Salvation

Truths of the Earliest Christianity that Mutated Leading to Formation of Later Divisions

Ian Johnson December 24, 2020 3 Comments

This is an outline of the first part of my attempt to link early errors of organized Christianity to the state of the modern world–specifically, in this part, by explaining some of the foundations of the earliest Christianity from which later errors diverged. Links will be added as future posts are written.

A God who Speaks, Adoption, Background Information, Church History, Islamic History and Secular History Interaction, Complex unity, Eternity Present, Free will, God Speaks to Us, God was never our enemy, God's Existence and Nature, God's purpose for us, God's sovereignty, His Children, His Friends, Historical Background, In the Church, Index, Meaning of Unity, Other Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Peril of Seeking Numbers, Peril of Seeking Power, Peril of Seeking Respectability, Prophecy, Purpose of the Church, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Show us the Way of Truth, Sin, Sins versus sin, The Invisible God's Self-Existence, The universal Church and local churches, Through others, Through the church, To be his ambassadors, To be in his image, Topic Index, Trinity, What is God's Word, What is sin?

Christian Teachings, doctrine, Earliest Christianity, evangelism, Holy Spirit, Index, Jesus, Monotheism, pacifism, social order, war

NO MERIT

Ian Johnson December 22, 2020 1 Comment

This is the index to a group of posts on the subject of whether salvation, and all that follows it, is judged by personal merit at all–either our own merit or that of Christ (or others). Links will be added as future posts are written.

God was never our enemy, Index, Is forgiveness of sins the focus of salvation?, Merit, Merit, Reconciliation, Restoration of God's Image, Salvation, Topic Index

God's justice, Index, Jesus' merit, justice, merit, Merit not involved in salvation, our metit, salvation

Authority Figures in the Church — Elders

Ian Johnson November 21, 2020 4 Comments

The term term translated “elder” refers to the age and wisdom of persons functioning in this role in the Church. It often seems to be used interchangeably with “overseer” (or “bishop”), and the way a person legitimately functioning in this capacity is to be recognized (often called the “qualifications”) is the same as for an overseer. Like overseers, elders teach and lead by example, not by fiat.

A God who Speaks, Discipline or Correction, God Speaks to Us, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Restoration of our Relationships, Salvation, Through others, Through the church, Uncategorized

authority, authority figures, authority in the Church, elder, elders, functions of elders, presbuteros

Mutual Submission is the Key

Ian Johnson November 8, 2020 2 Comments

Unity in the church arises, not from submission to a power structure, but from mutual submission to each other, seeking each other’s good above our own, in submission to Christ.

A God who Speaks, Desire to have our own way, God Speaks to Us, In the Church, Meaning of Unity, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Reconciliation, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, Through others, Through the church, To live in unity

Body, Body of Christ, counting each other more important than ourselves, Equal, equality, equality of members, humility, Love, mutual benefit, mutual submission, power, submission, submit

The Nature of Angels–Messengers and Ministering Spirits

Ian Johnson October 26, 2020 4 Comments

The place and function of angels is not often mentioned in Scripture, because they exist as messengers and ministering spirits, serving us on God’s behalf, not themselves, bringing God’s message not their own. They are never the dominant subject of any scripture.

A God who Speaks, Angels, Discipline or Correction, God Acts by Speaking, God Speaks to Us, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Reconciliation, Show us the Way of Truth

Angels, breath, deliverance, fire, flame, messenger, ministering spirits, ministers of God, ministers of state, salvation, Spirit, spirits, wind

The Bad Example of Korah

Ian Johnson September 20, 2020 3 Comments

Korah’s rebellion was to insist on half the truth–that all in the congregation of Israel were holy, set apart to God, because the Lord was among them–but to reject the other half–that only the Lord had the right to assign each their functions. They denied this half of the truth to rebelliously assert their own authority, as false teachers today also do.

Authority Contests, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Events and Signs, God Speaks to Us, God's Voice, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Sin, What is sin?

Abiram, Authotity, Dathan, Function, Korah, Moses, Parts of the Body, Power Struggle, Roles

The Bad Example of Cain

Ian Johnson September 16, 2020 5 Comments

Cain’s underlying sin was his arrogant insistence that he could come to God on his own terms. This is the “way of Cain” of which Jude speaks—self-sufficiency, insisting on coming to God on one’s own terms, murderous jealousy of those who truly seek God and are accepted by him, and “repentance” only of the consequences of these sins and not of the sins themselves. It all starts with an attitude of self-sufficiency.

Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, God Never Stopped Speaking, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Rejecting God, Sin, What is sin?

anger, arrogance, Cain, dead works, faith, false repentance, jealousy, murder, murderer, pleasing God, pride, rejecting God, self-sufficiency, trusting in myself

False Believers and Divisive Persons in Jude

Ian Johnson August 23, 2020 3 Comments

Jude’s description of divisive persons in the church points to false believers who try to look like us but have infiltrated the church for their own advantage, to serve their own greed and lusts. They are dead trees, and dead trees bear no fruit. In dealing with them, we need to contend for the truth and resist contending against them personally.

Authority Contests, Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, Greed, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Rejecting God, To live in unity

The “Heretick” in Titus 3

Ian Johnson August 6, 2020 3 Comments

Titus 3:10 instructs whenever a divisive person approaches ME and tries to start an argument, I am to warn them twice about their behavior and then excuse myself. Thereafter I should ignore them, until they repent of their argumentativeness. It is a simple instruction by which I can avoid being influenced by divisiveness. It is not an instruction to the Church or the State to burn heretics.

Authority Contests, Disputes about words, Divisions in the Church, Greed, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Personality cults, Quarrels, Restoration of our Relationships

arguments, Church unity, disputes about words, divisive person, factions, gentle, gentleness, heretic, heretick, peace-loving, quarrels, submission, submit

“Heresies” as a “work” of the flesh in Galatians 5

Ian Johnson August 4, 2020 3 Comments

In Galatians 5:17-23, “heresies” are one of the works of the flesh–something we do, not something we believe. These works are opposed by the fruit of the Spirit.

Church purpose versus church growth, Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Religious violence and persecution, Sin, What is sin?

anger, Church unity, division, enmity, factions, Fruit of the Spirit, Heresies, Holy Spirit, pride, strife

NO MERIT

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Authority Figures in the Church — Elders

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Mutual Submission is the Key

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The Nature of Angels–Messengers and Ministering Spirits

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The Bad Example of Korah

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The Bad Example of Cain

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False Believers and Divisive Persons in Jude

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The “Heretick” in Titus 3

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“Heresies” as a “work” of the flesh in Galatians 5

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Salvation

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