Antipodean59's Blog

Restored New Testament Christianity

13 Nov 2012

Thought for the week

Comparing Theology With What The Bible Actually Says

I want to ask you, with all due respect, have you been duped by religious theologians regarding the purpose of baptism? The line that follows may be familiar with you: salvation is by faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), not as a result of being baptised. If you believe this to be true, then the scriptures the Holy Spirit moved men to write in the first century (II Peter 1:21) are at serious odds with this all too familiar statement. Please, with an open mind, consider the following scriptures:

Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Jesus said this is the “gospel” that must be preached (v.15). Parsing the text will reveal that faith i.e. “believeth” and full immersion in water i.e. “baptized” is not only a one time combined action but precedes the rescue from sin i.e. “saved”.

Who are you going to believe; the theologian or Jesus Christ?

Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Jesus leaves instructions on how one is to be taught in order to become a disciple of Christ, for Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (John 8:31). Conversely, if one does not abide in the word of Christ but say in some other’s teaching they cannot be said to be in Christ (cf II John 9). The “twelve” at Ephesus found this out when they met the apostle Paul in Acts 19:1-7 and were consequently instructed to leave John the Baptist’s instructions for they had been superseded at the time the twelve obeyed them (cf Mark 1:4 John taught a “baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” applicable to the Jews prior to the cross upon which the instruction subsequently died along with the law and the prophets, Colossians 2:14). When the twelve “heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5). Wayne Jackson has well quoted Danker’s 2005 Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: the phrase “in the name of” signifies to “become the possession of and come under the dedicated protection of the one whose name they bear.” These men had faith in John which Paul said must change to faith in Jesus then be baptised into Christ if they are to be saved.

Now, whose word is authority regarding baptism; the theologian or Jesus Christ and His apostles?

Acts 2:38 “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” The delinquents who had within the past 50 days done to “that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified” (v.36) been convicted by the Holy Spirit inspired sermon preached by Peter and realised their guilt. They wanted to know what they needed to do to be forgiven for doing such a heinous thing. Repent and be baptised and as I noted before it is a one time combined action that precedes forgiveness that God promised to bestow. Clearly, the theologian is at odds with the grammar and implications of this verse and will even go as far as to say so. A.T. Robertson, a well respected Baptist theological word scholar had this to say: “One will decide the use here according as he believes that baptism is essential to the remission of sins or not. My view is decidedly against the idea that Peter, Paul, or any one in the New Testament taught baptism as essential to the remission of sins or the means of securing such remission” (Robertson Word Pictures).

However, who would you much rather believe, the theologian with traditional bias or the apostle who was moved by the Holy Spirit whose promise was “when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13)?
Acts 22:16 “…arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord”. Paul is here recalling the events that occurred to him on the road to Damascus (cf Acts 9:1-19). It is three days since his encounter with Jesus and he is busy “praying” (Acts 9:11). Here we see a picture of a believing man yet; clearly an unforgiven man for his sins had not yet been washed away. What is going to wash away his sins i.e. make him a saved disciple of Christ? Why it is baptism. In fact the verse says the act is to call upon the name of the Lord, “the answer of a good conscience toward God” says Peter in I Peter 3:21. For God to declare via Ananias that Paul needed to be baptised in order to be forgiven yet then have that same Paul, according to theologians, declare salvation is by faith without the need for baptism is “not being straightforward about the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14) and smacks of hypocrisy and partiality both of which are condemned by God (cf Matthew 23 et al; Acts 10:34).

Who is more trustworthy in respect of the truth about baptism; the theologian or the scriptures themselves?
Romans 6:3-4 “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Clearly, baptism is a symbol of the grave that figures the death of the old man of sin and heralds the new man raised up, forgiven i.e. “newness of life”. Note: just as God raised up Jesus, so too, God raises up the forgiven but only after baptism.

