Proper Perspectives are Productive and Permanent?
The Divine Perspective: Seeing Life Through Christ's Eyes
The essential problem that faces the believer's unity as a witness in the world is an improper perspective. The old story is about people who were asked to go into a dark room and feel what's in there and tell about what they think it was. The first said it was a tree, another a giant balloon, another garden hose. Upon looking at it in the light, it turned out to be an elephant.
The One being in all the universe who sees everything from perspectives that miss absolutely nothing and sees everything is the everywhere present God. If we have the mind of Christ and do not hamper our viewpoint with the flesh and darken it through satanic and worldly lies, then we can see as He does. There is no justifiable reason for division among believers when we understand life's truths from God's perspective.
On this page, we are not concerned about seeing the world from a mountaintop or an electronic microscope but about understanding it through God's eyes by studying His Word—the holy scriptures. To do so, a person must grasp the Bible as a whole or see it from 40,000 feet, and also, from studying it up close to understand the meaning of a word. There is no better study than that done personally, through prayer, dedication, and passion for God's truth.
May this page inspire you to do so if you are not already.
The Aerial View The Microscope View
Warped Perspectives Corrupt God's Word
Christian believers' foremost responsibility is to know, proclaim, and teach God's prophetic Word accurately. Such a responsibility must be done humbly for God's glory, not as a sectarian enterprise.
I The Warped Perspective That Corrupts Church (Ekklesia) Structure
THEREFORE, let us be diligent in our prayers, for through this intimate communion with God; His presence will guide our understanding of His Word, leading us on the right path. Professionally trained men of "Special Calling" cannot replace the masses meant to evangelize, parent, teach, and disciple others in the responsibility of expanding God's kingdom. Generals, colonels, and officers are not an army's fighting force; the enlisted soldiers fight and win or lose the war.
The immediate family is the house church, where the most mature believers lead the less experienced to grow in God's grace through a correct understanding of His Word and to battle the enemy of their souls, the devil, who uses their old man against them. The extended family is many other house churches that form as evangelism continues and God's grace touches all ordained to eternal life. (Acts 13:48).
II The Warped Perspective that Corrupts Christian Unity
THEREFORE, let us diligently divide the Word of truth as it is in 1 Corinthians 1 - 3.
Chapter 1
The believers at Corinth were sanctified (set apart from the world and its ways to God in Jesus Christ, verse 2.
The believers were not lacking in anything to perform the ministry to which Christ called them. " you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift..." verses 5-7.
Paul wrote, "...I exhort you, brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment," verse 10. No division does not mean agreeing to disagree as long as we are all agreeable. Paul did not mean such a thing; that is a complete misunderstanding of what God said through Paul. God said the way to be complete is to be of the same mind, hello, agree, and in the same judgment.
The experience that needs to be a reality for every believer if believers are going to be what God intends them to be is to live according to what Paul said in verse 18. "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The cross means death to what we were sinners and alive to God according to the righteousness that there is in Jesus Christ. Only death can bring about God's intended purpose of complete unity among believers.
In chapter one, Paul continues by bringing down the world's wisdom and exalting the wisdom of God, which, by men's standards, is foolishness. Worldly believers exalt themselves and their groups and denigrate God by doing so. Therefore, Paul ends the chapter by saying, " "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."
Chapter 2
The clearly stated reality of this section is the supremacy of understanding for those who believe, or at least it should be. "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him" (verse 9; emphasis added).
The reality is that believers are said to have the mind of Christ. "For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ" verse 16. If the mind of Christ is not divided, which it most definitely is not, and we have the mind of Christ, then what's the problem? The problem is that we need to pray more. We value unshakably loyal human relationships more than our covenant with Christ. We do not mature as we are called. Even though we are endowed with gifts and understanding, we do practice what we say we know.
Chapter 3
Not only did the Corinthian believers fail to grow up, but they remained fleshly, contrasted with spiritual believers.
If you think it is okay to be divided as long as you are friendly, let us remember what Paul said to the believers in Rome (8:6-8). "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able [to do so], and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
Spiritually dead people are people who have not been born again. However, a person who experiences rebirth does not become perfect, even though we are called to walk in the Spirit and by the Spirit and, in so doing, put to death the deeds of the body. For these reasons, Paul also told the Corinthian believers in verses 9-11. "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."
