It is mainstream church doctrine that the Roman Empire was the fourth empire from Daniels interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.
Your Majesty, in your vision you saw in front of you a huge and powerful statue of a man, shining brilliantly, frightening and awesome. The head of the statue was made of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze, its legs were of iron, and its feet were a combination of iron and clay. But as you watched, a rock was cut out of a mountain by supernatural means. It struck the feet of iron and clay, smashing them to bits. The whole statue collapsed into a heap of iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold. The pieces were crushed as small as chaff on a threshing floor, and the wind blew them all away without trace. But the rock that knocked the statue down grew into a huge mountain which covered the whole earth. Daniel 3:31-35.
According to conventional wisdom, the Babylon Empire was the first Empire, the Mede and Persian Empire was the second, the Greek Empire was the third, and the Roman Empire was the fourth.
This is partly understandable from historic events. Early Christians believed that Jesus' return was imminent, and that they were living in the last days. They therefore naturally assumed that Rome was the last Empire. However, with the benefit of hindsight we can see that their assumption was incorrect.
Some centuries after Jesus death, the Roman empire split into two Empires; the eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. This split was unknown by the early Christian church, but it means that Rome best matches the third empire (the belly and the two thighs).
It is commonly assumed that Greece was the third empire, partly because the rise of Alexander the Great and his Greek Empire is described very accurately in Daniel chapter 11. However, at the time of Alexanders conquest through Asia, Rome was already a republic, and the Carthaginian Empire still controlled most of the Mediterranean. Carthage and Greece had been at war for some centuries at that point. So Alexanders Empire, although it was large, did not control the civilised world.. It was the Romans who eventually conquered the Carthaginians and overran their empire.
It is also often assumed that Greece was the third empire because of the description of the third beast in Daniel 7.
Then four huge beasts came up out of the water, each different from the others.
The first beast was like a ion with eagles wings. As I watched its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing on the ground like a human being, and a human mind was given to it.
Then I saw a second beast, and it looked like a bear. It was rearing up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And I heard a voice saying, "Get up! Devour many people!"
Then the third of these strange beasts appeared, and it looked like a leopard, It had four wings like birds wings on its back, and it had four heads. Great authority was given to this beast.
Then in my vision that night I saw a fourth beast, terrifying, dreadful, and very strong. It devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth, and trampled what was left beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had ten horns. As I was looking at the horns, suddenly another small horn appeared among them. Three of the first horns were wrenched out, roots and all, to make room for it. The little horn had eyes that were like human eyes, and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. Daniel 7;3-8
This second vision is not necessarily about the same four empires as Nebuchadnezzar's vision. However, the third beast, the leopard is often likened to Alexander the Great , because of his lightening victories in Asia. It could also apply to Rome. One of the reasons for Romes success in managing its empire, was its network of roads. These roads were military roads, built to allow the Roman legions to rapidly travel to different parts of the Empire. Rome also had a substantial Navy, with ships used to transport soldiers around the empire. A significant feature of the Roman Empire was its ability to very rapidly deploy its armies around its empire. Rome would therefore also fit the picture of a leopard because of its speed.
So if Rome was the third empire, who is number four? What are we looking for? A major world power, which arises as the two legs. In other words, the fourth empire will arise or start off in two distinct geographical locations. It will then further develop and split into ten distinct regions or kingdoms. That certainly doesn't fit Rome.
As we near the end of the age, the only world power able to match those requirements is the US. When the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001, it created the stub of the second leg of its world empire. Since then Iraq has become part of that stub. We can expect the US to stay in Afghanistan and Iraq, despite the rhetoric, and to steadily increase the areas in the middle east which are under its control.
A nuclear armed, aggressive, and expansionist Iran will probably provide the next excuse for military action, and expansion of the empire. It is likely that a rebuilt Babylon will become the headquarters of the pan-arab middle east leg of the empire. Sadam Hussein had already started the rebuilding of Babylon. It is likely that the US will continue that task, and use Babylon as its Middle East Capital.
Yes the US is in financial turmoil. Yes the US is broke. Yes the US has the most powerful military on the planet, with military bases all around the globe. The next step is for the US to monetize its assets. Historically, war and conquest has been about money. We conquer you, you pay us taxes. Everybody is happy with that arrangement except you (and you don't count). So expect the US to start looking at military action as a way to raise revenue. A simple way to get the US out of hock.
Expect the middle east leg to keep growing, and expect that US military power around the world will keep increasing. At some time in the near future the US military posture will change to become much more aggressive. But by then it will be too late for any other nation(s) to do anything about it.
First Posted Tuesday, 29th June, 2010.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
God's Holy Spirit
The holy spirit is God's agency in our world. It is God's spirit which created our world, which holds our world together, and which gives life. Physical and spiritual life both come from God's spirit. If God withdrew his spirit all life would perish.
When we become Christians God fills each new Christian with his holy spirit. That is the moment that we are reborn into Gods family. The holy spirit becomes a continual spring of living water inside us, constantly welling up inside us, changing us from the inside to be like God's son Jesus, thus making us pleasing to God.