To ignore the clear statement presented here is to take sides with the theologian rather than the plain, simple metaphor presented by God’s ambassador.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation is a result of God’s grace and man’s faith. Paul also states in Ephesians 5:26 that salvation i.e. “cleanse” is a result of “the washing of water by the word”. The use of water is conceded by commentators including John Calvin, Thayer, Danker and even the Baptist theologian A.T. Robertson as referring to full immersion which is the proper rendition of the transliterated word, baptism. Besides, Ephesians 2:5 says Christians are those who “were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ”. The word “quickened” means “to be alive, have intelligence” and is therefore the opposite to being dead. This verse corresponds exactly with that which Paul mentioned to the church of Christ in Romans 6:3-4 and Colossians 2:12 where Christians are those who have been “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

Ask yourself the question, who is more reliable to give you the answer to what you must do to be saved; the theologian who cannot bear the thoughts of being wrong regarding his or her traditional thought on the matter or the Bible writers guided to write down the very thoughts of God Himself?

There prevails in so-called mainstream Christianity a theological bias that overwhelmingly denies the Holy Spirit moved men who spoke and wrote the word of God (II Peter 1:21) regarding the essential ingredient and purpose of biblical baptism. I implore you, dear reader, to shrug off this man made tradition that theologians have embraced and hold close those scriptures I have mentioned and many others that for brevity sake have not been mentioned.
When Jesus opposed the Devil in Matthew 4:1-11, He says Scripture speaks with loud authority over and above that of any theologian’s pen. Take a cue from the noble people of Berea (Acts 17:10-11) and examine and study the Scriptures I have presented to see if these things are so.

Graham Walker, Timaru 10 June 2010

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07 Nov 2012

Thought for the week

God’s Plan For Religious Unity

In the first century there was not all of the division among those who profess Christ as there are today. In that the church is made-up of fallible humans while the apostles were still living there were both error taught and unauthorized practices. Probably the church at Corinth was at the top of the list of digression. Among other things that congregation had factions within it caused by those who were attempting to show allegiance unto mere humans. The Apostle Paul condemned this in no uncertain terms at First Corinthians 1:10-13.
Such division is still condemned in the inspired Word of God. Even the very night in which the Son of God was betrayed by Judas Iscariot our Lord was concerned those who professed Him would become divided. At John 17:20-21, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” You and I know for a fact that those who profess Christ are divided into hundreds of different religious organizations. The Lord’s prayer will not become reality of all who profess Him as long as there is conflicting doctrines among what is referred to as Christendom. Just to agree to disagree will not unite those who profess Christ. You might have a form of union, but not unity. If someone tied the tails of two live cats together you would have a union but not unity.
What is the answer to this dilemma? It will be necessary for each religious group to cast off its peculiar doctrines and embrace only a “thus saith the Lord,” the Bible. Each religious group will not accept the creeds of others, but all acknowledge the Bible as the inspired Word of God. Our Lord declared at: Matthew 15:9, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” The seven principles of unity acceptable unto the Lord are stated by the Apostle Paul at: Ephesians 4:3-6, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;  One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Anything less than all seven of those basic truths will not provide the unity pleasing unto the Lord.

Dub Mowery (Preacher and a very wise man in the church of Christ)

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31 Oct 2012

Thought for the week

Dishonest Propaganda

Hurricane Sandy has caused massive damage on the Eastern Seaboard of the USA over the past few days but not only that, it has also brought out of the wood work the global-warming alarmists who seek to use the disaster’s public attention to pedal their nonsensical and wanton money profiteering clap trap.

Last night New Zealand’s Television One’s News program Close Up interviewed an individual waiting to run the imminent New York Marathon who could not constrain herself from decrying the lack of global-warming coverage by the two Presidential candidates saying Sandy is clear evidence of such. Also the man sacked by the New Zealand Government’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Dr. Jim Salinger who now pedals his alarmist theory in the USA also lay claim to Sandy being caused directly through the atmosphere being warmed by man’s discharge of CO2. This is blatant propaganda and pure ignorance of information which was released by the UK Meteorological Office and none other than the IPCC headquarters of global warming East Anglia University which both state categorically that there has been no global warming in the atmosphere for the past 16 years. The controversial head of the unit monitoring the earth’s atmosphere, Dr Phil “hide the decline” Jones fobbed the data off as a mere 16 year “plateau” obviously still clinging to the idea that global-warming is still real but just having a break. However, his contempory at Georgia Tech., Prof. Judith Curry, who by-the-way is normally on Prof. Jones’ side, disagrees with him saying the computer modelling used to show global-warming is “deeply flawed”. See this article for the report.

