06/20/2015

Christianity, Who Are We?

The Beginning.

When Jesus used the phrase “The Kingdom of God”, exactly what did he mean?  We need to learn clearly what Jesus was saying and what it means to us.  Was He was using the contemporary idea of the Jewish King, a promised “David” to restore rule to Israel?  I feel there was much more, that is what this lesson will discuss.

Matthew used a play on words that said something very new, very different, but the Jews had to be taught to understand it. The kingdom was by God’s Grace through Faith in the hearts of men.  Let me put this the other way to I hope help you see my point.  What if John and Jesus preached, “Change the way you think and come near for the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit”.   I not only think they would not listen, they may have stoned them.  But that is just what He said.

Matthew records Jesus speaking in Jewish terms to a Jewish audience and he made a play on what they knew to teach them more.   The word translated kingdom means the royal power of the king, the authority to rule. There are many who say there are differences in “The Gospel” Jesus gospel, Peters gospel, Paul’s Gospel, Luke’s gospel, There is only one: Turn from Sin and trust in and obey God and you will receive the Royal Power of the Indwelling Holy Spirit.   You have the royal authority of God!

IN considering the words of Jesus, if we may not be able to measure their depth or to scale their height, we can with absolute certainty discover their drift, and see in what direction they move, and we shall find that their orbit is an ellipse. Moving around the two centers, sin and salvation, they describe what is not a geometric figure, but a glorious reality, "the kingdom of God." It is not unlikely that the expression was one of the current phrases of the times, a golden casket, holding within it the dream of a restored Hebraism; for we find the Baptist making use of the identical words in his inaugural address, while it is certain the disciples themselves so misunderstood the thought of their Master as to refer His "kingdom" to that narrow realm of Hebrew sympathies and hopes. Nor did they see their error until, in the light of Pentecostal flames, their own dream disappeared and the new kingdom, opening out like a receding sky, embraced a world within its folds.   Jesus speaks of this kingdom as being "within you." As if He said, "You are looking in the wrong direction. You expect the kingdom of God to be set up around you, with its visible symbols of flags and coins, on which is the image of some new Caesar. You are mistaken. The kingdom, like its King, is unseen; it seeks, not countries, but consciences; its realm is in the heart, in the great interior of the soul. 

e-sword Expositor’s Bible Commentary.  Luke 8:1 (Burton, 1890) (1)

The verse Showing where John the Baptist and Jesus start teaching of a Kingdom is:

Mat 3:2  "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

at 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

 The content of this verse is not clearly seen in our modern translations. “Repent” is not complete in its meaning as far as the Greek word shows, it means more change the way you think, change your mind. “Kingdom” is the royal authority to rule, the power of God in the hearts of men to serve and rule with Him. The two centers, sin and salvation, are seen in this verse.(1)  Man of sin must change the way he thinks (Stop disobeying God!) to receive the salvation of God, the Kingdom, (The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit in this life and a royal priesthood in the coming Kingdom). 

The idea of change the way you think is not new to this verse:

Exo_19:5  'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;

 Lev_22:31  "So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD.

Lev_25:18  'You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land.

1Jn 2:3  By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

And John said,  As for me I baptizes with water; Jesus will baptize with the Spirit. He will cause his Spirit and the Spirits gifts to come upon his followers (Act_1:8), be poured out on them (Act_2:17, Act_2:33), fall upon them (Act_10:44; Act_11:15).   e-sword, Bakers NT Commentary Luke 3:16  (William Hendriksen, 1982)   (2)

Luk 3:16  John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

In the Old Testament God said hear my voice and keep my commandments and I will be you God you will be my people.  There has always been only one Gospel one way of salvation. Only a remnant of Israel was true to God, only the Remnant is the “True Israel”, and they are saved the same way every one of all time are saved BY GOD’S Grace by Faith.  Jesus and John did not say something new, they said something different from the common thought of a kingdom of Israel.  They said change the way you think and come near to be joined to the royal power of God.

In this study we will to look at who are the “People of God.” Who is saved and how were they saved. Many people have looked at the Law, the Church, and their works to find how to be saved. There is and always has been only one way, first we will look at the Mystery of the Gospel.

Second we will to look at the process of Living a Christian Life. Getting saved is one event, being a Christian means living for God. What does it mean to BE a Christian? Who are we who are living in the Spirit of God? There is more to the “Majesty of Grace” than the Church has taught.   This lesson has a part two the teaching and work of Satan, Our eternal foe, the prince and power of this world. 

Third, I want to offer the position of a Christian as the representative of God in the world, The Priest of Grace. I will explain and I hope defend the Church as the Priest of the age of Grace. A royal Priesthood, the family of God.

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Fourth, the last part of this paper I will look at some of the problem. How did we get here, why do so many people fail to see the truth of the Bible. We will discuss the meaning of “What I want right Now” We will look at some History of the Church, Secular arguments, Where we need to wind up in serving God.

There are some questions which need to guide the study and help us understand the Study of scripture.

1. What “Kingdom are we discussing?”  There are four and God is the KING in all of them Adam to the Law, “Nation of Israel” (Theocracy & Monarchy), The Church, The tribulation saints.

 2.What “People are we discussion?”

Adam to the Law, The “Nation of Israel”, The Church,  The tribulation saints.

 3. What “Relation to God are we under.”

 The First Born as Set aside to God.

 The Levitical Priest hood of the Nation of Israel.

 Daniel's 70 weeks refers to Israel!

 The New Testament Age of Grace, the Church.

 A wonderful gift to man to offer the Kingdom to the ones saved by Grace. An insert in the history between the 69 and 70 week of prophesy.

 4. Saved, as a Christian, THE Question is about BEING SAVED,

How are we Saved, By Faith in God's GRACE!   NO WORKS!!

and LIVING Saved,  serving God.

 Obeying God and Keeping His commandments, MANY WORKS!!

5. With reference to Prophesy who are we discussing?

Israel, The Church, or the lost. They are not the same!

There are many subjects in the Bible and we must be careful to be sure we do not mix them in our study. Promises, Judgment, and rewards for one group are not implied to mean all groups.

The Bible means just what it says to add to it is dangerous and to mix up the parts is miss leading.

The Mystery

The first covenant was with Adam in the garden. Adam disobeyed God then God taught him the way to serve and by right with God. That sacrifice was taught to all from Adam to Moses. All that kept the word of God and made the sacrifices were in right standing with God.  The Covenant was repeated with Noah and his family. Then the great Covenant with promise for Israel as a Nation was made with Abraham and the Nation of Israel. They were seen as God’s chosen People. (3) They were the ones that received the Law and the Prophets. But, they refused to obey God Is.42:24 still they saw themselves as God’s Chosen People. They were the people of The Law. They thought the way to God was in Israel and the Law. This nation to whom so much was given would not obey God, they did not understand the Word of God. Israel and her leaders twisted and perverted the Law they were given. They made religion the way they wanted it they included ancient mysticism and traditions for power and control of the people. Je. 11:18

At the time Jesus was born there were many religions and philosophical ideas in the world. Each idea was competing for the minds of the people. The Jewish Tradition had greatly changed the teaching of the prophets. The Pharisees were self-righteous legalistic mystics (They were Gnostics before the term was used) and the Sadducee did not believe in life after death. (4)

Into this world Jesus came teaching repentance to receive the Power of God. He taught love for all people and Judgment if one remained in sin. He gave all people the greatest gift ever given. He paid the debt of sin for us.

The story begins with “One crying in the wilderness” Mk1:1. It leads to a great teacher, and they were astonished at His doctrine, Mk 1:22 For He taught them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes. His authority was such even when He commanded spirits they obeyed Him.  When He spoke to the wind and waves of a storm they were still.

When Christ began preaching, did He proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven?

 Or did He call us to change our way and prepare to receive the royal authority of God.

This is an interesting study, It has it basis in the formation of the formal church (referring to the Church form 325 ad to 1350 ad from Constantine to the reformation), and the fact that the church wanted to control the masses.

The structure of the Church by the 4^th century AD was such that it would not allow for the Kingdom the by the power of God in every believers heart, but it was. Such a translation would cause the structure of the developing Church to fall.  Every Christian able to go directly to God, there would be no need for the Priest, Bishops, and other leaders of special status.

The development of the early Church combined ideas from many people and many sources. (4) Still there are comparisons that can be made that may help us see some of where these ideas developed.  The only true commentary on Scripture is Scripture, Any ideas understanding we have of a verse MUST agree with the rest of the Bible. The importance of what I will discuss here discloses the message of Jesus Christ to us. If Jesus had only presented a kingdom we would only be subjects of that kingdom. HE DID NOT!  The message of Jesus was the Power to become the Sons of God, The indwelling Power of God the Holy Spirit, the power to overcome sin and live Holy in Christ. (5) The royal Power of The King of Kings to make of us a Royal Priesthood, The Priest of Grace.

"The Gospel (or good news) of the Kingdom." To understand it correctly we must keep this in mind, avoiding the easy method of treating it as a mere series of lessons on different subjects, and endeavoring to grasp the unity of thought and purpose which binds its different parts into one grand whole. (6) The Gospel “moving around the two centers, sin and salvation, (1)” is not a “Kingdom” in the material sense. It is to change the way we think and by faith receive the royal authority of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Any other view of the “Kingdom” verses does not agree with the rest of the Gospel.

It may help us to do this if we first ask ourselves what questions would naturally arise in the minds of the more thoughtful of the people, when they heard the announcement, "Come near for The kingdom of heaven." It was evidently, to such persons the Lord addressed Himself. (6)

The word translated “Kingdom” is βασιλεία (basileia - Phonetic: bas-il-i'-ah). The Greek speaking people of the early Church would know βασιλεία was an abstract  idea meaning the royal authority of a king.

The Idea of discussing a “Kingdom” sounds easy, but, we are dealing with:

A Theocracy when God ruled

A Monarchy when Kings rule

The authority of the King to rule in the hearts of Christians, A Royal Priesthood.

A Millennial Kingdom yet to come.

Each is part of the story and affects the events in the others.

When Christ began teaching He presented the Idea of the kingdom authority (βασιλεία) of God. All through His ministry He teaches of the kingdom authority (βασιλεία) of God. The question we are left with is what is the kingdom authority? In this teaching to what is He referring?  The word for kingdom (βασιλεία) refers to the royal power, the authority to rule. Such a ruling power is a government or at least the governing of a people.  If we look at all the references in just the NT to kingdom they can be very confusing if you translate βασιλεία to mean the physical realm of a King.  I want to pose some ideas that I hope can explain what we may learn from understanding this Kingdom authority.

The Self-Existent Eternal Sovereign God is the royal power, the authority to rule. The kingdom of God is the Self-Existent rule of God over a people HE chooses and that chose Him. 

God by His sovereign choice made man. He gave man the ability and right to choose to serve Him or not. We were to have fellowship with and service for God. There was to be a relation, a personal relation between God and man.  This is a very important point!  It was this relationship which was lost when Adam disobeyed God. There are many ideas added to this from preconceived theologies that distort the truth.  There is a lot of teaching that is formed to make “what I already believe” work.  There are teachings that come from ancient mysticism blended with the bible.  Teachers used this blending to promote their authority over the people.

A sovereign God created man for fellowship and service.

Man made a God given choice to disobey God.

THIS IS WHERE WE START!

