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Tag: deuteronomy

  • A.D. 49 – the Council at Jerusalem

    A.D. 49 – the Council at Jerusalem

    Acts 15

    – a council of the Apostles in Jerusalem

    map of route between Jerusalem and Antioch where apostles sent missionaries into all the world of the gentiles
    between the Church at Antioch & the Council at Jerusalem

    Arrival of Paul and Barnabas from the Church at Antioch Syria

    4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 

    Historical context:

    In A.D. 49, nearly two decades after the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Christ Jesus, the Church has grown greatly by the power of the Holy Spirit.

    • Claudius had assassinated Caligula in Rome and is now Caesar of the Empire.
    • Herod Antipas, who had ruled Galilee and Perea was exiled and died ten years ago in A.D. 39
    • Herod [Marcus Julius] Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, raised in Rome and appointed Ethnarch of Idumea, Judea and Samaria, had died in Caesarea Marittima, Roman port of access to Judea and beyond.
    What happened to Peter?
    King Herod Agrippa I Acts 12:19 .. he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.
    • A.D. 44, in addition to imprisoning Peter, Herod Agrippa had executed the Apostle James in Jerusalem and then traveled bank to Caesarea where he died.
    • Herod Agrippa II now governs Syria, Galilee and Perea
    • A.D. 49 The Emperor Claudius has just expelled the Jews from Rome (but not Christians)

    “Claudius saw the Jews as troublemakers who undermined his right to rule, and he expelled them from Rome. Gentile Christians, however, were not expelled from Rome, which amplified Jewish-gentile animosity in the early Roman church.

    Rose Guide to the Book of Acts, p.45

    A Council of Leaders addressing issues of Culture

     5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

    The Apostles and Elders of the church in Jerusalem had dealt with these issues. Peter has previously addressed the role of the Holy Spirit in accepting gentiles — even Romans of the army enforcing their government of Jerusalem in Roman Syria.

    The Pharisees, who believed in the resurrection, strained to enforce Mosaic LAW among the Jews throughout the Roman Empire long before the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of the Christ prophesied throughout Scripture.

    The political JEWISH party of the Pharisees chose what they believed was a defining issue of Jewish Law to present to their fellow leaders at this council in Jerusalem.

    Saul of Tarsus — Paul — had been zealous for the Law as a Pharisee and understood detailed application of the Law of Moses; but he and Barnabas had also been persecuted in Asia for their proclamation of grace through the blood of Christ in accepting gentiles into the worship of God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus who became the redemption for the sins of Jews and gentiles alike.

    6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 

    Church doctrine a line in the sand. - How will a leader or council of leaders choose what the Church will teach?
    How will a leader or council of leaders decide what the Church will teach?

    Illuminating the Authority of Church Councils

    (from the Greek) συνέδριον –

    We gentile Christians may not quickly make the connection of the importance and authority of this meeting from the Hebrew traditions of Jerusalem.

    I didn’t.

    Transliteration
    synedrion (Key)

    The KJV translates Strong’s G4892 in the following manner: council (22x).

    • any assembly (esp. of magistrates, judges, ambassadors), whether convened to deliberate or pass judgment
    • any session or assembly or people deliberating or adjudicating
      • the Sanhedrin, the great council at Jerusalem, consisting of the seventy one members, viz. scribes, elders, prominent members of the high priestly families and the high priest, the president of the assembly.
      • a smaller tribunal or council which every Jewish town had for the decision of less important cases.

    Obviously this group is NOT the seventy members of the Jewish Sanhedrin which condemned the Lord Jesus and now still decide religious issues twenty years later in similar gatherings of leadership on behalf of the Temple.

    The council of Jerusalem is a smaller group of Christian men with authority over the Church anointed by the Holy Spirit.

    Luke does NOT call this key meeting of Christian leadership in Jerusalem a synedrion or council (though it is).

    Many Bible translations accurately add a heading to ACTS of the Apostles 15:

    The Jerusalem Council [ESV], The Council at Jerusalem [NIV], The Council in Jerusalem [NASB]

    Circumcision – Not Really the Issue

    Recall that Peter, Paul and many leaders of the Church must address MANY issues at odds between the opposing cultures of the Jews and the Greeks, Romans — any gentiles seeking to worship the Lord God.

    Is the issue food?

    Who should worship the Lord?

