The Passion Translation (TPT)

The Passion Translation (TPT) is not only not a "translation," but it also does not qualify as a "paraphrase" or a "really bad commentary." It is a complete re-write of the Scriptures that is not worth the paper it is printed on. Not only does it contain and teach a lot of heresy, such as falsely attributing Psalm 8:4-5 and Hebrews 2:7-8 to mankind instead of the Lord Jesus, but it is also highly endorsed by numerous false teachers, false prophets, and heretics, such as Bill Johnson, Patricia King, Che Ahn, Bobbie Houston, Chuck Pierce, Lou Engle, Andi Andrew, Bianca Juarez Olthoff, etc. Not one single legitimate preacher, theologian, or scholar endorses it! And with good reason.

 

The sole author of this work, Brian Simmons, is part of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), which is a huge Charismatic cult with many New Age and other demonic teachings and practices (including "Grave Soaking"). The Passion Translation website makes several extremely concerning statements:

"… the meaning of a passage took priority over the form of the original words. Sometimes in order to communicate the correct intended meaning, words needed to be changed."

"The Passion Translation is more in favor of prioritizing God’s original message over the words’ literal meaning."

In other words, the Bible does not mean what it says and needs to be changed in order to say what it should say—according to the beliefs of its author. This goes beyond the danger of reading the Bible through the filter of your belief system, which is dangerous enough as is, to completely rewriting the Bible according to your belief system.

One of the simplest ways to determine whether a translation is reliable and trustworthy is to examine the above two passages. In both the Hebrew and Greek, the grammar of these passages is not only masculine, but it is also singular. So rendering these passages as gender neutral and plural—referring to the entire human race instead of to the Lord Jesus—results in false teaching and heresy. If a translation cannot remain true to both the original languages and the receiving language, and if the translators cannot pay attention to the context of what they are translating, then that translation is a waste of a perfectly good tree.

This version could be more accurately referred to as the Toilet Paper Translation. This per-version is not only worse than The Living Bible or The Message, but it is also on par with the New World Translation!

Dating Revelation

"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." Matthew 16:27-28

They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. Revelation 1:7

Reading Revelation 1:7, it is understandable why we want to assign an early date to the writing of John. After all, it says that "even those who pierced Him" would see Him, and how could this be if they are already dead? Apparently there were some kind of angelic appearances in the sky in A.D. 66, which many attribute to the coming of the Lord. While this may have been a fulfillment of some kind, or at least a sign of some kind, it still remains extremely problematic.

First, Irenaeus, the disciple of Polycarp who was the disciple of the apostle John, vies for a later date.

Second, the internal text says that John was on the Isle of Patmos at the time of his writing. External evidence says he was exiled there during the reign of Domitian, which was well after A.D 70. Clement of Alexandria says he returned from Patmos after the death of Domitian.

Third, when Paul wrote to the Ephesians in A.D. 61-63, he commended them for their love. It is doubtful to believe that in just 3 years Jesus would be admonishing them for having left their first love. Not to mention, if Timothy was in Ephesus looking after the church there, after Paul had founded the church in Ephesus, when did the apostle John look after them?

Many good arguments can be raised based on how certain individual verses are written, but we cannot isolate certain verses at the expense of others. We need to pay attention to everything. When Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, His disciples had asked Him two questions. The answer to the first was fulfilled in A.D. 70. There was likely a sign in connection with this, such as the angelic appearances in A.D. 66, but the Second Coming of Jesus did not occur. Even the text of Matthew 16:27-28 opposes this belief. Was "every man" repaid "according to his deeds"? Were every man's works tested and judged? Did the separation of goats and sheep happen? No! Of course not. The resurrection of all men, some to eternal destruction and some to eternal life, never happened on this date. The judgment of all men never happened on this date. The destruction of sin and the defeat of death never happened on this date.

The Bible makes it clear that when Jesus returns, sin and death will be defeated, all mankind will be judged, and eternity will be ushered in. Men will no longer be able to sin. Death will no longer reign. There will be no need for faith and hope. All of these are things that still persist today. So clearly Jesus could not have returned already. Not to mention that Acts 1:11 says He will return exactly as He left. It does not say He will merely return in the clouds. Again, if He merely returned in the clouds without stepping down on Earth, and all true believers were "raptured" to Him at this time, that means the Holy Spirit would have been removed and there would be no way for anyone post A.D. 66 to be preached to and come to a knowledge of the Saviour. That means that there should be records of mass groups of people suddenly vanishing, or, better yet, being witnessed of being received into the sky. This kind of event would definitely make the news.

Also, if Revelation was written earlier than A.D. 70, because there is no mention of the destruction of Jesusalem, then the Gospel of John would have to be written later than A.D. 70 for the same reason. Do you really believe that if Revelation were written prior to A.D. 70, with the destruction of Jerusalem on John's mind, that he would not have written in his Gospel to warn people to flee the pending destruction, which was only about 4 years away? Either way, the full Preterist view fails because there are books of the Bible written after A.D. 70 and there are events fulfilled after A.D. 70.

Emperor Nero is not the "Anti-Christ." This calculation fails on numerous accounts. First, you have to use Hebrew in order to calculate it. Second, you have to add his title—"Caesar"—to his name in order for it to work. Third, you have to drop one of the Hebrew letters in order for the calculation to work out correctly. Fourth, you have to use Latin in order to calculate the variant of 616. The book was written in Greek. It calls Jesus the Alpha and Omega, which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In order to calculate the name, you have to use Greek—not Hebrew and not Latin. Titus is a much better fit for the "Anti-Christ" as his name—in Greek—amounts to 666, as does the word "Lateinos" (Λατεινος) and the phrase "the Latin Empire" (η Λατινη Βασιλεια).

By the way, under Nero, Peter and Paul were murdered. If the book of Revelation were written during the time of Nero, why would Nero merely exile John? It is extremely inconsistent with his practices. But it is entirely consistent with Domitian's tortures.

Constantine NEVER Became A Christian!

Christians and historians argue for the conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity in the year A.D. 312. However, despite the glaring ignorance of both these groups of people (which sometimes overlap), and the plethora of webpages chock full of error and misinformation, Constantine never converted to Christianity!

Constantine never became a Christian! This fact is supported from his having murdered three of his own family members—his eldest son, his nephew, and his brother-in-law—after having supposedly "converted" to Christianity. Do I have to remind anyone what the Bible has to say on this subject?

Constantine was a sun worshiper long before his supposed "conversion," and he remained one long after it. In fact, Constantine was highly superstitious. In order to cover all his bases, he included the God of Christianity among the plethora of gods he already worshiped.

Emperor Constantine modeled his "church" buildings after the pagan temples and Roman state buildings. Constantine introduced temples into Christianity, where none had existed prior, in order to give a legitimacy to it. Every other religion had their temples, including Judaism, and now so would Christianity. He even named each of his temples after dead saints the way the pagans named theirs after their gods. Christianity was effectively married to the Roman culture under Constantine, and it has stuck ever since.

Constantine also introduced the priestly caste, modeled after the Roman state (for clothing) and pagan religions (for rituals). Though the Church began seeing signs of it during the second century, this was the first time that the Church was divided into two classes—the clergy and the laity. Clergy were viewed as more spiritual Christians, while the laity were viewed as lesser Christians. Many different groups have created their own versions of this two-class system, including Dispensationalism, which teaches the classes of spiritual and carnal Christians. Others teach a "second blessing" distinction. All different ways of men trying to make themselves out to be better than their peers.