Firstborn and the Birthright

From Adam to Moses God was the KING and the eldest males were dedicated to God to be the spiritual leaders of the government (Patriarch and priest). The people were to serve and obey God.   Only a remnant was true to God. The majority of the people turned to idols and followed ancient mysticism, they did not keep God’s commandments.  After Passover the firstborn where dedicated to God as redeemed by Him.

Nation of Israel

 With the exodus from Egypt and the nation of Israel and the giving of the Law, The people had a Theocracy, God was the King and the Judges and Priest of the tribe of Levi lead the people. This was still the Kingdom of God, as applied to the nation of Israel. Still the people were to obey God and keep His commandments. Israel was to be a very special nation, from them was to come the prophets, the law and the messiah. In Israel was the Temple where God’s Spirit resided in the Holy Of Holies, over the Ark of the Covenant, above the mercy seat, between out stretched wings of two Angel Cherubim, A Light of God’s spirit Dwelled among the people of God.

Tragically, it is a story of rejecting God making and worshiping idols, and refusing to obey God’ commandments.  This disobedience led to the people demanding a king “Like other Nations”. Saul, David, Solomon, the Kings of the ten northern tribes and the kings of Judah, Not one of the Northern Kings and only one King of the Southern Tribes was true to God and led the people to serve God.

The Judgment and cutting off of Israel was a part of the covenant.

It Could Happen. When the law was given God said, “I will cast you out if you do not keep my law. Lev 26:17

It may Happen!  When Moses gave his farewell address and reviewed the Law he said if you fail to obey God you will be cursed and cast among nations of the earth. Deu 28:15

It will or Has Happened! Jeremiah 15:1-6 says Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be changed toward this people, cast them out of my sight.  Ho 9:17  Jer 7:15-18

The two men that had debated with God and got Him to change His mind could not help this time Israel had sinned one time too many. Jer 7:15-18

I say unto you that the kingdom of God (the word is βασιλεία)  shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits there of.  Mt 21:43

Ezekiel saw the Shekinah glory (the presence of the Lord) departing from the temple and vanishing over the Mount of Olives to the East (Ezek. 10:18-19).

Israel as a people serving God failed to keep the promise of the covenant. The people rejected God and He said, “put them out of my sight”. Still there was a covenant with the Israel and God has a way to keep that promise through a remnant that is true to Him.  However the Kingdom the Royal Power of God to rule nations was taken from the NATION of Israel. A remnant of the NATION will yet serve God, but, take note they will serve Him not rule with Him. Ro 10:21 11:25

In the parable of the wedding feast we are told the socially expected to attend, Honored with an invitation, and ask to come would not come. So the master of the feast said not one of the ones bidden to come shall taste of my feast. Go into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in.  So it is Israel lost her place of honor, The Olive tree was pruned the unprofitable cut off and the position is given to another, given to the ones saved by grace through faith “the branches grafted in” “Christians” Ro 10:21 11:25 Lu 22:30

We have The Kingdom and throne of David.

Israel looked for the one to come and rule with power and keep their enemies’ in check. They looked for the return of the Glory of God the dwell in Israel.

J. Ramsey Michaels comments:

In many different ways Jesus affirmed traditional Jewish expectation. Yet he gives them at the same time what Henry James would call a ‘turn of the screw’, a new twist that shocks his hearers and in some respect calls their behavior and world-view into question. (7)

When Jesus came, we have the Kingdom (βασιλεία) power and authority to rule presented to the Gentile. 

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  7c (Kings and Priest, RCH Lenski, Lutheran Literary Board, Burlington, IA   1927) page 9

When John and Jesus began preaching the royal power of God this was offering the place of honor and the power to rule with Christ for eternity, first to the Jews, the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Then to the gentiles, a new branch grafted into the true Israel as the chosen people. The Spiritual Israel, the Church will rule with Christ in eternity not the NATION of Israel.

For a Jew in the first century, the kingdom of God meant the restoration of the shekinah glory (3), the return from exile, and the defeat of Israel’s national enemies.4 But Jesus scandalously redefined these expectations. When Israel was taken into exile and Solomon’s temple destroyed, the dwelling of God’s shekinah glory was displaced from the Holy of Holies. The promise of the coming kingdom meant the restoration of the glorious presence. But when the second Temple was built, the shekinah glory never came. Jesus asserted that Herod’s construction was redundant, affirming that His own body was the true temple (Mt. 12:5; 26:61). The shekinah glory tabernacled among us (Jn. 1:14) and continues to inhabit the earth through God’s people (17:22).

http://www.wordmadeflesh.org/the-cry/the-cry-vol-11-no-2/what-do-we-mean-by-the-kingdom-of-god/

Paul wrote that the glory of God is seen in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. 4:6, and this glory is reflected by the church, which constitutes God’s temple on earth; cf. Eph. 2:21. Ezekiel witnessed the departure of the glory of God; how important it is for us to maintain holy lives of radiant testimony so that others may see His Glory reside in, and radiate out, from us.

"The Indwelling of the Spirit" makes the believers body a temple for the indwelling of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Shekinah Glory (Ro 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19-20;2 Cor. 6:16).

The Holy Spirit indwells every believer in order to provide a temple for the indwelling of the Shekinah Glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, which serves as the principle of victory over the indwelling old sin nature.

According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah would enter through the East Gate (see, for example, Ezekiel 43:1–5). Christians also celebrate Jesus' entry through the East Gate into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Luke 19:35–38). In the Book of Acts, the East Gate is called the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2–10), it was the place where the glory of God (the Shekinah) entered the temple, and where Jesus the Glory of God entered the New Covenant.

(7b)  http://www.preceptaustin.org/overview_glory_of_the_lord.htm

{God did not forsake or reject Israel, the Nation of Israel failed to live up to the covenant. Israel rejected God!  The illustration is of an olive tree, the unprofitable branches are pruned away and new branches are grafted in, the new olive tree is the spiritual Israel, the Church. The church did not replace Israel, we were grafted in and in one continuous story the Church, with the true remnant of Israel, Saved by Grace, are now God’ chosen people.}

The Kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.   1Co 4:20 

Let me make an observation here.

Israel was to be God’s people. In the eternal kingdom they were to reign with Christ.   Through a long line of rebellion, disobedience, idol worship, observance of mysticism, Israel rejected God.  Israel will not be the ones to reign with Christ in the eternal Kingdom.  THEY DID NOT KEEP THE COVENANT!  God will still deal with Israel in the tribulation and we are told one third will go into the millennial reign of Christ.

Finally we face the Millennial Kingdom and The end Time and Israel as a part of God’s plan. Israel would have been the leaders of this kingdom but now they are not.  The leaders in this kingdom, those sitting on the 24 thrones are the royal priest saved by Grace. Who but the Church was promised by the Spirit, Adoption as sons, Heirs and joint Heirs with Christ, A royal priesthood in the “Kingdom”.   Israel is there but they are before the throne in white robes but no Crown. They will not rule with Christ.

In any discussion of, “what does the Kingdom mean?” We have to know which Kingdom we are talking about. When we look at the Church we must remember the Jews were not looking for grace or faith, they were looking for a KING. The Jews were looking for the return of the Shekinah Glory to the temple they were just looking at the wrong temple. The Temple now is Jesus “The Glory of God” dwelling in the Church and our power to reign with Him.

 The discussion of the “Power of God” was taken as the “Kingdom of God” but the word (βασιλεία    basileia) does not say kingdom it says the power the authority to reign, it was not used of the physical kingdom.   (8)

The Holy Spirit was guiding Matthew when he wrote the gospel that is Christ as promised King, Son of David, and the savior of Israel.  The references in this passage are very Jewish.  Matthew recorded John the Baptist and Jesus using a play on words. They did not want to start out in this new message in a way that would offend or not be understood by his audience, and they spoke in Jewish terms. The Jewish People since David Looked for a King A Messiah to set up a kingdom and rule them in victory.  You cannot just tell someone, “What you have always looked for is here and not at all what you thought”. They will shut you out and think you are a false prophet.

Matthew spoke in Jewish terms to a Jewish audience and he made a play on what they knew to teach them more.   The word translated kingdom means the royal power of the king, in this description of Kingdom we have God’s

Authority to rule with Jesus for eternity, given to the Church, gentiles grafted into the spiritual Israel after the nation rejected God. In the place of the ones bidden we have the ones saved by grace, adopted as sons, a royal Priesthood.   As in Israel there was the Temple where God’s Glory resided in the Holy Of Holies, above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim, A Light of God’s glory Dwelled among the people of God.

Joh 1:4-5  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

A word for word translation of this verse is: Mt4:17

"Change your mind and draw near for “the royal power of God”.  Note in this verse the “draw near” is in reference to the one changing their mind not the “kingdom or power”. There is no grammatical reason the move the “draw near” to the kingdom of Heaven.   Change your mind is “You” second person plural, Draw  near “the ones changing” is third person plural.  Power of God is the object of the preposition “for” and first person singular.

"You change your mind the ones changing draw near for the royal power of God"   

We will look at why it was changed to "kingdom of heaven". The Old Testament is clear that Israel had rejected God and was to be replaced. Why did the church want to promote this as the promised kingdom of the old covenant that the Jews were looking for?  There are church practices that will come into question. When we are saved, we stop disobeying God and Yield to His position as Lord, we are indwelled by God the Holy Spirit. We are adopted into the family of God.  The ellipse orbit moving around the two centers, sin and salvation, (1) is the change from sin to the salvation of God, We have the "Power of Heaven".   

Jesus Christ came preaching the Kingdom of God, The Royal Power of God in the hearts of believers to rule with Him.

So why did the translators change the wording?  The formations of the early Church blended ideas form sources new and ancient. The leaders of the Church took ever increasing positions of power. When Constantine made Christianity legal and called the Nicene council. He recognized the Clergy's position of representing the masses in religious matters. (This may be the most important outcome of the council.) (9) Over time the clergy usurped authority of the individual Christians. Eventually including the "Priesthood of the believer" and the ability to go to God directly. If only the clergy were "priest" only the priest could approach the throne of God. (10) For over 1000 years the Church would not allow the masses outside the clergy to have or read the scriptures, having the scriptures was punishable by death, only the clergy could tell people what the bible said then only in agreement with the dogma and theology of the Church; Any group that questioned or taught other than the Church Dogma and Theology were excommunicated and called heretics. Over so many years the ideas just became accepted.  "The Church" was the Kingdom of Heaven guided and ruled by the clergy. The masses were to be shepherded by the clergy and guided to heaven. The clergy usurped "salvation by grace" and made salvation by belief and the sacraments taken at the hand of the priest.  There was the kingdom, its rulers, and the common man. It sounds like some of the Gnostic ideas which were on the surface condemned were in some parts included in the Church teachings. The Church clearly adopted a position that there were elect having greater knowledge and higher understanding, this Gnostic idea is not the only one that was to be included in the development of the church.  The clergy were exposed to many ideas and they adapted or adopted many of them for their use in controlling the masses. Total depravity is one of these Gnostic ideas (it goes back to 1200BC to Zoroastrian dualism and Babylonian mysticism).   If I can teach people are too sinful to know God without the church I can control the masses, they need the church to get to heaven. Wycliffe and Tyndale just quoted church dogma and translated the verse the way the church taught it for a thousand years, but, is that what the verse says?  I pose the reformation of Luther and Calvin did not go far enough.

