Western iconography - Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting showing a Mediaeval view of the Creation.
| From The Beginning |
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Western iconography - Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel painting showing a Mediaeval view of the Creation.
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The story of the so-called “Veterans of Truth”
Veterans of Truth suppose they are a modern phenomena, |
| What are VOT’s? | |
| Who are VOT’s? | |
| The Mind of the VOT | |
| The Tactics of the VOT's |
What are VOT’s? The acronym VOT stands for “Veterans of Truth.” VOT’s are apostates who are in the business of self justification. |
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Veteran -n.
One who has a long record of service in a given Truth –n. Conformity to fact or actuality. Fidelity to an original or standard. A statement proved to be or accepted as true. Sincerity or integrity. God. American Heritage Dictionary.
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Early "Veterans" were antagonistic towards the authority of the Ministry. They were not inspired by the standards and obedience of the saints, and saw the example of Christ as saying nothing in particular about how they should live. Such people brought grief to the Apostles and Workers. They ruptured little churches; overthrew people’s faith and made the church a spectacle to outsiders. These “Veterans” spawned their own religious movements.
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John
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“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been with us, they would have continued with us:" 1 John 2:19 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 1 John 4:5
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The
above quotes came from the Apostle John’s first epistle. The church may have
been at Ephesus, ca 90 AD, and clearly had a serious VOT problem. By the
time of John’s second epistle “many
deceivers” had left. The third epistle indicated a rival church was
established. Diotrephes, perhaps an Elder and evidently a ringleader,
wouldn’t receive the workers, and put people out of his house church.
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Jude
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“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness …” Jude 1:4
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The
author of Jude was perhaps Judas, a younger brother of Jesus who went into
the Work, perhaps in Palestine. He faced VOT’s who believed they were
saved by grace
as well. They were assured of their salvation too. Judas is compelled to remind them that those whom God saved, such as angels and the Exodus children, he later destroyed. “… though you once knew this”
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Paul
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“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” Acts 20:29
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VOT's had a special contempt for Paul. Some saw him as a man who led a boorish manner of living, not in keeping with his status as a famous apostle. Some accused him of being intimidating, calculating and manipulative. Most simply hated what they saw as Paul's over-lording and moralizing - his insistence on standards of dress; speech; hair; church attendance and conduct.
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Peter
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“… there shall be false teachers among you … by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” 2 Peter 2:2
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The Apostle Peter faced opposition from dissenters who felt that the church should dispense with standards they considered an embarrassment in the “modern” Greco-Roman world. There was a strong tendency to also accept salvation by grace, thus giving moral liberties. Peter also speaks of those, who “through covetousness… make merchandise of you:” This suggests some home churches were already taking in money. |
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“And Saul said, Bring here a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.” 1 Samuel 13:9. King Saul assuming the role of High Priest.
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VOT's would have considered Peter old fashioned; Paul a simpleton; old John was living in the past, and Jude too taken up with deeds and obedience. VOT's inevitably applied such views to anyone who loved these men.
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“You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation is holy, every one of them: why then lift up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?” Numbers 16:3. Korah, Dathan and Abiram against Moses.
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The VOT’s first instinct is to make themselves equal with figures of authority, thus providing their own “legitimacy.” Then they use this "legitimacy" to contest these figures. An example was first century VOT’s beatifying their own “saints” to put them on par with the Apostles and Workers, and challenging the foundation church. Elements of the VOT toolkit include:
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The Christian churchWhen asked “where in scripture does it say that you must …?” Christians simply replied that they don't live by the Law, they followed the Example of Christ. Jesus did not bring commandments, but rather showed what manner of living was acceptable to God. This is what he meant when he said "you follow me." Two major examples are given in the New Testament: the example of Christ and the example of His church.
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What name did they have? In the 100-year history of the New Testament no name was given to the church by its followers. In fact, there was no name given to what is called "Judaism" in its previous 2,000 year history. This was simply because Christianity, like Judaism, was meant to be a way of living. A received name would be appropriated by every religion. Some of the Old Testament prophets even rejected being labeled "prophets" because everybody who wanted religious authority now called themselves "prophets."
Jesus, John
the Baptist and the Apostles did not offer any church name to those
who asked. This leads to the danger of being labeled by your foes - Jesus’ followers
for instance were called the “Sect
of the Nazarenes.” The word "sect"
implies
radical, fringe and dangerous, and "Nazarene" symbolized much of what was
considered vulgar, apostate and pagan in Israel. From time to time names were imposed upon these congregations by governments or communities. For instance at Antioch, twenty years after Jesus, the followers of Jesus were first called “Christian.” The term was derogatory (ie King Agrippa in Acts 26:28, and the historians Tacitus and Suetonius.) Later the term was used by the Romans for administration purposes. The followers of Jesus did not call themselves Christian, but accepted what the term meant – one who worships Jesus.
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Their Ministry
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“… freely you have received, freely give… Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, … into whatsoever city or town you shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there stay till you go again." Mathew 10:8.
