Godliness
1 Timothy 6:11
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
As a man of God, Timothy was told to follow after, or pursue,
godliness. The Greek word used for godliness in this verse is eusebeia.
Eusebeia is a real, true, vital spiritual relationship with God and is
the opposite of threskeia (religion) which relates to the acts of
religious observances or ceremonies. Religion is an outward act
performed by sense knowledge man in an attempt to show God or others his
piety. Godliness is a true spiritual relationship which comes from
having holy spirit within and walking with God.
The book of
Timothy was written to a young leader in the body of believers to whom
Paul was passing on much of the responsibility of keeping the Word alive
and moving. Eusebeia is used eight times in the book of 1 Timothy.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
We want to live honest, quiet, peaceable lives walking in all of the
true, vital, spiritual relationship with God that is available.
Therefore, God exhorts that we talk with Him, we make requests of Him,
we ask Him to intercede, and we give Him thanks when it comes to living
in this world where men are ruled by their own selfish needs and desires
and where men have authority over us via governments. It is by
exercising our true, vital, spiritual relationship with God in prayer
for those who have influence around us in the world that we are able to
live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. We want
to walk in the abundant spiritual relationship that God has made
available without interference from the laws and rules of men. That
does not mean we do not live within the confines of the laws of our
lands. It means looking to God to keep our lands free from laws and
decisions of men that would obstruct our freedom to live according to
God and His Word. It means praying for kings and those in authority.
It means going to God and trusting Him when it comes to living in this
world. The focus is not on the act of prayer to show men how religious
we are; the focus is on the true, vital, spiritual relationship we have
with God that allows Him to work in the situations in our life that are
influenced by the men around us.
It is God's will that ALL men
get born again, saved, and ALSO that all men come unto THE knowledge of
THE truth. To that end we pray for men to believe and we walk with God
in that true, vital, spiritual relationship. For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God who sent His son to save us and to make
it available for us to live our lives in godliness.
1 Timothy 3:16
[We are speaking of "godliness" here - NOT the identity of God!What is godliness(?), a verb of believing conduct, yea, a lifestyle - by definition: a true and vital relationship with God.]
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God [WHICH
- the Greek word "ho" - means: Which] was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world, received up into glory.
"The mystery
of godliness" is the Greek genitive of origin and can be understood in
English as "The Great Mystery which produces godliness." The Great
Mystery is that which God hid in Himself regarding the spiritual
relationship that would be available to us in this day and
administration of grace. We are able to walk in a true, vital,
spiritual relationship with God today because of the fullness of that
which God made available to us on the day of Pentecost. The richness of
that which we received was so big that God hid the knowledge of it in
Himself until He revealed it to the Apostle Paul. It is the knowledge
of that which we received that produces a true, vital, spiritual
relationship with God. Here in Timothy, the Great Mystery is outlined
in this verse:
It was manifest in the flesh: On the day of
Pentecost it became available for all - Jews and Gentiles - to get born
again and have holy spirit within. It became available to walk in a
true, vital, spiritual relationship with God. The Mystery of what God
prepared for us before the foundations of the world was manifest in the
flesh and seen for the first time as the 12 Apostles spoke in tongues on
that wonderful day. A knowledge of that which came on the day of
Pentecost and how to operate all nine manifestations of the spirit in
our life produces godliness in our walk.
It was justified in the
Spirit: In the new birth all - Jews and Gentiles - are spiritually
justified. Because of the walk of Jesus Christ and our acceptance of
his substitution for us we have received from God justification.
Spiritually it is "just as if we never sinned." The Great Mystery
includes our justification. A true, vital, spiritual relationship
includes walking with God in the knowledge of our standing before God
without any sense of sin, guilt, or condemnation. The knowledge of our
justification produces godliness in our walk.
It was seen of
angels: Ephesians 3:9-10 says And to make all men see what is the
fellowship [administration] of the mystery, which from the beginning of
the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ
[not in text]: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers
in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of
God, A knowledge of the Great Mystery of our administration is made
known to all, including angels and spiritual powers, by us: by the
church. A true, vital, spiritual relationship with God includes making
known the administration of the mystery to all principalities and powers
in heavenly places. It means walking a spiritual walk in which we
recognize the existence of spiritual powers in the world and the true
spiritual nature of life. As we make known the mystery of that which
God has given to us, the knowledge of this mystery produces godliness in
our walk.
It was preached unto the Gentiles (nations): Ephesians
3:8 says Unto me [Paul] who am less than the least of all saints, is
this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ; Unsearchable is untrackable. The
knowledge of what was to become available and that all nations - Jews
and Gentiles - were to be included was not trackable in the Word of God
given in the Old Testament. This mystery was first made known to the
Apostle Paul after the day of Pentecost. The grace of God given to us
is available to every man! A true, vital, spiritual relationship with
God includes teaching the world about that which God has made known unto
us. As we make it known, by preaching, the knowledge of this mystery
produces godliness in our walk.
It was believed on in the world:
Romans 10:9-12 says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek
[Gentile]: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon
him. When we share with the nations what it takes to get born again and
receive the great benefits of the mystery some will respond by
believing. Making known the mystery includes taking action - believing -
that which you hear. A true, vital, spiritual relationship with God
includes believing the Word of God once we hear it. As we act on a
knowledge of the mystery of God, it produces godliness in our walk.
It
will be received up into glory: A knowledge of the Great Mystery of
the grace of God includes our hope for the return of Christ and our
gathering together unto him. As we walk in a knowledge of the mystery
of God we look toward our hope. The believers will be given new
spiritual bodies and meet the Lord in the air. It could be today! A
true, vital, spiritual relationship with God includes keeping our eyes
on the hope of Christ's return. Walking in a knowledge that we will be
received up into glory (as was the Lord Jesus Christ) produces godliness
in our walk.
This summary of the whole mystery was given by
Paul to Timothy to produce godliness in opposition to the religious acts
that all too often replace the true, vital, spiritual relationship with
God in many peoples lives.
1 Timothy 4:7
But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
In the context of this verse Timothy was told that some believers
would depart from the true, vital, spiritual relationship of godliness
and begin to teach others a variety of religious practices such as
forbidding to marry and don't eat meat. Religion is the OPPOSITE of
godliness. You cannot walk in a true, vital, spiritual relationship
with God if your worship consists of ceremonies and religious acts. The
Word of God calls these acts a departure from right believing,
doctrines of devils, hypocrisy, and profane old wives' fables. We are
to practice [exercise] godliness not religion. That does not mean that
we don't sometimes have a ceremony or stop eating meat for awhile. It
does mean that the things we do will be a reflection of what is right to
do at a particular time because our true, vital, spiritual relationship
with God is directing our paths. When the acts become more important
than our relationship with God then we are just being religious. What
we do outwardly should be a manifestation of our inward walk with God.
We do not practice religious acts to reach or please God. We have a
relationship with Him and we act because we already have access to Him
and we already are pleasing to Him.
1 Timothy 4:8
For
bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all
things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to
come.
We are to exercise [practice] godliness. In this verse
exercising godliness is compared to physical exercise of the physical
body. Physical exercise profiteth little (or for a little while), but
godliness is profitable for all eternity. It is OK to keep physically
fit - helps you have the energy to move the Word. But our physical
bodies are temporary. They wear out and eventually die. But our true,
vital, spiritual relationship with God is eternal. We have the great
promise of an abundant life now and all eternity to spend with our
heavenly Father. Which is more important: Our physical life or our
relationship with God? We ought to spend time exercising our true,
vital, spiritual relationship with God for that is profitable unto all
things and for all time.
1 Timothy 6:3
If any man teach
otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
Wholesome words - the words of the Lord Jesus Christ - doctrine - is
to be according to the standard of our real, true, vital, spiritual
relationship with God and not according to the commandments and
doctrines of men. Doctrine is how to believe rightly! What we teach
regarding how to believe rightly is to always be according to the
standard of godliness. The man who teaches otherwise follows this
downward path:
1 Timothy 6:4-5
He is proud, knowing
nothing, but doting [having a sick appetite] about questions and strifes
of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the
truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
It begins with pride. A man thinks he knows it all and has himself
as the standard for truth rather than God and His Word. The Word of God
says this man KNOWS NOTHING! Then he begins getting a sick appetite
for questions. He becomes hungry to question the Word of God and find
fault with it. He begins fighting over words. These actions produce
envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, and perverse disputings. This
man's mind has become corrupt and is destitute [without] a knowledge of
the truth. In the end this man comes to the conclusion that gain
[material abundance] is godliness. He thinks that a true, vital,
spiritual relationship with God is the same thing as having THINGS in
abundance. The Word of God says that when a man acts like this we are
to withdraw or excuse ourselves.
1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
In contrast to the man who thinks that gain is what godliness is all
about, a real, true, vital spiritual relationship with God and being
content with what God provides you is very great gain. No matter what
it is that you have or want in this life you can be content if your
focus is on your relationship with God. In Philippians 4:11 Paul said
that he had learned to be content in whatever situation he found
himself. He could live in abundance and he could live in need. The key
to contentment in your life is godliness. If your relationship with
God is such that He is the supplier of all your need then you can be
content with that which you have. Godliness with contentment is very
great gain.
1 Timothy 6:11
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
In conclusion, pursue a real, true, vital, spiritual relationship
with God. All other things will fall in place when your walk with God
is right.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Who really is our redeemer?
This is for all to understand the love that God has manifested forth for his children:
You think you know your Bible! Who is your redeemer?
The Nicene Creed is primarily responsible for the Trinitarian doctrine that is ingrained in the Christian religion today. Even so, modern versions of the bible offer a slim basis for Trinitarian beliefs. The most prominent passage that contains a Trinitarian formula is Matthew 28:19. It says, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." A fourth century scribe, Eusebius, quoted Mathew 28:19 eighteen times using the words "in my name" rather than "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost". After the Council of Nicaea I, however, Eusebius thrice quoted the same verse using the Trinitarian formula. This shows the powerful impact that the Nicene decision had on the subject of the person of Christ (Wierwille).
The following are excerpts from the book “Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed” by Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille.
Dr. Wierwille states “…As the Messiah, Jesus Christ had to fulfill certain genealogical requirements promised in the Old Testament among them, (1) he had to be a descendent of Adam; (2) he had to be a descendent of Abraham; and (3) he had to be a descendent of King David. The Old Testament further stipulated that the Messiah’s royal lineage would trace its way through King David and Solomon. Finally besides being the son of Adam, Abraham, and David, the Messiah would also have to be the Son of God. That Jesus Christ had all of these qualifications will become indisputably clear in studying his conception and genealogy.
