"Doctrianity" Versus Christianity

by David Bercot, from Will the Theologians Please Sit Down

Caspar Zacher* trembled in fear as he was lead into the courtroom in chains. He glanced around the room, looking for sympathetic faces, but he saw none. Instead, he spied a number of his enemies—townspeople with whom he had argued. Caspar desperately studied the face of the judge for signs of sympathy, but all he saw was a stern countenance. Caspar was convinced he faced certain death.

The year was 1562. The place was the town of Waiblingen in southwestern Germany. The charge: heresy. The scenario was one that had been witnessed countless times in Europe for a thousand years or more. Most of those heresy trials had been conducted by Roman Catholics authorities. However, the authorities whom Caspar faced were Lutheran. Times had changed, but the nature of Christendom had not.

Caspar could scarcely keep from trembling when his turn came to stand before the judge. The charges were read. He was being accused of heresy—specifically of belonging to a group known as the Anabaptists. When asked to enter his plea, Caspar emphatically denied the claim.

"I'm a good Lutheran," Caspar protested. "I've never had anything to do with those horrid people!"

The state then methodically presented its case against Caspar. One by one, various townspeople took the stand and testified against him. Several people described Caspar as an envious man, always coveting what others had. Nearly every witness testified that Caspar was extremely quarrelsome, frequently getting into arguments and fights with others. They pointed out that they heard him swear and curse in public many times. A few witnesses reported that he nearly always carried a knife or sword with him when he went out of his house. The whole town hated him.

When the witnesses finished testifying, Caspar was certain he would be found guilty. He knew he couldn't deny the truth of what the witnesses had said. Looking Caspar straight in the eyes, the judge cleared his throat and began to speak:

"Having heard all the evidence presented by the state's witnesses, this court finds the defendant, Caspar Zacher . . ."

Caspar swallowed hard, dreading to hear the judge's next word.

". . . innocent."

Caspar could hardly believe his ears.

The judge went on to explain his decision: "The witnesses are uniform in testifying that you are an envious and quarrelsome man. You frequently curse in public, and you go about town carrying weapons. You are a thoroughly disagreeable man, justly hated by your fellow townsmen. But, fortunately, you are obviously not one of those detestable heretics, the Anabaptists. For the life you live is exactly opposite theirs. They would never have you. You are just as you say, an orthodox Christian."

It was a happy day for Caspar Zacher, but a black day for Christianity. A man was acquitted of heresy because he lived an ungodly life!

What had become of the church Christ founded, so that a holy life was associated with heresy and an ungodly live with orthodoxy? Indeed, a lot had happened to Christ's church—at least, as to the visible body of professing Christians. What happened can be summed up in a nutshell: Christianity had become "Doctrianity."

The Transformation of Christianity

When Christianity was young, the focus was on Jesus Christ and His kingdom—not theology. To be sure, there are foundational doctrines that Christians have always considered essential to the faith. But somehow the things considered essential have grown from a few sentences to a long list of theological tenets, many of which were unknown to the early Christians.

In the beginning, Christians understood that the essence of Christianity was an obedient love-faith relationship with Jesus Christ. This was not just any relationship, but a relationship that produced genuine kingdom fruit. Christianity was a religion primarily of the poor and uneducated. There were no seminaries and no theological schools.

But then something happened: Theologians took over the church. Once the theologians took over, the emphasis soon changed from godly fruit to "orthodox" theology. Before long, living a godly life often made people suspect you were a heretic.

Interestingly, the directive that Jesus gave most often to His followers consisted of just two words. But these two words would turn the world upside down: "follow me." Jesus overturned the theological class of His day and announced a kingdom that would be better understood by intellectual babes than by learned academians.

In contrast, when Christian theologians came to power in the fourth century, the focus changed from "follow me" to "study me." Learned theologians claimed to have special insight and understanding of Scripture. The rest of the church were expected to sit back and accept what the theologians told them the Scriptures really meant. Bearing kingdom fruit was no longer the important thing. The essential thing was to subscribe to the "correct" doctrines.