That work of God's spirit is God's gift of new life. It is not by physical baptism, not by our desire, but purely by God's choice. It is Gods holy spirit which connects us to the vine (Jesus). It is God's holy spirit which produces fruit in our lives. It is By God's holy spirit that we communicate with God. The genuine holy spirit is a pervasive continual spring. It is not a separate person from God.
But of course Satan mimics everything that God does. So Satan also mimics the work of the holy spirit. Satan cannot mimic Gods pervasive spirit. Instead he uses the power of demons to mimic the holy spirit. Demons are not pervasive. They are separate persons. The demonic holy spriti has a persona like a person. It has presence and arrives and departs. There are many of Satan's demons mimicing the holy spirit, but each one is still an individual demon.
The doctrine of the Trinity comes from these masquerading demons. The doctrine that the holy spirit is a separate person from God is false. The holy spirit is part of God. It is only the false demon spirits which are separate persons. And of course they are not from God at all.
First Published Tuesday, 29th June, 2010
When we become Christians God fills each new Christian with his holy spirit. That is the moment that we are reborn into Gods family. The holy spirit becomes a continual spring of living water inside us, constantly welling up inside us, changing us from the inside to be like God's son Jesus, thus making us pleasing to God.
That work of God's spirit is God's gift of new life. It is not by physical baptism, not by our desire, but purely by God's choice. It is Gods holy spirit which connects us to the vine (Jesus). It is God's holy spirit which produces fruit in our lives. It is By God's holy spirit that we communicate with God. The genuine holy spirit is a pervasive continual spring. It is not a separate person from God.
But of course Satan mimics everything that God does. So Satan also mimics the work of the holy spirit. Satan cannot mimic Gods pervasive spirit. Instead he uses the power of demons to mimic the holy spirit. Demons are not pervasive. They are separate persons. The demonic holy spriti has a persona like a person. It has presence and arrives and departs. There are many of Satan's demons mimicing the holy spirit, but each one is still an individual demon.
The doctrine of the Trinity comes from these masquerading demons. The doctrine that the holy spirit is a separate person from God is false. The holy spirit is part of God. It is only the false demon spirits which are separate persons. And of course they are not from God at all.
First Published Tuesday, 29th June, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
What Is A Christian
All mankind, men women, children, babies and even unborn babies are tainted by sin and unacceptable to god. Even in our best most pious moments we are like filthy rags to God. It is impossible for mankind to please god by anything we do.
But God created us, and loves us as a father loves his own children. God has set in motion a rescue plan to rescue his chosen ones from the power of sin. His only son Jesus came to earth as a man and died on the cross as a penalty for our sins. Jesus death covers the sins of the whole world, so that all of creation is now under his authority, and is waiting for his return at the end of the age.
God searches every heart. Those he finds worthy he draws to himself. God wants us to repent of our sins, stop sinning and obey his commandments. We respond to God in various ways. God choses those who respond in a way which pleases him and fills them with the holy spirit. Being filled with the holy spirit is called being born from above or being born in the spirit, or being born again. Being born again is entirely by God choice. God chooses who is reborn. We can only respond to God from our hearts. It is God who chooses, and rebirths those he has chosen to become his children. We cannot chose to be reborn, nor can anyone else chose on our behalf, nor can we become reborn by having the correct doctrine or some special knowledge of the bible.
The holy spirit then works in our lives to change us from the inside and to make us pleasing to God. It is impossible for us to change ourselves and change our own hearts. But the work of the spirit is to change us from the inside and to make us like Jesus so that we are holy and pure and acceptable to God. That is the power of God unto salvation.
To make us children of God: Jesus death covers our sins and gives us the right to become Gods children. The holy spirit cleans our hearts, changes us to make us holy before God, and makes us fit to be Gods children.
Without the holy spirit we are not Christians. We only become Christians when God chooses us and elects us to become his children.
Being filled with the holy spirit does not mean you have to speak in tongues, or prophesy or do miracles. Many of the so called signs are false signs. Much of the prophesying, speaking in tongues, healing and miracles which occurs in Christianity is false. The real sign of the holy spirit is the change in peoples lives, the fruit. Making a hard heart soft is the greatest miracle of all. God does give those other gifts as well but only to give glory to him. Manifestations like the Toronto blessing are out of the pit.
Many people who claim to be Christians have not been reborn of the spirit. Many who claim to be born again have not been reborn of the spirit (they have been born of false spirits).
We cannot become Christians by:
Nor can we save others by:
To become a Christian (a disciple of Jesus) we have to repent or turn from our sins and lead a life pleasing to God (faithful obedience to Gods commandments). If God accepts our repentance he will baptise us with the holy spirit and give us new life through his son Jesus. Every person is accountable to God for their own personal status, and ultimately their own salvation.
Good trees produce good fruit. The rest will be burnt in the fire. All those who are born again by God will be saved and will inherit eternal life. All those who rejected his son Jesus will be condemed to eternal judgement and will be burnt in the fire.
