A Bishop traveled hundreds miles down to a parish, to rebuke and curse a preacher. Psalm 109 was used by that elderly Bishop in his Sunday sermon in rebuking the preacher. Later the preacher was sacked and chased out by the Bishop from his parish.
Why, he was rebuked, cursed, sacked, and even with Psalm 109? Because the preacher did not want to obey the Bishop, to accept the teaching of “Charismatic Movement,” he did not want to accept “speaking in tongue” as a biblical doctrine. The preacher lost his job in defending his belief. This is called Christianity.
Before that Sunday Service, few nights before, the preacher was investigated and interrogated in a public meeting, by 10 senior pastors who are following charismatic movement, and there the preacher was rebuked publicly, and his parish was decided by them to be taken over by the Bishop himself!
That following Sunday Morning, Bishop was invited to rebuke the preacher, the Bishop preached from Psalm 109:
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
21 But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.
28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
Saturday 29 November 2008
The broom !
One day a boy went to a church to visit a pastor, far away from the church, he saw a big cross hanging on the roof top of the church, shining with the neon light at night. And happily he went into the corridor, there he saw a signboard “Jesus came to seek the lost sinner.” And then the ushers lead him into the main hall of the worship center, and there he saw a big stage, a lot of pews, and there in the middle of the stage, there is the pulpit, on the pulpit, a craved wooden cross, and he was trilling to see such a view. Ore some, and he then saw a big grand piano, tambourine, trumpet, violin, flute and guitar next to the pulpit, and he asked the people there, waiting to worship the Lord, “May I have a Bible please?” There men surprised and show him where the Bibles are, and the boy asked is there any song book, the man replied, “Yes, here you are, have one.” And the boy happily walked away to the front of the pew, and then he continue his walk to the stage, and there and he saw a big wooden table, solid, carved with another sentence, “In remembrance of me.” And then he asked the usher, what is the meaning of that table and the meaning of that wording? The deacon came to explain, “this is table where we partake the Lord supper, it is like an altar, and there we remember Jesus died for all mankind, and remember Him until this day.” The boy was filled with joy and he was introduced to the elders of the church, and then they walked up the stage, and there he looked down to the pews, what a gigantic sight, a church worship hall, and then he saw a cup of plain water put on the pulpit, and he was surprised and wonder why there was a cup of water on that pulpit, so he asked the elders, the elder replied this is the cup of water to refresh the throat of the elder and pastor who was going to preach that night, and then the boy saw a row of chairs were put there near the pulpit, and the boy was curious to see those chairs, and he asked the pastor of the church, “Pastor, is this the chair for the Lord Jesus Christ?’ The pastor who is having a doctorate degree was speechless, and then he nodded and the pastor said, to the young boy, “My dear, these are not the seats for Jesus Christ; these are the seats for the elders and pastors of our church.” The boy replied, “I see.” Then he saw a broom, it was put next to chair, and then the boy asked the pastor, why there is a broom up the stage? The pastor said, “This is the broom to chase away all those listeners who do not agree and obey our teachings and doctrines.” The boy was very sad and scare when he saw the broom, and then he asked the pastor, “Pastor, may I go home now, my grandmother may be worry about me.” The pastor and elders, deacons shake hands with the boy, and pastor then say these words, “Go in peace my boy, may God bless you.” Before he leaved, the boy said to the pastor, “The Gospel will be preached to the end to the world, the end will come.”
Sunday 23 November 2008
Bible Study
What attitude Christian should have toward Satan: 信徒对撒但该有的态度：
1. To know its devices (2 Cor 2:11) 识破诡计 (林后二11, 2 Cor 2:11)
2. Neither give place to the devil (Eph 4:27) 不留地步 (弗四27)
3. Be sober, be vigilant, resist it, (1 Pet 5:8-9, James 4:7) 坚固信心抵挡 (彼前五8~9，雅四7)
4. Put on the whole amour of God (Eph 6:11-19) 运用全备兵器 (弗六11~19)
Satan making damages on the Christian: 撒但对信徒的破坏：
1. Lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3) 欺哄圣灵 (徒五3)
2. Confusing the Christian with false brethren (Matt 13:39). 混乱真假信徒(太十三39)
3. Teaching heresy in life and truth (Matt 13:33) 异端渗入生命真理中 (太十三33)
4. Tempting the believers (1 Thess 3:5) 诱惑信徒 (帖前三5)
5. The disturbance from the false apostles (2 Cor 11:13-15, Gal 1:7) 假使徒的搅扰 (林后十一13~15；加一7)
6. Preaching the false gospel (2 Cor 11:3-4, Gal 1:6) 传假福音 (林后十一3~4；加一6)
7. Spreading the depths of Satan (Rev 2:24, 1 Tim 4:1) 传撒但深奥之理 (启二24；提前四1)
8. Disobey the Lord, worldliness (Col 2) 不持定元首，随从世智 (西二章)
9. False godliness (2 Tim 3:5) 假虔诚 (提后三5)
10. Killing true Christians (John 16:2) 杀害真信徒 (约十六2)
11. May devour Christians (1 Pet 5:8) 吞吃信徒 (彼前五8)
12. Persecute the Christians (Rev 2:10) 苦害信徒 (启二10)
13. Sift Christians as wheat (Luke 22:31). 筛信徒(路廿二31)
14. Attacking Christians (2 Cor 12:7, 2:11; Eph 6:11) 攻击信徒 (林后十二7，二11；弗六11)
15. Accusing Christians (Rev 12:10) 控告信徒 (启十二10)
16. Destruction of the flesh (1 Cor 5:5, 1 Tim 1:20). 败坏肉体(生病)(林前五5；提前一20)
17. Reproach and the snare of the devil (1 Tim 3:7). 网罗陷害圣徒(提前三7)
18. Satan hindered Paul (1 Thess 2:18) 阻挡工人 (帖前二18)
19. Loving this present world (2 Tim 4:10) 贪爱世界 (提后四10)
20. Lukewarm (Rev 3:15-17) 不冷不热 (启三15~17)
21. Contentions among you (1 Cor 1:11-12) 宗派分门别类 (林前一11~12，三3~4)
22. Carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14, 15) 真道上动摇 (弗四14~15)
23. turned away from Apostles’ teachings (2 Tim 1:15; 4:16) 离弃使徒的教训 (提后一15；四16)
24. Be teachers, having itching ears (2 Tim 4:3, 4). 耳朵发痒，多人作师傅(提后四3~4)
25. Gain is godliness (2 Tim 2:17-18, 1 Tim 6:3-5). 敬虔为得利的门路(提后二17~18；提前六3~5)
26. Become antichrist (1 John 2:19-22, 4:3-6, 3 John 7-10) 越过基督的教训，成为敌基督 (约壹二19~22，四3~6；约贰7~10)
27. Like grievous wolves enter in among Christians (Acts 20:29-30) 如豺狼进入教会 (徒廿29~30)
28. Commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols (Rev 2:20-25) 淫乱进入教会 (启二20~25)
29. Covetous practices? For reward? (2 Pet 2:13-15, Jude 11, 13, Rev 2:14) 为利施教 (彼后二13~15；犹11~13；启二14)
30. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans (Rev 2; 15) 居间阶级 (启二15)
31. Ecumenical movement with the world (Rev 2:12-13) 与世界联合而变质 (启二12~13)
32. To devour victorious Christians (Rev 12:3-17). 吞吃得胜者(启十二3~17)。
"Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Show that the glorious power of faith to "overcome the world" and "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one," by the communication and maintenance of which to His people He makes them innocuous, is what is meant (1Jo 5:4; Eph 6:16). Christ is able to give his ministers all the aid which they need for the discharge of their duties. In his name and strength they may commence their work, and go on from conquering to conquer, till every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The meaning of this verse is, that Jesus would preserve them from the power of Satan and all his emissaries--from all wicked and crafty men; and this shows that he had divine power. He that can control Satan and his hosts--that can be present to guard from all their machinations, see all their plans, and destroy all their designs, must be clothed with no less than almighty power. Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
1. To know its devices (2 Cor 2:11) 识破诡计 (林后二11, 2 Cor 2:11)
2. Neither give place to the devil (Eph 4:27) 不留地步 (弗四27)
3. Be sober, be vigilant, resist it, (1 Pet 5:8-9, James 4:7) 坚固信心抵挡 (彼前五8~9，雅四7)
4. Put on the whole amour of God (Eph 6:11-19) 运用全备兵器 (弗六11~19)
Satan making damages on the Christian: 撒但对信徒的破坏：
1. Lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3) 欺哄圣灵 (徒五3)
2. Confusing the Christian with false brethren (Matt 13:39). 混乱真假信徒(太十三39)
3. Teaching heresy in life and truth (Matt 13:33) 异端渗入生命真理中 (太十三33)
4. Tempting the believers (1 Thess 3:5) 诱惑信徒 (帖前三5)
5. The disturbance from the false apostles (2 Cor 11:13-15, Gal 1:7) 假使徒的搅扰 (林后十一13~15；加一7)
6. Preaching the false gospel (2 Cor 11:3-4, Gal 1:6) 传假福音 (林后十一3~4；加一6)
7. Spreading the depths of Satan (Rev 2:24, 1 Tim 4:1) 传撒但深奥之理 (启二24；提前四1)
8. Disobey the Lord, worldliness (Col 2) 不持定元首，随从世智 (西二章)
9. False godliness (2 Tim 3:5) 假虔诚 (提后三5)
10. Killing true Christians (John 16:2) 杀害真信徒 (约十六2)
11. May devour Christians (1 Pet 5:8) 吞吃信徒 (彼前五8)
12. Persecute the Christians (Rev 2:10) 苦害信徒 (启二10)
13. Sift Christians as wheat (Luke 22:31). 筛信徒(路廿二31)
14. Attacking Christians (2 Cor 12:7, 2:11; Eph 6:11) 攻击信徒 (林后十二7，二11；弗六11)
15. Accusing Christians (Rev 12:10) 控告信徒 (启十二10)
16. Destruction of the flesh (1 Cor 5:5, 1 Tim 1:20). 败坏肉体(生病)(林前五5；提前一20)
17. Reproach and the snare of the devil (1 Tim 3:7). 网罗陷害圣徒(提前三7)
18. Satan hindered Paul (1 Thess 2:18) 阻挡工人 (帖前二18)
19. Loving this present world (2 Tim 4:10) 贪爱世界 (提后四10)
20. Lukewarm (Rev 3:15-17) 不冷不热 (启三15~17)
21. Contentions among you (1 Cor 1:11-12) 宗派分门别类 (林前一11~12，三3~4)
22. Carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph 4:14, 15) 真道上动摇 (弗四14~15)
23. turned away from Apostles’ teachings (2 Tim 1:15; 4:16) 离弃使徒的教训 (提后一15；四16)
24. Be teachers, having itching ears (2 Tim 4:3, 4). 耳朵发痒，多人作师傅(提后四3~4)
25. Gain is godliness (2 Tim 2:17-18, 1 Tim 6:3-5). 敬虔为得利的门路(提后二17~18；提前六3~5)
26. Become antichrist (1 John 2:19-22, 4:3-6, 3 John 7-10) 越过基督的教训，成为敌基督 (约壹二19~22，四3~6；约贰7~10)
27. Like grievous wolves enter in among Christians (Acts 20:29-30) 如豺狼进入教会 (徒廿29~30)
28. Commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols (Rev 2:20-25) 淫乱进入教会 (启二20~25)
29. Covetous practices? For reward? (2 Pet 2:13-15, Jude 11, 13, Rev 2:14) 为利施教 (彼后二13~15；犹11~13；启二14)
30. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans (Rev 2; 15) 居间阶级 (启二15)
31. Ecumenical movement with the world (Rev 2:12-13) 与世界联合而变质 (启二12~13)
32. To devour victorious Christians (Rev 12:3-17). 吞吃得胜者(启十二3~17)。
"Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Show that the glorious power of faith to "overcome the world" and "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one," by the communication and maintenance of which to His people He makes them innocuous, is what is meant (1Jo 5:4; Eph 6:16). Christ is able to give his ministers all the aid which they need for the discharge of their duties. In his name and strength they may commence their work, and go on from conquering to conquer, till every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The meaning of this verse is, that Jesus would preserve them from the power of Satan and all his emissaries--from all wicked and crafty men; and this shows that he had divine power. He that can control Satan and his hosts--that can be present to guard from all their machinations, see all their plans, and destroy all their designs, must be clothed with no less than almighty power. Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Friday 21 November 2008
ICcC
Ecumenical Movement is not new, in Moses’ time, the Israelites united to worship the Golden Calf under the Mount Sinai. At that moment Moses was seeing the face of the Lord on the Mount Sinai, and there he received the ten commandment, God is angry of that ecumenical movement. In addition, God punished them in false unity.
Now there are churches standing against the Ecumenical Movement, some say that the Ecumenical movement is uniting all religions together, if this is the case, we should not join this ecumenical movement, in this one world church, one world religion, one modern new area, new world, this is false religion.
We should not join with the modernist, if the modernist does not believe the Word of God, the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and we should not join with erroneous charismatic movement, if they continue to teach that speaking in tongue is a sign of genuine faith in Christ. If they continue to teach that tongue, speaking is a vital and most important doctrine in Christianity, if this is case, they continue to pray in tongue and continue to mislead the flock, and then we should not join them in WCC either! We should not join WCC! If WCC is a fall away from the truth, and if they are the apostate in the end time, we must come out of them!
Even the time of darkest moment in Romans Catholics, God raises up among the Romans catholic, men, like Martin Luther, to be the light and salt on earth. God does preserve his people from prolonged false and wrong.
Not to forget the health and wealth gospels, if they are preaching another gospel, rather than Christ dies for the atonement of sin, then we should not join them together. There are some practices healing and performing miracles, attracting more and more followers now a day, even the devil can perform miracles, so we must be watchful at the end time.
Surely, you want God to bless you with true ecumenical movement between the fundamentalist and orthodox! All the fundamentalists will join in hands together, united as one. Surely, you want God to bless you so that you will not become a modernist to doubt the Word of God! Surely, you want God to bless you when you pray in all kinds of tongue! Chinese, English, and Indian, not only mumbling in ecstasy sounds. Surely, you want God to bless you with health and wealth, in obeying God’s will. In addition, continue to be a channel of blessing to other. Surely, you are resurrected and wash by the blood of Jesus Christ, and renewed by the Holy Spirit, you are then to be purified by fire, and we have joys in trials and tribulations,
You had known from the bible that the Gospel is to be preached until to the end of the world. You had knew that we should not live in sin, God is holy so we must be holy, not by gold or silver, you are predestinated to be saved, you are chosen by God, God’s truth is forever, so take away the bitterness from us!
Surely, you are not ashamed of the gospel, you are holy and people of God. Now you are forgiven, but you know you are only a traveler, you must be a good traveler. Not forget to praise the Lord, to obey the government. You are free, to be a servant, devotedly serving the God, obey the government, to preserve in doing good, silently walk the narrow way, Jesus Christ is your Great priest and shepherd. You are called to love your wife, and same heart, mercy, do well, and bless, do not talk bad but bless. Unite together with those have same faith in doing well, live as a righteous man, hear and fear the Lord. Prepared to answer those who condemn you, even Noah has 120 year to prepare the ark, we must prepare our heart, Christ was suffering us, we should not be idol worshipper any longer, God will judge everyone according to their work, and the end is near, love one another, be a good servant, as preacher preaching Christ.
If there is fire of trials coming to test you, be happy. When you are suffering for the Name of the Lord, give thanks to the Lord, let us begin to be an example, exhort and feed the flock under you, but not for money, be humble, under the power of God, do not worry, be alert, resist the devils, stand and be strong in the Lord, greet one another with love.
You are not member of World Council of Churches, if this is that right path; you should stand and do not shaken by the waves of strange doctrines!
However, you can still learn something good from the Methodist in their practice, especially in the earlier stage; Wesley and Charles his brother are good men and devoted believers. We learn the good things from them. All of them had begun well, but some time later their follower fall away! Like Judas fall away among the 12 disciples under the mentorship and leadership of the Lord.
As you know, few years ago, some Methodist not all, as if an Ex-Bishop from Singapore, is openly supporting Homosexual. He said that homo sex is like devoice, well accepted by the church now day! In this, the Methodist went wrong!