Constantine gathered pagan relics from all over the empire and decorated his "Christian" temples with them. Under Constantine, Christians received their own sacred temples, their own sacred priestly caste, and their own sacred relics. Priests even began to receive pay for delivering their message. This "Christianity" was modeled after the world. All its worship practices find their origins in the Roman state and the pagan religions. These pagan practices still exist within most denominations to this day! The Church has never recovered from this.

To the flesh, it might have appeared to be a good thing for the Church to suddenly be on top. No more persecution. Money from the empire provided for her. She had become protected. But this is not the way in which we learned the Lord Jesus. This is not what the Scriptures teach us. If you read carefully through each book of the New Testament, you will find that every single book promises believers suffering via trials, tribulations, and persecution. That is what we have to look forward to, which is why Jesus told us to count the cost of what it means to follow Him. Are we prepared to give up everything for Him?

The same is happening once again. While President Donald Trump has accomplished many great things (not only in his first term, but within his first year), nevertheless the protections he is providing for the Church are not necessarily good things. Yes, they appeal to our flesh, but they are contrary to the promises of Scripture. They might look like blessings for believers, but as with Constantine they are more than likely going to turn out to be curses for the Church. Christians who look for this kind of security and glory in it are not very good Christians, if Christians at all. Following Jesus in this life is not about peace, comfort, and security. If that is why you came to Christ, you came under false pretenses through a false gospel, which means your root is most likely extremely shallow and at the first sign of trouble you will eject from the faith.

Because Christians gathered on the first day of the week after sunset—Sunday, and since most of the empire celebrated the Unconquerable Sun on Sunday, Constantine made Sunday a legal holiday to be a day of rest. St. Peter's in Rome reveals a mosaic of Christ as the Unconquerable Sun (Sol Invictus), demonstrating Constantine's affinity for sun worship. His title was Pontifex Maximus, which means "Chief of the Pagan Priests." Constantine functioned as the high priest of paganism to his dying day. He even used pagan magic formulas to protect crops and heal diseases. If he had ever converted to Christianity, this would not be a title he would appropriate.

With all that you learn about Emperor Constantine, not only was he not the first Emperor to convert to Christianity, but he never converted to Christianity. He was a pagan until his dying day. Everything he did to the Church opened the doors for pagans to call themselves "Christians" all the while bringing their pagan practices into the Church and corrupting it from the inside out. The same practices exist within Catholicism today. But other denominations are not exempt because their worship practice is modeled after the Roman state and the pagan religions. The Church today is a far cry from the Church of the early Christians.

The Problem of Full Preterism

Preterists argue that Matthew 16:27-28, Acts 1:11, and Revelation 1:7 were fulfilled between A.D. 66 and 70. They argue that the second coming of Jesus, the resurrection, and the judgment all took place by A.D. 70. Let us grant them their arguments. If what they say is true...

Then why is the human race still here?!?!?

According to the Bible, when Jesus returns, He will judge both the living and the dead. According to the Bible, when Jesus returns, the wicked will be resurrected to eternal punishment and the righteous resurrected to eternal life. According to the Bible, when Jesus returns, sin and death will be defeated. Just for a moment, look around you at the state of the world. None of that has ever taken place! Otherwise, why are we still here?!?!? Once Jesus returns, that is it for sinful humanity. Sin is judged, men are transformed into their glorious bodies, and the age to come is ushered in. The age to come is eternity, with perfect righteousness and no more sin and death. Has that happened??? No, quite clearly it has not. So... how do Preterists explain this colossal problem with their interpretation of Scripture?

That is their biggest problem to overcome. But it is not their only problem. Jesus' words spoken in Revelation 3:7-13 were not fulfilled until between A.D. 98 to 117:

“This promise was literally and verbatim fulfilled. Philadelphia was the only church in the seven which escaped unscathed from the persecutions of Trajan; and the reason which philosophers assigned and historians have stated is, that Philadelphia was subject to earthquakes; and the Roman emperor, with all his sanguinary cruelty, was afraid to go there himself, or to trust his generals and his armies in a place so dangerous. No doubt this was the secondary cause, which many modern philosophers worship; but the secret of Philadelphia’s safety was the first great and glorious reason that Christians trust in – that Jesus had recorded it as his truth. ‘I will keep thee from the hour of temptation, that shall come upon all the world.’ ”  –John Cumming, Apocalyptic Sketches, 436-437.

“I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world; for this faithfulness God promises to keep the ministers of this church from those persecutions which raged elsewhere, and were further, in Trajan’s time, to come upon all Christians living under the Roman Empire. To try them that dwell upon the earth; to try those Christians that lived within that empire, how well they would adhere to Christ, and the profession of the gospel. This I take to be a more proper sense, than theirs who would interpret this hour of temptation of the day of judgment, which is never so called.”  –Matthew Poole, A Commentary on the Holy Bible, 3:958.

There is no doubt that certain details of Scripture were fulfilled in or by A.D. 70. Because of this, every Christian is, or should be, a partial Preterist. But the idea that all of Scripture was written before A.D. 70 and that all New Testament prophecy was fulfilled between A.D. 66 and 70 is absolutely ridiculous! The above is just one example where that theory is proven utterly false. If Jesus has already returned, and the resurrection and judgment have already taken place, then why are we still here? Why does sin still exist and why is it so rampant? Why does death still reign? These are all promises to be overcome by the Second Coming of Jesus. I welcome any Preterist reading this to explain their position and answer these issues.

Yes, A.D. 70 was a judgment—the judgment upon the nation of Israel, but it was not the judgment; i.e., the Great White Throne judgment. Second Peter 3:10 clearly says that "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." That quite clearly has not happened yet. It almost seems like Preterists advocate three comings of Christ the same way that Futurists do. There was a non-literal coming in A.D. 64 (apparently), and there will be yet another coming where the rest of the promises of the New Testament are fulfilled (sin and death defeated).

The idea that a literal "Rapture" or "partial Rapture" took place in A.D. 70 is also laughable. There was not, is not, and will not be a "Rapture"!!! No such teaching exists in the New Testament! Not a future "Rapture," and certainly not a past "Rapture." What the Bible does teach is the Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah as King and Conqueror. If this already took place by A.D. 70, then perhaps Preterists would like to explain this to Jesus, because He clearly forgot some steps. All the dead in Christ have not been resurrected, and we who remain have not gone to be with Him. Sin and death certainly have not been judged and cast into the Lake of Fire.

Supposedly, a literal "Rapture" took place between A.D. 66 and 70. If this were true, where are the second-century Christians writing about it? Suddenly their mentors and teachers have vanished? Oh, wait, all true Christians would have been "raptured." So... where are the historical evidences talking about masses of people suddenly vanishing? The same problem that persists with the Futurists also persists for the full Preterist who believes this nonsense. How are people preaching the Gospel and being saved if all true believers were "raptured"? The Bible clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit will be removed. Thus, there is no influence of the Spirit and no leading of the Spirit. Again, why are we still here?!?!?

If all this took place by A.D. 70, no one could possibly be saved, even if they randomly picked up a copy of the Bible and started reading it (which did not exist as a whole at that point in time, and if everything in Scripture were fulfilled by A.D. 70, no one would dare assemble a complete Bible because there would be no influence of the Spirit and no believers). That means that no one alive today, or for the past nearly 2,000 years, is a Christian or has been saved. It would be impossible.

