Talk of JESUS .com

Tag: Christians

Talking for hours with the prophet Paul
.. when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them..
Acts 20:7b ESV

Talk of Jesus into the late night hours

Our focus on this late-night incident in Troas is Paul’s midnight talk of JESUS and its impact on the Church. My secondary focus is a role of Paul we may not have considered as today’s TITLE suggests.

Acts 20:

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Acts pf the Apostles 20:7 KJV

A.D. 52-57
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The following 2-part post from just six verses in Acts 20 and Paul's third missionary journey focuses on two topics:

1. An extra long sermon (not so unusual for ANY pastor so it would seem) AND 
2. an extraordinary sign suggesting that Paul is also a Prophet of Almighty God.
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a Sunday service before their Monday departure

Luke records in Acts 20 that the Apostle Paul is already on his way home.

Strategic Retreat of Paul to Troas

And we sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. – Acts of the Apostles 20:6

a weekly Sunday worship
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Let's not miss the context and content of this day which was likely sometime in the year of our Lord 56. 
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Call it what you like: worship, a service, gathering or mass. These Christians of Troas welcomed Paul and his missionary companions into their weekly time together as a community in Christ.

And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread..

Holy Communion

About this same time [A.D. 55 or 56] in his first letter back to the church in Corinth Paul will also instruct worshipers to obediently partake in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:2 LSB For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,

“This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

The Sermon of a Church Father
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Note that Paul is NOT the local day-to-day Pastor and Shepherd of this church. The Apostle speaks to a large group gathered in Troas for worship. 

A crowded Christian gathering in an upper room anticipates Paul's Spirit-led exhortation [encouragement, both positive and cautionary].

AND Paul's 'talk' was not simply a one-man sermon to the flock without response but included extended additional dialogue.
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Paul began speaking to them.. [began talking in the NASB & others]

διαλέγομαι – in the Greek – discuss (in argument or exhortation):—dispute, preach (unto), reason (with), speak.

The AV translates it “preached,” in Act 20:7, 9; this the RV corrects to “discoursed,” lit., “dialogue,” i.e., not by way of a sermon, but by a “discourse” of a more conversational character.

Source: Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words – Strong’s G1256 – dialegomai

Paul kept talking until midnight. He prolonged his speech or message.

Luke uses the root word describing this dialogue (dialegomai) of Paul’s message lasting until midnight for these believers.

λόγος – logos – Strong’s G3056 – logos – a word, discourse, doctrine, teaching ..
- of speech
  - a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea
  - what someone has said
  - discourse
  - doctrine, teaching
    
    MORE –
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Luke opens ACTS using this same word referring to his Gospel as his 'first account' [prōtos logos].
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Scene of this late service

(for dialogue between the men of the church)

Luke does not mention the time of their regular Sunday worship.

It could have been nine or eleven in the morning. Perhaps it was an evening service planned for after the saints typically ate their evening meal at home with their families.
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SEE Paul's mention of this in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 THE LORD'S SUPPER
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Acts of the Apostles 20:8 LSB
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Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep.

Have you ever known someone to fall asleep ‘in church’ when their flesh could no longer bear another word of the pastor’s sermon or discussion of an unseen God and the Lord JESUS?

This young man, a boy likely brought by his father to the upper room of their evening service precariously perched himself in an open window where air circulated into the crowded place of worship.

BUT he just couldn’t last through all the long talk of JESUS by the Apostle Paul and others.
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(Perhaps by midnight what little breeze had revived the boy had subsided into stillness.)
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He FELL to his death!

DEATH! a sudden ending

Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
ACTS of the Apostles 20:9 KJV

This sudden incident brought the church meeting and Paul’s talk to an abrupt end.

The boy’s father and worshipers listening to Paul’s talk must have been stunned as the young man suddenly fell to his death.

So these men rushed downstairs and then outside to witness the apparent tragedy of the young man Eutychus for themselves.

a Sign of Life and Power through Paul

But Paul went down and fell upon him..
Acts of the Apostles 20:10a
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What Luke records NEXT in his account is both significant and perhaps largely ignored in 21st century C.E. preaching about the early history of the Church.

THEREFORE, we will leave the outcome of this evening for NEXT time and by way of comparison also look at Scripture concerning other Prophets (as I have suggested of the Apostle Paul).
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ACTS of the Apostles – To Be Continued… in A.D. 1st c. Troas, God-willing

Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel
December 5, 2023
GOD’S WORD for His Church
IN THE BEGINNING

God created the heavens and the earth.

IN THE BEGINNING

was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’
Gospel of Mark 7:6b-7a RSV

Doctrine for lost sheep of Christ’s Church

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

Proverbs 4:1-2 King James Version

From a chief of sinners zealous for the Word of Scripture:

To my beloved fellow believers of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Why must a believer study doctrine?

