulgences, masses for the dead, satisfaction for temporary punishment, and uncertainty about one's standing before God. And they were correct indeed! 

Protestants underlying concern was that these teachings and practices not only lacked scriptural support but denied many passages that clearly taught something else. The idea of purgatory negates justification by faith and the complete and perfect sufficiency of Christ's work. In other words, via this view, Christ didn’t do good enough.

Our primary objection to purgatory ultimately centers on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Christ paid for sin completely, believers are justified by faith, there is no condemnation for those in Christ. Christians who die are with the Lord, and Scripture nowhere clearly establishes purgatory.

As Protestants, we generally regard purgatory as an unnecessary, burdensome, and errant addition to the biblical doctrines of justification, sanctification, judgment, and Christ's sufficient atonement.

□

Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Image generated by ChatGPT

 

Spider Silk—Amazing Uses

Spider Silk—Amazing Uses

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, August 11, 2026 (Donate)

Spiders...can be scary! This is especially true when dealing with spiders that have serious venom. I was once bitten by a brown recluse, and the next two weeks were a horrible experience. Even after I was over the worst of it, I had a hard, black knot on my inner right thigh where I was bitten that remained for over a year.

Spiders, in our sin-cursed and broken world, can definitely cause us problems. Some spiders possess venom, and many spiders capture and consume other creatures. Yet we can also see remnants of the remarkable beauty and design in these creatures—a reminder, if you will, of the perfect works of God (Deuteronomy 32:4) and the "very good" world He originally made (Genesis 1:31).

Yellow Garden Spider sitting on its nearly invisible web; Photo by Bodie Hodge

After Adam sinned and the Curse came in Genesis 3, suffering and death became realities in this broken world. Romans 8:20-22 describes creation as subjected to futility and groaning under corruption. This condition won’t last forever. Christ will return, and ultimately there will be new heavens and a new earth in which the Curse is removed (Revelation 21-22).

Even in this fallen world, however, God's incredible design can still be seen. Spiders, especially their silk is a wonderful example.

Spiders' Original Diet

According to Genesis 1:29-30, God originally gave plants[1] for food to mankind and to the animals. Since there was no death of living creatures (nephesh chayyah in Hebrew) before sin, spiders wouldn’t originally have killed and eaten insects or other animals. Whatever their original diet consisted of, it would have been consistent with God's "very good" creation.

Interestingly, spiders can consume plant-derived material today. Pollen and other plant materials can become trapped in spider webs, and researchers have documented spiders eating  from these plant-based sources. This gives us an interesting glimpse into possibilities that are often overlooked when people assume spiders must always have lived exactly as they do today.

Spider webs are remarkably effective at capturing tiny airborne particles—particularly pollens and fine plant debris. Their usefulness, however, goes far beyond catching food.

That Amazing Spider Silk

Spider silk is an intriguing material. It combines several characteristics that make it extremely useful—not just for spiders! Depending upon the particular type of silk produced by a spider, it can be strong, lightweight, flexible, elastic, sticky, or comparatively non-sticky.

In fact, a single spider may produce different kinds of silk for different purposes—out of its same little silk micro-factory! Silk can be used for the structural framework of a web, sticky capture threads, egg sacs, safety lines, shelters, and other functions.

One spider even uses silk to make an air bubble “bag” and dives under water! It is the Diving Bell Spider (Argyroneta aquatica).

Diving Bell Spider underwater; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Think about the amount of information necessary for this biological system to work in the spider to make silk. The spider must produce the appropriate proteins, then it needs to manufacture silk within its body, move the material through specialized structures called spinnerets, and use it once it comes out.

The silk itself is only a very small part of the whole system! Wow! The spider must also possess the instinctive God-given behaviors necessary to put the material to use and not trap itself.

Building Remarkable Structures

Perhaps the most familiar use of spider silk is the construction of webs. The classic orb web, with its beautiful circular pattern, is an impressive engineering structure.