The point I am making is the lengths people will go to in order to promote their propaganda. They seize with relish the opportunity to spew forth what they believe to be true even though it is challenged and denied as truth by those who once spewed forth the tripe themselves.

 

It is like that when it comes to the Bible and its gospel message. A man who describes himself as one “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal” went about “persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5-6). His murdering rampage was due because he felt he was abiding in the truth yet after being blinded by the “light from heaven” (Acts 9:3) he conceded he was wrong and that the law of Moses he so passionately defended as being the only law to justify one’s soul is now dead and buried having been “nailed to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). Yet, still, many today want to push the idea that the Old Law plays a part in the justification of one’s soul despite that stalwart apostle’s claim to the contrary: “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:23-25). He uses the adjectives “tutor” and “schoolmaster” to describe the Law of Moses which he says man is no longer subservient to. Paul concluded that the Law of Moses could not put right man’s soul from sin by saying “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28).

Folks, those that cling to the Law of Moses to justify their belief are like Dr. Phil “hide the decline” Jones and his false belief that global-warming is still real even though the evidence is against him. Take a leaf out of Prof. Judith Curry’s book and concede like the apostle Paul that the evidence provided by those contrary is “deeply flawed” and get real with the true gospel plan before it is everlasting too late.

Graham

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25 Oct 2012

Thought for the week

Political Prevarication

These past few weeks the world has witnessed some high ranking politicians in the USA engage in a disgraceful manner. I say “the world has seen” but then that is not entirely accurate because many of the world’s television media have done their best to play subterfuge to the Benghazi Consulate attack issue and have gone out of their way to hide it from the public. The terrorist attack upon the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya really only came to light through Fox News which is the only TV outlet that has deemed to come close to telling it how it is along with Glen Beck, Breitbart News, The Drudge Report, Accuracy In Media and Trevor Loudon on the internet. From these crusaders of the truth we have learned that the attack had nothing whatsoever to do with the amateurish anti-Muslim You Tube video but was a well-planned attack by al-Qaida militants with hatred and detestable murder bent in their hearts. But what we have been led to believe for some two weeks after from an Obama/Biden complicit leaning media is an orchestrated litany of lies to protect their beloved Democrat Party which is in serious trouble of losing the US Presidential Election this November 6th.
What we have witnessed is a disgraceful political prevarication but that is not the worst thing. I believe something even far worse is that four men are dead because of at best a negligent White House Administration but I fear much worse because it has now been revealed today (Oct 24th) that two of those men died seven hours after the initial attack while President Obama, Vice President Biden and Secretary of State Clinton either watched on in real time or went gallivanting off to Las Vegas to drum up support for re-election. These two men need not have died, for it turns out that help from US Military bases was apparently within a one hour striking distance. Yet these two men were left to die like foxes on the run with one of them, Ty Woods leaving behind a wife and a three month old child.
Is there any remorse for this disgusting callousness? It appears not, for Joe Biden could not contain his laughter when Governor Paul Ryan raised the issue in his Vice Presidential Debate. President Obama in a fit of sneering indignation felt offended when Governor Romney broached the subject in the second Presidential Debate. And as for Secretary of State Clinton she just scoffed and laughed at reporters today who dare ask her for the truth of what exactly happened.
Yes, this is what the Democrat Party is made up of these days – political prevaricators who have no regard for the feelings of family, friends and the public’s quest for the truth. These three aforementioned have blood on their hands in an indirect sense and the Lord God Almighty will extract vengeance on their pathetic souls unless they repent. He will also extract vengeance for the disgraceful, public display for having now placed a little three month old soul in danger as a result of their recklessness. The following verses are suffice in that regard. “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day” (II Thessalonians 1:7-10); “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).