In the scriptures of the New Testament the Apostle Paul encourages the Romans of the church, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Since I have shared several studies of Doctrine from the Bible I will not rehash these in today’s conclusion to this study of Church Doctrine; however if you would like to learn more click continue reading below.
https://talkofjesus.com/what-is-doctrine
- My more recent concern for Church doctrine addressed deconstruction of Bible-based Doctrine presented as a new way to make the church relevant.
A 21st c. RECALL of the CHURCH

These include: Did God really say, Church?, Everythingology for an all-inclusive church & several more..

Why should the sheep become theologians?
- In this current series we have glanced at doctrine from several esteemed theologians, pastors of different churches.
  - Disclaimer: I am NOT a pastor but a church member zealous for the word of the Lord God and Jesus Christ.
  - To any extent you seek to study God from Scripture you become a theologian studying the will of the Lord.
“Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
Gospel of Luke 6:46 Legacy Standard Bible – Question of Jesus Christ to his followers

Can our Pastor Preach a self-defined Jesus?

Best NOT Preach This

For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. – 1 Cor. 3:11

And I might add from the Apostle’s letter to the church at Corinth quoted in this previous post:

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.
1 Corinthians 3:18

Why YOUR shepherd should preach Scripture

In Paul’s letter to Timothy about preaching the Apostle says:

.. you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:15b Legacy Standard Bible

All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness
[Therefore, I ask, what justification can any shepherd of the church offer for correcting God’s word while preaching ‘the bible says..?’]

Applying Scripture to the Church
- Scripture may apply only to the time in which it was written OR
- Old or New Testament Scripture may apply to these last days since the Apostles OR
- a Scripture may apply only until a day it is fulfilled.
But the BIBLE says what God says; nothing more, nothing less and certainly not anything other than the Scripture you may read for yourself.

Whenever the written word of God points to the church the godly must humbly obey. But of course you must know your Bible in order to apply God’s inspired word appropriately.
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(Don't just take some preacher's word for it that 'the Bible says' what he says.)
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In the Apostolic Age

Scripture of Christ by the hand of His Apostle John:

from The Apocalypse of John from Jesus Christ writing to seven churches:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come..
- God WAS and IS and WILL BE–the Father of all, the Son Christ Jesus the Ever-living Word of Salvation to redeemed sinners and the Holy Spirit of the Holy God who breaths life into the lifeless souls of sinful man.
- The Lord speaks to His Church through the Spirit and the Word of Scripture.
Scripture of Christ by the hand of His Apostle Paul:

Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things,

not acting deceitfully or distorting the word of God, but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth.

But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake.
Second letter from the Apostle Paul to the Church at Corinth 4:2-5 Christian Standard Bible
- How many Christians are there in your local VISIBLE CHURCH?
  - NOT as many as most claim.
    
    For many are perishing, blinded by the god of this age.
In earlier centuries of these last days

.. the Bible possesses reproving power to correct all error unaligned with its teaching.
The Bible Convictions of John Wycliff
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MORE about the Bible translator John Wycliff
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A Doctrine to Die for (as Christ also died for His Church)

No human leader–not even the Pontiff of Rome–can claim to be head of the church on earth. Sovereign headship belongs to Christ alone. “The greater part of the clergy is heretical and the highest are the worst.”
John Wycliff , who hand-copied the first version of the Wycliff English Bible in the year of our Lord, 1382 – source

While it is yet today–until the day of reckoning
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For Yahweh of hosts will have a day of reckoning
Against everyone who is proud and high
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be made low.
- Isaiah 2:12 LSB
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Once more I will defer to the theological trumpet of John Stott from THE RADICAL DISCIPLE

But fundamental to Christian behavior is the lordship of Jesus Christ. “Jesus is Lord” remains the basis of our life.

.. Is the church the lord of Jesus Christ so that it has liberty to edit and manipulate, accepting what it likes and rejecting what it dislikes?
The Radical Disciple on the challenge of ethical relativism

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
Gospel of John 14:21

Christ’s Commandment for the Church

And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. – Acts of the Apostles 11:26

Search the Scriptures and you will find this the only place followers of the way of Jesus Christ, disciples of His teaching and doctrine are called ‘Christians.’

ἐκκλησία – ekklēsia or church is used 114 times in the New Testament.
- If you are a disciple of the teachings (doctrines) of the Lord Jesus Christ do you suppose God’s inspired word chooses to call us out as a church rather than referring to a building for Christians?
What must we do?