If Scripture passages applied to A.D. 70 are in reference to the judgment of the nation of Israel, then, yes, they would find their fulfillment there. However, if the passages are in reference to the judgment of the whole world and dealing with the whole world, then they quite obviously did not find their fulfillment in A.D. 70 because such a theory would contradict our current existence. Unless we are living in Hell and our experience of the Gospel is nothing but a farce, which would make God not God at all, but a cosmic child toying with people and giving them a false hope. "Here's My Word. All you have to do is believe it and you can be saved. Psyche! This was already fulfilled in A.D. 70! Ha ha ha ha!"

Matthew 25 has yet to happen. The division of the sheep and the goats, which every parable of Matthew 13 has to do with: the end of the age. This happens at the Second Coming of Jesus. Again, if any Preterist reading this wants to attempt to defend his view and explain how we are still here today, living in sin and dying because of sin, I look forward to reading your explanation. Full Preterism makes as much sense as Dispensational Futurism. Zero!

Answering the Qur'an's Challenge

"And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura [chapter] like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any) besides Allah, if ye are truthful." Qu'ran, surah 2:23

The Qu'ran dares disbelievers to produce a surah like it, commonly referred to as 'The Challenge of the Quran' (much the same way the Mormon's Doctrines and Covenants section 67:8 uses the same logical fallacy of Circular Reasoning). It claims that the task is impossible to achieve, and yet Algerian atheist Djilou has done precisely that...

Contrast the words of Scripture against the two logical fallacy passages that use Circular Reasoning to try and prove themselves from both the Muslims and the Mormons. What does Scripture say? "We have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place..." 2 Peter 1:19

Even though Peter was an eye witness, he did not say, "If you can't write something like what I've written, then you should just believe me." No! He directed his audience to the Scriptures, encouraging them to be like the Bereans and "search the Scriptures."

A Lesson In Proper Bible Study and Formation of Doctrine

Ever since the addition of chapters and verses into the Bible, men have ignored the actual context of Scripture and proof-texted random isolated individual verses, attempting to tie them together with other random isolated individual verses, in order to formulate their doctrines.

Unless the surrounding context for each random isolated individual verse is the same, the two random isolated individual verses have nothing in common and are not related in any way, shape, or form. It is the creation of false teachings and false doctrines.

If I wrote over ten letters to different individuals or groups of people, you could not take random isolated individual sentences from each of my letters and try to tie them together with other random isolated individual sentences that seem to talk about the same thing. That is called Collapsing Context; joining different verses together because they share a similar word. By joining several random isolated individual sentences from my letters because they share a similar word, you are making me say, and teach, things that I never said or taught.

This is what men have been doing with God's Word ever since the addition of chapters and verses—proof-texting it to support whatever subjective feelings and opinions they hold to in their mind. We are to submit and subject ourselves to the Scriptures, reforming and conforming ourselves and our beliefs accordingly. God's Word never submits and subjects itself to us, our culture, our ethnicity, our feelings, our opinions, our proclivities, or anything else!

Allah's Kryptonite

Allah cannot handle mockery. If a Muslim is doing something that is going to cause non-Muslims to insult Allah, according to surah 6 verse 108, the Muslim is commanded to STOP what they are doing!

Qur'an 6:108

Pickthall Translation: Revile not those unto whom they pray beside Allah lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. Thus unto every nation have We made their deed seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return, and He will tell them what they used to do.

Yusuf Ali Translation: Revile not ye those whom they call upon besides God, lest they out of spite revile God in their ignorance. Thus have We made alluring to each people its own doings. In the end will they return to their Lord, and We shall then tell them the truth of all that they did.

Hilali-Khan Translation: And insult not those whom they (disbelievers) worship besides Allah, lest they insult Allah wrongfully without knowledge. Thus We have made fairseeming to each people its own doings; then to their Lord is their return and He shall then inform them of all that they used to do.

Shakir Translation: And do not abuse those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest exceeding the limits they should abuse Allah out of ignorance. Thus have We made fair  seeming to every people their deeds; then to their Lord shall be their return, so He will inform them of what they did.

Sher Ali Translation: And abuse not those whom they call upon besides ALLAH, let they, out of spite, abuse ALLAH in their ignorance. Thus unto every people have WE caused their doings to seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return; And HE will inform them of what they used to do.

 

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi
(A Commentary on the Qur'an, translated by Mokrane Guezzou)

(Revile not those unto whom they pray beside Allah led they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance...) [6:108]. Said ibn 'Abbas, according to the report of al-Walibi: "They [the idolaters] said: 'O Muhammad, either you stop reviling our idols or we will revile your Lord.' And so Allah, exalted is He, warned against reviling their idols lest they wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance." Qatadah said: "The Muslims used to revile the idols of the unbelievers and the latter used to react against them. Allah, exalted is He, therefore, warned the Muslims against being the cause which drives ignorant unbelievers, who have no knowledge of Allah, to revile Allah as a result of reviling their idols." Said al-Suddi: "When Abu Talib was dying, [some chiefs of] the Quraysh said: 'let us go to this man and ask him to forbid his nephew from reviling our idols, for we feel shame to kill him after he passes away and drive the Arabs to say: 'He used to defend him but once he passed away, they killed him.' And so Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahl, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, Umayyah and Ubayy the sons of Khalaf, 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt, 'Amr ibn al-'As, al-Aswad ibn al-Bukhturi went to see Abu Talib. They said to him: 'You are our master and chief, but Muhammad has harmed us and harmed our idols. We would like you to call him and warn him against speaking ill of our idols. And from our part, we will leave him alone to his Allah.' The Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, went when he was summoned. Abu Talib said to him: 'These are your people and cousins!' The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, asked them: 'What do you want?' They said: 'We want you to leave us alone with our idols and we will leave you alone with your Allah.' Abu Talib said: 'Your people are being fair with you, so give your consent.' The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'If I agree to this would you agree to give me one sentence, if you were to utter it, you would rule over the Arabs and non-Arabs alike?' Abu Jahl said: 'Yes, by your father, we will give it to you and also give you ten other things like it; but what is it?' He said: 'Say: there is no god but Allah!' They refused and expressed their aversion at this proposal, upon which Abu Talib said; 'Son of my brother, ask for something else, for your people are wary of this.'
He said: 'O uncle, I am not one who would ask for other than that. If they were to place the sun in my hand, I would not ask for anything other than that.' The chiefs of Quraysh said: 'You would better stop reviling our idols or we will revile you and revile He Who commands you.' And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse."

The Sexualization of Children

Do you believe that the sexualization of young children is WRONG???

Netflix recently released a film titled "Cuties," which sexualizes young girls. Rightly so, there has been an uproar against this film. But... do you believe that any person, company, book, or religion that sexualizes young children should be condemned? If you cannot answer until you hear the name of the person, company, book, or religion, then you expose yourself as a hypocrite without any real moral standards. Your moral compass is broken and shifts depending on who that person, company, book, or religion is, which means you are morally (and intellectually) dishonest.

(39) CHAPTER. Giving one's young children in marriage (is permissible).

By virtue of the Statement of Allah "...and for those who have no (monthly) courses (i.e. they are still immature)..." (V.65:4)

And the 'Idda [waiting period for divorce] for the girl before puberty is three months (in the above Verse).

5133. Narrated 'Aishah that the Prophet wrote the marriage contract with her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death).