Some of the Anglican synods are promoting homosexual in USA. They promoting this false teaching until they ordained a gay, a man married a man, to be a Bishop! So there are some Anglican churches from Africa stand firmly against this homosexual acts. There are some brethren in Methodist and Anglican churches fallen in confusion and tempted to fall away! Nevertheless, there are still some good men and women in Methodist and Anglican, and even Roman Catholic, there are genuine and saved one worshipping in them.
You can still learn something good from the Lutheran, in the simple belief in “justified by faith” Even though some of them are going back to Roman Catholic. You knew they are having dialogue with the Roman Catholic, hoping the RC also may accept this crucial truth, “justified by faith.” Because this is, the doctrine that made Luther wrote the 95 thesis and began the 16th Century Reformation.
Moreover, you believe only Christ saves, no other religions saved, for the case of Charismatic, for example, an elder from a charismatic church, he is a leader of a house church, he openly without shame told every one he knew he is a postmodernist, and he is running an emergent church. He believes every religion can save; he opens his mind for every religion and every belief! He believes in a one-world religion, and he runs a Christian Book Store, can you believe this! The Bookstore sells all kinds of Christian Books! He believes at the end all churches and all religions can be united! He is happy with New World Order, one world religion! He believes there is truth in every religion, a confused elder, but he is well respect by WCC and it members. Every service, he will lay hand on the heads of men and women, and they fell down, they said the spirit slew them, and you knew what spirit is working behind him in laying his hands! He said that revival must come through them, and not the fundamentalist, not another denomination, they had this confident in them, and people support them, look highly on them.
Focus on you, what about VPP? Claiming that only one Bible Text is perfect and other is corrupted, this need guts and proof.
For the example of LXX, Jesus Christ and his disciples did not call the Septuagint LXX as corrupted, but why you say that the LXX is corrupted. In addition, John Calvin did not say the Septuagint LXX is corrupted, but you said it is corrupted. Who is right and who is wrong? Judging the LXX as a corrupted text Jerome and Luther did not say LXX is corrupted, but you said it is corrupted. LXX is one example of Alexandrian Text. The early church fathers used Alexandrian text to defend the truth of Trinity, and the Alexandrian MSS are earlier than other MSS. However, you said the Alexandrian Texts are corrupted!
You surely must pray for unity among yourself and continue to uphold the good teachings of God’s Word, and then sound your trumpet when there is danger of fall away, let the people see the truth, and then they will follow you. If not, they will come out from you, and separate from you; you will be alone in ICCC.
Do you think with a perfect underlying text, a perfect TR, and with the VPP, the ICCC will become better equipped then ever. Did you see that the ICCC more strengthen and united by this VPP? Do you see is that path we must take, before the coming of the LORD? Do you think WCC will change its doctrines because ICCC has the perfect Bible, and they listen to ICCC? Do you think the one world church; one world religion will stop because of this VPP? Do you think that the VPP is the most important doctrine to fight all those false teachings?
Do you not care that the scheme of the devil, when the members of ICCC fight among themselves? They devil has the foothold to attack the ICCC!
Now there are churches standing against the Ecumenical Movement, some say that the Ecumenical movement is uniting all religions together, if this is the case, we should not join this ecumenical movement, in this one world church, one world religion, one modern new area, new world, this is false religion.
We should not join with the modernist, if the modernist does not believe the Word of God, the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and we should not join with erroneous charismatic movement, if they continue to teach that speaking in tongue is a sign of genuine faith in Christ. If they continue to teach that tongue, speaking is a vital and most important doctrine in Christianity, if this is case, they continue to pray in tongue and continue to mislead the flock, and then we should not join them in WCC either! We should not join WCC! If WCC is a fall away from the truth, and if they are the apostate in the end time, we must come out of them!
Even the time of darkest moment in Romans Catholics, God raises up among the Romans catholic, men, like Martin Luther, to be the light and salt on earth. God does preserve his people from prolonged false and wrong.
Not to forget the health and wealth gospels, if they are preaching another gospel, rather than Christ dies for the atonement of sin, then we should not join them together. There are some practices healing and performing miracles, attracting more and more followers now a day, even the devil can perform miracles, so we must be watchful at the end time.
Surely, you want God to bless you with true ecumenical movement between the fundamentalist and orthodox! All the fundamentalists will join in hands together, united as one. Surely, you want God to bless you so that you will not become a modernist to doubt the Word of God! Surely, you want God to bless you when you pray in all kinds of tongue! Chinese, English, and Indian, not only mumbling in ecstasy sounds. Surely, you want God to bless you with health and wealth, in obeying God’s will. In addition, continue to be a channel of blessing to other. Surely, you are resurrected and wash by the blood of Jesus Christ, and renewed by the Holy Spirit, you are then to be purified by fire, and we have joys in trials and tribulations,
You had known from the bible that the Gospel is to be preached until to the end of the world. You had knew that we should not live in sin, God is holy so we must be holy, not by gold or silver, you are predestinated to be saved, you are chosen by God, God’s truth is forever, so take away the bitterness from us!
Surely, you are not ashamed of the gospel, you are holy and people of God. Now you are forgiven, but you know you are only a traveler, you must be a good traveler. Not forget to praise the Lord, to obey the government. You are free, to be a servant, devotedly serving the God, obey the government, to preserve in doing good, silently walk the narrow way, Jesus Christ is your Great priest and shepherd. You are called to love your wife, and same heart, mercy, do well, and bless, do not talk bad but bless. Unite together with those have same faith in doing well, live as a righteous man, hear and fear the Lord. Prepared to answer those who condemn you, even Noah has 120 year to prepare the ark, we must prepare our heart, Christ was suffering us, we should not be idol worshipper any longer, God will judge everyone according to their work, and the end is near, love one another, be a good servant, as preacher preaching Christ.
If there is fire of trials coming to test you, be happy. When you are suffering for the Name of the Lord, give thanks to the Lord, let us begin to be an example, exhort and feed the flock under you, but not for money, be humble, under the power of God, do not worry, be alert, resist the devils, stand and be strong in the Lord, greet one another with love.
You are not member of World Council of Churches, if this is that right path; you should stand and do not shaken by the waves of strange doctrines!
However, you can still learn something good from the Methodist in their practice, especially in the earlier stage; Wesley and Charles his brother are good men and devoted believers. We learn the good things from them. All of them had begun well, but some time later their follower fall away! Like Judas fall away among the 12 disciples under the mentorship and leadership of the Lord.
As you know, few years ago, some Methodist not all, as if an Ex-Bishop from Singapore, is openly supporting Homosexual. He said that homo sex is like devoice, well accepted by the church now day! In this, the Methodist went wrong!
Some of the Anglican synods are promoting homosexual in USA. They promoting this false teaching until they ordained a gay, a man married a man, to be a Bishop! So there are some Anglican churches from Africa stand firmly against this homosexual acts. There are some brethren in Methodist and Anglican churches fallen in confusion and tempted to fall away! Nevertheless, there are still some good men and women in Methodist and Anglican, and even Roman Catholic, there are genuine and saved one worshipping in them.
You can still learn something good from the Lutheran, in the simple belief in “justified by faith” Even though some of them are going back to Roman Catholic. You knew they are having dialogue with the Roman Catholic, hoping the RC also may accept this crucial truth, “justified by faith.” Because this is, the doctrine that made Luther wrote the 95 thesis and began the 16th Century Reformation.
Moreover, you believe only Christ saves, no other religions saved, for the case of Charismatic, for example, an elder from a charismatic church, he is a leader of a house church, he openly without shame told every one he knew he is a postmodernist, and he is running an emergent church. He believes every religion can save; he opens his mind for every religion and every belief! He believes in a one-world religion, and he runs a Christian Book Store, can you believe this! The Bookstore sells all kinds of Christian Books! He believes at the end all churches and all religions can be united! He is happy with New World Order, one world religion! He believes there is truth in every religion, a confused elder, but he is well respect by WCC and it members. Every service, he will lay hand on the heads of men and women, and they fell down, they said the spirit slew them, and you knew what spirit is working behind him in laying his hands! He said that revival must come through them, and not the fundamentalist, not another denomination, they had this confident in them, and people support them, look highly on them.
Focus on you, what about VPP? Claiming that only one Bible Text is perfect and other is corrupted, this need guts and proof.
For the example of LXX, Jesus Christ and his disciples did not call the Septuagint LXX as corrupted, but why you say that the LXX is corrupted. In addition, John Calvin did not say the Septuagint LXX is corrupted, but you said it is corrupted. Who is right and who is wrong? Judging the LXX as a corrupted text Jerome and Luther did not say LXX is corrupted, but you said it is corrupted. LXX is one example of Alexandrian Text. The early church fathers used Alexandrian text to defend the truth of Trinity, and the Alexandrian MSS are earlier than other MSS. However, you said the Alexandrian Texts are corrupted!
You surely must pray for unity among yourself and continue to uphold the good teachings of God’s Word, and then sound your trumpet when there is danger of fall away, let the people see the truth, and then they will follow you. If not, they will come out from you, and separate from you; you will be alone in ICCC.
Do you think with a perfect underlying text, a perfect TR, and with the VPP, the ICCC will become better equipped then ever. Did you see that the ICCC more strengthen and united by this VPP? Do you see is that path we must take, before the coming of the LORD? Do you think WCC will change its doctrines because ICCC has the perfect Bible, and they listen to ICCC? Do you think the one world church; one world religion will stop because of this VPP? Do you think that the VPP is the most important doctrine to fight all those false teachings?
Do you not care that the scheme of the devil, when the members of ICCC fight among themselves? They devil has the foothold to attack the ICCC!
The Church History and VPP
The Earliest Manuscripts
The Alexandrian text-type, (also called Minority Text), 2nd-4th century CE, This family constitutes a group of early and well-regarded texts, including Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus. Most of this tradition appears to come from around Alexandria, Egypt. It contains readings that are often terse, shorter, somewhat rough, less harmonized, and generally more difficult. The family was once thought to be a very carefully edited third century recension but now is believed to be merely the result of a carefully controlled and supervised process of copying and transmission. It underlies most modern translations of the New Testament. Bible version : NIV, TNIV, NASB, RSV, ESV, EBR, NWT, LB, ASV, NC, GNB
The Western text-type, 3rd-9th century CE, This is also very early and comes from a wide geographical area stretching from North Africa to Italy from Gaul to Syria. It much less controlled than the Alexandrian family and its witnesses are seen to be more prone to paraphrase and other corruptions. Bible version : Vetus Latina.
The Apologists and the Church Fathers
Who used these two types of earliest Manuscripts, the apologists and the church fathers used them.
Flavius Justinus, AD 100-165, he wrote the “Dialogue and Apology”
Irenaeus, AD 115-202, he wrote “Adversus Haereses, Against Heresies”
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, AD 150-225, he said that the believer’s blood is the seed of the church. He was the theologian of the church.
Origenes Adamantius, AD 185-254, he done the (Hexapla) ，Hexapla is an important proof that the early church was using LXX. This Hexapla is collections of few different translations put together in one book; Hexapla has Hebrew Old Testament, Septuagint LXX, and few other Greek translations.
He interpreted the scriptures into three types of meanings, body, soul, and spirit: somatic, psychic, pneumatic. Every word has a meaning of the word itself, then the morale value, and the spiritual meaning; the spiritual meaning is the Christian belief. This is the way Alexandrian interpreted their Bible. Origen was the church scholar.
Thascius Caecillius Cyprianus, AD 200-258, he was the Bishop of Carthage.
Constantine, AD 272-337, the first Christian Roman King, when he was young he conquered the Roman solders, Egypt, Persian, one day hw saw a sign of the cross in the sky, with that sign, “hoc Vince” he won three wars with the Rome. In the year 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicaea or Nice. The purpose of the council is to prove “Christ is God.”
Athanasius, AD 293-373, he was bon in Alexandria, Egypt. There was a saying about him, “Athanasius contra the whole world, the whole world contra Athanasius.” (Athanasius Contra Mundum, et Mundus Contra Athanasius).
That moment, Alexandria is the center of Christianity of the whole world; he was leading the Egyptian Church. He was called the “the father of fundamentalist,” his faith and belief is pure, Athanasius, said the belief of the church was send down by the Lord Jesus, preached by the Apostles, kept by the Church fathers.
After the Holy Spirit came down on the Pentecost, they started to spread the seed of the gospel. At the end of Apostle Area, the church had already been well established in Palestine (Jerusalem and Samaria), Rome, and Africa (Alexandria and Carthage).
Traditionally, it was Mark who preached the gospel to Africa, there in Alexandria, a business and cultural center, a famous city like Rome. It has a well-known library, contents a lot of books, a place where the Jew lived.
It was here in Alexandria, the Old Testament was translated into Greek, called the “Septuagint LXX,” and the earliest Latin version of the Bible, called “Itala.” They were not translated in Rome. Even the theology of the church was started to study at Carthage, especially the trinity.
St. Ambrosius, August Wilhelm, AD 339-397, he was raised up in Rome.
When you are reading the Bible, did you find that, the Lord and the Apostles, when they quoting the verses from Old Testament, their wordings are a bit different with our Old Testament wording? The meanings are the same, why it is so.
Do not misunderstand those are new revelations, nor another kind of translation, simply speaking is, at Jesus’ time, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, but the Apostles was written the New Testament in Greek, they did not any other translations, so they used the well accepted Greek Septuagint, the LXX. That is why the Hebrew Old Testament was translated a bit different in New Testament!
Traditionally, at BC 3rd century, those Jew who lived in Egypt and Greek world, had called six men each from 12 tribes, in 70 days, they translated the Hebrew Old testament in Greek, and Septuagint means 70 in Latin, short form as LXX.
Some one said the work of translation is very important in preaching the Gospel, in another word; it is the leading of the Holy Spirit.
St. Jerome, Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus, AD 342-420, he studied Latin and Greek in Rome. Jerome was the man who translated Old Testament and New Testament, from the Septuagint into Latin Vulgate Bible, and then the Romans Catholic accepted the Vulgate as the Authorized Version for the next 1000 years!
Before the Latin Vulgate, 100 years ago, in the north Africa, Alexandria, the first Latin Bible was already translated named “Itala,” Jerome was referring to “Itala” when he was translating the Vulgate.
Aurelius Augustine, AD 354-430, he was an African, born on November 13, at Tagaste, he went to study in Garthage. In AD 384, he went to Milan. There he heard a voice from a child, “Take up and read, take up and read.” (Tolle, lege; tolle, lege!), he went under a tree, and there he find a mss, and he opened it, and he look to Romans 13:13 “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” He knew that verse spoke about him, the light and peace came into his heart. When he was a monk, he said, in the world, we could not find any man better than those in the Monastery cannot and in the Monastery, we can find the worse human being in the world.
1000 years later after the death Augustine, Augustine’s writing and teachings was deep influenced the church, there was a monk, called Martin Luther, a Christian Reformer, and another great Reformer, John Calvin both of them were inspired and influenced by Augustine, the church was under the teaching of Augustine generation after generations.
Conclusion:
The Alexandrian text-type, also called Minority Text, was well accepted by the Apologists and the Church Fathers in the first 4 century! None of them teach VPP!
1000 years later, the Alexandrian writings and teachings were still very much influencing the Reformers in 16th century reformation, how can you say that the Alexandrian texts are corrupted!
The Alexandrian text-type, (also called Minority Text), 2nd-4th century CE, This family constitutes a group of early and well-regarded texts, including Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus. Most of this tradition appears to come from around Alexandria, Egypt. It contains readings that are often terse, shorter, somewhat rough, less harmonized, and generally more difficult. The family was once thought to be a very carefully edited third century recension but now is believed to be merely the result of a carefully controlled and supervised process of copying and transmission. It underlies most modern translations of the New Testament. Bible version : NIV, TNIV, NASB, RSV, ESV, EBR, NWT, LB, ASV, NC, GNB
The Western text-type, 3rd-9th century CE, This is also very early and comes from a wide geographical area stretching from North Africa to Italy from Gaul to Syria. It much less controlled than the Alexandrian family and its witnesses are seen to be more prone to paraphrase and other corruptions. Bible version : Vetus Latina.
The Apologists and the Church Fathers
Who used these two types of earliest Manuscripts, the apologists and the church fathers used them.
Flavius Justinus, AD 100-165, he wrote the “Dialogue and Apology”
Irenaeus, AD 115-202, he wrote “Adversus Haereses, Against Heresies”
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, AD 150-225, he said that the believer’s blood is the seed of the church. He was the theologian of the church.
Origenes Adamantius, AD 185-254, he done the (Hexapla) ，Hexapla is an important proof that the early church was using LXX. This Hexapla is collections of few different translations put together in one book; Hexapla has Hebrew Old Testament, Septuagint LXX, and few other Greek translations.
