TRUTH over TRADITION
Member
- Dec 10, 2010
- 1,369
- 19
We have an exchange between Jesus and his apostles that many in churchianity point to as the link equating the kingdom of heaven to the church. Matthew 16:13-19:
13 Then, when he went to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who are people saying the Son of Man is?’14 And they replied, ‘Some say you’re John the Baptist, others EliJah, and still others say you are JeremiAh or one of the Prophets.’15 And he asked, ‘But, who do you say that I am?’16 And Simon Peter answered: ‘You’re the Anointed; the Son of the Living God.’17 Then Jesus said to him, ‘You are blest, Simon, son of JonAh, because this wasn’t shown to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in the heavens.18 ‘I also tell you this: You are Rock (Peter); but I will build my congregation on this bedrock so that the gates of the place of the dead won’t overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in the heavens. And whatever you set free on the earth will be set free in the heavens.’
This in no way does what the church claims. The Kingdom and the congregation Jesus said he was to build were NOT synonymous. The Kingdom is about the reign while the congregation is about the party that would be espoused to and reign with King Jesus.
I will touch on what this congregation (ekklesia) that Jesus spoke of actually was as I do not believe it to be what we know as the modern church. To put it simply, I believe that Jesus was saying that he would build his congregation, which is also synonymous with his bride upon the foundation that he is God’s Anointed and the very Son of God. He then says that death, (the gates of Hades) would not prevail against it. What that meant was that his congregation would not be subject to the power of death, so in a very real way, this congregation would be an immortal one.
According to Paul, the individuals who made up the congregation were to be a pillars and supporters of the truth of who Jesus is and they were to conduct themselves in a certain matter (1 Timothy 3) and were to be lovers of, watchers for, and encouragers of one another because an imminent ‘DAY’ was approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25).
What was this “DAY?†I believe the answer is that this day they were looking to was the “day of the Lord’s wrathâ€. Consider 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11:
1 Now, when it comes to the times and seasons, brothers, nothing needs to be written to you, 2 because you know very well that the Lord’s Day is coming as a thief in the night. 3 And whenever they’re saying ‘Peace and security,’ destruction will come on them instantly like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they won’t escape. 4 However, brothers, you aren’t in the dark… so that Day shouldn’t sneak up on you like thieves! 5 Why, you’re all sons of light and sons of the day… we don’t belong to night or to darkness!
6 Really then; let’s not fall asleep like all the rest. Let’s stay awake and keep sober, 7 for those who are sleeping, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But, may we who belong to the day stay sober as we wear the breastplate of faith and love and [put on] our hope of salvation as though it were a helmet. 9 Because, the God didn’t assign us to His wrath, but to being saved through our Lord Jesus the Anointed One. 10 Why, he died for us, so that whether we stay awake or we’re asleep, we should live together with him! 11 Keep comforting each other with this [thought] and keep building each other up, just as you’re already doing.
So we see that Paul told THEM to be watchful because the Lord’s Day was coming and that if they were “children of the lightâ€, they would be saved from the wrath of that coming day, but what exactly would happen to them at that time? The previous chapter answers that question, here’s 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
13 Brothers, we want you to understand the situation of those who are sleeping [in death], so you aren’t saddened… as are those who have no hope. 14 For, if we believe that Jesus died and was resurrected, then we also believe that The God will lead those who have [have been] sleeping through Jesus, to be with him.15 What we are saying to you is the word of the Lord… that the living who remain until the coming of the Lord will definitely not go ahead of those who have been sleeping. 16 Because, the Lord himself will come down from heaven and give the command in the voice of the highest messenger [of God] and with God’s trumpet; then those who have died in the Anointed One will be resurrected first. 17 And we the living (those remaining at the time) will be snatched into the clouds along with them for a meeting of the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be together with the Lord.
18 Keep comforting each other with these words.
So, this congregation that Jesus established was awaiting the Day of The Lord and when it came, they fully expected to be taken to meet the Lord in the air where they would be with him for ages of ages. That group did have a structure as it was founded upon Jesus, the chief cornerstone with prophets and apostles as a foundation, but that group was taken when Jesus returned. They have put on immortality and they live with Jesus to this day!
