As someone who spent over two decades immersed in Shepherd's Chapel teachings before embracing biblical doctrine, I've seen firsthand how tools like Strong's Exhaustive Concordance can be misused to support unorthodox beliefs. Strong's is a helpful resource—a concordance that lists every word in the King James Bible and assigns numbers linking to basic Hebrew and Greek definitions. However, it is not an advanced lexicon or dictionary like those used by serious Bible scholars (e.g., BDAG for Greek or HALOT for Hebrew). Its brevity can lead to oversimplification, and when divorced from context, grammar, historical background, and sound interpretive principles, it becomes a tool for eisegesis—reading preconceived ideas into the text rather than drawing meaning out of it (exegesis).
Shepherd's Chapel, under Arnold Murray, frequently promotes Strong's as a way to "document" their distinctive teachings, often claiming it reveals "deeper truths" hidden from mainstream Christianity. Yet this approach regularly results in abuse: cherry-picking alternate definitions, ignoring how words are used across Scripture, and imposing extra-biblical narratives. This not only distorts God's Word but can lead followers astray, as warned in 2 Timothy 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Below are key examples of this misuse, drawn from Shepherd's Chapel doctrines I've addressed in prior posts. For each, I contrast their interpretation with sound exegesis—emphasizing the sufficiency of Scripture, the historical-grammatical method, and the principle of interpreting Scripture with Scripture.
1. Misuse in the Serpent Seed and Kenite Doctrine (Genesis 3–4)
Shepherd's Chapel teaches that Satan (as the "serpent") sexually seduced Eve, producing Cain as the first "Kenite" (offspring of Satan), whose descendants are a literal bloodline of evil today. To "prove" this, they appeal to Strong's for Hebrew words like:
- Nachash (H5175): Defined in Strong's as "serpent," but they emphasize a secondary sense of "shining one" or enchanter, claiming it refers to Satan in humanoid form for seduction.
- Beguiled (H5377, nasha): In Genesis 3:13, translated as "beguiled," but twisted via Strong's to imply sexual deception.
- Seed (H2233, zera): Used for both Eve's and the serpent's "seed" in Genesis 3:15, interpreted as literal genetic offspring, linking to Cain (despite Cain being listed as Adam's son in Genesis 4:1).
The Abuse: Strong's provides basic glosses, not nuanced etymology or context. Shepherd's Chapel ignores the poetic, symbolic nature of Genesis 3 (e.g., the serpent as a cursed animal in v. 14) and forces a sexual allegory unsupported by the text. They also overlook that "seed" often means metaphorical descendants in Scripture (e.g., Galatians 3:16 for Christ).
Sound Exegesis: A careful, contextual reading shows Genesis 3 as the historical Fall through disobedience, not a sexual act. The "enmity" in 3:15 is spiritual (between Satan's influence and humanity, ultimately fulfilled in Christ crushing sin—Romans 16:20). The plain sense of the passage is that Eve's sin was believing the lie, not a physical union. This doctrine adds gnostic-like "secret knowledge," contradicting the Gospel's clarity (2 Corinthians 11:3).
2. Twisting "Katabole" for the Three Earth Ages Theory (e.g., 2 Peter 3:5–7; Hebrews 4:3)
A core Shepherd's Chapel belief is the "katabole"—a supposed cataclysmic overthrow of a "first earth age" due to Satan's rebellion, creating a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. They cite Strong's for:
- Katabole (G2602): Defined as "foundation" or "conceiving," but they highlight "overthrow" or "casting down," applying it to passages like Matthew 13:35 ("foundation of the world") to mean "overthrow of the world."
The Abuse: This relies on selecting a rare, outdated rendering in Strong's while ignoring the word's consistent New Testament usage (11 times) as "foundation" or "beginning" (e.g., Ephesians 1:4). They retroactively insert it into Old Testament gaps, creating a pre-Adamic world with soul pre-existence—ideas absent from Scripture.
Sound Exegesis: In context, "katabole kosmou" always refers to God's foundational act in creation (e.g., Hebrews 11:11 for Sarah "conceiving" seed). 2 Peter 3 contrasts the antediluvian world (destroyed by flood) with the current one (to be purified by fire), not three ages. Scripture teaches creation ex nihilo with no gaps for speculative rebellions. This theory undermines God's sovereignty and introduces extra-biblical speculation.
3. Distorting "Anothen" in "Born from Above" (John 3:3–7)
Shepherd's Chapel links "born again" (or "born from above") to souls pre-existing in a first earth age, where the "elect" chose God. They use Strong's for:
- Anothen (G509): Meaning "from above" or "again," but emphasized as "from the first" or "from a higher place," tying to a heavenly pre-birth.
The Abuse: Strong's lists options, but context determines meaning. They ignore Nicodemus's confusion (v. 4) about physical rebirth and force a cosmic backstory, making regeneration about recalling pre-existent loyalty rather than the Holy Spirit's work.
Sound Exegesis: Jesus clarifies spiritual birth by the Spirit (vv. 5–8), paralleling Ezekiel 36:25–27's promise of a new heart. Scripture teaches that regeneration is God's sovereign act (John 1:13; Titus 3:5), not human choice from eternity past. True assurance comes from faith in Christ, not secret origins.
4. Overextending "Zadok" and Election Terms (Ezekiel 44; Romans 11:4)
For the "sons of Zadok" (elite priests) and "7000 very elect," they mine Strong's for:
- Zadok (H6659): "Just" or "righteous," expanded to mean a special class of end-time teachers loyal from the first age.
- Elect (G1588, eklektos): Basic "chosen," but layered with pre-existence via cross-references.
The Abuse: This treats Strong's like a codebook for hidden hierarchies, ignoring historical context (Zadok as a priestly line under David—1 Kings 2:35). It creates divisions among believers, contrary to Ephesians 4:4–6.
Sound Exegesis: Ezekiel 44 envisions temple restoration post-exile, with Zadokites rewarded for faithfulness (unlike other Levites). Romans 11:4 quotes 1 Kings 19:18 historically, not prophetically. Scripture presents election as God's gracious choice for salvation (Romans 9), applying to all who are in Christ—no tiers or elite classes.
Conclusion: Toward Faithful Bible Study
Shepherd's Chapel's reliance on Strong's often exemplifies the "concordance fallacy"—assuming a word's range of meanings applies universally, without context. This leads to inconsistent exegesis, blending Scripture with speculation and fostering elitism. As Proverbs 30:5–6 warns, "Every word of God is pure... Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee."
If you're leaving these teachings, use reliable tools like fuller lexicons (e.g., Thayer's or Vine's) alongside trusted commentaries. Study in community, pray for discernment, and let Scripture interpret itself. True depth comes not from "hidden" meanings but from the Gospel's clarity: Christ crucified for sinners (1 Corinthians 2:2).
For more, see my posts on the Kenites, katabole, and election. Feel free to reach out—God's grace is sufficient!