The closing point in verse eleven is what Paul desired to see working by practice in the Corinthian believers. Nevertheless, gifted as they were, they were not walking in the Spirit; because of pride, they laid aside the Holy Spirit and walked by the flesh's strength that displeased God. Hence, the Church today!
III The Proper Perspective that Creates Unity
As believers, we can focus on what we don't want to do, like leaving the denomination we trust or on God's will. Hours from the cross and on His way to Gethsemane, Jesus stopped, "...and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life." (John 17)
Notice that the glory is shared, the Father giving the Son glory, and the Son giving the Father glory. What is glory? When Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, whose train filled the temple, the angel standing by shouted Holy, Holy, Holy, the earth is filled with your glory. Glory is revealed holiness. God is the creator and One by whom all things hold together and continue (Colossians 1). He is separate from what He created from nothing.
Jesus gives eternal life to those the Father has given Him. Eternity is a gift given without cost by the grace of God. However, the entrance fee into heaven has been said to cost nothing, but the annual dues will cost you everything. What are the yearly dues? The yearly dues are everything that cannot enter the kingdom of God: sin, pride, division, malice, jealousy, lying, stealing, immorality, in short, the flesh, the carnal person, and worldliness.
IV The Self-righteous Perspective Separates Truth so Tradition Remains
We now live in a world that wants to see everything through the lens of Einstein's theory of relativity, meaning there are no absolutes, including moral ones. It is the sinful soul that wants to justify every standard we set so that we come out looking clean when, in reality, the hearts of all (moral, religious, and pagan-motivated people) are sinners before Almighty God. Romans 3:10, "as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;' 11, "THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12, ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE. "These words are especially harsh when spoken by sinful men. However, they will be all the worse when spoken by the One who inspired their writing. All men are fallible; no one can judge them as the creator and eternal God. These words are His. Verse 23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." When measured alongside God's glory, we not only came up short but intensely ungrateful toward the One who gave us life and all things to enjoy and loved us by designing consequences into our world so that we might know that we sin and displease Him.
We now live in a world that wants to see everything through the lense of Einstein's theory of relativity, meaning there are no absolutes including moral ones. It is the sinful soul that wants to justify every standard we set so that we come out looking clean when, in reality, the heart of all (moral, religious, and pagan motivated people) are sinners before Almighty God. Romans 3:10, "as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;' 11, "THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12, ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE. "These words are especially harsh when spoken by sinful men, however, they will be all the worse when spoken by the One who inspired their writing. All men are fallible and no one can judge as the creator and eternal God, and these words are His. Verse 23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." When measured along side God's glory we not only come up short but intensely ungrateful toward the One who gave us life, all things to enjoy, and loved us by designing consequences into our world so that we might know that we sin and displease Him.
Mark 7:6-7 "The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”
And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
7 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’
8 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
"When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7:8, 17-23
It is vital to understand that the essence of a gathering, be it in a house or a church building, is not solely determined by the physical space. The spiritual disposition of each individual plays a crucial role. When we gather with a heart open to God's Word, we contribute to creating a truly meaningful and spiritually rich atmosphere, transcending mere traditions.
The Start of the Christian Church
What must be understood about the Church on Pentecost, if we are to have a proper perspective, is this: The fifteen hundred years preceding the Church's inauguration was God's creation of the Nation of Israel. God gave the Law through Moses; the world would never be the same. The Law condemns humanity as being alienated from God and rebellious toward Him and His Law. However, the condition of Israel is to be a huge lesson to the Church; otherwise, as has happened, the Church can fall prey to the same errors of Israel.
The Apostle Paul, in the excellent treatise in his letter to the Romans, expounded upon the purpose of the Law in 7:9-13, "I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Therefore did that which is good become [a cause] [of] death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful."
God's purpose in giving His Law was to reveal the Divine will and, in so doing, reveal the hearts of men for what they are and not the hypocritical perspective that our sin creates. Paul said he was alive, that is, in his own heart and mind. However, before God, all men are dead spiritually, as He prophesied to Adam in the Garden of Eden when He said, "For in the day that you from eat it you will surely die." Paul further tells us through his letter to the Colossian Church, "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions" Colossians 2:13. The people to whom he writes were biologically alive but in their heart they, like us all, were born spiritually dead.
