The "Rock"

Article #5: An Explanation why Peter was Not the Head of the Church

Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

It has been a common belief that Peter was the head of the Christian Church (and also the first pope), because of the verse that Jesus says in Matt 16:18 (found above). While I must agree that Peter was great leader among many in the church, and an even greater speaker, Peter was seen as nothing more than a brother Apostle, not the head of the church. He was one of twelve. Some many years would pass and a church that Peter and PAUL had both helped established, would take this verse way out of context.

Constantine

In 312 A.D. Constantine became emperor of the Western Roman Empire, and almost immediately declared Christianity to be the reason he had won a great battle that had made him emperor. So he declared the Edict Milan, which meant total toleration to all religions, for the first time Christians didn’t have to hide their beliefs. Later he would bring all the churches together to combine doctrine that had been spread out across the Western Roman Empire. The doctrine would be combined in the mass that it is today (AKA the bible lol). But through this gave way to a clergy style organization of churches, but at this time there was no head of the church. Not even the clergy truly lead the church. We wouldn’t see a true “head” of the church until 325A.D. when Constantine fully united the Western Roman church. At which time Constantine was the “symbolic leader.” (I say symbolic because first of all Constantine had no actual title in the Church, but he was recognized for uniting the church and bringing it out of hiding.)  

 Theodosius I

In 379A.D. the Roman Empire was reunited by Theodosius the Great, also known as Saint Theodosius. In 380A.D. he declared that Christianity as the official religion of the entire empire. It was only four years later (384A.D.) that the first TRUE Pope would “take the thrown.” Pope St. Siricius was a Bishop in the Church at Rome; from then on every person to lead the church would come from European decent. The Catholic Church has a list of every Pope that was after Peter, I don’t disagree with it. But what history tells us is that there was no “pope” after Peter, but as I said I don’t disagree with the list, just how it was portrayed. The Church at Rome Saw Peter as their leader, Peter would even die there (if you disagree with that statement email me about it at the blogs email.) But it’s my belief that Pope St. Linus, the second Pope after Peter, was actually just second in line at the Church in Rome, not the entire church. If it was different than that, than I have no clue how the churches stayed connected for him to lead over, especially since it was even stated that it was not until Constantine that the church was able to communicate and form the clergy. Also the Roman Church was the only church with this tradition of having an elected leader and what started in Rome, continued in Rome.

Matt 16:18

Imagine this you’re talking to Jesus (DON’T PASS OUT!) and your name is Peter which means pebble (not boulder), and he point to you and says “And I tell you that you are Peter” (Your thinking “Yup! That’s me! Good Job Jesus!”) Then he points to HIMSELF and says this “and on this rock I will build my church.” First of all I’m going to point out the irony of this (which I’m sure you can see) Peter’s name is rock, but not a regular rock. No it means smallest rock. Would you really trust building your church on a pebble? No. Jesus builds it on himself, for as Eph. 5:23 says: “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” And there are verse’s all over the N.T. that say he is the foundation of our church. (Like: Colossians 2:10, 1 Peter 2:7, I Cor. 10:4, Hebrews 4:14) There is more than enough biblical truth to say that Jesus is the only head of the Church. But unless I’m missing something there is only Matt 16:18 and the fact that Peter was always listed first when speaking of the Apostles, to me this is hardly enough to found theory that Christ handed his church over to a simple man. And miles away from being close to enough to found a Church that bases its truth off what a man (AKA pope) decides it is. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”God is truth, and therefore do not rely on anything but the word of God. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to church or not listen to your pastor; Hebrews says 10:24 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” (If you want more verses on why to go to Church email me at my blogs email.) Go to Church and listen to your pastor, but follow along as he teaches! And the scripture he gives. Your pastor may be a trustworthy Christian, but the fact remains that he is still man, and man can still falters.

POINTING OUT!

I want to make this clear, Peter was an amazing Apostle; his writing have inspired the world. He was a man that let God speak through him to write many of the books of the bible. Peter was many things but he was not the head of the Church. 

Because of Demand NIV vs ESV (part 2)

Sub-Article # 4: A Review of an Earlier Article

One of the major problems that was pointed out to me was why I did not explain why I did not include, nor support the authorized Version, more commonly known as The King James Version.  Before I start this I want to point out that I’m not talking about the New King James Version, (which was published in COMPLETE in 1982) I’m not even talking about the 1769 King James Version. I’m talking about any version that was DIRECTLY commissioned by the royal family of ENGLAND, starting with King Henry the 8^th, who commissioned the “Great Bible.”

