Why Not Just Be a Member of the Church? by J.C. Bailey

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Bailey/John/Carlos/1903/Articles/whynot.html

Why Not Just Be a Member of the Church?

The history of the Old Testament reveals that idolatry was a very prevalent sin, not only among the heathen but also among the people of God. God made it very plain that He did not intend for it to be that way. In giving the Ten Commandments God said: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, nor any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, nor that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them, for I Jehovah thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing loving kindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments" (Exodus 20:3-6).

Despite this plain command of God, the history of the Old Testament reveals how the people of God wandered off into idolatry time after time. They were severely punished and would return to God, only to wander into idolatry again.

Finally, God, as punishment for their idolatry, sent them into slavery. The two tribes returned and small remnants of the other tribes. They learned their lesson. They were cured of their idol worship, and though they still have errors, the Jewish people do not worship idols.

They had learned that the best defense is an offense. After their return from captivity the Old Testament Scriptures were translated from the Hebrew into Greek. What English is today in the literary world, Greek was in that day. Through reading of the Bible there were many people in the world who were no longer idolaters when Jesus came. They had not embraced the Jewish faith but they did believe in the God whom the Old Testament reveals. Cornelius, in Acts 10, is an example. In the world of today wherever faith in the Bible goes, idolatry ceases.

The Old Testament reveals there is one God. The New Testament makes that truth even plainer.

Just as the Bible reveals one God, it reveals that there is one church. In fact it is explicit in teaching that sobering fact. There is no place in the plan of God for more than one God and there is no place for more than one church. The church was in the mind of God from eternity: "to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Ephesians 3:10,11).

Two truths are evident from this passage: that the manifold wisdom of God was to be made known through the church and that the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is to be made known through the church. The work of the church was not an afterthought in the mind of God but it was His eternal purpose. 

In the plan of God, the church was not to belong to one nation but to all the nations. This is how the Holy Spirit through Isaiah described the coming church: "And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it" (Isaiah 2:2). The Holy Spirit informs us that the house of God is the church of the living God (I Timothy 3:15). In plain language God said He would establish one church for all nations and Paul told us in Ephesians 3:10,11 that it was established for all time. He says further: "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever" (Ephesians 3:20,21).

So as God is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2) so the church is to exist for all time and for all eternity. We shall establish it more clearly but just as idolatry has no place in the plan of God, so denominations have no place in the plan of God. Jesus built His church (Matthew 16:18). He said the gates of Hades would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18). Denominations are made by men and Jesus said they would all be rooted up: "Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not shall be rooted up" (Matthew 15:13). God by Christ planted one church and He says that it will last for all time and for all eternity but those plants which He did not plant shall be rooted up. The teaching is plain, isn't it?

Denominations try to justify their existence by saying they are different branches of the church. Any student of church history knows that the various denominations were formed by men. Some are very ancient; some are new, but they were formed by men. But Christ built His church (Matthew 16:18). There is one body (Ephesians 4:4). That body is the church: "And he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all" (Ephesians 1:22,23).

Just as surely as there is only one God, there is only one church. The work of Jesus Christ is to be done in that church.

We find a very sad thing in the church of the New Testament. They belonged to the church. They had obeyed the Lord Jesus Christ, but then they began to follow men. In the church at Corinth there were those who said --- "I am of Paul --- I of Apollos --- I of Cephas; I of Christ" (I Corinthians 1:12). This was wrong. Paul asks the question, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized into the name of Paul?" Though they were members of the church yet they became divided into contending factions. How bad is that? "For ye are yet carnal, for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal and do ye not walk after the manner of men? For when one says, I am of Paul, and another I of Apollos, are ye not men? What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed" (I Corinthians 3:3-5). So when we follow men instead of Christ (or think we follow both), the Holy Spirit says we are carnal.

What does it mean to be carnally minded? The Holy Spirit says that to be carnally minded is death: "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be" (Romans 8:6,7).

It took hundreds of years for men to learn that there was only one God. That did not alter the fact that it was true, even though they did not believe. Men are better now. Wherever the Bible goes, men believe in one God. And if men believe there is only one God because the Bible says so, then they can only believe in one church and should serve God in that church. Let us quote again: "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:20, 21).

The power that works in us is our faith in the gospel (Romans 1:16). I tell my Indian brethren that I am afraid that they sometimes have more faith in me than they do in Christ. If they do, then the time will come when that faith will be of no use. Some brethren put their trust in the philosophies or methods of certain men. Thus the church is divided. "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' Name."