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Jesus established an itinerant ministry. He sent His disciples into every village he himself would enter. This ministry was essentially directed towards the Jews, but in his dealings with Samaritans, Romans, Greeks etc he was anticipating the greater gentile mission that would go out into all the world. They were called "Apostles" or "Workers." James was the leader of the Palestine mission. Paul was the most prominent gentile preacher. Peter was credited with the first gentile conversion, that of the Roman officer Cornelius. Until they were established, VOT’s carried out similar missions. In Mark 10:28 Peter declared that he had left all for the ministry. Jesus stated "... there is no one who left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, for my sake, and for the good news, who may not receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields.." (YLT) Peter experienced this when he became a part of many families. Generally, two preachers was the standard, such as Paul and Timothy – the younger and elder helping each other. There were apparently women preachers such as Junia and Phoebe. This would have been considered unusual at the time. Occasionally some of these preachers were married; we know this because Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law, and Phillip had two daughters. However, the rigors of the Work would have made marriage and children difficult. This ministry had the care for the church. The apostles and workers had authority over the church, as was shown when the author of Hebrews exhorted his people to "remember them which have the rule over you." The ministry was also to serve, as Peter was admonished to do when Jesus said, "feed my sheep." These men and women were human: those who abandoned or denied Jesus in his last hour were the same people who had preached the Gospel. Some fell from grace - the worker Demos left the Work because he "loved this present world." But, as was seen with Jonah and the whale, and the prophet and the lion, the failing of the preacher did not change the message preached. There were times when unity was tested, such as when Paul confronted James and the Palestinian church. But the ability of men and women to go into the work together, owning and earning nothing, and being cared for by the fellowship for the rest of their lives, set this church apart. No other ministry was authorized.
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The Christian church Their Education
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"… and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" Act 4:13
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The gospel, with its simplicity, does not lend itself easily to traditional ideas about study. The notion of an in-dwelling spirit which guides and teaches is simply too much for most people. It is not thought that Jesus had a formal religious education - he did not require it of his followers, nor did he engage in religious studies. This isn't to say that all who followed him were simple carpenters or fishermen. Mathew was a government official; Luke was the "physician" who wrote the powerful Greek in his gospel of Luke and The Acts; and the Ethiopian eunuch was the Treasurer to Queen Candace. A good example of the irrelevancy of higher education was shown in Paul. Paul was a chief Pharisee who learned from the great rabbi Gamaliel, and most likely he was a member of Israel's supreme judicial and administrative council, the Sanhedrin. But Paul's formidable religious education proved a hindrance to him. It is likely that his education went no further than helping him to reach out to Jews who only knew the Law. Paul warned his people about academic pretensions and the distractions of study. Genealogies; legalisms or history have no relevance to the relationship which God seeks to engender with His people. People engaging in theological/philosophical debates demonstrate little appreciation or love of the simplicity of the Gospel, and usually are making statements about themselves.
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The Christian church What was their standard of dress?
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“… the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works" (1 Timothy 2:8-10). "Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God" (1 Peter 3:3-4).
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The biblical period spanned Sumerian, Hebrew, Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman cultures. The dress code for people “professing Godliness” was neither archaic nor fashionable, but dignified, modest and moderate - irrespective of how this was expressed. Thus people could dress in varying ways, yet maintain the same standard. For instance, the veil was a symbol of modesty in the days of Rebecca, but there was no mention of it being worn by devout and modest women in later biblical periods. A shaved head was a sign of respect in the days of Elisha, at other times it symbolized shame. Both Christians and their detractors often misunderstand this. Dress was to be without sexual competition; ostentatious display or “costly array.” For instance, a Jewish woman’s symbol of moderation was a plain single-piece dress called a kuttónet; sometimes with a simlâ (mantle) covering her shoulders. In Ephesus, a Greco Roman city, moderate dress was most likely a plain tunic or toga. Married women usually wore a long dress called a stola. Appearance is considered important because it provides social meaning. Two examples suffice: Women: In biblical times bright colors symbolized wealth or status. Dyes were expensive and limited in range. In the 20th century synthetic dyes gave rise to an abundance of bright and colorful clothing. Thus colors now carry considerably less social meaning. Men: Beards were worn in the 19th century as a mark of respect, just as it had been in many biblical times. After the American Civil War many young rebels removed their beards. By the early 20th century a clean-shaven face became the new respectability. During the 1960’s beards again became fashionable as a counter-culture symbol. Today beards have little social significance.
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The Christian church What was their moral code?
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The moral code was implicit in the example of Jesus. The New Testament writers both lived and specified examples of what the moral standard of God's people must become. These include:
Those who followed Jesus, in due course, became partakers of his divine nature through growth of character. They were no longer living under the Law, but they understood that a specific moral standard was required of them. These things did not come through making vows or external disciplines, for that would be works of Law. Rather these were things which had to be learned through experience. God's will was their joy. This change was seen in Moses: He began his journey as the impetuous youth who killed an Egyptian, but after 40 years in the wilderness he had become the "meekest man in all the world," feeling he was not worthy of the task God set before him. Paul's experience was quite similar. To have acted meek in their youths, these men would have engaged in false modesty. This is one of the important themes of the bible - the process of growing in God's way.
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The Christian church Home Worship
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“Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Mathew 18:20
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Jesus preached in the Jewish Synagogues and the Temple in Jerusalem, just as he did on hills, plains and streets. At the end of His ministry Jesus held a home service where he met with His disciples. The liturgy was a talk followed by prayer and hymns. The disciples continued to meet on the Sunday, as opposed to the Sabbath (Saturday.) The venue was their homes. There was no longer any "worldly sanctuary." The reference to buildings "not made with hands" did not exclude homes, it referred to buildings dedicated for worship. According to the Roman historian Pliny, some Christians met before dawn, and had a fellowship meal afterwards. The prevailing wisdom is that Christians met in private dwellings because of Roman persecution. But Christianity was not usually an underground movement - Rome was multi-cultural, largely tolerant of other religions and accepted all sorts of religious buildings across its far flung empire. Roman harassment was sporadic, and strife against Christians in some provinces largely related to Jewish sectarianism or idol manufacturers. Systematic Roman attacks upon Christians did not occur until about 250 AD, and apparently was directed towards the political and cultural ambitions of the early Catholic church.
