"Words, Mojis, and Critiques"

 Due to a series of previous posts I have recently made, and the fact that I can't seem to escape being reminded of them; it seems necessary I visit with words, mojies, and my own critiques.

Written words are wonderful tools of communication, powerful as they are, we recognize they have their limits. Mojies are a creation we have devised to assist our written words. They help us convey the emotion driving the words we write, thus delivering another piece of valuable information.

Most of us are aware of the difficulty of expressing the emotion driving the thoughts being presented in written form. Words have meaning, and those meanings are rooted in human emotions. The way we raise our voice, impose emphasis on certain words, raise our brows, and move our eyes, all add meaning and clarity to the statements formed with words. When those words are printed in a written form much of this is lost. This is especially true in critiques.

Paul understood this in 2Co 2:4  "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you."

Paul inserted an early church moji to reveal the state of his heart in penning his words. The Corinthian Church had many things wrong. They had their view of marriage wrong, their understanding of the gifts wrong, their form of worship was wrong, and their practice of implementing the Lord's supper was wrong. They had mixed their Christian worship with so many pagan practices and human inventions it was barely recognizable as a Christian Church, yet his critique of those errors was made more pliable by the state of heart presented in his writing.

When we critique the actions of our brothers and sisters this should always be the state of our hearts. We must be, ourselves, humble at heart, and not set our way of thinking as preeminent. It must always be a call to Biblical thinking and practice. As it is in church discipline, the purpose is not punishment and retribution, but obedience and restoration; so in our critiquing of Christian doctrine the purpose is not to force a submission by argument, but a call to truth and understanding through the ministry of His Word.

In a number of previous posts, I have ventured into the area of critiquing various doctrinal practices in a number of churches and Christian circles I have in the past been associated. Choosing to do this always runs a risk of offending precious people, and it also puts the one critiquing at risk of reviving their own pride and arrogance.

This offense is often met with a response expressing the lesser friendly emotions toward the one critiquing, which stirs the lesser beneficial emotions in him. Yes, it does get complicated! It can also escalate into harmful and destructive actions.

I would beseech those who were touched by my critique of those doctrines, especially those who personally know me, to understand my sincere love for you.

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Rom 15:5  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
Rom 15:6  That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 15:7  Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

We must not soften the written text of Scripture. The things we practice in our churches that cannot be supported by Scripture or Scriptural terms that must be redefined to form these new doctrines should be critiqued at all levels. That means even the leadership in small churches must guard against these inventions. If leaders are the ones promoting such practices, they must be held accountable and one must attempt to reason with them. This must be done with love and patience. Paul gives us a wonderful example in his reasoning with the Corinthian Church. He so expressed his love for them, yet spoke directly and straightforwardly.

I have left dear friends, separated from certain fellowships, and joined myself to new ones. These things are not easy, but they are necessary if we cannot be reconciled. But all effort must be made to communicate and bring to bear upon those disagreements the authority of Scripture. Our purpose in critiquing erroneous doctrines is not division but unity.

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.   

Paul gave this command in the same letter that he gave rebuke for their numerous errors. Paul brought his rebuke strongly, yet considered his audience precious in his sight and precious to God. 1Co 1:2  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

When we bring rebuke upon certain practices among us, we must do so as speaking to brethren. All the while strongly rebuking the Corinthian Church, Paul acknowledged them as his dear Brothers and Sisters.  1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

We must do all we can to maintain an expression of love, but we must understand that most will not receive a critique of their doctrines. They simply have too much invested in it, too much pride to consider a careful, honest, and prayerful study bringing the Scripture to bear upon those beliefs. We live in a world with an infatuation with the supernatural and mystical. We are looking for experiences and things that affect us emotionally, that give us a feeling in order to validate its reality. Yet all these things are subjective and are to be brought under the objective rule of Scripture.

If you find yourself the objective of my critique, please understand my heart aches for the truth. I love you, nothing can benefit either of us more than accurate knowledge of the truth. Let us look beyond ourselves and search the Scripture for clearly defined and sound doctrine.

Let us take everything we believe and weigh it against the weight of Scripture. It matters not what certain Scriptures mean to us, what matters is what the text actually says and how the ones present at the time understood it. When that is discovered we can apply it to our lives today.

