The Neglected Treasure by Jim McGuiggan

https://web.archive.org/web/20160424081947/http://jimmcguiggan.com/beginners2.asp?id=8

The Neglected Treasure

She lived in poverty out in the Scottish highlands, the story goes. Her son had gone to America and gotten very rich, so they said. Neighbours wondered why she was so impoverished if her son was so rich. Does he not send you money? they wanted to know. She said he sent her pretty pictures. She took down the family Bible and scattered throughout it were scores of ten, fifty and hundred dollar bills. Her Bible was full of treasure and this isolated and elderly lady didn't recognise the foreign money. Hard to believe? Maybe. Multiplied millions in the world don't know the treasure they have in their Bibles. For a thousand reasons people ignore it and their lives are narrower because of it. The Bible's not an ordinary book and you can be infinitely richer if you'll allow it to tell you its message.

Can There Really Be Treasure?

How's it possible that an ancient book can matter that much to modern men? What does it have that makes it the most influential book in the world? (Even the Islamic world reveres large portions of the Bible!) How do you explain the fact that down through the ages those who sought to enslave others have burned Bibles and outlawed the reading of it? Why did these governments go to the trouble to suppress the Scriptures? Why do countless thousands in every age ask for it to be read at their marriages and at their funerals?

The Power & Beauty of the Bible

Robert Evans met an old man in bombed-out Warsaw at the close of World War II, who, all his life had owned and cherished one page of the Bible . He wasn't sure it was from the Bible. "I have read this page again and again all my life," he told Evans. "I thought it was from the Bible, but I was never sure. There's something different about it--this I know. But I've always wondered what comes on the next page." And he wept as Evans let him handle, for the first time in his life, an entire Bible, page by page. How do you explain all this? The Bible is precious and down the centuries has gained a wonderful and an ennobling power over wistful hearts.

Of course the Bible has its occasional critics. (Can you remember any of their names?) But when you easily dismiss something as acclaimed as Shakespeare's plays, you're saying more about yourself than Shakespeare. Those who tell us they regard Beethoven or Mozart as rubbish don't impress us as qualified critics.

But maybe the Bible gets more criticism because of its "friends" than its critics. They say they think it's precious but aren't nearly as thrilled about it as students of Shakespeare, Homer or Dostoievski are about those authors. They say they revere it but live as though it means nothing to them. They say it's deeply satisfying but spend no time delving into it. Thoughtful unbelievers note all this and wonder.

None of this is the fault of the Bible. It can't be right to dismiss Dvorak or Bach as trivial because some musician we know butchers their work. We can't be doing right to dismiss the work of Shakespeare or Goethe because some actor makes an awful mess of their material. And it can't be right to dismiss the Bible because its friends represent it pathetically.

It's to the Bible's everlasting credit that despite its critics and its "friends" it remains the foremost book in all the world, generation after generation. Others feel the need to protect their holy book from criticism so they forbid even the translation of it. Enlightened Bible-believers have no such fears. The Bible, somebody said, is like an anvil and its critics are like hammers. The hammers wear out while the anvil remains. As long as there are people in darkness who need light, people in suffering who need comfort, people in despair who need hope, people who are lost and need to be found, people in bondage who need to be freed--as long as such people exist the Bible will be around and in demand!

The Nature of the Bible's Treasure

The Bible is glorious literature. It's right to say the Bible is glorious literature! It's right to remind people that all the noted writers from the earliest ages until now confess their debt to the Bible. Shakespeare, Hugo, Tolstoy, Dickens, Cervantes, Tennyson, Browning, Goethe and a host of others openly confessed their debt to the Bible. The themes with which they dealt, the themes that made their works live on and on, they had in common with the Bible. That's all true and it's right to say it--but it isn't enough to say that! The Bible is more than inspiring and glorious literature. It isn't Shakespeare or Sienkiewicz people want to hear as they lie on or sit by death-beds speechless with grief. In their multiplied millions they ask for the Holy Bible. Why is that?

The Bible promotes and defends all that mankind in its better moments cherishes and calls for. Imagine how the world would be transformed if it wakened one morning with the Bible supreme in everyone's life! Imagine how the world would be if everyone joyously believed Psalm 23 or John 3:16-17 or took Matt 7:12 and 22:36-40 to heart!

