From Newsgroup: alt.bible
The apostasy in our day.
The Bible predicted a great apostasy away from true religion, to
occur: Acts 20:30,
"and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse
things, to draw away the disciples after them." (RSV)
In the past, the Methodist Church was in a split. Some members of the
church want to accept homosexuals. Others did not. Thus a split.
Yet the true religion of today has no discord within itself. It is
similar to the first century Christians. It follows this Scripture to
the letter:
- New American with Apocrypha
1 Corinthians 1:10 I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no
divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in
the same purpose.
BUT WAIT! Doesn't that mean that you can't think for yourself, that
you can't criticize your religion, that you are mind controlled? That
is what many say about JW's. When a religion has nothing but truths,
then all SHOULD speak in agreement. Right? Notice: 2 Thes 2:2,3,
"2. that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be
disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us,
to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
3. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the
apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son
of destruction," (NASB)
That all happened in 1914, the time of Jesus' return, when Jesus was
ruling in the midst his enemies. (Ps 110:2) By this time, the apostasy
was going strong. But who is this oman of lawlessnesso who gets
revealed?
Notice that the "man of lawlessness" is connected with the foretold
religious "apostasy" (rebellion, NIV) that would occur within the
Christian congregations. (2 Th 2:3)
The religious truths that the first century Christians practiced were
kept uncontaminated by the strength and power of Jesus' Apostles.
(they were the 'restraint' that kept it all together. Vs 6,7) When
they all died off, the apostasy took off and expanded.
False Christian religion now became large and influential and
would exist right up till the time of the end. (See Mt 13:24-30)
In 2 Th 2:7 Paul tells us that the "lawlessness" of this man was
already existing in his day and will exist till Jesus destroys him.
Thus it is not a specific individual (Vs 8). That means this "man of lawlessness" that was started in Paul's day would exist up to the end
the system of things when Jesus will destroy his enemies. (Re 19:21)
Again, this also shows that the "man of lawlessness" could not be one individual person. Thus this "man of lawlessness" is a composite term
which includes all forms of false or counterfeit teachers of
Christianity. They claim to teach the truth of the Bible thus they set themselves "up in God's temple" (Vs 4) This starts to occur after all
the apostles die off. Acts 20:29,30,
"29. "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among
you, not sparing the flock;
30. and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse
things, to draw away the disciples after them." (NASB)
Thus begins the formation of many false religions. That is why we see
so many of them around today all claiming to be oChristiano. The
Christ does not exist divided, and never will.
2 Pe 2:1,3,
"1. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will
also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce
destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them,
bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
3. and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their
judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not
asleep." (NASB) [See the examples below]
Yes, false religious teachers would spring up. They would even taunt
the true oone faitho religion. (Eph 4:4,5) But their lawless deeds do
not go unnoticed, and their eminent destruction is at hand. Mt
13:24-30,
" 24. He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of
heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25. "But while men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares also
among the wheat, and went away.
26. "But when the wheat sprang up and bore grain, then the tares
became evident also.
27. "And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, `Sir, did
you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?'
28. "And he said to them, `An enemy has done this!' And the slaves
said to him, `Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?'
29. "But he said, `No; lest while you are gathering up the tares, you
may root up the wheat with them.
30. `Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of
the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and
bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my
barn."'""
The ofireo here in Jesus' parable is not hellfire. This fire here is
symbolic of everlasting destruction. God does not burn living beings
alive in a literal fire. Would you?
Yes, all false religion will be around right up till the oharvesto;
the end of the world. Those in the oone faitho true religion will have
to put up with them until the end. And today the Bible warns those in
those false religions to GET OUT!
-- Revised Standard
Revelation 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come
out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share
in her plagues;
She has been causing oplagueso wherever she went. "These evidently are expressions of GodAs anger and symbolically point to the result or
effect of His judicial decisions, and are expressions of GodAs anger
and symbolically point to the result or effect of his judicial
decisions upon them." (Insight, plague, p. 647)
-- New Revised Standard with Apocrypha
Revelation 18:5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
Yes, today Christendom is steeped in the cesspool of false pagan
religious teachings such as:
Hellfire, an immortal soul, all good people go to Heaven, the dead
continue to exist, the celebrating of pagan holidays, purgatory,
Limbo, papal line of descent, forbidden to eat certain foods, just
sprinkling of baptismal water, supporting and participating in the
wars of this world, religious leaders wearing special garb, saying
prayers for the dead, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, the REMOVAL of
God's Holy Name from their Bibles, the claim of healings, the reading
of horoscopes, their clergy getting paid.
Yes, the apostasy is strong and robust during these last days. But so
is her enemy, the true "one faith" religion based on God's word, the
Holy Bible. (Eph 4:4,5)
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Help put the fire out in Hellfire
(God is not a sadist)
Help put the fire out in Hellfire
(God is not a sadist)
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