The above comes from Sahih al-Bukhari, one of Islam's trusted commentaries. The 'Idda was the waiting period for divorce. In surah 2 verse 228, the Qur'an teaches that if a Muslim man wants to divorce his wife, he should wait until she has gone through three monthly menstruation cycles. The question later came up about women not having a menstruation cycle, which surah 65 verse 4 answers by dealing with three categories of women: (1) older women who no longer experience menstruation, (2) young pre-pubescent girls who have never experienced menstruation, and (3) pregnant women. Does Muhammad sexualize young girls? Yes, absolutely he does. Does the Qur'an sexualize young girls? Yes, absolutely it does. Does Islam sexualize young girls? Yes, absolutely it does. If you are not convinced, here are a handful of other trusted Islamic sources:

Sahih al-Bukhari 3896— "Narrated Hisham’s father: Khadija died three years before the Prophet departed to Al-Madina. He stayed there for two years or so and then he wrote the marriage (wedding) contract with Aishah when she was a girl of six years of age, and he consummated that marriage when she was nine years old."

Sahih al-Bukhari 5158— "Narrated Urwa: The Prophet wrote the (marriage contract) with Aisha while she was six years old and consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death)."

Sahih Muslim 3310— "Aisha reported: Allah’s Apostle married me when I was six years old, and I was admitted to his house when I was nine years old."

Sahih Muslim 3311— "Aisha reported that Allah’s Apostle married her when she was seven years old, and she was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old."

Sahih Muslim 3480— "It was narrated that 'Aishah said: The Prophet married me when I was six years old, and consummated the marriage with me when I was nine years old."

Sahih Muslim 3482— "It was narrated from 'Aishah that: The Messenger of Allah married her when she was six years old and consummated the marriage with her when she was nine years old, and he died when she was eighteen years old."

Sunan Abu Dawud 2116— "Aishah said: The Apostle of Allah married me when I was seven years old. (The narrator Sulaiman said: Or six years.) He had intercourse with me when I was nine years old."

Surah 33 verse 21 of the Qur'an says that Muhammad is the pattern of conduct for all Muslims. If 50-year-old Muhammad married 6-year-old 'Aishah and consummated his marriage to her when she was 9 years old, and Muhammad is the pattern of conduct for all Muslims, then child marriage is not simply a "tribal" practice but a religious practice of Islam. All the sources above, coupled with surah 33:21, demonstrate clearly without a shadow of a doubt that Muslims sexualize young children and that they are commended for so doing.

So why do journalists, politicians, educators, entertainers, and athletes refuse to condemn Muhammad, the Qur'an, and Islam for the sexualization of young children? They cannot say it is WRONG, because that would be "Islamophobic"; but they cannot say it is right, because that would be promoting pedophilia. So, like true Islamophobes, fearful and afraid of Islam and its followers, they remain silent against Islam's sexualization of young children and instead attack and condemn those who condemn the perverse ideology that sexualizes young children: Islam. You will condemn Netflix for their sexualization of 11-year-old girls, but you refuse to condemn Islam's sexualization of young children, such as 9-year-old 'Aishah by their pedophiliac false prophet, Muhammad? What is wrong with you?!?

Not surprisingly, the director of Netflix's "Cuties," Maïmouna Doucouré, is a Muslim herself, and also a feminist activist. The main character in the film is likewise a Muslim. Sexualizing young children is nothing new to these people. Like the film "Thirteen," that spoke toward the hyper-sexualization of adolescent girls and their introduction via peer pressure to shoplifting (and other thefts), drugs, alcohol, underage sexual behaviour, self-harm, etc. (which also happens to adolescent boys), the film "Cuties" might speak toward the hyper-sexualization of pre-adolescent girls, revealing what many young girls these days are like, but that does not mean you need to make a film about such a thing and subject children to such abuses. Their idiot activist parents should be ashamed of themselves! There are ways to bring awareness to such things without having to subject and introduce children to these abuses. Sex trafficking is a real problem in our world, but are you going to make a movie about such things that show the horrors of it? Are you going to film young pre-adolescent or adolescent girls (or boys) partially or completely naked? Are you going to simulate the abuses that trafficked children experience? Anyone with an ounce of intelligence, or even moral fiber, knows that such things mentally affect children. Whether it is for real or you are just "playing" it via acting, it still takes its toll on children, and can affect them for the rest of their life! Use your heads, adults!

The reason why much of the world (including most Leftists these days) cannot discern right from wrong is because they have no moral foundation. They have compromised inch by inch until they have found themselves at the bottom of a landslide of their own creation. Wrong is wrong is WRONG, and calling it right will never make it so! Wrong is still WRONG even if every voice on the planet sides with the wrong. As Alexander Solzhenitsyn has said, "One word of truth outweighs the whole world."

The Hyper-Grace Movement

What is the Hyper-Grace movement? The Hyper-Grace movement mixes truth with error, overemphasizing grace while neglecting holiness and other aspects. It is really no different than The Grace Life which came before it (which I believe was begun by Bill Hybels). It says that repentance and confession of sin is not necessary because Christians are eternally forgiven. While this may be true, this neglects what the whole of God's Word has to say. For example, without denying it and trying to explain it away, what do they do with 1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-6; and 3:1-10? Also, what do they do with Jesus' words to five of the seven churches in Revelation (especially 2:4), where He calls them to repentance?

Those within the Hyper-Grace movement view progressive sanctification as legalism, which demonstrates their lack of familiarity with, knowledge of, and understanding of the Scriptures. Have they ever cracked open their Bibles? Or are they using a Sharpie to highlight those verses they do not agree with while proof-texting others that fit their agenda? Sadly, Tullian Tchividjian is one of this movement's leading voices.

Those within the Hyper-Grace movement are much like Red-Letter Christians, except that the Hyper-Grace people lump Jesus' words before His resurrection in with the Old Testament, which they reject as not having anything to do with the Christian. Again, this demonstrates their lack of familiarity with God's Word. Without the Old Testament, we would not have the New Testament. How many times did Jesus and the apostles refer to "the Law and the Prophets" and "the Scriptures"? This was reference to the Old Testament, without which the New Testament would not exist.

The Hyper-Grace movement says that we are not bound by Jesus' teachings. Quite clearly the Bible is not their absolute and final authority. What do John 14:15, 21; 15:10; 1 John 2:3-5; 3:22, 24; 5:2-3; Rev. 12:17; and 14:12 say? It even teaches that believers are not responsible for their sin. This sounds like the revival of an ancient heresy from the early Church. How do those within this movement reconcile their belief that Jesus' words are not binding upon us with the purpose of the Holy Spirit, Who "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you" (John 14:26)?

Hyper-Grace preachers claim that the Holy Spirit will never convict us of sin, which demonstrates how little they know the Holy Spirit personally. Apparently when you sin, because you are already forgiven, you do not have to be concerned about it. This teaching violates so much found in Paul's epistles, but maybe we are not supposed to listen to his words either. Maybe the Bible is not for Christians, but only for sinners? I pity the individual who ever champions that argument.

6 Signs of a Hyper-Grace Institution

1. The preachers never speak against sin.
2. The preachers only speak positive motivational messages.
   
3. The preachers never take a cultural stand for righteousness.
4. People who live immoral lives are allowed to teach and lead ministries.
5. Key members of the institution are regularly living habitually sinful lives with impunity.
6. The Old Testament is almost totally ignored.