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The Christian church Conventions
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Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a
place which is on the north side of Bethel. Judges 21:19
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Convening together for worship was common in both the Old and New Testaments. Early Jewish worshippers, such as Hannah, went yearly to the cultic centre in Shiloh in central Israel. Shiloh was replaced by the pilgrimage to Jerusalem during King David’s reign. In the Old Testament Nehemiah provides a picture of that convocation. The priests and the people were to purify and separate themselves from all strangers. They met for eight days - one quarter to one half of each day was spent in hearing the scriptures, and quarter in confessions and testimony. In the New Testament at least ten thousand people came from all Israel to spend three days with Jesus in the "feeding of the five thousand" (men only were counted.) And in the resurrection Jesus appeared to an assembly of five hundred people.
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The Christian church Festivities
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But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. Galatians 4: 9
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Christians, particularly Gentile Christians, did not observe religious festivities. This is because such festivals are symbols, "types" and "shadows" of what Christ made a reality. Easter has strong significant because of the Jewish Passover. The Passover was also the time of the resurrection of Jesus, as Jesus represented the sacrificial lamb. However, there is no record of any specific Christian observance of the event. In fact, Paul's warning about people who “observed days and months” was most likely a reference to VOT’s who argued over the date for Jewish events like Easter. The churches of Rome were more inclined towards Paul’s gentile mission, and did not have much exposure to the Passover as Palestinian Christians did. Easter became an observance to Catholics two hundred years later. Christmas did not exist for the early church. Christmas was a later invention of the Catholic Church. Jesus was born between 4 and 12 BC, probably during the Palestinian winter.
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The Christian church How many Christians were there?
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"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13
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God's people were not named, and as King David learnt, they were not to be numbered either. Early Christians believed they were the only ones saved; this would have rankled pagan and Jew alike. But one of the biblical themes is the Remnant People, symbolized by tiny Israel in the midst of the nations. Even amongst the Jews God preserved only two tribes. In Israel itself there were times where only a few people served God (sometimes down to one family or a single individual.) Sometimes there was no faith at all. Mass religious movements, such as the wilderness journey, were marked by large scale disobedience. The churches of Revelation show that sometimes God's people could be minorities within their own congregations. Both Moses and Joshua were convinced few of their people were sincere. During Samuel's childhood there was “no open vision.” Perhaps meaning there wasn’t any institutional service recognized by God. Isaiah said that although Israel was as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a remnant would be saved. Jeremiah believed he was God’s only servant in Israel, but God said, "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal." Jesus enraged his countrymen by reminding them that only two of these people, a Syrian general and a Lebanese widow were recorded as being visited by Elisha during a famine.
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The Christian church Were they all the same?
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Judas Iscariot was a thief who carried a bag. It stands to reason he stole from people who would have shown hospitality to Jesus and his disciples. This most likely would have been picked up by some to justify their feelings against these wandering preachers. Many wonder why Judas was with Jesus in the first place - the common explanation was that Judas believed that God was about to restore the kingdom of Israel, and he betrayed Jesus when it was clear this wasn't going to happen. This is conjecture, but it does highlight the fact that people can find themselves in the truth for the wrong reasons. Some people married into the truth; some were born into it and some wanted social connections. But many people found themselves in the truth because they had heart felt feelings for it. Some gave ten fold, some five and some gave nothing. Some had oil for their lamps and some did not.
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The Christian church
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... you were
redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or
defect. 1 Peter 1: 18 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16-18
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The early Apostles and Workers brought the good news (Middle English "Godspel") about Jesus. Their message could not be any more, and would never be anything less. The Apostles wouldn't have understood doctrines of modalism; binitarianism; tritheism; henotheism or trinitarianism. They did not nail 95 thesis to the temple or synagogue wall. There was no Catholic style Catechism or Protestant Solas. There were no Nicene, Apostles or Athanasian creeds, nor any "Thirty-Nine articles of Religion." They did not concern themselves with the burning issue of Jewish Independence. They liberated no slaves, nor did they save the environment or fight poverty and injustice. These preachers did not speak about the world, and as the Apostle John observed, the world did not want to hear them. The first Christians believed that Jesus was the Messiah who's coming was prophesised in the Old Testament. They accepted that the Messiah did not come as a reigning king, but as the "Lamb of God" who would shed his blood to atone for their sins. Genesis states that man is alienated from God because of sin. When the Hebrews were in bondage they were commanded to take in a male lamb "without blemish" and after three days kill and consume it. The lamb's blood was to be daubed upon the lintel of their home. When God sent the angel of death over the land he spared these households.
But Genesis made it clear that the people must stay in their place, and
the lamb must be consumed whole, including
those portions people felt were unpalatable. This signifies not only
those aspects of Jesus acceptable to the general public are for
consumption, but also his shame and rejection, his commandments and his example.
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The Christian church Who else was there?