Help me to discover these things in our lives so that our differences and divisions may be weakened and our love for one another increases. Let us bring our experiences and emotional feelings into subjection to these understandings. Let us strive to let the Scripture reign supreme over our lives.

May the Grace of God be upon each of you,

David      

"God Breathed"

 2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Have you ever wondered how sure you can be the Bible in your hand is truly what it says it is? Have you ever been challenged by someone's accusation insisting it is only a book contrived by men? Have you ever wondered about the so-called other holy books held by the other religions of the world?

People of other religions are just as sure of their writings and prophets, some more so, as we are the Canons we hold. Many are willing to give their lives before denying their faith, and some are willing to kill to promote it. Have you ever pondered on these things, and questioned the validity of your own faith? If not, I would suggest you do. If we truly take our faith seriously, it is necessary we understand what we believe and why. We need to know it is the truth, to believe a lie is to follow a path to destruction.

We must also consider how this affects others. Those who challenge us, who insist the Scriptures are only the writings of men need answers. To leave them with that assumption and produce no confidence or knowledge on our part to the contrary is a dereliction of our duty to defend the faith.

We must also consider the effects this will have on our children. If we are to lead our children in the Christian faith, must we not know its truth? Our Children must be prepared for persecution and live a life willing to suffer great loss as a result of their faith. Do they not deserve to see this confidence and diffusion of knowledge in our lives?

With these things in mind I want to consider in this post the Scripture above from 2 Timothy 3:16. In the first half Paul gives us its source using the word "theopneustos" which is translated from Greek into English as "inspiration of God". Some later translations such as the NIV and the ESV have chosen to use "God-breathed" as a translation. This is derived from the word "Theos" meaning God and "Pneo" meaning to breathe. Thus, "theopneutos" God-breathed.

But what does this mean? Which rendering is the most accurate? For centuries the translators chose "inspiration", only in the last 40 years are so have some decided on "God-breathed". This has led many to pick up on this language and use it in conversation. It is a difficult word to define as it is used only once in Scripture, that being in the verse before us. And it is very rare in any other Greek literature. So it is hard for us to know why Paul under the influence of the Holy Spirit chose to use this particular word before others he could have chosen. Being one myself who does not accept change quickly, I suspect I will prefer and lean toward older translations of "inspiration of God".

We understand the Decalogue was written with the finger of God, but what about the rest of the Scripture? Did God breathe on a sheet of papyrus and the words appear? No, we understand that men received thoughts and with their minds and hands placed the words upon written documents. (2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.)

We understand that the Scripture carries with it a noticeable human element as it flows through the writer. We also understand that God so moved upon the writer that the thought and intent were transmitted without error to the text.

This inerrant view is held only upon the original received text. It is understood that through copies and translations this perfection is subject to human errors. Yet there are many ways we are able to verify and confirm the accuracy of the Bible we hold in our hands. In God's Providence, He has preserved for us these safeguards. It is interesting the translators did not insert the verb "was" given, or "was" profitable, but "is". They seem to understand from the text Paul was saying even the copies and translations "is" given to us in His Providence. The book in Timothy's hands would have been the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Paul told him it was "theopneutos" and "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" Jesus Himself quoted from this translation of the Scripture affirming it as authoritative.

If you hold a Bible in your hands that is in your native language, there are ways to know the accuracy of the text. So you can come to trust the text as inspired by God. How can we build our own confidence as well as respond to those suggestions that it was just written and contrived by men?

Here is a suggestion that has helped me, I'm not sure how effective it is in answering the critic, but it built my confidence. It also seems if the critic is truly inquisitive and honest about His insertion it should help him as well.

That suggestion is simply to read it and compare it to other writings. As I alluded to before, there is a noticeable human element to the text. One can study it and identify the different styles of the various writers. There is also a noticeable divine element imposed upon the text. After some reading one notices a uniform message and continuity from Genesis to Revelation. These words were pinned by over 40 different authors over thousands of years and yet it flows smoothly presenting a wonderful theme of Redemption.

