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(κοινωνία=2841- 43) Koinonia: The Communication of Grace
Committed to the informed sharing of God's free economy of GRATIS salvation (communicate, communion - 20 x, 4 primary verses: Gal 6:6; Phl 4:14; 1 Tim 6:18; Heb 13:16 KJV).
New visitors, please see the signature posting for 5.17.08.
The short poems, pieces of fiction, thematic footnoted discussion, the many recommended books and sites in the blog roll listing, and such are offered as an enjoyable learning experience for the curious Christian seeker who does not believe, and, the one who believes, yet wants to know the who, what, where, when, why, and how they believe that they are saved (Rom 1:2; 2 Tim 3:15). I welcome all comments and thank you for visiting:
"When the heart is cast indeed into the mould of the doctrine that the mind embraceth; ... not the sense of the words only is in our heads, but the sense of the things abides in our hearts; when we have communion with God in the doctrine we contend for,—then shall we be garrisoned, by the grace of God, against all the assaults of men. And without this all our contending is, as to ourselves, of no value. What am I the better if I can dispute that Christ is God, but have no sense of sweetness in my heart from hence that he is a God in covenant with my soul? What will it avail me to evince, by testimonies and arguments, that he hath made satisfaction for sin, if, through my unbelief, the wrath of God abideth on me, and I have no experience of my own being made the righteousness of God in him?"
Blessed Assurance Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine O what a foretaste of glory divine Heir of salvation, purchase of God Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savior all the day long This is my story, this is my song Praising my Savior all the day long
Perfect submission, all is at rest I in my Savior am happy and blest Now I'm watching and waiting, now I'm looking above Filled with His goodness, lost in His love
REVEALED BY THE "EXPERIENTIAL" [JOY] ASPECT OF THE VALUE OF THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
Dear Reader,
The
command to love one another as Christ loves us is more than a
magnificent "ideal." It is not one among other com-mands. It is the very
heart of "the word," the command, given by God the Logos, Jesus Christ,
to each believer. This "law of Christ" will fulfill the obligation to
conform to the very nature of God. It is accomplished through a new
love, working out the relation between Christ and all believers,
enabled by the daily imparted grace [power] of God to the child who
seeks to "keep the commandment(s)" and learn by doing the will of God.
1 Tim 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness [Gk.
eusebeia, belief that forms the basis for behavior by which man is
restored to godliness]: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the
Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory. NET
How supremely insufficient is the
attempt made by professing Christians who adhere to a shallow
interpretation of God's Word. Which is assumed to be implied in the
synoptic Gospels, namely, The Sermon on the Mount. This presumption is
driven and conditioned upon a man-made notion, a theory of atonement
(Arminian Soteriology known as the Rectoral, Federal, or Governmental theory of atonement) which defines the value of the death of Christ. This theory undervalues
His shed blood and overlooks the power of His resurrection life shared
by all believers. Taken together, the presumption and the theory
support the stalwart assertion that "daily behavior" through
self-effort determines the outcome of a future salvation. The
self-centered and joyless "experiential" aspect of Arminian salvation
is that believers can never be assured that they themselves, or their
believing loved ones have become the children of the living God who
will be together in heaven with Christ.
Christianity has two
commands (1 John 3:23): (1) to the unsaved, to obey the gospel, to
believe in the Bible's witness and testimony to Jesus Christ which is
Jesus as the preexistent Son of God who was conceived by God of a
virgin and entered this world in the flesh of a newborn babe, who died
for all the sins of the world, and, "this same man" rose again in
glorified human flesh that all believers might share His resurrected
life and "never see death," and, (2) to those who are saved, to love
fellow believers as Christ loves them.
The common ground of the
1 John profession of a false Christology and today's Arminian
profession of a false Christology is the inescapable harmony in that:
(1) the assertion of a low moral ground whereby behavior does not
matter (salvific sinlessness is a given by faith because of the
pre-existence of Christ, Jesus came in water [incarnation at baptism]
and His death [blood] is of no value for a forgiveness that is
unnecessary) or, (2) the claim of the high moral ground whereby
behavior is everything (salvific sinlessness is maintained by
self-effort and continued faith, Jesus came by water and blood, but the
blood has only a "theoretical" value for an incomplete forgiveness).
Both
professions of faith, despite the human consequences of moral position,
are false. Both maintain a low view of the value in the death of
Christ. Therefore, true saving belief in Jesus Christ is not possible.
Proved by the many clear statements of Scripture that assert without
disagreement that the blood of Christ removes all sin through faith.
And, secondly, reliance on the living, resurrected Christ, just as He
is now, as the source of daily behavior is missing from both
assertions. The secessionists of 1 John and the Arminian have failed to
first obey the command incumbent upon the unsaved and, thus, lack the
ability to appreciate and obey the command incumbent upon the saved (1
John 3:23).
God's graceful truth is that only through the
completed and secure infinite redemption of salvation is righteous
daily behavior possible "to a thousand generations to those who love me
and keep my commandments" (Ex 2:6). More than anything, the primary
commandment of Jesus "to love one another as I have loved you" is not
the indication, rather it is the means by which Christian behavior is
perfected through love and "fulfills the law." This is the defining
argument that convicts the secessionists in I John of a false
Christological profession and apostate doctrine.
The Arminian, with his "Social Gospel," is blind to the divine imperative spoken by Jesus, "you must [Gk. dei] be born again from above [Gk. anothen]" to "see the kingdom of God" (John 3:7ff, 3ff) and, "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth [the gospel]
through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye
love one another with a pure heart fervently. Being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which
liveth and abideth forever" (1 Pet 2:22-23). In the "word," the command
from the lips of Jesus, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have
spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye
abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me,
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can
do nothing. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue
ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love
one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends if ye
do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:3-5, 9-14).
Only by the
new birth is this love for one another manifested. It is a Christian
reality. Without it, one cannot abide in Jesus as the true vine and
have communion (koinonia) with God and other believers "that your joy
might be full."
Communicate, Communication --------------------------------------------------------
3koinonia (Noun)
Akin
to A (which see), is translated in Heb. 13:16 "to communicate," lit.,
"be not forgetful of good deed and of fellowship;" "fellowship" (AV,
"communication") in Phm. 1:6, RV. See COMMUNION.
"a
having in common (koinos), partnership, fellowship" (see COMMUNICATE),
denotes (a) the share which one has in anything, a participation,
fellowship recognized and enjoyed; thus it is used of the common
experiences and interests of Christian men, Ac. 2:42; Ga. 2:9; of
participation in the knowledge of the Son of God, 1Co. 1:9; of sharing
the realization of the effects of the Blood (i.e., the Death) of Christ
and the Body of Christ, as set forth by the emblems in the Lord's
Supper, 1Co. 10:16; of participation in what is derived from the Holy
Spirit, 2Co. 13:14 (RV, "communion"); Php. 2:1; of participation in the
sufferings of Christ, Php. 3:10; of sharing in the resurrection life
possessed in Christ, and so of fellowship with the Father and the Son,
1Jo. 1:3,6,7; negatively, of the impossibility of "communion" between
light and darkness, 2Co. 6:14; (b) fellowship manifested in acts, the
practical effects of fellowship with God, wrought by the Holy Spirit in
the lives of believers as the outcome of faith, Phm. 1:6, and finding
expression in joint ministration to the needy, Ro. 15:26; 2Co. 8:4;
9:13; Heb. 13:16, and in the furtherance of the Gospel by gifts, Php.
1:5. See COMMUNICATION, CONTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION, FELLOWSHIP.
(a)
"communion, fellowship, sharing in common" (from koinos, "common"), is
translated "communion" in 1Co. 10:16; Phm. 1:6, RV, "fellowship," for
AV, "communication;" it is most frequently translated "fellowship;" (b)
"that which is the outcome of fellowship, a contribution," e.g., Ro.
15:26; 2Co. 8:4. See COMMUNION, CONTRIBUTION, etc. Note: In Eph. 3:9,
some mss. have koinonia, instead of oikonomia, "dispensation," RV. _______________________________________
From
the very beginning the early Christians experienced a peculiar sense of
unity. Christ is at once the center of this unity and the origin of
every expression of fellowship. Sometimes the fellowship is essentially
an experience and as such it is scarcely susceptible of definition. It
may rather be regarded as a mystical union in Christ. In other
instances the fellowship approaches or includes the idea of
intercourse. In some passages it is represented as a participation or
partnership. The terms occur most frequently in the writings of Paul
with whom the idea of Christian unity was a controlling principle.