Theologians Versus the Kingdom

It was primarily the religious authorities who opposed the kingdom of God in Jesus' day, and it has been that was every since. When I use the term theologian in this book, I'm referring to the elite class of scholars and their disciples who have set themselves up as the official interpreters of Scripture. I'm in no way criticizing or condemning Christians who desire to learn all that God has revealed to us about Himself, Jesus Christ, mankind, salvation, life after death, and a whole host of other spiritual subjects. Rather, my criticism is aimed at those elitists who claim for themselves the right to interpret Scripture but deny it to others. It also is aimed at the arrogant academics and ecclesiastical authorities who imagine that they understand the New Testament better than the very Christians who lived close to the time of the apostles.

From the time they came into power, such theologians have warred against the true children of the kingdom. For many centuries these theologians warred against them with fire and sword. Now they fight against the children of the kingdom with words.

However, in many ways, the war of words has been more effective than the war of fire and sword. Many kingdom Christians** are intimidated by today's theological bullies. They've completely adopted the theology of their former persecutors. They're afraid to preach or teach Sunday school without consulting the commentaries, theological textbooks, and study Bibles of the theologians—for fear they might say something "wrong."

As a result, the theologians are effectively destroying kingdom Christianity from the inside out. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if today's kingdom Christians will lose most of Jesus' kingdom teachings within a generation or two.

But it doesn't have to be that way. We kingdom Christians can learn to stand up to today's theological bullies. But to be able to do this effectively, we first need to understand what Christianity looked like in the beginning and how theologians got into power. We also need to understand the means theologians use in our day to muffle the kingdom witness of God's Word.

Once we understand these things, it's not hard to unmask most theologians for the spiritual phonies they often are.

*The account of Caspar Zacher's trial was recorded by the bailiff of Waiblingen in an official letter to Duke Christoph, dated July 12, 1562.

**By the phrase, "kingdom Christians," I'm referring to Christians who focus on the lifestyle teachings of Jesus, recognizing that God's kingdom is in no way connected to the kingdoms of this world. Such Christians realize that the kingdom of God is a present reality, and they recognize that the essence of Christianity is an obedient love-faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Although living in this world, kingdom Christians live as citizens of Christ's kingdom.

The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments According to Jews

1. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
2. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3. You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male slave or his female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

The Ten Commandments According to Roman Catholics and Lutherans

1. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
2. You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
3. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
4. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
5. You shall not murder.
6. You shall not commit adultery.
7. You shall not steal.
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male slave or his female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

The Ten Commandments According to Greek Orthodox, Protestant Reformers, Baptists, and Other Evangelicals

1. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
3. You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male slave or his female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

As you can see, commandments 3 through 10 are the same between the Jews and the Reformers, Baptists, and other Protestants. Where the commandments differ immensely is with the Catholics and Lutherans. Apparently they lack the cognitive capacity to realize that 9 and 10 for them are the exact same commandment—coveting. They did not "remove" a commandment, as certain individuals, like Ray Comfort, tend to accuse them of; it exists in the same manner as for the Jews. What they did do was to deliberately sever a single commandment—coveting—into two, because otherwise they would only have 9. While the order for the Reformers, Baptists, and other Protestants makes the most sense (because, let’s face it, the first commandment for Jews is not really a command), nevertheless we do not seem to know what the actual order is. If there is something in the Hebrew text that lets us know, I look forward to hearing from someone knowledgeable in Hebrew that can enlighten me with it. You can find these commandments in Exodus 20:15 and Deuteronomy 5:11.