If you then begin to read the writings of the Church Fathers, they were the 2nd century generation of Christians. Some were disciples of the Disciples. Their writings are very helpful and much can be learned by studying them. But you will eventually notice the absence of the Divine element. Their understanding at times seemed to be strained. They have misunderstandings of one another. Their disagreements surface quite often.

You are made aware of a difference, it is not Scripture, it is missing this special level of "theopneustos". Seeing this helped me immensely. I began to understand how the Canon we have now took form. I have read some of the Apocrypha writings, and they too are interesting, but I find the same missing element, they are not Scripture.

Why is the book of Barnabas not in the New Testament? One reading and you understand why. Why is the book of Enoch not included in the Old Testament Canon? One reading and you understand. What about the so-called lost books of the Bible? There are no lost books of the Bible! There are lost books, some understand that perhaps Paul wrote a 3rd letter to the Corinthians that has been lost. That very well may be possible. I'm sure Paul and the other New Testament writers as well wrote many things besides those we have in the Bible. Everything Paul wrote was not "theopneustos" but when he was moved upon in that special way, every word he pinned was "theopneustos". God is not in the business of losing or misplacing His Divine revelation. Yes, we have the Word of God, His revelation to us. It may be through a translation to us in our language, but it is "theopneustos" and presents with all the power necessary to transform our lives and bring us to regeneration. It is sufficient for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

May the Grace of God be upon each of you,

David      

Seeds of Deception

 It may just be me and my particular focus at the time, but it seems I'm seeing much being written these days on deception. I keep coming across testimonies of people who have believed things for years, only now to discover they were deceived.

This is a subject very close to me, as I have found myself believing things for years I now believe differently. My particular views about God and religion have changed drastically over the years. This resulted in my leaving a church I had attended for nearly 30 years. It also caused enough friction that fellowship has become difficult with some of the people I was associated with, people who I love greatly and for whom I held great respect. As a result, the seriousness of this subject is a very real thing to me. For this was a difficult and painful thing to experience. It has caused me to ponder how this can occur in people's lives and how we can avoid it.

As I look back over the years, I can now see areas where I was blind, areas that could have been avoided if I had a little more light. {John 11:10  But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.}  It is in these dark areas where the seed of deception are sown. These are the seed that grows in darkness, for the light makes manifest. Seed require their environment to germinate and produce their fruit, these seeds require an environment of darkness. This is not a darkness of some great evil, but a subtle shading of our understanding that keeps just enough light out to allow these seeds to grow. If you will be patient with me, I would like to appeal to you with a few words concerning this subject. I hope they will help us lighten these shadowed areas and dry up any seed of deception.

This is not talking about the natural process of growing and learning that we all experience throughout life. We naturally become more familiar with and understand things better as we grow and mature. Nor is this to suggest that spiritual things can be understood simply by applying certain principles alone. When it comes to spiritual matters, it is the teacher, the Holy Spirit that must open our understanding when any principle of understanding is applied. {1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.} This is simply to point out some things that can help us avoid providing a place for these unwanted seeds to grow.

One thing that can help us discern truth and avoid deception is hard work. {Pro 24:27  Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.} We must understand that truth will not just fall out of the trees and take root in our minds. It will require effort, sometimes much effort depending on the environment in which we find ourselves. We must be willing to do our own studying, willing to spend a great part of our lives reading and meditating upon the scriptures. {Mat 22:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.} We must make use of the available tools, commentaries, and expositions of those before us to aid in our understanding. We must become familiar with the Creeds and Confessions of the Church to see how those scriptures were understood throughout history. This will take time and effort and must be applied with prayer, but it will give us a working knowledge of the Christian faith. It will reveal the struggles that have always existed in maintaining the truth; and will give clarity to the resulting damage that has and can occur when the truth is shaded.

But this hard work must be applied correctly. One can study hard but study wrongly. In your zeal, it will be possible to apply yourself to many studies on the wrong doctrine. {2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.} That is why it is necessary to become familiar with church history. It is much easier to see the error of the past generations where the path has already been cleared than to look into the weeds of our present time. Most of the error we are confronted with has already been dealt with in past generations, they can help us identify the weeds that need to be avoided. {Isa 58:12  And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.}

{Jer 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.} 

When suggesting this strategy, it is common for someone to ask the question, "What do you do when you look to saints of the past and they don't agree?" This of course is a defense, they are positing themselves to disarm you. It is a way to weaken your argument and strengthen theirs. The point is, "You and I disagree, but I can still hold to my belief because the truth can not really be known." We all must acknowledge that disagreements do exist in Christianity, for men are sinful and disagreements are inevitable. {Act 15:1  And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Act 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.} The Scriptures delivered by the Holy Spirit through Prophets and Apostles are infallible and our only source of faith and practice. But the Creeds and Confessions help guide us in a clear path to help keep us in an orthodox belief of those Scriptures.