Jesus Christ’s genealogy, as with all people, was determined by his mother and her predecessors and his father. So in researching God’s Word for the great truths of Jesus Christ’s genealogy we need to begin by noting certain details regarding his conception…”
Mat 1:18
(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit].
“…Before they came together” means that before Joseph and Mary had sexual intercourse Mary was already pregnant, and the child she was carrying was conceived in her by God, who is the Holy Spirit…”
Luk 1:35
(35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
“…Therefore, from a physical, genetic point of view, Jesus Christ’s Father was God and his mother was Mary. Joseph, Mary’s husband, became Jesus’ human father by the circumstances in which he found himself, but not by his genetic contribution. Joseph by God’s direction accepted the responsibility of rearing Jesus as a son in his household.
There is no question that the Bible teaches divine conception, that God was literally Jesus Christ’s Father. In any conception there are two necessary elements: the egg and the sperm. The egg is supplied by the mother, who in this case was Mary. The sperm is supplied by the father, who in this case was God, who is the Holy Spirit. Being Spirit, God did not, of course, have sexual intercourse with Mary, for spirit cannot cohabit with flesh. Rather, by divine creation, God put seed inside Mary [I would add that if Mary had sex with God she would no longer be a virgin who gave birth.] That is how Mary, who had never had sexual relations, had Jesus conceived within her. This is the miracle of Jesus’ conception…[And…only Mary fulfilled all the prerequisites necessary in order to carry the promised seed. God said He would have an only begotten Son, and He chose Mary in whom to create the seed that would give birth to that one Son.
There are several genetic and physical considerations involved with Jesus Christ’s conception. The Bible teaches that all men since Adam are born “dead in sins” (Eph 2:5). Man is conceived and born with a sinful nature. Psalms 51:5 states, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Romana 5:12 states, “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned.”
Not only is man born spiritually separated from God, he is born physically with sin, corruption, and impurities in his blood and in his soul life. This soul life which is the natural life of man, and attested to by a person’s breathing, is found in the blood.
Lev 17:11
(11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood…
While the mother and father both make genetic contributions to the flesh and blood of a child, the soul life in the blood is contributed by the sperm, the seed. It comes from the male side. In the conception of Jesus Christ, this truth is pointedly stated in Hebrews.
Heb 2:14
(14) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers [Greek: “koinoneo,” to share fully] of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part [Greek: “metecho,” to take a part or portion] of the same [flesh and blood]…
All children share fully of both the flesh and blood, genetically passed on to them since Adam and Eve the first man and woman, but Jesus Christ took only part. He did not share “fully.” Here in Hebrew 2:14, the figure of speech “metonymy” of the adjunct is found, in which the word “blood” is used to represent the soul life in the blood. This usage of “blood” is common in the Bible, especially when it is used with the term “flesh,” which here is used for the physical part of man as opposed to the soul part. In partaking of the flesh and blood, all people have inherited their bodies and their soul life from Adam and his descendants. This soul life in the blood is corrupt with a sinful nature inherent within it.
This is why it is necessary to understand from Hebrews 2:14 that Jesus Christ “took part of the same.” What part did he take? He did not “share” fully in both the flesh and blood of man. Physically, according to the flesh, part of Jesus’ genetic makeup came from Mary. However, the soul life in his blood was not inherited from Mary, Adam, or any other human being. The life of the flesh is in the blood, according to Leviticus 17:11, and the life within the flesh of man, within his blood, is corrupt. But Jesus Christ’s came from God. That is why Jesus Christ’s soul life was conceived without sin or corruption.
As we have seen, natural life, which is called “soul life,” is in the blood. Sin is transmitted through this soul life, in other words, through the blood, and not through the flesh. That is why Hebrews 2:14 is such a tremendous statement. How marvelously God arranged for a child to be conceived that would be completely a man, having complete freedom of will, but also having a sinless nature.
With masterful foresight God prepared for the sinless birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, from the very beginning. In order to produce a sinless man descended from Adam, God provided a way whereby Jesus would have a human body derived from Adam’s line, yet uncontaminated by Adam’s sinful soul life. To accomplish this, God created the sperm containing a perfect soul life which impregnated the egg in Mary’s fallopian tube. Therefore, the dominate characteristics of the genes determining the makeup of Jesus Christ came from his Father, God.
The miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ was his divine conception in Mary. His birth [itself] was not miraculous, for like any infant he developed within Mary’s womb and was born according to natural processes. But, the miracle of his divine conception enabled man’s redeemer to come into the world as a sinless, perfect human being, yet having the freedom of will to sin or not to sin; to believe or not to believe God. God did not go beyond any of His previously instituted laws to bring His son into the world.
Understanding all of this, many scriptures concerning Jesus’ descent from the linage of David become much more meaningful. That is why the following scriptures are so accurate.
Act 2:30
(30) …that of the fruit of his [David’s] loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ…
Rom 1:3
(3) Concerning his [God’s] Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which [who] was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
These verses do not say Jesus Christ was of the seed of David “according to the flesh and blood.” That would be totally inaccurate. These verses all say “according to the flesh,” for Christ’s soul life in his blood came from God. It did not come from David or David’s descendant, Mary. But physically, according to the flesh, Jesus Christ can properly be said to be of the seed of David. That is the great accuracy of these key verses of scripture…”
In his book Dr. Wierwille then goes through the details of the genealogy of Jesus Christ showing by the scripture that both Joseph and Mary were descendants of King David. It’s way too long to add here but after covering Jesus’ genealogy Dr. Wierwille continues with the following paragraphs.
“…A person’s standing in a family was normally recognized by the lineage of the father. From a human point of view Jesus needed patrilineal credentials in order to function in a society built upon paternal genealogy. He would not be accepted in the Judean society without a pedigree traceable through both parents. Since few would believe that on his Father’s side he needed no pedigree, his Father being God, he had to have socially acceptable credentials through the human being whom society considered to be his father, Joseph. Since Joseph assumed the responsibility for Jesus as his son, it was Joseph’s line that gave Jesus full legal standing in the house of David. Whereas Joseph’s genealogy listed in Luke 3 gave Jesus his standing in the House of David by the assumed responsibility of Joseph, it was in truth the genealogy listed in Mathew 1 which gave Jesus Christ true standing in the House of David with the right to inherit his throne by the family line and genetic contribution of Mary.
The genealogy given in Luke 3 is not Jesus Christ’s royal lineage. Mathew 1 indicates his royal lineage from Solomon and others who sat on David’s throne...
…Both lineages, - that of Mary, in the Gospel of Matthew, and that of Joseph, in the Gospel of Luke – have Abraham and David common to their ancestry. Since Joseph assumed the responsibility as Jesus’ father, this gave Jesus during his earthly walk a legal standing in the house of David. But as Mary’s son by birth, Jesus had more than legal standing in the House of David; because of Mary’s genealogy, Jesus Christ was descended from the royal line of the House of David, so that he could genetically and legally inherit the throne of David. Being conceived by the Holy Spirit (who is God) Jesus was the true and only begotten Son of God, the “ssemah” or offspring of God.
Jesus was the offspring of Mary and God. Thus he was born with no sinful nature in him, yet he was totally a man, a male child who would have to mature and learn in order to complete his God ordained mission. As the offspring of both God and Mary, the Christ came into the world fulfilling all the genealogical requirements of the promised seed: he would be a descendant of Adam, of Abraham, and of David. He would also be the only begotten Son of God, the promised seed, God’s perfect plan for man’s redemption.”
Mark 13:32
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
He is the literal son, the offspring of God. He was born, as we were born, made of a women according to the flesh. The seed was supplied from God, for Mary had not known a man, by sexual relation, up to the point of conception.
Remember, conceived by the Holy Spirit, a term for God, his Father.
Concerning Jesus Christ: You believe that he was both God and man? This is a biological impossibility! He was made(born) of a woman as all of us. His genetics were superior, because his soul life(sperm) was by God's creation in Mary. God is eternal and immortal; God can not die; God can not be born; God is Spirit; God has no form or comliness. Jesus Christ is simply the offspring of God, the only-begotten, the same yesterday(refers back to his beginning, his birth) today and forever( for he has eternal life); even as we. His soul life is seperate from ours, not after Adam. Hebrews 2:14 tells us that he "took part" only, of flesh and blood; the part that he took was the flesh, after man(Adam), for his blood(soul life) was of divine conception. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that, the life(soul) of the flesh is in the blood. This allowed for his blood to be uncontaminated by the sin nature from the first man, Adam, as ours is: Hebrews 2:14, again; "we are all partaker's of flesh and blood", after Adam. Jesus as a Youth -- Jesus Christ grew up like any other child. Genetically he had many advantages, but he was still a person, a human individual, who had to develop and utilize his learning processes like any other human being. He was not God. God is unchangeable, God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. God would not have needed to grow and learn, but Jesus Christ did. Luke 2:40: "And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:46: "... they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions." Yes, Jesus grew strong & was being filled with wisdom. God in the Bible is said to be immortal! He cannot die, therefore, but His uniquely begotten Son (Luke 1:35) died, and he is therefore not God, but the sinless Man mediator between God (the Father) and mankind. I Tim 2:5 says it perfectly. It is an abuse of the precious gift of language to say "the immortal God died." Just impossible nonsense!
THE GIVER and HIS GIFT -- The Holy Spirit is God(Jehovah) our Creator(Elohim). The God and the Father of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the offspring of God, only begotten, physically, by Divine conception of God, the Giver; Holy Spirit! God's gift is holy spirit, which is power from on high. We are baptized by this gift from God, the Giver.
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49.
"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me."For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:4-5.
"endued with power from on high" Luke 24:49.
EQUALS
"the promise of the Father" Acts 1:4.
EQUALS
"ye shall be baptized with the holy spirit" Acts 1:5.
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Acts 1:8.
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Acts 2:1-4.
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call."
Acts 2:38-39.
Consider this work of research and historical evidence.
John 20:30,31
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Mark 1:1
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Mark 1:11
And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mark 9:7
And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Even devil spirits called Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Matthew 8:28,29
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
These verses are extremely clear - Jesus Christ is the son of God. In this context, it is quite astonishing to learn that there is not one single verse anywhere in the entire bible that says that Jesus is God the Son. The phrase God the son does not exist in scripture. Fifty times Jesus Christ is called the son of God and not once is he called God the son. Take that to any court of law in any country in the world and I think you would find it declared as conclusive evidence as to who Jesus Christ was. However, let's explore further. Can God be tempted with evil? This is rhetoric, of course.
James 1:13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Pretty clear? God cannot be tempted with evil. It is just not possible, end of story. Now compare that with these verses:
Luke 4:1,2
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest [referring to Jesus Christ] which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 2:18
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Jesus Christ endured temptation. In fact, he was tempted in all things just as we are. If it is impossible for God to be tempted with evil, and Jesus Christ was tempted with evil, then how could Jesus Christ be God? Another difference between God and Jesus Christ is their distinct and separate wills.
