A Christian Viewpoint

The Qu ‘ran is the gospel according to Muhammed.

Here is what the word says…

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

2 Cor 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

The enemy beguiles. They preach another gospel. The weak and the foolish will bear with the deceiver. The strong will stand against them. What subtilty, is Allah the same God? It is a different gospel. The weak and the foolish should close their ears, shut their eyes, while the strong defend the faith.

Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

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Do not give what is holy to the dogs…
Do not cast your pearls before swine…

The bread and wine of the communion is a physical representation of the death of Jesus. Those who partake of this communion need to understand that the wine and the bread are holy (separated unto God). Some people at Corinth did not discern that the wine and the bread were holy. They counted the wine and the bread as a common thing. They drank and ate it as common food. Some to excess. This was what eating and drinking in an unworthy manner is. It is not whether you have sin, unconfessed or un repented. It is, do you not see the blood and body of Jesus?

…the dogs return to their vomit
…the swine trample underfoot
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Exegesis? Bible college? Can be important and possibly destructive. Can be trivial and possibly constructive. Or reverse the statements. Bible college is to get a good solid grounding in why the denomination you belong to believes their doctrinal understanding to be the correct interpretation of scripture. That does not mean however that exegesis brings about truth. If that were the truth everyone graduating from any bible college or seminary would believe the same things. That is definitely not the case. I find it an exercise in justification of one’s beliefs. Depending on source material and how much “authority” it carries changes the conclusions that one reaches. I am not saying that exegesis is a bad thing but…

caution: exegesis in progress

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All scripture is good for educational purposes, correction, etc…

The OT use of laws were needed because the people did not have the Spirit residing within them as we who are born again do. Laws were necessary for their survival. There was law also pointing out the coming one, sacrifice, and justification of life in the model form. While reading scriptures it is possible for the Spirit to make some portion active to bring about the purpose above; teaching, correction, instruction in righteousness, etc.

This does not mean that we are to follow the law, but we must allow the Spirit to use the scriptures to teach us how to walk in the path to fulfill some obligation he wants us to accomplish. If the Spirit then wants me to make weekly offerings (of money) to the local church as a tithing principle, I would be remise in my walk of faith if I disbelieved and entered into rebellion by withholding this “tithe”. Your legal view of the tithe is the stumbling block you trip over when answering my previous post.

I agree, that the NT does not teach tithing. I agree that I am not under the law. I disagree somewhat about the OT tithe that Abraham made, that it could not include any of the money that was found. I believe if money was found, as well as anything else, he gave a tithe of all. It may have been a onetime affair.

Now as for the church making it a must to donate (specifically, members for the upkeep of ministry) they are free to do so. Having them call it a tithe is beside the point, unless you look at it as a legal definition (which they may not). It is an agreement entered between individuals. They are free to do so. But you cannot compel someone to give as part of the NT teaching. I agree with you, that there are many churches who compel this giving (a tithe) through erroneous teaching. Some do compel by attempting to place them under law. That is their error.

So, most of what you wrote in response to my post is not applicable. I talk of someone who is led by the Spirit of God to take on a task or to make an offering through the reading of the OT and NT scriptures. A rhema word. I was not referring to excusing the misapplication of the law as a part of NT doctrine… But the allowing of the Spirit to use the scriptures to bring about God’s living purpose.

Do you get my drift?
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Yet did not Abraham give Melchizedek tithes of all? (gen 14:20) Jesus being also of the Melchizedek order.

This before the Mosaic law or the priesthood of Aaron. Not that I am saying that you are right or wrong in your understanding. Yet I think that this would or should modify your stance.

here is the relevant passage…

Hebrews 7
1For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 8And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

As for myself I tithe, as a child in the faith of Abraham, but not under law but from a free heart. I make other offerings as need appears. Teaching tithing as a must (part of law) is not found in the NT. It is a matter of the heart that gives cheerfully.

Trying to squeeze tithing out of the church can undermine the faith of the weak. It can cause division in the body. Since it is not an essential doctrine, teach with wisdom and love what the Lord through his grace taught you. Whether it is a plank or a speck… it is wood and it will be burnt.

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The rapture is simply a “snatching away” of those who are righteous in the eyes of the Father. When does it occur is a different matter. Who partakes in it is another. Some believe it falls in a pre/mid/post- tribulation time slot. Others have different thoughts on the subject. When the word rapture occurs many view it as an un biblical doctrine. The English word rapture encapsulates all the characteristics of Paul’s snatching away statement. This snatching away, this rapture, has always been a part of the church when Paul’s letter had been read and accepted. Now views of what it means vary through history. And the debate goes on… the debate goes on…
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Water baptism is an outward sign of repentance, a cleansing away, and for those who are baptized as Christians, representative of the washing away of our sins by the blood of Jesus. To come to this repentance is a work of God. Being therefore cleansed we can be baptized into the body of Christ as his Spirit comes to reside within us. One should not confuse the outward sign, which we should do, with the reality of God’s work that happens in a moment of time. We are born again, through the water (repentance) into the body of Christ (by his Spirit). These are the two essentials.
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Ah, the rightness of my way. I want to share with an open heart what the Lord has revealed to me.
What, you disagree with what I wrote? No problem, you are young in the Lord.
What, have wisdom of years? If you could read Greek you would see the error in your thinking.
What, have studied Greek! Well, that is a technical reading of the passage but the passage must be spiritually discerned.
What, the Spirit of God told you this? Evidently you have a wrong spirit.
What, judge you according to your good fruit, your good works? The enemy can appear an angel of light.
Argh! You just don’t get it.
Argh! Argh! No, you don’t.
Argh! Argh! Argh! You’re stupid.
Argh! Argh! Argh! Argh! You’re shadowspawn.
Argh……………
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Someone complained that some ministers, pastors, evangelists, teachers and a few Christians are doing a sales pitch for what people should believe.

Each one of these ministries has there own way of reaching people. Their respective ministries are for different purposes and their target audience sometimes overlap but not always. Judge your own work and let God judge the others. I must admit though, it does appear that a few nuts are sprinkled in the good fruit salad bowl of the kingdom.

The average Christian who does not have one of the ministries listed by you should simply be ready to give an account of the hope that is within them. That’s a personal testimony of their walk… not a teach, preach or lead me exercise. Andyman, quoting Peter, is correct in this regard.

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Traditions… you can get a glimpse of them in the scripture: water baptism, communion service, the moving of the Spirit in meetings, the sharing of goods, fellowship meals, prayer meetings, evangelistic crusades. Each district seems to have their own slant and emphasis. Things are fine until you try to cross every ‘T’ and dot every ‘i’. When that happens exclusion of people begins and the church is fractured. As charismatics we know that there is a danger of quenching the Spirit when we try to squeeze the Spirit through a traditions knot hole. Traditions do have a place and can be beneficial. Yet, it is dangerous to carve it in stone as the finger of God did when he wrote on the tables of stone that Moses provided.
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