    Where? When? What will our corporate worship gathering look like each week?

    How will gatherings of worshipers of different cultures agree as a ‘church’ to follow and teach only certain rules or doctrine?

    As a reminder to my fellow gentile Christians, a quick look at circumcision:

περιτέμνω - Lexicon :: Strong's G4059 - peritemnō
- cut off one's prepuce (used of that well known rite by which not only the male children of the Israelites, on the eighth day after birth, but subsequently also "proselytes of righteousness" were consecrated to Jehovah and introduced into the number of his people)

- since by the rite of circumcision a man was separated from the unclean world and dedicated to God, the word is transferred to denote the extinguishing of lusts and the removal of sins

    10:12 וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ שֹׁאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אִם־לְיִרְאָה אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל־דְּרָכָיו וּלְאַהֲבָה אֹתוֹ וְלַֽעֲבֹד אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

    “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.. Deuteronomy 10:12 ESV

    10:16 וּמַלְתֶּם אֵת עָרְלַת לְבַבְכֶם וְעָרְפְּכֶם לֹא תַקְשׁוּ עֽוֹד׃

    Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.

    Deuteronomy 10:16 ESV – the word of the Lord through Moses

    The issue presented to the council is not the actual symbolic act OR the Law of Moses OR one culture being cleansed to become as the flesh of another. Circumcision is NOT the issue, but the underlying stubbornness of the hearts of believers and worshipers to agree.

    Peter’s Leadership of the Council at Jerusalem

    The church at Jerusalem is now being led by James son of Joseph and Mary.

    It has its own elders as well as deacons anointed by the Holy Spirit to serve under the Twelve (which now includes Mathias).

    Peter understands that in these times of persecution other Apostles will also be killed as was the James the greater by Herod and other leaders such at Stephen.

    We learned during the first mission trip of Paul and Barnabas how they modeled leadership of the the local churches after the church at Antioch Syria, not actually the church in Jerusalem where this council has gathered.

    An Antioch Blueprint of Church Evangelism
    Antioch Syria where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians became a model for church leadership in Asia and Greece.

    Simon Peter’s Instruction to the Council

    ACTS 15:7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them,

    “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.

    10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

    But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

    12 And all the assembly fell silent..

    Here is true leadership by the Apostle, even though technically Peter has no active role in leadership in Antioch, any of the Asian churches or even the Apostle’s own local gathering in Jerusalem.

    What else could this diverse group of leaders do? They fell silent, withholding their former opinions and cultural differences concerning worship.

    NO, circumcision was not really the issue — other than the circumcision of their own hearts which the Apostle has just cut to the quick.

    Therefore the council now listens to the evidence presented to them (which Luke has already outlined from the recent first mission of Paul and Barnabas) with ears to hear.

    .. and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

    A Pastor’s Response

    NEXT we will take a look at the leadership of Jerusalem’s Pastor James after Paul and Barnabas finished speaking.

    ACTS of the Jerusalem Council TO BE CONTINUED, God-willing…

  • Best NOT Preach This

    Best NOT Preach This

    REPENT! "UNLESS i AM CONVINCED BY PROOFS FROM SCRIPTURES of by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract. For is is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. HERE I STAND. I CAN DO NO OTHER. God help me. Amen! Martin Luther
    REPENT! For why should I believe your preaching
    IF you will NOT preach truly from SCRIPTURE?

    Last time in our Saturday Post series on Doctrine (of and for the Church) we examined some DISTINCTIONS of D. Martyn Lloyd Jones on the Christian Life from a Jason Meyer biography, DOCTRINE AND LIFE AS FUEL AND FIRE.

    Distinction between the Kingdom and the Church of Christ
    “Preaching is the primary business of the Church, and preaching should have two main objects in view: upbuilding the saints and evangelizing the lost. – M. Lloyd Jones

    This Saturday we will not only continue with some of those distinctions, but I will introduce some Scriptures your Sunday gathering will never hear in YOUR church – the kinds of Scriptures you’d best not preach to a culturally-constructed church freed from bondage of a Holy Bible.

    Our Two Main Headings (for today & our NEXT Saturday Post):

    1. Preaching Church Doctrine to the Preacher AND
    2. Preaching Biblical Doctrine to ourselves (the ‘church’)

    “Failure is being successful at the things that don’t matter.”