The outstanding error of Israel was to misunderstand God's purpose for giving the Law. Furthermore, only the remnant came to know the giver of the Law; the rest of the people could only worship false gods. Throughout Israel's history, God's Holy Word was written through which the people were meant to come to know Him. But like the Law, the people rejected God's love, mercy, and forgiveness offered through the sacrificial system. The lamb was always a symbol of the Messiah prophesied to come. It is equally important that we understand that salvation comes through faith in God's Word. Such a word is found in many places; for example, we have Deuteronomy 18:15-20 (emphasis added).
"The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me (Moses) from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. "This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.' "The LORD said to me, 'They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require [it] of him. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.'"
When Jesus appeared in Israel through many miraculous proofs, the people should have listened very carefully as the Lord had spoken in Deuteronomy. Undoubtedly, people do not pay attention as they should during worship, assuming the priest or pastor is speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit. As prophesied, Jesus spoke, and people were required to listen and receive; nevertheless, in large measure, they rejected their Messiah. They cried for His death! They were misguided by their corrupt religious leaders, who called for Jesus' death out of envy. Do you know how common that is today in the Church?
Mindless tradition is the death of a Church. Just like Israel of old, the people miss the Messiah Jesus when denominational traditions overshadow Divine truth. How do I know? First, only the remnant understood the true meaning of the sacrificial lamb? We are told in Luke 2:15, "There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." The scene before us is at the presentation of Christ in the temple proceeding His birth. Simeon was an Old Testament saint.
Second, truth is very narrow. Because truth gives people no wiggle room to justify their actions, people must remove moral absolutes from their culture. I am not speaking about false religious ceremonies, which are often just another way of covering the reality of their evil heart. God's Law, His sacrifice upon the cross, and His prophetic Word bring perfect clarity to man's only way of salvation. There are no two ways of looking at the Law of God, the cross, and God's Word. Neither is all the prophetic Word broad and open for human interpretation. Only the author has the authority to interpret what He wrote.
Let us consider the elements necessary to interpret God's Holy Word correctly.
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Diligence: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
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Every member of a believer's gathering has the responsibility to be diligent in study. Mindlessly following seminary graduates has ruined the Church. Diligence without the presence of the Holy Spirit, who anoints believers with truth, is a pointless study. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." (1 John 2:27)
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The all-important element that must be guarded by those anointed to know the truth is to abide or remain in Christ. Those who walk in the Spirit and not the Flesh stay in Christ.
2. A Teachable Spirit:
"If anyone wishes to come after (Follow) Me, he must deny himself..." Matthew 16:24 (emphasis added).
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A person with a teachable spirit is not too proud to admit they were wrong. Peter had become such a person, as witnessed by scripture when confronted by Paul in Galatians 2, for separating himself from the Gentiles to please the Jews.
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Such a person is not ashamed to admit imperfection before their peers and the brethren because the truth matters more than their reputation. "But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin" 1 John 1:7.
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To deny the truth because of loyalty to a denomination for support money borders on sin. If we deny a wrongful allegiance, we deny the truth, which is not within us. "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us" 1 John 1:8.
3. Good Hermeneutics: Hermeneutics are the principles by which a reader/student correctly interprets what another person wrote. These principles are the least important element in interpreting God's Word rightfully. Without rebirth, diligence, and denying self, hermeneutics will be of little benefit.
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The principles of Context (Bible, book/letter, chapter, paragraph, sentence, and phrase), first use, Grammar, Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic usage correctly understood are vitally important to understand the author.
The Apostles as a Window into the Church
The Passion of Christ is the Doorway to Spiritual Living
In Matthew 26:1-2 we read, "As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” What could have been their motivation for saying Surely not I, Lord? It was probably very closely related to the same reason Peter said what he did in the following verse.
In Matthew 26:31-35 we read, "Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing, too."
Prior to the cross and subsequent coming of the Holy Spirit with understanding and power, the disciples were men of God-given faith and fleshly motives. Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" and Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." In response, Jesus said to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."
In Jesus' words, we understand that Peter was made aware of Jesus' identity by the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit. At this point, the Church has much misunderstanding regarding the Holy Spirit's work. To be born again does not mean the filling of the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is the eternal life energizing the inner man so that the soul of man can receive the presence of the living God.