Imagine the opposite to be true! Suppose the world wakened one morning to the sure and certain knowledge that the Bible was a tissue of lies and errors! Worship would die--immediately! Prayer would be universally abandoned, it would be heard never again on the lips of children or in the hush of great sorrows. Hope would be snuffed out of life and the witness of multiplied millions of God-fearing people against oppression and evil would be silenced. Their restraining power against vice would crumble into ruins and the bereaved would weep tears without comfort. When the last Bible was thrown out with the rubbish, the last hymn would be sung, the last missionary would be recalled and the last sermon of comfort and challenge would be preached. The world would have died and the church buildings would have become tombstones marking out God's grave! The glory and power of the Bible could only be fully appreciated if we saw the horror of a world convinced it was lies and fallacies. But the Bible's treasure is richer even than this!

The Bible is and brings us the true word from God that he wants to live in loving fellowship with all mankind! There's the crowning message of the Bible! That's what makes the heart surge!

The Bible confronts our sad and narrow little lives with the picture of our startling possibilities! For our own eternal benefit it exposes our awful sinfulness and our profound need of God who will save us and bless us with life! It tells the amazing story of a God who bears his own judgement against Sin that he might offer eternal friendship to Man. It speaks of a God who shares our suffering until that day when suffering will end. It gives meaning to our living and glorious hope when we are dying!

It calls us to join with Jesus Christ in the most fantastic of all adventures, the rescue of the world. It shows us how to live with our weaknesses without being proud of them, how to fail without being crushed beyond repair, how to trust in spite of appearances. It brings us God's approval when we act nobly and God's forgiveness when we try and fail. It won't allow us to fritter away our lives with trivia. It calls us from a thousand scattered little loyalties to one grand "I must!". Getting to know it will profoundly change our lives!

Paradise Comes With Its Cross To Bear by Alfred Shannon Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/05/page/3/

Paradise Comes With Its Cross To Bear

In God’s kingdom, the unemployment rate is zero, for all have work to do, and little time to do it in. The cost of living was very high, but has been paid in full by our Lord and Savior, and the only tribute we need to pay is praise and obedience to our King. To live in this Kingdom, we all need to believe and confess that Jesus is the Christ, repent of our sins, and be baptized in His name, and remain faithful till death. Paradise was paid in full at the cross of Jesus, but our entry comes with its own cross to bear. Today if you will hear His voice, Paradise is waiting for you.

Jn 9:4; Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 15:1-4; Rom 10:17; Rom 10:10; Acts 2:38; Rev 2:10; Mt 10:38; Jn 14:1-6

Every Day Offers us a Second Chance by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1007

Every Day Offers us a Second Chance

Every Day Offers us a Second Chance

Now that the year is coming to an end, many of us have a tendency to think back over the past 12 months and reflect on the good times and the bad, our successes and failures, our personal times of growth, and unfortunately our  shortcomings or times of personal failure. And as we do this we may even experience an array of feeling and emotions; from a feeling of thanksgiving, and satisfaction, to feelings of disappointment in our self knowing that we probably could and should have done better. And today I want to address these feelings of personal disappointment in our self.

If we are honest with our self, even the best of us realize that somewhere along the line, we fail now and then in our relationship to God. And I don’t know about you but this bothers me more than anything else. And it’s probably not the best way to start a New Year, all down and depressed.

If we are honest and have a humble spirit you may even have a list of personal failures and you may be very disappointed in yourself knowing that you should have done better as a Christian. There seem to be so many ways for us to mess up. (List some examples) Read Ephesians 4:17-5:5

Its one thing to think back over the year and second guess things that you did at you job, in your business, whether you should have bought something or not, whether you should have spoke up about something or not. There may be a hundred other thing we did, or decisions we made over the past year that we now question, but nothing pulls at the heart string of a Christian like knowing that he or she failed our Lord in some way.

I am not sure where some of us got the image of God being an old angry man with a long beard ready to zap us from out of existence for each error we make, but it did not come from the Bible.

If anything the Bible lets us know that our God is one who will forgive those who are humble and repent. He took a murderer by the name of Moses, and turned him into a great national and spiritual leader. He took an adulterer and murderer like David, and used him to write many of the Psalms to strengthen and encourage the people of God. He took a woman who had been married and divorced five times and was now living with a sixth man and turned her into the first evangelist to go into Samaria. He took a guy who was determined to eradicate and destroy His church and turned him into one of the greatest evangelists and church builders of all time.

He even took some of us, and turned our whole life around compared to what we once were. Our God is a God who will forgive humble ones who know that they have messed up and asked for His forgiveness and favor.

