embed/jesuswordsonly
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull requests Wiki Activity

initial backup of github.com/jesuswordsonly/jesuswordsonly.github.io

Browse source
This commit is contained in:
embed@git.macaw.me 2023-08-31 11:16:13 +00:00
commit 14edd76594
1931 changed files with 1103754 additions and 0 deletions
Download patch file Download diff file Expand all files Collapse all files

510
Recommended-Reading/answering.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,510 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/answering.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Answering Critics | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p>"But [Carlstadt's] most remarkable position [in 1520]...[was] the<em><strong> word of Paul</strong></em> is not to be put on a level with Christ." Beard <em>Luther </em>(1899)</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 383" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "383") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Answering Critics or Inquiries</h2>
<p>You will find various criticisms and my responses under these various links:</p>
<ul>
<li>Scott Schiffres Jr. / Pastor Church of Christ "<a href="/JWO/scott-breath-of-god-paul.html">So you Reject Paul but Accept Jesus?"</a></li>
<li>"<a href="/JWO/paul-and-the-rebellion-of-korah.html">Anti-Paulinists and Rebellion of Korah"</a> - disproves claim that rejecting Paul is similar to Rebellion of Korah.</li>
<li> <a href="/Recommended-Reading/email-discussions.html">Email Dialogues</a> (This includes both inquiries and criticisms, with my answers.)</li>
<li>Cross-the-Border site challenging my reading of Romans 7. My reply is <a href="/Recommended-Reading/cross-the-border.html">here</a>.</li>
<li>Mr. Moore liked <em>Jesus's Words Only</em> but in his Amazon review he criticizes my citation to Eisenman. Moore also claims Paul does not fit the Balaam prophecy because Paul helped the poor. I wrote him a reply posted at Amazon. You can find the reply in this sub-page posted<a href="/Recommended-Reading/moore.html"> here</a>.</li>
<li>Mr. Maugans makes a series of silly charges that do not address any substance.  My replies are<a href="/JWO/maugans.html"> here</a>.</li>
<li>Dulles / Weebly criticism -- argues that if Paul is invalid, then this is the same as arguing the gospels by apostles could be invalid. This nonsensical argument is based upon incorrect assumptions. My reply is <a href="/Contact-Us/weebly-criticism.html">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Still Waiting For Substantive Criticism As of March 2012</h2>
<p>No critic has yet attacked the substance of the claim that Jesus' words are the sole inspired portion of NT scripture. No one has yet addressed my points that: (a) Paul was not a prophet; (b) Paul was not an apostle of Jesus Christ confirmed by either words of Jesus or two witnesses with knowledge, such as the verifiable 12 apostles, but instead the evidence rests upon a self-serving claim of Paul; and (c) Paul abrogated the Law which would be the<em> sine qua non</em> definition of a false prophet in Deut. 13:1-5 besides contradicting Jesus in Matthew 5:17-19. Nor has anyone yet seriously challenged my thesis that Paul is the prophesied Benjamite wolf in Deut. 49:27.</p>
<p>Instead, spurious sniping makes up the criticism so far -- as of March 2012 - six years after JWO was first published. However, iron sharpens iron. I welcome anyone who is willing to show me any errors. I will post your arguments and my response via this page. I will also update JWO or JWOS if anyone can find a flaw. The aim is truth, not defending something previously written.</p>
<p>Blessings,</p>
<p>Doug</p>
<br /> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 921624<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

519
Recommended-Reading/bercot.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,519 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/bercot.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Bercot | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"Whatever the devil cannot be or do as it relates to God in Jesus Christ, he will either <strong>counterfeit</strong> or wipe out." Gary Flannigan, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">111: The Media War</span> (2008) at 131.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 8340" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "8340") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>David Bercot on "Apostle" Paul</h2>
<p>David Bercot is a Texas evangelical attorney. He advises against reading Jesus through the lense of Paul. He advises us to begin with Jesus, and never lose sight of His teachings. Bercot was a forerunner of the Jesus' Words Only movement. In 2010, he continues to support his brave stance to elevate Christ over Paul in his book <em>Theologians </em>at page 51. However, it is his work from 1992 where we first see Bercot's recognition of the principle of Jesus' Words Only.</p>
<p>David W. Bercot, in <em>Common Sense: A New Approach to Understanding Scripture</em> (1992) writes at page <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=UCVK9n7uSqAC&amp;lpg=PA21&amp;ots=8vfklcfufN&amp;dq=%22jesus%20words%20only%22&amp;pg=PA21#v=onepage&amp;q=%22jesus%20words%20only%22&amp;f=false">21</a> [books.google link]:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Likewise, when interpeting any single document, I always start at the beginning. I don't skip down to the middle and start reading.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The same principle applies to interpreting Scripture. When searching for the truths of Christianity, this means going back to the words of Jesus himself. This is a rather obvious principle, yet here the majority of evangelical Christians get sidetracked. <strong><em>They begin with Paul, not Jesus</em></strong>. Many evangelicals<em><strong> virtually ignore Jesus' teachings</strong></em>---claiming they apply to an earlier dispensation, or to the 'kingdom age.' Others <em><strong>reshape Jesus' words to fit Paul's words</strong></em>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">How strange. Jesus said "A disciple is not above his teacher." (Matt. 10:24.) Yet<em><strong> we make Paul, the disciple, greater than the teacher</strong></em>.  We <em><strong>subordinate Jesus to Paul</strong></em>.  We understand Jesus' words only in the context of Paul's writings. In sharp contrast, the <strong><em>early Christians understood Paul in the context of Jesus' teachings</em></strong>. Their gospel was above all the gospel of Jesus.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Principle #2: Start at the beginning with the teachings of Jesus.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Our <strong><em>upside down approach to Scripture</em></strong> is a fairly new tradition. It began with Martin Luther who said that the Book of Romans is "the chief part of the New Testament." We may not use his exact words, but in practice we follow in his footsteps.</p>
<p>Page <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=UCVK9n7uSqAC&amp;lpg=PA21&amp;ots=8vfklcfufN&amp;dq=%22jesus%20words%20only%22&amp;pg=PA22#v=onepage&amp;q=%22jesus%20words%20only%22&amp;f=false">22</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">However, a common sense approach to Scripture requires us to <em><strong>begin with the Author of Christianity, Jesus Christ---not with Paul</strong></em>. In our illustration of discovering what Scripture teaches about salvation, it means that we begin with the four gospels.</p>
<h2>Bercot On Paul in Early Church</h2>
<p>David Bercot wrote a book <em>Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up</em>? (1999) which was an eye-opener for me. It underscored that doctrines of Paul were rejected in the earliest church through the end of the Patristic era, ending 325 A.D. Bercot touched lightly on the problem of Paul, only saying that it was better to see the early church did not put Paul up on a pedestal in interpreting Jesus' words:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The early Christians<strong><em> didn’t put Paul’s letters</em></strong> to the Romans and Galatians up <strong><em>on a pedestal above the teachings of Jesus and the other apostles</em></strong>. They read Paul’s words about grace <em><strong>in conjunction</strong></em> with...Scriptures [where Jesus requires endurance for salvation, Matt. 24:13, doing the will of God for salvation, Matt. 7:21, the resurrected will be those who have done good, John 5:28, 29, etc.]." (Bercot, <em>Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up</em> (Texas: Scroll Publishing, 1999) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=j7K4S5n8hVAC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=bercot%20Will%20The%20Real%20Heretics%20Please%20Stand%20Up&amp;pg=PA63#v=onepage&amp;q=bizarre&amp;f=false">63</a>.)</p>
<p><img src="/images/stories/heretics.jpg" alt="Will The Real Heretics Stand Up" /></p>
<h2>Further Reading</h2>
<p>David Bercot has strains of thought that puts a lot of emphasis on interpretations of the early church commentators. Corner criticizes putting such weight on non-inspired sources. See "<a href="http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/david-bercot.htm">David Bercot</a>," Evangelicaloutreach.</p>
<p>However, I must disagree with Corner -- despite my strong admiration for his work <em>Conditional Securiity . </em><em>Corner </em>misses Bercot's point. Bercot is saying we should use the early church interpretations to re-examine our own interprations. This self-examination will lead us to realize our modern Protestantism is more the product of late church history than the original inspired texts. In other words, we can see our divergence from the original <em>inspired</em> writings by being attune to the early church <em>interpretation</em> of them. This means we need to put aside our current theological perspective, and embrace the oldest interpretations to then see more clearly the original inspired words of Jesus.</p>
<p>Corner's rationale for criticizing Bercot is obviously due to concern that it opens the door to giving undue weight to oral tradition. We might begin to stray from Sola Scriptura. However, others who favor oral tradition as of equal weight fault Bercot for not supporting their view, which underscores that Corner's concern is unfounded. For example, some from the Orthodox faith criticize Bercot for not acknowledging an oral tradition had significant weight in knowing what is true Christianity. See "<a href="http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/bercot.aspx">A Critique of David Bercot's Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up!</a>," Orthodox Christian Information Center. This demonstrates that Corner's concern is unfounded. It is indeed proper to look at the early church views to see how it construed canon and correct principles from the true canon, which in turn would let us see how we have altered our own focus and emphasis off of Jesus and onto Paul.</p>
<hr />
<p>David Bercot has a website where he offers CDs of his various teachings. See "<a href="http://www.scrollpublishing.com/store/cds-wecb.html">What the Early Christians Believed, CD Series</a>," Scroll Publishing</p>
<hr />
<p>David Bercot's latest book is <a href="http://www.scrollpublishing.com/store/index.html">Will The Real Theologians Please Sit Down</a>. I like the focus of this book. Here is the synopsis from the publisher's site:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">When Christianity was young, the focus was on Jesus Christ and His kingdom—not theology. To be sure, there are foundational doctrines that Christians have always considered essential to the faith. But somehow the things considered essential have grown from a few sentences to a long list of theological tenets, many of which were unknown to the early Christians. <br /><br />In the beginning, Christians understood that the essence of Christianity was an obedient love-faith relationship with Jesus Christ. This was not just any relationship, but a relationship that produced genuine kingdom fruit. <br /><br />But then something happened: Theologians took over the church. Once they took over, the emphasis soon changed from godly fruit to “orthodox” theology. Christianity became Doctrianity. In this provocative work, Bercot argues that it’s time to let Jesus speak through the pages of the Gospels without filtering His teachings through the denials and mental gymnastics of the theologians. It’s time for the children of the kingdom to stand up for Jesus and the gospel He preached—and for the theologians to sit down. <br /><br /><em>Will The Theologians Please Sit Down </em>will challenge you to the core in your Christian walk. (<a href="http://www.scrollpublishing.com/store/theologians.html">Theologians page</a>.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952974<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

542
Recommended-Reading/bible-lesson-on-debt.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,542 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/bible-lesson-on-debt.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Bible Lesson on Debt | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span>For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. (Ezra 7:10.)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 8683" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "8683") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Bible Lesson On Debt</h2>
<h2>Introduction</h2>
<p><strong>Deuteronomy 28:12 says Israel will not be a borrower nation:</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>“</strong>The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but <em><strong>you shall not borrow</strong></em>.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Deut 15:6 likewise says: “For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but <strong><em>you will not borrow</em></strong>; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you." </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;" class="mainlevel">However, some Christian commentators apparently ignorant of this verse say God does not disapprove of God's people borrowing:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="mainlevel">The Bible neither expressly forbids nor condones the borrowing of money. ("<a href="http://www.gotquestions.org/money-debt.html">What Does The Bible Say About A Christian going into debt?</a>").</span></p>
<p class="mainlevel"><span class="mainlevel"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Let's see whether the Bible gives more direction on this important topic.</span></span></p>
<h2>Debt is Slavery</h2>
<p>"The rich rules over the poor, And the<strong><em> borrower becomes the lender's slave</em></strong>." (Prov. 22:7.)</p>
<p><strong>Even though God discourages borrowing, God wants us to lend to others.</strong> (Deuteronomy 15:6, 28:12, Matthew 5:42)</p>
<p><strong>If we do borrow (when we are discouraged from doing so), we are required to pay back what we borrowed.</strong> (Psalm 37:21, Ecclesiastes 5:4).</p>
<h2>Charging Interest</h2>
<p>Charging any interest is prohibited in the Bible, at least among Israelites. (See next section "Debt &amp; Interest in Judaism".)</p>
<p>Interest could be charged non-Israelites and the purpose was to help the poor. Proverbs <a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Proverbs%2028.8">28:8</a> says:</p>
<p class="lang-en" style="padding-left: 30px;">8 Whoever multiplies his wealth by <em><strong>interest</strong></em> and profit gathers it for him who is generous to the poor</p>
<p class="lang-en"><span class="co_VerseNum">In <a href="http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9987/jewish/Chapter-23.htm">Deut 23:21</a> (Tanach) says: "</span><span class="co_VerseText">You may [however,] give interest to a foreigner, but to your brother (Israelite)<strong><em> you shall not charge interest</em></strong>, in order that the Lord, your God, shall bless you in every one of your endeavors on the land to which you are coming to possess." (<a href="http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9987/jewish/Chapter-23.htm">Tanach by Chabad.org</a>.) See <a href="http://bible.cc/deuteronomy/23-20.htm">Deut. 23:20</a> from NIV, NLT, etc. at bible.cc.</span></p>
<p class="lang-en">In "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism">Loans and Interest</a>" in Wikipedia, it says this emphatically:</p>
<p class="lang-en" style="padding-left: 30px;">Another significant loophole in the law was the biblical <strong>permission to charge interest on loans to non-Israelites</strong>.....</p>
<p class="lang-en">Thus, Jews, in reliance on this passage in Deuteronomy, believed by Medieval times that they could loan to Christian Kings while Christians had long adopted a law that no Christian could lend another Christian money at interest; it was a very serious sin and crime. (See "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism">Loans and Interest</a>," Wikipedia.) This allowed Jewish money-lenders a virtual monopoly on this trade in Christian lands, which over time was used to cast them in a bad cultural light among Christians. But Jewish people were following Biblical principles. It was the Christians who did not follow the Bible who borrowed at interest from them despite the Bible not condoning God's people doing so. So the Christian borrowing at interest despite God's discouraging words was wrongly cast by Christians as a problem inflicted by Jews -- Christians expressing sour graps that their financial problems were due to Jewish money lenders rather than their own sin of borrowing at interest.</p>
<p class="lang-en">Regardless, what about Proverbs 28:8 where it says the one collecting interest does so for the poor? This may mean that God will take the interest from those who lend to others and give it to the poor. Thus, the one who multiplies his wealth by interest and profit will end up giving it to God who in turn gives it to the poor.</p>
<p class="lang-en">The Law does clearly prohibit charging interest on one category of loans regardless of whether they were Gentile or a fellow-Israelite—those loans made to the poor (<a target="_blank" data-version="ESV" data-reference="Leviticus 25.35-38" class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Leviticus%2025.35-38">Leviticus 25:35-38</a>)</p>
<p>Here is a discussion of Debt at this Christian website --</p>
<p><a href="http://www.onemoneydesign.com/bible-debt-slavery/">http://www.onemoneydesign.com/bible-debt-slavery/</a> :</p>
<h2>Debt &amp; Interest in Judaism</h2>
<p>In Wikipedia in its article entitled "Loans and Interest in Judaism," we read:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah" title="Torah">Torah</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmud" title="Talmud">Talmud</a> encourage the granting of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loan" title="Loan">loans</a>, but <strong><em>only if it doesn't involve interest</em></strong>, with certain exceptions. Charging interest is classed in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Ezekiel" title="Book of Ezekiel">Book of Ezekiel</a> as being among the worst sins<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-2">[3]</a></sup>, and is forbidden according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halakha" title="Halakha">Jewish law</a>. The Talmud dwells particularly on Ezekiel's condemnation of interest<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-3">[4]</a></sup>, where Ezekiel denounces it as an abomination, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor" title="Metaphor">metaphorically</a> portrays <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usury" title="Usury">usurers</a> as people who have shed blood.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The <a title="Torah" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah">Torah</a> expresses regulations against the charging of interest in the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Exodus&amp;verse=22:25%E2%80%9327&amp;src="/>Exodus 22:25–27</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Leviticus&amp;verse=25:36%E2%80%9337&amp;src="/>Leviticus 25:36–37</a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Deuteronomy&amp;verse=23:20%E2%80%9321&amp;src="/>Deuteronomy 23:20–21</a>. In Leviticus loans themselves are encouraged, whether of money or food, emphasizing that they enable the poor to regain their independence, but, like the other two places in the Bible, forbids the charging of interest on the loan<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-Peake.27s_commentary_on_the_Bible-4">[5]</a></sup>. All three places state that the charging of interest is exploitative. In Exodus and Deuteronomy it is clear that it would be acceptable to charge interest on any loan to a non-Jew<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-Peake.27s_commentary_on_the_Bible-4">[5]</a></sup>.</p>
<p>Loans could be secured.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Evidently the concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secured_loan" title="Secured loan">secured loans</a> existed, as Exodus expressly prohibits using a particular <em>garment</em> as the security. The garment in question was a large cloth square, which the poor used for sleeping within, and hence the garment was needed to survive the cold nights<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-Peake.27s_commentary_on_the_Bible-4">[5]</a></sup>; had it been offered as security, then this would have put at risk the very life of the debtor. The Deuteronomic verse expresses a similar concern for the security of the debtor's life, but rather than prohibiting a particular <em>garment</em> from becoming the security for a loan, prohibits instead the use of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millstone" title="Millstone">millstone</a>. The millstone was used to make <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flour" title="Flour">flour</a>, and hence would be required for the manufacture of bread – a staple food among the poor; had the millstone been offered as security, the debtor would have been at risk of starvation.</p>
<p>Going beyond the Bible, Rabbinical teachings made the borrrower as guilty of the wrong of the creditor charging interest:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">According to the Talmud, the debtor would be as guilty as the lender, since it interprets one of the biblical verbs referring to <em>usury</em>, namely <em>tashshik</em><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-8">[9]</a></sup>, to be in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causative" title="Causative">causative voice</a><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-Jewish_Encyclopedia-0">[1]</a></sup>; due to the Talmud's figurative interpretation of the <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifnei_iver" title="Lifnei iver">lifnei iver</a></em>regulation, it even regards any witnesses to usury contracts, as well as the scribe writing the contract for the parties, to be as culpable for usury as the lender and debtor themselves<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-Jewish_Encyclopedia-0">[1]</a></sup>.</p>
<p>But the Rabbinical lessons were that the creditor who does not charge interest could still sue for damages due to the delay for a payment:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">However, the Mishnah does permit the refusal to hand over something for which only partial payment has been received, if it had been sold on the terms that payment would be made by a certain date, and if that date has passed<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-9">[10]</a></sup>; in <a class="mw-redirect" title="English Law" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Law">English Law</a>, the <a title="Mortgage law" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortgage_law">mortgage</a> was invented to take advantage of this exception. If witnesses support a claim that it had been agreed to repay a debt by a certain date, but they are proven to be lying and the correct repayment date to be different, then, according to the Mishnah, the false witnesses must pay the amount accrued due to the difference in value of the thing between the two dates<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-10">[11]</a></sup>.</p>
<h2>Debt &amp; Slavery</h2>
<p>First things first: when we say “slavery” and the Bible says “slavery”, we often mean very different things. Our first thought of the word brings to mind the cruelties of the African Slave Trade. The atrocities of the 1600-1800′s are an unthinkable stain on world history (and sadly, the Christians that supported it). Millions were caught up in the trading of men, women, and children into a life sentence of cruelty and forced labor. The Bible does address this type of slavery: <em>“<strong>He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.”</strong> (Ex. 21:16)</em> Plain and simple, anyone who stole another man/woman and sold them into slavery was to be put to death. This is the Biblical stance on <strong><em>chattel slavery.</em></strong> Regrettably, Christians in this time period of history misused and distorted scripture to justify this type of slavery. Moving forward, we must recognize that the Bible’s use of the term “slavery” is often not what we think.</p>
<h3>What is the Bible’s usage of the term?</h3>
<p>The best comparison in our vocabulary is the concept of <strong>indentured servitude</strong>. This is the reason more modern translations of the Bible replace the word “slave” with “servant”. Essentially, if a person was unable to pay their bills, then they must honor their debt by the sweat of their brow. This type of service had certain constraints on it in the Original Mosaic Testament Law, and—most importantly—the service was completed when the debt was repaid through labor. In light of this, we can begin to understand the famous (and sometimes infamous) proverb:<em> “The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” (Prov 22:7, NASB).</em> This passage is literal. <em>It simply means what it says.</em> There is no metaphor hiding underneath Solomon’s words. He plainly states that the borrower will in fact become the lender’s slave in the event the debt cannot be paid off. Therefore, the Bible is describing a literal type of slavery (servant-hood, if you prefer) when debts could not be repaid.</p>
<h3>What does this mean for me?</h3>
<p>Aside from being a neat spiritual nugget to chirp out at our next Bible study, we must seek to apply this portion of God’s word to our life. <em>What principle, if any, is to be found in this passage for the contemporary Christian?</em> A simple answer is this: <strong>Debt will cause your productivity to belong to another.</strong> In biblical times, this was more of an all or nothing thing—slave or free. Today, however, the lines are a lot less clear. We fail to see that <em>debt places our productivity into the hands of our creditors</em>. Because this process is gradual, we lose sight of the fact that <em>as debt increases, our ownership of our own productivity decreases.</em> <strong>Our prosperity loses its potential</strong> to be invested in God’s kingdom as debt increases.</p>
<p>The further we trudge into debt, the more our efforts, income, and assets come under the ownership of our creditors. This could be everything from money going out in interest payments to garnished wages to liens on our possessions and properties. The more we leverage the more our resources belong to someone other than us. (I know God owns everything, but follow my argument here.) Bound by integrity and biblical instruction (Ps. 37:21), we must pay back what we have borrowed and thereby have little control or say as to where our money goes.<em> Our influence over our money has disappeared.</em> On the other hand, the further we get out of debt the more our freedom increases to invest in God’s kingdom. Our choices—to avoid debt or get into it—will have a remarkable effect on our freedom financially and beyond.</p>
<p>End.</p>
<h2>MISCELLANY</h2>
<h2>Advice on Credit Cards</h2>
<p>See this <a href="http://www.onemoneydesign.com/how-to-own-a-credit-card/">link</a>.</p>
<h3>DID YOU KNOW THE LAW ON DEBT NEGATIVELY AFFECTED EVANGELISM TOWARD JEWS?</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">in many <a title="Europe" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe">European countries</a>, medieval <a title="Civil law (legal system)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_law_(legal_system)">civil law</a> also allowed the monarchs to automatically inherit any remaining income and property that had been acquired by usury, upon the death of the Jewish usurer involved<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-Jewish_Encyclopedia-0">[1]</a></sup>. Medieval European monarchs thus supported the Jews, and suppressed any attempts to convert them to Christianity, since it would deprive the monarch of potential income<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-Jewish_Encyclopedia-0">[1]</a></sup>; in England and France, the monarchs demanded compensation from the church for every Jew that was converted, and, until 1281, the English monarch had the legal right to claim half the property of any Jew that converted to Christianity<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism#cite_note-Jewish_Encyclopedia-0">[1]</a></sup>. ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loans_and_interest_in_Judaism">Loans and Interest in Judaism</a><em>," Wikipedia</em>.)</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 923130<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

523
Recommended-Reading/bible-studies-anger.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,523 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/bible-studies-anger.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Bible Studies - Anger | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"The world is full of religious teachers [and] prophets. All of them claim to be able to speak authoritatively. How do we know whom to believe?" Steven Davis</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild active"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="haschild active"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="11" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 2031" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "2031") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> <a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="pathway">Books</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> How Not to Study the Bible</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Bible Study on Anger: What Does The Bible Teach?</h2>
<p>Love is the essence of God's nature:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because <strong><em>God is love</em></strong>.</span> <em>(<a title="NIV 1John 4:7-8" class="bibleref" href="http://biblegateway.com/bible?version=31&amp;passage=1+John+4%3A7-8">1 John 4:7-8</a>)</em></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus is an example to follow of what it means to love another:<br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for each other.” (<a title="NIV 1John 3:16" class="bibleref" href="http://biblegateway.com/bible?version=31&amp;passage=1+John+3%3A16">1 John 3:16</a>)</span></p>
<p>The opposite of love is hate. And hate is exemplified by anger:</p>
<div></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div></div>
<div><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (<a title="NIV Proverbs 12:18" class="bibleref" href="http://biblegateway.com/bible?version=31&amp;passage=Proverbs+12%3A18">Proverbs 12:18</a>)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.<span class="style1"> (<a title="NIV Proverbs 29:11" class="bibleref" href="http://biblegateway.com/bible?version=31&amp;passage=Proverbs+29%3A11">Proverbs 29:11</a>)</span></p>
<h2>Series of Verses on Anger</h2>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p>Proverbs 12:16 - The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.</p>
<p>Psalm 37:8 - Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.</p>
<p>Proverbs 15:1 - A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.</p>
<p>James 1:20 - For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.</p>
<p>Proverbs 14:29 - Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.</p>
<p>Ecclesiastes 7:9 - Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.</p>
<p>Proverbs 19:11 - Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.</p>
<p>Proverbs 16:32 - Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.</p>
<p>Psalm 103:8 - The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.</p>
<p>Proverbs 15:18 - A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.</p>
<p>Proverbs 16:29 - A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good.</p>
<p>Proverbs 14:17 - A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.</p>
<p>Proverbs 22:24-25 - Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, Lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.</p>
</span>
<p> </p>
</div>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 923019<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

552
Recommended-Reading/bible-study-on-whether-mocking-humor-to-friends-is-funny.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,552 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/bible-study-on-whether-mocking-humor-to-friends-is-funny.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="putdowns, vebal abuse, sarcasm, Bible, Christ" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="verbal abuse such as sarcasm, putdowns masguerading or in guise of humor should not be used by Christians. Bible passages cited. " />
<title>Bible Study On Whether Mocking Humor to Friends Is Funny | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"It is not in the epistles we learn the fundamentals. We shall find those necessary points best in the preaching of our Savior." (John Locke (1696).)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 5631" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "5631") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2></h2>
<h2>Bible Study Whether Mocking Humor / Satire Toward Friends is Truly Funny or Instead ImProper</h2>
<p><span>A Christian website begins a topic:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Dear ones, Have you too noticed how prevalent the untrue, crass, and depreciating put downs rear their ugly heads in Christian circles? Have you too noticed that these put downs are dressed up to demonically <strong><em>masquerade as “humor?”</em></strong> ("<a href="http://walkworthy.org/category/raising-children/">Raising Children</a>")</span></p>
<p>A Christian counseling website describes this kind of verbal abuse:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Sometimes verbal abuse is <strong><em>disguised as jokes</em></strong>. Although his comments may masquerade as humor, they cut the partner to the quick. The verbal jabs may be delivered crassly or with great skill, but they all have the same effect of diminishing the partner and throwing her off balance. ("<a href="http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/verbalabuse.html">Verbal Abuse</a>.")</span></p>
<p>The Bible says that the reason that we are to come together is, not to criticize, but to “exhort” (encourage) one another (Hebrews 10:25). Paul has an <em><strong>edifying</strong></em> remark on this score:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span> </span><span style="color: #ff0000;">“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” </span><em><span class="style1">(<a title="NIV Ephesians 4:29" class="bibleref" href="http://biblegateway.com/bible?version=31&amp;passage=Ephesians+4%3A29">Ephesians 4:29</a>)</span>.</em></p>
<p>Then is ridicule, mockery or satire of others about possible faults / different viewpoints -- putdown humor - appropriate? or ungodly? The one dishing it out thinks if the recepient does not find it funny that the problem is with the recipient. And if it hurts their feelings, then the ridiculer thinks the recipient is socially maladjusted and should just accept it. The ridiculer never thinks that such behavior is juvenile, mean-spirited or improper. They believe the problem is all the recipient's perception -- not accepting it as a 'joke.'</p>
<p>Initially, aside from the question of Biblical propriety, the ridiculer should consider that others will not wish to associate or be friends with them. And if we are trying to reach non-believers and use such humor, we cannot believe this will 'gain friends and influence people' for Christ. It repels them from us. But the ridiculer knows that. So the issue here is whether the ridiculer / mocker / putdown artist should refrain from doing so for moral reasons among other Christians even when there is no concern about leading them to Christ.</p>
<p>First, let's consider how the world looks at what we are talking about:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">This points to the role of ridicule in maintaining order. The sociologist Erving Goffman asked why people follow the everyday, micro-codes of behaviour. His answer was that they do so because of the fear of social embarrassment (Goffman, 1967). However, he did not then ask why embarrassment might be feared. A simple answer would be that <strong><em>embarrassment is funny to others</em></strong>. If we break social codes, then we fear that others might laugh at our infringements, mocking our inappropriate behaviour. Thus,<strong><em> fear of mockery may be the key means for maintaining social order</em></strong>. Humour, far from being principally rebellious, also fulfils a deeply conservative function (for more details of this argument, see Billig, 2001a).</p>
<p>"<a href="http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm/volumeID_15-editionID_84-ArticleID_453-getfile_getPDF/thepsychologist%5Csep02billig.pdf">Freud &amp; the Language of Humor</a>," <em>Pscychologist</em> 2002 at 454.</p>
<p>One Christian counseling <a href="http://www.dovechristiancounseling.com/ToxicPeopleEvilPeople.html">website</a> calls putdown artists / ridiculers toxic people, and describes them as follows:</p>
<div id="element120">
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><em>All of us have at one time or another been involved with, worked with, or been related to toxic people. Those are the people, who when you are with them, never fail to make you feel bad about yourself, or say or do something that is critical of you. You could be in the best mood, and have the best of intentions and they will cut you down, make some sarcastic remark, give you a dirty look, or accuse you of something that you never did or said. They have a way of ruining your day, your life, and your good moods. And if you dare to challenge their perceptions of you or something that they say you did, they immediately blame you and make everything your fault. The bottom line is, after you have spent some time with them, you feel lousy. You feel emotionally drained, and you feel sick. Sometimes even physically sick.</em></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><em>This is why we call such people </em></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>TOXIC:</em></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><em> The dictionary defines toxic as "poisonous." These people are actually POISONOUS to you. Let's take it a step further. The dictionary defines POISON as </em></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>"a substance that can seriously injure an organism or destroy life."</em></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><em> Wow! So toxic people can end your very life because they are that poisonous to you.</em><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; color: #000000;" class="size10 Helvetica10"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><em>Toxic people are dangerous to you. They can be annoying, obnoxious, irritating and depressing. They can dampen your spirits. They can ruin your reputation. They can get you fired from your job. They can destroy your relationships with spouses, lovers, relatives and friends. They can erode your self esteem. They can cause you to go into deep depression. They can cause you to get sick which can take the form of anxiety, panic attacks, and make your life miserable.</em></span></p>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><em></em></span></div>
</div>
<p>They divide those who use humor -- the toxic person -- into three categories:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span class="size14 BookmanOldStyle14" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>The Putdown Artist: </em></span></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><em>The Putdown Artist is constantly making others the butt of jokes in an attempt to deflect attention away from their own shortcomings. These jokes are usually very cruel and abusive. They are not funny, they just are meant to inflict pain on the person being joked about. They will do this in front of others.</em></span></p>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;" class="size14 BookmanOldStyle14"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>The Bully:</em></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><em> The Bully thrives on dominating and humiliating those they perceive as weaker than them. They can be very dangerous if their bullying involves physical attacks.</em><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;" class="size14 BookmanOldStyle14"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em></em></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;" class="size14 BookmanOldStyle14"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>The Master Manipulator:</em></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;" class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12"><em> The Master Manipulator uses cunning, trickery and deception to control victims. Like the instigator they will purposely go after any weakness that you have, make fun of it, and then become super charged when you fall for their trickery. They actually will start a fight, and then make it look like you started the fight or argument and then pass that on to everyone else. You come out looking like the bad guy.</em></span></div>
<p>The verbal abuser tries to deflect any self-evaluation by insisting the recipient is overly sensitive which is now a direct dig at the recipient. The abuser hurls this as a follow-up to cause doubt and frustration in the recipient to make them think it is all in their head:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>A victim is often the target of ... sarcasm.... The abuser's reaction to these actions is frequently cloaked in a "What's wrong with you?" attitude. She is accused of "making a mountain out of a molehill." Over time [the recipient] loses her balance and equilibrium and begins to wonder if she is the one who is crazy. ("<a href="http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/verbalabuse.html">Verbal Abuse</a>.")</span></p>
<p>In fact, this discounting of the feelings of the recipient is just more verbal abuse, but this time not cloaked in humor:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>A third category of verbal abuse is discounting. This is like taking a one hundred-dollar item and reducing its price to one cent. Discounting denies the reality and experience of the partner and is extremely destructive. It can be a most insidious form of verbal abuse because it denies and distorts the partner's actual perception of the abuse. ("<a href="http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/verbalabuse.html">Verbal Abuse</a>.")</span></p>
<p>The issue comes up among Christians whether to use putdowns in debates -- whether with Christians or not. One author comments:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>When the majority criticizes us, we may find that we need to put down, even make fun of the key leaders of the majority. Can you believe how silly and foolish xxxxx person is because he believes_______.  ("<a href="http://wisecounsel.wordpress.com/2007/06/07/christian-put-downs-do-they-fit-in-the-mission-of-god/">Wise Counsel.</a>")</span></p>
<p>There is a video about there should not be "name calling" and "putdowns" among Christians. ("<a href="http://www.higherpraisetube.com/video/God_Hates_Name-Calling_and_Put_Downs">Higher Praise Tube</a>").</p>
<p>Is the problem with the recipient's reaction instead, that is having feelings of being embarrassed or humiliated or uncomfortable and not wishing to share company with the ridiculer?</p>
<p>In some respects such verbal abuse under the guise of humor is a form of persecution. We are told to put up with it, and it may indeed toughen us for persecution that God's enemies may inflict.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>1 Peter 4:12 - Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.</span></p>
<p>One Christian woman talked about a husband who constantly mocked everyone around him, including her, and she decided to patiently endure it:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>I have a husband like this... Every time he mocks me I just thought I will get used to it....Deep inside it hurts...but it's his nature being sarcastic with everyone around him....I sometimes regret of marrying him...and its realy hard to respect him. But it's me who is a Christian so it's right to turn my other cheek and ignore his flaws(being sarcastic)...be tolerant...and pray.</span></p>
<p>So maybe that is the answer -- it is not the persecutor or ridiculer who must change, but the recipient should learn to grin and bear it?</p>
<p>The Christian counseling <a href="http://www.dovechristiancounseling.com/ToxicPeopleEvilPeople.html">website</a> above that defined toxic people recommends instead that Christians simply dissasociate from such people, citing Jesus' verse on 'cast the dust off your shoes':</p>
<div id="element128">
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><em>What did Jesus say about such people? He told the disciples to go into a town and preach the gospel and give that town their "peace." If the town accepted the disciples, then well and good, but if they did not receive what they had to say Jesus told the disciples to </em></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>"dust off your shoes and leave that town" He also said, "do not cast your pearls before swine."</em></span></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;"><em> </em></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><em>He told </em></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #520a02;"><em>t</em></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><em>hem to go where they would be heard, loved and accepted without having to jump through hoops to get people to listen to them.<br /></em></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><em>The same thing goes for the toxic people in your life. You are "you" and your real friends, do not treat you badly. You can be yourself around them, say and do the same things you want to do without being in fear of their criticism and put downs, and manipulative set ups, etc. This is because they are not TOXIC PEOPLE to you.</em></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><br /></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><em>The bottom line is this: You cannot afford to associate with people who are trying to destroy your very life. Without using a weapon, they are systematically destroying your sense of happiness and well being, and your joy and your peace.<br /></em></span><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><em>If the toxic people in your life are members of  your own family then God tells you to leave that family. I am talking about the adult toxic people in your life, not toxic children who you cannot leave until they are at least 18. If your young children are toxic to you then you need to get them professional help before they turn into one of the above described toxic personalities.</em></span></p>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
</div>
<div id="element129">
<div><span class="size12 BookmanOldStyle12" style="font-family: 'Bookman Old Style', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: #000066;"><em></em></span></div>
<div></div>
</div>
<p>How should the one who is accused of being a toxic humorist evaluate their own behavior? Whether the response is weird of the listener to dissaociate? Or should the humorist conclude their humor is inappopriate?</p>
<p>First, the ridiculer must realize there may be a fine line between a putdown that is intended humorously or a putdown that is subtly meant to send a message under the guise of humor. And the recipient may not be able to tell the difference. And in the end, either way, such humor is inappropriate.</p>
<p>So let's start with the assumption you are making poisonous putdowns that hurt but you, the ridiculer, believe it should be understood as a jest. 'Your overweight condition makes me sick!" -- joking! "You never come into work on time" (even if the recipient works late everday) -- "joking!"</p>
<p>If you are the one accused of using such humor as a verbal abuser, how do you self-evaluate, especially if you are a follower of Christ?</p>
<h2>The Bible's Instructions</h2>
<p>Verbal abuse is assault with angry words even if couched as humor. Even if you believe it is truly funny, and not mean-spirited at all. Why?</p>
<p>Because such jokes <strong><em>are not funny</em></strong>, and thus humor is just a pretense for an attack -- even if you really did intend it as humor. 'Your so fat I could scream' is humorously spoken, but the words are simply not funny. Any adult knows such high-school juvenile humor is a bad attempt at humor. Hence, anything that goes along with it can only be construed by a RATIONAL person as an angry mean-spirited putdown, even if the speaker truly does not intend the words to be heard that way. Thus, your belief as the ridiculer that you can answer 'I was just joking' does not justify the put-down. It is never funny to point out and exaggerate a flaw, pecadillo, viewpoint, etc. by mockery. It is properly understood and construed as maliscious statements even if they are not. That's because the speaker either is too juvenile to realize it is not funny and hence it is improper, or the speaker is an adult and should know that such humor is not funny and thus can properly be interpreted as designed to stir up anger. Either way, they are mean, evil and provacatory words.</p>
<p>Proverbs 29:22 says, "<span style="color: #ff0000;">An angry man <em><strong>stirs up strife</strong></em>, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression</span>."</p>
<p>Indeed, in an adult, such humor is a guise, whether conscious or not, to voice a subtle complaint with another's behavior or appearance. In a juvenile, it may be just a poor taste in humor. But in an adult, it is a means of addressing an issue without discussing it, just putting down another to get them to change / manipulate them to a behavior you, the ridiculer, prefer. Even the ridiculer may not be conscious that this is what they are doing, thinking it is just silly humor, but everyone knows that on another level an adult is using such inappropriate humor to convey a point / message.</p>
<p>Hence, even if the adult ridiculer is not aware that they have an anger issue, whether small or great, they need to see they are coping with it by inappropriate humor.</p>
<p>So where there was peace, the angry word spoken in the guise of humor stirs up strife. Rather than being angry and expressing anger via humor, the ridiculer should explain in love 'I think you could lose some weight for your health. Is there anything I can do to help?' 'I think you should come in earlier to work. What are the issues keeping you from coming in earlier?'</p>
<p>But the ridiculer who is stubborn responds 'I don't really care about the weight. I just want to <strong><em>tease and have fun</em></strong>.' But dear ridiculer, that is good to hear yourself say. Because then you can realize that you alone are enjoying the joke -- it is selfish in scope. The recipient does not find it funny, as you know. Hence, you are <strong><em>making fun of people for your own sake</em></strong> -- a <strong><em>selfish humor that only is hurtful to others, and not truly funny</em></strong>.</p>
<p>So either you are an angry person stirring up strife or you are a totally selfish person in your humor. Either way, it is not godly. It is verbal abuse.</p>
<p>Put on the mind of Christ, which was to serve, and you can never think of using verbal abuse in the guise of humor again: for Jesus taught whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. (Mark 10:42-44.)</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 923086<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

573
Recommended-Reading/bodies-upon-ascension.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,573 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/bodies-upon-ascension.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Bodies upon Ascension | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"Paul's reign [is] drawing to a close. Jesus, on the contrary, lives more than ever." (Renan,<em> Saint Paul</em> (1875))</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="/Buy-Now/buynow.html"><span>Buy Now</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 9424" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "9424") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommended Websites</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.thewords.com">The Words of Jesus of Nazareth</a><a href="http://www.thewords.com/" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/" title="Jesus Focused Publishers" target="_blank">Jesus Focused Publishers</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.myspace.com/50264805/music/albums/342">Only Jesus</a> (song by Big Daddy -scroll down)</p>
<p><a href="http://justhiswords.com/">Just His Words</a> (red letter only $7.25)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p>(No affiliation with me or this website.)</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Our Bodies Upon Ascension/Final Resurrection</h2>
<p>What does the Bible reveal will be our bodies upon ascension from the grave --"the resurrection from the dead on the last day" as Jesus called it - when our bodies rise into heaven? Are our bodies reconstituted as flesh and blood? Or do we have forever some kind of spiritual body without flesh -- a mere soul?</p>
<p>What did Job mean when he said in Job 19:25-26:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after <em><strong>my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.</strong></em>”</p>
<p>Did Job have it right that even after our skin is destroyed in this life, it will be reconstituted as flesh, and with that flesh we will see God one day on (a revamped) earth?</p>
<h2>Jesus's Statements On the Resurrection of the Dead</h2>
<p>Jesus repeatedly stated that "on the last day" is the "resurrection" (Jn 6:<wbr />39-40,44,54). Earlier Christ had said of this future event: "Do not marvel at this: for the hour is coming in which<em> all who are in the grave will hear his voice and come forth</em>" (John 5:28). He clearly implies that the bodies of the dead are still in the grave until the time of their resurrection. Cf. Dan. 12:2 ("And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth<em><strong> shall awake</strong></em>, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.")</p>
<p>The "soul" of the unresurrected, however, are like the soul of the thief on the cross who Christ told: "This day you shall be with me in Paradise." In Luke 20:38, Jesus said "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living," saying Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive right now.</p>
<p>As a result: "Most Protestants believe the soul is judged to go to <a title="Heaven" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven">heaven</a> or <a title="Hell" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell">hell</a> immediately after death." (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_sleep">"Soul-Sleep</a>," <em>Wikipedia.</em>) <em>Cf.</em> Rev. 20:4 ("I saw the souls" of all those beheaded for Christ.)</p>
<p>The opposite view teaches what is called soul-sleep. <em>Id. </em>This is based upon Paul who said Christ is the "Lord of <strong><em>the dead</em></strong> and the living." (Romans 14:9.) <em>Cfr.</em> But Jesus says "God is <strong><em>not </em></strong>the God <strong><em>of the dead</em></strong> but the living." (Luke 20:38.)(Oops! Another contradiction by Paul of Jesus.)</p>
<p>Paul also taught: "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them <strong><em>which are asleep</em></strong>." (1 Th 4:15.)</p>
<p>Where did Paul learn this? It derives from a book the Jews kept in the third-tier of the Bible called "Writings / Scripture" -- Ecclesiastes at 9:5 ("dead know not anything"), 9:6 and 9:10 ("no knowledge in the grave where thou goest.") Ecclesiastes as part of the third tier -- Writings/Scripture Section -- was not accepted as inspired fully by Jews other than Pharisees. (See "<a href="http://knol.google.com/k/standford-rives/writings-section-of-original-bible-of/g6z6g2l2q6zj/26">Writing Section in Original Bible of the Jews</a>," Knol.).</p>
<p>Yet, soul-sleep of the saved contradicts Jesus' message to the thief on the cross, and cannot be correct.</p>
<p>As a result of rejecting soul-sleep, Lutheranism teaches:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">On the last day, all the dead will be resurrected. Their souls will then be <em>reunited with the same bodies </em>they had before dying.<sup>("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Judgment">The Last Judgment</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em>.)</sup></p>
<p>Based on Jesus's statements, Lutheranism appears correct on this score -- we will have the same bodies of flesh - obviously healed of illness and death -- as we had when we died.</p>
<h2>Jesus's Resurrection and Ascension</h2>
<p>Further confirmation comes from determining whether flesh and blood can inherit heaven. The Bible other than Paul says it can and did happen.</p>
<p>God "took [Enoch] away" in his human living body. (Gen. 5:24.) Elijah was taken up in the same way. Finally, there was Jesus. In Jesus' case, however, Jesus died first and was resurrected. So this can tell us something new and significant: is a resurrected body solely spiritual or is it made of flesh?</p>
<p>Jesus's post-resurrection body was clearly still the same flesh He had at death. This is proven in Jesus's post-resurrection encounter with Apostle Thomas. Jesus offered Thomas to put his fingers in the nail-holes in Jesus's hands. It was clearly the same flesh as Jesus had at death except healed of death but not the scars that inflicted death.</p>
<p>Neither Protestants nor Catholics have ever denied Jesus' resurrected with his original flesh even though it was then free of death. Gregory of Nyssa had this correct: "Further, as Gregory says (Moral. xiv), Christ's <strong>body was in no way changed</strong> after the Resurrection." (Aquinas, <em>Summa Theologia</em> <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/summa/4057.htm">Q 57 Art 1</a>.)</p>
<p>But does this mean necessarily that Jesus had the same body after ascension to heaven as Jesus had after the resurrection? I believe so. The text of the Ascension event leads us to naturally conclude <em><strong>it is the same resurrected body as it ascended</strong></em>. As it says in Luke, "he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven" (Luke 24:51). And in Acts Luke writes, "As they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9).</p>
<p>Both Protestant and Catholic commentaries have traditionally taught Jesus exists in the same human bodily form in heaven as He had on earth, albeit it is a glorified body, <em>i.e.</em>, eternal in life-span. John Calvin, along with many other theologians, was clear on this point: after the Ascension, Christ was present in heaven in his bodily condition. Calvin said, "His <strong><em>body</em></strong> was raised up above to the heavens."<span style="font-size: 10pt;">(<em>Institutes</em> </span>2.16.14.)</p>
<p>Aquinas, a Catholic theologian, said Christ's presence in heaven reflects a continuing human nature alongside his Divine nature: "Christ is said to ascend to the Father, inasmuch as He ascends to sit on the right hand of the Father; and this is befitting Christ in a measure according to His Divine Nature, and<strong><em> in a measure according to His human nature</em></strong>, as will be said later (<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/summa/4058.htm">58, 3</a>)."  (Aquinas, <em>Summa Theologia</em> <a href="http://www.newadvent.org/summa/4057.htm">Q 57 Art 1</a>.) Aquinas explains later: "Christ is said to sit at the Father's right hand inasmuch as He is on equality with the Father in respect of His Divine Nature, while <strong><em>in respect of His humanity</em></strong>, He excels all creatures in the possession of Divine gifts." <em>Id.</em>, Q<a href="http://www.newadvent.org/summa/4058.htm"> 58 4</a>.</p>
<div></div>
<p>Such a traditional explanation can be found in this explanation at a Pentecostal website:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Jesus<strong><em> still possesses His human body in heaven</em></strong>, albeit in a <em><strong>glorified</strong></em> form. Jesus’ person did not change from His pre-glorified state to His post-glorified state. Jesus’ humanity is permanent. It did not dissolve somehow at the ascension. (Jason Dulle, "<a href="http://www.onenesspentecostal.com/bodiesheaven.htm">Heavenly or Earthly Bodies</a>," (accessed 7/11/2010).)</p>
<h2>Jesus Says We Become Like Angels</h2>
<p>Let's confirm this view further that proves flesh and blood can enjoy eternal life in heaven -- but be aware Paul says this is NOT TRUE. We will do so by examining Jesus's statement that in heaven we are "like angels." When addressing whether in heaven there is marriage, Jesus said we are like the angels of heaven who neither give nor take in marriage. Mark 12:25. (Jesus did not say they cannot physically procreate.)</p>
<p>Some believe angels have merely spiritual bodies, and thus this means we too will only have spiritual bodies in heaven. (We'll see later why they say this in reliance upon Paul. See discussion of 1 Corinthians 15:44 below.)</p>
<p>However, what Jesus meant did not imply this. The angels are eternal, and among themselves have no purpose for perpetuating themselves via offspring. Also, they are all male, and thus cannot procreate among themselves.</p>
<p>Thus, to the extent we are like angels in heaven, this statement by Jesus would plausibly imply we have bodies just like angels -- a body of flesh. This is consistent with what we determined above about Jesus's remarks about resurrection and the fact Jesus had a body of flesh that resurrected and ascended.</p>
<p>Now let's examine whether angles in heaven are mere souls -- a willowy spirit with no fleshly substance -- a "spiritual body" -- or in fact have flesh and bones like you and me.</p>
<h3>A. Angels Have Flesh and Bones and Sex Organs</h3>
<p>Before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, two angels appeared in human form and ate a meal prepared by Abraham and Sarah. (Genesis 18:8.) The two angels later entered Sodom and ate another meal with Lot before warning him to flee the wicked city. (Genesis 19:3.) Tertullian ca. 207 AD used these examples against Marcion to prove that angels appeared in true human flesh, and they were not "mere phantoms of flesh." See this <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.iii.html">link</a>.</p>
<p>Was this human form given to the angels at Sodom by a miraculous one time transformation of them by God?</p>
<p>The Bible tells us that angels are male in gender to humans, and can procreate with humans even implicitly to the displeasure of God. Hence, this must be the natural state of angels. We read in Genesis:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when <strong><em>the sons of God </em></strong>came in unto the<strong><em> daughters of men</em></strong>, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Gen. 6:4.)</p>
<p>In non-canonical literature, it was explained this abnormal offspring was because angels were not supposed to mate with humans although it was physically possible. 1 Enoch 15:1-8.</p>
<p>Is there Biblical support? First, the language in Gen. 6:4 shows there is a disjunction between "sons of God" and "daughters of men" which produce abnormal offspring. God would not redesign them so they could procreate unless that was their nature to begin with. For this text implies clearly that it was not the intent of God that "sons of God" should mate with the "daughters of men." Hence, "sons of God" cannot represent humans because one would expect normal offspring if they were humans. The fathers of such offspring must represent a race other than humans, but also made possible due to unsatisfactory conduct of angels not keeping their proper place.</p>
<p>What further supports this reading is the term "sons of God" was used repeatedly in the OT as a reference to angels. See Job 1:6-12, 2:1, Ps 29:1, 89:7. In Job 38:7, it says the "sons of God" were the angels present with God before the creation of the world (see verse 4.) The NIV translates this as "angels," and then <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=job%2038&amp;version=NIV#fen-NIV-13801a">footnotes</a>: "<em>the sons of God."</em></p>
<p>Josephus, the Hebrew historian, similarly made a statement in his <em>Antiquities of the Jews</em> that angels had procreated with humans -- an allusion to Gen. 6:4. Justin Martyr in <em>Apology</em> 2:5 concurs. "It is apparently supported in the NT at 1 Peter 3:18-20, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 1:6-7." (Tyndale Publishers, <em>Genesis 1-12 </em>at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=5-r3DLn4AT4C&amp;lpg=PA33&amp;dq=angels%20procreating%20with%20humans&amp;pg=PA33#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 33</a>.)</p>
<p>Hence, angels were made with human-compatible sexual organs -- sorry to be so blunt, but there is no other explanation unless we make angels enjoy the power to create new physical capabilities - a power that solely belongs to the Creator. Cfr. Tertullian 207 A.D. (argued that angels have power to make human flesh out of nothing material, failing to realize this makes them <em>creators. </em>See this<a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.vi.html"> link</a>).</p>
<p>Hence, the fact the angels of heaven do not marry is not because they lack the capacity of sexual union, but either (a) because God prohibits them from doing so or (b) because of the fact they are one gender which means they simply do not marry.</p>
<p>Angels are thus made with flesh like our own, and in fact have a physical appearance similar to our own. There is flesh in heaven already. And angels -- despite having flesh like us -- apparently have eternal life.</p>
<h2>However, Paul Says Flesh Cannot Inherit Eternal Life</h2>
<p>But Paul also says no flesh can inherit eternal life per 1 Cor. 15:50-54. This verse was a favorite of the Gnostics. Thus, if Paul were correct, then Jesus after ascension or in the process of ascending would have had his flesh replaced with a non-flesh body. A spiritual body. As Lyons who defends Paul's ideas understands Paul:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Before entering heaven, these individuals will not have to die first. Rather, God simply will “change” their bodies into “incorruptible” bodies “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”  (Eric Lyons, M.Min<a href="http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2919"> Did Jesus Begin His Ascension While in a Physical Body?</a> (accessed 7/11/2010).)</p>
<p>Lyons argues that God has the power to "change the...physical into <em><strong>spiritual </strong></em>simply by willing it to happen." <em>Id. </em>Lyons says this is what Paul means when he says "we will 'be changed' (1 Corinthians 15:51)...." <em>Id.</em></p>
<p>In other words, Paul would require us to receive a spiritual body upon resurrection and ascension into heaven.</p>
<p>Paul says likewise elsewhere: "It is sown a natural body, it is<strong><em> raised a spiritual body</em></strong>. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body." (1 Corinthians 15:44)</p>
<h3>But Then Paul's View Constitutes The Foundation Stone of Gnosticism</h3>
<p>Ironically, what Lyons deduced as true -- trying to provide a Protestant solution -- was unwittingly admitting Paul is the origin of the Gnostic thought that we rise in spiritual bodies which the early church found so heretical. Rev. Steven Marshall of the modern Gnostic church explains on his webpage:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The importance of the Ascension to the Gnostic rests on two principle points: the first that, according to the Gnostics, Jesus delivered the deepest and most profound mysteries following the Ascension [<em>i.e.</em>, the period Paul encountered Jesus], and secondly that the Ascension of Christ conveys the promise of our own spiritual ascension and return to the Light, a theme central to all Gnostic teachings.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Mainstream tradition teaches that Jesus ascended bodily (in a physical body) into heaven. The Gnostics, along with other heterodox Jewish sects existing at the time of Christ, disagreed with this idea of a resurrection and ascension of the physical body. Based upon the mysteries to which they were heirs, the <strong><em>Gnostics proposed</em></strong> that the ascension took place<strong><em> in a spiritual body</em></strong>.  ("<a href="http://www.gnosis.org/ecclesia/homily_Ascension.htm">A Meditation, A Homily for the Feast of Ascension</a>," accessed 7/11/2010).</p>
<p>If Paul had these ideas that we no longer have human bodies but a spiritual body without flesh in heaven, where did Paul gain this idea? It was rooted in Platonic thought:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Our flesh is not some evil substance that we are trying to get rid of. This idea is rooted in Platonic dualism which sees the <strong><em>physical realm</em></strong> as inferior to the spiritual, incorporeal realm.  (Jason Dulle, "<a href="http://www.onenesspentecostal.com/bodiesheaven.htm">Heavenly or Earthly Bodies</a>," (accessed 7/11/2010).)</p>
<h3><strong>Gnostic and Platonic Support from Paul</strong></h3>
<p>Paul indeed believes that human flesh cannot inherit heaven -- that somehow we will "changed" and the "corruptitble" will put on the "incorruptible" -- "immortality."</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: <strong>We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.</strong> For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and <strong>we shall be changed.</strong> For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:50-54, emp. added).</p>
<p>As James West in the <a href="http://www.aeonbytegnosticradio.com/2010/03/gospel-and-greek-philosophers.html">Gospel and the Greek Philosophers</a> exposed, Paul was a thorn in the early church's side, making it difficult to fend off Greek-Gnostic dualism: "But the words of Paul actually favored the philosophical dualism of the Gnostics which, like Plato, elevated the soul and rejected the body."</p>
<p>These passages from Paul made the ability to fight off the Gnostics impossible from Scripture alone. Tertullian conceded this dilemma:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Nor do I risk contradiction in saying that the <strong><em>very Scriptures were even arranged by the will of God so as to furnish materials for the heretics</em></strong>…” (<em>On Prescription Against Heretics</em>, 39)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Our appeal, therefore, must </span><em><strong>not be made to the Scriptures</strong></em><span>; nor must controversy be admitted on points in which victory will either be impossible, or uncertain, or not certain enough</span><em><span>.</span></em><span> (</span><span><em>Id.</em>, at </span><span>19)</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>On the present occasion indeed, our treatise has rather taken up a general position against heresies, showing that they must all be refuted on definite, equitable, and necessary rules </span><em><strong>without any comparison with the Scriptures</strong></em>.” (<em>Id.</em> at 44.)</p>
<p>Tertullian could not escape the meaning of Paul. Tertullian simply gave up trying to use just what Paul said to defend that Jesus resurrected in the flesh. Due to Paul, James West correctly notes: "Tertullian’s problems are the result of the fact that the New Testament writings collectively do not represent a single and uniform system of theology." (West, <a href="http://www.aeonbytegnosticradio.com/2010/03/gospel-and-greek-philosophers.html">Gospel and the Greek Philosophers</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, Tertullian in <em>On The Flesh of Christ </em>tried to use reasoning from passages in the gospels to prove Jesus was a man with true human flesh both in life and resurrection. The heretics refused to admit Jesus ever had true human flesh at birth or in resurrection; it was supposedly exclusively divine. (CCEL, <em><a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.i.html">The Heretics</a>.</em>)</p>
<p><em></em>Tertullian could not resort solely to scripture because Paul supports the Gnostic view that "flesh and blood cannot inherit heaven" -- even though Jesus did so inherit heaven, if the gospels are true. (They are.) Hence, Paul must mean the change rids our bodies of flesh and gives us spiritual bodies. Paul thus <strong><em>directly supports Gnostic thought</em></strong> which the early church condemned, and contradicts the gospel-tradition that shows flesh ascending to heaven to inherit eternal life - Jesus's ascension.</p>
<h3>Paul's Verses Cited To Suggest Jesus Exists In Human Flesh In Heaven</h3>
<p>Some try to rescue Paul from being Gnostic in these passages as well as from his contradicting the gospel accounts. Some cite a couple of verses in Paul which they claim means Paul believed Jesus has a human body in heaven. (Jason Dulle, "<a href="http://www.onenesspentecostal.com/bodiesheaven.htm">Heavenly or Earthly Bodies</a>," (accessed 7/11/2010).)</p>
<p>They cite the fact Paul said:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the <strong><em>Son also himself be subject unto him</em></strong> that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." (1 Corinthians 15:28.)</p>
<p>This shows Paul believed in an abiding role of Jesus as the Son inferior to God-the-Father in heaven. It does not prove that the Son has human flesh in heaven.</p>
<p>These same defenders of Paul cite also the fact Paul says Jesus was "the man" who is our mediator. Paul says there is "one mediator between God and men, the<em> man</em> Christ Jesus." (I Timothy 2:5.) This proves Paul believed Jesus is a "man" but it is unclear whether this was in Jesus's death or is ongoing.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Contrary to Paul's gnostic spin, flesh does inherit eternal life. We eat from the tree of life, and we become immortal. We do not lose our flesh and live in a spirit body in the resurrection of the Dead. Jesus resurrected with flesh and ascended with flesh. So did Enoch and Elijah. God can do this. <strong><em>Only Paul says flesh cannot inherit eternal life</em></strong>. Paul in this contradicts Scripture (<em>i.e.</em>, Christ's resurrection, Jesus's and Daniel's mention of the Resurrection of the Dead on the last day while spirits transmit immediately to heaven or hell, etc.). Paul tragically vindicated Gnostic thought which scorned the flesh and said flesh could never be in heaven. Contrary to Paul's implication, there is nothing so inherently sinful about the flesh that it cannot be resurrected and later be present in heaven cured of illness and sin.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 617317<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

508
Recommended-Reading/canon-history2.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,508 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/canon-history2.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Canon History2 | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p style="text-align: right;">Second Peter warned Paul says many things difficult to understand and many thereby fall from their steadfastness in Christ. <em>J</em><em>esus' Words on Salvation<br /></em></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 8536" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "8536") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Canon Studies</h2>
<h2>1. Matthew's Gospel</h2>
<p>Was the Greek version of Matthew originally written in Hebrew? If so, what impact does this have on the canon? For more information, see our webpage on the <a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/hebrew-matthew-start.html">Hebrew Matthew</a>.</p>
<h2>2. The Book of Enoch</h2>
<p>A 12 -page PDF article about an amazing book that was once canon in all of Christendom until 365 A.D. It was removed solely because Roman Emperors did not like the Revelation-Enoch connection which bolstered the book of Revelation. The latter book Roman civil authorities wanted removed from canon because it was perceived as anti-Roman. This worked for a while on both Revelation and Enoch. Later Revelation was restored to canon. But Enoch was not restored to canon. For this account and the Messianic verses in Enoch, see this <a href="/images/stories/Lessons/enoch -fixed w stelae.pdf">PDF</a>.</p>
<h2>3. What Was Original NT Scripture?</h2>
<p>Metzger is considered the foremost expert on canon formation. Listen to whether there was any self-awareness that letters prior to Jesus' words being written down were Scripture <em>i.e.</em>, the period that Paul's letters were the only circulating written materials prior to 50 A.D:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"For early Jewish Christians the Bible consisted of the Old Testament and some Jewish apocryphal literature. Along with this written authority went traditions, chiefly oral, of sayings attributed to Jesus. On the other hand, authors who belonged to the 'Hellenistic Wing' of the Church refer more frequently to writings that later came to be included in the New Testament. At the same time, however, they very rarely regarded such documents as 'Scripture'.<br /><br />"Furthermore, there was as<em><strong> yet no conception of the duty of exact quotation from books that were not yet in the full sense canonical</strong></em>. Consequently, it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to ascertain which New Testament books were known to early Christian writers; our evidence does not become clear until the end of second century." (Metzger, <em>The Canon Of The New Testament: Its Origin, Significance &amp; Development</em> at 72-73.)</p>
<p>Dr. Smith had a similar opinion that the apostles who wrote epistles had no apparent understanding they were writing anything of coordinate authority to the Law and Prophets:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">[T]here is nothing to indicate that the Apostles <strong><em>regarded their written remains</em></strong> as likely to preserve a perfect exhibition of the sum of Christian truth<strong><em> coordinate with the Law and the Prophets</em></strong>.... ( Sir William Smith, <em>Dr. William Smith's dictionary of the Bible</em> (Hurd: 1877) Volume 1 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=YBzY076zK9YC&amp;dq=De%20Canonicis%20Scripturis%20Credner&amp;pg=PA368#v=onepage&amp;q=De%20Canonicis%20Scripturis%20Credner&amp;f=false">368</a>.)</p>
<h2><strong>4. Notion of Canon in Reformation</strong></h2>
<p>Luther originally interpreted canon from both old and new testaments to be only the words that agreed with Paul's doctrine of grace. Thus, this filter, Luther taught, properly applied to Moses and the Prophets. Luther said this meant we could exclude as authoritative any requirement of works for salvation from Moses or the Prophets -- for in those moments God was not speaking. See this <a href="/JWO/luther-thoughts-on-inspiration.html">link</a>.</p>
<p>Carlstadt, the co-founder of the Reformation with Luther in 1517, disagreed in a book of 1520. He claimed Moses and Jesus's words were more authoritative than Paul's words. Carlstadt disagreed openly with Luther that James' Epistle can be dismissed entirely because it contradicts Paul.  See this <a href="/JWO/carlstadt-research.html">link</a>.</p>
<p>This dispute between Carlstadt and Luther led to Luther's enlisting government authorities to persecute Carlstadt and expel him from Germany. It later led Luther to persecute the Brethren Movement and Anabaptists in Germany who sympathized with Carlstadt's Jesus Words Only approach to the NT. Thus, the dispute over canon was settled by force of arms, in effect. See this <a href="/JWO/luther-killed-jwo.html">link</a>.</p>
<div></div> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952975<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

500
Recommended-Reading/christmaseastererrors.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,500 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/christmaseastererrors.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="LauraLee Arnet" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Christmas and Easter Errors | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"Jesus said 'A disciple is not above his teacher.' (Matt. 10:24.) Yet<em><strong> we make Paul, the disciple, greater than the teacher</strong></em>." (Bercot, <em>Common Sense</em>, 1992)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 6882" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "6882") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><img style="margin-left: 10px; float: right;" alt="crown-thorns" src="/images/stories/crown-thorns.jpg" height="200" width="300" />Christmas &amp; Easter Errors</h2>
<p>Does the Bible condemn our Christmas practices? Specifically, adorning trees with silver and gold?</p>
<p>Is the portrayal of a person known as Santa Claus idolatrous by Biblical-definitions?</p>
<p>Does the name and worship-timing of Easter dishonor God? Was "Easter" a Pagan goddess?</p>
<p>Should we find a different name for the holiday that celebrates Jesus's resurrection?</p>
<p>The answer to all these questions is yes.</p>
<p>The Christmas Celebration in December: Right or Wrong? (<a href="/images/stories/Lessons/Christmas_Celebration.pdf">PDF</a>) or (<a href="/Recommended-Reading/christmas-celebrations-right-or-wrong.html">HTML</a>, under construction)<br />The Christmas Tree (<a href="/images/stories/Lessons/Christmas Trees.pdf">PDF</a>) or (<a href="/Recommended-Reading/christmas-trees.html">HMTL</a>)<br />Santa Claus (<a href="/images/stories/Lessons/santa.pdf">PDF</a>)<br />Easter (<a href="/images/stories/Lessons/Easter.pdf">PDF</a>) or (<a href="/Recommended-Reading/easter-error.html">HTML</a>)</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 925437<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

527
Recommended-Reading/contantines-damage-to-christianity.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,527 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/contantines-damage-to-christianity.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Constantine's Damage to Christianity | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span>For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. (Ezra 7:10.)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 8691" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "8691") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><strong>Constantine's Changes Damaged Christianity</strong></h2>
<p>In the year 312 AD, the floodgates opened wide, and a fundamental transformation of the Church took place. It now refashioned itself from top to bottom into a full-blown State religion of the Empire.</p>
<p>And while not a single record exists of Christians being in the Roman army prior to 180 AD, less than a century after Constantine, every Roman soldier was required by law to be a Christian. The Church had indeed undergone a profound and fundamental change.</p>
<p>Constantine’s dream took the Jesus of the New Testament, the One who said “Love your enemies,” and “My Kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my followers would fight;” the One who refused to be made King by the people; the One who told Peter to put away his sword and warned that “All who take up the sword will die by the sword” and then healed the servant’s ear; the One who rebuked James and John for wanting to call down fire on the Samaritans; the One who commanded non-resistance to evil, turning the other cheek, and a host of other<strong><em> non-violent love-centred admonitions</em></strong> toward enemies and adversaries; the One whose followers understood and obeyed these commands to the letter for almost three centuries — in short, Constantine’s dream took this Jesus of the New Testament and<strong><em> transformed Him into a violent, military god of war, and made Him the official god and supreme king of the Roman Empire.</em></strong></p>
<p>The Church for its part, tired of being powerless and persecuted, tied its fortunes to the State and happily accepted it. But if this really was the real Jesus who appeared to Constantine as a military god of war, promising victory in battle and offering His Cross as a symbol of conquest and the killing of enemies, then we should have no difficulty picturing Jesus Himself marching at the head of Constantine’s victory parade into Rome holding up Maxentius’ head on a lance! Yet, who can even begin to imagine such a thing?</p>
<p>****</p>
<p>Professor Michael Grant formerly of Cambridge University, as well as reading other works on Constantine, concluded that Constantine did have some kind of authentic spiritual dream-like experience, and that he was completely convinced that it was Jesus Christ who had appeared to him in that dream. One author comments:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Like Grant<strong><em>, I do not believe that Constantine was a liar, a charlatan, or simply a political opportunist who exploited the Church solely for his own ends, although there seems to have been some of that going on</em></strong>. Rather, I believe that Constantine was a man who was genuinely and thoroughly<strong><em> deceived by our ancient foe, Satan, who presented him with a false image of Jesus in that dream.</em></strong> As the Scripture says, “Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).” Then, after deceiving Constantine, Satan used him and the prevailing circumstances to deceive the Church, which has largely remained so ever since.</p>
<p>Thus, in a very real sense, when the Church accepted, worshipped and served this false image of Jesus — an idol promising the Church power and authority over nations and peoples through its partnership with Rome — it was actually worshipping and serving Satan without ever even knowing it. And so, through Constantine, Satan presented the Church with a temptation to accept a Jesus found in private visions and dreams -- where Jesus said He would not be found, and thereby she failed the test again whereby Christian Nationalism was born.</p>
<h2>Study Notes on Constantine</h2>
<h3>1. Eusebius Records Constantine Claimed Inspiration</h3>
<p>In the <em>Oration of Eusebius</em>, XVIII, Eusebius relates how Constantine made the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to be deemed the place of Jesus' burial. Either Eusebius is using faint praise or sly coded words (likely the latter) to reveal to the reader not to trust Constantine because he claimed inspiration. Either way, it tells us something of Constantine's mindset:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"THESE words of ours, however, [gracious] Sovereign, may well appear superfluous in your ears, convinced as <strong>you are, by frequent and personal experience, of our Saviour's Deity</strong>; yourself also, in actions still more than words, a herald of the truth to all mankind. Yourself, it may be, will vouchsafe at a time of leisure to relate to us the<strong><em> abundant manifestations which your Saviour has accorded you of his presence, and the loft-repeated visions of himself which have attended you in the hours of sleep</em></strong>. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I speak not of those secret suggestions which to us are unrevealed: but of those principles which he has instilled into your own mind, and which are fraught with general interest and benefit to the human race</span><span>. You will yourself relate in worthy terms the visible protection which your Divine shield and guardian has extended in the hour of battle ; the ruin of your open and secret foes ; and his ready aid in time of peril. To him you will ascribe relief in the midst of perplexity; defence in solitude; expedients in extremity; foreknowledge of events yet future ; your forethought for the general weal ; your power to investigate uncertain questions ; your conduct of most important enterprises ; your administration of civil affairs;' your military arrangements, and correction of abuses in all departments; your ordinances respecting public right ; and, lastly, your legislation for the common benefit of all. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">You will, it may be, also detail to us those particulars of his favor which are secret to us, but known to you alone, and treasured in your royal memory as in secret storehouses.</span><span> Such, doubtless, are the reasons, and such the convincing proofs of your Saviour's power, which caused you to raise that sacred edifice [<em>i.e.</em>, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem] which presents to all, believers and unbelievers alike, a trophy of his victory over death, a holy temple of the holy God : to consecrate those noble and splendid monuments of immortal life and his heavenly kingdom : to offer memorials of our Almighty Saviour's conquest which well become the imperial dignity of him by whom they are bestowed. With such memorials have you adorned that edifice which witnesses of eternal life: thus, as it were in imperial characters, ascribing victory and triumph to the heavenly Word of God : thus proclaiming to all nations, with clear and unmistakable voice, in deed and word, your own devout and pious confession of his name</span></p>
<p><em>Oration of Eusebius Pamphilus in praise of  The Emperor Constantine Pronounced on the 30th Anniversary of his reign</em>.  AD 337 Ch. XVII,<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=taagmnUcsD8C&amp;lpg=PT1934&amp;ots=kzmbNizFM_&amp;dq=%22treasured%20in%20your%20royal%20memory%22&amp;pg=PT1934#v=onepage&amp;q=%22treasured%20in%20your%20royal%20memory%22&amp;f=false"> legible version</a>, or at Schaff, <em>Nicene &amp; Post Fathers</em> (2007) Vol. 1 at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=18ikU69I-TwC&amp;lpg=PA610&amp;ots=JYiUYlv-dv&amp;dq=%22treasured%20in%20your%20royal%20memory%22&amp;pg=PA610#v=onepage&amp;q=%22treasured%20in%20your%20royal%20memory%22&amp;f=false"> 610</a>.</p>
<p>Eusebius actually was bravely writing in veiled saracasm so his writings would survive, and we would know the truth, as will become more evident as we proceed.</p>
<p>Ernest L. Martin in <em>Secrets of Golgatha</em> (1996) at 215 comments on this passage:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"He [Constantine] claimed to possess divine knowledge, just like the apostles, and those visionary experiences gave him the essential teachings which he thought to have as their source His Savior and which he considered necessary for all the Christian Church (including the bishops) to follow."</p>
<p>Martin goes on to explain that as a result of Constantine's assuming sole emperorship in 324 AD, he transformed the Christian fellowship toward a paganized form of Christianity. Martin at 217 remarks:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Before the end of the fourth century a new kind of Christianity had emerged that was quite different from that described by Eusebius in the first part of the century. It was a Christianity where visions, dreams and signs took center stage, and where pagan customs and philosophies began to permeate the whole of society. A brand new civilization had come on the scene."</p>
<p>The importance of the subtle mockery of Eusebius, is Eusebius knew this Sepulchre is in the wrong place. To fulfill prophecy, Jesus had to be executed outside the city. Eusebius had himself recorded the correct place years earlier -- at the Mount of Olives -- which is outside the city.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>“Believers in Jesus all congregate from all parts of the world….that they may worship at the MOUNT OF OLIVES opposite the city….TO THE CAVE that is shown there” (Eusebius, Proof of the Gospel, Bk. VI. ch. 18).</span></p>
<p>But here, in this oration, Eusebius has to appear to approve the holy sepulchre inside Jerusalem. And shockingly, it was placed on the Temple to Venus which the Romans built in 135 AD to desecrate the city. The background on this is as follows:</p>
<p><span>In the year 326, Constantine sent his mother Helena to Jerusalem to discover the spot that he had foreseen in a vision as the place of Jesus’ Resurrection. This was the site of the temple of Venus on the western side of Jerusalem. He ordered the temple torn down and a church constructed on the site. This is called the church of the “Holy” Sepulchre to this day.</span></p>
<p><span>What had been this Temple of Venus? When the Romans finally conquered Jerusalem in 135 A.D., as an insult to the Jews, they built a Temple of Venus over a monument to a Jewish freedom fighter named John Hyrcanus.</span></p>
<h3>2. Danger of Following Signs &amp; Wonders As Confirmation</h3>
<p>Speaking of so-called "St John of the Cross" of the 16th Century, Ernest Martin in <em>Secrets of Golgatha</em> (1996) at 218-19 writes -- concerned as Martin is about Constantine's choice of Christ's burial place as the Temple of Venus at Jerusalem -- now the Temple of the Holy Sepulchre:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"No one in early times has given a better appraisal of how dangerous and foolish it is to trust in visions, dreams and signs than the appraisal of St. John of the Cross. His classic evaluation [<em>Ascent of Mount Carmel</em> ] should be read by all people today who rely upon such<em><strong> manifestations as visions, dreams, and miracles as a means for establishing doctrines or religious principles</strong></em>. Such procedures are some of the<em><strong> most dangerous imaginable in their ability to produce falsehood and deception amongst the unwary</strong></em>. Had there been a 'St John of the Cross' at the time of Constantine (with the warnings he so able presented to the theological world of the 16th century), and had he been believed, then the Christian church would not have been saddled with the supposedly 'divine' teachings of Constantine and his advisors about the need to accept the place of the Temple of Venus as the place of Jesus' passion. It would have been understood that <strong><em>visions, dreams, and miracles are the most unreliable 'proofs' for demonstrating historical, geographical and theological truth</em></strong>."</p>
<h3>3. Constantine's Elimination of all Sects of Christianity But The One He Approved</h3>
<p>Edward Gibbon in Rise and Fall of Rome wrote:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: #800080;">Constantine easily believed that the heretics, who presumed to dispute his opinions or to oppose his commands, were guilty of the most absurd and criminal obstinancy... Not a moment was lost in excluding the ministers and teachers of the separated congregations from any share of the rewards and immunities which the emperor had so liberally bestowed on the orthodox clergy. But as the sectaries might still exist under the cloud of royal disgrace, the conquest of the East was immediately followed by an edict which announced their total destruction”</span></span></span></p>
<p>3/12/2012</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 918457<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

640
Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,640 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="trinity, tertullian, valentinus, Christology" />
<meta name="author" content="coilone" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Correct Christology | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"[Current] Protestantism is a revolution...proclaiming 'the Apostle Paul' at the expense of the Master (Christ)." (Kierkegaard, <em>Journals</em>)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 4054" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "4054") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>A Correct Christology</h2>
<h3>Divinity Abiding - "Shechinah" - in Jesus</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">You will find Jesus is very clear on His true nature -- a man fully indwelled by the Father and His Logos who is thereby Divine (<em>i.e.</em>, indwelled by the Presence). (John 1:1,<a href="http://biblos.com/john/1-14.htm">14</a>, "Logos made flesh"; <a href="http://biblos.com/john/14-24.htm">14:24</a>, "<strong><em>Logos</em></strong> you hear is<em><strong> not mine</strong></em>, but the Father's who sent me" ; <a href="http://bible.cc/john/14-10.htm">14:10</a>, "Father in me...dwells in me") <em>Cf.</em> 12:48 "the logos I have spoken will judge him in the last day."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The full presence of God in Hebrew is called <em>Shechinah. </em>Its root comes from the word "to dwell," and came to mean <strong><strong><em>Divinity abiding or Divine Presence.</em></strong></strong> Thus, the "Divine presence" was in the Temple, and called the <em>Shechinah. </em>(See "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekhinah">Shechinah</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em>.) Divinity is used here to mean "qua</span><span>li<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">ties of individuals who are considered to have some special access or relationship to the divine." ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divinity">Divinity</a>," Wikipedia.)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Adam Clarke in his famous <em>Commentary </em>explains this in relation to Ex. 25:<em><a href="http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=ex&amp;chapter=025">22</a>:</em></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><em></em>"[I]n the sanctuary, the <em>shechinah</em> or <em>Divine glory</em> dwelt, because <em>there</em> were the ark, the tables, and the cherubim."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This derived from Exodus 40:35 which said: "Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, for the<strong><em> cloud rested</em></strong> [<em>shakhan</em>] upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle."</span></p>
<h3>John One Confirms This When Translated Correctly</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In John 1:14, Apostle John says: “The word (logos) became flesh and <strong><em>dwelt</em></strong> among us and we beheld His glory, the Glory of the<strong><em> One and Only</em></strong>, who came from the Father." (John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:14&amp;version=NIV">1:14</a>, NIV.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Incidentally, this verse was tampered with in translation by the KJV. It reads in the KJV not as the "one and only" but instead as "the only begotten." This deliberately makes us think Jesus is the Word and Jesus as the Word came from the Father. But this is a false translation. The word MONOGENES in Greek means "one and only," not "only begotten." If it were otherwise, then the Word -- God -- was a "begotten" being which is impossible. God is eternal. Instead, John, when translated correctly, says the "one and only" God as the Word came from the Father to indwell Jesus. In Jesus, we thereby beheld the glory of God (<em>i.e.</em>, the Word, the "one and only") residing in Jesus. (For more on the history of this mistranslation of MONOGENES in this verse, see <a href="/Recommended-Reading/one-and-only-issue-in-john-114.html">our webpage</a> discussion.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">John 1:14 correctly translated is then easily seen as restated by Jesus Himself in John 14:24: "The <em><strong>WORD</strong></em> (<em><strong>logos</strong></em>, singular) you hear<em><strong> is</strong></em> (singular) <strong><em>not my own</em></strong> but of the Father who sent me." (John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:24&amp;version=WYC">14:24</a>, Wycliff.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Contrast the NIV version of John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:24&amp;version=NIV">14:24</a> which obscures one's ability to find the connection to John 1:14. The NIV does so by changing "Word" (logos) in 14:24 into "words" and then modifying the verb tenses to a plural (when they are singular) to fit the false plural of <em>word</em>. This way the NIV does not let you readily identify the LOGOS of 14:24 (an indwelling Word from the Father) with LOGOS in John 1:14 (equally simply an indwelling Word from the Father).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">You can verify the singular noun LOGOS in 14:24 and the singular verb tenses in 14:24 using Interlinear Scripture Analyzer available free online or by going to the "Greek" tab at <a href="http://bible.cc/john/14-24.htm">http://bible.cc/john/14-24.htm</a>. The versions with the correct singular for LOGOS in 14:24b are: KJV, AKJV, ASV, ESV, NASB and YLT. A wrong plural exists in the ISV and NIV.</span></p>
<h3>John Uses Greek Word Linked To Hebrew for Divinity Abiding</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, the LOGOS, or WORD (God) "dwelt among us" and "we beheld the Glory of the One and Only" God dwelling in Jesus. But the LOGOS does not belong to Jesus (John 14:24), but to the FATHER, because it is an indwelling presence distinct from the humanity of Jesus.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">When John says in 1:14 “The Word became flesh and ‘dwelt’ among us,” the Greek word for dwelt (to tabernacle) in Greek is<em><strong> skeinei</strong></em> . It derives  from the Hebrew <em><strong>mishkhan</strong></em> where <em><strong>shachan </strong><span style="font-style: normal;">as a root </span></em>means “to dwell." And the root of that word is the same as <strong><em>shekinah -- the divinity abiding </em><span style="font-weight: normal;">at the Temple of Jerusalem</span></strong>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, "dwelt" as John used it meant that God's presence was dwelling in Jesus as God did in the Jerusalem Temple. “The word became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14) means God dwelt in Jesus (not that Jesus lost any identity as a human being or was God Himself). God thereby took upon Himself human flesh and lived/dwelled on planet earth inside of Jesus.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Do you see how just a very slight mistranslation can throw you off?</span></p>
<h3>Methodist Adam Clarke Concurs</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, the full presence of the Father/His Logos in Jesus was a similar type of <em>Shechinah</em> presence as at the Temple. The famous commentator Adam Clarke agrees, and explains that Jesus's human heart likewise could be a place "for the Divine Majesty to dwell in, and that it be the holy of holies." <em>Adam </em>Clarke, <em>Commentary</em>, Ex. 25:<em><a href="http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=ex&amp;chapter=025">22</a>.</em> If so, it would be proper to call Jesus Divine.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Adam Clarke (1760-1832), a British Methodist, in his famous <em>Commentary </em>wrote of John 1:14 -- the "Word dwelt among us" -- that this 'dwelling' refers to Jesus' "human nature...being as the temple in which...deity condescended to dwell," and "the <strong><em>Word is probably an allusion to the divine Shechinah </em></strong>in the Jewish Temple." (Adam Clarke, <em>The Holy Bible</em> (1825) Vol. 5 at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=GeY8AAAAYAAJ&amp;lpg=PA486&amp;ots=QVaUMX6Ym_&amp;dq=shechinah%20divinity&amp;pg=PA486#v=onepage&amp;q=shechinah%20divinity&amp;f=false"> 486</a>.) Thus, Clarke says the Gospel dispensation was foreshadowed by types under the OT where the Temple Schechinah was God's way to prepare us to understand "this manifestation of God in the flesh" of Jesus. (<em>Id.</em>)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">As we saw in the quotes above, Jesus precisely claimed the same indwelling presence as was true for the Temple. Thus, the Temple <em>Shechinah</em> was a fore-type of the Divinity in Christ on Earth. "The Shechinah is a Jewish term for God's presence on Earth...." ("<a href="http://weekendfisher.blogspot.com/2008/02/shechinah-presence-of-god-and-messiah.html">The Shechinah...and Messiah</a>.") <em>See also </em><a href="http://biblos.com/john/1-14.htm">Merriam-Webster</a> (<em>Shechinah, </em>"The presence of God in the world as conceived by Jewish theology.")</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, the Shechinah presence was the Father/ Father's Word or Logos which inhabited Jesus, making Jesus DIVINE -- having the full Shechinah-presence in Himself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Then because of this interconnection between the man Jesus and the Shechinah-presence, it meant that wherever Jesus's presence would be, God's <em>Shechinah</em> presence on Earth would be. Jesus said: "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matthew <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2018:20&amp;version=KJV">18:20</a>).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus was blatantly restating a familiar Rabinnic lesson that where two or more gathered in the name of God, the Shechinah-presence would be there. ("<a href="http://weekendfisher.blogspot.com/2008/02/shechinah-presence-of-god-and-messiah.html">The Shechinah...and Messiah</a>.") Hence, clearly Jesus in Matt. 18:20 was claiming Divinity traveled with Himself by virtue of the Shechinah-presence principle to which He blatantly alluded. The Rabinnic lesson on the Shechinah-presence and God's name was "the context in which Jesus' words were meant to be understood."  ("<a href="http://weekendfisher.blogspot.com/2008/02/shechinah-presence-of-god-and-messiah.html">The Shechinah...and Messiah</a>.")(For more on those Rabinnic lessons, see "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekhinah">Shechinah</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">As Fisher said in his informative article <a href="http://weekendfisher.blogspot.com/2008/02/shechinah-presence-of-god-and-messiah.html">The Shechinah...and Messiah</a> (2008):</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus' remark that he could be present whenever and wherever people come together in his name is remarkable in itself. However, given the Jewish background of Jesus and his earliest hearers, and the likely Jewish audience of the Gospel of Matthew, it becomes a more pointed reference. In saying that he is the presence who is with believers when they come together, Jesus is identifying himself as <strong><em>the Presence of God</em></strong>, the Shechinah so often mentioned in the Torah and discussed by the Rabbis. This is the implication when he says, "Whenever two or three come together ... there am I with them."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">It is, however, more accurate to say Jesus implied that wherever He was present, God was present because Jesus claimed the Father/His Logos fully dwelled in Himself.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This Christology perfectly makes sense of Jesus's various descriptions of His interpersonal relationship to the Father:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"The Father<strong><em> is greater than I</em></strong>." (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:28&amp;version=NIV">John 14:28</a>.)</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"I can <strong><em>do nothing by myself.</em></strong>" (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205:19&amp;version=NIV">John 5:19</a>.)</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"The Father and I are one." (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010:30&amp;version=NIV">John 10:30</a>.)</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the<strong><em> only true God</em></strong>, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017:3&amp;version=NIV">John 17:3</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, it is proper to say Jesus was DIVINE. Whenever we call on Jesus's name to be with us, Jesus is present which brings the Shechinah-presence of God to us, as the Father/His Logos indwells Jesus. This signifies that Jesus is so clearly interconnected with God that Jesus -- a true Divine Man - continues to miraculously and daily operate as one with the Father, and thereby abides with us as our shepherd and pastor.</span></p>
<h3>Jesus As The Son of Man</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Yet, as Daniel's prophecy requires, this Divine Jesus upon Ascension remains a true man in heaven, and thus can fulfill the prophecy of Daniel that God will eternally give this Divine Jesus -- the Son of Man (understood as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_man">'future human</a>') indwelled by the Word/Father --- all the kingdoms of the earth to rule and reign forever. Daniel 7: 13, 14.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Specifically, the Prophet Daniel speaks of a "son of man" -- which meaning represents a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_man">'future human</a>' -- who will be given all the kingdoms of the Earth by the "Ancient of Days":</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">13 In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like <strong><em>a son of man</em></strong> [Heb. kibar anash], <strong><em>coming with the clouds of heaven</em></strong>. He approached the <strong><em>Ancient of Days</em></strong> and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language<strong><em> <strong><em>worshipped him</em></strong></em></strong>. His dominion is an <em><strong>everlasting dominion</strong></em> that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Dan. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+7:13-14&amp;version=NIV">7:13-14</a> NIV)</span></p>
<p><strong><span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><span></span></span></span></strong></p>
<span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">Notice there is no subordination to the Ancient of Days. Instead, God gives His authority to the Son of Man </span><em>forever</em><span style="font-weight: normal;"> to rule over "all peoples, nations and men." The Ancient of Days even implicitly permits "worship" at the feet of this Son of Man by humanity as its king, according to Daniel. (Dan. 7:14.) ("Worship" in OT is used properly to refer to what we call homage as one gives a human king.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jesus prophecies that He Himself will fulfill this "Son of Man" prophecy in Daniel. Jesus in Matthew <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2024:30&amp;version=KJV">24:30</a> calls Himself  the "Son of Man" and invokes the words of Daniel to apply to Himself in a future coming back to Earth:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And then shall appear the sign of the</span><span><em> Son of man</em></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Son of man</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><strong><em>coming in the clouds of heaven</em></strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><strong><em> </em></strong>with power and great glory.</span></p>
</strong> </span>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This reference to "clouds of heaven" and "glory" is another reference to the Shechinah presence in Jesus -- this time in the "Son of Man" prophecy. Just as a cloud at the temple held the Shechinah presence, clouds will do so when Jesus returns. As <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(theologian)">Jonathan Edwards</a> (1703-1728), a famous American preacher of Reformed persuasion, in his commentary on Daniel 7:13-14 explains:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Here both Christ's humanity and <span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>divinity</em></strong> </span>are signified: his humanity, in that it is said, "One like the <strong><em>Son of man</em></strong>;" and his <span class="gstxt_hlt">di</span>vinity, in that he came with the "<strong><em>clouds of heaven</em></strong>." Appearing with <strong><em>bright clouds</em></strong>, or with the <span class="gstxt_hlt">Shechinah, </span>is a token of<strong><em> </em></strong><span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>divinity</em></strong></span><span class="gstxt_hlt">, </span>for this is often in Scripture called <em>the glory of the Lord, </em>and sometimes <em>the cloud of glory. </em>(<em>Works of Jonathan Edwards</em> (Ball: 1839) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=0bfRAAAAMAAJ&amp;lpg=PA769&amp;ots=zvV6Vs6lNT&amp;dq=shechinah%20divinity&amp;pg=PA769#v=onepage&amp;q=shechinah%20divinity&amp;f=false"> 769</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And notice that by Jesus claiming to be the Son of Man in Matt. 24:30, Jesus refutes any iota of docetism, contrary to what Paul taught. Jesus did not merely appear as a man but was somehow not truly a man. Jesus was indeed a man of <strong><em>true human flesh</em></strong>, and thus could fulfill the "Son of Man" prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14. As a true human, Jesus truly suffered and was truly tempted at the Cross not to go through with it. This made His death, and the blood poured out thereby, have the ability to serve as the blood from an innocent lamb so as to pay for our sins.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In sum, Jesus clearly claimed to be a "man" (the Son of Man to be precise) but also was Divine -- fully indwelled by the Father and His Logos. "The Logos became flesh." (John 1:14.) To a human soul so utterly filled by the Father and His Logos, we too with Thomas would correctly exclaim: "My Lord and My God" upon seing the resurrected Jesus. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2020:28&amp;version=KJV">John 20:28</a>.) When Peter spoke the words of Satan, Jesus said "Get behind me Satan." (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2016:23&amp;version=KJV">Matt 16:23</a>.) In the same way, when we see Jesus the Man constantly speaking the Father's Logos -- the Word/God -- we likewise can exclaim of Jesus "My God." It is a reference to what is dwelling in Jesus and speaking through Him.</span></p>
<h3>Cannot Be God Who Only Appears To Be A Man</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Our salvation and Jesus's fulfillment of the Son of Man prophecy depends on Jesus being a man indwelled fully by God rather than being<strong><em> God who only appears to be a man</em></strong> / appears to have human flesh.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Apostle John says the latter notion that Jesus was not of true human flesh is the message of the Anti-Christ (<em>i.e.</em>, Satan). To repeat, Apostle John said: "Many deceivers, who do <em>not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming<em><strong> in human flesh</strong></em> </em>[Greek, <em>sarx</em>, human flesh], have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and <strong><em>the antichrist</em></strong>." (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20John%201:7&amp;version=KJV">2 John 1:7</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The struggle in 207 A.D. by the early church was against Marcion who insisted Jesus was God, and thus Jesus, Marcion argued, could not become a true man and only appeared to be human. Marcion reasoned that God cannot be tainted by any connection to inherently sinful human flesh. Thus, Marcion reasoned that Jesus, because He was God, just appeared to be a man. Tertullian, a major church leader, battled vigorously against this, insisting that "Christ <strong><em>really became a man</em></strong>." (Tertullian, <em>The Flesh of Christ</em> at this <em><a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.iv.html">link</a>.</em>)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Marcion went further. He claimed Jesus, being God, could not have suffered in the flesh because His flesh was thereby a mere phantom. Tertullian responded with alarm: "Have you, then, cut away all sufferings from Christ, on the ground that, as a mere phantom, He was incapable of experiencing them?" (Tertullian, <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.v.html">The Flesh of Christ, ch. 5</a>.) Tertullian mocked Marcion by saying:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">O thou most infamous of men, who acquittest of all guilt the murderers of God! For nothing did Christ suffer from them, <strong><em>if He really suffered nothing at all</em></strong>. <em>Id.</em>, <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.v.html">Ch. 5</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Tertullian said the fact of Jesus's truly being a man is why Jesus is called the<strong><em> Son of Man</em></strong>. It conveyed the fact that Jesus was a true man: "Else why is Christ man and the<strong><em> Son of man</em></strong>, if he has nothing of man, and nothing from man?" (Tertullian, <em>id, </em>at <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.v.html">Ch. 5</a>.)</span></p>
<h3>But Then Roman Catholic Church Leaders in 300s Say Jesus Only Appeared To Be A Man</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">However, beginning in the 300s, leading Roman Catholic Church (RCC) voices lost hold on this original orthodox view expressed by Apostle John and Tertullian. The RCC got confused by Paul and apparently by Marcion. The Roman Catholic Church now thought Jesus only appeared to be a man. These leading commentators denied Jesus had a human nature and thus denied Jesus could actually suffer pain.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">First, St. Hilary of Poitiers (300-368) in <em>On The Trinity</em> said "<strong><em>No more in the passion did the flesh of Christ feel pain </em></strong>than if you were to wound fire or water with a sword." (Hilary, <em>De Trinitate</em> Bk. 9: 56 and Bk. 10:23. See this<a href="http://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&amp;tbo=1&amp;q=No+more+in+the+passion+did+the+flesh+of+Christ+feel+pain+&amp;btnG=Search+Books"> link</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second, Jerome from the 400s commented on Matthew 26 that it was ridiculous to think Jesus "was afraid of death" or "spoke in terror about the passion" (Jerome, <em>In Matthaeum</em> Bk. IV ch. 26:39.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, Aquinas in the 1200s persisted with this notion that Jesus's flesh was not truly human: "It would seem that there was <em><strong>no true sensible pain in Christ</strong></em>." (<em>Summa Theologia </em>(2007) Vol. IV at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QxX4xENxcwMC&amp;lpg=PA2102&amp;dq=No%20more%20in%20the%20passion%20did%20the%20flesh%20of%20Christ%20feel%20pain&amp;pg=PA2102#v=onepage&amp;q=No%20more%20in%20the%20passion%20did%20the%20flesh%20of%20Christ%20feel%20pain&amp;f=false">2102</a>.) Aquinas argued from Hillary and the Virgin Birth that Jesus's flesh was "under<strong><em> no necessity of suffering pain</em></strong>." <em>Id.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><em></em>Jerome, Hillary and Aquinas were infected by the message of what John said came from the Anti-Christ (<em>i.e.</em>, Satan). These otherwise brilliant scholars did not agree Jesus came in "human flesh." They thought His body only appeared to have human flesh, but was somehow a spiritually divine flesh that was impervious to pain or fear.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">So anyone can see that we trip ourselves up when we rely upon voices other than that of Jesus to interpret Jesus's true nature. This especially applies to the words from Paul -- a most confused and baffling voice.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Henceforth, I recommend we as Christians dispense with any depiction of Jesus's nature by using descriptions that are not from Jesus Himself. We need to focus only on words <em>actually</em> used by Jesus. Messianic passages from the OT are also important, but who better than Jesus to know what is His relationship to Divinity? This also means we need to eliminate any non-biblical terms to formulate our Christology. These human traditions only tend to skew our thinking.</span></p>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<h3><strong>Tolerance of Differences of Opinion on Christ's Divinity</strong></h3>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">What if someone will not accept my interpretation that Jesus is Divine by the indwelling full presence of the Father and His Logos of which Jesus expressly spoke? I cannot say that this means they are lost. The only two things we must believe about Jesus's nature are that He was "Messiah and the Son of God." This is what Peter confessed, and what Jesus then said was the confession upon which Jesus would build His church/community. (Matt. 16:18.) John's Gospel ends with a similar message -- John saying the Gospel's entire purpose was so we knew Jesus was the "Messiah and the Son of God." (John 20:31.) Nothing more and nothing less.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">For the same reason, if another Christian believes I do not affirm Jesus's Divinity as they would express it or if they deny Jesus is entitled to be honored as King appointed by God over us, I trust they would see tolerance in this area is appropriate for the very same reasons I tolerate those who do not see things precisely as I do.</span></p>
<h3>The Only Dangerous Christological Views</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The only confession about Christ's nature necessary from any Christian is that Jesus is Messiah and Son of God.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Beyond that, we are safe as long as we<strong><em> do not claim</em></strong></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">(a) Jesus only appeared to come in human flesh but it was not truly human flesh (as Paul erroneously teaches in Phil. <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-6.htm">2:6</a>- <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a>) -- which Apostle John says is the message of Satan / Anti-Christ -- <a href="http://biblos.com/2_john/1-7.htm">2 John 1:7</a>;</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">(b) that someone other than God was supposedly creator (as Paul teaches in Col. <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-15.htm">1:15</a>-<a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-16.htm">1:16</a>) in contravention of Isaiah 44:24, but it is OK to say the Logos manifested / dwelling in Jesus was the Creator;</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">(c) that Jesus supposedly was not fully indwelled by the Father/the Logos, but allegedly emptied Himself of those aspects which otherwise would give Him divinity while on Earth (as Paul erroneously teaches in Philippians <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a>) in contravention of John 1:1, <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-14.htm">14</a>; and John<a href="http://bible.cc/john/14-10.htm"> 14:10</a>;</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">(d) that Jesus's kingdom over all humanity is supposedly not eternal but instead Jesus will turn it over to God and subordinate Himself to God at that point forever (as Paul erroneously teaches in 1 Cor.<a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/15-24.htm">15:24</a>; 1 Cor. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2015:28&amp;version=NIV">15:28</a>) -- in contravention of Daniel <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=daniel%207:13-14&amp;version=NIV">7:13-14</a> (Son of Man will receive an "everlasting kingdom"); and</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">(e) that Jesus in His death supposedly symbolized the death of the God of Sinai -- the husband of Israel -- and thus imply that Jesus in His resurrected state represented a different God -- a God whom we can wed without the Law which was dissolved supposedly by the death of the alleged first God, as Paul erroneously teaches or implies in Rom. 7:1-6. For discussion, see<a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html"> Paul Says God of Sinai is Dead</a>.</span></p>
<h3>Monotheism With "Son of Man" View of Jesus Was Maintained Until 381 AD in Early Church</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The early church ca. 200 insisted it was still adamantly monotheistic, and Jesus was the Son of Man (a title denoting only humanity), and the Father was distinct, and the latter was the one and only God.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In <em>Constitution of the Apostles</em> ca. 200 AD, we read:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Daniel describeth [Jesus] as <em><strong>Son of Man</strong></em><em> coming to the <strong>Father</strong></em><em>, and receiving all judgment and honor from him</em>, and as the <em>stone</em> <em>cut out of the' mountain without hands, and becoming a great mountain, and filling the whole earth, </em><strong><em>dashing to pieces </em></strong>the many governments of the smaller countries, and the <strong><em>polytheism of the gods</em></strong> ; but preaching<strong><em> the one God....</em></strong> (Irah Chase, <em>The work claiming to be the Constitution of the Apostles</em> at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=LphsM3-c8acC&amp;dq=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;pg=PA128#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;f=false">128</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Tertullian, the first doctrinal expounder of a "trinity" ca. 205 AD had a similar view that Jesus was the Son indwelled by God, but was distinctly not God by Himself / apart from the indwelling of the Father. Tertullian's distinct categories are clear:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[There is one rule of faith only, and it admits of no alteration] "that which teaches us to believe in<strong><em> one God almighty, the Maker of the World</em></strong>, and <strong><em>His Son</em></strong> Jesus Christ." (John Henry Newman, <em>Tracts for the times</em> (Rivington: 1839) Volume 4 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=I1otAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PA109#v=onepage&amp;q=Bingham,%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;f=false">109</a> (a modern trinitarian is quoting this to support his view of multiple persons in a Godhead, but that is opposite of what Tertullian is actually saying).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Tertullian clearly says there is God and then there is His Son. They are not the same although they might operate together. (Tertullian elsewhere describes this as an indwelling.)</span></p>
<h3>Heretical Trinity of Valentinus That Tertullian Battled Provides Context</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">No doubt this is why Tertullian condemned as heresy within the church the teaching of a "trinity of man" -- derived, he said, from Plato. (Plato's trinity had 2 inferior deities known as Aeons to a father deity.) Tertullian wrote in <em>Prescriptions against Heretics </em><a href="http://www.tertullian.org/anf/anf03/anf03-24.htm#P3191_1146200">7:3</a>:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"Indeed heresies are themselves instigated by philosophy. From this source came the Aeons, and I know not what infinite forms, and<em><strong> the trinity of man</strong></em> in the system of Valentinus, who was of Plato's school."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"Valentinus professed to have derived his ideas from Theodas or Theudas, a disciple of St. Paul." <em>Catholic Encyclopedia. See </em>"<a href="http://www.cogwriter.com/valentinus.htm">Valentinus, Gnostic Trinitarian Heretic</a>," cogwriter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Valentinus taught Jesus was an Aeon, and did not truly come in human flesh. He only appeared to have human flesh. <em>Id. </em> Valentinus is among those who said Jesus" appeared in mere seeming" and "did appear as a man, when He was not a man...." (Irenaeus, <em>Adversus Haeres</em> <span>Book V, Chapter 1, Verse 2.)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><em></em>According to the words of Irenaeus ca. 180 AD,<em> </em>Valentinus "developed <em><strong>a triune version of the Godhead</strong></em> similar to what Plato had developed earlier." In this, the Bythus (Father) "determined to send forth from himself the beginning of all things, and deposited this production (which he had resolved to bring forth) in his contemporary Sige [<em>i.e.</em>, a female deity], even as seed is deposited in the womb. She then, having received this seed, and becoming pregnant, gave birth to Nous, who was both similar and equal to him who had produced him, and was alone capable of comprehending his father's greatness....This Nous they call also Monogenes <em>i.e.</em>, "one and only of its kind"...." Irenaeus. <em>Adversus Haeres</em>. Book 1, Chapter 1, Verses 1-3.)</span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">A bishop named Marcellus of Ancyra wrote around the middle of the fourth century about Valentinus' trinity doctrine that turned Father, Son and Holy Spirit into a pagan trinity, adopted, as Ireneaus warned in 180 AD, from Plato -- the idea of 2 inferior deities serving a father deity: </span></span></p>
<blockquote>
<p><span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"Now with the heresy of the Ariomaniacs, which has corrupted the Church of God...These then teach three hypostases, just as <strong><em>Valentinus the heresiarch first invented in the book entitled by him 'On the Three Natures</em></strong>'.  For he was the <strong><em>first to invent three hypostases and three persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit</em></strong>, and he is discovered to have filched this from Hermes and Plato." (Source: Logan A. Marcellus of Ancyra (Pseudo-Anthimus), 'On the Holy Church': Text, Translation and Commentary. Verses 8-9.  <em>Journal of Theological Studies</em>, NS, Volume 51, Pt. 1, April 2000, p.95 ).</span></span></p>
</blockquote>
<h3>Tertullian's Correct Formulation of Trinity Doctrine Circa 205 AD</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Tertullian envisioned a trinity of the Father and His Eternal Word manifested in His Son who was not eternal (and hence not God by Himself apart from the indwelling of the Father). That simple. Jesus of the flesh was a man at all times indwelled by the Word. The Roman Catholic Church admits this but then tries to obscure Tertullian was saying 2 substances -- one divine and one human -- were indwelled in Jesus. It does not identify the 'two substances,' so that a believer in a post 381AD version of the trinity might think Tertullian shares that distinctly different and heretical doctrine of 381 AD. Listen to how the Roman Catholic Church's explains Tertullian's quite accurate view:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">He says that from<strong><em> all eternity there was reason (ratio) in God, and in reason the Word (Sermo), not distinct from God</em></strong>, but in vulva cordis. For the purpose of creation the Word received a perfect birth as Son. There was<em><strong> a time when there was no Son</strong></em> and no sin, when <em><strong>God was neither Father </strong></em>nor Judge. In his Christology Tertullian has had no Greek influence, and is purely Roman. Like most Latin Fathers he speaks not of two Natures but of <strong><em>two Substances </em></strong>in one Person, united without confusion, and distinct in their operations (Chapman J. Transcribed by Lucy Tobin. Tertullian. <em>The Catholic Encyclopedia</em>, Volume XIV. Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, July 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">As you can see, this is worded to make the reader presuppose that Tertullian shared the views of the 381 AD trinity about 2 substances integrated in one God-head, but clearly Tertullian did not. If the Son is not eternal, but the Word is, as Tertullian teaches, and the Word filled Jesus, then you have a correct trinity. They were not both eternally God, combined as substance from eternity. Tertullian did not share the belief in the post-381 AD Trinity of the RCC (now part of Protestantism) which held the Word was Jesus before His birth, and Jesus was eternal and God always, and the Holy Spirit is the third person of a trinity. All those 381 AD changes conformed to Plato's trinity just as Valentinus taught, and were polytheistic and idolatrous while Tertullian's trinity was Biblical and sound.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In fact, Tertullian refuted his version of the trinity was claiming Jesus was God by proving Scripture speaks of Jesus as a distinct being from God:</span></p>
<p class="style2" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The simple...are constantly throwing out against us that we are preachers of<strong><em> two gods and three gods</em></strong>...</span></p>
<p class="style2" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Now, from this one passage of the epistle of the inspired apostle, we have been already able to show that<strong><em> the Father and the Son are two separate Persons</em></strong>, not only by the mention of their <em><strong>separate names as Father and the Son</strong></em>, but also by the fact that He who delivered up the kingdom, and He to whom it is delivered up -- and in like manner, He who subjected (all things), and He to whom they were subjected -- <em><strong>must necessarily be two different Beings</strong></em>. But since they will have the Two to be but One,<strong><em> so that the Father shall be deemed to be the same as the Son</em></strong>...For the Father is the entire substance, but the Son is a derivation and portion of the whole, as He Himself acknowledges: "My Father is greater than I." In the Psalm His inferiority is described as being "a little lower than the angels." Thus the Father is distinct from the Son, being greater than the Son (Tertullian. Against Praxeas, Chapters 3,4-5,9. Translated by Peter Holmes. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).</span></p>
<p class="style2"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Do not be confused because the RCC later invented the idea you can have three "persons" in one being / Godhead. Tertullian knew of no such semantical contradiction. In this quote, Tertullian believed <strong><em>two separate persons meant two separate beings</em></strong>, and the <strong><em>two can never be one being</em></strong>. Thus, Tertullian was refuting any notion that his version of a trinity implied two gods or three gods because <strong><em>he acknowedged Jesus was a distinct person and being from the Father who alone is God</em></strong>. Tertullian insisted that because he was saying Jesus is a distinct being and person from the Father in his scheme of a trinity, then Tertullian cannot be accused of saying more than one God exists. Jesus' status is solely as Son by derivation, which Tertullian says is clearly what Jesus means when He says "The Father is greater than I."</span></p>
<h3><strong>Valentinus' Pagan Vision Is Adopted 381 AD By Roman Church To Refute Monotheism</strong></h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In the end, Valentinus' vision of a trinity that changed Jesus into a non-flesh human Aeon as God triumphed. For it was in 381 AD that the Trinity doctrine was reformulated completely unlike what Tertullian had said (<em>i.e.</em>, that Jesus was a MAN indwelled by God's Word) into three distinct persons/beings in one 'godhead' just as Valentinus had taught.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">When this version of the Trinity was adopted ca. 381 at the Council of Constantinople (at Emperor Theodosius's insistence (see Freeman,<em> 381 AD</em>), the main proponent, Gregory of Nyssa, explicitly said it was adopted to prove the <strong><em>heresy of monotheism</em></strong>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Gregory explained this in the first chapter of his book <em>The Great Catechism</em>, and according to Schaff, teaches the "<strong>absurdity of Jewish monotheism</strong>." (<em>A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church</em> (edited by Philip Schaff, Henry Wace)(1893) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AIAXAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20Great%20Catechism%20xxxv%20The%20Nicene%20and%20Post-Nicene%20Fathers&amp;pg=PA471" target="_blank">471</a>.) Gregory in the text alludes to monotheism as "the beliefs of the Jews" and then castigates that view as an "<strong><em>absurdity</em></strong>." <em>Id.</em>, at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AIAXAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20Great%20Catechism%20xxxv%20The%20Nicene%20and%20Post-Nicene%20Fathers&amp;pg=PA476" target="_blank"> 476 col. 2</a>. Schaff explains Gregory's text in a footnote snipes at monotheism again when Gregory says in effect "an argument against Dualism would only confirm the Jew in his stern <strong><em>monotheism</em></strong>." (<em>Id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AIAXAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20Great%20Catechism%20xxxv%20The%20Nicene%20and%20Post-Nicene%20Fathers&amp;pg=PA474" target="_blank">474 fn. 7</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In chapter 3, Gregory acknowledged that "<strong><em>neither</em></strong> does the statement [of the Trinity] <strong><em>harmonize with the Jewish dogma</em></strong>" nor endorse multiple gods as it proposes a 'unity' instead. Yet, Gregory continues by saying that as a result of the Trinity doctrine as he formulated it, Jewish monotheism is ended: "the <strong><em>Jewish dogma is destroyed</em></strong> by the acceptance of the Word and by belief in the Spirit." He pointedly said "the <strong><em>number of the triad [</em></strong><em><strong>i.e.</strong></em><strong><em>, </em></strong><em><strong>three</strong></em><strong><em>]</em></strong> [is] a remedy in the case of those<em><strong>who are in error as to the One</strong></em>." (Gregory of Nyssa, <em>The Great Catechism</em>, ch. 3.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Why this change in 381 AD? Under Roman government influence, the Roman Catholic Church was explicitly endorsing that God is more than one being (who operates as a unity) so as <strong><em>to completely divorce Christianity from Judaism</em></strong>. This was partly to stop observance of Sabbath on Saturday and move it to Sunday, as well as move Passover to the month of the goddess Osiris/Eostre which is how we got the name "Easter" for the time we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. (These decrees were in 363 AD). From Constantine forward, Rome's pagan rulers were sheep in wolves' clothing, trying to paganize the worship and beliefs of Christians to match their worship of and belief in pagan deities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">For more details, see <a href="/Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html">Council of Nicea</a>. On Constantine's true motives and intentions, see our link <a href="/Recommended-Reading/contantines-damage-to-christianity.html">Constantine</a>. On the change of Sabbath to Sunday, see our link on <a href="/Recommended-Reading/sabbathcommand.html">Sabbath</a>. For the true origin of Easter, see our discussion on the <a href="/JWO/appendix-c-easter.html">"Easter Error</a>" from an appendix to Jesus' Words Only.</span></p>
<h3>Roman Catholic Church Admits Trinity Is Shrouded in Darkness Even If You Have Read The Bible</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Now one can understand why Roman Catholicism tries to shroud the post-381 AD doctrine of the trinity in darkness and empty spiritualizing. For any attention paid to the facts exposes it for what it is: idolotary and polytheism from paganism given Christian garb, replacing an accurate trinity as Tertullian in 205 AD taught. Here is the 1912 RCC explanation of the trinity of the post-381 AD kind:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><span>In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together....</span>The Vatican Council has explained the meaning to be attributed to the term mystery in theology. It lays down that a mystery is a truth which we are<em><strong> not merely incapable of discovering</strong></em> apart from Divine Revelation, but which,<em><strong> even when revealed</strong></em>, remains “hidden by the veil of faith and enveloped, so to speak, by<em><strong> a kind of darkness</strong></em>” (Const., "De fide. cath.", iv). (<span>Joyce G.H. The Blessed Trinity. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton Company Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight).</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">I love this quote! The version of the trinity doctrine designed in 381 AD to destroy monotheism is hidden, the RCC admits, in a "kind of darkness." That says it all!</span></p>
<h2>Protestants Agree Too</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">While Tertullian's Trinity makes perfect sense -- there is God the Father who sends His Word to indwell His Son Jesus -- no one can make sense of the 381 AD Trinity -- that there is "God-the-Father," God-the-Son" and "God-the-Holy Spirit" -- each of distinct mind and spirit -- each a person, and still be "one." The impenatrable nature of this 381 AD trinity which we all have been taught since children is confessed by Protestants too:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><span><span class="style2">...the Trinity...has proven <strong><em>impossible for Christians actually to understand the d</em></strong></span></span><strong><em><span>octrine or to </span><span><span class="style2">explain it in any comprehensive way</span></span></em></strong><span> </span><span><span class="style2">(Brown HOJ. <em>Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church</em>. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, p.</span></span><span>128</span><span><span class="style2">).</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">But remember it is more than this. Unlike Tertullian's trinity doctrine, the 381 AD doctrine expressly countenances worshipping a man as God instead of giving homage to Jesus as a king appointed over us by God and who is indwelled by God. Worshipping a Man as if He himself were God is idolatry in violation of the second commandment. And also saying three persons can share God-hood in a God-head is pure polytheism, and thus violates the first commandment.</span></p>
<h2>Study Notes</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Wikipedia records that most of Christendom came later to at least view the "Person of Christ" correctly (if no embellishment is added). The Wikipedia, in an article entitled "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Christ">Person of Christ</a>" explains the doctrine of hypostatic union.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Ephesus" title="First Council of Ephesus">First Council of Ephesus</a> in 431 debated a number of views regarding the Person of Christ. The council was called by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_of_Alexandria" title="Cyril of Alexandria">Cyril of Alexandria</a> at the request of Pope <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestine_I" title="Celestine I" class="mw-redirect">Celestine I</a> who was unhappy with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestorius" title="Nestorius">Nestorius</a>, who had previously been a preacher in Antioch, and his view that regarded the Person of Christ as having a disjoint human nature from his divine nature. At the same gathering the council also debated the doctrines of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monophysitism" title="Monophysitism">Monophysitism</a> (i.e. the Person of Christ has only one nature) versus <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miaphysitism" title="Miaphysitism">Miaphysitism</a> (i.e. the Person of Christ has two natures united as one). The council rejected <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestorianism" title="Nestorianism">Nestorianism</a> (i.e. the Person of Christ having two disjoint natures) and adopted the <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union" title="Hypostatic union">Hypostatic union</a></em> i.e.<strong> two co-existing natures in the Person of Christ</strong>. The language used in the 431 declaration was further refined at the 451 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Chalcedon" title="Council of Chalcedon">Council of Chalcedon</a>.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Christ#cite_note-7"><span>[</span>8<span>]</span></a></sup><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Christ#cite_note-8"><span>[</span>9<span>]</span></a></sup><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Christ#cite_note-9"><span>[</span>10<span>]</span></a></sup><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Christ#cite_note-10"><span>[</span>11<span>]</span></a></sup></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Chalcedon" title="Council of Chalcedon">Council of Chalcedon</a> <strong>endorsed the <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypostatic_union" title="Hypostatic union">Hypostatic union</a></em>,</strong> stating that the human and divine natures of the Person of Christ <strong>co-exist, yet each is distinct and complete</strong>.<sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Christ#cite_note-11"><span>[</span>12<span>]</span></a></sup><sup><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Christ#cite_note-Armentrout-12"><span>[</span>13<span>]</span></a></sup> However, the Chalcedon creed was not accepted by all Christians. To date, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholicism" title="Roman Catholicism" class="mw-redirect">Roman Catholicism</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy" title="Eastern Orthodoxy" class="mw-redirect">Eastern Orthodoxy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglicanism" title="Anglicanism">Anglicanism</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutheranism" title="Lutheranism">Lutheranism</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism" title="Calvinism">Reformed</a> adhere to the Chalcedonian creed, while many branches of Eastern Christianity such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syriac_Orthodox_Church" title="Syriac Orthodox Church">Syrian Orthodoxy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_Church_of_the_East" title="Assyrian Church of the East">Assyrian Church</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coptic_Orthodoxy" title="Coptic Orthodoxy" class="mw-redirect">Coptic Orthodoxy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Orthodox" title="Ethiopian Orthodox" class="mw-redirect">Ethiopian Orthodoxy</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Apostolic_Church" title="Armenian Apostolic Church">Armenian Apostolicism</a> reject it</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">An article entitled "<a href="http://christianthinktank.com/jesusnoidol.html">Are Christians Committing Idolatry and Violating the 2d Commandment in Worshipping Jesus</a>" the author correctly defends that Christians can worship the God-Yawheh who was dwelling / tabernacling in Jesus, and this does not make us worship a human. The author writes:</span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="western"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The overall concept is that God dwelt among us and manifested His glory to us in the person and life of Jesus. The Son of God Jesus had a human body, but Christians do not worship His body in any way. His flesh was like the curtains of the Tabernacle or like the stone walls of the Temple. Israelites did not worship the cloth of the curtains, nor the stone and timber of the Temple--they worshipped the God who 'dwelt' inside those.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="western"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">When GOD first appeared to Moses in the burning bush, the locale was made sacred by the temporary presence of God, but Moses would not have worshipped the leaves or branches of the bush!</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="western"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">So also Jesus is described as a <strong>'temple'</strong> and as the <strong>'tabernacle'</strong> and the <strong>'dwelling'</strong> of God's presence and glory:</span></p>
<h2>Study Notes: Passages That Distinguish Jesus From God</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rev%201:1&amp;version=KJV">Revelation 1:1 </a>(KJV), we read:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">As <a href="http://coffeehouseapologetics.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/god-almighty-in-revelation-chapter-5/">Coffeehouse Apologetics</a> says, "<span>notice that Revelation 1:1 introduces the book of Revelation as something that God gave to Jesus to give to his servants."</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus says:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rev%203:21&amp;version=KJV">Rev.3:21</a>.</span></span></p>
<hr />
<h3>Study Notes on Justin Martyr: First Apology</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">An interesting insight into the early church views on any Deity for Jesus in a Godhead comes from reading Justin Martyr ca. 165 AD in <em>First Apology</em> who starts by saying Jesus "is the son of the True God, and therefore hold Him <strong><em>second in order</em></strong>, and the Prophetic Spirit the third." (See <a href="http://www.archive.org/stream/firstapologyofju00just">archives.org link</a> at 17; see page below and press forward button to see page 17.) This begins clearly by distinguishing Jesus from the True God, and holds Him in second honor or rank.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">However, the editor's footnote on page 17 says this is the "sacred Trinity in their order," but the editor is wrong. It shows instead a belief in (a) inequality of Jesus to the Father; (b) Justin distinguishes Jesus from the True God; and (c) comparable to Jewish beliefs, regards the Holy Spirit as a weaker manifestation of God and not His full presence which spoke to the prophets, unlike the voice that spoke aloud to all at Mt. Sinai.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This is clear on page 18, as Justin speaks of the "only UNbegotten God" operating through "his Son, Jesus Christ." We now commit our lives to the "unbegotten God." (page 19). Christ is the "Power of God, and the Wisdom of God." (Page 19.) Later, Justin speaks of the "Logos, first-begotten of God, our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Page 29.) In <em>First Apology</em> XXX, he writes: "As to the Son of God called Jesus, should we allow him to be nothing more than a man, yet the title Son of God is justifiable upon the account of His wisdom; for is not God styled by your own writers Father of gods and men?" (Page 30.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">From that point onward, until a suspicious 'two-word' insert (I contend), Justin always appears to be insisting Jesus is the begotten Son of God, distinct from the eternal God and Father -- the only true God -- and that God is known by no other name than the Father.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Justin begins: "Jesus is properly the Son of God, as being the Logos, and<strong><em> First-begotten</em></strong> and Power of God, and by his counsel was made man...." (Page 31.) In XXXIII, Justin says we are "dedicated to the service of the unbegotten impassible God...." (Page 32.) Later, Justin defends Jesus' "divinity" as do I when properly understood. See XXXVI (page 38.) Later Justin defines "the spirit and power of God" as the Logos, and depicts it as "the first-begotten of God." (Page 43.) Jesus is the "first-begotten of God...Logos or universal reason." (LXI at Page 56.) The "Logos was Himself made man...." <em>Id.</em>, at 57. "The Logos of God is His Son, and is also called Angel and Apostle." <em>Id. at 79</em>, LXXXII. Jesus is the "pre-existing Logos." <em>Id.</em>, LXXXIII, at page 80. Justin says that when the "Angel of the Lord spoke to Moses from the flame and said I am that I am, the self-existent, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and Jacob," that the Jews claim this was "God the Father, the Maker of all things" speaking, but Justin says it was "the very Son of God" who had the meeting.  <em>Id.</em>, at 80-81. But they who "<strong><em>affirm the Son to be the Father are guilty of not knowing the Father</em></strong>, and are likewise ignorant that the Father of the Universe has a Son, who being the Logos and first-begotten of God is God." LXXXIII at 81.[COMMENT: Either someone altered Justin here, or Justin engages in self-contradiction.]</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The proof of tampering is that previously Justin said that in baptism the penitent calls on "God the Father and Lord of all things...<strong><em>we call God by no other name because we have not any appellation for the ineffable majesty of God that can explain His nature</em></strong>." <em>Id.</em>, at LXXX on page 76. Why would Justin say God the Father is uniquely God, and we can call Him by no other name than Father, and then say the Son is God. <strong><em>Two words</em></strong> ("is God") are all that modify this line to fit 381AD-Trinitarian concepts which came 2 centuries later, causing a mismatch to Justin's otherwise non-Trinitarian and anti-381AD-Trinitarian analysis. How did this happen?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">From letters of Jerome, we now know that Jerome deliberately felt free to change earlier commentaries from the 200s to insert the 381AD version of trinitarian doctrine so as to make it appear to have a longer history than it did -- its recentness in the 400s proving always to be an embarrassment.</span></p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="430px" width="480px" src="http://www.archive.org/stream/firstapologyofju00just?ui=embed#page/16/mode/1up"></iframe></p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 913658<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