In
its various relations, fellowship is represented: (1) As a communion
between the Son and the Father. The gospel record represents Jesus as
enjoying a unique sense of communion and intimacy with the Father.
Among many such expressions those of Mt 11:25-27 (compare Lk 10:21,22)
and Jn 14 through 15 are especially important. (2) As our communion
with God, either with the Father or the Son or with the Father through
the Son or the Holy Spirit. "Our fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 Jn 1:3; compare also Jn 14:6,23,16). (3)
As our communion one with another. "If we walk in the light, as he is
in the light, we have fellowship one with another" (1 Jn 1:7).
Sometimes the idea of communion occurs in relation with abstract ideas
or experiences: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness" (Eph 5:11); "the fellowship of his sufferings" (Phil 3:10);
"the fellowship of thy faith" (Philem 1:6). In three passages the
relation of the fellowship is not entirely clear: the "fellowship of
the Spirit" (Phil 2:1); "the communion of the Holy Spirit" (2 Cor
13:14); and "the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 1:9). The
fellowship is probably to be understood as that prevailing among
Christians by virtue of the grace of Christ and the ministry of the
Holy Spirit.
It is not to be inferred that the idea of
fellowship is limited to the passages in which the specific words for
communion are used. Some of the clearest and richest expressions of
unity and fellowship are found in the Gospels, though, these words do
not occur in them. In fact, perhaps, the most familiar and forcible
expressions of the idea are those in which they are represented
symbolically, as in the parable of the Vine and the Branches (Jn 15:1
ff) or in the figure of the Body and its Members (Mt 5:29 ff; Rom 12:5;
1 Cor 12).
Russell Benjamin Miller ______________________________________
Variations of Koinonia in the Greek text w/ "Strong's Exhaustive Concordance" numbering
κοινωνει 2841 {V-PAM-2S},{V-PAI-3S} communicate, distribute, be partaker
κοινωνειτε 2841 {V-PAI-2P} communicate, distribute, be partaker
κοινωνειτω 2841 {V-PAM-3S} communicate, distribute, be partaker
κοινωνικους 2843 {A-APM} willing to communicate ______________________________________
See also the Wikipedia entry below:
"Koinonia
is the anglicisation of a Greek word (κοινωνία) that means communion by
intimate participation. The word is used frequently in the New
Testament of the Bible to describe the relationship within the early
Christian church as well as the act of breaking bread in the manner
which Christ prescribed during the Passover meal [John 6:48-69, Matthew
26:26-28, 1 Corinthian 10:16, 1 Corinthians 11:24]. As a result the
word is used within the Christian Church to participate, as Paul says,
in the Communion of - in this manner it identifies the idealised state
of fellowship and community that should exist, this we call - Communion.
Contents 1 New Testament usage of koinonia 2 The spiritual meaning of koinonia 2.1 Sharing 2.2 Relationships 2.3 Community 3 The sacramental meaning of koinonia 4 Further Reading 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 External links
New Testament usage of Koinonia
The
essential meaning of the koinonia embraces concepts conveyed in the
English terms community, communion, joint participation, sharing and
intimacy. Koinonia can therefore refer in some contexts to a jointly
contributed gift.[1] The word appears 19 times in most editions of the
Greek New Testament. In the New American Standard Bible, it is
translated “fellowship” twelve times, “sharing” three times, and
“participation” and “contribution” twice each.[2]
In the New
Testament, the basis of communion begins with a mystical joining of
Jesus Christ with the community of the faithful. This union is also
experienced in practical daily life. The same bonds that link the
individual to Jesus also link him or her with other faithful. The New
Testament letters describe those bonds as so vital and genuine that a
deep level of intimacy can be experienced among the members of a local
church.[3].
The first usage of koinonia in the Greek New
Testament is found in Acts 2:42-47, where we read a striking
description of the common life shared by the early Christian believers
in Jerusalem: "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to
the communion, to the breaking of bread and to prayer...All the
believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their
possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need…They broke
bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” Communion
itself was the breaking of bread and the form of worship and prayer. It
was in the breaking of the bread that the Apostles "recognized" Christ
and it was in the breaking of bread, called Communion, that they
celebrated Christ's Passion, Death and Resurrection by the manner which
Christ asked during the Last Supper when he said, "Do this in memory of
me."
A special New Testament application of the word koinonia is
to describe the Communion that existed at the celebration of the Lord's
Supper or sacrament of the Eucharist. For example, 1 Corinthians 10:16
(KJV) use the English word “communion” to represent the Greek word of
koinonia. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion
of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the
communion of the body of Christ?" Any common meal certainly could
represent a “sharing.” The koinonia is viewed as much deeper, however,
when the meal is associated with a spiritual purpose. Joining in the
Lord’s Supper is uniting oneself with other believers in the objective
reality of Christ’s death. [4]
The spiritual meaning of Koinonia
The
word has such a multitude of meanings that no single English word is
adequate to express its depth and richness. It is a derivative of
"koinos," the word for common. Koinonia, is a complex, rich, and
thoroughly fascinating Greek approach to building community or teamwork.
Koinonia
embraced a strong commitment to Kalos k'agathos meaning "good and
good," – an inner goodness toward virtue, and an outer goodness toward
social relationships. In the context of outer goodness, translated into
English, the meaning of koinonia holds the idea of joint participation
in something with someone, such as in a community, or team or an
alliance or joint venture. Those who have studied the word find there
is always an implication of action included in its meaning. The
definition of the word is quite rich in that there are many
connotations because the word used in a variety of related contexts.
Sharing
Koinonos
means 'a sharer' as in to share with one another in a possession held
in common. It implies the spirit of generous sharing or the act of
giving as contrasted with selfish getting. When koinonia is present,
the spirit of sharing and giving becomes tangible. In most contexts,
generosity is not an abstract ideal, but a demonstrable action
resulting in a tangible and realistic expression of giving.
In
classical Greek, koinonein means "to have a share in a thing," as when
two or more people hold all things in common. It can mean "going
shares" with others, thereby having "business dealings,” such as joint
ownership of a ship. It can also imply "sharing an opinion" with
someone, and therefore agreeing with him, or disagreeing in a congenial
way. Participation is vital because vital as the members are sharing in
what others have. What is shared, received or given becomes the common
ground through which Koinonia becomes real.
Relationships
"Koinonos"
in classical Greek means a companion, a partner or a joint-owner.
Therefore, koinonia can imply an association, common effort, or a
partnership in common." The common ground by which the two parties are
joined together creates an aligned relationship, such as a "fellowship"
or "partnership". In a papyrus announcement a man speaks of his brother
"with whom I have no koinonia", meaning no business connection or
common interest. In the New Testament, (Luke 5:10) James, John, and
Simon are called “partners” (koinonia ). The joint participation was a
shared fishing business.
Two people may enter into marriage in
order to have "koinonia of life", that is to say, to live together a
life in which everything is shared. Koinonia was used to refer to the
marriage bond, and it suggested a powerful common interest that could
hold two or more persons together.
The term can also relate to a
spiritual relationship. In this sense, the meaning something that is
held and shared jointly with others for God, speaking to man's
"relationship with God". Epictetus talks of religion as ‘aiming to have
koinonia with Zeus". The early Christian community saw this as a
relationship with the Holy Spirit. In this context, koinonia highlights
a higher purpose or mission that benefits the greater good of the
members as a whole. The term "enthusiasm" is connected to this meaning
of koinonia for it signifies “to be imbued with the Spirit of God in
Us."
To create a bond between comrades is the meaning of
koinonia when people are recognized, share their joy and pains
together, and are united because of their common experiences, interests
and goals. Fellowship creates a mutual bond which overrides each
individual’s pride, vanity, and individualism, fulfilling the human
yearning with fraternity, belonging, and companionship. This meaning of
koinonia accounts for the ease by which sharing and generosity flow.
When combined with the spiritual implications of koinonia, fellowship
provides a joint participation in God’s graces and denotes that common
possession of spiritual values.
Thus early Greco-Roman
Christians had a fellowship God, sharing the common experience of joys,
fears, tears, and divine glory. In this manner, those who shared
believed their true wealth lay not in what they had, but in what they
gave to others. Fellowship is never passive in the meaning of koinonia,
it is always linked to action, not just being together, but also doing
together. With fellowship comes a close and intimate relationship
embracing ideas, communication, and frankness, as in a true, blessed
interdependent friendship among multiple group members.
Community
The
idea of community denotes a “common unity” of purpose and interests. By
engaging in this united relationship a new level of consciousness and
conscience emerges that spurs the group to higher order thinking and
action, thus empowering and encouraging its members to exist in a
mutually beneficial relationship. Thus community and family become
closely intertwined, because aiming at a common unity strives to
overcome brokenness, divisiveness, and, ultimately gaining wholeness
with each of the members, with their environment, and with their God.