    .. There is a category of saved fool–of those who are saved by grace, but whose lives were not well spent.

    Rico Tice, Faithful Leaders and The Things That Matter Most
    Do you really believe that? doctrine - a line in the sand [picture of Jesus kneeling down to draw a line with his finger
    DOCTRINE – What do you believe? Can you affirm it to others?

    Pastor, You’d best NOT Preach THIS!

    a letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth 3:

    And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleshly men, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it..

    10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

    For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

    • Pastor, you’d best not preach this to the fleshly infants gathered to your church.

    14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

    But I’m winning the world to JESUS.

    “WE’RE NOT REFORMED! ” a pastor once added as an apologetic for his preaching?

    ‘So you’re NOT Protestant, then?’ I thought, as I wondered why this evangelist in the pulpit suddenly counterattacked the doctrine of the church in his own sermon.

    ‘NOT like Luther or Zwingli, NOT like Wycliffe or Wesley, NOT like Bunyan or Newton, NOT like Spurgeon of Edwards?

    But of course, they suffered for their Christian faith and for the Doctrine of the Church. A 21st century church is built on a different foundation for a fiscally well-heeled audience.

    Continuing in Lloyd-Jones' four key distinctions of the Doctrine of the Church:

    The kingdom of God [*] is “wider and bigger than the Church”..

    *[‘God‘ the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’]

    because it is the “the rule and reign of God [*]” over everything.

    The Doctor’s Doctrine, p.104 + [*] my trinitarian reminder – RH
    Belshazar asks Daniel to interpret the handwriting on the wall

    Daniel 5:27 תְּקֵל תְּקִילְתָּה בְמֹֽאזַנְיָא וְהִשְׁתְּכַחַתְּ חַסִּֽיר׃

    The writing NOT on your wall

    The church is an expression of the kingdom “wherever the Lord Jesus Christ is acknowledged as Lord.”

    D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Great Doctrines of the Bible

    ONLY CHRIST?

    • Do YOU, dear PASTOR of Christ’s church, preach and acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord?

    “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I am commanding you.

    Deuteronomy 4:2 LSB

    All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

    2 Timothy 3, KJV + from the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
    • Are YOU wise, dear proclaimer of God’s word in the pulpit of Christ’s Church?

    ONLY SCRIPTURE?

    Galatians 1: [Version of the King]

    I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

    Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

    But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

    As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

    Letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Galatia 1:6-9 Version of the King (James)

    ..for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

    For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

    Galatians 1:10b-12, King James Version [under the heading: Perversion of the Gospel + Let the Preacher beware.]
    • NO version of this rebuke from any Bible will tickle the ears of my growing church–best NOT preach this.

    A Second Letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth:

    Recall that in his first letter the Apostle called them 'fleshly men, as to infants in Christ.'
NOW Paul addresses them as 'saints' or 'holy ones.'

    Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even to live.

    • Pastor, if THIS is the ‘Christian‘ LIFE—you’d best not preach affliction, burden and despair of this life..

    For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

    2 Corinthians 2:17 Legacy Standard Bible

    The Gospel of the Glory of Christ 2 Corinthians 4:

    2 but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation [visual evidence] of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

    3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

    For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

    Christ Jesus as Lord, the Shepherds of Christ as bond-servants or slaves; metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

    2 Corinthians 5:11
    • I can’t preach that all must be judged by Christ–ALL judged by the clear evidence of our good deeds or bad. So best NOT preach THAT life with judgment by Christ. (I need much more GRACE than that for THIS life.)

    Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel 

    Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law?[scholar] Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?

    It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us ​— ​our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

    1 Corinthians 1:20,30-31 Christian Standard Version
    [at one time written on the wall behind your preaching,
    a gospel for all to see that you ‘are not lying’ (to borrow from Paul)]
    best not preach this IF you do not want the enemies of Christ Jesus to also persecute you

    The writing NOT on your wall

    “Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

    – The Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle John 2:5 CSB + writing to the church at Ephesus from Patmos

    All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the wrongdoing of us all To all on Him.
    All of us, like sheep, have gone astray..
    Do you really believe that? doctrine - a line in the sand [picture of Jesus kneeling down to draw a line with his finger
    DOCTRINE – What do you believe? Can you affirm it to others?

    DOCTRINE

    + a line in the sand for the evangelical CHRISTIAN preacher

    TO BE CONTINUED, God-willing, + with a line in the sand + for THE CHURCH...
  • Did God really say, Church?