Disgraced Hillsong Churches

"For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in bright clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:2-4

Hillsong churches (or any other church for that matter) having VIP seats reserved at the front for celebrities is precisely what this verse is dealing with (at the 7:30 mark in the link at the bottom). Selling your merchandise at the back of the church (at the 32:28 mark in the link at the bottom) is precisely why Jesus drove the moneymakers out of the Temple— twice. Clearly these people have never bothered to actually read, let alone pay attention to, their Bibles. They merely gloss over the words, looking for that which they can twist to their advantage and manipulate people with.

Churches having private back stage rooms? Preachers having stylists and wearing expensive brand names? Flying around in private jets and being chauffeured around? Being inaccessible to people? People who work for you not being allowed to look at you or speak to you? Does any of this sound "Christian" in the least?!? If you cannot see a problem with any of this, then you have some serious issues of your own and have been thoroughly brainwashed by false teachings. You clearly know nothing about God, the Bible, or Christianity, and you are in of an encounter, if not a fresh encounter, with the living God. You are quite possibly just another worldling pretending to be, or deceived into thinking, you are an actual Christian.

While I cannot remember where I shared it, I have previously addressed the Hillsong scandal at their women's conference where a dude known as The Naked Cowboy came out on stage and sang, and the supposedly "Christian" women there acted as if they were at a strip joint. More evidence that most these members have no clue what it means to actually be a Christian, a follower of the Lord Jesus. It never even dawned on them that such behaviour was inconsistent with Christianity and claims of faith. If you can joke about or laugh at sin, there is something severely wrong with you. You clearly have not encountered the living God.

99% of all mega churches are sewers led by false teaching rats, filled with false converts who have either been manipulated by their feelings and brainwashed by false teachings or want an easy in without having to actually obey anything that Jesus said. In other words, they want to have their cake and eat it, too. The scandals involving Carl Lentz, Brian Huston, and other Hillsong preachers are not surprising considering they are all greedy rats. Eventually they get exposed. But do the people under them ever learn their lesson? Rarely. They just continue on with the next false teacher feeding them lies. Carl Lentz proved he was not a "Christian" when he would not say that Scientology was bogus nonsense, but instead ignorantly mocked miracles in the Bible that he clearly does not understand. People need to pay close attention to what comes out of these people's mouths.

Read your Bibles, people!!! That way, when the next false teacher eisegetically brandishing the verse about not speaking against God's anointed attempts to tell you that God said he was supposed to have sex with your children from 13 through 18, you can call him out and expose him, and if the other brainwashed cult members see you as an enemy, you can flee that synagogue of Satan. These people get away with so much because the assembly are ignorant. Know your Bible, and be wise, understanding, and discerning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kng12Bc3y4k

The Delusions of Michael Brown

I do not think that Michael Brown is an apostate, but he is a false teacher. Mr. Brown said,

"By God's grace, I did have a significant leadership role in the Pensacola revival, the most glorious, Jesus-exalting, Word-based, move of the Spirit that I have witnessed in almost 45 years in the Lord, a move that literally touched millions around the world, with wonderful fruit that remains to this day."

Michael Brown has no clue what an actual revival is or looks like, let alone what biblical fruit is or looks like. He is also extremely ignorant as to what "Jesus-exalting" and "Word-based" actually mean. He claims that fruit from this so-called "revival" remains to this day. Prove it; let us see it. I have had several dealings with Charismatic churches, and their claims of "wonderful fruit" are always exaggerated or non-existent. What they classify as "fruit," either do not attend a church for very long, or not at all. Someone who goes up to the altar Sunday after Sunday to "give their life to the Lord" has not yet given their life to the Lord. 

Mr. Brown needs a fresh encounter with the living God, as well as a fresh encounter with His Word. The NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) is not a movement of God, nor are they even remotely "Christian." I have addressed the kinds of things seen and done inside the NAR before, which are an explosion of the already unbiblical and damning practices that occur regularly within the Charismatic movement. In fact, if you go over to Michelle Lesley's web site, I believe she has a number of interviews with former NAR members who have since wisened up and left the Satanic cult.