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"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" John 10:16
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On his death bed in 1324 a priest urged Marco Polo to refute his claim of having visited the country we now call China. China does not appear in the bible, and the notion that the bible was not fully authoritative about the earth was heretical. And just as vexing: could an entire civilization be condemned, through no fault of its own, for not knowing the bible? Church people were assuming too much. The bible says that God knows those who love Him; and He may well have put His own people into families, nations and times when their interaction or presence was important. This is seen with John the Baptist who was to prepare the way for the coming Christ - John was born in Judea, six months prior to Jesus' birth, and born into a priestly family. God's people have always believed that God provides for those who don't have opportunity to hear His word. Most likely these are people who did what they believed was their best within their society, but who sought relationship that went beyond what their religion provided.
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The Christian church Why weren't they more open?
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"I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. " Matthew 11:12 "... the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 Corinthians 4:4
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Jesus began his ministry as a famous man, but by the time of his last ascent to Jerusalem he was largely unknown. Jerusalem was moved to ask “Who is this?” Jesus wept for the city, saying, ""If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes." (NIV Luke 19:42) Jesus did many things in public. His miracles, such as his healings and the "feeding of the five thousand," helped spread his fame throughout Israel and the Middle East. But often Jesus removed himself from the people, refused to give any sign and asked those he healed to tell no-one. In his resurrection Jesus appeared only to his own people. Jesus' own brothers and sisters urged him to reveal himself, saying, "No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." Even Jesus' own disciples struggled with this: Judas (not Iscariot) asked "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" (John 7:4 and 14:22 NIV) Bible commentators have long puzzled over what they see as the inconsistency of these stories - Jesus is seen as simultaneously bringing the Gospel, and hiding it. But God's kingdom is manifest at either public or private levels. Elija, for instance, showed king Ahab and his people how the True God consumed the bullock on the altar. His successor, Elisha, conducted himself before the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom. But this cycle of stories also includes the private dealings of God with His people, such as when Elisha restored the Shunammite's son, and asked a widow to close her windows so that the world would not see the miracle of the oil which God gave her. Jesus used words like “hid” and “hidden” to describe how the new covenant was removed from the eyes of those who were not moved by the Gospel, nor prepared for commitment. Jesus was underpinning the concept of Revelation, which is to say the Truth is revealed only to those who respond. In like manner the early church conducted itself with discretion: It sought no publicity outside of preaching the gospel; engaged in no official civic duties; had no name and kept no records outside the books of the New Testament. Historians who documented early church history were only looking at apostates. This is evident in ecumenical council discourses on liturgy, politics, sectarian strife, finances and bureaucracy (ie Council of Nicea.) These issues did not interest the foundation church.
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The Christian church Did they defend themselves?
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Myth has it that Christians were often thrown into Roman arenas. In truth the Romans found the Christians to be poor sport because they did not defend themselves. Moses did not defend himself when the rebels Korah, Dathan and Abiram, along with 250 "princes" came against Moses in the wilderness in Numbers 16 . It says that Moses "fell upon his face" and said, "the Lord will show who are his." Jesus did not defend himself against Judas or the Jews. Neither did Steven, Peter or Paul when they were attacked. But Jesus did defend his own people from criticism. When the disciples criticized Mary for "wasting" the alabaster ointment the woman would have felt no desire to defend herself, because Jesus spoke for her. In Matthew 11:18 Jesus warned his people about those who criticize. He referred to John the Baptist fasting and being called a demon. Jesus however, in eating and drinking, was called a glutton and a drinker by the same people. Jesus said his people would be justified by the wisdom of their lives, and by implication, no answer will satisfy the critic - the particular argument was never the real issue.
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What happened to this church?
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“Scarce
seen, scarce heard, un-reckoned,
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There is no reliable record of the foundation church after the book of Revelation (ca 100 AD) when the New Testament was closed. If it was anything like the Old Testament history the church may have appeared many times, and even risen independently in different countries. In Acts 19 Paul encountered disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus. These people had been worshipping there for some twenty years, knowing little about the main church. During Jesus’ ministry groups were already preaching different gospels. The schism between the little home churches and groups that ultimately formed greater Christendom was in earnest during the Apostle’s time. Apostate churches might have outnumbered the Apostolic churches before the end of the first century. But history shows that in other ages people did worship in the home, and even send out homeless preachers. Whether such groups were connected by anything other than doctrine is hard to determine. Home worship long attracted the ire of the Catholic Church. The Vatican banned home worship in many countries when it had the power to do so. It is possible there were no home services during such times.
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Why does this church matter? |
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What the Christian bible presents as behavior acceptable to God is the good example provided by the foundation church. The struggle of the early church, such as the contentions over the gentile mission, lay in the fact that the standard was not explicitly stated, but implied through example. There is no ordinance regarding women preachers, for instance, we simply accept them because a few were named. Nor was anything stated about worship on Sunday except for the fact that Jesus rose on the Sunday; the disciples met on the Sunday and Jesus evidently gave his approval for this by appearing to them during a Sunday service. And the corollary of this - what is not permitted is any behavior, of good intention or bad, not exampled by this church. The things which spilled out of the apostate churches, such as doctrines of purgatory; indulgences; temporal punishment and transubstantiation, and which led to the Crusades, the Inquisition and the wars of the Counter Reformation derived from doctrines not found in the foundation church.