Hyper-grace teaches that we do not need to deal with our sin because God has forgiven our sins: past, present, and future. But this teaching is unbiblical, demonstrating with utmost clarity the biblical ignorance of the individuals who promote it. They have quite obviously never read the Bible. While we are saved by grace, we are not free to sin. Paul makes this argument abundantly clear in Romans 6.

When one aspect of biblical truth is overemphasized at the exclusion of other biblical truths, we trip and fall into a deep ditch that can be difficult to get out of. If we want a balanced Christian life, we need to make Scripture alone our absolute and final authority, and to believe everything it says (even if that means we have to wrestle with it before submitting to it). It is possible to be "extremely big on Jesus" without being like a Pharisee and neglecting other aspects, even weightier aspects.

Some items that are not related to the Hyper-Grace movement are:

• speaking against the institutional church, and
• speaking against tithing.

Any preacher who attempts this argument is engaging in a logical fallacy, attempting to manipulate his flock and his listeners and/or readers. For what purpose? Because he is a liar and he regularly proof-texts the Bible while engaging in eisegesis. Most preachers will not tell you the truth on the issue of tithing, so if you desire to "know the truth" and have it "set you free," read these articles:

• Tithing: Is It Christian?
  
• The Biblical Place of Tithing
• Tithing Is Taxation
  

It also makes little sense to claim that Hyper-Grace institutions speak against the institutional church seeing as how every single one of them is institutional themselves. To speak against the institutional church would be to speak against themselves.

Pretermism: Another Bankrupt System of Theology

James Stuart Russell (1816-1895) was the developer of the Preterist thought, the idea that the entire Bible, and the fulfillment of everything in the Bible, occurred prior to or during A.D. 70. It is worth noting that during the 1800s, a plethora of cults, false Christians sects, and false teachings were given birth: Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Science, Darwinism, Marxism/Communism, Hegelian Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Modern Liturgical Revival, Existentialism, Modern Humanism, Unitarianism, Dispensationalism, and, of course, Preterism.

If the Second Coming of the Messiah and the resurrection occurred before or during A.D. 70, then why are we still here?!? The Bible makes it clear that when the Messiah returns, the world will be judged and the age to come will be ushered in. Sin and death will have been dealt with and an age of righteousness will reign for eternity. If this already happened, then how do Preterists explain our current existence and predicament? Does it look like sin and death have been judged and defeated?

If the First Coming of the Messiah was literal, so too will be His Second Coming. To deny this and spiritualize it is to deny Scripture and make Jesus and His disciples out to be liars. If you read the New Testament to a child and then ask them how the Preterist view fits with the narrative of God's Word, even they are intelligent enough to realize that it does not and cannot. Preterism is as equally indefensible as Dispensationalism.

Every Christian is a partial Preterist, because certain things in the New Testament were fulfilled in A.D. 70. But the idea that everything was fulfilled before or during A.D. 70, including the writing of every book of the New Testament, is preposterous, ludicrous, ridiculous, nonsensical, and asinine.

Individuals such as Kenneth Gentry, Gary DeMar, and Gary North are proponents of the Preterist theory, and their arguments lack not only logic, but also coherence. Gary North challenges Dispensationalists for not having written any new systematic theologies, but Preterists have never written a single systematic theology.

What Is Your Authority?

Many Christians claim to be, or to have been, led by the Holy Spirit in regard to something they have done or something they believe. The Holy Spirit never leads contrary to the Bible! However, many Christians discount Scripture, claiming that the Holy Spirit is leading, or has led, them otherwise. Christians who believe that the Holy Spirit sometimes leads contrary to God's Word are sorely deceived. Think of it this way: if the Holy Spirit ever did lead contrary to the Bible, then nothing anybody might say could be thought of as biblically incorrect. Upon what basis would anybody have to challenge the claim of being led by the Holy Spirit? After all, if the Holy Spirit is leading you, then you must be correct, which means anyone who opposes you must be wrong. As such, how could anybody discern anything as being a deception? Simple: by conformity to Scripture.

The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible must be our absolute and final authority on all matters pertaining to doctrine, church practice, family life, and personal holiness. Regardless of how we were raised, what we were taught, what we might presently believe, regardless of our opinions, our feelings, or our proclivities, we are to subject ourselves and our beliefs entirely to the Word of God. If it contradicts us, then we are to submit ourselves to it—no matter the cost to ourselves. Go by Scripture, even when the consequences of such are unthinkable to you. This is called death to self; taking up our cross daily. It is fundamental to being a Christian. The Word of God never submits to us, our culture, our ethnicity, or anything else.

Many Christians claim that the Bible is their final authority, but in reality they have other authorities that conflict with it. For example, many Christians will get defensive if you suggest that their creed, confession, constitution, statement of faith, or system of theology might me more authoritative that Scripture itself. Many of these individuals stand in danger of testing Scripture by their creed, confession, constitution, statement of faith, or system of theology rather than the other way around. In other words, they read the Bible through the filter of their belief system rather than filtering their belief system through the Bible. Christians who understand the importance and function of Scriptural authority in all matters are rightly saddened by Christians who do not understand this.

What is your authority? Is it church history? Is it church tradition? Is it your creed? Is it your confession? Is it your constitution? Is it your statement of faith? Is it your system of theology? Is it what the “experts” tell you? Is it your subjective feelings or opinions? Or is it Scripture alone? Scripture—not pragmatic considerations—should be our absolute and final authority.

The Danger of Proof-texting

Imagine I were a counsellor of some kind, like a marriage counsellor. Imagine that throughout my career I had written many letters to both groups of people and single individuals. But after I had died, only 9 letters written to groups could be found, and 4 letters written to individuals. Some time later, someone has the idea to add chapters and verses to my letters. If you were to take one sentence from one letter and try to tie it together with another sentence from another letter, unless the context surrounding the one agrees with the context surrounding the other, you have just created a false teaching from my letters. The two sentences are in no way, shape, or form related or complementary.

This is what Christians have done with the Bible ever since the addition of chapters and verses. They continuously proof-text the Bible in order to support all sorts of ridiculous and unbiblical teachings. They treat each individual verse as if it is the Word of God wholly by itself, which is simply untrue.

The best way for you to avoid proof-texting the Bible yourself is if you obtain a Reader's Bible without chapters and verses. Chapters and verses are a distraction to the natural structure the biblical authors included in their works, and they subconsciously inform readers of false starting and stopping points. Ever since they were added into the Bible 700 and 500 years ago, Christians have proof-texted Scripture for their own particular doctrines, ripping random, isolated verses out of their immediate contexts and forcing them together with other random, isolated verses by use of Collapsing Context to form teachings that the Bible does not support.

When we understand the epistles in their chronological placement in relation to the book of Acts, and the social-historical context surrounding their writing, figuring in the other side of the conversation that is unavailable to us (we are only hearing one side of a phone conversation), our interpretations will change—as they must. When people begin to understand the full picture, the distorted pictures they have held onto for years, handed to them by their particular denominations, can no longer be sustained. When reading the epistles (or any book), we need to be asking who, what, where, when, and why questions about the writing. This must be our goal if we want to understand and interpret Scripture correctly.

We need to stop trying to form doctrines by use of random, individually isolated verses of Scripture tied together with other random, individually isolated verses of Scripture, and start paying attention to the full surrounding context. Unless the surrounding context is the same, the random, individually isolated verses have nothing in common and are not related in any way, shape, or form. The way to form biblical doctrines is from complete passages—not from isolated verses.