First Published Saturday, June 19, 2010
But God created us, and loves us as a father loves his own children. God has set in motion a rescue plan to rescue his chosen ones from the power of sin. His only son Jesus came to earth as a man and died on the cross as a penalty for our sins. Jesus death covers the sins of the whole world, so that all of creation is now under his authority, and is waiting for his return at the end of the age.
God searches every heart. Those he finds worthy he draws to himself. God wants us to repent of our sins, stop sinning and obey his commandments. We respond to God in various ways. God choses those who respond in a way which pleases him and fills them with the holy spirit. Being filled with the holy spirit is called being born from above or being born in the spirit, or being born again. Being born again is entirely by God choice. God chooses who is reborn. We can only respond to God from our hearts. It is God who chooses, and rebirths those he has chosen to become his children. We cannot chose to be reborn, nor can anyone else chose on our behalf, nor can we become reborn by having the correct doctrine or some special knowledge of the bible.
The holy spirit then works in our lives to change us from the inside and to make us pleasing to God. It is impossible for us to change ourselves and change our own hearts. But the work of the spirit is to change us from the inside and to make us like Jesus so that we are holy and pure and acceptable to God. That is the power of God unto salvation.
To make us children of God: Jesus death covers our sins and gives us the right to become Gods children. The holy spirit cleans our hearts, changes us to make us holy before God, and makes us fit to be Gods children.
Without the holy spirit we are not Christians. We only become Christians when God chooses us and elects us to become his children.
Being filled with the holy spirit does not mean you have to speak in tongues, or prophesy or do miracles. Many of the so called signs are false signs. Much of the prophesying, speaking in tongues, healing and miracles which occurs in Christianity is false. The real sign of the holy spirit is the change in peoples lives, the fruit. Making a hard heart soft is the greatest miracle of all. God does give those other gifts as well but only to give glory to him. Manifestations like the Toronto blessing are out of the pit.
Many people who claim to be Christians have not been reborn of the spirit. Many who claim to be born again have not been reborn of the spirit (they have been born of false spirits).
We cannot become Christians by:
- Believing in God and Jesus (Pauline Arminiansim)
- Confessing the name of Jesus (Pauline Arminiansim)
- An emotional feeling
- Deciding we want to go to heaven
- Being a good person - having good intentions
- Improving ourselves to become perfect ( Pelagianism - Holiness Movement)
- Finding God inside us (New Age)
- Finding hidden meaning in the Bible (numerology)
- Knowing secret truths (Gnosticism)
- Irresistible grace (Calvinism)
- Going to church
- Being an elder in the church
- Being on the worship team in church
- Being the pastor of a church
- Being born in a Christian family
- Being baptised
- Understanding the bible or (Western rationalism - dispensationalism)
- By having the correct doctrine
- Church rites church authority last rites
- By the laying on of hands
- By speaking in tongues
- Wanting to be rich and prosperous (prosperity doctrine)
- Wanting spiritual power (Simon the Sorcerer)
- Wanting to escape the tribulation (rapture theology)
- Being Gods chosen people (lost tribes of Israel theology)
- Creating a Godly form of government on this earth (post millenianism)
- Tithing
- Buying salvation
- Penance or purgatory
- Religious icons
- Pilgrimage
- Praying to Mary and or the saints
- Following other religions (universalism all religions lead to the same God)
- Making God in our own image (defining our own salvation)
Nor can we save others by:
- Being baptised on their behalf (Pauline doctrine)
- Paying money on their behalf
- Paying for prayers on their behalf
To become a Christian (a disciple of Jesus) we have to repent or turn from our sins and lead a life pleasing to God (faithful obedience to Gods commandments). If God accepts our repentance he will baptise us with the holy spirit and give us new life through his son Jesus. Every person is accountable to God for their own personal status, and ultimately their own salvation.
Good trees produce good fruit. The rest will be burnt in the fire. All those who are born again by God will be saved and will inherit eternal life. All those who rejected his son Jesus will be condemed to eternal judgement and will be burnt in the fire.
First Published Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Apostate Church
God warns his people In Revelation about the Great Prostitute or the apostate church (Revelation 17-18).
The great prostitute in Revelation is a world wide false or apostate church. A church claiming to follow Jesus, and knowing the way of the truth, but which has turned to follow false gods and false religion. The apostate church is very appealing to worldy Christians who have recreated God in their own image. It is powerful and wealthy, but cruel and ruthless, and as the end of the age unfolds it will use its power to persecute the true believers. It is a church of miracles, and signs and wonders. It is a church which appears to receive Gods blessing, with huge numbers of followers. It is a church which has huge influence over the leaders of the world, and over world events.
This church will comprise all of the false tare churches that Satan has raised up through the centuries. Watch the parade of charismatic, pentecostal, fundamentalist, evangelical, dispensationalist, catholic, orhodox and other weird and wonderful churches and para church organisations that are forming into the false church via the ecumenical movement.