By giving mutual support, friendship and family merge. Both fellowship
and community imply an inner and outer unity. No where in the framework
of community is their implied a hierarchy of command and control. While
there is leadership, the leader’s task is to focus energy, and align
interests, not impose control.
Koinonia creates a brethren bond
which builds trust and, especially when combined with the values of
Wisdom, Virtue and Honor, overcomes two of humanity’s deepest fears and
insecurities: being betrayed and being demeaned.
Whether working
collectively or individually, the innovators of ancient Greece worked
for the greater good of the whole – to propel their community forward,
to share their understanding with others so that all ships would rise
on a rising tide. Thus loftier goals and dreams are more easily
manifested in the mind and achieved in reality. The team’s sense of
Purpose became manifest.[5]
The sacramental meaning of Koinonia
The
Eucharist is the sacrament of communion with one another in the one
body of Christ. This was the full meaning of eucharistic koinonia in
the early Church.[6] St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "the Eucharist is the
sacrament of the unity of the Church, which results from the fact that
many are one in Christ."[7]
Further Reading
Verna
Lewis-Elgidely Koinonia in the Three Great Abrahamic Faiths: Acclaiming
the Mystery and Diversity of Faiths Cloverdale Books (2007) ISBN
978-1-929569-37-3 [1]
References
^ Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, p. 352 ^ NAS Exhaustive Concordance ^ Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words,p. 275-276 ^ Cite error: Invalid tag; no text was provided for refs named Robinson ^ Lynch, "How the Greeks created the First Golden Age of Innovation" ^ Hertling, L. Communion, Church and Papacy in Early Christianity Chicago: Loyola University, 1972. ^ ST III, 82. 2 ad 3; cf. 82. 9 ad 2. Bibliography (1981, 1998) NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries. The Lockman Foundation. Bromiley,
Geoffrey W. (1979). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Robert
Porter Lynch; Ninon Prozonic (2006). How the Greeks created the First
Golden Age of Innovation (Word document) (English) 14. Retrieved on
2007-04-08. Richards, Lawrence O. (1985). Expository Dictionary of Bible Words. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Corporation. Thayer, Joseph H. (1885). Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House. External links Lexicon entry for koinonia, common domain Healthy Devotion, free download from non-commercial site Koinonia Foundation was at this site from 1945-1985 For the Christian jazz band of the same name, see Koinonia (band) For the Christian conmmunity established by Clarence Jordan in Americus, Georgia (USA), see Koinonia Partners For the organization "Koinonia Music Center" located in Jinja Uganda, see Koinonia Music Center For the Christian conference grounds located in Santa Cruz, CA, (USA), see Koinonia Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koinonia" Categories: Biblical phrases Hidden categories: Articles lacking sources from January 2007 All articles lacking sources
There is an identifiable bias against the study of Scripture for the sake of what Scripture has to say about itself. Most homilectical sermonizing is fitted to a standard fare address of moralizing and "pop" messages as pabulum for the soul - rewarmed left-overs to say the least.
To illustrate the following survey is quoted:
Common Christian Terms
A new survey conducted by the Barna Research Group
reveals widespread ignorance of common Christian terms. Researchers
asked a sample group of 1,210 adults to define Great Commission,
evangelical, John 3:16, and gospel. In each case, only a small minority
gave accurate answers. Even “born-again Christians” had trouble
answering.
Only nine percent of the respondents
accurately defined Great Commission. About 75 percent of born-again
Christians could not offer a definition.
Eighteen percent
of the respondents correctly defined evangelical, with 57 percent of
born-again Christians unable to give a definition.
Twenty-five percent of the respondents gave accurate or partially
accurate descriptions of John 3:16, and half of the born-again
Christians could not offer a definition.
Thirty-seven
percent of the respondents correctly defined gospel, and 16 percent of
born-again Christians could not offer a definition.
These
terms “clearly do not convey the intended meaning to the masses,”
concluded George Barna, president of Barna Research Group. “The fact
that so few of the insiders understand the meaning of these terms also
suggests that the Christian church in this country would be wise to
invest in training people about the basic principles and concepts of
the Christian faith.”
Moody Monthly, April, 1994, p. 60
Ignorance
“Why is it that the vast majority of Christian
believers remain largely unexposed to Christian learning - to
historical-critical studies of the Bible, the content and structure of
the great doctrines, to two thousand years of classic works on the
Christian life, to basic disciplines of theology, biblical languages
and ethics?
Why do bankers, lawyers, farmers,
physicians, homemakers, scientists, salespeople, managers of all sorts,
people who carry out all kinds of complicated tasks in their work and
home, remain in a literalist, elementary school level in their
religious understanding?
How is it that high
school age church members move easily and quickly into the complex
world of computers, foreign languages, DNA and calculus, and cannot
even make a beginning in historical-critical interpretation of a single
text of Scripture?
How is it possible one can
attend or even teach Sunday School for decades and at the end of that
lack the interpretive skills of someone who has taken three or four
weeks in an introductory course in the Bible at a university or
seminary?”
“Can Church Education Be Theological Education,” Theology Today, by Edward Farley, July 1985.
My regards in Christ Jesus,
gonzodave
More Blissful Ignorance
Addendum #1
Featured Site:
Saturday May 31
Outside The Envelope
ANOTHER GOSPEL
Michael Vlach recently
published a report called “Crisis in America’s Churches: Bible
Knowledge at All-Time Low. Polling data from researcher George
Barna shows a widespread lack of biblical and theological knowledge
in the US among people who claim to be Christians. So complete is
that ignorance that one can justly call it widespread apostasy from
Christian orthodoxy. It’s not misunderstanding, it’s heresy. I say
that not merely from a narrow denominational perspective, but from
the standpoint of classical Christian orthodoxy. People calling
themselves “Christians” literally have no idea what that means.
Instead, they follow another, invented, gospel, not the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Legalism has replaced grace.
Barna’s questions
themselves are hardly satisfactory. They slant toward a particular
narrow segment of modern Protestantism, excluding ancient and
classical tests of orthodoxy. Still, his research shows an
astonishing ignorance of the doctrines of Christianity and the
Bible. Reading it, you wonder why these folks hang around? Why
bother calling themselves Christians, since they reject most of what
Christianity believes and the Bible teaches? Beats me – F. Sanders
“The Christian body in
America is immersed in a crisis of biblical illiteracy,” warns
researcher George Barna. “How else can you describe matters when
most churchgoing adults reject the accuracy of the Bible, reject the
existence of Satan, claim that Jesus sinned, see no need to
evangelise, believe that good works are one of the keys to
persuading God to forgive their sins, and describe their commitment
to Christianity as moderate or even less firm?” Other disturbing
findings that document an overall lack of knowledge among
churchgoing Christians include the following:
The most widely known Bible
verse among adult and teen believers is “God helps those who help
themselves” -- which is not actually in the Bible and actually
conflicts with the basic message of Scripture. [If this doesn’t
make you laugh, nothing will – with tears, I admit, but laugh
anyway– FS]
Less than one out of every
ten believers possess a biblical worldview as the basis for
decision-making or behaviour.
When given thirteen basic
teachings from the Bible, only 1% of adult believers firmly
embraced all thirteen as being biblical perspectives.
Gary Burge, professor of New
Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, asserts that
biblical illiteracy is at a crisis level not just in our culture in
general but in America’s churches. “If it is true that biblical
illiteracy is commonplace in secular culture at large, there is
ample evidence that points to similar trends in our churches,” he
says. Burge points to research at Wheaton College in which the
biblical and theological literacy of incoming freshmen have been
monitored. These students, who represent almost every Protestant
denomination in the United States from every state in the country,
have returned some “surprising results”:
One-third could not put the
following in order: Abraham, the Old Testament prophets, the death
of Christ, and Pentecost.
Half could not sequence the
following: Moses in Egypt, Isaac’s birth, Saul’s death, and
Judah’s exile.
One-third could not
identify Matthew as an apostle from a list of New Testament names.
When asked to locate the
biblical book supplying a given story, one-third could not find
Paul’s travels in Acts, half did not know that the Christmas story
was in Matthew, half did not know that the Passover story was in
Exodus.