Matthew 26:39,42
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
If Jesus Christ is God, then to whom was he praying? Himself? Jesus Christ clearly had his own will, which was distinctly his own and completely separate from God. Two distinct and separate wills clearly indicates two distinct and separate beings.
John 4:34
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 5:19
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:30
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
John 6:38
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Jesus Christ could not even nominate who sat on his right hand and on his left hand in his Father's kingdom. No disrespect, but he was hardly all-powerful then, was he?
Matthew 20:23
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Jesus Christ was obedient and did his Father's will, not his own will. If Jesus Christ was God, these scriptures are absurd. Yet another problem arises when we consider the following two verses.
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
No man means no man. The scripture is clear. No man, no one, no human being has ever seen God. Did anyone ever see Jesus Christ? Yes, quite a few million during his lifetime I would guess. If Jesus Christ is God, then words have no meaning.
The doctrine of Jesus Christ being God becomes even more ridiculous when we read this verse in John.
John 14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
We can do greater works than Jesus Christ did. That is what this verse says and that is what this verse means. Since the day of Pentecost, it has been available to do greater works than Jesus Christ did while he was here on earth. If Jesus Christ is God, then according to this verse we can do greater works than God, which is absolute nonsense. The doctrine that Jesus Christ is God is easily exposed as religious horseshit when illuminated with rightly divided scripture.
In the following verse, Jesus Christ himself obviously knew that he wasn't God otherwise he would have said something like, 'thanks for calling me good because I am God.'
Matthew 19:17
And he [Jesus Christ] said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Here is another interesting verse.
Matthew 1:18
Now the birth [gennēsis] of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
The word birth is the Greek word gennēsis, from which we get our English word genesis. Genesis means beginning. There can be no doubt as to the meaning of the word genesis. Its meaning is not open to debate. Jesus Christ had a beginning and it was right here in Matthew when he was born. Jesus Christ was not around before this point in time. His birth was his beginning, his genesis.
So, where does the doctrine that Jesus Christ is God come from? It is interesting to note that most, if not all of the ancient religions had a trinity. The Hindu trinity was Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The Greek trinity was Zeus, Athena, and Apollo. The Roman trinity was Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus. The Sumerian trinity was Anu, Enlill and Ea. The Egyptians had quite a few trinities, including Osiris, Isis and Horus.
We can track trinities through pagan religions back to the dawn of time. The heathen belief that gods visit the earth in human form is nothing new.
Acts 14:8-11
And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith [believing] to be healed,
Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men! This pagan belief that gods visit the earth in human form has been rife among those with no understanding of spiritual matters since prehistoric times. The belief that Jesus Christ is God who visited earth in human form has its roots in heathen paganism, not the bible.
Perhaps we should now consider a few of the manipulated and twisted scriptures used to teach that Jesus Christ is God. Here is perhaps the most abused scripture in this regards:
John 10:30
I and my Father are one.
Okay, for the sake of argument, let's assume that this verse does indeed teach that Jesus Christ is God. Let's forget about all the previous verses we've looked at, let's forget about the fact that there are fifty verses that clearly state that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that there are no scriptures anywhere in the bible that say he is God the Son. Let's ignore all the scriptures we've seen that highlight the differences between Jesus Christ and God, and let's pull this one verse totally out of the context of the rest of the bible and use it to teach that Jesus Christ is God. Okay, now that we've done that, check out these verses a few chapters later, where Jesus Christ is praying.
John 17:20-22
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Okay then, if John 10:30 teaches that Jesus Christ is God, then John 17:20-22 teaches that I am God too and so are you. The trinity is religious horseshit. To gain an understanding of what John 10:30 is talking about, we must examine the immediate context.
John10:27-30
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I and my Father are one.
Verse 28 declares that no man shall pluck the sheep out of Jesus Christ's hand, while verse 29 declares that no man is able to pluck the sheep out of his Father's hand either. Then verse 30 immediately follows when Jesus Christ states that he and his Father are one. One in what? In that no man is able to pluck sheep out of their hands. Is reading the context so difficult? The word translated one here is the Greek word hen, which is in the neuter gender, and means one in purpose. One and the same person would be the Greek word heis - the masculine gender. Consider this following use of hen:
1 Corinthians 3:6-8
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one [hen]: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
When it says that Paul and Apollos were one, does this mean they were one and the same person? How ridiculous! Paul and Apollos were not the same person any more than God and Jesus Christ were the same person. They were one in purpose - likeminded. This logic can also be applied to the following verses.
John 1:1,2,14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Do these verses say that Jesus Christ was God? Not if language has any rules. It says the word was there in the beginning with God, not Jesus Christ, and that the word was later made flesh in the form of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, assume for the sake of argument that John 1 does indeed teach that Jesus Christ was God and that he was there in the beginning with him. Okay, now compare these verses from Ephesians and Thessalonians.
Ephesians 1:4
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
According to Ephesians and Thessalonians, God also knew about us back in the beginning before the foundation of the world. So does that mean we were actually there? Yes, we were there in the beginning with God, just like Jesus Christ. This is true. However, these verses are referring to God's foreknowledge. We were not literally there with him back in Genesis, no more so than Jesus Christ was literally there. Jesus Christ had his beginning, his genesis, when he was born, just as we did. So what are these verses in John saying?
John 1:1,2,14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
What these verses tell us is that Jesus Christ epitomised the word during his life by being a living example of it. It was the word that was there in the beginning and Jesus Christ lived it to such a standard during his life that we could see the living word in him as a breathing reality. We could look at Jesus Christ and see God's word living in someone. We too can live the word to such a degree that we are living epistles, and that doesn't make us God anymore than it made Jesus Christ God.
2 Corinthians 3:2
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
When the word says we are epistles, known and read of all men, does that mean that we are God? No, it simply means we bring the word to life by living it, so that others can see the word in our lives. To teach Jesus Christ was God because he lived the word is just as ridiculous as saying we are God because we live the word.
This is not an exhaustive work on the subject. Most of the other scriptures used to teach that Jesus Christ is God are forgeries, but I don't have the time to write a book on this, that's already been done. It's time to move on, but suffice to say that we have shed a little light into what is perhaps the darkest regions of religion possible. Why do I say that? Because to worship anything or anyone other than the true God is idolatry, and worshipping Jesus as God is exactly that - idolatry. Jesus Christ was not God, he was a man, a human being.
Romans 5:15
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
This, of course, entrenches the doctrine of the trinity clearly within the framework of idolatry. To worship a man as God is idolatry. Therefore idolatry is the foundation stone on which Roman Catholicism and vatican doctrine is built. If you didn't know this, then apologise to God, move on and put it behind you.
You think you know your Bible! Who is your redeemer?
The Nicene Creed is primarily responsible for the Trinitarian doctrine that is ingrained in the Christian religion today. Even so, modern versions of the bible offer a slim basis for Trinitarian beliefs. The most prominent passage that contains a Trinitarian formula is Matthew 28:19. It says, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." A fourth century scribe, Eusebius, quoted Mathew 28:19 eighteen times using the words "in my name" rather than "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost". After the Council of Nicaea I, however, Eusebius thrice quoted the same verse using the Trinitarian formula. This shows the powerful impact that the Nicene decision had on the subject of the person of Christ (Wierwille).
The following are excerpts from the book “Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed” by Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille.
Dr. Wierwille states “…As the Messiah, Jesus Christ had to fulfill certain genealogical requirements promised in the Old Testament among them, (1) he had to be a descendent of Adam; (2) he had to be a descendent of Abraham; and (3) he had to be a descendent of King David. The Old Testament further stipulated that the Messiah’s royal lineage would trace its way through King David and Solomon. Finally besides being the son of Adam, Abraham, and David, the Messiah would also have to be the Son of God. That Jesus Christ had all of these qualifications will become indisputably clear in studying his conception and genealogy.
Jesus Christ’s genealogy, as with all people, was determined by his mother and her predecessors and his father. So in researching God’s Word for the great truths of Jesus Christ’s genealogy we need to begin by noting certain details regarding his conception…”
Mat 1:18
(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit].
“…Before they came together” means that before Joseph and Mary had sexual intercourse Mary was already pregnant, and the child she was carrying was conceived in her by God, who is the Holy Spirit…”
Luk 1:35
(35) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
“…Therefore, from a physical, genetic point of view, Jesus Christ’s Father was God and his mother was Mary. Joseph, Mary’s husband, became Jesus’ human father by the circumstances in which he found himself, but not by his genetic contribution. Joseph by God’s direction accepted the responsibility of rearing Jesus as a son in his household.
There is no question that the Bible teaches divine conception, that God was literally Jesus Christ’s Father. In any conception there are two necessary elements: the egg and the sperm. The egg is supplied by the mother, who in this case was Mary. The sperm is supplied by the father, who in this case was God, who is the Holy Spirit. Being Spirit, God did not, of course, have sexual intercourse with Mary, for spirit cannot cohabit with flesh. Rather, by divine creation, God put seed inside Mary [I would add that if Mary had sex with God she would no longer be a virgin who gave birth.] That is how Mary, who had never had sexual relations, had Jesus conceived within her. This is the miracle of Jesus’ conception…[And…only Mary fulfilled all the prerequisites necessary in order to carry the promised seed. God said He would have an only begotten Son, and He chose Mary in whom to create the seed that would give birth to that one Son.
There are several genetic and physical considerations involved with Jesus Christ’s conception. The Bible teaches that all men since Adam are born “dead in sins” (Eph 2:5). Man is conceived and born with a sinful nature. Psalms 51:5 states, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Romana 5:12 states, “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned.”
Not only is man born spiritually separated from God, he is born physically with sin, corruption, and impurities in his blood and in his soul life. This soul life which is the natural life of man, and attested to by a person’s breathing, is found in the blood.
Lev 17:11
(11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood…
While the mother and father both make genetic contributions to the flesh and blood of a child, the soul life in the blood is contributed by the sperm, the seed. It comes from the male side. In the conception of Jesus Christ, this truth is pointedly stated in Hebrews.
Heb 2:14
(14) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers [Greek: “koinoneo,” to share fully] of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part [Greek: “metecho,” to take a part or portion] of the same [flesh and blood]…
All children share fully of both the flesh and blood, genetically passed on to them since Adam and Eve the first man and woman, but Jesus Christ took only part. He did not share “fully.” Here in Hebrew 2:14, the figure of speech “metonymy” of the adjunct is found, in which the word “blood” is used to represent the soul life in the blood. This usage of “blood” is common in the Bible, especially when it is used with the term “flesh,” which here is used for the physical part of man as opposed to the soul part. In partaking of the flesh and blood, all people have inherited their bodies and their soul life from Adam and his descendants. This soul life in the blood is corrupt with a sinful nature inherent within it.