The History of the KJV

The KJV is an English translation by the Church of England of the Christian Bible which begun in 1604 and completed in 1611. First printed by the King’s Printer, Robert Barker, this was the third translation into English. In January 1604, King James I of England convened the Hampton Court Conference where a new English version was conceived in response to the perceived problems of the earlier translations as detected by the Puritans, a faction within the Church of England. The KJV was based off the two earlier English versions commissioned by the royal family. These two books we’re earlier based off Catholic Latin and Greek doctrine. The translators did see problems with doctrine of the time from the catholic doctrine compared to the older doctrine found during the rain of Henry the 8^th. This same doctrine helped establish the “Great Bible” and of course we can assume would have been used to create the KJV

The History of the NIV

The New International Version project was started after a meeting in 1965 at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, between the Christian Reformed Church, National Association of Evangelicals, and a group of international scholars. The New York Bible Society (now Biblica) was selected to do the translation. The New Testament was released in 1973 and the full Bible in 1978. There are a couple of very rare 1973 editions which are signed by a few of the translating committee members which were released before the other 1973 editions.

The History of the ESV

The English “Standard Version” has a very odd history, going back before the KJV the original “Standard Version” (not the English standard version) was started in London by more than one printer. It was not  approved by the church of England, but it was years before the KJV (1526 is when the first editions we’re saw on the streets). Work on the modern ESV began in 1971 after the Nation Council of Churches  gave permission to us the “revised standard version” to create English Standard (only 5% of that text would change). The original ESV came out that year.

My Opinion still stands

From my former article, the fact is that the most recently updated version of all these bibles (including the NKJV) have used the same artifacts and doctrine. Every bible is different, it is true. But the differences are so small that it should make no major changes to our faith, as long as you read the entire bible. BUT I still stand behind my theory that if you wish to get to the deepest doctrinal truth you must use all three bible (ESV,NIV, and NKJV). I also say that if you want to get even deeper into the word, then get a bible that has key words translated. But in the end I do not believe that these minor differences affect it that much, more importantly we should rely on the-holy-ghost to show us what we need to see in the word of God

References
http://www.zondervan.com/cultures/en-us/home.htm
http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/kjvonly.htm
http://agards-bible-timeline.com/q10_bible-facts.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Standard_Version
http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/
http://evangelicalbible.com/why.htm

The Church in the “Emerging” Age

Article #4: A Deeper Look into the Emergent Church

I would first like to state that this Article has been one of the most frustrating article I have ever done! Not Because of things going wrong or just way too much to read.  No, no it was because the emergent church is so CONFUSING!!I’ve studied some of the Jehovah Witness beliefs, and right now I’m actually studying “The Book of Mormon” on my kindle, and at least of each these churches have a belief that is found in every single church (Not the same one of course) . The emergent Church on the other is torn on almost everything they believe! I mean I do think it’s awesome that these Churches have united as one church under what they THINK is one belief, the Correspondence Theory, but the fact is that the Correspondence Theory has been broken down into various schemes and subcategories, and there IS NOT absolute unanimity among these churches. The closest thing that I can find that every church is SUPPOSED to have is this statement:  “a growing generative friendship among missional Christian leaders seeking to love our world in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” Even their website for the headquarters, emergentvillage.com, encourages churches to “adapt” to the areas that they belong.

 God in an Emerging Age

God does not change; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever,” Hebrews 13:8, but the mindset of the world does. But if we are to live like and according to God (“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (NIV) Ephesians 5:1-2), then should the church change with the worldly standards? Of course not! But that’s exactly what is happening in the Emergent Church, as the world is trying to base everything on facts. (which isn’t that bad unless you’re talking about subjects that associate with God or economics, in which you need both faith AND facts) When you’re basing your facts on of THE WORLD and not of God’s, it’s pretty hard to say you follow Christ, for Christ Said “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” John 18:36. A statement by Douglas Groothuis describes the correspondence theory of truth as the assumption that “A belief or statement is true only if it matches with, reflects, or corresponds to the reality to which it refers. For a statement to be true it must be factual. Facts determine the truth or falsity of a belief or statement.” It’s this “Correspondence Theory” that the Emergent Church has established as their bases for their new “Christian” church, not the word of God. Well if you have ever picked up a bible in your entire life you should know that Christianity is based on the word of God! HOW?? Well in the O.T. prophets existed so that God could directly speak to his people through them, in the N.T. Jesus Christ (God-the-Son) chose 12 Apostles (Technically 13, but we don’t talk about that lol jk) that he taught to in person to spread his message, after he had ascended to heaven he was able to speak the message THROUGH them. By doing all this we have been able to gather 6000 years of “BIBLICAL TRUTH.” (6000 years is based off of the “King James” research, from the 1600 hundreds. This number has been debated a million times over and is probably, you know, 5000 or so years off, but honestly 6000 years is the most common used number by churches. Because no one argues with KING JAMES! Lol) Through this Biblical Truth we have been able to found our faith, on the words that God has provided through his people.

