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NASB | Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone, |
Subject: The foundation of the church |
Bible Note: "Look at the church today, instead of advancing from the book of Acts it has diminished. With all due respect sir/madam the church that I witness today has in no way surpassed Acts (as the seed of the church)." You are kidding, I hope. Do you really think that it has been all downhill since the first century? I recommend a study of church history to show how the church has flourished in the last 2000 years, desite the setbacks that are a result of sinful human beings. And I also recommend a study of the epistles in Scripture to get a background of how much turmoil did exist in the earliest church, even with the apostles around. Judaizers, Gnostics, false apostles, people using the name of Jesus Christ for sex and money...they were all there right under Paul's nose. You wrote: "We cannot ignore the division within the church nor can we ignore our doctrinal differences which, if it continues will never lead to the unity of the faith." And, of course, your solution to this problem is for ME to abandon the doctrinal differences I have with you, rather than the other way around. :) "Since the dark ages He began to restore truth to His church beginning in the 1500's with Martin Luther (which I believe operated in an apostolic frequency breaking patterns of erroneos religiosity as did the early apostles in the midst of the Pharisees)proclaiming justification by faith in the midst of opposing doctrine that existed in his time." But Luther did not claim any special revelation from God apart from Scripture. He even claimed that Scripture must be the final authority for him and the only source of revelation. He also made no claims of apostleship. "Similarly God has used other moves such as the Holiness/Evangelical, Pentecostal, Latter Rain, Charismatic moves to restore foundational truths to the church as was present in the book of Acts so that we can grow unto perfection/completion (i.e. without spot or wrinkle)." And Luther opposed similar moves in the 16th century. They were called "enthusiasts" back then. What I have personally seen from a lot of movements you have mentioned (and my wife, as a former member of one of these movements, will attest) is an erosion of doctrine, not a unity of doctrine. These movements are historical novelties, and not present in the church until 1905 or so. "Yet Paul never met Jesus Christ in the physical sense as did the twelve. Jesus presented Himself to Paul on the Damascus road and spoke to him throughout his ministry truths that were never before revealed." So in Acts 9, Jesus did indeed appear to Paul, and gave him the role of apostle. That is exactly my point. Paul was a witness of the resurrected Christ: "After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also." --1 Corinthians 15:6-8 "I believe that this is a principle that we as believers must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us - the relevance of God choosing someone outside of 'the twelve' to play such a significant role as an apostle to the church." I hope you don't think that I hold that God limited himself to the Twelve for the ministry of apostle. All I am saying is that the revelatory and foundation-laying work of the apostles is done. --Joe! |