The New Testament never commands us to be born again or regenerate ourselves. These are God's works. We are never commanded to be justified because justification is God's work. We are justified by faith as our faith works through the faith that God gives us by His grace. We are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18. "...but be filled with the Spirit..." "Be filled" is in the present continuous tense, which could be translated be being filled. If we are filled in the last minute does not guarantee we will be filled in the next minute.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is dependent upon our disposition. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." As John baptized our Lord, he said, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him." John 1:29 & 32. The picture is clear: the Holy Spirit is seen as a dove that will only land upon the most secure place because doves are gentle and peaceful animals. The lamb is an animal with no aggressive behavior, so much so that the Bible says of Jesus in Isaiah 53:7, "Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth."
The peaceful dove lands and stays upon the lamb because the lamb is harmless and makes the dove feel comfortable. When the child of God goes into defense mode, the Spirit of God leaves. When a sin of any kind makes a man proud and rebellious, the Spirit leaves. The Spirit does not take away ownership or regeneration, just understanding, presence, and power. For these reasons, we are commanded to "be filled with the Spirit."
In Matthew 26:40, we read, "And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?" In verses 44 and 45, we read, "And He left them again and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and asked them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners."
Nothing brings our Spirit under control like prayer in the Holy Spirit. The disciples, like much of the Church today, remain prayerless. Jesus, during His most solemn hour of need as a man, asked His closest followers to stay by Him and pray. Jesus said this three times, each time praying for an hour. In the Gospel, we can read about Him praying half the night and, at times, all night. During the past fifty years, we have been members of Churches in numerous places, and the best of them all spent up to fifteen minutes of prayer during a two-hour and fifteen-minute worship service. Fifteen minutes were given to prayer; the rest was singing, reading the Word, and a sermon.
In Luke's Gospel 22:21-23, we read, "But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. "For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!" And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing." After the day of Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit, there was a decidedly more discerning spirit among the people.
Herein lies one of the most significant things in our present Church. Paul could look at the Church at Corinth and write a sixteen-chapter letter criticizing their behavior in every chapter about behavior to which they were either oblivious or, seeing the sins, did not care. Yet in chapter 18 of Matthews's Gospel, Jesus commanded the Church to hold one another accountable and practice that is completely lacking in our day.
In Luke 22:24-27, we read, "And there also arose a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' "But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like the servant. "For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves."
In Luke 22:44-46 we read, "And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples, found them sleeping from sorrow, and said, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation." There is no more significant reason for sin in the Church today than that we do not pray as we should.
In Luke 22:31-34 we read, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan, has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." But he said to Him, "Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!" And He said, "I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me."
Our day has many needs for what is lacking in the Church. The need for unity, Jesus said this way, "I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me." (John 17:23) The vast majority of people in Churches won't admit or are unaware of this need.
Purity is needed because the divorce rates among professing believers have steadily increased from 20 to 50 percent.
"Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us [instruction] as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by [the authority of] the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification; [that is], that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; [and] that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is [the] avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned [you]. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects [this] is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you." (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8)
Most professing believers lack accountability in the Church, which means they are sinning by allowing believers and nonbelievers to worship together, a thing that God hates. An occasional guest, of course, is acceptable, but evangelism is meant to be carried out by believers in the community.
"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
Many more needs involving sinful behavior could be mentioned at this point, but the root cause of all sins in the Church stems from idolatry and failure to separate from the world. The name of God that makes separation from the world necessary is Yehovah Quadesh, the LORD who sanctifies you. The root word of sanctify is holy or to be set apart for a holy purpose. We can understand the need for separation most clearly through Israel.
"For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.
Now these things happened as examples for us..."
1 Corinthians 10:1-6
Before the Messiah Jesus Christ entered into time and received the body that had been prepared for Him, the devil had fifteen hundred years to corrupt Israel. Joshua, whose name change made him a symbol of the coming Messiah who would take His people to the promised land and coming kingdom, led the first generation into the land of Canaan. Judges tell us about the children that came out of Egypt.
"When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went each to his inheritance to possess the land. The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD which He had done for Israel" Joshua 2:6-7.
Then, we are told about the generation that followed the children, who, by the grace of God, conquered the land's inhabitants by faith.