Michael Brown is a severely disillusioned and self-deceived individual. On some topics, he is excellent to read or listen to. But when it comes to understanding holiness and the gifts of the Spirit, and what the movement of the Spirit actually looks like, he is as ignorant as they come. He clearly does not know how the Lord works, let alone how to discern and distinguish between the Lord working and man lying, deceiving, faking, pretending, and manipulating others via cons. But, like all the fraudulent televangelists, I suspect Mr. Brown knows precisely what he is doing.

Sean McDowell's Poor Concept of Christianity

I do not think that Sean McDowell, the son of Josh McDowell, understands Christianity. In an appearance at The King's Academy, he said to the students, "I'm a Christian for one reason and one reason alone. ... I'm a Christian because I actually think it's true. ... If I didn't think it were true, I would give it up. I think you should only be a Christian if you actually think that it's true. That's the best reason to be a Christian."

Sorry, but that is a secondary reason as to why one is a Christian. If that is your primary reason, if that is what you are clinging to, mere intellectual head knowledge, then you are at great risk of apostatizing the faith.

The reason anyone is a Christian is for one reason and one reason alone: Christ Jesus. God the Father gave certain people to Jesus as an inheritance, and Jesus surrendered His life on their behalf, sending the Spirit to regenerate them and make them born again from above while guiding them into all truth. If we are a Christian, it is primarily because of God. Jesus makes it clear in John 6:

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" 6:44a

"For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." 6:65

Sean McDowell gave nonsensical and unbiblical advice to these students. In fact, when asked about Theistic Evolution, he did not even denounce it. God declared that everything should reproduce after its own kind. Feathers and scales have completely different DNA. Birds did not magically turn into lizards over any imagined period of time. The idea that God might use such a nonsensical concept is laughable, but it also does damage to the God of the Bible. Mr. McDowell's answer was unsatisfactory.

Mr. McDowell does not seem to understand what it means to be a Christian. "I think you should only be a Christian if you actually think that it's true. That's the best reason to be a Christian." McDowell makes it sound like a club you can decide to join at your own whim based on good information. Sorry, but that is not how Christianity works. If you merely think it is true, that is because of persuasion. If anything comes along that persuades you otherwise, you will let it go. Why? Because you were never actually a Christian to begin with; you never encountered the living God; you were never saved.

All the evidence that supports Christianity and proves it true is merely a bonus. If that is what your "Christianity" is based, then you are most likely only a religious individual and not an actual Christian. You can have none of the evidence that Christianity is true and still be a Christian, and still believe Christianity is true. It is not a matter of whether you think Christianity is true or not; it is. God does not wait for you to decide whether God exists, the Bible is true, or Christianity is true; He outright declares it to be so. Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant.

The best reason for being a Christian is knowing Jesus, having your sins forgiven, and spending eternity in Heaven. I am thankful for the knowledge I have gained and the evidence God has revealed to me that support Christianity being true, but if I had none of that I would still be a Christian. Why? Because God saved me. Out of all the possibilities He could have chosen, from people who are no doubt 100 times better than I am, God decided to save me. Not for anything I had done, but because He is a good God and He chose to love me. Had it not been for God choosing me and Jesus dying in my place, I would not be a Christian today.

I pray Sean McDowell gets this sorted out in his own life. If he does not have an actual relationship with the Lord, it does not matter how much evidence for Christianity there is, or whether or not he thinks it is true or believes it, he will find himself cast aside on judgment day.

Yes, there is plenty of evidence for the existence of Jesus, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, but that is not enough. There are people who have never seen that evidence, and yet who believe. Thomas wanted to see evidence before he would believe. What did Jesus say to him? "Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe." If you need evidence to believe, your faith is probably extremely shallow, if there at all. Christians believe because they encountered the living God and He changed them. They could not not believe even if they wanted to; they could not just "give it up."