This is why it is necessary to understand from Hebrews 2:14 that Jesus Christ “took part of the same.” What part did he take? He did not “share” fully in both the flesh and blood of man. Physically, according to the flesh, part of Jesus’ genetic makeup came from Mary. However, the soul life in his blood was not inherited from Mary, Adam, or any other human being. The life of the flesh is in the blood, according to Leviticus 17:11, and the life within the flesh of man, within his blood, is corrupt. But Jesus Christ’s came from God. That is why Jesus Christ’s soul life was conceived without sin or corruption.
As we have seen, natural life, which is called “soul life,” is in the blood. Sin is transmitted through this soul life, in other words, through the blood, and not through the flesh. That is why Hebrews 2:14 is such a tremendous statement. How marvelously God arranged for a child to be conceived that would be completely a man, having complete freedom of will, but also having a sinless nature.
With masterful foresight God prepared for the sinless birth of His Son, Jesus Christ, from the very beginning. In order to produce a sinless man descended from Adam, God provided a way whereby Jesus would have a human body derived from Adam’s line, yet uncontaminated by Adam’s sinful soul life. To accomplish this, God created the sperm containing a perfect soul life which impregnated the egg in Mary’s fallopian tube. Therefore, the dominate characteristics of the genes determining the makeup of Jesus Christ came from his Father, God.
The miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ was his divine conception in Mary. His birth [itself] was not miraculous, for like any infant he developed within Mary’s womb and was born according to natural processes. But, the miracle of his divine conception enabled man’s redeemer to come into the world as a sinless, perfect human being, yet having the freedom of will to sin or not to sin; to believe or not to believe God. God did not go beyond any of His previously instituted laws to bring His son into the world.
Understanding all of this, many scriptures concerning Jesus’ descent from the linage of David become much more meaningful. That is why the following scriptures are so accurate.
Act 2:30
(30) …that of the fruit of his [David’s] loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ…
Rom 1:3
(3) Concerning his [God’s] Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which [who] was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
These verses do not say Jesus Christ was of the seed of David “according to the flesh and blood.” That would be totally inaccurate. These verses all say “according to the flesh,” for Christ’s soul life in his blood came from God. It did not come from David or David’s descendant, Mary. But physically, according to the flesh, Jesus Christ can properly be said to be of the seed of David. That is the great accuracy of these key verses of scripture…”
In his book Dr. Wierwille then goes through the details of the genealogy of Jesus Christ showing by the scripture that both Joseph and Mary were descendants of King David. It’s way too long to add here but after covering Jesus’ genealogy Dr. Wierwille continues with the following paragraphs.
“…A person’s standing in a family was normally recognized by the lineage of the father. From a human point of view Jesus needed patrilineal credentials in order to function in a society built upon paternal genealogy. He would not be accepted in the Judean society without a pedigree traceable through both parents. Since few would believe that on his Father’s side he needed no pedigree, his Father being God, he had to have socially acceptable credentials through the human being whom society considered to be his father, Joseph. Since Joseph assumed the responsibility for Jesus as his son, it was Joseph’s line that gave Jesus full legal standing in the house of David. Whereas Joseph’s genealogy listed in Luke 3 gave Jesus his standing in the House of David by the assumed responsibility of Joseph, it was in truth the genealogy listed in Mathew 1 which gave Jesus Christ true standing in the House of David with the right to inherit his throne by the family line and genetic contribution of Mary.
The genealogy given in Luke 3 is not Jesus Christ’s royal lineage. Mathew 1 indicates his royal lineage from Solomon and others who sat on David’s throne...
…Both lineages, - that of Mary, in the Gospel of Matthew, and that of Joseph, in the Gospel of Luke – have Abraham and David common to their ancestry. Since Joseph assumed the responsibility as Jesus’ father, this gave Jesus during his earthly walk a legal standing in the house of David. But as Mary’s son by birth, Jesus had more than legal standing in the House of David; because of Mary’s genealogy, Jesus Christ was descended from the royal line of the House of David, so that he could genetically and legally inherit the throne of David. Being conceived by the Holy Spirit (who is God) Jesus was the true and only begotten Son of God, the “ssemah” or offspring of God.
Jesus was the offspring of Mary and God. Thus he was born with no sinful nature in him, yet he was totally a man, a male child who would have to mature and learn in order to complete his God ordained mission. As the offspring of both God and Mary, the Christ came into the world fulfilling all the genealogical requirements of the promised seed: he would be a descendant of Adam, of Abraham, and of David. He would also be the only begotten Son of God, the promised seed, God’s perfect plan for man’s redemption.”
Mark 13:32
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
He is the literal son, the offspring of God. He was born, as we were born, made of a women according to the flesh. The seed was supplied from God, for Mary had not known a man, by sexual relation, up to the point of conception.
Remember, conceived by the Holy Spirit, a term for God, his Father.
Concerning Jesus Christ: You believe that he was both God and man? This is a biological impossibility! He was made(born) of a woman as all of us. His genetics were superior, because his soul life(sperm) was by God's creation in Mary. God is eternal and immortal; God can not die; God can not be born; God is Spirit; God has no form or comliness. Jesus Christ is simply the offspring of God, the only-begotten, the same yesterday(refers back to his beginning, his birth) today and forever( for he has eternal life); even as we. His soul life is seperate from ours, not after Adam. Hebrews 2:14 tells us that he "took part" only, of flesh and blood; the part that he took was the flesh, after man(Adam), for his blood(soul life) was of divine conception. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that, the life(soul) of the flesh is in the blood. This allowed for his blood to be uncontaminated by the sin nature from the first man, Adam, as ours is: Hebrews 2:14, again; "we are all partaker's of flesh and blood", after Adam. Jesus as a Youth -- Jesus Christ grew up like any other child. Genetically he had many advantages, but he was still a person, a human individual, who had to develop and utilize his learning processes like any other human being. He was not God. God is unchangeable, God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. God would not have needed to grow and learn, but Jesus Christ did. Luke 2:40: "And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:46: "... they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions." Yes, Jesus grew strong & was being filled with wisdom. God in the Bible is said to be immortal! He cannot die, therefore, but His uniquely begotten Son (Luke 1:35) died, and he is therefore not God, but the sinless Man mediator between God (the Father) and mankind. I Tim 2:5 says it perfectly. It is an abuse of the precious gift of language to say "the immortal God died." Just impossible nonsense!
THE GIVER and HIS GIFT -- The Holy Spirit is God(Jehovah) our Creator(Elohim). The God and the Father of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the offspring of God, only begotten, physically, by Divine conception of God, the Giver; Holy Spirit! God's gift is holy spirit, which is power from on high. We are baptized by this gift from God, the Giver.
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49.
"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me."For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:4-5.
"endued with power from on high" Luke 24:49.
EQUALS
"the promise of the Father" Acts 1:4.
EQUALS
"ye shall be baptized with the holy spirit" Acts 1:5.
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Acts 1:8.
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Acts 2:1-4.
"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call."
Acts 2:38-39.
Consider this work of research and historical evidence.
John 20:30,31
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Mark 1:1
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Mark 1:11
And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mark 9:7
And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Even devil spirits called Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Matthew 8:28,29
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
These verses are extremely clear - Jesus Christ is the son of God. In this context, it is quite astonishing to learn that there is not one single verse anywhere in the entire bible that says that Jesus is God the Son. The phrase God the son does not exist in scripture. Fifty times Jesus Christ is called the son of God and not once is he called God the son. Take that to any court of law in any country in the world and I think you would find it declared as conclusive evidence as to who Jesus Christ was. However, let's explore further. Can God be tempted with evil? This is rhetoric, of course.
James 1:13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Pretty clear? God cannot be tempted with evil. It is just not possible, end of story. Now compare that with these verses:
Luke 4:1,2
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest [referring to Jesus Christ] which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 2:18
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Jesus Christ endured temptation. In fact, he was tempted in all things just as we are. If it is impossible for God to be tempted with evil, and Jesus Christ was tempted with evil, then how could Jesus Christ be God? Another difference between God and Jesus Christ is their distinct and separate wills.
Matthew 26:39,42
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
If Jesus Christ is God, then to whom was he praying? Himself? Jesus Christ clearly had his own will, which was distinctly his own and completely separate from God. Two distinct and separate wills clearly indicates two distinct and separate beings.
John 4:34
Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 5:19
Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 5:30
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
John 6:38
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Jesus Christ could not even nominate who sat on his right hand and on his left hand in his Father's kingdom. No disrespect, but he was hardly all-powerful then, was he?
Matthew 20:23
And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Jesus Christ was obedient and did his Father's will, not his own will. If Jesus Christ was God, these scriptures are absurd. Yet another problem arises when we consider the following two verses.
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
No man means no man. The scripture is clear. No man, no one, no human being has ever seen God. Did anyone ever see Jesus Christ? Yes, quite a few million during his lifetime I would guess. If Jesus Christ is God, then words have no meaning.
The doctrine of Jesus Christ being God becomes even more ridiculous when we read this verse in John.
John 14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
We can do greater works than Jesus Christ did. That is what this verse says and that is what this verse means. Since the day of Pentecost, it has been available to do greater works than Jesus Christ did while he was here on earth. If Jesus Christ is God, then according to this verse we can do greater works than God, which is absolute nonsense. The doctrine that Jesus Christ is God is easily exposed as religious horseshit when illuminated with rightly divided scripture.
In the following verse, Jesus Christ himself obviously knew that he wasn't God otherwise he would have said something like, 'thanks for calling me good because I am God.'
Matthew 19:17
And he [Jesus Christ] said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Here is another interesting verse.
Matthew 1:18
Now the birth [gennēsis] of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
The word birth is the Greek word gennēsis, from which we get our English word genesis. Genesis means beginning. There can be no doubt as to the meaning of the word genesis. Its meaning is not open to debate. Jesus Christ had a beginning and it was right here in Matthew when he was born. Jesus Christ was not around before this point in time. His birth was his beginning, his genesis.
So, where does the doctrine that Jesus Christ is God come from? It is interesting to note that most, if not all of the ancient religions had a trinity. The Hindu trinity was Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The Greek trinity was Zeus, Athena, and Apollo. The Roman trinity was Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus. The Sumerian trinity was Anu, Enlill and Ea. The Egyptians had quite a few trinities, including Osiris, Isis and Horus.
We can track trinities through pagan religions back to the dawn of time. The heathen belief that gods visit the earth in human form is nothing new.