[Remember that these were
incoming freshman at Wheaton College,
a supposed bastion of Christian thought. – FS]
THEOLOGICAL ILLITERACY IN
CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS
The results of researching
the beliefs of churchgoing denominational members in America are
shocking: [they don’t believe essential Christian doctrines,
and these are not just the so-called “liberal” denominations, but
“conservative” as well. - FS]
In his study of the beliefs
of mainline Protestants (including Methodists, Lutherans,
Presbyterians, and Episcopalians), Barna documented a rejection of
key Christian doctrines.
Only 35% of mainline
Protestant church members believe Christ was sinless;
34% believe the Bible is
totally accurate;
27% agree that works don’t
earn heaven; and 20% believe Satan is real.
Denominations which are more
evangelical [sic] report higher levels of commitment to key
theological truths than their mainline counterparts, but large
percentages of people in these more theologically conservative
churches still deny essential Christian doctrines.
Of Baptists (any type) in
America,
only 34% believe Satan is
real.
Only 43% believe that works
don’t earn heaven.
Although most Baptists
affirm that Christ was sinless and that the Bible is totally
accurate, the majority is not strong. Only 55% affirm that Christ
was sinless, and 66% hold that the Bible is totally accurate.[9]
Of nondenominational
Christian churches, Barna reports that 48% believe Satan is real;
60% say works don’t earn heaven; 63% affirm the sinlessness of
Christ; and 70% believe the Bible is totally accurate.
According to Barna, the
denomination with the highest commitment to essential Christian
doctrines is the Assembly of God denomination. In the AOG, 77%
believe the Bible is accurate; 70% believe Christ was sinless. Yet
only two-thirds (64%) affirm that works don’t earn heaven. Only 56%
believe Satan is real. So even in the most theologically committed
denomination, large percentages of people still deny essential
Christian doctrines.
Barna is particularly
concerned with the number of people in Christian churches who deny
one of the most essential of all Christian doctrines -- the
sinlessness of Christ.
“Literally millions of
Americans who declare themselves to be Christians contend that Jesus
was just like the rest of us when it comes to temptation -- fallen,
guilty, impure, and Himself in need of a saviour.”
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
THEOLOGY?
Why is belief in important
Christian truths and doctrines at such a crisis level? First, as
Burge has explained, there is a general failing of the church to
transmit our religious culture to the next generation. This includes
an overemphasis on personal experience to the exclusion of
serious Christian education. [emphasis added - FS]
“In short, the spiritual life
has become less a matter of learning than it is a matter of
experiencing,” he says. “This has resulted in Christian ministries
that put less premium on education than they do on personal
development and therapeutic wholeness.”
This emphasis on personal
development has affected what is coming from our pulpits, according
to Burge. “Thus sermons become more therapeutic and less
instructional; and the validity of what we do on Sunday morning
is grounded in what we feel, not in what we think.” [emphasis
added]
Second, many Christian
churches have abandoned serious Bible exposition and theological
teaching. Burge points out that historical exegesis is becoming a
“lost art” in the pulpit.
“Rather than explaining the
historical setting of a passage, texts become springboards for
devotional reflection,” he notes. “Biblical passages are taken out
of context as the preacher searches for those stories that evoke the
responses or attitudes desired.” As a result, “The heart of a ‘good’
sermon is fast becoming the ‘emotional work’ that can be done in 20
minutes preaching time.”
Burge also found that church
leaders often find it difficult to find time for serious discussion
of theology and the Bible. When asking several youth leaders about
whether they addressed solid theological categories or Bible
stories, the typical response according to Burge was, “It is hard to
find time. But I can say that these kids are truly learning to love
God.”
Burge sees this attitude as
part of the problem.
“That is it in a nutshell,”
he says. “Christian faith is not being built on the firm foundation
of hard-won thoughts, ideas, history, or theology. Spirituality is
being built on private emotional attachments.”
A third reason for biblical
and theological illiteracy today is the tremendous influence
unbiblical philosophies and worldviews are having on churchgoers.
Liberalism promotes that the Bible is a human construct and not a
divine document. In doing so, it continues to assail the traditional
Christian views … Existentialism with its emphasis on human
experience has people looking to themselves for truth, not God or
Scripture. Postmodernism has convinced many that there are no
universal truths. According to Barna, “A minority of adult and teen
believers contends that absolute moral truth exists.” Only 32% of
born-again Christians still believe in the existence of absolute
moral truth.
Many Christians accept
elements of these unbiblical worldviews without even knowing it.
Because of this, Barna and Mark Hatch have noted that “we cannot
really call the faith of American Christians a Bible-based faith.
It is a synthetic, syncretic faith.” According to Barna and Hatch,
Christians today have accepted and combined so many ideas from other
worldviews and religions that they have created their own faith
system.
“The average born-again,
baptised, churchgoing person has embraced elements of Buddhism,
Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Mormonism, Scientology, Unitarianism and
Christian Science -- without any idea they have just created their
own faith.”
What Is the Solution? “In
many ways, we are living in an age of theological anarchy,” says
Barna. “The church is rotting from the inside out, crippled by
abiblical theology.” Ω
"So, now, whenever anybody says to me, "Your view of the atonement, you
know, is very old-fashioned, the doctrine of substitution is quite out
of date;" I am not at all shaken in my belief.
The gentlemen of
the modern-thought school, who have been to Germany for their theology,
do not like that glorious doctrine of substitution. They think that the
atonement is a something or other, that in some way or other, somehow
or other, has something or other to do with the salvation of men; but I
tell them that their cloudy gospel might have surrounded me till my
hair grew grey, but I should never have been any the better for it. I
should never have found peace with God, nor come to love the Lord at
all, if it had not been that I distinctly saw that he, who knew no sin,
was made sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in
him.
When I realized that, although I had gone astray from God,
and broken his righteous law, he had laid on Christ my iniquity, and
punished him in my stead, my soul found rest at once; and, to this day,
it cannot rest under any other explanation of the atonement of Christ.
So I bear my own personal witness, and many of you can heartily join
with me in bearing similar testimony. You have been with Christ, so you
can speak of the power of his substitutionary sacrifice as begetting
peace in your soul."
Charles H. Spurgeon 1880
"Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American politics has
been allowed to be so corrupt for so long. You can't be objective about Nixon."
Hunter S. Thompson
There is no OLD SCHOOL - there is only ONE SCHOOL - which teaches that only two kinds of Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, et. al. exist within any so-called denomination today. Those who trust completely in the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ for continued salvation and those who trust in themselves - just like the rest of the world (e.g., no palengenesis; no regeneration; no new birth from death to life).
It is impossible to be objective about one's own salvation. Objective Christianity is the reason for the latitude that allows for the corrupted message that proudly teaches a loss of salvation for those who are not "good enough" to be accepted by God. The objective is to defend and proclaim God's free grace secured in the blood of Christ Jesus for sinners.
gonzodave
Dear Reader,
(Essay from an unpublished manuscript. About 2800 words)
THE HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL PREMISE OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY
What has been gained by the enthusiastic focus on the Christian family,
concerning matters that are psychological, behavioral, and legal, when
all the while, inside the church there is no difference in the rate of
divorce and unwed or unwanted pregnancies? Divorce, pregnancy, and
abortion may be said to be completely voluntary in more than 99 of 100
incidents. Also, there is an extreme overemphasis by many so-called
Christian organizations against secular attacks upon Christianity. The
presumption being that current legal activities to defend religious
freedoms maintain the greater democratic freedoms that were founded by
men who believed in Jesus Christ for salvation. Keeping in mind the
just previous section of HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL FACTS, is this
assertion accurate?
In 21st century American society it is rather difficult to distinguish
Christianity from the historical beginnings of political thought that
began in the post-Reformation and Protestant led English Civil War
which continued in the humanism of the politics that were championed in
the "Age of Reason/Enlightenment." Christianity has been joined to
political thought and used by atheist and deist (e.g., Freemasonry 1)
to extend their influence and control. The great contributors to
American political thought, John Locke and Thomas Paine, were English
Deists and certainly not Christians. John Hancock, for one, and others
who signed the Declaration of Independence were Freemasons. Also,
George Washington appears in a famous painting sporting full Freemason
regalia and the famous Freemason "apron."
Beyond the era of the founding fathers, the Freemason William Taft, the
US President between Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, was a
professed Unitarian. Both recent Presidents named Bush are members of
the freemasonry "Skull and Bones Club." Which is an ivy-league
fraternity. "In God is our trust" is one line in the Star Spangled
Banner. "In God We Trust" was not mandatory on all US currency until
1955. This motto was not originally a national movement. It first
appeared on a few Union coins in 1864 - during the War Between the
States.
