“Yahweh’s promises are promises unalloyed; natural silver which comes from the earth seven times refined”—-Psalm 12:6 NJB
“Every word of God is flawless . . . Do not add to his words or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar”—Proverbs 30:5,6 NIV
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll”—Revelation 22:18 NIVread more
WHO IS THE ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND GOD?
“This, then is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven . . . “—Matthew 6:9 NIV.
“No one comes to the Father except through me”—John 14:6
“There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus”—1 Timothy 2:5 NIV
While they all give ‘lip service’ (Mark 7:6-13) to the principles that the scriptures above express, Christian denominations have differing views on the exactly how the mediatorial relationship between them and God operates. So, yes, they all “say” that Jesus is the mediator, but in actual practice things are not exactly the way the Bible says they should be. For example, Catholics teach that Christians must go through their priesthood and their hierarchy, including their Pope, to have a relationship with God. Others teach that one can only have a relationship with God through their particular denomination, organization, or church. Some have even thought, or taught that a relationship with God was only possible through one particular pastor. Trinitarians often simply ignore this vital relationship. Let’s make clear what the scriptures say about this:
“The true worshippers will worship the Father”—John 4:23
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved”—John 10:8 NIV.
The Father of Jesus, Almighty God, is the only one who should be worshipped, according to the scriptures. But we must go through his Son, Jesus Christ, to have this relationship. Why?
“Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here”—Hebrews 9:11 NIVread more
We live in a world today where xenophobia (fear of strangers) has taken hold. Many people have a negative view of immigrants. But if we want to follow Bible principles, how should we view immigrants?
“Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith” (Rom 4:11 NLT). Did you know that “a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner” (Gen 12:10 NLT)? How would God view someone who would refuse to help, or even attempt to deport Abram? The Mosaic Law included this principle: “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE FOREIGNERS, because you were foreigners in Egypt” (Ex 23:9 NLT). The entire nation of Israel lived in Egypt as foreigners for many years, and was not treated well during the final years. Instructive for us is: “Yahweh then said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt’” (Ex 4:7 NJB). Yahweh sees all. Did you know that young Jesus and his parents lived for a while as refugees in Egypt (Mt 2:13-15)?
The Bible has a number of principles we can apply as to our viewpoint and attitude toward immigrants. Number one, of course, are the two greatest commandments:
1.”Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . soul . . . mind”—Mt 22:37 NIV
a.How does this apply? “Love your enemies . . . that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous . . . And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?”—Mt 5:44-47 NIV. To really apply this greatest commandment, we should welcome immigrants.
b.“Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you”—Rom 15:7 GNBread more
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Jesus personally appointed Peter as the leader of the church, and the pope is Peter’s successor to that position. At the root of this doctrine is the claim that Jesus appointed Peter as leader when he called him a “rock.” But is this really what the Bible teaches?
Jesus Referred to Peter as a “Rock”
In Matthew 16, Jesus was speaking in front of a rather large cliff face near Caesarea Philippi. There is no doubt that this is historical, that is, it actually took place.
“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church”—Matthew 16:18 NAB
The Greek word for Peter is “Petros”, which means “a small stone,” whereas the Greek word for
Pope Francis arriving to celebrate Mass at the Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, Peru
The Pope visited Chile last week (click here for a news article about it). A prominent priest in Santiago had been exposed as a serial child molester. The Pope had appointed this serial molester’s understudy as Bishop there, under much protest, due to the fact that victims say this newly appointed Bishop witnessed personally, and was obviously well aware of such atrocities, but never voiced any opposition to it. The Pope, in response to these protesting voices, accused these Catholics of slandering the new Bishop. After much protest against his calloused attitude, the Pope has now apologized. So much for “papal infallibility”, despite the fact that he “exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God, claiming that he is a god” (2 Thess 2:4 NAB)! Also, the fact that the Roman Catholic Church has tolerated and covered up their grossly immoral, pedophile priests for centuries, makes it an abomination in the sight of God. Notice the principle expressed at Dt 23:18: “You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the wages of a dog into the house of the LORD your God” (NASB), “dog” is footnoted as being “male prostitute, sodomite”. This Hebrew word for “dog” also likely refers to “a pederast, one who practices ANAL INTERCOURSE, ESPECIALLY WITH A BOY”. This is exactly what the RCC has done by allowing these predatory pedophiles to remain in the service of the church! Romans 1:26,27 tells us exactly what God thinks of such: “God gave them over to shameful lusts . . . the men . . . were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men” (NIV). What will God do about this? In his due time, he says “I will remove them from tending my flock so that the shepherds will no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them” (Ezekiel 34:10 NIV). The RCC with its pedophile, immoral priests will be exterminated by God permanently!
Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s) have historically been best known for their public and door-to-door witnessing, distributing literature such as The Watchtower and Awake! magazines. But how could Jehovah’s Witnesses be reasoned with about Biblical beliefs?