Another thing to avoid is letting our feelings and emotions guide us in our understanding of God and what He requires in worship. I have heard Scripture read with the question posed, "Well, what does that verse mean to you?" Depending upon your current state of mind and experiences a said Scripture could invariably mean any number of things to you. But whatever comfort we may perceive from a particular verse, the only real value it has lies in what the text actually says; and from the context derive how it is to be applied to our lives. 

As fallen beings, we are fickle in our emotions, they are an uncertain guide. A particular form of worship may touch our feelings and make us feel good and raise our spirits so to speak. But that form of worship may be entirely unscriptural, and following our emotions can lead us into error and worship displeasing to God. Scripture gives us a sure and steadfast guide to understanding God and what he requires of us in our worship. Certain techniques can be induced by men to manipulate our emotions and deceive us. {Act 8:9  But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
Act 8:10  To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
Act 8:11  And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.} Simon appealed to the emotions, his techniques bewitched (amazed) his hearers. He was perceived as being a godly man, but his form of worship was corrupted. There are no new ways of worship, only inventions of men. The approved practices of Scripture cannot be improved upon. When we rely upon the Scriptures and find in Church history orthodox worship guided by those Scriptures, we can know we are upon sound doctrine. 

Lastly, and the most difficult, is the influence of family and friends. It is most difficult for us to see them as a danger, someone leading us into harm's way. Yet many times they are the very ones to deceive us. 

We are led astray because of the love and trust we place in these relationships. Very seldom is this deception intentional. Most often they are friends and family who genuinely have a love and zeal toward God. Pastors who genuinely love and care for the flock. But who themselves have become victims of deception. This makes them all the more dangerous because of their perceived sincerity. We are left feeling secure knowing such loving people would not lead us astray. And thus we all fall into error. {Luk 6:39  And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?}  Everything and everyone must be weighed against the test of Scripture. 

Let's apply these things in an example: You have a person who has professed faith in Christ. They have the influence of their family and friends who were instrumental in helping them make such a profession. But they are a bit slack in their efforts to study and simply rely upon what their family and friends tell them. Perhaps they are excellent students, but the material they are given is provided only by their particular circles. They are able only to view the Scriptures through that lens of interpretation. They do feel good being with their family and friends in worship and therefore assume that God must be blessing their services. In this environment, a person could go on for years with misunderstanding of God and true Christian worship. 

Seeds of deception were sown in the first and second-century churches and they are still being sown today. There are also certain events and practices that were unique to the first-century Church, a misapplication of those events and practices has led to much confusion. But if we are diligent in prayer and the study of the Scriptures, while making ourselves aware of our history; we can provide a suitable place for truth to grow. The light of the Gospel will then dry out the seed of deception. 

May the Grace of God be upon each of you,

David

"God Said"

 

The following work is a response to my friend who is an agnostic / atheist. He from time to time challenges me on my faith and poses questions of interest. Since I haven't posted anything in a while I thought it might be interesting to post some of our conversations.

Greetings My Friend,

I'm not sure if you were done with my last question to you about the Killing of Jesus, but, here is another issue I would like to address to you:

It is written in Genesis that God said, "Let there be light (Gen !:3); in Gen 1:6 God said, "Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water;" and in Gen 1-11 God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to the various kinds"....and so on.

Okay, here are my questions: Why did God have to speak and who was he speaking to? Himself? Was God using "magic" to conjure up all that he desired? Dictionary.com states to conjure a miracle...to call into existence by magic. 

Gene,

__________________________________________

You do have a keen eye for scripture, were you ever to come to faith, you would make a great theologian! No God did not have to speak, nor did He speak as we would understand it. This involves God’s otherness, remember before we talked about His “being” and that He is not like us. He has no mouth to speak with, and no parts to form sounds with. He is spirit and spirit is non-corporal. (Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.) 