Fierce individualism is a tenet of an unencumbered free economy
conceived in the Enlightenment era and is not a NT Christian nor a OT
Jewish ethic. Freedom and liberty from the power and penalties of sin
contained in the gospel of saving grace does not translate into the
"pursuit of happiness" coined by Jefferson (or "property" as originally
penned by John Locke). If the OT Jews desired their non-voting
theocracy under God so much, why were they constantly being defeated,
enslaved, and dispersed as a result of their non-observance of the Sacred Scriptures?
All this is not to say that God and morality were not held in high
regard in early colonial America. A little appreciated fact is that a
much different "populist" Christianity existed in Colonial America than
that which has dominated Protestantism since the 1850's. This
dissimilarity is above and beyond any moral considerations. A sovereign
grace Puritan of the 1700's is not the free will Arminian of 2008. The
"New Light and Old Light" Christian of the "First Great Awakening" is not the Arminian Christian of the
"Second Great Awakening." The distinction, once again, is not morality,
or rules for living; rather, it is the doctrine of salvation
(Soteriology). The vital foundation of the evangel of "good news." Which is "the
gospel" message for the lost.
The core difference being what is believed about the value of the death
of Christ for salvation. Did Christ pay the full price or not? This was
the essential difference of "justification by faith" between Luther and
the Roman Church in the Protestant Reformation. This difference
continually returns and makes its home inside Christianity. Cults are
not in view in this discussion. However, the so-called orthodox
Christian salvation - in which cults share the same Soteriology of
"parolee" salvation is in view.
In the blood of Christ, denominational distinctions disappear and
contain no vital difference. The death of Christ is either considered
the single focus, or, it is merely adapted to "rules of life," that
consist of so-called biblical Christian commands for continued
salvation. The two are not separate "opinions;" rather, one is false
and one is true. They cannot occupy the same space. Christ did not die
two separate deaths. So, then, historically, American Christianity is
properly packaged and separated into apple barrels and orange crates.
The distinction of probationary salvation and its traditional form of
overly stressed dramatic preaching about hell-fire exists today in the
vast populist presence of Arminianism that was spread throughout the
early frontier America (1810-1850) by stump-jumping, turn or burn
circuit riders who were farmer preachers performing for their evening
meal and traveling money (viz., the non-intellectual rural nature of
American "populist" Christianity).
Much of the present-day social contention over Christian freedoms would
be eliminated and disappear if transferred to the common area of civil
freedoms. But, only if the underlying Holy Grail of a tax-exempt status
were voluntarily relinquished. "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's" is
not an anti-Christian idea, it is the plain teaching of Jesus and the
NT Apostles in many verses of the Epistles. Should this occur, the ACLU
would then have no privileged adversary and, thus, no socially offended
underdogs that can be elevated to the status of a "specially protected
citizen." Also, there would be no "cash cow" for judgment awards to
fund their extortive activities.
More importantly, what kind of Christianity is being paraded through
the courts of America? Does God really bless America because of the
unique worthiness of today's "populist" American Christianity? The
character of Christianity that threatens her enemies in the modern
secular world is quite a different hazard than that which jeopardized
the 1st century secular enemies of the church. Aside from His blasting
condemnation of the spiritual sin of the Pharisees, Jesus did not
condemn sinners for being immoral. He cleansed the temple of spiritual
sin and "thieves" who were "money changers." Also, Jesus allowed demons
that He had exorcised to destroy 2000 income producing pigs that were
illegally owned by Jews. The villagers promptly ran Him out of town.
The Apostles, who were poor as dirt themselves, took away income also.
They did this by silencing a persistent slave girl who was a fortune
teller and converting people to Christianity. The well-to-do owners of
the demon-possessed slave girl lost their livelihood and the
conversions threatened the powerful metalsmith union that produced
idols and depleted the local Jewish synagogues of tithe paying Jews.
(The continued practice of Judaism for acceptance before God became
spiritual sin after the death of Christ.) The Ephesian believers burned
50,000 man-days (almost 200 man-years) worth of "books of magic and
spells" several years after their conversion. All of the above
mentioned financially injured and non-believing parties sought legal
retribution. The common thread is monetary loss of income earned by
"spiritual" sin against God in the form of denying Jesus Christ, not
moral sin.
The epistolary NT gives explicit details to determine a false teacher
by their doctrine, not their morality. The first three Gospels, with
advice intended primarily for a future time, state just the opposite.
The greatest "spiritual" sin committed today is by those who enjoy a
fabulous life-style from preaching a false Christianity. The "poor
little donkey," the teachings defended by the NT writers against the
internal enemies of the early church had to contend with adversaries
who bear much resemblance to today's "populist" Christianity. A popular
Christianity that esteems riches and recognition to be the deserved
rewards for continued faith in Jesus Christ. Should Christianity
genuinely be a "health and wealth" contract only the foolish would turn
it down. Since this idea is false, who are those that offer and who are
they which accept such a contract? "Do not rich men oppress you, and
draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy
name by which ye are called? For if there come unto your assembly a man
with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a man in
vile raiment; Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become
judges of (with) evil thoughts?" (James 2:6, 7, 2, 4).
It may be said that there exists a pecking order - an order of
importance and prestige held by a "populist" Christianity. A direct
example between "two forms" of Christianity may be found in chapter 22
of the book of Numbers. In this chapter, a poor little servant donkey,
who later actually speaks, receives a beating from the false teacher,
Balaam (Heb.=destruction). As perceived by Balaam, the donkey delays
the prophet in his pursuit of a reward for cursing the immoral enemies
of a king named Balak (Heb.=to make empty). These enemies threaten the
religious freedoms of the king and his followers. But, as we are shown
in this story, Balaam is actually serving the wrong king. He serves an
easy world conformity. In this scenario, Jesus, as the Angel of the
Lord, appears and says to Balaam: "And the ass saw me, and turned from
me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I
had slain thee, and saved her alive" (Num 22:34).
In the temptation of Christ recorded in Matthew 4:3-10 there is an
uncanny parallel between Balaam's donkey and Christ in the threefold
sequence of physical need, self-harm, and worship. Some insightful
teachers advise a new Christian to first seriously study the temptation
of Christ rather than the Gospel of John. Jesus is love, yes; but what
was his experience in love? and, what might the Christian expect?
THE GONZO JOURNALISM OF GRACE
Many books have been written about grace. Most are one-sided and
outside-in homiletic treatments where grace is approached more by
sentimentality than zealous defense. Abraham was declared righteous by
God when he believed in what God said. Only one other man in the OT was
declared righteous by God (other persons are named by the NT in Hebrews
11). The grandson of Aaron, Phineas, was a priest who acted in the
defense of God's honor in response to the false teaching of Balaam
which had seduced the Israelites. Through Abraham, the entrance into
grace is typified. Through Phineas, faithful action within grace is
typified. I understand these two men as demonstrating the meritless
gift of grace through faith and the meritorious rewards of action
because one has received the free gift of grace. Both together
encompass the Christian life. This is in contradiction to behavior
grounded in biblical commands and a reward of salvation for continuing
faith.
Grace is the all-important theme of this work. The enemies of grace are
found in the house of her friends. If there is no outrage at the
parasitic nature of a false Christianity that ridicules the grace
that sustains true believers; that holds the true children of God up to
mockery and contempt for holding to the "law of Christ" and not the Law
of Moses; that unreservedly asserts the child of God is lying about
God's Word when assurance in the blood of Christ for salvation is
claimed. Then where, I ask, is the love for Christ in those who will
not and cannot defend the honor of Christ who died so that they could
live? May it be recognized and well understood that the assumption of a
higher ground of morality is the same turn of logic that is used by
secular moral relativism to silence any arguments about moral
standards. A Christianity based on broken legal commands that can
destroy God's grace is in league with the world - certainly not Christ
and the teachings of grace. This is a much more vital threat than
secular atheism. The fact that the unsaved are atheist is hardly news
or a threat to a properly informed Christian. The correct response of a
worthy and pious mind is to recognize the tactical diversion of an
extra-biblical threat from an atheistic world-view for what it is,
namely: Get a grip, man, that's the mission field not the battlefield!
But, then, how may the proper battle be fought? By being a proper
witness who defends God's saving grace in the presence of the mission
field. By exposing "spiritual" sin and cleaning first the house of the
Lord. How then may "spiritual" sin be known and proven beyond all
doubt? How may the false friends be exposed for the "spiritual" crime
from which they earn their livelihood? How may true believers who are
zealous for the honor of Christ remove this insult to the grace of God,
first from their own lives and then the stain from the honor of
Christianity? The answer is simple by understanding grace. The process
is not so easy. The transformation of the spiritual mind takes much
Scripture and dedicated attention. Also, a guide is needed. Someone or
something, who Christ has instructed and prepared for such a purpose.