J.C. Bailey (1987, Bengough, Saskatchewan)

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

A Brief Summary by Jim McGuiggan

https://web.archive.org/web/20160424083218/http://jimmcguiggan.com/beginners2.asp?id=36

A Brief Summary

This little course is about listening to the voice of God in Scripture. I've made some suggestions as to how we can more easily do that. I'll list them and then conclude the study with several more things we need to keep in mind.

1. Recognise the central purpose of the Bible.

2. Recognise Christ as central and submit to him.

3. Recognise that some truths are more important than others.

4. Look for recurring themes.

5. Allow major and clearly established truths to act as guidelines.

6. Get a good grasp of biblical history.

Know Who's Being Spoken To

Commonsense tells us we can't just open the Bible, read something and believe we must obey. If we opened at the OT book of Leviticus we would find a mass of rules concerning animal sacrifices. These laws were addressed to the ancient Jewish people and have no immediate relevance to any other nation. Read Leviticus for yourself.

Be sure the text is addressing you or your situation before binding yourself to it. Before we justify an action of ours, we need to be sure we are given the authority to act in that way. (Jesus told a man to sell all he had and give the money to the poor Luke 18:22. This would hardly justify a man depriving his wife and children of their home and necessities of life.) Before you require someone to submit to a text, be sure it relates to him. Read Colossians 2:16-17 in this connection. Ask yourself: Does this scripture apply to me or my peers in our circumstances?

Know Who's Doing the Speaking

The Bible faithfully records not only true teaching, it faithfully records lies and false teaching. Jesus is called a glutton and a drunkard in Matthew 11:19, but these are the words of his enemies and not the teaching of God. In Job 9:17 (to choose only one verse from scores) a heartbroken man accuses God of being unfair. Job is wrong when he says this. We are not supposed to believe him! Job's friends "defend' God but they often misrepresent him and God rebukes them for it (Job 42:7). In Numbers 16:2-3 we hear that Moses took too much authority on himself, but a reading of the entire section shows this to be a false accusation and not God's word on the matter.

We need to ask ourselves: Is the speaker speaking God's word or is he expressing his own opinion or feelings? Are we reading the words of an authorised spokesman?

Recognize the Progress of Revelation in the Bible

Hebrews 1:1-2 and Galatians 3:24-25 tell us that the OT was preparation for the full and final revelation of God in the NT. That means there were things not revealed or only partly revealed in the OT. This is true even of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ because John 16:12-13 tells us they had more to learn which he could not tell them. Be sure to read Ephesians 3:4-5 in connection with this.

"Progress in Revelation' does not mean from error to truth but from ignorance to knowledge or from some truth to more truth. The OT covenantal law was truth! But much of it was truth for that phase of God's developing purpose. When Jesus became Priest and King the ceremonies and sacrifices, the priesthood and ordinances of the OT respectfully set aside as belonging to a former age (Hebrews 7:11-12 and 9:6-10). Of course there were changeless truths taught in the OT and these we gratefully cherish and submit our lives to. Since the NT brings God's revelation to fullness, it must have the final word on what God wills. The NT will not set aside changeless truths taught in the OT but it will often dismiss some OT truth as no longer binding (see Galatians 5:1-2, for example).

Simply Cultural or Universal?

In many cultures the gracious expression of welcome is a kiss or kisses. Other cultures welcome people or greet friends with a handshake. The kiss, handshake or hug are all expressions of the warmth and courtesy felt and extended. In the mid-eastern culture of Paul's day they greeted one another with a kiss (see Romans 16:16). The kiss is cultural, the spirit of warmth is to be universal.

Luke says that they washed the feet of guests as a mark of welcome and hospitality.That is still common practice in many cultures but different cultures have their own ways of showing their hospitality and welcome. The washing of feet is cultural but the duty (and privilege) of being hospitable is a universal obligation.

The wearing of veils, anointing with oil, the tearing of garments, lifting up hands during prayerthese and many more biblical practices are part of the culture through which God revealed universally binding truths.

We need to seek the permanent and universal obligation expressed in the cultural behaviour. It will keep us from mistaking the principle behind the cultural clothing with the clothing itself. If something is bound on all nations and is age-lasting, that is an indication that it goes beyond mere culture (see Matthew 28:19-20 as an illustration).