583
Recommended-Reading/cossette-on-paul.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,583 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/cossette-on-paul.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Cossette on Paul | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span>“If you believe, unbelievable things can sometimes be possible.” Tim Tebow 2011</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h1><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h1>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 7549" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "7549") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>A Review of Thomas Cossette, <em>Hebrew Prophecies of The Coming of Paul </em>(2007).</h2>
<p>Mr. Cossette has produced an interesting brief book that finds contrasting doctrine between Paul and Jesus. (Here is the<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=U61RtKYqyd4C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;ots=q-w96jsb3s&amp;dq=cossette%20hebrew%20prophecies&amp;pg=PP1#v=onepage&amp;q=&amp;f=false"> link </a>to the books.google version. Here is the Amazon <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/cossette-20">link</a> for purchase.) Mr. Cossette also attempts to see whether Paul matches various prophecies in Scripture, including the one of the Benjamite Wolf (Gen. 49:27) and Daniel's prophesy of the man of lawlessness in Dan. 7:25 <em>et seq.</em></p>
<p>Mr. Cossette's approach is to offer a smattering of points in his short 77 page work. He does not exhaustively analyze whether there have been various fulfillments. Yet, he offers interesting starting points for those who seek to find whether these prophecies do apply as he claims.</p>
<h3>My Disclaimer</h3>
<p>I wish to emphasize I am not endorsing all of Mr. Cossette's views, especially as they are not very well elaborated yet. I think they are challenging and worthy of consideration. They are with a true spirit of seeking to follow Jesus/Y'shua, and even are kindly toward the Paulinists whom he regards as "Tares" whom Jesus teaches us to tolerate, as I have likewise pointed out and exhorted.</p>
<h3>Jesus' Words Only Motivation of Cossette</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"I don't hate Paul, but I have to put to the test what he says, and in doing so, I don't see he taught truth." (<em>Id.</em>, at 76.) As a result of testing, Cossette says "the conclusion I have come to is this: Y'shva [Jesus] is the prophesied one." (<em>Id.</em>) "He is the Word of God, not my testimony or anyone else's." (<em>Id.</em>) "Y'shva must increase in the guidance of your life, and [all others] must decrease." (<em>Id.</em>)</p>
<h3>Jesus-Paul Contradiction Over View of Pharisees</h3>
<p>Cossette begins by elucidating the view Jesus had about the Pharisees, and how this was opposite of Paul's view.</p>
<p>Cossette writes:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"One thing is for sure: one of the main messages that Y'shva [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus] taught, which is recorded in all the gospels, is that the Pharisees were not teaching the law of Moses but rather the doctrines and traditions of men....All of Saul's (Paul's) writing clearly teaches the Pharisees taught the law of Moses perfectly." (<em>Hebrew Prophecies</em>, <em>id.</em>, at 20.)</p>
<p>Cossette is aluding to Paul's statement in Philippians 3:5-6 where he speaks of his time as a Pharisee was one of "as touching righteousness, [I was] found blameless." Of course, Jesus taught contrarily that the Pharisees were lax in teaching and obeying the Law. See Matt. 23:23. <em>See also</em>, Matt. 15: 6,9.</p>
<p>Cossette laments that "many people choose to ignore this because it is easier to deal with passed-down traditions than dealing with facts." (<em>Id.</em>, at 20.)</p>
<p>Cossette correctly points out that Jesus said "he that teaches and keeps the Law of Moses will be great in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:19.) However, Paul depicts the Pharisees - enemies of Jesus - as law-keepers, and by doing so, and in other things Paul says, Paul is "condemning all who are zealous of the Law of Moses as an enemy of Messiah." (<em>Id.</em>, at 21.)</p>
<p>Thus, Cossette later concludes:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"We have shown that Paul denied Jesus' ministry concerning the Pharisees. <em><strong>Y'shva says that the Pharisees did not teach the Law of Moses</strong></em> but rather they taught the doctrines and traditions of men. While<em><strong> Paul teaches that the Pharisees kept the law of Moses in the perfect manner of their fathers</strong></em>. He never once said the Pharisees taught the doctrines and traditions of men. All he ever said is that the kept the law perfectly, and he kept it perfectly as a Pharisee. This is calling Y'shva liar and a fool. He denies the annointed teaching that Messiah spoke to them and rebuked the Pharisees for Y'shva is the only one who ever kept the law perfectly." (<em>Id.</em>, at 54-55.)</p>
<h3>Jesus-Paul Contradiction Over The Law</h3>
<p>As to the opposing view of Jesus (Matt. 5:19) and Paul on the Law of Moses, Cossette near the end of his book makes cogent but strongly worded observations:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul's concept is to give lip service to Jesus's name and then [asks us] to listen to whatever he [i.e., Paul] says, even when it does not add up to the truth....You are told to submit to prove your faithfulness to Jesus or at least the Jesus Paul teaches. To do this you must divorce yourself from the fact [the Law is valid.] ... [Paul's] doctrine is <em><strong>brilliantly evil and dark</strong></em>. He throws the truth to the ground, convincing people if they keep the law, they are transgressing against Christ." (<em>Id.</em>, at 62-63.)</p>
<p>Based upon these contradictions, and the prophecies he believes applies to Paul (discussed below), Cossette says:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"This man Paul <strong><em>hijacked what is called the church</em></strong>....But he can only keep those who do not love the truth. Those who still have conscience and will compare his teaching and his testimony to Y'shva's and the prophets without granting Paul's testimony the Word of God but just as another man's testimony in light of Jesus' teachings. Then they will discover that<em><strong> Paul usurps the truth</strong></em>...." (<em>Id.</em>, at 65-66.)</p>
<p>Cossette significantly explains the proper relationship of the old and new covenant. He says:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"What is the new covenant that Jeremiah spoke of? We keep the everlasting covenant in a new way, in spirit and in truth, as he writes his laws on the tables of our hearts; and they are not a burden to us, if you love him." (<em>Id.</em>, at 27).</p>
<h3>Self-Contradictions In Paul's Writings</h3>
<p>Cossette also comments on the self-contradictory doctrines of Paul. This allows Paul to be citable on both sides of the major controversies in the church. In this respect, Cossette has this analysis:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul is also careful to cover himself, so when his doctrine is confronted, they who follow it can say he said this or that; but the fruit of his teaching is born out of time, and history is the witness of the spirit he spoke by. I believe it was James that said, 'A double-minded man will receive nothing from God.' Paul's teachings are the most double-minded expression of thought and practice there is." (<em>Id.</em>, at 37.)</p>
<p>Cossette believes that the twelve apostles never tried to suppress Paul's writings in obedience to Jesus' message in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. (<em>Id.</em>, at 30). "They simply spoke the truth in the face of error and left it in God's hands knowing His will will be fulfilled." (<em>Id.</em>)</p>
<h3>Paul Contradicting Words and Spirit of Hebrew Bible</h3>
<p>Cossette finds fault that Paul teaches in 1 Timothy women who seek to remarry wax wanton thereby against Christ. He explains, as he introduces the problem this presents:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Next to accuse young widows of waxing wanton against Christ for wanting a husband to help raise their children or so she could produce more children for the Lord is an unconscionable statement for anyone to make, never mind someone who claims to be an apostle." (<em>Id.</em>, at 68.)</p>
<p>Cossette goes on to say that the "Law, Prophets, Y'shva and the apostles all taught that if a man came to a woman's aid and takes her as his wife he does a good thing." (<em>Id.</em>) For example, a brother who takes his brother's widow as a wife was a command of the Law.  "To equate," Cossette says, "a woman turning after Satan [by complying with the Law's duties/encouragement to want remarriage] is not the Spirit of God or what the apostles or the prophets taught." (<em>Id.</em>)</p>
<h3>Benjamite Wolf Prophecy</h3>
<p>Cossette then reviews the Benjamite prophecy of Genesis 49:27. This is of the wolf that ravens in the morning and divides the spoils in the afternoon. (<em>Id.</em>, at 32 <em>et seq.</em>)</p>
<p>Cossette points out that not only does Paul say he is a Benjamite (Phil. 3:4-6), but in that same passage says he was "blameless" as touching righteousness of his time as a Pharisee. Yet, how can this be true back then in his Pharisee-period when (a) Paul was still rejecting Christ and (b) killing Christians? (<em>Id.</em>, at 32-33.) I would add that this shows a sign of a lack of repentance. How can Paul affirm after his conversion that he was entirely righteous as a Pharisee under the Law of Moses when indeed he was a murderer of Christians? It is indeed puzzling.</p>
<p>Cossette believes that when Paul addressed Christians in Acts 21-22:3, he unmasked his true nature as fulfilling the Benjamite Wolf prophecy. (<em>Id.</em>, at 32-33.) How so? By the nature of Paul's argument for Christianity and his own admissions. For example, Paul says that Jesus took a Gentile bride "to make the Jewish nation jealous, when in fact, the majority of followers of Y'shva at this time were still Jewish." (<em>Id.</em>, at 34.) Cossette is also aptly astonished at the implications of Paul's claim, saying that "if any of you would take another woman to make your wife jealous, what would you call it?" (<em>Id., </em>at 34.) Much later Cossette makes the point bluntly: "it also makes Jesus a whoremongerer according to Paul's own established idea of moral decency." (<em>Id.</em>, at 43.) I had never seen this incongruity before, which shows how our long conditioning to assuming Paul's validity causes our critical ear to be closed. (Cossette aptly says Paul's claim is incredible because Jews of that era would have never been provoked to switch to Christianity by the lawless brand of faith taught by Paul. <em>Id.</em>, at 43-44.)</p>
<p>Cossette continues, and understands Paul's words in 2 Cor. 12:1-8 as Paul saying "he is tormented by messengers of Satan" who were "puffing him up, thinking more of himself than he thought he should." (<em>Id.</em>, at 34.) Paul then "makes accusations concerning the original Apostles, suggesting they are apostate and are false angels of light." (2 Cor. 11; Gal. 2:5-11.) Scholars indeed agree with Cossette that Paul is likely severly criticizing the 12 apostles. Cossette then explains that Paul demanded submission to his gospel, and cursed "to hell" anyone who did not follow it. Cossette says this proves that Paul divided the spoils -- took the Gentiles for his own. "They -- the children of Benjamin, the disciples of Paul -- divide the spoils among themselves." The consequence? "With Paul's doctrine, they that are opposed to Y'shva teaching are binding you into bundles together to be burned." (<em>Id.</em>, at 35.)</p>
<p>Much later, Cossette brings out this division more starkly:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Through vain words, Paul polarized Gentiles from Jews, claiming that those who keep the Law of Moses are opponents of the Gospel Christ. At the same time, he polarized the Jews from Y'shua for his supposed indifference to the law and paganism." (<em>Id.</em>, at 53.)</p>
<p>Cossette sees the Benjamite Saul in 1 Samuel 9:1-2 as an allegory of the Saul-Paul in the Christian era, meant to prophesy by allegory of Paul's coming as the Benjamite wolf (<em>Id.</em>, 34-35.)</p>
<h3>Allegory in Judges 19</h3>
<p>Cossette sees another very interesting allegory in Judges 19 that I had not previously seen. The book of Judges, he contends, includes prophecies that are allegoric, <em>i.e.</em>, contain a story which will parallel and thereby predict a later event. Cossette explains:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"In Judges 19, from where did he (this redeemer) come from? From the house of God. Where does he come to get his concubine? 'Bethlehem.' And she had played the what? 'The harlot.' And he came for her and spoke kindly to her and won her heart back. How? Through the gospel. "And as he leads her home (to the house of God) on his journey, he had no place to lay his head." Whoever said that? Jesus in Matthew 8:20. And he turned away from Jerusalem to rest in a town of Benjamin for a night, and the man of Benjamin that offers him shelter does what under pressure? He turns the concubine of the man of God out to the men of Beliel of the tribe of Benjamin, the very man's wife whom he had offered shelter to. Instead of protecting them with his life, he gives the man of God's wife to his kinfolk, and they ravage her to death all through the night, and the hireling does what? "Gives up the sheep and flees" to save his own skin when the wolves come." (<em>Id.</em>, at 35-36.)</p>
<p>Cossette then claims Paul in Acts 20:29 admits that he will be departing, and consequently "wolves" will enter the flock to ravage them, matching the "gives up the sheep and flees" statement.</p>
<p>It does appear Cossette has found a significant analogy that helps corroborate the Benjamite Wolf prophecy applies to Paul. For the analogy in Judges 19 appears to be that Jesus takes his bride in Bethlehem, but He "has no place to lay his head" and so He rests among Benjamites, like Paul. One Benjamite - a prefigure of Paul -- offers shelter, but this Benjamite offers out the bride to the men of Beliel -- Benjamites too -- who then "ravage" the women, like ravening wolves. I would say the hireling's cowardice is not a reference to Paul, but instead ties to Jesus reference to the false prophet and ravening wolf who will overtake members of Christ's church who are hirelings who do not care for the flock. Jesus said they will leave God's people a prey to the ravening wolves. This then ties back into the Benjamite wolf prophecy of Genesis 49:27. It mysteriously says "And what was then is even as now ... a sovereign God sees to his word being fulfilled. He that has eyes to see that him see."</p>
<p>The parallels are indeed amazing.</p>
<h3>Cossette on the Gospel</h3>
<p>Cossette has many further beautiful depictions of Jesus' gospel. See pages 40-41. I particularly like this quote:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"They that sacrifice good deeds and works of faith to appease a theological philosophy of salvation based on...Jesus having finished the work for them, believe in vain." (<em>Id.</em>, at 40.)</p>
<h3>Daniel's Prophecy of the Man of Lawlessness</h3>
<p>Cossette also enters into a discussion of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 7 by commenting about Paul's views on sex with women as undesirable and a distraction. Paul advocates that it is better to stay celibate and unmarried than to take a wife. (1 Cor. 7:32-35.) (By the way, Jesus simply said some have the capacity to be eunuchs for the kingdom, and some don't. Jesus did not prefer one over the other). Cossette says this casts Paul in the role of fulfilling Daniel's prophecy of Daniel 11:37-39:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, <strong><em>nor the desire of woman</em></strong>, nor any god, for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces...."</p>
<p>Cossette ties it together: "Paul...shows he had a very low regard for women and saw them more as distractions than helpmates." (<em>Id</em>., at 43.) As to disregarding the God of his fathers, Cossette cites Paul's reference in Galatians 4 to God casting away the law by saying the law was 'by analogy' given Ishmael at Sinai, and Sarah's children are not bound to the Law (when it was the reverse). Cossette says aptly: "What Paul does is a switch, a magic trick with words instead of sleight of hand like any common street magician." (<em>Id.</em>, at 44.)</p>
<h3>Leave The Tares (Paulinists) Alone</h3>
<p>Cossette just before his conclusion says he does not advocate removal of Paul's writings from the Bible. Instead, "It is positive proof of the prophetic annointing of Y'shva." (<em>Id.</em>, at 45.) Based on the principle of Jesus in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, Cossette says to leave Paul's writings as is.</p>
<p>Cossette holds the view that modern Pauline Christianity wrongly worships the cross of Christ rather than the life of Y'shua whose obedience paid for our sins. He points out a verse that is easily ignored. In 2 Kings 8:14 Hezekiah is depicted as a very good king, and he tore down the "brazen serpent that Moses made" because the people had come to worship it. Cossette says Y'shua's' being lifting up on the cross was to be like the serpent Moses raised up, as Y'Shua says. Yet, this Cross was not to become an object of worship any more than the serpent of Moses. (See <em>id.</em>, at 47-49.)</p>
<h3>Cossette's View on 666</h3>
<p>One interesting interpretation of 666 is included. He equates it with the pope. That is not unusual, but the method of analysis is new to me. The mitre of the pope says in Latin he is the Vicar of Christ. The Latin is Vicarius Filii Dei. A substitute for Christ.</p>
<p>When you do the mathematical values (of which I confess ignorance), it totals 666. (<em>Id.</em>, at 57). He claims this was asserted by Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.</p>
<p>The reason this is included is that Cossette contends that Protestant Churches are supposedly daughters of the Catholic churches, as they still hold to Paul and Luke's gospel, which Cossette contends is faulty and is designed to help Paul by omission of parables we find in Matthew. (<em>Id.</em>, at 58.)</p>
<p>Then Cossette says the anti-Christ has already come in a subtle way, implying either Paul or the pope is to be equated with the same. It is unclear whom he has identified. (<em>Id.</em>, at 58.)</p>
<h3>Cossette Returns to Daniel Prophecy</h3>
<p>Then Cossette says Paul fits the "lawless one to come" prophesied in Daniel 7:25-27. Paul's abrogation of Sabbath in Col. 2:16 fits the prophecy of the one who comes and "thinks to change times and the law...." (Daniel 7:25.) Then Cossette says it is the Catholic church who has changed the times and law. (<em>Id.</em>, at 60.) "It is from Paul's writings that they justify themselves doing this...." (<em>Id.</em>, at 60.) Paul also criticized "James, Cephas [Peter] and John" as "seeming pillars" of the church (Gal. 2:4,6,9,11), and this matches the "puting down three rulers" prophesied in Daniel. (<em>Id.</em>, at 60.)</p>
<p>Cossette says Paul's elevated sense of importance -- he was "more" a "minister of Christ" than the others (2 Cor. 11:22-23) and any spiritual person should realize "the things I write are the commandments of the Lord" (1 Cor. 14:37) -- makes him fit the prophecy of Satan as desirous to become commander on earth from within God's congregation in Isaiah 4:3-20. I make no comment. One has to read Cossette's application. <em>Id.</em>, at 61-62.</p>
<h3>Saul and Sheol</h3>
<p>Cossette makes a knock on Paul by word etymology. It seems questionable yet a curious issue. I mention this because scholars might correct my quibble and indeed I may wrongfully be doubting this point. Cossette says "Saul" -- Paul's true name -- means "Hades." (<em>Id.</em>, at 63.) From this Cossette exclaims "How plain can be the truth and people not see?"</p>
<p>Is this true? Other sources tell us "<em>Saul</em> is from the <em>Hebrew</em> word pronounced shaw-ool...."<a href="http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/saul.htm">1</a> It means "asked" or "prayed" in Hebrew. (<em>Id.</em>) In a scholarly discussion of 1 Sam. 28 when Saul goes to see the witch of Endor, it is mentioned parenthetically <em><strong>"Saul whose name is spelled like Sh'l as with the Hebrew name for Sheol, Sh'l.</strong></em>" (Samuel Frost, "Sheol/Hades: What Is It?" (2007)<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/9258127/SheolHades-What-is-it">2<br /></a></p>
<p>To understand this, we need to know in ancient Hebrew, the diacritical vowel markings are not used. Thus, the name Sheol and Saul in ancient Hebrew were written identically, and were distinguished only by context.</p>
<p>While that may be a coincidence, Strong's does establish that both Saul and Sheol come from the same root word. Saul is a passive participle of of the word numbered 7592 in Strong's system. And Sheol, the grave, is "from 7592," Strong's says. Thus, they have an identical derivation.</p>
<p>If one sees other more serious and blatant problems with Paul, then this name association of Paul with Saul and then by etymological association to Sheol may be a spiritual hint from our Lord. It alone proves nothing.</p>
<h3>My Side-Note: Is Habakkuk 2:5 a Prophecy about Paul?</h3>
<p>However, one Paul critic (not Cossette) says that the<em> sh'l </em>in Habakkuk 2:5 now could be translated as Saul, not Sheol/hell/grave. In 2:5, it says: "Yea, also, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlarges his desire as SAUL [sh'l] and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but garnereth unto him all nations [<em>i.e.</em>, GENTILES], and heapeth unto him all people."</p>
<p>Now that would be significant. It remains to be seen whether God intended us to translate this as SAUL. Cossette did not propose that idea. I include it only because if God did prophesy in one more place about Saul-Paul, we must listen. I have written an entire article discussing whether Habakkuk 2:5 is a prophecy about Paul. See this<a href="/JWO/habakkuk-prophecy-about-paul.html"> link</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 943712<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

555
Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,555 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Council of Nicea of 325 AD | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p style="text-align: right;">Second Peter warned Paul says many things difficult to understand and many thereby fall from their steadfastness in Christ. <em>J</em><em>esus' Words on Salvation<br /></em></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 8030" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "8030") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
Home</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Council of Nicea of 325 AD</h2>
<h3>Overview</h3>
<p>Prior to 325 AD, and the decision at the Council of Nicea, the church taught what Jesus taught about Himself: Jesus was a man indwelled by the Father. (John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:10-11&amp;version=KJV">14:10-11</a>.) Jesus transformed into the Son of God at His baptism, as the gospels of Matthew and Luke originally read. (See our <a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/hebrew-matthew-baptismal-account.html">link</a> "Hebrew Matthew Baptismal Account.")</p>
<p>Jesus' Divinity derived from the full presence of God-the-Father which in Hebrew translates as "Divinity." Jesus repeatedly said the Father dwells in Him. (John<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2014:10-11&amp;version=ASV"> 14:10-11</a>.) The Word (<strong><em>LOGOS</em></strong>)  was God and became flesh. This meant the word (logos) <strong><em>dwelling in Jesus</em></strong> became flesh when the Word came upon Jesus and beget him as the Son of God. (John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%201:14&amp;version=ASV">1:14</a>.) Jesus said specifically the "<strong><em>logos is not mine</em></strong>, but the Father's who sent me." (John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:24&amp;version=ASV">14:24</a>.) Nor was Jesus ever said to be the "eternal" Son of God. This ran afoul of the original baptismal accounts in the gospels which were quoted repeatedly by the early patristic writers of the church [100-325 AD] that God told Jesus in a voice from heaven that "this day I have begotten thee." (See our article, "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">The Correct Christology</a>.") (No wonder these "this day I have begotten thee" baptismal accounts disappeared after Nicea in 325 A.D.)</p>
<p>But in 325 AD. when a monarch named Constantine saw Jesus as a means to sell his favorite pagan deity of Sol Invictus (see below), Constantine seized the opportunity at Nicea to change the original beliefs of the church about Jesus. Constantine proclaimed Jesus God by virtue of sharing "substance" with God-the-Father, and thus being "very God" Himself.</p>
<p>Now in Constantine's conception, Jesus was being exalted further so as to be identical to the god Sol Invictus. Constantine clearly believed in this deity Sol Invictus who was not only a god himself but also the son of the god Horus -- a father god of paganism. Constantine could now worship Sol Invictus under the name of Jesus. By exalting Jesus to the <strong><em>same nature</em></strong> as Sol Invictus, Constantine knew no one would find fault with his paganism being wrapped in Christianity. (See below.) Indeed, there is no doubt this is precisely what Jesus meant to Constantine: Sol Invictus. To complete this pagan connection, Jesus's nature -- the Christology of Jesus -- had to be altered by <strong><em>exalting it to fit Sol Invictus in every way</em></strong>. Thereby, Constantine portrayed Jesus in an idolatrous way which Tertullian warned about in 200 AD. (See our link "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">An Exaltation That Went Too Far</a>.")</p>
<h3>Prior Conception of Jesus</h3>
<p>Tertullian in the 200s, the major voice of early Christianity, wrote what was the true rule of faith and proper Christology:</p>
<div class="flow">
<div class="gtxt_body">
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="gtxt_body">The <span class="gstxt_hlt">rule </span>of <span class="gstxt_hlt">faith, </span>indeed, is altogether one, alone immoveable and irreformable; the <span class="gstxt_hlt">rule, </span>to wit, of believing in<em><strong> one only God omnipotent, the Creator of the universe</strong></em>, and <strong><em>His Son Jesus Christ</em></strong>, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, raised again the third day from the dead, received in the heavens, sitting now at the right [hand] of the Father, destined to come to judge quick and dead through the resurrection of the flesh as well [as of the spirit]. (Tertullian, <em>On The Veiling of the Virgins</em> Ch. 1, in Tertullian, <em>The writings of Quintus Sept. Flor. Tertullianus</em> (1870) Volume 3 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-MYAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=tertullian%20veiling%20of%20the%20virgins%20rule%20of%20faith&amp;pg=PA154#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">154</a>.)</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">There is nothing in this about Jesus being himself God, the creator, or of the very substance of God. Rather, God is disjoined from Jesus, and kept distinct. God is God, and Jesus is the Son of God. Tertullian battled vigorously the Marcionites who claimed Jesus was not truly a man, but God Himself. Tertullian said this was docetism -- the heresy identified by Apostle John in his epistle as the message of the Anti-Christ himself. See our article "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">The Correct Christology</a>."</p>
</div>
</div>
<h3>Cause of Conflict That Gave Constantine The Opportunity To Deify Jesus The Man</h3>
<p>In 306 AD., Bishop Arius in the Antioch region insisted Jesus was not co-eternal with God, relying upon Paul's statement in Col. 1:15 that Jesus was the "first-born of creation." (For discussion on the Arian controversy, see "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/flawedchristologyofpaul.html">Paul's Flawed Christology</a>.")</p>
<p>Based upon this, Arius insisted Jesus could not be God.</p>
<p>Arius could also cite many other proofs from Paul. Paul repeatedly <strong><em>denied</em></strong> Jesus was God although everyone today ignores these verses. For example, Paul says in 1 Cor. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%208:6&amp;version=NIV">8:6</a> "yet for us there is <em><strong>but one God, the Fathe</strong></em><em><strong>r</strong></em>, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but <em><strong>one Lord, Jesus Christ..." </strong><span style="font-style: normal;">In</span><strong> </strong></em>1 Cor. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20cor.%2011:3&amp;version=ASV">11:3</a>, Paul says "the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the<strong><em> head of Christ is God.</em></strong>" Just as Paul did not mean I become Christ by Jesus being my head, nor could Paul have meant Jesus becomes God by God being His head. Paul obviously means Christ is our Lord just as Paul means the Lord over Christ is God.</p>
<p>And most clearly, Paul says in one passage that Jesus is NOT God. This begins with 1 Corinthians 15:28: "And when all things shall be subdued unto him [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus], then shall the Son also himself<strong><em> be subject unto him [i.e., God the Father] </em></strong>that put all things under him, that <strong><em>God</em></strong> may be all in all." This is in accord with 1 Cor. 15:24: "Then the end will come, when he [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus] hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power." And verse 28 is led into by this clarifying verse: "Now when it says that 'everything' has been put under him, it is clear that this <strong><em>does not include God himself</em></strong>, who put everything under Christ." (1 Cor. <a href="http://biblos.com/1_corinthians/15-27.htm">15:27</a>.) Hence, Paul just said Jesus is not God, for when "everything" is put under Christ, Paul clarifies that he does not mean "God" is put under Jesus, but it is the other way around.</p>
<p>Hence, Arius was on firm ground that Paul in Col. 1:15 meant Jesus was a created being who was Himself not God.</p>
<p>However, Alexander in Egypt insisted Jesus was an eternal being, and thus Jesus was God.</p>
<p>Emperor Constantine at first thought this was an insignificant dispute, and asked the disputants to cease the debate. He wrote the following letter to each:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Constantine the Victor, Supreme Augustus, to Alexander and Arius...How deep a wound has not only my ears but also my heart received from a report that divisions exist among yourselves...Having inquired carefully into the origin and foundation of these differences, I find their cause to be of a <strong><em>truly insignificant nature</em></strong>, quite unworthy of such bitter contention. (John Julius Norwich, <em>Byzantium: The Early Centuries</em> (Knopf: 1989) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=P1KbTJa5MoOenweOrOwr&amp;ct=result&amp;id=aWMbAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=constantine+the+victor+insignificant+nature&amp;q=insignificant+nature#search_anchor">53</a>.)</p>
<p>Constantine was thus oblivious to the profound difference between Paul's view in Col. 1:15 (repeated by Arius) that Jesus was the "first begotten" of creation and hence not conceivably God, and those who instead made Jesus into an eternal God distinct from the Father but One in purpose and function.</p>
<p>Unfortunately <strong><em>forgotten at that time was Christ's own explanation of his Divinity </em></strong>-- that He was simply <em><strong>indwelled by God-the-Fathe</strong></em>r. Hence, these two theologians -- Arius and Alexander --- presented a false set of only two choices. The debate now became whether Paul was correct that Jesus was not eternal, as stated in Col. 1:15-16, and hence not God, or whether Jesus Himself was an eternal being because He was God. To repeat, the correct Christology from Christ's own lips, not Paul's, was being ignored. See our webpage on <em><a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">The Correct Christology</a></em>.</p>
<p>When the dispute would not die, Constantine called a meeting at Nicea in Turkey. Schaff, the Christian historian, quotes Eusebius of Caesarea describing the scene which depicts Constantine as the clear decision-maker at the Council of Nicea of 325 AD:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The moment the approach of the emperor was announced by a given signal, they all rose from their seats, and the<em><strong> emperor appeared like a heavenly messenger of God</strong></em>, covered with gold and gems, a glorious presence, very tall and slender, full of beauty, strength, and majesty. With this external adornment he united the spiritual ornament of the fear of God, modesty, and humility, which could be seen in his downcast eyes, his blushing face, the motion of his body, and his walk. When he reached<em><strong> the golden throne prepared for him</strong></em>, he stopped, and sat not down till the bishops gave him the sign. And after him they all resumed their seats.”  (Schaff, <em>History of the Christian Church </em>Vol. III, section <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc3.iii.xii.iv.html">120</a>.)</p>
<p>All we have to go on are the later decrees -- there were no other records kept of the Nicene Council. As Schaff recounts:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">[There are supposed numerous accounts of the events of Nicea:] [t]he twenty Canones, the doctrinal Symbol, and a Decree of the Council of Nicaea, and several Letters of bishop Alexander of Alexandria and the emperor <span id="iii.xii.iv-p5.1" class="name">Constantine</span> (all collected in Greek and Latin in <em>Mansi: Collect. sacrorum Conciliorum</em>, tom. ii. fol. 635–704). Official minutes of the transactions themselves were not at that time made; <strong><em>only the decrees as adopted were set down in writing and subscribed by all </em></strong>(comp. Euseb. Vita Const. iii. 14). All later accounts of voluminous acts of the council are <strong><em>sheer fabrications</em></strong>. (Schaff, <em>id.</em>, at section <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc3.iii.xii.iv.html">120</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, when Constantine sat down on his throne, it was evidently he who decided the dispute. Hence, it was at this point in Christian history that a decision was made by Constantine on the nature of Christ that influenced all subsequent views of Jesus Christ.</p>
<p>The final decision was Bi-Deity: Jesus was co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father -- "very God very God" -- "being of the same substance as the Father." Jesus thus became God-the-Son, and no longer was the Son-of-God simply indwelled by the Father/Logos, as Jesus Himself had claimed.</p>
<h3>What was Constantine's view of Christ going into this Nicene Conference of 325 AD?</h3>
<p>Because many know Constantine influenced the Nicene decision, they try to portray Constantine as a true Christian. But this is a myth built on Constantine's claim that he saw a vision of Christ in a battle, and claimed Christ gave him the victory -- as if Christ would side with a secular ruler whose military victory entailed bringing the head of his decapitated rival (his brother-in-law) with dripping blood on a lance back to Rome.</p>
<p>Constantine in fact was a sun-worshipper of the Sun-god "Baal" whose religion at Rome was founded by a prior emperor who had been born in Syria. This emperor -- <span>Varius Bassianus — had previously brought the Sun-god Baal to Rome during the period 217-222 A.D. This Baal was then also known at Rome as El-Ga</span><span>bal</span><span> aka Elagabalus. The mythology of this Sun-God was that his mother was Isis (Ishtar) / Eostre (Celtic name) who mated on March 25th with Horus and produced each year the birth of the Sun-God nine months later on December 25th. In other words, every year, the Sun-God was reborn on December 25th -- which date coincides with the winter solstice whence every day thereafter the Sun gets closer to earth. (Hence, this was the mythological birthday of the Sun-God.) Later, Elagabalus was typically simply known as Sol Invictus, </span><span><em>i.e.</em>, the Unconquered Sun.</span></p>
<p>However, Constantine was willing to allow his favored pagan deity to be called Jesus -- giving a Christian veneer to his idol-worship, as we shall see below. To further cement this, as Constantine clearly wanted his Sun-God worshipped under the name of Jesus, Constantine at Nicea exalted Jesus's nature from Son of Man with Divinity abiding into an independent-mind who is God the son of a Father who was also God just as Sol Invictus was portrayed. Constantine also transformed the sabbath rest of Christians from Sabbath to Sun-day -- the day of worship of Sol Invictus - the day of the Invincible Sun. It was not to honor the Lord's Day, but to honor Sol Invictus on his day of Sun-day because in Constantine's pagan beliefs Jesus was the Sun-god Baal aka Sol Invictus. This is detailed below.</p>
<p>To uncover this is the true origin of the Bi-Deity solution at Nicea in 325 AD, let's look at the cult of Sol Invictus at Rome prior to and during Constantine's reign.</p>
<p><strong>An Emperor Brings Sol Invictus (Baal of Syria/Phoenecia) To Rome</strong></p>
<p><span>Since 273 A.D., Rome worshipped a special god on December 25th. It was chosen as the birthday of a god that a Roman emperor born in Syria — Varius Bassianus — had previously brought to Rome in 217-222 A.D. This god was Baal also known as El-Ga</span><span>bal</span><span> aka Elagabalus. (The celebration of Jesus's birthday on Dec. 25th would first take place in 354 AD, as discussed below.)</span></p>
<p><span>The Baal-Sun-god cult languished after Varius’ death. This changed in 270 AD due to Aurelian. He was a Roman Emperor whose mother was a priestess of the Sun-God (Baal) at Tyre in Phoenicia.</span><span> “As to his mother, Callicrates of Tyre, by far the most learned writer of the Greeks, says that</span><strong><em> she was a priestess</em></strong><span> of the temple of</span><strong><em> his own Sun-god in the village</em></strong><span> in which his parents lived.” Aurelian (quote attributed to him by Flavius Vopiscus - 305-337AD). See </span><a href="http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/sol_invictus.htm">http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/sol_invictus.htm</a></p>
<p><span>In 270 A.D., Aurelian became emperor of Rome.</span></p>
<p><span>In about 273 A.D., Emperor Aurelian (214-275 A.D.), “an ardent worshipper of the</span><strong><em> Syrian sun-god Baal</em></strong><span>,” inaugurated celebrations of the Sun-god’s birthday on December 25th. (Clement A. Miles, </span><em>Christmas in Ritual and Tradition</em><span> (1912) at </span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3y1L0HN-0GYC&amp;lpg=PA1&amp;dq=christmas%20in%20ritual%20and%20tradition&amp;pg=PA24#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">24</a><span>.) This god Baal was then packaged to Romans with an appropriate Latin name -- Sol Invictus. The Unconquered Sun.</span></p>
<p><img alt="sol-chariot" height="103" width="200" src="/images/stories/JWOBook/sol-chariot.jpg" />The<span> Roman coin on the left from 276 AD helps us associate the Baal brought back from Phoenicia to Rome as the same Baal Sun worship that emerged at Jerusalem which is mentioned in the Bible. The coin itself is inscribed </span><strong><em>Sol Invictus</em></strong><span> with an image of the Sun-God with a ray-like crown who guides his </span><em><strong>chariot of horses</strong></em><span>. This "Baal" of Phoenicia which the Emperor brought to Rome was depicted in a manner that has an uncanny similarity to a reference found in the Bible about sun-worshippers at the Temple of Jerusalem. In </span><a href="http://bible.cc/2_kings/23-11.htm">2 Ki 23:11</a><span> we read: "And he took away the </span><strong><em>horses</em></strong><span> that the kings of Judah had </span><strong><em>given to the sun</em></strong><span>, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the </span><strong><em>chariots of the sun with fire</em></strong><span>." </span></p>
<p><span>Thus, the Baal of Rome known as Sol Invictus is the same Baal-sun-god found to be an idolatrous practice at the footsteps of the Temple of Jerusalem centuries earlier.</span></p>
<p><span>Next, the celebration of the Sun-God's birthday on December 25th took on the official name of </span><span><strong>Birthday of the Unconquered Sun</strong> </span><span>(Lat. “Dies Natalis </span><em><strong>Solis Invicti</strong></em><span>.”) (“Sol Invictus,” </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus</a><span> (accessed 12/16/08).)</span></p>
<p><span>To revive the moribund worship of </span><span>Baal</span><span> as “sun-God” that had been languishing, in 273 the Emperor Aurelian built a new Temple at Rome “probably erected<em><strong> </strong></em></span><em><strong>where St. Peter’s now stands</strong></em><span>”</span><span> to the Invincible Sun (Sol Invictus). (R.M. Johnston, </span><em>The Holy Christian Church From Its Remotest Origins To The Present Day</em><span> (Boston &amp; N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin, 1912) at </span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=e4kXAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=The%20Holy%20Christian%20Church%20From%20Its%20Remotest%20Origins%20To%20The%20Present%20Day&amp;pg=PA121#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">121</a><span>.)</span></p>
<p><span>He enlisted a special order of priests of the Sun. Aurelian also restored “the temple of Malachbel (</span><span>Baal</span><span>) (the Sun-god) at Palmyra [in central Syria], and interpreted its deity [</span><em>i.e</em><span>., </span><span>Baal</span><span>] as </span><span>a form</span><span> of the Sol Invictus.” (</span>Michael Grant, <em>The Collapse and Recovery of the Roman Empire</em> (London: Routledge, 1999) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-tyXTeNyiE0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=grant%20collapse%20and%20recovery%20roman&amp;pg=PA51#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">51</a>.)</p>
<div></div>
<p><span>Aurelian vigorously spread this Eastern religion at Rome. While other gods were not specifically abolished, Aurelian believed the sun-God (</span><span>Baal</span><span>)</span><span> should be the god “</span><strong><em>at the head of the Pantheon</em></strong><span>” of gods.</span><span> (Michael Grant, <em>The Collapse and Recovery of the Roman Empire</em> (London: Routledge, 1999) at </span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-tyXTeNyiE0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=grant%20collapse%20and%20recovery%20roman&amp;pg=PA51#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">51</a><span>.)</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>“Emperor Aurelian came to Homs to make offerings to </span><strong><em>Baal </em></strong><span>prior to his defeat of Queen Zenobia. Aurelian attributed his success to the sun god’s intervention and went on to build a temple to the </span><strong><em>Sol Invictus</em></strong><span> (‘Invincible Sun’) in Rome, raising Baal once again to the status of an official religion.” (Ivan Mannheim, </span><em>Syria &amp; Lebanon Handbook</em><span> (2001) at</span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=t9LHVdWLc7gC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=mannheim%20syria%20lebanon%20handbook&amp;pg=PA205#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 205</a><span>-206.)</span></p>
<p><span>The Roman citizens came to view the “Sun” god as the “universal deity.” (Dean Milman, </span><em>History of Christianity</em><span> Vol. II, bk. II, ch. IX, referenced in </span>Henry Donald Maurice Spence-Jones, <em>Early Christianity and Paganism </em>(Casell, 1902) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=2vRBAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=dean%20milman%20universal%20deity&amp;pg=PA408#v=onepage&amp;q=dean%20milman%20universal%20deity&amp;f=false">48</a>.)</p>
<p><span><sup></sup></span><span>The ceremonies attached to the worship of the Sun-god Baal </span><span>was the sacrifice of children to the deity. “[T]hese public ceremonies included human sacrifices of small children....” (</span><span>Susan K. Roll, </span><span><em>Toward the Origins of Christmas</em></span><span> (Netherlands 1995) at 112 fn. 19.)</span></p>
<p><span>On December 25th specifically, there was always a great civic festivity with thirty-five </span><span>chariot races in honor of the Sun-god Baal. (</span><em>Id.</em>, at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=6MXPEMbpjoAC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=roll%20Toward%20the%20Origins%20of%20Christmas&amp;pg=PA113#v=onepage&amp;q=sacrifices&amp;f=false"> 113</a>.) (We shall see that Sol Invictus is typically depicted as a charioteer.)</p>
<p><strong>Constantine and the god Sol Invictus Is equated With Jesus</strong></p>
<p>Subsequent to his so-called conversion to Christianity, Constantine <span>the Great (274-337 A.D.) showed decisive favor for the worship of the Sun-god (who was Baal from Phoenicia, and apparently Baal of the Bible). “Constantine ... </span><em>revered the Sun</em><span>, like his forebears before him in their Sun-worshipping Balkans” and “Constantine the Great began” in 309 A.D. “his</span><strong><em> vast homogenous series of coinages inscribed SOLI INVICTO COMITI</em></strong><span>....”</span><span> (</span>Michael Grant,<em>The Collapse and Recovery of the Roman Empire </em>(London: Routledge, 1999) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-tyXTeNyiE0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=grant%20collapse%20and%20recovery%20roman&amp;pg=PA51#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 51</a>.)</p>
<p>These coins had Constantine's image on one side, and on the reverse Soli Invicto Comiti, <img src="/images/stories/JWOBook/soli-invicto-constantine.jpg" width="200" height="101" alt="soli-invicto-constantine" style="float: right;" />meaning "Sol (Sun), Invincible, Comrade (of Constantine)." Sol Invictus is depicted as the sun-god with a rayed solar crown. One hand gives a blessing and the other holds a globe.</p>
<p><span>Constantine's coinage to honor Sol Invictus was a “huge scale operation unmistakably intended to implant an idea in the minds of the population of the empire.”</span><span> (Grant, <em>id.</em>, at </span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-tyXTeNyiE0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=grant%20collapse%20and%20recovery%20roman&amp;pg=PA51#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">51</a><span>.)</span></p>
<p>Incidentally, compare the scudo from 1698 of Pope Innocent XII which depicts <img src="/images/stories/JWOBook/1698scudo.jpg" width="200" height="102" alt="1698scudo" style="float: right;" />an identical image of Sol Invictus as Christ -- with a rayed solar crown, and one hand giving a blessing and the other holding a globe.</p>
<p><span>When Constantine later claimed victories due to Jesus, he had Jesus </span><strong><em>depicted as the Sun God</em></strong><span> (Baal) in a mosaic still visible in Rome. “Undernearth Saint Peter’s... there is</span><strong><em> a mosaic in which Jesus is depicted as the Sun-god</em></strong><span>.” </span>Grant, <em>id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-tyXTeNyiE0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=grant%20collapse%20and%20recovery%20roman&amp;pg=PA52#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">52</a>. This is admitted in the <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em> (1967) in its article “Constantine the Great” in which we read: “Besides, the<strong><em> Sol Invictus had been adopted by the Christians</em></strong> in a Christian sense, as demonstrated in the Christ as Apollo-Helios [i.e., Apollo-Sun] in a mausoleum (c. 250) <strong><em>discovered beneath St. Peter’s in the Vatican</em></strong>.” (Quoted in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Sol_Invictus.)</p>
<p>Why at St. Peter's? Remember, this was the Temple to Sol Invictus at Rome since 273 AD as mentioned before. Then who was responsible for making Jesus worshipped as Sol Invictus as depicted in the mosaic found under St. Peter's? The answer is obvious: Constantine. We learn from <em>Sacred Sites</em>: "Originally<strong><em> founded by</em> <em>Constantine in 324</em></strong>, St. Peter's Basilica was rebuilt in the 16th century by Renaissance masters...." (<a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome-st-peters-basilica">link</a>.)</p>
<p>In other words, the Temple to Sol Invictus -- the god whom Constantine worshipped -- was 'converted' in 324 AD by Constantine into a Temple where Christians would be told they are worshipping Christ. However, this was trickery. As the next proof reveals, Sol Invictus was still the deity worshipped in this Temple, but now Jesus was portrayed as Sol Invictus.</p>
<p><strong>Visual Proof The Jesus Of Constantine Was Actually Sol Invictus</strong>: The visual proof is worth a 1000 words. On the right is a mosaic found in the Vatican grottoes under St. Peter's Basilica <img src="/images/stories/JWOBook/vatican-grotto-mosaic-sm.jpg" width="100" height="132" alt="vatican-grotto-mosaic-sm" style="float: right;" />at the Sol Invictus Temple adopted by Constantine in 324 AD. On the vaulted ceiling of the tomb of the Julii (also known as "Mausoleum M"), it depicts Christ as the sun-god Helios / Sol Invictus riding in his chariot. The two left horses were destroyed when the hole was made to enter the tomb. Other mosaics in this Christian tomb depicted Jonah and the whale, the good shepherd carrying a lamb, and fishermen. This 'Jesus depicted as the Sun-God' is the mosaic to which Grant made reference. (Grant, <em>supra</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-tyXTeNyiE0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=grant%20collapse%20and%20recovery%20roman&amp;pg=PA52#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">52</a>.)</p>
<p>When St. Peter's was built on the place in the 1500s where the Sun-God temple was built, the church apparently allowed certain features of Sun-worship to remain. This proves the Christians of Constantine's time who drew this mosaic above indeed were duped to worship a pagan god -- Baal from the Middle-east -- under the guise Jesus was Sol Invictus. Specifically, in front of the Vatican is an obelisk inside of a sun-wheel that represented the Sun-God image used in Hazor Israel. For further discussion by another website, see<a href="http://www.hol.com/~mikesch/wheel.htm"> Pagan Sun Worship and Catholicism</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Edict of Milan</strong>. In 313 AD, in the Edict of Milan, Constantine gave full tolerance to Christianity and pagan religions like Sol Invictus. The decree reads in part:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">the reverence paid to the Divinity merited our first and chief attention, and [we two emperors] that it was proper that the Christians and <strong>all others should have liberty to follow that mode of religion which to each of them appeared best</strong>; so that that God who is seated in heaven, might be benign and propitious to us, and to every one under our government. (Berefsford Kidd, <em>Documents Illustrative of the History of the Church</em> (Society for promoting Christian knowledge, 1920) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9Y8NAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=edit%20of%20milan%20liberty%20to%20follow%20that%20mode%20of%20religion&amp;pg=PA234#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">234</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, paganism was not banished by Constantine, but instead all religious beliefs were tolerated.</p>
<p><span>Constantine’s ‘conversion’ to Christ was therefore in his mind done by equating Jesus with the Sun-god (Baal). Constantine claimed in his so-called conversion that when he was looking up at the Sun he saw the Cross. Later that night he had a dream. He claimed he saw </span><span>the “</span><strong><em>Sun-god</em></strong><span>” or Christ or himself. (Paul Dehn Carleton, </span><em>Concepts: A Prototheist Quest for Science-Minded Skeptics of Catholic, and other Christian, Jewish and Muslim Backgrounds</em><span> (Michigan: Carleton House, 2004) at </span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=_27TPPS9W-4C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=Concepts%3A%20A%20Prototheist%20Quest%20for%20Science-Minded%20Skeptics%20of%20Catholic%2C%20and%20other%20Christian%2C%20Jewish%20and%20Muslim%20Backgrounds&amp;pg=PA24#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">24</a><span>.)</span></p>
<p><span>Thus, later when he erected the Arch of Constantine, all the old gods were removed but he represented himself as sitting between “the Sun and the moon, and </span><span>the </span><strong><em>victory-giving figure is the Sun-god </em></strong><span>[=Baal='Jesus']</span><span>, whose statuettes are </span><span>carried by the army’s standard bearers.” (Grant, </span><em>supra</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-tyXTeNyiE0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=grant%20collapse%20and%20recovery%20roman&amp;pg=PA52#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">52</a>-<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-tyXTeNyiE0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=grant%20collapse%20and%20recovery%20roman&amp;pg=PA53#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">53</a>.)</p>
<p>Hence, again, scholars now recognize, Constantine worshipped the sun-God, and simply gave him the name of Jesus at one point.</p>
<p><span></span><span>In further devotion to the Sun-god, in 321 A.D., Constantine “insti</span><span>tuted the weekly </span><strong><em>Day of the Sun</em></strong><span> [dies Solis] as a recognized civil holiday.” (Susan K. Roll, </span><em>The Origins of Christmas</em><span> (The Netherlands 1995) at </span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=6MXPEMbpjoAC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=roll%20origins%20of%20christmas&amp;pg=PA115#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">115</a><span>.) This is the origin of our Sun-day.</span></p>
<p><span>It was the official Roman “day of rest.” (</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus</a><span> (accessed 12/16/08).)</span></p>
<p><span>The decree ran: “On the venerable </span><span><strong><em>day of the Sun</em></strong> </span><span>let the magistrates and people </span><span>residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.” </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus</a><span> (accessed 12/16/08).</span></p>
<p><span>This was also the first use of a seven-day week in the Roman calendar. (</span><em>Journal of Calendar Reform</em> (September 1953) at 128 fn.) The first day of the week, and most important, was Sun-Day in honor of Sol Invictus/Baal. The six other days were all names of planets. The seventh day of the week - called Saturday (not Sabbath-day) -- represented the planet Saturn which is furthest from the Sun and likewise on the calendar was day seven -- the furthest day from Sun-Day -- day one. (Arthur Weigall, <em>Paganism in our Christianity</em> (Kessinger, 2003) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=xbugq_gpR2AC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;ots=6Rfya-BVaF&amp;dq=eucharist%20paganism&amp;pg=PA231#v=onepage&amp;q=eucharist%20paganism&amp;f=false">231</a>.)</p>
<p>The names of the seven days given to them by Constantine still are used in most of the Western world. The <em>Journal of Calendar Reform</em> is a journal dedicated to the study of calendars, and advocates a single world calendar to replace the current system. In 45 B.C., the 12 months, 365 day system was first employed in Rome, at the suggestion of an Egyptian scientist named Sosigenes. <em>Id</em>.</p>
<p><span>Constantine's change had the advantage of promoting a single day of rest and worship for the Sun-worshippers and the Christians. </span></p>
<p>Under Constantine, Christians were then compelled to<em> <strong>stop worshipping/resting on Saturday</strong></em>, and were forced to<strong><em> only rest on the day of the Sun-God</em></strong>. Eusebius in his commentary on Psalms explains what happened (although he speaks well of this syncretic abolition of Sabbath):</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"And all things that were duty to do on the Sabbath, these <strong><em>we have transferred</em></strong> to the Lord's day, as more appropriately belong to it, because it has precedence and is first in rank, and<em><strong> more honorable than the Jewish sabbath</strong></em>." (Robert Cox, <em>Sabbath Literature</em> (1865) Vol. I at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DJIIAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=cox%2C%20sabbath%20literature%20we%20have%20transferred%20to%20the%20lord's%20day&amp;pg=PA361#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">361</a>.) See also, Robert Cox, <em>Literature of the Sabbath Question</em> (1865) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DJIIAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=cox%2C%20sabbath%20literature&amp;pg=PA363#v=onepage&amp;q=jewish%20sabbath&amp;f=false"> 363</a>.)</p>
<p>Hence, Christians conformed to the abolition of Sabbath from an Emperor who overtly chose a special day to honor his Sun-God whom he patronized as being identical to Jesus.</p>
<h3>Side-Note on Origin of Christmas</h3>
<p>The final coup d'grace is when Christians in the Roman Empire were first told in 354 AD to celebrate a birthday for Christ on the identical day -- December 25th -- that the Romans were celebrating the birthday of Baal aka Sol Invictus. The <em>World Book Encyclopedia</em> explains:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Christmas...In 354 A.D., Bishop Liberius of Rome ordered the people to celebrate on December 25. He probably chose this date because the people of Rome already observed it..., celebrating the birthday of the sun [god].</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">E.H. Sechrist, “Christmas,” <em>World Book Encyclopedia</em> (Field Enterprises Educational Corporation, Chicago, 1966) Vol. 3 at 408-417. See also Sechrist, <em>Christmas Everywhere</em> (1936) (<a href="http://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&amp;tbo=1&amp;q=journal+of+calendar+reform+1953&amp;btnG=Search+Books#sclient=psy&amp;hl=en&amp;tbo=1&amp;tbs=bks:1&amp;q=christmas+sechrist+liberius&amp;aq=f&amp;aqi=&amp;aql=&amp;oq=&amp;gs_rfai=&amp;pbx=1&amp;fp=766cbdbf3610de15">link</a>)</p>
<p>Initially the church tried resisting any association with Sol Invictus. In its article "Christmas," the <em>Catholic Encylopedia</em> (1913) notes Tertullian ca. 200 AD several times -- in Apol. 16, Nat I 13 -- "had to assert <strong><em>Sol was not the Christian's God</em></strong>." (<em>Id.</em>, Vol. 3 at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=iE4sAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=our%20Lord%20too%20is%20born%20in%20the%20month%20of%20December&amp;pg=RA1-PA727#v=onepage&amp;q=our%20Lord%20too%20is%20born%20in%20the%20month%20of%20December&amp;f=false"> 727</a> col. 1, para. 1.) Augustine in the late 300s even "denounced the <em><strong>heretical identification of Christ with Sol</strong></em>." <em>Id.</em></p>
<p>However, as Christmas was being imposed by the state to infuse paganism into Christianity, weak Christian leaders began to shamelessly equate Sol Invictus with Jesus as well. In the fourth century Chrysostom (<em>De Solst. et AEquin</em>., II, p. 118) says: "But our Lord too is born in the month of December (25).... But they call it the 'Birthday of the Unconquered.' Who is so unconquered as our Lord? Or, if they say that<strong><em> it is the birthday of the Sun, He is the Sun of Justice</em></strong>...." <em>Id.</em>, at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=iE4sAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=our%20Lord%20too%20is%20born%20in%20the%20month%20of%20December&amp;pg=RA1-PA727#v=onepage&amp;q=our%20Lord%20too%20is%20born%20in%20the%20month%20of%20December&amp;f=false"> 727</a>.</p>
<h3>More Paganization of Christianity by Rome</h3>
<p>The next step in infusing paganism into Christianity is that the Roman Catholic Church in the 4th Century prohibited communion with <strong><em>unleavened</em></strong> bread as was prior Christian practice. Prior to that time, communion conformed to the laws regarding Passover which required the bread be unleavened. Upon this 4th century change, communion now had to be round <strong><em>leavened</em></strong> bread / cakes -- which matched the pagan tradition of round cakes (symbolizing the disk of the Sun) used to celebrate Ishtar / Eostre's day, especially on March 25th - her day. This Roman Catholic practice of leavened bread as communion bread ceased in the 900s, but the roundness (which represented the Sun's shape) persisted. (For discussion, see our article "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/eucharist-emblem-of-paganism.html">Eucharist</a>.")</p>
<p>Next, to fully inject paganism into Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church after 354 AD used for Mary the label hitherto used for Ishtar /Isis / Eostre (Celtic name from which "Easter" in English derives)  --- "Queen of Heaven," "Mother of God." More important, in pagan mythology, Ishtar / Isis / Eostre's day of celebrations began March 25th -- representing the date her procreation with Horus would produce the birth of the Sun (Sol Invictus) exactly nine months later on December 25th. So it is no coincidence that the Roman Catholic Church adopted March 25th as a day to worship an exalted version of Mary in what is called the Feast of the Annunciation of Mary, using the identical label as Isis / Eostre (Celtic term) enjoyed -- Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. (On the date of this feast as March 25th, see Fournier, <em>Marian Devotion in the Domestic Church</em> (2007) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=l5h9dsfTqBUC&amp;lpg=PA32&amp;dq=feast%20of%20the%20annunciation%20march%2025&amp;pg=PA32#v=onepage&amp;q=feast%20of%20the%20annunciation%20march%2025&amp;f=false"> 42</a>.)</p>
<p>(This worship of Ishtar / Isis / Eostre on March 25th and for the next 30 days is clearly why Christ's resurrection at Passover time was altered by Constantine in the 300s to align more closely with the Ishtar / Isis / Eostre celebrations of March 25th -- nine months before Sol Invictus's annual birthday, as the Sun is "reborn" December 25th each year. The 25th is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_solstice">winter solstice</a>, <em>i.e.</em>, the furthest distance of the Earth from the Sun, and every day thereafter the Sun gets closer to Earth, and hence the myth of its 'rebirth' on December 25th. See our Appendix on the <a href="/JWO/appendix-c-easter.html">Easter Error</a> for more information.)</p>
<h2><strong>Paganism Triumphed Over Christianity at Rome, Not The Reverse</strong></h2>
<p>While some claim that paganism was being made Christian, the opposite is true. Professor Lake had contended Christianity adopted pagan ideas to "adapt itself to the pagan mind [to] receive its acquiescence." (William Mansfield Groton, <em>The Christian Eucharist and the Pagan Cults. the Bohlen Lectures 1913</em> (reprint 2009) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-1WLxvvq8IUC&amp;lpg=PA97&amp;ots=H0rJiyiewU&amp;dq=eucharist%20paganism&amp;pg=PA120#v=onepage&amp;q=eucharist%20paganism&amp;f=false">120</a>.)</p>
<p>But this is naive, unaware how Paganism -- the wolf -- was given sheep's clothing. Lake's view ignores how paganism was being forced upon Christianity, <strong><em>changing our Bible-based beliefs and practices into pagan idolatry and pagan beliefs at direct odds with the Bible</em></strong> but which were made tolerable by using <strong><em>Christian-sounding names for idols and idolatry</em></strong>.</p>
<p>Thus, instead of Rome forcing sun-worshippers to rest on the Christian Sabbath and use Christian naming conventions for the days, Christians were being <strong><em>forced by Rome</em></strong> to rest on the <strong><em>sun-worshippers' day of rest</em></strong> -- <strong>SUN</strong>-day.</p>
<p>Instead of the days of the week conforming to the Christian naming convention, where Saturday was Sabbath and Sunday was the Lord's Day, Constantine deliberately adopted a new calendar where Christians had to use the names of <strong><em>Saturn's Day for Sabbath</em></strong> and<em><strong> Sun-Day</strong></em> (Sol Invictus's Day) for what Christians until then called the<em><strong> Lord's Day</strong></em>.</p>
<p>Instead of the centuries of celebrating Christ's death and resurrection at the time of<strong><em> Passover</em></strong>--unquestionably the Biblical period at issue, <strong><em>Constantine forced</em></strong> this to be celebrated at the time of the worship of Ishtar aka Eostre, which is why this new time is <strong><em>known as Easter</em></strong> to us. It derives from Eostre's worship.</p>
<p>Instead of the centuries-long practice of using <strong><em>unleavened bread </em></strong>for communion, the <strong><em>Roman church </em></strong>in the 300s <strong><em>required the use of round leavened cakes</em></strong> -- matching the round cakes to worship the Mother of Sol Invictus. (This leavened-bread for communion persisted until the 900s.)</p>
<p>Then in 354 AD, Jesus's birthday was for the first time ever celebrated at Rome, and the date chosen -- <strong>December 25th</strong> -- was the <em><strong>traditional birthday celebration of Baal aka Sol Invictus </strong></em>for over a century at Rome. In this way, <strong><em>Rome had Christians worship Sol Invictus</em></strong> -- the god Constantine personally worshipped and equated with Jesus -- <strong><em>under the name of Jesus</em></strong>.</p>
<p>And finally in 381 AD, at the Council of Constantinople, the <em><strong>Roman government</strong></em> and its subservient church <strong><em>materially altered the correct version of the trinity</em></strong> taught by Tertullian (Jesus indwelled fully by God), and changed it into three-beings-in-one-Godhead with the deliberate and express intention to prove the "<strong>heresy of monotheism</strong>" of the Jews. I kid you not! (See <a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Exalation That Turned Idolatrous</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, Christianity was not changing paganism to be more Christian, as we are so often told. Instead, Roman Christianity was<em> </em><strong>transformed into a Pagan religion</strong> with a veneer that hopefully Christians would accept.</p>
<p>Despite the obvious compromise this represented with idolatrous behavior, some Christians try to defend our acceptance of Pagan ideas in place of Biblical ones:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Just as the Revelation in the Bible absorbed material from external sources [?], so the church in her development could with equal right <strong><em>accept ideas and suggestions from the pagan life around her</em></strong>. (William Mansfield Groton, <em>The Christian Eucharist and the Pagan Cults. the Bohlen Lectures 1913</em> (reprint 2009) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-1WLxvvq8IUC&amp;lpg=PA97&amp;ots=H0rJiyiewU&amp;dq=eucharist%20paganism&amp;pg=PA97#v=onepage&amp;q=eucharist%20paganism&amp;f=false">97</a>.)</p>
<p>With such a compromised view among weak believers, <span>the Christianity of Constantine's stamp overtly promoted idolatry from the Sun-god </span><span>(Baal) cult. “Although Constantine was one of the greatest influences in promoting the Christian faith, he is also credited with </span><strong><em>infiltrating it with pagan practices</em></strong><span>, and </span><strong><em>bringing idols into the church</em></strong><span>. While Christianity was growing in popularity, sun worship...remained </span><span>strong in the empire.” (“Constantine The Great,” accessed at http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/ b2constantine.htm (accessed 12/12/08).)</span></p>
<p><span><sup></sup></span><span>Incidentally: “The religion of Sol Invictus continued to be part of the state religion until all paganism was abolished by decree of Theodosius I on February 27, 390.”</span><span><span> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sol_Invictus (accessed 12/16/08).</span></span></p>
<p>I would only comment on this quote that once Christianity became pagan in so many ways, this decree meant little. For the divinity-abiding in Jesus was altered to make Jesus a deity equal to Sol Invictus -- a deity apart from God-the-Father just as Sol was a god apart from his god-the-father Horus. Hence, this 390 AD prohibition of paganism which did not outlaw the paganized version of Christianity at Rome meant paganism was alive and well under a covert cover -- a "wolf in sheep's clothing" -- to use Christ's words. Hence, paganism was not truly banned. It was simply merged into prevailing forms of Christianity, and survived under the guise of the Roman Catholic Church.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Constantine obviously made the decision at Nicea that Jesus was a co-eternal yet an independent being who was God<strong><em> distinct from God the Father</em></strong> in reliance upon his pagan religion that he sought to meld with Christianity. Constantine clearly believed in Sol Invictus, and he tried to portray Jesus as Sol Invictus -- Baal, a deity from Syria and Phoenicia who was added a century earlier among the pagan gods of Rome. Thus, while Jesus said He was indwelled by the Father (John 14), Constantine at Nicea made Jesus a deity<strong><em> in and of himself separate from the Father </em></strong>. Two independent beings -- the Father and Son -- both had the right to be called God by us. Constantine thereby turned Christianity into pagan idol worship under the guise of worshipping Christ and giving Him an exalted glory far in excess of what Jesus said about Himself.</p>
<p>The Bible does teach Jesus indeed has a<em><strong> very exalted position of Divinity</strong></em> -- a term of art. Jesus was the Son of Man whom the Shekinah presence of God /<strong><em>Divinity</em></strong> abided in, and thereby in Daniel 7:13 the Son of Man is entitled to worship. Jesus affirmed this repeatedly about Himself, <em>i.e.</em>, He was indwelled by the Father including His <strong><em>Logos</em></strong>, but the "<em><strong>logos is not mine</strong></em> but the Father's who sent me" (John 14). Jesus also affirmed He was the Son of Man who will come on clouds of glory (<em>i.e.</em>, the Shekinah-glory of Divinity abiding), just as Daniel 7 says.</p>
<p>But to say Jesus, the Son, is God separate and apart from God the Father but of one 'substance' (when God is indeed only spirit), is to turn divinity (<em>i.e.</em>, the presence of God within himself) into <em>independent </em>deity of the occupant, and thus adopt Constantine's idolatrous view of Jesus Christ, and poison the faith.</p>
<h2>Miscellaneous Research</h2>
<p>If Constantine was such a good Christian, then why did Constantine prohibit widows and orphans donating their estates upon death to the church? (Bingham, <em>Eccleasiastical History</em> Vol. 2 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=b5AAAAAAcAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PA65#v=onepage&amp;q=sabbath&amp;f=false">65</a>.)</p>
<h3>Constantine Forces Out All Who Disagree</h3>
<p>Gibbon writes in the<em> Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire</em>: ”Constantine easily believed that the heretics, who presumed to dispute his opinions or to oppose his commands, were guilty of the most absurd and criminal obstinancy... Not a moment was lost in excluding the ministers and teachers of the separated congregations from any share of the rewards and immunities which the emperor had so liberally bestowed on the orthodox clergy. But as the sectaries might still exist under the cloud of royal disgrace, the conquest of the East was immediately followed by <strong><em>an edict which announced their total destruction.</em></strong>”</p>
<p>Thus, what is meant by the words that "...the conquest of the East was immediately followed by an edict which announced their total destruction,” indicates that in the same way that whoever did not embrace the religion of the emperor met with the sentence of death, and whatever scriptures did not conform to the approved version were immediately destroyed.</p>
<p>What did this mean to the Christian Church?   Under the heading of Constantine, in the eleventh edition of the Britannica, we find that: “Constantine showed a determination to assert his Supremacy in ecclesiastical affairs, holding no doubt that<strong><em>, as the office of pontifex maximus gave him the supreme control of religious matters throughout the empire, the regulation of Christianity fell within his province... and it is significant that from hence forth we meet with the undisguised assertion that the will of the emperor, in whatever form expressed, is the sole foundation of the law.</em></strong> Constantine, in fact, embodies the spirit of absolute authority which, both in church and state, was to prevail for many centuries.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 941921<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

528
Recommended-Reading/createdingeniousdesign.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,528 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/createdingeniousdesign.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="LauraLee Arnet" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Created by Ingenious Design | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The Spirit of the Apostles is</span></span></span></span><strong><em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> not a guide equal or greater than the Lord</span></span></span></span></em></strong><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">, thus </span></span></span></span><em><strong><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul within his letters</span></span></span></span></strong></em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> does</span></span></span></span><strong><em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> not have as much authority as has Christ</span></span></span></span></em></strong><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">." (Carlstadt, </span></span></span></span><em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Canonicis Scripturis</span></span></span></span></em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> (1520))</span></span></span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 5755" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "5755") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Created by Ingenious Design</h2>
<h3>by Andrew S. Balian</h3>
<h2>Science Is Gradually Vindicating Genesis</h2>
<h2><img width="175" height="263" style="margin: 5px 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" alt="faith" src="/images/stories/faith.jpg" /></h2>
<p>God tells us in Genesis One that in "the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth." (Gen. 1:1.) God tells us He created successively plants, birds, mammals and then Man. From a Christian perspective, science every day is unintentionally and by force of evidence adding proof upon proof of these propositions.</p>
<p>From our perspective as Christians earnest for evangelism, all we care about is to show the compatibility of the Bible with science. Modern science, stripped of any agenda to prove God-did-it, is the most reliable to convince anyone who is a skeptic that God-did-it because then modern science was not deliberately trying to prove that God-did-it when quite unintentionally they prove God-did-it. In other words, modern science which has been committed to finding naturalistic explanations (whether rightly or wrongly as an agenda) can therefore be relied upon by honest skeptics when it reluctantly discovers evidence of divine intervention.</p>
<h2>Big Bang: Major Vindication of the Bible</h2>
<p>This clearly has already happened outside the life-sciences with the Big Bang. Forty years ago, Hoyle mockingly called this theory while in its infancy the 'Big Bang' because he said that any notion of a beginning of time and matter was one step removed from proving the uncaused beginner -- GOD -- as a necessary 'cause-and-effect' to explain tne Universe's origin. Thus, when the current consensus arose, best expressed by Hawking, that indeed time and matter came into existence suddenly in the Big Bang, the Bible scored a huge victory. This event as Hawking explains it exactly is compatible with the words of Genesis 1:1. For Christians and Jews, this was a major cause for celebration.</p>
<h2>DNA: Its Amazing Characteristics Refute Any Unintelligent Origin</h2>
<p>The next important victory on the horizon is that life sciences while they are predominantly on an agenda to confirm evolutionism by natural means (praise God for they objectively and unwittingly prove often the opposite!) are constantly confronted and thwarted by the characteritics of DNA. God is using their skepticism to improve the believability of their discoveries!</p>
<p>For example, Crick, the discoverer of DNA, even concluded that the idea DNA could evolve in the geological environment of Earth at any time is an impossible idea. It is physicall impossible! Only a miracle on Earth could create it. <strong>Those are his words</strong>. There are many scientific reasons for this, such as oxgen's presence in the atmosphere or water which in any amount is lethal to DNA unless a highly complex and lengthy-coded sequence directed formation of a protein in the cell to counter oxgen's lethal effect and this protein was present in the very first DNA. Crick confesses the extreme implausiblity of any such idea. Hence, at no point and in no place on earth could DNA ever evolve! Crick says so! Thus, Crick said the only naturalistic explanation is that DNA arose outside of earth, perhaps on another planet, and then a meteorite dropped it off.</p>
<p>I have a Christian response to this: His unknown god of creation from a meterorite is really a weak effort not to see the God of the Bible!</p>
<p>Thus, we should realize that it is the best possible thing that science is predominantly controlled by the atheist or agnostic at this time. This is because as this evidence matures, and the realization sets in that the life sciences have proven the necessity of an original designer of DNA, and all its subsequent major transitional changes (by miracles of God's hand), then no one can claim this evidence was set forth by someone with an agenda to prove intelligent design.</p>
<p>And thus in the very same way cosmologists were forced to the Big Bang -- issuing statements entirely compatible if not identical to the statements in the Bible -- life science experts will eventually be forced to say very similar things due to discoveries on DNA.</p>
<h2>Let's Take Dawkins' Offer</h2>
<p>Richard Dawkins is the world's foremost defender of orthodox Darwinian evolution.</p>
<p>Dawkins recently said in a radio interview on NPR in 2007 and again in a video interview captured in Ben Stein's Expelled (2008) that it is a proper scientific endeavor to detect whether life originated on earth by a designer as long as we posit/assume this designer (or designers) evolved elsewhere. With that objective and that assumption, the investigation of design-features in life on earth, etc., would be a purely scientific venture. It would also fit within Darwinian theory. That theory assumes and proves, Dawkins claims, the ability to create consciousness from pure matter by means of trial and error. Thus, as long as all assumptions are materialistic, Dawkins says science can investigate intelligent design as the root cause for life on earth.</p>
<p>I accept Dr. Dawkins' honesty and his intention behind what some mockingly call the Alien Design Theory. As long as I vigorously assume I am investigating an alien non-terrestrial culture, and I do not ascribe to it supernatural powers to solve knotty problems of causation, I am engaging in a legitimate scientific endeavor. But even so, this eventually will lead us to no conclusion possible other than that life was ingeniously designed, and so was the universe.</p>
<p>Hence, I will reverse engineeer the steps involved in various puzzles to show how an ingenious design is absolutely necessary for various phenomena in Nature. I will prove they were established by an ingenious design harnessing the known laws of physics. Such a pursuit is what Dawkins concedes is legitimate, and this is what every scientist should accept as a legitimate scientific inquiry.</p>
<p>As a result, my inquiry is bounded on two sides so that it cannot be used to establish a religious belief. Creation is not pointing to miracles, but rather that the end-product required ingenious design of the starting conditions or operations of creation. Such scientiific inquiry is not claim we know about the origin of the creator (or creators, if an atheist insists we speak thusly), but of his presence and role, there can be no doubt. Therefore, I envision one day this theory of Ingenious Design could be legally taught in a classroom because it only proves the necessity of design by an ingenious source using powers to control the natural world that we only dream of harnessing.</p>
<p>The reason Ingenious Design can be taught is that there is no religious content in Ingenious Design theory. The theory only proves an intelligence exists elsewhere, and created various items of our universe, including the universe itself. No one can say this scientific inquiry will prove necessarily the existence of God as classicly defined. It proves an intelligent origin -- nothing more and nothing less.</p>
<p>That is not to say that a person of faith will be discouraged by such evidence. They may claim such a designer or designers revealed by this investigation fit the characteristics of God. That the creator has supernatural powers, and thus we can call Him God. But those issues can only be addressed in a Metaphysics classroom. Science cannot study by definition the supernatural, even if it were intelligent. That's why such discussion will not be found within the Ingenious Design paradigm of scientific inquiry.</p>
<p>I am not merely being coy and quiet about who I think is the likely designer, as the current Intelligent Design movement was found in the Dover case to represent (whether rightly or wrongly).</p>
<p>Instead, I am agreeing to investigate a non-terrestrial intelligence as Dawkins agrees is a purely scientific endeavor. I am personally not a materialist, but a theist. Yet, my theism is irrelevant for this investigation. Instead, I will offer theories that are purely scientific of how an intelligence must have created mechanisms or a means to manipulate matter to form, for example, the Sloan Great Wall.</p>
<h2>The Example of the Sloan Great Wall</h2>
<p>The Sloan Great Wall is a good illustration of what Ingenious Design represents. This structure was discovered in 1985 by Geller and Huchra while working as astrophysicists for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center of Astrophysics.</p>
<p>The Sloan Great Wall is a large scale space structure 1 billion light years over our North Pole. It is made of 11,000 galaxies who individually serve as nodes in a honeycomb structure. Its overall exterior form is patterned, even in 3-D, to conform to the image of a little man with a head, two arms, a torso and two legs (known as the Homonculus).</p>
<p>In the chapter on the Great Wall, I will explain the origin of this structure wholly by showing that some intelligence employing the laws of physics in ingenious ways could levitate matter by electromagnetism and stabilize it to conform precisely to the Homonculus -- with every one of thousands of cells being comprised of hexagon-shaped / a honey-comb of spiral galaxies. By the same mechanism, an intelligent designer could maintain the interior structure using 11,000 galaxies where each galaxy one-by-one is fitted as nodes within thousands of hexagons. This is a feat that gravity alone could never do, but an ingenious mechanism can do, and is the only plausible and necessary explanation in Science for the Sloan Great Wall.</p>
<p>Thus, in the analysis of the Sloan Great Wall, I am not resorting to explaining the unknown by miracles. My explanation does not depend on the supernatural. Yet, at the same time, while I discuss this in terms of a non-terrestrial creator at least 1 billion light years from us, I am not committed that such powers are not, by our limited knowledge, a superior control over the physical processes that we are familiar with. If I went into a Metaphysics discussion of the same evidence, I will declare Eureka -- only God in the classic definition explains this superior knowledge and physical manipulation of 11,000 galaxies to shape them in hexagon's with each galaxy a node in the hexagon, and then overall shaped like the outline in 3-D of a Man, the Homonculus. In a Metaphysics course, I can propose non-scientific but no less truth-seeking theorems to analyze whether this intelligence is, in fact, God. But in science as I investigate the Sloan Great Wall, I find ingeniousness on a grand scale that unquestionably was intelligent. What caused it -- whether miracles or a superiour power that we are unfamiliar with but can be intelligently manipulated is beyond what science so far can detect. Only the ingeniousness of doing so is at this point capable of scientific investigation.</p>
<h2>Ingenious Design by a Non-Terrestrial Intelligence</h2>
<p>This book/webpage also seeks to establish the correct theorem to prove intelligent design. The correct theorem, I believe, is to prove simply an ingenious level of design. This is exhibited in a multitude of specific engineering marvels in our universe. If we are willing to challenge ourselves, and truly think hard, we can perceive GENIUS of an extraordinary magnitude in natural mechanisms that were not conceivably produced by trial and error or wholly unintelligent processes. This is true of DNA, fractals, protein folding, irridescence in butterfly wings, human eyesight, photosynthesis, and the Sloan Great Wall, etc., to just mention a few such phenemona. Only by employing all our greatest scientific minds to explain the engineering principles latent in biological and natural structures can we pay proper respect to the extra-terrestrial designer that Dawkins conceded may be the proper scientific explanation for a natural phenemonon.</p>
<p>Hence, in this book/webpage, science is the limits of inquiry. Thus, the immediate first-step is not to prove creation by a divine being. That is the next step in a study of what these conclusions mean in metaphysics and/or natural history. Religious discussion is beyond the scope of our initial scientific inquiry. Until we examine the science, and prove ingenious design, the issue of WHO is the designer is premature. By keeping these classroom walls between the two topics, we can finally reintroduce into modern science COMMON SENSE -- some things in nature are clearly and indubitably designed, e.g, DNA.</p>
<p>This is a book which is a work in progress. For the latest version, <a title="Created by Ingenious Design" href="/images/stories/Books/CreatedbyIngeniousDesign.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a></p>
<p>Latest edit: June 23, 2008</p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952976<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