Acts 14:8-11
And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith [believing] to be healed,
Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men! This pagan belief that gods visit the earth in human form has been rife among those with no understanding of spiritual matters since prehistoric times. The belief that Jesus Christ is God who visited earth in human form has its roots in heathen paganism, not the bible.
Perhaps we should now consider a few of the manipulated and twisted scriptures used to teach that Jesus Christ is God. Here is perhaps the most abused scripture in this regards:
John 10:30
I and my Father are one.
Okay, for the sake of argument, let's assume that this verse does indeed teach that Jesus Christ is God. Let's forget about all the previous verses we've looked at, let's forget about the fact that there are fifty verses that clearly state that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that there are no scriptures anywhere in the bible that say he is God the Son. Let's ignore all the scriptures we've seen that highlight the differences between Jesus Christ and God, and let's pull this one verse totally out of the context of the rest of the bible and use it to teach that Jesus Christ is God. Okay, now that we've done that, check out these verses a few chapters later, where Jesus Christ is praying.
John 17:20-22
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Okay then, if John 10:30 teaches that Jesus Christ is God, then John 17:20-22 teaches that I am God too and so are you. The trinity is religious horseshit. To gain an understanding of what John 10:30 is talking about, we must examine the immediate context.
John10:27-30
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I and my Father are one.
Verse 28 declares that no man shall pluck the sheep out of Jesus Christ's hand, while verse 29 declares that no man is able to pluck the sheep out of his Father's hand either. Then verse 30 immediately follows when Jesus Christ states that he and his Father are one. One in what? In that no man is able to pluck sheep out of their hands. Is reading the context so difficult? The word translated one here is the Greek word hen, which is in the neuter gender, and means one in purpose. One and the same person would be the Greek word heis - the masculine gender. Consider this following use of hen:
1 Corinthians 3:6-8
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one [hen]: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
When it says that Paul and Apollos were one, does this mean they were one and the same person? How ridiculous! Paul and Apollos were not the same person any more than God and Jesus Christ were the same person. They were one in purpose - likeminded. This logic can also be applied to the following verses.
John 1:1,2,14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Do these verses say that Jesus Christ was God? Not if language has any rules. It says the word was there in the beginning with God, not Jesus Christ, and that the word was later made flesh in the form of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, assume for the sake of argument that John 1 does indeed teach that Jesus Christ was God and that he was there in the beginning with him. Okay, now compare these verses from Ephesians and Thessalonians.
Ephesians 1:4
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
2 Thessalonians 2:13
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
According to Ephesians and Thessalonians, God also knew about us back in the beginning before the foundation of the world. So does that mean we were actually there? Yes, we were there in the beginning with God, just like Jesus Christ. This is true. However, these verses are referring to God's foreknowledge. We were not literally there with him back in Genesis, no more so than Jesus Christ was literally there. Jesus Christ had his beginning, his genesis, when he was born, just as we did. So what are these verses in John saying?
John 1:1,2,14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
What these verses tell us is that Jesus Christ epitomised the word during his life by being a living example of it. It was the word that was there in the beginning and Jesus Christ lived it to such a standard during his life that we could see the living word in him as a breathing reality. We could look at Jesus Christ and see God's word living in someone. We too can live the word to such a degree that we are living epistles, and that doesn't make us God anymore than it made Jesus Christ God.
2 Corinthians 3:2
Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
When the word says we are epistles, known and read of all men, does that mean that we are God? No, it simply means we bring the word to life by living it, so that others can see the word in our lives. To teach Jesus Christ was God because he lived the word is just as ridiculous as saying we are God because we live the word.
This is not an exhaustive work on the subject. Most of the other scriptures used to teach that Jesus Christ is God are forgeries, but I don't have the time to write a book on this, that's already been done. It's time to move on, but suffice to say that we have shed a little light into what is perhaps the darkest regions of religion possible. Why do I say that? Because to worship anything or anyone other than the true God is idolatry, and worshipping Jesus as God is exactly that - idolatry. Jesus Christ was not God, he was a man, a human being.
Romans 5:15
But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
This, of course, entrenches the doctrine of the trinity clearly within the framework of idolatry. To worship a man as God is idolatry. Therefore idolatry is the foundation stone on which Roman Catholicism and vatican doctrine is built. If you didn't know this, then apologise to God, move on and put it behind you.
Our True Hope is NOT Death
The false doctrine that the dead are alive and already in heaven or hell
is so well entrenched in the average Christian's mind that he has
probably never considered its harmful ramifications. Understanding that
Satan is the "father" of this lie explains why the consequences of
believing it are so serious. The first, and perhaps most serious,
consequence of believing this doctrine is that it changes the
Christian's focus from the appearing of the Prince of Life, Jesus
Christ, to the coming of one's own death.
How sad it is to teach God's people that the hope of a Christian is his own death, and how opposed to God's perspective that death is an "enemy," as 1 Corinthians 15:26 (KJV) clearly states: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Biblically, death is a thief not a benefactor. Death takes away life; it does not give a greater life.
In attempting to preserve the traditions of historic, orthodox Christianity, such teaching that the "dead" are "alive" blatantly contradicts God's Word and further entrenches the Christian Church in this error. Those who have mistakenly propounded this doctrine have apparently overlooked the many verses plainly stating that the focal point of a Christian's hope is not his own death, but the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. For example:
John 14:2 and 3 (KJV)
(2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
(3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 (KJV)
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 (KJV)
(16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Titus 2:13 (KJV)
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
It is the occasion of Christ's appearing from heaven that Christians should anticipate as the way of deliverance from the bondage and corruption of death. Jesus Christ is the only gateway to everlasting life and the only means by which believers will have access to God's presence in Paradise. When Jesus Christ comes again, he will fashion new, glorious bodies for us (Phil. 3:21). Apart from having these new bodies, there is no hope of entrance into the presence of God. Near the end of his life, the Apostle Paul wrote the following about this occasion:
2 Timothy 4:8 (KJV)
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Shifting the event that triggers our entrance into the presence of God from Christ's appearing to our own death is nothing short of satanic subterfuge. In the minds of many, Satan has subtly changed the gateway to eternal life from Jesus Christ to death itself. Considering the past actions of God's archenemy, this clever trick is totally consistent with his methods. The Christian's hope is not death, but the appearing of Jesus Christ. When he appears, each Christian who is still alive will exchange his mortal body for a glorious immortal body, and each believer who has died will be raised to glorious and everlasting life.
How sad it is to teach God's people that the hope of a Christian is his own death, and how opposed to God's perspective that death is an "enemy," as 1 Corinthians 15:26 (KJV) clearly states: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Biblically, death is a thief not a benefactor. Death takes away life; it does not give a greater life.
In attempting to preserve the traditions of historic, orthodox Christianity, such teaching that the "dead" are "alive" blatantly contradicts God's Word and further entrenches the Christian Church in this error. Those who have mistakenly propounded this doctrine have apparently overlooked the many verses plainly stating that the focal point of a Christian's hope is not his own death, but the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. For example:
John 14:2 and 3 (KJV)
(2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
(3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
1 Thessalonians 2:19 (KJV)
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17 (KJV)
(16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
(17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Titus 2:13 (KJV)
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
It is the occasion of Christ's appearing from heaven that Christians should anticipate as the way of deliverance from the bondage and corruption of death. Jesus Christ is the only gateway to everlasting life and the only means by which believers will have access to God's presence in Paradise. When Jesus Christ comes again, he will fashion new, glorious bodies for us (Phil. 3:21). Apart from having these new bodies, there is no hope of entrance into the presence of God. Near the end of his life, the Apostle Paul wrote the following about this occasion:
2 Timothy 4:8 (KJV)
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Shifting the event that triggers our entrance into the presence of God from Christ's appearing to our own death is nothing short of satanic subterfuge. In the minds of many, Satan has subtly changed the gateway to eternal life from Jesus Christ to death itself. Considering the past actions of God's archenemy, this clever trick is totally consistent with his methods. The Christian's hope is not death, but the appearing of Jesus Christ. When he appears, each Christian who is still alive will exchange his mortal body for a glorious immortal body, and each believer who has died will be raised to glorious and everlasting life.
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Our Hope of Glory - The Body of Christ!
THE GENEVA BIBLE AND SIX PRIOR BIBLES BEFORE KING JAMES USED THE WORD " A
DEPARTING" OR "DEPARTURE" INSTEAD OF A "FALLING AWAY" IN 2THESS2, SEE
BELOW (2THESS2:3)
GENEVA 1587 BIBLE:
2Th 2:1 Nowe we beseech you, brethren, by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ, and by our assembling vnto him, 2Th 2:2 That ye be not suddenly mooued from your minde, nor troubled neither by spirit, nor by worde, nor by letter, as it were from vs, as though the day of Christ were at hand. 2Th 2:3 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that that man of sinne be disclosed, euen the sonne of perdition, 2Th 2:4 Which is an aduersarie, and exalteth him selfe against all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he doeth sit as God in the Temple of God, shewing him selfe that he is God. 2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I tolde you these things? 2Th 2:6 And nowe ye knowe what withholdeth that he might be reueiled in his time. 2Th 2:7 For the mysterie of iniquitie doeth already worke: onely he which nowe withholdeth, shall let till he be taken out of the way. 2Th 2:8 And then shall that wicked man be reueiled, whome the Lorde shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall abolish with the brightnes of his comming, 2Th 2:9 Euen him whose comming is by the effectuall working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders, 2Th 2:10 And in al deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes, among them that perish, because they receiued not the loue of the trueth, that they might be saued. 2Th 2:11 And therefore God shal send them strong delusion, that they should beleeue lies, 2Th 2:12 That all they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth, but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes. 2Th 2:13 But we ought to giue thankes alway to God for you, brethren beloued of the Lord, because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and the faith of trueth, 2Th 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast & keepe the instructions, which ye haue bene taught, either by worde, or by our Epistle. 2Th 2:16 Now the same Iesus Christ our Lord; and our God euen the Father which hath loued vs, and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 2Th 2:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in euery worde and good worke.