Was Paul the Last Apostle?

I have just witnessed another colossal example of eisegesis at work.

"Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also." 1 Corinthians 15:8

This verse was quoted and used to argue that Paul said he was the last apostle and that there would be none after him. But is that what this verse is teaching? Let us examine the context, shall we?

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed." 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Verses 3 and 4 give us the first ever Christian creed. In verses 5 through 7, those to whom the risen Messiah/Christ appeared are named, and in verse 8 Paul says that Jesus also appeared to him. However, Paul's was a revelatory appearance since Jesus had already ascended into Heaven. So what does verse 8 actually teach? Does it teach that Paul was the last apostle and that there would be none after him? No, it does not. It teaches that Paul was the last person to whom the risen Messiah/Christ appeared.

If verse 8 has to do with apostleship, then so, too, do the earlier verses, which means that there were over 500 apostles! I will guarantee that those who misinterpret this verse will be quick to deny over 500 apostles. We do know that there were more than 13, however. In fact, Scripture lists at least 23.

1. Jesus — Hebrews 3:1
2. Simon Peter — Matthew 10:2
3. Andrew — Matthew 10:2
4. James the son of Zebedee — Matthew 10:2
5. John — Matthew 10:2
6. Philip — Matthew 10:3
7. Bartholomew — Matthew 10:3
8. Thomas — Matthew 10:3
9. Matthew — Matthew 10:3
10. James the son of Alphaeus — Matthew 10:3
11. Thaddaeus, or Judas the son of James — Matthew 10:3; Luke 6:16
12. Simon the Zealot — Matthew 10:4
13. Judas Iscariot — Matthew 10:4
14. Matthias — Acts 1:26
15. Paul — Galatians 1:1
16. Barnabas — 1 Cor. 9:5-6; Acts 14:4, 14
17. James, the Lord's Brother — Galatians 1:19
18. Silas (Silvanus) — 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:6
19. Timothy — 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:6
20. Epaphroditus — Philippians 2:25 [the Greek uses the word apostolos, but most English translations translate it as something other than apostle]
21. Apollos — 1 Corinthians 4:6-9; 3:22
    
22. Two unnamed apostles — 2 Corinthians 8:23

Not even verse 9 can be argued to be saying that Paul was the last of the apostles and that there would be none after him. In verse 9, Paul is demonstrating humility, and saying that he is the least of the apostles, not worthy to have been called to be one. If you want to learn more about apostleship, see The Gift of Apostleship.

Inigo Montoya Discernment

Misquoting the Bible: Jeremiah 29:11

Misquoting the Bible: Matthew 7:1

Misquoting the Bible: Matthew 18:20

Misquoting the Bible: Luke 11:9

Misquoting the Bible: Luke 19:27

Misquoting the Bible: John 3:16

Misquoting the Bible: The Helper

Misquoting the Bible: Romans 8:28

Misquoting the Bible: Ephesians 5:21

Misquoting the Bible: Philippians 4:13

Misquoting the Bible: 2 Peter 3:9

Misquoting the Bible: Revelation 3:20

Brief Understanding of Revelation

If you have never had the opportunity to watch the movie Vantage Point, here is a quick summary of the film: the attempted assassination of the American President is told and re-told from several different perspectives. It views the same event from the vantage point of several different characters. Each perspective is seeing the same event, but things are seen from their vantage point. Only by combining all the details from each vantage point does the whole story become clear.

The book of Revelation is no different. It contains seven different parallel sections. These are seven different vantage points of the same event: everything between the first advent of Christ and the second advent of Christ. This is known as recapitulation. Anyone who has bothered to pay attention to the details in Revelation will easily note the various parallels between each vantage point. They are seven different visions of the same period of time. The book of Revelation is not linear and consecutive. The structure of the book is as follows:

Prologue: 1:1-8

Section 1: 1:9—3:22

Section 2: 4:1—8:1

Section 3: 8:2—11:19

Section 4: 12:1—14:20

Section 5: 15:1—16:21

Section 6: 17:1—19:20

Section 7: 19:21—22:5

Epilogue: 22:6-21

The "millennium," which only appears in the last section, is unknown to Scripture outside of this passage. There are several end-time passages of Scripture that exclude such a concept.

If you want to understand and interpret the book of Revelation correctly, there are four principles you need to understand and apply. They are,

1. The Principle of Recapitulation

2. The Principle of Successive Visions

3. The Principle of Symbolism.

4. The Principle of Ethical Purpose.

Without paying attention to the natural structure of the book, without paying attention to the details in each section, you are bound to create all sorts of imaginative theories and fanciful fictions, such as that found in Dispensational theology. The concept of a "millennium" is foreign to Scripture. It finds its root in Jewish myth. What did Jesus say?

"The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." Luke 17:20-21

"My kingdom is not of this world." John 18:36

When the disciples asked Jesus, "Will you restore the kingdom to Israel now?" (Acts 1:6), He responded by saying, "You will receive power from the Holy Spirit and you will be My witnesses in the world" (Acts 1:7-8). In other words, what Jesus said to them was that the revival of Israel (true Israel, spiritual Israel) would be found in the preaching of the Gospel. Whoever believes in Jesus is true Israel. Romans 2:28-29; 9:6-8; 11:17-26; Galatians 3; Ephesians 2:11-3:13; and 1 Peter 2:9-10, and other passages make this abundantly clear for the wise and discerning individual rooted in Scripture.

To BE the Church

There seems to be some confusion over what it means to be the Church. To be is an action verb. In other words, to be the Church means that you have to be active. You have to be intentional in your faith and practice, and you have to be actively pursuing those things Jesus and the New Testament spoke of, especially each of the "one another" statements. In case you need a reminder of what those are, here is the list:

• Love (John 13:34; 15:13, 17; Rom. 13:8; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; 1 Pet. 1:22; 3:8; 4:8; 1 John 3:11, 14, 23; 4:7, 11; 2 John 5)
• Encourage (2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:25)
• Greet (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Pet. 5:14)
• Be Humble (Eph. 4:2; 1 Pet. 3:8; 5:5)
• Have Compassion (Eph. 4:32; 1 Pet. 3:8)
• Live in Peace (Mark 9:50; 1 Thess. 5:13)
• Bear in Love (Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13)
• Forgive (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13)
• Have the Mind of Christ (Rom. 15:5; Phil. 2:5)
• Confess To (James 5:16)
• Serve (Gal. 5:13)
• Admonish (Col. 3:16)
• Be Sympathetic (1 Pet. 3:8)
• Live in Harmony (Rom. 12:16)
• Submit (Eph. 5:21)
• Offer Hospitality (1 Pet. 4:9)
• Agree (1 Cor. 1:10)
• Be Devoted (Rom. 12:10)
• Do Good (1 Thess. 5:15)
• Spur to Love (Heb. 10:24)
• Don't Grumble (James 5:9)
• Speak Songs To (Eph. 5:19)
• Don't Judge (Rom. 14:13)
• Instruct (Rom. 15:14)
• Be Like-minded (1 Pet. 3:8)
• Don't Provoke (Gal. 5:26)
• Honour (Rom. 12:10)
• Be Kind (Eph. 4:32)
• Don't Deprive (1 Cor. 7:5)
• Spur to Good Deeds (Heb. 10:24)
• Don't Slander (James 4:11)
• Pray For (James 5:16)
• Be Gentle (Eph. 4:2)
• Have Equal Concern (1 Cor. 12:25)
• Accept (Rom. 15:7)
• Build Up (1 Thess. 5:11)
• Don't Lie (Col. 3:9)
• Be Patient (Eph. 4:2)
• Don't Pay Back Wrong (1 Thess. 5:15)

You cannot be the Church all by yourself. The Church is not one person individually; it is people collectively and corporately. Likewise, one person, individually, is not the temple of God; people, collectively, are the temple of God. We, each and every single believer in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, are all being built together into a holy temple. When biblically-minded Christians use the phrase "Be the Church," what is meant is to actively pursue the teachings of Christ and the New Testament and enact them with our fellow believers.