13 Then, when he went to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who are people saying the Son of Man is?’14 And they replied, ‘Some say you’re John the Baptist, others EliJah, and still others say you are JeremiAh or one of the Prophets.’15 And he asked, ‘But, who do you say that I am?’16 And Simon Peter answered: ‘You’re the Anointed; the Son of the Living God.’17 Then Jesus said to him, ‘You are blest, Simon, son of JonAh, because this wasn’t shown to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in the heavens.18 ‘I also tell you this: You are Rock (Peter); but I will build my congregation on this bedrock so that the gates of the place of the dead won’t overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in the heavens. And whatever you set free on the earth will be set free in the heavens.’
This in no way does what the church claims. The Kingdom and the congregation Jesus said he was to build were NOT synonymous. The Kingdom is about the reign while the congregation is about the party that would be espoused to and reign with King Jesus.
I will touch on what this congregation (ekklesia) that Jesus spoke of actually was as I do not believe it to be what we know as the modern church. To put it simply, I believe that Jesus was saying that he would build his congregation, which is also synonymous with his bride upon the foundation that he is God’s Anointed and the very Son of God. He then says that death, (the gates of Hades) would not prevail against it. What that meant was that his congregation would not be subject to the power of death, so in a very real way, this congregation would be an immortal one.
According to Paul, the individuals who made up the congregation were to be a pillars and supporters of the truth of who Jesus is and they were to conduct themselves in a certain matter (1 Timothy 3) and were to be lovers of, watchers for, and encouragers of one another because an imminent ‘DAY’ was approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25).
What was this “DAY?†I believe the answer is that this day they were looking to was the “day of the Lord’s wrathâ€. Consider 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11:
1 Now, when it comes to the times and seasons, brothers, nothing needs to be written to you, 2 because you know very well that the Lord’s Day is coming as a thief in the night. 3 And whenever they’re saying ‘Peace and security,’ destruction will come on them instantly like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they won’t escape. 4 However, brothers, you aren’t in the dark… so that Day shouldn’t sneak up on you like thieves! 5 Why, you’re all sons of light and sons of the day… we don’t belong to night or to darkness!
6 Really then; let’s not fall asleep like all the rest. Let’s stay awake and keep sober, 7 for those who are sleeping, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But, may we who belong to the day stay sober as we wear the breastplate of faith and love and [put on] our hope of salvation as though it were a helmet. 9 Because, the God didn’t assign us to His wrath, but to being saved through our Lord Jesus the Anointed One. 10 Why, he died for us, so that whether we stay awake or we’re asleep, we should live together with him! 11 Keep comforting each other with this [thought] and keep building each other up, just as you’re already doing.
So we see that Paul told THEM to be watchful because the Lord’s Day was coming and that if they were “children of the lightâ€, they would be saved from the wrath of that coming day, but what exactly would happen to them at that time? The previous chapter answers that question, here’s 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
13 Brothers, we want you to understand the situation of those who are sleeping [in death], so you aren’t saddened… as are those who have no hope. 14 For, if we believe that Jesus died and was resurrected, then we also believe that The God will lead those who have [have been] sleeping through Jesus, to be with him.15 What we are saying to you is the word of the Lord… that the living who remain until the coming of the Lord will definitely not go ahead of those who have been sleeping. 16 Because, the Lord himself will come down from heaven and give the command in the voice of the highest messenger [of God] and with God’s trumpet; then those who have died in the Anointed One will be resurrected first. 17 And we the living (those remaining at the time) will be snatched into the clouds along with them for a meeting of the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be together with the Lord.
18 Keep comforting each other with these words.
So, this congregation that Jesus established was awaiting the Day of The Lord and when it came, they fully expected to be taken to meet the Lord in the air where they would be with him for ages of ages. That group did have a structure as it was founded upon Jesus, the chief cornerstone with prophets and apostles as a foundation, but that group was taken when Jesus returned. They have put on immortality and they live with Jesus to this day!
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