 As a spirit and as the Supreme Being He is revealed in scripture to be at all places at all times. He is no less present here as He is in heaven or the far reaches of the universe. His being fills all things, He is understood by theologians as a Simple being because He does not consist of parts, therefor he has not have a mouth with which to speak.

What we have throughout scripture is what theologians call “anthropomorphic language.” It is a way of presenting the acts of a spiritual being in terms relatable to human understanding. In scripture we find God doing things with His hand and arm. (Luk 1:51  He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.)  (Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.) Yet He has no parts, no hand, no arm. He is even here described as coming or moving from one place to another, yet He cannot move, there is no place for Him to move from or place to move to, He is Omnipresent at all times and all places. He is also said to be angry, to be please, laugh, love, hate, and to be grieved. Yet He has no emotions as we would understand, this is called God impassibility.  He is described in scripture as immutable, meaning He cannot change. Any movement from anger to laughter would be a change in His being, of which He is incapable, being immutable. You can see the far-reaching consequences to this immutable being when it comes to our understanding.

Yet we find these terms used constantly throughout scripture. It makes Him reasonable to our minds, allowing us to follow Him in thought as His time passes through our lives. This mystery is deepened in John chapter 1.

(Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.) John speaking of the same event as your reference in Genesis 1, speaks as if the Word that was spoken was a Person, not a sound. So what did God do in the beginning? Whatever He did that brought about the existence of matter, space, and time He has deemed it most accurate to describe it to us as His speaking.

In Exodus,  (Exo 3:8  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites) God is described as coming down. Does that mean He was somewhere else for a time? No, He is Omnipresent. But as events occurred in time and life experience, He deemed it most accurate to describe this action as coming down. It is a way to relate the action of a spiritual being in terms and reasons a physical mind comprehends and understands. It makes the action knowable.

In Numbers (Num 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?) Here it is said that God is not a man that he should lie or repent. Yet, in Jonah it is said, (Jon 3:10  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.) There are a number of things here, besides the contradiction, you again have God changing His mind. But an immutable being does not change His mind, also, a change necessitates a receiving of additional information that renders a more perfect action. Yet God is not only immutable but omniscient (all-knowing) and perfect in that He cannot improve upon His actions. So how do we understand this language?

In the events of time, we see changes, and God is seen and understood to be involved in all such events. In the language that describes these things for us, God appears to change in mind and actions; yet it is the events in time that are changing and God remains immutable, omniscient, and perfect. But the language reveals these events in human terms and presents God in a form our minds relate to and understand.

The Westminister Confession speaks of these things thus, (There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory;
most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.) 

John M. Frame says it well, “Although God's eternal decree does not change, it does ordain change. It ordains a historical series of events, each of which receives God's evaluation. God evaluates different events in different ways. Those evaluations themselves are fixed in God's eternal plan. But they are genuine evaluations of the events. It is not wrong to describe them as responses to these events.

Furthermore, we have seen that God is not only transcendent beyond time and space, but also immanent in all times and spaces. From these immanent perspectives, God views each event from within history. As he does, he evaluates each event appropriately, when it happens. Such evaluations are, in the most obvious sense, responses.

Does such responsiveness imply passivity in God? To say so would be highly misleading. God responds (both transcendently and immanently) only to what he has himself ordained. He has chosen to create a world that will often grieve him. So ultimately he is active, rather than passive. Some may want to use the term impassible to indicate that fact.”

 (Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 

Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:)

May the Grace of God be upon each of you,

"Heresies" Conclusion

 So far I have managed to read 209 pages of 800 years of condensed church history. There are nearly 300 pages and nearly 1,200 years more to go. To be honest, I am fatigued, worn out, caputtered! This is the second trip through this book and it is more difficult this time than the first time. So, I'm writing the conclusion, do you blame me?