The apostate Church itself is founded on a mixture of false Pauline gospel (Was Paul A False Apostle), mithraism, and babylonian hotchpotch.
Be warned.
Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, "Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God is ready to judge her for her evil deeds. Revelation 18:4-5
Now is the time to leave the tare churches. The longer you stay the more painful it will be to leave: your friends and social life are built around the church. But if you stay God promises that you will be judged with her. God hates the apostate church. Satan has deceived the apostate church, but he hates her also. What are the chances of a good outcome?
The tare churches will become more and more open about their support for Christian unity at all costs. They will strive for 'unity" amhead of Biblical truth, until they eventually all join completely with the apostate church. The apostate church will ride the beast (Daniels Fourth World Empire the end times fourth empire of the USA and the middle east). She will be a willing part of the persecution and murder of God's people. But then the beast will turn on her and destroy her completely, executing God's judgement.
Don't be part of this in any way. God's people get out of there now before it is too late.
The pews are warm, the folk are friendly, and the pastor is such a nice man. Our light system and sound desk are the latest and greatest. Our 'worship' team and the services are just amazing. God has amazingly blessed our church with growth and prosperity. Why would I want to leave?
Why indeed? In obedience to God perhaps?
First published Saturday, June 19, 2010
The great prostitute in Revelation is a world wide false or apostate church. A church claiming to follow Jesus, and knowing the way of the truth, but which has turned to follow false gods and false religion. The apostate church is very appealing to worldy Christians who have recreated God in their own image. It is powerful and wealthy, but cruel and ruthless, and as the end of the age unfolds it will use its power to persecute the true believers. It is a church of miracles, and signs and wonders. It is a church which appears to receive Gods blessing, with huge numbers of followers. It is a church which has huge influence over the leaders of the world, and over world events.
This church will comprise all of the false tare churches that Satan has raised up through the centuries. Watch the parade of charismatic, pentecostal, fundamentalist, evangelical, dispensationalist, catholic, orhodox and other weird and wonderful churches and para church organisations that are forming into the false church via the ecumenical movement.
The apostate Church itself is founded on a mixture of false Pauline gospel (Was Paul A False Apostle), mithraism, and babylonian hotchpotch.
Be warned.
Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, "Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God is ready to judge her for her evil deeds. Revelation 18:4-5
Now is the time to leave the tare churches. The longer you stay the more painful it will be to leave: your friends and social life are built around the church. But if you stay God promises that you will be judged with her. God hates the apostate church. Satan has deceived the apostate church, but he hates her also. What are the chances of a good outcome?
The tare churches will become more and more open about their support for Christian unity at all costs. They will strive for 'unity" amhead of Biblical truth, until they eventually all join completely with the apostate church. The apostate church will ride the beast (Daniels Fourth World Empire the end times fourth empire of the USA and the middle east). She will be a willing part of the persecution and murder of God's people. But then the beast will turn on her and destroy her completely, executing God's judgement.
Don't be part of this in any way. God's people get out of there now before it is too late.
The pews are warm, the folk are friendly, and the pastor is such a nice man. Our light system and sound desk are the latest and greatest. Our 'worship' team and the services are just amazing. God has amazingly blessed our church with growth and prosperity. Why would I want to leave?
Why indeed? In obedience to God perhaps?
First published Saturday, June 19, 2010
Was Paul A False Apostle
After many years as a Christian not really understanding Paul (or Saul) I asked God for understanding about Paul and whether he is or was a real apostle. Here is what God revealed to me.
Point One - There Is No Witness - There Are Only Twelve Apostles
All through his epistles Paul stridently claims that he is an apostle appointed by Jesus Christ himself. But elsewhere in the Bible (not including Paul's epistles) the Bible is silent. There are only twelve appointed apostles mentioned elsewhere, not thirteen. Nowhere else in the bible is there any confirmation that Paul is in fact an apostle. The Bible requires a witness before we are to believe anybody. The only witness Paul has is himself. He only claims his 'signs and wonders' as his witness. But Jesus has explicity warned us not to accept 'signs and wonders' as a witness.
Point Two - Paul's Account Is Contrary To Jesus' Explicit Warnings
We know from Acts that Jesus appeared to the apostles after his resurrection before returning to heaven.
It was not long after this that he was taken up into the sky while they were watching., and he disappeared into a cloud. As they were straining their eyes to see him, two white robed men suddenly stood there among them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there staring at the sky. Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven and someday , just as you saw him go, he will return." Acts 1:9-11
This is reiterated in the psalms:
The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet". Psalm 110:1
Jesus himself also spoke of this, that at the end of the age he will appear on the clouds in great glory:
And then at last the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and there will be a deep mourning among all the nations of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Mathew 34:30-31
The message from the Bible is very clear: that Jesus has ascended to the father and is sitting at his right hand in heaven, waiting until he returns to earth at the end of the age.
Jesus warned us about anyone who claimed to see him before his glorious return at the end of the age:
Then if anyone tells you, 'Look here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't pay any attention. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See I have warned you.