Mar 1:15 

 και  λεγων  οτι  πεπληρωται  ο  καιρος και  ηγγικεν η    βασιλεια     του θεου

 and  say     that  Filled is       the  time  and  Join to the Royal Power of  God          

  μετανοειτε            και  πιστευετε   εν  τω    ευαγγελιω

  think differently  and   have faith  in  the good message

Mat 4:17  απο    τοτε  ηρξατο    ο  ιησους  κηρυσσειν   και   λεγειν   μετανοειτε           

                from   then  began         Jesus  to  herald       and   say     think differently  

               ηγγικεν        γαρ    η      βασιλεία     των     ουρανων

               come near    for   the   royal power  of      heaven  (God)

βασιλεία    basileia

Thayer Greek Dictionary  Definition:  (11)

1) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule

1a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom

1b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah

1c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom

Just because a word was translated a certain way does not mean it must be.  Yes βασιλεία has been translated Kingdom but, usage over a long time does not make it correct.  Βασιλεία is an abstract idea of the power behind a King, it is the power that allows a King to rule, and the Greeks very seldom used it as kingdom. (Alford)  (12)

The royal power of heaven is the power of the King of Kings, God's authority to rule over eternity.  When changed by grace, children of God, we are heirs and joint heirs with Christ. He is the King there is only one King, yet as heirs we have the power (βασιλεία) of The King.   When Christ said Mat 16:28  Truly I say to you, There are some standing here who shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Power.  The word βασιλεία is used that is "Coming in His Royal Power."  

 The ones saved by Grace and obeying Christ Lordship share and have that power.  This is not some distant eventual result it is a present possession. 

Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 

God gave to the Church the position of the Nation Israel.  Israel lost its place by sin, by Changing the way we think (stop disobeying God) and walking according to His Rule (keep His Commandments) the position is given to the Church.

Jesus taught a simple gospel, it dealt with the needs of real people. He told us how to see and deal with real problems. Jesus said He was the way to Life Eternal. Jesus teaching was to follow Him and Know God, He would be the way to Life. The early Church was just this practical simple and loving. Meetings in Homes were to support and hold up each member of the group. They all were family, the family of God.

Mar 3:10 For He had healed many, so that they pressed on Him in order to touch Him, as many as had plagues.

Mar 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried, saying, You are the Son of God!

Mar 3:34 And He looked around on those who sat about Him, and said, Behold My mother and My brothers!

Mar 3:35 For whoever does the will of God, the same is My brother and My sister and My mother.

We do not need the later generations to tell us who Jesus was, Prophets for told it, Angels announced it, Simeon and Anna praised Him, Peter knew, even the demons Jesus cast out knew, He was the Son the God.

It was later men seeking control of masses that try to say He is only human, or He is only God.

The early Church knew Jesus was the God-Man. God the Son born on earth Totally Eternal God, and Totally man.

The early church was much like ours today it was made up of some people very serious and dedicated to Jesus, there were some that believed to a degree but lacked the fire of deep devotion, and there were some that saw the new church as a way to profit or get ahead. There were many struggles and errors on the way to becoming the church we know. By the year 180 to 200ad the books of the bible were established and widely known. The elders of the early churches agreed on a standard for the “inspired books” they had to be written by an apostle or someone working with the apostle. The adoption of formal “Cannon of Scripture” years later was to stop heresy from being added to the Bible. There were several groups that wanted control of the church, some of the early church disagreements were over power.

The early Church met in homes in small groups where everyone was equal in Christ. They knew Jesus as a man, and they knew Him as Christ the Son of God. They lived dedicated lives “Living in the Spirit, Pure and Holy was real to them. So real they would die before rejecting Christ.

Paul taught there is only one way to be saved. (13)  He spent seven chapters of Romans discussing there is no difference in who or how to be saved. The Jews as chosen people, the seed of Abraham had no special favor. Paul called this the Mystery revealed to the Apostles. All are saved by Grace. Old Testament faith heroes of Hebrews 11, The Greek or Barbarian all are saved by Grace through Faith. The law was never the way. Grace leads to Living in the Spirit, A life In Christ, Rejecting the world and the things of the world looking to a higher calling. The Mystery is simple all are saved by Grace, God in His mercy provides the gift of Grace allowing us to by faith be saved. When we are saved, we stop disobeying God and yield to His position as Lord, we are indwelled by God the Holy Spirit. We are adopted into the family of God. We have the "Power of the Living God".

 The early Church knew this and living in the world were not a part of the world. They were separate and often misunderstood because of this. Ro.11:25 Col 1:27

The Majesty

The idea “saved By Grace through faith” is one of the most precious gifts we can receive. Ro.3:29 Being justified by faith by His Grace through the “Changing of our mind” that is in Christ Jesus starts a life that we give to Him. Salvation is a gift, we did not plan it, we did not earn it, and we cannot do anything to deserve it. It is a free gift.

However,   It is a starting point not the destination.

When you are born a citizen, it is not by your choice or work. You are a citizen by the position and preparation of others. Citizenship has responsibilities. There are things a citizen must do. There are things a citizen may not do. In order to be a citizen one must live by the legal and social moirés of citizenship. There are things that must be done.

This is also true of being saved. Christian living has responsibilities. There are actions we must take. We are to live in the spirit. We are to be an example, We MUST witness to the lost and lead the world to Jesus, and many more things we must do. There are things we cannot do. There are things we should not want to do any longer if we live close to God in grace. This is what we call Christian Living, separate dedicated to God. There are new Christians that just met the Savior and there are older saints that have lived for Him for many years. Each person will hear these ideas a little different depending on where you are in your Christian journey. Some you will hear and know it as true, but may not be ready to fully understand. Some may sound strange or new to you. Some you will already know and Live. This is the progression of Christian life. We are all at different levels of need, knowledge and understanding.

Majesty, my idea of Grace is eternal majesty.

God is always LOVE. God is always JUST. But if we were to really describe God, we must say HOLY. The self-existent spirit essence, GOD is first and foremost The Majesty of Holiness. The more we dwell on the character and attributes of God, the more we come to see how truly wonderful His Majesty is. (13) He in love reached out to me with Grace, and now I know Him as Father, Savior, and Friend.

We all know the passage: Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also. Jn 14:1-3

The word for Mansion here “mona” in Greek is a place, an abode.6 The 1611 King James romantic English translators must have thought, “The ultimate, the best abode is a mansion and being with God would be just that “the best”. Their idea was right. When thinking on this I ask, What is God’s HOUSE? 

Isa 57:15 Says, For so says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity; whose name is Holy;

  If God’s house is eternity Jn 14:2 could read.

In eternity the dwelling of, God

There is a place for ME!

And as we look at that place the story only gets better and better. ”Oykeeah” in Greek is the home of a family.(11)The Majesty of the Eternal Holy God made a place for me but so much more than a dwelling in eternity. He made a place for me in the Family of God.

Ro 8:14-17  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, “Father My Father!”

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together.

The Majesty of Eternal Holy God made us His children and Heirs with Christ.

But There is even more…

There are those that see the Christian life as a struggle to overcome sin. The teaching goes way back in Church history. People were taught and believed that they were sinful and needed the clergy and the church to help them to Heaven. They must struggle in life to find Peace.  I have heard this called “repentant sinners”.  That is all the Church are sinners and must live in a constant state of repentance and seeking forgiveness.  However I do not feel this is what the Gospel teaches.  What do we do with “New Creatures, old things passed away, all things become new? Let alone adopted into the family of God. 

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.   Rom 5:16-19 

 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.    Rom 8:1-2  

In His Image!

Through all the time of man there have been two great forces that compete for and rule the heart.  These are good and evil. I am going to go much farther in this discussion than is custom for most writers, but, I am sure this is one story and we need to look at the whole as one great picture of the conflict before man.   This story starts before time as we know it and has been actively and deliberately perused to this day.

The idea of flesh being evil, which lead to the idea of total depravity, is an error that goes back to Ancient mythology.  Satan is active in the hearts of men to deny and try to destroy the work of the Christ. There were several groups in the early church that taught differing views of “All Flesh is Evil”. They were all condemned as heresy but have managed to hold an important place in later teachings which lead to error.

We must start on the Good side and know the truth only then can we understand the error. In creation our Sovereign God Created Man in His own Image, which is our Original Glory.  In the part two section “Mythos and legend, Meaning of a tradition”  we will discuss the presence and reality of Evil.

             

Sovereign means Because He wanted to!

In His own Image means, That part of God in man that makes man similar or like God. That which allows a person to fellowship with and know God.

In the Old Testament Deu 6:4 there is a prayer called the Shem:

 Hear, O Israel:

            The LORD our God is one LORD: 

 And you shall love the LORD your God

with all your heart, and   (the word for heart the action of will.)

with all your soul, and     ( the word for Soul is “ Breath of life” and the instinct to preserve it.)

with all your might.          ( the word for Might is  exceedingly, all ability, the mind and reason and the seat of emotion)

Jesus interpreted this Hebrew word Might as the Greek word  MIND.

Mat_22:37  Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Mar_12:30  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment.

Based on the content of this famous prayer, many have used these ideas to express the way a person’s mind works, the way we relate to God by His command.

Mind,   Thinking,  The ability to reason, know, and understand; Feeling, emotion,

                               hope, despair, love, hate.

Heart    Acting    The Free Will of man to act on reason and understanding,

                              tempered by emotion, even at times controlled by motion. (14)

Soul      Animal Life, Breath of Life and the instinct to preserve it.

    

Man is free to act within his own Choice to serve God or not.

The image of God in man is self-aware Choice. Only Man, in all creation, has the Glory of God in the ability Think, Feel, Act; that is with awareness of results, make a choice.

Man was created in the image of God’s Glory with the ability to and right to Choose to Fellowship with God or not.

The image of God in man is self-aware Choice. Only Man, in all creation, has the Glory of God in the ability Think, Feel, Act; that is with awareness of results, make a choice.

Man was created in the image of God’s Glory with the ability to and right to Choose to Fellowship with God or not.

All To Often, this point is skipped or not known to those studding man and salvation.  Here is a major point to remember. 

Original glory of the image of God in Man is the base for the study of man. The relationship between God and Man is Fellowship, not grace.

Following the idea we just presented is the Question “How did man In Original Glory Become Sin?”

A question from the beginning of the Church is “Who Created SIN?”

I will pose, and I pray defend ‘NO ONE”, God gave man a CHOICE and Man made the wrong one.

This choice marred the Original Glory.  However man did not stop being in the image of God.  He is still a Thinking Feeling Acting Person; there is still an element of relation to God in man.

So where did the, “all Flesh is evil” come from?  Even in some discussions to say all material world, matter itself, is Evil. All of the mystic religions have this one central theme, Flesh is evil and spirit is good. With knowledge and power one may raise themselves above evil flesh and be as God. Satan has used this lie since he tried to rise up and be as God and failed, he is still trying today!  Before time when God created the first Morning and Evening, before man and the world God created for him, in eternity past Lucifer decided to rise up by his knowledge and power to become as God.  Of course he failed. But, Lucifer is an eternal creation, he will go about to Accuse and Deceive men until Michael cast him out of heaven in the end time. Rev 12:9  The understanding of this point is important because it effects “The teaching of Total Depravity”, and the ability of a person to by their Free Will and choice to accept God’s Grace.  In the next part “Mythos and legend, Meaning of a tradition”  we will look at the other side “evil” in detail.  Satan and his plan to deceive man is as old as ancient religions and mysticism. When bible teachers misread or blend ancient philosophy and religion with what they think the bible says, they come to a teaching like “all matter is evil”. They are very possibly led by Satan to teach error. 