Graham

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20 Oct 2012

Thought for the week

New Opportunity

Every now and then a new opportunity comes along that has the potential to set you alight with enthusiasm. Recently I have had just such an opportunity. It involves promoting the concept of motivating parents to finance their children for future higher education so that one day their children may have the opportunity attend some form of tertiary education later on in life via a scholarship provided through the interest from investments that a vast membership is able to provide. This is even more important in this day and age where successive governments are cutting grants and charging parents with the responsibility of providing for their own children to attend higher education along with the resultant ever increasing burden of student debt falling on the shoulders of an already worried job seeking graduate. I believe the concept to be wonderful and much needed for I testify along my wife that we became members of this society some 15 years ago for the benefit of our youngest son who will now use the contributions we made over the years to fund his poly tech course next year. What I think is really neat is that I now have the chance to encourage other young families to also think ahead using the same not-for-profit friendly society that runs the programme in my country which is, by the way, the only organisation to do so in New Zealand.

Now Paul had a similar concept in mind for the church situated in Colossae only his thought was for motivation to obey the gospel and the spiritual well-being that comes as a result. In Colossians 4:2-3 his desire is for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be spread so that many others may enjoy the fruits of eternal life in heaven along with the Divine Godhead and the throne of obedient throughout the ages. This, he believed, could be accomplished by praying to God that “God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ.” You see, it is only through the word that can we know why and how we need to be saved because “faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). The word received is that which saves (James 1:21) from which man finds the only way in which the burden of sin may be lifted from his shoulders.

A new opportunity exists and abounds every day to motivate us to this higher thought; the trick is to take that motivation and use it to benefit souls for eternity.

Graham

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14 Oct 2012

What Lies behind Biden’s Whopper

Biden’s whopper of a lie at the VP debate Oct 11 has some sinister ramifications behind it. No wonder granddad Joe was laughing throughout the debate, for he and his superior have been quite successful in duping the either willful stupid or the plain dumb in the USA.

This just in from the Noisy Room which gives a report from:

An American hero, Colonel Harry Tunnell IV, Commander of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, documented the truth about the war in Afghanistan.

What Obama is really doing in Afghanistan is treasonous.

Dated August 20, 2010, a letter was written to John McHugh, Secretary of the Army, signed by Colonel Harry Tunnell IV. In the letter, four significant factors about military operations in Afghanistan were revealed.

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13 Oct 2012

Joe Biden’s Whopper

We all know Joe Biden has a propensity to put his foot in his mouth but it also appears Joe has forgotten the seriousness of Revelation 21:8 that is, all liars will spend eternity in hell. So here is Joe’s whopper last Thursday (Oct.11).

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10 Oct 2012

Thought for the week

What The Rich Man In Torment Would Have Us To Know

Have you ever stopped to consider what the rich man in torment would say to us if given a chance? Make no mistake about it, he would speak to us if he could, but he can’t (cf. Luke 16:26-31). God gives us all the information we need in His Word and it’s up to each of us to find those facts and apply them to our lives (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3)! But let’s suppose for a minute that it were possible for him to speak to us. What would he say?

The rich man would tell us that our time on earth is limited and that death is inevitable. He’d fared sumptuously every day. He had it all, and I’d dare say that death and eternity were the furthest things from his mind, as they are with many still today. But despite the comforts and pleasures he’d enjoyed in this life, time ultimately came for him to cross over into eternity. We’re all going to die (cf. Heb. 9:27; Jam. 4:14). Cemeteries are proof that our time is limited. People of all ages and from all walks of life can be found buried therein! Thus, what time we do have in this life should be spent in preparing for that life to come!

The rich man would tell us that hell is real! It’s amazing to hear people talk about there being a heaven, but in the same breath reject the notion of there being a hell. Hell is a prepared place for an unprepared (spiritually) people, make no mistake about it (cf. Mat. 25:41; 2 The. 1:8-9; 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 21:8). Because hell is real we must fear it and use it as motivation to keep us on the straight and narrow (Mat. 7:13-14).

The rich man would tell us that earthly things have no eternal value. What do you suppose his fare and sumptuous life before death meant to him after death? Those things he had enjoyed in this life could not help him, comfort him, or aide him in eternity! It’s what we do in this life that will follow us into eternity, not what we have (cf. Rev. 14:13; 2 Cor. 5:10; Mat. 6:19-20; 2 John 2:15-17; 2 Pet. 3:10-14).

The rich man would tell us to quit making excuses and obey God today! He will spend eternity in torment thinking about the excuses he made and the subsequent opportunities he squandered to obey God’s Word. Opportunities to obey God’s will are quickly passing and will soon cease! Today is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 3:15)!

