11-21-2008, 04:18 AM
ForHisRenown Wrote:...The reason I am writing this is, I teach at a house gathering of believers here, it is vital to protect my flock. i am sure that you are very aware that false teaching is rampant in America. False teachers are everywhere. The keys we use to determine these false teachers have always been and will remain, the truth of the gospel.
For some Christians, the gospel is very simple. Jesus, the son of God died for the sins of the world so that everyone's sins can be forgiven, so that we might be cleased and have a relationship with God as a result of that.
At least, that's what I think most Christians would consider it to be. Other Christians feel free to correct me on that.
But then the gospel can be a broad word for some which includes all kinds of theology. That's where it gets complicated.
ForHisRenown Wrote:The message of Jesus is so powerful, it is the power of God to salvation, to knowing, serving, and worshipping the living God! I am very interested in the Jewishness of the teaching here, being a gentile I don't hear much of it. I love the hearkening back to seeing Jesus, Peter, and Paul as Jewish men who lived Jewish lives.
And that's another contentious topic as some scholars believed they kept Jewish Halacha, while others do not.
The best thing you can do is hold onto the basics, but on the side do your own research, hear all the arguments, then you can deside what is the most reasonable and solid understanding.
ForHisRenown Wrote:But I must say that most of the false teaching that occurs here is always rooted in making something more important than the gospel. Here many say that unless you are baptist you are not saved, unless you are king james only you are not saved, unless you are baptized you are not saved, unless you do devotions you are not saved, unless you don't watch tv you are not saved, etc.
This was a big issue in the early Church councils. Everyone wants to know who's going to heaven. To make categories for who's in and who's out. My personal conviction is to let God be the Judge. To do your utmost to follow him, and trust him that if you confess your sins and turn from them he will forgive you.
ForHisRenown Wrote:I guess my question is, is the message of Jesus seen as prime, the crazy truth from God that Paul devoted his life to teach, is the use of aramaic the means to the goal of giving God glory through His Son, by His death and Resurrection, or is it the goal of the means, to promote a system where men must learn from men in differing opinions? I don't say any of this to be rude, If you are my brothers then I am obligated to you, I guess my question is: are you my brothers?
Thank you in the Name of Jesus the Christ, the Lord.
Well I think some wouldn't call it crazy, but I think I know what you mean.
Anyway, one thing you might want to think about is communion and I don't mean partaking of the bread and wine. I mean the early Orthodox Churches were in communion with one another, until they believe that various Churches started to bring in new teachings (unbiblical, unauthentic ones)
The Assyrian Church of the East, as I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong), refused to call Mary, the mother of God, and as a result lost their communion with other Churches who held to that position. They did this because they were holding onto what they believe was the faith of the apostles. And this kind of Mary being the mother of God was not something that had been passed down to them.
The most profound answer, I believe is this. "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known". 1 Corinthians 13:12
When Mashiach comes to rule as king, all theological differences will be resolved and all the Believers will finally become unity and whole. That will truly be an awesome day, but until then we can't know everything perfectly, so that's where we're at.