Conclusion: Christ’s Doctrine for His Church

The Gospel of Matthew 22:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And He said to him,

“‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
- Do you do that, my fellow disciple of the doctrines of Christ Jesus?
And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said,

“Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Gospel of Matthew 12:49-50 LSB

Matthew 18:

“Now if your brother sins against you,

go and show him his fault, between you and him alone; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
- My beloved brother or sister of the Church, do you do that?
“But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.
- Do you, my fellow disciple of Jesus, call upon one or two other followers of Jesus from your church to witness such a word against a member of the Lord’s body broken for you?
“And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church;
- Can you, my fellow brother in Christ, actually take such a serious division of doctrine or belief to your church?
and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector.
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Of course this analogy of Jesus spoke to times before the risen Christ baptized gentiles into the Church. 
The charge of Jesus is to throw him out and have nothing to do with this unrepentant sinner who would lightly claim to be a christian.
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The DOCTRINE of the CHURCH is a life and death issue.

“Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
Gospel of Matthew 19:16
- Do you, my fellow disciple of Jesus, know what happened to the man who asked our Lord this question?
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” .. he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

And He is the head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

And through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross—through Him—whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Colossians 1:18-20

The Doctrine of the Church is a LIFE and DEATH issue. And also at issue is not only death, but JUDGMENT.

We are NOT SAVED simply by calling ourselves ‘christian,’ clinging to grace yet hiding from God.

“You are My friends if you do what I command you.
“This I command you, that you love one another.
Gospel of John 15:14,17

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
October 29, 2022
Syncretism – a little leaven added to Christ’s Church
Leaven & Syncretism

In an earlier Saturday Post in this series I coined the teaching, preaching and study of Everythingology – definition:

1. Endless study of everything;

2. Theoretical theology of humanity as god.

Today our focus turns toward the ‘isms‘ applied to the Church. Specifically, syncretism is form of everythingology stirred into the beliefs of Christians and leavening the 21st century Church to its own destruction.

First, a couple of definitions for my fellow amateur theologians of the Church:

Syncretism
- Reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief, as in philosophy or religion, especially when success is partial or the result is heterogeneous. – source: Wordnik.com
‘What’s wrong with that,’ you may ask. Sounds like a pretty good thing. ‘Can’t we all just get along?”

I even saw some syncretism on a bumper sticker of a pastor’s car.
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We'll get back to the definition of Syncretism shortly, but here is where understanding leaven comes into our understanding. (So let's take a Biblical view at leaven -- and this, from the New Testament.)
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Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth 5:6 LSB

ζύμη – leaven
- metaph. of inveterate [chronic, deep-rooted] mental and moral corruption, viewed in its tendency to infect others
Leaven is applied to that substance which is small in quantity, yet thoroughly pervades a thing by its influence. The NT uses it in both a positive (cf. Mat 13:33) or negative sense (e.g., “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”).
- ζύμη zýmē, dzoo’-may; probably from G2204; ferment (as if boiling up):—leaven.
- source: BlueLetterBible.org linked above
Where Everythingism Leavens the Church

Note our definition of Syncretism where philosophy and religion, specifically Christology, intersect.
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Two additional definitions [linked above]:

- The merging of two or more originally different inflectional forms.
- The attempted reconciliation or union of irreconcilable principles or parties, as in philosophy or religion; specifically, the doctrines of a certain school in the Lutheran Church, followers of Callixtus, who attempted to effect a union among all Christians, Protestant and Catholic. Sec syncretist.
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Our 20th century trained tolerances sometimes cause us to pause, if not cringe, at any Scriptural reference to a culture other than our own. For example:

One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
Paul’s letter to Titus 1:12 LSB

Where does the Apostle Paul come off by saying this to a Pastor Titus about the culture of Crete?

(And dare we preach this in our mostly white or mostly black evangelical Christian churches?)

Syncretism from ancient Greek philosophy

The connection is true (as Paul says) and intersects once more with an origin of syncretism found in nearby ancient Greek philosophy.

That, of course, would be the world of the Greek culture of the Roman Empire; a world which universally embraced MANY gods — Greeks and Cretans and Romans to whom the Apostles proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ.
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From συγκρητίζω (sunkrētízō) +‎ -μός (-mós), or possibly from συν- (sun-) +‎ Κρῆτες (Krêtes, “Cretans”) +‎ -ισμός (-ismós, “-ism”) if the verb is a back-formation. - source: Wikipedia
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Doesn’t Syncretism Multiply our numbers of Christians in the Evangelical Church?

If you do not agree with the Biblical caution of Paul for the churches in Crete; then, my fellow “evangelical Christian,’ you may want to reconsider a long-stagnant fermentation of Greek philosophy into a 21st century self-definition of syncretist:
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What is it to be a Syncretist 
"Syncretism is the science of integrating and understanding all fields of human knowledge, whether it be theological, philosophical, alchemical, astrological or spiritual. 
All fields of human knowledge can be syncretized and unified rather than divided, dividing and separating is the modus operandi of the control... - Syncretism Society [not linked here]

Consult your philosophers and alchemists (think magic potions) and astrologers (zodiac signs, earth worshipers) and spiritualists (palm readers or an enlightened Buddhist monk on a mountain).  
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Are these the humans YOU count as those in the Sunday gathering (or broadcast) of your evangelical church?