So if someone tells you, 'Look the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look he is hiding here,' don't believe it. For as the lightning lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son of Man returns. Mathew 24:23-27
Jesus is telling us that when he returns to earth it will be clear and unmistakable to everyone, and that we are not to believe any other accounts of people who claim to have seen the Messiah.
Paul, completely contrary to Jesus' account claims to have seen Jesus by the side of the road leading to Damascus.
As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him "Saul Saul why do you persecute me".
"Who are you sir?' Saul asked.
And the voice replied, "I am Jesus the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do." Acts 9:3-6
Now while it was a startling event, Paul's account is completely contrary to Jesus' explicit warning to the apostles. Jesus' warning could be restated:
Or, if somebody tells you, 'I saw him by the side of the road leading to Damascus,' don't believe him.
Note that Acts was written by Luke, a follower of Paul.
Point Three - Paul Does Not Meet The Requirements For Being An Apostle
Peter clearly set down God's requirements for apostleship at the time that Mathias was chosen as apostle to replace Judas:
Peter continued. "This was predicted in the book of Psalms, where it says, 'Let his house become desolate, with no one living in it.' And again, 'Let his position be given to someone else.'"
"So now we must chose another man to take Judas's place. It must be someone who has been with us all the time that we were with the Lord Jesus- from the time he was baptised by John until the day he was taken from us into heaven. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness to Jesus resurrection." Acts 1:20-22
Paul cannot possibly fulfill these requirements. So was Peter wrong, or is Paul not an apostle?
Point Four - Paul Acted Independently From The Apostles
Paul by his own admission states that he did not visit Jerusalem unti three years after his 'conversion' experience, and that he returned a second time fourteen years later.
It was not until three years later that I finally went to Jerusalem for a visit with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. And the only other apostle I met at that time was James, our Lords brother. Galatians 1:18-19
One day after I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple, and I fell into a trance. I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't believe you when you give your testimony about me.'
'But Lord,' I argued, 'they certainly know that I imprisoned and beat those in every synagogue who believed in you. And when your witness Stephen was killed, I was standing there agreeing. I kept the coats they laid aside as they stoned him.'
But the Lord said to me, 'Leave Jerusalem, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' Acts 22:17-21
The fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabus, and Titus came along too. Acts 2:1
Paul by his own admission had almost no contact with the twelve apostles. Interestingly Pauls's spirit guide pulled him out of Jerusalem, rather than have Paul's teaching exposed to the scrutiny of the apostles, and those who had actually heard and seen Jesus. It is likely that had Paul stayed in Jerusalem he would have been found out. Paul was kept isolated from the apostles and the other believers living in Jerusalem so that they were not properly aware of his activities and his doctrine. The Gentiles had little or no background knowledge of the scriptures, and little or no exposure to Jesus' teaching, so that they would have been much easier to deceive than the believers in Jerusalem. Very very few Gentiles would have actually heard or seen Jesus. And we know that Paul's teachings did clash with the Gentiles who did know about Jesus, such as Apollos.
Paul even split with Baranbus:
After some time Paul said to Barnabus, 'Lets return to each city where we previously preached the word of the lord, to see how the new believers Are getting along.' Barnabus agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not shared in their work. Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated. Acts15:36-39
Paul was the original lone ranger. He acted completely independently of the twelve, and relied entirely on his own personal revelation, whatever that was.This is entirely inconsistent with God's careful choosing and training of the twelve.It would also be out of God's character for God to blind side Peter and the apostles in ths way. God appointing Paul in this way would imply a severe reprimand to Peter and the apostles, and a lack of trust in them.
Point Five - Only One Of Paul's Gentile Churches Listed In Revelation
Paul himself claimed to be God's chosen apostle to the Gentiles. However, the list of seven churches in Revelation only includes one church which Paul had visited, the church in Ephesus. According to Acts, there was already a Christian church in Ephesus when Paul first visited. Paul and Barnabus visited Ephesus claiming to be apostles. Interestingly, the message to Ephesus in Revelation refers to false apostles:
I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don't tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. Revelation 2:2
There is no direct link to Paul, but Paul and Barnabus are the only people mentioned in Acts who visited Ephesus while claiming to be apostles.
Point Six - Conflict Between The Gospel Of Paul And The Gospel Of Apollos
Apollos was baptised by the holy spirit in Ephesus (Acts 18:24), then moved to Corinth (Acts 19:1). We read in Paul's letters to the Corinthians about conflict between the gospel of Apollos and the gospel of Paul.
Some of you are saying, "I am a follower of Paul." Others are saying, "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Peter," or "I follow only Christ." 1Corinthians 1:12
This seems to indicate that their were different teachings by Apollos and Paul.