507
Recommended-Reading/david-email-on-eye-for-an-eye.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,507 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/david-email-on-eye-for-an-eye.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>David Email on Eye for an Eye | Contact Us</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >Ebionites "thought that it was necessary to <strong><em>reject all the epistles of [Paul], whom they called an apostate from the Law.</em></strong>" Eusebius, <em>Church Hist</em> 3:26 325 AD</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h1><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h1>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 2862" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "2862") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h3>David's Question on An Eye for an Eye (June 8, 2010)</h3>
<p>When Jesus said 'ye have heard an eye for an eye, but I TELL YOU turn the other cheek etc etc..'', is that not diminishing to a degree the torah law that God gave?  Thanks.</p>
<h3>My Reply</h3>
<div></div>
<div>Hi David</div>
<div></div>
<div>You are referring to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%205:38-39&amp;version=YLT">Matthew 5:38-39</a>:</div>
<div>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>38</sup>`Ye heard that it was said: Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth [<a href="http://bible.cc/exodus/21-24.htm">Exodus 21:24</a>];</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>39</sup>but I -- I say to you, not to resist the evil, but whoever shall <strong><em>slap thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other</em></strong>;</p>
</div>
<div>The command to turn the other cheek is a paraphrase of a passage in Jeremiah's<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=lamentations%203:30&amp;version=YLT"> Lamentations 3:30</a>: "<span>He giveth to his smiter the cheek, He is filled with reproach.</span> It means you are not to personally retaliate."</div>
<div><br /> The command of an eye for an eye was the rule of only for the judicial system to dispense just punishment. It is sometimes misnamed the Law of Retaliation. But Mosaic justice implicitly was a system that forces you to not personally retaliate for injuries to yourself. The Mosaic law always contemplated you personally do not retaliate, but you leave it to the judicial authorities to handle. Otherwise you have brawls constantly that no one can figure out. As a result of the command against personal retaliation, this means that if you could have stopped the attack by stopping yourself from retaliating then you are guilty for the next blow.  <br /> <br /> However, the religious leaders taught it was OK to strike back in retaliation if you were struck. This is implicit in Jesus command not to strike back yourself. But the Pharisees <strong><em>misread the law of Retaliation in the Mosaic Law to authorize personal retaliation</em></strong> rather than leaving vengeance to the judicial officers. (There is allowance for family honor against a murderer, but that served a social purpose of not needing prisons for murderers for they had to flee to cities of refuge to avoid death.) Jesus was adeptly exposing once more the silly misreading of the Law that personal revenge was always proper.  However, to repeat, personal retaliation was impermissible under the Mosaic Law and Prophets; it was only judicially permissible. Besides preventing brawling, there was another reason why only the judicial authorities had the power to determine guilt of the instigator. You had to have proof from 2 witnesses agreeing. You and I are not permitted to be jury, judge and executioner.</div>
<div><br /> Thus, Jesus telling you to turn the other cheek rather than retaliate (which in His day was sanctioned by religious authorities extending the judicial code to a personal right to retaliate) is the only justified view of what the Mosaic law contemplated. <br /> <br /> Listen to Peter restate Jesus and it is more clear: "<strong><em>Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insul</em></strong>t, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20peter%203:9&amp;version=YLT">1 Peter 3:9</a>.) It is obvious that you don't retaliate personally. It does not mean that judicial authorities should stop dispensing commensurate justice for wrongs done.<br /> <br /> Hope that helped.<br /> Doug</div> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 926211<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

649
Recommended-Reading/early-church-views.html Normal file
View file

File diff suppressed because one or more lines are too long

511
Recommended-Reading/eden-on-false-apostle.html Normal file
View file

File diff suppressed because one or more lines are too long

530
Recommended-Reading/email-discussions.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,530 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/email-discussions.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Email Discussions | Contact Us</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"It is not in the epistles we learn the fundamentals. We shall find those necessary points best in the preaching of our Savior." (John Locke (1696).)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 1677" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "1677") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Email Dialogues</h2>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/jesus-sent-to-israel-so-what-about-gentiles.html">J.</a> (August 14, 2012) - What About The Pre-Ascension Jesus Was Sent Only to Israel, not Gentiles?</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/is-god-of-ot-different-than-nt.html">C. </a>(July 27, 2012) - How do I explain the God of the OT and NT appear different</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/email-do-we-really-have-to-suffer-persecution.html">C.</a> (July 15, 2012) - Do We Have to Really Endure Persecution and Isolation for these Views?</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/does-paulamplify-or-garble-the-gospel.html">Jeff</a> (July 6, 2012) - Did Paul Only Amplify Jesus' Gospel as Jeff contends?</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/israel-a-wife-divorced-question.html">Cindi M. </a>(February 2012) - Can God remarry Israel after divorcing her and supposedly marrying another?</p>
<p><a href="http://godsbreath.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/so-you-reject-paul/comment-page-1/#comment-13043">Scott Schifferd</a> (September 2011) - I answer his critique of affirming JWO as inspired canon -- after his blog article defending, posted at his web-blog. (This is posted in full below at end of this 'Dialogues' page for easier access.)</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/tertullian-scope-of-quote.html">Eric</a> (December 25, 2010). Does the Tertullian quote I rely upon still apply if Acts is Considered</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/adams-questions.html">Adam</a> (Dec. 27, 2010). More questions Adam relays from a critic.</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/paul-and-barnabas-as-apostles-of-antioch.html">Adam</a> (December 24, 2010). What about fact Luke describes Paul and Barnabas as apostles in Acts 14:4?</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/balaam-and-paul.html">Dr. PB</a> (December 20, 2010). A theologian tries to criticize JWO, but really reveals how Paulinists have no answer to JWO.</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/ananias-and-paul.html">Gary</a> (October 15, 2010). If Ananias says Jesus said Paul is chosen in Acts 9, does this prove Jesus said it?</p>
<p><a href="/JWO/daves-email-how-do-trust-any-inspiration.html">Dave</a> (September 1, 2010). If Paul is not inspired, how do we know any other book in NT is inspired?</p>
<p><a href="/JWO/jesus-v-paul-on-rapture.html">Ed</a> (August 25, 2010). Is Paul's version of the rapture of believers true?</p>
<p><a href="/Contact-Us/humor.html">Daniel</a> (August 14, 2010). Daniel's humorous story about a Pastor who says Law has been fulfilled.</p>
<p><a href="/JWO/jwo-aching-heart.html">Jennifer</a> (August 2, 2010). Why did God let this corruption of Scripture take place? Her heart aches for an answer.</p>
<p><a href="/JWO/email-acts-15-jwo.html">Walter</a> (June 9, 2010). Did Peter agree with Paul that the Law was a burden in Acts 15:9?</p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/david-email-on-eye-for-an-eye.html">David</a> (June 8, 2010). Was Jesus's criticism of an eye for an eye a diminishment of the Law?</p>
<p><a href="/JWO/law-applicable-today.html">Wheeler</a> (May 26, 2010). What Law applies today to Gentiles?</p>
<p><a href="/JWO/victor-response.html">Victor</a> (January 2010) Victor disagrees that James' letter was for a trial. Also the reader can see in Victor's email the kind of personal invective and insult Paulinists use rather than reasoned argument.</p>
<p><a href="/JWO/chrish.html">Chris</a> (November 2008). A Christian who lost devotion, and was concerned that if Paul is false, would this make Jesus a failed messiah. My response exhorts Chris to try Jesus again with a new perspective on just Jesus.</p>
<p><a href="/JWO/erica.html">Erica</a> (September 2007). Asks how I first came to realize Paul was false.</p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/balaamlesson.html">Joe</a> (2006) Joe believes Paul's being chosen by Jesus makes it impossible to think Paul turned false later. The example of Balaam from the OT is used to refute that argument.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr />
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://godsbreath.wordpress.com/2011/04/28/so-you-reject-paul/comment-page-1/#comment-13043">Posting 9-21-2011</a> at Scott Schiffred's Blog:</p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p>This is the author of Jesus’ Words Only. If you read my book, you unfortunately skimmed over the preface which led you to wrongly interpret that I have a Reform and Baptist perception that we cannot fall from Grace. To the contrary, it was because I realized the error of the Reformed and Baptist positions on those issues in light of Jesus’ words in many places, e.g., Mark 9:42-47, that I rejected these Reformed / Baptist doctrine. But in the Preface I explain that then I had to deal with the fact that Paul gives contradictory lessons that do affirm eternal security and unalterable perservance. (You are right that Paul speaks of falling from grace, but (a) that proves a contradiction with his Eternal Security verses; or (b) is explained away by his Reformed / Baptist admirers.)</p>
<p>So I agree with you that ES / Perseverance doctrine is wrong-but I do so because it contradicts Jesus. Which led me to ask the question: did Jesus ever call Paul an apostle, and thus we are bound to follow Paul who I could no refute says salvation is without works in Romans 4:3-5? And we shall be saved if we ever once (aorist tense) call on the name of the Lord and believe Jesus resurrected? (Romans 10:9.) The answer is no, Jesus never called Paul an apostle. In the 3 accounts of Paul’s encounter with the light-and-voice (Acts 9, 22, and 26) that said “I am Jesus,” the light-and-voice said Paul would be a MARTUS — Greek for witness. Not “apostolos” – which means messenger. And Jesus did not make James an apostle either, as you contend. Rather, that was Paul misunderstanding that James was an apostle; James was not. (In Galatians 2.) Jesus said there was only 12 apostles — Rev. 21 — into eternity who sit as the 12 judges over the 12 tribes. So the idea of adding a 13th (after the 11 unanimously chose Matthias to replace Judas in Acts ch. 1) is contradictory of JESUS.</p>
<p>Thus, in fact, as the preface to Jesus Words Only points out, my problems with Reformed theology / Baptist eternal security, etc., are what led me to question Paul’s authority. So you have completely misunderstand where I am coming from and why. Please read the preface — free at <a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.jesuswordsonly.com</a> — and look at “books” tab.</p>
<p>And my position on Paul is consistent with (a) the early reformation — Carlstadt (see my site) – who co-led the Reformation with Luther in 1517 — who wrote in 1520 that Jesus has priority over Paul in formulating doctrine. (Luther disagreed and kicked out his partner); (b) the early church prior to 300 — Tertullian’s work of 207 AD Against Marcion saying Paul’s claim to being an apostle is self-serving and dubious; and (c) most importantly, by Jesus.</p>
<p>Let’s look at what Jesus clearly says about Paul for those who have ears to hear. I found this only recently so you will have to read my website to find it. In Matt 5:17-19 Jesus says those in the kingdom of heaven will call the one who loosens the Law and teaches others not to follow the Law the “Least Man” — elicithos anthropous. (Those who teach to the contrary, Jesus calls the greatest in the kingdom.) Did you know Paul’s name — transliterated into Greek as Paulos from the Latin Paulus — is a shortened version (like Joe is for Joseph) of the name Pauxilus. And Paul’s true name of Pauxilus in Latin means, per Jamison Faucett, Augustine and other scholars cited at the page following — “LEAST.” Yes, that means Jesus warns us about Paul, saying for eternity the one who teaches to loosen the Law and tells us not to obey it will be called by those in heaven “THE LEAST MAN.” It was a prophecy. And in context of 5:17-20, it is a condemnation, not a praise.</p>
<p>So I ask: will we follow Jesus or Paul? Their messages are not only not the same, but they also oppose each other. Paul does so mostly in a self-contradictory way so you can find some things that agree with your anti-ES / Perseverance doctrine and in agreement with Jesus, but if you are being honest, there are a host of contrary verses that support ES / Perseverance.</p>
<p>So I did not come to this position because held Reformed or Baptist views, as you contend. Rather, I had to give those views up to follow Jesus, and face condemnation and attacks (I am sure they are meant in love by well-meaning brothers and sisters). I like most Christians of the dominant Pauline persuasion loved the easy way, the no-works gospel with no damnation for sin! Who would not wish that was the true Gospel? But alas, Jesus says you go to heaven “maimed” or hell “whole.” (Mark 9:42-47.) There is no other ‘way’ but Jesus’ way. Paul offers a dangerous alternative that comes up by different path — a non-apostolic path. Hence, we each have a decision — whether we will be loyal to Jesus’ or Paul’s gospel. I choose Jesus, and I hope you will do so too. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Modern Christianity has turned that into a trite saying but it contains an important direction from our Lord. So here below is the link to the “Least Man” discussion. God bless. D<br /><a href="/JWO/jesus-on-paul-the-least.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/JWO/jesus-on-paul-the-least.html</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 923125<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

489
Recommended-Reading/eucharist-emblem-of-paganism.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,489 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/eucharist-emblem-of-paganism.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Eucharist - Emblem of Paganism? | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >Ebionites "thought that it was necessary to <strong><em>reject all the epistles of [Paul], whom they called an apostate from the Law.</em></strong>" Eusebius, <em>Church Hist</em> 3:26 325 AD</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 1222" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "1222") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
Home</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Eucharist: Is This An Emblem of Baal, the Sun-God of Paganism?</h2>
<h3>Original Remembrance Was Ordinary Unleavened Bread</h3>
<p>Originally, the Ebionites -- the repositors of the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew -- insisted that the remembrance service about Jesus at Passover (what later became the weekly communion in Catholicism) must use unleavened bread. (See references below.)</p>
<p>However, the Roman Catholics did away with this notion in the 4th century, using only leavened bread, <em>i.e.</em>, cakes, apparently round, in such services. However, as proven below, in the 10th Century the Roman church revived the use of unleavened bread, but in the shape of the round modern host which thereby kept the roundness of the caks of the 4th century form. Why that is important will be evident later.</p>
<p>Here is a summary of what the Ebionites instituted which lasted in the church at large until the 4th Century:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">It is related that during the first ages of the church none but <em><strong>unleavened bread</strong></em> was used in the <span class="gstxt_hlt">eucharist, </span>till the <strong><em>Ebionites arose</em></strong>, who held that<strong><em> all observances prescribed by Moses were still in force</em></strong>. Upon which both the eastern and western churches took up the use of leavened bread; and after the extinction of that heresy, the western church returned to the <em>azymous </em><span>[</span><span>i.e.<em>, unleavened bread] </em></span>the eastern absolutely adhering to the former usage. ("<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NeYIAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=eucharist%20baal&amp;pg=PT82#v=onepage&amp;q=eucharist%20baal&amp;f=false">Azymous</a>," <em>A New, complete and universal dictionary </em>(1764) (ed. John Marchant, Daniel Bellamy.)</p>
<h3>Pagan Competing Practice of Round Cakes of Leavened Bread</h3>
<p>In the pagan religion of Rome, in the Sol Invictus aka Baal religion imported from Syria in the 200s (taken from Phoenicia), a transubstantian ritual was performed on Sun-day with a round cake  and wine which the faithful were told had become the flesh and blood of their god. This was particularly important on Easter Sun-day <em>i.e.</em>, the celebration of the goddess Eostre / Ishtar / Ashtoreth day, the 'Mother of God' aka Baal.</p>
<h3>Origin of Roman Church Eucharistic Practices</h3>
<p>The famous early reformer and translator, Wycliffe, was the first to resurrect in 1381 knowledge that the Eucharistic practice of Roman Catholicism copied Baal practices. As Bridgett summarizes:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"And--to confine ourselves to the matter of the Holy <strong><em>Eucharist</em></strong>--Wycliffe, as we have just been told, spoke of those who held the <em><strong>doctrine of transubstantiation as 'priests of Baal</strong></em>.' Wycliffe considered that this belief brought upon its holders the anger of God." (Thomas Edward Bridgett, <em>History of the Holy Eucharist in Great Britain: Anglo-Normans, later English and Scotch</em> (C. Keegan Paul, 1881) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=qvq4lBV_yuwC&amp;dq=eucharist%20baal&amp;pg=PA298#v=onepage&amp;q=eucharist%20baal&amp;f=false">298</a>.)</p>
<p>Wycliffe was also concerned about the deification of the host in the ceremony. According to Lechler's summary:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"[Wycliffe] affirms that so-called Christians who take to be their God that 'accident' which they see in the hands of the priest at Mass, sin worse than heathen who in their fetish worship give divine honors throughout the day to whatever object they chance first to see in the early morning.' 'The indignation of Wycliffe against the idolatry committed in the worshipping of the Host,' says the same writer, 'is all the stronger that he cannot avoid the conviction that the authors of this <strong><em>deification of a creature</em></strong> are perfectly well aware of what their God really is. Such priests accordingly he does not scruple to call plainly <span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>Baal-priests</em></strong></span><span class="gstxt_hlt">.'" (Bridgett, </span><span class="gstxt_hlt"><em>id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=qvq4lBV_yuwC&amp;dq=eucharist%20baal&amp;pg=PA295#v=onepage&amp;q=eucharist%20baal&amp;f=false">295</a>-96, quoting Professor Lechler Vol. 2 at 182.)</span></p>
<p>In Roman Catholic practice, as of 1200 AD, the only mandatory day of the year one had to take the host was the Sunday of "Pasqua" (Passover / Easter in British territories). (Bridgett, <em>id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=qvq4lBV_yuwC&amp;dq=eucharist%20baal&amp;pg=PA261#v=snippet&amp;q=easter&amp;f=false">261</a>.)</p>
<p>In Roman Catholic practice since the 4th century, the round Eucharist was a leavened cake; it was not made of unleavened bread until the 10th century. "Indeed Sirmondus maintains that the <em><strong>use of unleavened bread</strong></em> in the holy Eucharist was <strong><em>unknown</em></strong> in the Latin Church before the tenth century...." (John McClintock, James Strong, <em>Cyclopaedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature</em> (Harper: 1869) Vol. 1 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3SstAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=eucharist%20baal&amp;pg=PA578#v=onepage&amp;q=eucharist%20baal&amp;f=false">578</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, it started out more as a round cake than the host we think of today.<img src="/images/stories/JWOBook/jp2-sun_monstrance.jpg" width="122" height="118" alt="jp2-sun_monstrance" style="float: right;" /></p>
<p>Roman Catholicism presents today as the host at Mass conducted by the pope the round Eucharist in a sun-burst monstrance. It is called the Ostensorium. The church boasts this imagery is to convey the image of the Sun:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"During the baroque period, it took on a rayed form of a <strong>sun-</strong>monstrance with a circular window surrounded by a silver or gold frame with <strong><em>rays</em></strong>."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Rev. Jovian P. Lang, OFM,<em>The Dictionary of the Liturgy</em> (N.Y.: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1989) at 436.</p>
<h3>Ishtar aka Eostre and Baal-Sol-Invictus</h3>
<p>Ishtar was the Mother goddess of ancient Babylon. There is a reference to her in Jeremiah 44:19. Because Ishtar was known as the Queen of Heaven, the Bible is speaking of her when it says the women of Judah were "burning incense, pouring out drink [<em>i.e.</em> <strong><em>wine</em></strong>] offerings, and offering <em><strong>cakes</strong></em> to the <strong><em>Queen of Heaven</em></strong>." (Jer. 44:19.) Notice there is a cake and wine involved in worshipping this Queen of Heaven.</p>
<p>In Alexander Hilsop's work <em>The Two Babylons or Papal Worship Proved To Be The Worship of Nimrod and His Wife</em> (New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1959) he explains: "the goddess-mother has evidently radiated in all directions from Chaldea [<em>i.e.</em>, Babylon]." <em>Id., </em>at 158. Ishtar became a deity of Egypt and many other lands. Ishtar's worshippers everwhere "partook of the [cakes and wine], swearing new fidelity to her." <em>Id.</em>, at 159. Hilsop then explains the modern Eucharistic practices of a round host replaced the Christian communion services with normal bread in the 4th Century in the Roman Catholic Church:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"In the <strong><em>fourth century</em></strong>, when the Queen of Heaven, under the name of Mary, was beginning to be worshipped in the Christian church [at Rome], this 'unbloody' [bread and wine] sacrifice also was brought in...[A]t the time, it was well-known to have been adopted from the <strong><em>Pagans</em></strong>." <em>Id.</em>, at 159.</p>
<p>The Eucharist in that period was a round cake. Hilsop explains that a similarly shaped round cake was an emblem of the Sun in pagan practices, and reflected Sol Invictus aka Baal, the Son of Ishtar:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The importance which Rome attaches to the roundness of the wafer, must have a reason, and that reason will be found, if we look at the altars of Egypt. 'The <em><strong>thin round cake</strong></em>,' says Wilkinson, 'occurs on all Egyptian altars. Almost every jot and title in the Egyptian worship had a symbolic meaning. The <em>round disk</em>, so frequent in the sacred emblems of Egypt,<strong><em> symbolized the sun</em></strong>.'...[The] round wafer, whose roundness is so important an element in the Romish Mystery...is only another symbol of Baal, or the sun. (Hilsop, <em>id.</em>, at 160, 163.)</p>
<p>Hilsop then explains the Egyptian practices with the Sun-God, known in Egypt as Osiris -- a child born of Ishtar in the Egyptian version of the same religion:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Now, when <em><strong>Osiris, the sun-divinity</strong></em>, became incarnate, and was born, it was not merely that he should give his life as a sacrifice for men, but that he also might be the life and nourishment of the souls of men....Now, this Son, who was symbolized as 'Corn' was the<strong><em> Sun-divinity incarnate</em></strong>, according to the sacred oracle of the godess of Egypt....What could be more natural then, if this incarnate divinity is symbolized...as a<em><strong> round wafer</strong></em> to<em><strong> identify him</strong></em> with the <strong>Sun?</strong>" <em>Id.</em>, 160-61, 163.</p>
<p>In Phoenicia, the Sun-God was called Baal. And the main female deity was Ashtoreth -- phonetically close to Ishtar and Eostre. (See "Baal," McLintock, <em>Cyclopedia</em>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">supra</span>, at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3SstAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=eucharist%20baal&amp;pg=PA578#v=onepage&amp;q=eucharist%20baal&amp;f=false"> 578</a>; see also "Ashtoreth," <em>id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3SstAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=eucharist%20baal&amp;pg=PA464#v=onepage&amp;q=ashtoreth&amp;f=false">464</a>.) In the <em>Holman Bible Dictionary</em> we read about Baal in Canaan commonly meant the Sun-God:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Baal worship revolved around two themes that represented the conception of Baal his worshippers held. Baal was both the <em><strong>sun-god</strong></em> and storm-god. He was worshiped as <strong><em>sun-god</em></strong> when the people wished to express thanks and gratitude for light and warmth and fertility.</p>
<p>In Roman Catholicism, Mary receives the reverence and worship that belonged to Ishtar in paganism. In 1954, Pope Pius XII officially declared Mary the Queen of Heaven. Here is a <a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_11101954_ad-caeli-reginam_en.html">link</a> to the official enciclical. In <em>T</em><em>he Dogmatic Constitution on the Church</em> (LUMEN GENTIUM) by Pope Paul VI, November 21, 1964, paragraph 59 we read this reverential statemen, giving Mary the title that belongs to a pagan deity:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>... Finally, the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all guilt of original sin, on the completion of her earthly sojourn, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as <strong><em>Queen of the universe</em></strong>, that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and the conqueror of sin and death.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Ebionites Rejected Transubstantion From the Earliest Period</h2>
<p>The Ebionites--the earliest Jewish Christians--believed that drinking the wine at the passover to remember the work of Jesus was symbolic. One was not uniting with God by drinking it.</p>
<p>In Irenaeus' <em>Adversus Haereses, </em>5.1.3, he wrote ca. 180 AD that</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">the Ebionites...<em><strong>r</strong></em><strong><em>eject the commixture of the heavenly wine</em></strong>, and wish it to be water of the world only, <strong><em>not receiving God so as to have union with Him</em></strong>....</p>
<p>However, Ignatius of Antioch ca. 106 AD contended that the bread and wine are indeed the body and blood of Christ, and we do not unite with Christ by ingesting it. See "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transubstantiation">Transubstantiation</a>," Wikipedia.By 787 AD, the Roman Catholic church finally adopted as doctrine that we ingest God's blood and flesh by eating the communion wafer. (See "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transubstantiation">Transubstantiation</a>," Wikipedia; see also <em>infra</em>.)</p>
<p>This transubstantion doctrine that emerged copied precisely the pagan mystery religions of Rome. This is explained in mainstream Christian-Protestant encyclopedias:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">In this meal we see the increasing dominance of the influence of the <em><strong>mystery religions</strong> --</em>the elements of the Eucharist as the medicine of immortality,  the antidote of death,  Ign. Eph. 20:2, over the relationship to Jewish feasts<em>. </em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em></em>(<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=inauthor:%22Erwin+Fahlbusch%22&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=ZOd-TfnPHIKCsQOmorn-BQ&amp;ved=0CEcQ9Ag">Erwin Fahlbusch</a><span class="hpn">,</span> Geoffrey William Bromiley, "Eucharist,"<em> Encyclopedia of Christianity</em> (1999) Vol. 2 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=yaecVMhMWaEC&amp;lpg=PA168&amp;ots=fzWSLPlUxD&amp;dq=eucharist%20mystery%20religions%20copied&amp;pg=PA168#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">168</a>.)</p>
<p>This transubstantiation notion was finally rejected in the Reformation by Carlstadt (the co-founder of the Reformation with Luther) who said the wine was figurative / symbolic. (Luther flip-flopped, later switching to believe in consubstantion which is essentially transubstantiation. See <em>Id.</em>, <em>Wikipedia</em>.</p>
<p>Tertullian in 200 AD had likewise said the bread component was figurative, in support of the Ebionite position that the wine was symbolic:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">In about 200 AD, Tertullian wrote (Against Marcion IV. 40): "Taking bread and distributing it to his disciples he made it his own body by saying, 'This is my body,' that is a '<strong><em>figure </em></strong>of my body.' On the other hand, there would not have been a figure unless there was a true body." (<em>Id., Wikipedia</em>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">[Tertullian here was refuting Marcion who claimed Jesus did not truly have a human body. So he says it could not be a figure of a body unless there was a true human flesh which it represents.]</p>
<p>However, that was not enough to stymie the change later.  Fahblbush and Bromiley point out that despite there being patristic quotes to support transubstantiation, it did not become a doctrine of Catholicism until 787 AD. This was the seventh ecumenical conference at Nicea. <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=yaecVMhMWaEC&amp;lpg=PA168&amp;ots=fzWSLPlUxD&amp;dq=eucharist%20mystery%20religions%20copied&amp;pg=PA168#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Id.</a></em></p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 917451<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

608
Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,608 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="trinity, trinitarianism" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Deity of Christ" />
<title>Exaltation That Turns Idolatrous | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p style="text-align: right;">"It is of great importance to straighten out this inverting of the relationship, criticizing Christ by Paul, the Master by the disiple." <em>Kierkegaard,</em><em> My Task (1855)<br /></em></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 9156" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "9156") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
Home</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>An Exaltation That Went Too Far</h2>
<p>The first one to formulate the trinity, Tertullian, did so in a proper manner. Tertullian warned that Marcion in 144 AD freighteningly viewed Jesus as God apart from the Father. Marcion thus argued his God-Jesus could not take on true human flesh. (Marcion said it only supposedly looked human). Tertullian said this deduction of Marcion had developed an idolatrous version of Jesus's divinity. Instead of an indwelling of Jesus by God, Marcion made Jesus a separate and distinct God from the Creator- God. To this idea of Marcion, Tertullian in 207 AD leveled the charge of idolatry -- the violation of the first commandment:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“They either pretend that there is <em><strong>another god in opposition to the Creator</strong></em>, or, even if they acknowledge that the Creator is the one and only God, they treat him<strong><em> as a different being from what he is in truth</em></strong>. The consequence is that every lie which they speak of God is in a certain sense<strong><em> a sort of idolatry</em></strong>.” (<em>On Prescription Against Heretics</em>, 40, quoted in <em>Anti-Nicene Fathers</em> (2007) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=lZ1EffC0auAC&amp;lpg=PA263&amp;dq=another%20god%20in%20opposition%20to%20the%20creator&amp;pg=PA263#v=onepage&amp;q=another%20god%20in%20opposition%20to%20the%20creator&amp;f=false">263</a>.)</p>
<p>At the same time, against another heretic named Praxeas, Tertullian mocked any idea that Jesus as the Son was simultaneously also God. Here is cogent reasoning so easily forgotten:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">I bid you also observe, that on my side I advance the passage where the Father said to the Son, 'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee.' If you want me to believe<em><strong> Him to be both the Father and the Son</strong></em> [<em>i.e.</em>, simultaneously two persons but each is God] show me some other passage where it is declared, '<strong><em>The Lord said unto Himself, I am my own Son, to-day have I begotten myself</em></strong>;' or again, 'Before the morning did I <strong><em>beget </em></strong>myself;' and likewise, 'I the Lord possessed Myself in the beginning of my ways for my own works; before all the hills, too, did<strong><em> I beget</em></strong> myself;' and whatever other passages are to the same effect. Why, moreover, could God the Lord of all things, have hesitated to speak thus of Himself, if the fact had been so? (Tertullian, <em>Latin Christianity</em> (Scaff ed.) Ch. <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.ix.xi.html">XI</a>.)</p>
<p>This is under the heading <strong><em>The Identity of the Father and the Son, as Praxeas Held It, Shown to Be Full of Perplexity and Absurdity.</em></strong></p>
<p>Nothing could be clearer than to make both Jesus (the Son) and Yahweh (the Father) identically be God would be a violation of all Scripture. God never speaks to Himself as a begotten Son of Himself. Tertullian also took it as obvious you could never have two independent beings who are both God without violating the Scripture that there is only ONE God. This is why Tertullian defended a trinity represented by Jesus simply being <em><strong>indwelled fully</strong></em> by God the Father. Jesus had <strong><em>DIVINITY</em></strong>, not DEITY, <strong><em>Tertullian taught</em></strong>. Any other view, Tertullian said was IDOLATRY -- putting another god before God.</p>
<h3>The True Exalted Status of Jesus</h3>
<p>By contrast to Marcion and Praxeas, the way Apostle John and Jesus invite us to see Jesus' nature -- a unique indwelling of God's Shekinah ("Divinity") in the man Jesus -- comports completely with that First Commandment. The same substance of God is <strong><em>in</em></strong> Jesus, a distinct and separate human being. 'The Word became flesh.' (For our view of the correct Christology, see this <a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">webpage</a>.)</p>
<p>John made it clear what Jesus's relationship was to God. After the crucifixion Jesus said: "Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning<em><strong> to my Father</strong></em> and <em><strong>your Father</strong></em>, <em><strong>to my God and your God</strong></em>" (John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2020:17&amp;version=ASV">20:17</a> NIV).</p>
<p>Tertullian, even though he invented the first Trinity doctrine around 200 AD, saw things in a similar way. Tertullian did not have our modern trinitarian conception where Jesus, the Son, was eternal God apart from the Father-God and before His incarnation. Such a view was idolatry, as Tertullian said in the quote above.</p>
<p>Over one hundred years after Tertullian's death, the term "Trinity" was turned around and defined exactly <strong><em>in the manner Tertullian warned against</em></strong>! Tertullian believed Jesus was a man of true human flesh occupied by God including His Word -- the personified agency of His creation. Tertullian did not mean each member of the Trinity was an eternal God operating as one. A major difference.</p>
<p>Tertullian said at conception from Mary, Jesus was "born <em><strong>man mixed </strong></em>with God," as Osborn summarizes <em>Adversus Praexas</em> by Tertullian. (Eric Osborn, Tertullian, <em>First Theologian of the West </em>(Cambridge University Press, 2003) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZW7O0D9E4xQC&amp;lpg=PA121&amp;dq=tertullian%20trinity&amp;pg=PA122#v=onepage&amp;q=tertullian%20trinity&amp;f=false">122</a>-23.) The "father and son are no more identical than night and day" (Prax. 10). (<em>Id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZW7O0D9E4xQC&amp;lpg=PA121&amp;dq=tertullian%20trinity&amp;pg=PA127#v=onepage&amp;q=tertullian%20trinity&amp;f=false">127</a>.) Tertullian argues that "God's Son is also called Son from<strong><em> unity of substance</em></strong>." <em>Id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZW7O0D9E4xQC&amp;lpg=PA121&amp;dq=tertullian%20trinity&amp;pg=PA122#v=onepage&amp;q=tertullian%20trinity&amp;f=false">122</a>. This substance came from the <strong><em>indwelling</em></strong> of the Father.</p>
<p>This matches Numbers <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2023:19&amp;version=ASV">23:19</a> which says "God is <strong><em>not a man</em></strong>." God can indwell a man but a man does not thereby<em> himself</em> become God.</p>
<p>As a result, no Christians abandoned Christianity in the 200-320 AD period because of Tertullian's conception of the trinity. It completely comported with Scripture. (One must realize Tertullian was trying to use the term "trinity" from Plato in an updated way, changing its pagan form into a monotheistic form. With Plato, it meant there was Zeus, a superior God, who was above inferior secondary and tertiary deities. Tertullian borrowed this concept to explain that Jesus served as God's subordinate agent, that is Jesus, a man, was indwelled fully by God. For the earlier pagan version of the Trinity, see Aristotle's discussion of the Trinity in Aristotle <em>On the Heavens</em>, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Myg9f9dLmTUC&amp;lpg=PA3&amp;dq=we%20make%20further%20use%20of%20the%20number%20three%20in%20the%20worship%20of%20the%20Gods&amp;pg=PA3">Book I, 1</a> )</p>
<p>However, somehow later Tertullian's Trinitarian doctrine was turned backwards towards it original pagan meaning. It was turned on its head to say the Trinity is God composed of<strong><em> three distinct eternal persons each with individual free will and the right of each to be called by us "God</em></strong>." Hence, by 381 AD, it was held that the Word (or Spirit) was a distinct being/person from the Father, and the Father was a distinct being/person from the Son, and the Son was not the Spirit or the Father but also was God, so that there were three <strong><em>co-equal </em></strong>persons of independent free-will who each have the right to call themselves, and to be called by us, "God." To this Tertullian, the first <em>explicit </em>Trinitarian, would have said 'Pure idolatry!'</p>
<h3>Example of Modern Non-Monotheistic Consequence of Abandoning Correct Trinity Doctrine</h3>
<p>This idolatry is best seen in a post-Tertullian trinitarian argument by a Protestant in our modern day. The most notorious example is Dennis F. Kinlaw, <em>Let's Start With Jesus: A New Way of Doing Theology</em> (Zondervan: 2005). Kinlaw, former president of Asbury College, claims that Christianity is "monotheistic" (<em>id.</em>, at 18), but if words have meaning, Kinlaw demonstrates an idolatrous view of Jesus - of another God distinct from the Creator God-the-Father.</p>
<p>Kinlaw admits at one point that "Understanding God as a Trinity of <strong><em>free persons</em></strong> gives us one of the most striking <strong><em>differences between the monotheism </em></strong>[?] of Christianity and the <strong><em>other monotheistic religions</em></strong>" which believe God "is a<strong><em> single being</em></strong>." In Christianity, God's will is "conditioned on the interrelatedness of love of the <em><strong>three persons</strong></em> who constitute the Godhead." (Kinlaw, at 33-34.) Kinlaw continues: "When Christians say that God is one, the oneness of which we speak is<em><strong> not the same as the oneness of which Jews and Muslims speak</strong></em>. It is not the unicity of a divine monad, of<strong><em> a single divine being</em></strong> who is simple in nature. Christians believe that within this oneness are <em><strong>personal differentiations</strong></em>." <em>Id.</em>, 19. And Kinlaw sees multiple persons like the Father and Son each have the right to say they are God because they <em><strong>talk to one another</strong></em> as God: "the inner life of God [is] one person speaking to another...there are <strong><em>different persons</em></strong> in the Godhead. (<em>Id</em>., 32.)  Early on he says that salvation is designed to bring each of us "into participation in the very communion that the <strong><em>three </em></strong>persons of the triune Godhead know between<strong><em> themselves</em></strong>." (<em>Id.</em>, at 13.)</p>
<p>Hence, if each of the three persons has the right to say He is God, then how is God a single being any longer? Kinlaw admits he is contending that they are <strong><em>each different persons of free-will</em></strong>, yet he can somehow insist they are 'one' in some sense. But we are not to have any other gods before God!</p>
<p>Kinlaw's defense of the modern trinity reflects an abandonment of the first usage of the term trinity by Tertullian. Kinlaw's version represents restructuring Jesus's identity as <em><strong>a God apart from the Father</strong></em> who is supposedly one with the Father by<em><strong> coordinated action</strong></em>. You can pretend you are saying there is one God because you say so. But saying it is so does not make it so.</p>
<p>But Jesus taught something totally different. Jesus taught He had an indwelling presence of God.</p>
<p>Kinlaw went<strong><em> too far</em></strong>, and gives us a conception of Jesus that transgresses the<strong><em> First Commandment of God</em></strong>. We are all in favor of <em><strong>exalting Jesus as Son of Man</strong></em>, for God in Daniel 7:13-14 said the Son of Man coming with the Shekinah presence on clouds of glory is <strong><em>entitled to worship</em></strong>. But to try to exalt Jesus individually and in his being/person to be God apart from merely the Father's abiding presence in Him violates the First Commandment. We can believe in the Trinity as it was first defined by Tertullian, but not in the horrifying way that Kinlaw proposes a <em><strong>de facto polytheistic</strong></em> trinity.</p>
<h2><strong>Why A Non-Monotheistic Version of 'Trinity' Replaced Tertullian's Monotheistic Version</strong></h2>
<p><span></span></p>
<p>The trinity doctrine which Tertullian advanced in 200 AD was reformulated in about 381 AD at the Council of Constantinople to <strong><em>specifically refute monotheism</em></strong>.</p>
<p>Gregory of Nyssa (born 335 A.D., died 385 A.D.) in 372 A.D. was appointed by <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Kl0YAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PA254" target="_blank">his brother Basil </a>as the Catholic Bishop of Nyssa. After losing that post, Emperor Gratian reinstituted Gregory as bishop in 378. ("<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07016a.htm">St. Gregory of Nyssa</a>," <em>Catholic Encylopedia</em>.) In 379 A.D., Gregory was suddenly elevated to assist at the Council of Antioch. In 381, Gregory again assisted at the Council of Constantinople convened by Emperor Theodosius to "assert the faith of Nicea...to put an end to Arianism...." (<em>Id.</em>) Once again this Council "accepted the Nicene teaching."  (George Herbert Dryer, <em>History of the Christian church</em> (1896) at <a target="_blank" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=d1JbAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PA155">155</a>.)</p>
<p>But the Council of Constantinople did more than that. What Gregory did at the Council of Constantinople is take the Nicean Creed that does not mention a trinity and this time the church would affirm three persons are each God<strong><em> separate and apart from another</em></strong>. Gregory explained in a treatise at the same time that his intent was <strong><em>to destroy the supposed myth of monotheism</em></strong>. These details are<strong><em> rarely recounted</em></strong>, so here they are from the most scholarly sources.</p>
<p>Gregory wrote the <em>Catechismal Treatise</em> which was retitled by his empirical benefactors as <em>The Great Catechism.</em> It was "the most significant dogmatic work of the fourth century." (George Herbert Dryer, <em>History of the Christian church</em> (1896) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=d1JbAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PA155" target="_blank">155</a>.)</p>
<p>Gregory in the first chapter of his book <em>The Great Catechism</em>, according to Schaff, teaches the "<strong>absurdity of Jewish monotheism</strong>." (<em>A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church</em> (edited by Philip Schaff, Henry Wace)(1893) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AIAXAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20Great%20Catechism%20xxxv%20The%20Nicene%20and%20Post-Nicene%20Fathers&amp;pg=PA471" target="_blank">471</a>.) Gregory in the text alludes to monotheism as "the beliefs of the Jews" and then castigates that view as an "<strong><em>absurdity</em></strong>." <em>Id.</em>, at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AIAXAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20Great%20Catechism%20xxxv%20The%20Nicene%20and%20Post-Nicene%20Fathers&amp;pg=PA476" target="_blank"> 476 col. 2</a>. Schaff explains Gregory's text in a footnote snipes at monotheism again when Gregory says in effect "an argument against Dualism would only confirm the Jew in his stern <strong><em>monotheism</em></strong>." (<em>Id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AIAXAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20Great%20Catechism%20xxxv%20The%20Nicene%20and%20Post-Nicene%20Fathers&amp;pg=PA474" target="_blank">474 fn. 7</a>.)</p>
<p>In chapter 3, Gregory acknowledged that "<strong><em>neither</em></strong> does the statement [of the Trinity]<strong><em>harmonize with the Jewish dogma</em></strong>" nor endorse multiple gods as it proposes a 'unity' instead. Yet, Gregory continues by saying that as a result of the Trinity doctrine as he formulated it, Jewish monotheism is ended: "the <strong><em>Jewish dogma is destroyed</em></strong> by the acceptance of the Word and by belief in the Spirit." He pointedly said "the <strong><em>number of the triad [</em></strong><em><strong>i.e.</strong></em><strong><em>, </em></strong><em><strong>three</strong></em><strong><em>]</em></strong> [is] a remedy in the case of those<em><strong>who are in error as to the One</strong></em>." (Gregory of Nyssa, <em>The Great Catechism</em>, ch. 3.)</p>
<p>The full context makes clear that Gregory calls<strong><em> monotheism a heresy</em></strong> and is <strong><em>destroyed by the Trinity doctrine</em></strong>. Yet, Gregory insists incoherently that a trinity as he formulated it is not polytheistic. He imagines an in-between realm where you can have more than one being who is God (<em>i.e.</em>, you must reject monotheism) -- where some "others" who are "God" by nature are yet subservient to a "First cause" --- and yet somehow you still do not have polytheism. The truth is there is no third position between "one" and "many" despite these fine-sounding words -- clearly filched from Platonic philosophy and not the Bible. Gregory wrote:</p>
<blockquote><span>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; color: #000000; font-size: 12pt;"><span>And so one who severely studies the depths of the mystery, receives secretly in his spirit, indeed, a moderate amount of apprehension of the doctrine of God's nature, yet he is<strong><em> unable to explain</em></strong> clearly in words the ineffable depth of this mystery. As, for instance, how the same thing is <strong><em>capable of being numbered</em></strong> and yet rejects numeration, how it is observed with distinctions yet is apprehended as a monad, how it is <strong><em>separate as to personality</em></strong> yet is not divided as to subject matter. For, in personality, the Spirit is <strong><em>one thing</em></strong> and the Word <strong><em>another</em></strong>, and yet again that from which the Word and Spirit is, <strong><em>another</em></strong>. But when you have gained the conception of what the distinction is in these, the oneness, again, of the <strong><em>nature admits not division</em></strong>, so that the <strong><em>supremacy of the one First Cause</em></strong> is not split and cut up into differing Godships, <strong><em>neither does the statement harmonize with the Jewish dogma</em></strong> [<em>i.e.</em>, NOTE: He means Monotheism] but the truth passes in the <strong><em>mean between these two conceptions</em></strong>, destroying each heresy, and yet accepting what is useful to it from each. The <strong><em>Jewish dogma is destroyed by the acceptance of the Word, and by the belief in the Spirit</em></strong>; while the polytheistic error of the Greek school is made to vanish by the unity of the Nature abrogating this imagination of plurality. While yet again, of the Jewish conception, let the unity of the Nature stand; and of the Hellenistic, only the <em><strong>distinction as to persons</strong></em>; the remedy against a profane view being thus applied, as required, on either side. For it is as if the <em><strong>number of the triad were a remedy in the case of those who are in error as to the One</strong></em>, and the assertion of the unity for those whose beliefs are dispersed among a number of divinities. <span>(Gregory of Nyssa</span>, <em>The Great Catechism</em> <span>ch. 3 in </span><span>Schaff</span>, <em>Anti-Nicene</em>, <em>supra</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AIAXAAAAYAAJ&amp;pg=PA477" target="_blank">477</a>.)<br /></span></span></p>
</span></blockquote>
<p>What did Gregory mean by a "First Cause" and others who are God by nature in this unity? Could Gregory really imagine created beings who are independent from the First Cause and are still each God?</p>
<p><span></span></p>
<h3><a name="TOC-3.-Word-A-Distinct-Being-To-Cement-"></a>The "Word" As A Distinct Being To Cement Refutation of Monotheism</h3>
<p>The editor of Gregory's <em>Great Catechism</em> in Greek ackowledges that when the Trinity prevents a "lapse into Judaism," Gregory means a "barren <strong><em>monotheism</em></strong>." (Saint Gregory (of Nyssa), <em>The Catechetical oration of Gregory of Nyssa</em> (1903) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KqlKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PA7" target="_blank">7 fn. 3</a>.) Instead of the Word being identical to God, Gregory taught "We cannot understand the Word without reference to some <em><strong>other Being</strong></em>." (Id., at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KqlKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PA11" target="_blank">11 fn.9</a>.) "The Word...is not the mere utterance of a voice. [It exists] after the manner of <strong><em>a real being</em></strong>." Id., at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KqlKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PA14" target="_blank">14 fn. 14</a>. "The Word and Spirit [are] personal <strong><em>self-subsistent powers</em></strong>." Id., at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KqlKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PA18" target="_blank">18 fn</a>. Scripture "teach[es] us to speak of a Word in <em><strong>actual being</strong></em>...." Id., at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KqlKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PA19" target="_blank">19 fn. 14</a>. In Schaff, the heretical dualism of Gregory is clear: "the Word of God by its <strong><em>own self-subsistence</em></strong> is<strong> <em>distinct from Him</em></strong> from whom i<em><span>t</span><strong> has subsistence</strong></em>." <em>A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church </em>(edited by Philip Schaff, Henry Wace)(1893) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AIAXAAAAYAAJ&amp;pg=PA476" target="_blank">476</a>.</p>
<p>Hence, according to Gregory, not only was the Word God but the Word was not identical to the Father. It was supposedly a distinct<strong><em> being separate and apart from the Father</em></strong>. (Jesus differs, saying the "Logos is not of myself...the Logos (Word) is not mine, but <strong><em>the Father's</em></strong> who sent me." John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:10&amp;version=KJV">14:10</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:24&amp;version=KJV">24</a>.)</p>
<p>Again, all these conceptions were added to Tertullian's trinity doctrine, exploding Tertullian's idea into a completely idolatrous version which Tertullian warned against. And this was done with the deliberate scheme in mind of advancing an attack on monotheism. That is <strong><em>not conjecture</em></strong>, but <strong><em>a direct admission</em></strong> by the leader at the Council of Constantinople of 381 AD -- Gregory of Nyssa -- who first advanced the modern trinity doctrine in 381 AD.</p>
<h2>Shema ("God is One") Banned In Reign of Justinian</h2>
<p>Because monotheism was explicitly called a heresy by the leading voice from the Roman Church since 381 AD, it should come as no surprise that by 534 AD the Roman Empire under Justinian banned Jews reciting "The Lord Our God is One." (Deut. 6:4-9.) This is known as the Shema -- the most important prayer in Judaism.</p>
<p>But Jesus in Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%2012:29&amp;version=ASV">12:29</a> quoted the Shema as the most important precept ("entolas") in all of Scripture. Jesus said it was the "<strong><em>first of all </em></strong><strong><em>entolas</em></strong><em>.</em>" The highest command.</p>
<p>As explained in the <em>Cambridge History of Judaism</em>, the Justinian Codex of 534 A.D., in the interpretation of its section known as the Novella, issued in 538 A.D., the “<strong><em>Shema Yisrael</em></strong>, sometimes considered the most important prayer in Judaism (‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord is one), <strong><em>was banned, as a denial of the Trinity</em></strong>." (“Corpus Juris Civilis,” <em>Wikipedia</em>. See also, Hyam Maccoby, <em>Antisemitism and Modernity</em> (Routledge, 2006) at 20 (“Justinian... <strong><em>bann[ed] the Shema</em></strong> (the declaration of the Unity of God....”)</p>
<p>Jewish historians relate that records from the Byzantine period (viz., Justinian) reveal that “guards were sent to the synagogue to prevent recitation of the Shema because its proclamation of God’s unity was thought to impugn, if only implicitly, the Christian notion of the Trinity." <em>See </em><em>The Cambridge History of Judaism</em> (contributors W. D. Davies, Louis Finkelstein) (Cambridge University Press, 1984) at 17. Incidentally, the authors then note an unreliable myth developed that once the guards left, then the Shema would be recited at a point never done before (<em>i.e</em>., in the Musaf Kedusha portion of the service)—obviously because Gentiles would not expect it there. But these authors think it is doubtful that this heroic subversion of the police’s oversight really took place.</p>
<p>Hence, within two centuries from 381 AD, when the Trinity was explicitly refashioned to refute the "heresy of monotheism," the Roman government actually made it illegal to say "the Lord Our God is One" even though Jesus said this was the "most important precept" in all the Bible! (Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%2012:29&amp;version=ASV">12:29</a>.)</p>
<h2>True Exalted Position of Jesus</h2>
<p>We have pointed out that Daniel 7:13 shows the Son of Man returning on clouds of glory--signifying the presence of God is with Him. Divinity resides upon the Son of Man.</p>
<p>Similarly, Moses told us God's directions about a special prophet to come who indubitably is the same as the Son of Man in Daniel's prophecy:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>17</sup> The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. <sup>18</sup> I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and<em><strong> I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him</strong></em>. <sup>19</sup> I myself will <em><strong>call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name</strong></em>. (Deut. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+18&amp;version=NIV">18:17-19</a>.)</p>
<p>We can also worship Jesus as a King. <span> </span><a href="http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20Chron.%2029.20" class="lbsBibleRef" data-reference="1 Chron. 29.20" data-version="nasb95" target="_blank" wrc_done="true">1 Chron. 29:20</a><span> </span><span> says in the King James, "And David said to all the congregation, now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and <strong><em>worshipped</em></strong> the LORD, and <strong><em>the king,</em></strong>" (KJV). </span></p>
<h2>How Exaggerated Exaltation Denigrates God</h2>
<p>By taking the truly exalted status of Jesus and exalting it idolatrously to compete with Yahweh, we see how in Jewish eyes we have placed God-the-Father in the background compared with our beloved Jesus. Hear the angst in this quote from a Jewish writer, Professor Louis Baeck, about what Christianity became, particularly at the hands of Paul (and our later purposeful anti-monotheism of 381 AD):</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">A turning point in the history of religion, of monotheism, is seen here [in 1 Cor. 1:4.] The old theocentric faith of Judaism is superseded by the new Christ-centered faith.<strong><em> The belief in God</em></strong>, the One, <strong>has receded before the belief in the Christ</strong>. Here is a parting of the ways in religion. It is true, the faithful would not think of the Messiah without being conscious of God; they would not lift up their minds toward the Son without at the same time being aware of the Father. But the human mind is such that an older belief is impaired by a new one, and the new belief commands the way of the future....<strong><em>God, as it were, was removed into the background</em></strong>....The bright light, the broad glory shines now around Christ. ("The Faith of Paul" by Prof. Louis Baeck,<em> Journal of Jewish Studies</em> (1952) Vol 3 Issue 3 at 93, 97.)</p>
<p>Thus, the reason why Jews do not "listen to my words that the prophet [Jesus] speaks in my name," per Deut. 18:17-19, is because since 381 AD, we exalted Jesus to an independent godhood distinct from God-the-Father rather than teach what Christ Himself said: the Father "dwelled" in Jesus (John <a href="http://bible.cc/john/14-10.htm">14:10</a>); the "Logos is not mine, but the Father's who sent me." (John <a href="http://biblos.com/john/14-24.htm">14:24</a>.)</p>
<p>Hence, we Christians are to blame for laying a snare that caused those who believed in Yahweh not to trust Yeshua as their Messiah, and "listen to" Yahweh's "words" (Logos) dwelling in Yeshua/Jesus. We hold <strong><em>the greater sin</em></strong> due to our idolatry blocking the Jew from hearing the Words that have life in them.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Tertullian was correct. One's effort to exalt Christ by a Christology that goes too far can lead to idolatry. Idolatry means placing another god before God, the Father of Jesus. Tertullian's original view of the trinity is correct although the term "trinity" may now dangerously carry the explicit anti-monotheistic baggage of Gregory of Nyssa. It is shocking to consider but no less true that Gregory of Nyssa actually had an idolatrous goal -- the <strong><em>refutation of monotheism</em></strong> -- when he reformulated the trinity doctrine in 381 AD. By 538 AD, this purpose bore fruit because Roman law then even banned Jews saying 'God is One.'</p>
<p>Instead, the truth is that Jesus/Yeshua was indwelled by the Shechinah/Shekinah presence of God. Jesus said so in John <a href="http://bible.cc/john/14-10.htm">14:10</a> and 14:24. The Shechinah presence is also known as "<strong><em>Divinity</em></strong> Abiding." This is the presence on the "clouds of glory" that Daniel in 7:13-14 prophesied the Son of Man (a human being) would arrive with when the Son of Man comes in triumph to become the ruler of all peoples.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Further Study</h2>
<p>There is nothing wrong worshipping at the feet of a man fully indwelled by God. When the Son of God comes with the glory of God, Daniel 7:13 says the world will worship Him. But is worshipping the man Himself apart from God's glory in Him -- treating the man as God Himself -- idolatry?</p>
<p>For the analysis of others on this important question, read <a href="/Recommended-Reading/idolatry-worshipping-a-man.html">this page</a> where we collected various thoughts on this issue.</p>
<h3>Is Grudem Correct Jesus Could Not Atone Unless He Was God Himself?</h3>
<p>Wayne Grudem in a silly and heretical argument says if Jesus was a created being and not fully God (in contrast to what Jesus actually says -- He was the unique begotten Son of Man indwelled fully by God the Father), then Jesus supposedly could not pay for atonement. Grudem argues:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"If Jesus is merely a created being, and not fully God,  then it is hard to see how he, a creature, could bear the full wrath of God against all our sins. Could<strong><em> any creature, no matter how great, really save us</em></strong>....Could we really depend on any creature fully for our salvation." (Wayne A. Grudem, Jeff Purswell, <em>Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith</em> (Zondervan, 1999) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Bi0jrhaviVgC&amp;lpg=PA115&amp;pg=PA115#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">115</a>.)</p>
<p><strong><em>What is wrong with that analysis? Why is it also extraordinarily heretical</em></strong><em>?</em></p>
<p>First, notice there is no biblical analysis by Grudem.</p>
<p>Second, in the Bible, atonement is always by the blood of a <strong><em>living creature</em></strong>, whether a lamb or other living creature. It never says anything but blood can atone. In Leviticus<a href="http://bible.cc/leviticus/17-11.htm"> 17:11</a> it clearly states:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">For the life of a<strong><em> creature</em></strong> is in the<em><strong> blood</strong></em>, and I have given it to you to make <em><strong>atonement</strong></em> for yourselves on the altar; it is <em><strong>the blood that makes atonement for one's life</strong></em>.</p>
<p>But Grudem above says this is impossible. No creature can atone. But the Bible says the opposite.</p>
<p>The truth is Jesus was a <strong><em>man</em></strong> indwelled by God, as Jesus Himself says. Then His blood can fulfill the atonement. His act of sacrifice saves us by means of God's operative principle that an innocent lamb can pay for sins. Hence, Jesus is <strong><em>our Savior</em></strong> while God indwelling Him (and making His sinless life possible) saves us and makes God our<em><strong> ultimate Savior by the agency of Jesus</strong></em>.</p>
<p>Thus Grudem's argument is highly unbiblical. In fact it clearly contradicts the Bible.</p>
<p>When the Trinity doctrine is formulated correctly as Tertullian did there is no problem. But the way Grudem reformulates it, so that<strong><em> no creature's fleshly experience plays any role in our salvation</em></strong>, it feeds the docetic principle which John said was the message of the anti-Christ. John said the Word was "made flesh," but the false teachers say Jesus <strong><em>never</em></strong> came in "the flesh." The enemy says Jesus supposedly only appeared to be human.</p>
<p>Docetism is the doctrine which the Roman Catholic Church adopted in conjunction with the modern Trinity doctrine in the 300s to affirm Jesus and God were of one "substance." This principle that Jesus only appeared human is expressed in the writings of Hilary in the 390s, Jerome in the 400s and Aquinas in the 1200s. They each claim Jesus's flesh and blood only appeared to be human but were not truly human, and therefore Jesus suffered no pain at all on the cross. See our article <a href="/JWO/marcionite-influence-on-rcc.html">"Marcion's Influence over Roman Catholic Church</a>."</p>
<p>Hence, Grudem is an example of an exaggerated level of exaltation of Jesus that is grounded on contradictions of the Bible.</p>
<div></div>
<h3>Where Did The Attitude of Exalting Jesus Over Yahweh Come From? Jesus? Or Paul?</h3>
<p>In <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A9-11&amp;version=NIV">Philippians 2: 9-11</a>, Paul said, “God…bestowed on Him (Jesus) the Name which is <strong><em>above every name</em></strong>, that at the<strong> Name of Jesus</strong> every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”</p>
<p>Thus, Paul implicitly says Jesus's Name is above the Name of God, <em>i.e.</em>, Yahweh.</p>
<p>Contrast how Jesus says He lifted up Yahweh's name (not His own name apart from Yahweh):</p>
<p>—“I have manifested <strong><em>Your Name</em></strong> to the men whom You gave Me out of the world….” <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017:%206&amp;version=NIV">John 17: 6</a></p>
<p>—“…Holy Father, keep them in <em><strong>Your Name</strong></em>, the Name which you have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in <em><strong>Your Name</strong></em> which you have given Me.” <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017:%2011-12&amp;version=NIV">John 17: 11-12</a>.</p>
<p>—“I have made <strong><em>Your Name</em></strong> known to them, and will make it known….” <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017:%2026&amp;version=NIV">John 17: 26</a></p>
<p>What name is Jesus exalting? His own or Yahweh's name? Here is the Name Jesus referenced:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“Say to the Israelites, ‘<strong><em>Yahweh</em></strong>, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This (Yahweh) is<strong><em> My Name forever</em></strong>, the Name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%203:14&amp;version=NIV">Exodus 3:14</a>.)</p>
<p>In the Our Father, Jesus prayed "Your Name" should be "hallowed" / "sanctified" <em>i.e.</em>, kept holy.</p>
<p>Do we keep God's Name Holy and in the position Jesus placed it if we follow Paul who put Jesus's name "above every name,' implicitly even the name of Yahweh?</p>
<h3>'Ye Are gods' Statement by Jesus</h3>
<p>Some claim Jesus said He was God in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010:34&amp;version=NIV">John 10:34</a>. He did not. Rather, He was accused of saying that, to which in reply, Jesus said He was "God's Son." Then Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6 where the word Elohim is spoken which in that context does not mean "God." However, the Greek text renders this word inaccurately as "God." In full context, the dialogue went at follows:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>33</sup> “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>34</sup> Jesus answered them, <span class="woj">“Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said<strong><em> you are “gods”</em></strong>’<sup>[<a title="See footnote d" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10&amp;version=NIV#fen-NIV-26516d">d</a>]</sup>?</span> <span class="woj"><sup>35</sup> If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—</span> <span class="woj"><sup>36</sup> what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because <em><strong>I said, ‘I am God’s Son</strong></em>’?</span> <span class="woj"><sup>37</sup> Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.</span> <span class="woj"><sup>38</sup>But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”</span> <sup>39</sup> Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. (John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010:33-39&amp;version=NIV">10:33-39</a>, NIV.)</p>
<p>Thus, Jesus says here that all He previously said was "I am God's Son." This they understood to be claiming to be God if you listen to the Greek. But the word the Jews used must have been "Elohim" because Jesus quotes a passage back saying "Elohim" from the Psalms. The Greek translator chose "God" to convey the thought, but it mismatches the Scripture being quoted by Jesus.</p>
<p>Hence, more accurately, the Jews said "you claim to be Elohim" in verse 33, to which Jesus quotes back Psalm 82:6 'You are Elohim" to defend Himself. So was "Theos" the right translation of John's words? Was Jesus calling each member of His audience, including Himself, God? No.</p>
<p>So to understand, let's go study the word <em>Elohim </em>which is in the original Psalm Jesus is quoting, and is translated as "God" in Greek.</p>
<p><strong>Elohim Word Study</strong></p>
<p>The word "Elohim" can sometimes refer to the true God, sometimes to Mighty men who act as God's agent and can also refer to gods, plural, who are not Yahweh and are false. Here is an example of both:</p>
<ul>
Deu 6:13 Thou shalt fear YAHWEH <strong><em>thy Elohim</em></strong> [which KJV translated as "God"], and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.<br />Deu 6:14 Ye shall not go after other <em><strong>elohim</strong></em>, of the <em><strong>elohim </strong></em>of the<br />people which are round about you;
</ul>
<p>This acknowledges others are "elohim" too.</p>
<p>In one verse, Abraham is called an<em> elohim</em>.</p>
<ul>
Gen 23:5 And the sons of Ḥĕth answered Aḇraham, saying to him, 6<br />“Hear us, my master [adonai also translated LORD in KJV]: You are<strong><em> a<br />Elohim</em></strong> [translated mighty in KJV but in other versions as GOD] prince among us. Bury<br />your dead in the choicest of our burial places. None of us withholds<br />from you his burial site, from burying your dead.”
</ul>
<p>Moses in another passage is called by God an Elohim to Aaron and Pharoah.</p>
<ul>
Exo 4:16 “And he shall speak for you to the people. And it shall be<br />that he shall be a mouth for you, and you shall be an<em><strong> elohim </strong></em>for him.<br />Exo 7:1 And YAHWEH said unto Moses, See, I have made thee<strong> elohim</strong> to<br />Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
</ul>
<p>God also promises to send us a Savior and an elohim:</p>
<ul>
Isa 19:20 And it shall be for a sign and for a witness to Yahweh of<br />hosts in the land of Mitsrayim. When they cry to Yahweh because of<br />the oppressors, <em><strong>He sends them a Savior and an Elohim</strong></em>, and shall<br />deliver them.
</ul>
<p>Finally, God addresses men as also elohim in this passage which we shall see our Lord quotes:</p>
<ul>
Psa 82:6 I have said, Ye are<em><strong> elohim</strong></em>; and all of you are children of<br />the most High.
</ul>
<p>Jesus references this passage which in Greek renders "elohim" spoken by Jesus as "gods."</p>
<ul>
Joh 10:34 Yahushua answered them, Is it not written in your law, I<br />said, Ye are Theos.
</ul>
<ul>
<em> Theos</em> being the Greek word translated as “God”. <br />
</ul>
<p>We know that this is a quote of Psalm 82:6 and we know the Hebrew word was <em><strong>Elohim</strong></em>.</p>
<p>So was Jesus claiming to be God Almighty, or elohim in the sense used in Psalm 82:6 -- mighty men acting as God's agents, children of the most High?</p>
<p>It seems clear Jesus quoted Psalm 82:6 to make the latter point about Himself. As Isaiah 19:20 says, Yahweh will send a "Savior and <em><strong>an Elohim</strong></em>" to us. But it remains God acting in Jesus that makes Jesus an Elohim -- God's agent, just as was Moses and Abraham who were also Elohim.</p>
<p>And because Jesus was answering their charge, we must conclude the accusation was that Jesus claimed to be ELOHIM -- a Mighty Agent of God. Jesus answered by saying in effect 'you are elohim' was spoken to the "children of the Most High" in Ps 82:6, and thus Elohim, if applied to Himself, would be true per Psalm 82:6. Thus 'why challenge me for saying 'I am the Son of God.'" Now it makes perfect sense. And Jesus did not say He was God, but He said "I am the Son of God" and as a "child of the Most High" the label Elohim is proper.</p>
<h3>What About Imagery of Jesus To Those Who Insist Jesus is God apart from the Father?</h3>
<p>Another proof that we have exalted Jesus improperly, and mistaken His divinity (<em>i.e.</em>, the Shekinah presence in Him) with Jesus being God Himself, is our use of images of Jesus would therefore violate the second commandment had the early church understood Jesus in this way.</p>
<p>Instead, as demonstrated here and elsewhere, Jesus, John and the early church viewed Jesus as divinely indwelled. An image of Jesus posed no violation of the second commandment against images of living beings to depict God. We read:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them” (Ex. 20:4-5).</p>
<p>However, when in 381AD this changed, deliberately to refute monotheism, as Gregory said, we now had Jesus depicted as God, and lots of icons around which means the decision in 381 AD now implied that the church had sinfully been depicting God as a man. What about that?</p>
<p>This incongruity was faced during the Reformation. Rather than reconsider the modern trinity doctrine, the divines at Westminster said that Exodus 20:4-5 means we must stop making pictures of Jesus. Specifically, the Westminster Larger Catechism (Q. 109) includes the following among the things forbidden in the second commandment: “the making any representation of God, of all or of<strong><em> any of the three persons</em></strong>, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever.” (David VanDrunen, "<a href="http://www.amoskeagchurch.org/article/celebrating-jesus-birth-without-his-picture/">Celebrating Christ's Birthday -- Without His Picture</a>," Dec. 2006.)</p>
<p>Even so, we have never stopped making many pictures of Jesus. Why? Probably because we are reading the Scripture, and we do really understand Jesus in John 14 says He is INDWELLED by God, not that He Himself is God. A big difference!</p>
<p>Thus, if you are not convinced I am correct, then you better get rid of all those pictures, because you are committing idolatry in that way if what you believe about Jesus is true.</p>
<p>The correct solution is to follow Jesus's teachings about Himself, and no church doctrine.</p>
<h2>Quotes Questioning Whether Proper to Make Jesus God Distinct from Father</h2>
<p><strong>Hooker (1593):</strong><span> 'Our belief in the Trinity, the co-eternity of the Son of God with his Father, the proceeding of the Spirit from the Father and the Son, these with such other principal points are in Scripture nowhere to be found by express literal mention; only deduced they are out of Scripture by collection.'</span><sup><a href="http://dawnchristadelphians.net/books/trin/trinch8.htm#N_13_"> </a> </sup><span>Hooker, Richard, </span><em>Ecclesiastical Polity, </em><span>Bk. i, para 14.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>John Milton (1608-1674):</strong> 'For my part I adhere to the Holy Scriptures alone, I follow no other heresy or sect. If, therefore, the Father be the God of Christ, and the same be our God, and if there be none other God but one, there can be no God beside the Father.'<sup> </sup></span> Quoted in Hugh Stannus, <em>History of the Origin of the Doctrine of the Triinity </em>(1899) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=u-wrAAAAYAAJ&amp;lpg=PA29&amp;ots=apSwVd9Ns6&amp;dq=stannus%20john%20milton&amp;pg=PA29#v=onepage&amp;q=stannus%20john%20milton&amp;f=false">29</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Dr. Neander (1850):</strong><span> 'The Doctrine of the Trinity does not, it appears to me, belong strictly to the fundamentals of the Christian faith; as it appears from the fact that it is explicitly set forth in no one particular passage of the New Testament; for the only one in which this is done, the passage relating to the three that bear record (1 John 5) is undoubtedly spurious, and in its ungenuine shape testifies to the fact, how foreign such a collection is from the style of the New Testament writings. We find in the New Testament no other fundamental article besides that of which the apostle Paul says that other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, the preaching of Jesus Christ as the Messiah; and the foundation of His religion is designated by Christ himself as the faith in the only true God and in Jesus Christ whom He hath sent'.</span><sup> </sup><span>Neander, </span><em>History of Christian Religion</em><span>, vol. ii, p286</span></p>
<h2>More Study Notes</h2>
<p>Hippolytus was the first to distinguish the Logos from the Father, as a distinct being. “Hippolytus championed the Logos doctrine of the Greek Apologists, which distinguished the Father from the Logos (‘Word’).” “Hippolythus of Rome,” Wikipedia (2011)</p>
<p>But Apostle John had said the one God sent Himself as the Word (“the Word/Logos was God”) to “become flesh” (John 1:14). Jesus made it very clear not to confuse Himself with the Logos. Jesus said: “the<em><strong> Logos is not of myself</strong></em>...the <strong><em>Logos (Word) is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me</em></strong>.” John 14:10, 24. Jesus said it was the “Father who dwells in me.” John 14:10. Hence, the<strong><em> Father and the Word are identical</em></strong>! It is the Shekinah glory/presence of God that came into Jesus at His baptism. This is why Jesus is properly regarded as Divine.</p>
<p>However, Hippolytus introduced the heretical view that the Word (God) could be non-identical to the Father (God) dwelling in Jesus. That makes Hippolytus a major cause of departure from monotheism in his failure to understand correctly the source of the divinity of Jesus: the Father dwelling in Jesus as Jesus Himself said and as Apostle John meant by saying the “Word became flesh.” (John 1:14; 14:10,24.)</p>
<h2>Isaiah 48:6 - Yahweh Has Sent Me With His Spirit</h2>
<p>Isaiah <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/48-16.htm">48:6 </a>(NIV) says:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"Come near me and listen to this: "From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret; at the time it happens, I am there." And now the Sovereign LORD [Yahweh] has sent me, with his Spirit."</span></p>
<p>Origen from the 200 AD period interprets this passage to apply to Jesus while others claim it speaks solely of Isaiah himself or of Cyrus. (If the latter, the Bible contains dual prophecies of Cyrus and Jesus where the words apply to both identically.) Origin writes ( quoted in <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/48-16.htm">Clarke's commentary</a>):</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"Who is it that saith in Isaiah, And now the Lord hath sent me and his Spirit? in which, as the expression is ambiguous, is it the Father and the Holy Spirit who have sent Jesus; or the <em><strong>Father, who hath sent both Christ and the Holy Spirit</strong></em>. The latter is the true interpretation." - Origen cont. Cels. lib. 1.</span></p>
<p>What appears the correct reading is God / Yahweh sent "me" (Messiah) "with His spirit," <em>i.e.</em>, by giving the Spirit to Yashua, God was sending forth Yashua / Jesus.</p>
<p>Some Theodosian-trinitarians cited Isaiah 48:6 as support for their views. (Stannus: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=u-wrAAAAYAAJ&amp;lpg=PA29&amp;ots=apSwVd9Ns6&amp;dq=stannus%20john%20milton&amp;pg=PA32#v=onepage&amp;q=stannus%20john%20milton&amp;f=false">32</a>.) But it stands against their view. Because clearly Isaiah disconnects Yahweh from "me" and connects only via the Spirit that was sent upon "me" Messiah. If Yahweh is identical to "me" then this is an incongruous way for Yahweh to speak about Himself.</p>
<h2>Stannus On Lack of Proof Texts of Theodosian-Trinity</h2>
<p>Stannus in 1899 wrote:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span> We are not aware of any texts, except the above, which have been used as Bible proofs of the Trinity. Again we challenge anyone to find us </span><span>one </span><span>passage in the whole compass of the Bible where the doctrine of three persons in one God is stated or even hinted at. It is only "by inference" says one, "by collection" says another, "by the authority of the Church," says another, that we derive the doctrine of the Trinity. (Stannus, <em>supra</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=u-wrAAAAYAAJ&amp;lpg=PA29&amp;ots=apSwVd9Ns6&amp;dq=stannus%20john%20milton&amp;pg=PA35#v=onepage&amp;q=stannus%20john%20milton&amp;f=false">35</a>.)</span></p>
<p>Fore more quotes see, John Wilson, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=n_kUAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=john+owen+divine+origin+of+the+scriptures&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s">Concessions of Trinitarians</a> (1845).</p>
<h2>John 8:40 - Jesus Says He Is A Man in Communication with God</h2>
<p><sup>40 </sup><span>But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%208:40&amp;version=KJV">8:40 </a>KJV</span></p>
<h2>Son of God Terminology</h2>
<p>Adam is called “Son of God”: <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%203:38&amp;version=KJV">Luke 3 :38 </a>(KJV)…Adam, who was son of God.</p>
<p>The Israelites are called “Sons of God”: Deuteronomy <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deut%2014:1&amp;version=YLT">14 :1 </a>(YLT) "<span>Sons ye [are] to Jehovah your God; ye do not cut yourselves, nor make baldness between your eyes for the dead;"</span></p>
<h2>Savior Terminology</h2>
<p>The simple fact that Yeshua is called “the Savior” and that in the Bible, God is also called “the Savior of Israel” (Isaiah 60:16), is presented as an evidence that Yeshua is God. But in Judges, men who were anointed by the Lord Jehova to save Israel are also called “saviors”; read for instance Judges 3:9 where the Hebrew term “moshi'a”=savior is applied to Otniel. The truth is Yahweh is Lord &amp; Savior, and he appoints men – Yashua, the Judges etc. - who are (also) called saviors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 913659<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

611
Recommended-Reading/famous-quotes-on-paul.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,611 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/famous-quotes-on-paul.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="false apostle paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Famous Quotes on Paul | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"The Spirit of the Apostles is</span></span></span></span><strong><em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> not a guide equal or greater than the Lord</span></span></span></span></em></strong><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">, thus </span></span></span></span><em><strong><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paul within his letters</span></span></span></span></strong></em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> does</span></span></span></span><strong><em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> not have as much authority as has Christ</span></span></span></span></em></strong><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">." (Carlstadt, </span></span></span></span><em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Canonicis Scripturis</span></span></span></span></em><span><span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> (1520))</span></span></span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 1440" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "1440") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Famous Quotes On Paul</h2>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">FESTUS</span>, 59 A.D.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth make thee mad." (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+26:24-28&amp;version=NIV">Acts 26:24</a>, Festus.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">CARLSTADT</span>, co-founder in 1517 of Reformation with Luther (who later pushed him out)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"It is necessary in fact to preserve compliance to the Lord, and as the <strong><em>Spirit of the Apostles is not a guide equal or greater than the Lord</em></strong>, thus also the<strong><em> heart of Paul within his letters does not have as much authority as has Christ</em></strong>." (Carlstadt, <em>Canonicis Scripturis</em> (1520), quoted in Charles Beard's <em>Martin Luther and the Reformation in Germany</em> (1899) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=emIdSf6gTR0C&amp;lpg=PA278&amp;ots=k26bn6FeJ5&amp;dq=carlstadt%20canon%20paul&amp;pg=PA278#v=onepage&amp;q=carlstadt%20canon%20paul&amp;f=false"> 278</a>, discussed in our page <a href="/JWO/carlstadt-research.html">Carlstadt Research</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">JOHN LOCKE, 1696</span>, physician, wrote close commentaries on Scripture, evangelist in <em>Reasonableness of Christianity </em>and famous political theorist who influenced US Constitution.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">"It is </span><strong><em>not in the epistles</em></strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> we are to learn what are the</span><em><strong> fundamental articles of faith</strong></em><span style="font-weight: normal;">, where they are </span>promiscuously<span style="font-weight: normal;"> and without distinction </span>mixed with<strong><em> other truths</em></strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">.... We shall find and discern those </span>great and necessary points<strong><em> best in the preaching of our Savior </em></strong><span><strong><em>and the apostles</em></strong></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> ... </span><span><strong><em>out of the history of the evangelists [i.e., the four gospels]</em></strong></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">....</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">If all, or most of the truths </span><span><strong>declared in the </strong></span><strong>epistles</strong>, were to be received and <strong><em>believed as fundamental articles</em></strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">, what then became of those Christians who were fallen asleep (as St. Paul witnesses in his first to the Corinthians, many were) </span><strong><em>before these things in the epistles were revealed </em></strong>to them<span style="font-weight: normal;">? Most of the epistles not being </span><span><strong><em>written till above twenty years after our Saviour’s ascension</em></strong></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">, and some after thirty.... </span><span><strong><em>Nobody can add</em></strong></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> to these fundamental articles of faith." (</span>John Locke, <em>The Reasonableness of Christianity</em><em> </em>(1696) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZsQYAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=The%20Reasonableness%20of%20Christianity&amp;pg=PA154">154 </a> (emphasizing Jesus in the Gospels, and not the epistles of Paul, etc.) For more, see our "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/locke-jesus-over-epistles.html">Locke -Jesus Over Epistles</a>."</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">MATTHEW HENRY, 1721</span></p>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul took [Timothy] and circumcised him, or ordered it to be done (Acts 16:1-3). <strong><em>This was strange</em></strong>. Had not Paul opposed those with all his might that were for imposing circumcision upon the Gentile converts? Had he not at this time the decrees of the council at Jerusalem with him, which witnessed against it? He had, and yet circumcised Timothy." (Matthew Henry,<em> Exposition of the New Testament</em> (1721) Vol. 3 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=yE8_AAAAcAAJ&amp;lpg=PA833&amp;ots=BRyFeIJPEQ&amp;dq=This%20was%20strange.%20Had%20not%20Paul%20opposed%20those%20with%20all%20his%20might&amp;pg=PA833#v=onepage&amp;q=This%20was%20strange.%20Had%20not%20Paul%20opposed%20those%20with%20all%20his%20might&amp;f=false">833</a> - Ch. 16 #6.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">THOMAS MORGAN, 1740</span>, used Paul to destroy both Original and New Testament</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"I have proved that if the Apostles made any such claim [to infallibility], their differences and divisions among themselves, both in doctrine and practice, must have confuted and convicted them. <em><strong>Peter and Paul with respect to Jews and Gentiles preached two different Gospels</strong></em>...." (Thomas Morgan, <em>Moral Philosopher</em> (1740) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=nBktAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=thomas%20morgan%20moral%20philosopher&amp;pg=PT319#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">325</a>.) [Morgan used Paul's self-serving claim to being an apostle to undermine all of the OT and NT as fallible because Paul denigrated the Law and conflicted with Peter. For full discussion, see our <a href="/JWO/thomas-morgan-moral-philosoph.html">webpage</a> on Morgan.]</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">BOULANGER, 1746</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"We should never finish, were we to relate <strong><em>all the contradictions</em></strong> which are to be found<strong><em> in the writings attributed to St. Paul</em></strong>.... Generally speaking it is St. Paul ... that ought to be regarded as the<em><strong> true founder of Christian theology</strong></em>,... which from its foundation has been <em><strong>incessantly agitated by quarrels [and] divisions</strong></em>." (Boulanger and Peter Annet, <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4BA_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=critical%20examination%20of%20st.%20paul&amp;pg=PP5#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Critical Examination of the Life of St. Paul</a></em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4BA_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=critical%20examination%20of%20st.%20paul&amp;pg=PP5#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> </a>(letter to <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=atUMAAAAIAAJ&amp;ots=uH1gOO7wfQ&amp;dq=%22Peter%20Annet%22&amp;pg=PR3#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Gilbert West</a>, 1746).) For discussion of this book, see our discussion at this <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AmAhfE57vBkC&amp;lpg=PA63&amp;ots=ivtu0I1LZj&amp;dq=%22Peter%20Annet%22%20%22Critical%20Examination%20of%20the%20Life%20of%20St.%20Paul%22&amp;pg=PA63#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Peter%20Annet%22%20%22Critical%20Examination%20of%20the%20Life%20of%20St.%20Paul%22&amp;f=false">link</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The Encratites and the Sevenians<em><strong> adopted neither</strong></em> the Acts nor the<em><strong> Epistles of Paul</strong></em>." (Boulanger and Peter Annet, <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4BA_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=critical%20examination%20of%20st.%20paul&amp;pg=PP5#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Critical Examination of the Life of St. Paul</a></em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4BA_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=critical%20examination%20of%20st.%20paul&amp;pg=PP5#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> </a> (reprint 1823) quoted in Paine, <em>Age of Reason </em>(1794) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=he0RAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=paine%20age%20of%20reason&amp;pg=PA159#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 159</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">THOMAS PAINE, 1794</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"That manufacturer of quibbles, St. Paul,... [wrote] a collection of letters under the name of epistles.... Out of the matters contained in those books,... the church has set up a system of religion <strong><em>very contradictory to the character of the person whose name it bears</em></strong>. It has set up a religion of pomp and of revenue, in pretended imitation of a person whose life was humility and poverty." (Thomas Paine, <em>The Age of Reason</em> (1794) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=he0RAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=paine%20age%20of%20reason&amp;pg=PA24#v=onepage&amp;q=paul&amp;f=false">24</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">THOMAS JEFFERSON, 1820</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Of this band of dupes and imposters,<strong><em> Paul</em></strong> was the great Coryphaeus, and the <strong><em>first corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus</em></strong>." (Thomas Jefferson Letter of April 13, 1820 in <em>Writings of Thomas Jefferson</em> Vol. XV (1904) at 245, available at this <a href="/images/stories/Books/Extract%20from%20The_Writings_of_Thomas_Jefferson%20p%20243%20letter%20on%20Paul.pdf">link</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">WILLIAM PALEY, d. 1805</span>, famous Christian preacher</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"He, the Apostle, could not mean to say this [<em>i.e.</em>, salvation is by faith alone]; because if he did, he would say what is <strong><strong><em>expressly and positively contradicted by other texts</em></strong> of at least equal authority with his own</strong>; he would say what is<strong><em> contradicted by the very drift and design of the Christian constitution</em></strong>; and would say, lastly, what is expressly denied and contradicted by himself. ...[He also] would say <em><strong>what is contradicted by the very highest authority</strong></em>...Our Savior's own [words]." (William Paley, Sermon 209, <em>The Works of William Paley</em> (1825) Vol. 6 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=2YAAAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=paley%20%20expressly%20and%20positively%20contradicted%20by%20other%20texts%20of%20at%20least%20equal%20authority&amp;pg=PA214#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">214</a> or <em>Sermons</em> (1830) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Olg_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=paley%20%20expressly%20and%20positively%20contradicted%20by%20other%20texts%20of%20at%20least%20equal%20authority&amp;pg=PA43#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 44</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">JEREMY BENTHAM, 1826</span>, philosopher and attorney</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"One <em><strong>thorn still remain[s] to be plucked out of the side of this so much injured religion</strong></em>,—and that [is], the addition made to it by Saul of Tarsus: by that Saul, who, under the name of Paul, has—(as will be seen) without warrant from, and even in the teeth of, the history of Jesus, as delivered by his companions and biographers the four evangelists,—been dignified with the title of his apostle...." (Jeremy Bentham, <em>Not Paul But Jesus</em> (1826) at <a href="/images/stories/Lessons/Bentham%20Not%20Paul%20But%20Jesus_Draft.pdf">iv</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"If, by the <strong><em>removal of an incongruous appendage</em></strong> [i.e., Paul], acceptance should be obtained for what is good in the religion commonly ascribed to Jesus;— obtained at the hands of any man, much more of many, to whom at present it is an object of aversion;—if, in any one of these several ways, much more if in all of them, the labours of the author should be crowned with success,—good service will, so far, and on all hands, be allowed to have been rendered to mankind." (Jeremy Bentham, <em>Not Paul But Jesus</em> (1826) at <a href="/images/stories/Lessons/Bentham%20Not%20Paul%20But%20Jesus_Draft.pdf">v</a>ii.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Whosoever, putting aside all prepossessions, feels strong enough in mind, to look steadily at the originals, and from them to take his conceptions of the matter, not from the discourses of others,—whosoever has this command over himself, will recognise, if the author does not much deceive himself, that by the two persons in question, as represented in the two sources of information—<strong><em>the Gospels and Paul’s Epistles,— two quite different, if not opposite, religions are inculcated</em></strong>: and that, in the <em><strong>religion of Jesus</strong></em> may be found<em><strong> all the good</strong></em> that has ever been the result of the compound so incongruously and unhappily made,—in<strong><em> the religion of Paul, all the mischief</em></strong>, which, in such <em><strong>disastrous abundance</strong></em>, has so indisputably flowed from it." (Jeremy Bentham, <em>Not Paul But Jesus</em> (1826) at <a href="/images/stories/Lessons/Bentham%20Not%20Paul%20But%20Jesus_Draft.pdf">v</a>ii.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">RALPH WALDO EMERSON</span>, 1832, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9qGYliP6kKkC&amp;lpg=PA193&amp;dq=emerson%2C%20lord's%20supper&amp;pg=PA193#v=onepage&amp;q=emerson,%20lord's%20supper&amp;f=false">last sermon</a> as pastor at Second Church</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"It does <strong><em>not appea</em></strong>r that<strong><em> the opinion of St. Paul, all things considered, ought to alter our opinion derived from the evangelists</em></strong>." (Emerson, "Last Supper," <em>Works of Emerson</em> Vol. 11 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=T5UNAQAAIAAJ&amp;dq=emerson%2C%20lord's%20supper&amp;pg=PA15#v=snippet&amp;q=alter&amp;f=false">15</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">DR. FERDINAND CHRISTIAN BAUR</span>, <span style="color: #0000ff;">1853</span>, theologian</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The only question comes to be how the Apostle Paul appears in his Epistles to be<em> so indifferent to the historical facts of the life of Jesus</em>.... He bears himself but<em><strong> little like a disciple who has received the doctrines and the principles which he preaches </strong></em>from the Master whose name he bears." (Baur, <em>The Church History of the First Three Centuries</em> (1853, reprint 1878) I at<a href="/The Church History of the First Three Centuries (1853)"> </a><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QIQAAAAAMAAJ&amp;vq=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;pg=PA50#v=snippet&amp;q=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;f=false">50</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"What kind of authority can there be for an 'Apostle' who, unlike the other Apostles, had never been prepared for the Apostolic office in Jesus' own school but had only later dared to claim the Apostolic office <strong><em>on the basis of his own authority? </em></strong><span>The only question comes to be how the apostle Paul appears in his Epistles to be so indifferent to the historical facts of the life of Jesus....He bears himself but little like a disciple who has received the doctrines and the principles which he preaches from the Master whose name he bears.</span>"  (Baur, <em>The Church History of the First Three Centuries</em> (1853).)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"from <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>time of his conversion <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>apostle Paul went his own independent way, and <strong><em>avoided intentionally and on principle all contact with <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>older apostles</em></strong>. <em>Id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QIQAAAAAMAAJ&amp;vq=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;pg=PA48#v=snippet&amp;q=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;f=false">48</a>. ...<span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>apostle takes up an attitude of so great freedom and <strong><em>independence not only towards </em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><em>the </em></span><em>older apostles</em></strong>, but <strong><em>towards <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>person of Jesus himself</em></strong>, that one might be inclined <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>ask whether a view of his relation <span class="gstxt_hlt">to the </span>person of Christ can be <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>right one which would make <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>apostle Paul <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>originator and first exponent of that which constitutes <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>essence of Christianity as distinguished from Judaism. Is there not<strong><em> too great a distance between <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>founder of Christianity</em></strong> and <strong><em>one who made his first appearance altogether outside <span class="gstxt_hlt">the</span>circle of <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>first apostles</em></strong>? <em>Id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QIQAAAAAMAAJ&amp;vq=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;pg=PA49#v=snippet&amp;q=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;f=false">49</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span class="gstxt_hlt">The </span>teaching of Jesus was <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>be found nearest its source with them [<em>i.e., </em>the older apostles], and if he wished <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>have <span class="gstxt_hlt">t<strong><em>he </em></strong></span><strong><em>best and most trustworthy information on <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>subject he should have frequented their company</em></strong>. Now Gal. i. 11, <em>sq., </em>shows us distinctly that <em><strong>he recognised no obligations <span class="gstxt_hlt">to the </span>older apostles </strong></em>with regard <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>his gospel. <em>Id.</em>, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QIQAAAAAMAAJ&amp;vq=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;pg=PA51#v=snippet&amp;q=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;f=false">51</a> n.2.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">[In Galatians thus] <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>apostle has placed <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>law and <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>promise in such direct opposition <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>each other, that he is obliged <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>ask what <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>law is, what purpose it serves, when, owing <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>its want of power <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>give life, righteousness could not come by it. <span class="gstxt_hlt">The </span>answer which he gives <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>this question is that <strong><em><span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>law was interposed between <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>promise and <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>time when faith should come</em></strong>, because of transgressions, <em><strong>not <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>prevent them</strong></em>, but that in them <strong><em>sin might attain <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>its full manifestation and reality</em></strong>. [NOTE: a blasphemy of God!] This was <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>interval of <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>schoolmastership of <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>law, when mankind, being concluded under sin, was <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>be detained in ward till it had become of full age, being <strong><em>set free from <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>law <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>receive <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>sonship of God through faith in Christ</em></strong>. [NOTE: Apostasy from God as defined in Deut. 13:1-5!] Thus Judaism is nothing more than <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>religion of <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>law in contradistinction <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>Christianity, which is <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>religion of <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>spirit. Both its position in <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>world and its inner constitution declare that <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>function of Judaism is that of effecting a transition, of filling up an interval. so surely does <em><strong>Christianity stand high above Judaism</strong></em>; and it can only be regarded as an irrational inversion of <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>relation which God has ordained, <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>fall back from Christianity into Judaism. ...So lofty is <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>standpoint on which <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>apostle here appears <span class="gstxt_hlt">to </span>us when we see him for <span class="gstxt_hlt">the<strong><em> </em></strong></span><strong><em>first time </em></strong>setting forth in logical order <strong><em><span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>arguments with which he resisted <span class="gstxt_hlt">the </span>claims of his Judaising opponents!</em></strong>"  <em>Id</em>. at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QIQAAAAAMAAJ&amp;vq=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;pg=PA58#v=onepage&amp;q=indifferent%20to%20the%20historical%20facts&amp;f=false">58</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">KIERKEGAARD, 1855</span>, independent theologian and philosopher</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"<strong>Protestantism</strong> is altogether untenable. It is a revolution brought on by <em><strong>proclaiming 'the Apostle Paul' at the expense of the Master (Christ)</strong></em>. If there is to be any question of retaining Protestantism...we confess that this teaching is <em><strong>a mitigation of Christianity</strong></em> which we humans have allowed ourselves, <strong>appealing to God to put up with it</strong>. And instead Protestantism is blazoned forth as an advance in Christianity! No, it is perhaps the most profound concession to the numerical...this numerality that wants to be Christian but <strong><em>wants rid of ideality or to have it downgraded</em></strong>, and insists upon being such and such a number." (Kierkegaard, <em>Papers and Journals</em> (1996)[orig. ca. 1855] at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=nuSmfkxkAWMC&amp;lpg=PA629&amp;ots=noBGnu5WM1&amp;dq=kierkegaard%20%20apostle'%20(Paul)%20at%20the%20expense%20of%20the%20Master&amp;pg=PA629#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 629</a> -- books.google link to original.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"[I]t is of great importance, especially in <em><strong>Protestantism</strong></em>, to correct the enormous confusion Luther caused by inverting the relation and <em><strong>actually criticizing Christ by means of Paul, the Master by means of a follower</strong></em>." (Kierkegaard, "My Task" (1855)," in<em>The Essential Kierkegaard</em> (ed. Edward H. &amp; Edna Hong)(Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000) at 446 fn.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"As early as the Apostle [Paul], <em>the scaling down process begins</em>, and it seems as if the natural man gets off a little easier in becoming a Christian....[N]owadays whole countries and kingdoms are called Christian, and millions of natural men are disguised as Christians." (Kierkegaard, <em>Journals</em> [ca. 1855] 3:2921 quoted in David McCracken, <em>The scandal of the Gospels: Jesus, story, and offense </em>(1994) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=d4bXRUIbHjQC&amp;lpg=PA65&amp;dq=kierkegaard%20apostle%20paul&amp;lr&amp;pg=PA65#v=onepage&amp;q=kierkegaard%20apostle%20paul&amp;f=false"> 65</a> -books.google.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Only the God-man [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus] would be able to endure...the propogation of the doctrine by proclaimnig it, even if he did not gain one single follower. The <em><strong>apostle still has some selfish urge fo</strong></em>r the alleviation, <em><strong>aquiring adherents</strong></em>, become many, something the <em><strong>God-man does not</strong></em> have [to do]. He does not <em><strong>selfishly crave adherents </strong></em>and therefore has only the market price of <em><strong>eternity</strong></em>, not the market price [of the world which is cheap]." (Kierkegaard, "What Do I Want?" (1855)," in<em>The Essential Kierkegaard</em> (ed. Edward H. &amp; Edna Hong)(Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000) at 433.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul made <em><strong>Christianity the religion of Paul, not of Christ</strong></em>. Paul threw the Christianity of Christ away, completely turning it upside down, making it just the opposite of the original proclamation of Christ." (Kierkegaard, <em>The Journals</em> ca. 1855)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">JOHN STUART MILL, 1859</span>, philosopher</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The Gospel always refers to a pre-existing morality,... the Old Testament.... St. Paul, a declared enemy to this Judaical mode of interpreting the doctrine ... of his Master, equally assumes a pre-existing morality, namely that of the Greeks and Romans; and his advice to Christians is in a great measure a system of accomodation of that, even to the extent of giving an apparent sanction to slavery." (Mill, <em>On Liberty</em> (1859) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3xARAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=john%20stuart%20mill%20on%20liberty&amp;pg=PA88#v=onepage&amp;q=pre-existing&amp;f=false">88</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">PAUL RENAN, 1869</span>, independent theologian,</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"It is vain for </span><em>Paul</em><span> to talk ; </span><span>He is </span><strong><em>inferior to the other apostles</em></strong><span>. He has not seen Jesus ; He has not heard his word. The divine logia and the parables are </span><em><strong>scarcely known to him</strong></em><span>. The </span><span>Christ</span><span> who gives him personal revelations, </span><span>is </span><strong><em>his own phantom</em></strong><span>, — it is himself he hears,</span><span>while thinking he hears Jesus</span><span>." (Paul Renan, </span><em>Saint Paul</em><span> </span><span>(G.W. Carleton, 1869) or (</span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Ernest%20Renan%20Saint%20Paul%20G.W.%20Carleton%201869&amp;pg=PA326">1875</a><span>) at 326.)</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"True Christianity, which will last for</span><span></span><span>ever,</span><strong><em> comes from the gospels, — not from the epistles of Paul</em></strong><span>. The </span>writings of Paul have been a danger and a hidden rock<span>, — the causes of the principal defects of Christian theology. Paul is the father of the subtle Augustine, of the unfruitful Thomas Aquinas, of the gloomy Calvinist, of the peevish Jansenist, of the fierce theology which damns and predestinates to damnation. Jesus is the father of all those who seek repose for their souls in dreams of the ideal. What makes Chris</span><span></span><span>tianity live, is the little that we know of the word and person of Jesus. The ideal man, the divine poet, the great artist, alone defy time and revolu</span><span></span><span>tions. T</span>hey alone are seated at the right hand of God the Father for ever more." <span> (Paul Renan, </span><em>Saint Paul</em><span> </span><span>(G.W. Carleton, 1869) or (</span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Ernest%20Renan%20Saint%20Paul%20G.W.%20Carleton%201869&amp;pg=PA326">1875</a><span>) at 329.)</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">LEO TOLSTOY, 1884</span>, famous writer, Christian</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The separation between the doctrine of life and the explanation of life began with the preaching of Paul who knew not the ethical teachings set forth in the Gospel of Matthew, and who preached a <strong><em>metaphisico-cabalistic theory entirely foreign to Christ</em></strong>; and this separation was perfected in the time of Constantine, when it was found possible to <strong><em>clothe the whole pagan organization of life in a Christian dress</em></strong>, and without changing it to call it Christianity." (Leo Tolstoy, <em>My Religion</em> (1884) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=EnVFAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=Leo%20Tolstoy%20My%20Religion&amp;pg=PA219#v=onepage&amp;q=pagan%20organization&amp;f=false">219</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span> "This deviation [from Christ's teachings] begins from the times of the Apostles and especially from that hankerer after mastership Paul." (Leo Tolstoy, Church and State (1882) quoted in "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Christianity">Pauline Christianity</a>,' <em>Wikipedia</em> fn. 8.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">HANS WENDT, 1894</span> scholar</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"We know it to be certain that the teachings of Jesus,<em> if it is only grasped and preached in its original strength</em>, can and will exert in a yet<strong><em> higher measure vital and ennobling influences</em></strong> upon the further development of Christendom <strong><em>than have proceeded so far from the teaching of Paul</em></strong>." (Hans Hinrich Wendt of Jena 1894 "Die Lehre des Paulus verglichen mit der Lehre Jesu," <em>ZTK</em> 4 1-78, at 78, quoted in Wedderburn: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AhU4HmT5dysC&amp;lpg=PA17&amp;dq=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;pg=PA20#v=onepage&amp;q=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;f=false">20</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">WILLIAM WREDE, 1904</span>, Christian scholar</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The obvious contradictions in the three accounts [of Paul's conversion in Act 9 &amp; 22 &amp; 26] are enough to arouse distrust of all that goes beyond this kernel.... The moral majesty of Jesus, his purity and piety, his ministry among his people, his manner as a prophet, the whole concrete ethical-religious content of his earthly life,<strong><em> signifies for Paul's Christology--nothing whatever</em></strong>.... If we do not wish to deprive both figures of all historical distinctness, the name 'disciple of Jesus' has little applicability to Paul.... Jesus or Paul: this alternative characterizes, at least in part, the religious and theological warfare of the present day." (Wrede, <em>Paul</em> (1904).)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">FREDERICK WATSON, 1906</span>, Christian scholar</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"In particular, in the case of St. Paul's Epistles, we can also see that they all arose out of historical events which can never occur again. We observe in them not only his circumstances and the circumstances of the Church to which He was writing, but also himself— his personal feelings, human passions, zeal, indignation, love, sorrow, and the like. These are<em> not always of the highest morality</em>." (Watson, <em>Inspiration</em> (London: 1906) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vtGSDPaiRNYC&amp;dq=Watson%20Inspiration&amp;pg=PA156#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">156</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">ALBERT SCHWEITZER, 1906-1931</span> utterly Pauline-Christian, believed Paul's dispensation replaced that of Jesus of the Gospels</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul ... did not desire to know Christ after the flesh.... Those who want to find a way from the preaching of Jesus to early Christianity are conscious of the peculiar difficulties raised.... P<em>aul shows us </em>with what <em><strong>complete indifference the earthly life of Jesus</strong></em> was regarded by primary Christianity." (Albert Schweitzer, <em>The Quest for the Historical Jesus</em> (1906) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7UPLuZZ8NHIC&amp;dq=Schweitzer%2C%20The%20Quest%20for%20the%20Historical%20Jesus&amp;pg=PA2#v=onepage&amp;q=desire%20to%20know%20Christ%20after%20the%20flesh&amp;f=false"> 2</a>.)</p>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The system of the <strong><em>Apostle of the Gentiles</em></strong> stands over <strong><em>against the teaching of Jesus as something of an entirely different character</em></strong>, and does not create the impression of having arisen out of it.... It is impossible for a Hellenized<em><strong> Paulinism</strong></em> to subsist alongside of<strong><em> a primitive Christianity </em></strong>which shared the Jewish eschatological expectations.... To the problem of <strong><em>Paulinism</em></strong> belong ... questions which have <strong><em>not yet found a solution</em></strong>:... the relation of the Apostle to the historical Jesus ... and towards the [Mosaic] Law.... He does<em><strong> not appeal to the Master</strong></em> even where it might seem inevitable to do so.... It is as though he held that between the present world-period and that in which Jesus lived and <strong><em>taught there exists no link of connection</em></strong>.... What Jesus thought about the matter is ... <em><strong>indifferent to him</strong></em>.... Critics [have] demanded of theology proof that the canonical Paul and his Epistles belonged to early Christianity; and the demand was justified." (Albert Schweitzer <em>Paul and His Interpreters</em> (1912) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=fvtHTOvMGsignQfXtrWzDQ&amp;ct=result&amp;id=_XG837igHnEC&amp;dq=Schweitzer+Paul+and+His+Interpreters&amp;q=appeal+to+the+master#search_anchor">245</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The differences and oppositions...reveal themselves <strong><em>between the teaching of Jesus</em></strong> and that of <strong><em>Paul</em></strong>...."  (Albert Schweitzer <em>Paul and His Interpreters </em>(1912) at <strong><em>154</em></strong>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"[T]he rapid diffusion of Paul's ideas can be attributed to his belief that the death of Christ signified the end of the [Mosaic] Law. In the course of one or two generations this concept became the common property of the Christian faith, although<strong><em> it stood in contradiction to the tradition teaching represented by the Apostles at Jerusalem</em></strong>." (Albert Schweitzer, <em>Out of My Life and Thought</em> (1931) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=jHuYuLugqBAC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=Out+of+My+Life+and+Thought+inauthor:Schweitzer&amp;hl=en&amp;ei=VfpHTPP4L4PdnAeU_o20DQ&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=book_result&amp;ct=result&amp;resnum=1&amp;ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&amp;q=rapid%20diffusion&amp;f=false">121</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"What is the significance for our faith and for our religious life, of the fact that the Gospel of Paul is different from the Gospel of Jesus?... The attitude which Paul himself takes up towards the Gospel of Jesus is that he does not repeat it in the words of Jesus, and <strong><em>does not appeal to its authority</em></strong>.... The fateful thing is that the Greek, the Catholic and the Protestant theologies all contain the<em><strong> Gospel of Paul in a form which does not continue the Gospel of Jesus, but displaces it</strong></em>." (Albert Schweitzer <em>The Mysticism of St. Paul </em>(1931) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=X_lHTKPGLYyenAfcnYXmDQ&amp;ct=result&amp;id=oV8JAQAAIAAJ&amp;dq=Albert+Schweitzer+The+Mysticism+of+St.+Paul&amp;q=displaces+it#search_anchor">391</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Where possible he (Paul) avoids quoting the teaching of Jesus, in fact even mentioning it. If we had to rely on Paul, we should not know that Jesus taught in parables, had delivered the sermon on the mount, and had taught His disciples the 'Our Father.' Even where they are specially relevant, Paul passes over the words of the Lord." (Albert Schweitzer, <em>The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle</em>, at 171.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">GERALD FRIEDLANDER, 1911, </span><span>Jewish "Minister of the West London Synagogue"</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul has surely <em>nothing to do with the Sermon on the Mount</em>.... The Sermon says: 'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves' (Matt.vii.15). This is generally understood as a warning against untrustworthy leaders in religion.... Does the verse express the experience of the primitive Church?<strong><em> Might it not be a warning against Paul and his followers?</em></strong>" (Gerald Friedlander, <em>The Jewish Sources of the Sermon on the Mount</em> (1911) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=hLj0sfSyXQEC&amp;lpg=PR2&amp;dq=Gerald%20Friedlander%2C%20The%20Jewish%20Sources%20of%20the%20Sermon%20on%20the%20Mount&amp;pg=PA250#v=onepage&amp;q=beware&amp;f=false">250</a>.)</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span style="color: #0000ff;">JAMES ORR, 1915</span></span><span style="color: #0000ff;">, </span><span>Christian scholar</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"It is the same fallacy which underlies the contrast frequently <span class="gstxt_hlt">sought </span>to be drawn between the <em>religious standpoints of </em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>Christ </em></strong></span><strong><em>and </em></strong><span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>Paul</em></strong></span><span class="gstxt_hlt">. Paul </span><em>never for an instant dreamt of<strong><em> putting himself on the same plane with </em></strong></em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>Christ</em></strong></span><span class="gstxt_hlt">. Paul </span>was <span class="gstxt_hlt">sinner; Christ </span>was Saviour<em><strong>. </strong></em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><em><strong>Paul </strong></em></span><em><strong>was disciple; </strong></em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><em><strong>Christ </strong></em></span><em><strong>was Lord</strong></em>. <span class="gstxt_hlt">Paul </span>was weak, struggling man; <span class="gstxt_hlt">Christ </span>was Son of God. Jesus achieved redemption; <span class="gstxt_hlt">Paul </span>appropriated it. These things involved the<strong><em> </em></strong><strong><strong><em>widest contrasts in attitude and speech</em></strong>." </strong>(James Orr, "Christianity, <em>ISBE</em> Vol. I (1915), at<strong> <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=p34PAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Christianity%20the%20religion%20of%20Paul%2C%20not%20of%20Christ.&amp;pg=PA625#v=onepage&amp;q=Christianity%20the%20religion%20of%20Paul,%20not%20of%20Christ.&amp;f=false">625</a>.)</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">H.G. WELLS, 1921</span>, historian</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"But it is equally a fact in history that <em>St. </em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>Paul </em></strong></span><strong><em>and </em></strong><span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>his successors added </em></strong></span><strong><em>to</em></strong> or completed or<span class="gstxt_hlt">imposed upon </span>or <span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>substituted another doctrine</em></strong> </span>for—as you may prefer to think— the<em><strong> </strong></em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><em><strong>plain </strong></em></span><em><strong>and profoundly revolutionary </strong></em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><em><strong>teachings </strong></em></span><em><strong>of </strong></em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><em><strong>Jesus </strong></em></span>by expounding<em><strong> a subtle and complex theory of salvatio</strong></em><strong><em>n</em></strong>, a salvation which could be attained very <strong><em>largely by belief</em></strong> and formalities,<strong><em> without any serious disturbance of the believer's ordinary habits and occupations</em></strong>, and that this Pauline teaching <em>did </em>involve very definite beliefs about the history of the world and man. It is not the business of the historian to controvert or explain these matters; the question of their ultimate significance depends <span class="gstxt_hlt">upon </span>the theologian; the historian's concern is merely with the fact that <em><strong>official Christianity throughout the world adopted St. Paul's view so plainly expressed in </strong></em><span class="gstxt_hlt"><em><strong>his </strong></em></span><em><strong>epistiles</strong></em> [<span>953</span>] and <strong><em>so untraceable in the gospels</em></strong>, that the meaning of religion lay not in the future, but in the past, and that <span class="gstxt_hlt"><em><strong>Jesus </strong></em></span><em><strong>was not so much a teacher of wonderful new things</strong></em>, as a predestinate divine blood sacrifice of deep mystery and sacredness made in atonement of a particular historical act of disobedience to the Creator committed by our first parents, Adam and Eve, in response to the temptation of a serpent in the Garden of Eden. (H.G. Wells, <em>The Outline of History</em> (1921) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=rTAMAAAAIAAJ&amp;lpg=PA952&amp;ots=mckhvLLhr7&amp;dq=Paul%20and%20his%20successors%20added%20to%20imposed%20upon%20or%20substituted%20another%20doctrine%20for%20the%20plain%20teachings%20of%20Jesus&amp;pg=PA952">952-953</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">OSWALD SPENGLER, 1928</span>, social historian</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul had for the Jesus-communities of Jerusalem a scarcely veiled contempt.... 'Jesus is the Redeemer and Paul is his Prophet'--this is the whole content of his message. <em>The Decline of the West</em> (1928) at 289, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=jYjYLoGSsQgC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=spengler%20decline%20of%20the%20west&amp;pg=PA291#v=snippet&amp;q=prophet&amp;f=false">291</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">LUDWIG WITTENSTEIN, 1937</span>, distinguished philosopher</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The spring which flows gently and limpidly in the Gospels seems to have froth on it in Paul's Epistles.... To me it's as though I saw human passion here [<em>i.e.</em>, in Paul], something like pride or anger, which is<strong><em> not in tune with the humility of the Gospels</em></strong>. It's as though he is insisting here on his own person, and doing so moreover as a religious gesture, which is <em><strong>foreign to the Gospel.</strong></em> I want to ask--and may this be no blasphemy--'What might Christ have said to Paul?'... In the Gospels--as it seems to me--everything is less pretentious, humbler, simpler. There you find huts; in Paul a church. There all men are equal and God himself is a man; <strong><em>in Paul there is already something like a hierarchy, honours and official positions</em></strong>." (Ludwig Wittgenstein, <em>Culture and Value</em> (1980, notes from 1937) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3SOjrAgrlx0C&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=Ludwig%20Wittgenstein%20culture%20and%20value&amp;pg=PA30-IA1#v=onepage&amp;q=hierarchy&amp;f=false">30</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">WIL DURANT, 1944</span>, historian</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul created a theology of which none but the vaguest warrants can be found in the words of Christ.... Through these interpretations Paul could neglect the actual life and sayings of Jesus, which he had not directly known.... He had replaced conduct with creed as the test of virtue. It was a tragic change." (W. Durant, <em>Caesar and Christ</em> (1944) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=3A-eTIXDEse4ngfzkPivDQ&amp;ct=result&amp;id=rPZwAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=wil+durant+caesar+and+christ&amp;q=vaguest#search_anchor">588</a> (vaguest warrant); <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=3A-eTIXDEse4ngfzkPivDQ&amp;ct=result&amp;id=rPZwAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=wil+durant+caesar+and+christ&amp;q=sayings#search_anchor">589</a> (neglect); <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=3A-eTIXDEse4ngfzkPivDQ&amp;ct=result&amp;id=rPZwAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=wil+durant+caesar+and+christ&amp;q=tragic#search_anchor">592</a> (tragic change).)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">THOMAS FROST, 1947</span>, poet</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul: he’s in the Bible too. He is the fellow who theologized Christ almost out of Christianity. Look out for him." (Robert Frost, <em>A Masque of Mercy</em>, 1947)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">HERBERT J. MULLER, 1952</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Saul of Tarsus, who became St. Paul,... knew Jesus only by hearsay, and rarely referred to his human life.... Paul preached a gospel about Jesus that wa<strong><em>s not taught by the Jesus of the synoptic Gospels</em></strong>.... Setting himself against [the] other disciples,... he was largely responsible for the violent break with Judaism.... He contributed a radical dualism of flesh and spirit <strong><em>unwarranted by the teachings of Jesus</em></strong>." (Muller, <em>Uses of the Past</em> (Oxford University, 1952) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=TBGeTILeFaDtnQeAhvWNDQ&amp;ct=result&amp;id=unEaAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=Herbert+muller+uses+of+past&amp;q=hearsay#search_anchor">157</a> (hearsay, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=TBGeTILeFaDtnQeAhvWNDQ&amp;ct=result&amp;id=unEaAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=Herbert+muller+uses+of+past&amp;q=synoptic#search_anchor">not taught by Jesus</a>); <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=TBGeTILeFaDtnQeAhvWNDQ&amp;ct=result&amp;id=unEaAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=Herbert+muller+uses+of+past&amp;q=unwarranted#search_anchor">160</a> (unwarranted).)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">W.D. DAVIES, 1958</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Jewish-Christians [opposing Paul] ... must have been a very strong, widespread element in the earliest days of the Church.... <strong><em>They took for granted that the gospel was continuous with Judaism</em></strong>.... According to some scholars, they must have been so strong that right up to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 they were the dominant element in the Christian movement." W.D. Davies, 'Paul and Jewish Christianity', in J. Daniélou (ed.), <em>Théologie du Judéo-Chriantianisme</em> (Paris: 1958)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">HANS JOACHIM SCHOEPS, 1961</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"[Drawing a] stark contrast between the religion of the law and the religion of grace,... Paul had <em><strong>lost all understanding of the character of the Hebraic berith [covenant] as a partnership</strong></em> involving mutual obligations, [and thus] he failed to grasp the inner meaning of the Mosaic law." (Hans Joachim Schoeps, <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=cIDAOgAACAAJ">Paul: The Theology of the Apostle in the Light of Jewish Religious History</a></em> (English translation 1961).)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">AMMON HENNACY, 1970 </span>Christian pacifist and anarchist</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"Paul spoiled the message of Christ." (Hennacy, "Paul and the Churches,"</span><em>The Book of Ammon </em>(1970) at <span>475, quoted in "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Christianity#cite_note-8">Pauline Christianity</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em>.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">HOLGER KERSTEN</span>, 1987, German investigator</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul taught that the whole function of Jesus centred on his death which released the faithful from the burden of their sins, their misery and the power of Satan. In fact<strong><em> not a single word Paul wrote in the Epistles gives the actual teaching of Jesus, nor does he mention even one of his parables</em></strong>; instead he spreads his own philosophy and his own ideas.  ***</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"The point comes home best when one considers Paul's explicit statement that the human individual can do nothing himself to secure salvation, "Cf. Rom. 3,24; 3,28; 9,11; 9,16; 1.Cor. 1,29; Gal. 2,16). For according to Paul salvation depends solely on the Grace of God." (Eph. 2, 8-9).</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Thus the Pauline doctrine makes salvation a one-sided matter for God; people on earth have their hands bound (cf. Rom. 3,24; 4,16; Eph. 2,5; 2,8-9; 2. Tim. 1,9; Tit. 3,5-7). What Paul says here is of course<em><strong> quite attractive, because it is comfortable</strong></em>. By joining the fold, salvation ensues "automatically".<strong><em> No effort on one's own part is then necessary to arrive at the goal of life</em></strong>, for every Christian is saved once and for all by the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross at Golgotha.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"It means that one has only to sign up with this 'institution', pay the embership fee', and (lo and behold!) everything is settled for securing a seat in paradise for all eternity. Naturally such a teaching attracted many supporters and spread rapidly. <em><strong>After all it is easier to believe in something that can be had safely and comfortably</strong></em>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Simply by the simple act of conversion a person is then redeemed, saved, made a child of God, and becomes a completely new person. According to this teaching,<strong><em> every attempt on one's own part to work towards salvation plays down Jesus' role, is even a deadly sin</em></strong>. And conversely, every person, however exemplary and good his or her life may have been, is declared by his teaching to be lost if he or she does not gratefully acknowledge the sacrifice of the cross as constituting their entire personal salvation.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Most Christians think the greatness and uniqueness of Christianity stands and falls with the truth of his teaching. On closer inspection, however, it is found to be <strong><em>a fabrication, far removed from the real ideas of Jesus</em></strong>. There is<em><strong> no hint of the so called Christian doctrine of salvation in the gospels, either in the sermon on the mount - the quintessence of Jesus' message - or in the Our Father, or the traditional parables of Jesus</strong></em>!</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Jesus did not supply theories to be ground in the mills of academia, about his path and message -- he just lived his teaching!" (Holger Kersten, <em>Jesus Lived in India</em> (1987) -<a href="http://www.sol.com.au/kor/7_01.htm"> review</a>; <a href="http://www.sol.com.au/kor/7_02.htm">excerpt quotation</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">HELMUT KOESTER, 1990, </span><span>scholar on Paul</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul stands in the twilight zone of heresy...." (Helmut Koester, "The Theological Aspects of Primitive Christian Heresy," in James Robinson (ed.), <em>The Future of our Religious Past</em> (N.Y.: Harper &amp; Row, 1971).</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"One immediately encounters a major difficulty. Whatever Jesus had preached did not become the content of the missionary proclamation of Paul, nor of the churches from which his proclamation took its origin...." (Helmut Koester, <em>Ancient Christian Gospels</em> (1990) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DGK4sIPk4PYC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=Helmut%20Koester%20Ancient%20Christian%20Gospels&amp;pg=PA51#v=onepage&amp;q=proclamation&amp;f=false">51</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Sayings of Jesus do not play a role in Paul's understanding of the event of salvation.... The Epistle of James also shares with the Sermon on the Mount the rejection of the Pauline thesis that Christ is the end of the [Mosaic] law. ||<strong><em> Paul did not care at all what Jesus had said</em></strong>.... Had Paul been completely successful,<strong><em> very little of the sayings of Jesus would have survived</em></strong>." (Helmut Koester with Stephen Patterson, "The Gospel of Thomas: Does It Contain Authentic Sayings of Jesus?," <em>Bible Review</em> (April 1990) Vol. 6 No. 2 at 28-39</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">MICHAEL BAIGENT &amp; RICHARD LEIGH, 1991</span>, historians / authors</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul is in effect the first Christian heretic, and his teachings, which become the foundation of later Christianity, are a<strong><em> flagrant deviation from the 'Original'</em></strong> or 'pure' form extolled by the leadership. Whether James, the 'Lord's brother,' was literally Jesus' blood kin or not (and everything suggests he was), it is clear that he knew Jesus...personally. So did most of the other members of the community or 'early Church,' in Jerusalem, including of course, Peter. When they spoke, they did so with first hand authority. Paul had never had such personal acquaintance with the figure he'd begun to regard as his 'Saviour.' He had only his<strong><em> quasi-mystical experience in the desert and the sound of a disembodied voice</em></strong>. For him to arrogate authority to himself on this basis is, to say the least, <em><strong>presumptuous</strong></em>. It also leads him to<strong><em> distort Jesus' teachings beyond recognition, to formulate, in fact, his own highly individual and idiosyncratic theology</em></strong>, and then to legitimise it by spuriously ascribing it to Jesus."</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"As things transpired, however, the mainstream of the new movement gradually coalesced, during the next three centuries, around Paul and his teachings. Thus, to the undoubted posthumous horror of James and his associates, an entirely new religion was indeed born, a religion that<strong><em> came to have less and less to do with its supposed founder</em></strong>." (<em>Dead Sea Scrolls Deception</em> (London: 1991), excerpted <a href="http://www.sol.com.au/kor/7_02.htm">here</a>.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #0000ff;">BART EHRMAN</span>, <span style="color: #0000ff;">1993</span>, scholar</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"What did the historical Jesus teach in comparison with what the historical Paul taught?… Jesus taught that to escape judgment a person must keep the central teachings of the Jewish Law as he, Jesus himself, interpreted them. Paul, interestingly enough, never mentions Jesus’ interpretation of the [Mosaic] Law, and Paul was quite insistent that<em> keeping the Law would never bring Salvation</em>. The only way to be saved, for Paul, was to trust Jesus’ death and resurrection… Paul transformed the religion of Jesus into a religion about Jesus." (Bart D. Ehrman, <em>The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture</em>, 1993)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>CREDITS</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Partial credit for some of these quotes goes to <a href="http://www.metalog.org/files/paul_p1.html">Metalog</a> whose quote collection now is only preserved at <a href="http://www.paulv.net/theology/UC/Paul%20Paradox.htm">Paul Paradox</a>.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">See also an unformatted collection of famous quotes on Paul at this <a href="/JWO/collection-of-paul-criticisms.html">subpage</a>.</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 911576<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