"All that generation also were gathered to their fathers, and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (Joshua 2:10)
Therefore, it only took one generation to begin the downward trend to idolatry, law-breaking, and false religion in the name of the God of Israel.
"Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals, and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger." (Joshua 2:11-12)
As we read the opening chapters of The Judges, we understand that not all generations are equal; in fact, people tend to get worse over time.
"Then the LORD raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do as their fathers. When the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them. But it came about when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their stubborn ways." (Joshua 2:16-19)
The question must now be asked: If Satan was able to have so much control over God's people, Israel, why should we believe that the same thing has not happened to the Church, and to what extent has the remnant of true believers been affected?
The answer must be that empty religion can temporarily receive God's grace, as in Israel, but His grace only extends to outward consequences and not an inner reality. During the Middle Ages, for example, the "Church" faced persecution from Barbarians, as they were known, and God rescued the "Chruch" from being eradicated. However, that shell of a Church did not experience God's grace for eternal salvation; as it did not then, neither does it now.
The question to be answered is, what about the remnant within the Church who are true born-again believers? To what extent have they been affected? To answer this question, we will have to consider briefly Church history.
Teaching the Old Testament in a New Way
The Apostle Paul, a converted Jewish Pharisee, was the youngest of the Apostles and particularly sent to the Gentiles. When writing to the Gentile Church at Ephesus he said, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone." (Ephesus 2:19-20)
Jesus' command from Matthew 28 was to go into all the world, beginning in Jerusalem. The Church started with Israel, and when Israel continued to reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah, God, starting with the Apostle Paul, rejected Israel. As a result, remnants from every tongue, tribe, and nation began to comprise the Church. Therefore, Paul welcomed the Ephesians into the Church, a people previously made of the remnant of Israelites. Just as the most significant part of Israel rejected God's Law, prophets, and covenants, now Gentile nations rejected them except for the remnants.
The Church was birthed on the Day of Pentecost by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as promised by our Lord. Gifts were immediately given to all those present who had been spending much time in prayer. Following the evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence, Peter preached the first sermon from Joel 2, Psalm 16 and 110. The small but very vital fact that we should take away from Peter's sermon is that the first generation of Christian had only the Old Testament scriptures by which to proclaim the Messiah of Israel.
Furthermore, the historian of the day said that all but the majority believed, referring to Jerusalem. We know 5,000 and 3,000 being saved in a day, and undoubtedly, there were far more believers than that in 30 years of revival. When finally written, the Book of Acts and the New Testament do not speak to giant meetings or buildings for the discipling of believers but from house to house. The Scriptures do not speak to seminaries for a separate class of leaders, which is not to say that when God apportions spiritual gifts (Romans 12), he does not give some gifts in greater degrees to some people than others because He does. There are many evangelists, but as many as Billy Graham.
All the sermons preached in the New Testament were for the conversion of the lost. Teaching is far more effective when there is a two-way conversation. In Acts 20:7-12, Paul speaks in Troas one evening, and a boy falls asleep on a window ledge and falls to the ground. Paul performed a miracle, and God brought him back to life. In this passage, two different words are used for Paul to speak to or with the people.
"They went out from us, but they were not [really] of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but [they went out], so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth ... These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him" (1 John 2:19-21, 26-27).
One is "Talking" in Greek (logic) – "mingling thought with thought, to ponder (revolve in the mind)" (J. Thayer).
The term 1256 /dialégomai ("getting a conclusion across") is used 13 times in the NT, usually in the context of believers exercising "dialectical reasoning." This kind of speaking is exchanging and receiving information with someone to reach a deeper understanding – a 'going back-and-forth' of thoughts and ideas. Communication, as practiced during the Ecclesia or gathering of New Testament believers, is crucial for understanding the Lord better through His Word. Engaging in dialectical reasoning is perhaps the most telling characteristic of a growing Christian, as it leads to a deeper understanding of the faith and the scriptures.
The second word translated as "talked" in Greek, homilies, means to be in a company, associate with, or stay with a person or people; it is to converse with and not so much to or at. From this word, we get homiletics, the art of lecturing so that others remain interested. The Greek way of teaching is to lecture, but not so much in the Ekklesia or New Testament gathering. Interactions are far more profitable through back and forth as one believer exchanges ideas with another, both operating through the indwelling Spirit of God.