Someone who has been there and come back to tell others. This book is a
guide that will detail that journey.
To begin to understand the position and moral high ground assumed by a
false Christianity, one must first appreciate that God's offer of
salvation in Christ, on the sole condition of faith, is a very straight
forward proposition. However, sadly, as religious and pretentious men
would have it, no straight forward proposition is preached by a
"populist" Christianity. A higher moral ground than grace has been
claimed. In a word a Mountain, the symbol of a kingdom. Willful
ignorance is extremely hard to separate from convenient ignorance. In
the OT this is dramatically illustrated: "Then said Micah, Now I know
that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest"
(Judges 17:13). Concerning Micah, Dr. C. I. Scofield writes, "A
striking illustration of all apostasy. With his entire departure from
the revealed will of God concerning worship and priesthood, there is
yet an exaltation of false priesthood. Saying, "Blessed be thou of
Jehovah," Micah's mother makes an idol; and Micah expects the blessings
of Jehovah because he has linked his idolatry to the ancient Levitical
order." i
The Gospel record of Jesus Christ in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the
first chapter of Acts has been divinely written to be historically
correct. The record within the four Gospels is chronologically
accurate. There exists only minor perceived exceptions which do not
actually conflict; but only provide different details of different
incidents at different times. Many common scenarios are contained in
the first three Synoptic Gospels. This having been said, the very
existence of this correct historical record invites the grossly false
and insulting misconceptions that have been preached as so-called
"true" doctrines of "the gospel" by false Protestants teachers for
centuries. Is this to say the Bible is used against the Bible. An
emphatic affirmative is the one answer. Bear in mind the corrupted
religion depicted above, from the OT with Micah as the example. Does
this seem terribly confusing? Confusion is not of the Lord's making;
but perplexity is the stumbling stone that discourages the unsaved who
are curious and entangles the believer who is immature. Lazy minds
crippled by 10 second sound bytes are not able to digest the mature
spiritual "meat" of God's grace contained in Scripture. No clear
distinction can be made between law and grace until a knowledge of both
is obtained by contrasting one to the other.
To properly separate myth and false doctrine in "populist" Christianity
from the pure teachings of NT grace, and, to understand grace from the
"inside-out," as opposed to a superficial "outside-in," is a formidable
task. Beyond any personal doubt, this fact has been demonstrated as a
result of this extended effort. Over 7000 pages of theological
instruction and references, along with three Bible translations, have
been scoured and gleaned to assemble the doctrines of central
importance. These teachings of God's grace have been selected to
produce the proofs used in this investigative report.
A correct exposition of grace needs a highly subjective and radically
honest comparison to non-grace. A passionate and dedicated, highly
subjective, non-fiction - a gonzo journalism of grace - was used to
identify the source, not symptoms, of misleading propaganda that would
diminish the reverence that the grace of God deserves. The word
"propaganda" has its origin in the 1700's. It is derived from the Latin
expression, Congregatio de Propaganda Fide, "Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith."
My regards in Christ Jesus,
gonzodave _________________________
Post Note #1: More detailed reading on the historical background of today's populist Christianity may be found at http://www.spurgeon.org/downgrd.htm
Post Note #2: An interesting, yet criticaly relevant, abstract to "gonzo journalism" is thoughtfully stated at the following address: Warp Speed Journalism
1 The earliest of the U.S. lodges, founded by authority of the Grand
Lodge of England, were the First Lodge of Boston, established in 1733,
and one in Philadelphia, established about the same time. By the time
of the American Revolution, about 150 lodges existed in colonial
America. American Freemasons today make up more than three-fourths of
the total number of all members throughout the world; world membership
exceeds 5 million. Microsoft Encarta 2006. 1993-2005 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.
i Old Scofield Study System, Dr. C. I. Scofield, p 308
Reference: The excellent and comprehensive historical work by E. Brooks Holifield, Theology in America.
David Coulon 2007-2008 Creative Commons 3.0 non-derivative license. Some Rights Reserved. Free to share. Please use with credit.
"So, now, whenever anybody says to me, "Your view of the atonement, you
know, is very old-fashioned, the doctrine of substitution is quite out
of date;" I am not at all shaken in my belief.
The gentlemen of
the modern-thought school, who have been to Germany for their theology,
do not like that glorious doctrine of substitution. They think that the
atonement is a something or other, that in some way or other, somehow
or other, has something or other to do with the salvation of men; but I
tell them that their cloudy gospel might have surrounded me till my
hair grew grey, but I should never have been any the better for it. I
should never have found peace with God, nor come to love the Lord at
all, if it had not been that I distinctly saw that he, who knew no sin,
was made sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in
him.
When I realized that, although I had gone astray from God,
and broken his righteous law, he had laid on Christ my iniquity, and
punished him in my stead, my soul found rest at once; and, to this day,
it cannot rest under any other explanation of the atonement of Christ.
So I bear my own personal witness, and many of you can heartily join
with me in bearing similar testimony. You have been with Christ, so you
can speak of the power of his substitutionary sacrifice as begetting
peace in your soul."
Charles H. Spurgeon 1880
"Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American politics has
been allowed to be so corrupt for so long. You can't be objective about Nixon."
Hunter S. Thompson
There is no OLD SCHOOL - there is only ONE SCHOOL - which teaches that only two kinds of Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, et. al. exist within any so-called denomination today. Those who trust completely in the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ for continued salvation and those who trust in themselves - just like the rest of the world (e.g., no palengenesis; no regeneration; no new birth from death to life).
It is impossible to be objective about one's own salvation. Objective Christianity is the reason for the latitude that allows for the corrupted message that proudly teaches a loss of salvation for those who are not "good enough" to be accepted by God. The objective is to defend and proclaim God's free grace secured in the blood of Christ Jesus for sinners.
gonzodave
Dear Reader,
(Essay from an unpublished manuscript. About 2800 words)
THE HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL PREMISE OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY
What has been gained by the enthusiastic focus on the Christian family,
concerning matters that are psychological, behavioral, and legal, when
all the while, inside the church there is no difference in the rate of
divorce and unwed or unwanted pregnancies? Divorce, pregnancy, and
abortion may be said to be completely voluntary in more than 99 of 100
incidents. Also, there is an extreme overemphasis by many so-called
Christian organizations against secular attacks upon Christianity. The
presumption being that current legal activities to defend religious
freedoms maintain the greater democratic freedoms that were founded by
men who believed in Jesus Christ for salvation. Keeping in mind the
just previous section of HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL FACTS, is this
assertion accurate?
In 21st century American society it is rather difficult to distinguish
Christianity from the historical beginnings of political thought that
began in the post-Reformation and Protestant led English Civil War
which continued in the humanism of the politics that were championed in
the "Age of Reason/Enlightenment." Christianity has been joined to
political thought and used by atheist and deist (e.g., Freemasonry 1)
to extend their influence and control. The great contributors to
American political thought, John Locke and Thomas Paine, were English
Deists and certainly not Christians. John Hancock, for one, and others
who signed the Declaration of Independence were Freemasons. Also,
George Washington appears in a famous painting sporting full Freemason
regalia and the famous Freemason "apron."
Beyond the era of the founding fathers, the Freemason William Taft, the
US President between Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, was a
professed Unitarian. Both recent Presidents named Bush are members of
the freemasonry "Skull and Bones Club." Which is an ivy-league
fraternity. "In God is our trust" is one line in the Star Spangled
Banner. "In God We Trust" was not mandatory on all US currency until
1955. This motto was not originally a national movement. It first
appeared on a few Union coins in 1864 - during the War Between the
States.
Fierce individualism is a tenet of an unencumbered free economy
conceived in the Enlightenment era and is not a NT Christian nor a OT
Jewish ethic. Freedom and liberty from the power and penalties of sin
contained in the gospel of saving grace does not translate into the
"pursuit of happiness" coined by Jefferson (or "property" as originally
penned by John Locke). If the OT Jews desired their non-voting
theocracy under God so much, why were they constantly being defeated,
enslaved, and dispersed as a result of their non-observance of the Sacred Scriptures?
All this is not to say that God and morality were not held in high
regard in early colonial America. A little appreciated fact is that a
much different "populist" Christianity existed in Colonial America than
that which has dominated Protestantism since the 1850's. This
dissimilarity is above and beyond any moral considerations. A sovereign
grace Puritan of the 1700's is not the free will Arminian of 2008. The
"New Light and Old Light" Christian of the "First Great Awakening" is not the Arminian Christian of the
"Second Great Awakening." The distinction, once again, is not morality,
or rules for living; rather, it is the doctrine of salvation
(Soteriology). The vital foundation of the evangel of "good news." Which is "the
gospel" message for the lost.