648
Recommended-Reading/flawedchristologyofpaul.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,648 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/flawedchristologyofpaul.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Flawed .Christology.of.Paul | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">"I must approach this inquiry with uneasiness when I find [Paul] affirmed to be an apostle of whom in the list of apostles in the gospel I find no trace." (Tertullian)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 3313" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "3313") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Paul's Flawed Christology of Jesus</h2>
<h3>Introduction: Five Points That Should Make Both Trinitarians &amp; Unitarians Aghast At Paul</h3>
<p>I do not believe Paul is inspired. I wish now to prove to those who are either Trinitarian or Unitarian, that you cannot believe Paul is inspired and hold to your beliefs. Either you must give up Trinitarianism or Unitarianism, or you must give up Paul. It is an "either/or" decision for you.</p>
<p>Paul represents a third view neither compatible with those views: that Jesus was the highest created being <span>(Col. </span><a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-15.htm">1:15</a><span>, ASV) </span>who was not God (<span>1 Corinthians </span><a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/15-28.htm">15:27-28</a>) but had divinity abiding in Himself prior to birth but when He came to earth He emptied himself of an equality with God. <span>Phil. </span><a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-6.htm">2:6</a><span>- </span><a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a>.</p>
<p>Some Christians who are otherwise orthodox in belief actually defend this notion, claiming Jesus was an "Angel of the Lord." <span> </span><a href="http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/angel.html">ChristianAnswers</a>. (This is partially justified on the flawed translation in the Septuagint of <span style="color: #003300;"><strong>Isaiah 9:6</strong> where a child will be born who is </span><span>“</span><span style="color: #000080;"><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-96-what-does-it-mean.html">The Angel of Great Counsel.</a></span><span>”) </span>But such a view is neither Trinitarian nor Unitarian. If you believe either of those two views is doctrinally correct, you must abandon Paul as inspired, which is my point of raising these issues this way.</p>
<p>(<strong><em>In fairness to Paul</em></strong>, sometimes Paul did speak correctly on Jesus' true relationship to God although Paul apparently meant it existed only at the moment of Jesus' crucifixion, as 1st century gnostics reconciled all the passages long ago. Paul correctly wrote: “God was <strong><em>in Christ</em></strong> reconciling the world to Himself.” (2 Cor. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20cor.%205:19&amp;version=YLT">5:19</a> YLT). <em>See also</em> Col. 1:<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1&amp;version=YLT">19</a> "because <strong><em>in him</em></strong> it did please all the fulness [of God] to tabernacle [<em>i.e.</em>, dwell]." Cf. NIV: "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him." (Col. 1:<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%201:19&amp;version=NIV">19</a>).) See also "God in Christ" in Ephesians 4.32 &amp; 1 Thessalonians 2.14. Early gnostics reconciled these accurate statements by Paul about God fully indwelling Jesus with Paul's view of <em>kenosis</em> -- the emptying of Jesus of any God-hood when He came to earth. The gnostics did so by claiming Jesus was emptied of God until the moment of crucifixion when God supposedly first fully dwelled in Jesus.)</p>
<h3>Status of This Issue in Christendom</h3>
<p>Commentators know the problem, and thus never isolate Paul just to study only his views on Christ's nature. The reason why will become obvious on this page. For when you do so, then both Trinitarians and Unitarians should be shocked at Paul's views on the nature of Christ. There are five statements by Paul that are at total odds with various parts of these two leading explanations of Jesus's nature (<em>i.e.</em>, their<em> </em>Christology).</p>
<p>This means Paul's views might coincide with some Unitarian beliefs and some Trinitarian beliefs. But in the end, Paul's views cannot be fully reconciled to either. Which proves Paul cannot be inspired (due to his self-contradictions), and anyone believing in either Trinitarianism or Unitarianism cannot regard Paul as fully inspired.</p>
<h3></h3>
<p><strong>Synopsis of Detailed Discussion Below of Paul's Five Controversial Statements</strong></p>
<p><strong>First</strong>, Paul imagines a non-eternal nature to Jesus which should shock trinitarians. Paul says Jesus was the "First-Born of creation." (Col. <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-15.htm">1:15</a>, ASV.) Paul at the same time says after God created Jesus that then Jesus created everything else (Col. <a href="http://bible.cc/colossians/1-16.htm">1:16</a>). This should shock both trinitarians and unitarians if everyone assumed Paul was correct in saying Jesus was non-eternal in the first place. How could a created being himself be the Creator? How could He be God? A Puzzle, to say the least. (The truth is what John explains - the Word <strong><em>in</em></strong> Jesus was God and it was the means of Creation. See our<a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html"> link</a> on the correct Christology. See also the next point.)</p>
<p><strong>Second</strong>, Paul then says in Phil. <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-6.htm">2:6</a>- <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a> when Jesus' being came to earth, he divested himself of a pre-existing quality that made him have an "equality with God," which should shock trinitarians and unitarians who maintain Jesus on Earth was <strong><em>fully indwelled</em></strong> by the Word and Father (John 1:1, <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-14.htm">14</a>; John<a href="http://bible.cc/john/14-10.htm"> 14:10</a>.)</p>
<p><strong>Third</strong>, Trinitarians should be shocked that Paul clearly denies Jesus is God in 1 Corinthians <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/15-28.htm">15:27-28</a> - in particular in verse 27. First, in verse 28, we read: "And when all things shall be subdued unto him [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus], then shall the Son also himself<strong> be <strong><em>subject unto him</em></strong> [i.e., God the Father] </strong>that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." This is in accord with 1 Cor. <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/15-24.htm">15:24</a>: "Then the end will come, when he [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus] <strong><em>hands over the kingdom to God the Father</em></strong> after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power." (NIV) But it is verse <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2015&amp;version=NIV">27</a> which <strong><em>slams the point</em></strong> that Paul says <em><strong>Jesus is NOT God</strong></em>: "Now when it says that 'everything' has been put under him, it is clear that<strong><em> this does not include God himself</em></strong>, who put everything under Christ." (NIV) Cf. Biblos, 1 Cor. <a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/15-27.htm">15:27</a>.</p>
<p>For a trinitarian who accepts Paul, the trinitarian would also have to accept that Paul<strong><em> just said</em></strong> in verse 27 that Jesus is NOT God. For Paul said Jesus is "subject" to God the Father, but when Paul says "everything" is put under Jesus, Paul clarifies that he does not mean "God" is also "under Christ." Logically, Christ cannot be God if you trust Paul's words as INSPIRED. It is also impossible for Oneness Christians to believe Jesus is "one" in a personal indwelling sense with God when Paul talks this way.</p>
<p><strong>Fourth</strong>, both trinitarians and unitarians believe Jesus had real human flesh, avoiding thereby the heresy of docetism. That heresy taught Jesus only came in the "likeness of men." In 144 A.D. Marcion -- the Paul-only advocate -- taught docetism, claiming that Jesus "<strong><em>appeared</em></strong> to be a man" but was not truly a man of human flesh and instead was God alone. This doctrine was later understood to imply that Jesus did not truly suffer on the cross. Marcion's docetism was called heresy by everyone in the earliest church (see <em><a href="/Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html">Marcionism</a></em>) prior to Roman Catholicism's adoption of docetism in the late 380s. (See <a href="/JWO/marcionite-influence-on-rcc.html">Marcionite Influence on RCC</a>.)</p>
<p>But Marcion's inspiration for docetism is easy to find. Paul says in Phil. <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a> Jesus only<strong><em> appeared</em></strong> in the "likeness of men." Oops! Paul errs again! And this is more serious than any of Paul's other errors about Christ's nature, as we shall see.</p>
<p><strong>Finally</strong>, in Romans 7, Paul believes that when Jesus died, the husband of Israel -- the God of the Old Testament -- <em>literally</em> died. This freed God's people -- his wife -- from the Law, and thus His people were free to marry a new husband who does not require further obedience to the Law of Moses. Paul says we marry Christ in the NT, and this does not perpetuate the Law that only applied when the first husband was alive. (For full discussion, see <a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html">Paul in Romans 7 Claims the God of Sinai is Dead</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, this implies that when Jesus resurrected, a <em><strong>different God</strong></em> emerged or otherwise Paul's conclusion that the Law of Moses died when the husband died makes no sense if the resurrected Jesus still represented the same God as the God of the OT. Again, Paul's greatest advocate -- Marcion -- in 144 A.D. deciphered Paul to exactly be saying the very same thing --- there was a God of the OT (the Creator) and another for the NT (the Father). See <em><a href="/Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html">Marcionism</a></em><a href="/Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html">.</a> Marcion believed it was the God of the NT known as God-the-Father who resurrected Jesus.</p>
<p>Paul's bizarre statements in Romans 7 which Marcion no doubt relied upon are discussed at length at this separate webpage - <a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html">Paul in Romans 7 Claims the God of Sinai is Dead</a>.</p>
<p>Let's now review the other four of these five points in more depth here below. It should demonstrate to both trinitarians and unitarians alike that they should be shocked by Paul's highly flawed Christology, and hence Paul should be regarded as a noninspired source of NT doctrine.</p>
<h3>1. Paul Says A Non-Eternal Being Was Creator</h3>
<p>Paul imagines a second person who had an "equality with God" prior to the Incarnation (Philippians <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-6.htm">2:6</a>, <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a>). This teaching derives from Paul conceiving of a being distinct from the Father who had an "equality with God" who then "<strong><em>empties himself</em></strong>" (KENOSIS in Greek) of divine attributes to enter this world as one who had the "appearance of men." <em>Id.</em></p>
<p>However, Paul taught that this second being who pre-existed the Incarnation and became Jesus was not eternal. In Col. 1:15, Paul said Jesus "is the image of the invisible God, the<em><strong> firstborn of  all creation.</strong></em>" (NASB) [The correct literal translation is "of" because a genetive case is present. Others prefer the NIV translation which speaks of the "firstborn <em>over</em> all creation," but without justification or any real significance anyway. <em>Cf.</em> KJV "firstborn of...." For discussion, see <a href="http://focusonthekingdom.org/articles/colossians.htm">Wachtel</a>.]</p>
<p>In Col. 1:16, Paul then says this created being turned around and "created all things."</p>
<p>In C. Anderson Scott's article "Christ, Christology" in <em>Dictionary of the Apostolic Church</em> (Ed. Hastings)(1915) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ztYMAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=dictionary%20of%20the%20apostolic%20church&amp;pg=PA185#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">1:185</a>, Scott says Paul's words in Col. 1:15 means "He Himself [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus] was<strong><em> part of creation</em></strong>." Indeed, this is the only conceivable understanding of Paul's words.</p>
<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ztYMAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=dictionary%20of%20the%20apostolic%20church&amp;pg=PA185"> </a>
<h4>A. Paul's Source of A Son of God / Angel As Creator</h4>
<p>The likely cause for Paul's belief Jesus was a creature (of an angelic level) was due to the Septuagint mistranslation of Isaiah 9:6. It reads:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and </span><strong><em>his name is called</em></strong><span> the </span><strong><em>Angel (Aggelos) of great counsel:</em></strong><span> for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him. (See our article "<a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-96-what-does-it-mean.html">Isaiah 9:6: The Hebrew, DSS &amp; Septuagint Versions</a>.")</span></p>
<p>And the likely cause for Paul's belief Jesus was the creator yet not God was the Septuagint mistranslation of Psalm 102:22-34 which has God saying to another -- an annointed one: "Thou, <strong><em>Lord, at the beginning you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands</em></strong>." (Ps. 102:25 LXX/Septuagint.) In the original Hebrew, the annointed one says this instead about God -- God was the Creator. See our article "<a href="/JWO/son-as-creator-in-epistle-to-the-hebrews.html">Begotten Son as Creator</a>."</p>
<p>Paul often relied upon erroneous renderings in the Septuagint translation from 257 BC over against the original Hebrew from ca. 1000 BC, and hence Paul's flawed Christology is partly due to this fact.</p>
<h4>B. First Trinitarian Formula Relies On Jesus As Non-Eternal And Created Being</h4>
<p>As a result of Paul's words, the first Trinitarian proponent structured the Trinity so that Jesus was not eternal but instead was a created being. In 205 A.D., Tertullian -- the first to explain a trinity doctrine -- saw the LOGOS/Word as an eternal quality of God which begins <strong><em>apart from Jesus</em></strong>. Relying evidently upon Paul, Tertullian then saw the Son did not exist eternally as a separate person and instead was first begotten by the Father to then accomplish the creation of the world, just as Paul said in Col. 1:15-16. Tertullian then specifically said "the son is <em><strong>not from eternity</strong></em>." (B.B. Warfield, "Historical Theology," <em>Princeton Theological Review</em> (1908) at 152.) Tertullian also wrote: "There was a time when <strong><em>neither sin existed</em></strong> with [God],<strong><em> nor the Son</em></strong>." (Tertullian, <em>Against Hermogenes</em> ch. 3; <em>Anti-Nicene Fathers</em> (2007) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=lZ1EffC0auAC&amp;lpg=PA477&amp;dq=Ante-Nicene%20Fathers%20Against%20Hermogenes%202007&amp;pg=PA478#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">478</a>.)(For discussion of the latter, see <em>Anti-Nicene Fathers</em> at this <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=uoksAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=was%20a%20time%20when%20neither%20sin%20existed%20nor%20the%20Son&amp;pg=PA629">link</a>.)</p>
<p>For similar reasons, in <em>Against Marcion</em>, Tertullian quotes Paul and then explains: "If Christ is the <strong><em>Creator’s </em></strong><em><strong>Son</strong></em>, it was with justice that He loved <strong><em>His own (creature)</em></strong>." (See <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.iv.html">link</a>.)</p>
<p>Hence, Paul's words solidified the notion that Jesus was a created being who pre-existed the creation of everything but Himself.</p>
<h3>2. What Significance Is It That Paul Says Jesus Was A Creator Of The Heavens/Earth?</h3>
<p>But do Paul's words in Col.1:15-16 mean that Jesus is God because Paul says the created Jesus was then creator of the heavens and earth? No.</p>
<p>For Paul's words in Colossians precisely match up with Paul's denial of Jesus being God in 1 Cor. 8:6. There Paul says <strong><em>only the Father is God</em></strong>, even though it then says God-the-Father and Jesus both created all things. Paul says in 1 Cor. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%208:6&amp;version=NIV">8:6</a> "yet for us there is <em><strong>but one God, the Fathe</strong></em><em><strong>r</strong></em>, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but <em><strong>one Lord, Jesus Christ</strong></em>, through whom all things came and through whom we live" (NIV). <em>Cf.</em> <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+2:5&amp;version=NIV"> 1 Tim. 2:5</a> ("there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.")</p>
<p>These passages signify that Jesus could be co-creator with God-the-Father yet still there is "but <strong><em>one God, the Father</em></strong>" / "one God" which Paul clearly distinguishes from the "one Lord, Jesus Christ" / "the <strong><em>man</em></strong> Christ Jesus." Hence, Paul understood Jesus could be a creating agency yet still not be God, as Paul insists in the very same verse that there is "but <em>one God, the Father" </em>and "one God" in contradistinction to the "man Christ Jesus."</p>
<p>A trinitarian should be aghast at such statements from Paul. Paul clearly denies Jesus's role as creator implies Jesus is God. 'Only the Father is God,' Paul says. Jesus was distinct and the Lord. This means Paul believed despite Jesus being a creator of the heavens and world that Jesus was <strong><em>not God</em></strong>. If you believe Paul is infallible (I do not), then Paul just blew a hole in the ship of Trinitarianism.</p>
<p>But a unitarian cannot claim triumph. Paul claims here that Jesus is a pre-existing creator of everything but himself is distinct from the "one God, the Father." Yet a favorite verse of unitarians is that God in Isaiah 44:24 denies there was any distinct person with Him involved in the creation of the heavens and the earth.</p>
<h3>3. Paul's 'First-born' Doctrine Blocked Trinitarianism For A Long Time</h3>
<p>Due to Paul's influence in the early church, and particularly due to Paul's teaching in Col. 1:15, many early church leaders did not imagine Jesus could be God. In the book by Martin Werner,<em>The Formation of Christian Dogma </em>(1957), Werner explains the importance placed on Paul's conception of Jesus as a created being from the angelic realm prior to incarnation. Paul's teaching blocked any modern Trinitarian concept of Jesus being God alongside the Father:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">In the Primitive Christian era there was no sign of any Trinitarian problem or controversy...The reason for this undoubtedly lay in the fact that for primitive Christianity, Christ was a being of a high-celestial angel-world, who was <em><strong>created</strong></em> and chosen<em><strong> by God</strong></em> for the task of bringing in, at the end of the ages, of the Kingdom of God. (<em>Id.</em>, at 122, 125, quoted in Barber:<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=u5hkIwXJVxoC&amp;lpg=PA29&amp;dq=Primitive%20Christianity%20did%20not%20have%20an%20explicit%20doctrine%20of%20the%20Trinity%20such%20as%20was%20subsequently%20elaborated%20in%20the%20creed&amp;pg=PA31"> 31</a>.)</p>
<p>When in the 305 AD period some in the church claimed Jesus was not merely indwelled by the Father, but identical to God, Bishop Arius in 306 A.D. rejected this, citing Paul's words that Jesus was the "first begotten of creation." As William Wachtel summarizes in his article "<a href="http://focusonthekingdom.org/articles/colossians.htm">Col. 1:15 Pre-Existence or Pre-Eminence</a>," the "Arians [based upon Col. 1:15] thought <strong><em>he (Jesus) had a beginning and was the first creature whom God made</em></strong>; while the Athanasians thought he had no beginning and was himself 'co-equal, co-eternal, and consubstantial' with the Father."</p>
<p>Christian scholar Grudem concurs: "support for the Arian view was <em><strong>found in Colossians 1:15</strong></em>." (Wayne A. Grudem, <em>Systematic theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine</em> (Zondervan, 1994) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DA8xl4eagDcC&amp;lpg=PA243&amp;dq=arius%20col.%201%3A15&amp;pg=PA243#v=onepage&amp;q=arius%20col.%201:15&amp;f=false"> 243</a>.) Based on this, the Arians held, precisely as Paul teaches in Col. 1:15-16, that "Christ is<strong><em> a creature of the Father, though existing before the world</em></strong>," which interpretation was revived later by "Socinians, Unitarians and Rationalists." (J.P. Lange, <em>Commentary on the Holy Scriptures</em> (Scribner, 1871) Vol. 3 at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=d5lBAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=calvin%20christ%20inferior%20father&amp;pg=PA447#v=onepage&amp;q=calvin%20christ%20inferior%20father&amp;f=false"> 447</a>.)</p>
<p>While no orthodox scholar wishes to plainly say what this means, it is clear enough. Hugh Schonfield, a Nazarene Jew who believed Jesus was Messiah and who was critical of most tenets of orthodox Christianity, forcefully exploited Paul's words in Col. 1:15-16 to prove modern trinitarianism and the eternal-Son doctrine are invalidiated by Paul:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Paul's <em><strong>Christ is not God, he is God's first creation</strong></em>, and there is<strong><em> no room for the trinitarian formula of the Athanasian Creed</em></strong> nor for its doctrine that the Son was 'not made, nor created, but begotten.'"  (Schonfield, <em>Those Incredible Christians</em> (1968) at 249.)</p>
<p>How did the church cope with the Arian view of 306 A.D. based upon Paul's clear words in Col. 1:15 which directly justified Arius' position? We will see that the Roman church never truly addressed this, but made up a ridiculous self-contradictory new tradition of an 'eternal Son' to <em>erase the clear meaning </em>of Paul's words in Col. 1:15 but then blasted a hole in monotheism at the same time.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">A. Solution #1: 4th Century View Is To Ignore Paul and Affirm Jesus is the 'Eternal Son of God</span></strong></p>
<p>The Roman church of 306 A.D. abhorred Arius doctrine even though it stemmed directly from Col. 1:15. One of the most vigorous defenders of the Trinity doctrine -- Bishop Gregory of Nyssa in 380 A.D. -- in the <em>Great Catechism</em> explained why in his attack on Arius (<em>i.e.</em>, Paul without naming Paul) as follows:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"To believe that the Son [is a] <strong><em>created being</em></strong>...is to make man's salvation dependent on something which is imperfect and needs itself redemption." (Saint Gregory (of Nyssa), <em>The Catechetical oration of Gregory of Nyssa</em> (1903) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KqlKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=gregory%20nyssa%20the%20great%20catechism&amp;pg=PR36">xxxvi</a>.)</p>
<p>This concept of a non-eternal son who was also Creator of "all things" (other than himself) in Paul's mind thus led to unsolvable contradictions.</p>
<p>Thus, the most common claim when the Roman church was first confronted with Paul's bizarre ideas -- known as the Arian heresy of 306 A.D. -- was to claim this created being was the "eternal" Son of God (although Paul says not). This was accomplished by stretching the 'begetting' of Jesus as supposedly such a continual repetitive act of God in the past that it became meaningless to distinguish when it happened from eternity. Pope Alexander of Alexandria said the son exists "independently of God (the Father),<strong><em> continually begotten in a state of unbegottenness</em></strong>." (Martin Werner, <em>Formation of Christian Dogma</em> (Harper 1957) at 223.) From this self-contradictory explanation came the idea Jesus was "begotten not made" which appears in the Nicene Creed of 325 A.D. (Alexander was the leader of the opposition to the Arian heresy at the council of Nicea. See <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Alexander_of_Alexandria">Wikipedia</a></em>.) This is often called the Athanasian solution even if Athanasius was not demonstrably involved.</p>
<p>(For more background on the Nicene Council, and that its rulings deliberately adopted Constantine's change in the church's view of Jesus to match the pagan concept of Sol Invictus, a pagan god who was a son of a father-god -- giving paganism a Christian veneer,  see our <a href="/Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html">webpage</a> discussion.)</p>
<p>This first solution thus essentially ignored Paul. It found a way to stretch "first begotten" from Paul's mouth into a begottenness so many times repeated in the past that one might then say it was 'eternal.'</p>
<p>But this 325 AD solution to Paul's claim that Jesus was the "first-begotten of creation" in Col. 1:15 led inexorably to the claim for the first time that Jesus was a co-substantial and co-eternal being <strong><em>separate and apart</em></strong> from the Father <strong><em>rather than a man indwelled by the Father</em></strong>. (Jesus claimed the latter. See John ch. 14.) This change blasted a hole in monotheism. As Wendt, Professor of Systematic Theology at Jena, wrote in 1907:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">When not only a heavenly personal pre-existence but an <strong><em>eternal, co-essential existence with the Father was attributed to the Son</em></strong>, the idea of the<em><strong> unity of God was lost</strong></em>. This was the important complaint of all Monarchians [<em>i.e.</em>, strict supporters of the unity of God.] (Hans Wendt, <em>System der Christlichen Lehre</em> (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 1907) at 359, translated by Anthony Buzzard in <em>The Doctrine of The Trinity</em> (Oxford: International Scholars Publication, 1998) at 134.)</p>
<p>Thus, Paul's flawed words led to a view of Christ under the influence of a pagan ruler (Constantine) where Jesus was no longer one with the Father by an indwelling presence of the Father (John ch. 14), but instead was a distinct person who <strong><em>independently was God-the-Son apart from God-the-Father</em></strong>. In this way, the Trinity of 207 AD of Tertullian which accepted a non-eternal Son with a divine presence was materially altered in 325 AD. It was done in a manner that destroyed Monotheism.</p>
<p>Indeed, Gregory of Nyssa, the leader of the Council of Constantinople of 381 AD said the new version of the Trinity was specifically <strong><em>designed to prove the monotheism of Jews was a heresy</em></strong>. This was part of the Roman government's campaign to distance Christianity from Judaism. If you doubt this, take a look at<a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html"> </a>our webpage on <a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Exaltation that Turned Idolatrous</a> where we cite and link to the ancient records of Gregory's writings which <strong><em>expressly</em></strong> affirm the reformulated trinity doctrine of 381 AD was<strong><em> designed to refute monotheism</em></strong>.</p>
<p>Moreover, this Athanasian solution of 325 AD also taught that the "eternal son" was given the honor of creating everything (Kinlaw, <em>Let's Start With Jesus </em>(2005)) but this ran up against Isaiah <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2044:24&amp;version=NIV">44:24</a>. Whether Jesus was the "eternal son" as the Athanasians claimed or instead was the "firstborn of creation," as Paul teaches, either way this violates Isaiah 44:24. There God says no one but Himself created <strong><em>everything</em></strong>, which would rule out, by necessity, a being who himself was created per Paul -- part of "everything" that God says He created -- also being creator of all things. It also rules out an "independent" eternal son who is continually begotten in a state of unbegottenness, employed in the Nicene conception of Christ, as an "independent" creator from God the Father.</p>
<p>The truth was that if instead the LOGOS indwells Jesus (John 1:14, "became flesh"), as Jesus Himself says -- but the "<strong><em>Logos is not mine</em></strong> but my Father's who sent me" (John 14:24), then indeed the LOGOS that came to indwell Jesus created all things. This is because the "Logos/ Word," John tells us, "was God." (John 1:1.) Professor Hans Wendt taught<strong><em> this was the solution that reconciles all the texts</em></strong>. Loofs, citing Wendt, says this "justifies our finding<em><strong> God in Christ</strong></em> when we pray to him." (Friedrich Loofs, <em>What Is The Truth About Christ: Problems in Christology</em> (Scribner's 1913) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KoZLAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=wendt%20system%20der%20christlichen&amp;pg=PA239#v=onepage&amp;q=wendt%20system%20der%20christlichen&amp;f=false">239</a>.)</p>
<p>But if Paul is correct on the "first-begotten" nature of Christ or the "eternal son" solution were correct, then the creator was not the Logos/Word but <em>a being created by God</em> which would violate Isaiah 44:24. In Isaiah 44:24 we read:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Thus said Jehovah, thy redeemer, And thy framer from the womb: `I [am] Jehovah, doing all things, Stretching out the heavens <strong><em>by Myself</em></strong>, Spreading out the earth -- <em><strong>who [is] with Me</strong></em>? (Isaiah <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2044:24&amp;version=YLT">44:24</a>, Young's Literal)</p>
<p>Paul is thus the primary cause of all the early wreckage that has marred the true Christology taught by Jesus Himself. Paul's words in the mouth of Arius led to the bizarre counter-defense which invented the deformed 'eternal son' concept which was never spoken about in Scripture and which is wholly self-contradictory. (Only the LOGOS/Word in Jesus pre-existed and came down from heaven to mankind, indwelling Jesus. See John 1:14; John ch. 14. Hence Jesus' pre-existence is linked to the nature of the Logos dwelling in Him.) The Nicene notion of an "eternal son" made no sense. How can a begotten son be an eternal son? The Nicene solution was the only way the church could accept Paul's notion in Col. 1:15 (Jesus was the "first begotten") and yet insist Jesus was eternal and thus approximately divine. In the end, the correct trinitarianism of Tertullian was tossed out, and a new version of trinitarianism employed after 325 AD which was deliberately employed to destroy monotheism, just as Gregory of Nyssa said was his intention at the 381 AD Council that first adopted the Trinity. See <a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Exaltation That Turned Idolatrous</a>.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">B. Solution #2 for Some Christians To Col. 1:15-16</span></strong></p>
<p>How do contemporary Trinitarians solve Paul's Col. 1:15-17? Some Christians believe Jesus is an Angel equal to God. For Christians who believe this, see <a href="http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/angel.html">ChristianAnswers</a>. Specifically, to save the Trinity and accept Paul's claim that God could be less than eternal and Jesus be a created being, Christian Answers contends all is reconciled if we conclude Jesus was an "Angel of the Lord" mentioned at Gen. 18:2 and Joshua 5:13,15. <em>Id. </em> But an angel is not the same as God, and this is not a proper Trinitarian defense.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">C. Solution #3: Try To Ignore The Greek Word Means 'First-Born'</span></strong></p>
<p>Finally, there are Trinitarians today when faced with Col. 1:15 who are unable to stomach the Angel-solution or the self-delusion that an "eternal Son" is consistent with a "begotten" son. So they respond that<strong><em> no one can believe Paul means what he says</em></strong> in Col. 1:15. Mr. Wachtel, in the article previously cited, says: "This writer questions seriously, however, whether any such ideas were in Paul’s mind or<strong><em> in God’s inspiration through the Spirit</em></strong> upon Paul’s writing of Scripture." (Wachtel, <em>i<a href="http://focusonthekingdom.org/articles/colossians.htm">d.</a>) </em></p>
<p><em></em>In this, you hear the primary reasoning: such an idea heretical to Trinitarianism cannot truly be the words of an inspired man, and thus, presupposing Paul is inspired, Paul then cannot possibly mean what (a) Tertullian, the first Trinitarian thought Paul meant in 205 A.D.; or (b) what Arius said Paul meant in 306 A.D. but was not competently refuted at Nicea in 325 A.D.</p>
<p>Then Mr. Wachtel hunts for wiggle room to escape Paul being a rank heretic to trinitarianians. But he admits the Greek ordinarily does mean 'first born' in the word at issue in Col. 1:15:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Let us begin by examining the word translated “firstborn”- <em>prototokos</em>. This word is used a number of times in Scripture, often to designate the child born first in a family. When Esau came to his father Isaac to receive the blessing that was due him, he pleaded the fact that he was Isaac’s firstborn — his<em> prototokos</em> (Gen. 27:32 LXX). Jacob, the second born son, had already deceived his father and received the blessing intended for Esau. The custom of conferring special privileges or a major inheritance on the firstborn son is not only seen in the Bible, but also in the later laws of “primogeniture” in England and other countries, awarding the family inheritance to the eldest son.</p>
<p>Mr. Wachtel makes an argument that <em>prototokos</em> has a figurative meaning "first" or "chief position." To this end he cites as proof that <em>protos</em> means first. However, he <strong><em>omits</em></strong> that <em><a href="http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/toko-">tokos</a></em> means "childbirth." Hence, to read the word <em>prototokos</em> by <strong><em>severing its prefix from its second half</em></strong> -- "childbirth" -- is <strong>clearly dilution</strong>. Then Wachtel cites two verses where <em>protokos</em> is translated as "first born" but he contends should mean "first" or "chief position" because (a) Israel (a nation which did not experience 'childbirth') is called <em>protokos</em> in Ex. 4:22 and (b) Ephraim is called <em>protokos</em> even though Manasseh is the older son. Jer. 31:9.</p>
<p>But neither claim has merit in context. In Ex. 4:22, we read: “This is what YHWH says: Israel is my <strong><em>firstborn son</em></strong>. . . . Let my son go, so he may worship me.” This means Israel is a figurative firstborn, but it does not mean Israel is only in "chief" position or "first" position. (In fact, if Israel is God's "firstborn son," and Paul teaches Jesus is God's "firstborn son," then we have another contradiction of Paul and an inspired prophet. Another oops!) And Manasseh sold his birthright, and hence Ephraim was now legally first-born. Thus, these examples do not help salvage Paul.</p>
<p>No, the truth is Paul depicted Jesus as the "first-born of all creation," and hence <strong><em>as a non-eternal being</em></strong>. By definition, Paul's usage means Jesus could not be actually God in contravention of Trinitarian belief. Jesus would have to be another being from God -- perhaps one that God made His "equal" in God's prerogative. (Paul indeed had this view, as Phil. 2:6 and 2:7 proves. See <em>infra</em>.) This is why Paul unquestionably is the direct progenitor of Arius' similar view of 306 A.D. which was condemned ultimately by the victorious Bi-deity party of 325 A.D.</p>
<p>Thus, from a 381 AD-Trinitarian perspective, <strong><em>if you are one</em></strong>, then you must reject Paul had inspiration in these remarks. However, if you are a Unitarian, you too must reject Paul as inspired as Paul imagines a non-eternal "first born" of God who was the "creator of all things" (except himself) when you believe God alone was the creator based upon Isaiah 44:24 where God says that no one but Himself created everything. (Again, because I don't believe Paul is inspired at all, I have no such problem.)</p>
<p>The next verse from Paul which we discuss involves Paul again repeating Jesus is a separate but equal being from God, but this time with even stranger ideas about Jesus.</p>
<h3><strong>4. Philippians Chapter Two: A Being With Equality to God Emptying Himself</strong></h3>
<p>In Philippians, Paul depicts Jesus as in heaven before incarnation and is equal to God, but then empties himself of Godhood to come to Earth in the "likeness of men." What the King James translates "made himself of no reputation" is the Greek word for "emptied." It is from the Greek word <em>kenosis</em>, meaning "to empty."</p>
<p>Many translations obscure Paul's words because they know the literal text is so problematical -- even pagan in concept. However, we must restore the original meaning for <em>kenosis</em> by a proper translation as a means of weighing Paul's validity. Here is the King James but with the correction of the erroneous translation placed in brackets:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:<br /> 6 Who, being <em><strong>in the form of God</strong></em>, thought it not robbery to be <em><strong>equal with God</strong></em>:<br /> 7 But made himself of no reputation [<em>i.e.</em>,“<em><strong>emptied” (Greek ekeno-sen) himself</strong></em>], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the <em><strong>likeness of men</strong></em>:<br /> 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.<br /> 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:<br /> 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;<br /> 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philipians ch. 2 KJV.)</p>
<p>Even the KJV is embarassed at what it is reading in the underlying original Greek. It tries a deliberate gloss to save our modern ears from being aware what Paul is truly saying. The KJV glosses over the true language, claiming Paul said Jesus "made himself of no reputation" -- a <em><strong>complete and utter distortion</strong></em> in place of the single word in Greek which simply means "emptied."</p>
<p>The Greek word <em>kenoo</em> literally means “to empty; to make empty; or to make vain or void.” Jesus did not make himself vain or void. When you compare verse 6 against verse 7, the only meaning that makes sense is he "<em><strong>emptied himself</strong></em>." Verse 6 says Jesus began as one "equal with God." Verse 7 says he ended up in the "form of a servant and made in the likeness of men." The transitional activity is the Greek verb "<em>kenoo</em>" -- and must mean "emptied himself." This accomplished the transition from one "equal with God" in heaven to one who was now made in the "likeness of men."</p>
<p>Calvin in the 1500s saw Paul's words exactly the same way as I read them -- as signifying a pre-existent Being who was God (or God's equal, to hew closer to Paul's words) who then "emptied himself," and changed into a servant. Calvin wrote:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">In order to exhort us to submission by His example, he shows, that <em><strong>when as God </strong></em>he might have displayed to the world the brightness of His glory, <em><strong>he gave up His right</strong></em>, and voluntarily <em><strong>emptied Himself</strong></em>; that he <em><strong>assumed the form of a servant</strong></em> .... (John Calvin, <em>Institutes of the Christian Religion</em>, Book 2, Chapter 13, pt.2.)</p>
<p>We will now show how this contradicts the Bible's claim of the complete indwelling of Jesus by the Word and the Father. (See below <em>Analysis of Paul's Doctrine of Kenosis</em>.) Jesus was not a mere empty shell after the Word entered Him.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">A. Analysis of Paul's Doctrine of Kenosis</span></strong></p>
<p>What we explored so far about a pre-existent being emptying himself of godhood is known in theological discussions as Paul's doctrine of <em>kenosis</em>.</p>
<p>In Greek, <em>kenos</em> means <em>empty</em>, and <em>kenosis</em> means <em>emptying</em>. Paul's words in Philippians <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a> are altered in some translations so as to obscure what he truly is saying. The NIV has Paul say Jesus "made himself nothing." But the NRSV correctly has it "he emptied himself." The correct wording was around alot longer than the modern efforts to obscure it. This doctrine in Christian theology goes back a long time, and is aptly summarized in this Wikipedia article entitled <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenosis">Kenosis</a>:</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The <em><strong>doctrine of Kenosis</strong></em> attempts to explain what the Son of God chose to give up in terms of his <em><strong>divine attributes</strong></em>, in order to assume human nature. Since the incarnate Jesus is simultaneously fully human and fully divine, Kenosis holds that these changes were temporarily assumed by God in his incarnation, and that when Jesus ascended back into heaven following the resurrection, he fully reassumed all of his original attributes and divinity.</p>
<p>This means that those literally reading Paul assume Paul referred to the Son of God in a pre-existent  form distinct from God-the-Father. Yet, this Son of God was supposedly still God while distinct from God-the-Father. The Arians in 306 AD were claiming Jesus was "begotten," and thus not eternal, and hence he could not be God. To counter this, the embattled Roman Catholic church deduced Paul meant Jesus was an "<em><strong>eternal Son of God.</strong></em>" (As demonstrated above, they used the specious notion of 'continual begetting' to ignore Col. 1:15 which incongruously said Jesus was the "first born of creation" which supported Arianism.) This explains why the Athanasian Creed in the 800s required Christians to affirm Jesus was the "<em><strong>eternal</strong></em> Son of God". (<em>DCMS </em>at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=MlPrYQ5srKEC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=did%20calvin%20murder%20servetus&amp;pg=PA369">369</a>.) This "eternal" sonhood claim first arose in 306 A.D. to battle the Arian heresy that held Christ was not an eternal being. <em>Id</em>., at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=MlPrYQ5srKEC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=did%20calvin%20murder%20servetus&amp;pg=PA221">221</a>.</p>
<p>Clearly, any logical analysis proves Paul conceived that prior to the Incarnation there were two beings distinct from one another. One was God and then God created a second being who was "equal to God." Paul did not expressly say Jesus was the pre-existent Son of God, but this is HOW theologians tried to identify later who Paul was describing as a pre-existent being distinct from the Father and created by the Father. It is Colossians 1:15-16 that helps confirm this interpretation.<em><strong> Paul says Jesus was God's first creation</strong></em>, and then Jesus in turn created everything else. Hence, Paul probably meant in Phil. 2:7 that Jesus was Son of God before his human birth and had an "equality with God," but then emptied himself of those attributes that made Him have an "equality with God" so as to take on the "likeness" of human flesh.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">B. RCC Recently Confessed This Christological Error in Paul's Kenosis Doctrine</span></strong></p>
<p>While we Protestants skirted the kenosis doctrine of Paul by changing the translation, Roman Catholics never did and thus had to live with it. Until 1951, it was a firm rubric of their doctrine. But in 1951, they shook off Paul by claiming the prior interpretation "of Paul" was wrong.</p>
<p>Thus, the Roman Catholic Church since 1951 now affirms that John 1:1 is true, and that Paul's kenosis conception in Philippians <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a>, as previously traditionally understood, is now to be rejected as a "rash and false understanding." In other words, the RCC now realizes Paul's words contradict John 1:1, and the "Word was God...and the Word was made flesh," but they try to avoid saying Paul was wrong. Instead, those who thought Paul taught <em>kenosis</em> are supposedly now wrong in so interpreting Paul as teaching <em>kenosis</em>. (This avoids a direct attack on Paul himself.) So in 1951, Pope Pius XII wrote <em>Sempiternus Rex Christus</em> in which he said some 'misunderstand' Paul in Philippians <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a>, and we cannot allow that to destroy the message of John 1:1.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">There is another enemy of the faith of Chalcedon, widely diffused outside the fold of the Catholic religion. This is an opinion for which a<strong><em> rashly and falsely understood sentence of St. Paul's</em></strong> Epistle to the Philippians (ii, 7), supplies a basis and a shape. This is called the <strong>kenotic doctrine</strong>, and according to it, they<em><strong> imagine that the divinity was taken away from the Word in Christ</strong></em>. It is a <strong><em>wicked invention</em></strong>, equally to be condemned with...Docetism....(Ep. xxviii, 3. PL. Liv, 763. Cf. Serm. xxiii, 2. PL. lvi, 201)(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenosis">Wikipedia</a>)</p>
<p>But saying it is not so does not make it so. The pope's insistence does not change the facts. Paul does mean that the "first born of creation" (Col. 1:15) who in turn created everything then "emptied himself," not counting "equality with God" to be a thing to be held onto and came to Earth (Phil.<a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-6.htm">2:6</a>, <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a>.) The pope is right that this contradicts John 1:1 and thus is a "wicked invention." But it is not the fault of those reading Paul. It is the fault of Paul himself.</p>
<h3>5. Another Dilemma For Trinitarians and Oneness Christians: 1 Cor. 15:28</h3>
<p>Jason Dulle, a oneness Pentecostal, in "<a href="http://www.onenesspentecostal.com/bodiesheaven.htm">Heavenly or Earthly Bodies</a>" (accessed 7/11/2010) writes:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The exact meaning of <em><strong>I Corinthians 15:28</strong></em> which speaks of a time when the Son is subject to the Father so that God may be all in all is a very tough verse indeed; a verse which is <strong><em>difficult for both Trinitarian and Oneness theology alike</em></strong>.</p>
<p>If you are a oneness / unitarian Christian or trinitarian and believe Paul is inspired, this is another verse that will throw you for a loop. You would have to face the fact that Paul says that despite the Ascension Jesus remains in an inferior position to God the Father forever, and Paul expressly says "God"  is <em><strong>not subject </strong></em>to Jesus, clearly signifying that Paul did not regard Jesus as God. Trinitarians' beliefs are smashed by Paul. Likewise, for oneness parties, God therefore could not fully indwell Jesus and be "one" with Him if an<em><strong> inequality persists</strong></em> even now in heaven.</p>
<p>Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:28: "And when all things shall be subdued unto him [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus], then shall the Son also himself<strong><em> be subject unto him [i.e., God the Father] </em></strong>that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." This is in accord with 1 Cor. 15:24: "Then the end will come, when he [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus] hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power." (NIV) And verse 28 is led into by this clarifying verse: "Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this <strong><em>does not include God himself</em></strong>, who put everything under Christ." (1 Cor. <a href="http://biblos.com/1_corinthians/15-27.htm">15:27</a>.)</p>
<h3>a) First, Paul Says The Ascended Jesus Is Not God</h3>
<p>Thus, for a trinitarian who accepts Paul, Paul just said Jesus is NOT God. For Paul said Jesus is "subject" to God the Father, but when Paul says "everything" is put under Jesus, Paul clarifies that he does not mean "God" is also "under Christ." Paul's precise words were "this does<strong><em> not include God himself</em></strong> who put everything under Christ." Then in verse 28 Paul clearly says, in effect, Jesus will never resume an equality with God after the Ascension although when Jesus supposedly left heaven, Jesus had it. Jesus will be forever the Son subject to God the Father in heaven.</p>
<p>Highly authoritative mainstream Protestant sources have faced up to 1 Cor. 15:28. They have seen Paul's implication is necessarily that Jesus is not God and these same authoritative sources clearly imply Paul's lessons prove trinitarianism is false.</p>
<p>James D.G. Dunn says this. He is without question one of the most significant New Testament scholars of the last 50 years. In 2010, Dunn says 1 Cor. 15:24-28 proves Paul did not view Jesus as God. Dunn explains that in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 Paul is particularly clear that "the <em>kyrios</em> title [rendered as 'Lord'] is not so much a way of <em>identifying</em> Jesus with God, as a way of <em>distinguishing</em> Jesus from God." (Dunn, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Did-First-Christians-Worship-Jesus/dp/0664231969?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=jamefmcgrshom-20&amp;link_code=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969"><em>Did the First Christians Worship Jesus?: The New Testament Evidence</em></a><img width="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=jamefmcgrshom-20&amp;l=btl&amp;camp=213689&amp;creative=392969&amp;o=1&amp;a=0664231969" height="1" border="0" /> (SPCK/Westminster John Knox, 2010) at <a href="http://exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com/2010/06/james-d-g-dunn-did-first-christians.html">110</a>); James Dunn, <em>Unity and Diversity</em> (SCM Press, 1990) at 53 (same words).</p>
<p>Similarly, Colin Brown, DD, University of Nottingham; PhD, University of Bristol and Professor of Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, edited a translation of the classic Protestant text abbreviated as DNTT. Zondervan markets it currently under the title <em>The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology</em> (Colin Brown, ed.)(Paternoster Press, 1976) (first released 1932). This famous and highly <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-International-Dictionary-Testament-Theology/dp/085364425X">authoritative</a> text comments on the meaning of 1 Cor. 15:28, saying -- as clear as can be tolerated by the Trinitarian mainstream -- that the Trinity doctrine of 381 AD is contradicted by Paul:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Jesus Christ does <strong><em>not usurp the place of God</em></strong>. His oneness with the Father does <strong><em>not mean absolute identity</em></strong>. After his completion of his work on earth he has indeed been raised to the right hand of God and invested with the honor of the heavenly Lord. But <strong><em>he is still not made equal to God</em></strong>. Although completely coordinated with God, he <strong><em>remains subordinate to Him</em></strong> (cf. <strong><em>1 Cor. 15:28</em></strong>.). <em>Id.</em>, Vol. 2 at 80. [See <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KYktt_ZiTGcC&amp;lpg=PA340&amp;dq=Although%20completely%20coordinated%20with%20God%2C%20he%20remains%20subordinate%20to%20Him&amp;pg=PA339">paraphrasing in this source </a>.]</p>
<p>This classic Protestant treatise, while not expressly disavowing the Trinity (as explained in 381 AD), then comments on the historical short-comings of the 381 AD-Trinity doctrine: "Primitive Christianity did<strong><em> not have an explicit doctrine of the Trinity</em></strong> such as was subsequently elaborated in the creeds." In other words, Paul did not share a Trinitarian conception as later arose.</p>
<p>Obviously, the DNTT realized that Paul's views in 1 Cor. 15:28 were at odds with the later Trinity doctrine, thus suggesting that to those who accept Paul as inspired, the Trinity doctrine must be regarded as an unwarranted later claim.</p>
<p>So there you have it -- the famous DNTT based upon Paul says Jesus does not have an "absolute identity" with God, and is "not made equal to God" and "remains subordinated" to God. But Trinitarians of the 381 AD mold insist "He was in the form of God and <strong><em>equal to God</em></strong>." (Christopher Wordsworth <em>The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ</em> (1859) Volume 3 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=JeIPAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Jesus%20Christ%20does%20not%20usurp%20the%20place%20of%20God.&amp;pg=PA341#v=onepage&amp;q=Jesus%20Christ%20does%20not%20usurp%20the%20place%20of%20God.&amp;f=false">341</a>.)</p>
<p>Who is right, Trinity doctrine from 381 AD or Paul in 1 Cor. 15:28 (or some other view)?</p>
<h3>b) Paul Also Says The Ascended Jesus Is Subordinate To God, Not An Equal</h3>
<p>Similarly, Paul also violates the Trinitarian doctrine of 381 AD that says Jesus in heaven is equal to God, and not subordinate. (Kevin Giles, <em>Jesus and the Father: modern evangelicals reinvent the doctrine of the Trinity</em> (2006) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ACwJIt_bpn4C&amp;lpg=PA159&amp;dq=calvin%20christ%20inferior%20father&amp;pg=PA160">160</a>.)</p>
<p>For Paul instead clearly says in the end God will "subject" Jesus to Himself, and if we are subject to Jesus, then God will thereby have put all things under Himself though Jesus. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:28 then clearly says Jesus is eternally subordinate to the Father: "And when all things shall be subdued unto him [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus], then shall the Son<strong><em> also himself</em></strong><strong><strong><em> be subject unto him</em></strong> [i.e., God the Father] </strong>that put all things under him, that God may be all in all."</p>
<p>Calvin who otherwise tried to say Jesus and the Father are equal in heaven (Giles, <em>id</em>. at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ACwJIt_bpn4C&amp;lpg=PA159&amp;dq=calvin%20christ%20inferior%20father&amp;pg=PA164#v=onepage&amp;q=calvin%20christ%20inferior%20father&amp;f=false">164</a>) admitted Paul's words clearly speak otherwise in 1 Corinthians 15 as the final eternal state of the Kingdom. Calvin wrote: "the Father has given all things into the hands of his Son in such a way to <strong><em>retain the principal right</em></strong> in his own hands." When the end comes, and Jesus has "subjected all things to himself, then shall the Son<strong><em> subject himself to the Father</em></strong>." (Calvin, <em>Bible Commentaries, Corinthians</em> (1847) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=rOf9Y7HMnYUC&amp;lpg=PA17&amp;dq=calvin%20christ%20inferior%20father&amp;pg=PA20#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">20</a>.) Jesus will act as the Father's "Vice-regent." (<em>Id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=rOf9Y7HMnYUC&amp;lpg=PA17&amp;dq=calvin%20christ%20inferior%20father&amp;pg=PA21#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">21</a>.)</p>
<p>But in the <em>Institutes</em>, Calvin clearly says the very same teaching he found in Paul (without mentioning Paul) of a<strong><em> begotten</em></strong> divine essence in Jesus would be a "detestable figment," as though the Father were the "author of the Deity of the Son." Calvin then states: "If they admit that the Son is God, but<strong><em> </em></strong><span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>inferior </em></strong></span><strong><em>to the </em></strong><span class="gstxt_hlt"><strong><em>Father</em></strong></span><span class="gstxt_hlt">, </span>then in him the essence must be begotten and created, which in the <span class="gstxt_hlt">Father </span>is unbegotten and uncreated." — <span>John </span><span class="gstxt_hlt"><span>Calvin </span></span>: <em>Institutes of the Christian Religion, </em>book i. chap. xiii. 23, 24. In other words, if Jesus were truly begotten by God rather than an eternal Son (as Calvin contended in his battle with Servetus) and Jesus were truly inferior to God, then Jesus could not be God because God is unbegotten and uncreated.</p>
<p>Hence, Calvin said if Jesus is truly inferior to the Father and begotten, Jesus cannot be God.</p>
<p>Yet, didn't Calvin say Paul spoke this way about Jesus Christ in 1 Cor. 15:27-28 in the quote we gave above from Calvin's commentary on Corinthians? Where the Father retains His "principal right" and makes Jesus "subject" to the Father forever? Of course, that is precisely what Calvin saw in 1 Cor. 15:28 but in the <em>Institutes</em> Calvin admits this view (which we proved Calvin said belongs to Paul) is a contradiction of an equality of Deity between the Son and Father.</p>
<p>So we must ask: where is the supposed equality and non-subordination and consequent divinity of Christ in standard Trinitarian beliefs (from 381 AD) if you regard Paul as inspired? Paul completely controverts standard Trinitarian doctrine.</p>
<h3>c) Coping Mechanisms With Paul's Heresy From These Standard Views</h3>
<p>How can any of these two beliefs -- Trinitarianism of the 381 AD mold and Oneness-Unitarianism -- survive the words of Paul in 1 Cor. 15? I don't know but I do not take Paul as inspired, so <strong><em>I have no such problem</em></strong>! I trust whatever Jesus said about His nature, and I rely upon no one else's opinion. (On what Jesus says about His divine nature, see this <a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">link</a>.)</p>
<p>The only way to cope that traditional Trinitarians have tried is to engage in obscuring the problem of Paul. They do this by distancing Paul as the source of any problem. For example Douglas Webster in <em>A Passion for Christ: An Evangelical Christology</em> (Regent College, 2001) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=oJPzFFtYZ2gC&amp;lpg=PA84&amp;dq=arius%20col.%201%3A15&amp;pg=PA84#v=onepage&amp;q=arius%20col.%201:15&amp;f=false">84</a> says of Bishop Arius of 306 A.D.:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">His teaching [that the Son was ontologically inferior to the Father] was a product of Greek rationalism, combined with the teachings of Origen.</p>
<p>No, that is false. Arius cited directly the words of Paul in 1 Cor. 15:27-28 and Col. 1:15 which says precisely this. Webster is deluding himself to avoid the fact that Paul is Arius's source and is properly being read by Arius. The fact Origen read Paul the same way does not make Origen the source of the idea.</p>
<p>Others simply affirm a self-contradiction, and pretend there is not one. The <em>New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge</em> says: "The subordination of the Son...to the Father is a voluntary though evidently permanent relationship that <strong><em>does not detract or deny the equal deity of the Son</em></strong>...."<em> </em></p>
<p>But saying it is so does not make it so. As Calvin said, if God has two modes of being, they<strong><em> cannot be unequal to each other</em></strong>; one cannot be superior to the other because they are the same. To accept subordination of Jesus to God, as Paul expresses the relationship (not Jesus to the Father), destroys any notion of Jesus's deity as Trinitarianism asserts.</p>
<p>To repeat, the better solution for a Trinitarian is my solution. Stop viewing Paul as inspired. Then look for what Jesus says about Himself to properly understand Jesus's Divinity. (On my view of a correct Christology, see this<a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html"> link</a>.)</p>
<h3>6. Docetic Aspect of Paul's Statement in Philippians 2:7</h3>
<p>Incidentally, but not without extreme importance, in this Philippians passage, Paul does not say Jesus had human flesh, but only that Jesus appeared that way. MacFarland amplifies this, commenting on the passage: "However, it is important to note that Jesus 'was made' in the<em><strong> likeness of men</strong></em>; the LORD God actively made Jesus to<em><strong> resemble human beings</strong></em>." (MacFarland, <a href="http://www.guidedbiblestudies.com/applications/50_002.html">Becker Bible Studies Application</a>.)</p>
<p>Why is a comment on this part of Philippians <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a> so important? Because this is another incongruous Christological statement by Paul. John is clear that the "Word <em><strong>became flesh</strong>;</em>." Jesus was fully human, and did <em><strong>not merely appear</strong></em> to have human flesh as Paul states.</p>
<p>In sum, Paul has a view of Jesus's pre-existent "equality with God" which Jesus gave up to come to Earth and while here, Paul says Jesus only appeared to be human because Paul believes Jesus was a pre-existent being equal to God who now existed without Godhood on Earth.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2></h2>
<h3>A. Danger of Docetism</h3>
<p>Why is docetism so dangerous? Because it undermines the gospel. The truth is Jesus had no special flesh that prevented him from sinning or suffering. Jesus could "feel our infirmities" and thus was "tempted in the same way we are." (Hebrews 4:15.) (Barnabas is the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. See this <a href="/Bible/authorship-of-hebrews.html">link</a>.)</p>
<p>Jesus thus had to resist sin the same way we all have to, including the temptation not to go to the Cross. His advantage was He had the <em><strong>Word indwelling Him which gave Him perfect knowledge how to avoid sin</strong></em>. Thus Jesus's triumph over sin is an example that encourages us to follow if we can incorporate the Word Jesus shared with us, and we abide in Jesus as He abided in the Father. (John ch. 14.)</p>
<p>To say Jesus only appeared to have human flesh undermines the importance of making Jesus's words "abiding in us and we abide in" Jesus (John 14). This abiding is one key to us replicating Jesus' righteous behavior. We are supposed to follow His example of righteousness by His having the Word in himself. By our adopting Jesus's teachings (which came from the unique Word's presence in Him), then this gives us the "power" to "become sons of God" (John ch. 1). The notion that Jesus passed all tests because <em><strong>He had a flesh that could not be tempted or suffer is what docetism fosters, and makes it so inimical to accepting the true principles of salvation</strong></em>. Actual righteousness is not just for Jesus, as so many Christians believe today.</p>
<p>The great harm from Paul's ideas first manifested itself in the 300s and beyond. They developed clearly docetic views of Jesus' flesh. Jerome from the 400s commented on Matthew 26 that it was ridiculous to think Jesus "was afraid of death" or "spoke in terror about the passion" (Jerome, <em>In Matthaeum</em> Bk. IV ch. 26:39.) Likewise, Hilary in <em>On The Trinity</em> (386 AD) said "<strong><em>No more in the passion did the flesh of Christ feel pain </em></strong>than if you were to wound fire or water with a sword." (Hilary, <em>De Trinitate</em> Bk. 9: 56 and Bk. 10:23.) This creates a false sense that Jesus never had a hard time resisting sin, or was ever concerned about the pain of the Cross. Without Paul weighing us in the opposite direction that Jesus merely had the "likeness of men," the Gospels are clear that the contrary is true. The Word was "made flesh." (John 1:14.) Sweet and simple.</p>
<h2><strong>Freightening Summary Of What Paul Taught</strong></h2>
<p>In sum, Paul gave us a conception of two beings in Heaven before Christ came --- one was God and the other had an "equality with God." Paul says Jesus had an "equality with God" but himself was created by God as the "<strong><em>first born</em></strong> of creation." (Col. 1:15.) This non-eternal Son while "equal to God" (although not eternal) supposedly also was the creator of everything else. (Col. 1:16.) Hence, a non-eternal being, as Paul depicts Christ, was the Creator of the heavens and earth including Man. After doing so, this Son then emptied himself of godhood, and supposedly came to Earth in the "likeness of men." (Phil.<a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7</a>.)</p>
<p>According to Paul, the emptied shallowed-out previously equal-to-God Son --- Jesus --- only became equal to the God-of-Sinai again at some point prior to His death.  His death then symbolized the death of the husband to Israel (<em>i.e.</em>, Yahweh), thus dissolving the Law between the husband-God and his wife. (Romans 7:1-7.) Then when Jesus resurrected, Jesus was a different husband than the husband-God at Sinai (<em>i.e.</em>, Yahweh) and no longer required obedience to the Law given Moses. (See Romans 7, discussed at this <a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html">link</a>.)</p>
<p>Was Marcion so wrong to infer from Paul that the resurrected Jesus represented a new loving God-the-Father of the NT in place of the creator but supposedly uniquely harsh God of the OT? (For more on Marcionism, see our<a href="/Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html"> webpage</a> on that movement.)</p>
<p>Further, Paul's ideas that Jesus only came in the appearance of men in Phil. <a href="http://bible.cc/philippians/2-7.htm">2:7 </a>spawned Marcion in 144 A.D. to teach docetism. Apostle John in the Epistle of 2nd John condemned docetism as from the anti-Christ (<em>i.e.</em>, Satan, in my view).</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Many deceivers, who do <em><strong>not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in human flesh</strong> </em>[Greek, <em>sarx</em>, human flesh], have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist." (2 John 1:7.)</p>
<p>Hence, Paul's teachings that Jesus only came in the "likeness of men" and not true flesh spawned the most dangerous doctrines in the church.</p>
<h3>Email Comments</h3>
<p><span>"I found your article about Paul to be very interesting and thought-provoking." (May 24, 2011, Sea Hawk Fan.)</span></p>
<h2>Study Notes</h2>
<p>Servetus (a modern individual) has an article entitled the "Christology of Paul" which is interesting. See this link: <a href="http://servetustheevangelical.com/doc/What_Was_the_Paul's_Christology.pdf">http://servetustheevangelical.com/doc/What_Was_the_Paul's_Christology.pdf</a></p>
<p>The Jewish Encyclopedia's article on Paul criticizes Paul's Christology because it goes beyond what Jesus says -- which "Judeao-Christians" can accept -- namely Jesus atoned for sin. Paul goes further, and says Jesus was the "world's artificer," taking from God an attribute monotheism gives only to God. And then says Paul interjects the pagan concepts of a divinity emptying itself to become earthbound and die for its creation to reconcile it to himself. For further discussion, see our Page "<a href="/JWO/jewish-view-of-pauls-doctrine.html">Jewish View of Paul</a>."</p>
<h2>Tron</h2>
<p>It is interesting to note that in Tron, the Disney Movie from 2010, the Father -- Flynn -- has to die in his 'grid' world within computers, to let his son Sam live by resurrecting on a beam of light out of the grid. The creator Flynn acknowledges to his nemesis -- a Satan figure -- Clue -- who has almost the idenitcal glory as the creator -- that Flynn desired perfection but He, Flynn, "did not know the unknowable" and hence the creator was flawed. So the movie ends with the Father Creator dying and His son resurrecting out, while simultaneously the Father's death enables the death of the nemesis -the Satan figure.</p>
<p>Whether this was consciously done to simulate the gnostic myth taught by Paul in Romans 7:1-7, it comes very close. And it shows you the power of the idea of a father God who dies and a son who lives. Paul's mythology of Yahweh and Yashua in Romans 7:1-7 lives on so that a movie like Tron can even be recognized for these elements, and Christians glory in a subtle allegory to the 'Christian' (sic: Pauline) view of God.</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 940407<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

453
Recommended-Reading/idolatry-worshipping-a-man.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,453 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/idolatry-worshipping-a-man.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Idolatry Worshipping a Man | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p style="text-align: right;">"Jesus' proclamation of the Way of the Cross has been replaced by Paul's proclamation of the Cross." <em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Prof. Bauman (1985)<br /></em></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 3181" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "3181") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
Home</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Worshipping A Man versus Worshipping God Indwelling A Man</h2>
<p>The question posed here is whether worshiping Jesus<em><strong> as God</strong></em> is proper if Jesus is a man<strong><em> indwelled by God</em></strong> (and hence divine) instead of <em>identical</em> to God. I have collected a thought-provoking article below from another whom I quote below.</p>
<p>Now, I contend Jesus is divine because indwelled fully by the Shekinah presence of God, as Jesus and Apostle John stated. See "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">Correct Christology</a>." I believe we can worship at Jesus' feet even as the Son of Man is said to be worshipped in Daniel 7:13 even though a man, but I believe the rationale is He comes with the full "glory" of God on the clouds as He comes to earth. Or because Jesus is a King -- the King appointed by God.</p>
<p>Thus, first, Jesus had the glory known as the Shekinah Glory/Presence of God. The Shekinah is also called the Divinity of God. For the same reason, because Jesus was the "Son of Man" (same name as in Daniel) and Jesus said the Father dwelled in Him and Apostle John says the "Word (God) was made flesh," we can fall in homage at Jesus's feet. But it is not because the human being Jesus 'is' God but because<em><strong> God is in Him</strong></em>. If we <em><strong>misidentify Jesus the Man as God rather than indwelled by God</strong></em>, can we thus commit idolatry? That is, if we mistake Jesus' divinity is not from the "indwelling" of the Father as He spoke (John 14) but from a 100% identity as "God" apart from the Father, can we commit the sin of Idolatry?</p>
<p>Also, the Bible gives examples of the worship of a king as normal.  The action of bowing down in front of a King was indeed common usage in Israel, as the following verse show: 1 Samuel 24:8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground</p>
<p>I think the discussion below by Katjonjj should make us concerned to not put Jesus in front of God the Father on false pretenses that they are identical. We can only worship Jesus because either the Father and His glory dwells fully in Jesus in a unique way (making them one in spirit) that will never be true of another or because Jesus is the king God appointed over us. That's my thought. Any comments? Corrections?</p>
<h3>Is Worshipping Jesus The Man Idolatry?</h3>
<p>Katjonjj makes an interesting argument in <a href="http://www.city-data.com/forum/christianity/995258-worshipping-jesus-man-idolatry.html">Is Worshipping Jesus The Man Idolatry?</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Idolatry defined:<br />Easton's Bible DictionaryImage-worship or divine honour paid to <em><strong>any created object</strong></em>. Paul describes the origin of idolatry in <a target="_blank" href="http://bible.cc/romans/1-21.htm" rel="nofollow">Romans 1:21</a>-25: men forsook God, and sank into ignorance and moral corruption (<a target="_blank" href="http://bible.cc/romans/1-28.htm" rel="nofollow">1:28</a>).<br />The forms of idolatry are, <br />(1.) Fetishism, or the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc.<br />(2.) Nature worship, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as the supposed powers of nature.<br />(3.) Hero worship, the worship of deceased ancestors, or of heroes.<br /><a target="_blank" href="http://eastonsbibledictionary.com/search--idolatry" rel="nofollow">Bible Dictionary: Idolatry</a><br /><br />How sure are you that Jesus is God? If you are sure then why is his human name (Jesus) used in worship? Are you worshiping a created being or God? <br /><br />It is clear in the bible that Jesus was a man.... how clear is it that he is God?<br /><br />If you use the name Jesus isn't that the name of the man and therefore you are worshipping the man and not God?<br /><br />I am curious to find out how strong people's convictions are about the nature of Jesus....<br /><br />Also, if Jesus is God why pray or worship Jesus by name.. why not simply pray to/worship God? Isn't that the same thing?</p>
<span><br /><br /></span>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 917365<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

541
Recommended-Reading/kierkegaard.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,541 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/kierkegaard.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Kierkegaard | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"Jesus said 'A disciple is not above his teacher.' (Matt. 10:24.) Yet<em><strong> we make Paul, the disciple, greater than the teacher</strong></em>." (Bercot, <em>Common Sense</em>, 1992)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 6625" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "6625") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Kierkegaard on "Apostle Paul"</h2>
<h3>1. Protestantism is Paulinism In Mitigation of True Christianity (A Lutheran-trained Seeks Reform)</h3>
<p>"<em><strong>Protestantism</strong></em> is altogether untenable. It is a revolution brought on by <em><strong>proclaiming 'the Apostle Paul' at the expense of the Master (Christ)</strong></em>. If there is to be any question of retaining Protestantism...we confess that this teaching is <em><strong>a mitigation of Christianity</strong></em> which we humans have allowed ourselves, <strong>appealing to God to put up with it</strong>. And instead Protestantism is blazoned forth as an advance in Christianity! No, it is perhaps the most profound concession to the numerical...this numerality that wants to be Christian but <strong><em>wants rid of ideality or to have it downgraded</em></strong>, and insists upon being such and such a number." (Kierkegaard, <em>Papers and Journals</em> (1996) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=nuSmfkxkAWMC&amp;lpg=PA629&amp;ots=noBGnu5WM1&amp;dq=kierkegaard%20%20apostle'%20(Paul)%20at%20the%20expense%20of%20the%20Master&amp;pg=PA629#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 629</a> -- books.google link to original.)</p>
<p>"[I]t is of great importance, especially in <em><strong>Protestantism</strong></em>, to correct the enormous confusion Luther caused by inverting the relation and <em><strong>actually criticizing Christ by means of Paul, the Master by means of a follower</strong></em>." (Kierkegaard, "My Task" (1855)," in<em>The Essential Kierkegaard</em> (ed. Edward H. &amp; Edna Hong)(Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000) at 446 fn.)(You can find this quote also at <em>Kierkegaard's Attack</em> <em>Upon Christendom 1845-1855 </em>(ed. Walter Lowrie)(Princeton University Press, 1968) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZRU3WZCV51gC">283</a>. Page 283 is outside the viewable range of books.google unless you do a word search, and you will then see the quote come up.)</p>
<p>"As early as the Apostle [Paul], <em>the scaling down process begins</em>, and it seems as if the natural man gets off a little easier in becoming a Christian....[N]owadays whole countries and kingdoms are called Christian, and millions of natural men are disguised as Christians." (<em>Journals</em> 3:2921 quoted in David McCracken, <em>The Scandal of the Gospels: Jesus, Story, and Offense</em> (1994) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=d4bXRUIbHjQC&amp;lpg=PA65&amp;dq=kierkegaard%20apostle%20paul&amp;lr&amp;pg=PA65#v=onepage&amp;q=kierkegaard%20apostle%20paul&amp;f=false"> 65</a> -books.google.)</p>
<p>"Only the God-man [<em>i.e.</em>, Jesus] would be able to endure...the propogation of the doctrine by proclaimnig it, even if he did not gain one single follower. The <em><strong>apostle [Paul] still has some selfish urge fo</strong></em><em><strong>r</strong></em> the alleviation, <em><strong>aquiring adherents</strong></em>, become many, something the <em><strong>God-man does not</strong></em> have [to do]. He does not <em><strong>selfishly crave adherents </strong></em>and therefore has only the market price of <em><strong>eternity</strong></em>, not the market price [of the world which is cheap]." (Kierkegaard, "What Do I Want?" (1855)," in<em>The Essential Kierkegaard</em> (ed. Edward H. &amp; Edna Hong)(Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000) at 433.)</p>
<h3>2. Paul Made Christianity The Religion of Paul and Not of Christ</h3>
<p><span class="Bodytextflush"><span class="Bodytextflush">"In the teachings of Christ, religion is completely present tense: Jesus is the prototype and our task is to imitate him, become a disciple. But then through Paul came a basic alteration. Paul draws attention away from imitating Christ and fixes attention on the death of Christ The Atoner. What Martin Luther. in his reformation, failed to realize is that even before Catholicism, Christianity had become degenerate at the hands of Paul. Paul made <em><strong>Christianity the religion of Paul, not of Christ</strong></em>. Paul threw the Christianity of Christ away, completely turning it upside down, making it just the opposite of the original proclamation of Christ" (Kierkegaard, <em>The Journals</em>.)<br /></span></span></p>
<h3>3. Luther Cheated Christianity of Its True New Testament Principles</h3>
<p>“O Luther...the Christianity of the New Testament simply does not exist. Here there is nothing to reform; what has to be done is to throw a light upon <em><strong>a criminal offense against Christianity</strong></em>, prolonged through centuries, perpetuated by millions (more or less guiltily), whereby they have cunningly, under the <strong>guise of perfecting Christianity</strong>, sought little by little to <em><strong>cheat God out of Christianity</strong></em>, and have succeeded in making Christianity exactly the opposite of what it is in the New Testament.” (Kierkegaard's <em>Attack</em> (ed. Lowrie), <em>supra</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZRU3WZCV51gC&amp;lpg=PA33&amp;vq=perfecting%20christianity&amp;dq=make%20a%20fool%20keep%20silent&amp;pg=PA33#v=snippet&amp;q=perfecting%20christianity&amp;f=false">32</a>-33.)</p>
<p>"Protestantism, Christianly considered, is quite simply an untruth, a piece of dishonesty, which<em><strong> falsifies the teaching</strong></em>, the world-view, the life-view of Christianity...." <em>Id.</em>, at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZRU3WZCV51gC&amp;lpg=PA33&amp;vq=perfecting%20christianity&amp;dq=make%20a%20fool%20keep%20silent&amp;pg=PA34#v=snippet&amp;q=perfecting%20christianity&amp;f=false"> 34</a>.</p>
<h3>4. Cover-Up By Artifice That This Mitigation of Christianity (Paulinism) Abandoned Christ</h3>
<p>"I want to have the <em><strong>mitigation that is current Christianity</strong></em> here in this country set alongside the New Testament in order to see how these two relate to each other. If I...or anyone else can show it can be maintained face to face with the Christianity of the New Testament, then I will accept it with the greatest joy. But one thing I do not want at any price: I do not want to create, by suppression or artifice, the appearance that the current Christianity in this country and the Christianity of the New Testament resemble each other...[T]he <em><strong>extreme mitigation of Christianity</strong></em> of the New Testament...cannot possibly hold good when<strong><em> every artifice has been used to cover up the difference</em></strong> between the Christianity of the New Testament and this mitigation." (Kierkegaard, "What Do I Want?" (1855)," in<em>The Essential Kierkegaard</em> (ed. Edward H. &amp; Edna Hong)(Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000) at 429.)</p>
<h3>5. 'I Hold Up Christ As Paramount To Beat Down the Sophistic Found In Paul's Teachings That Consumes Christianity'</h3>
<p>"Inasmuch as I have made a critical comment upon 'the Apostle,' the following is to be noted. I am entirely within my rights, for the Apostle [Paul] is only a man....If in the teaching of the Apostle [Paul] there is found even in the<em><strong> slightest degree anything that can be related to what in the course of the centuries has become the sophistic which consumes all true Christianity</strong></em>, I must raise an outcry, lest the Sophists appeal to the Apostle. It is of great importance, especially in Protestantism, to straighten out the prodigious confusion Luther has brought about by inverting the relationship, and in effect criticizing Christ by Paul, the Master by the disciple....<em><strong>What I have done is to hold up Christ’s preaching alongside the preaching of the Apostle</strong></em>."<em> </em><em>Kierkegaard’s Attack Upon ‘Christendom’ 1854-1855</em> (Trans. and Introduction by Walter Lowrie)(Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1972) at 282-83 note (part of My Task, September 1, 1855).</p>
<h3>6. Challenge Is To Restore True Christianity</h3>
<p>“If anything is to be done, one must try to introduce Christianity into Christendom.”<em> Practice of Christianity</em></p>
<p>"[I]n Protestantism, especially in Denmark, Christianty marches to a different melody, to the tune of ‘Merily we roll along, roll along, roll along’ — Christianity is enjoyment of life, tranquillized as neither Jew nor the pagan was, by the <strong><em>assurance that the thing about eternity is settled</em></strong>, settled precisely in order that we might find pleasure in enjoying this life, as well as any pagan or Jew." (<em>Kierkegaard’s Attack Upon ‘Christendom’ 1854-1855</em> (Trans. and Introduction by Walter Lowrie)(Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1972) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZRU3WZCV51gC&amp;lpg=PA33&amp;vq=perfecting%20christianity&amp;dq=make%20a%20fool%20keep%20silent&amp;pg=PA35#v=snippet&amp;q=perfecting%20christianity&amp;f=false"> 35</a>.)</p>
<p>"Protestant ministers teach that 'eternal blessedness can be bought for a song [<em>i.e</em>., for cheap]....a brilliant transaction.' In comparison to what Jesus taught, one can readily see the ministers’ 'price is cheap, a regular selling-out price.'" (<em>Attack upon Christendom</em> (1854-55)(ed. Lowrie), <em>supra</em> at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZRU3WZCV51gC&amp;lpg=PA33&amp;vq=perfecting%20christianity&amp;dq=make%20a%20fool%20keep%20silent&amp;pg=PA51#v=snippet&amp;q=perfecting%20christianity&amp;f=false"> 51</a>.)</p>
<h3>7. What Is Called Christianity Is A Christianity Without Christ</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">"Whoever thou art, whatever in other respects thy life may be,<strong><em> my friend, by ceasing to take part (if ordinarily thou doest) in the public worship of God,</em></strong> as it now is (with the claim that it is the Christianity of the New Testament),<strong> thou hast constantly one guilt the less, and that a great one: thou dost not take part in treating God as a fool by calling that the Christianity of the New Testament which is not the Christianity of the New Testamen</strong>t." [Kierkegaard quoted at <a href="http://www.voiceofjesus.org/b2foreword.htm#Foreword">Voice of Jesus.org</a>.]</span></p>
<h3>MY ANALYSIS AND COMMENTS</h3>
<p>Kierkegaard was a very key influence upon Bonhoeffer. The only key difference is Bonhoeffer never openly criticized the modern emphasis on Paul over Jesus. Bonhoeffer simply ignored Paul when Bonhoeffer summarized the salvation principles applicable to believers in <em>Cost of Discipleship</em> (1937). Bonhoeffer was clearly influenced by Kierkegaard in de-emphasizing Paul. Bonhoeffer's book <em>Cost of Discipleship</em> even begins by giving an account of Kierkegaard's principles. The <em>Cost of Disicipleship</em> then proceeds to give lessons which are obvious paraphrases from Kierkegaard,<em> e.g</em>., 'cheap grace.' The key difference was that Bonhoeffer toned down any direct criticism of Paul. Kierkegaard himself was also very circumspect, and you have to dig hard to put all these criticisms of Paul together. However, the benefit of doing so helps elucidate Kierkegaard's true meaning.</p>
<p>For example, note how in the quote under #1 that Kierkegaard equates Paulinism aka Protestantism with a "mitigation of Christianity." Then see how Kierkegaard describes in #4 above this same "mitigation" (without identifying Paulinism) as covered up by artifice so we do not see the difference between NT Christianity and this mitigation of Christianity. No more scathing analysis of Paulinism can be found by a true theologian than in the writings of Kierkegaard, albeit couched sometimes so obscurely that many miss his true points.</p>
<p>Rarely is this aspect of Kierkegaard mentioned. In fact, a completely opposite spin now exists because Kierkegaard's works fell into the hands of Paulinists. Thus, in one edition of his <em>Journals</em>, there is a constant footnoting by the editor to confirmation found in the writings of Paul even though Kierkegaard's habit was ALMOST always to quote or cite Jesus. For example, see any mention to Paul in Journals vol. 2 in this edition, and it is almost exclusively in the editor's footnotes. See this <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=BzhG0Aa6T7QC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=kierkegaard+journals&amp;ei=Gq_-S5mrBo3elQTDhpDnDQ&amp;cd=3#v=onepage&amp;q=paul&amp;f=false">link</a>.</p>
<p>However, some specialists concede that Kierkegaard turned against Paul's validity. "S.K.'s ever stricter demands also led him to <em><strong>turn against the apostle Paul</strong></em>." (Soren Kierkegaard, <em>The diary of Søren Kierkegaard</em> (ed. Peter P. Rohde (1990) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-uWa5pB-jNwC&amp;lpg=PA239&amp;dq=kierkegaard%20%22apostle%20paul%22&amp;pg=PA239#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 239 n. 213</a> - books.google link to original.)</p>
<p>In truth, Kierkegaard was very cognizant that his views on Paul would cause sweeping rejection and further isolation of what he had to say. At one point he says "I stand alone." Kierkegaard's strategy to avoid further isolation was to deny he was a Christian. But Kierkegaard was clearly a follower of Jesus and a believer. Most recognize him as a Christian theologian of merit. What Kierkegaard meant was he was not a Paulinist when<strong><em> Paulinism had come to redefine what it meant to be a Christian</em></strong>. This can only be realized when you take the quotes as we did above and place them together. When you look carefully for the <em>basis</em> of his critique of Protestantism, it was its<strong><em> excessive elevation of Paul and consequent marginalization of Jesus Christ</em></strong>. Kierkegaard was thus the forerunner of the movement we see today: the restoration of Christianity to the one who is the sole true teacher and Lord -- Jesus Christ, taking all such <em>de facto</em> interference from Paul out of the way.</p>
<h3>SECONDARY SOURCES ON KIERKEGAARD AND 'APOSTLE' PAUL</h3>
<p>In <em>Fear and Trembling</em> on the 'apostle' Paul, "Kierkegaard emphatically and repeatedly said that he [Paul] was 'without authority.'" <a href="http://www.sorenkierkegaard.org/book-on-adler.html">http://www.sorenkierkegaard.org/book-on-adler.html</a></p>
<p>See also "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_S%C3%B8ren_Kierkegaard">Kierkegaard</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em></p>
<h3>KIERKEGAARD ATTACK ON CHEAP GRACE (PAULINE DOCTRINE)</h3>
<p>In <a href="http://members.optushome.com.au/davidquinn000/Kierkegaard/Kierkegaard02.html"><em>False Christianity</em></a>, Kiekegaard writes:</p>
<p>What is Christianity? Simple: to be like Christ.<br /><br />Christianity has been made so much into a consolation that people have completely<strong><em> forgotten that it is first and foremost a demand</em></strong>.<br /><br />We could at least be truthful before God and admit our weakness instead of <strong><em>reducing the requirement</em></strong>.<br /><br />Christ comes to the world as the example, constantly enjoining: <strong><em>Imitate me</em></strong>. We humans <strong><em>prefer to adore him</em></strong> instead.<br /><br />The greatest danger to Christianity is, I contend, not heresies, heterodoxies, not atheists, not profane secularism no, but the kind of orthodoxy which is cordial drivel, mediocrity served up sweet.  There is nothing that so insidiously displaces the majestic as cordiality. Perpetually polite, so small, so nice, tampering and meddling and tampering some more the result is that majesty is completely defrauded of course, only a little bit.</p>
<p>Imagine a kind of medicine that possesses in full dosage a laxative effect but in a half dose a constipating effect. Suppose someone is suffering from constipation. But for some reason or other, perhaps because there is not enough for a full dose or because it is feared that such a large amount might be too much in order to do something, he is given, with the best of intentions, a<strong><em> half dose</em></strong>: "After all, it is at least something." What a tragedy!<br /><br />So it is with <strong><em>today's Christianity</em></strong>. As with everything qualified by an either/or the half has the very opposite effect from the whole. But we Christians go right on practicing this <strong>well-intentioned half-hearted act from generation to generation</strong>. We produce Christians by the millions, are proud of it yet have no inkling that <strong><em>we are doing just exactly the opposite of what we intend to do</em></strong>.<br /><br />It takes a physician to understand that a half dose can have the opposite effect to that of a full dose. Common sense, cool-minded mediocrity never catches on. It undeviatingly continues to say of the half-dosage: "After all, it is something; even if it doesn't work very well, it is still something." But that it should have an opposite effect, no, mediocrity does not grasp that.</p>
<p>Honestly, <strong><em>New Testament Christianity simply does not exist</em></strong>. If the human race would rise in rebellion against God and cast Christianity away from it, it would not be nearly so dangerous as this clever way of <strong><em>making Christians of everybody</em></strong> and giving this activity the appearance of zeal for the truth. This is nothing but a scoffing at God by offering him thanks for bestowing his blessing upon the progress that Christianity was making.</p>
<p>****</p>
<p>Christianity's history is one of <em><strong>alienation from God through the gradual strengthening of appearance</strong></em>. Or it might be said Christianity's history is one of the<em><strong> progressive removal of God tactfully and politely by building churches and monumental buildings</strong></em>, by a monstrous doctrinal system, with an<em><strong> incalculable host of preachers and professors</strong></em>. Established<em><strong> Christianity is about as far away from God as one can possibly get</strong></em>.<br /><br />Now if I say this to anyone, I will be surely be told, "True, something must be done, but the problem is that there are too few <strong><em>pastors </em></strong>in proportion to the population. Let's get a thousand more (Excellent in order to get<strong><em> farther away from God</em></strong>!), a good many more churches (Excellent, in order to get farther away from God!), and a permanent alliance of <strong><em>pastors and professors to make the doctrine more strictly accurate</em></strong> (Excellent, in order to get<em><strong> farther away from God!</strong></em>)."<br /><br />No, no, no! If you are really serious about getting God closer, then consign the whole system of established Christianity with its <em><strong>lying gang of preachers and professors</strong></em>, these Christian experts who en masse provide an excellent commentary on every Bible passage, to death and the devil.<em><strong> Seek first God's kingdom</strong></em>.  The Christian rule for action is simple: Venture to <strong><em>act in accordance with the truth</em></strong> and at the same moment through this action <em><strong>you will collide with the environing world</strong></em>. Your action will be such that you will discover the collisions of the essentially Christian. In no other way can one enter into the situation where faith can come into existence. Venture right into the middle of actuality. <strong><em>Risk and then God will truly come</em></strong>.</p>
<p>But now God sits and watches to see if there is <em><strong>one single person who will venture</strong></em>. Every single human being is able to venture, and God is willing to become involved with absolutely every human being who ventures. He is infinite love, but he is also majesty. And he is a connoisseur; with his dreadful sharp-sightedness he is able to see whether a person wants to exploit him or is venturing.</p>
<p>It is a Christianity from which the cross has been removed. It is a sentimental view of faith which forgets that <em><strong>Christ's call provokes the consciousness of sin</strong></em>.<br /><br />Let us look more carefully at what Christ actually says with regard to children: "Let the little children come and do not forbid them to come to me, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 19:14). The whole chapter speaks of <strong><em>the difficulty of entering the kingdom of heaven</em></strong>, and the expressions are as strong as possible: "There are eunuchs who have castrated themselves for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." It is no wonder that the disciples become so terrified that they exclaim: "Who then can be saved?"<br /><br />After Christ answers the disciples, he goes on to speak of the reward awaiting those who have left houses and brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for the sake of his name. All of these teachings are salty expressions<em><strong> depicting the collisions in which a Christian can and will be tested</strong></em>. Consequently, <em><strong>Christ makes entering into God's kingdom as difficult as possible</strong></em>. But if entering this kingdom is supposed to be about the loveliness and innocence of being a little child, a proper little angel, then what could this possibly mean in the presence of the apostles who were called to pick up their cross and follow?<br /><br />A childish view of Christianity is ludicrous. If the assertion about being a child must be understood literally, then it is nonsense to preach the cross of Christ to adults. Yet this is the way Christianity is defended by orthodox fencers. Childlike Christianity, which in a little child is lovable, in an adult is childish.  Faith such as that confuses everything. If a little child (literally understood) is to provide the definition of what Christianity is, then there is no terror; it ceases to be an offence, as the apostle Paul says, to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks.</p>
<p>****</p>
<p>One best becomes a <strong><em>Christian without "Christianity."</em></strong></p>
<p>****</p>
<p>It is a very simple matter. <em><strong>Pick up the New Testament</strong></em>; read it. Can you deny, do you dare deny, that what you read there about forsaking everything, about giving up the world, being mocked and spit upon as your Lord and master was can you deny, do you dare deny, that this is very easy to understand, indescribably easy, that you do not need a commentary or a single other person in order to understand it?<br /><br />But you say, "Before I do this, however, before I <strong><em>risk such a decisive step</em></strong>, I must first consult with others." Insolent, disobedient one, you are cheeky! You cheat; all you are looking for is a way out, an excuse.</p>
<p>To <em><strong>leave out the strenuous passages in the New Testament</strong></em> is now the method. We hush them up and then we arrange things on easier and cheaper terms. I think it is better to take them along, to acknowledge that these demands are found in the New Testament and then make confession of our own weakness.</p>
<p>Of every word <em><strong>Christ spoke pointing toward the cost and suffering of being a Christian</strong></em>, we say this: This does not apply to us; this was spoken expressly to the disciples. We make good, however, of every word of consolation, of every promise; whether Christ spoke to the apostles or not makes no difference.</p>
<h2>Kierkegaard's Position Overlooked By Scholars</h2>
<p>One has to think Kierkegaard would laugh if he could read what some scholars have said about his reverence and trust in the authority of Paul. These writers have downplayed in the extreme that Kierkegaard stood in opposition to all of Paul's main ideas on faith alone and his supposed authority as an apostle, placing these points in discreet yet unmistakable places in his writings.  Here is an example of a scholar who twists it entirely around to represent the opposite of Kierkegaard's point about Paul:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Kierkegaard is rather consistent in his treatment of Paul throughout his corpus, affirming his status as an apostle, emphasizing his call to action (rather than on a more Lutheran focus on Paul's assurance of grace), and ascribing a sense of divine authority to both Paul's life and writings." (Lori Unger Brandt, "Paul: Herald of Grace and Paradigm of Christian Living," in Lee C. Barrett, <em>Kierkegaard and the Bible </em>(Great Britain: 2010) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=dltiznGRtacC&amp;lpg=PA189&amp;ots=vjkPMPGFtS&amp;dq=kierkegaard%20and%20paul&amp;pg=PA191#v=onepage&amp;q=kierkegaard%20and%20paul&amp;f=false">191</a>.)</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 947886<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