When people go to "church," all they do is sit in a pew week after week passively listening to one man monologuing. It is as if they are attending the theater and watching something on stage. In case you are unaware, the practices of modern religious organizations (calling themselves "churches") are rooted in pagan rituals. People sitting in the pews are taught to value lesser things. They are limited to the gifts, knowledge, and experience of a single individual rather than the gifts, knowledge, and experience of the entire body of Christ. For this reason, many individuals inside these religious organizations are suffering from malnutrition, and the result is spiritual immaturity because their religious environment is not conducive to spiritual growth. The Church is not made up of one mouth and many ears; a mouth that has effectively strangled the headship of Christ over His body.

The early Christians looked after one another. They were intentionally committed to one another. They were intentionally open with one another, confessing their sins to one another. They were intentional in their obedience to the Word; they were intentional in their submissive to one another, being accountable to one another and keeping one another accountable; and they were intentional in their discipline against ungodly conduct. They intentionally looked after the widows, the orphans, the sick, the imprisoned, and the needy among themselves. When they assembled as a congregation, there was not one individual running the show like a CEO; they each shared their gifts, knowledge, and experience as the Lord moved them for the benefit and edification of the entire body of Christ. In other words, they were being the Church. This kind of practice is what is conducive to spiritual growth, and the New Testament testifies to this fact.

Sitting at home by yourself, laying on your couch, whether reading your Bible or not, whether praying or not, is not being the Church. It ignores and violates passages that command us to gather: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near." (Heb. 10:23-25). Gathering does not mean, and is not limited to, assembling inside the expensive buildings of religious organizations, which are a burden upon God's people, taking money to pay for its bills and maintenance when that money could be better put to use elsewhere, such as looking after the widows, the orphans, the sick, the imprisoned, the needy, and even for the furtherance of the Gospel. Gathering together in the New Testament occurred at Solomon's Porch (for larger gatherings), and inside homes (Acts 2:2, 46; 16:40; 20:20; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phile. 1:2 [and if you would like to eisegete it, you can include Matt. 18:20 here]).

When biblically-minded Christians talk about "Being the Church," they are talking about a means with which to experience Christ rather than just hearing about Him. They are talking about a means wherein Jesus, as the Head of His body, moves at will through His Church, using the gifts, knowledge, and experience of every member for the edification (building up) of the entire body to spiritual maturity. They are not referring to some "mystical" nonsense, but to that which the New Testament repeatedly demonstrates. They are referring to a community where they are known, loved, and cared for by other believers; they are referring to a community where they can know others and experience the joy of pouring themselves into their lives; they are referring to a community where they can love, encourage, and help others, ministering to their needs; they are referring to a community where they can be useful, and a blessing, to others who are struggling, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or even financially; they are referring to a community where they can be spiritually led, biblically fed, and lovingly protected; and they are referring to a community where other believers are joyfully committed to keeping watch over their souls, speaking the Word to one another, and helping one another to grow in their knowledge of God and their intimacy with Him. They are referring to that organic (not mechanical) church life experienced in the New Testament by the early Christians.

You professors of religion who are using the "Be the Church" phrase as a means to argue for not having to assemble together with other believers because false teachers like Joyce Meyers have said that you do not have to go to "church" in order to be the Church, knock it off! Maybe you should read through 1 John and pay attention to what it says about the brethren. If you do not like spending time with other believers, and investing your life in their lives, then that is a good indicator that you are a false convert, that you are not in the faith, and that you do not belong to Christ. Stop trying to re-define words and phrases for your own selfish means!

Advice For New Christians

from Jesus Now by Frank Viola

•    Christians will break your heart. The greatest pain you will receive will be at the hands of fellow and professing believers.

•    Not everyone who professes Christ knows Him. The fruit of real faith is love—treating all others the same way you want to be treated.

•    God will not meet all of your expectations and will sometimes appear not to fulfill His own promises.

•    You will experience dry spells where there is no sense of God’s presence. Learn to live by faith, not feelings.

•    Build a library and read the best Christian books in print. Don’t waste your time on “pop” Christian books. Go for depth.

•    Write your goals down (goals = dreams = prayer requests). And document when a prayer or goal is answered or fulfilled.

•    Never judge other Christians unless you’ve walked in their shoes. Always think the best of others (Matt. 7:12).

•    Choose a mentor, but never choose one who is insecure, speaks negatively about others, or has an inflated ego.

•    Some of the things you struggle with now you will struggle with when you are old. Resist condemnation (Rom. 8:1).

•    Many of the answers you have now will prove inadequate later in life. Always be a student and a child in the kingdom.

•    Never bluff an answer to someone’s biblical or theological question if you don’t know the answer. Learn to say, “I don’t know.”

•    Discover who you are in Christ and learn what it means to live by His indwelling life.