The core difference being what is believed about the value of the death
of Christ for salvation. Did Christ pay the full price or not? This was
the essential difference of "justification by faith" between Luther and
the Roman Church in the Protestant Reformation. This difference
continually returns and makes its home inside Christianity. Cults are
not in view in this discussion. However, the so-called orthodox
Christian salvation - in which cults share the same Soteriology of
"parolee" salvation is in view.
In the blood of Christ, denominational distinctions disappear and
contain no vital difference. The death of Christ is either considered
the single focus, or, it is merely adapted to "rules of life," that
consist of so-called biblical Christian commands for continued
salvation. The two are not separate "opinions;" rather, one is false
and one is true. They cannot occupy the same space. Christ did not die
two separate deaths. So, then, historically, American Christianity is
properly packaged and separated into apple barrels and orange crates.
The distinction of probationary salvation and its traditional form of
overly stressed dramatic preaching about hell-fire exists today in the
vast populist presence of Arminianism that was spread throughout the
early frontier America (1810-1850) by stump-jumping, turn or burn
circuit riders who were farmer preachers performing for their evening
meal and traveling money (viz., the non-intellectual rural nature of
American "populist" Christianity).
Much of the present-day social contention over Christian freedoms would
be eliminated and disappear if transferred to the common area of civil
freedoms. But, only if the underlying Holy Grail of a tax-exempt status
were voluntarily relinquished. "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's" is
not an anti-Christian idea, it is the plain teaching of Jesus and the
NT Apostles in many verses of the Epistles. Should this occur, the ACLU
would then have no privileged adversary and, thus, no socially offended
underdogs that can be elevated to the status of a "specially protected
citizen." Also, there would be no "cash cow" for judgment awards to
fund their extortive activities.
More importantly, what kind of Christianity is being paraded through
the courts of America? Does God really bless America because of the
unique worthiness of today's "populist" American Christianity? The
character of Christianity that threatens her enemies in the modern
secular world is quite a different hazard than that which jeopardized
the 1st century secular enemies of the church. Aside from His blasting
condemnation of the spiritual sin of the Pharisees, Jesus did not
condemn sinners for being immoral. He cleansed the temple of spiritual
sin and "thieves" who were "money changers." Also, Jesus allowed demons
that He had exorcised to destroy 2000 income producing pigs that were
illegally owned by Jews. The villagers promptly ran Him out of town.
The Apostles, who were poor as dirt themselves, took away income also.
They did this by silencing a persistent slave girl who was a fortune
teller and converting people to Christianity. The well-to-do owners of
the demon-possessed slave girl lost their livelihood and the
conversions threatened the powerful metalsmith union that produced
idols and depleted the local Jewish synagogues of tithe paying Jews.
(The continued practice of Judaism for acceptance before God became
spiritual sin after the death of Christ.) The Ephesian believers burned
50,000 man-days (almost 200 man-years) worth of "books of magic and
spells" several years after their conversion. All of the above
mentioned financially injured and non-believing parties sought legal
retribution. The common thread is monetary loss of income earned by
"spiritual" sin against God in the form of denying Jesus Christ, not
moral sin.
The epistolary NT gives explicit details to determine a false teacher
by their doctrine, not their morality. The first three Gospels, with
advice intended primarily for a future time, state just the opposite.
The greatest "spiritual" sin committed today is by those who enjoy a
fabulous life-style from preaching a false Christianity. The "poor
little donkey," the teachings defended by the NT writers against the
internal enemies of the early church had to contend with adversaries
who bear much resemblance to today's "populist" Christianity. A popular
Christianity that esteems riches and recognition to be the deserved
rewards for continued faith in Jesus Christ. Should Christianity
genuinely be a "health and wealth" contract only the foolish would turn
it down. Since this idea is false, who are those that offer and who are
they which accept such a contract? "Do not rich men oppress you, and
draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy
name by which ye are called? For if there come unto your assembly a man
with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a man in
vile raiment; Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become
judges of (with) evil thoughts?" (James 2:6, 7, 2, 4).
It may be said that there exists a pecking order - an order of
importance and prestige held by a "populist" Christianity. A direct
example between "two forms" of Christianity may be found in chapter 22
of the book of Numbers. In this chapter, a poor little servant donkey,
who later actually speaks, receives a beating from the false teacher,
Balaam (Heb.=destruction). As perceived by Balaam, the donkey delays
the prophet in his pursuit of a reward for cursing the immoral enemies
of a king named Balak (Heb.=to make empty). These enemies threaten the
religious freedoms of the king and his followers. But, as we are shown
in this story, Balaam is actually serving the wrong king. He serves an
easy world conformity. In this scenario, Jesus, as the Angel of the
Lord, appears and says to Balaam: "And the ass saw me, and turned from
me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I
had slain thee, and saved her alive" (Num 22:34).
In the temptation of Christ recorded in Matthew 4:3-10 there is an
uncanny parallel between Balaam's donkey and Christ in the threefold
sequence of physical need, self-harm, and worship. Some insightful
teachers advise a new Christian to first seriously study the temptation
of Christ rather than the Gospel of John. Jesus is love, yes; but what
was his experience in love? and, what might the Christian expect?
THE GONZO JOURNALISM OF GRACE
Many books have been written about grace. Most are one-sided and
outside-in homiletic treatments where grace is approached more by
sentimentality than zealous defense. Abraham was declared righteous by
God when he believed in what God said. Only one other man in the OT was
declared righteous by God (other persons are named by the NT in Hebrews
11). The grandson of Aaron, Phineas, was a priest who acted in the
defense of God's honor in response to the false teaching of Balaam
which had seduced the Israelites. Through Abraham, the entrance into
grace is typified. Through Phineas, faithful action within grace is
typified. I understand these two men as demonstrating the meritless
gift of grace through faith and the meritorious rewards of action
because one has received the free gift of grace. Both together
encompass the Christian life. This is in contradiction to behavior
grounded in biblical commands and a reward of salvation for continuing
faith.
Grace is the all-important theme of this work. The enemies of grace are
found in the house of her friends. If there is no outrage at the
parasitic nature of a false Christianity that ridicules the grace
that sustains true believers; that holds the true children of God up to
mockery and contempt for holding to the "law of Christ" and not the Law
of Moses; that unreservedly asserts the child of God is lying about
God's Word when assurance in the blood of Christ for salvation is
claimed. Then where, I ask, is the love for Christ in those who will
not and cannot defend the honor of Christ who died so that they could
live? May it be recognized and well understood that the assumption of a
higher ground of morality is the same turn of logic that is used by
secular moral relativism to silence any arguments about moral
standards. A Christianity based on broken legal commands that can
destroy God's grace is in league with the world - certainly not Christ
and the teachings of grace. This is a much more vital threat than
secular atheism. The fact that the unsaved are atheist is hardly news
or a threat to a properly informed Christian. The correct response of a
worthy and pious mind is to recognize the tactical diversion of an
extra-biblical threat from an atheistic world-view for what it is,
namely: Get a grip, man, that's the mission field not the battlefield!
But, then, how may the proper battle be fought? By being a proper
witness who defends God's saving grace in the presence of the mission
field. By exposing "spiritual" sin and cleaning first the house of the
Lord. How then may "spiritual" sin be known and proven beyond all
doubt? How may the false friends be exposed for the "spiritual" crime
from which they earn their livelihood? How may true believers who are
zealous for the honor of Christ remove this insult to the grace of God,
first from their own lives and then the stain from the honor of
Christianity? The answer is simple by understanding grace. The process
is not so easy. The transformation of the spiritual mind takes much
Scripture and dedicated attention. Also, a guide is needed. Someone or
something, who Christ has instructed and prepared for such a purpose.
Someone who has been there and come back to tell others. This book is a
guide that will detail that journey.