800
Recommended-Reading/library-resources.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,800 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/library-resources.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Library Resources | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p>"But [Carlstadt's] most remarkable position [in 1520]...[was] the<em><strong> word of Paul</strong></em> is not to be put on a level with Christ." Beard <em>Luther </em>(1899)</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 2603" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "2603") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><span style="color: #993300;">Library Resources</span></h2>
<h2>Jesus' Words Only Bibles (Miracles Included!)</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"><span style="color: #000000;">Pure Jesus</span></a> -- $10 -- just the words of Jesus [I have no affiliation]</div>
<div>S.A. Carrick, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=pLl6CWtj-98C&amp;dq"><span style="color: #000000;">And Jesus Said</span></a> (2006) -Jesus' Words extracted from each Gospel [I have no affiliation]</div>
<h2>New Testament Tools</h2>
<div>Greek NT at Perseus Tufts -- <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0155">starting Matthew 1:1</a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/definitionlookup?redirect=true&amp;lang=greek">Greek dictionary at Perseus Tufts</a></div>
<div>Greek Study Bible at Biblos with verse by verse studies, with Greek, e.g., <a href="http://biblos.com/romans/6-6.htm"><span style="color: #000000;">Romans 6:6</span></a> as starting link.</div>
<div>Bible Gateway (all different versions including NIV), e.g, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20corinthians%205&amp;version=NIV"><span style="color: #000000;">2 Corinthians 5</span></a>.</div>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=klZOAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=%22one%20and%20only%22%20logos&amp;pg=PA735#v=onepage&amp;q=%22one%20and%20only%22%20logos&amp;f=false">Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature</a> -- starts with link to "Logos"</div>
<div><a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/"><span style="color: #000000;">Early Christian Writings </span></a>- each book of the NT and early candidates for canon - with E-Catena links.</div>
<div><a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/e-catena/index.html"><span style="color: #000000;">E-Catena Index</span></a> (sometimes this is more complete than if you go into www.earlychristianwritings.com book by book) <a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/"><span style="color: #000000;">http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/</span></a></div>
<ul>
<li>
<div><a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/hebrews.html"><span style="color: #000000;">E-Catena for Epistle to Hebrews</span></a></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div><a href="http://www.westcotthort.com/books/Westcott_Hort_Interlinear.pdf">Interlinear Greek-English NT</a> - Westcott-Hort in PDF</div>
<div>MacNight, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=xiYPAQAAIAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">New Literal Translation of NT</span></a> (1806).</div>
<div><a href="http://www.kchanson.com/ANCDOCS/greek/egerton.html"><span style="color: #000000;">Egerton Mss</span></a> -- early papyrus of gospel version ca. 150 AD</div>
<div><a href="http://www-user.uni-bremen.de/~wie/Egerton/egerton-engl.html"><span style="color: #000000;">Egerton mss</span></a> - translations</div>
<div>A Student’s Guide to New Testament Textual Variants Matt. 18:26-28:6 at <a href="http://www.ovc.edu/terry/tc/lay03mat.htm">http://www.ovc.edu/terry/tc/lay03mat.htm</a> (use this to find variants for any text by going to root).</div>
<h2><span style="font-size: x-large;">Greek Dictionaries</span></h2>
<div>Thayer's -- begin with entry for '<a href="http://www.searchgodsword.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=1987"><span style="color: #000000;">Epistamai</span></a>"</div>
<div>Renn, Expository Dictionary -- starting with "<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=k8GgQqUxPgMC&amp;pg=PA571&amp;lpg=PA571&amp;dq=epistamai+greek&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=ENAeqF5qIV&amp;sig=o5NmIBhpPBwMV_fdt8GSpwyUp-Y&amp;hl=en&amp;ei=aaRRTL62Gc29nAegl7CJBA&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=book_result&amp;ct=result&amp;resnum=8&amp;ved=0CDMQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&amp;q=epistamai%20greek&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Epistomai</span></a>"</div>
<div>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logos">Logos</a>" -- Greek history of word in Wikipedia</div>
<div><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/resolveform?redirect=true">Perseus Tufts</a> - classical Greek look up</div>
<div><a href="http://www.lexilogos.com/english/greek_ancient_dictionary.htm">Lexilogos</a> -- look up Greek word using English</div>
<h2>Latin Dictionaries</h2>
<div>Perseus word dictionary for<a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/resolveform?type=start&amp;lookup=ita&amp;lang=la"><span style="color: #000000;"> Latin</span></a></div>
<div>Latin <a href="http://www.latinphrasetranslation.com/translators/latin_to_english"><span style="color: #000000;">Phrase Translation</span></a> - good pop up dictionary</div>
<h2>Hebrew Dictionaries</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.eliyah.com/lexicon.html"><span style="color: #000000;">Strong's Concordance Lookup</span></a></div>
<div><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://strongsnumbers.com/hebrew/776.htm">Strong's Numbers</a> (for lookup)</span></div>
<h2>Anti-Nicene (Pre-325 A.D.) Writings</h2>
<div>Christian Classics Ethereal Library --<a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.toc.html#P7775_2218841"><span style="color: #000000;"> link</span></a> -- starting one with Tertullian works by Schaff.</div>
<div>AntiNicene Fathers (Donaldson/Roberts)<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7_7a5aqz3osC&amp;dq=Ante%20Nicene%20Fathers%3A%20The%20Writings%20of%20the%20Fathers%20down%20to%20a.d.%20325%20roberts%20donaldson&amp;pg=PR1#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;"> Vol. 4</span></a></div>
<div>AntiNicene Fathers (Donaldson/Roberts) <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=S8YUAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=Ante%20Nicene%20Fathers%3A%20The%20Writings%20of%20the%20Fathers%20down%20to%20a.d.%20325%20roberts%20donaldson&amp;pg=PR1#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Vol 5</span></a></div>
<div>Anti-Nicene Fathers (Holmes) -<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NmNKAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=ANTE-NICENE%20CHRISTIAN%20LIBRARY%20Vol%20VII%20Tertullianus&amp;pg=PR1#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Vol 7</a> (Tertullian Against Marcion in English, etc.)</div>
<div>Tertullian,<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=OqU2_18eYz8C&amp;lpg=PA271&amp;dq=Tertullianus%20against%20the%20jews&amp;pg=PA272#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> Against the Jews</a> [dubious to me as truly written by Tertullian]</div>
<div>Anti-Nicene Fathers - Vol. 5 <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05.toc.html#TopOfPage">Hippolytus</a> -- CCEL.org</div>
<div>AntiNicene Fathers (Donaldson/Roberts) <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=W8YUAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=Ante%20Nicene%20Fathers%3A%20The%20Writings%20of%20the%20Fathers%20down%20to%20a.d.%20325%20roberts%20donaldson&amp;pg=PR1#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Vol. 8</span></a></div>
<div>AntiNicene Fathers (Donaldson/Robers) <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=kWVKAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Ante%20Nicene%20Fathers%3A%20The%20Writings%20of%20the%20Fathers%20down%20to%20a.d.%20325%20roberts%20donaldson&amp;pg=PR1#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Vol. 19</span></a> (Arnobius contra Gentes)</div>
<div>AntiNicene Fathers (Donaldson/Roberts) <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=_WZKAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Ante%20Nicene%20Fathers%3A%20The%20Writings%20of%20the%20Fathers%20down%20to%20a.d.%20325%20roberts%20donaldson&amp;pg=PR1#v=onepage&amp;q=Ante%20Nicene%20Fathers:%20The%20Writings%20of%20the%20Fathers%20down%20to%20a.d.%20325%20roberts%20donaldson&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Vol. 23</span></a> (Origen Contra Celsum)</div>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=LphsM3-c8acC&amp;dq=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;pg=PA315#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Work Claiming to Be Constitution of the Apostles</span></a> (1848)</div>
<div>Anti-Nicene Fathers - Commentaries of Origen at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7zgMAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=Montague%20Rhode%20James%20The%20Apocryphal%20New%20Testament&amp;pg=PA291#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 291</a> et seq.</div>
<div>"Shepherd of Hermas," <em>The Apostolic Fathers</em> (1897) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=VT9tuM7y8LEC&amp;dq=lightfoot%20apostolic%20fathers&amp;pg=PA291#v=onepage&amp;q=commandments%20given%20by%20the%20lord&amp;f=false">291</a>.</div>
<div>"<a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf08.vi.ii.html">Clementine Writings (including so-called Pseudo Clementines)</a>" from ANF.</div>
<div>"<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=l5pJAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=didache%20virgin%20birth%20account&amp;pg=PA262#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Didach, or the Teachings of the Twelve Apostles</a>," New Arcaelogical Discoveries, etc. (1917)</div>
<div></div>
<h2>Post-Nicene (325 AD and Later)</h2>
<div>Jerome, "Against Helvidius / aka Perpetual Virginity of Mary" <em>Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers </em>at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=YYG_jPP4HD0C&amp;lpg=PA334&amp;dq=Jerome%20The%20Perpetual%20Virginity%20of%20the%20Blessed%20Mary&amp;pg=PA334#v=onepage&amp;q=Jerome%20The%20Perpetual%20Virginity%20of%20the%20Blessed%20Mary&amp;f=false">334</a></div>
<div></div>
<h2>Tertullian</h2>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-MYAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=tertullian%20veiling%20of%20the%20virgins%20rule%20of%20faith&amp;pg=PA56#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Of Modesty</a></div>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-MYAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=tertullian%20veiling%20of%20the%20virgins%20rule%20of%20faith&amp;pg=PA154#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">On Veiling of the Virgins</a></div>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-MYAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=tertullian%20veiling%20of%20the%20virgins%20rule%20of%20faith&amp;pg=PA259#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Against All Heresies</a></div>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-MYAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=tertullian%20veiling%20of%20the%20virgins%20rule%20of%20faith&amp;pg=PA201#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">An Answer to the Jews</a></div>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-MYAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=tertullian%20veiling%20of%20the%20virgins%20rule%20of%20faith&amp;pg=PA394#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">On the Apocalypse of John</a></div>
<div>Writings of Tertullian (1881) <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Q-MYAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=tertullian%20veiling%20of%20the%20virgins%20rule%20of%20faith&amp;pg=PA19#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Vol. 3</a></div>
<h2>Early Church History</h2>
<div>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_Eucharist">Origin of the Eucharist</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em></div>
<div>Eusebius, "Ebionites," <em>Church History</em> excerpted <em>A Select Library of Nicene &amp; Post-Nicene Writings</em> Vol. 1 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=RdsIAQAAIAAJ&amp;dq=Christians%20must%20not%20judaize%20by%20resting%20on%20the%20Sabbath&amp;pg=PA158#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">158</a></div>
<div>Ferdinand Baur, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=D3RAAAAAIAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">Church History of The First Three Centuries</span></a> (Williams &amp; Norgate: 1879) Vol. 2</div>
<div>Bingham, <em>Antiquities of the Christian Church </em>(1843) Vol.<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=b5AAAAAAcAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PP7#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> II</a></div>
<div>Bingham, <em>Antiquities of the Christian Church</em> (1711) Vol. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=A-QsAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PR3#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">III</a></div>
<div>Bingham, <em>Antiquities of the Christian Church </em> Vol.<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=opwHAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PP7#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> IV</a></div>
<div>Bingham, <em>Antiquities of the Christian Church</em> (1829)<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Y0k_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PR3#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> Vol. V</a></div>
<div>Bingham, <em>Works of: Antiquities of the Christian Church</em> <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FwFKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PR3#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Bks. 14 and 15</a>.</div>
<div>Emil Walter, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=A6wOAAAAIAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">New discoveries in the origin of Christianity</span></a> (1900). At 95-103 are comments on Romans 7 &amp; Trinity doctrine.</div>
<div>George <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Pretyman_Tomline"><span style="color: #000000;">Tomline</span></a>, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=n5sPAAAAIAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">Elements of Christian Theology</span></a> (1818) Vol. 1 at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=n5sPAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=Elements%20of%20Christian%20Theology%20tomline&amp;pg=PA345#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;"> 345</span></a> (biography of Paul)</div>
<div>Mosheim's <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=EIEPAAAAIAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">Institutes of Ecclesiastical History</span></a> (1867)</div>
<div>Joseph Priestly, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=E5IPAAAAIAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">The Corruptions of Christianity</span></a> (1782)</div>
<div>Simon Légasse,<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=F_HYAAAAMAAJ"> L'antipaulinisme sectaire au temps des pères de l'Eglise</a> (2000)</div>
<div>Simon Claude Mimouni, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=2Z3YAAAAMAAJ">Le judéo-christianisme ancien: essais historiques</a> (1998)</div>
<h2>Marcionism</h2>
<div>Robert Bradshaw, <a href="http://www.earlychurch.org.uk/article_marcion.html"><span style="color: #000000;">Marcion: Portrait of a Heretic</span></a> (a well-documented webpage.)</div>
<div>Tertullian, <em>Against Marcion</em> (Book V is best) - from<em> Anti-Nicene Fathers</em> (Schaff) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=bu-pvKBmXhAC&amp;lpg=PA324&amp;dq=the%20very%20apostle%20whom%20our%20heretics%20adopt&amp;pg=PA429#v=onepage&amp;q=the%20very%20apostle%20whom%20our%20heretics%20adopt&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">429</span></a> et seq.</div>
<div>Tertullian, <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.vii.html"><span style="color: #000000;">On The Flesh of Christ</span></a> (CCL)</div>
<div>Marcionite Research Library, "<a href="http://www.marcionite-scripture.info/">The Marcionite Reconstructed Texts</a>."  - Marcionite "<a href="http://www.marcionite-scripture.info/Marcionite_Bible.htm">Luke</a>"</div>
<div>Marcionite Research Library, "<a href="http://www.marcionite-scripture.info/MGalater.PDF">Galatians by Marcion</a>" in Greek Interlinear (PDF)  "<a href="http://www.marcionite-scripture.info/Romans_Interlinear.pdf">Romans</a>" in PDF</div>
<h2>NT With Commentary</h2>
<div>Adam Clarke, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=kM9i6fyAOM0C"><span style="color: #000000;">New Testament with careful commentary</span></a> books.google.com</div>
<div>Adam Clarke, <a href="http://www.godrules.net/library/clarke/clarke.htm"><span style="color: #000000;">Adam Clarke's Commentary </span></a>in html format</div>
<div>Christopher Wordsworth, New Testament with Commentary (1867) <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=JeIPAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Jesus%20Christ%20does%20not%20usurp%20the%20place%20of%20God.&amp;pg=PA341"><span style="color: #000000;">Vol. 3</span></a> (Paul's letters)</div>
<div>Yohann Lange, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZJ1BAAAAYAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">A Commentary on the Holy Scripture</span></a></div>
<div>John Locke, Writings of John Locke (1823) Vol. 8 (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=J6dYAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=john%20locke%20apostle%20paul%20difficult%20to%20understand&amp;pg=PA309#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">commentary on Romans</span></a>)</div>
<div>John Locke, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=REAAAAAAYAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">A Paraphrase of...Galatians</span></a> (1704)</div>
<div>Meeks, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=aMkEa-Z4shEC&amp;pg=RA1-PA1962&amp;lpg=RA1-PA1962&amp;dq=%22Other+ancient+authorities+read+You+are+my+Son%22&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=SWWdDM1c0V&amp;sig=-PAInrHm5oAobpcgQM371NDXMCI&amp;hl=en&amp;ei=4kB5TPvlOoWjnQetxZydCw&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=book_result&amp;ct=result&amp;resnum=1&amp;ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Other%20ancient%20authorities%20read%20You%20are%20my%20Son%22&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">HarperCollins Study Bible</span></a> (1997)</div>
<div>James Everett Fram <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ow9WAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;pg=PA70#v=onepage&amp;q=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">A critical and exegetical commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul</span></a></div>
<div>Calvin - <a href="http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/?show=worksBy"><span style="color: #000000;">all his commentaries</span></a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible/">USCBB New American Bible</a> - 2011 - Catholic - typically excellent footnotes</div>
<div></div>
<h2>Vulgate Version of Bible</h2>
<div>The original<a href="http://www.logosapostolic.org/bibles/latin_vulgate_textus_receptus_king_james/matthew/mat13.htm"> Latin side-by-side with Greek Textus Receptus and King James translation</a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/vul/matthew/28.html">Latin Vulgate</a> from Bibletools - Matt 28</div>
<h2>Versions of the Bible</h2>
<div><a href="http://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rsv/">Revised Standard Bible</a> (not in Bible Gateway as an option).</div>
<div><a href="http://bibledbdata.org/onlinebibles/jps1917/">Jewish Publication Society</a> Version (1917) (not in Bible Gateway as an option)</div>
<h2>Sermons and Sunday School Lessons</h2>
<div><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=0bfRAAAAMAAJ">Works of Jonathan Edwards</a> (1839) Vol. 2</span></div>
<div>A. Shauffler, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=VPhJAAAAMAAJ">Select notes on the International Sunday school lessons</a> (1878) - excellent, thorough</div>
<h2>Gospel of Matthew Focused Studies</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.yashanet.com/studies/index.htm"><span style="color: #000000;">Yashanet Studies on Matthew</span></a> by Isabel Cohen</div>
<div>Nolland, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9cL_kpdUE-oC&amp;dq"><span style="color: #000000;">Gospel of Matthew: Commentary on the Greek</span></a> (Eerdmans' 2007)</div>
<div>Carr, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=bSA2AAAAMAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">The Gospel of Matthew</span></a> (1908)</div>
<div>Origen's<em> Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew</em> - page <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7zgMAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=Montague%20Rhode%20James%20The%20Apocryphal%20New%20Testament&amp;pg=PA409#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">409</a> et seq.</div>
<div>Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (1836) - Matt. ch. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Fg1MAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=henry%20not%20assume%20authority%20implied%20in%20those%20names&amp;pg=PA231#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">22</a>.</div>
<div>NTGateway - <a href="http://www.textweek.com/mtlk/matthew.htm">Portal to all links on Gospel of Matthew</a></div>
<div>Davies / Alison <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=z79ltm3TFWwC&amp;lpg=PA497&amp;vq=paulus&amp;pg=PA499#v=snippet&amp;q=paulus&amp;f=false">Analytical Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew</a> (1988) - detailed word studies</div>
<div>Aquinas, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ErYrAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=east%20west%20plural%20origen%20matthew&amp;pg=PP7#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Commentary on Matthew</a> (1820). Part 1 chs. 1-10</div>
<div></div>
<h2>Gospel of John Focused Studies</h2>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Z4xXSlE_ZvcC&amp;lpg=PA121&amp;ots=K380wpl4Fq&amp;dq=juvencus%20this%20day%20i%20have%20begotten%20thee&amp;pg=PA128#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Origen's dispute</a> with Heraclean over 1:8, and 1:18 (logos)</div>
<div>Fourth Gospel -- portal to all things on John's Gospel - <a href="http://www.fourthgospel.com/">http://www.fourthgospel.com/</a></div>
<div></div>
<h2>Corruptions of NT Transmission</h2>
<div></div>
<div>Burgon, <a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/burgon/corruption">Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Texts of the Holy Gospel</a> (1888) -- ccel.org</div>
<div>Burgon, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=OodLOdXpS-AC&amp;lpg=SL4-PA28&amp;dq=pope%20damasus%20destroy%20manuscripts&amp;pg=PA24#v=onepage&amp;q=pope%20damasus%20destroy%20manuscripts&amp;f=false">Unholy Hands on the Bible Vol 1</a></div>
<div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Washingtonianus">Codex Washingtonianus</a> (Wikipedia) - 4th century manuscript 4 gospels -- one of oldest complete mss.</div>
<div>"<a href="http://washington-codex.org/">First Century Gospels Found</a>," Codex Washingtonianus.org</div>
<div>Joseph Rius-Camps, "<a href="http://www.bsw.org/Filologia-Neotestamentaria/Vol-18-2005/The-Variant-Readings-Of-The-Western-Text-Of-The-Acts-Of-The-Apostles-Xvii-Acts-11-19-12-25/388/">The Variant Readings of the Western Text of Acts 11-12</a>," BSW</div>
<h2>Apocryphal New Testament Materials</h2>
<p><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ">Apocryphal New Testament</a> by Jeremiah Jones (1849)</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA1#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">Gospel of the Birth of Mary</a></li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA6#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">Protevangelion, or the Birth of Christ</a></li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA15#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ</a></li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA31#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">Thomas's Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ</a></li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA32#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">The Epistles of Jesus Christ, and Agbara, King of Edessa</a></li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA33#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">The Gospel of Nicodemus, formerly The Gospel of Pontius Pilate</a> [The <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA52#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">last verse</a> affirms a Deity of Christ, and then has a note which affirms the Holy Trinity, adding the text was found by the Emperor Theodosius at Jerusalem, implying Rome wanted this as a gospel to add.]</li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA52#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">The Apostle's Creed</a> - with an extensive note on its history</li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA54#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">The Epistle of Paul to the Laodicians</a></li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA55#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">The Epistles of Paul to Seneca</a></li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA58#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">The Acts of Paul and Thecla</a></li>
<li><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=wEFMAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;pg=PA67#v=onepage&amp;q=jesus%20%22afraid%20of%20death%22%20jerome&amp;f=false">First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians</a> [For summary, see our<a href="/Recommended-Reading/clement-letters-to-corinthians.html"> link</a>.]</li>
<li>Constitution of the Apostles  1.  De Lacy O'Leary, <span class="GramE"><em>The</em></span><em> Apostolical Constitutions and Cognate Documents</em>… (<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city></st1:place>, 1906) [<a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC66241896&amp;id=fL8MAAAAIAAJ&amp;pg=RA2-PA51&amp;lpg=RA2-PA51&amp;dq=%22texts+and+studies&amp;as_brr=1#PPP12,M1"><span class="GramE">link</span></a>]  2. <span class="title"><em>The Work Claiming to be the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, Including the Canons,</em> </span>tr. Whiston, "with a Prize Essay…upon their Origin and Contents" (New York, 1848) [<a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC04913905&amp;id=LphsM3-c8acC&amp;pg=RA1-PA375&amp;lpg=RA1-PA375&amp;dq=cypriani#PPR9,M1">link</a>]</li>
<li>Didache (ca. 95 AD) - part of early church canon in Syria. - <a href="http://ivanlewis.com/Didache/didache.html">Lewis translation</a>.</li>
<li>Early Christian Writings <a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/">http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/</a></li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelpeter-brown.html">Gospel of Peter</a> <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/_pdf/GospelofJudas.pdf">Gospel of Judas</a> <a href="http://www.maryofmagdala.com/GMary_Text/gmary_text.html">Gospel of Mary</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.gospels.net/trans/egerton.html">Egerton Papyrus</a> -- Unknown Gospel - very close to Matthew -- small portions</p>
<p><a href="http://wesley.nnu.edu/sermons-essays-books/noncanonical-literature/noncanonical-literature-gospels/book-of-james-or-protevangelium">Protovangelium of James</a></p>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<h2>OT With Commentary</h2>
<p>Jonathan Edwards <em>Works</em> (1839) - on <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=0bfRAAAAMAAJ&amp;lpg=PA769&amp;ots=zvV6Vs6lNT&amp;dq=shechinah%20divinity&amp;pg=PA769#v=onepage&amp;q=shechinah%20divinity&amp;f=false">Daniel</a></p>
<p><a href="http://internetbiblecollege.net/Lessons/The%20Old%20Testament%20Apocrypha.htm">OT Canon Formatio</a>n - World Internet Bible College</p>
<p><a href="http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Deuteronomy&amp;verse=23:20%E2%80%9321&amp;src="/>OT in Hebrew tools</a> -- choose all versions, e.g., Tanach from Chabad.org</p>
<p><a href="http://www.deadseascrolls.org/Site/projects.php">Samaritan Pentateuch in English translation</a></p>
<p>"<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=VxUaAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=paul%20wilderness%20%20%22every%20eye%22&amp;pg=PR7#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Some Mistakes of Moses</a>" (1880) -- biased attack on Mosaic law as unjust</p>
<h2>Genesis</h2>
<p>James Murphy (Prof. Hebrew, Belfast), <a href="http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=MasCAAAAQAAJ">A critical and exegetical commentary on the book of Genesis, with a new translation</a> (1863) - favors gap for Genesis 1:1-2 (pp. 34-36)</p>
<h2>Enoch</h2>
<p><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vwA3AAAAMAAJ">Enoch</a> b<span class="addmd">y August Dillmann</span></p>
<p><span class="addmd"></span>"<a href="http://www.mgr.org/BookOfEnoch.html">Divinely Inspired or Heresy?</a>" (defends validity)</p>
<h2>Bible Encyclopedias</h2>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=p34PAAAAYAAJ"><span style="color: #000000;">International Standard Bible Encyclopedia</span></a> (Ed. James Orr)(1915) - books.google.com</div>
<div>Coltret, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=LH8_AAAAYAAJ&amp;lpg=PA648&amp;ots=nPKWZQ-MPk&amp;dq=hebrew%20word%20for%20macedonia&amp;pg=PA650#v=onepage&amp;q=hebrew%20word%20for%20macedonia&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Bible Dictionary</span></a> (1832) - excellent</div>
<div>"<a href="http://bibleencyclopedia.net/index.php/Book_Of_Habakkuk">Habakkuk</a>," Bible Encyclopedia.net (like Wikipedia based upon IBE) -- excellent to begin search on any book of Bible</div>
<div><em>Wikipedia</em> Articles:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar">The Hebrew Calendar</a></li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Habakkuk">Habakkuk</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2>Canon Formation</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.originalbiblerestored.com/bibleorder.html"><span style="color: #000000;">Original OT and NT Canon Order</span></a> (graphic) - from Originalbiblerestored.com</div>
<div>"History of the New Testament Canon" in Friedrich Bleek, <em>Introduction to the NT</em> (Clark 1870) Vol. II                    at <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=iD8tAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=winer%20grammar%20of%20new%20testament%20greek%20enlarged%20moulton&amp;pg=PA233#v=onepage&amp;q=winer%20grammar%20of%20new%20testament%20greek%20enlarged%20moulton&amp;f=false">233</a> et seq. (very elaborate history of formation of NT canon).</div>
<div>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griesbach_hypothesis"><span style="color: #000000;">Griesbach Two-Gospel Hypothesis</span></a>" (of Matthew-Mark), Wikipedia</div>
<div>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic_of_Jesus">Aramaic in the Gospels</a>," Wikipedia</div>
<div>"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEy07Bq5HX0&amp;feature=related">The Words of Jesus in the Original Aramaic</a>," YouTube (book author explains book)</div>
<div><a href="http://internetbiblecollege.net/Lessons/The%20Old%20Testament%20Apocrypha.htm">Revelation / Apocalypse</a> - defense as canon</div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<h2>Septuagint Greek Translation of 257 BC</h2>
<div><a href="http://en.katabiblon.com/us/index.php?text=LXX&amp;book=Gn&amp;ch=2&amp;interlin=on">Interlinear Septuagint</a></div>
<div>Interlinear Septuagint - <a href="http://en.katabiblon.com/us/index.php?text=LXX&amp;book=Gn&amp;ch=1&amp;interlin=on">Genesis</a> <a href="http://en.katabiblon.com/us/index.php?text=LXX&amp;book=ex&amp;ch=1&amp;interlin=on"> Exodus</a></div>
<div>Interlinear Septuagint - <a href="http://en.katabiblon.com/us/index.php?text=LXX&amp;book=de&amp;ch=1&amp;interlin=on">select book from this list</a>.</div>
<div><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/">New English Translation of Septuagint Project</a></div>
<div><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/gopher/text/religion/biblical/parallel/">Parallel Aligned Jewish and Greek Original Testament Scripture</a></div>
<div>Septuagint Errors in Translating Zecharia from Eija Asada, <em>The Hebrew Test of Zechariah 1-8</em> at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Qjg_AAAAYAAJ&amp;lpg=PA21&amp;ots=Q-ZJOqEpn_&amp;dq=zechariah%205%3A3&amp;pg=PA22#v=onepage&amp;q=zechariah%205:3&amp;f=false"> 22</a></div>
<h2>Dead Sea Scrolls - 250 BC-65 AD</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.deadseascrolls.org/Site/index.php">Dead Sea Scrolls.org</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.deadseascrolls.org/Site/index.php"></a><a href="http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/chapters_pg">Flint's Paralell Translation of Isaiah Scroll with JPS version in second column</a></p>
<p>Habakkuk Pesher <a href="http://www.preteristarchive.com/BibleStudies/DeadSeaScrolls/1QpHab_pesher_habakkuk.html">1QpHab</a> or this <a href="http://cojs.org/cojswiki/Habakkuk_Pesher_I-IX:_The_Coming_of_the_Final_Age_(Martinez)">link</a>.</p>
<p>Habakkuk Pesher <a href="http://www.thescrollsandthesect.com/habakkuk2.htm">w</a>ith commentary</p>
<p><a href="http://www.preteristarchive.com/BibleStudies/DeadSeaScrolls/4Q266-273_CD_damascus-document.html">Damascus Document</a></p>
<h2>Maps</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.bible.ca/maps/maps-ministry-of-jesus.htm"><span style="color: #000000;">Jesus's Ministry Travels</span></a></div>
<div>Guide-book <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=BIZEWykI9fMC&amp;dq=magdula&amp;pg=PA407#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Handbook for Travelers to Syria and Palestine (1868)</span></a></div>
<h2><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=BIZEWykI9fMC&amp;dq=magdula&amp;pg=PA407#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Paulinism Critics</a></h2>
<p>Bercot, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=j7K4S5n8hVAC">Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up</a> (1999).</p>
<p>Nicolas Boulanger and Peter Annet, <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4BA_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=critical%20examination%20of%20st.%20paul&amp;pg=PP5#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Critical Examination of the Life of St. Paul</a></em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4BA_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=critical%20examination%20of%20st.%20paul&amp;pg=PP5#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> </a> (1746, trans. 1823)</p>
<p>Kierkegaard, <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZRU3WZCV51gC">Kierkegaard's Attack on Christendom</a></em> (Princeton University Press, 1968) - books.google.com</p>
<p>Philosophotos Aletheias, <em>Die Evangelien</em> (1845) - saw Paul as "evil genius" of early Christianity, and distorted gospel. (Mentioned in Schweitzer at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7UPLuZZ8NHIC&amp;dq=inauthor%3AAlbert%20inauthor%3ASchweitzer&amp;pg=PA124">124</a>.)</p>
<p>F.C.Baur, 1831 article - contended Paul developed doctrines in opposition to Petrine branch of Christianity. See discussion in  A. J. M. Wedderburn, <em>Paul and Jesus</em> at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AhU4HmT5dysC&amp;lpg=PA17&amp;dq=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;pg=PA17#v=onepage&amp;q=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;f=false">17</a>. Baur criticized the authenticity of some portions of the gospels. In 1886, was a work <em>The Apostolic Age</em> by Weizsacher in the same vein. (Wedderburn, <em>id., </em>at <a href="/at http://books.google.com/books?id=AhU4HmT5dysC&amp;lpg=PA17&amp;dq=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;pg=PA19#v=onepage&amp;q=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;f=false">19</a>.)</p>
<p>Thomas Paine, <em>Age of Reason</em> (1794) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=he0RAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=paine%20age%20of%20reason&amp;pg=PA24#v=onepage&amp;q=paul&amp;f=false">25</a>.</p>
<p>Tolstoy, <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=EnVFAAAAMAAJ">My Religion</a></em> (1885).</p>
<p>William Wrede, Paul (1904). For analysis on Wrede, see Wedderburn: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=AhU4HmT5dysC&amp;lpg=PA17&amp;dq=Geschichte%20Der%20Paulinischen%20Forschung&amp;pg=PA24">24</a>.</p>
<p>Edgar Jones, <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/6360262/Paul-the-Stranger-by-Edgar-Jones-Baptist-priest-">Paul the Stranger</a>.</p>
<p>Scott N. "<a href="http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/paulthe.htm">Paul, the False Apostle</a>."</p>
<p>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesusism">Jesusism</a>," <em>Wikipedia </em>[article grouping pepole who emphasize Jesus' teachings over Paul. Oversimplistic, but a broad introduction to critics.]</p>
<h2>Paul Defenders</h2>
<p>"<a href="http://www.intergate.com/~jcordaro/Paul.html">A Defense of the Apostle Paul</a>" (2006)</p>
<p>"<a href="http://www.harvardhouse.com/sauloftarsus_contradiction_acts.htm">Do Paul's Vision Accounts Contradict Themselves in Acts</a>" - argue 'acoustica' that men did not hear and then the later 'acoustica' where men did hear, that in the first usage 'acoustica' should be read 'understand,' thus resolving the contradiction. "Not understanding' but 'hearing.'  The contradiction between Acts 9:7 - the "men with Paul did not see anything' and Acts 22:9 'the men with Paul saw the light' is resolved supposedly by reading Acts 9:7 that the men did not see 'anyone' and thus potentially saw the light. But this is invalid because Paul did not see anyone either -- he only saw the light.</p>
<p><span>Dale Ratzlaff, "</span><a href="http://www.lifeassuranceministries.com/pdf%20files/Proclamation2006_MayJun.pdf">Did Paul Misunderstand Jesus?</a><span>" [PDF] </span><em>Proclamation! </em><span>(June 2006) at 14.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://therefinersfire.org/book_of_romans1.htm">Did Paul Contradict Yeshua on the Torah</a> [defends Paul upheld Torah] by Refiner's Fire</p>
<p><a href="http://www.therefinersfire.org/churchianity.htm">An In-Depth Study of Galatians</a> [defends Paul does not abrogate the Law] by Refiner's Fire</p>
<p>[This Galatians article largley says that if Paul said what a Paulinist typically says Paul says, then it would be blasphemy. Since Paul could not mean to blaspheme, we must find a construction that is not blasphemous. However, this is an interpretive filter which fails to test Paul's words by consistency with Scripture.]</p>
<h2>Paulinists Who Say Paul's Gospel Supposedly Supercedes Jesus's Gospel in the Flesh</h2>
<div>Albert Schweitzer, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=7UPLuZZ8NHIC&amp;dq=inauthor%3AAlbert%20inauthor%3ASchweitzer&amp;pg=PR3#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Quest for the Historical Jesus</span></a> (1901) - books.google.com</div>
<div>Albert Schweitzer, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DcZFAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=inauthor%3AAlbert%20inauthor%3ASchweitzer&amp;pg=PP7#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">The Mystery of the Kingdom</span></a> - books.google.com</div>
<h2>Paul Studies</h2>
<div>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Christianity">Pauline Christianity</a>," Wikipedia</div>
<div>Paul Barnett, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=J7tnFxRTlbYC">Paul: missionary of Jesus</a></div>
<div>Daniel Langton, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KQMgweg1rnwC">The Apostle Paul in the Jewish Imagination: A Study in Modern Jewish</a> (2010) - see p. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=KQMgweg1rnwC&amp;lpg=PA158&amp;ots=sZglkanj2Y&amp;dq=given%20to%20the%20gentiles%20schonfield&amp;pg=PA158#v=onepage&amp;q=given%20to%20the%20gentiles%20schonfield&amp;f=false">158</a> on Schonfield</div>
<h2>Paul Defended</h2>
<p>Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=g-MG9sFLAz0C&amp;lpg=PA369&amp;dq=Bultmann%20Theology%20of%20Paul%20irrelevant%20jesus&amp;pg=PA369#v=onepage&amp;q=Bultmann%20Theology%20of%20Paul%20irrelevant%20jesus&amp;f=false">The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament</a> (B&amp;H Publishing Group, 2009) at 369 <em>et seq</em>. These authors fairly summarize the criticism of Paul as a follower of Jesus. But then they try to argue the allusions in Paul's writings to Christ's teachings are more numerous than typically thought. Their chart on page <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=g-MG9sFLAz0C&amp;lpg=PA369&amp;dq=Bultmann%20Theology%20of%20Paul%20irrelevant%20jesus&amp;pg=PA373#v=onepage&amp;q=Bultmann%20Theology%20of%20Paul%20irrelevant%20jesus&amp;f=false">373</a> is a valiant effort to collect "highly probable allusions" to Jesus' words. However, it is pathetic as the point is that rarely, if any, <em>words of Jesus</em> are ever paraphrased in close approximation by Paul. And that does not solve the contradictions which they correctly summarize over the Law's validity. That is mentioned at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=g-MG9sFLAz0C&amp;lpg=PA369&amp;dq=Bultmann%20Theology%20of%20Paul%20irrelevant%20jesus&amp;pg=PA370#v=onepage&amp;q=Bultmann%20Theology%20of%20Paul%20irrelevant%20jesus&amp;f=false">370</a>, but conveniently ignored later.</p>
<h2>Persecution by Church of Heretics</h2>
<p>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Aikenhead">Thomas Aikenhead</a>," Wikipedia 1696 execution for ridiculing Christianity, this lad of 20 is last to be executed under Britain's blasphemy law. What is important is that Aikenhead never ridiculed God, belief in God or insulted God -- the true definition of blasphemy.</p>
<h2>Constantine Era to 381 AD</h2>
<div>Constantine, "<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9Y8NAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=edit%20of%20milan%20liberty%20to%20follow%20that%20mode%20of%20religion&amp;pg=PA234#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Edict of Milan</span></a>," Early Church Documents - book.google</div>
<div>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_apostasy"><span style="color: #000000;">The Great Apostasy</span></a>," Wikipedia</div>
<h2>Roman Catholic Materials</h2>
<p>Aquinas <em>Summa Theologia</em> <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QxX4xENxcwMC&amp;lpg=PA2102&amp;dq=No%20more%20in%20the%20passion%20did%20the%20flesh%20of%20Christ%20feel%20pain&amp;pg=PA2102#v=onepage&amp;q=No%20more%20in%20the%20passion%20did%20the%20flesh%20of%20Christ%20feel%20pain&amp;f=false">Vol. IV</a></p>
<h2>Roman Catholicism History</h2>
<p>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Linus">Linus</a>" Wikipedia (history of true first bishop of Rome)</p>
<h2>Reformation</h2>
<div>MacKenzie, Concordia article "<a href="http://www.ctsfw.net/media/pdfs/mackenziechallengeofhistory.pdf"><span style="color: #000000;">Luther's Two Kingdoms</span></a>" (PDF)</div>
<div>"<a href="http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/Religion/Martin%20Luther.htm"><span style="color: #000000;">Martin Luther: Support for Persecution and Anti-Semitism, Quotations</span></a>" (Webpage)</div>
<div><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ndoPAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=erasmus%20luther%20confusion%20disorder%20undermine%20society&amp;pg=PA268#v=onepage&amp;q=erasmus%20luther%20confusion%20disorder%20undermine%20society&amp;f=false">Erasmus' Criticism of Luther's Bondage of the Will</a>.</div>
<h2>Calvin, Calvinism</h2>
<div>Theodore H. Hinchman, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=LvHOck4F8ckC"><span style="color: #000000;">John Calvin: his errors, ignorance, misconceptions, and absurdities </span></a>(1891)</div>
<div>Calvin, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZuQFAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=%22Sancta%20trinitas%20unus%20Deus%20miserere%20nostri%22&amp;lr&amp;client=firefox&amp;pg=PA40-IA6#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Sancta%20trinitas%22&amp;f=false"><span style="color: #000000;">Letter to the Polish Brethren</span></a> (1563) in Calvin's<em> Opera</em> (Works)</div>
<h2>Interesting Books / Magazines</h2>
<p>Douglas D. Webster <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=oJPzFFtYZ2gC&amp;lpg=PA84&amp;dq=arius%20col.%201%3A15&amp;pg=PA82#v=onepage&amp;q=arius%20col.%201:15&amp;f=false">A Passion for Christ: An Evangelical Christology</a> (Regent College, 2001) -- a systematic review of Christian doctrines.</p>
<p>Biblical Studies on the Web (academic articles) - <a href="http://www.bsw.org/Filologia-Neotestamentaria/Vol-18-2005/The-Variant-Readings-Of-The-Western-Text-Of-The-Acts-Of-The-Apostles-Xvii-Acts-11-19-12-25/388/">Filologia Neotestamentaria</a> -- many volumes</p>
<p>Judaismo Etico -- by Joshua at <a href="http://www.radio-israel.us/">http://www.radio-israel.us/</a> - discusses each of the 10 commandments at bottom.</p>
<h2>Christology of All Perspectives</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.biblicalunitarian.com/"><span style="color: #000000;">Biblical Unitarians </span></a>(conservative, not Unitarian Universalists)</div>
<div>Victorinus (of Pettau) <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=8byYDOjtw50C&amp;dq"><span style="color: #000000;">Theological Treatises on the Trinity</span></a> - books.google</div>
<div>Lackey, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=baXOjeqNT3cC&amp;lpg=PA243&amp;dq=constantine%20the%20victor%20insignificant%20nature&amp;pg=PA243#v=onepage&amp;q=constantine%20the%20victor%20insignificant%20nature&amp;f=false">The Tyranny of The Trinity: The Orthodox Coverup</a> - books.google</div>
<div>Jimmy Swaggart, <a href="http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=693">Three Persons in Unity Are One God</a></div>
<div>"<a href="http://kingdomready.org/blog/2010/02/22/who-is-messiah-part-4/">Who is Messiah?</a>" (criticizes modern trinity doctrine)</div>
<div>"<a href="http://brotherskeptapart.com/2010/09/27/who-is-jesus-according-to-the-bible/">Who is Jesus According to the Bible</a>" (Sept 2010) - divinely indwelled SOG, criticizes trinity doctrine</div>
<div><a href="http://www.equip.org/articles/the-biblical-basis-of-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity">Biblical Basis of the Trinity</a> - webpage 2011 - well-organized with linked Bible cites.</div>
<div>Roger Day, <a href="http://www.radwritings.com/">Is The God-head Three Equal Persons?</a> - listed among articles.</div>
<div></div>
<h2>Rapture Issues</h2>
<p>"<a href="http://www.secondcomingofchristjesus.net/page3.htm">Secret Rapture, Bible Truth</a>" secondcoming.com - criticizes rapture idea prior to coming of Christ</p>
<h2>Sabbath Issues</h2>
<div>Constantine's Change of Church - PDF "<a href="http://www.barrhavennewlifechurch.ca/resources/CBHMajesty.pdf">For His Majesty</a>"</div>
<div><a href="http://www.abcog.org/ntsab.htm">The New Testament Sabbath Day</a> - history of changes (webpage)</div>
<h2>Virgin Birth Issues</h2>
<div>Allan Hoben, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Fb1ZAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=apostolic%20fathers%20schaff%20volume%201&amp;pg=PA18#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">The Virgin Birth</a> (1903)</div>
<div>Justin, Dialogue with Trypho (1745) - footnote at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NIRPAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=dialogue%20with%20trypho&amp;pg=RA1-PA65#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> page 65</a> on "this day I have begotten thee" quoted at baptism by numerous sources in early church.</div>
<h2>The Name Issues [I prefer 'Yahshua' -phonetic]</h2>
<div>Why Yahushua? (2008) at <a href="http://www.eliyah.com/yahushua.html">http://www.eliyah.com/yahushua.html</a></div>
<div><a href="/Recommended-Reading/yahweh.html">The Divine Name of Yahweh</a> -- under construction</div>
<h2>Software</h2>
<p>Interlinear Greek New Testament at <a href="http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/ Greek_Index.htm">http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/ Greek_Index.htm</a>.</p>
<h2>Worship and Edifying Material</h2>
<p>You Tube, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jMPvmHavnI&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;a">Jesus Words Only</a> - a video of a professional audio of Jesus's sayings. Wonderful!</p>
<p>Big Daddy Weave, Only Jesus "Lord, I am tired of all the rest, when my heart knows you are the very best" (playable at <a href="http://ilike.myspacecdn.com/play#Big+Daddy+Weave:Only+Jesus:1997798:s3184.342.10218893.0.1.5%2Cstd_b6c7cc937bcaec7e0ea82b630c99dd78">this link</a>).</p>
<h2>Ebook Resources Online</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html"><span style="color: #000000;">Library of Congress Digital Collections</span></a></div>
<div><a href="http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBRecID=7839613&amp;v3=1&amp;SEQ=20100903170350&amp;PID=DvTJWmukc4HrcLxmInP1vQFkMD"><span style="color: #000000;">Library of Congress Online Catalog</span></a></div>
<div><a href="http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html"><span style="color: #000000;">International Resources via Library of Congress</span></a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.hathitrust.org/">Hathi Trust Digital Library</a> (recommended by Library of Congress)</div>
<div><a href="http://www.archive.org/details/texts">Internet Archive</a> (recommended by Library of Congress)</div>
<div><a href="http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/archives.html">Online Books Page</a> from Univ. of Penn (recommended by Library of Congress)</div>
<div><a href="http://quod.lib.umich.edu/g/genpub/">Univ. of Michigan scanning project</a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.questia.com/publicdomainindex">Questia</a> online books</div>
<div><a href="http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.feedbooks.com/store">Feedbooks</a> - store</div>
<div><a href="http://www.luc.edu/faculty/mhooker/google_books-bible_judaism_christianity.html">All Google books re: Bible, Christianity organized by Prof Hooker</a> -- AMAZING!!!! For example, any books.google resource on specific OT books of the Bible are sorted and linked. There is a great deal of links to Rabinnic Judaism materials. All the early 'fathers,' such as Augustine with books.google links for each.</div>
<div><a href="http://www.ntgateway.com/synoptic/">NT Gateway Portal </a>-- NT topics, gospels, etc. -- link aggregator</div>
<div><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/">Perseus-Tufts Classical Books</a> - placed in public common</div>
<h2>Paganizing Influences</h2>
<p>Name of Easter and Change of Passover "<a href="http://www.toolong.com/pages/acts01.htm">A Common Sense Investigation</a>" Toolong.com (Critical)</p>
<h2>Google Searches</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.google.com/#q=%22jesus+words+only%22&amp;hl=en&amp;tbs=mbl:1,mbl_hs:1262332800,mbl_he:1293868799&amp;source=lnt&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=w6N-TOrMCtnnnQeuqJnwAQ&amp;ved=0CAcQpwU&amp;prmdo=1&amp;fp=55ac65e45fbcbfd">Jesus Words Only on Twitter</a> (google real time)</p>
<h2>Graphic Resources</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.textweek.com/art/matthew.htm">Images of Apostle Matthew<br /></a><a href="http://www.textweek.com/art/art.htm">Art Index to All Bible Topics<br /></a><a href="http://www.textweek.com/art/scripture_index_NT.htm">Art Index by Passage in NT<br /></a><a href="http://hoocher.com/Caravaggio_Michelangelo_Merisi/Caravaggio_Michelangelo_Merisi.htm">Artwork of Caravaggio</a></div>
<p><a href="http://www.textweek.com/art/matthew.htm"></a></p>
<h2>Library Pages of Others</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.christianresourceslinks.com/">http://www.christianresourceslinks.com/</a> - has Greek NT, Greek Textbooks, Lexicons, Manuscripts, Maps, Septuagint, Biblical Journals, etc.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.aprildeconick.com/internetresources.html">April D DeConick's Web-resources links</a> (Prof. Rice University) -- links to Greek dictionaries, etc.</p>
<h2>Miscellaneous</h2>
<p>"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesusism">Jesuism</a><em>"  or 'Jesusism," Wikipedia </em>article supposedly defining Jesuists as a rational philosophy that follows Jesus without Paul. It claims this either stands apart from Christianity or opposes it. This is a false dichotomy. The article never mentions there is a distinct spiritual following of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God without accepting Paul. I have to wonder about this article for a second reason. The article inaccurately cites my book Jesus Words Only as discussing 'Jesuism' which I have never even heard of other than this article. Given the inaccurate reference to my book as discussing Jesuism, I question whether the author of this article has in fact created a new term on his or her own. He or she implies the first reference to this term can be found in <span>Bouck White. </span><em>The Call of the Carpenter.</em><span> USA: Doubleday, Page &amp; Company, 1911. However, this has not yet been verified. Another Wikipedia article says Bouck White was a Jesusist, but again one wonders where this term originated, and who authored this Wikipedia article. </span></p>
<h2>JWO Movement</h2>
<p>"<a href="http://www.simplesalvation.org/n/why_read_jesus_words.html">Why Read Jesus' Words?</a>" (Jan. 16, 2011)</p>
<h2>My Library of Brick &amp; Mortar Books</h2>
<p>Store your book list online at <a href="http://www.myhomelibrary.net">www.myhomelibrary.net</a> lb1</p>
<h2>Ebooks I Recommend</h2>
<p>Butz, <a href="http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=b7bnvXrC47AC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;output=reader">Secret Legacy of Jesus</a> - ebooks.google.com</p>
<h2>YouTubes I Recommend</h2>
<p>Dr. Peter Williams - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Ylt1pBMm8&amp;feature=related">New Evidence that Gospels Were Based Upon Eye Witness Accounts</a></p>
<h2>You Tubes of Interest</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm1wVDcf0Xs&amp;feature=relmfu">Apostle Paul</a> based upon book of Acts</p>
<h2>Website Maintenance Tools</h2>
<div><a href="http://websitegrader.com/site/www.jesuswordsonly.com">http://websitegrader.com/site/www.jesuswordsonly.com<br /></a>Spellchecker at <a href="http://www.spellchecker.net/spellcheck/">http://www.spellchecker.net/spellcheck/<br /></a>Grammar checker at <a href="http://www.grammarly.com/">http://www.grammarly.com<br /></a>Wikipedia on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_words_only#Did_John.27s_Epistles_Identify_Paul_As_A_False_Prophet.3F">Jesus Words Only</a></div> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952908<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

508
Recommended-Reading/locke-jesus-over-epistles.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,508 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/locke-jesus-over-epistles.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Locke - Jesus over Epistles | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"In Acts...Paul is <em><strong>denied the title of Apostle</strong></em>." (Hengel &amp; Schwemer, <em>Paul between Damascus and Antioch</em> (John Knox Press, 1997) at 321.)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 4887" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "4887") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>John Locke</h2>
<h3>1. Epistles Cannot Possibly Contain The Fundamentals of the Faith</h3>
<p>The famous John Locke, in <em>The Reasonableness of Christianity</em> (1696), gave an evangelical defense of Christianity. He argued from all the passages necessary to convince skeptics that indeed Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God. Then Locke dealt with the issue how one would handle conflict found in Epistles with the message of Christ in the Gospels. Locke in <em>Reasonableness of Christianity </em>(1696) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZsQYAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=The%20Reasonableness%20of%20Christianity&amp;pg=PA154#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">154</a> taught us that the only important core of the faith is Jesus and the Gospels, and not the epistles:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">It is not in the epistles we are to learn what are the fundamental articles of faith, where they are promiscuously and without distinction<strong><em> mixed with other truths</em></strong>.... We shall find and discern those <strong><em>great and necessary points best in the preaching of our Savior</em></strong> and the apostles ... out of the history of the evangelists.... And what that was, we have seen already, out of the history of the evangelists, and the acts; where they are plainly laid down, so that nobody can mistake them....  But yet every sentence of theirs must not be taken up, and looked on as a fundamental article, necessary to salvation; without an explicit belief whereof, no-body could be a member of Christ's church here, nor be admitted into his eternal kingdom hereafter. <strong><em>If all, or most of the truths declared in the epistles, were to be received and believed as fundamental articles, what then became of those christians who were fallen asleep</em></strong> (as St. Paul witnesses in his first to the Corinthians, many were) <strong><em>before these things in the epistles were revealed to them? Most of the epistles not being written till above twenty years after our Saviour’s ascension, and some after thirty. ... Nobody can add to these fundamental articles of faith</em></strong>.</p>
<h3>2. There Is No Spiritual Danger Disputing The Validity of The Epistles (Because Not Fundamental)</h3>
<p>Locke goes on to explain that if anyone doubts the epistles' authority, it can have no effect on their salvation.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">But farther, therefore, to those who will be ready to say, " May those truths delivered in the epistles, which " <strong><em>are not contained in the preaching of our Saviour </em></strong>" and his apostles, and are therefore, by this account, " <strong><em>not necessary to salvation;</em></strong> be believed or disbelieved, " without any danger ? May a christian safely question " or doubt of them ? "</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">To this I answer, That the law of faith, being a covenant of free grace, God alone can appoint what shall be necessarily believed by every one whom he will justify. What is the faith which he will accept and account for righteousness, depends wholly on his good pleasure. For it is of grace, and not of right, that this faith is accepted. And therefore he alone can set the measures of it: and what he has so appointed and declared is alone necessary. <strong><em>No-body can add to these fundamental articles of faith </em></strong>; nor make any other necessary, but what God himself hath made, and declared to be so. And what these are which God requires of those who will enter into, and receive the benefits of the new covenant, has already been shown [i.e., belief that Jesus was Messiah, Son of God]. An explicit belief of these is absolutely required of all those to whom the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, and salvation through his name proposed. Id.,at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZsQYAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=The%20Reasonableness%20of%20Christianity&amp;pg=PA155#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">155</a>.</p>
<p>Locke goes on to say no one can deny any Scripture that contains a fundamental truth. But there are a good deal of truths that Christians can dispute (obviously having the epistles in view) that do not involve fundamentals, and it has no impact on their salvation. As to what is fundamental, Locke in the first 150 plus pages of <em>The Reasonableness of Christianity</em> proved over and over that the fundamental truth of Christianity is that one must believe Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.</p>
<p>Here at pages <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZsQYAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=The%20Reasonableness%20of%20Christianity&amp;pg=PA154#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">154</a>-57, one now has arrived at the reason for this long preface to make this point. Thus, Locke explains in more depth why <strong><em>we can dispute items in the epistles because they could not possibly reflect the fundamentals</em></strong> -- coming after Jesus's words in the Gospels:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The other parts of divine revelation are objects of  faith, and are so to be received. They are truths,  whereof no one can be rejected; none that is once known to be such, may, or ought to be disbelieved. For to acknowledge any proposition to be of divine revelation and authority; and yet to deny, or disbelieve it; is to offend against this fundamental article and ground of faith, that God is true. But <strong><em>yet a great many of the truths revealed in the gospel, every one does, and must confess, a man may be ignorant of; nay, disbelieve, without danger to his salvation</em></strong> : as is evident in those, who, allowing the authority, differ in the interpretation and meaning of several texts of scripture, not thought fundamental: in all which, it is plain, the contending parties on one side or the other, are ignorant of, nay, disbelieve the truths delivered in holy writ; unless contrarieties and contradictions can be contained in the same words ; and divine revelation can mean contrary itself.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Though <em><strong>all divine revelation requires the obedience of faith</strong></em>, yet<em><strong> every truth of inspired scriptures is not one  of those</strong></em>, that by the law of faith is required to be explicitly believed to justification. What those are,<strong><em> we have seen by what our Saviour and his apostles proposed to, and required in those whom they converted to the faith</em></strong>. Those are fundamentals, which it is not enough not to disbelieve : every one is required actually to assent to them. But any other proposition contained in the scripture, which God has not thus made a necessary part of the law of faith, (without an actual assent to which, he will not allow any one to be a believer,) <strong><em>a man may be ignorant of, without hazarding his salvation by a defect in his faith.</em></strong> He believes all that God has made necessary for him to believe, and assent to ; and as for the rest of divine truths, there is nothing more required of him, but that he receive all the parts of divine revelation, with a docility and disposition prepared to embrace and assent to all truths coming from God ; and submit his mind to whatsoever shall appear to him to bear that character.  (Id., at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZsQYAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=The%20Reasonableness%20of%20Christianity&amp;pg=PA156#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">156</a>).</p>
<h2>Locke Says Divisiveness Comes From Non-Fundamental Issues</h2>
<p>Locke then continues to lament that dissenters create grounds for separation rather than staying in one body of Christ. These disputes are often over non-fundamentals, which Locke explained above was due to attention paid to the epistles.  Locke explains:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The dissenting congregation are supposed by their teachers to be more accurately instructed in matters of faith, and better to understand the christian religion, than the vulgar conformists, who are charged with great ignorance; how truly, I will not here determine. But I ask them to tell me seriously, " Whether " half their people have leisure to study ? Nay, Whether one in ten, of those who come to their meetings in the country, if they had time to study them, do " or can understand the controversies at this time so warmly managed amongst them, about 'justification,' the subject of this present treatise ? <strong><em>I have talked with some of their teachers, who confess themselves not to understand the difference in debate between them</em></strong>. And yet the points they stand on, are reckoned of so great weight, so material, so fundamental in religion, that t<strong><em>hey divide communion, and separate upon them</em></strong>. Had God intended that none <strong><em>but the learned scribe, the disputer, or wise of this world, should be christians, or be saved, thus religion should have been prepared for them, filled with speculations and niceties, obscure terms, and abstract notions</em></strong>. But men of that expectation, men furnished with such acquisitions, the apostle tells us, 1 Cor. i. are rather shut out from the simplicity of the gospel; to make way for those poor, ignorant, illiterate, who heard and believed promises of a Deliverer, and believed Jesus to be him; who could conceive a man dead and made alive again; and believe that he should, at the end of the world, come again and pass sentence on all men, according to their deeds. That the poor had the gospel preached to them; Christ makes a mark, as well as business of his mission, Matt, xi. 5. And if the poor had the gospel preached to them, it was, without doubt, such a gospel as the poor could understand; plain and intelligible; and so it was, as we have seen, in the preachings of Christ and his apostles. Id., at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ZsQYAAAAIAAJ&amp;dq=The%20Reasonableness%20of%20Christianity&amp;pg=PA158#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">158</a>.</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 913911<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

538
Recommended-Reading/luther-and-canon.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,538 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/luther-and-canon.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Luther and Canon | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"El pobre es rico cuando esta feliz con lo que tiene...Y el rico es pobre cuando nada de lo que tiene lo hace feliz" Benjamin Franklin.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 3572" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "3572") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Luther and Canon</h2>
<h3>Original Testament Writings</h3>
<p>Luther did not believe canonicity was a closed issue.</p>
<p>For example, he rejected the Solomonic origin of Ecclesiastes and declared Job to be mere allegory. Kings, he said, was "more to be believed than Chronicles."</p>
<p>Incidentally, the author(s) of Chronicles probably lived after the Babylonian captivity of the sixth century B.C. Chronicles revises the accounts in the books of Samuel and Kings, changing some facts and adding other material.</p>
<p>Luther also said Esther was "without boots or spurs." In one discussion, Luther lumped it with 2 Maccabees (a book in the Apocrypha) and said: "I am so hostile to this book and to Esther that I could <strong><em>wish they did not exist at all</em></strong>; for they <em><strong>judaize too greatly</strong></em> and have much pagan impropriety." (Luther,<em>Tischedren</em> (Weimar Edition, 1912) Vol. I at 208; Floyd V. Filson,<em> Which Books Belong in the Bible</em> (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1957) at 10.)</p>
<p>Luther also had doubts about Jeremiah, Jonah, and the Song of Solomon.</p>
<h3>New Testament Writings</h3>
<p>Of Jude, he wrote, "He quotes sayings and stories found nowhere else," an allusion to Jude's quote of Enoch. Luther then said: "Although I praise the book, it is an epistle that need not be counted among the <strong><em>chief books</em></strong>."  (William Harrison Bruce Carney, "Luther and the Bible, Its Origin and Content," chap. 2 in O. M. Norlie, ed.,<em> The Translated Bible 1534-1934</em>,<em>Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Translation of the Bible by Martin Luther</em> (Philadelphia: The United Lutheran Publication House, 1934).)</p>
<p>Luther ended up disparaging four writings in the New Testament:</p>
<ul>
<li>Hebrews because it refuses a second forgiveness to apostates</li>
<li>James because it declares that 'faith without works is dead', </li>
<li>Jude because it derived from 2 Peter and gave no clear witness to Christ</li>
<li>Revelation because, he said, it did not properly teach Christ, was neither apostolic nor prophetic, and was subject to personal interpretation.</li>
</ul>
<p>Luther wrote, "St. John's Gospel and his first epistle, St. Paul's epistles, especially Romans, Galatians and Ephesians and St. Peter's first epistle are the books that show you Christ and teach you all that is good and necessary for you to know." He went on to call these books the "kernel and marrow of all books," but declared that "St. James is really an epistle of straw compared to them for it has nothing of the nature of the Gospel about it . . . [It is] not the writing of any apostle."</p>
<p>SOURCE: C. M. Jacobs, <em>Holman's Edition of Luther's Works</em>, 6:444, also cited in William Harrison Bruce Carney, "Luther and the Bible, Its Origin and Content," 21. All citations are found in Holman's Edition of Luther's Works, Vol. VI, "Preface," translations by Dr. C. M. Jacobs, and this in turn by William Harrison Bruce Carney, "Luther and the Bible, Its Origin and Content," chapter 2 in O. M. Norlie, ed., <em>The Translated Bible 1534-1934, Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Translation of the Bible by Martin Luther</em> (Philadelphia: The United Lutheran Publication House, 1934). See also Floyd V. Filson,<em> Which Books Belong in the Bible?</em> (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1957) at 34.</p>
<p>Luther's statement regarding the relative value of the New Testament books in which he calls James "straw" are in the September 1522 first edition of Luther's NT translation, the December 1522 second editions and the 1524 third edition (1524) as well as the small octavo edition of 1530. In his <em>Vorrhede</em> to the epistles of James and Jude, Luther gave a further evaluation.</p>
<p>Luther disliked James because it stressed the necessity of works for salvation besides faith. Luther regarded this as opposed to Paul's emphasis on faith alone. Luther said James "does not mention the Passion, the Resurrection, or the Spirit of Christ." Luther concluded his preface to James, "All of the genuinely sacred books agree in this that all of them preach Christ and deal with Him. <strong><em>That is the test to judge all books</em></strong>, when we see whether they deal with Christ or not, since all the Scriptures show us Christ (Rom. 3) and St. Paul will know nothing but Christ (I Cor. 15)." Luther concludes: "<strong><em>What does not teach Christ is not apostolic, even though St. Peter or St. Paul taught it</em></strong>; again, what preaches Christ would be apostolic, even though Judas, Annas, Pilate and Herod did it."</p>
<p>SOURCE: C. M. Jacobs, <em>Holman's Edition of Luther's Works, p</em>reface, cited by William Harrison Bruce Carney, "Luther and the Bible, Its Origin and Content," chapter 2 in O. M. Norlie, ed., <em>The Translated Bible 1534-1934, Commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Translation of the Bible by Martin Luther</em> (Philadelphia: The United Lutheran Publication House, 1934)</p>
<p>Luther's contempt for the epistle of James is clear in this excerpt from his <em>Table Talk</em>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Let us banish this Epistle from the university, for it is <em><strong>worthless</strong></em>. It has no syllable about Christ, not even naming him except at the beginning. I think it was written by a Jew who had heard of the Christians but<strong><em> not joined them.</em></strong> He had learned that the Christians insisted strongly on faith in Christ, and so he said to himself, "Well, you must take issue with them and speak only of works," and so he does. He says <strong><em>not a word of the passion and resurrection of Chris</em></strong>t, the text of all the other apostles. Moreover, he has no order nor method. He speaks now of clothes, now of wrath, jumping from one topic to another. He has this simile: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Mary, mother of God! He compares faith to the body, when it should be compared to the soul. (Preserved Smith, "The Methods of Reformation Interpreters of the Bible," <em>Biblical World</em> 38/4 (October 1911) at 242.)</p>
<p>In his 1522 preface to the book of Revelation, Luther wrote:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">About this Book of Revelation of John, I leave everyone free to hold his own opinion. I miss more than one thing in this book and it makes me consider it to be<strong><em> neither apostolic nor prophetic. First the apostles deal not in visions but prophesy in clear and dry words, as to Peter, Paul and Christ in the Gospel. It befits the apostolic office to speak clearly, without imagery, about Christ and His doing</em></strong>. There is no prophet in the Old Testament, to say nothing of the New, who deals exclusively with images. For myself, I think it approximates the Fourth Book of Esdras. I can in <em><strong>no way detect that the Holy Spirit produced it</strong></em> . . . They are supposed to be blessed who keep what is written in this book and yet no one knows what it is, to say nothing of keeping it . . . <em><strong>My spirit cannot accommodate itself to this book</strong></em> . . .<em><strong> Christ is neither taught nor known in it</strong></em> . . . Therefore I stick to the books which present Christ to me, clearly and purely . . . This is the way it has been with this book heretofore. Many have tried their hands at it. But until this very day they have also let it alone until now, especially because some of the ancient fathers held it was not the work of St. John the Apostle . . .<strong><em> For our part, we share this doubt</em></strong>.</p>
<p>SOURCE: Jaroslav J. Pelikan (ed.) and George V. Schick (transl.), <em>Luther's Works</em> (Philadelphia: Fortress and Concordia, 1960), 35:398-400. See also C. W. Jacobs, <em>Holman's Edition of Luther's Works</em>, 6:488-489. See also, <em>Penny Enclyclopedia </em>(1833) Vol. 1 at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=swsDAAAAYAAJ&amp;lpg=RA1-PA162&amp;ots=r2pDXHVLsH&amp;dq=carlstadt%20view%20apostle%20paul&amp;pg=RA1-PA162#v=onepage&amp;q=carlstadt%20view%20apostle%20paul&amp;f=false">162</a>.</p>
<p>COMMENT: One cannot help but note that Paul did not fit the categorization that Luther said made the writings of Peter authoritative. Paul had a "vision" on a road that others did not see or hear (depending on which version you read in Acts.)</p>
<p>Inspired by Luther, Ulrich Zwingli similarly opposed the book of Revelation. Calvin denounced it as unintelligible and forbade his pastors at Geneva to attempt to interpret it. Calvin never did a commentary on Revelation.</p>
<p>However, several of Luther's grounds to dismiss Revelation are faulty. Some prophets did mention images in visions such as Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah. In fact, their writings are very similar to Revelation.</p>
<p>Luther's declaration that "Christ is neither taught nor known in it" is also patently absurd (unless one realizes it is the anti-Pauline slant of Revelation that Luther means when saying 'Christ' is not known in it). The book of Revelation begins:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The Revelation of<em><strong> Jesus Christ</strong></em>, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of <em><strong>Jesus Christ</strong></em>, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from <em><strong>Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead</strong></em>, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:1-6)</p>
<p>Christ is named eighteen times in the book of Revelation. Many other times Jesus is depicted as the "Lamb of God," the name given Jesus by both John the Baptist (John 1:36) and Peter (1 Peter 1:19). .</p>
<p>Luther moved James, Hebrews, Jude, and Revelation from their normal priority of position, and placed them at the end of the New Testament. This Luther did to signify they did not have the same status as other books in canon. In his <em>New Testament</em> table of contents, he numbered books 1-23 and then placed the four rejected ones <strong><em>without numbers</em></strong>.</p>
<p>Tyndale used Luther's order in his English translation, as did Coverdale in 1535. The Great Bible of 1519 put Hebrews and James back in their original positions, and this is the order kept in the King James Version.</p>
<h3>The Apocrypha</h3>
<p>Though the KJV in 1824 was revised to eliminate the Apocrypha, the twelve books of the Apocrypha were included in Luther's Bible. In the 1534 edition, he called them "books not on a level with Holy Writ and yet profitable and good to read."</p>
<p>He removed all of them from the Old Testament and placed them in a special section after the Old Testament, just as he moved questionable New Testament books to the end of that collection.</p>
<h3>Observations</h3>
<p>Is it a coincidence that three of the four books Luther believed were non-canonical for the NT -- Jude, James and Revelation -- were books that Christian scholar Renan recognized as veiled criticisms of Paul by the original apostolic church? See our <a href="/Recommended-Reading/renan.html">page</a> on Renan's book <em>St. Paul</em>.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>As Stephen Feldman, a non-Christian, correctly observed in <em>Please Don't Wish Me A Merry Christmas</em> (NY U Press, 1998) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=OgmO06LHLrIC&amp;lpg=PA315&amp;dq=Calvin%2C%20Commentaries%20on%20the%20Epistles%20o%20f%20Paul%20the%20Apostle%20to%20the%20Philippians&amp;pg=PA312#v=onepage&amp;q=Calvin,%20Commentaries%20on%20the%20Epistles%20o%20f%20Paul%20the%20Apostle%20to%20the%20Philippians&amp;f=false"> 312 fn 45</a>:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Luther...was downright reactionary. As discussed, Luther<strong><em> sought to return to a Pauline</em></strong> and Augustine<strong><em> Christianity</em></strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 862553<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

621
Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,621 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Marcionism | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"For we apostles are sent to expound the sayings of Him who has sent us; we are <strong><em>not commissioned to say anything of our own</em></strong>." (Peter <em>Recognitions </em>XXXIV)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 3091" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "3091") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><strong>Marcionism-The Forgotten Crisis</strong></h2>
<h2>Overview/Introduction</h2>
<p>An important but frequently forgotten episode in the early church was the movement founded by Marcion near 144 A.D. It is known as Marcionism.<img src="/images/stories/JWOBook/marcion.jpg" width="159" height="200" alt="marcion" style="float: right;" /></p>
<p>It is important because it explains the two gospels in the current New Testament and why they were tolerated. Marcionism was a split in the church that almost divided Christianity in two. Marcion taught only Paul had the correct gospel of Jesus,<em> i.e.</em>, faith alone, but the twelve apostles presented a Jesus who supposedly had a superceded gospel that did not apply to Gentiles. Marcion said the twelve taught a gospel of Law where disobedience caused loss of salvation, especially found in Matthew's Gospel.                                                                                                                                                         <span style="color: #800080;">[Ancient drawing of Marcion]</span></p>
<p>A prominent leader of early orthodox Christianity was Tertullian. In 207 A.D. Tertullion in <em>Against Marcion</em> rebutted Marcion by attacking Paul. He questioned whether Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, saying a self-serving claim, as Paul made of being an apostle of Jesus, does not suffice. Tertullian suggested Paul was a false prophet. He also called Paul the "apostle of the heretics." (See below, <em>Marcionism - Excerpt from JWOS</em>]</p>
<h3>Split Healed By Joining Paul's Writing To Canon Only As 'Scripture' (A Term-of-Art in that Era)</h3>
<p>This split was healed by including Paul's writings in the late 2d century canon but treating Paul as "Scripture" which does not mean what we think today. In the OT, the third division after the "Law and Prophets" was the "Writings" section, which translates in Greek as "Scripture."</p>
<p>The "Scripture" or "Writings" section is where Jews put works that were viewed as only sometimes inspired, or which had not yet been determined to be prophetic. For example, in Jesus' day, Daniel was still in the Writings/Scripture section rather than the Prophets section even though Daniel claimed to be a prophet. See Joel Osteen, <em>Hope for Today Bible</em> (2009) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=SIVrZ1xLzGQC&amp;lpg=PA951&amp;dq=daniel%20writing%20section%20bible&amp;pg=PA951#v=onepage&amp;q=daniel%20writing%20section%20bible&amp;f=false">951</a> ("The book of Daniel is found in the <strong><em>third section of the Hebrew Bible</em></strong> known as the<em><strong> 'Writings</strong></em>,' rather than the second section 'the Prophets.'")</p>
<p>Hence, the term <em>Scripture</em> in those days had one usage to mean edifying material that was not yet recognized as fully inspired. It is a term of art whose meaning is sadly forgotten. Scripture/Writings was a term applied to something that should not be used as the basis for doctrine until more proof allows one to elevate it to fully Prophet-section materials.</p>
<p>Thus, until accepted as 100% inspired, such a writing was kept in the "Scriptures" scroll to show a lesser authority. For a scholarly brief discussion on the "Writings" section of the OT and its lack of 100% inspired status, and that Jesus affirmed the same understanding, see this "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html">Writings Section</a>" article.</p>
<h3>Early Church Approach To Third-Tier Writings Permissibly Joined To Canon</h3>
<p>In the early Christian church, with that true perception of canon still well-known (unlike now when it is forgotten), the church could attach merely edifying works to the Bible without causing any misunderstanding that this implied the author was 100% inspired. For example, Jerome in 402 A.D. attached the Apocrypha and explained elsewhere his purpose was because it was merely edifying. It was not because it was inspired. The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) forgot this and at the famous Council of Trent in the 1500s the RCC said the Apocrypha too was 100% inspired in every word. More important, this reminds us the standard for joinder was not necessarily inspiration in those earliest days.</p>
<p>Hence, Paul was attached after the split caused by Marcionism. His joinder was evidently designed to bring Marcionites (Paul-only Christians) back into the Orthodox church. As a result, eventually Orthodox Christianity defeated or merged with Marcionism by the end of the 300s.</p>
<p>(The Roman Catholic Church, however, succumbed to accept various doctrines of Marcionism including docetism. See <a href="/JWO/marcionite-influence-on-rcc.html">Marcionite Influence Over the RCC</a>.)</p>
<h3>Efforts in Reformation To Revive Correct Understanding of Tiers of Authority</h3>
<p>Incidentally, this understanding that books in "Scripture" meant third-tier authority was sought to be revived by the co-founder of the Reformation - Andreas Carlstadt. The first book in the Reformation to discuss Canon was Carlstadt's <em>Canonicis Scripturis</em> of 1520. Carlstadt revived the old divisions of the OT, and applied the same to the NT. In doing so, Carlstadt placed Paul inferior to Jesus. Carlstadt analogized Paul to the inferior grade in the OT known as the 'Scripture' (Ketuvim or <em>Writings) </em>section , making Jesus on par with the first tier of the OT (<em>i.e.</em>, Law.) (See our <a href="/JWO/carlstadt-research.html">webpage</a> on this.) Despite Carlstadt co-founding the Reformation with Luther, Luther turned on Carlstadt and persecuted him for taking Paul down a notch, driving Carlstadt and his followers from the movement.</p>
<p>Here I will provide quotes from my various books that discuss Marcionism for background on this important movement:</p>
<h2>Marcionism Similar to Calvinism/Lutheranism</h2>
<p>Thomas Scheck aptly states he found “<strong><em>real and apparent similarities</em></strong> between certain <strong><em>Protestant theological formulae</em></strong>, especially those of Calvinism and [early] Lutheranism, <strong><em>and</em></strong> the assertions of Gnostic and <strong><em>Marcionite exegesis</em></strong>....” (Thomas Scheck, <em>Origen: Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans</em> (Washington DC: CUA, 2001-02) at 1.23-4.) [<em>Jesus Words on Salvation</em> at 570 fn. 44.]</p>
<h2>Marcionism -- Excerpt from Jesus Words on Salvation at pp <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA578#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">578 </a>et seq.</h2>
<p>
<link href="file:///C:\DOCUME~1\2009\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List" />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->
<style><!--
&lt;!
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"ZapfEllipt BT";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 5 6 4 8 3;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:135 0 0 0 27 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:none;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:7.5in 9.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.7in 1.0in 1.7in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-page-numbers:549;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
&gt;
--></style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]> <mce:style><! /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} --> <!--[endif]--></p>
<p style="margin: 0.25in 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Importance of Protestants Coming to Grips with the Early Heretic Marcion’s Cheap Grace Doctrine </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Has the last four hundred years been a waste? Has the descent into cheap grace at odds with Jesus’ doctrine all this time been an unprecedented error? No. This has been a valu­able period of cleansing of doctrinal errors. However, our response to those errors ended up in over-reaction. We need to come back to Jesus. It is that simple. We can take encour­agement from the fact that this very same error happened once before. Let’s see how the early church escaped, and per­haps we can simply repeat the measures taken back then.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Most Protestants are utterly unaware that Paulinism, in particular faith alone doctrine, previously threatened to overwhelm Jesus’ salvation doctrine and destroy it. In 144 A.D., there arose a ship-builder from Pontus named Marcion. He founded a church system that rivaled in numbers and influence that of the orthodox Christian church. By 150 A.D., Justin wrote that Marcionites had expanded “to the uttermost bounds of the earth.” [Justin, <em>Apology</em> 1.26.] It required three hundred years for the orthodox church to eventually rout out the heresy of Marcion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Marcion was not battling the Roman Catholic church. It did not yet exist. Instead, there was a large orthodox church led from Jerusalem. The Roman bishop was just one bishop among many throughout the Mediterranean. Even if Peter was in Rome at one point, there was no effort to exercise superiority from Rome until many centuries later.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">What happened is that Marcion declared in 144 A.D. that Paul alone was the true apostle for the era of grace; the twelve apostles, in particular their gospel of Matthew, were tainted by legalism; the Jesus of the twelve belonged to the God of the Old Testament; and the Jesus of Paul represented the son of a loving Father who now accepted us by faith alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">In Marcion’s book known as the <em>Antitheses</em>, which exists only in fragments quoted by others, we find endorse­ment of everything Pauline, including faith alone. Marcion’s primary antithesis involved faith and law. On one hand, there was the Law given Moses, which the apostolic twelve endorsed in Matthew’s gospel. On the other hand, there was the faith alone doctrine of Paul. To solve this antithesis, Mar­cion invented the idea that Christ had two personages — the one of the twelve and the one presented by Paul. The Jesus of the twelve represented the Creator-God of the Old Testament. The Jesus of Paul represented the Good God or the Father of the New Testament. The <em>Antitheses </em>of 144 A.D. reads:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0.25in 6pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;ZapfEllipt BT&quot;; color: black;">18.The Jewish Christ [of Matthew <em>et al</em>] was designated by the Creator [<em>i.e.</em>, the God of the Old Testament] solely to restore the Jewish peo­ple from the Diaspora; but our Christ [present in Paul’s writings] was commissioned by the good God [of the new testament] to liberate all mankind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.25in 6pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;ZapfEllipt BT&quot;; color: black;">19. The Good [God] [of Paul’s Jesus] is good toward all men; the Creator [God of the Jesus of the twelve], however, promises salvation only to those who are obedient to him [<em>i.e.</em>, legal­ism]. The Good [God of Paul’s Jesus] redeems those who <strong><em>believe</em></strong> in him, but<strong><em> he does not judge those who are disobedient</em></strong> to him; the Creator [God of the twelve’s Jesus], however, redeems his faithful and judges and punishes the sinners.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.25in 6pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;ZapfEllipt BT&quot;; color: black;">29. The Christ [of the Creator God represented by the twelve] promises to the Jews the restora­tion of their former condition by return of their land and, after death, a refuge in Abraham’s bosom in the underworld [<em>i.e.</em>, Sheol/hell]. Our Christ [of the Jesus presented by Paul] will establish the Kingdom of God, an eternal and heavenly possession.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.25in 6pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 19px; font-size: 15.8333px;">(Source: Dr. Peter M. Head (New Testament Research Fellow, Tyndale House), <span style="font-size: 15.8333px;"><a href="http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/Tyndale/staff/Head/Lent_01_Handout.htm">The History of the Interpretation of the Apostle Paul </a>(2001).</span></span><span style="line-height: 19px; font-size: 15.8333px;">)</span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">The Jerusalem church previously replied to anti-Law and faith-alone doctrine by saying Paul was an apostate and did not represent true Christianity. As Professor James Dunn notes: “The most direct heirs of the Jewish-Christian group­ings within earliest Christianity [<em>i.e.</em>, the early Jerusalem church]<strong><em> regarded Paul as the great apostate</em></strong>, an arch enemy,” citing <em>Epistula Petri</em> 2.3; <em>Clem. Hom</em>. 17:18-19.<a name="_ftnref3"></a> (<o:p></o:p></span>James D. G. Dunn, <em>The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul </em>(Cambridge University Press, 2003) at 2.)</p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">The Jerusalem church’s response is directly reflected in our New Testament. As Augustine noted in 413 A.D. in his treatise <em>Faith and Works</em>, the epistles of James (the first bishop of Jerusalem), Jude (the second bishop of Jerusalem),<a name="_ftnref4"></a> and Second Peter were specifically written to destroy “faith alone” doctrine as inferred from Paul’s epistles. (See page <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA523#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">523</a>n <em>supra</em>.) Second Peter even said many would fall from their “steadfastness in Christ” by relying upon “difficult to understand” passages in the writings of Paul. These passages were seen as giving a “liberty” that Second Peter said was foreign to the true gospel. (See pages <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA500#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">500</a>-504 <em>supra</em>.) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Tertullian, an orthodox church member in Carthage, Africa, wrote in 207 A.D. his famous rebuttal to Marcion. In it, Tertullian raised every ground possible to dispute whether Paul was truly an apostle of Jesus Christ. Tertullian even sug­gested Paul was a false prophet as warned of by Jesus Christ. We previously quoted this daring analysis from Tertullian. (See pages 395-400 <em>Jesus Words Only </em>at this google-books <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3VFnsDuxBPcC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus'%20words%20only&amp;pg=PA395#v=snippet&amp;q=pontus&amp;f=false">full view link</a>.) In that passage, Tertullian says that Paul’s claim to apostleship is totally self-serving, and by Jesus’ standards is invalid. Scholars generally now recognize this is a valid criticism of Paul’s claims. In the end, Tertullian even suggested “<strong><em>[Paul] is the apostle of the heretics.</em></strong>” (Tertul­lian, <em>Adversus Marcion</em> <span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"> <a href="http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/1003/1001/0160-0220,_Tertullianus,_Adversus_Marcionem,_MLT.html#[0327A]">3:5</a></span>, “haeritcorum apostolus”.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Often, Protestant historians try to obscure the real nature of Marcion’s heresy. They focus on every other dispute than the problem of Marcion’s teaching of <em>faith alone</em>. While it is true that Marcion said there was a different God for the new versus the old testaments, and this claim was battled vig­orously by Tertullian, they ignore what was at stake. <strong><em>Mar­cion’s goal behind that argument was to justify two different salvation doctrines</em></strong>. Once he divided salvation into two dis­pensations — the old and the new, Marcion could defend the new is by faith alone and the old one is by obedience. Mar­cion hence was trying to rationalize Paul’s doctrine of faith alone as belonging to a distinct dispensation of Paul’s Jesus. Thereby, it could be valid despite contradicting Jesus’ salva­tion doctrine in the gospel of Matthew and John (properly translated). As Arthur Cushman McGiffert, in <em>A History of Christian Thought </em>(C. Scribner’s Sons: 1949) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=w65VTLTfGJS-sQPXgenaAg&amp;ct=result&amp;id=Kf82AAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=McGiffert,+in+A+History+of+Christian+Thought&amp;q=faith+alone#search_anchor">59</a> explains:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0.25in 6pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;ZapfEllipt BT&quot;; color: black;">For the gospel of the free grace of God and sal­vation by <strong><em>faith alone</em></strong> had been substituted [by the twelve apostles in their gospels], so Mar­cion believed, [by] a legalism of a genuinely Jewish character. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Hence, to destroy the significance of the different sal­vation doctrine in the twelve apostles’ gospels, Marcion claimed Paul had the right to proclaim a superseding one.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Thus, Marcion represented a vigorous effort to erase any role of repentance and obedience in the Christian doc­trine of salvation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0.25in 6pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;ZapfEllipt BT&quot;; color: black;">Marcion expounded his main position in a work entitled <em>Antitheses</em>....[The God of the New Testament] was the God of grace who offered salvation to all by <strong><em>faith alone</em></strong>;.... (T. Alec Burkill, <em>The Evolution of Christian Thought</em> (Cornell University Press, 1971) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?ei=1a9VTJmHDIa4sQP2qbDbAg&amp;ct=result&amp;id=5EMcAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=Burkill,+The+Evolution+of+Christian+Thought&amp;q=faith+alone#search_anchor">42</a>.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.25in 6pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;ZapfEllipt BT&quot;; color: black;">After Simon Magus, it was Marcion above all whom the Fathers regarded as the arch-here­tic:... the law is discarded and salvation depends on <strong><em>faith alone</em></strong>. (Hans Kung, <em>The Church</em> (Image Books: 1976) at 316.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Tertullian in rebuttal to Marcion conceded that the ceremonial law of the old testament was abrogated, but the moral commandments in the Law remained. To this end, Ter­tullian taught repentance and obedience remained absolutely essential to salvation. (<o:p></o:p></span>See my prior work, <em>Jesus’ Words Only</em> (2007) at 405-425.)</p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">When I encountered this history, I was shocked and in disbelief. David Bercot, a Protestant attorney like myself, was as equally startled by encountering Marcion as I was. After Bercot did a comprehensive survey of the doctrines of the early Church in his exhaustive 705 page <em>Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs </em>(1998), he wrote <em>Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up </em>(1999). In that work, Bercot admits he dis­covered that the early church, in “contradiction to many of my own theological views,” taught doctrines that universally rejected teachings which we all recognize as part of modern accepted Pauline teaching. When Bercot discusses Marcion, he expresses the same shock I experienced when I first read what Marcion taught:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 6pt 0.25in 6pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;ZapfEllipt BT&quot;; color: black;">As surprising as all of this may be to you, <strong><em>what I’m about to tell you is even more bizarre</em></strong>. There was a religious group <strong><em>labelled as here­tics</em></strong> by the early Christians, who strongly dis­puted the church’s stance on salvation and works [<em>i.e.</em>, that salvation depended on works]. Instead, they [<em>i.e.</em>, the heretics] taught man is totally depraved. That we are <strong><em>saved solely by grace</em></strong>. That <strong><em>works play no role in salvation</em></strong>. And that <strong><em>we cannot lose our salvation once we obtain it</em></strong>.... (<em>Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up</em>, <em>supra</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=j7K4S5n8hVAC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=bercot%20Will%20The%20Real%20Heretics%20Please%20Stand%20Up&amp;pg=PA66#v=onepage&amp;q=bizarre&amp;f=false">66</a>.)(Emphasis added.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">It is obvious that Marcionism has revived. Many Prot­estants likewise today argue a dispensational division exists between old and new, so that Jesus’ contrary salvation doc­trine to Paul’s doctrine can be <em>honestly</em> dismissed as <em>irrele­vant</em>. (See dispensationalist claims on pages <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA209#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">209</a>-210 <em>supra</em>.) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Jesus and the early church had a solution to prevent Paul’s teachings from overturning those of Jesus. They were:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 3pt 0in 0.0001pt 13.65pt; text-indent: -13.65pt; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: black;">• <span> </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">The release of the epistles of James, Jude and Second Peter; <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 3pt 0in 0.0001pt 13.65pt; text-indent: -13.65pt; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: black;">• <span> </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">The release of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, with its heavy emphasis on works required for salvation, including a re-affir­mation of James’ principles in Revelation 3:1-3; and<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 3pt 0in 0.0001pt 13.65pt; text-indent: -13.65pt; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;Courier New&quot;; color: black;">• <span> </span></span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Tertullian’s brilliant examination in 207 A.D. of the lack of authenticity to Paul’s claims of apostleship and even Tertullian’s suggestion that Paul was a false prophet predicted by Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">These various attacks on Paulinism were vigorous and well-sustained. Marcion was defeated. These critical analyses must be re-published for a new generation. For four hundred years, we have been entrapped within revived Marcionism. Because Christ’s words were so powerful, Christianity lived on despite this albatross hanging on, weighing down His words in the wrong direction. Yet, by our dereliction of duty, Christ’s message is obscured. How did this happen?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">What took place in the early Protestant Reformation is that this history about Marcion was forgotten. It was prima­rily Erasmus and Tyndale who initially realized that the refor­mation had made a significant major mistake. It had treated Paul’s doctrines regarding ‘faith alone’ as a necessity to fol­low even when at odds with the salvation doctrine of Jesus Christ. These two men bravely changed course. They even obviously caused Luther to change course. He too adopted <em>double justification</em> (<em>i.e.</em>, salvation begins by faith but requires works and obedience for final salvation) which essentially matches Jesus’ doctrine. [See Preface to JWOS at this <a href="/JWOS/preface.html">webpage</a>.] Unfortunately, Luther’s heroism of 1517-18 was not matched by a later bold declara­tion that he realized this error. Luther tried to make this change quietly, through an ecumenical conference with the Catholic Church in 1541. Upon Luther’s death, he left it to Melancthon to continue this effort. Melancthon did so, caus­ing the Lutheran church to adopt double justification as an official doctrine. It lasted until a short while after Melanc­thon’s death. </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">[See Preface to JWOS at this</span><span> </span><span><a href="/JWOS/preface.html">webpage</a></span><span>.]</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And thus the true gospel expired from being present in any major Protestant denomination. It survives pri­marily only in the Pentecostal and Mennonite churches.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;">Consequently, we need spiritual and historical revival. We need to repent of the misleading ‘faith alone’ doctrine.<span> </span>We also need to refuse anyone else from taking Jesus/Yeshua’s place as our “sole teacher” (Matt. 23:10). We need to repent from the stain of Paulinism upon Christ’s mes­sage.</span></p>
<p style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;" class="MsoNormal">END.</p>
<h2>Marcion Indeed Was Inspired By Paul</h2>
<p>The early church found the following were heresies in Marcion, but these all were doctrines taught by Paul. Hence, these parallels to Marcion whom the early church<strong><em> pre-325 AD</em></strong> universally condemned proves the church's antipathy to everything Pauline in doctrine although having affection for Paul personally.</p>
<h3>Celibacy</h3>
<p>"Marcion’s ethics err on the side of asceticism. Tertullian claims that he forbade marriage because procreation was the invention of the Demiurge." (Robert Bradshaw, <a href="http://www.earlychurch.org.uk/article_marcion.html">Marcion - Portrait of a Heretic</a>, citing Benjamin Walker, <em>Gnosticism: Its History And Influence</em> (Wellingborough: Crucible, 1983) at 126.) Bradshaw continues:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"Marcion… deemed <strong><em>marriage</em></strong> ‘a filthiness and an obscenity.’ It was a diabolical institution that had upon it the seal of Antichrist and the mark of Satan. It did nothing more than sanction sexual indulgence..." <em>Id.</em></p>
<p>Paul taught similarly, in contradiction of Christ. In 1 Cor. 10:27-28, Paul says: "Are you bound to a wife?  Do not seek to be free.  Are you free from a wife? <strong><em> Do not seek marriage</em></strong>."</p>
<h3>God of Old Testament Is Not The Same As The God of The New</h3>
<p>Paul in Romans 7:1-6 cannot be read to be saying anything but that when Christ died, this represented the death of the husband God who gave the Law. But when Christ rose, we were able to marry a new husband -- obviously a new God -- who did not have any link to the former Law given Moses. This disjunction of what Christ represented in His death versus the God he represented in His resurrection is how Paul explains why the Law was dissolved by Christ's death but is not in force after Jesus's resurrection. For a full discussion, see our webpage "<a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html">Paul Says The God of Sinair is Dead</a>."</p>
<p>This directly fed Marcion the same idea -- a key heresy that Tertullian exploited to say that Marcion believed in two Gods -- one the creator Demiurge (whom was called Yahweh and died when Jesus died) and one for the NT alone -- the Father -- a kindly loving God superior to the Demiurge.</p>
<h2>Scholars Observe Marcionism Triumphed In Terms of OT Attention</h2>
<p>Dr David L Baker in his book <em>Two Testaments, One Bible</em> (Inter-Varsity Press 1976/1991) at 51-52says: "There is in the church a habit of simply ignoring the Old Testament.. Bible study groups<em><strong> spend little time on Old Testament passages</strong></em>. It is clear therefore that the modern church,<em><strong> in spite of its official rejection of Marcionism</strong></em> and Neo-Marcionism, has often<em><strong> allowed implicit Marcionism in practice</strong></em>.”</p>
<h2>Further Studies</h2>
<div>1. "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcionism">Marcionism</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em></div>
<div>2. Peter Holmes on Marcion's canon alterations in a footnote on page <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=d8U7AAAAcAAJ&amp;dq=Tertullian%2C%20The%20five%20books%20of%20Quintus%20Sept.%20Flor.%20Tertullianus%20Against%20Marcion%20Peter%20Holmes%20Edinburgh%20T%26T%20Clark%201868&amp;pg=PA364#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">364</a> in his translation entitled Tertullian,<em> The five books of Quintus Sept. Flor. Tertullianus Against Marcion</em> (trans. Peter Holmes) (Edinburgh: T&amp;T Clark, 1868) .This footnote discusses all the various subtle variants that Marcion made to what was otherwise very similar to Luke's Gospel text.</div>
<div>3. In our webpage "<a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/matthew-tampering-with-the-text.html">Marcionites - Tampering with the Text</a>" we examine how Marcion's view was that Jesus was God, and as such, Jesus could have no brothers or sisters. Marcionites altered the text to remove reference to the same.</div>
<div>4. For more information, see B. Aland, “Marcion, Marcionites, Marcionism,” <em>Encyclopedia of the Early Church </em>(Cambridge: James Clarke &amp; Co. 1992) Vol. 1 at 524.</div>
<div>
<div id="ftn2">
<p style="margin-left: 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn3">
<p style="margin: 3pt 0in 0.0001pt 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal">5. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;">On James &amp; Jude as bishops, see “Appendix to the works of Hippoly­tus,” <em>The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Fathers of The Third Century</em> (ed. Donaldson, Roberts &amp; Coxe) (1886) Vol. V at 255.</span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn4">
<p style="margin: 3pt 0in 0.0001pt 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn5">
<h2><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span>Study Notes</span></span></h2>
<p style="margin: 3pt 0in 0.0001pt 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal">Many of the arguments of Simon Magus in rebuttal to Peter in <em>Recognitions of Clement</em> (trans. Rufinus 400 AD) sound just like the words of Marcion in favor of faith alone -- 'acknowledge' the Good God and live versus obedience required by the creator God. For example:</p>
<p style="margin-top: 3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt; padding-left: 30px;" class="MsoNormal">Then Simon:  “But the good God bestows salvation if he is only acknowledged; but the creator of the world demands also that the law be fulfilled.” (Recognitions<a href="http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf08.vi.iii.iv.lviii.html"> LVIII</a>.)</p>
<p style="margin-top: 3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt; padding-left: 30px;" class="MsoNormal">Peter mocks this plan of salvation as follows:</p>
<p style="margin-top: 3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt; padding-left: 30px;" class="MsoNormal">Then said Peter:  “He saves adulterers and men-slayers, if they know him; but good, and sober, and merciful persons, if they do not know him, in consequence of their having no information concerning him, he does not save!  Great and good truly is he whom you proclaim, who is not so much the saviour of the evil, as he is one who shows no mercy to the good.” <em>Id.</em></p>
<p style="margin-top: 3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal">This raises an interesting question what was Ebionite doctrine on salvation -- could a Job-like behavior make one righteous and be granted mercy even if you had no information about the God of the Jews in particular? I think the point more was that mental assent grants mercy in Simon's view while righteous behavior does not, which is absurd. But that does not mean salvation is without faith, but that rather faith alone is absurd as a matter of principle as unjust.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="margin-top: 3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal">See Justin Martyr, <em>First Apology</em> (165 AD) at XXV discussion of Marcion at page 35 of the book below -- you can leaf forward to find page 35. There is another discussion at LXXV on pages 70-71, claiming he is a "wolf" teaching another god with another son besides the Creator. They try to seduce man from "God the Creator, and his first-begotten Son."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="margin: 3pt 0in 0.0001pt 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="margin: 3pt 0in 0.0001pt 11.5pt; text-indent: -11.5pt; line-height: 13pt;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="430px" width="480px" src="http://www.archive.org/stream/firstapologyofju00just?ui=embed#page/16/mode/1up"></iframe></div> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 910382<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