Look for the Obvious Meaning of the Passage

Settle for what the passage looks like it's saying! The "obvious" sense is the "best sense" unless commonsense tells you it's nonsense.

Jesus called king Herod a fox. He called himself a door, a vine, a shepherd. He called himself bread and light and water. This is called figurative speech. But even when figures like these (metaphors) are used, there is a fitness to them. The message is clear. Herod was cunning, Jesus does sustain us (bread and water), he does deliver us from darkness (light). Even though we have figurative speech here, the meaning is still obvious.

But there are books in the Bible which are written mainly in images. It is called apocalyptic literature. The book of Revelation illustrates it well. It is a bit more difficult to be sure of the meaning of such books than it is of the usual narrative and prose sections of Scripture.

But we're not left completely in the dark.

1) Many of the images are borrowed from other parts of the Bible;

2) The writers tell us now and then just what they mean;

3) Some of the images are so familiar that their meaning is obvious. When we become well acquainted with the Bible we will have less trouble with this literature. Stay with the more obvious scriptures until then.

It's our prayer that God will richly bless your quest for truth as it is in Christ Jesus. (If you think we can help further, please ask!)

God’s Greatest Gift of All by Alfred Shannon, Jr.

https://biblicalproof.wordpress.com/2011/04/page/6/

God’s Greatest Gift of  All

If we take the whole counsel of the scriptures into consideration, it’s impossible to equate riches and material things as a sign of God’s blessing. The greatest blessing God gave to mankind was Jesus Christ, and the second is liken unto it, and that is, when he gives us the opportunity to obey the gospel of Christ. Today, is that opportunity.

Lk 6:24; Jam 5:1-5; Jn 3:16; 2 Cor 6:2; 2 Cor 9:15; Heb 3:7-11; Prov 23:4; Prov 28;20,22

A Hidden Treasure I Peter 3 By Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=760

Hidden Treasure in 1 Peter 3

A Hidden Treasure  I Peter 3   

By Ben Fronczek

Trash or Treasure? A fellow by the name of Craig Randall drove a garbage truck to Wendy’s restaurant where he pick up their trash. One day he got a surprise that he did not expect.  One day when he stopped at Wendy’s, he rummaged through the garbage and pulled a contest sticker off a cup and he won a free chicken sandwich. The following week he found another cup and figured, “Hey, I’d like to get some free fries to go with my free chicken sandwich.”

When he pulled the sticker off, it read: “Congratulations! You have won $200,000.” Someone who had eaten in the restaurant hadn’t taken the time to pull off the sticker before throwing it away. To one person it was trash. To another, treasure.

The riches of God’s Word many times are like that. We can read it and occasionally we come across a real treasures. I’ve seen that in 1 Peter 3.

In our text today in 1 Peter 3, I believe I found more treasure that many of us may overlook when we read through these verses. In the context so far the apostle Peter has been instructing his reader that we should remain faithful and do our best to endure persecution that comes along with being a Christian. In our last lesson I discussed what Peter had to say in chapter 3:15-16 where he said, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

The people he wrote to were being persecute and abused because of their faith in Christ. It wasn’t easy to live the Christian life. Many had already lost their lives and loved ones because they put their faith and hope in Jesus. People were suffering for doing the right thing. Here in the text Peter goes on to write down something wonderful yet mysterious, and herein lies our hidden treasure for today. Let me read this to you starting with verse 17.

“It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” NIV   The NLT put translate this verse like this, it says.  “17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!”

You mean to say that God wants us to be punished for doing good? I don’t think God necessarily wants us to be punished for doing good, as much as He doesn’t want us to be doing wrong or evil and getting punished for that.   Would you rather see your child given a hard time because they told the truth or because they lied? I don’t want my kids to be persecuted at all, but if they are I hope that it’s not because they have done something wrong.

The sad reality is, some people are going to persecute us and give us a hard time whether we are in the right or wrong and Peter goes on to give us a perfect example of that in the following verses, he writes, 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,”

As one reads over this, we read that Peter again lets us know that Jesus Himself was not doing anything evil yet He was persecuted. Even Jesus was not exempt for getting in trouble for doing the right thing.