ADDENDUM:
Regarding the question concerning the Shroud of Turin, I do not believe that it is legitimate. Why do I say this? There are constantly things popping up being claimed to be related to the crucifixion of Jesus. What do you honestly think the likelihood of finding the exact nails used in Jesus' wrists and feet? How do we know they were not re-used? Also, do you honestly believe the early Christians so superstitious as to wanting to grab the nails, the crown, Jesus' linen, etc.? I am willing to bet against that. Furthermore, these kinds of items popping up tend to be used as means of manipulating and controlling the people; trying to get people in their doors regardless of salvational status. The early Christians were more concerned with an obedient love-faith relationship with the Lord Jesus (a relationship that produced genuine kingdom fruit) than they were with anything else, let alone trinkets to later be used as religious symbols and superstitious nonsense. "Here's the actual spear that pierced Jesus' side. Ooo... Feel the power emanating from it." Have you seen how these people behave when they think they see the face of Jesus or Mary in a piece of toast?!?!?

Why Do People Get Defensive?

Why do people get defensive when you challenge their beliefs? This applies to Christians, atheists, etc. The reason why people are threatened and get defensive when you challenge their beliefs is because they do not really know what they believe or why they believe it. For many people (maybe even most), they believe what they believe simply because they were told to; this is how they were raised, this is what they were taught. They have never bothered to think about it for themselves and to make it their own. This is imperative with the Christian faith, because God does not have any grandchildren; you cannot ride the coat tails of your parents.

When someone challenges my beliefs, I do not get defensive. In fact, I do not even get offended. If someone cannot have a serious, mature, respectful, intelligent, rational, honest conversation with me, if they want to attempt to resort to mocking my faith (for example), I will meet them exactly where they are at (save for cussing). I will mock them in return, in order to grab their attention and make them listen, show them just how silly their beliefs are by comparison, and then attempt to return us to a civil conversation.

What do those around you think of you or of Christians in general? Do they think Christians are thoughtful, patient, gracious, and love their opponents, despite the disagreement? Or do they think something else? Is it Christ-like for professing Christians to boo non-Christians and to tell them they are going to Hell? This is the behaviour of the immature. How did Jesus treat sinners? Jesus commanded Christians to love their enemies. What does Paul say? He says that if you do not have love, then you are nothing!

Many Christians not only need to learn what they believe and why they believe it, but they also need to learn to argue. Years ago I used to post on a site called ex-Christian.net. Most of the so-called "Christians" on there could not refute the atheists they encountered, and would childishly resort to calling them names and telling them they were going to Hell. I received a personal e-mail from the owner of the site asking me to stop posting because I was such a thorn in the side of these supposed ex-"Christians." I turned the tables on them and they could not answer me. I even wrote a letter to these supposed "Christians" on behalf of the site telling them that if they do not know how to respond, keep their mouth shut, watch those who do, and learn. Had I known better, I would have taken the owner's private e-mail to me and posted it publicly on the site for all to see. Hind sight.

I am not concerned whether they believe what I believe (though I wish they would), nor is it my responsibility to convert them. My responsibility is to speak the truth, to plant and water. God gives the increase. No matter how intelligent I am, how great an orator I may be, how persuasive my arguments may be, or how well I might deliver the truth, I will never be able to convert a single soul. It is God's responsibility to convert people—not mine. Christians need to learn this.

You do not always need to be "nice" and "polite," and Christians should never be acquiescing, but you do need to be compassionate and loving. Be thoughtful, patient, and as gracious as possible. If you pick any moment from Jesus' life, you are witnessing genuine love in all its forms. God is love, and Jesus is God, ergo everything Jesus said and did was enveloped with love. When He spoke with the Pharisees, He told them exactly what they needed to hear. That was loving. He did not sugar coat it. He did not water it down. He did not pander to them. When you do these things, you make Christianity look just as bad as what you see from the folks at Westboro Baptist Church. There is nothing wrong with the use of mocking, sarcasm, satire, wit, or even being a bit abrasive, if it is done with genuine love. If you are doing it just to be an arse, then, yeah, you have a problem.