First, you will not be able to prove JW’s wrong on such things as:
Trinity
Hell
Immortal Soul
Birthdays
Christmas
Political Involvement
War/Fighting for Country
JW’s are taught that these are some primary reasons they’re the only true Christians. JW’s are very well trained on these subjects and armed with scriptures. The scriptures actually do support their positions on the above issues, except for birthdays.
The huge ancient city of Corinth was full of idols and idol temples. There was much readily available there to entice and tempt people into various forms of idolatry. The apostle Paul warned Christians: “Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.” (1 Corinthians 10:14 NIV) He didn’t just say to “avoid” idolatry – he said to run from it! The Bible warns Christians to flee from idolatry
In most places in the western world today, idolatry does not seem so apparent or visible. Nevertheless, the warning is just as important. In the Old Testament (OT) Israel was warned to keep the laws of the Old Covenant, or they would lose God’s favor. The first two of the ten commandments involve having no other gods but Yahweh alone, and not honoring any idol or image. (Exodus 20:2-5) Israel broke this covenant because “they worshipped other gods” and “they worshipped idols.” (2 Kings 17:7, 12 NIV) This idolatry led to numerous other gross sins against Yahweh. The result was that the covenant was finally terminated by God.read more
Apocrypha – Inspired by God or Invented by Humans?
“I shall bring my work to an end here too. If it is well composed and to the point, that is just what I wanted. If it is worthless and mediocre, that is all I could manage”—2 Maccabees 15:37,38 NJB
The writer of the Apocryphal book 2 Maccabees, in effect, seems to admit that he is not inspired by God.
The Apocrypha is accepted as being genuine by some people and some large religious organizations, such as the Roman Catholic Church, today, but rejected by many others. Some of it is included in various versions of the Bible, but is absent in most. The Apocryphal books accepted as canonical by the Roman Catholic Church are: Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 =&0=&
Is it inspired by God, or invented by humans? Let’s examine some evidence to see if we can find the answer.
Is the Apocrypha inspired by God or invented by humans?
The Jews knew of the Apocrypha, but NEVER ACCEPTED any of it as canonical. For the Jews, any books written after Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi’s time (such as the Apocrypha) were not considered inspired. They considered the canon closed after this time (by circa 400 BCE or before).
Jesus said “Whoever serves me must follow me.” (John 12:26 NIV) He spoke against those who “nullify the word of God by your tradition.” (Mark 7:13 NIV) What did Jesus consider the Old Testament (OT) to be?
“The Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (Luke 24:44 NIV) What books were included in the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms (the Writings)? There were 24 by their count; 39 by our count today.
The Law contained five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
The Prophets was composed of eight books: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets (as one book).
The Writings included eleven books: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah (one book) and Chronicles.
Notice that no Apocryphal books are included in these three OT sections! Jesus and the New Testament (NT) writers quoted from all three of these OT sections, but THEY NEVER QUOTED FROM THE APOCRYPHA! Since most of the NT quotes of the OT are from the Greek Septuagint Version (LXX), the absence of even a single quote by Jesus or NT writers from any of the numerous Apocryphal books speaks volumes!
The above Scriptures were kept at the Temple according to Deuteronomy 31:24-26, 1 Kings 22:8-13 and Josephus, down to the time of its destruction in 70 CE. But the APOCRYPHAL BOOKS WERE NEVER KEPT AT THE TEMPLE.
Following Jesus means accepting the same OT books that he accepted as inspired, which are the 39 books of the OT from Genesis to Malachi, but not including “cleverly devised stories” such as the Apocrypha. (2 Peter 1:16 NIV)
In fact, early Christians (and we today) were commanded not “to devote themselves to myths,” which would certainly include the Apocrypha, since it’s full of myths! (1 Timothy 6:3-4 NIV)
The Septuagint is the first translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and was in Greek. There is no evidence that the Septuagint originally included the Apocrypha. There is no evidence that the apostles made use of the Apocrypha. The NT does not quote it. There is solid evidence against it. Inspired scriptures told Christians “not to concern themselves with myths,” which would rule out the Apocrypha for Christians. (1 Timothy 1:4 NAB) Also, the Apostles preached: “Admonish them sharply, so that they may be sound in faith, instead of paying attention to Jewish myths,” which precludes Apocryphal writings from Christians. (Titus 1:13-14 NAB)
The Apocryphal books were never “taken out” of the Septuagint, as some claim, because they were never there to start with. When the Apostle Paul was “trying to convince [the Jewish leaders in Rome] about Jesus from the law of Moses and the prophets,” he was using the 24 (our 39 today) OT books. (Acts 28:23 NAB)
Luke 24:44 proves that Jesus and the early Christians did not accept the Apocrypha, since these books were not included in “the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.”
The Jewish Council of Jamnia (90 CE) explicitly excluded all Apocrypha. The canon they accepted were the 22 books that both Josephus and Jerome said were inspired (our 39 today), and none of the Apocrypha! The Jews were aware of the Apocrypha, but did not accept any of it as inspired.
The expressions below include the 39 OT books, but none of the Apocrypha:
“The Law or the Prophets.” (Matthew 5:17 NJB) The entire OT – but no Apocrypha.
