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If a physical Jesus (as opposed to a spiritual one) actually existed, that Jesus certainly did not build a church.
Whatever that Jesus was, it can certainly be said that Jesus inspired a church, one that the sect that Paul led ended up in the Christian church that Paul marketed. After all, there are certainly historical indications of proto-Christian sects even before the time ascribed to be of the Jesus of current Christianity. There were many competing Christian sects at that time, the most well know which were the Gnostics.
How was the bible determined to be what it is today? A group of bishops determined which books were included, and which not, as well as establishing the concept of a Trinity. Why is what those men decided then now accepted as "god breathed"? They were MEN, who made decisions and enforced them and evolved the Christian tradition as now known. Their decisions were made hundreds of years after most of the religious writing was first done in the 1st century.
They sold their thoughts, often under the threat of death, to the uneducated populace, primarily of Europe. Very few of those bishops are actually known, but their impact of their decisions continue today. The Gnostic Gospels give a more complete, complex, and deeper understanding of the religious beliefs and developments of the time. Any Christian should study them, and see for themselves how the religion developed and evolved.
I have a couple of questions related to this topic. The first question is, why hasn't history placed a tradition upon, or made a great fuss over, the outpouring of the Spirit upon Cornelius' household? Everybody is claiming their tradition stretches back to the disciples. The Catholics say theirs stretches back to Peter?
Does any group claim Cornelius? Not that I want to promote factions. It's more that there's one more source of potential factions that few have found yet. If we really want factions, why not go there?
Because my second question is about the Lamb in Revelation. I think He is the image of Jesus. Only He is not described solely as a physical creature. He is a lamb that has seven eyes and seven horns. That's not like any lamb I've ever seen. Those seven eyes and seven horns are described as being the Spirit of God sent to roam throughout the earth.
My second question is related to that. In what capacity has Jesus, as symbolized here, been roaming throughout the earth? I assumed it meant something about how He worked through all the aspects of His Church. Maybe it means something more?
In Revelation, I think the most important thing to happen is the marriage of the Lamb. Yes, of Jesus. What is that all about, if the bride is not this great universal Church, but some other group? It is this question which is most pertinent to the topic of this thread, whether something is on earth today or is the real subject of this sort of attention from God.
We know that God is not about inequality. So, what is God saying when He picks a small group like this? He hasn't thrown everyone else out and only picked them, so it isn't that.
Maybe the message is the same one that is in there being two resurrections? Only those killed by the beast are raised in the first resurrection. Everybody else is resurrected in the second. Does that say something about where and what God wants to do with the Church today? Isn't this small group supposed to come out of the Church, like the man-child that is born in Revelation 12 comes from a woman that might symbolize the Church?
Last edited by Am I a Prophet; 10-29-2021 at 03:58 AM..
Reason: the writing process
The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11). When it was planted on Pentecost 33 AD, it produced Christians.
Do we have the same seed today as what was planted in New Testament times? Yes, we have the Bible
(1 Peter 1:22-25).
Do we have the same soil? Yes, human hearts are still waiting to be taught (Matthew 13:19-23).
When the same seed is planted in sincere hearts today, it grows the same thing that it did then, Christians (Acts 2:22-47, 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16.).
Christians are the body of Christ, His church.
If there had never been a church in a particular geographical area, the church Jesus built would sprout up there when people heard, understood and obeyed the gospel of Christ.
If a church today believes the Bible is the standard of Christianity, and it is understood, believed an obeyed, then that church is the church Jesus built.
If a church has the same plan of salvation, organization, worship, love, zeal, and moral teachings as the church Jesus built, then it is a true church.
Christendom is filled with denominations and the doctrines of men. It’s time to get back to the church Jesus built.
The church Jesus and the holy spirit have built is SPIRITUAL and not of this earth. The "body of Christ" has been forming over the last 2,000 years but is not from ANY earthly denomination today. It has members from almost every denomination but itself is a spiritual entity.
The seed is the word of God (Luke 8:11). When it was planted on Pentecost 33 AD, it produced Christians.
Do we have the same seed today as what was planted in New Testament times? Yes, we have the Bible
(1 Peter 1:22-25).
Do we have the same soil? Yes, human hearts are still waiting to be taught (Matthew 13:19-23).
When the same seed is planted in sincere hearts today, it grows the same thing that it did then, Christians (Acts 2:22-47, 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16.).
Christians are the body of Christ, His church.
If there had never been a church in a particular geographical area, the church Jesus built would sprout up there when people heard, understood and obeyed the gospel of Christ.
If a church today believes the Bible is the standard of Christianity, and it is understood, believed an obeyed, then that church is the church Jesus built.
If a church has the same plan of salvation, organization, worship, love, zeal, and moral teachings as the church Jesus built, then it is a true church.
Christendom is filled with denominations and the doctrines of men. It’s time to get back to the church Jesus built.
Jesus was enthroned as King, the war in heaven is complete, and we entered into the last days. With the last days attention was turned to the earth to gather God's people Isa 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-5. We are near the end of that gathering at this time.
Jesus was enthroned as King, the war in heaven is complete, and we entered into the last days. With the last days attention was turned to the earth to gather God's people Isa 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-5. We are near the end of that gathering at this time.
You JW's are nothing if not predictably persistent. You are not even fazed by your many failed predictions:
1878: End of the harvest
1881: A revised end of the harvest
1914: The end of human rulership
1918: The new terminus
1925: Resurrection of the patriarchs
1975: The worldwide jubilee
Armageddon to come within 20th century
The church Jesus and the holy spirit have built is SPIRITUAL and not of this earth. The "body of Christ" has been forming over the last 2,000 years but is not from ANY earthly denomination today. It has members from almost every denomination but itself is a spiritual entity.
I agree. The church is spiritual.
That said, I can’t say that there are saved people from all denominations because I truly don’t know. I question how they can be if they follow a different gospel or worship in a way not commanded by God. I’ll leave the judging to Him. But for the grace of God go I.
You JW's are nothing if not predictably persistent. You are not even fazed by your many failed predictions:
1878: End of the harvest
1881: A revised end of the harvest
1914: The end of human rulership
1918: The new terminus
1925: Resurrection of the patriarchs
1975: The worldwide jubilee
Armageddon to come within 20th century
Highway54 is a JW?
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