The problem is how could the Eternal Holy God create Evil?  How Could the Holy Son of God be born of evil flesh?  The answer to both Questions is “the premise is wrong.”  God did not create evil and all flesh is not material evil.   There are some ideas that are basic to logic. If there is good the absence of good is evil. There is a level of thought that comes from elemental concepts. God cannot be evil. The very meaning of evil is an elemental opposite of God. To say this another way some ideas are so basic they are the foundation of the discussion. Elemental Ideas are so basic they come from the character and nature of God Himself and were not created by God they ARE the basis of the discussion. Words and ideas have meaning, elemental ideas come from the foundation of reality, and they just are.  God is Holy, Love, Good. Did God create Holiness, Good, Love, Mercy, Justice? No, they are the attributes that describe God.  The Opposite exist because opposite is elemental to the Idea. Ungodly is unholy, hate, evil.  From the idea God could not create sin came the many other ideas trying to explain how sin came to be. It is simple, To Disobey GOD is SIN. Satan and man made a choice to disobey God.

Man's original glory is to be created in the image of God. That glory included worship, obedience, and fellowship. The choice to disobey God broke that fellowship, God said "you will surely die" Gen:16-17  and in Adam all mankind was separated from the glory and fellowship of God.

 Look at Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

 Sinned is to miss the mark.    WHAT MARK?    The GLORY OF GOD!

The work of Christ restores us to that fellowship and our original Glory.  Rom 5 17-19   God shed Blood in the garden to cover sin and shame, a for shadow of Christ, Adam left the garden under the blood in right standing with God still a Free Will Moral person.

There are two groups,

1 Flesh, apart from God, truly under the penalty of death from sin (ie Disobeying God.).

2 Spirit, In Christ, under the blood, justified, saved from the sure penalty of death. Created in the image of the Glory of God.

If we are saved we are restored to fellowship, service, and family. In Christ we are restored to our original Glory.  Paul is clear, you cannot live in the flesh and be saved. Ro. 8:3-9

John also made it clear, whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remained in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

The Bible is clear, man in the flesh is a sinner.  But, let’s not get lost in empty words. A sinner is one that has and is disobeying God. We list all kind of things we call sin. If you look at the list you will see they are every one something God said DO or DO NOT DO.  The person in the flesh, disobeying God, living a worldly life of self, “what I want”, Is a sinner.

John and Jesus came on the scene preaching repent or better “be converted” that is change form a choice to disobey God to a personal choice to obey, serve, and worship God.

John adds, Who warned you to escape from the approaching (outpouring of) wrath?

We are saved from this wrath. Saved is to escape this wrath which is certain.

First, God promised wrath, rests upon all persons disobeying God. (Eph_2:3). It pertains to all people of all times, even the present (Joh_3:18, Joh_3:36; Rom_1:18).

We are “SAVED” from this wrath returned to our original Glory.

Secondly, the final outpouring of this wrath is reserved for the future (Eph_5:6; Col_3:6; 2Th_1:8-9; Rev_14:10).  We are “SAVED” from this wrath.

Thirdly, this final manifestation of wrath (Zep_1:15; Zep_2:2) is connected with the (second) coming of the Messiah (Mal_3:2-3; Mal_4:1, Mal_4:5).  The Church will be ruptured, rewarded and return with Him when he comes.

Fourthly, without genuine conversion man cannot escape it: “Who warned you to escape…?”   But, with conversion we turn from disobeying God to being His servant, back to the original glory of the communion with God.

Fifthly, for the true penitent there is indeed a way of escape: Mat_3:8. Bear fruit therefore in keeping with conversion. Repentance, if it is to be genuine, must be accompanied by fruit-bearing. A merely outward confession of sin will never do. A mere desire to be baptized, as if this rite could save anyone.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

 The Christian life is a life in Christ, in the spirit.  The description of a bond slave used by Peter, Paul and James is a beautiful way to explain what it means to be saved.  The idea is by my choice, I am bound to Christ and seek His will. I yield all of me and what I want to Christ and what he commanded us to do. I put Christ FIRST.  If you understand this idea you will began to see there is no place for sin, living in the flesh, living in disobedience to God. I yielded ME to Christ, I obey Him in every way. 

When we by choice Fellowship with and serve God with all we are, all we have, and can be, when we put knowing God ahead of everything else, our focus is not on the world; our only focus is on doing the will of the Self-Existent Holy Spirit Essence the Most High God.  Living in the spirit has both cost and rewards.

To live in the world but not be part of the world is not easy. It comes with ridicule and persecution. The world will never understand.  But, OH the Joy it brings, Adopted into the family of God, His Children and heirs with Christ.  Indwelled by the spirit of the living God, our body becomes the temple of God. And with this temple we become the Priest of the Most High God.  We have all the gifts the spirit offers, He indwells us and will give us whatever we need to do His will.

Living in the SPIRIT means we are protected by His love, Covered by His Grace, Adopted into the Family of God, We by choice are a bond slave to The King of Kings.

If you think dealing with living in sin is in any way a part of the Christian life you are just wrong. Sin, disobeying God and temptation have been dealt with when we made the choice to be a bond slave to the master.  Being in the world but not a part of the world means we have made the choice that some things just are not part of our life possibility. Failure and sin start when we consider the actions which were of the world and we turned from.  If our true focus is on serving Jesus, we have dealt with the things we turned from and they are no more a part of our consideration, we just would not, could not do some things.

           

When we are a true bond slave to Jesus, through the debt He paid, we are restored to our Original Glory in the Image of God to commune with God. We worship, Love and praise our master, savior, father, and friend.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Rom 8:33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Rom 8:34 Who is he condemning? It is Christ who has died, but rather also who is raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

We are justified by God. The debt is paid in full. With God the Holy Spirit in us and our focus on God we stand before Him as family protected by His love. I would ask all to consider remembering or blaming someone for their past, past that is under the blood, God said the debt is paid in full there is no past. Only a child of God. Be careful who you condemn. A person cannot “Live In Sin” if they do, they are not a Christian. When we walk NOT according to the flesh, But, according to the spirit of God we are new creatures and are covered by the blood of Jesus. I heard a country preacher say once, “I drink all the liquor I want to, I chase all the street women I want to, I steel any thing I want to, I go anywhere I want to… Because when I met Jesus I got my “Want To” FIXED.

Rom 8:5 For they who are according to the flesh mind the things of flesh, but they who are according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace

Rom 8:7 because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be.

Rom 8:8 So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9 But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

Rom 8:10 And if Christ is in you, indeed the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies alive by His Spirit who dwells in you.

If you have thought that the way people in our time think is new or different, you are wrong. The problem has always been people thinking moral right is “What I want right Now”, and moral wrong is “Anything that keeps me from what I Want”. People try to live as close to the world as they can get. How close to the world can I stand and still be called a Christian. When all of your focus is on how close to the world can I live, you are concentrating on the world. It is hard to see truth, it is hard to see Jesus. There is another way, a better way. When I was growing up we sang a hymn.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There’s a light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

 And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

Make a choice.

Romans 8 does not say something mysterious or complicated it just says make a choice. The World or JESUS. Living in Gods spirit means turn your eyes upon Jesus. The world no longer holds any interest for us. We live for God. There is no condemnation, not perfect or complete yet, but Justified Innocent. (13) (This is what many have tried to explain as Christian Perfection.) When we are in the Spirit there is no condemnation, Jesus is our intercessor before God, we are not perfect but justified innocent.

The ellipse orbit moving around the two centers, sin and salvation, is the change from sin to the salvation of God, Paul taught it too.

Rom 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.   Rom 12:1-2

Literally Paul exhorts those addressed to offer their bodies as sacrifices to God. However, in such a context the word body refers to the entire personality. By bodies he means not only our skin and bones but the totality of which we are composed. Paul states that these sacrifices must have the following characteristics: they must be “living,” that is, must proceed from the new life within the believer; “holy,” the product of the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit; and, accordingly, “well-pleasing” to God, not only accepted by, but most heartily welcome to, the One to whom believers dedicate themselves. (2)

When we are saved by grace through faith, God the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our heart. We are adopted into the family of God. And we have all the power and gifts of the Triune God. God does not remember our past sins and no one else should either. We spend the rest of our life learning to yield to Him and let Him work through us.

And still There is more !

The priest of Grace. Jesus our High Priest after the order of Melchisedec

Priest of Grace

Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing…

Heb 5:6 Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Martin Luther after careful and prayerful review of Church doctrine and behavior came to the conclusion that the Church was wrong. He set about to correct the problem he saw and the result was the Protestant Reformation.

For many years I have asked, what in the Church and people could have caused the conditions leading up to the Reformation and The Enlightenment? The question I have with the teachings and practice of the Church are the result of a long study of all I could find on the subject. I was disappointed to find that almost from the very first there was discord in the early Church. This discord was of course over authority and leadership. In the Anti-Nicene writings we see almost immediately a division of authority and an attempt to set aside power and authority for the clergy. This seeking power builds until by 324 ad the clergy had judicial power as well as protection by the military. The power was only to build into the excesses that Luther apposed. I would pose that this power is not in the New Testament. (15)

The history of the young Church is filled with men that thought their position on scripture was “more inspired” than others. In this way these leaders tried to make their Church the center of the Christian Church. There were many struggles in the statement of Doctrine. The debate over the trinity and the divinity of Christ were first and most heated, so much so that the early history of the Church is divided by the council that made concessions to settle the dispute. We still use the words of that creed today. In his wisdom as a leader, Constantine saw the real issue and in his letter to Alexander and Aries he rightly saw both had a level of self-promotion in the debate and were in a way both wrong. Constantine saw the problem here was less over the trinity and more about power. His own power was based on his relation to the Church and he did not want division in the Church or the people. When he had the issue prayerfully submitted to the scriptures and the Council of Nicene, the result was a statement all could agree on. But the issue was over power and the statement did not settle the struggle for power.

The struggle for power has robbed the Church of one of its greatest treasures. Please understand I do not present this in exclusion of other topics. It is a wonderful and under discussed truth. I am referring to the position of the Christian in the family of God (Romans 8.), and the priestly responsibility of every Christian. (Hebrews)

I can only ask that you read this with an open mind and try to see what was intended for the Church. Every Christian has the power of a priest to God and the formal clergy are to serve the Church, not rule it. Every Christian is to know and study the bible, growing in grace and knowledge, not waiting for the clergy to tell them what the bible says.

One of the cardinal passages affected by this debate is Romans 10. In verse 9 we are told we must confess with our mouth and believe in our heart to be saved.

Verse 14 holds the responsibility for every Christian, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher.” {preacher here is a messenger, to herald, to proclaim, not our church pastor.} Please read on and see what privilege and responsibility is given to every Christian. A priest and king and heir to heaven with Christ.

Priest after the order of Melchisedec!

Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing…

Sanctify unto me all the firstborn. Exo 13:2

Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. Gen14:18

Thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel Num 3:41 Num 3:12

For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Heb 5:1

Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Heb 5:6

Question

The words of Hebrews 5:11 poses a question that should send us all digging into the word. What were the “many things to say”? The many things were about, Christ, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchisedec. This is a new priesthood. We find in the Bible the first men set aside as priest they were the eldest sons sanctified to God. They were to have a birthright responsibility to God to be the spiritual backbone of the nation. The Patriarchs of the Old Testament were such men. The eldest of the family became the leaders both government and spiritual. Their priesthood was by birth they were given to God. After the Passover the Firstborn was to be given to God, they were redeemed by Him Ex 13:2.  Later after the nation was mature and given an inheritance God chose a specific group from one tribe to be the priest, the Levities. But, who was this Melchizedek, and what was his priesthood. Why was he chosen from all the Old Testament leaders to be a type for Christ? Let’s look at the beginning of the story. Gen 14

Story

As is often true in the affairs of men the kings of Abraham’s day could not get along and greed caused them to invade and capture one another’s land, people, and property. Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah  and they joined battle with them in the vale of Siddim; four kings with five. And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and depart.

As is often true in the affairs of men, the kings made a big mistake they took Lot and his family captive. Of course word of this got back to Abraham and he could not let Lot be taken. Abraham used what God had given him. When Abram heard that his brother’s son was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.

Ok. Now look at this, the mighty kings of the land fought wars and took captives and then Abraham and his servants defeated them in battle after battle. As Abraham and his men were coming home they passed another king, the one that lost the battle and let Lot get taken. So the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king’s dale. I feel sure this king wanted to meet Abraham on friendly terms if possible and to be sure Abraham did not do to him what was done to the other warring kings. He was smart enough to bring help he brought a man Abraham would respect; Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the Most High God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Abraham recognized the man of God and honored both God and the priest King by giving an offering that was required by God, to God the way all such offerings are given, at the hand of the priest. Abraham did not give Melchizedek an offering he gave God a tithe to honor both. And so we meet this figure from the Old Testament. A King, a Priest, an equal to Abraham, as a King a superior to him, A Patriarch, first born in a time when the first-born was Sanctified to be the spiritual leaders of men. The only way he could have been a Priest was by birthright. King and priest by birth just as Christ was to be which is why Melchizedek is a type of Christ. And it is this priest by birth that is of interest to us.

In the second priesthood, the Levitical Priesthood, The priest were born of one family and had to prove it. Their genealogy was very important. It was their right to be a priest. The records were kept with care and ceremony. Mother, father, birth date, and life was all carefully recorded and kept for the future, because they would need the records. The Nation of Israel had a formal Priesthood. These were charged with the spiritual health of a nation, God’s people. Melchizedek was not such a priest. We are told he did not have the needed records of mother, father, birth, and life of service. And of course the Levitical Priesthood had not been given when we meet him with Abraham.

Heb 5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.

A priest by birth, a priest sanctified to God, a priest from the people, and a priest as spiritual teacher for all, this is the King and priest by birth order of Melchisedec. Why was this Old Testament man selected? Maybe it is because he was both priest by birth and a king.

Let me try to bring some things together and make my point. The point of this discussion, and the many things to say, and hard to be uttered is this priest hood. The fact that Christ is our high priest is not hard to follow, God said it. What that means to us in daily life seems not to have been widely seen. Christ is our High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, by birth. When we look beyond our self and see the wondrous Grace of God, and with the simplest Faith reach out to Him, the one who paid sins price with His own Blood, we are born into the family of God.

It is a birthright with eternal life and eternal responsibility!

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Rev 1:6 and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The spirit of adoption making us the children of God and joint-heirs of Christ is the new priesthood. It is the adoption into the family of God. There is much that has not been included in what it means to be a Christian in the teachings of the church. Part may have been because it was hard to say and we are weak of understanding. But, in the history of the church a good part of the problem is telling the Christian story in a way to help those in leadership positions control the masses of people.

How do you tell someone you are a child of the king heir to the throne of God, member of the heavenly family, Priest under the High Priest Jesus Christ. You may go directly to the Fathers side with your petitions.

Then tell them I am in charge and will tell you what you need to know and do for the church. I will tell you what the scripture says and all you must do. The failure to teach the truth about the Priesthood of the Christian is a choice of the leaders in the church to control people and the same grasp for power that lead to both the Reformation and the Enlightenment.

First the priest hood was by firstborn birth, responsible to lead the people to God.

Second is a tribe of Israel chosen by God to replace the birthright.

Third is the High Priesthood of Jesus, and our adoption into the family of God.

1 Peter 2:4-5 (NKJV)

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Revelation 1:5-6 (NKJV)

5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:10 (NKJV)

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

Revelation 20:5-6 (NKJV)

5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

We are adopted heirs to the wonders of God. These verses say Jesus made us kings and priest unto God. We need no one to take our cause to God. We have the adoption of sons, the status of family, and may go to God on His promise and blood.

Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing…

This new birthright and our place in it along with our relation to Jesus Christ our High Priest is the heart of “many things to say” and of which we cannot allow ourselves to be “dull of hearing”. Much of the problem in our present time come from the church not teaching the true position and responsibilities of the Christian.

We have a responsibility to go tell others the wonders of God’s grace. If there is suffering and hard work, the toil is nothing compared to the love of God. And even this suffering has a promise.

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

We have a responsibility, Every Christian has a responsibility, to support the Church and learn the truth from the word of God and to share this truth with others. We must learn what we can of what the world is saying and the errors that confront the Church. How else can we ever seek to teach the truth and correct errors if we do not know what they are?

I was talking to a Theologian, he asked what my leaning with respect to theology was? I said I am a Historic Christian Fundamentalist. He got quite upset and went off on Fundamentalist.

You put your conformity to doctrine ahead of social good.

You make the claim that you are right to the exclusion of others,

You are too serious about religion and not interested in social good and knowledge.

“Any person who truly believes and is true to that belief will be saved, God loves us all.”

At this point I stopped him. I said you and I have a different understanding of Christian Fundamentalist. I am not interested in Liberals and proponents of the Social Gospel slander of the term, I am referring to the basic teachings of faith.

Five fundamentals of the faith:

(1) Literal inerrancy of the autographs

(2) the virgin birth and deity of Christ;

(3) the substitutionary view of the atonement;

(4) the bodily resurrection of Christ;

(5) The imminent return of Christ.

So often we are using the same words and not even on the same subject. We must know what the secular world is saying if we are to reach them with the Gospel.

The modern church is so multicultural and liberal they come dangerously close to being a cult. In a mainstream church I was told my ideas of the gospel were wrong. “Anything a person truly believes and lives will take them to heaven, God loves everyone.”

The heirs of the CROSS have failed America.

WE have allowed the “Natural Man” to say “that is your belief”, “that is your Bible”, “every ones belief is equal”,” there are many truths”, “you don’t have a right to tell me what to believe.”

WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT IS RIGHT??

I SAY:

I am; A Priest of the Most High GOD!

Adopted Child of God, joint heir of Jesus Christ.

Heir to the throne of Heaven.

A bond slave of the King of Kings

The birthright with Christ carries with it a great responsibility.

I am sure you know of the “Romans Road to Salvation”.  This is Paul’s outline of the steps or method of being saved.  It is often only partly quoted, but here is what he said.

1. The righteousness of God is needed because

            a. there is no difference

            b. for all have sinned

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law  there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:  for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

Rom 3:21  But the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is  by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,  Christ died for us.

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Rom 6:22  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Rom 6:23  For  the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 10:9  That if you  shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

  

This very familiar verse tells us How the act of being saved works. With the Heart Believes, with the Mouth Confesses.  

How Shall they hear if the Priest of this age of grace fails to carry the message?

Our position in the family of God carries with it a Great responsibility, we are the Priest of Grace the messenger to tell the world about Jesus.  The next verses are not so often read but they tell us of that responsibility.   

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a messenger? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?     Romans 10:14-15

Christ said “You must be Born again,” and as such we are new creatures in Christ.

We have a birthright responsibility to tell others the wonderful story of the Gospel. We are the Priest of this age, the Priest of Grace, to tell the world about JESUS is our Responsibility.  If they do not hear they will not be saved, and that is an eternal loss.  WE are to live a new life dedicated to God to spread the Gospel.

We have failed to stand, to be heard, and to teach the truth. We have allowed the liberal humanist to establish the standards of debate, and once in power they are hard to move.

Have we chosen to follow the easy path in our busy lives?

Have we let others claim the authority to say, “Live any way you want to”?

Could we stand with the martyrs and face the wild animals or torture for the name of CHRIST?

Who can face death with Polycarp and say, “Eighty and six years He never failed me I will not deny Him now”?

When the need is great who will stand in the gap?

The church today has lost her way and can’t seem to stand where the stand matters.

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Yet we are responsible as heirs to heaven, Priest of Grace, We must take a stand. We must know the modern humanist and defeat them.

Reality

Plato said, ”Reality is in the Mind.”

The idea is there is more to reality than the physical item. How we use or understand an item must be considered. Our knowledge of the item its history, its use, and what we use it for now all must be seen. All aspects must be considered in understanding reality. This includes reason, emotion, and choice. It includes the spiritual reality and the empirical reality.

And isn't it a bad thing to be deceived about the truth, and a good thing to know what the truth is? For I assume that by knowing the truth you mean knowing things as they really are. (Plato, 380BC)

The philosopher is in love with truth, that is, not with the changing world of sensation, which is the object of opinion, but with the unchanging reality which is the object of knowledge. (Plato, 380BC)

Truthfulness. He will never willingly tolerate an untruth, but will hate it as much as he loves truth... And is there anything more closely connected with wisdom than truth? (Plato, 380BC)

Then may we not fairly plead in reply that our true lover of knowledge naturally strives for truth, and is not content with common opinion, but soars with undimmed and unwearied passion till he grasps the essential nature of things with the mental faculty fitted to do so, that is, with the faculty which is akin to reality, and which approaches and unites with it, and begets intelligence and truth as children, and is only released from travail when it has thus reached knowledge and true life and satisfaction? (Plato, 380BC)

The object of knowledge is what exists and its function to know about reality. (Plato, 380BC)

When the mind's eye rests on objects illuminated by truth and reality, it understands and comprehends them, and functions intelligently; but when it turns to the twilight world of change and decay, it can only form opinions, its vision is confused and its beliefs shifting, and it seems to lack intelligence. (Plato, 380BC)

'But surely "blind" is just how you would describe men who have no true knowledge of reality, and no clear standard in their mind to refer to, as a painter refers to his model, and which they can study closely before they start laying down rules about what is fair or right or good where they are needed, or maintaining, as Guardians, any rules that already exist.'
'Yes, blind is just about what they are' (Plato, 380BC) (16)

Aristotle countered, “Reality is in the physical item”.

His idea was an item is what it is. What we think of it does not change it. The idea that the only reality is the one we can touch, empirical reality seen and measured, is an idea with no room for spiritual, emotional, and mans right to choose as factors in reality.

The first philosophy (Metaphysics) is universal and is exclusively concerned with primary substance. ... And here we will have the science to study that which is just as that which is, both in its essence and in the properties which, just as a thing that is, it has. (Aristotle, 340BC)
The entire preoccupation of the physicist is with things that contain within themselves a principle of movement and rest. And to seek for this is to seek for the second kind of principle, that from which comes the beginning of the change. (Aristotle, 340BC)

Here we have the foundation for one of the oldest discussions in the history of thought.