But not every spider builds an orb web. Different spiders use silk to build sheets, funnels, tubes, tunnels, retreats, and other structures. Some spiders use silk to line burrows into the ground—and even has trap doors! Others construct shelters where they can hide. Silk may also be used to protect eggs by enclosing them within an egg sac.

The diversity of these structures reminds us that "spider web" actually describes an enormous variety of designs. Though of course, some of this might be attributed to cursed design—nevertheless, it still shows the brilliance behind it.

Flying With Silk

Spider silk can even be used for transportation! Young spiders frequently disperse through a behavior commonly called "ballooning." A spider climbs to an elevated position, releases strands of silk, and can fly when the wind comes and snatches it. In this way, tiny spiders can travel away from where they hatched and spread into new areas where they can thrive.

Baby spider taking flight with its silk in the wind; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

They don’t have wings, yet their silk provides them with an ingenious means of traveling through the air—like a “tiny parachute” or “air balloon”.

A material produced by the spider's own body can therefore function as construction material, a safety line, a protective covering, and even a means of transportation.

Catching Pollen And Dew

As mentioned, spider silk is also effective at snagging tiny materials in the environment. Airborne pollen—which is very small—can become caught on webs and eaten; but also, tiny droplets of dew water can collect along strands of silk. Spiders even drink a little water too!

Anyone who has walked outside on a cool, damp morning has probably seen a spider web covered with dew. Hundreds of tiny droplets can outline a web that was nearly invisible only hours earlier.

Orb weave web with dew; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Such sights display both beauty and remarkable physical properties. An incredibly thin strand of silk can withstand stretching, wind, moisture, and movement while maintaining the web's overall structure.

Of course, in our present sin-cursed world, webs are also commonly used to capture insects and other creatures for food. Predation and death remind us that we don’t live in the original "very good" creation of Genesis 1. Creation itself bears the effects of man's sin and this shows in a small way why we desperately need a Savior in Jesus Christ.

Hummingbirds Use Spider Silk Too!

One of the most fascinating uses for spider silk doesn’t involve spiders directly at all. Hummingbirds gather strands of spider silk and incorporate them into their nests. The silk helps bind nesting materials together—which allows it to be flexible. This is especially useful because baby hummingbirds grow rapidly.

Instead of constructing a completely rigid nest, the hummingbird uses flexible materials, like the spider silk, that allow the nest to expand to accommodate the growing chicks. Brilliant, eh?

Think about the remarkable relationship involved here. A spider manufactures an extraordinarily lightweight and elastic material, and a completely different creature can collect that material and use it as part of its own construction project.

Hummingbird nest; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Spiders just make more—they make immense amounts of silk as their webs commonly get damaged by wind and debris over and over again—so waste web is common. This shows just one example where spider silk benefits more than spiders. (See this great documentary on hummingbirds here.)

Conclusion: More Than Just a Web

When we see a spider web, it is easy to think of it merely as a trap for insects. But spider silk is capable of much more (and I only scratched the surface here!).

Spider silk is lightweight yet strong. It can stretch, stick, support, protect, transport, and bind. It can form an orb web. It can line a tunnel. It can make an egg sac. It can create a safety line. It can help a young spider travel through the air. It can collect pollen, moisture, and other tiny particles. It can provide shelter. It can stretch without immediately breaking.

It can even become construction material for the nest of a hummingbird. Different spiders use it in different ways, and even other creatures such as hummingbirds can make use of it. All of this comes from strands so thin that we can easily walk through a web without noticing it until it touches our face!

Spiders can certainly remind us that we live in a fallen world. Venom, predation, injury, suffering, and death weren’t part of God's original "very good" creation. These things point us back to the entrance of sin and the Curse in Genesis 3. Thus, spiders remind us of something else: God's creation remains filled with extraordinary design—a reminder of a world without sin.