If you feel threatened by non-Christians (or anyone really) when they challenge you, and you have to resort to childish ad hominem attacks, you should probably pause and reflect on your own character (or lack thereof). I learned long ago when I was young that people's attacks are not really against me, but against the Lord; I am merely the conduit through which they are attempting to direct them. Sadly, there are many people in leadership positions who have this same immaturity when dealing with their opponents. This speaks volumes about their church, because such people should not be in such positions. Learn what you believe, Christian, and why you believe it, and then you will not feel so threatened when others challenge your world view.

Presbyterians Circle the Drain of Depravity

Well, the Presbyterian Church of the USA (PCUSA) has become another denomination in a long list of denominations presently rejecting the Word of God and embracing the perverse desires of man through the influence of the Devil. They have decided to redefine marriage, an institution established by Yahweh, as "a commitment between two people." They are now the largest Protestant group to embrace homosexuality and affirm homosexual "marriage." Two of their depraved churches have already redesigned their logos to visually convey the colours of the homosexual flag. On the left is the More Light Presbyterian logo, and on the right is the Cumberland Presbyterian logo.

If you search for "church logos homosexuality," you will be met with dozens that openly display the colours of the homosexual flag. There is nothing quite like shoving your rebellion and disobedience in the face of God as you willfully defy His Word and reject His truth. I do not envy these people when they stand before Jesus on judgment day. They have caved to cult and culture rather than standing firmly on the holy Word of God. They will be judged most severely for leading others astray. They are self-deceived and spread that deception by lying to others. May God have mercy on their souls.

The words "More Light" are reminiscent of the Gnostics, who claimed to have special personal revelation from God not given to anyone else. These Presbyterians use these words oxymoronically, considering that their actions are demonstrative of actually possessing less light. Is it not ironic how those who tend to embrace error and heresy that the church of the past never would have dreamed, they attempt to claim having "more light." Tragic. Come, Lord Jesus, so that your faithful servants do not go the way of the world as well.

Are You Worshipping Yahweh, or a False God?

Worship that is accepted by Yahweh—worship which honours Yahweh as the only God—is worship that is informed by Yahweh. That is, it is Word-based and Word-driven; a heartfelt response to Yahweh’s revelation (Deut. 4:15-24; 8:18-20). In the Old Testament, Yahweh prescribed exactly how the Israelites were to worship Him, giving them specific parameters that they were to follow without deviation because they foreshadowed the Messiah. Yahweh expects reverent and obedient response to His Word. Such would be acceptable worship. By contrast, any action that is innovative or subtracted from His Word is tantamount to worshipping a false god. In other words, if Yahweh did not prescribe it, then some other god did. In the Old Testament, holiness goes well beyond ritual purity to moral purity based on the character of Yahweh Himself.

Likewise, in the New Testament, Jesus prescribed exactly how we are to worship Yahweh: "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). We cannot know Yahweh apart from His self-revelation. The only way that we can worship Him properly is by His revealing Himself to us, and He does so by His Spirit coupled with His Word. The specific parameters that we are to follow without deviation were laid down by Jesus and His apostles. How we worship is just as important as who we worship.

For those who are unaware, 1 Corinthians 11–14 constitutes a four-chapter section on congregational practice when believers gathered together. In this passage, Paul reveals his attitude about following his ecclesiological traditions: "I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly the traditions, just as I delivered them to you" (1 Cor. 11:2). The Greek word for “traditions” (paradosis) means "that which is passed on." It differs from the Greek word for "teaching" (didaché). In the context of 1 Corinthians 11, paradosis specifically refers to religious traditions regarding worship. This same Greek word in verb form is found a few paragraphs later with regard to the practice of the Lord’s Supper—that it was "passed on" from Paul to the congregation (11:23). It is significant that the word "traditions" in 1 Corinthians 11:2 is plural. Paul clearly had in mind more than the one tradition dealt with in 1 Corinthians 11a. The words "just as" in 11:2 indicate the degree of their compliance with these traditions: exactly as passed on to them. Paul praised the congregation for holding precisely to his traditions regarding worship.