Where we spend our eternity will be determined by how we spend our time on earth. Let’s not make the same fatal mistake as did the rich man. Let’s spend our time in this life preparing for and looking forward to that life in the hereafter.

Terry R. Townsend (October 9, 2012)
Terry preaches for the Curry Street church of Christ, Jasper, Alabama
http://www.currychurchofchrist.org/

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03 Oct 2012

Thought for the week

One Place I Don’t Want To End Up In

As we say in New Zealand, gidday, how are ya? Hope you are having a great day.

I’ve been thinking, just as I’m now on the cusp of reaching the age of sixty, that I feel somewhat fortunate to have attained such a mile stone. I mean to say, there have been many instances where I have dodged the proverbial bullet, so to speak. Like the time I was driving home to Wellington forty ton all up and drizzling with rain on the treacherous Desert Road (Central North Island, New Zealand) when around a bend in the road I come across a minor accident scene. I pass cautiously noting the unfortunates mulling over their plight when out of the blue an empty logging truck towing its trailer appears over the brow of the hill in front of me. The driver sees the accident scene in front of him and naturally hits the brake causing the trailer to jack-knife in the slippery conditions. The trailer is coming straight for me. I instinctively pull to the left and all I see is the rear of the logging trailer slide by my right hand mirror then neatly slide down the combing rail of the semi I am pulling, cutting half a dozen tarpaulin ropes as it goes by. I stop at the top and pause to reflect upon what was a close call. I was milliseconds from certain death, that I am certain. What then had I died? What would be my destination, Heaven or Hell?

By that stage in my life I had obeyed the gospel call to listen to God’s word, for that is where faith in God is formed (Romans 10:17). I believed in Jesus Christ as my Saviour to set me free from the awful effects of sin of being separated from God for eternity (Isaiah 59:2). Christ set me free because I obeyed His command to repent of my sins (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30), confessing before men that Jesus is Lord; that is, He will rule my life because in my heart I know from many eye witness accounts (I Corinthians 15:6) that He is risen from the dead (Romans 10:9) but not before I was baptised in order for my sins to be remitted; that is, have them washed away by His blood through the act of a watery burial which occurs when one is fully immersed in water (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-7). As I stand outside the truck and survey the scene of near death, I am in Christ; a son of God; a member of His church, the one and only place to be if one is saved (Acts 4:12; Galatians 3:26-27; I Corinthians 12:13; II Timothy 2:10). I stand confident my eternal home is with God and along with all those faithful to God’s commands throughout the ages.

However, just a little over a year before hand it would have been a different scenario had I died, for as one who was ignorant of God’s word I, like billions of others of accountable age before me, would rue my eternal fate that can be summed up in two sets of passages. The first is Luke 16:19-31 where a certain rich man died and lifted his eyes up in a place called Hades describing his condition as “torments”. Christ uses a Koine Greek word that simply means torture i.e. extreme pain. The man is conscious and alert and is even able to communicate with the father of faith, Abraham expressing his utter grief at what besets him (v.24). He has none to blame but himself for if he had obeyed “Moses and the Prophets” then he would be with his neighbour Lazarus over on the other side.

The second passage is truly frightening, for Paul says there is an expectation “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (II Thessalonians 1:7-9). That would have been me folks because prior to August 23, 1985 I did not know God and therefore had not obeyed Him. I, too, would have been in the certain man’s predicament had it not been for my listening and consequent obedience to God’s word.

Now, this place of “torments” is one place I do not want to end up in and I am certain you don’t want to end up there, either. Fortunately, you are alive and well because you are now reading this. If you have not already taken the certain man’s advice in Luke 16 that he wanted his brothers to hear i.e. obey God in order to avoid the place of torment he found himself in, then I urge you without delay to seek and find a faithful church of Christ near you. Sit down and hear, believe, repent, confess and then be baptised in order to have your sins “washed away” before it is everlasting too late.

Graham

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02 Oct 2012

An appeal for African Americans to exit the Democrat Party

E.W. Jackson, President of S.T.A.N.D is urging African Americans who have traditionally supported the Democrat Party to exit because of what he sees as the party’s betrayal of core values such as “gay marriage”, abortion and far left policies etc.

The call is to “Exodus Now!”

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