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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Beware "Another" | 2 Cor 11:4 | DocTrinsograce | 156335 | ||
Pope Benedict warned the faithful Roman Catholics who gathered before him today in Cologne against a kind of "consumer product" kind of religion. He stated, "Help people to discover the true star which points out the way to us: Jesus Christ." Earlier in his visit the Pope addressed Muslim leaders and also visited a synagogue. The Lord Jesus Christ does not lead the way to any human institution. The universal church consists of all those who have been or shall be gathered under Christ. In the sense of the work accomplished by the Holy Spirit and God's grace in a believer, the church cannot be seen with human eyes. (Hebrews 12:23; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:10, 22, 23; Ephesians 5:23, 27, 32) Anyone, anywhere professing faith through the gospel of Christ, and who walks in obedience to His commands, and holds to sound Scriptural doctrine, are the saints (1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 11:26; Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:20-22). Only Christ Himself is the head of this church (Colossians 1:18; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:11, 12; 2 Thessalonians 2:2-9). Paul repeatedly warns us about men preaching "another Christ," "another Spirit," or "another Gospel." This is why we must always be very discerning. When people speak of Jesus Christ, we must ask, "Which Christ do you mean?" When people speak of the Gospel, we must ask, "Which Gospel do you mean?" Many strange bed fellows are made when we do not properly define our terms. We must be cautious to not receive any other Christ than the one of the Scriptures. We must be cautious to not believe any other Gospel than the one of the Scriptures. "The gospel of Satan is not a system of revolutionary principles, nor yet a program of anarchy. It does not promote strife and war, but aims at peace and unity. It seeks not to set the mother against her daughter nor the father against his son, but fosters the fraternal spirit whereby the human race is regarded as one great 'brotherhood.' It does not seek to drag down the natural man, but to improve and uplift him. It advocates education and cultivation and appeals to 'the best that is within us.' It aims to make this world such a comfortable and congenial habitat that Christ's absence from it will not be felt and God will not be needed. It endeavors to occupy man so much with this world that he has no time or inclination to think of the world to come. It propagates the principles of self-sacrifice, charity and benevolence, and teaches us to live for the good of others, and to be kind to all. It appeals strongly to the carnal mind and is popular with the masses, be cause it ignores the solemn facts that by nature man is a fallen creature, alienated from the life of God, and dead in trespasses and sins, and that his only hope lies in being born again." --A. W. Pink "As with any true New Testament church, its validity as a true church approved of God, does not nor or ever did rest on it name or upon a succession of churches, but on its adherence to the principles of God's Word." --Cooper Abrams |
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2 | Beware "Another" | 2 Cor 11:4 | mark d seyler | 156353 | ||
This is by no means exhaustive, but can help to provoke thought. The following is quoted from the below-named website: The following statements, compiled by Dr. Michael Langone, editor of Cultic Studies Journal, often characterize manipulative groups. Comparing these statements to the group with which you or a family member is involved may help you determine if this involvement is cause for concern. Place a checkmark beside all items that characterize the group in question. If you check many of these items, and particularly if you check most of them, you might consider examining the group more closely. Keep in mind that this checklist is meant to stimulate thought, not "diagnose" groups. We suggest that you check all characteristics that apply to your or your loved one's group, then print this browser page for future reference. You may find that your assessment changes over time, with further reading and research. The group is focused on a living leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment. The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members. The group is preoccupied with making money. Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished. Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation, chanting, denunciation sessions, debilitating work routines) are used to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s). The leadership dictates sometimes in great detail how members should think, act, and feel (for example: members must get permission from leaders to date, change jobs, get married; leaders may prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, how to discipline children, and so forth). The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s), and members (for example: the leader is considered the Messiah or an avatar; the group and/or the leader has a special mission to save humanity). The group has a polarized us- versus-them mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society. The group's leader is not accountable to any authorities (as are, for example, military commanders and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations). The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify means that members would have considered unethical before joining the group (for example: collecting money for bogus charities). The leadership induces guilt feelings in members in order to control them. Members' subservience to the group causes them to cut ties with family and friends, and to give up personal goals and activities that were of interest before joining the group. Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group. Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members To read more, visit http://www.csj.org/ |
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