Today I would like to read a story from the Old Testament that shows just how forgiving and merciful our God can be if we truly repent.

Read: 2 Chronicles 33:1-11 “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” 5 In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

7 He took the image he had made and put it in God’s temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. 8 I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and regulations given through Moses.” 9 But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.”

Here in our reading, we read about King Manasseh, who had the opportunity to be a great king and have the greatest impact because he was the longest reigning king. He ruled for 55 years. His father had been a king who loved the Lord and did a lot in leading the nation back to serving God.

But as soon as Manasseh got the opportunity, he undid everything his father had spiritually tried to do for the nation. Manasseh spent most of his 55 years doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. He worshiped idols, tried talking to dead people through witches and sorcerers, he sacrificed his sons as human offerings to idols, he put to death innocent people who challenged what he was doing.

The account of Manasseh in 2 Kings tells us he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. Tradition tells us he had the prophet Isaiah sawn in half.

Manasseh was full of pride. He did not have to answer to anyone. He did not apologize to anyone for anything he did. He could care less about God. But one day, God decided enough was enough. God sent the King of Assyria to invade Jerusalem. Manasseh was captured, and they put a hook in his nose and chains on his hands and feet and led him away as though he was some wild animal.

This former king was thrown into some Assyrian prison. All the riches and power of which he had boasted now meant absolutely nothing. None of the many idols he had made and created could do much to help him. His situation was hopeless, and he was helpless. Talk about someone who messed up.

It was probably in the dark of the prison, where Manasseh remembered, that the God of Israel, was a second chance God. And now look at what happens in this story;

Read 33:12-17  “12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

14 Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher. He stationed military commanders in all the fortified cities in Judah.

15 He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. 16 Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.”

This murderous, lying, abuser of people, finally humbled himself  before our God and then prayed.

There are a lot of people who do not understand how big the heart of God is. Maybe even some of us actually believe it’s possible, if we have done something so bad, God may not love or forgive us.

The encouraging news I have for you and me today is that when this evil man humbled himself before God, God was willing to forgive him and had a new plan for his Life, and likewise even though you may have messed up some this year, if you have the right heart God will forgive you put His plan to work in your life this up and coming year.

Manasseh, whose life was a complete moral and spiritual disaster, got a second chance from a loving God who gives 2nd chances. And then he spent the rest of his life trying to lead his people back to God.

There’s not a soul here who can go back into the past and change what was said or what was done, but all of us have the opportunity in God to make a positive difference in what takes place from here on out. So what if you’ve blown it for the past year, or two, or even for the past twenty years, or past 40 years. You don’t have to end up a failure in God’s eyes or even your own.

I know its hard to live a perfectly sinless life. Even the strongest believer has weaknesses and occasionally fails. Sin is a reality we must all face.

It seems that no amount of faith or love for Jesus can make us immune to failure or guarantee that we will not sin. The apostle Paul understood and said it this way in Romans 7:21-25  “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

The only hope that we have is because of grace and mercy Jesus our Lord is willing to show us.  He will give even the worst failures a 2nd chance., but we have to have the right attitude. John wrote in 1 John. 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Isn’t that what you want?  I therefore encourage you to take life one day at a time. And when your feel tempted, seek God’s help. And if you do fail, learn from those people of old, like David, and Manasseh, Samson, Paul and so many others. Humble yourself before our Lord, leave the past in the past, trust in our awesome God, and He will lift you up.

Partly based on a sermon by Rick Gillespie- Mobley

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

The Autonomy of the Local Church by Trevor Bowen

http://insearchoftruth.org/articles/autonomy.html

The Autonomy of the Local Church

Characteristics of the Church

• Local Church Basics
• Outline of Characteristics
• The Work of the Church
• Offices of the Church
• Autonomy of the Local Church
• The Organization of the Church
• The Name of the Church
• Worship of the Church
• Various Teachings Endorsed by the Local Church

INTRODUCTION

One of the most influential and far-reaching characteristics of the local church is its organizational structure.  Central to the Bible teaching on this organization is question of church rule.  The Bible answer is that the local church should be autonomous.  There is to be no earthly organization, oversight, or treasury beyond the autonomous local church.  However, before we study such an issue, we must first recognize that there is indeed a pattern for the church that God expects us to follow, and we must also understand some basic concepts about the church. 

WHAT IS MEANT BY "AUTONOMY" ?

