Today, reply is on completeness and perfection for Christ as the Head of the church, and the multiple streams of change and growth that must appear as the process for the church as his body on the earth. Fellowship and relationship with divinity is not so much a growth and movement from new truth to new truth as it is growth from faith to faith, and glory to glory. When Jesus Christ began his ministry on earth as an incarnation of divinity, he would accelerate, continue and fulfill things already begun in Adam, the Patriarchs, and Abraham. At his birth, sophisticated mechanisms and practices were in place through Judaism and the Temple at Jerusalem. Jesus founded his church as a fulfillment of unchanging eternal purposes, and a new creation. The church has continued mankind’s focus and systematic examination of the life and teachings of Jesus, and has developed and maintained its own customs, practices, sacred history, and traditions. The operations and process of the church to bring about sacred events (we say, miracles), divine order, godly law, judgment, and salvation not to be repented of have gone forward through discovery, gradual growth, unselfish service, and suffering. One of the fighters in the “Yahoo! Answers” Religion and Spirituality forum who uses the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information shared) posted the following:
I am a Catholic, I am wondering what is wrong with Catholic teaching that goes against the Bible?
Like praying to saints and stuff like that?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2nd Peter 1: 2-11, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: The Church Of Jesus (06/18/2018); Abraham Demonstrates Spiritual Growth (05/30/2018); Diversity Within The Body (04/13/2018); Duties of a Christian? (03/13/2018); Meanings for “Apostolic Church” (05/08/2017); Diversity and Prophetic Gifts (11/22/2016); The Apocryphal Books? (08/07/2015); Catholics, Protestants and The Trinity? (10/12/2014); The Gift of Life Despised? (10/13/2014)
“Anonymous”, many Christians are perplexed by the fact that there are various differences in doctrine and practice found among the assemblies and congregations who name Jesus Christ as their head. While Christ is to be acknowledged as complete, timeless, spiritual, and unchanging, the members of his body, the church, each must develop within the frameworks of time and space; the frameworks for cultural, intellectual, organizational, and social process; the framework of permanent changes by the Spirit of GOD provided through water baptism (i.e., death and burial of the inborn spirit with rebirth, spiritual growth, and maturation as born-again believers), and complete the transformation to exist as immortal, incorruptible companions to divinity at his appearing (we also say, Advent, the harvest, the Rapture, the Second Coming).
The church is challenged to apprehend sacred knowledge, divine operations, and spiritual truth that go beyond accounts of the Creation, the promises to Abraham, or the Ten Commandments and the Covenant of Moses. Created beings and living creatures are to receive a revelation of divine fullness (we also say, the Godhead; the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit) whereby divinity becomes knowable, known, accessible, and approachable. The holy writings (Old and New Testament) describe thousands of events within thousands of lives over the course of thousands of years. Even so, the Scriptures that include covenants, praises, prayers, proclamations, promises, and prophecy are held by many as only a single source for divine truth. Inseparable aspects of the makeup of the Creator (breath; life essence; spirit; word) are imparted to indwell the living. Thus, believers are to operate as vessels containing faith, forbearance, forgiveness, holiness, joy, longsuffering, lovingkindness, meekness, oneness without sameness, personhood, righteousness, wisdom, and wrath against sin.
With this in view, the streams of sacred truth are held to flow from “holy men of God” including the Patriarchs, the Judges, the Prophets, the Kings, the Apostles, the Bishops, the Church Fathers, and the Accord/Commonly Held Understanding of the Members within the Church. Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible:
(1.) Ephesians 4: 4-7, King James Version (KJV): 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
(2.) Ephesians 4: 11-16, KJV: 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
(3.) Romans 3: 21-23, KJV: 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 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: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
There is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (4.) Acts 20: 28, KJV: 28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
No comments:
Post a Comment