IS REALITY MENTAL, SPIRITUAL, AND PHYSICAL TRUTH, OR IS IT EMPIRICAL PHYSICAL DATA MEASURABLE BY THE SENSES?  (17)

There are those who take a dogmatic stand on either side and will not move. Learned people spend an academic career defending one side and finding weakness in the other. The truth is they are both right but these are not the same subject.

Plato speaks of Ideas, knowledge from the side of a thinking mind. Aristotle is discussing the measurable physical world around us. The problem only comes when we try to apply both to a discussion as an equal premises. They are not the same thing but work together to help us gain understanding. So often the discussion takes off dogmatically in a set direction based on part of the story, we must look for the complete idea.

Plato in discussing how a human mind works said the mind is in at least three parts, thought, emotion, and decision. The way a human mind works includes thought, knowledge, reason and some understanding. Equally it includes emotion, feelings and desires. For thoughts and emotions to mean anything a person must be able to come to a course of action. They must make a decision. We have to be able to do something.

When in the course of presenting what we want to believe we hang our arguments on an idea that we feel presents what we want to say. We must be sure we are using all of the idea.

The Error that changed the way the world thinks. .

Who in our world today would listen to a college dropout, discontented with what the professors taught. Our young person says these ideas are not what I want. I must travel the world and see how life is lived and decide for myself what is right. Our student of life having traveled and learned from the world decides everything that came before must be rejected. The only reality is what I may know by logically viewing the world around me. This is a true story. His name is Descartes and his error changed the way the world thinks. .

Excerpt from his own writing:

DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD OF RIGHTLY CONDUCTING THE REASON,

AND SEEKING TRUTH IN THE SCIENCES

by Rene Descartes

For these reasons, as soon as my age permitted me to pass from under the control of my instructors, I entirely abandoned the study of letters, and resolved no longer to seek any other science than the knowledge of myself, or of the great book of the world. I spent the remainder of my youth in traveling, in visiting courts and armies, in holding intercourse with men of different dispositions and ranks, in collecting varied experience, in proving myself in the different situations into which fortune threw me, and, above all, in making such reflection on the matter of my experience as to secure my improvement. For it occurred to me that I should find much more truth in the reasoning of each individual with reference to the affairs in which he is personally interested, and the issue of which must presently punish him if he has judged amiss, than in those conducted by a man of letters in his study, regarding speculative matters that are of no practical moment, and followed by no consequences to himself, farther, perhaps, than that they foster his vanity the better the more remote they are from common sense; requiring, as they must in this case, the exercise of greater ingenuity and art to render them probable. In addition, I had always a most earnest desire to know how to distinguish the true from the false, in order that I might be able clearly to discriminate the right path in life, and proceed in it with confidence.

It is true that, while busied only in considering the manners of other men, I found here, too, scarce any ground for settled conviction, and remarked hardly less contradiction among them than in the opinions of the philosophers. So that the greatest advantage I derived from the study consisted in this, that, observing many things which, however extravagant and ridiculous to our apprehension, are yet by common consent received and approved by other great nations, I learned to entertain too decided a belief in regard to nothing of the truth of which I had been persuaded merely by example and custom; and thus I gradually extricated myself from many errors powerful enough to darken our natural intelligence, and incapacitate us in great measure from listening to reason. But after I had been occupied several years in thus studying the book of the world, and in essaying to gather some experience, I at length resolved to make myself an object of study, and to employ all the powers of my mind in choosing the paths I ought to follow, an undertaking which was accompanied with greater success than it would have been had I never quitted my country or my books.

But like one walking alone and in the dark, I resolved to proceed so slowly and with such circumspection, that if I did not advance far, I would at least guard against falling. I did not even choose to dismiss summarily any of the opinions that had crept into my belief without having been introduced by reason, but first of all took sufficient time carefully to satisfy myself of the general nature of the task I was setting myself, and ascertain the true method by which to arrive at the knowledge of whatever lay within the compass of my powers.

He took one part reason or thinking and made it the foundation for everything. He rejected the teachings and belief system of his medieval teachers. He allowed no emotion or free will in his thinking only reason that had an empirical basis was valid. Aristotle’s side of the debate won, the measured physical item over the idea and a larger concept of thought. I believe what “I” can measure, see, and know!

Somebody who only reads newspapers and at best books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely near-sighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or hear anything else. And what a person thinks on his own without being stimulated by the thoughts and experiences of other people is even in the best case rather paltry and monotonous. There are only a few enlightened people with a lucid mind and style and with good taste within a century. What has been preserved of their work belongs among the most precious possessions of mankind. We owe it to a few writers of antiquity (Plato, Aristotle, etc.) that the people in the Middle Ages could slowly extricate themselves from the superstitions and ignorance that had darkened life for more than half a millennium. Nothing is more needed to overcome the modernist's snobbishness. (Albert Einstein, 1954)

Many people that study human thinking will agree that emotion is at least as strong as reason for why we do what we do. Many times emotion is a far more powerful motivator than any other factor in what we do or believe. Reason alone is incomplete and a week basis for who we are. Descartes did not want to believe the religious teachings of his professors. He rejected college and their teaching. The result was evaluating everything by what I know and can measure. He rejected God, the Bible, and the belief system of his day. Rejecting the belief system did not make it wrong. It gave others who want to reject it a place to start and someone to agree with them. It did not look at all the parts all the elements or reality or understanding the physical world.

How do we know?

God made us that way. Let me explain.

Plato describes the function of the mind as thinking, feeling, acting. We are told we are made in the image of God. Plato only saw what God made or the way He made us. Humans were made with a mind to think or reason and a seat of emotion to feel compassion or anger and the free will to act.

God decided to make man, He wanted someone to fellowship with. God made man able to think feel and free to act, that is to obey and love God or not.

To obey and love God or not, this is the most important line I will write.

Intellectual thinkers of our time reject God and say the world is billions of years old. God made them with a right to think this way if they wish. When man elevates himself to a position of “The Source of Knowledge”, that is my reason is the basis of all knowledge, this person has rejected God.

Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

This person has made a choice, they have a right to do so, but they do so without all the parts of reality and by rejecting many possibilities.

God created the world and in that creation made time. Time, a day and night, was made for man. God is eternal and is not bound by time, Humans are. If a scientist looks at the world using only empirical reason, allowing nothing else he will see exactly what God created. If by the rules and understanding the scientist follows he sees a world that is billions of years old it is only because that is what God created, not how or when. The age of the world, how or when it got here is not the question, DO you believe God created the world as we enjoy it now? He created it for us. The question is do you allow for God in your reasoning? He made us for fellowship and wants us to love Him. You have a right to reject God.

This is the First Philosophy, First Choice, Do I Believe in GOD? (18)

We have the Bible, Gods word. All we know of God, our relation to God, why we are here is in the bible. God taught us what to do and why. The Bible is God revealing God to men. The creator teaching us, the creature, who we are, where we came from, and how to live for Him. We are free to love him or not. The idea of free will is one of the first that men after power tried deny the masses of people. Power comes from being the one who can tell others how to live and what you mean to God. God made us able to think, love, and obey Him  not men.

Romans chapter 1 says We can know there is a God from nature. Yet there are some people who choose to hold back that truth and serve men. The creature rejecting the Creator and choosing to serve man. Of all the wonders of this universe, the fact that God created this marvelous and complex world, a place for us to live and fellowship with the Creator, is the most wonderful. The greatest sorrow is that some would reject God’s gifts and take His place viewing man as master of all. Man seeing himself as master doing only what he wants to, rejecting God. The Bible reveals God to man. When we fail God is there to help us. When we need Him he fills our heart. All of nature and the complex dignity of our home points to the God who designed it just the way we need.

All He ask is that we obey Him.

Please be sure to get the point that there is a GOD! He gave us the Bible so we could know him.

Second, There is much more to the story of our world than just reason can see.

The first philosophy is “Do I Believe In God.” All else flows from this answer.

The Arguments.

Evolution and the existence of God

The Bible does not attempt to PROVE God exist. It just states what God did. This kind of statement presupposes God is. If God did something He must exist. Descartes said, “ I think therefore I am.” Which is only part of who we are. You can think something, right or wrong, or feel something no matter how strong, and no one else will know it or see any sign of it. But, to Act so others see is real.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.”

God thought to design and develop such a complex and beautiful world. Balanced just the way we need it. Created by desire to fellowship with a thinking, feeling, and acting creature.

I ACT THERE FOR I AM!

“The invisible things of Him are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:20).

The evolution argument is one of the most powerful in the war of minds. If the world just happened, God does not exist. God did not ACT. Men just told stories over time. There is no God. The issue is not when and how did the world come into being. The issue is do I believe in God?

Mans First Failure : SIN

People love to make list of things that are wrong, group social structures to identify proper behavior, or the behavior wanted by those seeking authority to control group members. Men from the beginning have made rules to control others, often enforcing them by force.

No list of behaviors no group agreed on list of conduct matters. The only choice that matters is that we love and obey God.

All sin, THE ONLY SIN, is to disobey GOD!

Some one always quickly says the commandments say “Thou shall not lie.” To lie is sin. That is true but only because God said it and to lie is to disobey God.

All sin, THE ONLY SIN, is to disobey GOD!

All the things we could list to call sin are in one way or another something God said DO or Do Not Do. Thus it is to disobey God.

If you make a choice to believe (to reason), God does not exist, moral right is what I want, when I die life is over, there is no sin, the world just happened in time and space. You have made a choice to put your wants and reason first and make a choice based on what I want right now. And you are wrong eternally wrong.

There are some more logical positions that come from this choice, even if you are only partly logical and consistent the positions that follow are natural.

The Bible is a myth.

“Men over time made up stories to explain their world. They looked for more powerful figures to help it all make sense. They made up gods. Over many years, with the stories written down they took on a life of truth. Then they became religious, scripture, even holy.”

This position flows from there is no God. We have to explain the beliefs handed down for thousands of years. This position has the same problem as all the rest, DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD? If the answer is yes this kind of reasoning is foolish. If the answer is NO, you have to explain away the bible. It does not fit into the way you want things. All the textual criticism, questioning time lines and authors is meaningless. You have already made up your mind, your position is clear. I don’t believe in God, therefore I deny the bible and chose to disobey God.

Family

When God made the first family He made the man responsible for the spiritual well being of the family. The wife was put in a position of submission to the family spiritual leader, because of sin. She at the serpents bidding disobeyed God. I could go on and on here about the relation of man and wife, but it is over covered already. I will say that women are not second class citizens or servants. It is with respect to the spiritual leadership and family worship that women are subject to their husbands RESPONSIBILITY.

Marriage makes a man and woman one flesh. Omit God, omit marriage, omit loving obedience and you have today’s live together, have sex, abort baby, abortion for contraceptive life style. I don’t need to go on with how sin today destroys the family, the question is Do I believe in God? An answer of no leads naturally to where we are today.

I hope you understand I am saying there are a series of logical steps that come from rejecting God.

“God does not exist.” This is the easiest way to deny God, there never was one.

“The Bible is a myth”, if there is no God we don’t need a book revealing Him to man.

“The world just happened, evolved from stuff”. In enough time anything is possible.

“Two people in love make a family. “

“It is my body, my choice.”

“Kill a fetus it is just some cells part of my body.”

“Women are equal and cannot be told what to do by a man.”