“From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah.” (Matthew 23:35 NJB) From the beginning to the end of the OT, as arranged in Jewish Bible – but no Apocrypha.
“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets.” (Luke 24:27 NIV) The entire OT – but no Apocrypha.
“Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (Luke 24:44 NIV) The entire OT – but no Apocrypha.
Much is made in the United States about the Second Amendment to the Constitution. Many Christians know this is about firearms or guns. But how many Christians know what the first and second of the Ten Commandments are about? Further, how many Christians know how the principles embodied in the first and second commandments are applied in the New Testament for Christians in daily matters, such as whether or not nationalistic music is something that should be honored by Christians? Let’s consider these important Bible principles now.
Should nationalistic music be honored by Christians?
“I am Yahweh your God… You shall have no other Gods to rival me.” (Exodus 20:2-3 NJB) The scripture at face value seems clear enough.
“You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20:4-5) The principles here teach us that idolatry in the form of other gods obviously can be literal objects, and often are. But we can also allow other gods, without there being a physical symbol of that god present, to “rival” Yahweh in our hearts, that is, deep within us.
“The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable – who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 CSB) We often deceive ourselves, without even realizing what we’re doing.
The Bible makes clear that we can make virtually anything our god. For example:
“Their god is their appetite… and they think only about this life here on earth.” (Philippians 3:19 NLT)
When nationalistic music is played, such as the national anthem in the United States, people are expected to stand in reverence or awe of the national symbol, such as a flag, which is usually prominently displayed for all to see. Often a nationalistic song is sung to the accompaniment of the nationalistic music. People in the nation are often told how great the nation is, and how God is on their side and always has been. They are fed a very slanted, highly biased, account of the nation’s history, which is sanitized of all unflattering facts. This brainwashing from childhood on causes a nationalistic fervor in many people and can become very emotional when nationalistic music is played. This indoctrination can make it very difficult to modify one’s viewpoint, because the emotions run so deep. For example, in the United States, the national anthem is often played just prior to a public event, such as sporting event, serving as a pious hymn to turn the entire spectacle into a quasi-nationalistic religious ceremony.
Jesus embodied the first two commandments when he said: “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38 NLT) How does this apply to nationalistic music? Nationalism demands that national idols be praised, honored and revered at all costs.
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?” (Romans 6:16 NLT)
When we robotically sing in reverence at the playing of the national anthem – this is exactly what we are doing!
Is the Bible teaching disrespect or disobedience to national laws? Absolutely not! Christians are obligated to obey Romans 13:1-7:
“Everyone must submit to governing authorities … Pay your taxes and government fees… and give respect and honor to those in authority.” (NLT)
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority”—1 Peter 2:13 NIV
Christians should be exemplary model citizens in obedience to governmental laws and paying taxes (Romans 13:1-7). However, there is one caveat principle that Christians must always keep in mind. “Obedience to God comes before obedience to men” (Acts 5:29 NJB). “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” (Acts 5:29 NLT)
Any law, or any pressure to conform to what others want us to do, must be disobeyed if it violates God’s standards, such as expressed by the first and second commandments, which are enforced on Christians by what Jesus called the greatest commandment at Matthew 22:37-39. Christians must balance their submission to human authorities with the principle to obey God’s law as top priority.
Even if a flag is not displayed when nationalistic music is played, such as a national anthem, it doesn’t matter. In reality, it is the nation itself which is being idolized. Christians who wish to “obey [Jesus’] commandments” (John 14:15) are respectful, but are not mesmerized by the playing of nationalistic music. Neither do they have to “copy the behavior and customs of this world” by showing deference to a nationalistic idol. They can show that they have “let God transform [them] into a new person by changing the way [they] think.” (Romans 12:2 NLT)
We have an outstanding precedent set for us in the Bible at Daniel 3.
“Then a herald shouted out, ‘People of all races and nations and languages, listen to the king’s command! When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments, bow to the ground to worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gold statue. Anyone who refuses to obey will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.’ So at the sound of the musical instruments, all the people, whatever their race or nation or language, bowed to the ground and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.” (Daniel 3:4-7 NLT)
Their actions of respectful behavior with non-compliance were in complete harmony with the principles discussed herein. We are assured of this by God’s miraculous deliverance of them from the death penalty. One takeaway we can glean from this is that nationalistic music played, and action on our part which would show we are in agreement with idolizing a nation or nationalistic symbols, would constitute idolatry. Obedient Christians cannot just “go with the flow,” even if they stand out like “sore thumbs” and become unpopular.
What Sincere Beliefs Must a Person Hold To Be a Christian?
Many people in the world today call themselves “Christian,” but there are so many conflicting beliefs and doctrines taught among these people. So what beliefs must a person hold in order to be a true Christian? In order to answer this question, we need to look to God’s Word. Let’s see what the Bible has to say.
Christians view the Bible as God’s revelation to humanity
“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) So the first point is that one must believe that God exists, and becomes the rewarder of those sincerely seeking him.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The sincere Christian would believe the Bible (the 66 books from Genesis to Malachi) is the word of God.
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God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.read more