The next time you see a spider web covered with morning dew, instead of seeing merely a place where a spider catches insects, look a little closer. You are looking at an extraordinary material produced by an extraordinary, though sometimes a scary-looking, creature.

The creation is no longer the perfect world of Genesis 1, but remnants of God's original handiwork are still all around us. They should point us back to our Creator and forward to the day when Christ makes all things new and "there shall be no more curse" (Revelation 22:3).

□

Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Image generated by ChatGPT

 

---

[1]Plants aren’t considered living in a biblical sense. They are more like solar powered, self-replicating biological machines for the purposes of cleaning air, producing oxygen in balance, providing food and medicines, and building materials (and so on).

Polytheism—A False Doctrine

Polytheism—A False Doctrine

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, August 7, 2026 (Donate)

In today's culture, many Christians assume that polytheism—a common false belief throughout both the Old and New Testaments—has largely disappeared. After all, how many people today openly worship Baal, Molech, Ashtoreth, Zeus, or other ancient pagan gods?

While the religions of the ancient Canaanites, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans have largely faded from history, it would be a mistake to conclude that polytheism is gone. In reality, hundreds of millions of people around the world still embrace religions with many gods, and many of these adherents live in the United States. Some may even come knocking on your door.

Different polytheists can't all be right, and according to the God of the Bible, they are all wrong. Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Would you recognize polytheism if it presented itself in a modern form? More importantly, would you know how to answer it biblically?

What Is Polytheism?

Polytheism is the belief that there are multiple gods. These gods may be viewed as equal, as members of a divine family, or as powerful beings with different areas of authority.

Throughout history, countless civilizations embraced polytheism. Ancient Greece worshiped Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, and many others. Rome, in parallel, worshipped many of these same gods under different names. The Norse worshiped Odin, Thor, Loki, and Freyja. Egypt had Ra, Osiris, Isis, Horus, and numerous others. The Canaanites worshiped Baal, Ashtoreth, Molech, Dagon, and many local deities.

The Bible repeatedly records Israel's temptation to abandon the one true God in favor of these false gods. Far too often, the Israelites fell into idolatry by adopting the religious practices of the surrounding nations, despite God's repeated warnings. Even the great King Solomon the wise fell into false pagan worship due to some of his pagan wives.

“Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. (Nehemiah 13:26, NKJV)

Modern Forms Of Polytheism

Although ancient mythology is no longer the dominant religion of the Western world, polytheism certainly survives. Shinto, the traditional religion of Japan, recognizes countless spiritual beings known as “kami”.

Hinduism includes an enormous number of deities associated with various aspects of life and nature. Although many Hindus explain these gods as manifestations of the impersonal ultimate reality called “Brahman”. This reflects the philosophy of monism—the belief that all reality is ultimately one and everything is part of the same divine essence.

While this differs philosophically from classical polytheism and paganism (often denoted uniquely as “Indian Paganism”), it still rejects the biblical doctrine of the one personal Creator who is distinct from His creation.  Recall that Hinduism has an impersonal god.

Other religious systems openly teach multiple gods. Mormonism, for example, presents itself as “Christian” but teaches a radically different doctrine of God. Rather than one eternal God existing as three distinct persons, Mormon theology teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three separate gods. They changed 4,000 verses in their Bible “translation” of their version of the KJV of 1833 (also called the Joseph Smith Translation or JST)

Furthermore, faithful people to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) may eventually become gods themselves, just as their Heavenly Father allegedly progressed to godhood.

This is fundamentally different from biblical Christianity. The God of Scripture is the eternal, uncreated Creator of everything that exists. Nothing existed before Him, nothing brought Him into existence, and nothing is equal to Him. By contrast, the gods of Mormonism exist within an already-existing universe and are therefore finite beings, not the infinite Creator revealed in Scripture.