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A broken line of succession
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Does a true church require an unbroken chain of witnesses? If so, Why? Imagine if a religion had a chain of succession for thousands of years. Would it be the True Church simply because of this chain? Would it be false for lacking this chain?
Judaism
for instance has a proud history, tracing itself back to Abraham in a
continuous racial and religious heritage for 4,000 years. But the true story
of Judaism is about rupture and renewal, with eras of golden faith and
periods of dark apostasy. The Old Testament is a story about people
continually reviving God’s way. The following list indicates probable apostasy in red text. Adam and Eve The Original Sin Abel serves God and is slain (Gen 4:4) No faith on the earth Time when men began calling upon God (Gen 4:26) Falling away Noah’s obedience to God Destruction of mankind Sumerian era. Unknown Era of the Patriarchs Bondage in Egypt. Moses and the Promised Land, ca 1700 - 1500 BC Falling away God sends the Judges Falling away God delivers through Othniel Falling away Ehud delivers Israel Falling away Deborah delivers Israel Falling away Gideon delivers Israel Falling away Samson delivers Israel Falling away Prophet Samuel and the first Kings, ca 1000 BC Falling away Hezekiah's reforms Falling away Jeremiah and the Babylonian captivity, ca 586 BC Phariseeism and Sadduceeism Despite large gaps in the Old Testament history of Israel there are over a dozen eras where there was no true service to God. Most of the bible stories concerned God raising up prophets to restore His people. And even within the lifetime of God's servants such as Nehemiah and Ezra, there needed to be renewal. And renewal didn’t come from God appearing with new visions on Mount Sinai. It had to come through ordinary men and women reconnecting with what was established in scripture. For instance during the reign of King Josiah (640 – 609 BC,) a scroll was discovered during renovations of the Jerusalem temple. This manuscript (part of the current Deuteronomy) was read to the people, and helped Josiah’s reforms.
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The unbroken line of succession
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The Catholics declare themselves the “True Church” because of an “unbroken line of succession” from the “first Pope,” the Apostle Peter. However, even the earliest post-apostolic leaders (such as Polycarp) showed a shift in spiritual tenor in their writings. Within a few centuries the broad church had become unrecognizable as it usurped Jewish laws and pagan customs, whilst forcibly converting or killing these people (Chrysostom War) All Christian faiths can claim a succession to the first church, however tenuous or indirect. For instance, the Orthodox church broke away from the Catholics in 1054 and chose Peter's brother Andrew as their founder. They need not have bothered: the Orthodox can claim Peter because they came from the Catholics, and the Catholics themselves triumphed over other groups. The pseudo-Christian religion, Mormonism, stems from the teachings of Joseph Smith in 1830. Smith gained his background from American Protestantism and claimed he was "restoring" the church. Protestantism sees itself as reformed Catholicism. And Catholicism claimed the mantle of Christianity in the second century. Thus the Mormon religion can be traced, person by person, back to Jesus - despite Smith claiming that Christianity perished after the disciples.
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The Founders
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"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they exclaim, 'See this man! - given to gluttony and tippling, and a friend of tax-gatherers and notorious sinners!' And yet Wisdom is vindicated by her actions." Matthew 11:18
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New prophets restored the kingdom. However, they did not see their restorations as leading to a "new religion;" rather, they were restating timeless truths - it was from the beginning. The first "Christians" were mostly Jews who saw their way as being the fulfillment of Judaism, and nothing new. True Christians took offense at Christendom's claim that Jesus brought a "new way," or that "Christianity" began with Jesus or Paul. In patriarchs like Abraham; kings like David; prophets like Jeremiah and priests like Nehemiah, they saw people living in the spirit of the New Covenant (that is to say, going beyond the "works of the Law.") Prophets shied away from attempts to humanize their message. Some people were taken up with when the message started; what is the way called; how many adherents were there or even what the prophets looked like. Implicit in such questions is the notion that the person is looking for man instead of God.
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When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return into my house from where I came out; and when he is come, he finds it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goes he, and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first." Luke 11:24 (KJ) "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." II Peter 2:20 (KJ)
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One of the easiest ways people would have considered VOT positions was not by arguing with them, but simply looking at what they now believe in, and how they now lived. The rebellion of Korah, in Numbers 16, led to the dissidents being swallowed up of the earth. The metaphor is apt because VOT's quickly adopt the manners; attitudes; appearance and speech of a society where today Jesus' name is little more than a swear word. VOT's found the freedom to wear what "modern" people wore; to be accepted by people who never accepted God and to no longer have to live under the stricture of the Apostles and Workers. Those that joined other churches found themselves among people with cavalier attitudes toward the gospel. They encountered the novel situation of having to pay for their faith. And this wasn't "faith" as they once knew it - it was cheap, licentious, low demand religion; and what they believe today might not be what they will believe tomorrow. Jesus said that apostates won't be able to hold onto things they considered worth keeping from their abandoned faith. And he said that those who have known the Truth and rejected it will be "beaten with many stripes."