He interpreted the scriptures into three types of meanings, body, soul, and spirit: somatic, psychic, pneumatic. Every word has a meaning of the word itself, then the morale value, and the spiritual meaning; the spiritual meaning is the Christian belief. This is the way Alexandrian interpreted their Bible. Origen was the church scholar.
Thascius Caecillius Cyprianus, AD 200-258, he was the Bishop of Carthage.
Constantine, AD 272-337, the first Christian Roman King, when he was young he conquered the Roman solders, Egypt, Persian, one day hw saw a sign of the cross in the sky, with that sign, “hoc Vince” he won three wars with the Rome. In the year 325, Constantine called the Council of Nicaea or Nice. The purpose of the council is to prove “Christ is God.”
Athanasius, AD 293-373, he was bon in Alexandria, Egypt. There was a saying about him, “Athanasius contra the whole world, the whole world contra Athanasius.” (Athanasius Contra Mundum, et Mundus Contra Athanasius).
That moment, Alexandria is the center of Christianity of the whole world; he was leading the Egyptian Church. He was called the “the father of fundamentalist,” his faith and belief is pure, Athanasius, said the belief of the church was send down by the Lord Jesus, preached by the Apostles, kept by the Church fathers.
After the Holy Spirit came down on the Pentecost, they started to spread the seed of the gospel. At the end of Apostle Area, the church had already been well established in Palestine (Jerusalem and Samaria), Rome, and Africa (Alexandria and Carthage).
Traditionally, it was Mark who preached the gospel to Africa, there in Alexandria, a business and cultural center, a famous city like Rome. It has a well-known library, contents a lot of books, a place where the Jew lived.
It was here in Alexandria, the Old Testament was translated into Greek, called the “Septuagint LXX,” and the earliest Latin version of the Bible, called “Itala.” They were not translated in Rome. Even the theology of the church was started to study at Carthage, especially the trinity.
St. Ambrosius, August Wilhelm, AD 339-397, he was raised up in Rome.
When you are reading the Bible, did you find that, the Lord and the Apostles, when they quoting the verses from Old Testament, their wordings are a bit different with our Old Testament wording? The meanings are the same, why it is so.
Do not misunderstand those are new revelations, nor another kind of translation, simply speaking is, at Jesus’ time, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, but the Apostles was written the New Testament in Greek, they did not any other translations, so they used the well accepted Greek Septuagint, the LXX. That is why the Hebrew Old Testament was translated a bit different in New Testament!
Traditionally, at BC 3rd century, those Jew who lived in Egypt and Greek world, had called six men each from 12 tribes, in 70 days, they translated the Hebrew Old testament in Greek, and Septuagint means 70 in Latin, short form as LXX.
Some one said the work of translation is very important in preaching the Gospel, in another word; it is the leading of the Holy Spirit.
St. Jerome, Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus, AD 342-420, he studied Latin and Greek in Rome. Jerome was the man who translated Old Testament and New Testament, from the Septuagint into Latin Vulgate Bible, and then the Romans Catholic accepted the Vulgate as the Authorized Version for the next 1000 years!
Before the Latin Vulgate, 100 years ago, in the north Africa, Alexandria, the first Latin Bible was already translated named “Itala,” Jerome was referring to “Itala” when he was translating the Vulgate.
Aurelius Augustine, AD 354-430, he was an African, born on November 13, at Tagaste, he went to study in Garthage. In AD 384, he went to Milan. There he heard a voice from a child, “Take up and read, take up and read.” (Tolle, lege; tolle, lege!), he went under a tree, and there he find a mss, and he opened it, and he look to Romans 13:13 “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” He knew that verse spoke about him, the light and peace came into his heart. When he was a monk, he said, in the world, we could not find any man better than those in the Monastery cannot and in the Monastery, we can find the worse human being in the world.
1000 years later after the death Augustine, Augustine’s writing and teachings was deep influenced the church, there was a monk, called Martin Luther, a Christian Reformer, and another great Reformer, John Calvin both of them were inspired and influenced by Augustine, the church was under the teaching of Augustine generation after generations.
Conclusion:
The Alexandrian text-type, also called Minority Text, was well accepted by the Apologists and the Church Fathers in the first 4 century! None of them teach VPP!
1000 years later, the Alexandrian writings and teachings were still very much influencing the Reformers in 16th century reformation, how can you say that the Alexandrian texts are corrupted!
Thursday 20 November 2008
Textual Criticism
Textual Criticism
The necessity of applying textual criticism to the books of the New Testament arises from two circumstances: none of the original documents is extant, and the existing copies differ from one another. The textual critic seeks to ascertain from the divergent copies which form of the text should be regarded as most nearly conforming to the original.The New Testament has been preserved in three major manuscript traditions:
1.the 4th century AD Alexandrian text-type;
2.the Western text-type, also very early but prone to paraphrase and other corruptions;
3.and the Byzantine text-type, which makes up around 95% of all manuscripts, the majority comparatively very late in the tradition.
Scholars regard the Alexandrian text-type as generally more authoritative and closest to the original when treating textual variations. Modern translations of the New Testament are based on these copies.
Distribution of Greek manuscripts by century: New Testament Manuscripts
Lectionaries
Papyri
Uncials
Minuscules
Uncials
Minuscules
QUESTION
IN WHAT YEAR THE PAPER WAS INVENTED?
The necessity of applying textual criticism to the books of the New Testament arises from two circumstances: none of the original documents is extant, and the existing copies differ from one another. The textual critic seeks to ascertain from the divergent copies which form of the text should be regarded as most nearly conforming to the original.The New Testament has been preserved in three major manuscript traditions:
1.the 4th century AD Alexandrian text-type;
2.the Western text-type, also very early but prone to paraphrase and other corruptions;
3.and the Byzantine text-type, which makes up around 95% of all manuscripts, the majority comparatively very late in the tradition.
Scholars regard the Alexandrian text-type as generally more authoritative and closest to the original when treating textual variations. Modern translations of the New Testament are based on these copies.
Distribution of Greek manuscripts by century: New Testament Manuscripts
Lectionaries
Papyri
Uncials
Minuscules
Uncials
Minuscules
QUESTION
IN WHAT YEAR THE PAPER WAS INVENTED?
James chapter 5 with VPP
5:1, Unsaved rich men, who do not put their trust in God, there are troubles ahead! Repent! They have mistreated the poor! And they can smile and be merry, and they continue to collect money and tolls from the poor to put into their pocket, they are greedy, and they are the kings and leaders on earth, God’s judgment will fall on each one of them.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Look, where is justice in our society? Even some believers, said there is no justice on earth, so do not look for this justice on earth! Not even in the church. They said do not cry for or pray for justice, keep quiet, and suffer and serve the Lord!
Are the Christians not called to show the poor what is God’s love? Is there any misery among the poor? But we show favoritism! Discriminations! We lived in luxury! We have fattened our heart with money and food! Did we know that the glory of God had left us long before after we covet money more than suffering for the Lord! We cannot serve two masters!
We have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing us! We have all stumble in many ways! Richness is not a merry making thing! James denounces utter destruction to the wicked and profane rich men, and such as is drowned in their riotousness, mocking their foolish confidence when there is nothing indeed vainer than such things.
5:4, but the Lord of Sabaoth, God see the injustice!
5:7, we who put our trust in the Lord, if we are living under the wicked men, we must patiently wait for the Lord, wait and pray until He come to help us, like a farmer waiting and waiting until the harvest. Do not be double minded! Be single minded! Why we judge the poor and the weak among us? Every one of us is living like a vapor! Gone like a wind, like a grass wither. Do not live like a viper!
5:9, The Lord is coming soon, He is at the door, and there is judgment ahead! Why in the time of prayer and waiting for His return, we quarrel and fight among ourselves?
We are waiting for Him like the ten virgin. Mt 25:1, then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Mt 25:2, and five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Mt 25:3, they that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Do not be a fool virgin! We must prepare “oil,” what is that word “oil” mean? We can argue with anyone about the word “oil,” we may argue about the purity of the oil, we can argue with any one what type of oil is, olive oil, animal oil, palm oil, grape seed oil, and so on, and we can argue about the meaning of the word of “oil” until no end, and split the fellowship, we profit no one, unless I wanted to open a oil company, so much so I have to study only this word “oil” no other word! But the church need to know what is the whole picture of this parable given to us?
And at last, what happened, if we continue to argue and fight over the word “oil,” we do not know the meaning of the whole parable of 10 virgins, forgot how to wait upon the Lord for his returning is imminent, we must know the meaning of the word, “oil” “bridegroom,” “fool,” “wise……..” Do not just argue without end about the word “oil,” you must understand the whole picture.
Why the virgin must prepare “oil.” It is because they need light! The lamp is for the light, not just oil. Why they need light, because it is in darkness night the Lord will returned! Application is Christian is to be light of this darkness world and be prepared to meet our God. See what the fool virgins had said in Matthew 25:8 “And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” This shows the consternation of those who are not ready to meet Christ at his coming. It is not safe to rely on outward professions as evidence of piety, nor upon any thing which does not imply supreme love to God and real good-will to men. All had made some preparation, but that of the foolish five had been insufficient. Their glory began to depart, and their light waned into darkness at the approach of the bridegroom. The parable of the ten virgin is to remind us to be prepared for the coming of the Lord, it does not encourage us to fight over a few words!
Hear what the Lord declared in Matthew 4:4, But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Not just a few words here and there in Psalm 12:1-7. This psalm also must be studied correctly. Do not just study only these few words here and there in Westminster Confession! Westminster Confession is not God’s Word; you should not take this Westminster Confession until to be same level with CUV, KJV, and NKJV! Westminster Confession is a good confession, but it is not God’s Word! This is a very serious mistake done in making the confession as God’s Word!
The Bible is without errors, in the first hand writing, in the original languages in their autograph, those copies mistakes we find are not the errors, they are the copies mistakes made by human when they were copying the scriptures!
The Bible is authentically preserved to us, so that we can firmly lift up our Bible and say, “I believe in God, and also believe the Bible is sacred, and the Bible is without error, and in the Bible I come to believe the Lord Jesus. May God forgive those who had done the copy mistakes unintentionally, Amen.”
But the theologians who taught VPP have misinterpreted Matthew 4:4! And here we are fighting over the meaning a few “words” and “a personal view,” quoting the Psalm 12 and Westminster Confession. And we fight until the congregation split because of our tongue and wisdom! We needed the wisdom from above. All these arguments are going to pass away. (Matthew 7:1) God’s Word will not pass away! Those endure to the end will be saved.
The Lord Jesus said no just a few words we have to study, but every word! The whole picture is more important than these few verses. We want all of the Bible verses to be understand, not just one or two, here and there! But we must try to understand the truth in totality, preach the whole counsel of God, especially those crucially doctrines! Who is he, and he said this words, Acts 20:27 for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
What is this all counsel of God? It means here the will or purpose of God, as revealed in regard to the salvation of men. Paul had made a full statement of that plan--of the guilt of men, of the claims of the law, of the need of a Savior, of the provisions of mercy, and of the state of future rewards and punishments. Ministers ought to declare all that counsel, because God commands it; because it is needful for the salvation of men; and because the message is not theirs, but God's, and they have no right to change, to disguise, or to withhold it. And if it is the duty of ministers to declare that counsel, it is the duty of a people to listen to it with respect and candour, and with a desire to know the truth, and to be saved by it. Declaring the counsel of God will do no good, unless it is received into honest and humble hearts, and with a disposition to know what God has revealed for salvation. The doctrine of the apostles is most perfect and absolute. Do you see, CUV and NKJV have all the council of God? How can you say they are corrupted!
5:10, James said rather learn to be persevered the suffering, be patient, some of the prophets were killed.
5:11, in the trials and difficulties, faith is increased, His grace is sufficient for us, until the day of the Lord.
5:12 do not swear falsely! (Matthew 5:33-37) Do not use God’s name in swearing for a personal view! (Exodus 20:7) We will be judged strictly. Do not boast about the earthly wisdom! If yes say yes, of no say no. Do not be many masters. Let many to be our master!
5:14, Praying by faith, it is God, who heals!
5:15, Historical evidence confirms the facts that God does heal people miraculously, but Paul was praying for his healing, but sometimes it is not God’s will to heal Paul. Healing is not promise to every one, we only can say “if God is willing.” And Timothy was advice to drink some wine. And sometimes, oil was applied on the wound for the Samaritan. The medical science in 21st century is good enough; do we need prayer, oil and wine? Think about this with clear mind. Yahweh-Rapha.
5:16, confessing our sin has good therapeutic potential. The prodigal son confesses I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father; I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.
5:17, Elijah prayed, 3 years there will be no rain! A sign to encourage us to continue in prayer. Nothing lies beyond the power of God to change, and prayer is the divinely ordained method.
Even Jesus Christ prayed, and he said, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
5:19, there are brothers, wander from the truth, these are those who fall in errors and sins. Heals the sick and also leads those who are broken hearted, those who are falling, those who are cold hearted, we must lead them back to one hold, this is our responsibility, and then they will be saved from condemnation. Someone has slipped into an error VPP, in daily life or doctrine; we are called to restoring those brothers to the truth.
5:20, if we can love one another, we can avoid quarrels, avoid further trials and temptations! May God bless us, so that we may not become like “Only talk no walk!”
Assignment:
1.What is the meaning “every word”
2.What is the meaning “full counsel”
3.Pray without end!
4.CUV, KJV, NKJV, and the full counsel of God.
5.Talk and walk of a Christian
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Look, where is justice in our society? Even some believers, said there is no justice on earth, so do not look for this justice on earth! Not even in the church. They said do not cry for or pray for justice, keep quiet, and suffer and serve the Lord!
Are the Christians not called to show the poor what is God’s love? Is there any misery among the poor? But we show favoritism! Discriminations! We lived in luxury! We have fattened our heart with money and food! Did we know that the glory of God had left us long before after we covet money more than suffering for the Lord! We cannot serve two masters!
We have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing us! We have all stumble in many ways! Richness is not a merry making thing! James denounces utter destruction to the wicked and profane rich men, and such as is drowned in their riotousness, mocking their foolish confidence when there is nothing indeed vainer than such things.
5:4, but the Lord of Sabaoth, God see the injustice!
5:7, we who put our trust in the Lord, if we are living under the wicked men, we must patiently wait for the Lord, wait and pray until He come to help us, like a farmer waiting and waiting until the harvest. Do not be double minded! Be single minded! Why we judge the poor and the weak among us? Every one of us is living like a vapor! Gone like a wind, like a grass wither. Do not live like a viper!
5:9, The Lord is coming soon, He is at the door, and there is judgment ahead! Why in the time of prayer and waiting for His return, we quarrel and fight among ourselves?
We are waiting for Him like the ten virgin. Mt 25:1, then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Mt 25:2, and five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Mt 25:3, they that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Do not be a fool virgin! We must prepare “oil,” what is that word “oil” mean? We can argue with anyone about the word “oil,” we may argue about the purity of the oil, we can argue with any one what type of oil is, olive oil, animal oil, palm oil, grape seed oil, and so on, and we can argue about the meaning of the word of “oil” until no end, and split the fellowship, we profit no one, unless I wanted to open a oil company, so much so I have to study only this word “oil” no other word! But the church need to know what is the whole picture of this parable given to us?
And at last, what happened, if we continue to argue and fight over the word “oil,” we do not know the meaning of the whole parable of 10 virgins, forgot how to wait upon the Lord for his returning is imminent, we must know the meaning of the word, “oil” “bridegroom,” “fool,” “wise……..” Do not just argue without end about the word “oil,” you must understand the whole picture.
Why the virgin must prepare “oil.” It is because they need light! The lamp is for the light, not just oil. Why they need light, because it is in darkness night the Lord will returned! Application is Christian is to be light of this darkness world and be prepared to meet our God. See what the fool virgins had said in Matthew 25:8 “And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.” This shows the consternation of those who are not ready to meet Christ at his coming. It is not safe to rely on outward professions as evidence of piety, nor upon any thing which does not imply supreme love to God and real good-will to men. All had made some preparation, but that of the foolish five had been insufficient. Their glory began to depart, and their light waned into darkness at the approach of the bridegroom. The parable of the ten virgin is to remind us to be prepared for the coming of the Lord, it does not encourage us to fight over a few words!