The Correspondence Theory of Truth

“Narrowly speaking, the correspondence theory of truth is the view that truth is correspondence to a fact—a view that was advocated by Russell and Moore early in the 20th century. But the label is usually applied much more broadly to any view explicitly embracing the idea that truth consists in a relation to “reality”, i.e., that truth is a relational property involving a characteristic relation (to be specified) to some portion of reality (to be specified).”  A statement directly from the “Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy”. This philosophy is really not that hard to understand, anyone that believes it pretty much is saying this: “We believe truth comes from fact, and fact is based on the reality WE live in!”. God intended real, objective meaning in the Bible. Scripture has no real value to us beyond subjective moments of “inspiration” if we do not believe its narratives and propositions connect with reality or that each author’s original intent is the ground and goal of our interpretation. Therefore if we change the original intent of the bible, and thus the word of God, then we actually destroying what is truth and what is reality. The truth is that the Emergent Church is helping destroy our faith, by destroying the true intent of the bible.

Reference:

http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2007/12/05/views-of-the-emerging-church/ http://www.emergentvillage.com/cohorts/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correspondence_theory_of_truthhttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms%20139&version=NIVhttp://www.apologeticsindex.org/290-emerging-church http://www.talkjesus.com/bible-study-hall/25715-scripture-based-affirmations.html http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/truth-correspondence/ 
ESV Study Bible by Crossway Bibles

Prayer

Sub-Article #3: An Understanding of the Importance of Prayer

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” Luke 18:1 Jesus came to us not only to be the perfect sacrifice, but also to change way we Christians Pray. SOOO?? What’s so important about prayer?

 Prayer is more than just speaking to our God (which in itself is an amazing!) It’s opening our hearts to our Lord as we speak to him; it’s having that ability to talk to God with the deepest passion, about your deepest thoughts! The book of John states this best to me, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you,” John 15:7. It’s more then a God to a mortal, it’s about Father to his children, Jesus use’s “Father” all over the N.T. in his prayers. The best known prayer is “The Lord’s Prayer,” (Matt 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4) where Jesus is telling us how to pray. By telling us to use the word father in Lord Prayer Christ is telling us that God wants to build a personal prayer relationship with every single one of us.

 How?

Ok so prayer is meant to help build the relationship with God, but how do you do it?? Well of course Jesus tells us how to do that to!  5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you’re Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matt 6:5-8. Look its fine to pray in church! But do it with the right mindset, if your doing it because you want everyone to think your a “good” Christian, then you obliviously doing it for the wrong reasons! And honestly Jesus went out early in the morning in solitary to pray (see Mark 1:35) so I’m thinking some bedroom prayer ALONE will be good for you. Honestly this is one verse of about a LOT

Ok, honest there is a lot more on prayer but I have a rule Sub-Article must be less than 500 words and I’m at 493, so I’ll probably have an Article later.

What's Love got to do with it???

Article #3: the Importanve of Love in Our Christian Lifes

“What’s Love Got To Do With It”                                                                  You must understand that the touch of your hand makes my pulse react, that it’s only the thrill of boy meeting girl, opposites attract its physical, only logical. You must try to ignore, that it means more than that. Oh what’s love got to do, got to do with it? What’s love but a second hand emotion? What’s love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken! It may seem to you that I’m acting confused when you’re close to me, if I tend to look dazed, I’ve read it someplace, I’ve got cause to be. There’s a name for it. There’s a phrase that fits. But whatever the reason you do it for me I’ve been taking on a new direction. But I have to say I’ve been thinking about my own protection. It scares me to feel this way. What’s love got to do, got to do with it? What’s love but a sweet old fashioned notion? What’s love got to do, got to do with it? Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?                 -Tina Turner

Paparazzi                                                                                                I’m your biggest fan, I’ll follow you until you love me, Papa-paparazzi. Baby, there’s no other superstar, you know that I’ll be your Papa-paparazzi. Promise I’ll be kind, but I won’t stop until that boy is mine. Baby you’ll be famous, chase you down until you love me Papa-paparazzi.I’ll be your girl backstage at your show, It don’t have a price, loving you is cherry pie. ‘Cause you know that baby, I. I’m your biggest fan, I’ll follow you until you love me, Papa-paparazzi. Baby there’s no other superstar, you know that I’ll be your Papa-paparazzi. Promise I’ll be kind, but I won’t stop until that boy is mine. Baby you’ll be famous, chase you down until you love mePapa-paparazzi.-Lady Gaga

So what does what’s love got to do with it anyways? Well according to these songs and society not very much. You either believe love is a “second emotion” which you can completely avoid or use to abuse the ones that love you. Or you believe love is being a stalker (Thank you very much Lady Gaga). Is that what society bases their beliefs on love on? That it no longer exist? That it’s nothing “but a sweet old fashion notion?” Or is it that we see it as nothing but this crazed “love” that we have for someone we barely know?