Point Seven - Paul's Teachings Directly Contradicted By James
In James letter he directly contradicts two of Paul's teachings. Firstly on faith:
Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the alter? You see he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. James 2:21
On salvation:
Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God. Well even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. James 2:19
Compare with Paul's teaching on faith and salvation:
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, 'the righteous shall live by faith.' Romans 1:17
For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10
The gospel is good news for those who repent of their sins and turn to a life of faithful obedience to God. Paul's teaching is the root of Arminianism: that we are saved simply because we believe in Jesus resurrection, and confess that we believe. God demands that we act in obedience to him, not that we simply display some esoteric 'faith'. The faith that God requires is 'faithful' obedience to him.
Point Eight - Paul's Epistles Are The Origin Of Virtually Every Christian Heresy
Virtually every Christian heresy can be traced back to an interpretation (or so-called misinterpretation) of Paul's epistles. Some argue that the fault is with those who 'misinterpret' Paul. My belief is that Satan deliberately used a complicated and obscure gospel message through Paul so that the error could not be easily discerned. Satan is trying to deceive, and in order to deceive you have to be dishonest and cunning. It is too easy to exhonerate Paul and blame others for the error that is hidden in his gospel (Paul called his gospel my gospel).
If Paul is in fact a real apostle why is Paul's teaching so open to misinterpretation? Does God not speak plainly?
Point Nine - Paul Is An Arrogant Egoist
In his epistles, Paul writes constantly about himself, his gospel, his apostleship, and his personal revelation from Jesus. He boasts that he is equal if not superior to the 'other' apostles. He boasts about dressing down Peter in pulblic, instead of speaking privately with him. That is a just a very wordly and devious ploy to avoid talking to Peter about Peters concerns over Pauls teaching (attack is the best defense).
He misrepresented the outcome of the Jerusalem Council to the churches.
When on trial before the Council, he reverts to a subterfuge to avoid discussing his teaching. Instead he changes the subject to the resurrection (Paul was arrested after Trophimus, a Gentile Greek from Paul's church in Ephesus had entered the Jewish section of the Temple where Gentiles were forbidden to enter). The council would presumabley have been very interested to know about Paul's teaching, as Trophimus was a member of Paul's church. Instead of explaining his teaching Paul used a subterfuge to create an uproar amongst the Council over the resurrection.
Paul has displayed himeself as a tricky character. Hardly what we should expect from an apostle. Certainly not an imitator of the character of Christ.
Having said that, the modern day, self proclaimed apostles would outdo even Paul with their shameless and arrogant disregard for God.
Point Ten - Funny Doctrine and Outright Error In Paul's Teachings
Pauls letters are full of funny teaching and errors:
Point Ten - Pauls Conversion Is Out Of Character For God
Pauls account of his conversion implies that God forcibly converted him, almost against his will. Paul was blinded for three days before he received his sight. How many Christians would there be in the world today if God used the same approach on everyone.
But that is contrary to God's plan. God could force everyone in the world to obey him, but he deliberately does not do that. God is searching for those with a true heart, who will obey him without being forced to, because those are the people God can trust foir eternity. Those are the people that God wants to share heaven with him.
While Paul's conversion was dramatic, it was not in God's character to convert Paul in that way. It was also not in God's character to go behind the backs of the apostles in Jerusalem, and appoint Paul over their heads to preach to the Gentiles. That would have been a huge reprimand to the apostles.
My conclusion:
Paul is a satanically inspired tare who was planted into the early christian church. The light that Paul encountered by the side of the road to Damascus was Satan himself or one of Satan's angels. Paul has preached another gospel, filling up Christianity with false tare churches and false tare believers. Paul's requirements for salvation are much easier than God's requirements (you just have to believe), so that the tares are far more numerous than the true followers of Yeshuah (Jesus). Modern Christianity is built on Paul, not on Jesus the rock.
Paul's tare church has succeeded in choking and ovecrowding God's real church, just as weeds choke the good plants in our gardens. But this is also part of God's plan. God is using Paul and Satan to help thresh the harvest, and to help him separate the wheat from the chaff. God will only gather the real wheat into his barn. Satan is helping God to achieve that. Isn't God wise?
First Published Saturday, June 19, 2010
Point One - There Is No Witness - There Are Only Twelve Apostles
All through his epistles Paul stridently claims that he is an apostle appointed by Jesus Christ himself. But elsewhere in the Bible (not including Paul's epistles) the Bible is silent. There are only twelve appointed apostles mentioned elsewhere, not thirteen. Nowhere else in the bible is there any confirmation that Paul is in fact an apostle. The Bible requires a witness before we are to believe anybody. The only witness Paul has is himself. He only claims his 'signs and wonders' as his witness. But Jesus has explicity warned us not to accept 'signs and wonders' as a witness.
Point Two - Paul's Account Is Contrary To Jesus' Explicit Warnings
We know from Acts that Jesus appeared to the apostles after his resurrection before returning to heaven.