The term "autonomy of the local church" refers to a method of determining the rule of church activities.  It is but one answer to the question of how local congregations should be governed.  Studying this issue will address questions of having a central board, convention, or any other body, to determine the beliefs and practices of a local church.  This article sets the foundation for answering other questions about the organization of the church, which includes cooperation among churches and the use of outside institutions.

A church is said to be "autonomous" if it is self-ruling, which is the literal meaning of the word.  This means that it does not answer to another church or organization for any of its decision.  Obviously, the church is not entirely autonomous because it answers to Jesus Christ who is its head (Ephesians 1:20-23).  So, the refined questions that we must study is, "What does the Bible teach about the earthly rule over a local church?"  "Does it include and allow denominational boards, conventions, etc.?"

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Fundamental to this study is the proper understanding of New Testament examples in establishing authority.  Since most of the Bible commentary on church rule and organization are the examples of New Testament churches operating under the approval of God, it is imperative that we determine the authority that is inherent in these examples.   This article will adopt the conclusion that was reached in the writings on "Examples and the Pattern", which is that all examples are binding until sufficient reason is found for dismissal.

As we study the Bible to determine the nature of the church's organization, we will find the following reoccurring theme that is at the heart of this matter:  Organization of the church begins and ends with the local church, and it should be entirely autonomous of all other organizations, including other local churches.

BIBLICAL BASIS FOR AUTONOMY

When we read through the pages of the Bible in search of passages about the church and its relation to other organizations, we find no instance of the church answering to any other congregation or organization.  There is no reference to any kind of committees, boards, or conventions - not one.  Moreover, these type of organizations and structures become specifically excluded by the distinct organizational structure that we find in the Bible:

"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:  Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock"  I Peter 5:1-3

"So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed."  Acts 14:23

Although easy to overlook, these first two passages necessarily imply a specific structure and from which we can confidently draw definite conclusions.  First, we can observe that elders, who "see over" the local church (symbolized here as the flock), were distributed or appointed per congregation.  They were not appointed over a city, district, or diocea - but in every church.  Consequently, each church is equal to the other.  Moreover, these elders, or overseers, were instructed to tend"the flock of God which is among you".  Therefore, not only was each church on an equal basis with the others, but elders were to only tend over those whom they had been appointed (Acts 20:28), which was a single local church (Acts 14:23).  From this we can conclude that elders could not then, and cannot today rule over the affairs of other churches, because elders should be appointed in "every church" where possible, and each set of elders is to oversee the affairs of those that are "among" them. 

Any boards, conventions, or even outside elders to which a congregation submits, either willingly or otherwise, is a violation of these teachings.  Such additions place the congregational rule under someone or something beside the elders "among" them, and it will violate the autonomy that is to be enjoyed by "every church."   Since each congregation should be under the oversight and rule of its own elders, then each church must consequently, be absolutely independent of any other church or organizations.

THE LOCAL CHURCH TREASURY

The idea of church autonomy and congregational independence can be observed in practice from passages about the church treasury.  A congregation's oversight and control would have to extend at least as far as their oversight and control over their own treasury.  But before we continue with this line of reason, let us first examine a verse about the control of personal contributions that are donated to the local church:

"But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.' " Acts 5:3-4

From this passage we learn that each person's contribution is their own and under their own control until it is contributed to the church fund.  However, a necessary implication from this verse is that once it is given, then this is no longer the case.  The gift comes under the control of the church.  When each member of a church makes their contribution, then he or she surrenders their control to the unified will and direction of the church who assumes control of the donated funds.

Similarly, if the church were to contribute to some kind of central collecting agency, church, or institution, the funds would also be under the local church's control until given to the institution.  At that point the institution would exert control and oversight and the local church's oversight and rule would end.  But, when we read through the scriptures, what do we actually find?

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:  On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.  But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me."  I Corinthians 16:1-4

Although the apostle Paul had the authority to order the Corinthian church to take up a collection, he did not exert control over their contribution.  Please notice two of the phrases from this passage: "whomever you approve by your letters"and "to bear your gift to Jerusalem".  At no point did Paul overtake ownership or control of the Corinthians funds.  The Corinthians had complete control over the choice of messengers to carry "their gift" to Jerusalem.  At no point did it become absorbed into a greater collective whole, nor did the Corinthians give up control or oversight of their contribution.  Even the great apostle Paul did not violate their autonomy, but he specifically recognized their authority in determining their own messenger to carry their gift to its destination.