But as you read into this verse and the next, there is so much more revealed;  hidden treasure. Did you see it? He said, “18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,”  The NLT says it this way;  “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.” NLT

There are 2 precious jewels that I see here:                                                                     

#1) His trials and death had purpose. All that He endured and went through was ultimately meant to bring us safely home to God. What can be any more precious than that? Even knowing that our love one’s who loved Christ are now safely home with God.

#2) Even though He was put to death, this text clearly indicates that He was raised to life in the Spirit. Some versions say that He was raised by the spirit.  Now there is a big controversy as to whether the text says that Jesus was raise ‘in’ the or ‘by’ the spirit. Unfortunately, based on my understanding, the original Greek text does not contain either word, but was added in translation based on context.

I lean more toward those who feel that the text implies that Jesus was, ‘raised to life in the Spirit’ .

In his commentary scholar and former professor Dr. Guy Woods discusses significance in his commentary on 1 Peter. Here is what he writes on the subject. “Two things are affirmed of the Lord in this statement; #1) He was put to death in flesh,  #2) He was made alive in spirit.  In death and in spirit are locative and indicative of the sphere in which the action occurred.  The meaning is, the sphere of death, for our Lord, was in the flesh; the sphere in which He was made alive was in the spirit. (The point is) death affected only His flesh.

The spirit alluded to in this verse is, therefore, that inner part that stands in contrast with the flesh – the divine spirit which Jesus possessed which all men possess, was not affected by the death which He suffered.

Why should it be asserted that in this spirit He was made alive? It should be remembered that it was Peter’s  purpose to show that though Christ suffered death, this, far from terminated His existence or destroyed His influence, it  merely enabled Him to be energized, brought to active life in the realm of spirit. His spirit, instead of perishing in death, was clothed with renewed and enhanced powers of life. At death, this spirit passed into a new sphere of existence, hence was said to have been made alive”

In laymen terms, Jesus’ body died, but as we know it was not the end for Him, nor is it for us when our physical body stops functioning. I believe the moment after He took His last breath on the cross His spirit was released into a new and greater realm, a spiritual realm, one which we understand very little about, one which defies of time and space.  (On the cross Jesus told God ”Into your hands is commit my spirit”)

I believe Peter wanted to reassure those Christians it did not end there on the cross. As a matter of fact the moment after we take our last breath, we likewise enter that eternal spiritual realm without skipping a beat.  Do you remember what Jesus told the faithful thief on the cross in Luke 23:43? He told him that “today you will be with me in paradise.” Not in a 100 or 1000 years, but rather that very day; in fact just a few hours later.  (In Acts 7:54-60 Stephan told the Jews as they stoned him that he could Jesus stand at God’s right hand)

Just because your body dies it doesn’t mean you die dead; part of you does die; the flesh. But the rest of you enters a realm of wonder and majesty, that is if you are a Christian.

Do you remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus? In that Parable which Jesus told we read that the both died, but that wasn’t then end of the story. One went to paradise, signified by Abraham’s bosom, and one went to a place of suffering. (Luke 16:19-31)

In our text Peter even indicates that Jesus did something after He died on the cross and came alive in the spirit. Listen to what Peter says next concerning what Jesus did.

“He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom (or ‘in which’) also He went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. “

 So what exactly did Jesus do in after He died in the flesh and was made alive in that spiritual realm?  Again, commentators are divided over what Peter is saying here. Most agree that rather than preaching to these individuals mentioned here a better phrase would be that ‘He went and made a proclamation to them.’

Exactly who they were, there are many opinions.

– Some say, the fallen angels which Jude talks about.

– Some say He went back in time to speak to the disbelievers during the time of Noah.

– Some think Jesus spoke through Noah.

– Some think Jesus went and talk to those individuals who drown in the flood who are now in Hades.

I don’t think anyone actually knows who He talked to, when, or even what He said. I sure don’t. But the encouraging point that Peter is making here is that even though Jesus was persecuted and put to death for doing what was right, that is not the end.  It wasn’t for Him and it won’t be for us.  Isn’t that good to know! There inlies our 2nd treasure seen in this text.

As an added bonus we also have a brief discussion on Baptism and its significance. He writes, “In it (that is the ark) only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledgeof a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand —with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”

Over the years I have read and heard people down play the significance of water baptism. Some say that it is an outward sign of something that has already happened in one’s heart. One should do it because Jesus got baptized and He said we should do it as well. I even heard one lady say that if it was good enough for John the Baptist and Jesus, it was good enough for her; but if you arn’t baptized for some reason you can still be saved without it because you are saved before you do it. But what does Peter say in this text? The water that cleansed the world and save Noah and his family is symbolic of baptism that now saves us. Isn’t that what it says?