Hear what the Lord declared in Matthew 4:4, But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Not just a few words here and there in Psalm 12:1-7. This psalm also must be studied correctly. Do not just study only these few words here and there in Westminster Confession! Westminster Confession is not God’s Word; you should not take this Westminster Confession until to be same level with CUV, KJV, and NKJV! Westminster Confession is a good confession, but it is not God’s Word! This is a very serious mistake done in making the confession as God’s Word!
The Bible is without errors, in the first hand writing, in the original languages in their autograph, those copies mistakes we find are not the errors, they are the copies mistakes made by human when they were copying the scriptures!
The Bible is authentically preserved to us, so that we can firmly lift up our Bible and say, “I believe in God, and also believe the Bible is sacred, and the Bible is without error, and in the Bible I come to believe the Lord Jesus. May God forgive those who had done the copy mistakes unintentionally, Amen.”
But the theologians who taught VPP have misinterpreted Matthew 4:4! And here we are fighting over the meaning a few “words” and “a personal view,” quoting the Psalm 12 and Westminster Confession. And we fight until the congregation split because of our tongue and wisdom! We needed the wisdom from above. All these arguments are going to pass away. (Matthew 7:1) God’s Word will not pass away! Those endure to the end will be saved.
The Lord Jesus said no just a few words we have to study, but every word! The whole picture is more important than these few verses. We want all of the Bible verses to be understand, not just one or two, here and there! But we must try to understand the truth in totality, preach the whole counsel of God, especially those crucially doctrines! Who is he, and he said this words, Acts 20:27 for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
What is this all counsel of God? It means here the will or purpose of God, as revealed in regard to the salvation of men. Paul had made a full statement of that plan--of the guilt of men, of the claims of the law, of the need of a Savior, of the provisions of mercy, and of the state of future rewards and punishments. Ministers ought to declare all that counsel, because God commands it; because it is needful for the salvation of men; and because the message is not theirs, but God's, and they have no right to change, to disguise, or to withhold it. And if it is the duty of ministers to declare that counsel, it is the duty of a people to listen to it with respect and candour, and with a desire to know the truth, and to be saved by it. Declaring the counsel of God will do no good, unless it is received into honest and humble hearts, and with a disposition to know what God has revealed for salvation. The doctrine of the apostles is most perfect and absolute. Do you see, CUV and NKJV have all the council of God? How can you say they are corrupted!
5:10, James said rather learn to be persevered the suffering, be patient, some of the prophets were killed.
5:11, in the trials and difficulties, faith is increased, His grace is sufficient for us, until the day of the Lord.
5:12 do not swear falsely! (Matthew 5:33-37) Do not use God’s name in swearing for a personal view! (Exodus 20:7) We will be judged strictly. Do not boast about the earthly wisdom! If yes say yes, of no say no. Do not be many masters. Let many to be our master!
5:14, Praying by faith, it is God, who heals!
5:15, Historical evidence confirms the facts that God does heal people miraculously, but Paul was praying for his healing, but sometimes it is not God’s will to heal Paul. Healing is not promise to every one, we only can say “if God is willing.” And Timothy was advice to drink some wine. And sometimes, oil was applied on the wound for the Samaritan. The medical science in 21st century is good enough; do we need prayer, oil and wine? Think about this with clear mind. Yahweh-Rapha.
5:16, confessing our sin has good therapeutic potential. The prodigal son confesses I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father; I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.
5:17, Elijah prayed, 3 years there will be no rain! A sign to encourage us to continue in prayer. Nothing lies beyond the power of God to change, and prayer is the divinely ordained method.
Even Jesus Christ prayed, and he said, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
5:19, there are brothers, wander from the truth, these are those who fall in errors and sins. Heals the sick and also leads those who are broken hearted, those who are falling, those who are cold hearted, we must lead them back to one hold, this is our responsibility, and then they will be saved from condemnation. Someone has slipped into an error VPP, in daily life or doctrine; we are called to restoring those brothers to the truth.
5:20, if we can love one another, we can avoid quarrels, avoid further trials and temptations! May God bless us, so that we may not become like “Only talk no walk!”
Assignment:
1.What is the meaning “every word”
2.What is the meaning “full counsel”
3.Pray without end!
4.CUV, KJV, NKJV, and the full counsel of God.
5.Talk and walk of a Christian
Tuesday 18 November 2008
James chapter 4 with VPP
No one can tame the tongue, the tongue can only be tamed by the Holy Spirit, by the help of God, every thing is possible.
4:1-2, What cause our fight and quarrels? There is a reason for these fight and quarrels. It is not doctrinal issue involved, but VPP also involved the lust. VPP brings many into fight and quarrels, so what cause those quarrels and fights? Lust! The word would equally comprehend the spirit-which leads to a brawl in the street, and that which prompted to the conquests of Alexander, Caesar, or Napoleon. All this is the same spirit evinced on a larger or smaller scale.
Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Do not let our desire take control our spirit! Let fulfill the church’s desire, in using the KJV and CUV and continue in same heart and same mind, the church needs the unity, treasure this unity, it comes not easily. My friends!
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Justice, equity, the fear of God, the spirit of true religion, never originated any war, but the corrupt passions of men have made the earth one great battle-field. If true religion existed among all men, there would be no more war. War always supposes that wrong has been done on one side or the other, and that one party or the other, or both, is indisposed to do right. The spirit of justice, equity, and truth, which the religion of Christ would implant in the human heart, would put an end. to war for ever.
4:2, You kill! Murderer! Why you kill, why a Christian kill? Because you hate! Why you hate, because you say you have the “truth,” and you had misquoted many Bible verses to support the VPP, you said you had the perfect text, but that is wrong. And you say you have the perfect Bible! There is war and fighting for VPP? Why? We had neglect the prayer, showing the reason why we did not have the things which were necessary. If ye prayed, there would be no "wars and fightings."!
The Bible says, Spirit must control our desire. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Why we let our desire run wild? Are we not learned yet, we cannot tame our tongue, and now we cannot tame our desire, let use our desire to edify other and bring benefit to the congregation.
4:3, you asked for a perfect Bible, but with what motives! Where is that perfect underlying text, God may grant us that? Let clean our heart! God will answer us. Esteem other, God will esteem us, why boast for a perfect TR, even tomorrow you also do not know what will happened next, be content with the Bible version we had in our hands. It is not enough problems in out church and society?
James said, It is not enough to ask for good things, but we must ask with a good spirit and intention. "Ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it, your object of prayer, upon your lusts, not that ye may have the things you need for the service of God. Contrast Jas 1:5; Mt 6:31-32. If ye prayed aright, all your proper wants would be supplied; the improper cravings which produce "wars and fightings" would then cease. Even believers' prayers are often best answered when their desires are most opposed.
4:4, you adulterous people! Ask God for wisdom! Be a doer of the Word of God.
It is a deeper crime to be unfaithful to God than to any created being; and it will yet be seen that even the violation of the marriage contract, great as is the sin, is a slight offence compared with unfaithfulness towards God!
The sin of adultery stands here as the embodiment of all the fleshly lusts in which these unworthy professors of Christianity indulged. The same sin is charged by the apostles Peter and Jude upon the false teachers and their followers, 2Pe 2:10,14,18; Jude 1:25,25,25. The world; the men of the world, with all the worldly objects to which they devote themselves, "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." Compare 1 John 2:15-16.
4:7-11, James wrote a proverb for them, 8 sentences! Wisdom from above!
1.surrender to God.
2.resist the devils.
3.come near to God.
4.wash your hands.
5.purify your heart.
6.grieve, mourn and wail, you rich people.
7.Humble before God.
8.Do not slander one and another.
4:11, should we love one another? Should not we respect one and another? Should not we love our brothers? Are we called to hate our brother? Are we higher than the law? There is evil of VPP, referred to is that of talking against others---against their actions, their motives, their manner of living, their families, etc. Few things are more common in the world; nothing is more decidedly against the true spirit of religion.
Our business in religion is not to make laws, or to declare what they should have been, or to amend those that are made; it is simply to obey those which are appointed, and to allow others to do the same, as they understand them. It would be well for all individual Christians. and Christian denominations, to learn this, and to imbibe the spirit of charity to which it would prompt.
James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
4:13-17, God do preserve His people, and he advice us do not be many master! We must tame our tongue! Children of God do not worry about life, do not worry for tomorrow, do not worry about what we eat, and what we wear, surely God will provide for us His daily food and providence, surely God will provide His Words for His children, we live on the every word that proceed from the mouth of God. Why you quarrel about word? Are God not giving His Word for his children?
What is your life? It is but a vapour! For he remembered that they were but flesh. A wind that passeth away and that cometh not again. (Ps 78:39.)
Received text has no old authority! Do not boast about the perfect Text! Boast about our future is a sin! We must do the good when we know it!
We better said, “If the Lord will!” This is proper, because we are wholly dependent on Him for life, and as dependent on Him for success, He alone can keep us, and He only can make our plans prosperous. In a thousand ways He can thwart our best-laid schemes, for all things are under His control. We need not travel far in life to see how completely all that we have is in the hands of God, or to learn how easily He can frustrate us if He pleases. There is nothing on which the success of our plans depends over which we have absolute control; there is nothing, therefore, on which we can base the assurance of success but His favour.
But now ye rejoice in your boastings in VPP. That is, probably, in your boastings of what you can do; your reliance on your own skill and sagacity. You form your plans for the future as if with consummate wisdom, and are confident of success. You do not anticipate a failure; you do not see how plans so skilfully formed can fail. You form them as if you were certain that you would live; as if secure from the numberless casualties which may defeat your schemes.
All such rejoicing is evil. It is founded on a wrong view of yourselves and of what may occur. It shows a spirit forgetful of our dependence on God; forgetful of the uncertainty of life; forgetful of the many ways by which the best-laid plans may be defeated. We should never boast of any wisdom or skill in regard to the future. A day, an hour may defeat our best-concerted plans, and show us that we have not the slightest power to control coming events.It is foolish, and it is hurtful, to boast of worldly things and aspiring projects; it will bring great disappointment, and will prove destruction in the end.
The conclusion of all the former treatise.James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. We are always to depend on the will of God. Our times are not in our own hands, but at the disposal of God. Our heads may be filled with cares and contrivances for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Providence often throws our plans into confusion. All we design, and all we do, should be with submissive dependence on God.
4:1-2, What cause our fight and quarrels? There is a reason for these fight and quarrels. It is not doctrinal issue involved, but VPP also involved the lust. VPP brings many into fight and quarrels, so what cause those quarrels and fights? Lust! The word would equally comprehend the spirit-which leads to a brawl in the street, and that which prompted to the conquests of Alexander, Caesar, or Napoleon. All this is the same spirit evinced on a larger or smaller scale.
Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Do not let our desire take control our spirit! Let fulfill the church’s desire, in using the KJV and CUV and continue in same heart and same mind, the church needs the unity, treasure this unity, it comes not easily. My friends!
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Justice, equity, the fear of God, the spirit of true religion, never originated any war, but the corrupt passions of men have made the earth one great battle-field. If true religion existed among all men, there would be no more war. War always supposes that wrong has been done on one side or the other, and that one party or the other, or both, is indisposed to do right. The spirit of justice, equity, and truth, which the religion of Christ would implant in the human heart, would put an end. to war for ever.
4:2, You kill! Murderer! Why you kill, why a Christian kill? Because you hate! Why you hate, because you say you have the “truth,” and you had misquoted many Bible verses to support the VPP, you said you had the perfect text, but that is wrong. And you say you have the perfect Bible! There is war and fighting for VPP? Why? We had neglect the prayer, showing the reason why we did not have the things which were necessary. If ye prayed, there would be no "wars and fightings."!
The Bible says, Spirit must control our desire. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Why we let our desire run wild? Are we not learned yet, we cannot tame our tongue, and now we cannot tame our desire, let use our desire to edify other and bring benefit to the congregation.
4:3, you asked for a perfect Bible, but with what motives! Where is that perfect underlying text, God may grant us that? Let clean our heart! God will answer us. Esteem other, God will esteem us, why boast for a perfect TR, even tomorrow you also do not know what will happened next, be content with the Bible version we had in our hands. It is not enough problems in out church and society?
James said, It is not enough to ask for good things, but we must ask with a good spirit and intention. "Ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it, your object of prayer, upon your lusts, not that ye may have the things you need for the service of God. Contrast Jas 1:5; Mt 6:31-32. If ye prayed aright, all your proper wants would be supplied; the improper cravings which produce "wars and fightings" would then cease. Even believers' prayers are often best answered when their desires are most opposed.
4:4, you adulterous people! Ask God for wisdom! Be a doer of the Word of God.
It is a deeper crime to be unfaithful to God than to any created being; and it will yet be seen that even the violation of the marriage contract, great as is the sin, is a slight offence compared with unfaithfulness towards God!
The sin of adultery stands here as the embodiment of all the fleshly lusts in which these unworthy professors of Christianity indulged. The same sin is charged by the apostles Peter and Jude upon the false teachers and their followers, 2Pe 2:10,14,18; Jude 1:25,25,25. The world; the men of the world, with all the worldly objects to which they devote themselves, "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." Compare 1 John 2:15-16.
4:7-11, James wrote a proverb for them, 8 sentences! Wisdom from above!
1.surrender to God.
2.resist the devils.
3.come near to God.
4.wash your hands.
5.purify your heart.
6.grieve, mourn and wail, you rich people.
7.Humble before God.
8.Do not slander one and another.
4:11, should we love one another? Should not we respect one and another? Should not we love our brothers? Are we called to hate our brother? Are we higher than the law? There is evil of VPP, referred to is that of talking against others---against their actions, their motives, their manner of living, their families, etc. Few things are more common in the world; nothing is more decidedly against the true spirit of religion.
Our business in religion is not to make laws, or to declare what they should have been, or to amend those that are made; it is simply to obey those which are appointed, and to allow others to do the same, as they understand them. It would be well for all individual Christians. and Christian denominations, to learn this, and to imbibe the spirit of charity to which it would prompt.
James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?
4:13-17, God do preserve His people, and he advice us do not be many master! We must tame our tongue! Children of God do not worry about life, do not worry for tomorrow, do not worry about what we eat, and what we wear, surely God will provide for us His daily food and providence, surely God will provide His Words for His children, we live on the every word that proceed from the mouth of God. Why you quarrel about word? Are God not giving His Word for his children?
What is your life? It is but a vapour! For he remembered that they were but flesh. A wind that passeth away and that cometh not again. (Ps 78:39.)
Received text has no old authority! Do not boast about the perfect Text! Boast about our future is a sin! We must do the good when we know it!
We better said, “If the Lord will!” This is proper, because we are wholly dependent on Him for life, and as dependent on Him for success, He alone can keep us, and He only can make our plans prosperous. In a thousand ways He can thwart our best-laid schemes, for all things are under His control. We need not travel far in life to see how completely all that we have is in the hands of God, or to learn how easily He can frustrate us if He pleases. There is nothing on which the success of our plans depends over which we have absolute control; there is nothing, therefore, on which we can base the assurance of success but His favour.
But now ye rejoice in your boastings in VPP. That is, probably, in your boastings of what you can do; your reliance on your own skill and sagacity. You form your plans for the future as if with consummate wisdom, and are confident of success. You do not anticipate a failure; you do not see how plans so skilfully formed can fail. You form them as if you were certain that you would live; as if secure from the numberless casualties which may defeat your schemes.
All such rejoicing is evil. It is founded on a wrong view of yourselves and of what may occur. It shows a spirit forgetful of our dependence on God; forgetful of the uncertainty of life; forgetful of the many ways by which the best-laid plans may be defeated. We should never boast of any wisdom or skill in regard to the future. A day, an hour may defeat our best-concerted plans, and show us that we have not the slightest power to control coming events.It is foolish, and it is hurtful, to boast of worldly things and aspiring projects; it will bring great disappointment, and will prove destruction in the end.
The conclusion of all the former treatise.James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. We are always to depend on the will of God. Our times are not in our own hands, but at the disposal of God. Our heads may be filled with cares and contrivances for ourselves, or our families, or our friends; but Providence often throws our plans into confusion. All we design, and all we do, should be with submissive dependence on God.
Monday 17 November 2008
James chapter 3 with VPP
3:1, there are teachers in the church; this is an important task in the church. The scriptures want us not to judge other, who are we to judge others, but why we judge theologians who teach VPP, because VPP is a wrong doctrine, we cannot tolerant it, because it is like a gangrene, it is like a leaven, we must study and critic VPP, test the spirit and test the teaching of VPP. Where does this teaching of VPP comes from, we must know VPP is doctrine of God or what? What spirit that working behind this doctrine, and furthermore, did this doctrine bring any benefit for the church, no, it is a chastisement for those God loved, God has allowed this doctrine to be tool to chastise the children.
