Sunday, April 19, 2020
Saturday, March 28, 2020
1 Peter 1:1-2
Peter, an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ, [writing] to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia 2 Who were chosen and foreknown by God the Father and consecrated (sanctified, made holy) by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and to be sprinkled with [His] blood: May grace (spiritual blessing) and peace be given you in increasing abundance [that spiritual peace to be realized in and through Christ, freedom from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts]. (AMPC)
I am going to do a simple Bible Study in the book of First Peter to help all of us to grow in the knowledge of the word. I hope this is of value to you and you are willing to share.
In verse 1 the author of the letter is clearly identified as the Apostle Peter who was part of the inner circle of Christ's disciples. There was the 70, then the 12, then the inner circle with James and John. He had private time with Christ and we all know the times, Peter would be a spiritual giant, then other times a coward yet at all times he loved Christ.
He is writing to the believers who were living in pagan towns as exiles, tying the language many Jews would recognize as the Diaspora in their own history. Why exiles, because our home is not this earthly kingdom controlled by the principalities and powers of this present darkness. We are members of the Kingdom of Heaven and are traveling here toward our homeland.
He writes to the chosen believers who are living in a world where Yeshua is rejected. Thus they will not fit in with the world, and its thinking. Many get confused about the term chosen meaning they are selected, meaning others are not. Nothing could be farther than the truth, the Gospel is preached to all, but not everyone chooses to follow Christ.
Then throwing more into the mix, Peter says to we are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God. Some have taken this to mean that some are "predestined" to follow Christ and others are not. Please don't let that get into your thinking. The phrase simply means God before the foundation of the world provided the plan for man to return to the place they would fall from and become His sons and daughters. Nothing catches God off guard, He already had a plan in place.
Peter says we are set apart for obedience by the Spirit, meaning we are set apart, sanctified by the sealing of the Holy Spirit as our earnest or downpayment for all the promises of God. Christ's Blood is the means of this purification and not our works or our own efforts. We like to think we play a part in being Chrisitan. We try to work outside to the inside, whereas Christ wants to work from the inside to the outside.
To these people living in this foreign land, Peter wants grace and peace multiplied to these believers in their present circumstances. This means in spite of where we live, and what is going on around us, we all need peace and grace expanding in our lives.
In this day of disease, fear, and other problems be comforted that this world is not the home of the believer. God has a plan for all our lives and will bring us through this current storm and prepare us for His soon return. Let me be clear JESUS IS COMING SOON, it is time to wake up and look up so that we are looking for Him.
Grace and peace be multiplied in your life see you as we walk through 1 Peter.
Monday, March 9, 2020
Monday, February 17, 2020
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Who were the Nicolatians?
Revelation 2:6
6 But you do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans practice—practices I also hate.
(NET)
Revelation 2:15
15 In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. (NET)
Recently, I have begun to wonder about this group of people Jesus actually uses the word hate with. Growing up in the church I was always taught that they were a group that wanted to dominate the laity and was part of the early church placing the minister in power over the laity. Of course, this was taught from churches that had power structures very similar to that of the one they preached against. This brings me to the question that has been plaguing me the past few days, who were these people and what did they teach?
I first thought the idea I was taught came down from the early church fathers but was shocked to find it came from the work of C.I. Scoffield in the early 20th century. He wrote that the Nicolaitans were the earliest notion of a priestly order or clergy which later divided into the clergy and the laity. This seems like an odd thing to hate as Paul talked about leadership in the church, and its related offices.
Of course, I do understand that abuse of power happens and that for some the idea of ministry is not to shepherd a flock but to be the boss and run the church. Let's be honest there are several denominations that are as political as the world and some of its leaders have agendas that are suspect, but is that what Christ is refferring to?
So I began to dig back into the early church writing seeking clues to this group and their teachings. Some attribute the beginning of this group to the deacon Nicolas from Acts 6:5 a "Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch." So he was a pagan who became a Jew who then became a Christian. He had changed his belief structure 3 times and was now serving in leadership. On that point everyone agrees, but then the early writers divide. Some defend Nicolas saying the Nicolaitans falsely connected themselves with him, while others say that he led men to live lives of "unrestrained indulgence."
The truth about this group is easily understood when you look at the complete picture and remove our western mindset and remember the original audience. The early church started out as an offshoot of Judaism, and the majority of the early members were Jews who accepted Christ as the Messiah. The Gentiles (non-Jews) who came from pagan practices, came in with varying customs and ideas that had to be changed in order for them to truly accept Christ. As the church grew, the leadership had to deal with the two groups and establish some sort of baseline of behavior so the church could function. Eventually, they settled on the Gentiles did not have to become Jews to be Christians, but that it would be advisable that they abstain from eating meat sacrificed to idols and fornication.
This would separate them from their pagan roots and help them live lives separated to the Gospel of Christ. This is where the deeds and doctrine of the Nicolaitans begin to take hold. The new converts were told that they could still keep their pagan roots because they really didn't mean anything and still serve Christ. The flesh did not impact the spirit, in reality, they were preaching compromise.
The Nicolaitans created churches that were powerless, and weak, where there was no need for repentance, and sin is winked at as a necessary part of human existence. I will give you 4 hallmarks of this doctrine as it appears today in our churches. This list is in no way inclusive, but these stand out to me.
1. The need for inclusiveness. Everyone needs to come regardless of their beliefs because there isn't one truth but many. These disregard the teachings of the Bible in favor of large crowds and no conflict with the world.
2. No emphasis on doctrine- They preach a social gospel using the Bible as a reference and book of illustrations and stories. Many believers today do not know the doctrines taught in the Bible as many churches no longer have Sunday School, new convert classes, Bible study that uses the Bible or any medium to teach doctrine. Is it any wonder why so many are easily deceived!
3. There are no absolutes- Truth is relative, there are many right answers. All religions are the same, so why worry about them. This is like saying there are many definitions of a mile when all over the world the accepted measurement has been standardized. There are absolutes and without them, society as a whole will crumble.
4. Everyone gets to go to heaven, regardless of their acceptance of Christ.- This is the doctrine of universalism and it is again rearing its head in the mainstream media. This is in stark contrast to the very words of Christ.
Whether you believe it or not, Jesus is coming back after His bride, the only question is will you be in that group. Repentance is key, it is turning away from your old life and living the new life He gives you through the power of the Spirit. I pray that as you have read my brain musing at 4:40 am in the morning will cause you to think, pray, repent, and walk with Christ in a way that will lead you to His kingdom.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
6 But you do have this going for you: You hate what the Nicolaitans practice—practices I also hate.
(NET)
Revelation 2:15
15 In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans. (NET)
Recently, I have begun to wonder about this group of people Jesus actually uses the word hate with. Growing up in the church I was always taught that they were a group that wanted to dominate the laity and was part of the early church placing the minister in power over the laity. Of course, this was taught from churches that had power structures very similar to that of the one they preached against. This brings me to the question that has been plaguing me the past few days, who were these people and what did they teach?
I first thought the idea I was taught came down from the early church fathers but was shocked to find it came from the work of C.I. Scoffield in the early 20th century. He wrote that the Nicolaitans were the earliest notion of a priestly order or clergy which later divided into the clergy and the laity. This seems like an odd thing to hate as Paul talked about leadership in the church, and its related offices.
Of course, I do understand that abuse of power happens and that for some the idea of ministry is not to shepherd a flock but to be the boss and run the church. Let's be honest there are several denominations that are as political as the world and some of its leaders have agendas that are suspect, but is that what Christ is refferring to?
So I began to dig back into the early church writing seeking clues to this group and their teachings. Some attribute the beginning of this group to the deacon Nicolas from Acts 6:5 a "Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch." So he was a pagan who became a Jew who then became a Christian. He had changed his belief structure 3 times and was now serving in leadership. On that point everyone agrees, but then the early writers divide. Some defend Nicolas saying the Nicolaitans falsely connected themselves with him, while others say that he led men to live lives of "unrestrained indulgence."
The truth about this group is easily understood when you look at the complete picture and remove our western mindset and remember the original audience. The early church started out as an offshoot of Judaism, and the majority of the early members were Jews who accepted Christ as the Messiah. The Gentiles (non-Jews) who came from pagan practices, came in with varying customs and ideas that had to be changed in order for them to truly accept Christ. As the church grew, the leadership had to deal with the two groups and establish some sort of baseline of behavior so the church could function. Eventually, they settled on the Gentiles did not have to become Jews to be Christians, but that it would be advisable that they abstain from eating meat sacrificed to idols and fornication.
This would separate them from their pagan roots and help them live lives separated to the Gospel of Christ. This is where the deeds and doctrine of the Nicolaitans begin to take hold. The new converts were told that they could still keep their pagan roots because they really didn't mean anything and still serve Christ. The flesh did not impact the spirit, in reality, they were preaching compromise.
The Nicolaitans created churches that were powerless, and weak, where there was no need for repentance, and sin is winked at as a necessary part of human existence. I will give you 4 hallmarks of this doctrine as it appears today in our churches. This list is in no way inclusive, but these stand out to me.
1. The need for inclusiveness. Everyone needs to come regardless of their beliefs because there isn't one truth but many. These disregard the teachings of the Bible in favor of large crowds and no conflict with the world.
2. No emphasis on doctrine- They preach a social gospel using the Bible as a reference and book of illustrations and stories. Many believers today do not know the doctrines taught in the Bible as many churches no longer have Sunday School, new convert classes, Bible study that uses the Bible or any medium to teach doctrine. Is it any wonder why so many are easily deceived!
3. There are no absolutes- Truth is relative, there are many right answers. All religions are the same, so why worry about them. This is like saying there are many definitions of a mile when all over the world the accepted measurement has been standardized. There are absolutes and without them, society as a whole will crumble.
4. Everyone gets to go to heaven, regardless of their acceptance of Christ.- This is the doctrine of universalism and it is again rearing its head in the mainstream media. This is in stark contrast to the very words of Christ.
Whether you believe it or not, Jesus is coming back after His bride, the only question is will you be in that group. Repentance is key, it is turning away from your old life and living the new life He gives you through the power of the Spirit. I pray that as you have read my brain musing at 4:40 am in the morning will cause you to think, pray, repent, and walk with Christ in a way that will lead you to His kingdom.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Monday, November 4, 2019
Monday, August 19, 2019
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