In Acts 2, Peter told the believing Jews when they asked what to do when they realized that they were lost in sin, that they needed to repent and be baptized “for the forgiveness of their sin.”

When I read this I can’t help but believe that something happens in the baptismal water because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Even Jesus said in Mark 16:16   “ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Ananias told pertinent Paul in Acts 22:16 “Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”

And then in Romans 6, Paul himself later wrote that when we go down into the water and we are buried, something dies, but when we come up and out of the baptismal water we are raised to a new life; we are born again.

What did the flood do back in Noah’s time. It washed away and destroyed all the sinful disbelievers. When Noah and his family exited the ark they entered a world cleansed of sin and began a new life. It was like they were born again or had a new beginning.

Now here is something very important. Peter does not say that Noah and his family were saved by water, nor in water, nor from water, he said that they were saved through water. That is, water was the means through which God exercised his saving power because of what Jesus did on the cross.

Likewise, baptism saves now, not because     it is the savior,    rather it is the medium or the instrument through which God exerts Hissaving power. Because of what Jesus did on the cross.

In 2 Kings 5:1-14, when Naaman was led finally to dip in the river Jordan to be cleansed of his leprosy, he did not attribute the miraculous healing to the muddy water, rather he recognized that it was God who healed him. Yet it was not until he entered the water and dipped himself that he was cleansed.

Likewise, when one is properly and intelligently baptized today, we need to recognize the fact that the power of forgiveness does not reside in the water, but rather in God because of what Jesus did.And baptism is something we must do to receiving salvation from God’s hand.

I’ve made a careful study of this over and over for the past 3 decades and what I keep coming back to is that the Bible teaches that a person is not forgiven or delivered from their sin until they allow Jesus to personally remove them, or circumcise away, while buried in baptism.

In Colossians 2:11-13 it specifically says, “11 In him (Jesus) you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,] not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,  having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.  13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature] God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,”

This verse is saying that Jesus cut away (or ‘circumcised’) our sin from us when were are burried in the baptismal water.

You are not save when you first believe in Jesus. Those sins just don’t disappear if you offer up what is called the Sinner’s Pray. There is no such prayer in the Bible and that’s not what the Bible teaches. Our sin is removed when we trust in Jesus, and accept Him as the new Lord of our life and then allow Him to remove our sin in the waters of baptism. That’s why Peter said ‘baptism now saves us.’ It’s because of what Jesus did on the cross and what He does to us if we have the faith to enter that water.

Thus the act of baptism becomes an act or a pledge of a ‘good conscience’ knowing we are doing what God desires us to do.

So the gems in today’s text: Death is not the end. It was not the end for Jesus and it will not to be the end for us as well. So Peter is encouraging those of his time and ours, keep doing what is right, what is good, what pleases God, even if we are persecuted. And #2, don’t worry what others think because Jesus died so that He could bring you safely home to God.

And concerning baptism; for the life of me I just can’t understand why so many people are confused and argue about it. It is something the early Christians understood and had no problem doing in response to faith in Jesus. Thousand obeyed Peter’s call to repent and be baptized in Acts 2 because they saw why it was so important.  I hope you do as well because God has a wonderful treasure just waiting for you.

If you have not done a serious study on baptism I encourage you to do so. Do you want to take a chance that you weren’t baptized properly, or for the right reason? I have personally re-baptized people who had been baptized 2 or 3 times earlier in their life but then wanted to make sure they really did it for the right reason; not as a baby, not because it just seem like the right thing to do. Rather doing it because we trust that Jesus will save us from our sin.

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

Who We Are (author not listed)

http://insearchoftruth.org/about.html

Everywhere you turn, there are people who claim to have truth. We are surrounded by hundreds of religious denominations and doctrines. Does truth exist, and if so, then where can it be found? Who can you trust? Who will you believe? Your parents? Your pastors or preacher? Who is the authority to whom we can turn? Or, does such an authority even exist?

THE SOLUTION DURING JEREMIAH'S TIME

The Jewish people during the time of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah faced a similar problem. People had long believed the teaching and traditions of men, their peers and equals. If we face the same problem today, then surely the inspired answer that God gave to the prophet Jeremiah will also be applicable to us.