A fact that also needs to be considered is the state of a born-again believer. Every believer has living within their soul the Spirit of the living God; such a reality should never be minimized by anyone and certainly not a class of men who feel called to a higher level of learning. There is no higher level of learning than that provided by the Living God. Learning in God's economy is the learning that translates knowledge into holy living as one associates with the One True Living and Holy God. Such learning is not solely cerebral but must include the entire being of mind, emotions, and will that transforms the person into an obedient slave of Jesus Christ the Lord. Such knowledge, if not adequately accompanied by heart-felt prayer, has the potential to harden the heart rather than soften it. Head knowledge without the total heart pumps up pride rather than humbling the person through understanding ongoing forgiveness of sin. Sinning is not a way of life for Christians, but neither is perfection.
A fact that also needs to be considered is the state of a born-again believer. Every believer has living within their soul the Spirit of the living God, such a reality should never be minimilized by anyone and certainly not a class of men who feel called to a higher level of learning. There is no higher level of learning than that provied by the Living God. Learning in God's economy is the learning that translates knowledge into holy living as one associates with the One True Living and Holy God. Such learning is not solely cerebral but must include the entire being of mind, emotions, and will that transforms the peron in an obedient slave of Jesus Christ the Lord. Such knowledge if not properly accompanied by heart-felt prayer has the potential to harden the heart rather than soften it. Head knowledge without the total heart pumps up pride rather than humbling the person through the knowledge of an ongoing forgiveness of sin. Sinning is not a way of life for the Christian but neither is perfection.
The Teaching of the New Testament
Toward the close of the Apostolic era, the concern for the Church's existence became more critical in the minds of those chosen to be the foundation but who would not be present to raise the building. Therefore, letters were written to help maintain the ongoing work of the Ekklesia. Having experienced Judas's defection, the eleven Apostles wrote out of concern about apostates or those who fell away from the faith and were never of the faith.
The Apostle Paul was no different in his concern about godliness and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, before his departure for Rome to testify about Jesus Christ before his death, he told the Gathering at Ephesus, "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Ekklesia of God which He purchased with His own blood. "I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves, men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. "I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. "You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive" Acts 20:28-35.
There is controversy about the canonization of the New Testament and the beginning of orthodoxy in an organized Church. However, the reality of the (Ekklesia) or the gathering of believers that becomes the body of Christ, is this: The Church is not an organization or an institution of men but the adopted family of God. Neither organization nor human leadership constitutes the Church, but the presence of Jesus Christ through the invisible and indwelling Holy Spirit makes God's people known. Synods and Confessions, as helpful as they can be, do not unite God's people as His will demands; only God's grace can do that.
Therefore, during the first three hundred years of the Ekklesia's existence, God was in control, and a minimum of human interference distorted the body of Christ to the world. Eventually, the Roman Empire got wind of the presence of Christianity and the destructive force to the Empire it was becoming, and so The Great Absorption began.
Eventually, The Unthinkable Happened
The old adage says, "If you can't beat'em join'em." The Romans put a twist on that concept by taking over the leadership of the Christian Church and making it their own. With the help of a godly man, unwittingly as it may have been, Augustine of Hippo, who made it all too easy for godly persons to follow in line, helped lay some of the foundations that would become The Holy Roman Church.
For 1,100 years, the Gospel was all but completely lost under the rule of the Roman Empire. Let us remember that the Apostle Paul, when writing to the Galatian Church that was toying with Legalism, began his letter by saying, "Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead)..." Galatians 1:1. Legalism was threatening the validity of the Gospel, so within five verses of the beginning, Paul said, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!" twice.
Beginning with Martin Luther and others, the Church recovered the Gospel, but no sooner had change taken place than Satan introduced a different controversy, one that would prove to be just as damaging to the Christian witness. As prophesied by the Apostles, divisions began to ravage the Church as denominationalism became the norm. The single Church that dominated people's beliefs and even their ability to read scripture over time became the right of everyone to understand Christianity as they saw fit.
Whenever the Church is reduced to Judges 21:25, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes," Jesus Christ is no longer present, but all we have is an empty shell of organized religion, as was the case in Israel. God must be present with His Ekklesia, or it is not the body of Christ, nor is it His bride.