597
Recommended-Reading/one-and-only-issue-in-john-114.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,597 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/one-and-only-issue-in-john-114.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="coilone" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>One and Only Issue in John 1:14 | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><div>The prophets divine lies...and strengthen the hands of the wicked, that he should not turn from his wicked way, by promising him life. (Ezekiel 13:8-23)</div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 6694" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "6694") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>The One and Only Issue in John 1:14</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">A Greek word <em>monogenes</em> is at the cross-hairs of doctrine in John 1:14. It has been stretched by everyone in two different directions. Its true constuent parts are <em>mono</em> = one (like <em>mono-logue</em>) and <em>genos</em> ("kind"). It was once thought its second constituent part was from <em>gennao </em>“to beget, father, procreate" = thus supposedly intended here to refer to a generated being, typically a son or daughter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">But Thayer says <em>monogenes</em> means simply "single of its kind." However, Thayer points out its only known use was "only of sons and daughters."  (Thayer, "<a href="http://www.searchgodsword.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=3439">monogenes</a>.") Even if true, that would not make adding "begotten" appropriate. Incidentally, Thayer's claim is not true, for in John 1:18, in the Greek mss from Alexandria which the NIV relies upon today, "monogenes" refers to the "one and only God (<em>theos </em>)." (See Study Notes on John 1:18 at end of this article.) So <em>monogenes</em> is used not only in reference to sons or daughters, but to God "theos" Himself. Hence, Ehrman is correct that <em>monogenes </em>"outside the New Testament, means 'one of a kind,' or 'unique,'" and nothing more. (Bart Ehrman, <em>The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture</em> (Oxford University Press, 1993) at 81.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Again, as we said, even if Thayer were correct and such usage were limited to sons and daughters (which is not true), this does not allow us to translate <em>monogenes</em> as an "only son" or "only begotten son." Rather, it only signifies we can say of a son or daughter that this is "<em><strong>the only one of its kind.</strong></em>" The <em>genes</em> is referencing <em>kind</em>, not <em>begotten</em>. It does not imply <em>begotten</em> at all. Erhman again notes that those who try to say the use of <em>monogenes </em>with "sons" intends to imply "sons" or "begottenness" have planted a seed for the refutation of that very same claim. For then it presents an "unusual kind of redundancy" -- saying "begotten" and "son" when one implies the other. This exposes the argument as obvious "special pleading." <em>Id.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Likewise Laurence M. Vance, Ph.D.<a href="http://www.av1611.org/vance/hcsb2.html"> More About The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) The Southern Baptist Bible </a>(accessed 10/9/2010) points out that the notion of 'begetting' is <strong><em>not expressly involved. </em></strong> Vance recognizes that <em>monogenes</em> is a compound word of  monos, "only," and gevno" (genos), "kind, stock, nation."  It is not from gennavw (gennao), "beget."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In accord with the quote of Thayer above, there is a clear contemporary understanding that this word <em>monogenes </em>as <em>unique</em>, <em>one of a kind</em>, or simply <em>only</em>. <span><span>Many of the current handbooks on Greek syntax state that </span></span><span><em>monogenes</em></span><span> should </span><span><strong>not</strong></span><span> be translated as </span><span><em>only begotten</em></span><span>. </span><span>Instead, they take the word to mean</span><span><em>only</em></span><span> or </span><span><em>unique</em></span><span>. </span>See <span>Newman and Nida, </span><span><em>A Translator's Handbook on the Gospel of John </em></span><span>(New York: United Bible Societies, 1980) at 24; Moulton and Milligan, </span><span><em>The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament</em></span><span> (Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1930) at 416-417.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The KJV thus incorrectly renders <em>monogenes</em> as "begotten." The KJV has it as -- "the <em>only begotten</em> who came from the Father...."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The pre-2010 NIV of John 1:14 fixed this and eliminated <em>begotten</em> and rendered it properly as <em>one and</em> <em>only</em>:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of <strong><em>the One and Only</em></strong>,<sup>[<a title="See footnote a" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:14&amp;version=NIV#fen-NIV-26049a">a</a>]</sup> who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[However, the 2010 version of the NIV now reverts backwards, and replaces this with One and Only<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%201:14&amp;version=NIV"> SON</a>.]</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In a footnote, the pre-2010 NIV points to an alternative translation possibility for (a) as: Or the Only <em><strong>Begotten</strong></em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">As proof of the accuracy of the pre-2010 version -- the "one and only," Hebrews 11:17 says Isaac was the <em>monogenes</em> of Abraham. But he was not indeed the only son of Abraham. There was also Esau. So <em>monogenes</em> is not to be understood as "only begotten son." Rather, it means "only one" of Abraham, as the pre-2010 NIV rendered it, signifying a unique status other than sonship. That is, it could not mean there Abraham's "one and only Son." Instead, the term references some unique quality and status other than a begotten sonhood.</span></p>
<h2>Why Do Some Think This Is Important?</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Because many think John 1:14 is talking about Jesus instead of the Word. But the sentence structure makes clear that the Word is the <em>monogenes</em>. To make it sound trinitarian, this can be accomplished by changing "one and only" into "begotten" rather than allow it to simply say the Word was the "one and only."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">However, if true, then "begotten" applies to the Word which would have flaws because then John says the Word is God. If "begotten" applies to the Word, then it could not be "eternal" as it was "begotten" at a distinct time by the Father. How can the Word be God if it is begotten at a specific time? It could not be God as God is eternal, without beginning or end.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The solution is to let the Greek speak to us, and get rid of the 'begotten' error from the KJV. The expression "one and only" in John 1:14 refers to the Word, that is God, the One-and-Only God---and "became flesh," <em>i.e.</em>, entered Jesus. This Word (Logos) is not synonymous with Jesus, but instead <em><strong>indwells</strong></em> Jesus. As Jesus says "the<strong><em> Logos/Word is not min</em></strong><strong><em>e</em></strong>, but the Father's who sent Me." John 14:24. So how did the Word/Logos become flesh? Jesus answers by repeatedly saying the Father <strong><em>dwells in Him.</em></strong> (John 14:10-11.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, the verse John 1:14 speaks of an <strong><em>INDWELLING </em></strong>presence of the Word (the One and Only) in Jesus rather than Jesus Himself being pre-existent apart from the Father, constituting the Logos, and Himself as Logos becoming flesh. The verse is clear -- the "WORD" became flesh, and that flesh was Jesus. It is not that Jesus was begotten as the Word at some distinct time in the past, and then the Word became Jesus in the flesh. No, it is the Word became flesh -- the flesh of Jesus. A very different meaning than normally assumed.</span></p>
<h2>Some of the Argument Over Monogenes</h2>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Begotten Is Used To Give Jesus Pre-Existence as "Begotten Son" in 1:14</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The author of the <em>Other Bible</em> believes instead the primary meaning of <em>monogenes</em> is <em>begotten</em> and lacks any sense of <em>only</em>.  (This is an error.) This commentator says:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">You will note that John 1:14 is translated as the "only begotten", but the<em><strong> word "only" there is an addition to the text</strong></em>. It should read "the begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He (the Father) hath declared." (Commentary on Throckmorton, <em><a href="http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/gospelhebrews-throck.html">Gospel Parallels</a></em> .)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This is certainly an error. "Mono" means <em>only</em>. This commentator erases what clearly is the first part of the meaning -- "only." Then this commentator wrongly insists <em>monogenes</em> only means "begotten Son." But if so, the <em>Other Bible</em> erases this says Jesus was "begotten" by God, and hence implicilty could not be God because Jesus would then be a created being -- the "begotten son." Hence, this manipulation of meaning gives Jesus pre-existence, but it does not permit Jesus to be God because a 'begotten' being is not eternal and thus cannot be God. A wrong avenue for what these commentators seek to establish.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Monogenes Does Not Mean 'Begotten' or Imply Son-ship</span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Others point out that the assumed etymology of <em>monogenes</em> as partly from <em>genao </em>is wrong<em>, </em>and rather comes from <em>genus</em>, meaning <em>kind</em>. I quoted Thayer above agreeing it means <em>one and only (of its kind)</em> with no implication of <em>begotten. </em>Its usage in Hebrews 11:17 proves this, for it says Isaac was the<em> monogenes</em> of Abraham. But he was not indeed the only son of Abraham. There was also Esau. So it is not to be understood as "only begotten son." Rather, it means "only one," as the pre-2010 NIV rendered it, and thus means this Word is special and unique, but not necessarily is an offspring created by God, <em>i.e.</em>, a begotten being. This is also obvious again when "monogenes" is used in John 1:18, which is discussed below.</span></p>
<h2>Why is there any dispute?</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The word <em>begotten</em> in the KJV led many to think Apostle John is referring to Jesus in John 1:14. (I claim <em>monogenes</em> refers to the Word.) But then if applied to Jesus, these commentators destroy their goal of claiming Jesus was God because then this means Jesus was a created ("begotten") being and hence not God.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">But then they may respond that this was 'solved' at Nicea and later by claiming Jesus is "the eternal Son. This formula was first discussed at Nicea in 325 AD and made credal in the 9th Century. But this succeeds only by <em><strong>indoctrination into the self-contradictory notion of 'begotten not made</strong></em>." Rather, once these defenders of 'begotten' admit Jesus would be a 'begotten' 'god' in John 1:14, then it is simply indoctrination to make us affix the label 'eternal Son' to somehow erase the polytheistic implication that there can be a creator God and a begotten God too.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">To erase this impact from the term <em>monogenes</em>, some have moved in the right direction, and found the meaning is just "only" and eliminated "begotten," as we saw above. (It is truly "one and only" and not 'begotten' at all.) To them, this avoids the embarassing interpretation that Jesus is the "begotten" <em>monogenes</em>. He would be a created-being, assuming "the one and only begotten" (as the KJV renders it) is a reference in John 1:14 to Jesus. (To repeat, I say it is a reference to the Word indwelling Jesus; and the Word is called simply "the one and only".)</span></p>
<h3>Right Direction</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The <em>Twentieth Century New Testament</em>, one of the earliest translations into "modern English," was one of the first (if not the first) modern version to correctly shorten "only begotten" to "only" (or "one and only.") (John 1:14, 18, 3:16, 18; Heb. 11:17; 1 John 4:9). This change was followed by the <em>Weymouth</em> New Testament (1903), the <em>Moffatt</em> New Testament (1913), and the <em>Goodspeed</em> New Testament (1923). (Laurence M. Vance, Ph.D.<a href="http://www.av1611.org/vance/hcsb2.html"> More About The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) The Southern Baptist Bible </a>(accessed 10/9/2010).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Now we see it in the pre-2010 NIV as well.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">(The 2010 NIV changes this back to the KJV translation of "only begotten." )</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Vance explains how this finally came to anyone's attention, as the KJV "only begotten" translation had previously been well circulated:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Because these versions were never very popular, it was not until the publication of the<em> Revised Standard Version</em> (RSV) New Testament in 1946 that the reading "<em><strong>only</strong></em>" was really noticed. The New Testament of the <em>New American Standard Bible</em> (NASB) of 1963, like the New Testament of its predecessor the <em>American Standard Version</em> (ASV) of 1901, did not follow this trend. However, the publication of the <em>New International Version</em> (NIV) New Testament in 1973 rekindled the debate since <strong><em>it replaced "only begotten" with "one and only."</em></strong> Recent modern versions, like the <em>New Living Translation</em> (1996) and the<em> English Standard Version</em> (2001) follow the RSV. The <em>International Standard Version</em> (1998) replaces "only begotten" with "unique" in all six passages. The <em>New Evangelical Translation</em> (1988) replaces "only begotten" with "only" in Hebrews 11:17 and "one-and-only" in the other five passages. <em>Id.</em></span></p>
<h2><strong>My View On Its Meaning In Context</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In actuality the issue is not about Jesus but the WORD. <em>Monogenes </em>is a reference to the WORD.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The Word became flesh and made [his or <strong>its</strong>] dwelling among us and we have seen [his or <strong>its</strong>] glory, the glory of the one and <strong><em>only [cfr. KJV begotten]</em></strong>, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">It is clear a reference to the WORD BECAME FLESH -- dwelling in Jesus. The Word is separate and apart from Jesus' being and becomes flesh, <em>i.e</em>. comes to dwell in Jesus.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Who also says so? Jesus. To repeat, Jesus explains that the "Logos is<strong><em> not of myself...the Logos (Word) is not mine</em></strong>, but <strong><em>the Father's</em></strong> who sent me." John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:10&amp;version=KJV">14:10</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014:24&amp;version=KJV">24</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, John says we saw the GLORY of the LOGOS which belonged to the Father. Then when this verse John 1:14 speaks of the glory of the "only one," it is the glory of the LOGOS, which John later says is God.</span></p>
<h2><strong>Why does John still call the Word God?</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The answer is simple: because the Word is inseparable from God, and thus it is impossible to distinguish the Word as a being distinct from God. It is God's mind, thoughts, etc., which eternally pre-existed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Dr Colin Brown, systematic theologian at Fuller Theological Seminary similarly observes in <em>Ex Auditu</em> (7, 1991):</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">It is a common but patent misreading of the opening of John’s Gospel to read it as if it said: ‘In the beginning was the Son and the Son was with God and the Son was God’ (John 1:1). What has happened here is the substitution of the Son for Word (Greek logos), and thereby the Son is made a member of the Godhead which existed from the beginning. Following carefully the thought of John’s prologue,<em><strong> it is the Word that pre-existed eternally with God and is God</strong></em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">From verses 1-13, we have a personification of the Word until 1:14 when it becomes flesh, and is embodied in Jesus.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">As James Dunn says in <em>Christology in the Making</em> (1980) at 243:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The conclusion which seems to emerge from our analysis thus far is that it is only with verse 14 that we can begin to speak of the personal logos. The poem uses rather impersonal language (“became flesh”), but no Christian would fail to recognize here a reference to Jesus – the word became not flesh in general but Jesus the Christ.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Prior to verse 14 we are in the same realm as pre-Christian talk of wisdom and logos, the same language that we find in the wisdom tradition and in Philo, where as we have seen we are dealing with personifications rather than persons, personified actions of God rather than an individual divine being as such. The point is obscured by the fact that we have to translate the masculine "logos" as "He" throughout the poem.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">But if we translated "logos" as "God's utterance" instead, it would become clearer that the poem <strong><em>did not necessarily intend</em></strong> the "logos" in verses 1-13 <em><strong>to be thought of as a personal divine being</strong></em>. In other words the revolutionary significance of verse 14 may well be that it marks . . . the transition from impersonal personification to <strong><em>actual person</em></strong>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This transition tells us something happens when the Word becomes flesh - the personification up to that point culminates in a full indwelling presence of the Word in Jesus.</span></p>
<h2>The Arian Controversy Caused by Paul Is Different</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This is not the same controversy as Arius brought up about the 'first-begotten' term used by Paul in Col. 1:15 where Paul clearly is referring to Jesus. (For full discussion, see our article "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/flawedchristologyofpaul.html">Paul's Flawed Christology</a>"). The term "first-begotten" is <em>Prototokos</em> in Greek of Col. 1:15. It is not at all like<em> monogenes</em> in John 1:14. Arius argued that Paul meant Jesus was a created being, and therefore Paul implied that Jesus could not be God. (Everyone kept missing the point; Jesus was indwelled by God the Father, and this was done by God's unique and <strong><em>only </em></strong>Word dwelling in Jesus.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">But Paul subtly makes one think that the first-begotten Jesus existed in heaven prior to His birth and came to reside in the flesh of what appeared to be a man. Instead, John 1:14 says the Word -- the One and Only pre-existed Jesus and came to dwell in Jesus in John 1:14.</span></p>
<h2>Did Paul Misunderstand John 1:14?</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In my view, Paul was confused in Col. 1:15. Paul heard about the personification of Logos prior to Jesus's birth, and thought this was Jesus somehow existing prior to His birth. This mistake is perpetuated today by many as they read John 1:14. Instead, the WORD was the one and only (<em>monogenes) </em>of God which came to DWELL in Jesus.</span></p>
<h2>Study Notes on John 1:18 - A Modern Trinitarian Push For A Closer Verse</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Another issue is how John 1:18 is read one way trinitarian today based upon a few manuscripts, but the traditional way, supported by most manuscripts, it does not.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The traditional version is non-trinitarian, which includes the King James which renders this as follows:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him]. (John <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-18.htm">1:18</a>, KJV)  [Note this is "monogenes" Son meaning "unique / one and only" Son.]</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This does not say Jesus is God. It says Jesus, the Son, has "declared" the Father to us.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This form is dominant -- ASV, YLT, etc.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">However, then there is a modern change that implies Jesus is the one and only God. Listen to how the NIV changes this in its 1984 edition:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">No one has ever seen God, but <strong><em>God the One and Only [monogenes], who is at the Father's side</em></strong>, has made him known. (John <a href="http://bible.cc/john/1-18.htm">1:18</a>, NIV)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This gets <em>monogenes</em> correct, but uses "God" not "Son" in the second part of the verse. This is now followed in the New American Standard but it renders 'monogenes' as 'only begotten':</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">No one has seen God at any time; the<strong><em> only begotten God</em></strong> who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, Chrisitan Courier claims this proves Jesus is God:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In addition to the above, John refers to Christ himself as <em><strong>“the only-begotten God</strong></em>, who is at the Father’s side” (Jn. 1:18), as the language reads according to the best Greek texts (see Merrill Tenney, <em>The Expositor’s Bible Commentary,</em> Frank Gaebelein, ed, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983, Vol. 9, p. 34) ("<a href="http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/835-does-john-17-3-negate-the-deity-of-christ">Does John 17:3 Negate the Deity of Christ?</a>")</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This has been snuck in almost unnoticed by anyone as a new and modern direct proclamation that Jesus is God in the NT. Why is this happening?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The "<strong><em>only begotten Son</em></strong>" appears in by far the most manuscripts: <span>// </span><span><span>Ò</span></span><span> </span><span><span>:</span></span><span><span>@</span></span><span><span>&lt;</span></span><span><span>@</span></span><span><span>(</span></span><span><span>,</span></span><span><span>&lt;</span></span><span><span>¬</span></span><span><span>H</span></span><span> </span><span><span>L</span></span><span><span>Ê</span></span><span><span>`</span></span><span><span>H</span></span><span> [</span><span>the only-begotten son</span><span>] A C<sup>3</sup> W<sup>supp</sup> </span><span><span>)</span></span><span> </span><span><span>1</span></span><span> </span><span><span>Q</span></span><span> 0141 <em>f</em></span><em><span> </span></em><sup><span>1</span></sup><span> <em>f</em></span><em><span> </span></em><sup><span>13</span></sup><span> 28 157 180 205 565 579 597 700 892 1006 1010 1071 1241 1243 1292 1342 1424 1505 <em>Byz</em> [</span><span>E F G H</span><span>] <em>Lect</em> it<sup>a,aur,b,c,e,f,ff</sup></span><sup><span>2</span><span>,l</span></sup><span> vg syr<sup>c,h,pal</sup> arm eth geo<sup>1</sup> slav.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">See <span>www.heraldmag.org/rvic/nt/28_NT_Appendix_1.doc</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The "<strong>only begotten God</strong>" appears in far fewer: <span>is<span> </span></span><span><span>:</span></span><span><span>@</span></span><span><span>&lt;</span></span><span><span>@</span></span><span><span>(</span></span><span><span>,</span></span><span><span>&lt;</span></span><span><span>¬</span></span><span><span>H</span></span><span> </span><span><span>2</span></span><span><span>,</span></span><span><span>`</span></span><span><span>H</span></span><span> [</span><em><span>an</span></em><span> only-begotten god</span><span>] </span><span>p</span><sup><span>66</span></sup><span> </span><span><span>À</span></span><span>* B C* L syr<sup>p,h</sup></span><sup><span>mg</span></sup><span><span> </span>geo<sup>2</sup>... // </span><span><span>Ò</span></span><span> </span><span><span>:</span></span><span><span>@</span></span><span><span>&lt;</span></span><span><span>@</span></span><span><span>(</span></span><span><span>,</span></span><span><span>&lt;</span></span><span><span>¬</span></span><span><span>H</span></span><span> </span><span><span>2</span></span><span><span>,</span></span><span><span>`</span></span><span><span>H</span></span><span> [</span><span>the only-begotten god</span><span>]<span> </span></span><span>p</span><sup><span>75</span></sup><span> </span><span><span>À</span></span><sup><span>2</span></sup><span> 33 cop<sup>bo</sup></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">See <span>www.heraldmag.org/rvic/nt/28_NT_Appendix_1.doc</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Bart Ehrman in <em>The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture</em> (Oxford University Press, 1993) at 78-79 discusses this particular issue. Ehrman supports that the majority of texts has this correct. It does not support Jesus is God. Why the change?</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The variant reading of the Alexandrian tradition which substitutes "God" for the "Son" represents an orthodox corruption of the text in which the complete deity of Christ is affirmed...Outside the Alexandrian tradition, the reading...theos [God] has not fared well. Virtually every other representative of every other textual grouping--Western, Caesarean, Byzantine--attests to [Son]. <em>Id.</em>, at 78-79.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, because the "God" reading appears in only one geographical area / strain, and all other manuscripts, and quotation by Irenaeus, Clement and Tertullian, Ehrman says it is overwhelmingly obvious that "God" is a corruption of the original verse. <em>Id.</em>, at 79. Erhman says the Alexandrian "God" texts are implausible textually because it is an "insurmountable difficulty" to accept John called Jesus the "unique God." <em>Id.</em>, at 80. The word <em>monogenes</em> "itself embodies the notion of exclusivity conveyed by the use of the article" with it.<em>Id.</em>, at 80. This would mean Jesus is the ONLY God. Would John eject the Father? As Erhman puts it:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The problem, of course, is that Jesus can be the unique God only if there is no other God. <em>Id.</em>, at 80.</span></p>
<h3>John 1:18 Is Mistranslated Anyway</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In actuality, if "theos" is correct, because it says <em>monogenes theos</em>, I would translate this verse differently than the NAS and NIV. This is because it does not say "one and only<strong><em> begotten</em></strong> God," but instead "<strong><em>one and only</em></strong> God," as we explained above the meaning of <em>monogenes</em> is exclusively 'one of its kind.'</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Let's first start with a word-for-word translation of 1:18 if we assume <em>theos</em> is the true term: "God not  yet has one see as? when? the one and only God the one being in the bosom of the father one who leads out." <em>Cf</em> <span>www.heraldmag.org/rvic/nt/28_NT_Appendix_1.doc</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">So I would translate it this way:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">No one has seen God -- the one and only God -- as the one in the bosom of the Father has revealed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, if Herald Magazine is correct -- it defends "theos" over "son" because it says the manuscripts with <em>theos </em>are superior although less in number -- it erroneously assumed monogenes means "only begotten" instead of "one and only of its kind." This makes a big difference to what <em>theos</em> refers in the second part of John 1:18.</span></p>
<h3>Why 'One and Only God' in 1:18: Manuscript Evidence</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The oldest surviving Greek manuscripts, P66 and P75, of John 1:18 read <em>monogenes theos</em> (one and only God but often interpreted today as 'only begotten God'),<em> </em>not <em>only</em> <em>begotten Son</em><em>.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This is what obviously is the main reason to resurrect 'theos' as the true term in John 1:18b.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Of some significance, these two fragments from the 200s were found in Alexandria, Egypt which causes some to suspect a gnostic heresy influenced this version of John 1:18b.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">It is hard to reconcile "begotten God" with the orthodox church writings of that era except two sources in Alexandria -- one belonging clearly to a heretic.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">First, the early church sources both differed and were very varied. The oldest apparent source is Ignatius, from the 100s, who in Latin says <span><strong>"the only-begotten Son,"</strong></span><span> saith [the Scripture], "who is in the bosom of the Father."(</span><span>Ignatius, <em>Epistle to the Philippians</em>, II.)</span></span></p>
<p><span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"> This Epistle is not considered authentic by some scholars.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The next oldest is Irenaeus (early 100s) who says: <span>"For "no man," he says, "hath seen God at any time," unless </span><span><strong>"the only-begotten Son of God</strong></span><span>, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared [Him]." For He, </span><span><strong>the Son</strong></span><span> who is in His bosom, declares to all the Father who is invisible." (</span><span>Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book III, XI.)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Next is Tatian of 165 AD who is typically orthodox and from Syria. He had both "God" and "Son" (instead of one or the other); Tatian also had "only", but not <em>begotten</em>. Tatian's <em>Diatessaron</em> IV:1 -- his version of John 1:18 -- reads according to Schaff as: "No man hath seen God at any time; the<strong><em>only Son, God</em></strong>, which is in the bosom of his Father, he hath told of him." See this <a href="http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0112-0185,_Tatianus_Syriacus,_Diatesseron_%5BSchaff%5D,_EN.pdf">link</a>. Incidentally, this could also be translated "No man has ever seen God, the only God. The Son who is in the bosom of the Father told of Him." Thus, this has "God" and "Son" in the same text, but lacks "begotten." As I translate it, it says very much what the KJV says unlike the Trinitarian reading preferred by the NIV of 2010.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Next, the first step toward "begotten God" appears in the writings of the heretic <span>Valentinus (second century) who has "begotten God." In fact, he is suspected as the source of the P75 manuscript as a deliberate fabrication. (Burgon (1896).) Burgon revived attention to a passage in </span><span>Theodotus (400s) quoting Valentinus from the 2nd century as a corrupting heretic. R. P. Casey (1934) translates Theodotus as follows: </span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><span></span>The verse, "in the beginning was the Logos and the Logos was with God and the Logos was God," the Valentinians understand thus, for they say that "the beginning" is the "Only Begotten" and that he is also called God, as also in the verses which immediately follow it explains that he is God, for it says, "The <strong><em>Only-Begotten God</em></strong> who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him." (69)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">So here we see a heretic added the word "begotten God" and made this refer to Jesus as God. It precisely is the same as the phrase in P75. Bear in mind a scribal error could also be involved, because the difference between "Son" (heios) and "God" (theos) in Greek is a single letter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Next is <span>Clement of Alexandria (215 AD). He reads identical to that of Valentinus. See </span><span>Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor, Book I, ch. III.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">But Tertullian ca. 220 AD has the same reading as Ignatius: "<span><strong>the only begotten Son</strong></span><span>, who is in the bosom of the Father, and has Himself declared Him." </span><span>Tertullian, Against Praxeas, XV. So too Origen in the 200s; Hippolytus in the 200s and then from that point on it always reads "begotten Son" in Latin texts.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">So there are only 2 writers who agree with "only begotten God" and these are the heretic Valentinus of Alexandria and Clement of Alexandria. Tatian's version is not compatible with either. And it appears no coincidence P75 and P66 were found in Alexandria from the same period. It is evident that this was a local corruption -- either doctrinally or by misreading 'heios" as "theos" - a one letter difference.</span></p>
<h3>Consequence of Accepting P75/P66 And Keeping 'Begotten" Reading of Monogenes</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">If we reject this translation of <em>monogenes</em>, and accept the NIV and NAS versions which render "monogenes" as "only begotten," and <em>theos</em> is the correct mss version, we end up in <strong><em>a terrible polytheistic heresy</em></strong> that goes beyond trinitarianism.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Dr. Holland who wishes to defend <em>monogenes</em> means "only begotten" laments if <em>theos</em> were the valid mss that this would lead to gross heresy of polytheism. Dr. Holland comments in <em>Crowned with Glory</em> (2000):</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">It is also interesting to note that the <em>New World Translation</em> of the Jehovah's Witnesses also uses the phrase <em>only begotten god</em>. This is, of course, in line with their teaching that<strong><em> Christ is a created god</em></strong>. Once we accept the reading <em><strong>only begotten god</strong></em>, we have opened the door to reinterpret all other verses concerning the deity of Jesus Christ. (Fn. 3, excerpted <a href="http://av1611.com/kjbp/faq/holland_joh1_18.html#_ftn3">here</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">As another source correctly analyzes this NASB "begotten" God indulged by the NWT as well, we would have one visible God and one invisible God - polytheism:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The error here is with the idea of multiple "gods." The Bible does not portray Jesus as "a god" but THE God. <strong>John</strong> <strong>1:18</strong> makes no sense in the NASB unless it refers to multiple, separate "gods." In fact, the verse contradicts itself. In the NASB, it is clear from the language that two individual beings are described here, the invisible "God" and the visible "God." Both are called "God." "No man has seen God" refers to the unseen God. But, the words, "the only begotten God" refer to the one who has been seen by men. Literally understood, the NASB is speaking of two distinct "Gods," one visible and one invisible. Furthermore, the use of "only begotten" (mono-genes) with "God" (theos) implies birth or reproduction of the second "God" by the first "God." The NASB's rendering here is absolutely ridiculous and completely heterodoxical. <a href="http://www.studytoanswer.net/bibleversions/john1n18.html#02">(Study to Answer</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In other words, why aren't we all created gods? <strong><em>Polytheism becomes implicit in any notion that God can be begotten</em></strong>. Thus, Dr. Holland argues that <em>theos</em> was likely a scribe who wished to insert <strong><em>a heretical notion that God could be begotten as God</em></strong>, which would support the gnostic heresy of the 2d-3d centuries. But I contend that even if<em> theos</em> were the original mss, it still does not mean <em>begotten</em> and can be read properly that Jesus revealed "the one and only God" to us.</span></p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 913608<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

490
Recommended-Reading/paul-admits-often-uninspired.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,490 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/paul-admits-often-uninspired.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="false apostle paul, apostle paul lack of inspiration Christian canon" />
<meta name="author" content="coilone" />
<meta name="description" content="Does Paul deserve Canonicity as inspired?" />
<title>Paul Admits Often Uninspired | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"Paul is the apostle of the heretics." Tertullian,<em> Adversus Marcion</em> 3:5 (207 A.D.)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li id="current" class="active"><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="1" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 8359" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "8359") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
Home</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Paul Admits Often That He Is Uninspired</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Paul made explicitly clear that he said many things that were <strong><em>not inspired</em></strong> in his letters. However, when speaking for the Lord, Paul made it clear that "the Lord" gave him the message, as was an OT requirement to be treated as inspired-writ. See 1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Tim. 2:11; 1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thess.4:1-2,8; 1 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 4:17. cf. 1 Cor. 7:25, 40.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Here are examples that Paul emphasized he was speaking on his own in his letters. Hence, Paul cannot be viewed as Scripture that is inspired in every word, for Paul denies for himself that very same interpretation.<br /><br />First, in Paul's own words, he once said  "I speak not by Commandment ... and herein I give <strong><em>my advice</em></strong>" (2 Cor. 8: 8-10). Paul's calling his words "advice" certainly did not mean it was the Word of God.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Likewise, in this next quote from 1 Corinthians, note the two different sources of the commands which Paul has written:  "Unto the married I command, yet not I, <strong><em> but the Lord</em></strong> .., but the<em><strong> rest is from me, not from the Lord</strong></em>” (I Cor. 7:10-12). Paul in saying this did what OT principles required for recognition of a statement as inspired -- he said the message was from "the Lord."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, here is another quote which definitely tells us that some of Paul's utterances and admonishments were of his own making: “Now concerning virgins I have <strong><em>no commandment of the Lord</em></strong>:  but I give my own opinion” (1 Cor.7:25 ). <em>See also</em> 2 Cor. 11:17 ("What I am going to say now, is not prompted by the Lord, but said as if in a fit of folly, in the certainty that I have something to boast about”)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, Paul did not understand he was always speaking under inspiration. When he wanted that understood, Paul followed the OT requirement of saying the "Lord" burdened him with a message.</span></p>
<h2>Did Paul Express A Broader Understanding?</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">However, one time Paul made a statement that appears more sweeping. In 1 Cor 14:37-38, Paul writes: "If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. But if anyone does not recognize<em><strong> this</strong></em>, he is not recognized." Presumably, if you are not recognized, you are not accepted by Paul. You are excluded. So Paul made his own words a test to exclude Christians from the communion of Christians at Corinth.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">One commentator applied these words to Paul's words on women as teachers. It said: "Any one who rejects Paul’s teaching on the submission of women and woman preachers, is 'not recognized' by God... or condemned. Harsh but true words." ("<a href="http://www.bible.ca/f-women-speak-in-church.htm">May Women Teach</a>.")</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">However, I have two objections to how broad to read Paul's statement. First, it is inconsistent with Paul's own words that he is not always speaking under inspiration, and he points that fact out. Second, Paul in context meant at most that "this" commandment he gave was from God, <em>i.e.</em>, his <strong><em>preceeding command to have one speak and another be silent during prophesying</em></strong>. The threat upon the one who does not "recognize<strong><em> this</em></strong>" did not mean to encompass all "the things which I write...." The emphasis is thus misplaced by this commentator.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, our conclusion above remains. Paul made it clear <em>when</em> he believed he spoke for the Lord. This is one of those passages. This was an OT requirement to have words taken as prophetic. They had to be said to be from the Lord. Otherwise, Paul's own self-assessments show us he did not expect us to take his letters as inspired.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Moreover, it is clear he was trying to persuade, citing often his interpretation of OT passages such as Habakkuk and Genesis. Why would a person whose every word is inspired do this?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, we can safely conclude that unless Paul says God burdened him with a message that he is no more inspired than C.S.Lewis who writes a piece to persuade us.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Paul himself even expressed uncertainty whether he had God's spirit to prophesy: “I THINK that I have the Spirit of God” (<a href="http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/7-40.htm">1 Cor. 7:40</a>). If Paul truly always was always writing with inspiration as almost everyone assumes, why would Paul talk this way EVER?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">So we can say this means we cannot take everthing Paul utters as prophesy even if sometimes he were inspired.</span></p>
<h2>Paul Could Not Regard His Letters As Inspired or Otherwise Why is Letter to Corinthians Lost?</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">A defender of Paul as properly in canon mentions there is a letter of Paul's that has never been found. Paul mentions this letter. If Paul's every written word is inspired, then how would God let a precious letter like this disappear? This is how this Paul-defender tries to rationalize why this is lost:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><em>Not everything Paul</em></strong> (or the others) <em><strong>wrote was inspired</strong></em> and intended to be recognized as Scripture. Peter and John determined which were to become a part of the canon. Paul, for example, makes reference to at least one additional letter which was not included (1 Corinthians 5:9) (Ernest L. Martin, <em><a href="http://www.graceevangel.org/zz%20Files03d%20-%20Newsletters/Book%20Review%20-%20Original%20Bible%20Restored%20-%20Ernest%20Martin%20(Notes).pdf">The Original Bible Restored</a></em> (1984).)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Martin without any basis in fact claims Peter and John determined Paul belonged in canon. And thus, they supposedly picked which writings of Paul to keep. But there is utterly no basis to this assertion. Regardless, this concedes that not everything Paul wrote was inspired. So how do we know? Martin confesses why he thinks he knows: he makes up a supposition -- unproveable -- that Peter and John determined canon. A convenient explanation but sadly one that nothing in ancient church history supports. Canon was not actually settled by the church until the 1500s - at the Council of Trent. The Protestant congregations have never had a convention to do anything differently except in the early 1800s, the King James dropped out the eight books of the Apocrypha which it had in 1611. Hence, the very concept of canon has been evolving because indeed there is no apostolic confirmation of canon, either from Peter or John, to prove any true inspiration, and thus it is an issue every age of Christianity must constantly revisit.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 859832<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

551
Recommended-Reading/paulinisttares.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,551 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/paulinisttares.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Paulinist.tares | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"St. Paul ... substituted another doctrine for ...the plain and profoundly revolutionary teachings of Jesus." (H.G. Wells, <em>Outline of History</em> 1921.)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 8017" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "8017") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Paulinist Tares: How Do We Treat Them?</h2>
<h3>What Is A Paulinist?</h3>
<p>A Paulinist is one who (1) emphasizes teachings in Paul <strong><em>at odds</em></strong> with those of Jesus, and (2) exhorts us to treat<strong><em> Jesus' contrary words</em></strong> as part of a prior <strong><em>defunct dispensation or covenant</em></strong>.</p>
<p>The most famous example of this is Bultmann in 1929. This famous and influential theologian relied upon Paul in 2 Cor. 5:16 as instructing us that any teachings of Jesus before His resurrection are no longer important. Bultmann argues that Paul meant in 2 Cor. 5:16 that only the lessons Jesus imparted to Paul after Jesus's resurrection have any ongoing importance. Bultmann says Jesus's earthly teachings are therefore correctly "irrelevant," and Paul was the first to explain this to us. See this <a href="/JWO/bultmann-on-paul.html">webpage</a> for our discussion of Bultmann's influential claims.</p>
<p>This has strengthened support for the popular dispensational and covenant theology claims of today. In these popular views, Jesus's words <em>largely</em> apply only to a defunct dispensation, <em>i.e.</em>, the covenant of Law which supposedly died at the Cross. Only rarely and exceptionally did Jesus's teachings in the flesh allegedly have any bearing on the message that Jesus would reveal through Paul which supposedly alone applies today.</p>
<h3>Examples of Supposedly Defunct Doctrines of Jesus</h3>
<p>For example, Jesus emphasizes the continuity of the Law in Matt. 5:17-19 ("he who practices and teaches [the Law] shall be called the greatest in the KOG"). However, this is contradicted by Paul in numerous places, especially regarding its application to Jews in Romans 7:1 <em>et seq. </em>[JWO:<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=3VFnsDuxBPcC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20only&amp;pg=PA78#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">78</a>]. (See also our <a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html">webpage</a> discussion of Romans 7:1-6.)</p>
<p>Thus, many dismiss Matthew 5:17-19 on the ground it belongs to the dispensation of Law which was nullified by the dispensation of Grace which Paul brought. (Or even worse, based on Paul's presumed validity, evangelical scholars Pettingill &amp; Torrey conclude this passage is a false addition by a judaizer. See <a href="/JWO/paulinism-examples.html">our discussion</a> of Pettingill &amp; Torrey from 1997.)</p>
<p>Similarly, Jesus repeatedly emphasizes a "believer in me" who is "ensnared" has a necessity to repent and turn from sins -- "heaven maimed" or "hell whole" (as Jesus put it in Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%209:42-47&amp;version=ASV">9:42-47</a>). However, based upon Paul, the necessity of repentance is now dismissed as a "works righteousness" of a defunct dispensation. Paul is viewed to have taught Abraham was justified soley by faith without repentance in Romans 4:3-6, and this principle of grace supposedly supplants Jesus's Law-based doctrine of salvation. [JWOS: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA484#v=onepage&amp;q=stanley&amp;f=false">484</a>.]</p>
<p>As a result, teachers like Charles Stanley say that once we are initially justified, we need no longer fear our subsequent sins will ever cause a loss of salvation, relying on Paul's verses interpreted to teach eternal security, <em>e.g.</em>, Eph. 2:8-9.[JWOS:<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA259#v=onepage&amp;q=stanley&amp;f=false">259</a>.] Jesus's contrary doctrine of "hell whole" or "heaven maimed" (Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%209:42-47&amp;version=NIV">9:42-47</a>) is left by them to a defunct dispensation where disobedience at one time mattered for salvation. In its place, Paulinists teach that sin by a Christian no longer matters for salvation because Paul supposedly teaches a new dispensation of 'grace' based on 'faith alone,' not works.</p>
<p><strong><em> Paulinists</em></strong> thus are those who<strong><em> teach obedience and good deeds are no longer relevant to our salvation</em></strong>, fully cognizant that this doctrine is at complete odds with Jesus's words in Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%209:42-47&amp;version=ASV">9:42-47</a> and numerous passages catalogued in <a href="/JWOS/freejwoschaptersonline.html"><em>Jesus' Words on Salvation</em></a>. They acknowledge the contradiction, and dismiss Jesus' contrary doctrine as solely applicable to a prior dispensation of Law. In fact, they claim the contradiction between Jesus and Paul proves there are two dispensations and Jesus's teachings in the Gospels therefore supposedly represent a defunct set of lessons.</p>
<p><strong><em>Paulinism</em></strong>, as I thus narrowly define it, <em><strong>is called today by the name of Dispensationalism </strong></em>among evangelicals and as <strong><em>certain versions of Covenant Theology</em></strong> among Reformed congregations in the Calvinist tradition. It is highly influenced by <a href="/JWO/bultmann-on-paul.html">Bultmann's thesis that Paul has the more valid revelation</a> than the 12 apostles because supposedly Paul received it after Jesus' resurrection.</p>
<h3>Personal Encounter With A Paulinist That Started My Quest For An Answer</h3>
<p>To give a personal example, I first confronted Paulinism long before I questioned Paul.  I once quoted to an elder Jesus' verses insisting upon repentance from sin to enter heaven maimed or not at all in Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%209:42-47&amp;version=NIV">9:42-47</a>. The elder at this Reformed church told me that "this principle belongs to a prior dispensation." I asked what does this mean? "Are we supposed to ignore Jesus?" The elder responded: "Paul teaches us we are under grace, not the Law. Abraham was justified without repentance, right? So in the NT dispensation, sin simply separates us from a happy relationship with God; it does not cause us to go to hell. Once in grace, always in grace."</p>
<p>This conversation was one of the key reasons why I wished to explore why the church ignores the words of Jesus despite our Lord saying His words would never die even though heaven and earth will pass away. (Matt.<a href="http://biblebrowser.com/matthew/24-35.htm"> 24:35</a>.)</p>
<h3>Paul Maybe Was Not A Paulinist!</h3>
<p>Would Paul agree with my elder I quoted above that Jesus' words on salvation are supplanted <em>legitimately</em> by Paul dispensing a superior dispensation of Grace?</p>
<p>I imagine that if Paul himself could today see Jesus' words he would find some way to re-explain himself so as not to be interpreted to contradict Jesus.</p>
<p>First, Paul endorsed that Jesus' words have a priority over anyone else's words, and anyone who contradicts Jesus is a man full of pride. (See our <a href="/JWO/paul-endorses-jwo.html">webpage</a> explaining Paul endorses JWO in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%206:3-4&amp;version=YLT">I Tim. 6:3-4</a>.)</p>
<p>Furthermore, I document in my book <em>JWOS</em> that Paul often talks like Jesus about salvation as contingent on repentance and obedience. (JWOS:<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA469#v=onepage&amp;q=stanley&amp;f=false">469</a>-81.) But, like Second Peter says, many "twist" Paul's "difficult to understand" words and make many fall from "their steadfastness in Christ." These false teachers relied upon such twistings to have Paul justify "not obeying the holy commandments." (See my discussion on Second Peter at this <a href="/Recommended-Reading/second-peter-reference-to-paul.html">link</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, these ones twisting Paul's words to contradict Christ <em><strong>deliberately to encourage disobedience to Christ's teachings</strong></em> are those who sow a seed for the enemy of Christ: Satan. For unabashed examples, see JWOS: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;pg=PA209">209</a> and <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;pg=PA212">212</a>. (Be-aware, Second Peter admits the fault is partly Paul's as his words are "difficult to understand.")[Note: for an updated webpage of Paulinism examples, see our page on<a href="/JWO/paulinism-examples.html"> Paulinism</a> quotes.]</p>
<p>I pray Paul was not deliberately contradicting Christ. No one should ever construe me as saying otherwise. <strong><em>I assume Paul's good faith</em></strong>. Even if Paul is the "Benjamite Wolf" prophesied in Genesis 49 (as <a href="/JWO/benjamite-wolf.html">I contend</a>) does not mean Paul with evil intent tried to fulfill that prophecy. He simply could have been a dupe of his own imagination or the blinding light figure in Paul's vision, if not Christ. (On who else might have been the Blinding Light, see this <a href="/JWO/who-is-the-blinding-angel-of-light.html">link</a>.) This means Paul would have taken certain actions which fulfill that prophecy in a good faith (but mistaken) belief he was serving God.</p>
<p>Who then are the agents of the enemy of Christ? Paulinists as I have narrowly defined them until they repent, and make Jesus their Sole Teacher once again! (Matt. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+23:8-11&amp;version=KJV">23:8-11</a>.) Paulinists are those who twist Paul's words to come out at odds with our Lord and Savior's words <em><strong>as a means of discouraging obedience to Jesus' teachings</strong></em>. They are the ones who are clearly in the wrong.</p>
<p>Paulinists can see the contradiction (and they admit it!), but in defiance of Jesus Christ, they choose an opposite message to follow. Paulinists adopt a specious dispensationalism to reconcile Paul and Jesus. But their doctrine is a house of cards, because it is dependent on viewing Paul as (a) 100% inspired and (b) his words on a superior plane over Jesus's words recorded by the twelve. It is these two baseless assumptions which have led to the modern phenomenon of a significant portion of the evangelical and Reformed branches of the Protestant church deliberately marginalizing Jesus's teachings.</p>
<h3>What Duty Do Those Who Guard Jesus' Words Over Paul's Words Have Toward Paulinists?</h3>
<p>How do we handle those people sown by the evil one (Satan) vying for mastery in doctrine over Christ?</p>
<p>Jesus told us the answer in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. See <a href="http://biblia.com/books/nkjv/Mt13.24-30">http://biblia.com/books/nkjv/Mt13.24-30</a>.</p>
<p>This parable teaches you leave them for judgment day to be separated out from you fellowship with believers. The best commentary always taught this parable is a lesson by Jesus to tolerate heretics; you do not try to dissassociate from them. (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=MlPrYQ5srKEC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=did%20calvin%20murder&amp;;amp;pg=PA141#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Chrysostum</a>, 300's; <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=MlPrYQ5srKEC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=did%20calvin%20murder&amp;pg=PA47#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Castellio</a>, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=MlPrYQ5srKEC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=did%20calvin%20murder&amp;pg=PA158#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Menno</a>, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=MlPrYQ5srKEC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=did%20calvin%20murder&amp;pg=PA305#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Luther</a>.)</p>
<p>Jesus only taught us to leave the one whose home we gave a greeting of "Shalom" and resided in as part of ministry who later proved unworthy of our greeting. Jesus said as you depart your "Shalom" will come back to you, implying you should not give the honorful greeting of "Shalom" to that person further.</p>
<p>This passage begins with Jesus advising in ministry to seek out a worthy person as you enter a new town, and stay in that one place to do ministry, and then Jesus said:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">And as ye enter into the house, salute it.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>13</sup> And if the house be worthy, let your peace [Shalom] come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace [Shalom] return to you.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>14</sup> And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. (Matt. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010:12-14&amp;version=ASV">10:12-14</a>, ASV.)</p>
<p>One of Jesus' twelve apostles, John, comparably said that if someone does not remain<strong><em> in the teaching of Jesus Christ</em></strong> (like avowed Dispensationalists who expressly eschew following Jesus' words), then do not invite them <em><strong>into your home</strong></em> and give them<strong><em> no greeting</em></strong> / your "Shalom" (Peace). Apostle John wrote:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>9</sup> Whosoever goeth onward and <strong><em>abideth not in the teaching of Christ</em></strong>, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>10</sup> If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, <em><strong>receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting:</strong></em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>11</sup> for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works. (2 John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20john%201:9-11&amp;version=ASV">1:9-11</a>, ASV.)</p>
<p>The word "greeting" here in Hebrew would be "Shalom." John is only saying do not invite the one who no longer abides in the teachings of Christ into your home, and do not give your honorific "Shalom" (Peace) greeting to them. But John does not say never to speak to such a person, or never to socialize with them outside your home. They are your mission field, and require love and service to bring them back to Christ -- fully -- and not to be left crippled because they have consciously abandoned Christ's teachings for those of Paul.</p>
<p>Hence, neither John nor Jesus tell us to never talk with those who no longer abide in the teachings of Christ. While John and Jesus both indicate socializing in one another's home is no longer to be done and not to give them a greeting which would imply approval of them, Jesus clearly tells us in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares to not expel heretics from your company.</p>
<p>While Paulinists of today may want to expel from a church assembly those who follow Jesus as the Sole Teacher -- as they regard it as heretical to treat Paul's words as inferior to Christ's words, your duty is not to treat them likewise by expelling them from your personal socializing and fellowship. Follow the Master who told you tolerance is the appropriate response.</p>
<p>What if they abuse you by constantly preaching Paul at you, and keep insisting he is an apostle of Jesus' Christ, aware that you have disproven this assertion but they ignore the evidence? And you are begging them to teach something from Christ Himself? (My experience shows a 13-1 ratio in favor of preaching Paul over Christ's words in Paulinist churches.) Then you need to confront them in teaching sessions with the truth in love. Then if they try to refuse to let you attend their assembly (if you otherwise wish to participate) for your adherence to the Savior, it is their persecution of you. Not your decision. Then leave. An assembly is a voluntary association. If others do not want you present, Jesus never says to force yourself upon others. I would apply the 'shake the dust off your shoes' principle to all there, and move on.</p>
<h3>How To Handle One-on-One Such Differences over Jesus' Level of Authority</h3>
<p>Thus, in one-on-one conversation, I don't begin by trying to tell good Christians to dump Paul. No, I tell them what Jesus taught. You can go to heaven maimed or hell whole. (Mark 9:42-47.) If they then start telling me Paul said this or  that, I respond --<strong><em> in stages</em></strong> -- with the following message:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">'I stick with Jesus first and foremost. You have to prove to me Paul is an apostle and a prophet whose teachings legitimately can supercede those of Christ before I vary from Jesus's teachings. But if you admit Paul says the same thing as Christ, then <strong><em>we don't need Paul anyway to tell us the same thing, do we</em></strong>? Then the only reason for you to hold onto Paul is if you know he contradicts Christ. Then the reason you do so must be because you want to supplant our Lord with a different teacher with a different doctrine. I will never be tempted to reject my Lord's words by such a<strong><em> treacherous betrayal of our Master</em></strong>. Jesus prohibited this when He demanded that He is the sole teacher. Let's obey Christ and not be muddled in confusion by a different voice than Christ's voice on doctrine.'</p>
<p>When I thus challenge good Christians about what gives Paul any true authority, most have no idea what proves Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ. (Nothing other than self-serving statements by Paul.) Nor do they have any idea what proves him a prophet. (Absolutely nothing).</p>
<p>Often they make themselves look foolish -- even to themselves. One elder told me Paul was one of the 12 apostles until I reminded him Matthias, not Paul, replaced Judas in Acts 1. The elder had that 'deer in the headlights' look, he was so shocked.</p>
<p>So Paulinists end up stumped. If they love Paul more than Jesus, they end up frustrated as nothing from the Lord Jesus substantiates their beliefs! They are stunned to learn in none of the 3 vision accounts between Jesus and Paul (as Luke recounts them) does Jesus appoint Paul an apostle. The blinding light figure (whom Paul assumed was Jesus) appoints Paul as a WITNESS not an APOSTLE. A "martus" not an "apostolus" in Greek. (See Acts chs. 9, 22 &amp;  26.) When the Paulinist is confronted by such facts which they cannot answer, they end up muttering hateful invectives -- a form of persecution which our Lord told us to patiently and lovingly endure.</p>
<p>But be of good cheer, because if you have "kept guard of [Jesus'] words,' He promises those doing so "should have Eternal Life." (Jn 8:52.)</p>
<h3>The Purpose of Jesus's Command in the Parable of the Wheat &amp; The Tares</h3>
<p>Why did Jesus give us this instruction to leave the tares alone in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares? Because He also told us to love our enemies. Any enemy of Christ deserves what? Our love. What about those sown by the enemy? They likewise are owed love, for the same reason. Even if we do not personally invite such a one into our house or greet them with "Shalom," it does not mean we do not love them. It does not mean we do not talk to them at all. We merely show them no special honor or friendship.</p>
<p>Yet, if such initial tares prove to<em><strong> love Jesus Christ more than Paul</strong></em>, they are <em><strong>not a true enemy at all</strong></em>, but are brave brothers and sisters in Christ whom we would naturally love due to a family connection. More and more each day I find such Christians who are fellowshipping in Paulinist churches but whom <strong><em>when the Master Jesus calls them, they respond properly to preserve His status as Sole Teacher and Divine Lord</em></strong>. They refuse to dishonor Jesus by dismissing His words to a prior dispensation.</p>
<p>If, on the other hand, you encounter someone who excessively loves Paul to the point they are willing to dump Jesus's teachings on repentance, the Law and true faith into a prior defunct dispensation (<em>e.g.</em>, certain followers of Covenant Theology / Dispensationalism), then<strong><em> they are sown by the enemy of Jesus Christ</em></strong>.</p>
<p>But then our command from the Sole Teacher and Divine Lord says to love our enemies and do good to them who persecute us. And by obeying Jesus, you will become more like your Master. In the end, He surrendered His life in obedience as an act of love even to those who then hated Him. You too might one day have to surrender things you hold dear to help those who actually are the enemies of Christ yet who sincerely believe they are friends of Christ.</p>
<p>Thus, we must show love and patience to all Paulinists. We can only pray that they will do likewise toward us in obedience to Jesus if they view Sole Teacher-Christians as flawed. In this way, UNITY based on love will grow from among <em><strong>worshippers</strong></em>. Presumably Jesus also intended on our maintaining unity of spirit despite disagreements because whoever is the true tare would learn from the true wheat what is True. So let's keep<em> fellowshipping</em> and <em><strong>worshipping together</strong></em> (which can be done at lunch, at a park, etc., and not necessarily at a church building) -- Paulinist and Sole Teacher followers -- each with an open mind, prepared to hear whatever good and noble lessons each can share, and praying with and loving one another.</p>
<p>Blessings to all</p>
<p>Doug (Feb 15 2011).</p>
<h2></h2>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 925368<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

615
Recommended-Reading/prayers-and-edification.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,615 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/prayers-and-edification.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Prayers and Edification | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"Paul's reign [is] drawing to a close. Jesus, on the contrary, lives more than ever." (Renan,<em> Saint Paul</em> (1875))</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 6280" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "6280") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Prayers and Edification</h2>
<p><span> </span></p>
<div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Jesus Movies</h2>
<p>Gospel of Luke -- A very edifying work free on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWYuIe8ftHA&amp;feature=related">You Tube</a> - 2 hours. Stars Robert Powell. At least this Jesus / Yahshua among all the version at least smiles!  The Spanish version is at this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gP4Lg7pC6g&amp;feature=related">Link</a>.</p>
<p>The Gospel of John in a modern movie of 3 hours length, with Spanish subtitles, is at this YouTube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7SmubF2bJg&amp;feature=related">link</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ySFBvumZZk&amp;feature=relmfu">Gospel of Luke</a> (Powell version again) -- but 1 hr 23 minutes.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hLOQr-OhB0&amp;feature=relmfu">Gospel of Matthew</a> (unfortunately, with an actor playing Jesus with a NY accent. I am from NY, so this is not a slight on my fellow Bronxites.) - 4.5 hours</p>
<p>"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR4iBcSJ6pM&amp;feature=related">What is Truth?</a>" question of Pilate in Passion of Christ 1 minute</p>
<hr />
<h2>Other Edifying Videos</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yoy1zrndPok&amp;feature=related">Joseph</a> (from Genesis) - 3 hour YouTube movie. Martin Landau is in the movie.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrrkkONdwBI&amp;feature=related">Abraham</a> - 3 hour YouTube with Richard Harris and Barbara Hershy</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4o0opyKNRI&amp;feature=related">Moses</a> - 3 hour YouTube -- with Ben Kingsley as Moses</p>
<hr />
<h2>Prayer List for JWO Supporters</h2>
<div>Please pray for Gary Rozar and his wife Mina who are in the South Pacific doing missionary work. Gary is a strong JWO proponent. Their latest news is at this <a href="http://believersministryinternational.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/11466091-the-first-week-of-2012-has-already-come-to-pass-">link</a>.</div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<h2>Books to Consider</h2>
<div>A new book in 2012 <em>Not A Fan</em> teaches us Jesus / Yahshua wants committed followers willing to sacrifice, and not fans. Here is a website: <a href="http://www.notafan.com/">http://www.notafan.com/</a></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<h2>Worship Songs</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/singtoyahweh">Give Thanks to Yahweh</a> -- YouTube wonderful! (Designed for Shabbat reading).</div>
<div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFDZ1IhqydU&amp;list=UURlA1IimScbBKKBDkKHU3Fg&amp;index=2&amp;feature=plcp">You Love Yahweh</a> -- You Tube</div>
<div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm4NcGOmFjg&amp;list=UURlA1IimScbBKKBDkKHU3Fg&amp;index=3&amp;feature=plcp">Sing to Yahweh a New Song</a> - YouTube</div>
<div><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/singtoyahweh/">Sing to Yahweh website</a> - MP3s for download</div>
<div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeHOFXkrJkk&amp;feature=em-share_video_user">Holy Is the Lord </a>-- You Tube of Hymn singing (Mennonites) in NY Subway 2010</div>
<div></div>
<div>Era, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXpOVU9Nx6g&amp;feature=em-share_video_user">Dont' Go Away </a>-- You Tube - worship to God in Latin combined with what partially can be seen as a song by God as lover to us not to leave. (It also involves a human heart calling for love to another human heart.) The refrain "don't go away" can be found in <span>Psalm 119 </span>where David says: 'Keep teaching me Lord, <span>don't go away!' Thus, I listen to the song in that sense, and it brings up an emotion of a prayer to God to stay with us.</span></div>
<div></div>
<div><span></span>I will translate the Latin portion below:</div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div><span><strong>Don't Go Away Lyrics by Era</strong></span><br /><span>Gratias agimus  ["We give thanks."]</span><br /><span>Agimus tibi ["for our blessings"]</span><br /><span>Propter magnam gloriam ["For the great glory"]</span><br /><span>Propter gloriam tuam ["For your glory"]</span><br /><span>Domine Deus, Rex coelestis ["Lord God, Heavenly King"]</span><br /><span>Oh Domine Deus! ["Oh Lord God"]</span><br /><span>Pater omnipotens ["Almighty Father"]</span><br /><br /><span>Don't go away, don't go away</span><br /><span>Forever and ever we'll go on</span><br /><span>Don't go away, don't go away</span><br /><span>There's no other place where you belong</span><br /><span>Don't go away</span><br /><br /><span>Oh Domine Deus! ["Oh Lord God"]</span><br /><span>Pater omnipotens ["Almighty Father"]</span><br /><br /><span>Don't go away, don't go away</span><br /><span>Forever and ever we'll go on</span><br /><span>Don't go away, don't go away</span><br /><span>There's no other place where you belong</span><br /><span>Don't go away, don't go away</span><br /><span>I've given to you, babe, all my love</span><br /><span>Don't go away, don't go away</span><br /><span>Forever and ever we'll go on</span></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<h2>Refreshing Approaches</h2>
<div><em>I am Second</em> teaches to place God over yourself <a href="http://www.iamsecond.com/about/">http://www.iamsecond.com/about/</a></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Edifying Believer</h2>
<div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamrecordings?ob=0&amp;feature=results_main#p/u/49/q6nn67pC9Q4">Jeremy Morris</a> - Christian songwriter - has right attitude of humility and not seeking money</div>
<div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Prayer from Eden Southworth in Lost Heiress</h2>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And who shall care for you?</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And who shall help and shelter you when the burden grows too</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">heavy for your strength and the storms beat too fiercely</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">upon you?</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">There is One who cares for you, who will shelter you under the</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">shadow of His wing...One who invites you to cast all your cares</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">on Him. He is the God of the fatherless and of the widow,</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">without whom not a sparrow falls to the ground,</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">much less one of you.</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And there is no limit to His love or to His power.</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And in your times of trial, when you are like to faint under the heat</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">and burden of the day, cast all your cares on Him,</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">because He cares for you.</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And when you are weary and heavy-laden go to Him</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">and He shall give you rest.</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">When you are tempted to murmur at your fate,</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">and to long for the peaceful, sheltered lot of others-</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">remember that the post of danger, of difficulty,</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">of toil and privation, is also the post of Honor.</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Like a wise general chooses his best and most valued soldiers</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">for the posts of difficulty and danger, (He chose you)</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">and He sympathizes with you....watches over you....</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">is ever ready to come to your aid,</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">that 'as your day so shall your strength shall be',</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">that you shall not be tried more than you are able.</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">You may be small and weak but your Father is ALMIGHTY.</span></span></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In our weakness is His strength made manifest."</span></span></div>
<div></div>
<div><span class="yiv1049950063"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[Quote from "The Lost Heiress" by EDEN Southworth]</span></span></div>
<div></div>
<h3>Kipling's Prayer "IF" for Virtue of a Son (Imagine God saying this to you)</h3>
<div>If you can keep your head when all about you</div>
<div>
<div>Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,</div>
<div>If you can trust <span style="text-decoration: line-through;"> yourself</span> [<em>better:</em> Your Father Above] when all men doubt you,</div>
<div>But make allowance for their doubting too;</div>
<div>If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,</div>
<div>Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,</div>
<div>Or being hated, don't give way to hating,</div>
<div>And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:</div>
<div>If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,</div>
<div>If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;</div>
<div>If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster</div>
<div>And treat those two impostors just the same;</div>
<div>If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken</div>
<div>Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,</div>
<div>Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,</div>
<div>And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:</div>
<div>If you can make one heap of all your winnings</div>
<div>And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,</div>
<div>And lose, and start again at your beginnings</div>
<div>And never breathe a word about your loss;</div>
<div>If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew</div>
<div>To serve your turn long after they are gone,</div>
<div>And so hold on when there is nothing in you</div>
<div>Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"</div>
<div>If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,</div>
<div>Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,</div>
<div>If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,</div>
<div>If all men count with you, but none too much;</div>
<div>If you can fill the unforgiving minute</div>
<div>With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,</div>
<div>Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,</div>
<div>And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! ........</div>
</div>
<div>[by Rudyard Kipling 1856-1936][I made one "small" change to make it our heavenly Father's prayer.]</div>
<div></div>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952978<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

503
Recommended-Reading/problempaulallfaithsfollowingjesus.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,503 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/problempaulallfaithsfollowingjesus.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="LauraLee Arnet" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>The Problem of Paul for All Faiths Following Jesus | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span>“If you believe, unbelievable things can sometimes be possible.” Tim Tebow 2011</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 751" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "751") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><img width="200" height="329" src="/images/stories/holy-book-in-divine-light.jpg" alt="holy-book-in-divine-light" style="margin-left: 10px; float: right;" />The Problem of Paul for All Faiths <br />and Outlooks from Following Jesus</h2>
<ul>
<li>Paul is a problem for Jews from following Jesus.</li>
<li>Paul is a problem for Atheists from following Jesus.</li>
<li>Paul is a problem for Muslims from following Jesus.</li>
<li>Paul is a problem for Deists like Jefferson from following Jesus.</li>
<li>Paul is a problem for <strong><em>Christians</em></strong> from following Jesus.</li>
</ul>
<p>When there are so many people who would take Jesus' claims more seriously BUT FOR THE PRESENCE OF PAUL in canon/doctrine, is not this a good reason to critically examine why so many who profess Christ insist on Paul's doctrines being held onto despite the encumbrance they represent on Jesus' messsage?</p>
<p>If you are interested to see how everyone but Pauline Christians recognize Paul is blocking the world from accepting Jesus with His full authority, please read this PDF file entitled the <a title="The Problem of Paul" href="/images/stories/Lessons/The Problem of Paul.pdf" target="_blank">Problem of Paul</a>.</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 910331<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

497
Recommended-Reading/proofsforcreation.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,497 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/proofsforcreation.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="LauraLee Arnet" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Proofs for Creation | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"It is not in the epistles we learn the fundamentals. We shall find those necessary points best in the preaching of our Savior." (John Locke (1696).)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 1661" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "1661") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><img width="300" height="201" style="margin-left: 10px; float: right;" alt="jesus-fish-in-the-sand" src="/images/stories/jesus-fish-in-the-sand.jpg" />Proofs for Creation</h2>
<p>God is Creator - in the linked Powerpoint, we examine many "proofs" that God created the Universe and life. When it comes to life or the universe, scientists are deluded that an inference to intelligent origins cannot be scientific. Instead, it is forensic science at its best. And, it puts credit where credit is due.</p>
<p><a href="/images/stories/powerpoints/creation.pps" target="_blank">Download the English version</a> of this PowerPoint presentation of 'my best proofs for creation.'</p>
<p><a href="/images/stories/powerpoints/creacion_esp.pps">Download the Spanish Version</a> of this Powerpoint presentation.</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952979<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

657
Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,657 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="katred5" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Recommended Reading | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"A young girl...having a Spirit of [the demon] <strong>Python</strong>...having followed Paul and us, was crying [to the public many days], saying, '<strong><em>T</em></strong><em><strong>hese men</strong>...<strong>declare to us a way of salvation.'</strong></em>"<em> </em>Acts 16:16-17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h1><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h1>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 3447" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "3447") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Recommended Reading</h2>
<p>This page offers articles and book links on various topics such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ingenious Design in nature; <br /></li>
<li>The History of Paulinism and the Problem of Paul; and<br /></li>
<li>Canon issues, salvation doctrine, Sabbath, etc.</li>
</ul>
<h2>My Articles on Paulinism</h2>
<div>1. <a href="/Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html">Marcionism</a><a href="/Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html"> </a>- Paulinism of 144 AD was then heresy (html)</div>
<div>2. <a href="/Recommended-Reading/second-peter-reference-to-paul.html">Second Peter &amp; Its Reference to Paul as "Scripture": What Does  This Mean?</a> (html)</div>
<div>3. <a href="/Recommended-Reading/trophimus.html">Trophimus - Was He Misled by Paul to Abominate The Temple in 58 AD?</a> (html)(June 26, 2010)</div>
4. <a href="/Recommended-Reading/problempaulallfaithsfollowingjesus.html">The Problem of Paul to All Faiths From Following Jesus</a> (html intro w link to PDF)
<div>5. Luther Killed Jesus' Words Only Movement in Reformation (<a href="/images/stories/Lessons/LutherCarlstadtAnabtistsJWOreformation%20splits.pdf">PDF</a>) or (<a href="/JWO/luther-killed-jwo.html">html</a>)</div>
<div>6. <a href="/Recommended-Reading/early-church-views.html">Early Negative Church Views of Paul</a> (html)(June 27, 2010)</div>
<div>7. <a href="/Recommended-Reading/paulinisttares.html">Paulinist Tares: How To Treat Them?</a> (html)(May 28, 2010)</div>
<div>8. <a href="/JWO/paul-women-and-sex.html">Paul's Unique Principles on Women, Sex and Dress</a> (html)(June 4, 2010)</div>
<div>9. <a href="/JWO/jesus-on-church-structure.html">Jesus's Commands on Church Structure</a> (contradicted by Paul)(html)(June 5, 2010)</div>
<div>10. <a href="/Recommended-Reading/flawedchristologyofpaul.html">Paul's Flawed Christology</a> (html) (June 6, 2010).</div>
<div>11. <a href="/JWO/benjamite-wolf-research.html">More on Benjamite Wolf Prophecy &amp; Paul</a> (html)(June 15, 2010)</div>
<div>12. <a href="/Recommended-Reading/locke-jesus-over-epistles.html">John Locke: The Priority of Jesus /The Gospel Writings Over the Epistles</a> (html)(June 27, 2010)</div>
<div>13. <a href="/JWO/paul-endorses-jwo.html">Paul Is An Advocate of Jesus Words Only As A Test of Orthodoxy</a> (html)(June 30, 2010)</div>
<div>14. <a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Paul in Romans 7 Claims The God of Sinai Is Dead</span></a> (html)(July 6th, 2010)</div>
<div>15.<a href="/JWO/pauls-contradictions-of-jesus.html"><span style="color: #ff0000;"> Paul's Contradictions of Jesus</span></a> (html)(July 14, 2010)</div>
<div>16. <span style="color: #000000;"><a href="/JWO/tolstoy-on-paulinism.html">Tolstoy Criticizes Paulinism</a></span> (html)(July 16, 2010)</div>
<div>17. <a href="/ot;index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=186:pauls-trial-before-caesar-a-drama&amp;catid=1:jwo">Paul's Trial Before Caesar</a> - A Drama (html and audio)(July 17, 2010)</div>
<div>18.<span style="color: #ff0000;"> <a href="/JWO/blasphemy-a-paul.html">Paul's Words Support Unwitting Blasphemies</a></span> (html)(July 25, 2010)</div>
<div>19. <a href="/JWO/carlstadt-research.html">Effort of Reformation Partner of Luther - Carlstadt - in 1520 to Elevate Jesus Over Paul</a> (html)(Aug. 12, 2010)</div>
<div>20. <a href="/JWOS/baptism.html">Jesus's Words on Baptism</a> (versus Paulinist dismissal of its importance)(html)(Aug. 13, 2010)</div>
<div>21. <a href="/JWO/thomas-morgan-moral-philosoph.html">Enemies of Christ Use Paul To Prove Fallibility of Both OT and NT, Unraveling All Scripture</a> (Aug. 18, 2010)</div>
<div>22. <a href="/JWO/paul-or-james-church-greatest-evangelist.html">Paul or James' Church: Which Was The Greatest Evangelist?</a> (Aug. 28, 2010)(links to html/pdf)</div>
<div>23. <a href="/JWO/gates-of-heaven-a-modern-pastor-seeks-entry.html">Gates of Heaven: A Modern Pastor Seeks Entry</a> (Drama Indicting Paulinism)(Sept 10, 2010)(html)</div>
<div>24. <a href="/JWO/pauls-terrible-influence-over-luther.html">Paul's Terrible Influence Over Luther In A Revealing Letter of 1530</a> (October 8, 2010)(html)</div>
<div>25. <a href="/JWO/paulinist-unwittingly-destroys-pauls-authority.html">Paulinist Attorney Gives Us Principles To Test Religious Claims That Unwittingly Destroy Paul's Validity</a> (11/20/10).</div>
<div>26. <a href="/JWO/jesus-on-paul-the-least.html"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Jesus Prophesied of Paulus which in Latin Means "Least" - the name prophesied in Matt. 5:19 to be that of the anti-law teacher</span></a> (1/8/2011)</div>
<div>27. <a href="/JWO/guile-in-paul.html">Guile Confessed By Paul, and How It Promotes Dissolution of Scripture and Jesus' Truth</a> (1/17/2011)</div>
<div>28. <a href="/JWO/habakkuk-prophecy-about-paul.html">Habakkuk 2:2-5 - A Prophecy About Paul?</a> (7/30/2011)</div>
<div>29. <a href="/JWO/paul-misunderstanding-jesus.html">Paul Misunderstands and Misstates Jesus' Points About The Two Top Commands</a> (2/7/2011)</div>
<div>30. <a href="/JWO/jesus-prophecy-about-who-identified-himself-as-jesus-to-paul.html"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Jesus' Prophecy About Person Who Identified Himself To Paul As "Jesus" In Acts 9</span></a> (2/17/2011) <a href="/JWO/que-se-identifico-como-jesus-a-pablo.html">Espanol</a></div>
<div>31. <a href="/JWO/pagan-influences-in-writings-of-paul.html">Pagan Influences on Paul</a> (July 17, 2011)</div>
<div>32. <a href="/JWO/paul-abolished-sabbath.html">Paul Abolished Sabbath</a> (July 23, 2011)</div>
<div>33. <a href="/JWO/pauls-command-not-to-help-young-widows.html">Paul's Queer lesson not to help Widows under 60 and all young widows are wanton</a> (Sept 2011)</div>
<div>34.<a href="/JWO/paul-errs-teaching-long-hair-is-shameful.html"> Is Long Hair Shameful As Paul Teaches?</a> (Sept 2011)</div>
<div>34b.<a href="/JWO/paul-claims-jesus-is-the-image-of-god.html"> Is Paul Right That Jesus is the Image of God?</a> (Sept 2011)</div>
<div>35. <a href="/JWO/paul-errs-teaching-childbirth-saves.html">Is Paul Correct Women Are Saved By Means of Giving Birth?</a> (Sept 2011)</div>
<div>36. <a href="/images/stories/JWOBook/Paul pamphlet-final2011.pdf">3-Fold 1 Page Pamphlet to Hand Out on Jesus' Prophecies to not listen to Paul</a> (Dec. 3, 2011) (PDF). For audio version, listen at Podomatic at this<a href="http://jesuswordsonlystudies.podomatic.com/entry/2011-12-03T22_52_26-08_00"> link</a>.</div>
<div>37. <a href="/JWO/james-versus-paul.html">Was James' Epistle an Answer point-by-point to Paul? A table comparision</a> (Feb 25, 2012)</div>
<div>38. <a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/anti-pauline-passages-in-matthew.html">Anti-Paul Passages in the Gospel of Matthew</a> (Feb 26, 2012)</div>
<div>39. <span style="color: #ff0000;"> <a href="/JWO/did-paul-ever-truly-meet-jesus.html">Why Did God Have to Send Prophets to Paul to not go to Jerusalem if Paul Knew The True Christ?</a></span> (3/4/2012)</div>
<div>40. <a href="/JWO/lightning-scorpions-and-paul.html">Of Lightning &amp; Skorpions: Jesus' Words in Luke 10 Point At Paul Again</a> (3/19/2012)</div>
<div>41. <a href="/JWO/skolops-sent-by-an-angel-of-satan.html">A Skolops Sent By An Angel of Satan To Keep Paul Humble--Its Importance</a> (3/21/2012)</div>
<div>42.<span style="color: #00ccff;"> <a href="/JWO/spirit-of-python-promoted-paul-in-acts-16.html">Why Does The Spirit of Python, A Serpent-Demon, Promote Paul in Acts 16:16?</a></span> (3/25/2012)</div>
<div>43. <a href="/JWO/list-of-problems-with-paul.html"><span style="color: #ff0000;">The List of the Problems About The Validity of Paul</span></a> (3/26/2012)</div>
<div>44. <a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/marcan-priority-claim-is-invalid.html">Revisiting the Marcan Priority Claim</a> (from Rives, OGM II at 97 which impacts Paul.) (4/7/2012).</div>
<div>45. <a href="/JWO/did-paul-have-an-enormous-self-image.html">Did Paul Have An Enormous Self-Image?</a> (4/8/2012)</div>
<div>46. <a href="/JWO/silence-of-apostles-about-paul.html">True Apostles &amp; Paul: Is Silence Confirmation?</a> (4/12/2012)</div>
<div>47. <a href="/JWO/pauls-self-serving-use-of-law.html">Paul's Self-Serving Use of Law to Raise Financial Support</a> (4/12/2012)</div>
<div>48. <a href="/JWO/luther-on-law-and-false-prophet.html">Did Luther in 1537 Finally Condemn Paul As A False Prophet?</a> (6/10/2012)</div>
<div>49. <a href="/JWO/paul-and-the-rebellion-of-korah.html">Paul and the Rebellion of Korah</a> (8/10/2012)</div>
<div>50. <a href="/JWO/who-is-the-greatest-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven.html">Who is "the greatest in the kingdom" per Jesus in Matt 5:19? Pauline &amp; non-Pauline views</a> (11/17/2012)</div>
<div></div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<div></div>
<h2>Famous Thinkers Critical of Paul/Paulinism</h2>
<p><strong>Kierkegaard</strong>: <a href="/Recommended-Reading/kierkegaard.html">Critical Remarks on Paul &amp; Paulinism</a> (html)(added May 27, 2010). Famous Dutchman who found fault with Pauline doctrine in church, advocating instead that Jesus's doctrine is paramount. See also my article - <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Kierkegaard</span>: <a href="/images/stories/Salvation/Kierkegaard.pdf">Influence on Bonhoeffer to Reject Pauline Salvation Doctrine</a> (PDF)</p>
<p>Reverend <strong>Vincent Holmes-Gore</strong> <a href="/JWO/vincent-holmes-gore-christ-or-paul.html">Christ or Paul</a> (C.W. Daniel: 1946) -- a serious Christian writer, Holmes-Gore bemoans the influence Paul has taken away from Christ's message. See my synopsis at <a href="/JWO/vincent-holmes-gore-christ-or-paul.html">Gore's Christ or Paul</a><span> </span></p>
<p><strong>Tolstoy</strong>, <em>My Religion</em> (1884) -- discussed in our webpage "<a href="/JWO/tolstoy-on-paulinism.html">Tolstoy Criticizes Paulinism</a>."</p>
<p>David W. <strong>Bercot</strong> (Texas attorney/Christian), <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=UCVK9n7uSqAC&amp;lpg=PA21&amp;ots=8vfklcfufN&amp;dq=%22jesus%20words%20only%22&amp;pg=PA21#v=onepage&amp;q=%22jesus%20words%20only%22&amp;f=false">Common Sense: A New Approach to Understanding Scripture</a> (1992) at 21-22 -<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/bercot-20"> Amazon link</a> - excerpted <a href="/Recommended-Reading/bercot.html">here</a> on our site. (Added May 10, 2010)</p>
<p><strong>Renan</strong>, <em>St. Paul</em> (1869) at 326-30 - (<a href="/Recommended-Reading/renan.html">HTML</a>) or <a href="/images/stories/Lessons/Renan%20on%20Paul.pdf">(PDF)</a>.  Renan largely defends Paul but in doing so unwittingly also criticizes Paul if you accept Revelation ch. 2 as canon, as I do. Otherwise, Renan is a JWO-enthusiast. He says now Paul's "reign is coming to a close," but Jesus' reign is alive "more than ever." Renan closes: "True Christianity comes from the gospels, not from the Epistles of Paul."</p>
<p><strong>Boulanger</strong>, <em>Critical Examination of the Life of St. Paul</em> (1823) (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4BA_AAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=critical%20examination%20of%20st.%20paul&amp;pg=PA1#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">books.google.com copy</a>) which we excerpt and summarize at this <a href="/JWO/boulanger-critical-examination-of-paul.html">webpage</a>. Boulanger claims Paul was an apostate against the Law given to Moses which was contrary to the message of Jesus, and thus proves Paul was not a true apostle.</p>
<p>Jeremy <strong>Bentham</strong>, <em>Not Paul But Jesus</em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=IEAAAAAAYAAJ"> </a>(1823)(<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=IEAAAAAAYAAJ">books.google.com copy</a>) - which we reformatted and edited -- <a href="/images/stories/Lessons/Bentham%20Not%20Paul%20But%20Jesus_Draft.pdf">pages i-11</a> (PDF) (work in progress). Bentham's thesis is everyone must choose between Paul or Jesus. They are not the same. (On critical reaction to Bentham's book, see our <a href="/JWO/bentham-reviews-of-not-paul-but-jesus.html">webpage</a>.)</p>
<p>Horatio Woodburn<strong> Southworth</strong>, <em>To Nazareth or Tarsus?</em> (J.S. Ogilvie Publishing Company, 1901) - a collection of quotes on Paul's inconsistencies with Jesus are retyped at this html <a href="/Recommended-Reading/southworth.html">link</a>. You can read the original book in the books.google.com version at these links -- pages <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9vI2AAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=southworth&amp;lr=&amp;as_brr=1&amp;pg=PA52#v=onepage&amp;q=&amp;f=false">52-129</a> and <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9vI2AAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=southworth&amp;lr=&amp;as_brr=1&amp;pg=PA200#v=onepage&amp;q=&amp;f=false">200-217</a>.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="/images/stories/Books/Extract%20from%20The_Writings_of_Thomas_Jefferson%20p%20243%20letter%20on%20Paul.pdf" title="Thomas Jefferson's Letters on Jesus' Words Only "><strong>Jefferson'</strong> Letters on Jesus' Words Only (PDF)</a> [I disagree with his view of Jesus as a moralist and no more. Yet, Jefferson sees the variances Paul introduced against Jesus' teachings.]</p>
<p><strong>H.G. Wells</strong>, <em>Outline of History</em> (1921) (<a href="/JWO/hg-wells-on-paul.html">html</a>) - profound thoughts on how Pauline doctrine replaced the lessons of Jesus, and focused on belief for salvation, without a need for change in habits/actions.</p>
<p><strong>Hugh Schonfeld</strong>, <em>Proclaiming the Messiah </em>(London: 1997) -- said Paul imagined himself channelling Jesus' words, and almost therefore a second Messiah. Our summary of this work is at this <a href="/JWO/schonfeld-on-paul.html">link</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Macarius Magnes, 300 AD.</strong> In <a href="/JWO/macarius-magnes-on-paul-from-circa-300-ad.html">Apocriticus</a>, Magnes is the oldest systematic critic of Paul from 300s who couched it in a debate, appearing to defend Paul, but not doing a very good job of it.<span> </span></p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/famous-quotes-on-paul.html">Famous quotes</a> critical of Paul which we collected during research.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Famous Rebuttals to Earlier Efforts at JWO Movement</h2>
<p>Bultmann in 1929 responded to the "From Paul to Jesus" (JWO) movement of the early 1900s led by William Wrede. Bultman admitted Jesus' doctrine was "largely irrelevant to Paul." But Bultmann defended this because Paul taught in 2 Cor. 5:16 that we are "no longer" to know Jesus through His teachings when Jesus gave them "in the flesh." Only the post-resurrected Jesus -- whom Paul met at Damascus -- is supposedly our teacher. Bultmann then concludes the only way to know Christ is through Paul.  But Bultmann's argument backfires in two ways if he correctly read 2 Cor. 5:16 (which Origen ca. 200s similarly understood). Such an interpretation would expose that Paul did not meet Jesus on the road to Damascus because the post-resurrected Jesus did indeed have flesh and nail-holes to prove it, but Paul in 2 Cor. 5:16 says, if Bultmann is correct, that he met a Jesus without flesh. See our <a href="/JWO/bultmann-on-paul.html">webpage</a> for further discussion.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Books Critical of Paul/Paulinism</h2>
<p>Mark Douglas Given, <em>Paul’s True Rhetoric: Ambiguity, Cunning, and Deception in Greece and Rome </em>(2001) provides proof of systematic guile used by Paul, and unabashedly so. Given collects admissions of these facts from leading reformers. For example, Calvin said about Paul's appearance before the Sanhedrin (Acts 22:30-23:11): "Paul's strategem, which Luke reports, <em><strong>seems out of keeping with a servant of Christ.</strong></em> For the astuteness he used was closely related to a feint, that was not far removed from lying." (<em>Id.</em> at page <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ekrC5_r9PU0C&amp;lpg=PA81&amp;dq=%22What%20harm%20would%20it%20do%2C%20if%20a%20man%20told%20a%20good%20strong%20lie%20for%20the%20sake%20of%20the%20good%20and%20for%20the%20Christian%20church%20-%20a%20lie%20out%20of%20necessity%2C%20a%20useful%20lie%2C%20a%20helpful%20lie%2C%20such%20lies%20would%20not%20be%20against%20God%2C%20he%20would%20accept%20them.&amp;pg=PA81#v=onepage&amp;q=&amp;f=false">81</a>.) Given then quotes Calvin defending that this is not lying by Paul, but essentially Calvin means that lying for a greater good justifies lying, as Given explains. (<em>Id.</em>) There is an excellent book review of Given's book at this <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ekrC5_r9PU0C&amp;sitesec=reviews&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s">books.google.link</a>.</p>
<p>Thomas Cossette, <em>Hebrew Prophecies of the Coming of Paul</em> (2007) - <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/cossette-20">Amazon purchase link</a>. For my review and analysis, click this <a href="/Recommended-Reading/cossette-on-paul.html">link</a>.</p>
<p>F.F. Powell,<em> Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: The Usurpation of Jesus and the Original Disciples</em> (2009) - highly recommended. <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/robbingpetertopaypaul-20">Amazon Purchase link</a>.  My current review -- under construction -- is at this <a href="/JWO/robbing-peter-to-pay-paul.html">link</a>.</p>
<p>Ruy Barraco Marmol, <em>Faithful to Jesus Christianity and The Truth About the Apostle Paul</em> (2012) -- available through his website at this <a href="http://www.faithfultojesus.com/index.html">link.</a> An excellent critique from one raised as a Roman Catholic and whose voice is Christ-focused.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Articles By Others Critical of Paul/Paulinism</h2>
<div></div>
<div><a href="http://www.truthseekers.co.za/content/view/160/53/">Did Jesus Really Send Paul? </a>by Truth Seekers. An excellent, objective and methodical proof that answers <strong><em>no</em></strong>.</div>
<hr />
<div><a href="http://www.problemswithapostlepaul.com/">Problems with 'Apostle' Paul</a> -new webcenter beginnnig 2012 on issue.</div>
<hr />
<div><a href="http://www.heisyah.com/paul-the-false-apostle/">Paul The False Apostle</a> from He Is Yah.com (heisyah.com) - from a Yahweh-Yahshua centric ministry including good worship song materials. Proves Peter's standards to be an apostle set forth in Acts 1:21-22 - been with Jesus since baptism and witness resurrection, and lots more.</div>
<hr />
<div>"<a href="http://www.nycbiblestudy.com/the-false-prophet/the-false-apostle/">The False Apostle</a>" at NewYork City Bible Study (March 2011) - excellent with Bible quotes.</div>
<div><a href="/JWO/jeff-ward-at-facebook.html">Questions to Ask Your Preacher About Paul of Tarsus</a> by J. Ward (Facebook, January 2011)</div>
<div><a href="/Recommended-Reading/revelation-a-paul.html">What Jesus' Remarks in Revelation Imply About Paul</a> (html)(May 27, 2010)</div>
<div>Anonymous, <a href="/JWO/jwo-anonymous.html">Series of Critical Points on Paul </a>(2010) - pithy points of Paul's self-contradictions, contradiction with Jesus, flaws, etc.</div>
<hr />
<div><a href="/JWO/paulianity-not-christianity.html">Paulianity, Not Christianity</a> (Dec. 19, 2009 at Nigerian Village Square) - harsh analysis of Paul but points cite valid quotes of Paul</div>
<hr />
<div>Babe Jesus, <a href="/JWO/babe-jesu.html">Yes, Jesus Words Alone etc.</a> (2006). (One of my favorites; influenced <em>JWO</em>.)</div>
<div>Dan J,<a href="/JWO/danjenkins.html"> </a><a href="/JWO/dan-on-jwo.html">Discipleship</a> (2005)(Very influential on my path to <em>JWO</em>.)</div>
<div>Michael Eden, <a href="/Recommended-Reading/eden-on-false-apostle.html">Was Paul a false apostle? Scripture reveals he preached "another" gospel</a> (2003)</div>
<div>AH, <a href="/JWO/paul-verses-which-challenge-by-ah.html">Verses Critical of Paul</a> (with no commentary)(2011)</div>
<div>Scott Nelson, <a href="http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/">http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/</a> -- many other articles of interest as well.</div>
<div>Femi Aribisala, "<a href="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/Columns/FemiAribisala/5651572-179/story.csp">Distorting the Word of God</a>" - Paul's misread of Bible to prove no one is righteous</div>
<div>Yada Yahweh -- <a href="http://questioningpaul.com/Questioning_Paul-Galatians-01-Chrestus-Useful_Implement.Paul">Questioning Paul</a> (2011) See <span>our </span><a href="/JWO/questioning-paul-website-review.html">website review</a></div>
<div>Anonymous - 2011 <a href="/JWO/for-those-who-doubt-apostle-paul.html">For those who doubt Paul</a></div>
<div>Mishayah's YouTube page - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/mishayah?feature=mhee">devoted to exalting Yashua's words over Paul's</a></div>
<div>Paul Problem at FaithWeb - <a href="/JWO/unstable-paul.html">Paul and the so-called Judaizers</a> (our excerpts entitled "Unstable Paul")</div>
<div>Porque Jesus no Viene? (Spanish) -PDF / <a href="/JWO/por-que-jesus-no-viene.html">HTML</a> by Robert (11/2012)</div>
<div>Why Does Jesus not Come? (English) - PDF / HTML by Roberto (11/2012)</div>
<hr />
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
<h2>Jesus' Important Lessons on:</h2>
<p><a target="_blank" title="short_biography_of_jesus_without_miraculous_own_miracle" href="/images/stories/Lessons/short_biography_of-jesus_without_miraculous_own_miracle.pdf">A Short Biography of Jesus Without the Miraculous: Its Own Miracle</a> (PDF)(Divine inspiration of the apostolic texts is evident without considering miracles of Jesus which it reports. And that is why we can believe Jesus performed miracles, and we can affirm them as further validation of Jesus' identity.) <br /><a target="_blank" title="jesus_idea_of_faith" href="/images/stories/Lessons/jesus_idea_of_faith.pdf">Jesus' Idea of Faith</a> (versus Paul's opposite view of Faith)  (PDF)<br /><a target="_blank" title="jesus_meaning_of_weeping_and_gnashing_ofteeth" href="/images/stories/Lessons/jesus_meaning_of_weeping_and_gnashing_ofteeth_.pdf">Jesus' Meaning of Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth</a> -refuting Paul's principle of faith alone (PDF)</p>
<hr />
<h2>Endorsements of JWO Principle</h2>
<p>Blog Post by Jesus for Me 66 (5/31/2009) -- our<a href="/JWO/jesus-for-me-blog-post-endorses-jwo.html"> excerpt</a> or read this<a href="http://penthouse.com/blog/7292/post_152127.html?highid=1475358_99801&amp;non_mobile=1{REPLACE_scene_title}&amp;site=bc&amp;lang=tagalog"> original link.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://jesusteachings.org.nz/">Jesus' Teachings Homepage</a> (from New Zealand) -- great and refreshing. See his "<a href="http://jesusteachings.org.nz/teaching/">Teachings</a>" page.</p>
<hr />
</div>
<h2>Articles on Science</h2>
<div><a href="/Recommended-Reading/proofsforcreation.html" title="Proofs for Creation">Proofs for Creation </a>(PowerPoint) - available in English and Spanish -by Doug T.</div>
<div><a href="/Recommended-Reading/createdingeniousdesign.html" title="Created by Ingenious Design">Created by Ingenious Design </a>(Intro &amp; PDF)(draft as of 2009) - by Doug T.</div>
<div><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html">Flaws of Young Earth Science Presented By Andrew Balian</a> (HTML page w links to PDF)</div>
<div>
<hr />
</div>
<h2>Our Articles on Church Practices and Canon</h2>
<div><a target="_blank" href="/images/stories/Lessons/es app on tithing.pdf" title="The True Law of Tithing: How the Modern Spiritual Leaders Rob Widow &amp; Orphans ">The True Law of Tithing: How the Modern Church Spiritual Leaders Rob Widows &amp; Orphans</a> (PDF)(<a href="/The-Law-Given-Moses/true-law-of-tithing.html">HTML</a>)</div>
<div><a href="/images/stories/Lessons/balaam prophecy for friends.pdf" title="Prophecy about Jesus by Balaam">Prophecy about Jesus by Balaam </a>(PDF)</div>
<div><a href="/Recommended-Reading/christmaseastererrors.html" title="Christmas and Easter Errors">Christmas &amp; Easter Errors </a>(Intro with links to either HTML or PDF)</div>
<div><a href="/Recommended-Reading/sabbathcommand.html">The Sabbath Command (html)</a>
<div><a href="/Recommended-Reading/canon-history2.html">Canon Studies</a> (html) - The Original Hebrew Matthew - Is Enoch Canon?</div>
<hr />
<h2><span style="font-weight: normal;">Paul: Biography</span></h2>
<p>A <a href="/JWO/paul-a-biography.html">Biography</a> (html)(added 7/9/2010)[work in progress]</p>
<hr />
<h2>Study Resources</h2>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/library-resources.html">Library Resources</a> - Greek/Latin dictionaries, Literal translation tools, classic commentaries, etc.</p>
<a href="/Recommended-Reading/library-resources.html"> </a>
<p><a href="/JWO/quotes-in-favor-of-jwo.html">Quotes</a> - Bible and authors - endorsing principle of Jesus Words Only</p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html">Topical Index of this site</a> - under construction</p>
<p> </p>
<hr />
<h2>Edification</h2>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/prayers-and-edification.html">Prayers and Edification</a></p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/websites-a-videos-we-recommend.html">Websites and Videos We Recommend</a></p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-lesson-on-debt.html">Bible Lesson on Debt</a></p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-studies-anger.html">Bible Lesson on Anger</a></p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-study-on-whether-mocking-humor-to-friends-is-funny.html">Bible Lesson on Putdown Humor</a></p>
<p><a href="/Bible/bible-on-taking-oaths.html">Bible Lesson on Oaths</a></p>
<p><a href="/Recommended-Reading/sabbathcommand.html">The Sabbath Command</a> -- with lots of worship tips</p>
<p>R. Christian, <a href="http://wdjsbook.com/content/new-king-james-version.html">What Did Jesus Say -- The Seven Messages from the Master </a>(2012) - $9.99 as ebook /$19.95 as book. (I have no affiliation with the author. I like the book's focus on words of Jesus.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</div> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 951466<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