Since the Corinthian church had complete control of their funds through their own messenger all the way to its destination, then their rule extended at least that far.  Each church had and has the authority, right, and organizational capacity to form their own contribution and have it delivered by the hands of their own selected messenger.  The example of this organizational pattern and the absolute silence for authorizing any other type of church oversight excludes all other forms of church rule and oversight - conventions, boards, central church, etc.

THE "CONVENTION" OF ACTS 15 ?

Recorded in the fifteenth chapter of the book of Acts, a meeting, or convention of sorts, was held to determine a doctrinal matter.  Some believe this to be a pattern for holding conventions today to also determine doctrines and creeds.  However, there are many aspects of this "convention" that make it entirely unlike any conventions that are held today to vote upon creeds.  Let's first examine the background of this meeting:

"And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question." 

"So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.  And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

"But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."

"Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter."  Acts 15:1-6

The issue of disagreement was whether the Gentile Christians should be circumcised and keep the other customs of the Old Testament.  In regards to our question, we can learn at least two things from this passage:  First and foremost, those attending this meeting were not representatives of many congregations who had come together to vote upon a creed or confession of belief, but it was made up the apostles, elders of the Jerusalem church, and Paul and Barnabas who had gone to learn why this false doctrine was coming out Jerusalem (vs. 4, 6).  Secondly, the reason for this meeting was not to poll the church population and vote upon a creed or confession of belief, but it was to express God's will and teaching for the matter.  The apostles were representatives of God who had come to express God's wishes.  This was the nature of their office.  The elders also had great need to be there, since it was their congregation that was at the heart of the trouble.  Most if not all of these men were inspired which made it completely different from conventions today.  Therefore, without having to progress further, we have already learned that this meeting is beyond application to us because of both its constituents and its mission. 

If you continue to read the chapter, you will read of Peter's account of God's miraculous recognition of the Gentiles ability to be saved, and the numerous accounts of Paul and Barnabas working many miracles through them among the Gentiles, and finally of James' recognition of the prophecies which had foretold of the salvation of Gentiles.  Based upon these miraculous, inspired, and scriptural arguments, the apostles and elders decided a letter should be circulated to stop the spread and influence of the false doctrine.  From this letter and its circulation, we learn three more things that substantiate the previous statements and further separate it from the conventions of today that oversee church activities and beliefs:

"They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

"Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law" -- to whom we gave no such commandment -- it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,"  ...

"We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.  For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:"  ...

"So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.  When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.

"Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words." Acts 15:22-32

First, substantiating the earlier point, the authority of this "convention" was the apostles and prophets who represented God.  Uninspired congregational representatives voting upon a creed or course of action are in no way parallel to this meeting that was guided by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  Second, as mentioned earlier, the elders needed to be there since it was from their church that these false teachers went out spreading their doctrine.  Apparently, the false teachers used the Jerusalem church as some kind of reference or support, since the letter specifically clarifies that the false teachers had taught such without endorsement (15:24).  Thirdly, we again notice that it was the Holy Spirit who had inspired and endorsed the decision of this meeting.  This is evidenced by the following phrase from verse 28, "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit" , and it is further supported by the prophets who traveled with the letter for first-hand miraculous endorsement of its teaching (Acts 15:32).

Therefore, modern conventions are entirely different from this "convention" of Acts 15.  It was different in its constituents - it was made up of inspired apostles and prophets who represented God and not congregations.  Second, it was different in its mission - they came together to determine God's will and not to establish a creed.  Consequently, Acts 15 is an example that should be dismissed and must not be considered as an authoritative example because of its limited application and the impossibility of its universal application. (There are no apostles or prophets alive today.)

CONCLUSION

The self-rule of each local congregation is one of the most important Bible teachings.  The acceptance or rejection of this Bible doctrine will influence all other decisions that a congregation makes because rejection of this doctrine turns over decisions of a local congregation to the will of a higher, earthly body.  This removes the congregations ability to pattern their local church after God's will and instead subjects it to the will of man. 

The examples of New Testament churches are clear:  Each congregation was equivalent in rule and was to have elders, who were to oversee the affairs of their local church.  Moreover, each set of elders was limited to the oversight of the "flock among them".  The Bible offers no other method of church oversight beyond that of the local church and its elders.  Therefore, any form of governing body beside the authorized and approved autonomous local church constitutes an "adding to" God's Word and is wrong by God's condemnation of any form of "adding to" or "taking away" from God's Word. (Please see Doing All Things According to the Pattern for scriptures on this point.)

