With these words, "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh," the apostle John, (see 1 John 4:1-3), provides us with the proof test for determining who is truly from God and who is, instead, a false teacher or false prophet. The proclamation at verse two, from the KJV translation of the King's Book, makes this very clear: "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." If we take the time to look at this verse in other English translations, we will find that most, if not all of them, will quote the confession as: "Jesus Christ has come in the flesh." The KJV text says: "is come." Most other translations say: "has come." We have a conflict of grammar (see post of January 30, 2010), that can be confusing; and if not properly understood, it can be very dangerous to our spiritual well being. Grammar is related to a time line. In the English language, we generally think in terms of: past, present and future. A number of the contemporary English translations, of the King's Book, will state (in their introductions), that they are grammatically correct. Thus, to say that "Jesus Christ has come in the flesh," is grammatically correct, and places the event of His coming in the proper historical context. But, is this theologically correct? I have personally encountered a false teaching regarding Jesus Christ and His coming, that would not be negated by the confession: "has come in the flesh." The essentials of that false teaching are: 1. The Christ spirit merged with the man Jesus, and empowered him, during his ministry. 2. At the cross, the Christ spirit departed from Jesus, and only the man Jesus died on the cross. Thus, to say that Jesus has come would allow for this false teaching. On the other hand, to say that: "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh," would negate the false teaching and the confession could not be made by a false teacher. To confess that "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh," although not grammatically correct, correctly states the truth that Jesus Christ, continues to be fully God and fully man; and thus, at the cross, He was able to make the sacrifice that would pay the price for all of our sins. If he was only a man, then we are still dead in our sins. But, thanks be to God, for: "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh." Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:
Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Prayer meeting update.
Hello to all. Just a reminder regarding this months prayer meeting schedule. We will meet on the second and fourth Friday (the 12th and the 26th), at 7:30 P.M., at the Senior Center in Shawano, Wisconsin. The address is 225 South Main Street. If you are in the area please come by and pray with us. Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:
Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The transcendental reality of victorious discipleship.
One of the reasons for speaking of the Lord our God as being transcendental, relates to the truth that He is not bound by the limitations of our material universe. We, on the other hand, as created beings, are constrained by space and time and the limits of our physical universe. We cannot go back to yesterday. Tomorrow can only be approached moment by moment. But, when our Transcendent Lord Jesus Christ, comes and dwells within the believer, as in "Christ in you, the hope of glory..." and then His life "is made manifest in our mortal flesh..."; then we, because of Jesus Christ, are no longer bound by the constraints of space and time. We have, because of Jesus Christ, transcended the limitations of our material universe. Unfortunately, most of us rarely have any awareness of this transcendental reality of our union with Jesus Christ. Even though we are called to "walk by faith;" we typically "walk by sight." We accept the limitations of our time line, because that is all we can see; and we continue to be in bondage to entry-level discipleship. Victorious discipleship transcends the perceived limitations of our physical world. This is made possible because of Jesus Christ and His completed work on the cross. All of the benefits of that completed work, are available, to every one who calls on Jesus Christ for salvation, not just as past events; but, as ever present realities, that impact us in every moment of our union with Jesus Christ. The historical event of the crucifixion, of our Lord Jesus Christ, transcends the time line. It is in this transcendent context, of the cross, that we will find "victorious discipleship in Jesus Christ." Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:
Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
Monday, February 1, 2010
Let us repent of our sectarian ways.
Hello to all. At the beginning of each month, this call to repentance will be placed before us. If we are to daily die to self, we must daily be reminded of our sinful inclination to set ourselves one against the other. Victorious discipleship cannot be achieved, when we are divided and thinking more highly of ourselves then we should. Jesus must be increasing and we must be decreasing. Without repentance and on-going conversion, such potentials will not be reached; and we will continue to be in bondage to entry-level discipleship. Please prayfully and carefully read the following letter and join with me in "repenting of our sectarian ways." Until next time my beloved brethren, I continue to be:
Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
An open letter, from Theophilus, a missionary elder, called, ordained and equipped by our Lord Jesus Christ to serve all of God’s people: to the Church of God scattered across North America – to all who, with me, call upon Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life.
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Great God and Saviour. This is the same Jesus who is: “The Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29).” Amen.
My brethren - my fellow bond servants: how is it that we have fallen so far? - why are we so filled with division, strife and envy? - how is it that our sectarian views have so readily set one group of us against another? - why are we so quick to embrace the precepts and commandments of men? - rather then the fullness of God’s Word!
The answer lies in our sinful condition – in believing that we are right and everyone else is less right. In our own eyes – we believe we are right (Prov 21:2); and thus we continue in our sinful ways of being set one against the other. May the Lord our God have mercy on us and deliver us from this bondage, this pit of division, into which we have so readily fallen and so willingly promote.
