LOOKING FOR THE CHURCH

[1watchman]

A seeker after the mind and ways of God MUST be reading the Holy Bible; and needs to begin at John 3 and John 14 to see how to come to God ---NOT in the Book of Genesis, which is about history of Creation and history of man; showing us in typology about salvation and eternal blessing in God's "..beloved Son": our Lord Jesus which would come.
Finding eternal life in Jesus Christ is fundamental. That is found in the four Gospel books of our Bible New Testament. Then one can learn how we are found in the universal CHURCH by the Holy Spirit in us. The description of the CHURCH is shown in God's Epistles beyond the beginning of the Church in the book of ACTS. The sects of man should not be our object for a religion, but the gathering by God in a Bible-only fellowship ---would you say?

The Church as God shows us is literally 'the called out company of God' ---meaning as Bible-only, rather than religious ideas. We need to be sure that is our ground of gathering and not just something that sounds appealing. I hope this will help any seekers!

 

[HTacianas]

A seeker after the mind and ways of God MUST be reading the Holy Bible; and needs to begin at John 3 and John 14 to see how to come to God ---NOT in the Book of Genesis, which is about history of Creation and history of man; showing us in typology about salvation and eternal blessing in God's "..beloved Son": our Lord Jesus. Finding eternal life in Jesus Christ is fundamental. That is found in the four Gospel books of our Bible. Then one can learn how we are found in the universal CHURCH by the Holy Spirit in us. The description of the CHURCH is shown in God's Epistles beyond that beginning of the Church in the book of ACTS. The sects of man should not be our object for a religion, but the gathering by God in a Bible-only fellowship ---would you say?

The Church as God shows us is literally 'the called out company of God' ---meaning as Bible-only, rather than religious ideas. We need to be sure that is our ground of gathering and not just something that sounds appealing. I hope this will help any seekers!

How does that speak to the untold millions upon millions of Christians who never read the bible?

 

[1watchman]

Good question, and that is why real Christians need to be speaking the Gospel message to all they meet worldwide; and we need to be sharing what God has revealed to us in His precious "Word of Truth" ---encouraging them to read the Holy Bible (would you say?). That is how many of us came to learn the truth after the Gospel was shared with us by faithful Christians. As we study the Holy Bible we learn what the true church expression is in the world ---local gatherings in towns and cities as PART of the universal Church God established. I find that explained well at the Biblecounsel web site, and it has helped me much.

 

[HTacianas]

Good question, and that is why real Christians need to be speaking the Gospel message to all they meet worldwide; and we need to be sharing what God has revealed to us in His precious "Word of Truth" ---encouraging them to read the Holy Bible (would you say?). That is how many of us came to learn the truth after the Gospel was shared with us by faithful Christians. As we study the Holy Bible we learn what the true church expression is in the world ---local gatherings in towns and cities as PART of the universal Church God established. I find that explained well at the Biblecounsel web site, and it has helped me much.

But that doesn't answer the question. The bible as you know it, didn't exist for the first 400 years of Christianity. So that rules out the possibility of Christians prior to then having read it. Afterwards, no copies of it existed except in the most limited sense. Then there is the question of literacy. Up until about 100 years or so ago, most people couldn't read. Now, compound that with the fact that in all likelihood your bible doesn't contain all of the books of the Christian bible.

So I can't say that I agree with your ideas on Christianity.

 

[1watchman]

I am sorry you cannot accept the truth I shared. Keep looking up!

 

[1watchman]

Allow me to add, friend, that the fact that writing of the Holy Scriptures in 400 BC was a BEGINNING, we are responsible for what is given today to us in God's "Word of Truth" as He says. God tells us that NO ONE can come unto God -the Father of mankind except through His "...beloved Son" --the Lord Jesus Christ (as John 3; John 14; Romans 8; etc.) so that tells us we ARE responsible for "all the counsel of God" and "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" as He declares. We have God's Word in our hands, and the Gospel of grace for eternity in the Gospels, so we can receive it or reject it, but at great peril. Keep in mind that the OT had different criteria for bowing to God --as in the Israelite religion, which now has been set aside until the Lord Jesus comes again, who will restore Israel with a new people, as the Bible teaches. Look up!

 

[EmethAlethia]

How does that speak to the untold millions upon millions of Christians who never read the bible?

First, understand that there has never been a command to read the bible in scripture. Those who do only that, "reading" are as disobedient as those who never read it... There is no command to read so ...

Now binding His word on your heart is recommended as is examining the scriptures diligently daily to see if what is said is true. But we are commanded to "Keep on proving all things over and over like an ongoing court case that never ends where the sole goal is to get to truth, and then alter the beliefs to fit the truth." That's the present tense expansion of "Prove all things and hold fast to what is good/true."

And, whether we stand ashamed or approved before God one day will depend on us becoming habitual manual laborers working day after day to "cut-straight" everything the word of God has to say.

Of course the goal is to become mature because we are so practiced in cutting straight, proving all things over and over again as a habit and way of life and altering our beliefs to fit what is true... getting to the point "because of this practice" that we can readily tell what is good from what is evil. With the eventual goal of being able to get to the point of knowing His will so well that we can determine what is merely good, from what is just acceptable, from what is perfect.

Those reading are not obeying God and will stand ashamed before Him one day. Is reading necessary to do what God commands? Yes. So is breathing. You can do both: believe you are a Christian, and read your bible and never be one. Believing Jesus is your Lord, God and Savior and even having all the spiritual gifts might only make you one of the "Many" on the broad path that leads to destruction, the same "Many" who will say, "Lord, Lord, did we not ... in Your name, and in Your name ... who will be told, "Depart from Me ... for I never knew you."

 

[EmethAlethia]

But that doesn't answer the question. The bible as you know it, didn't exist for the first 400 years of Christianity. So that rules out the possibility of Christians prior to then having read it. Afterwards, no copies of it existed except in the most limited sense. Then there is the question of literacy. Up until about 100 years or so ago, most people couldn't read. Now, compound that with the fact that in all likelihood your bible doesn't contain all of the books of the Christian bible.

So I can't say that I agree with your ideas on Christianity.

Canonizing the scriptures was, for the most part, merely figuring out what almost everyone already accepted and was using. Of course there were a few other works that were being created that others were trying to call scripture ... which, of course made the process of canonizing necessary in the first place. The Jews, and the early Christians also had O.T. scriptures they KNEW were acceptable as well. There were NO scriptures that were not COMMONLY ACCEPTED AND USED BY THE MASSES that were canonized. NONE.

Amazingly 99% of all the groups that call themselves Christians, have all accepted the same 66 books. Sure a few add more, but since they were written there has been almost complete agreement.

 

[EmethAlethia]

How does that speak to the untold millions upon millions of Christians who never read the bible?

God never commanded anyone to read the bible. Never. Those merely reading it are just as disobedient to what God commands His people to be doing with His word. Keep on proving all things over and over again and hold fast to what is good/true. Be manual laborers who aren't going to stand ashamed before God, but rather approved by Him, working at cutting-straight the word of God.

 

[1watchman]

Well, Emeth, it IS truly about receiving "all the counsel of God" as He instructs seekers. If we just listen to man and do not read God's Word --"rightly dividing the Word of Truth" as He tells us, we will do as many do and end up with a religion of our own making. I don't suppose you are advocating that, are you? I will pray for your soul!