3:2, the tongue is hard to tame, but James wanted his listener to control their tongue, we have to be blameless in our speech! In this we can be a perfect man, a perfect Christian, but it is seemly impossible! James said no one can tame the tongue. We are tempted, even in our speech, and continue from false speech to become a lust, and that lust continue become to a sin, and sin continue becoming a death, and at last the fire of hell is kindled in us. The tongue is full of evil! Be careful for how we talk, every word will be judged at the end!
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
It is better to plea for a perfect man with a perfect tongue, than plea for a perfect Bible! James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Goodness is from God, thanking God, for goodness. James 3:6, those wicked words proceed from our mouth, where they came from! Surely James explained they came from the devils and demons! (John 8:44) Not from God, the evil words are from the devils! Beware! Even, devils and demons also believe in one God! But they tremble, how about us?
3:7-8, so we must tame our heart, before we can tame our tongue. (Proverbs 16:32)
3:9, man is a living creature, created by God, those who curse a man, is actually cursing God who created them! Can a fountain gives two kinds of water, sweet and bitter, no! Can our mouth bless and curse at the same time. No!
3:11-18, God is good, there is no darkness in God, if a man has a good heart, and he is kind, and he has the wisdom from God, there is mercy, there is cleanliness and peaceable, no envy and do not quarrel about words, if “yes” say yes, if “no” say no, do not like VPP, it is confusing, so pray about this, there is a strife about the VPP, where this come from?
It is from earthly, unspiritual, of the devil! If it is confusing and qarrelling! God do not confuse the Christian!
James 3:15 this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Devilish. Demoniacal, such as the demons exhibit. There may be indeed talent in it, but there is the intermingling of malignant passions, and "it leads to contentions, strifes, divisions, and "every evil work."
devilish--in its origin (from "hell," Jas 3:6; not from God, the Giver of true wisdom, Jas 1:5), and also in its character, which accords with its origin. Earthly, sensual, and devilish, answer to the three spiritual foes of man, the world, the flesh, and the devil.
属地的人，是属这“世界的王＂(约一四：30 一六：11)辖制；那位王并不是仁慈的统治者，主耶稣给他清楚的画像，是满有私欲，“从起初是杀人的，不守真理，因他心里没有真理；他说谎是出于自己，因他本来是说谎的，也是说谎之人的父。＂(约八：44) 这是说，世界的王撒但，是众恶的源头，包括凶杀，虚谎。要跟他谋求和平，岂只是缘木求鱼，简直是与虎谋皮!
There are people belongs to the earth, they are control by and belong to the “king of the world” (John 14:30, 16:11). The king is not a kind ruler, the Lord Jesus gave a clear picture about Satan, it is full of lust, “John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
This means, the king of this world, the Satan, it is the source of many kinds of wickedness, include the murders, lies. It is impossible to be peace with Satan, it is ridiculous!
异端的析视
圣经的权威
在试探耶稣的时候，撒但并没有否认圣经，它只是照其意思，选取一部分的经文来利用，以达到自己的目的。主耶稣怎么说？ 说：“人活着，不是单靠食物，乃是靠神口中所出的一切话。＂ ( 见太四：1-10 路四：1-13) 。“一切话＂，就是全部的话，不是局部的真理。
现代人都听说过“哲学为主义服务＂，连逻辑也是为甚么服务，把理论当作了工具，并不是想追求真理。不幸，受了那种教导熏染的人，影响了治学作人的态度：先定下结论，再找根据。为了生产他所要的结论，就贬抑圣经的权威，把神的话当作他的筹码。曾有人说：“神给中国人另有旧约，就是先圣的启示。＂又亵渎的说：“我们要用自己的血另立新约。＂这是多么的荒唐！
还有人高举自己的经验，以代替神启示的圣经。更有的谬讲神给他甚么启示，是在圣经以外的启示，要僭夺神的权威，并且要信徒跟从他，顺服他。这是非常危险的事，显明是撒但的工作。因为主耶稣说：“有了我的命令又遵守的，这人就是爱我的；爱我的，必蒙我父爱他，我也要爱他，并且要向他显现 ... 并且我们要到他那里去，与他同住。＂( 约一四：21,23)如果有人说，他另有甚么“启示＂，而与圣经真理不合，必须要防备：那就是异端！
异端的析视
归根结柢，异端的背后，是受邪灵的操纵：“顺服空中掌权者的首领，就是现今在悖逆之子心中运行的灵＂ ( 弗二：2) 。因为未重生的人人，心里有私欲，就很容易受它的利用。使徒彼得说到那些假师傅，“私自引进陷害人的异端... 他们因有贪心，要用捏造的言语，在你们身上取利。＂( 彼后二：1-3)
因为是背逆的，所以他们反对神，反对神的话，只高举他自己。他们贪财取利，引诱人。表面看来很热心，却并不是诚实，是另有存心，用诡诈的方法，以达到他们的目的。他们的路变迁不定，至终却引到灭亡 ( 箴五：6) 。
谨防假师傅
我们不要误会，以为假师傅都是形貌怪异，头上生角，像是中世纪所画出来的鬼魔那样。实际上，他们常是外貌温文，言词油滑动听，才会叫人容易受骗。那么，我们怎能认出他们来呢？主耶稣说得很清楚：“凭着他们的果子，就可以认出他们来。＂ ( 太七：20) 你看各样的树，不能立即知道，但过了一个季节，结果子的时候到了，就可以显出其本性来。还有一件更奇怪的事：传讲异端的人，常说所有的人都不对，惟有他们是对的；甚或自称他们是唯一得救的门路，不入其门，不行其路的人，都“必然灭亡＂！这样，就恫吓人作他们的同路人，结果正是一同陷入灭亡。这不仅显示他们缺乏谦卑与自知，更明白宣告，他们是与主耶稣反对的：因为主是唯一的道路；而我们知道主是正确的，是诚信真实的。
圣经警诫信徒：
凡越过基督教训，不常守着的，就没有神；常守这教训的，就有父又有子。若有人到你们那里不是传这教训，
不要接他到家里，也不要问他的安；因为问他安的，就在他的恶行上有分。 ( 约贰：9-11)
在现今的华人教会，更有一个特殊的问题，就是有一些甚么权威的人，把他们的“帽子＂也带进教会来，有些人不询其端，不求其末，而承认甚至崇拜他们，对他们所说所写的完全接受：这是很危险的。其实，我们应该分别：宣传家不一定是学者，学者不一定是神学家，神学家不一定是属灵人；只有真正重生得救的人，为主所选召，差遣，才会有从主来的属天信息，能使人得生命，跟从他才是安全的。圣经说，没有圣灵的人，不认识真理，绝不能引人进入真理，只能陷入谬误。
同时，防备异端最基本的道路，还是“要在至圣的真道上造就自己，在圣灵里祷告，保守自己常在神的爱中，仰望我们主耶稣基督的怜悯直到永生。＂ ( 犹：20,21) 必须先明白圣经至圣的真道，才可以知道甚么是假道异端；并且要恒切祷告，与主内肢体在爱中团契，互相爱顾，靠主站立得住。阿们。
在试探耶稣的时候，撒但并没有否认圣经，它只是照其意思，选取一部分的经文来利用，以达到自己的目的。主耶稣怎么说？ 说：“人活着，不是单靠食物，乃是靠神口中所出的一切话。＂ ( 见太四：1-10 路四：1-13) 。“一切话＂，就是全部的话，不是局部的真理。
现代人都听说过“哲学为主义服务＂，连逻辑也是为甚么服务，把理论当作了工具，并不是想追求真理。不幸，受了那种教导熏染的人，影响了治学作人的态度：先定下结论，再找根据。为了生产他所要的结论，就贬抑圣经的权威，把神的话当作他的筹码。曾有人说：“神给中国人另有旧约，就是先圣的启示。＂又亵渎的说：“我们要用自己的血另立新约。＂这是多么的荒唐！
还有人高举自己的经验，以代替神启示的圣经。更有的谬讲神给他甚么启示，是在圣经以外的启示，要僭夺神的权威，并且要信徒跟从他，顺服他。这是非常危险的事，显明是撒但的工作。因为主耶稣说：“有了我的命令又遵守的，这人就是爱我的；爱我的，必蒙我父爱他，我也要爱他，并且要向他显现 ... 并且我们要到他那里去，与他同住。＂( 约一四：21,23)如果有人说，他另有甚么“启示＂，而与圣经真理不合，必须要防备：那就是异端！
异端的析视
归根结柢，异端的背后，是受邪灵的操纵：“顺服空中掌权者的首领，就是现今在悖逆之子心中运行的灵＂ ( 弗二：2) 。因为未重生的人人，心里有私欲，就很容易受它的利用。使徒彼得说到那些假师傅，“私自引进陷害人的异端... 他们因有贪心，要用捏造的言语，在你们身上取利。＂( 彼后二：1-3)
因为是背逆的，所以他们反对神，反对神的话，只高举他自己。他们贪财取利，引诱人。表面看来很热心，却并不是诚实，是另有存心，用诡诈的方法，以达到他们的目的。他们的路变迁不定，至终却引到灭亡 ( 箴五：6) 。
谨防假师傅
我们不要误会，以为假师傅都是形貌怪异，头上生角，像是中世纪所画出来的鬼魔那样。实际上，他们常是外貌温文，言词油滑动听，才会叫人容易受骗。那么，我们怎能认出他们来呢？主耶稣说得很清楚：“凭着他们的果子，就可以认出他们来。＂ ( 太七：20) 你看各样的树，不能立即知道，但过了一个季节，结果子的时候到了，就可以显出其本性来。还有一件更奇怪的事：传讲异端的人，常说所有的人都不对，惟有他们是对的；甚或自称他们是唯一得救的门路，不入其门，不行其路的人，都“必然灭亡＂！这样，就恫吓人作他们的同路人，结果正是一同陷入灭亡。这不仅显示他们缺乏谦卑与自知，更明白宣告，他们是与主耶稣反对的：因为主是唯一的道路；而我们知道主是正确的，是诚信真实的。
圣经警诫信徒：
凡越过基督教训，不常守着的，就没有神；常守这教训的，就有父又有子。若有人到你们那里不是传这教训，
不要接他到家里，也不要问他的安；因为问他安的，就在他的恶行上有分。 ( 约贰：9-11)
在现今的华人教会，更有一个特殊的问题，就是有一些甚么权威的人，把他们的“帽子＂也带进教会来，有些人不询其端，不求其末，而承认甚至崇拜他们，对他们所说所写的完全接受：这是很危险的。其实，我们应该分别：宣传家不一定是学者，学者不一定是神学家，神学家不一定是属灵人；只有真正重生得救的人，为主所选召，差遣，才会有从主来的属天信息，能使人得生命，跟从他才是安全的。圣经说，没有圣灵的人，不认识真理，绝不能引人进入真理，只能陷入谬误。
同时，防备异端最基本的道路，还是“要在至圣的真道上造就自己，在圣灵里祷告，保守自己常在神的爱中，仰望我们主耶稣基督的怜悯直到永生。＂ ( 犹：20,21) 必须先明白圣经至圣的真道，才可以知道甚么是假道异端；并且要恒切祷告，与主内肢体在爱中团契，互相爱顾，靠主站立得住。阿们。
Sunday 16 November 2008
James chapter 2 with VPP
James 2:1, James wrote that Christian should not be a racist. No distinctions like poor and rich apply in Christ. Bible nowhere allows for distinctions among believers based on position, power, race, color, wealth, or popularity. Favoritism is a sinful, it is not a work from God, this is why James writes this chapter to rebuke it!
2:2-4, In James’ time, the early churches were brothers in Christ, but then there was discrimination on the poor. The problem was so serious James had to openly rebuke those rich. Like today, those live in luxury home and drives big cars, and spend money like water, they were the doctors and lawyer, powerful men and women on earth, well respected, with degrees and highly wanted jobs, some even called themselves Christians, pastors and preachers, and so even called themselves “elders,” but they look down to the poor and favor the rich. This is not new, and do not envy the rich!
One day a slave met an elder of a church, called Dr H, the slave thought he is a medical doctor, so the slave, told the doctor he is unwell, but the doctor just keep quite and smiles a bit. After the slave finished his talk to the doctor, the doctor explained to the slave, that he is not a medical doctor, he is just a teacher, and he has a doctorate in business administration! He cannot help the slave in his sickness. That is why he just smiles away! This elder runs a church like a company, and he is the CEO in the church! Church is like a business! Christian business runs for the rich and the learned. Do not envy, this is normal, because the CEO of the church is a doctor!
2:5, the world look for the powerful, the wise, those first level society, but what the Lord is looking for? Those poor in spirit, the poor is blessed, the kingdom of God is for them.
2:6, James said there were some bullies in the church, they are the rich, and they had bullied the poor in the church! I try to expound and expose this, the bullies may say publicly to the poor and their friends, “You think we can bully Mr. Poor? You think he can let us bully him, you think he is weak, you think he is not strong, you think he can be bullied, you think we can bullied him? No, no one can bully him. We are friend, we take care of each other, we are inter-dependant!” they proclaimed this in front of the public, but they talked wickedly behind the poor man and laughed in their heart, these rich bullies continue to oppress those poor men! It happened actually in public eyes, do not fool by the rich and the powerful, pray for a good government so that they will not oppress the poor. By the way, do not forget brothers in India, they needed the gospel and many prayers.
2:8-9, Love other as yourself, do not just love money and fulfills you own desire! Do not forget to fulfill the desire of poor! Love is a command from the King of kings. (Read Lev 19:15 KJV)
What young men have learned in the Bible College? Studying the scripture, to show that they are a servant approved, for a position or for a good name? What is the purpose of that study, a piece of paper? A degree? No, forbid that, what we must learn in a school is this, “learning, so that we may know how to learn…...” Learning until we may know how to “learn,” meaning is “do not stop learning, even after we had graduated from the school.” Pray for wisdom! Knowledge puffs up! Beware!
2:10, James said, since they were all sinner, James said, let some to mourn, the rich, let cry! In the end, our money rusted, do not grumble to one another, how about Job, he was suffering, at last he was comforted, and do not swear at all, do not swear for VPP, let pray about it, sing when you are merry, but remember we are all sinner, so admit we are sinners. We are sad, let pray. Life is hard, harder for the poor. We had breach the whole law, when we breach one small insignificant law, this small favoritism about the KJV and the rich!
2:12-13, Christians are merciful! You said sure and off course! Christian! Be merciful onto the poor!
2:14, Paul said, the just is justified by faith, so faith is an inward act, James said that faith is produced outwardly in works, so work is outward act, faith and work are connected! A new man is changed inwardly and outwardly!
2:19, there is one God, we believe, but we must work, works produced in speech and behavior, and helps to the poor, in believing God there are works. What is our work for the poor today? You are looking down the poor, the Chinese said, “3 feet up your head, there is God.” You believe or not?
2:20, faith motivates us for good works. How we speak to our friends and family last week? How we had spoken to our brothers in Christ about the perfect Bible, did we say something, which offended those who read the CUV, NKJV, NIV, ESV? How we control our tongue, we need wisdom!
2:21, Abraham’s work, proven his faith is genuine. What we had done for our church? Any sacrifices for the church, or the church sacrifice for us! Works follow regeneration! Should the whole church sacrifice for us, for our personal view about VPP, should the poor mourned because a perfect Bible?
2:24, faith must stand with work! Faith alone is not faith, but genuine faith must produce work! Where is that truth? The just shall live by faith, not by sight? James asked a question, “Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?” Yes or no?
Sermon Topic
1.Christian shall not has Favoritism.
2.Discrimination on the poor is wrong.
3.The poor in spirit and the kingdom of God.
4.Learning to learn
5.Do not swear at all?
6.Justified by faith.
7.Works follow regeneration
8.The rich is a blessed man
9.Tongue, blessing and cursing, the power!
10.A perfect man
Thursday 13 November 2008
Book of Proverbs Chapter 7- chapter 13
Assignment:
Book of Proverbs Chapter 7- chapter 13
1.Give me 4 characters that God hates.
a.Explain what is the meaning of a perverse mouth?
2.What is the Lord’s way to inherit wealth and treasure?
3.Pride will lead you to (a)…………….(b)……………..
4.What causes depression in the book of Proverbs?