Many Polytheists Accept Jesus—But Not The Biblical Jesus

One deceptive characteristic of many polytheistic religions is their willingness to acknowledge Jesus. At first, this sounds encouraging. However, they aren’t accepting Jesus as the eternal Creator, the second Person of the Trinity, or the only Savior. They essentially reject who Christ is according to the Bible. Instead, they simply add and errant version of Jesus alongside their other gods or reduce Him to merely another low-level divine being.

This isn’t honoring Christ—it is demoting Him. Jesus cannot simply become another member of a divine council or another manifestation of deity. Scripture presents Him as the eternal Word who was with God and was God (John 1:1), the Creator of all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17), and the One before whom every knee will bow (Philippians 2:9-11). Adding Jesus to a collection of gods is just another form of idolatry.

Is Atheism a Form of Polytheism?

At first glance, atheism appears to be the exact opposite of polytheism because it denies the existence of any god. Yet Scripture teaches that fallen mankind continually seeks to replace God with something else (Romans 1:18-25). Many atheists reject the Creator while placing ultimate authority in themselves, humanity, or otherwise, autonomous human reason (i.e., ultimate self-authority).

In that sense, each individual becomes his or her own highest authority, effectively functioning as their own "god." While atheism isn’t technically polytheism, it, by reductio ad absurdum, shows the same sinful desire found in all false religions: replacing the Creator with the creature—in this case, themselves. The result is still idolatry.

God Declares There Is Only One God

The Bible leaves no room for multiple gods existing alongside the true God (e.g., Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7). The very first verse establishes this truth:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1, NKJV)

Before anything else existed, God already was. He alone created everything outside Himself. The Old Testament repeatedly emphasizes God's uniqueness. Deuteronomy 6:4 declares:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!" (NKJV)

Likewise, Malachi 2:10 asks:

"Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?" (NKJV)

The prophets continually mocked idols because they are lifeless creations of human hands, incapable of speaking, hearing, or saving (e.g., Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:1-16).

The New Testament Also Affirms One God

The New Testament never abandons Old Testament monotheism. Instead, it reveals that the one God eternally exists as three persons of the Godhead—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Several passages explicitly affirm there is only one God:

·       Mark 12:32

·       1 Corinthians 8:6

·       Galatians 3:20

·       Ephesians 4:6

·       1 Timothy 2:5

·       James 2:19

Notice that James writes:

"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" (James 2:19, NKJV)

Even demons recognize there is only one true God. Christianity is therefore neither polytheistic nor unitarian. The Bible teaches one God who eternally exists as three distinct persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This doctrine of the Trinity reveals both the absolute unity of God and the full deity of each Person.

Why does this matter? Some people dismiss the doctrine of God as merely a theological debate. The Bible doesn’t. The identity of God is foundational to every other doctrine in Scripture. If we misunderstand who God is, we will misunderstand creation, sin, salvation, worship, and eternity. Likewise, if we misunderstand who Jesus is, we misunderstand the gospel itself.

A Christian should humble themselves in repentance before Christ the Creator God. Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Conclusion: A False Christ Cannot Save

One of Satan's oldest strategies has been to substitute the true God with false gods and false religions. Sometimes, he encourages people to worship many false gods. Other times he encourages them to worship one false god.

In any case, the goal is the same: to keep people from the true Creator and true Savior revealed in Scripture. This is why the identity of Jesus Christ is so important. If Jesus is merely one god among many, He can’t be the unique Savior of the world.

If He is a created being or an exalted man, He cannot bear the infinite wrath deserved by sinners against the infinite God. Only the eternal Son of God—the second Person of the triune God—could accomplish redemption through His perfect life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection.

A “false Christ” or “bar-Jesus” can’t save because that person isn’t the Christ revealed in Scripture. The Bible calls everyone to reject idols, turn from false gods, and place their faith in the one true God who has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Salvation is found in Christ alone, as he is Fully God and Fully Man and this allows Him to be our perfect mediator. The Bible says:

"there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5, NKJV).

□

Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Image generated by ChatGPT