NOTE "A DEPARTING"COMES FIRST, "AND THAT THAT MAN OF SIN WILL BE DISCLOSED". DON'T FORGET IT ALSO SAYS “NOW YOU KNOW WHAT WITH HOLDITH" AND "HE WHO LETS SHALL LET TILL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY." WHAT OR WHO DO YOU BELIEVE WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY? IT MAKES ALSO MAKES NO SENSE THAT PAUL WOULD TELL A VERY NEW AND SMALL CHURCH IN THESSALONIA, THAT A SIGN OF BEGINNING OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION WOULD BE A FALLING AWAY FROM THE CHURCH WHEN THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE MANY CHRISTIANS THERE TO FALL AWAY. ALSO HE WAS REFERRING TO SOMETHING HE HAD TOLD THEM ABOUT BEFORE. WHAT HAD HE PREVIOUSLY TOLD THEM? 1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE HE TOLD THEM ABOUT “A DEPARTING OR DEPARTURE” THEN A FALLING AWAY. AS A MATTER OF FACT PAUL DID NOT DESCRIBE “A GREAT FALLING AWAY” AT ALL AND ACTUALLY SAID IN 1TIMOTHY 4:1 THAT ONLY “SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH” 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; SO ALTHOUGH HE BELIEVED EVEN THEN, THE TIMES WERE EVIL, HE DID NOT EXPECT A GREAT FALLING AWAY OF BELIEVERS BUT THAT THE EVIL WOULD GET WORSE. 2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. AND TO THE CORINTHIANS PAUL SAID THIS: 1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
OTHER TRANSLATIONS THAT USED DEPARTING OR DEPARTURE. The first seven English translations of apostasia all rendered the noun as either " departure" or " departing." They are: the Wycliffe Bible (1384); Tyndale Bible (1526); Coverdale Bible (1535); Cranmer Bible (1539); Breeches Bible (1576); Beza Bible (1583); Geneva Bible (1608).
Bible study to bless the saints of the "Body of Christ".
Be sure to look at all of the verses in this study.
The Body of Christ will not go through Israel’s tribulation. To begin with, Israel and the Body of Christ are not the same. Neither are God’s plans for them. God’s plan for Israel concerns Christ returning to earth in a spectacular event called the Revelation – to inaugurate His Kingdom in Jerusalem (Matt. 24-25; Rev. 19-20. This plan was “spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21; see Luke 1:70). God’s plan for the Body of Christ is completely different. It concerns our heavenly inheritance, not an earthly kingdom. Jesus revealed this program to Paul only as a mystery “kept secret since the world began” (Rom. 16:25; see Eph. 3:3-9). In that it began as a mystery, it will likewise disappear in a mystery called the Rapture; an any moment event whereby Jesus returns for us in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-17), snatches us from earth, and takes us back to Heaven with Him as He promised (John 14:2-3) – when “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). Then comes “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7; see Dan. 12:1; Zeph. 1:15) – aka tribulation. The tribulation - as it is most commonly known (Moses: Deut. 4:30; Jesus: Matt. 24:21, 29; John: Rev. 7:14) - is part of God’s earthly program for Israel. It is also called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1; Zeph. 1:15), Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Dan. 9:26-27), and “the hour of temptation” (Rev. 3:10. It has no bearing on the mystery Body of Christ, which will be gone before it begins. From the beginning it was prophesied to Israel (Deut. 4:30), and thus is primarily for Israel (Jer. 30-31; Dan. 12:1, Zeph. 1:15; Matt. 24:21, 29). Its purpose is to punish sin and sinners (Jer. 30-31; Zeph. 1; Joel; Rev. 6-19), and prepare earth and Israel for the Revelation of the Messiah and the Jewish (Millennial) Kingdom promised to David in perpetuity through Covenant (2 Sam. 7:8-16), and sealed with an oath (Psa. 89:3-4, 20-37; see Luke 1:31-33). While the prophets revealed the tribulation as a horrific but integral component in the Day of the Lord (Isa. 2:12, etc ), it was Daniel’s prophecy where its duration was revealed as the final week of seven years in his seventy week prophecy for Israel (Dan. 9:24-27; see Rev. 11:2-3; 12:14). To wit, while we can easily find Israel and the anti-Semitic Gentile nations on earth during “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1; Zeph. 1:15), the heavenly Body of Christ - which has been promised deliverance from this divine punishment (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; 2 Thess. 2:5-7;) - is conspicuously absent (Rev. 2-19). There isn’t a prophecy or a single verse anywhere in the Bible conclusively identifying the Body of Christ on earth during Israel’s tribulation without pulling from context and redefining the words “saints” and “elect” - which in Daniel, the Olivet Discourse, and Revelation specifically refer to Israel. In lieu of these factors and others we are convinced that the Body of Christ will not go through Israel’s tribulation!
The Mystery
So what is this Age of Grace, this Administration of the Mystery, this time in which we live? What is so special about it? What sets this administration apart from all the others? Corinthians has some intriguing information.
1 Corinthians 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect [mature]: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
The princes of this world refers to the god of this world and his devil spirits. We don't speak their horseshit, like climate change and homosexuality, because the wisdom of this world comes to nothing.
1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Here we find a reference to the mystery, often referred to as the great mystery or the hidden. A mystery is something that is hidden. If something is hidden, we don't know about its existence. From this we also learn that the mystery was ordained by God for our glory, it was for our benefit.
1 Corinthians 2:8
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Had the god of this world and his devil spirits known the mystery, they would not have murdered Jesus Christ. They didn't know anything about it because it was hidden. God kept the mystery a secret. No one knew anything about it, not even the god of this world. No one knew anything about it until God revealed the mystery to the apostle Paul.
Romans 16:25,26
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Peter refers to the Administration of the Mystery, the age of Grace in one of his epistles.
1 Peter 1:10,11
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched [exereunaō] diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
This Greek word exereunaō is only used once in the bible. Thayer defines it as to search out diligently, while Bullinger defines it as to explore, to search diligently. As it is only used once in the bible, we really need to look at ancient Greek literature to get a taste for the word, and there we find it used in reference to dogs sniffing out game. Dogs are used to flush out birds such as grouse and pheasant. The dogs sniff around and follow scent until they flush the birds out. That's this word exereunaō.
The old testament prophets, such as Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah and Isaiah, sniffed through the scriptures on the scent of this hidden mystery. They searched the scriptures diligently and prophesied of it, knowing there was something between the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. They knew there was something missing and they searched diligently through the old testament scriptures to try to flush it out. However, they didn't find it because it was hidden. Peter tells us that in addition to searching they also enquired about it, they asked God about it. Here's the record of Moses doing just that.
Exodus 33:18,21-23
And he [Moses] said, I beseech thee [God], shew me thy glory.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
The back parts of God here refers to the understanding of the old testament scriptures, while his face refers to the hidden time period of the grace administration which Moses knew was sandwiched between the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Moses knew there was something hidden and asked God to reveal it to him, but God told him that knowledge was not available. In the context of the mystery being hidden, look what Corinthians says about it.
1 Corinthians 2:8,9
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
The knowledge of the mystery was not seen by any eye, it was not heard of by any ear, in fact it never even entered into the wildest imaginations of man's heart. The revelation of the mystery, the revealing of what it actually is, was something Jesus Christ discussed with his disciples.
John 16:12,13
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he [it], the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Jesus Christ told his disciples that the spirit of truth was coming and that when it came, it would guide them into the all truth. The spirit of truth is a reference to the gift of holy spirit which came on the day of Pentecost. This prophecy regarding the all truth was fulfilled when God revealed the mystery to the apostle Paul. Before God revealed it to Paul, it was not available to know about it because it was a mystery, it was hidden. Even angels wanted to look into it.
1 Peter 1:12
Unto whom it was revealed [the mystery] ... which things the angels desire to look into.
So what is the mystery? Well, we know that if the devil and his ruling spirits had known about it, they would not have murdered Jesus Christ. So whatever it is, it must be something astonishing. As the mystery has now been revealed in the all truth given by revelation to the apostle Paul, let's discover what it is. Moses and all the other old testament prophets couldn't find it, but it's there for us to discover.
Ephesians 3:2-4
If ye have heard of the dispensation [oikonomia - administration] of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge [sunesis] in the mystery of Christ)
The revelation of the administration of the grace of God was given to Paul, which he mentioned previously in few words back in Romans 16 which we've already looked at. It is only by reading Paul's epistles that the understanding of the mystery comes. You can read the old testament scriptures exhaustively and you will never find the mystery in them. Why? Because it was hidden from old testament eyes. God had to keep it a secret so the devil wouldn't know of his plans. Had the devil suspected anything about it, he would not have crucified Jesus Christ.
This word knowledge, sunesis in the Greek, is defined by Thayer as a running together, a flowing together with, and it was used in Greek literature of the confluence of two rivers, the place where two rivers joined and flowed together. As we read Paul's epistles with a background understanding of the old testament scriptures, knowledge will flow together in our minds as the two meet.
Ephesians 3:5
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
The knowledge of the mystery was not made known to anyone before this administration. The old testament prophets searched diligently for it, but it was hidden, it was a secret, it was a mystery. God revealed it to Paul and here it is written in Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:6
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
This is what the mystery is, a concise definition of it, but it encompasses everything within the gift of holy spirit and what it means to us. To be fellowheirs with Christ, of the same body, and partakers of the promise encompasses being born again, having the seed of God born within us, having the gift of holy spirit, having eternal life. It is everything being God's child means. It is the ability to walk by the spirit with Christ as our head. In this administration it is available to become a new creation, a child of the creator with his spiritual incorruptible seed born inside us. And it is not just exclusively available to Judeans, it is also available to Gentiles, to anyone anywhere on earth regardless of ethnic, cultural, religious, or educational background.
Ephesians 3:7,8
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable [untraceable] riches of Christ;
The mystery was unsearchable, untraceable, untrackable through the old testament, but it was revealed to Paul, and he revealed that information to us in his epistles which make up the all truth spoken of by Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:25-27
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation [administration] of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
It is the Christ in you, the Christ in me that was hidden, and of which the devil suspected nothing. In the old testament, men and women had no spirit, they were dead. In this administration, men and women can be raised from the dead with power to operate the gift of holy spirit, walk with Christ as their head, and raise more people from the dead.
Ephesians 5:14
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Every time we get someone born again, we raise them from the dead. These are the greater works that Jesus Christ referred to back in John 14:12. We really can do greater works than Jesus Christ did. Jesus Christ could not raise anyone from the dead and give them eternal life. We can.
When the devil and his spirits orchestrated the murder of Jesus Christ they had no idea what was coming. If they'd had even an inkling, they would not have crucified him. When Jesus Christ was alive and had the full measure of the spirit that was available then, he could only be in one place at one time. Now, in this Age of Grace, the Administration of the Mystery, everyone who is born again has Christ in them. The god of this world would rather have had Jesus Christ the son of God on earth by himself than have you and me walking around raising people from the dead. Man, the power and authority we have if we only knew it.