To begin to understand the position and moral high ground assumed by a
false Christianity, one must first appreciate that God's offer of
salvation in Christ, on the sole condition of faith, is a very straight
forward proposition. However, sadly, as religious and pretentious men
would have it, no straight forward proposition is preached by a
"populist" Christianity. A higher moral ground than grace has been
claimed. In a word a Mountain, the symbol of a kingdom. Willful
ignorance is extremely hard to separate from convenient ignorance. In
the OT this is dramatically illustrated: "Then said Micah, Now I know
that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest"
(Judges 17:13). Concerning Micah, Dr. C. I. Scofield writes, "A
striking illustration of all apostasy. With his entire departure from
the revealed will of God concerning worship and priesthood, there is
yet an exaltation of false priesthood. Saying, "Blessed be thou of
Jehovah," Micah's mother makes an idol; and Micah expects the blessings
of Jehovah because he has linked his idolatry to the ancient Levitical
order." i
The Gospel record of Jesus Christ in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the
first chapter of Acts has been divinely written to be historically
correct. The record within the four Gospels is chronologically
accurate. There exists only minor perceived exceptions which do not
actually conflict; but only provide different details of different
incidents at different times. Many common scenarios are contained in
the first three Synoptic Gospels. This having been said, the very
existence of this correct historical record invites the grossly false
and insulting misconceptions that have been preached as so-called
"true" doctrines of "the gospel" by false Protestants teachers for
centuries. Is this to say the Bible is used against the Bible. An
emphatic affirmative is the one answer. Bear in mind the corrupted
religion depicted above, from the OT with Micah as the example. Does
this seem terribly confusing? Confusion is not of the Lord's making;
but perplexity is the stumbling stone that discourages the unsaved who
are curious and entangles the believer who is immature. Lazy minds
crippled by 10 second sound bytes are not able to digest the mature
spiritual "meat" of God's grace contained in Scripture. No clear
distinction can be made between law and grace until a knowledge of both
is obtained by contrasting one to the other.
To properly separate myth and false doctrine in "populist" Christianity
from the pure teachings of NT grace, and, to understand grace from the
"inside-out," as opposed to a superficial "outside-in," is a formidable
task. Beyond any personal doubt, this fact has been demonstrated as a
result of this extended effort. Over 7000 pages of theological
instruction and references, along with three Bible translations, have
been scoured and gleaned to assemble the doctrines of central
importance. These teachings of God's grace have been selected to
produce the proofs used in this investigative report.
A correct exposition of grace needs a highly subjective and radically
honest comparison to non-grace. A passionate and dedicated, highly
subjective, non-fiction - a gonzo journalism of grace - was used to
identify the source, not symptoms, of misleading propaganda that would
diminish the reverence that the grace of God deserves. The word
"propaganda" has its origin in the 1700's. It is derived from the Latin
expression, Congregatio de Propaganda Fide, "Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith."
My regards in Christ Jesus,
gonzodave _________________________
Post Note #1: More detailed reading on the historical background of today's populist Christianity may be found at http://www.spurgeon.org/downgrd.htm
Post Note #2: An interesting, yet criticaly relevant, abstract to "gonzo journalism" is thoughtfully stated at the following address: Warp Speed Journalism
1 The earliest of the U.S. lodges, founded by authority of the Grand
Lodge of England, were the First Lodge of Boston, established in 1733,
and one in Philadelphia, established about the same time. By the time
of the American Revolution, about 150 lodges existed in colonial
America. American Freemasons today make up more than three-fourths of
the total number of all members throughout the world; world membership
exceeds 5 million. Microsoft Encarta 2006. 1993-2005 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.
i Old Scofield Study System, Dr. C. I. Scofield, p 308
Reference: The excellent and comprehensive historical work by E. Brooks Holifield, Theology in America.
David Coulon 2007-2008 Creative Commons 3.0 non-derivative license. Some Rights Reserved. Free to share. Please use with credit.
A political article defending Obama against slanderous misinformation
Dear Reader,
This is a FIRST for this page - a political comment. I do not support one or the other canidate. However, I do support anyone who is unfairly maligned. Therefore, I post this article.
The X-istence Files: A072908G - The Doctrine of Moral Achievement and Why the Loss of Salvation is a Non-Christian Theory
Foreword
Dear Reader,
This writer is all too aware of the many contemporary sub-arguments between an assured now and an undetermined future salvation. The secessionist account of Christian division in 1-3 John hinged upon the interpretation of the Gospel of John to determine when Jesus became Christ. The deity and the humanity of Christ Jesus was in question. And, accordingly, primary in evaluating the meaning and the value of His death.
Ironically - from today's Protestant perspective - the opposing sides did not dispute the assurance of salvation. Rather, the importance of Christian sin and the demonstration of love for other believers - who were in need - was the contention that created the separation between the two groups. Thus, historically, far from being an issue for unity and agreement, it can be proved that the meaning and value in the death of Christ has always been in dispute. That, at one time or another, a lesser value has had prominence within Christianity.
I for one, do not hold to the progressive revelation of biblical doctrine as an accomplishment of men. Progressive understanding, like spiritual maturity and growth, does indeed naturally proceed. In our post New Testament time, divine revelation - any true revelation that might be arrived at - is already contained in the Bible. The revelation never moves. However, I do know, because of the disciplines of political science, the popularity and prominence of certain ideas rise and fall as a result of the activities of men. For this reason, I propose the core argument in Christian salvation lies in the assertions made by the Governmental theory of atonement. A de-valuation of and an inferior meaning for the death of Christ is the foundation upon which this theory is built.
The error is to confuse human forgiveness with divine forgiveness; to confuse the human and divine actions of Christ with the acts of men. To move the deity of the incarnate Christ Jesus down is to move man up. To move Christ down is to move more of the man Jesus onto the horizontal field with man. This is to over-evaluate His humanity at the expense of His deity. Biblically, Christ suffered and was tempted like anyone. Nowhere does Scripture say Christ accomplished His sinlessness like anyone. The example of Christ applies to what He experienced in common with all humanity, not how He achieved sinlessness. His perfect innocence as a man qualified Him to be the uniquely sinless (unblemished) substitute for the spiritual death of all men. Because of His innocence - death could not hold Him. Christ rose, not because He earned it, but because resurrection into a new state of humanity was the magnificent proof that He, Jesus the Man, was God. Believers are given salvation and promised resurrection, not because they must proceed to earn it. Rather, because Who Christ is and what He achieved. Who you trust - not what you do - determines salvation. The object of saving faith - not a mistaken objective - guarantees salvation. An impossible example of achievement is the moral example of Christ. For these reasons, the basic assumptions behind the loss of salvation are in error.
To support the rational basis for the loss of salvation, the Governmental theory must allow man not only the responsibility to "obey the gospel"; but, in addition, she/he need maintain their salvation by self-determination and actions. Under the express threat of punishment derived as the example from the Cross, this theory teaches that by successfully following the example in the sinless accomplishments of "The Anointed One," a Christian may become sanctified. Sanctified by self to receive heaven's final reward of eternal salvation. Did the Apostles preach a gospel that required progressive moral achievement to earn a future salvation? This is the question to be answered.
Introduction
Well beyond a majority of Protestant Christianity is practiced by
denominations grounded in Arminian salvation theory. Reformed theology is not
an aberration of free will as argued by Arminians who would defend
their interpretation of the Bible. To claim that one is a biblicist who only believes in the Bible is a thin disguise. What authority do Reformed and Arminians use? To argue the extent of the atonement made by Christ, limited or unlimited; or, the hurly-burly of free
will, is a dodge, a side-step from the real or primary issue of
salvation. And, to put it simply, salvation is Christianity. Christ is at the center of soteriology or He is not. Salvation can be lost or it cannot. This is the question to be answered.
If you have ever
wondered why salvation can be lost - it is because new seminarians are
taught Arminian theology. And, the Arminian Governmental theory of
atonement claims that one's future salvation can be lost because of personal sin or forfeited by choice. This discussion
publishes a statement defending a necessary rectoral meaning (e.g., Lord Rector and Rector Magnificus, pertaining to someone who rules, and by extension one who has the power of government to defend and punish) in the atonement. In other words, salvation was accomplished by God in that the crucifixion of Christ was a demonstration, an example of punishment for the benefit of sinners; but not a substitutionary penal death where the sin of all men was imputed to a sinless Savior. The statement was written by the highly regarded Arminian
theologian, Dr. John Miley. This discussion details why it is a flawed theory.
My desire, purpose, and hope is that you may gain a more clear understanding and a greater appreciation for the completed work of Christ in the 3 divisions that follow:
ONE
Please click the arrow in the top right-hand corner of the minimized pre-viewer for a full page screen. If the Acrobat viewer below is not working properly, here is an alternate link at ScribD.com, Thank you - gonzodave:
Name: gonzodave coulon ChristiansUnite ID: gonzodave Member Since: 2008-05-17 Location: Southeast, Alabama, United States Denomination: none - Reformed Protestant About Me: Just another basket case, who like the Apostle Paul was saved by the grace of God. I am committed to sharing and defending God's grace through the knowledge of imputation, penal substitution, and completed satisfaction contained in the infinite worth... more
Name: gonzodave coulon