565
Recommended-Reading/renan.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,565 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/renan.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Renan | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p style="text-align: right;">"Jesus' proclamation of the Way of the Cross has been replaced by Paul's proclamation of the Cross." <em></em></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><em>Prof. Bauman (1985)<br /></em></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 3765" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "3765") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><span>Renan on Paul</span></h2>
<h3>Biography</h3>
<p><span>Ernest Renan (1823-1892) studied at seminary to enter Catholic orders. Then he studied at St. Sulpice to learn philology, including Hebrew. As he studied Hebrew, he began to go deeper into the subject matter. In the end, as his studies progressed, he chose a life not dependent on the church so he could write freely. He became an instructor at Crouzet's school for boys. (See "</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Renan">Renan</a><span>," </span><em>Wikipedia.</em>)</p>
<p>In 1863, Renan wrote the immensely popular<em> Vie de Jésus</em>, soon translated into <em>T</em><em>he Life of Jesus.</em> He wrote many other books on the history of Christianity, and is regarded as a "literary genius."  By 1891, his works affirm "the necessity of piety independent of dogma." (<em>Id.</em>) Late in life, Renan received numerous honours, including being made an administrator of the Collège de France and a grand officer of the Legion of Honour.</p>
<h3>Renan Is Utterly Pro-Paul in relation to James/Jude/Revelation</h3>
<p>Renan's work <em>St. Paul</em> depicts Paul in a sympathetic light. He nevertheless agrees that the early church attacked Paul in the Epistles of James and Jude as well as Revelation. But Renan describes these anti-Paul writings, veiled though they were, by the early church as the "cries of hatred" "insult," "calumny," and "envy."</p>
<h3>Yet Jesus Must Be Elevated Above Paul</h3>
<p>Despite Renan's sympathy with Paul in his battle with the early church, Renan believes Jesus still must be regarded as the light for the church at this time. Finally, Jesus's message is beginning to surface above that of Paul.</p>
<h3>Renan's Work <em>Saint Paul</em></h3>
<p><span>In </span><em>Saint Paul</em><span> </span><span>(G.W. Carleton, 1869) or (</span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=Ernest%20Renan%20Saint%20Paul%20G.W.%20Carleton%201869&amp;pg=PA326">1875</a><span>), Renan states in chapter 22:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>[</span><strong><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA326#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">326</a></strong><span>]</span><span> One man has contributed more than any other to this rapid extension of Christianity. This man has torn off that sort of tight and fearfully dangerous swaddling-clothes in which the child was wrapped from its birth. He has proclaimed that Christianity was not as simple reformed Judaism, but that </span><span>it was a complete religion, existing by itself.</span><span> To say that this man deserves to occupy a very high rank in history, is to say a very evident thing; but he must not be called a founder. It is vain for </span><strong><em>Paul</em></strong><span> to talk ; </span><span>He is </span><strong><em>inferior to the other apostles</em></strong><span>. He has not seen Jesus; He has not heard his word. The divine logia and the parables are </span><em><strong>scarcely known to him</strong></em><span>. The </span><span>Christ</span><span> who gives him personal revelations, </span><span>is </span><strong><em>his own phantom</em></strong><span>, — it is himself he hears,</span><span> while thinking he hears Jesus</span><span>.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Even as regards the question of outward role, </span>Paul was <strong><em>far from having the importance, during his life, that we attribute</em></strong></p>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;" class="Sect">
<p><span>[<strong><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA327#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">327</a></strong><strong>]</strong> </span><span>to him</span><span>. His churches were either slightly substantial, or denied him. The churches of Macedonia and Galatia, which are his own work, possessed little importance in the second and third centuries. The churches of Corinth and Ephesus, which did not belong to him with so exclusive a title, pass over to his enemies, or are not deemed canonically enough established, when only owing their existence to him. After his disappearance from the scene of apostolic struggles we shall find him soon forgotten. His death was probably regarded by his enemies as the death of an agitator. </span><span>The second century </span><strong><em>scarcely speaks of him</em></strong><span>, and apparently endeav</span><span>ors to systematically blot out his memory</span><span>. His epistles are then </span><strong><em>slightly read</em></strong><span>, and only regarded as authority by rather </span><em><strong>a slim group</strong></em><span>.* His partisans themselves greatly weaken his pre</span><span></span><span>tensions." He leaves no celebrated disciples. Titus, Timothy, and so many others, who, as it were, constituted his court, disappear without renown. The truth is, Paul was personally too energetic to form an original school. He always crushed his disciples. With him they only fill the characters of secretaries, servants, and couriers. Their respect for their master was such that they never dared to teach freely. When Paul was with his band, he alone existed ; all the others were annihilated, or only lived through him. </span><span>In the </span><strong><em>third, fourth, and fifth centuries</em></strong><span>, Paul </span><strong><em>will increase wonderfully</em></strong><span>. He will become the teacher par excellence, — the founder of Chris</span><span></span><span>tian theology. The true president of those " great Greek Councils, which make Jesus the keystone of a system of metaphysics, is the apostle Paul. But in the middle ages, especially </span><span>in the Occi</span><span></span><span>dent, his fortune will undergo a strange eclipse. Paul will say scarcely nothing to the heart of the barbarians. Outside of Rome, he will pos</span><span></span><span>sess </span><em><strong>no legend</strong></em><span>. Latin Christendom will hardly pronounce his name, except after that of his rival.</span><span> St. Paul, in the middle ages, is, in some degree, lost in the glory of St. Peter. While St. Peter moves the world, and makes every one tremble and obey, — </span><span>the obscure St. Paul plays a secondary part in the great Christian poem </span>which</p>
<p><span><span>[</span><strong><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA328#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">328</a></strong><span>]</span><span> fills the cathedrals and inspires the popular chants. </span><span>Scarcely any one before the sixteenth century is called by his name. </span><span>He hardly appears in the emblematical monuments. He has </span><strong><em>no devotees</em></strong>; they build him but few churches; they burn no tapers to him. His surroundings — Titus, Tim<span></span>othy, Phebe, and Lydia, — occupy but little place in the public worship, above all of the Latins. No </span><span><span>legend to will it. In order to possess a legend, it is necessary to have spoken to the people, to have excited the imagination. </span><span>Now, what does </span><strong><em>salvation through faith</em></strong>, justification through the blood of Christ, say to the people? There was too little sympathy between Paul and the popu<span></span><span>lar conscience</span><span>, and probably he was also too well known to history, in order that an aureola of fables should have formed itself around his head. Talk to me of Peter, who bends the heads of kings, shatters empires, walks upon the asp and the basilisk, treads under foot the lion and the dragon, and holds the keys of heaven!</span></span></p>
<p><span>The </span><strong><em>Reformation</em></strong><span> opens for St. Paul a </span><strong>new era of glory and authority</strong><span>. </span><span>Catholicism itself, through more extended studies than those of the middle ages, is led back to quite just views con</span><span></span><span>cerning the apostle of the Gentiles. </span><span>Dating from the sixteenth century, the</span><strong><em> name of Paul is omnipresent</em></strong><span>. But the Reformation, which rendered so much service to science and reason, was not able to create a legend. </span><span>Rome, throwing a pleasing veil over the rudeness of the Epistle to the Galatians, elevates Paul upon a pedestal almost equal to that of Peter. Paul does not therefore become to any great extent the saint of the people</span><span>. What place shall criticism assign him? To what rank shall it elevate him in the hierarchy of those who served the ideal?</span></p>
<p><span>We serve the ideal by doing good, discovering the truth, and realizing the beautiful. At the head of the holy procession of humanity, walks the good man, the virtuous man; the second rank belongs to the searcher after truth, the scientific man, the philosopher: then comes the man of the beauti</span><span></span><span>ful, the artist,</span></p>
<p><span>[</span><strong><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA329#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">329</a></strong><span>] </span><span>the poet. </span><strong><em>Jesus</em></strong><span> appears to us under his celestial aureola, like an </span><em><strong>ideal of goodness</strong></em><span> and beauty. Peter loved Jesus, understood him ; and was, it appears, in spite of a few weaknesses, an excellent man. </span><span>What was Paul? He was not a </span><span>saint. The dominant feature of</span><strong><em> his character is not goodness</em></strong><span>. He was haughty, pertinacious, aggressive ; he defended himself, maintained his point (as is said in our days); his expressions were harsh; he deemed himself absolutely in the right; he clung to his opinions; he quar<span></span><span>relled with different persons. He was not learned. It may even be said that he greatly injured science by his paradoxical contempt for reason, by his eulogy upon apparent folly, by his apotheosis of transcendental absurdity. </span><span>Nor was he a poet either. His writings, works of the greatest originality, are without charm. Their form is harsh, and almost always devoid of grace. What was he then? </span><span>He was an eminent man of action; of powerful soul, progressive, enthusias</span><span></span><span>tic; a conqueror, a missionary, a propagator; the more ardent, from having at first displayed his fanaticism in an opposite direction</span><span>. Now the man of action, noble as he is when he has a noble design in view, is less near God than he who has lived upon the pure love of the actual, the </span><span>good, or the beautiful. </span><span>By nature the apostle is a little narrow-minded. </span><span>He wishes to succeed, — for this he makes sacrifices. Contact with reality always sullies a little. The first places in the king</span><span></span>dom of heaven are reserved for those whom a ray of grace has reached ; those who have only wor<span></span><span>shipped the ideal. The man of action is always a poor artist, for his sole design is not to reflect the splendor of the universe. He could not become a man of learning, for he regulates his opinions according to political utility. He is not even a very virtuous man, for he is never irreproachable, — the foolishness and wickedness of men forcing him to covenant with them. Above all, he is never agreeable. Reserve, the most charming of virtues, is forbidden him. The world favors the bold, — those who help themselves</span><em><strong>. Paul,</strong></em><span> so great, so upright, is</span><span> </span><strong><em>obliged to decree to himself the title of </em></strong></span><span><strong><em>[<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA330#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">330</a></em><em>] apostle.</em></strong><span> Our faults render us strong in action, — our good qualities weaken us. All in all, that historical character which bears most anal</span><span></span><span>ogy to St. Paul, is Luther. In both there is the same violence in language, the same passion, the same energy, the same noble independence, the same </span><span>frantic attachment to a thesis embraced as the absolute truth</span><span>.</span></span></p>
<p><span>I persist, therefore, in thinking that the</span><strong><em> part taken by Paul in the creation of Christianity, should be ranked far below that of Jesus</em></strong><span>. According to my opinion, </span><strong><em>Paul</em></strong><span> should even occupy a position </span><strong><em>beneath Francis d' Assisi </em></strong><span>and the author of the " Imitation," both of whom saw Jesus in close proximity. The Son of God stands alone. To appear for a moment, to reflect a soft and profound refulgence, to die very young, is the life of a God. To struggle, dispute, and conquer, is the life of a man. </span><span>After having been </span><em><strong>for three centuries, thanks to orthodox Protestantism</strong></em><span>, the Christian teacher par excellence,</span><em><strong> Paul sees in our day his reign drawing to a close</strong></em><span>.</span><span> Jesus, on the contrary, </span><strong><em>lives more than ever</em></strong><span>. It is no longer the Epistle to the Romans, which is the resume of Christianity, — it is the </span><strong><em>Sermon on the Mount</em></strong><span>. </span><span>True Christianity, which will last for</span><span></span><span>ever,</span><strong><em> comes from the gospels, — not from the epistles of Paul</em></strong><span>. The </span>writings of Paul have been a danger and a hidden rock<span>, — the causes of the principal defects of Christian theology. Paul is the father of the subtle Augustine, of the unfruitful Thomas Aquinas, of the gloomy Calvinist, of the peevish Jansenist, of the fierce theology which damns and predestinates to damnation. Jesus is the father of all those who seek repose for their souls in dreams of the ideal. What makes Chris</span><span></span><span>tianity live, is the little that we know of the word and person of Jesus. The ideal man, the divine poet, the great artist, alone defy time and revolu</span><span></span><span>tions.</span></p>
<p>They alone are seated at the right hand of God the Father for ever more.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>O Humanity! thou art just, at times, and certain of thy judgments are good.</span></p>
<h2>Renan's Other Critical References</h2>
<p>Renan elsewhere reviews the history of the early church's veiled attacks on Paul -- through the epistles of Jude, James and Revelation (Apocalypse). He starts off as follows in ch. 10:</p>
<h3>Historical Evidence of A Rupture At Antioch</h3>
<p>[<strong><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA186#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">186</a></strong>] It is very apparent, nevertheless, that the rupture of Antioch left profound traces. The great church on the borders of the Orontes was divided, if I may be allowed to express myself so, into two parishes, — that of the circumcised on one hand, that of the uncircumcised on the other. The separation of these two halves of the church lasted for a long while. Antioch, as is stated at a later period, had <strong><em>two bishops</em></strong>, —<strong><em> one instituted by Peter, the other by Paul</em></strong>. Euodias and Ignatius are designated as having, after the apostles, become these dignitaries.</p>
<h3>Jude's Epistle Is Aimed At Paul</h3>
<p>[<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA187#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><strong>187</strong></a>] It appears that upon this occasion, new letters were sent from Jerusalem in the name of the apostles. It is even possible that one of these hateful letters has been preserved to us, in the epistle of Jude, — brother of James, and like him, brother of the Lord, — which constitutes a part of the canon. It is one of the most violent <em>facta </em>against <span class="gtxt_body">anonymous adversaries, who are represented as disobedient and ungodly persons. The style of the writing, which much more resembles the classic Greek than that of the greater portion of the New Testament, bears much analogy to tht style of the epistle of James. James and Jude probably did not understand Greek. The church of Jerusalem perhaps had Hellenic secretaries for such communications.****</span></p>
<div class="flow"><a id="PA187" class="page"></a>
<div class="gtxt_body">
<p class="gtxt_body">"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints....Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and greedily after the error of <strong><em>Balaam</em></strong> for reward,<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA388#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">83</a></sup></span><sup> </sup>and perished in the gainsaying of Core." ****</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">[<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA188#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"><strong>188</strong></a>] From this moment, Paul becomes, in the eyes of an entire fragment of the church, a most dangerous heretic, a false Jew,<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA389#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">85</a></sup></span> a false apostle,<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>86</sup></span> a false prophet,<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>87</sup></span> <strong><em>a second Balaam</em></strong>,"<sup>88</sup> a Jezebel,<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>89</sup></span> a wretch who was harping upon the destruction of the Temple.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>73</sup></span> To tell all in two words, a Simon the Magician.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>71</sup></span> Peter was reputed to be everywhere and always occupied in opposing him.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>73</sup></span> They accustomed themselves to designate the apostle of the Gentiles by the sobriquet of<strong><em> Nicholas</em></strong> (Conqueror of the people), approximative translation of<em><strong>BaUiam</strong></em><em>.'^ </em>The sobriquet took well. A heathen seducer who had visions, although unfaithful,<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>74</sup></span> a man who prevailed upon the people to sin with heathen maidens,<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>75</sup></span> appeared the true type of Paul, — this false visionary, this partisan of mixed marriages.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>73</sup></span> In the same manner his disciples were called <em>Nicolaitcuies?"<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>1</sup></span> </em>Far from forgetting his <em>role </em>as persecutor, they dwelt upon it in the most odious manner.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>73</sup></span> His gospel was a false gospel.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>79</sup></span> It is to Paul that reference is made when the fanatics of the party conversed among themselves in ambiguous language of a per [189] sonage whom they called "the Apostate,"<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>89</sup></span><sup> </sup>or "the Hostile Man," <span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>81</sup></span> or " the Impostor," precursor of the Anti-Christ, upon whose trail the chief of the apostles follows in order to repair the evil which he does.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>81</sup></span> Paul was the "frivolous man" from whom the Gentiles, in their ignorance, received the doctrine inimical to the law.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>83</sup></span> His visions, which he called " the deep, things of God," they termed " the deep things of Satan."<em><span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>M</sup></span> </em>His churches they called "the synagogues of Satan. <em>"** </em>Through ' hatred to Paul, it was loudly proclaimed that the twelve alone constituted the foundation of the edifice of Christ.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>88</sup></span></p>
<p class="gtxt_body">***</p>
<h3>Paul Envisioned Jesus In An Entirely Metaphysical Manner</h3>
<p class="gtxt_body">[<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA190#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">190</a>]  It was natural for Paul, who had not seen Jesus, that the entirely human figure of the Galilean master should transform itself into a metaphysical type, much more easily than for Peter, and the others who had conversed with Jesus. Jesus, in Paul's mind, is not a man who has lived and taught: he is the Christ who died for our sins, who saves us, who justifies<span class="gstxt_sup">131</span> us. He is an <strong><em>entirely divine being</em></strong> ; we partake of him ;<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>192</sup></span> we communicate with him in a wonderful manner.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>103</sup></span> He is the redemption,<span class="gtxt_body"> the justification, the wisdom, the righteousness<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>194</sup></span> of man. He is the King of Glory.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>105</sup></span> All power in heaven and on the earth is soon to be delivered up to him.<span class="gstxt_sup">138</span> He is only <strong><em>inferior to God the Father</em></strong>.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>107</sup> </span>Had this school alone transmitted us writings, we would not come into contact with the person of Jesus, and we might doubt that he ever existed. But those<em><strong> who knew him, and who kept the recollection of him, wrote, perhaps, already towards this period, the first notes upon which were composed those divine writings (I refer to the Gospels)</strong></em> which made the fortune of Christianity, and transmitted to us the essential traits of the most important character that there ever was to learn.</span></p>
<h3>Revelations (Apocalypse) Chapters Two &amp; Three Are Anti-Paul</h3>
<div class="flow">
<div class="gtxt_body">
<p class="gtxt_body">[<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA219#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">219</a>] Pontus, in Cappadocia, heard the name of Jesus about the same time.<sup>8</sup>' Christianity burst forth like a sudden conflagra<span class="gtxt_body">tion throughout all </span><span class="gtxt_body"><strong><em>Asia Minor</em></strong></span><span class="gtxt_body">. It is probable that the JewishChristians labored on their side to spread the Gospel there. John, who belonged to this party," was received in Asia as an apostle of </span><span class="gtxt_body"><strong><em>superior authority to Paul.</em></strong></span><span class="gtxt_body"> The Apocalypse, addressed in the year 68 to the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea on the Lycus, appears composed for the Jewish-Christians. Without doubt, between the death of Paul and the editing of the Apocalypse, there was at Ephesus and in Asia, as it were, a second Jewish-Christian preaching. Nevertheless, if Paul had been for ten years the sole chief of the churches of Asia, </span><span class="gtxt_body"><strong><em>we cannot understand how he should have been forgotten there so soon</em></strong></span><span class="gtxt_body">. St. Philip" and Papias," glories of the church of Hierapolis, Melito,<span class="gstxt_sup">88</span> glory of that of Sardis, were Jewish-Christianfi.</span><span class="gtxt_body"><strong><em> Neither Papias nor Polycrates of Ephesus quotes Paul</em></strong></span><span class="gtxt_body">. The authority of John has absorbed everything, and John is to these churches a Jewish chief priest. The churches of Asia in the second century, the church of Laodicea especially, are the scene of a controversy which attaches itself to the vital question of Christianity, and in which the traditional party shows itself not at all in harmony with the ideas of Paul.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>87</sup></span> Montanism is a sort of return to Judaism, in the bosom of Phrygian Christianity. In other words, in Asia, as at Corinth,<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>88</sup></span> <strong><em>the memory of Paul after his death appears to have undergone a sort of eclipse during a whole century</em></strong>. Even the churches which he had established abandon him a</span><span class="gtxt_body"><strong><em>s too compromising a man</em></strong></span><span class="gtxt_body">; so much so, that Paul, in the second century, appears </span><span class="gtxt_body"><strong><em>universally disowned</em></strong></span><span class="gtxt_body">.<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>83</sup></span></span></p>
<p class="gtxt_body">[<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA220#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">220</a>] This reaction must have taken place a short time after the death of the apostle, or perhaps even before. The <strong><em>second and third chapters of the Apocalypse</em></strong> are a cry of hatred against Paul and his friends. This church of Ephesus, which owes so much to Paul, is praised for " not being able to bear with them which are evil; for having tried them, which say they are apostles and are not <em> </em>for having found them liars; for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitanes," <span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>71</sup></span> "which I also hate," adds the celestial voice." The church of Smyrna is congratulated for "being<span class="gtxt_body"> the blasphemy of them which say they arc Jews, and are not," but are the synagogue of Satan." " " But I have a few things against thee," says the divine voice to the church of Pergamos, " because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of</span><span class="gtxt_body"><strong><em> Balaam</em></strong></span><span class="gtxt_body">, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of Nicolaitanes."<sup>70</sup> "I have a few things against thee," says the same voice to the church of Thyatira, "because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel," which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. . . . As to the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak," I will put upon you none other burthen." <span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>8</sup></span> And to the church of Philadelphia, " I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie, to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." <span class="gstxt_sup">e</span>9 Probably the vague reproaches addressed by the seer to the churches of Sardis and Laodicea<span class="gstxt_sup"><sup>81</sup></span> also contain allusions to the great discussion which was dismembering the church of Jesus.</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="flow"><a class="page" id="PA221"></a>
<div class="gtxt_body">
<p class="gtxt_body">Still, let us say that if Paul had been the sole missionary of Asia, we could not conceive how, in a little while after his death (supposing that he was dead when the Apocalypse appeared),<strong><em> his adherents could be represented as in the minority</em></strong>. In the churches of this country, above all, could we not conceive how the church of Ephesus would have<strong><em> bestowed an insulting sobriquet upon him</em></strong>. Paul, generally speaking, forbade himself working upon the ground of others, or preaching and writing to churches which he had not established." But his enemies did not observe the same discretion. They followed him step by step, and set about destroying his work by <strong><em>insult and calumny</em></strong>.</p>
<h3>Renan's Notes</h3>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 4 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA355#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">355</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 5 Notes at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA360#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 360</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 7 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA366#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">366</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 8 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA373#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">373</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 9 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA375#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">375</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 10 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA384#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">384</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 11 Notes at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA389#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> 389</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 12 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA391#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">391</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 13 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA395#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">395</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 14 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA399#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">399</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 15 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA404#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">404</a> et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">Ch. 16 Notes at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NN8TAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=intitle%3ASaint%20intitle%3APaul%20inauthor%3ARenan&amp;pg=PA407#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">407 </a>et seq.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body"> </p>
<p class="gtxt_body">82 Letter of Peter to James, under heading Homolies Pseudo-Clementine.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">83 Letter of Peter to James, section 2.</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">85 Rev. 2:9; 3:9</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">86. Rev. 21:14; cf. 23:20</p>
<p class="gtxt_body">87. Allusion to this, Rev. 2:9; cf. 2 Cor. 11:22; Phil. 3:5</p>
<p class="gtxt_body"> </p>
</div>
</div>
<p> </p>
<p class="gtxt_body"> </p>
</div>
</div>
</div> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952980<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

515
Recommended-Reading/revelation-a-paul.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,515 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/revelation-a-paul.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Revelation & Paul | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span><span style="font-size: medium;">"Christendom has done away with Christianity without being quite aware of it." Soren Kierkegaard</span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 7577" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "7577") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>What Do Jesus' Remarks In Revelation Imply About Paul?</h2>
<p>Paul claimed to be an apostle in his letter to the Ephesians (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1:1&amp;version=KJV">Ephesians 1:1</a>), but later on, in his second letter to Timothy, Paul declared that "<strong><em>all those in Asia have turned away from me</em></strong>" (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%201:15&amp;version=AMP">2 Timothy 1:15</a>). In Acts 19, Luke tells us the Ephesian synagogue where Paul taught for three months and where there were substantial converts to Christ finally expelled Paul.</p>
<p>Ephesus was, at the time, the largest city in <strong><em>Procunsular Asia</em></strong>. So this means that at some point after Paul wrote his epistle to them, the Ephesians, for some reason, ceased to regard Paul as a genuine apostle. Note that he does not say that the believers in Asia abandoned the Christian faith. Paul does not say that they abandoned the original Apostles of Jesus. Paul says only that the believers in Asia abandoned <em><strong>him</strong></em><strong>.</strong> For some reason, the Ephesians ceased to regard Paul as a genuine Christian leader.</p>
<p>Renan in his famous book <em>St. Paul</em> in the 1870s mentioned that chapters two and three in Revelation imply that Paul was rejected in Asia Minor by the time John wrote Revelation. The book of Revelation places Paul's doctrine out of sight and implicitly rejects it. See our<a href="/Recommended-Reading/renan.html"> page</a> on Renan's analysis.</p>
<p>One clear cut example is what Jesus says about idol meat to the church of Ephesus in Asia. In Rev. 2:14, Jesus clearly commends this church of Ephesus for rejecting the one who taught it was acceptable to eat meat sacrificed to idols --<strong><em> something Paul three times approved eating</em></strong>. (For background, see our <a href="/JWO/chapter-six-jwo.html">webpage</a> on this issue.)</p>
<p>Thus, Renan's analysis that chapter 3 of Revelation implies the rejection of Paul in Asia completely comports with Paul saying that "<strong><em>all those in Asia have turned away from me</em></strong>" (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%201:15&amp;version=AMP">2 Timothy 1:15</a>).</p>
<p>Now turning specifically to the book of Revelation, we find it is written by the Apostle John. It starts off with the resurrected Jesus instructing John to send messages to seven churches within Asia (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+1&amp;version=KJV">Revelation 1:11</a>). The first Asian church to be given a message is the church at <strong><em>Ephesus</em></strong>.</p>
<p>If Paul had been a genuine apostle, then surely the resurrected Jesus would have <strong><em>reprimanded</em></strong> the Asians for abandoning his genuine apostle if Paul were a genuine apostle of Jesus. However, turn to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+2&amp;version=KJV">Revelation 2:2</a> and read how the resurrected Jesus commended the Ephesians instead:</p>
<blockquote><strong><em>"I know...that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false."</em></strong><br /></blockquote>
<p>So in essence, this is how the dialogue proceeded:</p>
<p>Paul says to the Asians: "I am an Apostle." (Ephesians 1:1)<br />The Asians reply to Paul: "No you're not!" (2 Timothy 1:15)<br />Jesus says to the Asians: "You got that right!" (Revelation 2:2)</p>
<p>[Adapted from Klement 2007]</p>
<h2>Why did Jesus not name Paul? Wouldn't that help us better?</h2>
<p>Why didn't Jesus tell us the names of the ones at Ephesus who were tried and found to be false claimants to being Christ's Apostles?</p>
<p>First, God allows false prophets specifically to "test" whether we love Him with our whole, mind and heart. The test is by comparing the false prophet to the words of a prior true prophet. (Deut. 13:1-5.) By comparing Paul for example to the words of Jesus. To give us the name of Paul point blank is just too easy, frankly.</p>
<p>If one still believes Jesus must have a duty to tell us the name of the false apostle found at Ephesus in Rev. 2:2 or we refuse to consider the possibility, think again. First of all, we know Jesus did not give us the names. So how can we gainsay our Lord's purpose in being mysterious?</p>
<p>Second, if we could impose such a duty on our Lord, then Jesus's warning of the ravening wolf/false prophets to come in His name fails to be worthy of Jesus because He did not tell us their name point blank. But Jesus knew their names just as much before they emerged as He would after.</p>
<p>So the reason Jesus did<strong><em> not tell us their names before-the-fact has to be the same reason He did not tell us their names after-the-fact.</em></strong></p>
<p>The answer is simple and in Deut. 13:1-5. It is up to us to TEST those who claim to be prophets and apostles, just like the Bereans were doing with Paul early in his ministry. That is clearly implied in the fact Jesus complimented the Ephesians for testing one claiming to be an Apostle and finding him false. It is our trial of claimants to apostleship and prophetic office, as Jesus commended the Ephesians for doing, which is what God expects us to do and is WHY God will not tell us the name point blank. It would utterly defeat His purpose in allowing such false prophets/apostles in the first place.</p>
<h2>Further Resources</h2>
<p>See posting of Michael Eden on <a href="http://false-apostle-paul-archive.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html">Paul in Revelation of John</a>.</p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 927951<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

503
Recommended-Reading/romans-71-7-bible-study.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,503 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/romans-71-7-bible-study.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Romans 7:1-7 - Bible Study | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"As early as the Apostle [Paul], <em>the scaling down process begins</em>, and the natural man gets off a little easier in becoming a Christian." (Kierkegaard Journals 1855)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h1><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h1>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 3779" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "3779") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Paul's Thesis</h2>
<p>In Romans 7, Paul is making an argument why the Law given Moses is no longer binding upon "those who know the Law" (Israel) -- God's wife in Hosea. Paul reminds the reader that under the Law of the Husband that when the husband dies, the Law over the wife is dissolved, and the wife is free of the Law which binds her to her husband. She can now remarry without committing adultery. In Romans 7:1-6, Paul implicitly taught that when Jesus died, this broke the bond between Israel and God to the Law, and thus "those who know the Law" (Israel) are now free of the Law and could marry another who supposedly had no such Law --  the risen Jesus.</p>
<p>Hence, what is so embarassing is that this passage necessarily means that when Jesus died, the <strong><em>God of Sinai supposedly died</em></strong>, and this is what frees Israel from the Law given by her husband at Sinai. This is solely what drives the preposterous notions Paul is not focused on the Law given Moses or that the husband who dies whose death dissolves the Law (of Moses) is the Law itself.</p>
<h3><strong>In Depth Exposition of Romans 7:1-6</strong></h3>
<p>What does Paul mean by "the Law of <strong><em>her husband</em></strong>" in verse 2 of this illustration? Since this part of Paul's letter is addressed to those "who know the Law" (v. 1) and the wider context up to this point is about the Law given Moses, we deduce Paul means the Law given Moses -- the Law of the husband God of Israel, as stated above. Yahweh repeatedly refers to himself in Hosea as the husband of Israel.</p>
<p>And note Paul is aware that there is a fear of "adultery" if a transition is made to Jesus illegitimately from the "law of her husband," right? (See v. 3.) What is this fear? That somehow a Jewish person would be disloyal to the God of Israel by embracing Jesus. Paul is thus<strong><em> not</em></strong> speaking of a fear of being disloyal to the Law itself which proves Paul does not intend us to think the Law is the husband. Rather, the only disloyalty one would fear is toward the husband known as the God of Israel.</p>
<p>How does Paul teach Jewish believers identified in verse 1 can overcome that fear when Paul teaches they are "loosed" and "released" from the Law that they are not betraying the God of the OT? (v. 2) By believing Paul when he teaches that the "husband be dead." (v. 2.)</p>
<p>But how did the God of Israel supposedly die thereby bringing to nothing the "law of her husband"?</p>
<p>"You became dead to the Law by the <strong><em>body of Christ</em></strong>...to him who was raised from the<em><strong> dead</strong></em>." (v. 4.)</p>
<p>What necessarily did Paul say earlier must happen to the husband to free Jews (v. 1) from the "law of her husband?" (See v. 2.) The husband <strong><em>must die</em></strong>. And right there in verse 4 we have someone -- the Christ -- who died and was risen from the dead. It is obvious that Paul regards the pre-resurrected Jesus as representative of the God of Israel who died in Jesus' death, and whose death thereby severed forever the wife's connection to the "law of her husband"<em>i.e.</em>, the Law at Sinai delivered to Israel by Yahweh. (This means the post-resurrected Jesus could not represent the same divinity He represented when He died or otherwise, the bond of the Law given Moses would persist as the husband from the first marriage would never have truly died.)</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 862641<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

592
Recommended-Reading/sabbathcommand.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,592 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/sabbathcommand.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Sabbath, false apostle paul" />
<meta name="author" content="LauraLee Arnet" />
<meta name="description" content="history of when Sabbath abrogated among Christians, and transferred to Sunday" />
<title>Sabbath Command | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"Paul is the apostle of the heretics." Tertullian,<em> Adversus Marcion</em> 3:5 (207 A.D.)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 6701" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "6701") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><img style="margin-left: 10px; float: right;" alt="christ-the-redeemer" src="/images/stories/christ-the-redeemer.jpg" height="190" width="250" />Sabbath Command:</h2>
<h3>Applicable to Gentiles?</h3>
<h2></h2>
<p>The Sabbath is commanded to be observed by one of the Ten Commandments. (Ex 20:8.) Jesus taught the Law was still to be observed by His disciples. (Matt. 5:17-19.) The Sabbath-command applies to sojourners / foreigners (<em>i.e.</em>, Gentiles) just as much to Israel. Deut. 5:12-15; Lev. 25:6; Exo 23:12. (On what part of the Law applies to Gentiles, see our discussion at this <a href="/JWO/law-applicable-today.html">link</a>.)</p>
<p>The promise in Isaiah 56 of salvation to Gentiles ("my salvation is about to come", <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/56-1.htm">56:1</a>) was predicated on two things: "<em><strong>keep the Sabbath</strong></em> from profaning it and <em><strong>keep his hand from doing evil.</strong></em>" (Isaiah <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/56-2.htm">56:2</a>) or "who <em><strong>keep My Sabbaths</strong></em>, and choose things that please Me, and<em><strong> take hold of my covenant</strong></em>." (Isaiah <a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/kjv/isaiah/passage.aspx?q=isaiah+56:4;isaiah+56:6">56:4,6</a>). Essentially, the salvation of a Gentile -- according to God's word -- turns on obeying the Sabbath and keeping from evil as outlined in His covenant, <em>i.e.</em>, taking hold of those commands which apply expressly to sojourners / foreigners. God promises eunuchs in return for obedience that "<span>I will give </span><span>them an everlasting </span><sup></sup><span>name which </span><sup></sup><span>will not be cut off." (Isaiah <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/56-5.htm">56:5</a>.) God similalry then promises the Gentiles / "foreigners" who similarly obey that "</span><span>I will bring to My</span><span> </span><sup></sup><span>holy mountain </span>And <sup></sup>make them joyful in My house of prayer," and "their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on <sup></sup>My altar...." (Isaiah <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+56&amp;version=NASB">56:7</a>.)</p>
<h2>Early Church Was Predominantly Obedient On Sabbath</h2>
<p>In obvious reliance upon Jesus (and hence rejection of <a href="/JWO/paul-abolished-sabbath.html">Paul's abolition of Sabbath</a>), the early church continued to obey Sabbath on Saturday for several hundred years while worshipping either on Saturday or on the Lord's Day - our present Sunday.</p>
<p>The Anti-Nicene church records from 125 A.D. to 325 A.D. clearly show the church's general practice was:</p>
<ul>
<li>to keep <strong><em>the rest</em></strong> commanded for Sabbath on Saturday, but they typically<strong><em> also assembled on Sabbath for worship</em></strong>; and</li>
<li>on what we today call Sunday (and they called the Lord's Day), they <strong><em>did not rest</em></strong> but typically assembled for worship. </li>
</ul>
See the Eastern canonical book (adopted 692 AD) and early canon of Syrian-Antioch church <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic_Constitutions">Constitution of the Apostles</a></em> (ca. 300 A.D.) Book 7, ch. XXIII at this books.google <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=LphsM3-c8acC&amp;dq=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;pg=PA175#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;f=false">link</a> ("but the <strong><em>Sabbath</em></strong> and the<strong><em> Lord's day</em></strong> keep as festivals, because the <em><strong>former is the memorial of creation</strong></em> and the latter of the resurrection"); ch. XXX at this <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=LphsM3-c8acC&amp;dq=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;pg=PA179#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;f=false">link </a>(Lord's day is day to assemble, not rest); Book 5, ch. XX at this <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=LphsM3-c8acC&amp;dq=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;pg=PA129#v=onepage&amp;q=%22Constitution%20of%20the%20Apostles%22&amp;f=false">link</a>)("Every <em><strong>Sabbath</strong></em> and every <em><strong>Lord's day</strong></em> hold your religious assemblies").
<hr />
<p>Bingham, a Christian scholar, summarizes numerous ancient sources besides <em>Constitutions</em> and confirms this was the overwhelming practice of the early church: "The ancient Christians were very careful in the observation of <strong><em>Saturday</em></strong>, or the seventh day... It is plain that all the Oriental [Eastern] churches, and the greatest part of the world, <strong><em>observed the Sabbath as a festival</em></strong>... Athanasius likewise tells us that they held religious assemblies on the Sabbath, not because they were infected with Judaism,<strong><em> but to worship Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath</em></strong>, Epiphanius says the same." (Joseph Bingham,<em> Antiquities of the Christian Church </em>(1878) Vol. II, Bk. xx, Ch. 3, Sec. 1, 66. 1137,1136). See also Bingham, <em>Works of Bingham</em> at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FwFKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PA542#v=onepage&amp;q=sabbath&amp;f=false">542</a> ("Sabbath of every week was observed in many churches;" <em>Id</em>. at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FwFKAAAAMAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=PA543#v=onepage&amp;q=sabbath&amp;f=false"> 543</a> (communion was sometimes on Sabbath but typically on Sunday.) <em>See also</em> Bingham, <em>Antiquities of the Christian Church</em> Vol. IV at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=opwHAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=RA1-PA233#v=onepage&amp;q=sabbath&amp;f=false">233</a> (quotes Athanasius again).</p>
<p>This means the Sabbath persisted for these several hundred years despite Paul's pronouncement in 50 AD that the Sabbath was abolished. (See <a href="/JWO/paul-abolished-sabbath.html">our</a> link on Paul's words doing so.)</p>
<h2>When Did The Rules Change?</h2>
<p>Then in 321 A.D., Rome at Constantine's urging instituted the observance of a day of rest to their Sun-God, <em>i.e.</em>, Sun-Day. (See <a href="/Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html">our </a>link.)</p>
<p>The Roman Catholic Church gradually adopted thereafter Sun-day as a day of rest in place of the traditional Sabbath. As Eusebius explains in his commentary on Psalms, a Sabbath rest should now be on Sunday and "we" (the Roman Church to which he belonged) "<strong><em>transferred</em></strong>" the Sabbath to Sun-day, the Lord's Day:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">And all things that were duty to do on the Sabbath, these <strong><em>we have transferred to the Lord's day</em></strong>, as more appropriately belong to it, because it has precedence and is first in rank, and more honorable than the Jewish sabbath." (Robert Cox, <em>Sabbath Literature</em> (1865) Vol. I at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DJIIAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=cox%2C%20sabbath%20literature%20we%20have%20transferred%20to%20the%20lord's%20day&amp;pg=PA361#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">361</a>.) See also, Robert Cox, <em>Literature of the Sabbath Question</em> (1865) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DJIIAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=cox%2C%20sabbath%20literature&amp;pg=PA363#v=onepage&amp;q=jewish%20sabbath&amp;f=false"> 363</a>.)</p>
<p>It was only in 363 A.D. that the Roman Catholic Church went so far as to make it a heresy and anathema to rest on the Saturday-Sabbath.  At the Council of Laodicea of 363 A.D.—one of the first church councils controlled primarily by the Roman Bishop—it was decided to deem heretical and anathema (cursed) the practice of keeping Sabbath. (Canon 29.) <span> (</span><em>Nicene and PostNicene Fathers </em><span>(1990), supra, XIV at 148.)</span></p>
<p><span></span>The Council claimed Sabbath-keeping was “judaizing.” (See next quote below.) Even though the term "judaizing" is not found in the NT, this was how by 363 AD Roman Catholicism came to describe the enemies of Paul's doctrine in Galatians even as the Catholics now embraced Paul's anti-law positions. The Catholic Church now claimed any effort to follow the Law given Moses (besides faith) severs one from Christ. Hence, Roman Catholicism now wielded as a pejorative term "judaizer" against those who resisted the Roman rulers' decrees that Sabbath as Saturday was abolished in favor of Sun-Day  (<em>Nicene and PostNicene Fathers </em>(1990), supra, XIV at 148.) The decree reads in part:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Christians must not judaize by resting on the <strong><em>Sabbath, but must work on that day</em></strong>, rather, honoring the Lord’s day [<em>i.e.</em>, Sunday]; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ. <em>Id.</em></p>
<p>See also Bingham, <em>Antiquities of the Christian Church</em> at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=opwHAAAAQAAJ&amp;dq=Bingham%2C%20Antiquities%20of%20the%20Christian%20Church&amp;pg=RA1-PA235#v=onepage&amp;q=sabbath&amp;f=false">235</a>.</p>
<p>The same history is recounted by the Jewish scholar, Abraham Millgram in <em>Sabbath: Day of Delight</em> (1965). We have typed up his four page discussion of such history at this<a href="/JWO/millgram-on-paul-a-sabbath.html"> link</a>.</p>
<p>Yet, many Christians resisted and tried to continue resting on Sabbath as had been the tradition from Christ to the late 300s. In the 500s, Pope <a href="/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory_I">Gregory the Great</a> (540-604 AD) actually claimed that anyone who wished to still keep the Sabbath by resting from work besides worshipping on the Lord's Day [<em>i.e.</em>, on Sunday] had the spirit of the Anti-Christ. Not only that, the pope, relying upon Paul's words in Galatians 5:2, clearly implied that those observing Sabbath were now cut off from Christ. The pope equated them to persons who must endorse circumcision too for Gentiles -- a red-herring:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"What else can I call these but preachers of the <strong><em>Anti-Christ</em></strong>...he must say too that the commandment of circumcision of the body is to be retained. But let him hear the apostle Paul saying in opposition 'If you be circumcised, Christ profits you nothing.' Gal. 5:2.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Philip Schaff, <em>Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series</em> (2007) Volume XIII <em>Gregory the Great</em> at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=lE_TafAcVkUC&amp;lpg=PA92&amp;dq=intitle%3ANicene%20intitle%3Aand%20intitle%3APost-nicene%20intitle%3Afathers%20judaizing%20sabbath&amp;pg=PA92#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">92</a>.</p>
<p>As one can see, the Roman Catholic church knew Paul was its ally to abolish Sabbath to conform to the desires of the Roman state. And this was the period where Rome (the state) wished to do away with Sabbath -- a costly second day of rest during a 7 day week. (Rome could not afford our current 2 days of rest of both Saturday and Sunday.) Rome the state instead required all citizens to worship and rest on Sun-Day (<em>i.e.</em>, the day of Sol Invictus, the God-of-the-Sun).</p>
<p>Thus, it was precisely in this period when <strong><em>Paul's writings for the first time were taken very seriously</em></strong>, and were now officially promoted. As Thomas F. Martin in "<a href="http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/journal_of_early_christian_studies/v008/8.2martin.html">Vox Pauli</a>," in the <em>Journal of Early Christian Studies</em> says:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"From the mid-300s <small class="caps" xmlns:m="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">C.E.</small> to the mid-400s, there was a<strong><em> marked turn towards the figure and theology of Paul</em></strong>, indicated by the flurry of commentaries on Pauline letters written during that period." (<em>Journal of Early Christian Studies</em> - Volume 8, Number 2, Summer 2000, pp. 237-272)</p>
<p>Despite the Western church's late turn towards Paul, the Catholic rulings abolishing Sabbath on Saturday in 363 AD at Rome were never accepted outside of Roman territories. The Eastern Orthodox have always maintained Christians must keep the Sabbath on Saturday while worshipping on Sunday. "Orthodox Christians continue to celebrate Saturday as Sabbath." ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath_in_Christianity#Eastern_Christianity">Sabbath in Christianity</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em>.)</p>
<p>For a somewhat shorter PDF version of our article here, <a target="_blank" href="/images/stories/Lessons/sabbath rules changed in 364.pdf" title="Sabbath Command - When the Rules Changed">click here</a>.</p>
<p>What is the consequence of abandoning Sabbath even though God said it applies to foreigners in community with Israel?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><strong>God will only remember His children</strong> by those who <strong>keep His Sabbaths</strong>. (Leviticus 23, Exodus 31:13, Isaiah 56:3-6 and Isaiah 66:22-23)</span></p>
<h2>Daniel 7:25: Prophecy of Changing The Law and Times and Seasons</h2>
<p>Some say the Roman Catholic Church is the beast of Daniel because in 363 AD it changed the times and the seasons by moving Sabbath on Saturday to Sunday. See Dan. 7:25. Thus, these same voices --- apparently the Adventist church --- claim anyone resting on Sunday has the mark of the beast. I take no position on those claims. But I do want to address an historically inaccurate rebuttal to such claims.</p>
<p>At a popular website, Sabbath Keepers Refuted, it claims the church never kept Sabbath on Saturday, and if any one set Sunday as Sabbath, it was the Roman government, not the Roman church. Hence, they contend those who obey Sabbath on Sunday do not have the mark of the beast - alleged to be Sunday Sabbatarianism. It claims:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"the universal record of history and the New Testament proves that</span><strong><em> Christians never kept the Sabbath after the resurrection of Christ</em></strong><span>." (Sabbath Keepers Refuted, </span><a href="http://www.bible.ca/7-change-times-seasons-daniel-7-25.htm">Sabbitarians and Mark of the Beast</a><span>.)</span></p>
<p>To repeat, I take no position on whether Sunday-Sabbath is the mark of the beast. Frankly, I highly doubt it. What is clear is the early church often worshipped on Sunday, but<strong><em> it did not rest on Sunday</em></strong>. It rested on Saturday (as well as often worshipped). It was the Roman government that first imposed Sunday as a day of rest. The Roman Catholic Church later joined in urging Christians to CHANGE from resting on Saturday to Sunday. Later the RCC made this a threatening command.</p>
<p>As one can see from the above impeccable scholarly sources and early church historians, the statement Christians "never kept the Sabbath" after the resurrection of Christ is untrue. The opposite is the case. Even as of today, the Eastern Orthodox have two milennia of an unbroken history of keeping the Sabbath on Saturday. The Adventists or whoever make these 'mark-of-the-beast' claims are at least historically accurate.</p>
<h2>Sabbath: Is It The 12 Hours From Sunrise Saturday to Sunset?</h2>
<p>By the way, it was apparently a late oral tradition in Judaism as a hedge around the Law to start Sabbath rest on the prior evening of Friday. However, the meaning of "Day" in Gen. 1:5 was the <strong><em>daylight portion</em></strong> from sunrise to sunset, and "night" was from sunset to sunrise. Hence, true Sabbath Day rest <strong><em>begins Saturday morning, and ends Saturday at dusk</em></strong>. For an excellent article on this at a website dedicated to this issue, see <a href="http://www.12hoursabbath.com/">http://www.12hoursabbath.com</a> Importantly, the author explains that Lev. 23:32 is not support for including the prior evening in the weekly Sabbath rest. That verse instead addresses the Day of Atonement, and how it is measured. <em>Id. </em>The 12 hour sabbath is at 23:3 but the annual 24 hour sabbath is in 23:32 which takes in parts of 2 days, and all of one night.</p>
<p>In agreement, please note that Bingham (quoted above) mentioned that the early Christians rested on "Saturday." There is nothing about adding Friday night to the Sabbath rest. Hence, history confirms Sabbath is Saturday only. And Gen. 1:5 proves this means the daylight period.</p>
<h2>A Holy Convocation</h2>
<p>The Sabbath Command in Leviticus (unlike in Exodus 20:8) refers to a holy convocation:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>3</sup>six days is work done, and in the seventh day [is] a sabbath of rest, a <strong><em>holy convocation</em></strong>; ye do no work; it [is] a sabbath to Jehovah [sic: Yahweh] in all your dwellings. (Lev. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2023:3&amp;version=YLT">23:3</a>.)</p>
<p>"The original Hebrew word that is translated as "convocation" is (pronounced) <em>mik-raw</em> means <em>a <strong>called assembly</strong></em>." (Wayne Blank, "<a href="http://www.keyway.ca/htm2004/20040219.htm">Convocation</a>.")</p>
<p>Hebrews 10:25 may speak to this: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together..."</p>
<p>What is required to assemble in compliance with Leviticus 23:3? One commentator says it is simple:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"We should meet and worship with others." ("<a href="http://www.godssabbathtruth.com/sabbath-keeping.html">How do we keep the Sabbath</a>.")</p>
<p>I would say it is more. Jesus says "where <strong><em>two or tree</em></strong> are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them." (Matt. 18:20.)</p>
<p>Where would this be? Jesus said the Temple would soon be no more, and "God is a spirit" (who can be anywhere in Spirit), and God then wants a particular kind of worshipper rather than a place of worship:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>21</sup>Jesus saith to her, `Woman, believe me, that there doth come an hour, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>22</sup>ye worship what ye have not known; we worship what we have known, because the salvation is of the Jews;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>23</sup>but, there cometh an hour, and it now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father also doth seek such to worship him;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><sup>24</sup><strong><em>God [is] a Spirit</em></strong>, and those worshipping Him,<em><strong> in spirit and truth</strong></em> it doth behove to worship.' (John <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%204:21-24&amp;version=YLT">4:21-24</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, once the Temple would be gone, a convocation would be at least 2 persons meeting in God's name to pray and worship. Anywhere. God is a Spirit, and can be with us even in a small assembly anywhere. After the Temple would be gone, there is no applicable regulation as to place or duration or even an order of worship. The early church predominantly met in open <strong><em>fields or in homes</em></strong>. See our page "<a href="/JWO/jesus-on-church-structure.html">Church Structure</a>." Furthermore, there is no command to meet with as many people as possible. A meeting in your home with your spouse / children / a friend complies with the Sabbath command now that the Temple is gone. As long as you are truly worshipping God.</p>
<p>What if you live where you can find no other believers? How do you comply?  I believe that Jesus taught even when you are one by yourself and pray in secret, that the Father still hears and still answers. (Matt 6:6, pray in secret, and father who sees in secret will reward you openly.) Aslo, in the Original Gospel of Matthew reconstructed by Rives, we read: <span> "</span><span class="Agrapha">Wherever there are two, they are not without God. And wherever there is one alone, I say I am with him." (Matt 18:20, <a href="/images/stories/JWOBook/ogm2012.htm">OGM</a>.)</span></p>
<p>Hence, if you alone are worshipping, is that a holy convocation? I don't see why not. Of course, I would recommend a convocation of at least one other as your aim. This can be with your spouse or child, as long as you pray in spirit and truth, and worship God with praise.</p>
<p>Incidentally, there is no barrier to also worshipping on Sunday. You can do that too. God never says no to more time with us. We can celebrate this as the day of Jesus / Yashua's resurrection.</p>
<h2>What is Worship?</h2>
<p>Ron Owens in an article "<a href="http://www.graceonlinelibrary.org/articles/full.asp?id=25|58|343">Worship Service: A Hindrance or a Highway for Revival</a>" explains what is Biblical worship and that we are not practicing it by-and-large:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The primary word used in the Old Testament for worship is the Hebrew word <em>shachah</em>. In each of its 170 uses, it has the same meaning: to <em><strong>prostrate oneself, to bow down or stoop</strong></em>. In the New Testament, the Greek word for worship, proskuneo, has virtually the same meaning: <em><strong>to crouch, prostrate oneself, to kiss the hand, do reverence, to adore</strong></em>.</p>
<p>Ironically, worship is never done that way in any modern church or assembly:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Today, we see very little of this attitude of stooping, of humbling oneself in worship. Instead, it seems the church is spending an inordinate amount of time <strong><em>standing and celebrating</em></strong>.</p>
<p>In private worship, I suggest you kneel or bow forward during prayer. If the church you attend does not actually worship God except by the gesture of words, God already said 'they worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.' So perhaps you should find a church that does worship God in a truer sense -- by prostrating yourself while praying. Jesus never refused one prostrating themselves to him. So perhaps start worshipping in your own home where you have no one restricting your worship. There is no rule it must take place in a hall called 'church.' See our article on "<a href="/JWO/jesus-on-church-structure.html">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a>."</p>
<h2>A Meditation</h2>
<p>For those Christians who obey God's command to rest on Sabbath, here is a Sabbath meditation where God attaches a promise to a Sabbath rest focused upon Him:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">"If thou turn away thy foot [on] the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure...not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: [that]<strong><em> thou shalt delight in Yahweh</em></strong>...I will make thee to ride upon the high places of the earth; and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of Yahweh hath spoken it." (Isaiah 58:13-14.)</p>
<p>Also, remember this verse:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,<strong><em> whose mind is stayed on thee</em></strong>; because he trusteth in thee. (Isaiah <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2026:3&amp;version=ASV">26:3</a>.)</p>
<h2>Do Good On The Sabbath!</h2>
<p>Follow Jesus' example and do good on the sabbath. Perhaps do a mitzvot  -- a good deed.</p>
<p>Justin Martyr in 165 AD wrote in <em>First Apology</em> that after the communion service, "we remind each other of his duty, and <strong><em>the rich relieve the poor, and upon such charitable accounts we visit some or other every day</em></strong>." (<em>First Apology</em> LXXXVI at page <a href="http://www.archive.org/stream/firstapologyofju00just">91</a>.) "But the wealthy and the willing, for everyone is at liberty to contribute as they think fitting, [make a collection], and this collection is deposited with the bishop, and out of this<em><strong> he relieves the widow and the orphan</strong></em>, and such as are reduced to want, by sickness or any other cause, and such as are in bonds, and strangers that come from afar...." <em>Id.</em>, at 94.)</p>
<p>In conformance with Jesus's commands and the example of the early church, on each sabbath perhaps send a donation to orphans if not visit and care for them in your personal ministry. (I have no affiliation with any of the organizations I recommend below.)</p>
<p>A most deserving ministry is <a href="http://www.newlifenicaragua.org/">New Life Nicaragua</a>. Watch the video, and  learn the story of the family that started it.</p>
<h3>New Life Nicaragua<br />℅ Evangel Fellowship Intl.<br />PO Box 326<br />Conway, SC  29528</h3>
<p>Its site explains:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>This part is really important.</strong> Make your check payable to EFI. Please write on the memo line of your check how you want your money directed. For example, nutrition center or child sponsorship or leadership training etc..</p>
<p>One other in Nicaragua is Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (tax deductible for US Citizens) which runs Christian orphanages in several countries, e.g., Nicaragua, Haiti, El Salvador, etc. Here are images of the happy faces of the children they serve at this <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=nuestros+pequenos+hermanos+nicaragua&amp;hl=en&amp;prmd=imvns&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbo=u&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=h0hFUIe1IamOiALV2IC4Dg&amp;ved=0CEYQsAQ&amp;biw=1280&amp;bih=685">link</a>.</p>
<p>The donation page, which takes a credit card is at <a href="http://www.nph.org/ws/help/donations.php?lang=en">http://www.nph.org/ws/help/donations.php?lang=en</a></p>
<p>Their mission statement is at <a href="http://www.nph.org/ws/about/mission.php?lang=en">http://www.nph.org/ws/about/mission.php?lang=en</a> and it says:</p>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;">Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos™ International is <strong><em>a Christian mission</em></strong> that strives to provide a permanent family and home for orphaned, abandoned and other at-risk children who live in conditions of extreme poverty. Our programs provide quality education, health care and spiritual formation with the goal of r<strong><em>aising good Christians and productive members of their respective societies.</em></strong></div>
<p>Another alternative, and one you can do by check with your bill pay, is Orphan Care International (a Christian organization) at <a href="http://www.warmblankets.org/">http://www.warmblankets.org/</a> Their mailing address is:</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Warm Blankets Orphan Care International<br /></span>5105 Tollview Drive, Suite 155<br />Rolling Meadows, IL 60008</span></p>
<p>Also consider helping widows. In the world, as of July 2010, there are estimated to be over 115 million women living in devastating poverty as a result of becoming widows. See this <a href="http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/archive/2010/06/more-than-115-million-widows-living-in-poverty">link</a>.</p>
<h2>Tips on Celebrating Sabbath</h2>
<p>A <a href="http://urj.org/holidays/shabbat/celebrate/">Jewish website</a> gives you some tips on Shabbat worship, and books to purchase as guides.</p>
<p>You could even have blessings played online if you are not good at Hebrew, and enjoy the prayers in Hebrew as I do. Here is<a href="http://urj.org/holidays/shabbat/blessings/"> a link from that website</a> -- the files are playable in Mp3 and downloadable as well. If you press "Printable version," it gives you the English equivalent to read yourself.</p>
<p>On that page is the "Shabbat Morning Kadush" -- the audio is a 1 minute audio, sung beautifully.</p>
<p>To conclude "Shabbat," come back at sunset and play the Havdallah blessings which are two: a praise of God (only a printed form) and blessings over the food and wine to prepare for dinner, which has an audio version too.</p>
<p>Incidentally, on the same page is a basic blessing of God to use when you thank God for the bread we eat:</p>
<h3 style="padding-left: 30px;">Blessing God For the Bread</h3>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="http://media.urj.org/educate/blessings/bread-blessing.mp3"><em>Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, <br />Hamotzi lechem min haaretz.</em> </a><br /><br />Our praise to You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, <br />Who brings forth bread from the earth. (<a href="http://urj.org/learning/teacheducate/childhood/shabbat/index.cfm?syspage=article&amp;item_id=2392&amp;printable=1">URJ</a>)</p>
<h2>Further Research of All Views on Sabbath</h2>
<p>William Armstrong,<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=qpYQAAAAYAAJ"> Is Saturday or Sunday The Christian Sabbath? : A Refutation of Sabattarianism</a> (1880) -books.google.com - relying upon Paul</p>
<p>"<a href="http://www.abcog.org/ntsab.htm">When Did Sunday Become the Christian Day of Worship?</a>" (webpage of abcog)  - defends Saturday as Sabbath</p>
<p>Scott Nelson, <a href="http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/what_day_is_the_sabbath.htm">What Day is the Sabbath</a> (defense of Lunar sabbath view)</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952909<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

590
Recommended-Reading/second-peter-reference-to-paul.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,590 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/second-peter-reference-to-paul.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="coilone" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Second Peter: Reference to Paul | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >Ebionites "thought that it was necessary to <strong><em>reject all the epistles of [Paul], whom they called an apostate from the Law.</em></strong>" Eusebius, <em>Church Hist</em> 3:26 325 AD</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 4160" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "4160") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2><strong>Second Peter &amp; Its Reference to Paul</strong></h2>
<h3>The Argument for Paul from 2 Peter 3:15-17</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Those who seek to claim Paul is as inspired as Moses or Jesus rely upon 2 Peter 3:15-17 which says some twist Paul like they "do other Scripture" to their destruction. Even though the same passage is otherwise very unflattering to Paul -- denigrating his writings as "difficult to understand," as well as only calling Paul a "brother" (not an apostle) who had "wisdom as God gave him" (rather than inspiration) -- those desirous of retaining Paul as inspired focus on the "other Scripture" reference as a positive. They read far too much into this, as we shall see.</span></p>
<h3>Is Second Peter Truly Canonical?</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The first question is whether anyone, including those endorsing Paul or those disputing Paul's validity (as myself) can truly rely upon 2 Peter 3:15-17 as inspired writ.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Calvin, one of the leaders of the Reformation of the 1500s, disliked Second Peter's criticism of Paul, and for this reason Calvin concluded it could not have been written by Peter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Calvin regarded the fault Peter found about Paul as "difficult to understand" in 2 Peter 3:15-17 outweighed any positives stated by Second Peter. The words attributed to Peter implies, as the Bethel Church of God explains:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span>Based on the above texts, as well as others, there is<strong><em> only one way to understand Paul’s Epistles.</em></strong> They <strong>must be interpreted</strong> by the clear texts in the Bible,<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> texts that are </strong></span></span><em><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>not</strong></span></em><span><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> difficult to understand</strong></span>. ("<a href="http://www.bethelcog.org/church/understanding-paul/understanding-paul-1">Understanding Paul</a>," Bethel Church of God (2012).)</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Thus, Calvin disliked this implication because it means to interpret Paul, you must begin by excluding Paul from consideration. You would then have to start with Jesus and the apostles whose words are clear, and only then would you see how and to what extent Paul is compatible. Then if Paul's words are at odds with Jesus or the apostles, then one must dismiss those words of Paul as "difficult to understand." Paul would become essentially irrelevant if we heeded 2d Peter 3:15-17. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"> But Calvin adored the doctrines he found in Paul of predestination of the lost, sovereignty of God over evil (<em>i.e.</em>, God makes all evil happen and no man has free will), and once you experienced regeneration, you could commit no sin that would cause the loss of salvation ("once in grace, always in grace"). Most of those doctrines can only be articulated from very vague and difficult to understand passages in Paul.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Calvin acknowledged therefore that if Peter truly criticized Paul as "difficult to understand"  this undercuts Paul's inspiration and anyone's right to meaningfully use Paul to interpret Christianity. Calvin realized Second Peter is a profound and deep cut on Paul. Thus,<strong><em> Calvin concluded Second Peter was not written personally by Peter</em></strong>, relying principally on this issue of the criticism Second Peter contains of Paul.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Calvin's introductory comment to 2d Peter is at <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.org/comment/calvin/comm_vol45/htm/vii.htm">http://www.biblestudyguide.org/comment/calvin/comm_vol45/htm/vii.htm</a>. Calvin says "doubts...ought not keep us from reading it...." "there are probable conjectures by which we may conclude that it was written by another than Peter." "If it be received as canonical, we must allow Peter to be the author." However, in this introduction, Calvin never tell us it is canonical, and this is because he later disaffirms any true apostolic support for its supposed inspiration.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">When it comes to the key passage that says "Paul is difficult to understand" which leads into it saying that Paul's words are misconstrued as "other Scripture," Calvin realizes that to take the good of this Epistle<strong><em> requires taking a very bad pill which undermines Paul</em></strong>. So Calvin disaffirms the entire Epistle was written by Peter. Calvin writes:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And yet, when I examine all things more narrowly, it seems to me more probable that <strong><em>this Epistle was composed by another according to what Peter communicated, than that it was written by himself, for Peter himself would have never spoken thus</em></strong>. (<a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.org/comment/calvin/comm_vol45/htm/vii.iv.iv.htm">Bible Study Guide</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The importance of this comment is explained by the famous William Barclay.  He records that in the commentary, Calvin recognized 2d Peter criticizes Paul, and thus Calvin finally came down with the view that Peter did not write this epistle:</span></p>
<div style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"With its <strong>reference to Paul and its tinge of criticizm of him</strong>, this is one of the<em><strong> most intriguing passages in the New Testament</strong></em>. It was this passage which made reformer John Calvin certain that Peter did not write himself 2 Peter because, he says,<em><strong> Peter would not have spoken about Paul like this</strong></em>." (William Barclay, <em>The Letters of James and Peter</em> (Westminster, John Knox Press, 2003) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=YU9dnW6EfwUC&amp;pg=PR3&amp;dq=William+Barclay,+The+Letters+of+James+and+Peter+Westminster+John+Knox+Press+2003&amp;ei=XCz8S6DgJ4KOlQTU8YXSCQ&amp;cd=1#v=onepage&amp;q=calvin&amp;f=false">401</a>.)</span></div>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">So if 2d Peter is inspired, it conveys several direct criticisms / subtle put-downs about Paul. And 2d Peter's<em><strong> anti-Paul slant</strong></em> is precisely the primary reason why Calvin did not accept 2d Peter as actually written by Peter.  It supposedly got garbled somehow. Calvin first doubted it in the introduction to his commentary on Second Peter. Then Calvin in the main commentary disaffirmed Second Peter as having a truly reliable source -- Peter himself as author, reviewer or editor. Thus, Calvin can only be construed as having knocked away any canonical basis for Second Peter's joinder to the Bible if you want to keep Paul as an inspired figure.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">While I truly wish 2d Peter were canonical so I could exploit fully the important flaw in Paul identified in 2d Peter, there are good reasons to agree with Calvin that Second Peter is a fabrication. For example, why did its author mispell the name of Simon Peter as<strong><em> Simeon Peter</em></strong>? In 2 Peter 1:1, it is "Simeon Peter," unlike in 1 Peter and everywhere else in the NT except Acts 15:14. ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorship_of_the_Petrine_epistles#Theory_of_Silvanus_as_author">Authorship of Petrine Epistles</a>," <em>Wikipedia.</em>)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"> Hard to dispute that! For why would Peter spell his own name differently in two different letters that he both supposedly wrote?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Many other reasons are discussed below why Second Peter is a pseudograph, and only emerged in the NT canon at a very late stage ---  367 A.D.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The five-volume <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Interpreter's_Dictionary_of_the_Bible">Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible</a></em> (published by Abingdon Press of the United Methodist church with 8400 articles by 900 scholars "in service of the church") contains J.B. Meyer's article which explains his view that it is falsely attributed to Peter after setting out the facts: </span></p>
<p><o:smarttagtype downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/" name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><o:smarttagtype name="time" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><o:smarttagtype downloadurl="http://www.5iamas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><o:smarttagtype downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/" name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"> </o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></p>
<div class="Section1">
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="Style1"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">The author has adopted the name of the foremost apostle Peter, to enhance the authority of his letters - a practice not unknown in the early church.  We have evidence of a rich Petrine literature.  Fragments of a Gospel of Peter, an Acts of Peter, and an Apocalypse of Peter have survived...  Second Peter belongs to this class of literature. Both internal and external evidence show with cumulative force the <em><strong>impossibility of ascribing the letter to Peter</strong></em>, the disciple and apostle... <em><strong>No theory of secretarial aid can explain the differences in style and thought between 1 Peter and 2 Peter</strong></em>.</span></p>
</div>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Hence, this conservative treatise agrees that 2d Peter is a pseudo-graph and not written by Peter.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Yet, you can find arguments for 2 Peter as truly by Apostle Peter at this<a href="http://www.angelfire.com/80s/rjdb/2pet.html"> link</a>, To repeat, <strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">I wish these arguments were persuasive and accepted because 2 Peter aids the case against Paul as an authority.</span></em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">However, I am forced to concede with defenders of Paul like Calvin that I cannot fully exploit 2d Peter as inspired. Calvin found fault with 2 Peter because it criticized Paul, and thus Calvin dismissed it as truly canonical. Scholarship confirms Calvin's conclusion. Therefore<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> I unfortunately cannot use it to provide an inspired statement that "Paul is difficult to understand" or that Peter truly only regarded Paul as a "brother" (not an apostle) or Peter only thought Paul spoke with the "wisdom God gave him" (rather than inspiration).</strong></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">For the same reason, defenders of Paul who are intent to use the "other Scripture" reference which is part of this very same passage -- misunderstood anyway as explained next -- cannot use it to salvage Paul as inspired. For 2d Peter certainly (sadly) was a pseudograph.</span></p>
<h3>Scripture Back Then Did Not Mean 'Scripture' As We Use The Word Today</h3>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Even if 2d Peter were inspired (and I wish it were), 2d Peter tells us what people in the 300s were saying about Paul. The first question to interpret is whether this reference to Paul's writings as among "other Scripture" truly meant by "Scripture" what we mean today by the term "Scripture" -- inspired writ.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The term "scripture" in this verse was likely a reference to the third part of the three-fold division of the Jewish Bible at that time. It was called the "Writings" or "Scripture" section. In those days, "Scripture" did not mean 100% inspired-writ, which is precisely why a writing such as Daniel's prophecy was put in the third section -- the "Writing/Scripture" section -- before his Messianic prophecy was validated in the time of Christ. Jews did not yet place Daniel in the "Prophets" section, leaving it as an uninspired work which may prove one day to be prophetic but at that time not established to be so. Hence "Writings" or "Scriptures" to a Jew meant this category of writings included in the Bible for safe-keeping / edification, intended to identify it as either entirely not yet recognized as inspired (e.g., Daniel) or partly inspired and partly not, e.g., Psalms. See "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html">Writings Section of Original Jewish Bible</a>." Hence, to say something belonged to that "Writings" section, one would say in Greek that it was "Scripture" -- and thus was used 180 degrees opposite of what we mean today by "Scripture."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, Second Peter did not intend to elevate Paul's words to inspired status by placing it among the "Scripture."  Rather, it sought that we see Paul's words as on par with the "Writings" aka Scripture / third section of the OT. The Writings/Scripture was regarded as edifying and only sometimes inspired. This third section was distinct from Torah (Law) and Prophets which were regarded as 100% inspired. Thus, it is important that Second Peter does not categorize Paul as a prophet, and instead placed him on par with the "Scripture."<em><strong> It was a slight, not a compliment.</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Our modern use of the word "Scripture" has become more broad than what it meant in the day that Second Peter was written. Our modern misconception was due to a mistranslation of 2 Tim. 3:16. (See <a href="/Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html">Writings Section of Original Jewish Bible</a>.) Modern scholars have finally corrected this. However, this long indulgence in a wrong translation has led to an exaggerated importance of the term "Scripture," and thus improperly gave Paul an equality with the words of our Divine Lord.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Also, the fact Paul mentions several times he is not speaking any message from the Lord and other times says he is speaking such a message from the Lord (<a href="/Recommended-Reading/paul-admits-often-uninspired.html">link</a>) would imply Paul had the view of himself as "Scripture" (not Prophetic) just as Second Peter implies -- for sometimes Paul believes he speaks with inspiration (when he says the Lord gave him a message) and sometimes Paul believes not (which should be all times otherwise). For these passages in Paul's own words, see "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/paul-admits-often-uninspired.html">Paul Admits He Often Speaks without Inspiration</a>."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, the reference to Paul's writings as "Scripture" in 2 Peter did not have a meaning that it was inspired. This is using the modern meaning of Scripture to apply the same meaning as true when Second Peter was written. This is untrue as a matter of history and as to even Paul's usage of the term "scripture" in 2 Tim. 3:16 when translated correctly.</span></p>
<h2>What Was The Dangerous Doctrine Deduced By Those Twisting Paul?</h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Another reason I wish 2d Peter were inspired is because it identifies what was the aim of those "twisting" Paul as they do "other Scripture." They were trying to find "lawless" positions from what Paul wrote.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Let's read 2 Peter 3:16-17 again to see this:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">16 There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to <strong><em>their own destruction</em></strong>, as they do the other scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the<em><strong> error of the lawless </strong></em>and <em><strong>lose your own stability</strong></em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Indeed, traditional Christian leaders and most Christians do misinterpret and twist Paul’s writings to their and their followers’ own destruction. Additionally, they are carried away with the error of the lawless - those who oppose the Law given Moses which Jesus specifically endorsed in Matthew 5:17-19. The result is to cause themselves and others to be found WITH “spot or blemish” instead of without!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Do not casually miss the enormously important information Second Peter provides in verse 17 - a warning that applies now just as much as then. The LAWLESS (anti-torah) people are the ones Second Peter explicitly warns us about when it says we are not to be "carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability." Furthermore, the stability to which he refers is at least in part the stability provided by reverence and observance of God's eternal Law!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Next, I will begin excerpting prior letters and portions of my books that discuss 2 Peter.</span></p>
<h2><strong>"Brother" Paul &amp; "Wisdom" from God in Second Peter [Email of May 24, 2010 to Shawn]</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[Here is an email where I answer this question about why Second Peter refers to Paul as a "brother" and what does "wisdom" from God mean.]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Shawn<br /><br />You ask why 2d Peter 3:15 refers to Paul as "beloved brother" and says Paul spoke according to the "wisdom given him by God."<br /><br />After one solidly understands, as Calvin did, that 2 Peter 3:15-17 is a strong criticism about Paul as one whose "words are difficult to understand," then one should understand 3:15 is in the same vein. The words were as kind as possible yet represent veiled criticism.<br /><br />First, whoever wrote 2d Peter, and I wish it were Peter, was being kind about Paul. To call him a "beloved brother" when Paul claimed to be an apostle was putting Paul in his place -- gently and kindly. If Paul were an apostle, why didn't Second Peter call Paul an "apostle"? He didn't do so. That, I would interpret, was purposeful. A criticism in line with what else is spoke in this passage.<br /><br />Next, this quote includes the<em> wisdom</em> reference which you quote. I would interpret this as another put down on Paul. It refers to the "wisdom" as God gave Paul, which is something <em>an uninspired person may receive from God</em>. It did not say the "<em><strong>words from God</strong></em> as God gave Paul."<br /><br />Hence, 2 Peter 3:15-17 allows us to infer whoever wrote Second Peter thought:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">a) Paul is difficult to be understand and those ambiguities have led many to fall from their                             steadfastness in Christ into "lawless" doctrine;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">b) Paul is a brother -- not an apostle; and</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">c) Paul spoke with the wisdom God gave him, and not by inspiration.<br /><br />"Why be so kind?' is your apparent question if Paul was as much trouble as I contend. 'Why not bluntly call these issues out?'<br /><br />My view is that Jesus told the apostles through a parable how to handle those who are tares sown by the enemy. In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the objective is to leave them in the church and not exclude them. Let the angels make the separation later. We are not so wise to know how to differentiate a wheat from the tare.<br /><br />At the same time, it would be proper for an apostle like Peter to help us identify the proper level of authority of Paul.  Peter properly would be saying nicely and without offense, in effect, 'don't follow a mere brother who spoke with wisdom, not inspiration, and whose words are hard to understand. Stay steadfast in Christ.' <em><strong>That is all an apostolic voice like Peter had to say</strong></em>. To go beyond testing Paul's words for validity can end up in unnecessary fault-finding of him as a person, etc. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares dictates a kinder approach. I think that is what 2d Peter represents. A kind, gentle approach to Paul yet still with <strong><em>3 distinct criticisms</em></strong> which I just mentioned.<br /><br />If you observe how I test Paul, I invest him with all good faith, and I attribute no malevolence to him whatsoever. I don't think he deliberately lied. Yet, his statements were often untrue. There is a difference. Paul was mistaken in his views about his apostleship (<em>i.e.</em>, what a true apostle of Jesus Christ means), the doctrines he taught, etc. Also, he fulfilled the Benjamite Wolf prophecy of Genesis 49 by killing Christians initially and then separating/dividing them between Gentiles and Jews. Paul had no idea that he was fulfilling prophecy, but it does not change the fact God tells us that Paul was the <a href="/JWO/benjamite-wolf.html">Benjamite Wolf</a> -- whom Jesus also tells us was the wolf in sheep's clothing.<br /><br />Did that help?<br /><br />Blessings  Doug</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic;">The Importance of Chapter Two of Second Peter To Understand 2 Peter 3:14-18</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[The following is an excerpt from  <em>Jesus Words on Salvation</em> (2009) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA501#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">501</a> <em>et seq</em>. where I discuss how the 3d century church used Second Peter to fight off Marcion's emphasis on faith alone for salvation:]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">An early answer within the church to this identical quandary of Paul’s <em>belief alone</em> verses (at least as ‘twisted by some’) was to regard such problem verses in Paul as “<strong><em>diffi­cult to understand</em></strong>.” (Self-contradiction causes uncertainty.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, the early church taught these belief alone pas­sages were an impermissible basis to stray from what Jesus — our Sole Teacher (Matt. 23:8,10) and Divine Lord — taught us. Second Peter bluntly provides this solution. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second Peter warned us that Paul says many things that are “difficult to understand” (2 Peter 3:17) and many people twist Paul’s words so that they fall from their “stead­fastness in Christ” to their own destruction.<a name="_ftnref1"></a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second Peter continues and makes clear that it is <strong><em>talk­ing about </em></strong>the doctrines of Paul that are a <strong><em>cheap grace</em></strong> — that lead Christians to think accepting Christ one time allows you to sin later and still go to heaven.<a name="_ftnref2"></a> If you follow the belief alone implication that lets go of obedience for salvation, Sec­ond Peter says you stop following Jesus. You lose your “steadfastness” in Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In fact, what is remarkable is how <em>clear</em> this is explained in Second Peter 2:20-21. For it unequivocally says in Greek that it would have been better you never had <strong><em>accepted</em></strong> (<em>epi-ginoska</em>, not merely <em>ginoska</em>) the Lord Jesus Christ than to have <strong><em>accepted</em></strong> (<em>epi-ginoska</em>) Him, and then be overcome again later by sinning.<a name="_ftnref3"></a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Apostle John likewise used <em>epignosei</em> to refer to a sav­ing <em>epi-gnosis </em>as long as it continues. Apostle John said any­one who “<strong><em>epignosei </em></strong>[continuous tense, <em>present participle active</em>] — keeps on <strong><em>accepting</em></strong> — the Son also has the Father.” (1 John 2:23.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This tells us that Second Peter — which uses the same <em>epignosei</em> — says it would be better to have never had the Son and Father by <em>epignose-</em>ing the Son than to have had them but then be tripped up by a doctrine that licenses sin as salvation-wise safe, and then become lost again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Unfortunately, rather than heed Second Peter, most evangelicals are subjected to translators who torture Second Peter 2:20-21 so it is neutralized from undermining their ‘free to sin and yet be saved’ doctrine. This teaching is known as Eternal Security which they deduce from Paul’s writings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><a name="X27525"></a><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Translation Of Second Peter Chapter Two To Obscure Its Meaning</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">For Second Peter is translated typically so that it no longer speaks about those who “accepted” Jesus. Second Peter really says those accepting Him are falling from salva­tion due to demoralizing doctrine. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second Peter also clearly specifies what is the wrong demoralizing teaching of those who ‘twist’ Paul. They promise that you have <em>liberty in Christ to sin and remain saved</em>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt; padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">“(17) These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the <strong><em>blackness of darkness hath been reserved.</em></strong> (18) For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they <strong><em>entice in the lusts of the flesh</em></strong>, by lasciviousness, <strong><em>those who are just escaping from them that live in error</em></strong>; (19) <strong><em>promising them liberty</em></strong>, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bond age. (20) For if, <strong><em>after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the </em>epignosei <em><s>knowledge</s></em></strong> [<strong><em>acceptance</em></strong>]<strong><em> of the Lord and Sav iour Jesus Christ</em></strong>, they are <strong><em>again entangled therein and overcome</em></strong>, the <strong><em>last state is become worse with them than the first</em></strong>. (21) For it were <strong><em>better for them not to have </em>epiginosko <s>known</s><em> </em></strong>[<strong><em>accepted</em></strong>]<strong><em> the way of righteousness</em></strong>, than, after knowing [sic: accepting] it,<strong><em>to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.</em></strong> (22) It has hap pened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow <strong><em>that had washed</em></strong> to wallowing in the mire.” (2Pe 2:17-22 ASV.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The word <em>epignosei </em>and <em>epignosko</em> used in verses 20 and 21 is often mistranslated as <em>knowledge</em> and <em>know </em>respectively. Yet, not one dictionary definition of <em>epignosei</em> includes <em>knowledge. </em>The Greek prefix <em>epi</em> is meant to convey ‘above the norm, over and above.’ The prefix <em>epi</em> thus intends to intensify <em>ginosko</em>. Thus, Vines says its primary meaning is “to know <strong><em>thoroughly </em></strong>(<em>epi</em>, ‘intensive’ [of] ginosko, ‘to know.’”) Thus, the definition is some meaning beyond <em>mere </em>knowledge. Moreover, to suggest these people “escaped...through [mere] knowledge” of Jesus the evils of the world is silly. These people escaped the <em>miasmata</em>, meaning “defilement, stain of guilt” of the <em>kosmos</em>. These must be Christians. Thus, <em>epignosei</em> obviously is intended to convey that meaning. What <em>epignosei</em> means in the <em>LSJ Middle Lexicon</em> is essentially (1) to look upon, observe; or (2) “recognize, know again, to <strong><em>acknowledge or approve</em></strong>...[iii] to <strong><em>come to a decision, to resolve, decide</em></strong>.” The most obvious English synonym that fits the context is “acceptance” and “accept” in verses 20 and 21. Incidentally, Paul uses <em>epignosei </em>in the same manner in Titus 1:1 about what saves. There the KJV translates it correctly as “acknowledging [<em>i.e.</em>, accepting] the truth.” The same is true of 1 John 2:23 which is discussed in the text.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In 2 Peter 2:20-21, it ordi­narily is translated so that supposedly people who merely <em>knew</em> about Jesus fell away by being taught there is a “lib­erty” to sin as a Christian. Yet, if Second Peter had meant that persons who merely <em>knew</em> about Jesus are at issue, the proper word to use would have been <em>ginoska</em> (know). It certainly would not be <em>epi-ginosko. </em>A Greek would understand the verb <em>epi-ginosko</em> due to the prefix <em>epi</em> is intended to intensify the verb <em>to know</em>.<a name="_ftnref4"></a> Hence, it could only mean <em>accept</em> or <em>acknowledge </em>in this context<em>. </em><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Moreover, it appears suspiciously inconsistent to ren­der 1 John 2:23 to say the one who is “<strong><em>acknowledging</em></strong> the Son also has the father,” but rendering the same word in 2 Peter 2:20-21 as ‘<strong><em>know</em></strong>.’ The effect of the inconsistency is that the reader is misled. The uninformed Christian is led to think Second Peter is concerned about those who never have accepted/acknowledged Christ but merely <em>know</em> about Him. Yet, Second Peter is truly warning those who have accepted Christ unto a saving relationship with the Father and Son that they do not realize that it would be better never to have<span> </span>accepted Christ than <em>to listen to a ‘twisting of Paul’s words,’ and be seduced thereby to think that sinning is salvation-safe. </em>Second Peter means it is not possible for a Christian to safely accept such a liberty to sin even when Paul appears to say so.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">How Could It Be Better Never To Have Accepted Christ?</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Then what does Second Peter mean? Obviously, the only way it would be better never to have accepted Christ is that you not only go to hell, but also you receive extra lashes for <em>knowingly</em> flaunting Jesus’ commands based on being led astray by "hard-to-understand" passages in Paul’s writings. Did Jesus ever teach this extra-lashes principle, thus strengthening this reading? Yes, He did!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus taught this in Luke’s Gospel. He spoke about what will happen to disobedient servants of His. Jesus says the ones who actually knew His will but did not do it receive more lashes than the ones who are disobedient but ignorant of His will. Both types of disobedient servants are in hell, but the ones who receive a worse whipping are the ones who <em>knew</em> their Lord’s will and still disobeyed:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.25in 0.0001pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: &quot;ZapfEllipt BT&quot;; color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And that servant, who <strong><em>knew his lord’s will</em></strong>, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, <strong><em>shall be beaten with many stripes</em></strong>; (48) but he that <strong><em>knew not</em></strong>, and did things <strong><em>worthy of stripes</em></strong>,<a name="_ftnref5"></a> shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more. (Luke 12:47-48.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">What should have been the modern response to Sec­ond Peter? It should have put us on alert to any and every­thing Paul says. There is a fatal and destructive message that can be construed from Paul’s writings due to their "difficult to understand" nature, Second Peter says. This message is identified as a message of “liberty.” In con­text, it is obvious the misleading message is what we call today faith alone doctrine. This <em>alone </em>part of the<em> </em>label signi­fies that no disobedience can destroy your salvation. Faith <em>alone</em> supposedly does it all for you. Second Peter yet warns a double dose of damnation for those so duped. For you have accepted the Son, but later became seduced by passages in Paul to break “the holy commandments.” (2 Peter 2:21.) Yet, you knew <em>the Lord Jesus’ will</em> was very different. You knew Jesus said ‘repent or perish,’ and ‘heaven maimed or hell whole’ (Mark 9:42-47). Now, for flagrantly disregarding the Lord’s will, you will suffer a double portion in hell. That’s what Second Peter is bluntly saying.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.25in 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Jerome’s Low View Of Paul’s Writings Akin To Second Peter</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Another confirmation that we are reading Second Peter correctly is to examine Jerome’s comments about Paul. Jerome translated the Greek NT in 411 A.D. into the Latin Vulgate. Jerome in his<em> Commentary on Galatians and Ephe­sians</em> wrote: “<strong><em>Paul</em></strong> does not know how to develop a hyperba­ton [<em>i.e.</em>, a change of normal word order for emphasis], nor to conclude a sentence; and having to do with rude people, he has <strong><em>employed the conceptions</em></strong>, which, if, at the outset, he had not taken care to announce as spoken after the manner of men, <strong><em>would have shocked men of good sense</em></strong>.” (Gaussen: 119 quoting <em>Comm. Galatians </em>Bk 11, titl. Bk 1, i.1; and <em>Comm. Ephesians </em>Bk. 11: 3.1.) Gaussen interprets the implication of Jerome's commentary as follows:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt; padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Such being then the traces of infirmity which we can follow in the Scriptures, <em><strong>it remains impossible to recognize in such a book an inspiration</strong></em> that goes even to the lesser details of their language. (Louis Gaussen, <em>Theopneusty, or, The plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures </em>(1843) at 100 -- at this google-books<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=bMUVAAAAYAAJ&amp;lpg=PA100&amp;ots=J8ArAKHXtE&amp;dq=%22employed%20the%20conceptions%22%20Gaussen&amp;pg=PA100#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false"> link</a>.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In other words, unless you read Paul with extreme care, he is unintelligible and appears contradictory of good sense. One can untangle it, Jerome seems to imply. Yet, Jerome also implies it is very difficult treading to do so. Obviously, basing doctrine on Paul was regarded as precarious in the early church. As Gaussen says, <em><strong>Jerome's words</strong></em> implied<em><strong> Paul is useable for edification</strong></em>, but placed Paul's words <em><strong>outside the realm of truly inspired writ</strong></em>.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[PS Gaussen goes on to defend the full inspiration of everything in Scripture as we have assembled it, for he felt there is nowhere one can draw a line to keep any of it as inspired once you go down this road. I disagree. Regardless, my point of referencing Gaussen is solely to see Gaussen recognizes Jerome's remarks from 400 AD are a criticism on viewing Paul as inspired.]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">What Do We Do With Paul’s Cheap Grace Verses? </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Then what of the cheap grace verses in Paul such as Romans 4:5? For the one following Christ, this is no problem. For we follow Christ, and always remember His words are above all — as the great prophet John the Baptist said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, we can take the wise path laid out by Second Peter. It warned us that we can never safely reject Jesus’ doc­trine. If we do so, even if it is in reliance on Paul’s “difficult to understand” cheap grace verses, we will fall from our steadfastness in Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second Peter was telling us that twisting the costly-grace Paul to become the cheap-grace Paul is a waste of a Christian’s time and energy. Study the Master — your one and only Teacher (Matt. 23:10) — just as the Master taught. To spend time trying to make the Master who taught a costly-grace Gospel to match a disciple (Paul) when the disciple cheapens the price of salvation is to invert their relationship. Such an approach makes the disciple the Master, and the Master his inferior, as Kierkegaard warned. God forbid!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"> </p>
<hr />
<p> </p>
<h2>Study Notes</h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;">"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorship_of_the_Petrine_epistles">Authorship of the Petrine Epistles</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;">It is possible that Silvanus, a companion of Paul, wrote both epistles.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span>"Most scholars today conclude that Peter was not the author of the two epistles that are attributed to him...." </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;">The first epistle was physically written at least by Silvanus. In 1st Peter, the author admits this in <span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">1 Peter 5:12: "By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span>Where else do we read about Silvanus? We find Paul talks often of him as a companion:</span><br /><br /><span>2 Corinthians 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and <strong><em>Silvanus</em></strong> and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.</span><br /><br /><span>1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and <strong><em>Silvanus</em></strong>, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.</span><br /><br /><span>2 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and <strong><em>Silvanus</em></strong>, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:</span><br /><br /><span>Silvanus was clearly Paul's partner. Hence, Silvanus clearly wrote 1 Peter and could have written 2d Peter as well, and tried to have Peter call Paul a "brother" and that Paul had at least "wisdom" that God gave him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"> </p>
<h3>
<hr />
</h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div></div> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 954580<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

522
Recommended-Reading/southworth.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,522 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/southworth.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Southworth - Nazareth or Tarsus | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p>"But [Carlstadt's] most remarkable position [in 1520]...[was] the<em><strong> word of Paul</strong></em> is not to be put on a level with Christ." Beard <em>Luther </em>(1899)</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 1002" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "1002") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Southworth's Nazareth or Tarsus</h2>
<p>In the section below are notable quotes from Horatio Woodburn Southworth, <em>To Nazareth or Tarsus? </em>(J.S. Ogilvie Publishing Company, 1901).</p>
<p>While this book is set forth as a fictional dialogue between a clergyman and "the Man," it is an exposure of flaws in Paul's reasoning, his inability to speak clearly, and the dubiousness of the claim that Paul's words are inspired. Southworth professes <em><strong>love and compassion for Paul</strong></em>, and he seeks to<strong><em> exalt Jesus over Paul</em></strong>, and thus we find Southworth's general spirit compatible with the aims of this website. Not everything Southworth says would be the manner we would express it, nor do we agree with all his points. Instead, we provide this for general education because its few flaws do not detract from its significant merit.</p>
<p>To appreciate the Biblical proofs offered by Southworth, one can download the entire book from books.google.com at this <a title="Nazareth or Tarsus" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=9vI2AAAAMAAJ">link</a>. Or here we provide a <a title="Southworth - Nazareth or Tarsus" href="/images/stories/Lessons/Southworth - excerpt Nazarus or Tarsus.pdf">PDF</a> of the original pages that contain the portions addressing Paul. (These pages are retyped below for easier access.)</p>
<p>Incidentally, Southworth years later had one unusual (and in our view incorrect) theory that is not the topic of <em>Nazareth</em>. He maintained that Christ as redeemer was "buying back" from Satan the "God-given but misused power over man," and Christ's death was thus not to appease God's anger over sin. (H.W. Southworth, <em>Divine Love</em> (1911) at 20.) Southworth was reviving an old unreliable idea from Augustine in <em>De Trinitate</em>. (<em>Id.</em>, at 21.) However, it is invalid because Southworth does not properly dismiss Jesus' words on His blood redeeming mankind, nor the incompatibility of his "buying back" thesis with the words of Isaiah. Thus, I note this and dissent from it so no one jumps to the conclusion that I endorse this later idea of Southworth.</p>
<p><em>Biographical details</em>. Southworth was superintendant of the Sunday School at Christ's Church of Springfield, Massachusetts in the late 1800's.<a href="http://www.hampdencountyhistory.com/springfield/christchurch/cc207.html">1</a> Other than that detail, nothing is known about him.</p>
<p>Here are his interesting general quotes about Paul from his book.</p>
<h2>Southworth's Purpose in Writing</h2>
<p>Page 52<br />'I have studied that man, Saul of Tarsus, as I have never searched the life of any other man. It is a most absorbing subject.'  [The Man Speaking]<br /><br />'And you find that he is <br />Page 53<br />'The most complex character that I have investigated. Unreservedly I concede him to be, facile princeps, the Christian poet of the first century. Poet surely, and with all of the "divine madness" of the poet. The "divine" in a poetical sense. The "madness" we will consider in this analysis.' As he said this he laid a roll of manuscript on the study table.<br /><br />'Yet I beg that you will recognize that in this attempt to prove that Paul's mind was disordered, and also in that which I shall say to you here to the same effect,<em><strong> my only sentiment is pity for his sufferings—which are so apparent</strong></em>. Wherever I express contempt or indignation it is only nominally directed against him. My <strong><em>contempt is for those who have refused to recognize Paul's incapacity</em></strong> to develop a system of Christian theology; <em><strong>who have accepted his vagaries as divine truth</strong></em>, and have demanded their general acceptance. It is against these alone that I make my complaint. For<em><strong> I recognize in him an earnest seeker after righteousness</strong></em>. Nay, more; he <em><strong>highly attained to righteousness</strong></em>; for<strong><em> his innate revulsion to that which was unrighteous was an integral part of his nature</em></strong>. Yet he seems to me to have been saturated with an intense egotism that gave its color to his beliefs and utterances.'</p>
<h2>Paul's Pride /Envy Caused Rejection of The 12</h2>
<p>Page 55<br />And the intellectual pride which had substituted these metaphysical subtleties for the pure faith bequeathed to the simple Galilean fisherman was clearly traceable to the malign influence of an intellectual pride, which clearly had its impulse, at least its excuse, in the scholastic vanity of Saul of Tarsus; who <strong><em>held in such unmistakable contempt the message given to those humble attendants whom our Lord had chosen as his apostles</em></strong>.</p>
<p>Page 112<br />'By the side of this deep, placid stream of thought you let run the wild, turgid flow of uncurbed emotion that the early chapters of Galatians display. It does not need either scholar or scientific philologist to recognize that this flow has no higher source than the heart of a man who is chafing under keen personal disappointment. <em><strong>Envy of the apostles has grown almost to hate</strong></em>. Truth is no barrier in the unrestrained rush of chagrin and evident jealousy.</p>
<h2>Jesus' Words Only</h2>
<p>Page 98<br />'Some time the church will have the courage to accept those teachings of the Spirit—which our Lord repeatedly and so plainly emphasized —and will relegate the poet<strong><em> Paul</em></strong>, to his own sphere of<em><strong> brilliant irresponsibility</strong></em>.'</p>
<p>Page 113<br />'And yet the church has been so "falsely true" to what it has construed as a divine message, that it has practically told the world that it has so little faith in the convincing power of the great underlying truths of Christianity, that it does not dare to eliminate these statements of a disordered mind;<strong><em> statements that might be ignored if they did not deny important truths</em></strong>.</p>
<h2>Answer to Paul's Claim To Inspiration</h2>
<p>Pages 115-116<br />[The Clergyman asserts Paul's claim to inspiration]<br />'No; not a semblance of support,' the clergyman said. 'A divine hand reaches down and grasps it, through the revelation vouchsafed to St. Paul. That which you condemn—that "my gospel" which he received, "not with flesh and blood," but by direct inspiration, was his authority.'<br /><br />And to this the Man answered:<br /><br /><strong><em>'When a Mormon elder can obtain an additional wife only by receiving a revelation; when to a Koman pontiff a coveted additional power can come only through a revelation</em></strong>; or when <em><strong>a Paul</strong></em> must witness the collapsing of the chain of reasoning upon which his whole system of dogma is dependent,<em><strong> unless he can fasten its first link to a revelation</strong></em>, we have a right to consider<strong><em> the frailty of human nature</em></strong>, and to recognize that an intense and longing contemplation of any object of absorbing interest makes the mind—especially a mind so ready to entertain visions as was St. Paul's—<em><strong>unfitted to discriminate between actual revelation, and a conviction founded on a believed need of establishing a cherished theory.</strong></em> To my mind <em><strong>it is illogical to claim that our Lord should have left any important element of his mission to be developed at a later period, by any method so unreliable— through opportunities of deception and dangers of self-deception—as are revelations.</strong></em> For my part I find a sufficiency in that which our Lord alone has taught, and I can find no compensation for the undermining effect of the flood of revelations which have their inception through Paul.'</p>
<h2>Paul's  Negative Influence on Morality</h2>
<p>Page 59-60<br /><br />To this the Man replied: 'Any really great leader must be the master of himself; and nothing could be more confusing, in our attempts to establish the moral responsibility of each individual, than is Paul's statement that <em><strong>he was possessed by an influence, independent of himself, that impelled him to do wrong contrary to his intent</strong></em>.<strong>*</strong><br /><br />'Hence if we were to allow, generally, this shifting of moral responsibility—through the attributing the culpability for sin to an external power, either personal or impersonal; which was not simply an influence, but an<em><strong> irresistibly impelling power</strong></em>—we should lower moral standards through weakening of individual responsibility.<br /><br />'Thus Paul's influence did not make for moral conditions. Paul's influence was certainly bad in this respect.<strong><em> I do not forget that elsewhere— indeed almost immediately—Paul takes an entirely contradictory attitude</em></strong>; but this is another instance of that vacillation which adds to our confusion; and adds to our distrust of the man, of his doctrines, and of <strong><em>the validity of his claims to inspiration</em></strong>. Paul may have caused— surely furnished the palliation of—the Manichasan tenet of inherent evil in the flesh. In our estimate of what constitutes moral reponsibility nothing could be more confusing than are these statements of Paul.<br /><br />* Rom. vii. i: "So it is no more I that do it (evil), but sin that dwelleth in me." Rom. vii. 25 : "So then I myself with the mind serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."</p>
<h2>Paul Is Malleable - Any Interpretation Fits</h2>
<p>Page 67<br /><br />"Paul's theology has two elements, the logical and the mystical, which are seldom wholly separated from each other, and it is these elements that have permitted his ideas to be so readily modified or construed or combined as to form the foundation of varied systems of theology; for Paul's variety and complexity of expression, his varying metaphors permit such varied construction that <em><strong>they are readily adaptable to any interpretation in favor of which the student is prepossessed</strong></em>."</p>
<h2>Paul's Doctrines Contradict Themselves</h2>
<p>Page 105<br />'As I said, these men make <strong><em>no demands on me</em></strong>. They do not tell me that I can find the way to heaven only by accepting the guidance of the disordered mind of Saul of Tarsus,<em><strong> one-half of whose utterances it is necessary to ignore in order to believe the other half</strong></em>.</p>
<p>Page 111<br />'Will the time ever come that you will be content to teach the simple creed of a natural God and a consistent gospel? For <strong><em>that gospel can never be consistent while you demand belief in statements diametrically opposed to one another</em></strong>.</p>
<h2>Paul's Misuse of Proof Texting From The Bible</h2>
<p>Page 210<br />"One phase of his intense self-absorption is shown in the inappositeness of his quotations from the Scriptures. It could not be from ignorance that he failed to quote them pertinently. That he had them in mind is evident, for he was constantly denouncing the law, and the denunciatory passages would have eminently attracted him."</p>
<h2>Further Information on Southworth</h2>
<p>Horatio Southworth, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=lNo2AAAAMAAJ">The First Millenial Faith</a> (London: 1893) -books.google.com version</p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 952981<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