In one place it is recorded (Mk 12:18-27), that a group of the Jewish Sanhedrin, holding to a sectarian view on the resurrection, had come to Jesus to lay their case before Him. Before our Lord corrected them, He first rebuked them by saying: “you are deceived, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.” He then proceeded to correct them by revealing the truth of the scriptures. Let me suggest, my most beloved brethren, in a most emphatic way, that we continue in our own sectarian ways because we are “deceived” and “do not know the scriptures or the power of God.”
In another place, it is recorded (1 Cor 3:1-4), that the Corinthian church was called to task for their peculiar sectarian views. Their perspectives had caused them to remain and continue as “babies in Christ” – not ready for the “solid food” of the Word of God. Their condition is likened to that of “typical men.” Earlier in the text (1 Cor 2:14), it is demonstrated, that these “typical men,” these “natural men,” consider the things of the Spirit of God as “foolishness.” They cannot comprehend these deep things of the Spirit of God, because their sectarian views keep them in bondage as “babies in Christ.” Our condition, my brethren, is the same. Our sectarian views have so hindered our ability to understand the Word of God, that we continue as “babies in Christ,” unable to feed and grow from the “solid food” of God’s Word. We continue to be sectarian because we are “babies in Christ” and not fit for “solid food.” Our lack of “solid food” causes us to continue being deceived, because we “do not know the scriptures or the power of God.”
How is it then, that we can escape so great a bondage? It is a simple thing my brethren – we must “repent and believe the gospel.” Jesus says, in one place (Jn 8:32), that if we are “truly His disciples,” we must “continue in His word,” then we “shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.” Please be reminded, that it is “His Word.” The Word of God is not subject to the peculiar interpretation of a peculiar sectarian idea or viewpoint. The Word of God is subject to Christ and Christ alone!
In one place (Eph 4:1-6), we are reminded of our “calling” to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” In every way that we assert our peculiar sectarian views, we violate this command of the Lord our God and we sin in a most grievous way; and we continue as “babies in Christ.” Let us repent my brethren, of our sectarian ways; and let us then be mature Christians, visibly one in Christ. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my beloved brethren. Amen.
Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus
An open letter, from Theophilus, a missionary elder, called, ordained and equipped by our Lord Jesus Christ to serve all of God’s people: to the Church of God scattered across North America – to all who, with me, call upon Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life.
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Great God and Saviour. This is the same Jesus who is: “The Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29).” Amen.
My brethren - my fellow bond servants: how is it that we have fallen so far? - why are we so filled with division, strife and envy? - how is it that our sectarian views have so readily set one group of us against another? - why are we so quick to embrace the precepts and commandments of men? - rather then the fullness of God’s Word!
The answer lies in our sinful condition – in believing that we are right and everyone else is less right. In our own eyes – we believe we are right (Prov 21:2); and thus we continue in our sinful ways of being set one against the other. May the Lord our God have mercy on us and deliver us from this bondage, this pit of division, into which we have so readily fallen and so willingly promote.
In one place it is recorded (Mk 12:18-27), that a group of the Jewish Sanhedrin, holding to a sectarian view on the resurrection, had come to Jesus to lay their case before Him. Before our Lord corrected them, He first rebuked them by saying: “you are deceived, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.” He then proceeded to correct them by revealing the truth of the scriptures. Let me suggest, my most beloved brethren, in a most emphatic way, that we continue in our own sectarian ways because we are “deceived” and “do not know the scriptures or the power of God.”
In another place, it is recorded (1 Cor 3:1-4), that the Corinthian church was called to task for their peculiar sectarian views. Their perspectives had caused them to remain and continue as “babies in Christ” – not ready for the “solid food” of the Word of God. Their condition is likened to that of “typical men.” Earlier in the text (1 Cor 2:14), it is demonstrated, that these “typical men,” these “natural men,” consider the things of the Spirit of God as “foolishness.” They cannot comprehend these deep things of the Spirit of God, because their sectarian views keep them in bondage as “babies in Christ.” Our condition, my brethren, is the same. Our sectarian views have so hindered our ability to understand the Word of God, that we continue as “babies in Christ,” unable to feed and grow from the “solid food” of God’s Word. We continue to be sectarian because we are “babies in Christ” and not fit for “solid food.” Our lack of “solid food” causes us to continue being deceived, because we “do not know the scriptures or the power of God.”
How is it then, that we can escape so great a bondage? It is a simple thing my brethren – we must “repent and believe the gospel.” Jesus says, in one place (Jn 8:32), that if we are “truly His disciples,” we must “continue in His word,” then we “shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.” Please be reminded, that it is “His Word.” The Word of God is not subject to the peculiar interpretation of a peculiar sectarian idea or viewpoint. The Word of God is subject to Christ and Christ alone!
In one place (Eph 4:1-6), we are reminded of our “calling” to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” In every way that we assert our peculiar sectarian views, we violate this command of the Lord our God and we sin in a most grievous way; and we continue as “babies in Christ.” Let us repent my brethren, of our sectarian ways; and let us then be mature Christians, visibly one in Christ. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my beloved brethren. Amen.
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