As I studied this, I realized, that each and every chapter deserved a 500-page book itself to discover all the details that are connected with its history. Church history is complicated, interwoven with cultures, kingdoms, politics, economics, wars, kings, peasants, affluent, and poor. It is an intriguing study, but a subject too big and exhaustive for a blog series. It is an amazing history, one that every Christian should know at least something about. Ligonier has a video teaching series by Robert Godfrey that is an excellent overview I would recommend for everyone, especially those who don't have time to read Harold O. J. Brown or some other 500-page book on church history.  https://www.ligonier.org/

Maintaining Orthodoxy in our faith is not an easy task, history has proven it never has been. However, history has also proven its maintenance is worth every effort taken, we cannot overestimate its value. There have been major heresies that threatened the very existence of the church. There have been lesser errors introduced that weakened the church's effectiveness. Those heresies and errors have been defeated throughout history by Orthodox teaching only to see those same heresies and errors arise again later. They would arise under new names with some variations, but their essences were the same.

Even today many of the old heretical teachings of the past abide with us still, just under a new name and new management. These old teachings today simply blend into Christiandom and thrive with relatively little resistance. The word heresy carries with it very little meaning today, so in some aspects, error is even more dangerous to Orthodoxy today than in the previous history.

In the church today one is faced with a smorgasbord of distractions. For the most part, it is simply a mixture of these distractions with enough Orthodox teaching to still be considered Christian. These things exist for a number of reasons. In the past, many times error arose from some radical thinking simply taking a truth to the extreme. Other times saw error arise when Orthodox teaching seemed to be ineffective in producing a pious life, therefore, extreme measures were taken in religion to try and achieve a more holy life.

In our Christian walk today, we must be very cautious. With little theological teaching and expositional preaching, this smorgasbord of doctrines is ready to turn our minds into mush. It would be helpful to study your church's doctrine, that is if they have more than just a few statements. Many churches today do not give you enough statements of faith for you to know what they believe. A few Orthodox statements in a what we believe column does not give you an assurance of Orthodox faith.

So pay attention to what you are being taught, and study it out in the Bible for yourself. Don't just look to see if the scripture they used is in the text, but look at the context, and consider to whom it was written. Do a little historical study, look at some of the creeds and confessions of the early church and see if you can find their teaching explained. The first six hundred years of church history will give you a good foundation of Orthodox understanding. If you are hearing teaching in your church that has not been addressed by the church in the previous history, that could be a red flag for you to consider.

There have been two thousand years of church history before us. All Christian doctrine has been debated and re-debated. Most of the errors you will encounter have already been addressed sometime in history. There has been no new revelation given since the Prophets and the Apostles, so you should not find any new teaching arising from the text. The confessions of the church coming out of the reformation to some extent address all the major doctrines of the Christian faith. If you are being taught something you cannot find in any of the confessions, that should be another red flag.

This will take a little effort, but it's really not that hard these days with all the access we have to information. It will give you assurance from your own study, it will cause you to be more confident in expressing your faith. And most of all it will safeguard you from falling into hurtful error.

 
In doing this you will find plenty of folks who will confront you and feel their calling is to correct you. We in the Christian community and I include myself, have a tendency to not be teachable. With great tenacity, we are determined to hold on to our pet doctrines and presuppositions of our faith. Understand, many well-meaning Christians will never be persuaded beyond what they have always been taught or come to believe. We must faithfully follow the plain teachings of the Scripture concerning the Gospel and lovingly demonstrate our understanding of those Scriptures.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

Jas 1:21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 

2Ti 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.  

May the Grace of God be with each of you,

David
       

"Heresies" Part VI

 Matthew 1:20 tells us,  (But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Mat 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Mat 1:22  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Mat 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.)  

Those are astounding words, the scriptures both Old and New are filled with many such divine revelations concerning our fall and redemption. It is the revealing of the Divine purpose of God from all eternity, (1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1Pe 1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.)

Orthodoxy is the right understanding of these doctrines, heresy is the wrong understanding of them. Once the human mind receives understanding and faith is born, it begins to ponder how these things could be. Was it not a popular publication not many years ago that coined the phrase, "Inquisitive minds want to know"? It is our attempt to explain and understand how these things were done and how they came to pass that is our difficulty. It is good to ponder things, for they bring us into a state of awe at the Glory of our Father and the wonder of our redemption. However, it is in these areas we must be extremely careful. A look at history, as well as the present day, reveals the damaging effect of prying into the things we know not.  (Jud 1:10  But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.)  