All before Darby (and I am still researching more): Irenaeus (130 A.D. - 202 AD) Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp who learned his Christian faith from the apostle John, who wrote the Book of Revelation. Both Polycarp and Irenaeus knew John personally. Irenaeus also believed in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. In "Against Heresies 5:29" he wrote: "And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, "There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be." Irenaeus' used "caught up." - the exact same Rapture terminology used in 1 Thes 4. Cyprian (200 AD - 258 AD) Cyprian taught his followers that, "God has not appointed us to wrath, but salvation..." and joyfully encouraged his church to expect to be "taken away" before the Tribulation began. Victorinus (300AD) "And the heaven withdrew as a scroll that is rolled up." For the heaven to be rolled away,that is, that the Church shall be taken away. "And every mountain and the islands removed from their places intimate that in the last persecution all men departed from their places; that is, that the good will be removed, seeking to avoid persecution." Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373AD) “All the saints and elect of God are gathered together before the tribulation, which is to come, and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins.” Brother Dolcino (1307AD) Dolcino and his followers believed they would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. And that then Enoch and Elijah themselves would descend on the earth for the purpose of preaching [against] Antichrist. Balthasar Hubmaier (1480-1528AD) “Although Christ gave us many signs whereby we can tell how near at hand the day of his coming is, nevertheless, no one but God knows the exact day. . . . Take heed, watch and pray; for you known either the day nor the hour." John Calvin (1509-1564AD) “[Jesus] wishes [the disciples] to be uncertain as to his coming, but to be prepared to expect him . . . every moment.” “Today we must be alert to grasp the imminent return of Christ.” (Nothing needs to happen first.) Cotton Mather (1639-1723AD) Mather was the first President of Harvard College. This Puritan scholar taught "that the saints would be caught up into the air beforehand, thereby escaping the final conflagration (tribulation)." Peter Jurieu (1687AD) In his book "Approaching Deliverance of the Church " He spoke of a secret Rapture prior to Jesus' coming in glory and judgment at Armageddon. John (Gill) Asgill (1748AD) "Jesus will stay in the air, and His saints shall meet Him there, and whom He'll take up with Him into the third heaven, till the general conflagration and burning of the world is over, and to preserve them from it...." Thomas Collier (1674AD) Frank Marotta challenged a two-stage Second Coming taught by Collier. This reveals again that such a view was in circulation hundreds of years ago. It is apparent that Collier certainly considered the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture." Philip Doddridge (1738AD) The term Rapture was used by Philip Doddridge in his New Testament commentary, with the idea that believers would be caught up prior to judgment on the earth and Jesus' Second Coming. Bernard Lambert (1738-1813AD) Pierre Jean Agier, a French jurist, argued with Bernard Lambert's teaching and the published conclusions of Lacunza that taught the Second Coming of Christ had to occur in two-stages. His first return is to gather His people and His second return is to commence the Millennium. Morgan Edwards (1742-1744AD) Edwards was the Founder of Brown University "The dead saints will be raised, and the living changed at Christ's 'appearing in the air, but will he and they abide in the air all that time? No.They will ascend to paradise, or to some one of those many 'mansions in the Father's house." James McKnight (1763AD) and Thomas Scott (1792AD) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over. Joseph Mede (1586-1639AD): "I will add this more, namely, what may be conceived to be the cause of this Rapture of the Saints on high to meet the Lord in the Clouds, rather than to wait his coming to the Earth. What if it be, that they may be preserved during the Conflagration of the earth and the works thereof, 2 Pet. 3. 10. that as Noah and his family were preserved from the Deluge by being lift up above the waters in the Ark; so should the Saints at the Conflagration be lift up in the Clouds unto their Ark, Christ, to be preserved there from the deluge of fire, wherein the wicked shall be consumed? " Peter Jurieu in his book Approaching Deliverance of the Church (1687AD) taught that Christ would come in the air to Rapture the saints and return to heaven before the battle of Armageddon. He spoke of a secret Rapture prior to His coming in glory and judgment at Armageddon. Philip Doddridge's commentary on the New Testament (1738AD) and John
Gill's commentary on the New Testament (1748) both use the term Rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear that these men believed that this coming will precede Christ's descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792AD) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over. Frank Marotta (1674AD) a brethren researcher, refutes Thomas Collier's reference to a pre-tribulational Rapture, which proves his awareness that such a view was being taught in the late seventeenth century.
GENEVA 1587 BIBLE:
2Th 2:1 Nowe we beseech you, brethren, by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ, and by our assembling vnto him, 2Th 2:2 That ye be not suddenly mooued from your minde, nor troubled neither by spirit, nor by worde, nor by letter, as it were from vs, as though the day of Christ were at hand. 2Th 2:3 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that that man of sinne be disclosed, euen the sonne of perdition, 2Th 2:4 Which is an aduersarie, and exalteth him selfe against all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he doeth sit as God in the Temple of God, shewing him selfe that he is God. 2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I tolde you these things? 2Th 2:6 And nowe ye knowe what withholdeth that he might be reueiled in his time. 2Th 2:7 For the mysterie of iniquitie doeth already worke: onely he which nowe withholdeth, shall let till he be taken out of the way. 2Th 2:8 And then shall that wicked man be reueiled, whome the Lorde shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall abolish with the brightnes of his comming, 2Th 2:9 Euen him whose comming is by the effectuall working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders, 2Th 2:10 And in al deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnes, among them that perish, because they receiued not the loue of the trueth, that they might be saued. 2Th 2:11 And therefore God shal send them strong delusion, that they should beleeue lies, 2Th 2:12 That all they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth, but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes. 2Th 2:13 But we ought to giue thankes alway to God for you, brethren beloued of the Lord, because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and the faith of trueth, 2Th 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast & keepe the instructions, which ye haue bene taught, either by worde, or by our Epistle. 2Th 2:16 Now the same Iesus Christ our Lord; and our God euen the Father which hath loued vs, and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 2Th 2:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in euery worde and good worke.
NOTE "A DEPARTING"COMES FIRST, "AND THAT THAT MAN OF SIN WILL BE DISCLOSED". DON'T FORGET IT ALSO SAYS “NOW YOU KNOW WHAT WITH HOLDITH" AND "HE WHO LETS SHALL LET TILL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY." WHAT OR WHO DO YOU BELIEVE WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY? IT MAKES ALSO MAKES NO SENSE THAT PAUL WOULD TELL A VERY NEW AND SMALL CHURCH IN THESSALONIA, THAT A SIGN OF BEGINNING OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION WOULD BE A FALLING AWAY FROM THE CHURCH WHEN THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE MANY CHRISTIANS THERE TO FALL AWAY. ALSO HE WAS REFERRING TO SOMETHING HE HAD TOLD THEM ABOUT BEFORE. WHAT HAD HE PREVIOUSLY TOLD THEM? 1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. IT SOUNDS MORE LIKE HE TOLD THEM ABOUT “A DEPARTING OR DEPARTURE” THEN A FALLING AWAY. AS A MATTER OF FACT PAUL DID NOT DESCRIBE “A GREAT FALLING AWAY” AT ALL AND ACTUALLY SAID IN 1TIMOTHY 4:1 THAT ONLY “SOME SHALL DEPART FROM THE FAITH” 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; SO ALTHOUGH HE BELIEVED EVEN THEN, THE TIMES WERE EVIL, HE DID NOT EXPECT A GREAT FALLING AWAY OF BELIEVERS BUT THAT THE EVIL WOULD GET WORSE. 2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. AND TO THE CORINTHIANS PAUL SAID THIS: 1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
OTHER TRANSLATIONS THAT USED DEPARTING OR DEPARTURE. The first seven English translations of apostasia all rendered the noun as either " departure" or " departing." They are: the Wycliffe Bible (1384); Tyndale Bible (1526); Coverdale Bible (1535); Cranmer Bible (1539); Breeches Bible (1576); Beza Bible (1583); Geneva Bible (1608).
Bible study to bless the saints of the "Body of Christ".
Be sure to look at all of the verses in this study.
The Body of Christ will not go through Israel’s tribulation. To begin with, Israel and the Body of Christ are not the same. Neither are God’s plans for them. God’s plan for Israel concerns Christ returning to earth in a spectacular event called the Revelation – to inaugurate His Kingdom in Jerusalem (Matt. 24-25; Rev. 19-20. This plan was “spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21; see Luke 1:70). God’s plan for the Body of Christ is completely different. It concerns our heavenly inheritance, not an earthly kingdom. Jesus revealed this program to Paul only as a mystery “kept secret since the world began” (Rom. 16:25; see Eph. 3:3-9). In that it began as a mystery, it will likewise disappear in a mystery called the Rapture; an any moment event whereby Jesus returns for us in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-17), snatches us from earth, and takes us back to Heaven with Him as He promised (John 14:2-3) – when “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25). Then comes “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7; see Dan. 12:1; Zeph. 1:15) – aka tribulation. The tribulation - as it is most commonly known (Moses: Deut. 4:30; Jesus: Matt. 24:21, 29; John: Rev. 7:14) - is part of God’s earthly program for Israel. It is also called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1; Zeph. 1:15), Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Dan. 9:26-27), and “the hour of temptation” (Rev. 3:10. It has no bearing on the mystery Body of Christ, which will be gone before it begins. From the beginning it was prophesied to Israel (Deut. 4:30), and thus is primarily for Israel (Jer. 30-31; Dan. 12:1, Zeph. 1:15; Matt. 24:21, 29). Its purpose is to punish sin and sinners (Jer. 30-31; Zeph. 1; Joel; Rev. 6-19), and prepare earth and Israel for the Revelation of the Messiah and the Jewish (Millennial) Kingdom promised to David in perpetuity through Covenant (2 Sam. 7:8-16), and sealed with an oath (Psa. 89:3-4, 20-37; see Luke 1:31-33). While the prophets revealed the tribulation as a horrific but integral component in the Day of the Lord (Isa. 2:12, etc ), it was Daniel’s prophecy where its duration was revealed as the final week of seven years in his seventy week prophecy for Israel (Dan. 9:24-27; see Rev. 11:2-3; 12:14). To wit, while we can easily find Israel and the anti-Semitic Gentile nations on earth during “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1; Zeph. 1:15), the heavenly Body of Christ - which has been promised deliverance from this divine punishment (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; 2 Thess. 2:5-7;) - is conspicuously absent (Rev. 2-19). There isn’t a prophecy or a single verse anywhere in the Bible conclusively identifying the Body of Christ on earth during Israel’s tribulation without pulling from context and redefining the words “saints” and “elect” - which in Daniel, the Olivet Discourse, and Revelation specifically refer to Israel. In lieu of these factors and others we are convinced that the Body of Christ will not go through Israel’s tribulation!
The Mystery
So what is this Age of Grace, this Administration of the Mystery, this time in which we live? What is so special about it? What sets this administration apart from all the others? Corinthians has some intriguing information.
1 Corinthians 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect [mature]: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
The princes of this world refers to the god of this world and his devil spirits. We don't speak their horseshit, like climate change and homosexuality, because the wisdom of this world comes to nothing.