Ok, wow, can I get an Amen? Lol jk jk, but ok let me step down from my soapbox for a second and explain briefly what God’s love means to Christians, considering I’ve used it over and over. To explain God’s love there is one verse that I always refer to, it is John 15:13 which says: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” That is a love that no love can match, that your God would come down to earth in the form of a man, to be living sacrifice. A pure and holy sacrifice. (John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”) And best of all this love will never change, so Jeremiah writes: “The Lord God says to every Christian believer, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with loving-kindness have I drawn you’” (Jeremiah 31:3).

 Either way this has me disgusted in our society, and it’s not just the latest generation. This goes back to AT LEAST to the 1990’s (I say that because that’s as far as I go back) but we all know that this “modern” picture of love has been going on for much longer than that. I wouldn’t say that there is anyone generation to blame, because in truth this goes back as far as there has been disloyalty to your spouse, but if there is one generation that has affected the MODERN view of love, that would be the 1960’s. The free love movement as they called it would change this nation and the world’s point of view on love forever.

 Luckily for the world the free love movement did not last long (mainly due to the fact that at the same time a new disease known as AIDS became a widespread pandemic) but the heart of this new generation did not fade. Out of this generation the world now saw love, not as a patient, kind, rebuking envy, modest, but as Romantic. Some of you may be asking yourself “what wrong with that??” And that’s ok to wonder! That’s what the majority of this nation has been taught for the past 50 yrs! The problem with basing your love on romance is that in time those feeling will fade. Even though you feel like this “new married couple” feelings (that’s what I’ve been told its called lol) will never fade sooner or later you start bickering at each other, and everything bugs you to death to the point you literally can’t live with each other. So you have two options get a divorce (which everyone is doing) or work it out. Of course most people go the “easy” route and get a divorce, because that’s what EVERYONE does!

 Does that really sound like the Everlasting love that God promised us in Jeremiah 31:3? And since John said: “Whoever claims to live in him, must walk as Jesus did” 1 John 2:6. I’ll let you figure that one out. But I’ll leave the subject of marriage with this, Matthew said: “They are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

 But the modern view on love hasn’t just affected the relationships among our spouses, but also the relationships we have among our fellow Christians. Jesus said through John: “A new command I give you: Love one another, as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) Today we hear every other month about a church that is dividing itself or is planning to divide itself. The stigma that has affected most of the world with the matter of divorce and disloyalty to each other’s spouse has slowly crept into the walls of our churches. I’ll say the same thing to a church that is splitting, to that of a couple getting a divorce, “Have you exhausted every resource to keep this bond together?” for Matthew told us “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matt. 18:15-17). We are to hold our brothers UP!! For Jesus calls us to love one another! Not be at each other’s throat all the time! There is a reason that so many people see Christians hypocrites!! Jesus tells us “so you must love one another, by this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” Come on guys! This is simple, the world is rejecting us because we are rejecting each other!

My Crazy Faith

Sub-Article #2: Why I and other Christians are SO Crazy in Our Faith

Do you remember when you were little and your parents told you that santa was real, and you believed them? Well faith in Christ is nothing like that. If  your a Christian your going to get this if not, well I suggest you join the club lol jk jk (no I’m not)

As christians a key property to our salvation is faith, as said Christ (Matt. 17:20) “faith the size of a mustard seed can move the mountains” Think about that for a second!! The power of faith, a size of a mustard seed can move the mountain! imagine a watermelon seed!! lol

But let me back up for a second, what is our faith based on??? (This is aimed for all the none believers, just sayin.) It’s simple! We’re CRAZY!!! As Christians we believe 2000 yrs ago God came down to our filth of a planet in the shape of a man, to die on a cross!! (Which was the most horrific form of death that the Roman Empire had, it was only for the worst of criminals, yet our savior had commited none)

WHY THE WOULD HE DO THAT!?!?! It’s because he loved us. He loved us so much that he was willing to die, to be the perfect sacrifice for sins.

As Christians we are crazy enough to have faith, to know that he died for our sins. And I know if I was the only sinner ever to exist that Jesus Christ would make that same sacrifice for me alone, for his love is so strong.