Moral Right is “What I Want Right Now”

Moral wrong is “Anything That Stops Me”

We also have a large group of people in our world today that hold a form of religion and reject its source and truth. This group in fact and action reject God. Yet they use religious form and vocabulary to describe a social structure that makes them feel good. Recently in a church I was told, “Any way a person truly believes will take them to heaven.”

Just because a person “Truly Believes” and lives fully “What I want right now” It will not save them.

“Active in my church and help the poor.”

“Serve god the best I can.”

“My religion is personal, I try not to offend any one.”

“Believe and be constant and God will love you.”

“God is love and will not send any one to hell.”

None of these ideas or many others we hear can make a social gospel save anyone no matter how much they believe it.

Obey God!

Accept His Grace.

Believe the work of Christ on Calvary.

Put your faith in Jesus.

There is no other name under heaven where by men must be saved.

It is a choice!

Read Romans 1: 16 –31

1:16For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

1:17For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”

1:18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

1:19because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.

1:20For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.

1:21Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

1:22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

1:23and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.

1:24Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves,

1:25who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

1:26For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature.

1:27Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.

1:28Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

1:29being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers,

1:30backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

1:31without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;

1:32who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

2:1Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things.

2:2We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.

2:3Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Man from nature and what is revealed in nature can know God. Men chose to follow their own wants and desires, their reason, and chose not to obey God. The result is very clear. Read this passage with an open mind. The world we have today is a result of a choice.

The very act of taking a position on the issue is a choice. Everything we do is a choice. To some, the current situation dictates the direction they will follow; to the next existence itself gives us the freedom of choice. Still others would say we were given the freedom of choice by a higher power. No matter, ”the what” or “the source” of our freedom, all of life day by day, is a choice. We may not agree as to the right choice. Choice simply exist. Choice IS, Choice does not require a person to view reality as physical or relative to their perception of it.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Any time more than one possibility exists and we select a course of action or belief we made a choice.

Philosophy has an under discussed area, presupposition. This issue is the foundation of the problems faced in the differences in the various programs of thought in philosophy. The problem is a simple one. It is individual belief behind what we choose to say, think, or write. Where do I stand? What do I believe? What presupposition do I bring to the discussion in making a choice.

One of the most dangerous things in the area of thought and ideas is “the thread of truth”. All too often writers select a thread of truth and hang their ideas and beliefs on it. A good story, rumor, or wrong premise must have a thread of truth, correct, believable, and it helps for the thread to be important to the reader. With this foundation a creative, thoughtful, and deliberate person can develop a program of thought to defend any position they wish to take. First the thread of truth is laid out clearly and defended. The defense adds statements as fact based on the belief of the writer.

Another way a thread of truth exist is today’s writer lays out a thread of truth and sets about to prove their beliefs with programs of writers many years old. When they were written their author hung them on a thread of truth. His program of thought never had a foundation in fact or a true defense. Now we are expected to accept these ancient thoughts as fact, true fact, time has become their proof. Descartes gave us a scientific method and it is a thread of truth. He made a choice and tells us the most important basis for this method is Reason (Choice), which is acceptable with reference to planning and explaining a scientific study. However he goes on to offer Reason (Choice) as the answer to a much broader range of problems. Human reason, (choice), is just that another way of saying belief or opinion. As we can see from a range of programs over the years that have one writer challenge and change the arguments of other writers. It is a progression of opinion that leads to error. Why are human reason, scientific method, social history, (The list goes on and on!) valid bases of discussion and religious biblical ideas unspeakable, unacceptable, of no value?

I believe, my choice, these exclusions to the thought of man are related to the one true basis for the reasoning of man, choice. The thinkers who through reason (choice) gave us “The Enlightenment” made a choice to deny and disobey God. They said truth cannot be known it is a variable of thought.

Truth is not just a word or idea. Truth is an absolute. A thing is True or it is False meaning not true. Truth is not a philosophical program ingredient with levels, shades, and variations. Truth is True. There can be no other. Many have a problem with the concept of an absolute. Many choose not to allow absolute truth in their thinking. Many because they do not want to accept absolute truth try to redefine, change, omit and choose not to admit “Truth Is True”. Not being comfortable with truth does not make any difference, Truth is still True, False is still False and human reason is still just opinion or choice.

In our society today there are two major areas of thought. Some call them Conservatives and Liberals. There are many different names and just as religion has many names, followings, and denominations the liberal camp has many names, programs and followings. The basis or underlying idea is still very much the same for each group, they made a choice.

Conservatives accept the concept of a power a being greater than man. They look to the rule of law as absolute. The law means obey it. We must follow the law the way it is written. The Conservatives can accept an absolute of authority, truth, and justice. Religion and Conservative are not synonyms. Religious thought is the foundation that allows conservative ideas that are based on a need outside self. Truth, Honor, Duty are understood on the basis of absolute power bigger than any one person or group. Ideas and my personal worth are based on my relation to the eternal God and His authority not any power of this world. This is the power referred to by the writer declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident (the truth of the power and authority of God) that all men were created equal that they were endowed by their creator with certain inalienable Rights ….

In our society there are no privileged groups no aristocracy form birth, No group that has a right to rule others.

A Conservative that stands for truth, honor, duty based on a power not of man, but from an eternal God, has an authority that is hard to deny and hard to dismiss. Truth, Honor, Duty are ideas dealing with the obedience to a higher power. Truth is absolute. Honor is to do what God has called us to do. Duty is required by that higher power. Not what I want, but what is needed to serve and glorify God. What is best for all, this is duty.

The Liberal groups of today have a very different foundation and a basis for what they believe. The foundation is Naturalistic Humanism. We may not hold liberal thought to any more specific detail than we do religious thought. The humanist ideas are varied and cover a wide spectrum of thought as to the specifics of beliefs of it different members. There is one basic idea, which flows through humanist thinking. There Is No Absolute God! Some would allow the concept of God in men’s social structures. Some would allow a god to exist at a distance and in the mind and myth of men, uninvolved in the lives of humans. Many would deny God in word if not in practice but most would redefine god as a social force.

The humanist is “Amoral” thus truth, honor, duty do not have the same reference as they do in religious persons. Amoral is a concept that the conservative side has a hard time understanding. In discussions liberals are often called immoral because they do things religion forbids. To the liberal humanist the individual is the center of the universe. Good is “what I want right now”, that may be different later or tomorrow. There is no right wrong moral requirement or absolute truth, or authority. Good is “what I want right now”, bad is anything that keeps me from what I want.. Therefore when religious authority says no, they are bad. NO would keep me from “what I want right now”.

That is how they see religion as bad, restrictive, of no value. Don’t tell me NO!

Liberals would reject this discussion out of hand. ”That does not describe us or what we believe.” The rejection is understood and expected for two reasons. First, their view of themselves, they do not want to see their position in questioned. They cannot see it as bad. They reject the basis of right and wrong, “what I want now”, not what does time place or fact reveal, “what I want now”. Second liberals live around and with religious people and have learned to look and sound like society expects, when it meets their needs. They can sound very religious and can discuss Bible and religion when they need to improve their position. The problem is that liberals do not and cannot accept Historic Christianity with its moral and authority absolutes. What they say reflects a redefining of ideas and terms to allow them to have “what I want right now”.

To the liberal Truth is a variable based on the situation. Truth is relative to “what I want now”. Truth is subject to change. Honor is a factor of how others see me, accept me, support me, and allow my ideas. Honor is my relationship to how others see me. Duty is a responsibility to see that I get “what I want now”. Duty is to me and those that support me.

As you read this you will by now be trapped in the social problem of belief, if you are conservative religious in belief you will be feeling I am presenting the liberals as bad, self-centered. If you are liberal humanist you are having a problem with my use of absolute of moral good and bad as a framework of thought. I must be fair, I am a conservative historic Christian. Yes my frame of reference is Truth is Truth, right is Godly, and Gods law is absolute. But, after years of study I have come to see the position of the humanist. I am even making advances in understanding an amoral mind. Yet I do not think that way. The problem is so big it is very hard to grasp. Both sides are speaking a different language. I do not mean English, I mean in the discussion of belief. It sounds like each is discussing the same subject, but they mean totally different ideas behind the words they use.

The liberal framework is one, which allows all possibilities, and to discriminate on the basis of absolute right or wrong is to fail to see and use all the possibilities available. Everything is possible if it meets the need of “what I want now”. This is not an inconsistent view to say a thing is good today “what I want now”, and later to say that thing is worthless or bad or I did not mean that. There is no absolute no truth no right or wrong. Good is “what I want now”, (don’t try to apply “now” to tomorrow). Bad is that which tells me what I must do or tries to hold me to an absolute standard. Like you said this last week did you mean it. “Well yes then, but this is now not last week. Different day, different need, new now and nothing before matters “this is NOW”.

Two Views

1)            Belief in GOD                            |               Belief in Human Self.

                                                               |

2) Accepts absolute of God’s authority.    | All possibilities are good. No absolutes.

3) Self worth comes from relation to God |  Self worth is based on society allowing

     And serving others.                               |  Self fulfillment and expression.

4) Truth is Truth                                        |Truth is a variable based on the situation

                                                                   |Relative to what I want now.

5) Honor and Character is to do what is    |Honor is a factor of how others see me,

    Right when no one is looking.               |Honor accept me, support me,     

    Is how I do what God called me to do.  |

6) Duty is called upon by a higher power. | Duty is the responsibility to see I get

   What must be done to serve and glorify |  what I want now. Duty is to me and

     God and country.                                  |  those that support me.

Conservative religious ideas are based on|  Liberal Naturalistic Humanism is a

a choice to believe, serve, and give.         |  choice To do what I want Now.

The human culture has redefined words and changed teachings so long many have trouble separating the truth from the lie.

TRUTH, where the story begins.

2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat:

2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.

Man was in The Garden of Eden, in the presence of GOD. The requirement was more than not eating from a certain tree. The requirement was TO OBEY GOD! Please make a note with me and never forget this. SIN all SIN the only SIN is to disobey GOD. Modern man says levels of action situation may allow or make acceptable some actions. He misses the point. When God said no the answer is always no! Modern people make a choice right here, they decide to reject God by choice freely made. If they accept God they are required to OBEY Him. Using the God given ability of choice they choose to reject God and make man responsible for himself.

God created man in his image that image is not a look alike as eyes and nose, fingers and toes. The image of God in man is THINKING, FEELING, and ACTING. Modern thinkers miss the point again. They equate man with the other animals all just happened in time and space without cause or source. God created man as a FREE Moral Agent able to think i.e. Reason, able to know. The men that brought us to our modern world took this point and used it to prove the world was what they wanted it to be. Human reason was the tool they used to make a choice to do “what I want now”.

God created man as a FREE Moral Agent, able to think, i.e. Reason, able to know.

But there is another part just as important, Man was created with emotions, feelings. There are times when emotions seem to be a stronger power than reason for why we do what we do. The last part of what makes man is Free Will the ability to act, we use the best-reasoned knowledge we have tempered by Feelings for other people, the earth and our duty to God and we are free to ACT . We may act on reason alone, or based on feeling make an emotional response beyond what others understand, BUT we are free to do what we want. GOD made us that way.

We have the God given ability to choose to serve God or NOT!! We were made that way.

