If you have a chance, watch Secrets of the Vatican on PBS TV. It is worth all 90 minutes. Sixty years plus of corruption, pedophilia, homosexuality, intrigue, money laundering, drug trade and other evils have been uncovered with little contrition. The curia is the governing body of the Roman church. It comes from word roots meaning, ironically “care by” a “noble guardian.” There certainly has been not guarding going on and not noble but venal. Yes, the Roman Catholic Church is trying to do something about it, with mixed results, but it can’t because so much of the foundation is flawed. The New Testament identifies a number of errors which demonstrate falling away from God.
When God changes his mind, so will I.
God has promised He will do His word. He has not promised He will honor the words of men. It is our duty to know the difference.
And Protestant churches have fallen into the humanism trap too. Secular Humanism is a real political group with a doctrine and devotees. That is not what I am referring to here. Secular humanism is the spirit of compromise that reduces both the Word of God and the effects of sin to a human perspective. In the case of the pedophiles, secular humanists (SH) say it results when priests cannot marry.
Secular humanism always identifies a problem as starting with Man and ending with Man’s doing something about it; so God is not a factor.
In no case is this correct.
God’s Truth & church doctrine often do not match
Truth is always based ultimately on the word of God, because it is the will of God, and evil results when God’s will does not prevail in a man, a society, a nation, and all the groups therein. Pedophilia is not caused by celibacy rules but a direct result of disobedience to God’s word/will. The Bible says clearly “Do not forbid to marry.”
1 Timothy 4:1-4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
How plain can you get? Here are more examples of common practice in violation of the revealed will of God.
Truth is Biblical not denominational
SH #2. Correction to church practice and corruption would have begun earlier but the lowly participant in this denomination is discouraged from reading the Bible. The entire scriptures are there for all men to know, read, promote, and live every day. Church believers can be and should be the backbone of immediate correction. They should have the power to be rid of corrupt leaders at any level. John 17:17 – Your word is truth.
SH #3. There is no “special” priesthood in the New Testament. We are all called priests. Each person in the church of Jesus Christ has a function. There are no fancy robes, headdresses, pope-mobiles, red sashes, gold goblets and on and on. No, the first church met often in the back of a restaurant, or someone’s home, or when under persecution in the graveyards of Rome. There was NO MORTGAGE.
1 Peter 2:9 -you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Women had as much right in the New Testament church as males Any differentiation tells us that the group is not “in Christ.” In Christ is where the church is supposed to be; when it is not it is somewhere else – in the world, in the flesh, in the devil, or more likely in trouble. Man is not the measure of reality, unless you mean the Man Jesus.
Galatians 3:27-29 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
SH#4. Believers are not saved by being baptized. They are saved before they are baptized. It is not necessary to baptize babies. They do not need to be added to heaven; because they already are there! They do lose that standing when they mature however; then salvation and baptism are appropriate.
Mark 10:14 … Jesus [said] Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
The Kingdom is where children are right now.
SH#5. There is no purgatory, i.e. a place where people go after death to get their lives straight. Jesus said, “Today you’ll be with me” to the thief on the cross. That ought to be good enough for today as well.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to [the thief] “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
SH# 6 Jesus died once. That’s all, never again. No crucifix should have on it a body of Jesus. He left the tomb.
Hebrews 10:10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
SH #7. Yes Virginia there is a devil. Some churches speak of the devil as though he either does not exist or is not a problem. This makes it easier for the demonic kingdom over which he presides to run a muck in our lives. And again, it does not match the written word of God. There are four wills in the world, the will of Man, the will of the world system, the will of the demonic kingdom, and finally the will of God. The first three will pass away.
Christians have a responsibility to know the Bible and what they believe. They should also know what the Bible does not say. God had four thousand years to create His written word and now we have it. And there is a test!
My new hero is Franklin Graham who said simply (I paraphrase) “When God changes His mind, so will I.”
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One Response
Very sound, Cook. Love it.