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"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid." Romans 6:15 Grace can be deemed all-sufficient (“grace alone”) but repentance, merit and reward play their part in its dynamic.” The Oxford Companion to the Bible. Saved By Grace Alone is a philosophy which seeks to dispense with many of the requirements the bible says are necessary for entering the kingdom of heaven. This philosophy states that Jesus saves by his grace, and no works are required. Paul often mentioned being saved by grace, rather than “works.” To the Corinthians he declared that God’s grace made him what he was. However, he said this grace was not in “vain” because he “labored more abundantly than they all.” When Paul spoke about "works" he was usually referring to the rituals of Law of the Old Testament, such as circumcision. James, the brother of Jesus, uses the word in a different but older sense, that is, "works" as acts of charity. Neither Paul nor James believed that salvation was possible without the deeds and standards they sought to exemplify. The defining statement of Jesus' doctrine is the Sermon on the Mount, given in Matthew 5,6 and 7. This sermon is clear about what God requires. At no stage does Jesus say that these standards are not required because he has done it all for his people. Indeed, he warns, "why call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say?" Strategies employed by people to avoid these commandments are detailed in Saved by Obedience. What all these writers did point out was that no amount of works in themselves will save us, rather, God grants grace and forgiveness to those who do His will. Saved By Grace is closely connected to other liberal philosophies such as "Once Saved, Always Saved" and "Faith Alone." |
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“avoiding ... oppositions of science falsely so called:.” 1 Timothy 6:20 Claim to have the key to eternal life by simply knowing something, usually something that someone else isn't supposed to know about. An early group which preceded Christianity were known as Gnostics. Paul, Jude and John had to contend with Gnostic VOT's who believed they had penetrated more deeply than ordinary believers into the knowledge about Christian truth. The Gnostic lays claim to "the saving knowledge by which deliverance is effected and the Gnostic awakened to recognition of his or her true nature and heavenly origin." (Oxford Companion) Modern variations on Gnostic ideas are clearly evident in VOT texts. Common arguments include that the VOT is better "educated" or has "researched" their beliefs. Usually such study is merely to validate previously held beliefs. Their views are heavily dependant upon quoting scripture out of context; translating text and laying claim to insights in the historical bible.
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“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:4 Paul wrote often of the notion of being saved by merely observing the Law. This was the main thrust of his "saved by grace" argument - such practices as observing the Sabbath; circumcision, holy days, new moons, sacrifices and food regulations could not bring a human close to God. Rather, these things are "a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Paul warned the Colossians about being "subject to ordinances, (touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men." So many Old Testament practices found their way into the Roman Catholic Church, for instance, that the church essentially became an Old Testament religion with Christian rites. Protestant churches differentiate themselves with preoccupations to various rules and regulations. Seventh Day Adventists abstain from substances such as tobacco and alcohol, and the worship on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday.) Jehovah Witnesses don't celebrate birthdays, Christmas or Easter, and don't "defile" the body with blood transfusions. Christian Scientists don't believe in medicine. These people, as outsiders often note, differ from other people merely in their regulations.
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...“for God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham... " Claim to have a place in the kingdom of God by virtue of birth. Paul understood that salvation by birth as a covenant people was false. John the Baptist warned the Jewish nation that being Jews did not in itself mean they were God's people. This philosophy is rare today because of the acceptance by Judaism, Christianity and Islam of the revealed nature of the scriptures. However, echoes persist in some Judaic and Catholic thought. |
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“Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ."—Romans 5:1." You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19 Saved by believing is a common message of the bible. We are saved simply by believing we are saved - nothing else. Such belief enjoys wide currency today and is closely connected to being saved by grace. Jesus has come to pay the price for our sin and we only need believe this to be partakers of this salvation. The notion violates both common sense and scriptural themes. |
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"Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things I say?" Mal 1:6; Mt 7:21 If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15 Obedience is one of the hardest words in the bible. The major biblical theme for salvation is obedience to God. Obedience brings grace, works, faith and birthright. Almost every life mentioned in the bible, whether in the Old or New Testament, is referenced against the commandment of obedience. The book of Chronicles, for instance, looks at the kings of Israel and Judah, and describes whether they did, or did not, do the will of God. Their attitude towards God's commandments was, essentially, the sole determinate of their lives. Most of the requirements for salvation were spelt out in the so-called Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5 -7 and Luke 6.) These commandments included being humble and poor in spirit; raising above the moral standards of the religious leaders; loving one's enemies; forgiving and not judging others; showing discretion in charity and before disbelievers; walking the hard and narrow way; not being concerned with daily needs; not lusting after fleshly things and seeking only the kingdom of God. These are general themes, but when pushed Jesus was specific, such as when he reaffirmed the prohibition on divorce or marrying a divorced person. Many of the Jews saw Jesus as being a liberal who disregarded the Law. But Jesus made it clear that he was not ending the Law but fulfilling it - and the bar of moral expectation was being raised. For instance he not only affirmed the commandment not to commit adultery, he warned about adultery of the mind. Early VOT's, and later their broad church, sought to bypass Jesus' commandments. They proved quite inventive, for instance in regards the sermon on the mount they claim:
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"(charge) them before the Lord
that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the
hearers." 2 Timothy 2:14 The authors Moynihan and Krauthammer wrote about what were considered decent and indecent behaviour being turned on their head by a liberal society. A similar trend is under way with the revision and outright dishistorizing of the bible.
An example is the
way that biblical characters are undergoing role reversals. Mary the Mother
of Jesus and Judas the betrayer of Jesus, for example, are having a liberal
makeover. For
Mary the word
"virgin" (“Alma”
- Greek) in "translated" into one of its multiple meanings, ie “young
girl.” But Mary
stated,
"How can this be, I do not know a man?" The
"translator" then takes
the Greek word for "man" into its original "anthropos," which also means "husband."