Please understand this is the whole point. The modern world rejects the creation, and free will of man. Without these points there is no bible message. God did not create sin. Man was given a choice and made the wrong one. The cause for sin is mans choice, A choice to DISOBEY God. The only SIN is to disobey GOD.

Men disobeying God for selfish reasons is not new. Alexander the great conquered all the known world, then he made himself god. He conquered the world, people who were conquered accepted him as Governor, protector, ruler, god.

Alexander is not the only one that called himself god. The Roman emperors made themselves gods and some time they made close family members gods. All this was to insure that the common man would obey them.

Later Constantine made Christianity a legal religion. And we all know he could not declare himself god. Yet he needed the same power to keep the people in line as those before him. Constantine decided to make a government of coalition with the religious leaders. The plan was to define government as Aristocracy, Church, Army, and common people. With hordes of many nations and religious people all seeking land and power the leaders in the remains of the roman world sought to consolidate strength. The real power was in the army; it always was the army that made rulers Kings. The leaders needed the army to provide them with power and not take the power for themselves. The way was in a new popular religion, Christianity. The church would say the rulers were “Chosen by GOD to lead the people”. For this they were given a status that allowed them to own land, be the judge of land disputes, and hold titles of nobility. The aristocracy was said to be Gods chosen leaders, all knowledge and power came through them. They would lead the people in life. The army was charged of God to protect the nation, and Its Leaders and King. The salvation of the army was the Life and Protection of the King. The army would never question the Church, or what the Church said God told them to tell the army. Common people were uneducated and knew only what the church told them on matters bigger than the life they lived.

This is where the idea of Divine Right of Kings started, not one day one time but over a long time. It was the start of the problem in the church that was to lead to much more abuse and sin. Men placing their wants and desire for power above what the bible said.

In the early church there were some who held that man could not be allowed to use a Free Will. Augustine taught it is clear man has a free will but it is so corrupt by sin he cannot trust it. He must allow the clergy to help him in life. The early church through the Medieval Church to the Reformation held that the average man was to sinful to trust his free will. People had to have the church to help in spiritual matters. This is the same church and line of reason that lead to Spanish Inquisition, poor sinners and all that challenged to church were tortured into obedience.

The church, even some of its most famous leaders, agreed that they could not control the masses if everyone acted on a free will and read the bible for themselves. Calvin continued the teaching and emphasized the Grace of God was how men were saved. Sinful men could not act by faith and freely choose to accept God.

So we see that not only in the secular world of philosophy but the Church tried to take from man his choice.

Most of the problem today is that people do not understand the choice. It is a simple one “Obey God” or “Obey Man”. Do what GOD says or do what I want NOW. Looking at the history of the church and nations of men I am not sure how sincere the teachings were and how much was intended to control people. History is full of examples of one group trying to control others. Men, Kings, Conquers made gods to control people.

The church was using Gods authority for power to control. It would be a sad story if it were not for those who loved God.

All this time there were men that knew God, loved His word and served in grace. There are many examples of such heroes of faith but I will use one that is not well known. His name was Matellas. He was a priest whose only claim to fame was left in pastoral letters he wrote to his superiors in the church. He counseled them in obedience to God, in using the church power to build the faith of men, and a life of good works. He taught that men should live for God to do His work and will. He scolded many higher up in the organization for being self-important.

III. Why did they do that!

History is the story of the events told by the victor, or at least the one who finished first. The facts of “What Really Happened” are often lost in the telling of “my side of the story”. All of history is told from one side or the other and facts fall between “What I want to remember”, or “What I want you to know”. It is even possible to spend so much time on details that we never tell why it happened. In our time if we want to know “Truth” We must read many sources and develop a composite of what everyone said and what we know of what was done. These composites are at best a possible view of what happened. I make no claim of “Truth”, but offer an idea of what may have been based on readings, events and common sense.

Why did men of letters come to a point where they would challenge and in time through off the institutions of their day? These men challenged state, church, and schools in redefining reality in their world, and

I asked why?

The practice of belief, religion, or government in any period of time comes into effect over a long period of time. The practice of government came into being as a result of need. The governments of the old world were failing and the new governments could only succeed if they were to establish authority of rule. As with peoples in the past this authority came from God. The teaching based on the will of man, that is that man has a free will and this is the image of god in man, is a freedom of thought that the leaders of this time did not want. The control of the church over people and the control of government over nation were much simpler to maintain if the people governed do not know any better. If Reason, Emotion, and Free Will of action is ascribed to all men and taught so they understand it meaning they will be much harder to tell what to do and control.

Again it is important to remember this teaching developed over many years. There were many changes and stresses on the thinkers and leaders of the time. They taught what they felt was best and may have in some way justified or even believed what they were saying, but the truth is these teachings grew to acceptance of necessity to keep power and control where leaders wanted it.

I asked myself, “Why did the Reformation come about?” What conditions caused this major change in belief to rise to the forefront of history? At the same time, why did intellectual men of the time seek to present the “Enlightenment of Reason” to the world?

Reasoned men sought to present their choice to reject God and follow their own reason and understanding told the world to be “Enlightened”, grow beyond the need for myth and story, go beyond the limits of a church based on controlling your life. When enlightened men began to look at what they wanted to do there were still actions that carried strong social regulation. These people CHOSE to use a method of change that would help more enlighten social moirés.

Statement:

There are no absolutes of Ideas and many customs held over a long time change. We must look at each case, each action and evaluate it with reason, is it a good thing.

Lie:

There is no absolute no truth only the event in space time and place.

Man is only the most self-aware animal and man makes his choices bases on mans reason. “Enlightenment of Reason” was a CHOICE.

Situational ethics or “What I Want Right Now” is the result of rejecting all standards and truth.

In this same period there were other men that stood against wrong ideas in the established Church and stood up for the teachings of God. Martin Luther nailed 95 points of choice on the church door. Not because he wanted to deny Church or God. He was taking a stand for truth. He wanted to reform the wrong he saw. He taught man must be saved by faith in God. Sin is to disobey God.

So we have two groups each rejecting the excesses of society by a hereditary aristocracy, and The Church, and most particularly the Inquisition. Each group went in opposite directions the same reason resulting in very different ideas. Why did Mankind come to the Reformation and the Enlightenment? The answer is seen in the miss use of power going all the way back to not teaching who we are as Christians.

And so in time two roads diverged and man the traveler still has stood to make an eternal choice.

End Notes:

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The Expositor's Bible, E-sword Expositor’s Bible Commentary.  Luke 8:1

EDITED BY THE REV. SIR W. ROBERTSON NICOLL, M.A., LL.D.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE, BY THE REV. HENRY BURTON, M.A., D.D.

HODDER AND STOUGHTON PUBLISHERS LONDON

(2)

Bakers New Testament Commentary, e-sword commentary Luke 3:16

William Hendriksen , Simon J. Kistemaker 

Baker New Testament Commentary, Baker Academic, Ada, Mi

(3)

2. Who Are God's Chosen People? David Curtis and Richard Anthony,

URL *http://ecclesia.org/truth/chosen.htm

(4)

WHC Frend, Rise of the Early Church, Fortress Press,,Philadelphia 1946 - 1984

Roy C. Foster, Studies in the life of Christ, College  Press, Joplin Missouri, 1971

What did most ancient Hebrews believe?

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_did_most_ancient_Hebrews_believe

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Ezekiel 36:26-27, I Corinthians 3:16 says, “Do you not know your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Rom.8:16 Spirit beareth witness that we are children of God

1Jn.3:24b We know He abideth in us, by the Spirit

1Jn.4:13 Hereby know we that...He (dwelleth) in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit

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http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_kingdom.html

The Meaning and Significance of the Phrase "Kingdom of God" in the Teaching of Jesus as Represented by the Synoptic Gospels

 Robert I Bradshaw

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 J. Ramsey Michaels, "The Kingdom of God And The Historical Jesus," in Willis, 216.

(7a)

http://www.wordmadeflesh.org/the-cry/the-cry-vol-11-no-2/what-do-we-mean-by-the-kingdom-of-god/

(7b)

http://www.preceptaustin.org/overview_glory_of_the_lord.htm

(7c) (Kings and Priest, RCH Lenski, Lutheran Literary Board, Burlington, IA   1927) page 9

(8) 

George Eldon Ladd, "Kingdom of God," G.W. Bromiley, Gen. Ed. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE), revised, Vol. 3. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986); B. Klappert, "King, Kingdom," Colin Brown, Gen. Ed., New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971).

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SKETCHES OF CHURCH HISTORY From AD 33 to the Reformation,

REV. J. C ROBERTSON, M.A.,

Edward Peters, Heresy and Authority in Medieval Europe. 1980

David Bercot makes that point in Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up

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The Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Power Thereof, According to the Word of God. Creator(s): Cotton, John (1585-1652)

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Joseph H Thayer, Thayer’s Greek – English Lexicon, Zondervan, 1889

Spiros Zodhiates, Complete word Study New Testament, Amg. Publishers 1991

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(Alford)  Henry Alford New Testament Commentary   H Alford Greek New Testament

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Robert Picirilli, The Book of Romans Randall House Publications, Nashville, TN 1975

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Reason, Emotion, Action

de Sousa, Ronald, "Emotion", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2010/entries/emotion/>.

Reasons for our Actions - Only Emotion?

Are emotion and instinct the underlying reasons for everything we do?

http://forums.philosophyforums.com/threads/reasons-for-our-actions-only-emotion-41518.html

The ABCs of Cognition, Emotion, and Action

Mariusz Wirga, MD, Las Vegas (NM) Medical Center

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WHC Frend, Rise of the Early Church, Fortress Press,,Philadelphia 1946 – 1984

The Church and the Ministry in the Early Centuries, Creator(s): Lindsay, Thomas Martin (1843-1914), History; LC Call no: BV648 LC Subjects: Practical theology Ecclesiastical theology Including the Church, church and state,

PHILIP SCHAFF, HISTORY of the CHRISTIAN CHURCH

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On Truth & Reality

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Philosophy-Plato-Philosopher.htm#Mind.Plato

"Freud and Plato on How the Mind Works." 123HelpMe.com. 18 Feb 2011

<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=107135>.

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 Ancient Greek Philosophy

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Greek-Philosophy-Philosophers.htm

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 A. H. Strong, “Systematic Theology” F.H. Revell, Old Tappan, New Jersey - 1906 Three volumes in one.

pg 52 The essences of God is a first truth; in other words the knowledge of God’s existence is a rational intuition.

 sz Wirga, MD, Las Vegas (NM) Medical Center

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WHC Frend, Rise of the Early Church, Fortress Press,,Philadelphia 1946 – 1984

The Church and the Ministry in the Early Centuries, Creator(s): Lindsay, Thomas Martin (1843-1914), History; LC Call no: BV648 LC Subjects: Practical theology Ecclesiastical theology Including the Church, church and state,

PHILIP SCHAFF, HISTORY of the CHRISTIAN CHURCH

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On Truth & Reality

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Philosophy-Plato-Philosopher.htm#Mind.Plato

"Freud and Plato on How the Mind Works." 123HelpMe.com. 18 Feb 2011

<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=107135>.

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 Ancient Greek Philosophy

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Greek-Philosophy-Philosophers.htm

(18)

 A. H. Strong, “Systematic Theology” F.H. Revell, Old Tappan, New Jersey - 1906 Three volumes in one.

pg 52 The essences of God is a first truth; in other words the knowledge of God’s existence is a rational intuition.