HOW WILL YOU CONVERT THEM TO CHRIST?
- Does the world see YOU and beloved friends of your local evangelical CHURCH as worshipers of Jesus Christ?
Here is the ‘Did god REALLY SAY’ QUESTION of the SYNCRETIST:
- WILL YOU AFFORD THE SAME HONOR TO BUDDA, VISHNU and MUHAMMED as you do Jesus?
That’s syncretism.

Must the CHURCH MULTIPLY our inclusion of so many anti-Christs of rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers.. upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of dishonest gain? [see: Titus 1:10-11]
- Didn’t these come to your ‘CHURCH’ because YOU, being Christ-like, live differently than others?
What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
Second letter of the Apostle Paul to the Church in Corinth Greece 6:15-16 NLT

How are Christians Different?

We examined philosophy (briefly).

Even Atheists make a religion of their teachings against God.

Religion, as we have seen, has many faces.

Even Atheists make a religion of their teachings against God, especially preaching a philosophic evangelism against Jesus Christ and against the Church and ALL Christians.

IS SYNCRYTISM a religion or is it a PHILOSOPY?

As you can see from their own self-defining society, we should probably be asking all of these syncretist churches:

SO WHY DON’T YOU TOLERATE ALL philosophies, ALL religions (as you claim), ALL gods and ALL idols and ALL human behaviors including worship of Jesus Christ? — AND WHY can’t you ever be ALL-INCLUSIVE of Christians?

“All fields of human knowledge can be syncretized and unified rather than divided..”

ANSWER: Because we are divinely ordained. [Isaiah 43:21] Although all have sinned [Romans 3:23] and deserve the wrath and punishment of God [Ezekiel 7:8], WE who believe in and follow our Lord Jesus Christ will have ETERNAL LIFE [numerous N.T. Scriptures].

Sadly, by their own disobedience to the Lord God and Jesus Christ, OTHERS will be judged!

It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:31 LSB

Let no one deceive you with empty words,
for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Letter of Paul to the Church in Ephesus [Greece] 5:6 LSB

For many deceivers have gone out into the world..

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Second letter of the Apostle John to the Church 1:7 LSB
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I could launch into a full sermon from John's letter and his CAUTION to the CHURCH here -- briefly --
Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. - v.9
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting, for the one who gives him a greeting [fellowships] participates in his evil deeds. vs.10-11
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- The syncretist will NOT allow the true Biblical Christian into their all-inclusive fellowship.
- The Apostle John cautions that true believers should NOT EVEN GREET one who wants to become part of Christ’s Church who does not live [abide] in the teaching of Christ.
Syncretism, Humanism, Universalism, and ALL of the diverse ism’s of the philosophers who constantly ask their disciples, “DID god REALLY SAY…” would lure the faithful to turn altogether toward dark pits bubbling with the leaven of evil to torment all souls.

A Unitarian Universalist CAUTION:

One closing thought. (I cannot even begin to list every syncretist so-called ‘Church,’ but here’s an approach.)

The individual unitarian (all truths are equal) and humanist (man is god) are “anti-Christs” by definition. Their own false premise of self stands against salvation where Jesus must mediate between God and mankind. [1 John 2:1-2, 1 Timothy 2:5] For He IS both GOD and man. [John 10:30]

Faithful evangelical Christian theologians more studied than this lay theologian in such divisive arguments of philosopher-syncretists have CAUTIONED the Church many times in the past.

.. I have written three pieces about the Christological debate, and about the gravity of allowing flagrant Unitarian heresy to be unanswered, unchecked, and undisciplined in the church. The central issue is neither one of semantics nor of [church creeds], but rather of salvation, (whether Jesus can in any sense mediate between God and mankind if he is not himself both God and man) and of discipleship (for we cannot worship him, believe in him, or obey him if he is not God).
Already by the middle of the first century, the deity of Jesus was part of the faith of the universal church. It cannot and must not be compromised today.
John Stott – Christ the Cornerstone Conclusion – JESUS IS LORD! HAS WIDE RAMIFICATIONS; pp. 202-203

Stott has much more to say about this, some which I may quote as we continue in this Saturday Post Series: A 21st c. RECALL of the CHURCH {linked at the top of our homepage.

Please COMMENT and tell us what YOU observe and think about the leaven of SYNCRETISM in your church. – RH
August 20, 2022