5.Discuss Proverbs 12:4
6.How should you use your tongue in conversation according to the book of Proverbs?
箴 言 Proverbs 7-13
1.写出四种神所憎恨的行为和态度。
a.解析“乖 谬的口”的意思。
2.什么是神的方法，使我们可继承财产和财富？
3.骄傲会领你到（A）…………..(B）……………
4.箴言书里有指出,什么原因引起忧抑？
5.讨论箴言12：4
6.按照箴言书，我们应该怎样使用我们的舌头来与人交谈？
Write a paper about : Proverb and depression:
8:13 敬 畏 耶 和 华 ， 在 乎 恨 恶 邪 恶 。 那 骄 傲 ， 狂 妄 ， 并 恶 道 ， 以 及 乖 谬 的 口 ， 都 为 我 所 恨 恶 。
8:21
使 爱 我 的 承 受 货 财 ， 并 充 满 他 们 的 府 库 。
Psalms 38:6 I am depressed; I am bowed down beyond measure; I go mourning all the day.
12:4
才 德 的 妇 人 ， 是 丈 夫 的 冠 冕 。 贻 羞 的 妇 人 ， 如 同 朽 烂 在 他 丈 夫 的 骨 中 。
Pro 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Book of Proverbs Chapter 7- chapter 13
1.Give me 4 characters that God hates.
a.Explain what is the meaning of a perverse mouth?
2.What is the Lord’s way to inherit wealth and treasure?
3.Pride will lead you to (a)…………….(b)……………..
4.What causes depression in the book of Proverbs?
5.Discuss Proverbs 12:4
6.How should you use your tongue in conversation according to the book of Proverbs?
箴 言 Proverbs 7-13
1.写出四种神所憎恨的行为和态度。
a.解析“乖 谬的口”的意思。
2.什么是神的方法，使我们可继承财产和财富？
3.骄傲会领你到（A）…………..(B）……………
4.箴言书里有指出,什么原因引起忧抑？
5.讨论箴言12：4
6.按照箴言书，我们应该怎样使用我们的舌头来与人交谈？
Write a paper about : Proverb and depression:
8:13 敬 畏 耶 和 华 ， 在 乎 恨 恶 邪 恶 。 那 骄 傲 ， 狂 妄 ， 并 恶 道 ， 以 及 乖 谬 的 口 ， 都 为 我 所 恨 恶 。
8:21
使 爱 我 的 承 受 货 财 ， 并 充 满 他 们 的 府 库 。
Psalms 38:6 I am depressed; I am bowed down beyond measure; I go mourning all the day.
12:4
才 德 的 妇 人 ， 是 丈 夫 的 冠 冕 。 贻 羞 的 妇 人 ， 如 同 朽 烂 在 他 丈 夫 的 骨 中 。
Pro 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
James chapter 1 and VPP
The wordings of James were written smoothly and powerfully. To the Jew in dispersion, it is a proverb in NT. The writer is the brother of Jesus Christ, a well respected man. In this book there is teaching how the Christian should live their life. Probably at AD45, it was written, it is the first book in NT.
Some scholars were doubtful about the teaching of faith and work (2:14-26), James’ teaching is different with what Paul had taught. But actually, James did not teach against the teaching of “justified by faith” he is not teaching man is “justified by work” alone.
James’ purpose is to rebuke those day Judaism, they had a wrong idea, that if a man is “justified by faith,” it means a man just had to accept a set of teachings in their head and mind, and they have no need to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. And then no works were produced, even after “justified by faith.” James purpose is to correct that wrong perception.
James, rebuke them sharply, that true faith must produce good works, if “justified by faith” cannot produce good works, then weather that “faith” is genuine or not it may be in question mark.
Faith cannot be alone, faith must produce good works. Faith will produce fruits. James said that the works is the proof that that “faith” is genuine. Weather a man is obeying God in life or not, maybe become a proof that man is having a genuine faith. He gave an example, Abraham, was justified by faith, he later done a good work, he sacrificed his son Isaac as God’s commandment.
1:2, James wrote that our daily life is full with all kinds of testing, trials and temptations, life is hard, some of them even were persecuted, they had “peirasmos,” temptations and testing, there are some thing in our hearts that tempting us to fall in sin. James wanted them to rejoice even in troubles, like（Matthew 5:10-12)
1:3-4, those pressure, testing, persecutions, the hardship in life, are all for the training a man, to establish faith in God. Like Job, he was tested, later he was comforted. After all the training, they will more like Christ, lovingly love and being loved, more humble, more mature, become a new man, for all these achievement, we must rejoice!
1:5-6, we must have wisdom, they must know which thing is suitable, which is the will of God. This wisdom must know how to choose morally, to know which is right and which is wrong. VPP is right or wrong? If a man lack of wisdom, he or she may ask from God. Since God is good, kind, abundant, by faith and by the will of God, he may received what wisdom he or she is needed. (Matthew 7:7) Wisdom is a gift of God and should be prayed for! Pray by faith, first, VPP later!
1:8, we must not ask half heartedly. Concentrate our heart! (Matthew 6:24)
1:9-10, James wrote about wealthy and poverty, those who are poor, they are facing another kind of testing, so they also rejoice; those who are rich, they also may face testing when their business lose or bankrupt, they also must rejoice. They must rejoice in Christ.
Even rich pastors oppress and bully the poor pastors, they join with unbelievers and politician to enpower their oppression, the poor must keep silent, this is injustice!
1:12, a crown of life, John wrote to the church of Smyrna:
Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Crown of life is not reserved only for the theologians, the pastors, the teachers, the rich, the doctors, the lawyers, the head of a state, a king on earth, but the humblest believers are also entitled to it.
1:13-15, a fountain cannot give two kinds of water, neither sweet nor bitter, but God gave us goodness, God is holy. Man is tempted by his our desire, Satan tempted man to fall into sins, and entangled man to follow it. Satan is the great tempter. May God deliver us from the evil, lead us not into temptation.
1:17, God is light, in Him there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). God is the author and the fountain of all good.
1:18, He born us in His Word, man is born again after believing the Lord. Truth may refer to Gospel.
1:19-20, so do not angry, God will sure judge (Matthew 5:22) we need good behavior to glorified God (Matthew 5:16) so we must take care of our tongue (James 1:26; 3:8), it is better we can become a listener in anger, anger may cause us to sin (Eph 4:26) Justified by faith, we must know how to talk.
1:25 do not continue to become a listener, but a doer! Do the Ten Commandments, we must obey! Christian must produce work according to Ten Commandments!
1:26, outward devotion is useless! It is like those idol worshiper. Ecumenical movement is heading uniting every idol worshipers, if this is the case, we cannot join with this ecumenical movement, God wanted to be united in love and truth, truth of the gospel!
3 tests for true faith:
1.self-control,
2.charity,
3.Keeping oneself unspotted from the world.
1:27, worldly means self centered, pursuing money, statues, power and authority, they worship God with their lips, but their heart is far away from God, their hearts have no God, full with sins. True devotion is seen in doing good works, self-ratification, living in holiness; in love and truth, in obeying the commandment of God.
Look what Peter said in polemic? in 1 Peter 2:1, sin blocks love from fellowship, sin cannot let us love one another; put away this bitterness so that our spiritual life may grow!
1 Peter 2:4, we are the house of God, Christ is the ROCK.
1 Peter 2:5, we are the holy priests.
May God grant us wisdom in reading His sacred word! VPP is wrong or not, may God grant us wisdom!
Discussions
1.How to live our Christian life?
2.What kind of victory and trials in our life?
3.What is the peril of wealth?
4.What is the source of sin?
5.What is the source of God’s goodness?
6.What is hearing?
7.What is doing?
8.How to talk when we are under persecution and opression?
Tuesday 11 November 2008
Christianity in 2008
Christianity has lost attraction in some places like US, why?
There is one explanation, the modernist trend, some have refuse to follow God, and they said no one is caring that truth is absolute, they said that there is no absolute truth! Tolerance become license, so there were a lot of various of ideas, value blooming. This causing gray area, there is confuse of right and wrong, confusion of black and white. Those who are holding the truth become a scamp of the society, this explanation maybe true.
There is another explanation, most of the fundamentalist and evangelical, they are legalistic, they felt they are "better than you," they have this "holy than you," mindset, so they like to rebuke, like to blame other, like to point finger, nothing they do, they actually do not obey and live in Jesus' commandment and teaching, they did not really care for the weaker group, suffering people, those sick community, they did not show that they really love other with love!
So that is why "Emerging Church" is well accepted by the young men and youth now a day. Most of them were hurt in the traditional fundamental churches, so that is why they are looking for reality, a better Christlike, better accepted experience, so they are more open for those strange and new teachings!
We have to blame the legalistic?
My dear friends, do not show your face like a fierce parents anymore to these young men! We wanted to show them we are the BOSS, we felt we are the representative of the fundamentalists, we represent the truth! Please humbly live with the young!
Dialogue with young men is needed! Let us have more zeal to those young man, do not just point fingers! Did You say you want 21th century reformation! Now you wanted the perfect Bible so much! May God grant us the Bible and also the harvest!
There is one explanation, the modernist trend, some have refuse to follow God, and they said no one is caring that truth is absolute, they said that there is no absolute truth! Tolerance become license, so there were a lot of various of ideas, value blooming. This causing gray area, there is confuse of right and wrong, confusion of black and white. Those who are holding the truth become a scamp of the society, this explanation maybe true.
There is another explanation, most of the fundamentalist and evangelical, they are legalistic, they felt they are "better than you," they have this "holy than you," mindset, so they like to rebuke, like to blame other, like to point finger, nothing they do, they actually do not obey and live in Jesus' commandment and teaching, they did not really care for the weaker group, suffering people, those sick community, they did not show that they really love other with love!
So that is why "Emerging Church" is well accepted by the young men and youth now a day. Most of them were hurt in the traditional fundamental churches, so that is why they are looking for reality, a better Christlike, better accepted experience, so they are more open for those strange and new teachings!
We have to blame the legalistic?
My dear friends, do not show your face like a fierce parents anymore to these young men! We wanted to show them we are the BOSS, we felt we are the representative of the fundamentalists, we represent the truth! Please humbly live with the young!
Dialogue with young men is needed! Let us have more zeal to those young man, do not just point fingers! Did You say you want 21th century reformation! Now you wanted the perfect Bible so much! May God grant us the Bible and also the harvest!
Is there any error in the Bible?
Is there any error in the Bible? There is a few scholars had proven that the Bible has errors, then how can the Bible is inspired?
Answer: We all knew, our Bible in our hand today, is not the Bible writer’s original autograph, the Bible was copied many times, recopies, and then translated.
We all believe the first hand written Bible, the original text, the autograph is without error, but sad to say the original texts were not preserved, they were lost. In these few thousands years, they may had rotten and and expired, so today, the Bible in our hand, is handed down to us, through 2 thousand years of copying and copying, and in the process of copying, there are errors, by human mistake, mistakes made, in the process of copying, this is reasonable, and we can imagine this will happened.
But, there are people attacking the integrity of the Bible, they said that the Bible has errors, after researches, most of the errors were misunderstandings:
1.The archaeologist and manuscripts find that a lot of errors are copy errors, so it is not errors.
2.Some errors are jot and title, some are numbers errors. We knew that the old manuscripts were written on the skin, due to ware and tear, some of letters were erased, so they read wrongly, so they person who copy them will copy them wrongly. But those copy errors in numbers and places are not significant, all important truth were not affected.
3.Some errors, were due to ignorance of those who were attacking the Bible, these critical places later were deeply expounded and explained by some Bible scholars, so the problems solved.
4.There were many New Testament writers, when they quote the Old Testament, we may find errors in wording, the Old Testament were not quoted verbatim, but sometimes they were quoted loosely. The New Testament writer use dynamic equivalent in translating the Old Testaments.
5.And then there were places seem like errors, but they were not errors, it is because the New Testament writers use different angle to descript a event, like the four Gospel, because Matthew descript Jesus as King and Lord, Mark descript the Lord as a Servant, Luke descript Jesus as Son of Man, John descript Jesus as Son of God, so the four Gospel appeared to use different stress, materials, and styles.
6.And then there were errors in historical facts, but later we find that there were people who were attacking the Bible, compared the historical facts in the Bible with the wrong historical facts in the world. The Bible is without error!
Excluded from above conditions, the Bible never appeared to have errors! There may have a few places where we further explanation, but they are all secondary importance, we find that all grant and crucial doctrines and truth have not defect or touched. They were preserved! Those little copies errors were not affecting the teaching of the truth! The Bible is authentically preserved for all these years, thank God.
We truly believe that, through archeology finding, the study of the meaning of the word, and comparing the old manuscripts, and continue in studying the original languages, those insignificant errors one day will be truly explained and expounded, because the Lord said, “heaven and earth will pass away, but.... my Word will not pass away!”
This is what most of Chinese Churches believe in the Bible, and we can surely said that the Bible in our hand in the Word of God! No doubt about this!
Answer: We all knew, our Bible in our hand today, is not the Bible writer’s original autograph, the Bible was copied many times, recopies, and then translated.
We all believe the first hand written Bible, the original text, the autograph is without error, but sad to say the original texts were not preserved, they were lost. In these few thousands years, they may had rotten and and expired, so today, the Bible in our hand, is handed down to us, through 2 thousand years of copying and copying, and in the process of copying, there are errors, by human mistake, mistakes made, in the process of copying, this is reasonable, and we can imagine this will happened.
But, there are people attacking the integrity of the Bible, they said that the Bible has errors, after researches, most of the errors were misunderstandings:
1.The archaeologist and manuscripts find that a lot of errors are copy errors, so it is not errors.
2.Some errors are jot and title, some are numbers errors. We knew that the old manuscripts were written on the skin, due to ware and tear, some of letters were erased, so they read wrongly, so they person who copy them will copy them wrongly. But those copy errors in numbers and places are not significant, all important truth were not affected.
3.Some errors, were due to ignorance of those who were attacking the Bible, these critical places later were deeply expounded and explained by some Bible scholars, so the problems solved.
4.There were many New Testament writers, when they quote the Old Testament, we may find errors in wording, the Old Testament were not quoted verbatim, but sometimes they were quoted loosely. The New Testament writer use dynamic equivalent in translating the Old Testaments.
5.And then there were places seem like errors, but they were not errors, it is because the New Testament writers use different angle to descript a event, like the four Gospel, because Matthew descript Jesus as King and Lord, Mark descript the Lord as a Servant, Luke descript Jesus as Son of Man, John descript Jesus as Son of God, so the four Gospel appeared to use different stress, materials, and styles.
6.And then there were errors in historical facts, but later we find that there were people who were attacking the Bible, compared the historical facts in the Bible with the wrong historical facts in the world. The Bible is without error!
Excluded from above conditions, the Bible never appeared to have errors! There may have a few places where we further explanation, but they are all secondary importance, we find that all grant and crucial doctrines and truth have not defect or touched. They were preserved! Those little copies errors were not affecting the teaching of the truth! The Bible is authentically preserved for all these years, thank God.
We truly believe that, through archeology finding, the study of the meaning of the word, and comparing the old manuscripts, and continue in studying the original languages, those insignificant errors one day will be truly explained and expounded, because the Lord said, “heaven and earth will pass away, but.... my Word will not pass away!”
This is what most of Chinese Churches believe in the Bible, and we can surely said that the Bible in our hand in the Word of God! No doubt about this!
Monday 10 November 2008
the destruction of the flesh
1 Corinthians 5:5 to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
2 Corinthians 11:14 and no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
1 Timothy 1:20 of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Who is this Satan, the Greek word “sat-an-as,” means !”the accuser.” i.e. the devil.
Some theologians change the application for this word; they taught that this word can be employed on any one including the believers, they encourage believers to be a satan!
To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh. They taught that someone can become a “Satan” to destroy the enemies, they see it is fit. In conventional warfare, the enemies must be eliminated by all means, likewise in spiritual warfare in the churches.
They taught, if you dislike someone in the churches, because he “accused” you, or he oppose your teaching or he disturb your reputation, someone become a “Satan” to you, become your enemy, you become “Satan’ to him, by all means. These theologians taught their doctors like this! Chilling!
Furthermore, if you hate him, the theologians say, you also find him to be a weak and sick, and the enemies became you treat, opposer, next, the theologian said it is all right to destroy the enemy’s body, all means to defeat him, use all method, use all toxic you may use onto the enemy! To destroy the enemy, destroy the flesh, for the destruction of the flesh, to defeat them, the body must be destroyed they said! And the believers can use this mandate to destroy someone in the Christian Fellowship!