1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Here we find a reference to the mystery, often referred to as the great mystery or the hidden. A mystery is something that is hidden. If something is hidden, we don't know about its existence. From this we also learn that the mystery was ordained by God for our glory, it was for our benefit.
1 Corinthians 2:8
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Had the god of this world and his devil spirits known the mystery, they would not have murdered Jesus Christ. They didn't know anything about it because it was hidden. God kept the mystery a secret. No one knew anything about it, not even the god of this world. No one knew anything about it until God revealed the mystery to the apostle Paul.
Romans 16:25,26
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Peter refers to the Administration of the Mystery, the age of Grace in one of his epistles.
1 Peter 1:10,11
Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched [exereunaō] diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
This Greek word exereunaō is only used once in the bible. Thayer defines it as to search out diligently, while Bullinger defines it as to explore, to search diligently. As it is only used once in the bible, we really need to look at ancient Greek literature to get a taste for the word, and there we find it used in reference to dogs sniffing out game. Dogs are used to flush out birds such as grouse and pheasant. The dogs sniff around and follow scent until they flush the birds out. That's this word exereunaō.
The old testament prophets, such as Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah and Isaiah, sniffed through the scriptures on the scent of this hidden mystery. They searched the scriptures diligently and prophesied of it, knowing there was something between the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. They knew there was something missing and they searched diligently through the old testament scriptures to try to flush it out. However, they didn't find it because it was hidden. Peter tells us that in addition to searching they also enquired about it, they asked God about it. Here's the record of Moses doing just that.
Exodus 33:18,21-23
And he [Moses] said, I beseech thee [God], shew me thy glory.
And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
The back parts of God here refers to the understanding of the old testament scriptures, while his face refers to the hidden time period of the grace administration which Moses knew was sandwiched between the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Moses knew there was something hidden and asked God to reveal it to him, but God told him that knowledge was not available. In the context of the mystery being hidden, look what Corinthians says about it.
1 Corinthians 2:8,9
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
The knowledge of the mystery was not seen by any eye, it was not heard of by any ear, in fact it never even entered into the wildest imaginations of man's heart. The revelation of the mystery, the revealing of what it actually is, was something Jesus Christ discussed with his disciples.
John 16:12,13
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he [it], the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Jesus Christ told his disciples that the spirit of truth was coming and that when it came, it would guide them into the all truth. The spirit of truth is a reference to the gift of holy spirit which came on the day of Pentecost. This prophecy regarding the all truth was fulfilled when God revealed the mystery to the apostle Paul. Before God revealed it to Paul, it was not available to know about it because it was a mystery, it was hidden. Even angels wanted to look into it.
1 Peter 1:12
Unto whom it was revealed [the mystery] ... which things the angels desire to look into.
So what is the mystery? Well, we know that if the devil and his ruling spirits had known about it, they would not have murdered Jesus Christ. So whatever it is, it must be something astonishing. As the mystery has now been revealed in the all truth given by revelation to the apostle Paul, let's discover what it is. Moses and all the other old testament prophets couldn't find it, but it's there for us to discover.
Ephesians 3:2-4
If ye have heard of the dispensation [oikonomia - administration] of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge [sunesis] in the mystery of Christ)
The revelation of the administration of the grace of God was given to Paul, which he mentioned previously in few words back in Romans 16 which we've already looked at. It is only by reading Paul's epistles that the understanding of the mystery comes. You can read the old testament scriptures exhaustively and you will never find the mystery in them. Why? Because it was hidden from old testament eyes. God had to keep it a secret so the devil wouldn't know of his plans. Had the devil suspected anything about it, he would not have crucified Jesus Christ.
This word knowledge, sunesis in the Greek, is defined by Thayer as a running together, a flowing together with, and it was used in Greek literature of the confluence of two rivers, the place where two rivers joined and flowed together. As we read Paul's epistles with a background understanding of the old testament scriptures, knowledge will flow together in our minds as the two meet.
Ephesians 3:5
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
The knowledge of the mystery was not made known to anyone before this administration. The old testament prophets searched diligently for it, but it was hidden, it was a secret, it was a mystery. God revealed it to Paul and here it is written in Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:6
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
This is what the mystery is, a concise definition of it, but it encompasses everything within the gift of holy spirit and what it means to us. To be fellowheirs with Christ, of the same body, and partakers of the promise encompasses being born again, having the seed of God born within us, having the gift of holy spirit, having eternal life. It is everything being God's child means. It is the ability to walk by the spirit with Christ as our head. In this administration it is available to become a new creation, a child of the creator with his spiritual incorruptible seed born inside us. And it is not just exclusively available to Judeans, it is also available to Gentiles, to anyone anywhere on earth regardless of ethnic, cultural, religious, or educational background.
Ephesians 3:7,8
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable [untraceable] riches of Christ;
The mystery was unsearchable, untraceable, untrackable through the old testament, but it was revealed to Paul, and he revealed that information to us in his epistles which make up the all truth spoken of by Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:25-27
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation [administration] of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
It is the Christ in you, the Christ in me that was hidden, and of which the devil suspected nothing. In the old testament, men and women had no spirit, they were dead. In this administration, men and women can be raised from the dead with power to operate the gift of holy spirit, walk with Christ as their head, and raise more people from the dead.
Ephesians 5:14
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Every time we get someone born again, we raise them from the dead. These are the greater works that Jesus Christ referred to back in John 14:12. We really can do greater works than Jesus Christ did. Jesus Christ could not raise anyone from the dead and give them eternal life. We can.
When the devil and his spirits orchestrated the murder of Jesus Christ they had no idea what was coming. If they'd had even an inkling, they would not have crucified him. When Jesus Christ was alive and had the full measure of the spirit that was available then, he could only be in one place at one time. Now, in this Age of Grace, the Administration of the Mystery, everyone who is born again has Christ in them. The god of this world would rather have had Jesus Christ the son of God on earth by himself than have you and me walking around raising people from the dead. Man, the power and authority we have if we only knew it.
All before Darby (and I am still researching more): Irenaeus (130 A.D. - 202 AD) Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp who learned his Christian faith from the apostle John, who wrote the Book of Revelation. Both Polycarp and Irenaeus knew John personally. Irenaeus also believed in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. In "Against Heresies 5:29" he wrote: "And therefore, when in the end the Church shall be suddenly caught up from this, it is said, "There shall be tribulation such as has not been since the beginning, neither shall be." Irenaeus' used "caught up." - the exact same Rapture terminology used in 1 Thes 4. Cyprian (200 AD - 258 AD) Cyprian taught his followers that, "God has not appointed us to wrath, but salvation..." and joyfully encouraged his church to expect to be "taken away" before the Tribulation began. Victorinus (300AD) "And the heaven withdrew as a scroll that is rolled up." For the heaven to be rolled away,that is, that the Church shall be taken away. "And every mountain and the islands removed from their places intimate that in the last persecution all men departed from their places; that is, that the good will be removed, seeking to avoid persecution." Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373AD) “All the saints and elect of God are gathered together before the tribulation, which is to come, and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins.” Brother Dolcino (1307AD) Dolcino and his followers believed they would be transferred into Paradise, in which are Enoch and Elijah. And in this way they will be preserved unharmed from the persecution of Antichrist. And that then Enoch and Elijah themselves would descend on the earth for the purpose of preaching [against] Antichrist. Balthasar Hubmaier (1480-1528AD) “Although Christ gave us many signs whereby we can tell how near at hand the day of his coming is, nevertheless, no one but God knows the exact day. . . . Take heed, watch and pray; for you known either the day nor the hour." John Calvin (1509-1564AD) “[Jesus] wishes [the disciples] to be uncertain as to his coming, but to be prepared to expect him . . . every moment.” “Today we must be alert to grasp the imminent return of Christ.” (Nothing needs to happen first.) Cotton Mather (1639-1723AD) Mather was the first President of Harvard College. This Puritan scholar taught "that the saints would be caught up into the air beforehand, thereby escaping the final conflagration (tribulation)." Peter Jurieu (1687AD) In his book "Approaching Deliverance of the Church " He spoke of a secret Rapture prior to Jesus' coming in glory and judgment at Armageddon. John (Gill) Asgill (1748AD) "Jesus will stay in the air, and His saints shall meet Him there, and whom He'll take up with Him into the third heaven, till the general conflagration and burning of the world is over, and to preserve them from it...." Thomas Collier (1674AD) Frank Marotta challenged a two-stage Second Coming taught by Collier. This reveals again that such a view was in circulation hundreds of years ago. It is apparent that Collier certainly considered the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture." Philip Doddridge (1738AD) The term Rapture was used by Philip Doddridge in his New Testament commentary, with the idea that believers would be caught up prior to judgment on the earth and Jesus' Second Coming. Bernard Lambert (1738-1813AD) Pierre Jean Agier, a French jurist, argued with Bernard Lambert's teaching and the published conclusions of Lacunza that taught the Second Coming of Christ had to occur in two-stages. His first return is to gather His people and His second return is to commence the Millennium. Morgan Edwards (1742-1744AD) Edwards was the Founder of Brown University "The dead saints will be raised, and the living changed at Christ's 'appearing in the air, but will he and they abide in the air all that time? No.They will ascend to paradise, or to some one of those many 'mansions in the Father's house." James McKnight (1763AD) and Thomas Scott (1792AD) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over. Joseph Mede (1586-1639AD): "I will add this more, namely, what may be conceived to be the cause of this Rapture of the Saints on high to meet the Lord in the Clouds, rather than to wait his coming to the Earth. What if it be, that they may be preserved during the Conflagration of the earth and the works thereof, 2 Pet. 3. 10. that as Noah and his family were preserved from the Deluge by being lift up above the waters in the Ark; so should the Saints at the Conflagration be lift up in the Clouds unto their Ark, Christ, to be preserved there from the deluge of fire, wherein the wicked shall be consumed? " Peter Jurieu in his book Approaching Deliverance of the Church (1687AD) taught that Christ would come in the air to Rapture the saints and return to heaven before the battle of Armageddon. He spoke of a secret Rapture prior to His coming in glory and judgment at Armageddon. Philip Doddridge's commentary on the New Testament (1738AD) and John
Gill's commentary on the New Testament (1748) both use the term Rapture and speak of it as imminent. It is clear that these men believed that this coming will precede Christ's descent to the earth and the time of judgment. The purpose was to preserve believers from the time of judgment. James Macknight (1763) and Thomas Scott (1792AD) taught that the righteous will be carried to heaven, where they will be secure until the time of judgment is over. Frank Marotta (1674AD) a brethren researcher, refutes Thomas Collier's reference to a pre-tribulational Rapture, which proves his awareness that such a view was being taught in the late seventeenth century.
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