The Orthodox teachings of the Trinity speak of the Godhead in terms that help us understand in limited ways the being of God. However, it is careful not to reach too deeply into the mystery as to lead us astray. The Orthodox teaching of the Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds define for us the nature of Christ in terms that help us in our understanding. They present the elements that are necessary for His being to bring about our salvation in a way that gives us assurance. Yet again they are careful not to probe too deeply into the mystery of the incarnation.  

The church confessions of the reformation are also very helpful in maintaining Orthodoxy. They safeguard us from being led astray by a personality or persuasive speech of an individual. They define our explanations of the major doctrines held by the church concerning our faith.  They are not the product of any private interpretations, but of a gathering of minds deemed qualified for such a task. However, we must be constantly aware they are not infallible, for they are the works of men and should always be understood as such. 

Many of these Creeds and Confessions were a product of Orthodoxy responding to some error that was induced into the church. Their response was to set the right doctrine in place of the error. It is extremely important for us to consider all these things. If this all seems to be of great effort, it is because it is of great importance. We have only one divine revelation delivered to us, great care must be taken that we understand it correctly, for hope and faith in anything else is a false hope and fruitless faith.

Therefore, we should be encouraged to study to show ourselves approved (2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.) taking advantage of every tool made available to us. 

May the Grace of God be upon each of you,

David

For a much more in-depth study please see the book by Harold O. J. Brown "Heresies"  

"Heresies" Part V

 Why are the things we are discussing important? Why are they necessary? It has to do with the Christian desire to know God and be able to understand who He is. The Scripture is truly our only rule of faith and practice, the creeds, and confessions that formulate our doctrine are but tools to aid us. They help us articulate the conceptions of our mind as we study and understand the Scriptures.

The Apostles' Creed is a great aid in doing that, yet it proved insufficient to demonstrate the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus for two centuries, men struggled to understand how God could be one God, and how we could worship the Son and not be said to worship another God.

Monarchianism and Arianism were but two great heresies that developed in an attempt to answer these questions. It was two full centuries before the church was able to articulate this understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. It was implicit in our worship from the beginning, but we were unable to articulate the understanding in human language. The Monarchians affirmed the oneness of God but denied that the Son and the Holy Spirit are real Persons, distinct from the Father which is clearly seen in the Scripture.

The Arians acknowledged the distinctness of the Son (and to an extent the Holy Spirit) from the Father, but they did not acknowledge Him to be fully or equally God. Yet Scripture declares, "Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;"

Since the 4th century, trinitarian theology has been an essential part of the Gospel in articulating this understanding.

Our Orthodox Trinitarian doctrine expresses our understanding as "One essence in three Persons" There is truly but one God as the Shema affirms (Deut 6:4), for there is only one divine essence. This essence subsists in three distinct subjects or Persons. This divine essence is identical with God, and subsists in and only in the three Persons. These divine Persons are distinct, yet they cannot be separated from one another or the essence (Godhead)

This language and understanding still fall far short of a complete understanding of God's otherness. However, it is a very helpful tool for expressing our faith. It is also helpful in keeping us from falling into the errors of the past.

It aids us in the understanding that God did not create out of need, for He has never been alone.  He has always existed in this perfection of One in Trinity and Trinity in Unity.

This is important because any other understanding steps outside of Orthodox truth in our attempts of worship. And in our worship, it is our desire to be right. To think rightly and worship rightly.

In our attempts to comprehend God, it is generally easier for us to understand what He is not rather than what He is. His otherness leaves us reaching for that which we cannot comprehend in its fullness. It is safest for us simply to state what we believe concerning the Trinitarian nature of God rather than attempt to explain it.

"Thus the connection of the Father in the Son, and of the Son in the Paraclete, produces three coherent Persons, who are yet distinct One from Another. These Three are one essence, not one Person, as it is said, 'I and the Father are One,' in respect of unity of substance, not singularity of number." ~ Tertullian (155-240 AD)

For a much more in-depth study please see the book by Harold O. J. Brown "Heresies" 

May the Grace of God be with each of you,

David     

"Heresis" Part IV

 Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Rom 12:16  Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

The scriptures are so pure, their commands so straightforward, and they flow so wonderfully together. If we did not know, we could not imagine they were written by 40 different authors who lived hundreds of years apart. They walk with the same message and carry the same theme. Each book lends support and strength to the other.