It was not long after this that he was taken up into the sky while they were watching., and he disappeared into a cloud. As they were straining their eyes to see him, two white robed men suddenly stood there among them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there staring at the sky. Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven and someday , just as you saw him go, he will return." Acts 1:9-11
This is reiterated in the psalms:
The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet". Psalm 110:1
Jesus himself also spoke of this, that at the end of the age he will appear on the clouds in great glory:
And then at last the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and there will be a deep mourning among all the nations of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. Mathew 34:30-31
The message from the Bible is very clear: that Jesus has ascended to the father and is sitting at his right hand in heaven, waiting until he returns to earth at the end of the age.
Jesus warned us about anyone who claimed to see him before his glorious return at the end of the age:
Then if anyone tells you, 'Look here is the Messiah,' or 'There he is,' don't pay any attention. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See I have warned you.
So if someone tells you, 'Look the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, 'Look he is hiding here,' don't believe it. For as the lightning lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son of Man returns. Mathew 24:23-27
Jesus is telling us that when he returns to earth it will be clear and unmistakable to everyone, and that we are not to believe any other accounts of people who claim to have seen the Messiah.
Paul, completely contrary to Jesus' account claims to have seen Jesus by the side of the road leading to Damascus.
As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him "Saul Saul why do you persecute me".
"Who are you sir?' Saul asked.
And the voice replied, "I am Jesus the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do." Acts 9:3-6
Now while it was a startling event, Paul's account is completely contrary to Jesus' explicit warning to the apostles. Jesus' warning could be restated:
Or, if somebody tells you, 'I saw him by the side of the road leading to Damascus,' don't believe him.
Note that Acts was written by Luke, a follower of Paul.
Point Three - Paul Does Not Meet The Requirements For Being An Apostle
Peter clearly set down God's requirements for apostleship at the time that Mathias was chosen as apostle to replace Judas:
Peter continued. "This was predicted in the book of Psalms, where it says, 'Let his house become desolate, with no one living in it.' And again, 'Let his position be given to someone else.'"
"So now we must chose another man to take Judas's place. It must be someone who has been with us all the time that we were with the Lord Jesus- from the time he was baptised by John until the day he was taken from us into heaven. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness to Jesus resurrection." Acts 1:20-22
Paul cannot possibly fulfill these requirements. So was Peter wrong, or is Paul not an apostle?
Point Four - Paul Acted Independently From The Apostles
Paul by his own admission states that he did not visit Jerusalem unti three years after his 'conversion' experience, and that he returned a second time fourteen years later.
It was not until three years later that I finally went to Jerusalem for a visit with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. And the only other apostle I met at that time was James, our Lords brother. Galatians 1:18-19
One day after I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple, and I fell into a trance. I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't believe you when you give your testimony about me.'
'But Lord,' I argued, 'they certainly know that I imprisoned and beat those in every synagogue who believed in you. And when your witness Stephen was killed, I was standing there agreeing. I kept the coats they laid aside as they stoned him.'
But the Lord said to me, 'Leave Jerusalem, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.' Acts 22:17-21
The fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabus, and Titus came along too. Acts 2:1
Paul by his own admission had almost no contact with the twelve apostles. Interestingly Pauls's spirit guide pulled him out of Jerusalem, rather than have Paul's teaching exposed to the scrutiny of the apostles, and those who had actually heard and seen Jesus. It is likely that had Paul stayed in Jerusalem he would have been found out. Paul was kept isolated from the apostles and the other believers living in Jerusalem so that they were not properly aware of his activities and his doctrine. The Gentiles had little or no background knowledge of the scriptures, and little or no exposure to Jesus' teaching, so that they would have been much easier to deceive than the believers in Jerusalem. Very very few Gentiles would have actually heard or seen Jesus. And we know that Paul's teachings did clash with the Gentiles who did know about Jesus, such as Apollos.
Paul even split with Baranbus:
After some time Paul said to Barnabus, 'Lets return to each city where we previously preached the word of the lord, to see how the new believers Are getting along.' Barnabus agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not shared in their work. Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated. Acts15:36-39
Paul was the original lone ranger. He acted completely independently of the twelve, and relied entirely on his own personal revelation, whatever that was.This is entirely inconsistent with God's careful choosing and training of the twelve.It would also be out of God's character for God to blind side Peter and the apostles in ths way. God appointing Paul in this way would imply a severe reprimand to Peter and the apostles, and a lack of trust in them.
Point Five - Only One Of Paul's Gentile Churches Listed In Revelation
Paul himself claimed to be God's chosen apostle to the Gentiles. However, the list of seven churches in Revelation only includes one church which Paul had visited, the church in Ephesus. According to Acts, there was already a Christian church in Ephesus when Paul first visited. Paul and Barnabus visited Ephesus claiming to be apostles. Interestingly, the message to Ephesus in Revelation refers to false apostles:
I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don't tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. Revelation 2:2
There is no direct link to Paul, but Paul and Barnabus are the only people mentioned in Acts who visited Ephesus while claiming to be apostles.
Point Six - Conflict Between The Gospel Of Paul And The Gospel Of Apollos
Apollos was baptised by the holy spirit in Ephesus (Acts 18:24), then moved to Corinth (Acts 19:1). We read in Paul's letters to the Corinthians about conflict between the gospel of Apollos and the gospel of Paul.