Apostolic tradition is paradigmatic in nature. That is, if we observe that the apostles were pleased when a congregation followed one specific tradition of congregational practice (1 Cor. 11:2), then we would be expected to apply that approval to other patterns we see modeled by the apostles in their establishment of congregations. The Congregation, the Bride of Christ, is too eternally important to allow her to deviate from traditions established by the Lord and His apostles. Paul made it clear on several occasions that he taught the same things in all the congregations. Ponder that promptly. In fact, anyone who might disagree with his traditions, Paul silenced by appealing to the universal practice of all the other congregations: "If one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God" (11:16). This statement was designed to settle any objections. Compare this with "Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and who will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church" (4:16-17) and "as in all the churches of the saints" (11:33b).

However, not all religious traditions are good. The tradition of the Pharisees undermined God’s commands. The same word used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:2 was also used by Jesus when He asked the Pharisees, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition (paradosis)?" (Matt: 15:3), and when He said to them, "'In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commands of men.' Leaving the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition (paradosis) of men" (Mark 7:7-8). In contrast, Paul blessed the Corinthians for following his traditions. Apostolic traditions are consistent with the teachings of Jesus. Thus, holding to the traditions of the apostles is praiseworthy, as seen in Paul’s praise for the Corinthian congregation (11:2).

Likewise, the man-made traditions of Oriental Orthodox Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Catholics, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, "Calvinists," Anglicans, Anabaptists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc., are not good and undermine the commands of Yahweh. Again, if Yahweh did not prescribe it, then some other god did. Most of the religious services of these denominations are similar in structure to that of the Catholic mass, a structure that did not exist prior to Emperor Constantine. There was no such thing as a clergy/laity split. The model you and I have experienced is not the biblical model for Jesus' Congregation. Our worship does not follow His prescribed parameters. This was all modeled after the pagan religions of Rome (as well as falsely appealing to the Hebrew religion of the OT). Jesus' Congregation was never to look or function in such a manner. Hence why Jesus never gave His Congregation any temples (because we are that temple) nor a priestly caste (because we are a priesthood of believers).

Modern denominations ignorantly attempt to argue for justification of their organization and worship structure based on Moses and the Old Testament. If Jesus wanted His Congregation to look and function like the Hebrew religion, or even remotely similar to second Temple Judaism, He and His apostles would have structured it this way; but they did not. This kind of structuring did not occur until under Emperor Constantine, when the Congregation had already lost the Christianity of the apostles. With Constantine, and the subsequent "church" to follow, Jesus' Congregation was molded after the pagan religions of Rome, even dressing after the fashion of the Roman senate (as you see with Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, etc.).

As such, I want you to ask yourself these questions, and ponder them carefully:

Was it from the "church" in North America that the Word of God came? No!
Was it from the __________ (insert denomination here) that the Word of God came? No!
Is the "church" in North America the only Christians the Word of God has reached? No!
Are the __________ (insert denomination here) the only ones the Word of God has reached? No!
Does the "church" in North America have the right, authority, and permission from God to do "church" any differently than what we read in the Scriptures? No!
Do the __________ (insert denomination here) have the right, authority, and permission from God to do "church" any differently than what we read in the Scriptures? No!

What does 1 Corinthians 14:37 say? Does it say that the things Paul has just told them are "a good suggestion"? "creative ideas"? "just Paul's opinion"? No!

They are "a command of the Lord."

The two questions in 1 Corinthians 14:36 were designed to keep the Corinthians in line with the practice of all the other congregations. The Corinthians had no authority to deviate from the congregational traditions established by the apostles, and neither do the __________ (insert denomination here).