"Thus says the Lord: 'Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls'" Jeremiah 6:16

The new ways that man has invented are not God's way. If we are searching to find God's truth, then we must go back, beyond the point of contamination, to the source. The good way is the first and original way, given by God.

THE SOLUTION DURING JESUS' TIME

Unfortunately, this was not the only time in history that people become lost to the "good way". After hundreds of years of prophetic silence, the Jews during Jesus time had also established the traditions and teachings of men as the authority for truth. Hear the words of Jesus when He was accused of violating these human-ordained traditions:

"He answered and said to them, 'Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? … You have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying:

"These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men."'

When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them ... 'Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.'" Matthew 15:3-14.

Why was Jesus so hard on these people? Who were these people that He rebuked so strongly in front of the multitudes? Read verse 1 of the same chapter.

"Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ..." Matthew 15:1

It was the Pharisees and scribes who were supposed to be the religious leaders that received this rebuke. Jesus' rebuke was harsh because they had not only neglected their duty, but had also set up their opinions and traditions above God's Word. Thus, they were causing not only their own downfall, but also the downfall of others who had put their trust in the teachings of men rather than God. These leaders' jealousy and prejudice prevented them from recognizing the fulfillment of the law that they had proclaimed to teach and exalt.

Who is the authority? To whom should we listen? Hear the words of the apostle Peter:

"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:68

THE SOLUTION DURING OUR TIME

So, who are we? We are a group of people from all races, all ages, all classes, and all descents who believe that these same answers apply to the same problem that exists today. We are trying to find the "old paths, the good way". We are trying to follow the commandments of God, seeking to remove the traditions of men.

Therefore, we turn to Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh (John 1:1-14). He alone is the authority. In addition, we adhere to words of his ambassadors, the apostles and prophets, who spoke word-for-word the message which was given them by Christ through the Holy Spirit (John 14:26: 15:13; I Corinthians 2:10-16). Consequently, we make our goal according to the words of Jesus' apostle, Peter:

"If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" I Peter 4:11

Therefore, we only speak and act where the Bible has taught. Are we perfect in this? Have we finished? Are we the experts? Obviously not, "for we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), "for we all stumble in many things" (James 3:2), and finally, "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8). Therefore, we confess our sins and God's authority in an effort to do God's will in God's way. Only then will the glory go to God (Matthew 5:16) and will we realize who we truly are - students in search of truth.

Does Mary Intercede for Christians? by Moisés Pinedo

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2676

Does Mary Intercede for Christians?

by	Moisés Pinedo

It has been argued that “Mary is the creature closest to God. Moreover, while Christ is the mediator of all grace between God and creation, Mary is the mediator of all grace between Christ and humanity. Consequently, Mary is a powerful intercessor for all who turn to her” (see Zoltan, 1994, emp. added). The Bible clearly teaches that Mary is not Deity and should not be worshipped as such (see Pinedo, 2009). If she is not Deity, is she the closest human being to Deity? Does she play an active role in heaven, interceding for individual Christians? Does she make intercession for us in prayer or have an effect on our salvation?

MARY IS NO CLOSER TO GOD THAN ANY OTHER PERSON, PAST OR PRESENT.

When referring to Deity, the Bible mentions only the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; cf. Matthew 3:16-17; John 10:30; 17:21; Acts 5:3-4). Mary is never mentioned in that context. Further, the heaven where God and His angels reside (Deuteronomy 10:14; 26:15; 1 Kings 8:27,30) is not yet inhabited by human beings. Jesus said: “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man” (John 3:13, emp. added). These words represent the truth about all the people who have left this world (including Mary). No one is in heaven because heaven is reserved for all faithful servants of God since time began (cf. John 14:1-3). Not until after the Second Coming of Christ and the final Judgment will it become home for the faithful, both living and dead (Matthew 25:31-46;
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The idea that Mary occupies a special place in heaven, close to the Son, is a tradition. It shows a lack of understanding concerning biblical teachings on the afterlife. In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus explained that the dead (saved and lost) go to a place called “hades” (16:23, Hebrew sheol)—a spiritual waiting place that separates the consolation of the righteous (referred to as “paradise,” cf. Luke 23:43) from the torment of the wicked. In hades, the righteous begin to taste part of the joy that awaits them in eternity, while the wicked begin to taste part of the suffering that awaits them. Hades is not the dwelling place of God; God dwells in heaven. Mary, along with Abraham and other faithful servants from the past, is waiting in hades until its dead are delivered up, when the Lord returns to judge each man and woman according to his or her works (Revelation 20:13). In this spiritual realm that precedes heaven, there is nothing that those who are there can do for those who are here (Luke 16:27-31).