951
Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,951 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Topical Index of this Website | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">"I must approach this inquiry with uneasiness when I find [Paul] affirmed to be an apostle of whom in the list of apostles in the gospel I find no trace." (Tertullian)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 94" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "94") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Topical Index of The JWO Website</h2>
<p>Augustine</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/augustine-and-the-logos.html">How Plato led Him to the Doctrine of the Logos</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Balaam</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/balaam-and-the-adversary.html">Balaam and The Adversary He Met</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/balaamlesson.html">The Lesson of Balaam to Us</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Baptism</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWOS/baptism.html">Should we be baptized?</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWOS/baptism-in-whose-name.html">In what name should we be baptized?</a></li>
</ul>
Bible Studies<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-lesson-on-debt.html">On Debt and the Christian</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-studies-anger.html">On Anger and the Christian</a></li>
<li><a href="/Bible/genesis-11-bible-study.html">On Genesis 1:1 and The Importance of Monotheism</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-studies-doing-good.html">On Doing Good and the Christian</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-study-on-whether-mocking-humor-to-friends-is-funny.html">On Whether Putdown Humor is Inappropriate</a> </li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-on-danger-of-riches.html">On the Bible and Riches</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/bible-a-sensual-indulgences.html">On Sensual Indulgences</a></li>
<li><a href="/Bible/bible-study-on-investing.html">On Investing</a></li>
<li><a href="/Bible/bible-on-taking-oaths.html">On Whether Oath-Taking is Wrong</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Bultmann, Rudolf</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/bultmann-on-paul.html">On Paul as supposedly properly dispensing with Jesus's Words delivered in flesh</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Calvin</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/did-calvin-murder-servetus-knol.html">"Did Calvin Murder Servetus?" -- Knol</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Calvinism</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/founding-fathers.html">Founding Fathers: Were They Mostly Calvinist as Calvinists Claim?</a></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Canon</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/dates-of-manuscripts-that-survive.html">Oldest surviving NT manuscripts</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html">"Writings Section of Original Testament of Bible" </a></li>
</ul>
<p>Carlstadt</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/luther-killed-jwo.html">Luther's Effort to Kill JWO in Reformation</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/carlstadt-research.html">Elevated Jesus Over Paul</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Christmas</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/christmas-celebrations-right-or-wrong.html">Right or Wrong?</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html">Part of Effort of Sun-Worshippers to Paganize Christianity (and not the reverse, <em>i.e.</em>, to Christianize paganism)</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Christology. <em>See also</em> Trinity</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">Correct Christology</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">Church view in 190 AD on Divinity of Christ</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Trinity originally formulated correctly</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Trinity doctrine perverted 381 AD deliberately to refute monotheism</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Does Post-381 AD Trinity Doctrine Run Afoul of First Commandment?</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/flawedchristologyofpaul.html">Paul's Erroneous Christology</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html">Council of Nicea: Pagan Constantine Imposes Sol Invictus under thin veneer of Christianity</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/john-173-the-only-true-god.html">John 17:3-Jesus Says Father Is Only True God</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/trinity-v-indwelling.html">Trinity: God Indwelling Jesus or Was Jesus God-the-Son Distinct from God-the-Father?</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Exaltation that Turns Idolatrous</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Commentaries</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/commentary-on-matthew-24-24-27.html">On Mathew 24:24-27 - Imposter Jesus with Signs and Wonders</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Creation</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Created-by-Ingenious-Design/antikythera-mechanism-ingenious-design-knol.html">Proof of Ingenious Design in the Antikythera Mechanism</a></li>
<li><a href="/Created-by-Ingenious-Design/epicurus-theory-of-nature-no-room-for-divine-knol.html">Epicurus Theory of Nature: No Room for Divine</a></li>
<li><a href="/Created-by-Ingenious-Design/puma-punka-ingenious-design.html">Proof of Ingenious Design at Puma Punka</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Constantine</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html">Sun-god worshipper who abolished Sabbath and made Jesus into Sol Invictus</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/contantines-damage-to-christianity.html">Constantine's Damage to Christianity</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Dead Sea Scrolls</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/flint-and-paul-on-works-and-the-law.html">4QMMT and Flint's Theory It Gives Context to "Works of the Law" in Paul</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Easter</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/appendix-c-easter.html">'Easter' Is A Pagan Goddess but British Christians refused to use "Passover" name for Resurrection Celebration</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/easter-error.html">Easter Error: What Jesus Truly Intended About Passover Observation</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Ebionites</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/ebionites.html">Ebionites</a> -- Torah observant including circumcision; true apostle only preaches Jesus' words</li>
<li><a href="/JWO/recognitions-of-clement.html">Recogntions of Clement</a> - analyzed</li>
<li><a href="/JWO/flint-and-paul-on-works-and-the-law.html">Works of the Law in 4 QMMT Means "Justification by Obedience" as in Deut. 6:25</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Eternal Security</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWOS/heresy-of-eternal-security.html">Examples of Promising Life Without Repentance Even After Salvation</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/valentinus-docetic-anti-law-pro-eternal-security.html">Earliest Proponent of Eternal Security: Valentinus ca. 160 AD</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>False Prophets / Prophecy. See also "Visions"</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/false-prophecy-deceived-young-prophet.html">True Prophet in 1 Kings Dupes Another True Young Prophet with False Prophecy</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/false-prophecy-as-a-test-of-us.html">False Prophecy as God's Test of Us</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Galileo</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/galileo-biography-a-writings-knol.html">Biography &amp; Writings </a></li>
</ul>
<p>Gregory of Nyssa</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Trinity doctrine since 381 AD was redesigned deliberately to refute monotheism</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Hebrew Gospel of Matthew (HGM)</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/hebrew-matthew-start.html">Introduction to Verses Deleted in Greek NT, Added in NT and Authenticity of HGM</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/matthew-tampering-with-the-text.html">Authenticity of Hebrew Gospel of Matthew</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWOS/baptism-in-whose-name.html">Greek Text Addition to Matthew 28:19 Acknowledged By All Confirmed in Hebrew Matthew</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/baptismal-account-in-hebrew-matthew.html">Baptism Account of Jesus - Greek translation erased a line</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/matthew-232-3-in-hebrew-matthew.html">Matt. 23:2-3 "he" not "they" important error in Greek translation of HGM</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/appendix-b-canon.html">"Hebrew Matthew" - Topic in Appendix B on Canon to JWO</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/hebrew-matthew-library-sources.html">Library of Materials/References on HGM</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-knol.html">"Original Gospel of Matthew" - Knol article</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/marcan-priority-claim-is-invalid.html">Marcan Priority Claim is Invalid</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/virgin-birth-issues.html">Virgin Birth Issues</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/naming-of-jesus-in-hebrew-matthew-by-gordon.html">Review of Nehemiah Gordon's The Naming of Jesus in the Hebrew Matthew</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Hebrews, Epistle of</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/son-as-creator-in-epistle-to-the-hebrews.html">Christology</a></li>
<li><a href="/Bible/authorship-of-hebrews.html">Barnabas as true author</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Isaiah Passages</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-96-what-does-it-mean.html">Isaiah 9:6 - What Does It Mean?</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-53-fulfilled-in-jesus.html">Isaiah 53: Messianic Fulfillment in Jesus</a></li>
</ul>
<p>James</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-or-james-church-greatest-evangelist.html">Exaggeration of Paul's Success Slights James's Church's Greater Success</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Jefferson, Thomas</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/thomas-jeffersons-bible.html">Jefferson's View of the New Testament</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Jesus</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/jesus-on-church-structure.html">On correct nature of church</a></li>
<li>On "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/jesus-and-the-kingdom.html">Gospel of the Kingdom of the Heavens</a>"</li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/jesus-a-this-generation-controversy.html">On "This Generation" Controversy in Matthew</a> </li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/yashua-and-the-name-of-jesus.html">On "Yashua" and the Origin of the name of Jesus</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/christ-or-chrestus.html">Was Greek Term "Christos" or "Chrestus" Originally</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Jesus' Words Only Principle</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/carlstadt-research.html">Carlstadt in 1540 Battled Partner, Luther, that Jesus's Words Superior to Those From Paul</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-endorses-jwo.html">Paul Endorses JWO in 1 Timothy 6:3-4</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/adam-pastor.html">Adam Pastor, famous Anabaptist minister, died 1560, rejected Paul's salvation doctrines</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/quotes-in-favor-of-jwo.html">Quotes Endorsing Jesus Words Only Principle</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Jesus' Words Only Website</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://websitegrader.com/site/www.jesuswordsonly.com/?source=email-WSG">Website Grader score on "Jesus Words Only"</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.alexa.com/">Search "Alexa" (on any website) for world ranking</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Job, Book of</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/paulinist-unwittingly-destroys-pauls-authority.html">Eliphaz Vision and Voice Experience Confirms Paul-defender Parton's Test Applies to Paul</a></li>
<li><a href="/Bible/ch-6-how-not-to-study-the-bible.html">Key First Book To Read of Bible -- Importance of Eliphaz' Vision and Its Message on Messiah</a></li>
</ul>
<p>John's Gospel</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/john-173-the-only-true-god.html">John 17:3 - The Only True God passage</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/one-and-only-issue-in-john-114.html">"One and Only" reading in John 1:14</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/john-173-the-only-true-god.html">John 10:30 - What Does "I and the Father are one" mean</a></li>
<li><a href="/John-s-Original-Gospel/passion-week-in-john.html">On Passion Week Sequence</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/john-173-the-only-true-god.html">1 John 5:20 - Who Is "he" Referring to? - part of discussion of John 17:3</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/one-and-only-issue-in-john-114.html">John 1:18 - Corruption Inserting "God at the Father's Side?"</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Kierkegaard</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/kierkegaard.html">Kierkegaard's Critical Remarks on Paul and Paulinism</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Law (Torah)</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/law-applicable-today.html">The Law Applicable Today to Gentiles</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/early-church-view-of-law-given-moses.html">Early Church View of Applicability of Law given Moses</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html">Writings Section of the Original Testament of the Bible</a></li>
<li><a href="/The-Law-Given-Moses/american-indian-religion-parallels-to-judaism-knol.html">American Indians Found Following Mosaic Law Practices</a></li>
<li><a href="/images/stories/Lessons/es%20app%20on%20tithing.pdf">Tithe -- Its True Nature</a> (PDF) <a href="/The-Law-Given-Moses/true-law-of-tithing.html">Tithe - Its True Nature</a> (HTML)</li>
</ul>
<p>Library Resources</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/library-resources.html">General Library Resources of all types</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/hebrew-matthew-library-sources.html">Library Resources on Hebrew Matthew</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Locke, John</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/locke-jesus-over-epistles.html">Gospels more important than Epistles</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Luther</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWOS/baptism.html">Luther Taught Water Baptism Ordinarily Essential for Salvation</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/luther-thoughts-on-inspiration.html">Young Luther Judged Inspiration of OT and NT Solely By Whether Conflicts with Paul</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/carlstadt-research.html">Luther Rejected Several NT and OT Books But Still Accepted Today in Church</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/reformation-doubts-about-paul.html">Young Luther Felt Free To Reject Paul's Analogies</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/reformation-doubts-about-paul.html">Mature Luther Tries to Introduce Works As Essential for Believers' Salvation</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/pauls-terrible-influence-over-luther.html">Example of Terrible Influence of Paul Over Luther in Letter of 1530</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Lutheranism</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWOS/george-major-and-melancthon.html">1551-1580 Rejected faith alone</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWOS/preface-2-jwos.html">1551 Melancthon Engineers Synod to Drop Faith Alone in Favor of Double Justification</a> </li>
</ul>
<p>Major, George</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/reformation-doubts-about-paul.html">Lutheran pastor who in 1546 helped Melancthon restore Jesus' Gospel to Lutheran Church</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Marcion / Marcionism</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/early-church-view-of-law-given-moses.html">Early Church Attacked His Negative View of Mosaic Law's Applicability</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/marcionite-influence-on-rcc.html">Marcionism</a> -- influence on Roman Catholic Church</li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/marcionism.html">Marcionism - the Forgotten Crisis of Paulinism's Threat to Christianity</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Mariology (Worship of Mary)</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/virgin-birth-issues.html">Inspired by Isis-worship Practices</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Masoretes</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Bible/psalm-22-crucifixion-psalm.html">Psalm 22 in Masoretic Text has "lion" but in DSS and LXX it is "pierced" and is Crucifixion account</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-53-fulfilled-in-jesus.html">Isaiah 53 in Masoretic text lacks that Messiah after suffering will see "light of life" but it is present in Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint, prophesying thus of a resurrection</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-96-what-does-it-mean.html">Isaiah 9:6 in Masoretic mismatches the Dead Sea Scrolls"</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Matthew, Gospel of (Original)</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/history-of-hebrew-version-of-matthew.html">History of Original Hebrew Gospel of Matthew (From Rives OGM)</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/hebrew-matthew-baptismal-account.html">Baptismal Account in Original Hebrew Gospel of Matthew</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/hebrew-matthew-library-sources.html">Library Sources on Original Hebrew Gospel of Matthew</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/hebrew-matthew-variants.html">Variants of Original Gospel of Matthew</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/naming-of-jesus-in-hebrew-matthew-by-gordon.html">Naming of Jesus in the Hebrew Gospel of Matthew</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/rapture-in-hebrew-matthew.html">Rapture in Hebrew Matthew</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Melancthon (successor to Luther as head of Lutheran Church)</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWOS/george-major-and-melancthon.html">Rejected faith alone</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWOS/preface-2-jwos.html">1551 Engineers Synod to Reject Faith Alone and Adopt Double Justification</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Messianic Prophecies</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Bible/psalm-22-crucifixion-psalm.html">Psalm 22 - the Crucifixion Psalm</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-53-fulfilled-in-jesus.html">Isaiah 53 - Suffering Servant</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-96-what-does-it-mean.html">Isaiah 9:6 - A Child is Born</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Music Store at JWO</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Our Picks</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Nicea, Council of</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/council-of-nicea-of-325-ad.html">Council of Nicea, 325</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>New Covenant</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Contact-Us/israel-a-wife-divorced-question.html">Can Yahweh Remarry Israel?</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Pastor, Adam [d. 1560]</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/adam-pastor.html">Biography</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/reformation-doubts-about-paul.html">Rejected Paul</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Paul</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/flawedchristologyofpaul.html">Flawed Christology</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/bultmann-on-paul.html">Bultman's Claim Paul Teaches in 2 Cor. 5:16 That Jesus's Teachings in Flesh Are Irrelevant</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/pauls-contradictions-of-jesus.html">Contradictions of Jesus</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-on-rapture-v-the-bible-jesus.html">Rapture View At Odds With Bible / Jesus</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-a-biography.html">Biography</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-abolished-sabbath.html">Abolished Sabbath (Invalidating Paul as Inspired)</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/habakkuk-prophecy-about-paul.html">Habakkuk 2:2-5: Is This A Prophecy About Paul?</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/pagan-influences-in-writings-of-paul.html">Pagan Influence on Paul (Pagan writers' quotes in his writings)</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-claims-jesus-is-the-image-of-god.html">Is Paul an Idolator in How He Understood Christ as the "Image" of the "Invisible God"?</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/jesus-on-paul-the-least.html">Did Jesus Prophesy of Paul as the Least in Matt 5:17?</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/guile-in-paul.html">Guile in Paul</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/paul-admits-often-uninspired.html">Paul Admits Often Speaks Without Inspiration</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/second-peter-reference-to-paul.html">Second Peter's Reference to Paul: Does It Signify Paul as Inspired?</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/flint-and-paul-on-works-and-the-law.html">4QMMT in Dead Sea Scrolls Usage of "Works of the Law" Helps Confirm Paul's Meaning</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-claims-jesus-is-the-image-of-god.html">Paul's Teaching That Jesus is the Image of God versus the First Commandment</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-misquotes-of-scripture.html">Paul's Misquotes of Scriptures Which Corrupted Their Meaning</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/turning-over-believers-to-satan.html">Paul's Doctrine of Turning Believers Over to Satan</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/lightning-scorpions-and-paul.html">Did Jesus Prophesy of Paul in Luke 10 on Lightning and Scorpions?</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/spirit-of-python-promoted-paul-in-acts-16.html">Spirit of Python Promotes Paul in Acts 16</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/skolops-sent-by-an-angel-of-satan.html">Skolops (Prod), Messenger of Satan, Sent So Satan Could Keep Paul Humble</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/pauls-loose-use-of-the-term-apostle.html">Paul's Loose Use of the Term Apostle</a></li>
<li><a href="/Contact-Us/paul-and-barnabas-as-apostles-of-antioch.html">Paul as Messenger / Apostolos of Antioch Church in Acts 14:4, 14</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/jewish-view-of-pauls-doctrine.html">Jewish View of Paul's Doctrines</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/who-is-the-greatest-in-the-kingdom-of-heaven.html">Who is "the Greatest in the Kingdom"? Pauline and non-Pauline view of Matt 5:1</a>9</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Paulinism</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/luther-thoughts-on-inspiration.html">Luther's Insistence that Canonicity, Old and New Testament, Turned on Paul's Doctrine</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paulinism-examples.html">Paulinism Examples</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/paulinisttares.html">How to Treat Paulinist Tares</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Paul's Epistles And Quotes in Acts Analyzed</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/acts-9-verse-5-jesus-the-nazarene.html">Acts 9:5 - Is It "I am Jesus The Nazarene"?</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/2-corinthians-516.html">2 Cor. 5:6 - We No Longer Know Christ in the Flesh</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/skolops-sent-by-an-angel-of-satan.html">2 Cor. 12:7 - A Thorn / Skolos in the Flesh</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html">Romans 7:1-7 - The End of the Law</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Peter</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/email-acts-15-jwo.html">Acts 15:10 - What did Peter mean about 'yoke on disciples' fathers could not bear?</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Priestly, Joseph</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/joseph-priestly.html">Priestly, Biography &amp; Review of Corruptions of Christianity 1782</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Prophecies About Paul</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/benjamite-wolf.html">Benjamite Wolf Prophecy</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/benjamite-wolf-research.html">Benjamite Wolf Research</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/habakkuk-prophecy-about-paul.html">Habakkuk 2:1-7</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/jesus-on-paul-the-least.html">Jesus' Prophecy about the "Least Man" as the Law-Loosener</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/jesus-prophecy-about-who-identified-himself-as-jesus-to-paul.html">Jesus' Prophecy About Us Being Led Astray By One Claiming To See Jesus on Desert Road</a></li>
</ul>
<div>Rapture</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-on-rapture-v-the-bible-jesus.html">Paul's Rapture View At Odds With Bible/Jesus</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/jesus-v-paul-on-rapture.html">Jesus v. Paul on Rapture</a> (Email to Ed)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Renan</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/renan.html">Excerpt St. Paul (1875)</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Reformation</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/reformation-doubts-about-paul.html">Doubts about Paul's Validity Among Reformation Leaders</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/marsilius-of-padua-on-church-hierarchy-knol.html">Marsilius of Padua First Challenger of Any Hierarchy in Church or Right to Determine Heresy</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Roman Catholic Church</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/marcionite-influence-on-rcc.html">Influence of Marcionism in RCC</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Sabbath</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-abolished-sabbath.html">Paul Abolished Sabbath (Proving Paul's Invalidity)</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/millgram-on-paul-a-sabbath.html">Millgram (Jewish author) On Paul Abolishing Sabbath</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/sabbathcommand.html">The Sabbath Command: history, duration to rest, etc</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Septuagint Translation of Hebrew Bible into Greek in 257 A.D.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/son-as-creator-in-epistle-to-the-hebrews.html">Erroneous translation of Psalm 102:23-25</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/son-as-creator-in-epistle-to-the-hebrews.html">Erroneous translation of Psalm 45:6-7</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/son-as-creator-in-epistle-to-the-hebrews.html">Erroneous translation of Deuteronomy 34:43</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWOS/chapter-26-7jwo-genesis-156.html">Erroneous translation of Genesis 15:6</a></li>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/isaiah-96-what-does-it-mean.html">Erroneous translation of Isaiah 9:6</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Store (Everything is Free Here Online Without Cost But if You Need A Physical Copy)</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20">Our Amazon store</a> </li>
</ul>
<p>Tertullian</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/tertullian-scope-of-quote.html">Scope of his Quote against Paul as Apostle</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/early-church-view-of-law-given-moses.html">Tertullian's View on Continuity of Law given Moses</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/chapter-16-jwo.html">Tertullian's Critique of Paul (from JWO ch. 16.)</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Tithing</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/images/stories/Lessons/es app on tithing.pdf">How measured</a> (PDF) </li>
<li><a href="/The-Law-Given-Moses/true-law-of-tithing.html">How measured</a> (HTML)</li>
</ul>
<p>Trinity. <em>See also</em> Christology.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/trinity-v-indwelling.html">Did early Church Believe Jesus was Indwelled by Father or Instead Jesus was God-the-Son?</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/one-and-only-issue-in-john-114.html">John 1:14 - One and Only "Son" or One and Only?</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/correct-christology.html">Correct Christology</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/paul-claims-jesus-is-the-image-of-god.html">Is Paul Correct That Jesus is the Image of the Invisible God?</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Trophimus</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/trophimus.html">Trophimus: Did Paul Mislead Him to Abominate the Temple?</a></li>
<li><a href="/JWO/pauls-trial-before-caesar-a-drama.html">"Paul's Trial Before Caesar" - Dramatization to Tell The Story of Trophimus</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Valentinus</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/valentinus-docetic-anti-law-pro-eternal-security.html">Taught Eternal Security, Salvation by Faith without Works, Freedom to Sin - 160 AD</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Virgin Birth</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/virgin-birth-issues.html">Issues regarding Virgin Birth</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Visions</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/JWO/st-john-of-the-cross-visions-book-18.html">St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mt. Carmel Book 2 Ch 18 on Visions - not to trust /misuse</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<p>Yahweh</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/yahweh.html">Should We Use The Name Yahweh More Often?</a></li>
<li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/exaltation-that-turns-idolatrous.html">Jesus Exalted God's Name but Paul Exalted Jesus' Name Over Yahweh's</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>You Tube Videos</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpPJ5y3MZTA&amp;feature=youtube_gdata">Did Jesus Prophesy of Paul as the "Least Man" in Matt. 5:19?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwMHfgn_Gsg&amp;feature=youtu.be">Did Jesus Warn Us of Light and Voice "Jesus" whom Paul met on the Road to Damascus?</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nKtB8cORSY">Pauline Pastor Seeks Entry Into Heaven (a drama) - Part 1</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tvFMG1mick&amp;feature=related">Pauline Pastor Seeks Entry Into Heaven (a drama) - Part 2</a></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<ul>
</ul>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 947878<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

510
Recommended-Reading/tough-questions.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,510 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/tough-questions.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Tough Questions | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" >"Second century Christians...continued to recognize that the teachings of Jesus--not Paul--were the central tenets of Christianity." (Bercot, <em>Theologians </em>(2010) at 51.)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li id="current" class="haschild active"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="/Buy-Now/buynow.html"><span>Buy Now</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="2" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 4319" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "4319") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommended Websites</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.thewords.com">The Words of Jesus of Nazareth</a><a href="http://www.thewords.com/" target="_blank"></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/" title="Jesus Focused Publishers" target="_blank">Jesus Focused Publishers</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.myspace.com/50264805/music/albums/342">Only Jesus</a> (song by Big Daddy -scroll down)</p>
<p><a href="http://justhiswords.com/">Just His Words</a> (red letter only $7.25)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p>(No affiliation with me or this website.)</p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Books</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Tough Questions</h2>
<p>Sometimes I am given a hard question to answer. It provokes new ideas. I enjoy a change in perspective, so please send me emails with a new angle on an issue that interests you.</p>
<p>Here is an example of DR's email question of October 2009 and my response:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial; color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hi DR:<br /> <br /> You ask a question I never considered: </span>"What is it about Paul's writing you are doing that he says Christians should not do?"</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial; color: black;">So you ask what do I do that contravenes a command of Paul upon Christians. I never address this issue in that way in any of my books, but I will try in light of the interesting way you put the question.<br /> <br /> <strong>Background Differences</strong>: I am obeying Jesus' command that He is our sole teacher, and we should not call anyone else a teacher. Matt. 23:8-11. Thus, I look to the verifiable 12 apostles to hear quotes of Jesus, i.e., Matthew, John, etc., as Jesus commanded in Matt.10:14-15, but not to permit them to be called a teacher, for that honor solely belongs to Jesus, as Jesus sternly commanded. By contrast, Paul said he "learned nothing from them" <em>i.e.</em>, the 12 apostles. (Gal. 2:7).<em><strong> This explains why not a single quote of Jesus appears in Paul's letters although written in Paul's 17th year as a Christian!</strong></em> </span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial; color: black;">(The only exception is that Paul in 1 Corinthians does have the communion quote from Jesus. However, that is likely because it was liturgy that he learned third hand, and not from the apostles. Even so, one such quote alone proves a lack of familiarity with Jesus' teachings.) </span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial; color: black;">At the same time, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial; color: black;">Paul warns that if anyone comes with a different gospel than Paul himself that such a person should be cursed, even if this 'other gospel' came from an angel of heaven. (Gal. 1:8-9.) This clearly raises Paul's teachings up to an equality to Jesus. In context, most scholars agree that Paul meant to prohibit a salvation doctrine from the 12' apostles if it conflicts with Paul.</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial; color: black;"><br /> <strong>Specific Answer #1</strong><br /> <br /> Thus, I give Jesus an <em><strong>exclusive </strong></em>honor as Teacher which Paul implicitly says <strong><em>Christians should not do</em></strong>, and instead should treat Paul as a teacher worthy of <strong><em>equal credence</em></strong> to Jesus. <br /> <br /> <strong>Specific Answer #2.<br /> <br /> </strong>Also, <strong><em>I am listening to the 12 apostles </em></strong>when they convey Jesus' words on how to be saved, even if Jesus clearly contradicts Paul. Jesus certainly does so when Jesus teaches repentance and good works are vital to salvation, e.g.,"a believer in me" who is ensnared can go to "heaven maimed" or "hell whole" (Mark 9:42-47); "every tree without good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire" (Matt.7:19), etc. See my book <em>Jesus Words on Salvation</em> for 26 chapters of proof.<br /> <br /> However, Paul essentially tells us that <em><strong>Christians should not </strong></em>listen to the 12 if they come with a different gospel than Paul's faith-alone teaching, such as appears in Eph. 2:8-9 and Romans 4:3-5. This is why Paul boasts he learned nothing from them (<em>i.e</em>., the 12 apostles/pillars of the Jerusalem church). (Gal. 2:7). <br /> <br /> Hence, Paul in essence says Christians should not exclusively listen to Jesus, but<strong><em> should also listen to Paul's teachings and gospel</em></strong> ("my gospel")(Gal.1:8-9), contrary to Jesus' words that He was the "Sole Teacher." (Matt. 23:23.) And Paul implicitly says Christians should not listen to the 12 if they convey a doctrine of Jesus that contradicts Paul's salvation doctrine (Gal. 1:8-9; 2:7), when Jesus instead tells us to listen to the 12 (Matt:10:14-15, obviously when they convey the Teacher's words, and do not violate the 'sole teacher' position of Jesus.)<br /> <br /> <strong>Analysis Of What This Tells Us About Paul<br /> </strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span></p>
<p class="contentpagetitle" style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: times new roman,times; color: #000000;"><span>Jesus said he was the Sole Teacher. What Paul is doing is focusing on something or someone else for a source of teachings. What or who is this?<br /> <br /> We can prove what he is doing by seeing what Paul ignores or rejects.<br /> </span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="contentpagetitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: times new roman,times; color: #000000;"><span>First, Paul ignores the words of Jesus which he </span><strong><em>never quote</em></strong><span>s except the supper account. Second, Paul rejects the Words of the Law  but which Jesus accepts in Matt. 5:17-29). (I believe the Law applicable to Gentiles is only those commands that mention foreigners/sojourners of Israel, which is why James concluded Lev. 13's command on circumcision did not apply to Gentiles. The Law is very narrow in applicability to Gentiles by its own terms, so it is not burdensome.) Third and finally, Paul rejects the 12's words as he says he "learned nothing from them." (Gal. 2:7).</span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="contentpagetitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: times new roman,times; color: #000000;"><span> When Paul ignores Jesus's actual words, rejects the Law (which Jesus endorses) and rejects the 12 (whom Jesus told us to listen to--as they conveyed His commands in obedience to the Great Commission), then who or what is Paul following? </span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="contentpagetitle"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: times new roman,times; color: #000000;"><strong><span> </span></strong><span>The answer is obvious: himself.</span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: times new roman,times; color: #000000;"><span> What is the result? Many believe Paul speaks to us alone, and Jesus' words no longer appply. Jesus' words were supposedly for the era of Law. I detail this in my book, JWO. Those who try to rebut my book actually</span><strong><em> endorse this tragic denial of our Lord's right to exclusive glory as our Teacher</em></strong><span>. For example, a writer with the name "Bible Books" criticizes <em>Jesus Words Only</em> at http://books.google.com/books?id=3VFnsDuxBPcC&amp;sitesec=reviews&amp;source=gbs_navlinks_s   saying as follows:</span></span> <br /> </span></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: arial; color: black;"> </span></p>
<div style="margin-left: 40px; padding-left: 30px;"><em><strong>Paul's gospel is the only</strong></em><em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="display: inline;" id="usr_rvw_1_hd1" dir="ltr">gospel that saves today.</span><span onclick="window['_OC_setTextSectionVisible']('usr_rvw_1_h', 0)" class="morelesslink" id="usr_rvw_1_hc1" style="display: inline;"></span><br /> <span onclick="window['_OC_setTextSectionVisible']('usr_rvw_1_h', 0)" class="morelesslink" id="usr_rvw_1_hc1" style="display: inline;"></span></strong></em></div>
<p>Which leads to:</p>
<p><strong>Specific Answer #3</strong><br /> <br /> I am following Jesus and Jesus' gospel of salvation but Paul teaches<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> that a Christian cannot do so if that gospel message contravenes Paul's gospe</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">l.<br /> <br /> I trust this answered your question. I never put it before in these terms, but I thank you for provoking the analysis.<br /> <br /> What is your opinion?<br /> <br /> Doug</span></p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

607
Recommended-Reading/trophimus.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,607 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/trophimus.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Trophimus | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span><span style="font-size: medium;">"Christendom has done away with Christianity without being quite aware of it." Soren Kierkegaard</span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 9654" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "9654") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Trophimus - Did Paul Mislead A Man To Abominate the Temple?</h2>
<h2>And Did Paul Do So On A Trip That God Told Paul Not To Make?</h2>
<p>Paul says that “<em><strong>Circumcision is nothing</strong></em> and <em><strong>uncircumcision is nothing</strong></em>....” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%207:19&amp;version=NIV">1 Cor. 7:19</a>.)</p>
<p>Consider how this message impacts the ongoing validity of the following command applicable to Gentiles and the abomination of God's Temple at Jerusalem. The Prophet Ezekiel declared: if one “uncircumcised in flesh [is caused] to be in my sanctuary, to profane it,” then it is an “abomination.” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel%2044:9&amp;version=NIV">Ezekiel 44:9</a>.)</p>
<p>But if uncircumcision became nothing after the Cross, as Paul said, then a Gentile was<strong><em> free to ignore this command from the Prophet and enter the Temple</em></strong>.</p>
<p>Paul even told the Ephesians in a letter this was true. <em><strong>Paul taught the Ephesians that</strong></em> God “has <em>broken down the<strong><em> middle wall of partition</em></strong></em>” at the Temple, “having <em><strong>abolished in his flesh... the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances</strong></em>....” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph.%202:14-15&amp;version=NIV">Eph. 2:14-15</a>.)</p>
<p>Did an Ephesian friend of Paul named Trophimus ever trust Paul's new principle to the point of violating the middle wall of the Temple, which kept the Gentiles outside the holy ground at the Temple? We will see that this is precisely what took place in 58 A.D. We will also see how God responded, proving God’s legal principles on what abominates had not evaporated at the Cross in 33 A.D. We will also see that prior to this trip to Jerusalem by Paul and Trophimus that <em><strong>God told Paul</strong></em>, according to Luke, not to make this journey to Jerusalem (Acts <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-4.htm">21:4</a>) but that, as Luke records, <strong><em>Paul deliberately disobeyed God</em></strong>. (Acts <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-24.htm">21:24</a>.)</p>
<p>Furthermore, if Trophimus heard Paul's words that the "God who made the world and everything in it is the<strong><em> Lord of heaven</em></strong> and earth and <strong><em>does not live in temples built by human hands</em></strong>," (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2017:24&amp;version=NIV">Acts 17:24</a>), Trophimus could conclude God<strong><em> does not truly live at the Jerusalem Temple</em></strong>. Trophimus could believe there was no risk of sacrilege by Trophimus's presence in an uncircumcised state inside the Temple.</p>
<p>In believing Paul, Trophimus would be misled away from following the Savior's words which endorsed the OT designation of the Temple in Jerusalem as the very House of the LORD God (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mt%2023:21&amp;version=NIV">Mt 23:21</a> ("swears by the Temple and <strong><em>the one who dwells in it"</em></strong>); <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lk%202:49&amp;version=NIV">Lk 2:49</a> ("my father's house")/<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lk%2019:45-46&amp;version=NIV">19:45-46</a>). Jesus even taught that Daniel prophecy's of a coming abomination standing in the Temple was in the future. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%2024:15-16&amp;version=NIV">Matt. 24:15-16</a>.)</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>HISTORICAL NOTE-</strong>-- see below: "Miscellaneous Notes: Shekinah Presence Leaves Temple in 70 AD" - where we recount the Roman historian Tacitus -- confirmed by similar statements by Josephus and other Jewish sources -- that a Shekinah-like glory visibly left just circa 70 AD as a "supernatural voice: audibly spoke that "the gods were departing" -- all immediately preceding the entry of the Roman soldiers into the Temple.</p>
<hr />
<p>But Paul could not be clearer, telling the Athenians that God "does not live in temples built by hands." <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2017:24&amp;version=NIV">Acts 17:24</a>. If Trophimus heard this from Paul, Trophimus predictably would show no concern for the sanctity of the Temple as God's dwelling place upon his arrival with Paul in 58 A.D. at Jerusalem.</p>
<h2>What Happened In 58 AD At Jerusalem?</h2>
<p>What happened is that in 58 A.D., Trophimus, an uncircumcised Gentile from Ephesus, entered the prohibited area of the Temple. (Acts <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-28.htm">21:28-29</a>.)</p>
<p>Neither Luke nor Paul ever deny Trophimus profaned the Temple. Instead, both Luke and Paul merely try to deny there was proof that Paul had brought Trophimus into the prohibited area. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2021:29&amp;version=NIV">Acts 21:29</a>, 24:6, 13, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2024:18&amp;version=NIV">18</a>; 25:7-8.) Luke says the Jews "supposed" Paul had done so because they earlier saw Paul together with Trophimus in Jerusalem. (Acts 21:28-<a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-29.htm">29</a>.) Trophimus was indeed a close companion of Paul. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2020:4&amp;version=NIV">Acts 20:4</a>; <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Tim.4:20&amp;version=NIV">2 Tim.4:20</a>.) Yet, Paul said his accusers merely found him (Paul) purifying himself in the temple. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2024:18&amp;version=NIV">Acts 24:18</a>.) This was the <strong>only inadequacy Paul cited</strong> to the charge that he (Paul) was responsible for Trophimus’ profaning the Temple. (See <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2021:28&amp;version=NIV">Acts 21:28</a>, Paul "brought Greeks also into the temple, and .... defiled this holy place.") Paul did not make any stronger refutation such as that Trophimus had not breached the middle wall of the Temple, evidently because Paul knew that charge was true.<img style="float: right;" alt="ztropime apotre" height="314" width="246" src="/images/stories/JWOBook/ztropime apotre.jpg" /></p>
<h3>Obscuring These Events In Christian Commentary</h3>
<p>Often forgotten is that Paul was accused by the Jews of being the cause of Trophimus' breach, and it was this charge (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2024:6&amp;version=NIV">Acts 24:6</a>, "profane the temple") which Paul appealed to Caesar. This is why Paul was being taken to Rome by Roman authorities. (Acts <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2025:8-11&amp;version=NIV">25:8-11</a>.) Yet, for obvious reasons, this aspect of what Paul was being put on trial for is <strong><em>rarely openly discussed</em></strong> in Christian churches / histories. Research "Trophimus" online to verify this yourself.</p>
<p>There is a reason for this obscuring of the issue for which Paul was on trial. Some are hesitant to acknowledge Trophimus, a friend of Paul, defiled the Temple. This would raise even the most hardened Paulinist to start wondering about Paul because everyone knows Paul told Ephesians like Trophimus that the middle wall at the Temple was no longer a barrier to a Christian Gentile.</p>
<p>In apparent recognition of this strain on Paul's validity, when this event is discussed, it is typically misdescribed in ways to whitewash Trophimus. A major Encyclopedia with absolutely no basis insists, for example, that Trophimus was "innocent." (See "<a href="http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Def.show/RTD/isbe/ID/8922/Trophimus.htm">Trophimus</a>," <em>International Bible Enclyclopedia</em>.) Then when the reader hears what the Jews "supposed" Paul did, one easily leaps to the conclusion that Luke says more than he did say. But what Luke says is</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and <strong><em>assumed</em></strong> that Paul had <strong><em>brought him </em><span style="font-weight: normal;">i</span></strong>nto the temple area (Acts <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-29.htm">21:29</a>, NIV.)</p>
<div>To repeat, Luke never says the Jews merely supposed Trophimus defiled the Temple. Rather the Jews supposed that Paul "<strong><em>brought him into</em></strong> the Temple area," and thus was responsible for Trophimus's defilement of the Temple. Hence, one can see what terrible angst is suffered by those Paulinists reading this passage. To save Paul they dogmatically insist that Trophimus was innocent, and thus our attention is misdirected away from the fact (a) that Trophimus caused an abomination of the Temple and (b) <strong><em>while Paul did not bring Trophimus into the Temple</em></strong>, Paul arguably was<strong><em> ethically responsible for teaching Trophimus in Eph. 2:14-15 that he could pass through the middle wall</em></strong> at the Temple which warned Gentiles not to enter the sacred area.</div>
<h3><strong>One Reputable Source Gets Closer To The Truth</strong></h3>
<p>However, there is one reputable source within modern Christianity which mentions it was the Jews who "believed" it was Paul who had brought Trophimus into the sacred part of the Temple. This book source does not proclaim Trophimus's innocence. These authors acknowledge instead that the action of Trophimus would be the kind of abomination that desolates which Daniel spoke about. (Whether it was the abomination which Daniel prophesied is beyond the scope of this study.) This source is Tim La Haye's and Ed Hinson's <em>The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy</em> (Harvest House, 2004) where we read:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" dir="ltr">The Jews were extremely careful to prevent such acts and even built a protective fence around the Second Temple. It included a warning inscription promising death to any non-Israelite who passed beyond it into the court of the Israelites. The New Testament (Acts 21:27-28) records the violent opposition of a Jewish crowd who <strong><em>believed</em></strong> Paul had<em><strong> taken a Gentile proselyte (Trophimus) into the Temple to offer sacrifice</strong></em>. They accused Paul of “<em><strong>defiling the holy place</strong></em>” (the Temple). With this background, we can understand why the future act of desecration by the abomination of desolation is the climax of Daniel’s seventieth week and signals the intensification of God’s wrath in the second half of the Tribulation (Matthew 24:15-21; Mark 13:14-19). <a href="http://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/texts/excerpts/9780736913522_exc.htm">1</a></p>
<p>Hence, finally some authority is identifying it is the Jewish crowd who made a supposition about Paul's responsibility. The guilt of Trophimus was <em><strong>never in doubt</strong></em>. The crowd was trying to blame Paul for Trophimus's action, and that is a different issue. The way Luke gives the account Paul defends himself<strong><em> not by declaiming Trophimus was innocent</em></strong>, but rather by the fact <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Paul had an alibi</span>. Paul insisted he himself was busy ceremonially washing himself at the temple at the time of Trophimus's defiling action.</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Paul's Message To Ephesians Like Trophimus About The Middle Wall</span></h2>
<p>Now why did Trophimus breach the middle wall that had warning signs declaring that no uncircumcised Gentile could pass into the Temple without facing a death penalty? Trophimus must have been convinced of a new principle that was superior to the principle God gave the prophet Ezekiel. Where did Trophimus learn such new principle that could give him such liberty?</p>
<p>There is little doubt that Trophimus, a travelling companion of Paul, must have relied upon Paul’s doctrine. First, Paul said that “circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing.” (1 Cor. 7:19.) Lastly and most important, Trophimus, an Ephesian, must have been convinced he could pass this middle barrier because of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In it, <em><strong>Paul taught</strong></em> God “has <em><strong>broken down the middle wall of partition</strong></em>” at the Temple, “having <em><strong>abolished in his flesh... the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances</strong></em>....” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph.%202:14-15&amp;version=NIV">Eph. 2:14-15</a>.) The true “habitation of God” is now the church, built upon the “apostles and prophets.” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Eph.2:20-22&amp;version=NIV">Eph.2:20-22</a>.)</p>
<h2>Jesus Says Paul Is Wrong: Daniel's Prophecy Depends Upon Ezekiel's Principle Continuing</h2>
<p>Yet, was this middle wall abolished in God’s eyes? Or were the Prophetic words of Ezekiel still in place after the Cross of 33 A.D.? In other words, would an uncircumcised Gentile inside the temple still be an abomination standing in the Holy Place? The answer is yes.</p>
<p>First, <em><strong>Jesus spoke</strong></em> precisely of an "<em><strong>abomination that causes desolation</strong></em>" standing in the holy place, as a sign of the coming destruction of the Temple as "<strong><em>prophesied by Daniel.</em></strong>" (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%2024:15-16&amp;version=NIV">Matt. 24:15-16</a>.) Jesus hence recognized that Ezekiel's principle would be operative<strong><em> after</em></strong> Jesus' ascension. The abomination would be a precursor of the destruction of the Temple.</p>
<p>(Jesus had in mind Daniel's identification of a person who is responsible for a "sacrilegious object" entering in the Temple, etc. It is this person who "causes" an abomination spoken by Daniel. See Dan.<a href="http://bible.cc/daniel/9-27.htm"> 9:27</a>. Whether Trophimus' abomination is the subject of Daniel's prophecy is beyond the scope of our analysis here.)</p>
<p>Second, and consistent with this view that Ezekiel's words were still valid post 33 AD, Jesus said that He did not come to do away with the “Law or the <strong><em>Prophets</em></strong>” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%205:17&amp;version=NIV">Matt. 5:17</a>).  This would include Ezekiel's words on what causes an abomination of God's Temple, <em>i.e</em>., the presence of an uncircumcised Gentile. Also, Jesus said not until “heavens and earth pass away will one little jot or tittle of the Law pass away....” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%205:18&amp;version=NIV">Matt. 5:18</a>.) In the Law, we read God promises that if we “walk contrary to Me,” then “I will bring your <strong><em>sanctuaries unto desolation</em></strong>.” (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lev.%2026:27&amp;version=NIV">Lev. 26:27</a>,<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lev.%2026:31&amp;version=NIV">31</a>.)</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Did God Respond To Trophimus' Act Consistent With Leviticus?</span></h2>
<p>Thus, if the Law and Prophets were still in effect after the Cross, then one would expect God would respond by desolating His own Temple for Trophimus’ act. God’s word appears to require He desolate it in response to such a crime.</p>
<p>Indeed, a gentile, Trophimus, in reliance on Paul, came to abominate the temple in 58 AD. And God in response did desolate His temple in 70 A.D.</p>
<p>Of course, in the bigger moral picture, God destroyed the Temple "because you did not know the time of your visitation" (Luke 19:41-44). However, in the micro-picture of immediate causes, it was because of Trophimus' violation of the Temple. As a result, God saw to it that every stone of the Temple was torn down. Thus, the Law and Prophets did not expire at the Cross. Instead, thirty-seven years after the cross, the Law of Moses was vigorously enforced by the Almighty.</p>
<p>If Paul’s teachings misled Trophimus, look then at the horrible consequences of trusting Paul’s views that the Law was defunct and no longer to be performed. Let’s learn from Trophimus’ mistake and only trust Jesus’ view on the Law and Prophets continuing validity until heaven and earth pass away. (Matt. 5:18.)</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Paul Violated God's Command Not To Go To Jerusalem</span></h2>
<p>Just prior to this incident, according to Luke, God commanded Paul <strong>NOT</strong> to go to Jerusalem. Thus, Luke depicts that Paul in disobedience to God went anyway to Jerusalem. (See Acts <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-4.htm">21:4</a>.) It reads:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers <strong><em>prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem</em></strong>. NLT</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who <strong><em>said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem</em></strong>. ASV</p>
<p>Then Paul's disobedience led to the abomination episode mentioned above.</p>
<p>This is agreed upon by conservative Christian scholar James Montgomery Boice in his book entitled <em>Acts</em> (Baker Books, 1997). <a href="http://www.livingtheology.com/Resume.htm">Dr. Leon Combs</a> in 2006 wrote about this, using Paul's example to prove how disobeying God sometimes works out just fine ("God uses our failures for His glory"). Dr. Combs explains:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">in this chapter we will see how <em><strong>Paul did not obey God in going to Jerusalem</strong></em>. I would not present this interpretation if it were not also backed up by one of my favorite theologians, James Montgomery Boice. <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RuZf5DoyHMQJ:livingtheology.com/Acts%252021.pdf+trophimus+abominate&amp;cd=57&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;gl=us"><sup>2</sup><br /></a></p>
<p>Frederick Watson, D.D., in <em>Inspiration</em> (London: 1906) similarly notes:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">St. Paul did <em><strong>not follow the guidance of the true prophet </strong></em>Agabus, not to go up to Jerusalem, though other <em><strong>disciples speaking in the Spirit had said the same</strong></em>. <em>Id.</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vtGSDPaiRNYC&amp;dq=Watson%20Inspiration&amp;pg=PA137#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">137</a>.</p>
<p>Dr. Combs extrapolates a wrong reading from this fact but with a wholesome conclusion: "even when we desire to do good deeds [<em>i.e.</em>, Paul's desire to worship at the Temple] we can be in violation of God’s desire for our lives. We must carefully listen to God’s Word and desire only to do what He wants us to do."</p>
<p>No, the correct reading is when we violate God's command, something bad will happen. Nothing good came from this, for Paul's violation of the command of the Holy Spirit led to the abomination of the Temple.</p>
<p>For in Acts <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-4.htm">21:4</a>, Luke records that spiritual Christians shared with Paul the message of the Holy Spirit not to go to Jerusalem:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">And after looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and <em><strong>they<br />kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem</strong></em>. NASB</p>
<p>Luke tells you that God knew better; Paul heard the Spirit's message through others, but defied it anyway.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Dr. Combs recognizes that when Paul in Acts 21 is confronted by the apostolic leadership at Jerusalem (this is years after the decision that Gentiles did not have to be circumcised), the duty that Jews had to be circumcised was still maintained by the mother church. To this Dr. Combs realizes a chasm existed between the apostolic church and Paul. Dr. Combs writes, utterly sympathetic of Paul and judgmental of the apostolic church of the true twelve:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">This issue is very disturbing to me for it shows that the<em><strong> mother church</strong></em> was still involved in strong Jewish practices. <em><strong>They viewed Paul </strong></em>as someone who many in the church thought was taking the church<em><strong> too far away from their core beliefs</strong></em>. (Combs, <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:RuZf5DoyHMQJ:livingtheology.com/Acts%252021.pdf+trophimus+abominate&amp;cd=57&amp;hl=en&amp;ct=clnk&amp;gl=us">God Uses Our Failures for His Glory</a> (2006) at 3.)</p>
<p>This underscores two things in the very same chapter of Acts -- that Paul disobeyed God going to Jerusalem and was not obeying the Apostolic practices of the true 12, but Combs does not see this. Let's explore.</p>
<h2>Paul's Disobedience in Acts 21 Conjoined With Disobeying 12 Apostles' Practices</h2>
<p>First, at the very same time Paul disobeys God in Acts <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-4.htm">21:4</a>, Paul was out-of-sync with the true 12 apostles on other issues, as recorded in Acts 21 -- about 3 years after Acts 15.</p>
<p>In Acts 15, the Jerusalem Conference concluded Gentiles did not have to be circumcised but <strong><em>could not eat meat sacrificed to idols</em></strong>. Why was Paul out-of-sync? We know independently of Acts 21 that Paul taught Gentiles that they<strong><em> could eat such meats sacrificed to idols</em></strong>. <em>See </em><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%208:4-13&amp;version=NIV">1 Corinthians 8:4-13</a>, and <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2010:19-29&amp;version=NIV">1 Corinthians 10:19-29</a>.</p>
<p>Furthermore, in Acts 21, we learn Paul is viewed to be out-of-sync for a second reason. Paul is thought by James to be teaching Jews too did not have to be circumcised, which James disapproves anyone to teach. James heard rumours that Paul teaches Jews do not have to follow the Law any more. Of course, Paul indeed taught this in many letters. See Romans 7:1-6 (Jews "loosed" from the Law)(discussed in <a href="/JWO/romans-7-a-major-incongruity.html">our link</a>); 2 Cor.<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Cor.%203:14&amp;version=KJV"> 3:14</a> (“old covenant”); Gal. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%205:1&amp;version=KJV">5:1</a> (“yoke of bondage”); <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rom.%2010:4&amp;version=NIV">Rom. 10:4</a> (“Christ is end of the law”); 2 Cor. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20corinthians%203:7&amp;version=KJV">3:7</a> (“law of death”); Gal. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%205:1&amp;version=KJV">5:1</a> (“entangles”); Col. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=col.%202:14-17&amp;version=KJV">2:14-17</a> (“a shadow”); Rom. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%203:27&amp;version=KJV">3:27</a> (“law of works”); Rom. 4:15 (“works wrath”); <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Cor.%203:9&amp;version=NIV">2 Cor. 3:9</a> (ministration of condemnation); Gal. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%202:16&amp;version=KJV">2:16</a> (“cannot justify”); Gal. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%203:21&amp;version=KJV">3:21</a> (cannot give life); <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Col.2:14&amp;version=NIV">Col.2:14</a> (“wiped out” exaleipsas); Gal.<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%203:19&amp;version=KJV"> 3:19</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%204:8-9&amp;version=KJV">4:8-9</a> (“given by angels...who are no gods [and are] weak and beggarly celestial beings/elements”).</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Finally, God tells Paul through inspired messages to others (according to Luke) not to go to Jerusalem (Acts <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/21-4.htm">21:24</a>), but Paul goes anyway.</span></span></p>
<p>It is therefore not surprising that someone <em><strong>not following apostolic leadership</strong></em> and <em><strong>not obeying God</strong></em> (Acts 21:24), as Luke depicts Paul simultaneously in Acts 21, would arrive in Jerusalem and mislead Trophimus to abominate the Temple - the <strong><em>worst possible act of disobedience </em></strong>known in the Torah and Prophets. Luke obviously wants us to realize God told Paul not to come so as to protect His sanctuary.</p>
<h2>The Tacit Message About Paul From Luke</h2>
<p>Why do people then think Paul is depicted as a hero in Acts? Because they do not take time to read the final chapters of Acts. They do not take time to understand what is being said about Trophimus. They do not understand the legal implications of Trophimus's conduct. They stop and think it is only important to know Paul did not escort Trophimus into the holy area. They do not connect up the fact that Paul knew Trophimus in Ephesus, and wrote a letter to the Ephesians that God tore away the ordinances that prevented Gentiles from passing the middle wall of the Temple at Jerusalem.</p>
<p>Hence, they do not realize that by the end of Acts, Luke truly depicts Paul in a very ugly light. Of course, it is a fair and balanced description of the events so Paul's misdeeds are not exaggerated. Yet, in Luke's account, Paul is certainly a disobedient man to God Almighty and out-of-sync with Jesus' true 12 apostles.</p>
<p>Hence, it cannot go unnoticed that Luke in Acts in the three vision accounts between Paul and Jesus never once depicts Jesus saying Paul was appointed an apostle of Jesus Christ. Jesus only said Paul was to be a MARTUS -- a witness. This completely undermines Paul in his claim to be an "apostle of Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:1) because Jesus taught us that a self-serving statement of one's special status with God as an Apostle is invalid/untrue; instead two witnesses must confirm it. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205:31&amp;version=NIV">John 5:31</a>; <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Rev.%202:2&amp;version=NIV">Rev. 2:2</a>.) <em><strong>Paul had zero confirmation other than his self-serving claims.</strong></em> Jesus had the voice of God the Father ("this is my Son") and the Spirit in the Dove confirm Jesus's identity at His baptism with numerous persons as witnesses. Also, at the transfiguration, Jesus had the voice of the Father again as well as Moses and Elijah to confirm His identity before two witnesses. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%2017:1-9&amp;version=NIV">Matt. 17:1-9</a>.)</p>
<p>Thus, because of negative facts running throughout the book of Acts, which modern pastors spend a lot of time ignoring or downplaying, modern scholars believe Luke had an objective to bring Paul down as a means of counteracting the influence of Marcion. (See Knox, <em>Marcion and the New Testament: An Essay in the Early History of the Canon</em> (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1942) at 114-39.)</p>
<p>Thus, Luke is a key witness AGAINST Paul when you read thoroughly to the END of Acts.</p>
<h2>Post-Script: Doesn't This Prove Paul Never Met Jesus?</h2>
<p> </p>
<p>Incidentally, does this story reveal very telling evidence that proves<strong><em> Paul never met Christ on the Road to Damascus</em></strong>? If Paul truly did so, then why did God have to speak through Agabus and other believers to try to persuade Paul to not go to Jerusalem? Wouldn’t the Christ of Paul’s ‘revelation’ have told Paul not to do so? And that would have sealed the issue for the true God of Heaven?</p>
<p>But if Paul was unwittingly following the enemy of Christ, then that ‘other Christ’ would keep silence. That ‘other Christ’ would let the Trophimus-Paul journey to Jerusalem, with disastrous results—the abomination that desolates stood in the Temple.</p>
<p>
<hr />
</p>
<h2>Miscellaneous Material</h2>
<h3>Shekinah Leaves The Temple Just Prior To Its Fall</h3>
<p>A single abomination does not drive God from the Temple. In Ezekiel 8:6 we read: "Son of Man, do you see what they are doing? the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary?"</p>
<p>Thus, Trophimus' sacrilege was just one event in a series like happened with the First Temple that required God to destroy the Second Temple by means of directing the events leading to 70 AD.</p>
<p>However, some believe when Jesus died and the Temple veil according to Luke's account was rent supposedly means that<strong><em> God left His temple in 33 AD</em></strong>, and that Jesus's prophecy of the abomination requires the <strong><em>Temple to be rebuilt</em></strong> and then later will be abominated preceding the second coming, leading to fulfillment of Jesus' words. (James D.G. Dunn, <em>et al.</em>, <em>The Holy Spirit and Cristian Origins</em> (Eerdman's 2004) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=Dlmgfo-Wn2EC&amp;lpg=PA98&amp;dq=josephus%20presence%20destruction%20left%20temple&amp;pg=PA98#v=onepage&amp;q=josephus%20presence%20destruction%20left%20temple&amp;f=false">98</a>.) However, this is reading alot into the Temple veil's being rent when many other interpretations are more plausible.</p>
<p>Moreover, such an idea that the Shekinah presence of the Temple left in 33 AD appears <strong><em>contradicted by history</em></strong> of (a) Josephus; (b) Eusebius; (c) Tacitus and (d) Jewish sources of that era including 2 Baruch.</p>
<p>Starting 3.5 years prior to the Temple's destruction, a Jewish Rabbi named Jonathan said that at the Mount of Olives a "bat kol [or bet kol, a supernatural voice from heaven] issued forth, announcing, 'Return Oh backsliding children, Return unto me, and I will return unto you. [and] when they did not repent, it said, I will return to my place." (G.H. Eliason, <em>The Generations of Antichrist</em> (2010) at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=A4z60O8Tb34C&amp;lpg=PA291&amp;dq=bet%20kol%20shekinah&amp;pg=PA291#v=onepage&amp;q=bet%20kol%20shekinah&amp;f=false"> 291</a>.) This voice speaking continued for 3.5 years prior to the destruction of the Temple. (John McClintock &amp; James Strong,<em> McClintock &amp; Strong Cyclopedia</em> (1877) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FuwPAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=josephus%20shekinah%20glory%20left%20temple&amp;pg=PA356#v=onepage&amp;q=josephus%20shekinah%20glory%20left%20temple&amp;f=false">356</a> col. 2.) Hence, this was ongoing right up to the Temple's destruction.</p>
<p>What took place at the Temple's fall is repeated in numerous places: a Voice in the Temple spoke that it was leaving.</p>
<p>According to Jewish apocalytpic sources from that era -- 2 Baruch aka II Apoc. Bar 8:1b-2, we read "a voice from the interior of the Temple was heard, <strong><em>after the wall had fallen</em></strong> [during the siege of 70 AD] saying, 'Enter ye enemies, come ye adversaries for <strong><em>he who kept the house has forsaken it</em></strong>.'" (David Garland, <em>The Intention of Matthew 23 </em>(Brill Archive, 1979) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QTZCAAAAIAAJ&amp;lpg=PA202&amp;dq=josephus%20shekinah%20glory%20left%20temple&amp;pg=PA202#v=onepage&amp;q=josephus%20shekinah%20glory%20left%20temple&amp;f=false">202</a>.) See 2 Baruch [ca. post 70 AD] at <a href="http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/pseudepigrapha/2Baruch.html">8:1b-2</a>.</p>
<p>The Roman history of the event is similar. Tacitus records that when their soldiers were about to enter in 70 AD, a "superhuman voice" spoke and said that it was now leaving:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Contending hosts were seen meeting in the skies, arms flashed, and suddenly<em><strong> the temple was illumined with fire from the clouds</strong></em>. Of a sudden the doors of the shrine opened and <em><strong>a superhuman voice</strong></em> cried: “<em><strong>The gods are departing</strong></em>”: at the same moment the mighty stir of their going was heard. 2 Few interpreted these omens as fearful; the majority firmly believed that their ancient priestly writings contained the prophecy that this was the very time when the East should grow strong and that men starting from Judea should possess the world. This mysterious prophecy had in reality pointed to Vespasian and Titus, but the common people, as is the way of human ambition, interpreted these great destinies in their own favor, and could not be turned to the truth even by adversity. 3 We have heard that the total number of the besieged of every age and both sexes was six hundred thousand: there were arms for all who could use them, and the number ready to fight was larger than could have been anticipated from the total population. Both men and women showed the same determination; and if they were to be forced to change their home, they feared life more than death.</p>
<p>(From Tacitus (trans. C. H. Moore) <em>Histories</em> III 4-5 and <em>Annals</em> 1-3 (Loeb Classical Library; Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1931) at 193-9 (excerpted online at this<a href="http://cojs.org/cojswiki/Tacitus,_Historiae_V,_10-14:_The_Roman_Earthworks_at_Jerusalem"> link.</a>)</p>
<p>"[R]eports were related by Josephus, 2 Baruch, and Tacitus of the<strong><em> departure of God's presence just prior to its destruction by Titus</em></strong>." (John Kloppenborg, <em>The Tenants in the Vineyard</em> (<span>Mohr Siebeck, 2006) </span>at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4LCcZ2XF2xgC&amp;lpg=PA95&amp;dq=josephus%20presence%20destruction%20left%20temple&amp;pg=PA95#v=onepage&amp;q=josephus%20presence%20destruction%20left%20temple&amp;f=false">95</a>, citing Josephus, Bell. 6.299-300; <em>cf.</em> Bell 2.539; 5.19; 5.412; Tacitus, Hist. 5.13; and 2 Baruch 8:1-2.)</p>
<p>Josephus in <em>War of the Jews</em> 6:5.3 writes of a similar warning by a voice speaking 'let us remove hence,' as well as a prophet named Jesus four years prior to 70 AD who proclaimed about a similar voice:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the temple,] as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "<em><strong>Let us remove hence</strong></em>." But, what is still more terrible, there was one Jesus, the son of Ananus, a plebeian and a husbandman, who, <strong><em>f</em></strong><em><strong>our years before the war began</strong></em>, and at a time when the city was in very great peace and prosperity, came to that feast whereon it is our custom for every one to make tabernacles to God in the temple, <a name="EndNote_War_6.23a"></a><a href="http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-6.htm#EndNote_War_6.23b">(23)</a> began on a sudden to cry aloud, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!" This was his cry, as he went about by day and by night, in all the lanes of the city.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-6.htm">http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-6.htm</a></p>
<p>Among the portents of destruction, an event which Josephus says was "before" the Temple's destruction involved a great light near the Temple. This event some Christians <a href="http://moreandmorechristianstuff.blogspot.com/2009/05/josephus-history-of-pentecost.html">infer</a> was the Shekinah presence departing. If so, we have no idea how long <em>before</em> the destruction it took place except it was before the siege. Moreover, this is not clearly the departure of the Holy Shekinah. Instead, it proves the Shekinah was still present up through a short while before the siege began. Regardless, here is the passage to consider:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Thus also before the Jews' rebellion, and before those commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on the eighth day of the month Xanthicus, <a name="EndNote_War_6.21a"></a><a href="http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-6.htm#EndNote_War_6.21b">(21)</a> [Nisan,] and at the ninth hour of the night, so <strong><em>great a light shone round the altar and the holy house</em></strong>, that it appeared to be bright day time; which lasted for half an hour. This light seemed to be a good sign to the unskillful, but was so interpreted by the sacred scribes, as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it. At the same festival also, a heifer, as she was led by the high priest to be sacrificed, brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple. <em>Id.</em>, at 6.5.3.</p>
<p>Also, "Josephus [said] during the Roman attack on the revolutionaries who had taken refuge in the Temple, the Nicanor Gate opened of its own accord after having been closed and bolted." [<em>War</em> 6.5.3; 293-94] ("<a href="http://www.abu.nb.ca/courses/ntintro/jerusaltempl4.htm">Temple</a>," <em>Introduction to NT</em> (Crandall Univeristy, 2011.)</p>
<p>Cf. Eusebius says Christians return to Jerusalem to worship "at the mount of Olives opposite the city wither the glory [<em>i.e.</em>, the Shekinah glory] of the Lord [Yahweh] <strong><em>migrated when it left the former city</em></strong>." (Eliason,<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=A4z60O8Tb34C&amp;lpg=PA291&amp;dq=bet%20kol%20shekinah&amp;pg=PA291#v=onepage&amp;q=bet%20kol%20shekinah&amp;f=false"> id</a>., quoting Eusebius, <em>Proof of the Gospel</em>, 6:18:288.)</p>
<div>This is similar to what Ezekiel witnessed regarding the prior Temple. During Judah's apostasy during the 6th century BC, the prophet Ezekiel saw the Glory Cloud depart from the Temple and travel east, to the <strong><em>Mount of Olives</em></strong> (Ezek. 10:18-19; 11:22-23); later, in his vision of the New Jerusalem, he sees the Glory-Cloud returning to dwell in the new Temple (Ezek. 43:1-5).</div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>Thus, it appears more accurate to say God's Shekinah presence did not depart the Temple until about 70 AD.</div>
<div></div>
<h3>2 Baruch on Temple Destruction</h3>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span><strong>2 Baruch</strong> is a <a title="Judaism" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaism">Jewish</a> <a class="mw-redirect" title="Pseudepigraphical" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudepigraphical">pseudepigraphical</a> text thought to have been written in the late 1st century <a title="Common Era" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Era">CE</a> or early 2nd century CE, after the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Destruction of the Temple" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_the_Temple">destruction of the Temple</a> in 70 CE. It is attributed to the Biblical <a title="Baruch ben Neriah" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_ben_Neriah">Baruch</a> and so is associated with the <a title="Old Testament" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Testament">Old Testament</a>, but not regarded as <a class="mw-redirect" title="Scripture" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scripture">scripture</a> by <a title="Jews" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews">Jews</a> or by most <a title="Christian" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian">Christian</a> groups. **** </span><span>Although Baruch writes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebuchadnezzar_II" title="Nebuchadnezzar II">Nebuchadnezzar</a>'s sack of Jerusalem in 586 BC, it is currently believed as having been written in reaction to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70)" title="Siege of Jerusalem (70)">fall of Jerusalem</a> in 70 CE, but before 135 CE. </span><span>("</span><span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Baruch">2 Baruch</a></span><span>," </span><span><em>Wikipedia</em></span><span>.)</span></span></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div>2 Baruch 8:<a href="http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/pseudepigrapha/2Baruch.html">1-2</a> reads:</div>
<div>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="p44"><span> 1 Now the angels did as he had commanded them, and when they had broken up the corners of the walls, <em><strong>a voice was heard from the interior of the temple, after the wall had fall saying</strong></em>: 2</span><span> </span>'Enter, you enemies, <span> </span>And come, you adversaries; <span><span> </span>For <strong><em>he who kept the house has forsaken (it)</em></strong>.'</span></p>
</div>
<div></div>
<h2>Other Links</h2>
<p>For a similar analysis about Trophimus from Scott Nelson, see "Why Didn't James Come To Paul's Rescue," at <a href="http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/trophimus_incident.htm">http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/trophimus_incident.htm</a></p>
<p>Trophimus means "foster-child." ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophimus">Trophimus</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em>.) Perhaps Luke is saying Trophimus's adopted father was Paul.</p>
<p>For a drama I wrote of the trial of Paul arising from the Trophimus incident, see this <a href="/JWO/pauls-trial-before-caesar-a-drama.html">webpage</a>.</p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 910347<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

473
Recommended-Reading/websites-a-videos-we-recommend.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,473 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/websites-a-videos-we-recommend.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Websites & Videos We Recommend | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><p style="text-align: left;">"Paul [cannot be] both claimant and witness [for himself]." Tertullian<em>, Against Marcion </em>207 A.D<em>. <br /></em></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h2><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h2>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 6580" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "6580") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
Home</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<h2>Websites &amp; Videos To Visit</h2>
<h3>Inspirational Videos</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSf_PNquBHo">Butterfly Lesson</a> - youtube video making point that without struggles we do not reach maturity</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiiQgm6pPOE&amp;feature=player_detailpage#t=14152s">Yahweh as The Name</a> - youtube video presented by Karaite Jew Nehemiah Gordon and why Jews erroneously earlier were taught since 100s-400s not to print or utter the Name. He comes on after a brief introduction. After Gordon, there is an inspirational song time of Hebrew-English songs for Hannukah service. Well worth it for worship time.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc8qOXeTsUQ&amp;feature=g-vrec&amp;context=G206bcd9RVAAAAAAAABQ">The Visual Bible - Gospel of Matthew</a> - over 4 hours --- high quality presentation on YouTube</p>
<h3>Inspirational Websites</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcjpPHJp_Wg">Bible Study cannot save you</a> (2011) -- only the Words of Jesus -- tells you that obeying Jesus' words is the path of life. Obeying Paul or anyone else is not the criteria of God's judgment.</p>
<p>Links to studies on Paul at <a href="http://www.tshuva.us/Paul/resources.html">http://www.tshuva.us/Paul/resources.html</a></p>
<h3>Websites &amp; Videos on Paul</h3>
<p>Paul  - the Self-Proclaiming Apostle - (Repairing the Breach, 2010) - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phQA62hHiLk&amp;feature=relmfu">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UojIVF0p6Q0&amp;feature=related">Part 2</a></p>
<p>The Porkchop Series is insightful -- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-OLihL0bx8&amp;list=UUb829D4CfSU242T7MF358LA&amp;index=4&amp;feature=plcp">Part 1</a> - highlights contradiction in vision accounts.</p>
<p>"Spies &amp; Apostles" (Discovery Channel 2010) - brief highlights. See this <a href="/JWO/spies-a-apostles-on-history-channel.html">link</a> discussion.</p>
<p>"<a href="http://questioningpaul.com/Questioning_Paul-Galatians-01-Chrestus-Useful_Implement.Paul">Questioning Paul</a>" by CW.</p>
<h3>Valid Teaching Ministries</h3>
<p>John MacArthur (generally) - <a href="http://www.kkla.com/ministryaudio/grace-to-you/">grace to you broadcasts in MP3</a> Grace to you - <a href="http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/grace-to-you/listen/responding-to-gods-word-252508.html">Archives</a></p>
<h3>Evangelism</h3>
<p><a href="http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/2nd_awakening.htm">Peter Cartwright and the Great Awakening</a> - summarized</p>
<p> </p>
<h2>Websites &amp; Videos I don't Recommend</h2>
<h3>Somewhat Off-Base Anti-Paul Videos</h3>
<p>Trustin JC "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwb00VLruI0&amp;feature=related">Apostle Paul is a Ravening Wolf Part 1</a>" September 2011 (12 min 57 sec)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Sounds logical and appropriate through 85%. Says something is not right in pulpit. Many teach Jesus' words are for Jews only and Paul is for everyone else. One proof Paul was prophesied by Jesus is when Jesus said "beware yeast of the Pharisees." Paul was a Pharisee. A hint who one of the false prophets is going to be. Jesus also said "beware the sheep in wolf's clothing." Look into different tribes of Israel. Look at each tribe what is their insignia -- some use a deer, ox, etc. But the tribe of Benjamin uses as emblem a wolf. Paul tells us he comes from the tribe of Benjamin. These are aspects of Paul -- Benjamite and Pharisee -- that we should focus upon. At 12:57, he quotes the non-canonical book (which I never have heard of) entitled <em>Last Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs</em>. He says there is a prophecy from Benjamin himself called "Testament of Benjamin" within that book. He is quoting from modern book entitled "Lost Books of the Bible." At Ch. 2 verse 18, speaking of Savior and end-times, it discusses God will come in the flesh of a man, and Benjamin will say at one point he will no longer be called a "ravening wolf." This author misses the better quote which is Genesis 49:27. Then he discusses Jesus mentions the ravening wolf in sheep's clothing. He defends alot of scripture outside Bible exists. But then he goes in the correct direction that Paul contradicts the teachings of Jesus. Hence, it is ok for much of it, but alot of it treats as authoritative non-Scriptural sources.</p>
<p>Trustin JC <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc-wLMNXDTo&amp;feature=related">Apostle Paul as a Ravening Wolf Part 2</a> (September 2011) -15 minutes</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">He points out that Church was paganized at time the canon process was being completed. The pagan highest day became Christ's birthday; Sabbath was banned, etc. Let's look at fruit of Paul and see if contradicts self or lies. In Philemon, Paul says "I am not going to mention you owe me your very soul." But this is false that another owes you their soul if you led them to Christ. We only owe our soul to Jesus, but not to Paul. Second, Paul says when around Jews he will follow the Jews, and when he is around pagans, he will act differently. When Peter does a similar thing, Paul calls Peter a hypocrite. This is essentially ok. I just think loosely makes claim that the church was entirely paganized at time canon process completed. I would say canon never decided even in that period -- it was not until Council of Trent it was agreed upon -- in 1500s!</p>
<h2>Completely Off Anti-Paul Videos:</h2>
<p>"False Apostle Paul and Apostate Church of Today" - Unstitched Mouth<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH3W6k1Yvls&amp;feature=related"> 9/18/2011</a></p>
<ul>
<li>This author begins well -- saying it is not faith alone that saves. If you don't follow up by obedience, it is as if dead, as James said. The good news - Gospel -- Yahshua -- God in the flesh to remarry his bride had to die to fulfill that part of the Law. He believes God had to die to fullfill the Law, and this is how he could remarry Israel whom he 'divorced.' (I think this accepts Paul's flawed Christology in Romans 7:1-7.) But this does not change God's doctrine. Jesus came for the lost sheep of Israel, his bride, and not Gentiles. (Then why did Jesus tell the apostles to "teach the nations everything that I commanded"?) Christianity offers adoptionism where everyone can be adopted, and this author says no one else can enter into the faith but Jews. (I think this goes too far, and if true, Jesus should have said so. The Mosaic covenant was obligatory on sojourners / Gentiles who lived in community with Jews, so if that is true on its face, its benefits do not extend solely to Jews.)</li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>Pro Paul Videos</strong></h2>
<p><span title="The Pauline Paradox - Part 1 - Is the Majority Ever Wrong? (50 min)" dir="ltr" class="long-title" id="eow-title"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDW654-s4wo&amp;NR=1">The Pauline Paradox - Part 1 - Is the Majority Ever Wrong?</a> (50 min) "works have no relationship to salvation" At 5:42, however, they question whether the Law could truly lose validity later. Would God have to free us from Laws that give freedom? Mainstream doctrine teaches us that we are freed by getting rid of the Law, making the freedom offered by Jesus different from that freedom offered by the Father. The Law is "perfect" and then how can it be later more "perfect." They cite and quote Paul as the word of God. This video helps prove to those who know the Bible's definition of apostasy that Paul's teachings directly lead to such an outcome.</span></p>
<p> </p> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 890387<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>

572
Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html Normal file
View file

@ -0,0 +1,572 @@
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" >
<head>
<base href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html" />
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow" />
<meta name="keywords" content="Jesus Words, Jesus Words Only, Jesus Words on Salvation, Did Calvin Murder Servetus, Flaws of Young Earth Science, Ingenious Design, Apostle Paul" />
<meta name="author" content="DJD" />
<meta name="description" content="Jesus Words Only focuses on the words of Jesus as the sole inspired portion of the New Testament Scripture" />
<title>Writings Section of Original Testament of Bible - knol | Recommended Reading</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/css/jceutilities-217.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/plugins/system/jceutilities/themes/standard/css/style.css" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/mediaobject.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jquery-126.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/plugins/system/jceutilities/js/jceutilities-217.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/mootools.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/media/system/js/caption.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
MediaObject.init({'flash':"9,0,124,0",'windowmedia':"5,1,52,701",'quicktime':"6,0,2,0",'realmedia':"7,0,0,0",'shockwave':"8,5,1,0"});jQuery(document).ready(function(){jceutilities({'popup':{'legacy':0,'resize':1,'icons':1,'overlay':1,'overlayopacity':0.8,'overlaycolor':"#000000",'fadespeed':500,'scalespeed':500,'width':640,'height':480,'hideobjects':1,'scrollpopup':1,'theme':"standard",'themecustom':"",'themepath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/themes"},'tootlip':{'classname':"tooltip",'opacity':1,'speed':150,'position':"br",'offsets':"{'x': 16, 'y': 16}"},'imgpath':"plugins/system/jceutilities/img",'pngfix':0,'wmode':0});});
</script>
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/favicon.ico" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/system.css" type="text/css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/system/css/general.css" type="text/css" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/nav.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/style1.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if IE]>
<link href="/templates/js_relevant/css/ie.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<![endif]-->
<!--[if lte IE 6]>
<style type="text/css">
img { behavior: url(/templates/js_relevant/js/iepngfix.htc); }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Language" content="en" /></head>
<body>
<div id="main-wrapper">
<div id="header_graphic">
<div class="inside">
<div id="newsflash"> <div class="moduletable">
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top" ><span>“I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool” (Paul, 2 Cor 11:17)</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" >
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<h1><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" title="Relevant">Relevant</a></h1>
<h2>A Joomla! Template for the Rest of Us</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="menubar">
<div id="navmenu">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/templates/js_relevant/js/barmenu.js"></script>
<ul class="menu"><li><a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/"><span>Home</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="haschild"><span>Books</span></a><ul><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words Only</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWO/jesus-words-only-amazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html" class="child"><span>Jesus' Words on Salvation</span></a><ul><li><a href="/JWOS/jesuswordsonsalvationamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetus.html" class="child"><span>Did Calvin Murder Servetus?</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusbackground.html"><span>Background Material</span></a></li><li><a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/didcalvinmurderservetusamazon.html"><span>Purchase from Amazon.com</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html" class="child"><span>How Not to Study the Bible</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Bible/hownottostudythebible.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html" class="child"><span>Flaws of Young Earth Science</span></a><ul><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/flawsofyoungearthscience.html"><span>Download e-Book</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Young-Earth-Science/unintended-disservice-of-young-earth-science.html"><span>Unintended Disservice</span></a></li><li><a href="/Hebrew-Matthew/original-gospel-of-matthew-in-hebrew.html"><span>Original Gospel of Matthew</span></a></li></ul></li><li id="current" class="active"><a href="/Recommended-Reading/recommendedreading.html"><span>Further Reading</span></a></li><li><a href="/Audio/audio-messages.html"><span>Media</span></a></li><li><a href="/About-The-Author/about-the-author.html"><span>About The Author</span></a></li><li class="haschild"><a href="/Review.list/" class="haschild"><span>Reviews</span></a><ul><li><a href="/jwo-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words Only</span></a></li><li><a href="/jwos-reviews.html"><span>Jesus Words on Salvation</span></a></li></ul></li><li><a href="/Contact-Us/contactus.html"><span>Contact Us</span></a></li><li><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20"><span>Amazon Shop</span></a></li><li><a href="/Recommended-Reading/topical-index-of-this-website.html"><span>Topic Index</span></a></li></ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mainbody">
<div id="showcasetop">&nbsp;</div>
<table width="940" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td id="leftcol" valign="top" width="200">
<div class="inside">
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Search</h3>
<form action="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" method="post">
<div class="searchS1">
<input name="searchword" id="mod_search_searchword" maxlength="20" alt="Search" class="inputboxS1" type="text" size="20" value="search..." onblur="if(this.value=='') this.value='search...';" onfocus="if(this.value=='search...') this.value='';" /> </div>
<input type="hidden" name="task" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="option" value="com_search" />
<input type="hidden" name="Itemid" value="3" />
</form> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
Please enter your questions, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. As an anti-spam measure, we ask that you re-type the code you see in the box below, prior to clicking "Send Message"<br /><br />
<form name="s5_quick_contact" method="post" action="">
<input class="inputbox" id="namebox" onclick="s5_qc_clearname()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearname()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Name..." name="name"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="emailbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearemail()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearemail()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Email..." name="email"></input><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="subjectbox" onclick="s5_qc_clearsubject()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearsubject()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Subject..." name="subject"></input><br />
<textarea id="messagebox" rows="" cols="" class="inputbox textarea" onclick="s5_qc_clearbody()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearbody()" style="font-size:11px; font-family:arial; overflow:auto;width:80%; height:55px" name="message">Your Message...</textarea><br />
<input class="inputbox" id="spambox" onclick="s5_qc_clearspam()" onfocus="s5_qc_clearspam()" style="font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; font-family:arial; width:80%" type="text" value="Enter The Code 5372" name="verif_box"></input><br />
<input id="email_address" type="hidden" value="" name="email_address"></input>
<input class="button" type="button" onclick="s5_qc_submit()" value="Send Message" ></input>
</form>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
// <![CDATA[
var s5_qc_spam_text = document.getElementById("spambox").value;
function s5_qc_clearbody() {
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearname() {
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name...") {
document.getElementById("namebox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearemail() {
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email...") {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearsubject() {
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject...") {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value = s5_qc_spam_text;
}
}
function s5_qc_clearspam() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text) {
document.getElementById("spambox").value="";
}
if (document.getElementById("namebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("namebox").value = "Name...";
}
if (document.getElementById("emailbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("emailbox").value = "Email...";
}
if (document.getElementById("messagebox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("messagebox").value = "Your Message...";
}
if (document.getElementById("subjectbox").value.length < 1) {
document.getElementById("subjectbox").value = "Subject...";
}
}
function s5_qc_isValidEmail(str_email) {
if (str_email.indexOf(".") > 2 && str_email.indexOf("@") > 0) {
alert('Your email is now being submitted - Thank you!');
document.s5_quick_contact.submit();
}
else {
alert('Your email address is not valid, please check again - Thank you!');
}
}
function s5_qc_submit() {
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value == s5_qc_spam_text || document.getElementById("subjectbox").value == "Subject..." || document.getElementById("namebox").value == "Name..." || document.getElementById("emailbox").value == "Email..." || document.getElementById("messagebox").value == "Your Message...") {
alert('All fields are required, please complete the form - Thank you!');
return false;
}
if (document.getElementById("spambox").value != "5372") {
alert('Your spam verification answer is incorrect.');
return false;
}
var s5_message_holder = document.getElementById("messagebox").value;
var s5_first_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(0);
var s5_second_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(1);
var s5_third_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(2);
var s5_fourth_message_char = s5_message_holder.charAt(3);
if (s5_first_message_char == "<") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "w" && s5_second_message_char == "w" && s5_third_message_char == "w") {
return false;
}
if (s5_first_message_char == "h" && s5_second_message_char == "t" && s5_third_message_char == "t") {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
if (s5_message_holder.indexOf("s5_qc_null") >= 0) {
return false;
}
else {
document.getElementById("email_address").value = "info@jesuswordsonly.com";
var email_str = document.getElementById("emailbox").value;
s5_qc_isValidEmail(email_str);
}
}
// ]]>
</script>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="moduleS1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
<p> </p> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="module">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<a href="/Did-Calvin-Murder-Servetus/calvinfreebookonline.html"><img src="/images/stories/DidCalvinMurderServetusM.jpg" alt="DidCalvinMurderServetusM" height="NaN" width="120" /></a> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td id="maincol" valign="top">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<span class="breadcrumbs pathway">
<a href="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/" class="pathway">Home</a> <img src="/templates/js_relevant/images/arrow.png" alt="" /> Further Reading</span>
</div>
<table class="contentpaneopen">
<tr>
<td valign="top">
<div id="knol-article-top" xmlns="http://www.google.com/ns/jotspot">
<div class="knol-inline-editor knol-content-ltr" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<h1 title="Click on the &quot;Edit this knol&quot; button to switch to edit mode and change this field." class="knol-title" id="knol-title">Writings Section of Original Bible of the Jews</h1>
</div>
<div class="knol-inline-editor knol-content-ltr" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<h2 title="Click on the &quot;Edit this knol&quot; button to switch to edit mode and change this field." class="knol-subtitle" id="knol-subtitle">This Was Not Accepted as 100% Inspired In Every Word</h2>
</div>
<div class="knol-clearer-div"></div>
<div></div>
<div class="knol-inline-editor knol-content-ltr" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<p>by Standford Rives [reprinted from Knol.google.com]</p>
<p>The canon of the Jews at the time of Christ was divided Torah (5 books of Moses), Prophets (all the prophets), and the Writings. The latter was everything else than Torah (Law) and Prophets. The Writings included such books as Esther, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Psalms, Song of Solomon, etc. The Jews of Jesus' days, except the Pharisees, regarded these Writings as edifying and in some verses inspired. The Pharisees alone believed every word in the Writings section was inspired. The early Christian church knew this distinction, and only a mistranslation of 2 Tim. 3:16 obscured this.</p>
</div>
<div class="knol-clearer-div"></div>
<hr id="knol-article-top-hr" />
<div class="knol-clearer-div"></div>
</div>
<div id="knol-content" xmlns="http://www.google.com/ns/jotspot">
<div id="knol-intro" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"></div>
<div id="knol-content-body" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<div id="knol-section-g6z6g2l2q6zj.26">
<div id="knol-content-wrapper-g6z6g2l2q6zj.26" class="knol-content-wrapper">
<div id="knol-content-g6z6g2l2q6zj.26" class="knol-content knol-content-ltr knol-content-lang-en">
<div dir="ltr"><a name="Jewish_Canon_as_of_200_BCE_and_Time_of_Christ"></a>
<h2>Jewish Canon as of 200 BCE and Time of Christ</h2>
The Jewish canon by Jesus' day was divided up in Law, Prophets and Writings.  The Law was called Torah. The Prophets section was called Nev'im. The Writings section was called Ketuvim. ( <span>PBCC DOCTRINAL STATEMENT at 2.)</span><br /><br />The Prophets section was finalized around 200 BCE. The Writings section, Ketuvim, was referred to in a Greek commentary on Ecclesiasticus as "other books" -- when it mentioned "the law and prophets and <em><strong>the other books</strong></em> of our fathers." (See John Haralson Hayes, <em>Introduction to the Bible</em> (1971) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=qDexa5Ou8L0C&amp;lpg=PA21&amp;ots=nSlz5Qw6Ir&amp;dq=pharisees%20writings%20section%20bible&amp;pg=PA21#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">21</a>.)  <br /><br />The Sadducees only accepted the Torah as inspired, and the "<em><strong>other books </strong></em>were prized and read as <strong><em>edifying</em></strong>books." <em>Id., </em>at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=qDexa5Ou8L0C&amp;lpg=PA21&amp;ots=nSlz5Qw6Ir&amp;dq=pharisees%20writings%20section%20bible&amp;pg=PA22#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">22</a>. The Jews of Alexandria and Egypt accepted the Torah as inspired, but also "<em><strong>revered</strong></em> the Prophets and <em><strong>Writings</strong></em>." <em>Id.</em> The Samaritans only accepted the Torah as inspired and to be revered. <em>Id.</em> Thus, Sadducees and Samaritans rejected the Writings section as inspired. It was edifying.
<div></div>
<div>The latter view predominated by the time of Christ. Books that claimed to be prophetic but which did not yet have any prophecy fulfilled were thus kept in the Ketuvim section to reflect their as yet unproven inspired status. The most important example and proof of this fact is the book of Daniel:</div>
<blockquote>The book of Daniel is found in the third section of the Hebrew Bible known as the 'Writings,' rather than the second section 'the Prophets.' <span>(</span><span>Joel Osteen,</span><span> </span><span><em>Hope for Today Bible</em></span><span> </span><span>(2009) at</span><span> </span><span><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=SIVrZ1xLzGQC&amp;lpg=PA951&amp;dq=daniel%20writing%20section%20bible&amp;pg=PA951#v=onepage&amp;q=daniel%20writing%20section%20bible&amp;f=false">951</a>.)</span></blockquote>
<div>Who accepted the Writings section as more than edifying? The Pharisees. One scholar notes that the "Pharisaic Jewish historian" gives a picture of canon where the Law, Prophets and<strong><em> Writings</em></strong> were <em><strong>all sacrosanct</strong></em>. (Hayes, <em>supra</em>, at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=qDexa5Ou8L0C&amp;lpg=PA21&amp;ots=nSlz5Qw6Ir&amp;dq=pharisees%20writings%20section%20bible&amp;pg=PA22#v=onepage&amp;q=&amp;f=false">22</a>.)<br /><br />Jesus spoke of the "Law and the Prophets" never fading away. He never spoke the same about the "Writings" (Kevutim) which, had Jesus done so, would have meant He adopted the Pharasaical view of the Bible. Jesus thereby deliberately drops off the expanded Pharisaical view of the Bible when Jesus speaks only of the validity of the "Law and the Prophets" (<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/5-17.htm">Matt. 5:17</a>.) See also <a href="http://bible.cc/acts/28-23.htm">Acts 28:23</a> ("<span>tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.")</span></div>
<p><br />The way the ancient Jews divided canon was also done by explaining three levels of inspiration with the Law and Prophets clearly trumping the third level. While for a Christian these three levels would all appear equal, the point is that this is how Rabbis back then explained the three tiers of the canon so that "Writings" (Ketuvim) would<em><strong> never be on par </strong></em>with the Law and Prophets. In an article entitled "Inspiration" by Rev. James Gardner from 1858, we read:</p>
<blockquote>The Jews were accustomed to speak of three different degrees of inspiration. Moses, they alleged, possessed the highest degree, with whom God spake mouth to mouth; the second, according to their view, was the gift of prophecy; and the lowest,<strong><em> the inspiration of the Holy Ghost</em></strong>, from which proceeded the holy writings or Hagiograplia. (Rev. James Gardner, "Inspiration," <em>The faiths of the world: an account of all religions and religious sects, their doctrines, rites, ceremonies, and customs</em> (A. Fullarton &amp; co., 1858) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FHcAAAAAMAAJ&amp;lr=&amp;pg=PA142">142</a>.)<br /></blockquote>
<div>It is possible Jesus makes a reference to the third level of inspiration Himself in Matthew 22:43 where He says that David composed Psalm 110 "in the Spirit." This would be very consistent with the Jewish view of the Psalms which belonged to the Ketuvim. They are written "in the Spirit," but this is distinct from any claim of equivalence to the Torah or Prophets.<br /><br />Indeed, Job is a book that illustrates the issue the Jews had with the Ketuvim and why they place Job within the Ketuvim despite Moses authoring Job (according to Jewish tradition). <br /><br />First, in Moses's account in Job (yes, Jews say Moses wrote this), the words of the man Job are clearly not inspired like a prophet. This is because God does not appear until very late in the story, and then God speaks directly only to Job, and then says 'who is this darkening' God's counsels. (<a href="http://bible.cc/job/38-2.htm">Job 38:2</a>)("<span>"Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?")</span></div>
<div></div>
<div>The immediate next verse is God angrily saying to Job: "Brace yourself like a man; I will question you." This would have to mean God rejected the accuracy of Job's earlier conversation with his friends. Hence, quoting the man Job as a prophet cannot possibly be correct. While God praises Job for his steadfast faithfulness under dire stress, God never tells us the words of the man Job are true and prophetic. <br /><br />Hence, for reasons such as this, the Jews did not regard the book of Job as 100% inspired. Thus, they put it in the Writings section, not the Prophets section, even though a Prophet - Moses -- wrote it by Jewish tradition!</div>
<div></div>
<div>When you read Job, you see it had moments of inspiration when God speaks, but one cannot lift quotes out of context, and say words from Job, for example, are a prophetic true message from God. Thus, this is likely why it was placed in the Ketuvim section of the OT, and not even the Prophetic section even though Moses wrote it. (Moses also wrote Psalm 90, and that too is not in the prophetic section of the OT canon. Psalm 90 is placed with David's psalms written many centuries later.) Thus, Jews must have regarded certain writings, even by inspired prophets, as not worthy of being treated on par with prophecy because only distinct portions were inspired and some portions were obviously not. The solution was to place them in the Ketuvim section.<a name="Mistranslation_of_2_Tim(2E)_3(3A)16_Causes_Misunderstanding_in_NT"></a></div>
<p> </p>
<h2>Mistranslation of 2 Tim. 3:16 Causes Misunderstanding in NT</h2>
In Greek, ambiguity can arise in discussing the old canon. For example, if one wished to refer to the Ketuvim, meaning "Writings," there were two Greek words that interchangeably meant "Writings" or our English synonym, "Scripture" -- the words graphe and grammata. At the same time, if one wished to refer to the entire OT canon, including the Ketuvim, one could still refer to it in Greek as "writings," either graphe or <em>grammata</em>. <br /><br />Only by context could one infer whether the intent was to identify solely the Writings/Scripture section (Ketuvim) or speak about all the writings/scripture, <em>i.e.,</em> the Torah, the Prophets and the Ketuvim/Writings.<br /><br />Paul refers in 2 Tim. 3:15 to the Holy "grammata," translated as "Writings," but Paul obviously intended by calling them "Holy" to refer to the Law and Prophets.<br /><br />Then in the very next verse, Paul speaks more broadly about the "graphe" which was likewise translated into English as "writings." As we shall see, Paul meant by "graphe" here - rendered as "Scripture" -- to include the entire Torah, Prophets and Writings/Ketuvim. Cfr. reference to just Torah and Prophets was "Holy Writings" (Greek, grammata) (Rom. 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:15). Cf. Jesus' usage of <em>graphe</em> in Matt. 21:24-23; 22:29-32.<br /><br />This is because Paul's manner of expression implied that some Scripture / <em>graphe</em> is<strong><em> not </em></strong>always inspired, and thus <em>graphe's </em>use in 2 Tim. 3:16 must have been inclusive of the Ketuvim section unlike 3:15 where <em>grammata</em>meant to identify just the 100% 'holy' or 'inspired' books of Torah and Prophets. Upon becoming a Christian, Paul must have given up the Pharisaical view that the Ketuvim section too was entirely inspired, but after becoming a Christian Paul adopted Jesus' view that the "Law and the Prophets" are what have a 100% validity that will never expire. (Matt. 5:17.)<br /><br />To realize this, we must observe that one of the most often mistranslated verses in the NT canon is 2 Tim. 3:16. The mistranslation gives an exaggerated sense of what the term "Scripture" (Writings/<em>graphe</em>) distinct from "Holy Writings" (2 Tim. 3:15, <em>grammata</em>) meant in Paul's usage. The way 2 Tim. 3:16 typically reads is: "All Scripture <strong>[is]</strong> given by inspiration of God, and is profitable."  <br /><br />However, the word "<strong>is</strong>" has been put in italics or brackets in various translations because it is not found in the original Greek text. It was added to our Bible text by the translators, believing it was <em>understood</em> at that juncture but was inadvertently unexpressed. The American Standard Version of 1901, however, realizes this was improperly adding to Paul's words, and <strong>drops the "is"</strong> at that point, thereby dramatically giving us a new perspective. Now we see the "is" only appears before the word <em>profitable</em>, but not also before "God-breathed." The corrected translation, and the literally accurate one, is:<br />
<blockquote><em><strong>Every scripture inspired of God is </strong></em>also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. (ASV, 1901, <a href="http://bible.cc/2_timothy/3-16.htm">2 Tim. 3:16</a>.)<br /></blockquote>
The scholar George Ricker Berry, in his <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vLRQZjI693sC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=George%20Ricker%20Berry&amp;pg=PP1#v=onepage&amp;q=&amp;f=false">Interlinear KJV New Testament</a> (1993) likewise renders it literally as saying "<em><strong>Every Scripture God inspired</strong></em> is profitable."  Today, it is a recognized alternative rendering. <br /><br />Hence, as expressed, Paul implies not every Scripture is inspired,<em>i.e.</em>, only some places within the KEVUTIM are inspired by God. But those which are entirely inspired, <em>i.e.</em>, the Torah and Prophets, and some portions of Kevutim, are profitable for correction, etc.<br /><br />This implication means we should prefer to see Paul recognized, consistent with Jesus never affirming the entire validity of the Ketuvim section, that the word <em>graphe</em> we translated as "Scripture" was broad enough to include the entire Jewish canon which had one part -- the Ketuvim -- which at moments was inspired but at other moments was not inspired. Thus, you could have Scripture that was not God-breathed and some God-breathed -- when speaking of the "Writings" (Ketuvim) section of the Jewish canon. <br /><br />Hence, Paul's statement fits precisely that understanding when we refuse to add to Paul what he does not say. By deleting the "is" where it was not expressed in 2 Tim. 3:16, we see in Paul's language an understanding that not every "graphe" (Scripture) is inspired of God, but instead that "Scripture inspired by God is profitable," etc. In other words, Paul is only saying "all God-breathed scripture is profitable." This implies that if it is not God-breathed Scripture (certain Kevutim portions), then such "scripture" -- even though accepted in the Writings / Scripture section of the Bible's three-fold canon of that era -- is not necessarily profitable.<br /><a name="NT_Attitude_Toward_Ketuvim_(2F)_Scripture_Section_of_OT"></a>
<h2>NT Attitude Toward Ketuvim / Scripture Section of OT</h2>
<div>The quotation pattern within our NT in fact reveals a low regard for the third section of the Jewish Canon -- the "Ketuvim" or "Writings" section, reflecting the traditional Jewish understanding of its 'sometimes inspired, sometimes not inspired' nature.  The quotations from the Law and Prophets are very numerous:</div>
<div></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Jesus quotes from the following books in the Gospels: Genesis (Matthew 19:4-5, Mark 10:6-8), Exodus (Matthew 5:27, 5:38, 15:4, 22:32, Mark 7:10, Luke 20:37), Leviticus (Matthew 5:33, 5:38, 5:43, 15:4, 22:39, Mark 7:10, 12:31), Numbers (Matthew 5:33, 5:38), Deuteronomy (Matthew 4:4, 4:7, 4:10, 5:27, 5:31, 5:33, 15:4, 18:16, 22:37, Mark 7:10, 12:29-30, Luke 4:4, 4:8, 4:12), Joshua (Mark 12:29-30), Isaiah (Mathew 13:14-15, 15:8-9, 21:13, Mark 4:12, 7:6-7, 9:44-48, 11:17, Luke 4:18-19, 8:10, 19:46, 22:37), Jeremiah (Matthew 21:13, Mark 8:18, 11:17, Luke 19:46), Ezekiel (Mark 8:18), Minor Prophets (Matthew 9:13, 10:35-36, 11:10, 26:31, Mark 14:27, Luke 7:27, 12:53, 23:30).</span></div>
<div style="padding-left: 30px;"></div>
<div>By contrast, the quotations from the Ketuvim (Writings section) are, as John Mark Ministries explains, are rare with the exception of the Psalms:</div>
<blockquote>In summary, from the third section of the Jewish Scriptures while there are plenty of quotations in the NT from Psalms - more than any other OT book - there are a negligible number of quotations from the remainder of this [third] section. (<a href="http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/15292.htm">"What Does Scripture Mean"</a>)<br /></blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>In fact, Jesus in Matthew's Gospel only quotes the Psalms seven times and Daniel twice.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>Psalms (Matthew 7:23, 21:16, 21:42, 22:44, 23:39, 26:64, 27:46, Mark 12:36, 14:62, 15:34, Luke 20:17, 20:42-43), Daniel (Matthew 23:39, 26:64, Mark 13:14, 14:62).</span></p>
<p>Jesus also names Job but does not quote from Job. These are the only references by Jesus to the Ketuvim section of the Bible.</p>
<div>Thus, the correct and literal translation of 2 Tim. 3:16 -- not using an imagined 'is' -- allows us to confirm this understanding was in Paul's mind. Such a translation thus confirms what Jesus' was saying by His emphasizing the "Law and Prophets" (Matt. 5:17) and thus Jesus was impliedly rejecting the Pharisees' notion that the "Writings"  (Ketuvim) section was 100% inspired.<br /><br />In further support, we can cite J.W. Roberts, the famous scholar. Roberts comments on the "is" issue, and agrees with the conclusion that the verse in 2 Tim. 3:16 means every God-breathed scripture "is" profitable, not that every "scripture is God-breathed" -- a big difference. Roberts says:<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The American Standard renders, "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable . . ." It would appear from this difference in translation that the difficulties are in the words "all" or "every" and in <em><strong>the placing of the copula or verb "is." </strong></em>The fact that the verb is italicized in both versions indicates that it is in ellipsis (understood) in the context....[Paul means] </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">"every Scripture" inspired in the same manner as the Old Testament, may be used as religiously profitable, for the Christian. </span>(J.W. Roberts, "Every Scripture Inspired of God," Restoration Quarterly Vol. 5, No.1 (1960), available <a href="http://www.acu.edu/sponsored/restoration_quarterly/archives/1960s/vol_5_no_1_contents/roberts.html">online</a>.)<br /></blockquote>
<p>However, rather than <em>graphe</em> being used to refer to possibly a NT body of writings, scholars believe that "graphe" must mean the entire OT, including the less than always inspired Ketuvim section. For example, in Guthrie's <em>Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles</em> (1957) in the <em>Tyndale Commentary</em> series, we read on page 163, in the commentary on verse 16 of 2 Tim. 3:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>... graphe could mean any writing, but the uniform New Testament use of it with reference to Scripture (i.e. the Old Testament) determines its meaning here.</p>
</blockquote>
<a name="Peter_Used_Graphe_For_Less_Than_100(25)_Always_Inspired_Writings"></a>
<h2>Peter Used Graphe For Less Than 100% Always Inspired Writings</h2>
This indeed is how Peter used the term "Scripture" in Second Peter 3:15-17 when he put on par Paul's writings among "other" Scripture. Peter could not possibly have meant everything Paul said was inspired, as Paul made explicitly clear that he said many things that were not inspired in his letters. When speaking for the Lord, Paul said "the Lord" gave him the message, as was an OT requirement to be treated as inspired-writ, and yet at other times Paul emphasized he was speaking on his own in his letters. Hence, Paul cannot be viewed as Scripture that is inspired in every word, for Paul denies for himself that very interpretation.<br /><br />First, in Paul's own words, he once said  "I speak not by Commandment ... and herein I give <strong><em>my advice</em></strong>" (2 Cor. 8: 8-10). Paul's "advice" undoubtedly was good, but he certainly did not mean it was the Word of God. Likewise, in this next quote from 1 Corinthians, note the two different sources of the commands which Paul has written:  "Unto the married I command, yet not I, <strong><em> but the Lord</em></strong> .., but the<em><strong> rest is from me, not from the Lord</strong></em>” (I Cor. 7:10-12). Paul in saying this did what OT principles required for recognition of a statement as inspired -- he said the message was from "the Lord." Finally, here is another quote which definitely tells us that some of Paul's utterances and admonishments were of his own making: “Now concerning virgins I have <strong><em>no commandment of the Lord</em></strong>:  but I give my own opinion” (1 Cor.7:25 ). <em>See also</em> 2 Cor. 11:17 ("What I am going to say now, is<strong><em> not prompted by the Lord</em></strong>, but said as if in a fit of folly, in the certainty that I have something to boast about”)<br /><br />Hence, Paul did not understand he was always speaking under inspiration. When he wanted that understood, Paul followed the OT requirement of saying the "Lord" burdened him with a message.<br /><br />Hence, by Second Peter 3:15-17 referring to Paul's letters as "Scripture," Second Peter meant Paul fit within the very broad meaning of <em>graphe</em>,<em> i.e</em>, the OT inclusive of Ketuvim/ Writings, the latter being not always inspired in every word. Second Peter realized that one would have to read carefully to find Paul's references to the Lord speaking, and then it could be deduced that portion was inspired if it matched other OT criteria of the prophetic. <br /><br />Therefore, we have jumped to conclusions what Paul and Peter meant when referring to Scripture that they meant to imply it was something always "inspired" rather than as edifying and only sometimes inspired, which had to be determined by context and the satisfaction of the definition of the prophetic in the OT. Of course, it remains true that "all God-breathed Scripture is profitable." (2 Tim. 3:16.) Yet, it did not mean all Scripture in the OT canon was inspired --  a mistaken interpretation fostered by earlier mistranslations of 2 Tim. 3:16.<br /><a name="Early_Church_Understanding_of_Inspiration"></a>
<h2>Early Church Understanding of Inspiration</h2>
This distinction is important in reading the commentary in the early church. The early fathers were reluctant to give letters of apostles the same authority as the prophetic. Although this gradually gave way to a more comprehensive belief in 100% inspiration for even letters, this is not how the Christian faith began. As Reverand Gardner explained in 1858:<br />
<blockquote>The Fathers [<em>i.e.</em>, Christian commentators from 125-325 A.D.], however, differed in their views of inspiration; some took it in a more restricted, others in a more comprehensive sense, But they were usually <em><strong>more inclined to admit verbal inspiration in the case of the Old than of the New Testament</strong></em>; and it was not till the canon of the New Testament had been completed, that they adopted concerning it the views which they had long entertained concerning the verbal inspiration of the Old Testament. (Rev. James Gardner, "Inspiration," <em>The faiths of the world: an account of all religions and religious sects, their doctrines, rites, ceremonies, and customs</em> (A. Fullarton &amp; co., 1858) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FHcAAAAAMAAJ&amp;lr=&amp;pg=PA142">142</a>.)<br /></blockquote>
<div>This is evident from the fact that the letters of the apostles were not collected into a single book until long after the apostles died. While the letters of the apostles were shared and revered in the first 200 years, "these epistles were not as yet united in one collection possessing, like the writings of the O.T., distinctive canonical rank as Holy Scripture." (Friedrich Bleek, <em>Introduction to the New Testament</em> (Clark 1870) Vol. 2 at<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=iD8tAAAAYAAJ&amp;dq=winer%20grammar%20of%20new%20testament%20greek%20enlarged%20moulton&amp;pg=PA238#v=onepage&amp;q=winer%20grammar%20of%20new%20testament%20greek%20enlarged%20moulton&amp;f=false"> 238</a>.) By putting them in a single canon and calling them "scripture," however, did not intend them to be regarded as fully inspired. It simply put them in the same rank as the third section of the OT -- where maybe it had words that were inspired, but this depended upon context to determine.</div>
<div></div>
Hence, from Jesus to Paul to the early fathers, there was a strong understanding that the term "Scripture" when speaking of the entire Bible as 'graphe,' it meant the entire OT, including the "Writings" section which was not always inspired. But the term "Scripture" could also be simply a translation of the word "Writings" for the third section. Context has to be examined to understand which is understood. The early church had the same principle that "Scripture" could apply to apostolic letters, but it is clear that initially it was because they were regarded as on par with the third section of the Bible as it then stood -- the "Writings aka Scripture" section.</div>
<p> </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="knol-clearer-div"></div>
<div id="references" class="knol-content">
<h3></h3>
<ol id="knol-references"> </ol></div>
</div>
</div> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<span class="article_separator">&nbsp;</span>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<div class="bottom_top"></div>
<div id="bottom">
</div>
</div>
<div id="footer"><strong>Content View Hits</strong> : 928871<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
var pv = new Array(1,0,0,0,1);
var trdlname = "/downloads";
//<![CDATA[
var regex = /\.(?:doc|eps|jpg|png|svg|xls|ppt|pdf|xls|zip|txt|vsd|vxd|js|css|rar|exe|wma|mov|avi|wmv|mp3)($|\&|\?)/;
//]]>
var trlkname = "/external/";
var trmlname = "/mailto/";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.jesuswordsonly.com/modules/mod_analytics/gatr.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3747914");
pageTracker._initData();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
</div>
<div class="copyright"></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>