Based upon this study, we will continue our study and examine how New Testament churches cooperated while maintaining their authority and God's approval.

Next: Organization of the Church

Author: Trevor Bowen

Is Mary the Mother of God? by Moisés Pinedo

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2670

Is Mary the Mother of God?

by	Moisés Pinedo

Catholics have recited the “Hail Mary” prayer for many years. It includes the words, “Holy Mary,   Mother of God.” These words represent one of the most treasured doctrines of Catholicism. In A.D. 431, the Council of Ephesus proclaimed Mary “to be the mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her” (“Formula of Union...” n.d.). One of the arguments used extensively to support this doctrine is presented as follows: (1) Mary was the mother of Jesus; (2) Jesus is God; (3) therefore, Mary is the “Mother of God.”  This syllogism may seem logical, but the conclusion is superficial. Consider the following.

First, although the Bible documents that Mary became the mother of Jesus and clearly teaches that Jesus is God, it never states, or even implies, that Mary was (or is) the “Mother of God.” For a theological syllogism to explain correctly the relationship between Mary and God, it must be based on biblical truth. We can propose correctly that (1) Jesus is God (Hebrews 1:8); (2) God became flesh (John 1:1,14); (3) therefore, Mary is the mother of Jesus according to the flesh (Romans 9:5), i.e., Jesus’ physical body.

Second, we should keep in mind that Deity is not constituted by a literal family—with fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters—like some of the gods of Greek and Roman mythology. Although we refer to the first and second Persons of the Godhead as the Father and the Son, these titles do not denote a literal familial bond, but emphasize Their united and divine nature. To refer to Mary as the “Mother of God” is to misunderstand the nature of Deity and misapply Scripture.

Third, consider the consequences which develop from such an inappropriate use of the syllogism aforementioned. Since the Bible records that Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18), Catholics conclude that it is correct to refer to Mary as “the daughter of God the Father, Mother of Jesus Christ, and true spouse of the Holy Spirit” (Peffley, n.d., p. 3). If the Holy Spirit is Mary’s “husband” (and, therefore, Jesus’ “father”), and Jesus is God, would not the Holy Spirit be the “father” of God? This is not only a completely erroneous application of Scripture, but also blasphemous theology. Now let us consider some additional evidence from the Bible that further explains Mary’s relationship to God.

GOD DOES NOT HAVE A PHYSICAL MOTHER.

Speaking to the Son, the Father declared, “Your throne, O   God, is forever and ever” (Hebrews 1:8, emp. added). In God’s revelation to the apostle John, the resurrected Christ said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,   the Beginning and the End,...who is and who was and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8, emp. added). The Son did not have a beginning; He is the Beginning. “He was in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2). Paul pointed out, “He is   before   all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17, emp. added).

The Son’s existence did not begin with His conception in Mary’s womb. He was alive in eternity (cf. Micah 5:2), and, at the right time in history, He became flesh (John 1:1,14). Paul put it this way: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law” (Galatians 4:4). On the other hand, Mary came into a time-bound world long after the creation of the Universe. She, like all human beings, was not eternal. She was not divine, not “from everlasting to everlasting” (Micah 5:2). She could not have provided an eternal nature to her Son. He is Deity. He is the “eternally blessed God” (Romans 9:5).

Consider how Jesus explained His divine nature. When addressing the Pharisees, He asked them: “‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’.... If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?’” (Matthew 22:42-45, emp. added). The Pharisees failed to answer the question correctly because they were thinking about the physical nature of the Messiah. While Christ was a physical descendant of David (cf. Luke 1:32; Matthew 1:1), according to His divine nature He did not have a physical father, since He Himself is before all (John 8:58). In the same way that David could not be the father of the divine Messiah since he called Him “Lord,” Mary cannot be the “Mother of God” since she calls Him “Lord” in Luke 1:38,46-47. The truth is, as Paul explains, “according to   the flesh, Christ came” through the patriarchs, David, and, yes, Mary, but according to   His deity, He is the “eternally blessed God” who is over all (Romans 9:5, emp. added).

MARY NEVER WAS CONSIDERED THE “MOTHER OF GOD.”