That is, there is a human father, but it is not Joseph. And to
further strip Mary of virtue, even her song is reinterpreted. Mary says
"God has
lifted up his humble maidservant;" so the Greek word
"humble" is connected to the old Greek version of the Hebrew Bible which was
used to describe the rape of Dinah in Genesis, and other incidents of sexual
violation. Thus Mary’s "humility" could be "humiliation" from a sexual
assault.
This is intellectual effrontery and mockery of the bible. Many words have multiple meanings. Add to this the problem of translation and the bible appears an easy target. Spirit. Prove that the spirit is just a man (Muslims take this one step further and reckon this man must be Mohammed!) “Spirit” is Greek for pneuma, meaning “breath.” Thus, the spirit is merely human. Hell: The Greek words Sheol and Gehenna are used in the New Testament. Sheol means "grave" and Gehenna refers to the Valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem, where rubbish and sometime bodies were thrown. Claim that biblical authors did not believe in hell - they were speaking of the here and now. Translators try to bypass Jesus' explicit imagery of the nature of a lost eternity (Lazarus and the rich man; thrust out of the kingdom; separating sheep from goats; closed door; outer darkness, gnashing of teeth etc..) Heaven. Seek to demonstrate that the concept of heaven developed over the centuries, and did not fully emerge until the post exilic period (586 BC) Ignore statements of promise and warning regarding the hereafter given to all the prophets and people of Israel, and dismiss the hope which animated them.
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"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie"( 2 Thessalonians 2:11) The Bible Quoter here does not mean someone who quotes biblical verse to enlighten, but rather people who restrict a broad understanding of text with well rehearsed "proof texts." People who argue over verses often lay claim to Special Revelation. The Bible Quoter uses verse to make themselves an authority on the bible. The agenda is similar to the Bible Translator - to overthrow biblical themes. An example were the Jews quoting scripture to "prove" that the Messiah must come from Bethlehem and be of the tribe of David. Jesus, they noted, was a Galilean and therefore most likely from the tribes of Zebulun or Naphtali. The bible was not written solely for God's people. If it had provided no leeway for interpretation it would not have survived and been transmitted down through the ages. The bible was not intended as a historical text: it uses figurative language and rhetorical devices, and engages the reader with question and answer constructions and parallel clauses. The bible uses theme and variation, unity, design, contrast, symmetry, repetition, coherence and unified progression to present God's word. Examples of misquotations include:
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And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Revelations 18:2 In 2003 an African cardinal, Francis Arinze, gave a speech at America’s Georgetown University about the western world’s liberal views on illegitimate sexuality and death. “In many parts of the world, the family is under siege,” Arinze said. “It is opposed by an anti-life mentality as is seen in contraception, abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. It is scorned and banalized by pornography, desecrated by fornication and adultery, mocked by homosexuality, sabotaged by irregular unions and cut in two by divorce.” R.Kirkwood, Chronicles Magazine, 2003 Arinze’s speech caused a walkout, and over 70 teachers complained about the cardinal. Interestingly, Georgetown is a Catholic university and Arinze was speaking from Catholic doctrine. The collapse of the Western churches in the past century is striking, both in falling attendance and social influence. But less noticed is the fact that the churches have also collapsed within, and today openly engage in scriptural heresy, apostasy and secular dogmatism. Mainstream churches now regularly challenge the truth of the bible, and have gone beyond disbelief in God to hating many of the bible's themes, such as love of judgment; respect for authority and moral propriety. The modern church doesn't lead or provide example, but rather allows itself to be led by secular influences such as cultural theorists; radical feminists; deep ecologists, Marxists and political activists. It has no substance, and acts merely as a weathercock of social attitudes. The New Testament authors presaged an era of apostasy. Jesus gave the sign for when this would happen by stating that Jerusalem “would be trampled under the feet of the gentiles until the time of the Gentiles is complete.” That event took place during the moral ferment of the 1960’s.