The false teachers taught that “believer can become the author of bodily diseases.” of some bodily evil, this means the flesh may be tamed , so that that offender or enemy would be subject to corporal inflictions by the agency of these “Satan” employed. These false teachers taught that it was designed for the government of the church! They will send out secret workers, to destroy the body of an enemy, to destroy those they disliked. They destroyed even those who are weak in faith, those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, they destroyed the poor in spirit, and they continue to destroy the whole church!
This is the doctrine of the devils! Beza, and the Latin Fathers, suppose that this is only an expression of excommunication. Cast out. But these theologians taught that they must be excommunicated and destroyed the body all together by human effort, with poison or toxic! Whatsoever, the enemy must be silent! This is cruelty. We are living in the end time! End time!
My friends what I mean, is even with “word” we may killed and destroy a man, so becareful for what we say, what we talked! “Word” is poison and toxic when a man curse, all these words are coming from the devils, word without peace, is not from God, peaceable wisdom is from above, so with "word" they destroy, and destroy!
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
And the theologians even called other denominations and those opposed their teaching as the “churches of the devil.” Quoting the scriptures below,
Revelation 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
And Revelation 12:9 and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Satan is our enemy! Not our friend! But do not try to be one of them! False teachers like some, are doing destruction! Giving false witness about the scripture, and destroy the good image of God! The theologians destroy more than building up the faith of the congregation!
2 Corinthians 11:14 and no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
1 Timothy 1:20 of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Who is this Satan, the Greek word “sat-an-as,” means !”the accuser.” i.e. the devil.
Some theologians change the application for this word; they taught that this word can be employed on any one including the believers, they encourage believers to be a satan!
To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh. They taught that someone can become a “Satan” to destroy the enemies, they see it is fit. In conventional warfare, the enemies must be eliminated by all means, likewise in spiritual warfare in the churches.
They taught, if you dislike someone in the churches, because he “accused” you, or he oppose your teaching or he disturb your reputation, someone become a “Satan” to you, become your enemy, you become “Satan’ to him, by all means. These theologians taught their doctors like this! Chilling!
Furthermore, if you hate him, the theologians say, you also find him to be a weak and sick, and the enemies became you treat, opposer, next, the theologian said it is all right to destroy the enemy’s body, all means to defeat him, use all method, use all toxic you may use onto the enemy! To destroy the enemy, destroy the flesh, for the destruction of the flesh, to defeat them, the body must be destroyed they said! And the believers can use this mandate to destroy someone in the Christian Fellowship!
The false teachers taught that “believer can become the author of bodily diseases.” of some bodily evil, this means the flesh may be tamed , so that that offender or enemy would be subject to corporal inflictions by the agency of these “Satan” employed. These false teachers taught that it was designed for the government of the church! They will send out secret workers, to destroy the body of an enemy, to destroy those they disliked. They destroyed even those who are weak in faith, those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, they destroyed the poor in spirit, and they continue to destroy the whole church!
This is the doctrine of the devils! Beza, and the Latin Fathers, suppose that this is only an expression of excommunication. Cast out. But these theologians taught that they must be excommunicated and destroyed the body all together by human effort, with poison or toxic! Whatsoever, the enemy must be silent! This is cruelty. We are living in the end time! End time!
My friends what I mean, is even with “word” we may killed and destroy a man, so becareful for what we say, what we talked! “Word” is poison and toxic when a man curse, all these words are coming from the devils, word without peace, is not from God, peaceable wisdom is from above, so with "word" they destroy, and destroy!
James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
And the theologians even called other denominations and those opposed their teaching as the “churches of the devil.” Quoting the scriptures below,
Revelation 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
And Revelation 12:9 and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Satan is our enemy! Not our friend! But do not try to be one of them! False teachers like some, are doing destruction! Giving false witness about the scripture, and destroy the good image of God! The theologians destroy more than building up the faith of the congregation!
Sunday 9 November 2008
Sermon Summary
Same heart in the Lord
Paul wrote 3 letters to the churches when he was in prison, in the letter to Ephesians, he says the church is the body of Christ, in the letter to Colossians, he said Christ is the head of the church, and in the letter to Philippians, he wrote that the church must live like Christ.
It is sad to see the church, before the church is starting to fight the enemies, the church splits. Brothers became enemy! They had depression. It is hurtful. So that is why Paul wanted the Philippians to rejoice in Christ, because they were sad. The church had problems even in the beginning.
Paul remembered them, day and night, and he prayed for them. And he wrote there is one way to rejoice. There is only one way, it is to return to the Lord, focus only on Him. Without Him, we cannot rejoice.
There were chaos and confusions in the church. When the body of Christ, had problems, they are not small problems, but they had the most terrible problem in the world, sins, and they, the sinner lived together, and they had prayed, and they had taught the truth, and then they had believed the truth, but there was still the problem of sin.
The Lord wanted the whole church, not one or two leaders, who are serving the Lord. The church is not just of the leaders, one or two theologians, but the whole body is the body of Christ. When we had the problems, we must look to the Lord.
There are some theologians who taught doctrines, but beyond that, they gave impression that degree is everything in serving the Lord, not so, the training is a part of training, but there is another important part in the training, the heart.
What kind of the theologians had in them, then what kind of hearts they will produce in theirs follower. Lord looked heavily on the witness. But Christ must live in our hearts. Not just degree, but heart in Christ, Christ living in our heart or not?
God never withheld any spiritual goodness for His children. He never withheld any of the perfect Word from His children. There were the good words the Lord had given to His children, and they lived by every word proceed from the mouth of God.
It is very sad, to see that the theologians are doubting the Word of God, even come to put doubt in the heart of the young believers about the CUV, and they are pursuing the perfect underlying text, and they step on the good witness of the church. And they forget that the church is one, the one body of Christ. Dear friend, one day, the Lord will come, to receive, the bride, the church.
Rev 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and
which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Rev 1:11
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in
a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus,
and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto
Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Rev 21:6
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the
fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Christ is the Alpha and Omega, these two letters of Greek speaks louder than all the doctrines those theologians put together! Alpha and Omega! 2 perfect words stand forever, Amen, Amen, Amen!
Alpha is the first, Omega the last, letter of the Greek alphabet, and as such they enclose all the rest. Christ calling himself the first and the last, that is, the first cause and the last end, (as nothing began before him, so nothing can outlast him,) he does hereby discover his divinity to us.
All begins with God and he closes the drama of earthly history.
And then, at the end of the earth, not just pastors and theologians, the church is not only friends, but brothers.
The fellowship in the Gospel, must have same heart and same mind, believing the same gospel.
Philippians 1:5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
They must have same heart and same mind in preaching Christ, telling the salvation for the sinners, saying forgiveness for sins. This not about a company, but Paul said they are a fellowship.
A Fellowship in Christ is better than a Bible College which is teaching wrong doctrines!
Paul wanted them to know what is right and what is wrong?
He prayed, Philippians 1:10, That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
3 things for us to start to work on in the fellowship, let us be united in the fellowship of the Gospel.
1. Loving the truth is very important.
2. Loving those things are good,
3. Living in a blameless life, this is the hardest part.
There are people getting famous because the achievement and wealth they have, and the Lord said they had received the rewards.
Matthew 6: 2, 5,16.
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before
thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that
they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their
reward.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of
the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They
have their reward. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as
the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their
faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you,
They have their reward.
We are called to bear fruit by connecting to Christ. Before we can bear any fruit we must grow up first, if we can bear fruit, then God will be glorified. Pursue this life changing, life growing, fruit bearing life, and lastly we have the glorifying life.
I hope the Lord may grant us joy and power in our life. Amen.
The Lord is Alpha and Omega !
Paul wrote 3 letters to the churches when he was in prison, in the letter to Ephesians, he says the church is the body of Christ, in the letter to Colossians, he said Christ is the head of the church, and in the letter to Philippians, he wrote that the church must live like Christ.
It is sad to see the church, before the church is starting to fight the enemies, the church splits. Brothers became enemy! They had depression. It is hurtful. So that is why Paul wanted the Philippians to rejoice in Christ, because they were sad. The church had problems even in the beginning.
Paul remembered them, day and night, and he prayed for them. And he wrote there is one way to rejoice. There is only one way, it is to return to the Lord, focus only on Him. Without Him, we cannot rejoice.
There were chaos and confusions in the church. When the body of Christ, had problems, they are not small problems, but they had the most terrible problem in the world, sins, and they, the sinner lived together, and they had prayed, and they had taught the truth, and then they had believed the truth, but there was still the problem of sin.
The Lord wanted the whole church, not one or two leaders, who are serving the Lord. The church is not just of the leaders, one or two theologians, but the whole body is the body of Christ. When we had the problems, we must look to the Lord.
There are some theologians who taught doctrines, but beyond that, they gave impression that degree is everything in serving the Lord, not so, the training is a part of training, but there is another important part in the training, the heart.
What kind of the theologians had in them, then what kind of hearts they will produce in theirs follower. Lord looked heavily on the witness. But Christ must live in our hearts. Not just degree, but heart in Christ, Christ living in our heart or not?
God never withheld any spiritual goodness for His children. He never withheld any of the perfect Word from His children. There were the good words the Lord had given to His children, and they lived by every word proceed from the mouth of God.
It is very sad, to see that the theologians are doubting the Word of God, even come to put doubt in the heart of the young believers about the CUV, and they are pursuing the perfect underlying text, and they step on the good witness of the church. And they forget that the church is one, the one body of Christ. Dear friend, one day, the Lord will come, to receive, the bride, the church.
Rev 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and
which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Rev 1:11
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in
a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus,
and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto
Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Rev 21:6
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the
fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 22:13
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Christ is the Alpha and Omega, these two letters of Greek speaks louder than all the doctrines those theologians put together! Alpha and Omega! 2 perfect words stand forever, Amen, Amen, Amen!
Alpha is the first, Omega the last, letter of the Greek alphabet, and as such they enclose all the rest. Christ calling himself the first and the last, that is, the first cause and the last end, (as nothing began before him, so nothing can outlast him,) he does hereby discover his divinity to us.
All begins with God and he closes the drama of earthly history.
And then, at the end of the earth, not just pastors and theologians, the church is not only friends, but brothers.
The fellowship in the Gospel, must have same heart and same mind, believing the same gospel.
Philippians 1:5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
They must have same heart and same mind in preaching Christ, telling the salvation for the sinners, saying forgiveness for sins. This not about a company, but Paul said they are a fellowship.
A Fellowship in Christ is better than a Bible College which is teaching wrong doctrines!
Paul wanted them to know what is right and what is wrong?
He prayed, Philippians 1:10, That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
3 things for us to start to work on in the fellowship, let us be united in the fellowship of the Gospel.
1. Loving the truth is very important.
2. Loving those things are good,
3. Living in a blameless life, this is the hardest part.
There are people getting famous because the achievement and wealth they have, and the Lord said they had received the rewards.
Matthew 6: 2, 5,16.
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before
thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that
they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their
reward.
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for
they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of
the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They
have their reward. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as
the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their
faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you,
They have their reward.
We are called to bear fruit by connecting to Christ. Before we can bear any fruit we must grow up first, if we can bear fruit, then God will be glorified. Pursue this life changing, life growing, fruit bearing life, and lastly we have the glorifying life.
I hope the Lord may grant us joy and power in our life. Amen.
The Lord is Alpha and Omega !
Thursday 6 November 2008
Wesley on Scripture
Biblical inerrancy is the historically traditional and currently conservative evangelical doctrinal position that in its original form, the Bible is totally without error, and free from all contradiction; "referring to the complete accuracy of Scripture, including the historical and scientific parts."
The basis for Christian belief and practice is the Holy Bible. John Wesley was steeped in Scripture in Scripture from childhood. He said the final authority for belief was derived from the Bible.
He says, “All faith is founded upon divine authority, so there is now divine authority but the Scriptures…” (John Wesley, Works, Vol. X, p.91)
What Bible version was used by John Wesley? Wonder...Did he says anything about the preservation of the Bible in a single one Bible version?
He wrote in his journal: “My ground is the Bible…I follow it in all things great and small” (June 5, 1766)
“O give me that book! At any price, give me the book of God!” (John Wesley, Sermon, Vol. 1, pp 31-32)
In “The general Rules of Our Society,” he wrote, the Bible is “the only rule, and the sufficient rule, both for our faith and practice.”
He knew that no one can read Scripture without bringing to it something of his own interpretation.
He realized there would be differences in interpretation among even the most sincere and informed Christians. But most differences among Christians, Wesley believed, usually concern matters that are not essential to salvation and practical Christian living.
Wesley regarded the Biblical teaching on justification and New Birth as the two most important Christian doctrines. (Sermon, Vol. 2, pp 226-227).
The second emphasis the John Wesley made in his use of Scripture, he insisted that “inward holiness” required “outward holiness.” Simply emphasis is pay attention to “Inner life and evangelistic demands of the Gospel.”
The third emphasis is concerning the promises and blessings God gives His children when they open the Bible. One of the most important of these is “assurance,” or the witness of the Spirit. He also emphasized many other blessings which God has for His Children: victory over sin, joy, the peace of God.
He never got away from the authority of Scripture, did he preach or write, emphasis the important of the scripture until to pursue a “perfect underlying scripture text”?
Question for you to answer:
How many denominations are teaching this “Verbal Plenary Preservation” like the theologians in Nov 2008?
Wednesday 5 November 2008
Methodist sister
One day I met a sister in Christ on the street, she was a student from FEBC Singapore, she is now worshiping in a Methodist Church.
After few times of conversations, one day we met again, she breaks the ice, she says, “No one knows who is saved or who is not saved in the church.”
There are differences between Methodist’s doctrines and Calvinist. Calvinist taught us, “once saved always saved.” This is the role of God, this is God’s part, God assurance.
Presently, some Methodists does not reject this Calvin’s doctrine, but they rather see everyone as sinner in the church, every soul is equal, sinner, everyone is treated equal, every one is seeking the truth, seeking the new life in Christ, seeking better spiritual growth in Christ, seeking blessing from God. Seeking double blessings; seeking secondary blessing; seeking more blessings from God, the holiness!
But the Methodist should inspired us that human has human roles, humans part, human responsibility, that is to see humbly, our salvation is not secured yet, until one is genuinely saved, Paul said so think carefully when you say you stand, or you fall backward. Pursuing holiness in our Christian’s life, is a great reformation, great awakening in Methodist movement.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
I agreed totally that we should not pull people legs, especially those who are weak in faith, and the beginner, and the babe, and the milk must be given faithfully, without argue about words. Arguing who is “saved or not saved,” rather give our full effort to pursue holiness, the secondary blessing, holiness in our life. And continue to grow in faith and love.
Do not take thing for granted, so, what?
So, every one is treated as “someone may lose their salvation,” like a babe needed milk, and constant abiding with God in our walk with God. So the members must be well taken care of, without prejudice weather she or he is the saved or the unsaved.
We do our part in nurturing the church. God surely know who belongs to Him.
And the Methodist goes all out for evangelism, goes all out with all kinds of method to attract people to come to church, by all means of Bible Study, dramas, songs, book selling, home visiting, all are treated equally, as sinner, needed constant cares, all needed the blessing, further blessing, better and better, until we meet at the Lord’s face.
We should not take pride in our doctrine of “once saved always saved.” But rather doing our human part and responsibility.
That sentence she spoken, had a deep impact in my Calvinist view, it means that we should not waste our time in attacking those who are weak, but build them in the holy faith.
Do not waste time in VPP! 5 years wasted in defending and defending the VPP. Do not waste our time in stumbling young and weak beginner, faith seeker, professor, even saved one.
And the theologians are teaching the Bible, especially favored underlying TR, they are teaching that the Bible is “once preserved always preserved.” I really felt they gone to far this time. Do not take things for granted.
“Who is saved, who is better, who is born again, who will lose their salvation, who is not saved, who is spiritual, who is not spiritual.” Rather offer a silent of prayer for them all.
Someone says this “Gain all you can, save all you can, ........ all you can!”
What is our Haman's responsibility!
Saving the Bible?
Soul?
Gospel?
Holiness?
After few times of conversations, one day we met again, she breaks the ice, she says, “No one knows who is saved or who is not saved in the church.”
There are differences between Methodist’s doctrines and Calvinist. Calvinist taught us, “once saved always saved.” This is the role of God, this is God’s part, God assurance.