Becoming What You Already Are

from Jesus Now by Frank Viola

•    You are complete in Christ, “who is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:10 NKJV).
•    You have been “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20).
•    You are dead to sin (Rom. 6:2).
•    You have been made “alive with Christ” (Eph. 2:5 NIV).
•    You are “free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).
•    You are born of God, and the Evil One does not touch you (1 John 5:18).
•    You are holy and without blame before Him in love (Eph. 1:4; see also 1 Pet. 1:16).
•    You have been given the peace of God that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7).
•    You have the Greater One living in you; “great is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
•    You have received the “gift of righteousness” and “reign in life” by Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17).
•    You have received the “spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Jesus” (Eph. 1:17-18).
•    You can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens you (Phil. 4:13).
•    You show forth “the praises of God,” who has “called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9 KJV).
•    You are God’s child, born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God (1 Pet. 1:23 KJV; see also John 1:12).
•    You are God’s masterpiece, “created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Eph. 2:10 KJV).
•    You are a “new creature” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
•    You are “alive to God” (Rom. 6:11).
•    You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ (Rom. 8:17 NKJV).
•    You are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you (Rom. 8:37).
•    You have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13).
•    You are beloved of God (1 John 4:10).
•    You are loved by the Father the same way Jesus is loved by the Father (John 17:23).
•    You have been redeemed from “the curse of the law” (Gal. 3:13).
•    You have been “freed from all things” (Acts 13:39).
•    You are now God’s offspring (1 John 3:2).
•    “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 4:13).
•    You have been reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18).
•    You have been accepted by God in the beloved Son (Eph. 1:6).
•    You are kept by the power of God (1 Cor. 1:8).
•    You are free in Christ (John 8:36; Gal. 5:1).
•    You are in Christ’s hands, out of which no one can snatch you (John 10:28).
•    You are in the Father’s hands, out of which no one can snatch you (John 10:29).
•    You are an overcomer by “the blood of the Lamb” and the word of your testimony (Rev. 12:11).
•    You are a partaker of God’s divine nature (2 Pet. 1:3-4).
•    You are part of “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,” a purchased people (1 Pet. 2:9 NKJV).
•    You are “the righteousness of God” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21).
•    You are “a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19).
•    “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14).
•    You are God’s elect, full of mercy, kindness, humility, and longsuffering (Rom. 8:33; Col. 3:12).
•    You are forgiven of all sins and washed in the blood (Eph. 1:7).
•    You have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God’s kingdom (Col. 1:13 KJV).
•    You have “put off the old man” and have “put on the new man” (Col. 3:9-10 NKJV).
•    You are healed by the “stripes” of Jesus (1 Pet. 2:24 NKJV).
•    You are raised up with Christ and seated in “heavenly places” (Eph. 2:6; Col. 2:12).
•    You have “overcome the world” (1 John 5:4).
•    You are greatly loved by God (Rom. 1:7; Eph. 2:4; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4).
•    You are “strengthened with all power according to His glorious might” (Col. 1:11).
•    You have not been given “a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJV).
•    You have Christ living inside of you (Gal. 2:20).
•    You are a saint—a holy one (Col. 1:2).
•    You are “one spirit” with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17).
•    You are holy, without reproof, and blameless sin His sight (Col. 1:22).
•    You are a member of Christ’s holy body (1 Cor. 12:27).
•    You have been given “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3 NKJV).
•    “You are Light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8).
•    You have been given “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
•    You were chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).
•    You have been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1).
•    You are a branch on the “true vine” (John 15:1, 5).
•    You are “born of God” (1 John 5:18).
•    You have direct access to the “throne of grace” through Jesus Christ (Heb. 4:14-16).
•    You are free from condemnation, and you cannot be charged or indicted (Rom. 8:1, 32-34).
•    You have been established, anointed, and sealed by God (2 Cor. 1:21-22).
•    You are “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1-4).
•    You are a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20).
•    You are at peace with God (Rom. 5:1).
•    You have “everlasting life” (John 5:24 NKJV).
•    You are kept by God’s power (1 Pet. 1:5).
•    You are in Christ Jesus by God’s act (1 Cor. 1:30).
•    You cannot be separated from God’s love in Christ (Rom. 8:35-39).
•    You are fit to partake of His inheritance (Col. 1:12 NKJV; Eph. 1:14).
•    You are part of Christ’s bride, whom He cherishes, bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh (Eph. 5:29-32 NKJV).
•    You are a king and priest to God (Rev. 1:6 NKJV).
•    You have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
•    God will complete the good work that He started in you (Phil. 1:6).
•    God is for you even when others are against you (Rom. 8:31).

50 Things the Holy Spirit Does

from Jesus Now by Frank Viola 

•    The Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8).
•    The Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13).
•    The Spirit regenerates us (John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5).
•    The Spirit glorifies and testifies of Christ (John 15:26; 16:14).
•    The Spirit reveals Christ to us and in us (John 16:14-15).
•    The Spirit leads us (Matt. 4:1; Luke 4:1; Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:18).
•    The Spirit sanctifies us (Rom. 15:16; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2).
•    The Spirit empowers us (Luke 4:14; 24:49).
•    The Spirit fills us (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; Eph. 5:18).
•    The Spirit teaches us to pray (Rom. 8:26-27; Jude 1:20).
•    The Spirit “bears witness” in us “that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16 NKJV).
•    The Spirit produces in us the fruit or evidence of His work and presence (Gal. 5:22-23).
•    The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts and manifestations (the outshining) of His presence to and through the body (1 Cor. 12:4, 8-10; Heb. 2:4).
•    The Spirit anoints us for ministry (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38).
•    The Spirit washes and renews us (Titus 3:5).
•    The Spirit brings unity and oneness to the body (Eph. 4:3; 2:14-18). Here He plays the same role that He plays in the Godhead. The Spirit is the life that unites Father and Son, and He plays this role in the church. When the Spirit is operating in a group of people, He unites them in love. Therefore, a sure evidence of the Holy Spirit working in a group is love and unity—not signs and wonders (those are seasonal and can be counterfeited).
•    The Spirit is our guarantee and deposit of the future resurrection (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5 NIV).
•    The Spirit seals us for the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
•    The Spirit sets us “free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).
•    The Spirit quickens our mortal bodies (Rom. 8:11 KJV).
•    The Spirit reveals “the deep things of God” to us (1 Cor. 2:10 NKJV).
•    The Spirit reveals “what God has given us freely” (1 Cor. 2:12 NIV).
•    The Spirit dwells in us (John 14:17; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1:14).
•    The Spirit speaks to, in, and through us (Matt. 10:20; Acts 2:4; 8:29; 10:19; 11:12, 28; 13:2; 16:6-7; 21:4, 11; 1 Cor. 12:3; 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 3:7; Rev. 2:11).
•    The Spirit is the agent by which we are baptized into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).
•    The Spirit brings liberty (2 Cor. 3:17).
•    The Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).
•    The Spirit cries in our hearts, “Abba! Father!” (Gal. 4:6).
•    The Spirit enables us to wait (Gal. 5:5).
•    The Spirit supplies us with Christ (Phil. 1:19 KJV).
•    The Spirit grants everlasting live (Gal. 6:8 KJV).
•    The Spirit gives us access to God the Father (Eph. 2:18).
•    The Spirit makes us (corporately) God’s habitation (Eph. 2:22 KJV).
•    The Spirit reveals the mystery of God to us (Eph. 3:4-5).
•    The Spirit strengthens our spirits (Eph. 3:16).
•    The Spirit enables us to obey the truth (1 Pet. 1:22).
•    The Spirit enables us to know that Jesus abides in us (1 John 3:24; 4:13).
•    The Spirit confesses that Jesus came in the flesh (1 John 4:2).
•    The Spirit says, “Come, Lord Jesus,” along with the bride (Rev. 22:17).
•    The Spirit pours out God’s love into our hearts (Rom. 5:5).
•    The Spirit bears witness to the truth in our conscience (Rom. 9:1).
•    The Spirit teaches us (1 Cor. 2:13; John 14:26).
•    The Spirit gives us joy (1 Thess. 1:6).
•    The Spirit enables some to preach the gospel (1 Pet. 1:12).
•    The Spirit moves us (2 Pet. 1:21).
•    The Spirit knows the thoughts of God (1 Cor. 2:11).
•    The Spirit casts out demons (Matt. 12:28).
•    The Spirit brings things to our remembrance (John 14:26).
•    The Spirit comforts us (Acts 9:31).
•    The Spirit makes some overseers in the church, and through the body He sends some out to do the work of church planting (Acts 20:28; 13:2; 1 Cor. 1:17; Gal. 1:1).

The Holy Spirit unites us to Jesus and to His body. He reveals Jesus to us, gives us His live, and makes Jesus alive in us. The Spirit takes the experiences of Jesus—His incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension—and brings them into our own experience. Throughout the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is called by the following names:

•    The Spirit of God
•    The Spirit of Christ
•    The Spirit of the Father
•    The Spirit of the Lord
•    The Spirit of truth
•    The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
•    The Spirit of holiness
•    The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead
•    The Spirit of the living God
•    The Spirit of His Son
•    The Spirit of Jesus Christ
•    The Spirit of grace
•    The Spirit of glory
•    The Spirit of life
•    The Comforter (which means advocate, counsellor, or helper)