It is equally difficult to imagine that we are so divided over a book of such unity. It seems we must be determined to disagree upon something and separate ourselves from one another. This has become so distasteful to some they disdain doctrine and label it divisive. They refuse to define what they believe other than Jesus is their savior and God is their Father. They will make superficial references to the Holy Spirit and stress the love factor professing that is all we need. The sermons consist of moral ethics laced with more love for your neighbor feelings. However, this is not a faith that will stand the test of time.

For one to truly be committed to a person, one must know who that person is. The Christian by faith is called to a commitment of such magnitude in Christianity that death itself will not break it. Therein lies the importance of doctrine and maintaining Orthodoxy. As we are seeing, that is not and has not been an easy task for the Church. Men are weak in their passions, pride and emotion rule much too often in the Christian heart. The tendency of the Christian to follow a personality and be influenced by people with Charisma or popularity weakens our position.

History demonstrates this is not unique to today, the errors and division of the first few centuries of the church were not unlike ours. They were perhaps even worse, which demonstrates the divine origin of the scriptures. For it is evident that men of themselves could not produce such a work of perfection.

That brings us to one of the greatest struggles the church has faced concerning Christ. Who was He? Why does it matter? It matters because we are called to trust in Him for our redemption, our very eternal existence depends on His ability to perform His claims.

Arius was an influential teacher that rose up from within the church which brought division for over half a century. Some of these movements lasted hundreds of years before losing influence and even then resurfaced time and time again throughout history.

Arianism is as big as history itself, it almost consumed the church and even exists today in various movements. Arianism defined the nature of Christ as a newly created being. God created Him in order to mediate between Himself and the world which had fallen. Christ was independent of God and distinct from Him. Like fallen man, Christ could have exercised his free will to disobey God. In certain forms of Arianism Christ was not worthy of divine worship as the Father. However, being a perfect creature through which all creation was made He could be our mediator. If you are familiar with other sects claiming the name Christianity today many of these elements will sound familiar.

This belief became very popular among Christians as it seemed to maintain the oneness of God demonstrated in Scripture and maintained the uniqueness of Christ that is found in Scripture. This theology matters immensely because it denied the divinity of Christ. In this controversy as in all controversies, the weakness of men becomes evident. Men of influence within the Church began to use the political powers that be to gain an advantage over those that opposed them. Over those years Orthodoxy was determined by the view of the Emperor who happened to be in power at the time. Advantage was gained by whatever means possible to promote the view each party thought was correct.

After years of struggle, Orthodoxy finally came to the forefront. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of 325 AD and 381 AD established Orthodoxy for us for over a thousand years. Only in the last century has that understanding of Scripture come under attack again.  

 What are we to take away from this? First the positive, these difficulties only magnify the majesty of the Scriptures, (2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.)

Second, the weakness of our understanding and the nature of our passions leave us at a disadvantage. Approaching our study in a humble state recognizing these elements of our nature is necessary. Awareness of the same weaknesses in others should cause caution in us in following any new movement. Scripture must be weighed against Scripture while taking into consideration the Orthodox beliefs of those before us. We must remember, that the Scriptures have been scrutinized for thousands of years by men of great minds and much understanding. The excitement of finding some new revelation that has not been explored is an unsafe approach. Such has been the downfall of many and the cause of much confusion within the body.  

Finally, the two considerations above bring us within reach of the assurance of our faith. We are assured of the ever-present help of the Holy Spirit to teach us as we study. Our cautions only aid us in that understanding and help bring clarity as we learn. We can find Orthodoxy as it is understood in the scriptures. We can understand by Nicene Creed that Jesus Christ is "the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father,
by Whom all things were made:
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man:
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried:
And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures:
And ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father:
And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead:
Whose Kingdom will have no end:" 

We can take that Orthodox understanding and find that it does not conflict with the flow of the Scriptures. In this, we can find unity and assurance of faith. 

For a much more in-depth study please see the book by Harold O. J. Brown "Heresies" 

May the Grace of God be with each of you,

David