Some of you are saying, "I am a follower of Paul." Others are saying, "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Peter," or "I follow only Christ." 1Corinthians 1:12
This seems to indicate that their were different teachings by Apollos and Paul.
Point Seven - Paul's Teachings Directly Contradicted By James
In James letter he directly contradicts two of Paul's teachings. Firstly on faith:
Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the alter? You see he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. James 2:21
On salvation:
Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God. Well even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. James 2:19
Compare with Paul's teaching on faith and salvation:
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, 'the righteous shall live by faith.' Romans 1:17
For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10
The gospel is good news for those who repent of their sins and turn to a life of faithful obedience to God. Paul's teaching is the root of Arminianism: that we are saved simply because we believe in Jesus resurrection, and confess that we believe. God demands that we act in obedience to him, not that we simply display some esoteric 'faith'. The faith that God requires is 'faithful' obedience to him.
Point Eight - Paul's Epistles Are The Origin Of Virtually Every Christian Heresy
Virtually every Christian heresy can be traced back to an interpretation (or so-called misinterpretation) of Paul's epistles. Some argue that the fault is with those who 'misinterpret' Paul. My belief is that Satan deliberately used a complicated and obscure gospel message through Paul so that the error could not be easily discerned. Satan is trying to deceive, and in order to deceive you have to be dishonest and cunning. It is too easy to exhonerate Paul and blame others for the error that is hidden in his gospel (Paul called his gospel my gospel).
If Paul is in fact a real apostle why is Paul's teaching so open to misinterpretation? Does God not speak plainly?
Point Nine - Paul Is An Arrogant Egoist
In his epistles, Paul writes constantly about himself, his gospel, his apostleship, and his personal revelation from Jesus. He boasts that he is equal if not superior to the 'other' apostles. He boasts about dressing down Peter in pulblic, instead of speaking privately with him. That is a just a very wordly and devious ploy to avoid talking to Peter about Peters concerns over Pauls teaching (attack is the best defense).
He misrepresented the outcome of the Jerusalem Council to the churches.
When on trial before the Council, he reverts to a subterfuge to avoid discussing his teaching. Instead he changes the subject to the resurrection (Paul was arrested after Trophimus, a Gentile Greek from Paul's church in Ephesus had entered the Jewish section of the Temple where Gentiles were forbidden to enter). The council would presumabley have been very interested to know about Paul's teaching, as Trophimus was a member of Paul's church. Instead of explaining his teaching Paul used a subterfuge to create an uproar amongst the Council over the resurrection.
Paul has displayed himeself as a tricky character. Hardly what we should expect from an apostle. Certainly not an imitator of the character of Christ.
Having said that, the modern day, self proclaimed apostles would outdo even Paul with their shameless and arrogant disregard for God.
Point Ten - Funny Doctrine and Outright Error In Paul's Teachings
Pauls letters are full of funny teaching and errors:
- Baptism for the dead.
- Woman covering their hair for the sake of the angels.
- Misunderstanding the nature of Melkizidek. He was a Priest King. King of Salem (Jerusalem) and Priest of the most high God. Jesus will also fill this double role of King and High Priest when he returns.
- That loving others is the fulfillment of all God's commandments. The bible is clear that we are to love God first, with all our mind, spirit, and soul, AND our neighbour as ourself. Loving others is secondary to loving God.
Point Ten - Pauls Conversion Is Out Of Character For God
Pauls account of his conversion implies that God forcibly converted him, almost against his will. Paul was blinded for three days before he received his sight. How many Christians would there be in the world today if God used the same approach on everyone.
But that is contrary to God's plan. God could force everyone in the world to obey him, but he deliberately does not do that. God is searching for those with a true heart, who will obey him without being forced to, because those are the people God can trust foir eternity. Those are the people that God wants to share heaven with him.
While Paul's conversion was dramatic, it was not in God's character to convert Paul in that way. It was also not in God's character to go behind the backs of the apostles in Jerusalem, and appoint Paul over their heads to preach to the Gentiles. That would have been a huge reprimand to the apostles.
My conclusion:
Paul is a satanically inspired tare who was planted into the early christian church. The light that Paul encountered by the side of the road to Damascus was Satan himself or one of Satan's angels. Paul has preached another gospel, filling up Christianity with false tare churches and false tare believers. Paul's requirements for salvation are much easier than God's requirements (you just have to believe), so that the tares are far more numerous than the true followers of Yeshuah (Jesus). Modern Christianity is built on Paul, not on Jesus the rock.
Paul's tare church has succeeded in choking and ovecrowding God's real church, just as weeds choke the good plants in our gardens. But this is also part of God's plan. God is using Paul and Satan to help thresh the harvest, and to help him separate the wheat from the chaff. God will only gather the real wheat into his barn. Satan is helping God to achieve that. Isn't God wise?
First Published Saturday, June 19, 2010
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