"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner and not according to the tradition (paradosis) which they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us..." 2 Thess. 3:6-7

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions (paradosis) which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us." 2 Thess. 2:15

"The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Phil. 4:9

The correct way of worshipping Yahweh is according to His Word. Remember, if you are not worshipping Yahweh according to the parameters He set forth, then that is tantamount to worshipping a false god. Jesus and His apostles did not give you or your denomination the traditions you hold to, nor did they give you or your denomination permission to alter them and to do "church" your way. So, lose your stubbornness, swallow your pride, be obedient, worship Yahweh in spirit and truth, and go serve your King

Baptism Now Saves You

"For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him." 1 Peter 3:18-22

Clearly, water baptism does not save us. How many people have been baptized as children or as adults only to turn their back on the faith and walk away from it? Catholics may believe these people are saved, in spite of them living like the Devil, but hopefully most of us do not. If baptism actually saved, then what explanation do we have for this? Contrary to what Charismatics believe, you cannot lose or forfeit your salvation, because it is not of yourself to begin with; it is a gift from God. Yes, these people apostatized, but, no, they were not saved; and water baptism certainly did not save them.

First, the baptism being talked about here has nothing to do with water. That is clear from Peter's words, "not the removal of dirt from the flesh." So what does it have to do with? The "appeal of a good conscience to God."

Second, a comparison is being drawn between the flood and baptism. Everyone who was touched by the flood died. The water never touched Noah and his family. They were saved in the ark, which is a type of Christ. We, likewise, are saved in Christ Jesus. He is our ark. "Baptism now saves you...through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Third, baptism is a means to salvation through faith. It is one of many graces in connection with salvation. This should be the understanding of "the washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5). But baptism in and of itself does not save us. I think this is where all the confusion is coming from. Once again, you have people on two ends of the pendulum: those who argue that baptism absolutely saves us and grants us regeneration and eternal life, and those who argue that baptism does absolutely nothing as it is only "an outward sign of an inward expression." Both these groups are wrong.

When Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Reformed talk about baptism saving you, you have those who essentially believe like the Catholics, that it absolutely saves us and grants us regeneration and eternal life, but you also have those who understand it according to point number three. Everything is tied together through faith. Each one of these graces by themselves do not save us. But all of them together, with our faith, do save us; but not apart from Christ Jesus.

If what Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Reformed mean when they talk about baptism saving you is what I said in point three, then I agree with them. If they mean that water baptism itself has saving power, then I completely disagree with them, as does Scripture. "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9). I will now let the ESV Study Bible and ESV Reformation Study Bible speak:

ESV Study Bible
3:21 A comparison is drawn between salvation in the ark and baptism. In both instances, believers are saved through the waters of judgment, since baptism portrays salvation through judgment. The mere mechanical act of baptism does not save, for Peter explicitly says, "not as a removal of dirt from the body," meaning that the passing of water over the body does not cleanse anyone. Baptism saves you because it represents inward faith, as evidence by one's appeal to God for the forgiveness of one's sins (for a good conscience). Furthermore, baptism "saves" only insofar as it is grounded in the death an resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism is a visual representation of the fact that Christians are clothed with Christ (cf. Gal. 3:27), and in union with Christ they share his victory over sin.

ESV Reformation Study Bible
3:21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you. Baptism is a sign and seal of God's grace in Jesus Christ. The startling statement that baptism "saves you" shows the closeness of the relationship between the sign and the reality it signifies. Noah's physical salvation through the waters of the flood prefigured the waters of baptism and the salvation they signify. Baptism symbolizes judgment on sin in the death of Christ and then also renewal of life. The floodwaters were a judgment on the wicked, and at the same time physical salvation for Noah and his family.

not as a removal of dirt from the body. Lest his readers mistakenly attribute a magical or mechanical power to the sacrament, Peter states that the means of salvation is not performance of the external rite, but what it symbolizes—union with Christ in His death and resurrection.