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Modern atheism was largely founded on the rise of science and the Enlightenment. The "Rationalism" of Spinoza (1670) stated that "all truth must stand before the bar of reason." This so-called rationalism repudiated the bible's claim of special revelation because it failed to measure up to the demands of reason. But in the name of reason the bible is often attacked without reason. For instance, the "demand of reason" states that all actions have natural causes. Yet there is nothing amiss in believing God used natural phenomena for events which happened in the bible. And in the natural world events don't necessarily have natural causes: quantum physics states that anything is possible, it all boils down to probability. But science's own theory about the beginning is essentially unreasonable because it is based upon the ultimate miracle - a universe springing into existence by itself, without cause or even probability. And the same illogic extends to life. Science has two ways of explaining the origins of life - the first is the so-called "weak anthropic" which holds that the reason the universe is conducive to life is because there are a vast multitude of different universes, and we merely occupy the one which can support an observer. The second theory states there is only one universe and there must be an explanation as to why the key variables conducive to life are present precisely as they are (the so-called "theory of everything.") But the anthropic principle is not science because it can't be tested, and the "theory of everything" principle is theological because of the absurd probabilities involved. The fact that many famous scientists of the enlightenment believed in God is irrelevant because their belief sprung from their religious culture. In a similar vein a growing body of scientists today disbelieve in God, but their views are based largely upon social and cultural factors. This says nothing about the existence of God. Essentially, whether people believe or don't believe, must come down to what they want for themselves. Anyone trying to 'prove' or 'disprove' anything in a physical sense is fooling themselves. |
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Bibical History Since the 1960's more than 5,000 titles have been written on biblical history. Bad scholarship within these books has inspired, or became the reference material, for new generations of titles. (Bad scholarship here refers not to statements opposing the bible but those which would not stand up in other fields of intellectual endeavor.) A large body of biblical studies in academia has, as a starting point, the premise that there is no God. The standard line is that "if we have to invoke God to explain something then we have not learnt anything." Thus almost everything written in the bible is suspect, and the best theory of how this is wrong becomes the "best reasonable alternative." For instance, something as simple as the story of Rebekah and her camel train is not believed by many. It was claimed camels weren't domesticated in Abraham's time (W.F. Albright.) But honest academics recognize that absence of evidence is not evidence for absence; and lay folk might wonder why intelligent people could live in the middle east for thousands of years, yet not ride camels. But the story of the Patriarchs includes details of Canaanite and Semite nomadic practices which would have vanished long before the supposed writing of this story. As it turned out, the camel was domesticated long before Abraham. Had other texts referred to camel trains in the bronze age they would be "proof" of early camel domestication. Similar logic is used to date the books of the bible. It is presumed that it is not possible to predict future events, therefore the fulfillment of that prophecy becomes the earliest date which the prediction was made. A classic example is Daniel's prophecies of the four kingdoms. "Scholars" claim this wasn't written during the Babylonian captivity (CA 586) but after the events described. But this theory doesn't account for the fourth kingdom, Rome. According to the text, the fourth kingdom would kill the Messiah, and be different to all other kingdoms - an allusion to the fact that there have been many Romes since Rome. And records stating that Daniel's writings were shown to the leader of the third kingdom, Alexander the Great, are simply disbelieved. Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem is used to date the gospels at some point after the 70 AD event occurred, despite the fact that the Christians heeded his warning and fled Israel two years prior. |
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Bibical Themes Biblical "themes" are broad sweeping concepts which are deeply embedded in bible stories, or told as proverbs, prayers, psalms or law. These themes are universal to the bible and can be found in the Torah, Prophets, wisdom literature, Gospels, epistles and apocalypses. An example of a theme is the "salvation of the few." In Matthew 7:13 Jesus told his disciples of the few who would enter by the "narrow gate" because "broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. " The saving of the few, and destruction of the many, is common in the bible. Examples include the saving of Noah's family; Abraham saving Lot and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorah; Rahab and family saved at Jericho; through to the New Testament warning for the minority Christians to flee Israel before the Roman war. Some critics translate or selectively quote text to force meanings from scripture alien to biblical themes. In the example above the supporting verses are often ignored, or subverted by countering with verses which refer to God's universal love for mankind. Other universal themes of the bible include: Obedience - One of the major themes and mentioned 373 times. Examples include Adam and Eve disobedience concerning the tree of life; Noah obeying God and building the ark; Abraham commanded to offer up his son; The rebellion of the Jews in the wilderness; The various rebellions of the Jews in the Promised Land; The disobedience of Samuel, Saul and Solomon; the list of kings who did evil in the sight of God; the rejection of the Messiah; the resistance to the Gospel and the warnings to the seven churches of Revelation. Judgment - surveys show that young people in particular see God as some sort of benign force which watches over them, and protects them from the effects of their own behaviour. God is increasingly no longer a judge of anything because all judgment is seen as being against the essence of the bible. However, judgment is mentioned 674 times in the KJ bible. It is more strident in the New Testament than in the Old Testament. Judgement is both to be loved and feared. The bible states that judgment must begin with the household of God. Authority -
Three themes of authority present themselves in the bible. The first is the
authority of God, as is seen in the stone tablets Moses
brought down from the mountain. The second is the
authority vested
in those who led God's people. This was seen in Moses' authority; the
authority of the prophets and kings, the authority of Jesus and the
authority of the disciples who had the "watch" over their flock. These were often bitterly contested. Growing in God's
way - God took people through experiences which
brought things to light they needed to deal with. King David, for instance,
committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed in battle to
hide his crime. David learnt something about his own nature from this
experience, and was able to dealt with it. As a result he grew closer to
God. David's enemies, however, took occasion to blaspheme David and distance
themselves further from God.
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The implications of
knowledge Argument By Implication is an intellectually dishonest way of committing a person to a position that they may not be comfortable with. The tactic is to make appeals to the name of "truth" or "reason" in facile and superficially clever ways so as to subvert these very qualities. Modernity, Empiricism, the Age of Discovery and the so-called Enlightenment were subversive to Christian faith by way of implication. For instance, in 1611 people's sense of being at the centre of God's creation was shaken when Galileo confirmed the Copernican theory that the earth orbits the sun. This discovery did not disprove the bible because science doesn't deal with God, but rather, they questioned established ideas about God. Another example: Education about non-Christian religions was long discouraged in the Western World. Such knowledge can imply two equally false things- the first being that if most religions are wrong then perhaps they are all wrong; and the second assumption is that they are all equally right. A common question touted today is, "who wrote the bible." The inevitable answer, if it can be answered is, "an ordinary man." This is similar to the searching for founders. The implication is that this man has no authority. The following are classic statements which are often used to mount attacks against Christian beliefs.
Sons of gods, and god coming to the earth in human form, are common in
religions.
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Written by P.Phillip, 2006 This site is an expansion of an earlier site referring to the First Church
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