THE GIFT OF INTERCESSION WAS NOT GIVEN TO MARY.

Catholics have given the title of “Intercessor for the Saints” to Mary, although nowhere in the Bible is it applied to her. “Intercession” means “seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others” (Vine, 1966, 2:267). There are only two areas in which Christians need intercession: salvation and prayers. If Mary is now, or ever has been, involved as “Intercessor for the Saints,” there should be ample evidence in Scripture.

Concerning salvation, the apostle Peter clearly stated that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NASB). Of course, he was referring to Jesus Christ. Paul wrote: “[T]here is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). The Hebrews writer added: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He [Jesus] always lives to make intercession for them” (7:25). Jesus is the one and only Mediator (Intercessor) between God and Man, and He lives to continually intercede for those who come to God.

But what about prayer? Does Mary intercede in the prayers of Christians? No, she does not. This intercession also belongs to Jesus. When teaching His disciples to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9), Jesus did not teach them to pray to (or through) Mary. And yet, Catholicism created a prayer—the “Hail Mary”—to include the words “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.” In John 14:13-14, Jesus declared: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (cf. John 16:24). Jesus is the only One Who can mediate or intercede in our prayers, since “[a]ll things that the Father has are [His]” (John 16:15). If all things that the Father has are the Son’s, then what is left for Mary?

The prerogative of intercession supposedly given to Mary also is argued from the fact that she “interceded” before Jesus on behalf of a family at a wedding in Cana because the wine was running out during the celebration (John 2:2-3). This simple, solitary, tiny thread of argumentation, lost in a loom of confusion, has been misused extensively by the supporters of Marianism. By going to Jesus with a request for help, Mary was not intervening on behalf of anyone’s spiritual needs; she only reported the situation to Jesus. Moreover, consider Jesus’ response: “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?” (John 2:4). With these words, He emphasized that Mary’s concerns did not dictate His actions. Whatever He did in Cana that day would be according to God’s will, not because of human or motherlyinfluences or desires.

If the situation recorded in John chapter two establishes Mary as the “Intercessor of the Saints,” what should we conclude from Matthew 8:5-13 and other passages that tell of similar circumstances? In Matthew chapter eight, a centurion “interceded” before Jesus for his servant who was in bed, paralyzed, and greatly tormented. Seeing the centurion’s faith, Jesus performed a miracle and cured the sick servant. Should we consider this centurion as the “Intercessor for the Paralytics, the Sick, and the Tormented”? Should any paralytic, or anyone suffering from physical or mental illness, pray to this man of great faith, asking him to intercede with God on their behalf? [The Bible further condemns the act of invoking the dead (cf. Deuteronomy 18:10-13; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14; Isaiah 8:19).] Neither this centurion, nor Abraham, nor Mary, nor anyone else—living or dead—can intercede before the throne of God in favor of the faithful Christian, except Jesus Christ Himself.

MARY, LIKE ALL MEN AND WOMEN, NEEDED INTERCESSION.

In Luke 1:47, Mary raised her voice and declared: “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (emp. added). If she had a Savior, then she needed salvation. And, if she needed salvation, then she also needed the only Intercessor of salvation—Jesus Christ (Hebrews 7:25). Therefore, Mary’s condition was no different from every human being before or after her. She sinned (Romans 3:23), and she needed the only Intercessor who could make peace between her and God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Colossians 1:20). Just as Jesus “interceded” on behalf of Mary before He died to make sure her physical needs were met (John 19:26-27), He interceded on her behalf to make sure her spiritual needs were met. Mary cannot intercede for any Christian since she, herself, needed intercession.

Finally, although Christians are commanded to pray for one another (1 Thessalonians 5:25; Hebrews 13:18; James 5:16), Jesus is our only Mediator in prayer. Through Him our prayers are answered.

REFERENCES

Pinedo, Moisés (2009), “Is Mary the Mother of God?” [On-line], URL:http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/240077.

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

Zoltan, Abraham (1994), “A Detailed Guide to Our Lady’s Rosary,” [On-line], URL:http://www.blessedtrinityorlando.org/rosary.html.