There is not a single verse in the Bible that describes Mary as the “Mother of God.”  In fact, none of the inspired writers of either the Old or New Testament gave even a hint that she should be regarded as such. This idea is based purely on human tradition. Mary considered herself as a “maidservant  of the Lord” (Luke 1:38, emp. added) and considered God as her “Savior” (Luke 1:47). Sadly, many have distorted this concept.

When speaking about the blessing of being chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah, Mary declared: “For He [God] has regarded the    lowly state  of His maidservant” (Luke 1:48, emp. added). Certainly the words “lowly state” would be inappropriate to refer to Mary if she is the “Mother of God.” W.E. Vine has noted that the Greek word for “lowly state” is   tapeinosis, which denotes “abasement, humiliation, or low estate” (1966, 3:23). Mary was conscious of the humble state of her    human   condition.

Additionally, the New Testament makes it very clear Who became flesh. It was    God    Who took on the form of a man (John 1:14) and was born of a woman (Galatians 4:4). The woman did not become “divine” in order to conceive the Son of God. The Bible mentions Mary as the mother of Jesus, but never as the “Mother of God” (cf. Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19; Acts 1:14; et al.).

MARY NEVER WAS WORSHIPPED AS THE “MOTHER OF GOD.”

Catholics worship Mary, claiming that she has “divine maternity” (“Dogmatic Constitution...,” 1964, 8.3). But if Mary is to be worshipped as the “Mother of God,” we should expect to find a biblical command to do so, or a biblical example of approved action. However, such commands and examples are nowhere to be found. From the first moment Mary appears in the biblical record, there is no indication of her being the object of worship of any kind. When God’s angel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah, the heavenly messenger did not worship her (Luke 1:26-38). The shepherds, who came to the stable, praised   God—not Mary—for what they had witnessed (Luke 2:16-20). Later, the wise men came to a house and “saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped    Him” (Matthew 2:11, emp. added)—not Mary. Simeon and Anna, who had waited their entire lives for the Messiah, recognized Jesus as the One sent by God. They did not offer any special acknowledgement or praise to Mary (Luke 2:21-38). Additionally, Jesus’ disciples never gave Mary any preeminence during their gatherings, much less worshipped her as the “Mother of God” (cf. Acts 1:14-26).

When Mary asked for Jesus’ help at the wedding in Cana, He said, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?” (John 2:4, emp. added). He used the word “woman” not in a derogatory way but as an expression of respect and affection (cf. Matthew 15:28; John 19:26; 20:15; Lyons, 2004). He may have used “woman” instead of “mother” to emphasize that “in his calling Jesus knows no mother or earthly relative, [but] he is their Lord and Savior as well as of all men” (Lenski, 1961, p. 189).

Jesus made it clear that Mary had no preeminence among His followers or before God. On one occasion, “He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are    My mother  and My brothers!’” (Matthew 12:49, emp. added). Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that anyone who believed in Him and obeyed the will of the Father would be blessed as part of His family. But He did not say that any member of that family was worthy of worship or adoration.

Another incident in Jesus’ ministry is worth mentioning. While Jesus was teaching the multitudes, “a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!’” (Luke 11:27). Jesus responded, “More than that,   blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (11:28, emp. added). Again, Jesus made it clear that there was nothing about Mary that elevated her above anyone else who heard the Word of God and obeyed it. Jesus Himself taught us not to consider His mother as the “Mother of God,” a person to be worshipped.

The title “Mother of God” is unbiblical, as are other titles given to Mary, such as “Mother of the Church,” “Mother of Mercy, Life, Gentleness, and Hope,” “Door to Heaven,” etc. Worship directed toward her (or any other mere human being), rather than to Almighty God, not only denigrates appreciation and respect for Deity, but also leads further into apostasy.

REFERENCES

“Dogmatic Constitution on the Church” (1964), Second Vatican Council [On-line], URL:http://www.vatican.va/ archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_ council/documents/vatii_const_19641121_ lumen-gentium_en.html.

“Formula of Union Between Cyrill and John of Antioch” (no date), The Council of Ephesus[On-line], URL: http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/EPHESUS.HTM.

Lenski, R.C.H. (1961), The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg).

Lyons, Eric (2004), “How Rude!?,” [On-line], URL:http://apologeticspress.org/articles/593.

Peffley, Francis J. (no date), “Mary and the Mission of the Holy Spirit,” [On-line], URL:http://www.legionofmary.org/files/marymission.pdf.

Vine, W.E. (1966), An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell).