Another Gospel? Is it OK?

[glorydaz]

Interesting I just woke up and read what you all wrote when I was sleeping.

It seems most do not think we can possibly even have another gospel.For many it is a sensitive issue and some think that we must not judge and just leave it alone. Are these attitudes really taught in the Bible?

Paul first of all teaches about another Gospel:

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.
2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.

So we see that when we LOVE the brethren we are JEALOUS over them with a godly jealousy. We want to guard them and keep them safe . We want to look after their beliefs and make sure that indeed they have the true Gospel. We also see that it is possible to indeed preach Jesus , but it is another Jesus.It will sound religious and it might even sound correct and Godly , because Paul finds it necessary to issue this warning. He is genuinely concerned for the believers.

Then man in his vanity steps forth and claims to be the holder of truth...when, in reality, it's his very vanity that has led him away from the truth. The Bible is not a book that needs to be figured out and interpreted for others. Therein lies the danger. As soon as man thinks he has some higher understanding he needs to impart to his poor deceived brothers, pride distorts the very message Paul and the other apostles taught from the beginning.

We need no man to interpret scripture for us....men of God don't interpret, they preach the Word and leave the Holy Spirit to open the Word to each individual. When man starts saying, "This is what that verse means," beware. Test and try the teaching by means of Scripture. If it disagrees with Scripture, throw it out. Paul's words were inspired...the Bible is inspired...man's words are not.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Our concern for our brothers should be that they hear the Gospel itself...not our "interpretation" of the Gospel no matter how great we think our interpretation is. The Holy Spirit speaks the truth to the least among us...for a reason. Spiritual pride comes quickly on those who believe they can interpret the Word of God to their poor brothers who come short in their understanding. The Holy Spirit, alone, enlightens each of us. Stand fast in the Word and anyone who speaks contrary to the Word cast away with all speed.

 

[Cornelius]

Interesting I just woke up and read what you all wrote when I was sleeping.

It seems most do not think we can possibly even have another gospel.For many it is a sensitive issue and some think that we must not judge and just leave it alone. Are these attitudes really taught in the Bible?

Paul first of all teaches about another Gospel:

2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.
2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.

So we see that when we LOVE the brethren we are JEALOUS over them with a godly jealousy. We want to guard them and keep them safe . We want to look after their beliefs and make sure that indeed they have the true Gospel. We also see that it is possible to indeed preach Jesus , but it is another Jesus.It will sound religious and it might even sound correct and Godly , because Paul finds it necessary to issue this warning. He is genuinely concerned for the believers.

Then man in his vanity steps forth and claims to be the holder of truth...when, in reality, it's his very vanity that has led him away from the truth. The Bible is not a book that needs to be figured out and interpreted for others. Therein lies the danger. As soon as man thinks he has some higher understanding he needs to impart to his poor deceived brothers, pride distorts the very message Paul and the other apostles taught from the beginning.

We need no man to interpret scripture for us....men of God don't interpret, they preach the Word and leave the Holy Spirit to open the Word to each individual. When man starts saying, "This is what that verse means," beware. Test and try the teaching by means of Scripture. If it disagrees with Scripture, throw it out. Paul's words were inspired...the Bible is inspired...man's words are not.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Our concern for our brothers should be that they hear the Gospel itself...not our "interpretation" of the Gospel no matter how great we think our interpretation is. The Holy Spirit speaks the truth to the least among us...for a reason. Spiritual pride comes quickly on those who believe they can interpret the Word of God to their poor brothers who come short in their understanding. The Holy Spirit, alone, enlightens each of us. Stand fast in the Word and anyone who speaks contrary to the Word cast away with all speed.

Exactly

God gave teachers to be body of Christ and when a teacher , teaches, you must still go to God for revelation. The Word is the authority. But sadly today, most do not believe that they can even hear God's voice anymore .That is what teachers and prophets do: They hear from God. Its not every man for himself; Eph 4:11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: So the five fold ministry job is to bring the saints into perfection. That would only be so in the churches that still have the five fold. In most churches these "passed away" and somehow only the pastor survived

 

[Vic C.]

No, there are still evangelists and teachers along with the pastors. Apostles and prophets are no longer needed. They served their purpose in the early ekklesia, but now that the foundation is already built and those offices are no longer needed.

Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Are you still building a foundation for God's ekklesia or are you building up the Body? You can't do both because the foundation must be completed before one builds upon it. So God's ekklesia is either still in need of a foundation or the five fold ministry is no longer in effect.

The message of the Apostles and the prophets was one of revelation and repentance along with the eventual judgment on those who do not repent. The mission of the Apostles and prophets has been completed; their message has been incorporated into the Gospel message. Anyone with a knowledge of this Gospel message can now continue to spread it to those who have ears to hear. It's the Spirit that now empowers us to carry on the work of the prophets and apostles. :yes

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

We are to move forward and out from the foundation like we do when we move from milk to meat.

 

[mutzrein]

I’ve got to disagree with you Vic.

Everyone believes that they stand on a true foundation. Each of us says that our belief is correct and use scripture to back it up. So we find people, even on this forum, who are at loggerheads with each other, pushing their doctrine, their own traditions - so emphatically, that there is no possible way they are wrong. Logic tells us that when this happens, both cannot be correct.

We have folk extracting a scripture from here, marrying it with another one there, then dissecting scripture to try to uncover some hidden meaning because they think if they can only understand it, the gates of heaven will be unlocked for them. It is as Jesus said to the Pharisees, You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Even during Paul's time, error was preached and how quickly it took the deception to start. Consider the Galatians, because this I believe is the state of the church today. As Paul writes "Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" - and it does not even realise it.

Nothing has changed it seems.

So, enter the apostle, the prophet, the man of God or whatever you want to call him. I believe that God is raising up men right now who have a specific apostolic / prophetic ministry that will shake the ‘church’ to its very foundation. The message they preach will not be based on the traditions of man but on revelation from God – on the one and only true foundation – Christ Jesus. And explained even as Jesus spoke - in parables.

Perhaps one could say that scripture in itself is a parable – which only those who have ears to hear or eyes to see, will understand.

 

[glorydaz]

I agree with Vic. We now have the priesthood of the believer. The Apostles and the Prophets fulfilled their roles. Now we have elders and teachers for the assembly, but each of us can come before the throne. That some stand on the doctrines of men doesn't take away from the power of the Holy Spirit to enlighten each of us from the Word of God. As soon as someone fancies himself an apostle or a prophet, they seek after some other revelation than is given us in the Word of God. We have too many who do that now.

 

[Cornelius]

We are to move forward and out from the foundation like we do when we move from milk to meat.

What is the meat that we have to move to ?

 

[Cornelius]

No, there are still evangelists and teachers along with the pastors. Apostles and prophets are no longer needed. They served their purpose in the early ekklesia, but now that the foundation is already built and those offices are no longer needed.

If this was true, then we should all be in agreement at this moment, because in saying this, you are indicating that the body of Christ has reached maturity and is 100% come to the fullness of Christ, manifesting Him. You are indicating that we have reached this point:

Eph 4:13 till (Till means until ) we all attain unto the unity of the faith (We have not reached unity of faith as you can see even on this forum ), and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, (The church is not the image of Christ as a fullgrown man, the church is still divided ) unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (We are FAR from this point. We difinitely do not have the fulness of Christ manifesting, most people cannot even pray for the common cold and get healed )
Eph 4:14 that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; (Oh we are still children, we are still going back and forth with every wind of doctrine. We cannot agree on rapture, laying on of hands, tongues, prophets , apostles, gifts, baptisms , manifesting Christ. We do not know the difference between works of the flesh and works of faith even. So ..children we are )
Eph 4:15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ; (We do not even do this. Read on any forum and search for love in the posts. We have not grown into the Head which is Christ yet )

So this brings us to what or whom we need if we ever want to get there.

Eph 4:11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14 that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
Eph 4:15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ;


But since they are definitely NOT going to be there for some denomination, because they have been declared redundant, some are not going to get the benefit from these ministries, which indeed are still very much alive and active in some parts of the church. Still working towards the perfecting of the saints.

 

[mutzrein]

Amen Cornelius - very true!

 

[Cornelius]

I believe that God is raising up men right now who have a specific apostolic / prophetic ministry that will shake the ‘church’ to its very foundation. The message they preach will not be based on the traditions of man but on revelation from God – on the one and only true foundation – Christ Jesus. And explained even as Jesus spoke - in parables.

Perhaps one could say that scripture in itself is a parable – which only those who have ears to hear or eyes to see, will understand.

Your whole post is good brother, but I find this interesting It is already happening , but like in the time of Jesus, the establishment will again reject this and indeed are already rejecting it. Most people have been taught in a certain manner and for them , that is it ! They do not question the system.

We are in for a rough time as we enter the time of the Tribulation . Soon brother will start persecuting brother and the formal church those who are without. They are not going to accept these shakers of foundations (as you call them ) . Just like the Pharisees, they will fear that their church is in danger from these preachers.

 

[Cornelius]

Mat 10:34 Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35 For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law:
Mat 10:36 and a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

 

[glorydaz]

Ah yes...shaking the foundations.
On Christ the solid rock we stand...any shaking of that foundation is not of God.

But, unfortunately the foundations of the church are being shaken.
These are indeed the end days. Check out the web. It's filled with these "foundation shakers".

Shaking the Foundations
by the Rev. Canon Marilyn McCord Adams

"Shaking the Foundations: LGBT Bishops and Blessings in the Fullness of Time," a paper delivered by the Rev. Canon Marilyn McCord Adams at the Chicago Consultation, Seabury-Western Seminary, December 5, 2007.

I. Two-Faced Church!

The Church is a school for Kingdom-heralds. The Church is charged with responsibility for Christian education that grows us up in the knowledge and love of God and sends us out for word-and-deed proclamation of God’s love for a broken and divided world.

The Church is human as well as Divine. At the deepest level, God organizes church and cosmos into Christ’s organic body-politic, whose members are interdependent and united under the direction of Christ their head. The real unity and eventual functional harmony of the Church are not in jeopardy, because they are guaranteed by God. By contrast, visible church institutions—the ways we organize ourselves—are human constructions that have no intrinsic authority. They gain credibility and earn our allegiance only insofar as they prove to be skillful means to Kingdom-ends.

“Shaking The Foundations!â€
by The Reverend Nancy L. Wilson

It is my joy and honor to be with brothers and sisters from The Fellowship and the UCC Coalition here in Dallas, Texas today. Thank you for your incredible hospitality.

Bishop Flunder, as you celebrate eight years, and as Metropolitan Community Churches prepares to celebrate our 40th anniversary in October of this year, isn’t it amazing what God is doing?

Everywhere I go, there is a buzz about the relationship between The Fellowship and MCC. I talked to a news reporter earlier today who asked, “What is happening with MCC and the Fellowship?â€

And the answer is, “We are on a journey together.â€

What you are doing, Fellowship, is so important — as you confront homophobia in your cultural context, as you bring healing and hope to so many, especially to those from the African-American Pentecostal/Evangelical tradition. We are one with you and together we celebrate, as your conference theme declares, “One Table and Oe Tribe!â€

 

[Cornelius]

Ah yes...shaking the foundations.
On Christ the solid rock we stand...any shaking of that foundation is not of God.

Again the Word of God is against what you teach:

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?



So it seems that the Bible says that it is indeed from God.

Christians who stay in dead religions will be judged with them:Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:

God calls us all to come outside the camp. Even in the time of Moses, God had them built the tent of meeting outside the camp. We know that these things are types and shadows for us to learn from .


Exo 33:7 Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it, The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought Jehovah went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp.

Three times this verse points out that God meets with His people OUTSIDE what we consider the camp to be.

 

[glorydaz]

Ah yes...shaking the foundations.
On Christ the solid rock we stand...any shaking of that foundation is not of God.

Again the Word of God is against what you teach:

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?



So it seems that the Bible says that it is indeed from God.

Christians who stay in dead religions will be judged with them:Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:

God calls us all to come outside the camp. Even in the time of Moses, God had them built the tent of meeting outside the camp. We know that these things are types and shadows for us to learn from .


Exo 33:7 Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it, The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought Jehovah went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp.

Three times this verse points out that God meets with His people OUTSIDE what we consider the camp to be.

You obviously have no idea what I "teach". I'm not the one who fancies myself a teacher. :biglaugh

You seem to be claiming the church is not built upon the Rock. That's simply error.
It isn't the church that needs it's foundation "shaken"....false religions and teachings are not the church.

Just because you feel you have some new revelations does not mean those "revelations" are good for the body. In fact, I see a great deal of pride and error in what you put forth. There is a great apostasy arising in these end days, people claiming to be great apostles while they break away from the foundation that has been laid, and that's the judgement that comes on the house of God. Man claiming he has powers that will "shake the foundations" of the church is pride. Nothing more. Moving away from the foundation laid by Jesus and the apostles is the danger you present. So shake all you want...the rock will not be moved.

He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Going "outside the camp" is not speaking of going outside the true church....the body of Christ.
It's going out of the ceremonial laws, from sin, the world and our own carnal nature. The true church lives by faith in Jesus Christ...the rock of our salvation. Now you can speak of your power to heal and speak of becoming some sort of god, but that doesn't mean those of us who are safely grounded in the Word and our poor simple faith are going to be looking to you as our apostle and teacher in these end days. We still look to Christ alone.

 

[GodspromisesRyes]

"Paul's words were inspired...the Bible is inspired...man's words are not."

I have to say that if we as a body of Christ honestly believe the statement above is always true, we will be in big trouble. BIG trouble.- Now we know that the words of MEN are not inspired. but what made pauls words inspired? They werent PAUL's words, they were the words of the Spirit of God speaking in Paul to us. Now we can loosely say " paul said" but in truth we are knowing it was GOD who spoke through Paul because of the Spirit in Paul.- But if we believe that that does not apply to anyone else who isnt written in the bible then we do not believe the bible and we then will not believe the word of God, spoken by inspiration of the Holy Ghost through other believers or ourselves. If we live this way, then we will never hear what the Lord would say to us through others or would have us to say to others by the Spirit. The word of God says

"1Pe 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, [even so] minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1Pe 4:11 If any man speak, [let him speak] as the oracles of God; if any man minister, [let him do it] as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Jhn 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

None of us should be(although many of us do while we are growing) be speaking with the flesh but we should be endevoring to speak only by the Spirit of God, as the oracles of God. ANYTHING that the Spirit of God in you speaks out of our mouths IS INSPIRED OF GOD.


If we do not believe that men today who are full of the Holy Ghost can speak inspired words then we have no reason to ever ever ever recieve anything a brother or sister or pastor or teacher says. Now given we always need to test things by the word of God but that does not mean that no one is inspired except what is written down in the bible.

 

[GodspromisesRyes]

on gospels, because the bible makes it clear that there is " another gospel" that is a perverted gospel and that those who teach that gospel are cursed and should not be recieved of us it is an important thing.

2Cr 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.

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

If we recieve a differnt gospel or a differnt doctrine then we do not all love the same Lord, we love differnt lords, those who hold to the real gospel love the real Jesus Christ Son of God Savior, Lamb, Creator, Almighty and those who do not have the same gospel but a perverted one do not love the same lord, they love the lord they have built in their minds or that was built and crafted by mens devices to fit their idolatrous doctrine.


What word we recieved and believe will depend on what Jesus we are conformed into the image of. If we have not recieved the correct gospel then the "jesus" that we become conformed to will be false and thereby the fruit false rotten bad dead etc.. then the waters we have will be bitter and not sweet, the words we speak will not be healing, deliverance, salvation, freedom from sin, overcoming, dying to self and being made into his image, growing from glory to glory- but instead they will be words of bondage.

We have already seen this today in a large part of the church. MANY have recieved " another jesus" which was not the one preached and recieved in the bible. All who have accepted, believe and preach the " just accept jesus into your heart, just repeat this prayer" or the " we are just sinners saved by grace" or the " we always have to sin, we have to sin everyday while we are in this flesh until jesus comes to rapture us." Or those who say " this isnt for today, that isnt for today" these are all " another jesus" and the doctrine that they have recieved will not produce Jesus Christ the Son of God in them, it will conform them into an image of faithlessness, worldly living, fear, sinfulness,bondage, unsurety,etc etc etc... Because if you do not have the proper gospel, with the proper salvation, and the proper way to walk in Christ then you can only walk in your flesh and will not even know that what you are doing is not the real Jesus.

If we see others with a false gospel and we just think, well they love the lord too yes they believe all this stuff falsely and wont hear the bible on the matter but its ok they love the lord, and we do not help them with this then we are not loving them. Paul tells us not to recieve man OR ANGEL that comes with any other doctrine than that which they recieved from God then we should not accept them or recieve them unto ourselves.

If we feel like it is wrong for us to believe that we have the truth and someone else doesnt then we should study the word of God mroe fully and grow in it to discern good and evil.

 

[shad]

If we feel like it is wrong for us to believe that we have the truth and someone else doesnt then we should study the word of God mroe fully and grow in it to discern good and evil.

Most of us are seemingly unable to discern good, evil and sin.

 

[Cornelius]

on gospels, because the bible makes it clear that there is " another gospel" that is a perverted gospel and that those who teach that gospel are cursed and should not be recieved of us it is an important thing.

.......................

Amen

One problem we all have is that humans tend to think of themselves as unable to be deceived, and/or unable to believe something that is incorrect. Because many come from a certain tradition and that tradition has people in it that they love, they credit the tradition as being correct and are satisfied.

A protestant looking to a catholic, will immediately tell you why some things are wrong and yet the catholic will definitely disagree. Both are looking from their perspectives and they are both assuming they are correct, for whatever reason.

Some have actually come to believe that it is now impossible to have the whole truth of the gospel as God wrote it. So now they just cling to what they have come to have known .They cannot even imagine that God might not agree with them and deny them entrance into eternal life.They think that if they can convince people that they are right, that God can also be made to somehow agree and "let them through"

The scary fact is that the true Gospel has a NARROW gate and FEW find it. Many start on the road to salvation , but along the way the seed of the Word gets stolen from them through all the things the Bible teaches about and they cannot bear fruit. They cannot finish the road and thus cannot enter. Their particular denomination will tell them they will make it, but in reality God does not care what denominations teach: He cares only what HE says. If we think too little of the Word to go before Him and truly ask for HIS truth, then He will not give it and allow us to stay in our religious errors.

None of us are excluded from this. We ALL have to humble ourselves to the Word. We ALL have to ask God is we have ever been deceived along the way and the answer is 99% of the time "Yes you have"

 

[glorydaz]

None of us should be(although many of us do while we are growing) be speaking with the flesh but we should be endevoring to speak only by the Spirit of God, as the oracles of God. ANYTHING that the Spirit of God in you speaks out of our mouths IS INSPIRED OF GOD.

If we do not believe that men today who are full of the Holy Ghost can speak inspired words then we have no reason to ever ever ever recieve anything a brother or sister or pastor or teacher says. Now given we always need to test things by the word of God but that does not mean that no one is inspired except what is written down in the bible.

There is a key....what is preached must agree with what is written.
The Gospel has been preached...we all have access to it.

I've heard many inspired men of God expound on the Scripture without ever going beyond what can be proven by the Word of God. If men are inspired, they will preach what the Word of God says...not adding or subtracting from what is given. Having deeper understandings of what is written will always remain in agreement...never veering off from the truth that we have received from the Word.

Any teaching that comes from man's exhalted sense of self is not inspired.
When man commends himself without the Holy Spirit's commending his words to the hearts of the hearer, then we aren't to accept them as truth. When the words don't agree with the Word, we have only man's opinions.

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 13But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. 14For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: 15Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, 16To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. 17But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 18For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

We are not in danger of getting man's understanding when we rely on the written word.
I've seen "inspired" posters claiming God only loves the elect....that Christ is not God...that we will be gods. I'll stick to the revelations given us through the Bible...not some "new revelation" put forth by some person or group. It's served me well for many years.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

 

[francisdesales]

There is a key....what is preached must agree with what is written.

I am going to add something to this - what is preached must agree with what has been preached before...

Why? Even the first Christians realized that the Scriptures themselves could be twisted to say numerous things that were not part of their faith. Read the words of Irenaeus, for example, when condemning the Gnostics for using Sacred Scriptures to "back" their own doctrines of a plemora and a multitude of "godlets". It is the Living Church that guarantees correct interpretations of Scriptures.

Regards

 

[francisdesales]

No, there are still evangelists and teachers along with the pastors. Apostles and prophets are no longer needed. They served their purpose in the early ekklesia, but now that the foundation is already built and those offices are no longer needed.

I disagree, Vic. The Church is in constant need of "apostles" and "prophets". God continues to send men and women into the world (the meaning of apostles) and calls on them to preach the Word for conversion of others (a prophet calls people back to the Lord). The Scriptures broaden the "definition" of apostles to beyond the 12, for example. And naturally, the citation of Ephesians 4 and "prophets" is refering to a present stage, not refering only to the OT prophets. The Church is in constant need of reform to the likeness of Christ, and these men and women are the catalyst that God uses to bring this about within a particular time...

Naturally, the Church is supposed to mature, and it does. But individually, the members of the Body constantly need support and these vocations will always be of purpose to the Body.

Regards