Presently, some Methodists does not reject this Calvin’s doctrine, but they rather see everyone as sinner in the church, every soul is equal, sinner, everyone is treated equal, every one is seeking the truth, seeking the new life in Christ, seeking better spiritual growth in Christ, seeking blessing from God. Seeking double blessings; seeking secondary blessing; seeking more blessings from God, the holiness!
But the Methodist should inspired us that human has human roles, humans part, human responsibility, that is to see humbly, our salvation is not secured yet, until one is genuinely saved, Paul said so think carefully when you say you stand, or you fall backward. Pursuing holiness in our Christian’s life, is a great reformation, great awakening in Methodist movement.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
I agreed totally that we should not pull people legs, especially those who are weak in faith, and the beginner, and the babe, and the milk must be given faithfully, without argue about words. Arguing who is “saved or not saved,” rather give our full effort to pursue holiness, the secondary blessing, holiness in our life. And continue to grow in faith and love.
Do not take thing for granted, so, what?
So, every one is treated as “someone may lose their salvation,” like a babe needed milk, and constant abiding with God in our walk with God. So the members must be well taken care of, without prejudice weather she or he is the saved or the unsaved.
We do our part in nurturing the church. God surely know who belongs to Him.
And the Methodist goes all out for evangelism, goes all out with all kinds of method to attract people to come to church, by all means of Bible Study, dramas, songs, book selling, home visiting, all are treated equally, as sinner, needed constant cares, all needed the blessing, further blessing, better and better, until we meet at the Lord’s face.
We should not take pride in our doctrine of “once saved always saved.” But rather doing our human part and responsibility.
That sentence she spoken, had a deep impact in my Calvinist view, it means that we should not waste our time in attacking those who are weak, but build them in the holy faith.
Do not waste time in VPP! 5 years wasted in defending and defending the VPP. Do not waste our time in stumbling young and weak beginner, faith seeker, professor, even saved one.
And the theologians are teaching the Bible, especially favored underlying TR, they are teaching that the Bible is “once preserved always preserved.” I really felt they gone to far this time. Do not take things for granted.
“Who is saved, who is better, who is born again, who will lose their salvation, who is not saved, who is spiritual, who is not spiritual.” Rather offer a silent of prayer for them all.
Someone says this “Gain all you can, save all you can, ........ all you can!”
What is our Haman's responsibility!
Saving the Bible?
Soul?
Gospel?
Holiness?
Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, book 1, chapter 8
Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
Book 1
Chapter 8
Calvin use God’s word to support his writing, 1 Corinthians 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”
In writing this, it means, that the Bible comes together with the demonstration of the Spirit and power.
The Bible is not a common book, not a powerless book, what Bible version did he referred? The LXX......
We wrote,"Another objection and answer. Of the wondrous Providence of God
in the preservation of the sacred books. The Greek Translation.
The carefulness of the Jews."
Calvin said there were people who were out of their mind, find fault with some Bible verse, they overdo in some Bible verses, the Bible is full with wonderful sentences, but one thing for sure, man ability is limited.
It means, that human ability in discerning and explaining the truth is limited, and they are still people around, who like to find faults! They are the extremist.
He said, Moses never create any God, he is only preaching the eternal God whom Israelites believed for generations. Moses wanted the Israelites to return to God, there is no other motive other than this.
In writing this, Calvin stressed that the Bible motivates us to return to God, and finding Him!
Calvin said there were people like to fight, and like to struggle, they fight against God’s truth to show people, that they are learned and they were cleverer. Those people said, Antiochus had ordered to burn the Manuscripts, so they doubting about those copies of Manuscripts, which Calvin was using, they asked where they came from?
You see even Calvin’s time there were people like today, like to argue about Manuscripts, doubting the authentication of the mss. One thing I sure of is that, Calvin never claimed that he had perfect BIBLE TEXT!
Calvin writes that we have to think carefully, God had preserved the Bible from the hands’ of the cruel emperors, like save out from the fire, there were people sees the Bible more precious than their life.
This means, Calvin believed fully by faith, that God had preserved the Bible, down from the ages.
Calvin wrote, there were people happily rejoiced, thinking that the Bible had been destroyed, but then, the Bible was resurfaced speedily, the Bible was given to generations, it the Bible was better than ever presented, Calvin asked the readers a question, “If we do not admit this is the work of God, then whose work is this?”
In writing this, Calvin is saying the Bible was presented better and better, and he said this is because God is working on this.
My dear friends, in saying this, Calvin did not disapprove any of those previous Bible translations, or any other translations to come, and did he disapprove any MSS?
There is no such a perfect Bible in his doctrines! This point of time there is no teaching of the VPP exists.
Did Calvin say there is only one Bible for the generations to come? No, he did not.
Did he say the Bible must be preserved in only one translation, even in one perfect TR?
No! Only one Bible? KJV only!
No!
But the fact turned to another ways! See what Calvin wrote.
He wrote here, LXX was famous in the world. And he said this is God’s work, God preserved His covenant, even through many calamities, Judah nearly destroyed, the Hebrew languages was despised, but God take care this Christian belief. One can sees that Calvin looked highly the Old Testament in Greek, the Septuagint, and LXX, a translation rather than the Hebrew Text.
Question is did he stress on that one Bible translation only?
Did he say the Septuagint is perfect?
Did the reformers go on to translate the Bible into other languages? Yes, they did!
Down to the age, did people revise their Bible translations, did they edit the translations?
If they did revisions on their Bible, it means, they did see that their Bible translations were not perfect!
Did the church being destroy in editing the translations? No.
Did God preserving the Bible down to the ages? Yes.
Augustine’s said the Jew is the Christian’s librarian, the Jew given us a Book they did not use.
Lastly, Calvin writes if the Bible is only depends on human efforts, how it is to survive all those attacks? No matter how the people fight The Bible, the Bible with its power, overcome all dangers, so this is proving the Bible is from God!
Calvin said, before that, there were a lot of saints, sacrifice even until to their blood to witness and holding fast the teaching of the Bible, how we should react about them? When those saints accepted the Bible, they became brave and strong, even decided to be a martyr, they were so firmed in giving the Bible to us, so Calvin said we must be firmed and faithfully to accept the Bible then!
And he continue to write in this chapter that the Bible is to received as without mistake, the Bible will make a person come to know God and then be saved.
THE BIBLE IS TO RECEIVED AS WITHOUT MISTAKE! This is by faith!
To end this chapter, CALVIN QOUTING AUGUSTINE, “If a man wanted to understand this mighty and great truth, he must has a devoted and quiet heart.”
Book 1
Chapter 8
Calvin use God’s word to support his writing, 1 Corinthians 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:”
In writing this, it means, that the Bible comes together with the demonstration of the Spirit and power.
The Bible is not a common book, not a powerless book, what Bible version did he referred? The LXX......
We wrote,"Another objection and answer. Of the wondrous Providence of God
in the preservation of the sacred books. The Greek Translation.
The carefulness of the Jews."
Calvin said there were people who were out of their mind, find fault with some Bible verse, they overdo in some Bible verses, the Bible is full with wonderful sentences, but one thing for sure, man ability is limited.
It means, that human ability in discerning and explaining the truth is limited, and they are still people around, who like to find faults! They are the extremist.
He said, Moses never create any God, he is only preaching the eternal God whom Israelites believed for generations. Moses wanted the Israelites to return to God, there is no other motive other than this.
In writing this, Calvin stressed that the Bible motivates us to return to God, and finding Him!
Calvin said there were people like to fight, and like to struggle, they fight against God’s truth to show people, that they are learned and they were cleverer. Those people said, Antiochus had ordered to burn the Manuscripts, so they doubting about those copies of Manuscripts, which Calvin was using, they asked where they came from?
You see even Calvin’s time there were people like today, like to argue about Manuscripts, doubting the authentication of the mss. One thing I sure of is that, Calvin never claimed that he had perfect BIBLE TEXT!
Calvin writes that we have to think carefully, God had preserved the Bible from the hands’ of the cruel emperors, like save out from the fire, there were people sees the Bible more precious than their life.
This means, Calvin believed fully by faith, that God had preserved the Bible, down from the ages.
Calvin wrote, there were people happily rejoiced, thinking that the Bible had been destroyed, but then, the Bible was resurfaced speedily, the Bible was given to generations, it the Bible was better than ever presented, Calvin asked the readers a question, “If we do not admit this is the work of God, then whose work is this?”
In writing this, Calvin is saying the Bible was presented better and better, and he said this is because God is working on this.
My dear friends, in saying this, Calvin did not disapprove any of those previous Bible translations, or any other translations to come, and did he disapprove any MSS?
There is no such a perfect Bible in his doctrines! This point of time there is no teaching of the VPP exists.
Did Calvin say there is only one Bible for the generations to come? No, he did not.
Did he say the Bible must be preserved in only one translation, even in one perfect TR?
No! Only one Bible? KJV only!
No!
But the fact turned to another ways! See what Calvin wrote.
He wrote here, LXX was famous in the world. And he said this is God’s work, God preserved His covenant, even through many calamities, Judah nearly destroyed, the Hebrew languages was despised, but God take care this Christian belief. One can sees that Calvin looked highly the Old Testament in Greek, the Septuagint, and LXX, a translation rather than the Hebrew Text.
Question is did he stress on that one Bible translation only?
Did he say the Septuagint is perfect?
Did the reformers go on to translate the Bible into other languages? Yes, they did!
Down to the age, did people revise their Bible translations, did they edit the translations?
If they did revisions on their Bible, it means, they did see that their Bible translations were not perfect!
Did the church being destroy in editing the translations? No.
Did God preserving the Bible down to the ages? Yes.
Augustine’s said the Jew is the Christian’s librarian, the Jew given us a Book they did not use.
Lastly, Calvin writes if the Bible is only depends on human efforts, how it is to survive all those attacks? No matter how the people fight The Bible, the Bible with its power, overcome all dangers, so this is proving the Bible is from God!
Calvin said, before that, there were a lot of saints, sacrifice even until to their blood to witness and holding fast the teaching of the Bible, how we should react about them? When those saints accepted the Bible, they became brave and strong, even decided to be a martyr, they were so firmed in giving the Bible to us, so Calvin said we must be firmed and faithfully to accept the Bible then!
And he continue to write in this chapter that the Bible is to received as without mistake, the Bible will make a person come to know God and then be saved.
THE BIBLE IS TO RECEIVED AS WITHOUT MISTAKE! This is by faith!
To end this chapter, CALVIN QOUTING AUGUSTINE, “If a man wanted to understand this mighty and great truth, he must has a devoted and quiet heart.”
Tuesday 4 November 2008
The Athanasian Creed (Fifth Century)亞他那修信經
The Athanasian Creed (Fifth Century)亞他那修信經
From CMI title: Ecumenical Creeds and Reformed Confessions and Catechisms
Translated by Dr. Charles Chao D. D.
Edited by Dr. Jonathan Chao
Copyright by China Ministries International
P. O. Box 366, Taipei 112, Taiwan
據說此信經是亞他那修在第四世紀，根據以前的信經及奧古 斯丁的三位一體論寫成的，最早曾在第五世紀的拉丁教會中出現 過，而完整的形式則要到第九世紀，那時大家都認為它是亞他那 修的作品，所以它極具權威性。但在第十七世紀時，羅馬天主教 的學者Voss宣稱此信經并非出于亞他那修之手，他提出亞他那修 必以希臘文著作，但此信經卻流傳于拉丁教會中，可見原作必是 以拉丁文寫成，決非出于亞氏，而且文中并未使用亞氏最為強調 的“本體相同”（Homoousia）一詞。從此無人確知此信經之作者。 《亞他那修信經》是第一個陳述三位一體教義的信經，也是 最好的一個。它的文詞簡潔、清晰，是西方三大信仰正統告白之 一，且為路德及改革宗所肯定，但如今只流傳于天主教及英國國 教聖公會之中。 此信經是以詩體寫成，共有四十句教條，可分為兩部分：第 一部分以三位一體為主題，是依據奧古斯丁的神學寫成﹔第二部 分則強調基督的神人二性，道成肉身及救贖。
亞他那修信經》在當時教會中最主要的功能有三：
1. 在公共崇拜中使用。
2. 作為教會教導的指引及基准。
3. 其清楚的教義可用于抵制撒伯流、阿波林、亞利烏及猶 提乾等異端。
亞他那修信經
1. 凡人欲得救，首先當持守大公教會信仰。
2. 此信仰，凡守之不全不正者，必永遠沉淪。
3. 大公教會信仰即：我等敬拜一體三位，而三位一體之神。
4. 其位不紊，其體不分。
5. 父一位，子一位，聖靈亦一位。
6. 然而父子聖靈同一神性，同一榮耀，亦同一永恆之尊嚴。
7. 父如何，子如何，聖靈亦如何。
8. 父不受造，子不受造，聖靈亦不受造。
9. 父無限，子無限，聖靈亦無限。
10. 父永恆，子永恆，聖靈亦永恆。
11. 非三永恆者，乃一永恆者。
12. 亦非三不受造者，非三無限者，乃一不受造者，一無限者。
13. 如是，父全能，子全能，聖靈亦全能。
14. 然而，非三全能者，乃一全能者。
15. 如是，父是神，子是神，聖靈亦是神。
16. 然而，非三神，乃一神。
17. 如是，父是主，子是主，聖靈亦是主。
18. 然而，非三主，乃一主。
19. 依基督真道，我等不得不認三位均為神，均為主。
20. 依大公教，我等亦不得謂神有三，亦不得謂主有三。
21. 父非由誰作成：既非受造，亦非受生。
22. 子獨由于父：非作成，亦非受造﹔而為受生。
23. 聖靈由于父與子：既非作成，亦非受造，亦非受生﹔而為發 出。
24. 如是，有一父，非三父，有一子，非三子，有一聖靈，非三 聖靈。
25. 且此三位無分先后，無別尊卑。
26. 三位乃均永恆，而同等。
27. 由是如前所言，我等當敬拜一體三位，而三位一體之神。
28. 所以凡欲得救者，必如是而思三位一體之神。
29. 再者，為求得永恆救贖，彼亦必篤信我等之主耶穌基督成為 人身。
30. 依真正信仰，我等信認神之子我等之主耶穌基督，為神，又 為人。
31. 其為神，與聖父同體，受生于諸世界之先﹔其為人，與其母 同體，誕生于此世界。
32. 全神，亦全人，具有理性之靈，血肉之身。
33. 依其為神，與父同等，依其為人，少遜于父。
34. 彼雖為神，亦為人，然非為二，乃為一基督。
35. 彼為一，非由于變神為血肉，乃由于使其人性進入于神。
36. 合為一﹔非由二性相混，乃由位格為一。
37. 如靈與身成為一人，神與人成為一基督。
38. 彼為救我等而受難，降至陰間，第三日從死復活。
39. 升天，坐于全能神父之右。
40. 將來必從彼處降臨，審判活人死人。
41. 彼降臨時，萬人必具身體復活﹔
42. 并供認所行之事。
43. 行善者必入永生，作惡者必入永火。
44. 此乃大公教會信仰，人除非篤實相信，必不能得救
How can we be sure about the Bible accounts?
How can we be sure about the Bible accounts?
In the days of the first Christians, there were many writings about the life of Jesus. But some had special quality--they had been written by Jesus' followers or their close friends. These gospels and letters were carefully copied by hand. Over the years, archaeologists have found thousands of manuscripts of bits of the New Testament and even some complete copies. By comparing these, we can get very close to what the New Testament writers originally wrote. Some of these copies are dated less than 100 years after the original gospel or letter was written.
For an idea of how good this evidence is, compare the New Testament with other writings that are about as old as the New Testament. For example, Julius Caesar wrote a book called The Gallic War about 50 years before Christ was born. We obviously do not have the original copy. Yet, we do have nine or ten copies, and the earliest of these was made about 900 years after the original. This is a typical gap for ancient writings.
When, however, we examine the historical evidence relating to the Bible, one learns that there are thousands of manuscripts of the New Testament books. Therefore, we have good reason to believe that we know almost exactly what Luke, Paul and the others wrote.
TO THINK ABOUT
Jesus came to help the "poor", the "captive", the "blind", and the "oppressed." What are ways in which people today are poor, captive, blind or oppressed?
in N. America, call 1 800 226 4051 to talk with someone now
www.whoisjesus.org
Dear friends,
DO NOT DOUBT!
BELIEVE!
TRUSTING JESUS!
READ YOUR BIBLE!
Even God care for a small mosquito, a small bird in the air,
How will He take care of His Word!
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