    Did God really say, Church?

    Yes! God said, “CHURCH.”

    Let’s be clear up front. I can assure you through Scripture (the written word of God we call THE BIBLE) that our Creator said, “Church.”

    So that we are on the same page (so to speak) I will get to a written definition of Church shortly. But first — and perhaps more importantly — I have a question to ask YOU.

    WHO is Asking?

    • Why is THIS important?

    • Does the person asking you about “Church“ really want to know what God said?

    • OR

    • Is this question of theirs a veiled dismissal of God
      • AND built on a premise opposed to the Authority of God’s Word?

    Who believes that God created the CHURCH?

    FIRST: Most likely NO ONE has asked you about your “church.”

    If you made a list including one hundred [100] from your neighborhood, work and extended family,

    • HOW MANY would even ASK YOU ANYTHING about CHURCH or GOD or Jesus Christ?

    Perhaps, one? 

    (Not even Christians of our church typically engage each other in conversation about 'church'  beyond the walls of the church building or in our mortal time beyond a single worship service duplicated twice on Sunday.)

    SECONDLY: IF you ever hear a person ask you about your ‘church‘ and Scripture ,

    ASK YOURSELF, “WHO IS ASKING?”

    You probably know several variations of the original QUESTION directly from your Bible.

    וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם מִכֹּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָאִשָּׁה אַף כִּֽי־אָמַר אֱלֹהִים לֹא תֹֽאכְלוּ מִכֹּל עֵץ הַגָּֽן׃

    Bereishit (Genesis) 3:1 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)
    Of course most of us cannot read the original so we must rely on a translation of Scripture (me included)-- but (keep in mind) -- 

NO man or woman can claim truth while they reconstruct Scripture into words they want the Bible to say. 

WORDS have both meaning and intent. Therefore a preacher or teacher of the BIBLE MUST stick to preaching or teaching from a reliable English translation AND NOT SUBSTITUTE your own 'better,' less-offensive words.

The BIG QUESTION of THE DECEIVER goes something like the reconstruction by Satan sketched out (and linked) below.

    Does the preacher of the Word who shepherds your church have the integrity to ALWAYS use the written word of God from the Bible as written?

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.com [Your response or question by email is welcome.]

    Questioning and Reconstructing God’s Word

    An example from Genesis 3:

    Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.

    And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said,

    Genesis 3:1b NASB95

    ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

    Again, WATCH OUT! Whenever you hear anyone ask, 'has God said...'

    “Church“

    Call it what you like, but different people mean different things when they say, ‘church.’

    This is so even for members or attenders of the very same church. So let’s settle on some standard definitions of our references to ‘the church.’

    ἐκκλησία – ek-klay-see’-ah [feminine noun]

    Strong’s G1577 – ekklēsia [click for complete definition of ‘church’]

    • a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place

    No mention of the ‘church building’ here, although this ‘public place’ could be a building, tent, other home or anywhere two or three ‘citizens’ are gathered together.

    And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; G1577 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

    Gospel of Matthew 16:18 KJV – first use of the word ‘church‘ G1537 ekklēsia in the New Testament

    Christians and unbelievers alike think of CHURCH as an exclusive reference to a building or place where JESUS worshipers gather together as a ‘religious’ routine typically on Sunday only.

    However, a deeper look into how ‘church’ is used in the Bible — Old Testament AND New — will reveal a more significant connection of this ‘gathering of citizens’ to the LORD God.

    Gather me the people together – קָהַל

    The summons or call to worship is from the LORD Himself!

    The first reference to the ‘church’ or gathering in the Greek Septuagint comes from the LORD through Moses. Each assembly of the hebrew people, the citizens called out of Egypt and frequently out of their tents in the wilderness, was called by the LORD GOD.

    The LORD calls out the CHURCH, a chosen company of worshipers of the LORD our God. 

    View a link to these references from the Septuagint in the common Greek of the first century Roman Empire when Israel no longer existed and JESUS taught in Galilee, Samaria and Judea.

    “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may have them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

    Deuteronomy 4:10

    “The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly..

    “This is in accordance with everything that you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Do not let me hear the voice of the LORD my God again, and do not let me see this great fire anymore, or I will die!’

    Deuteronomy 9:10; 18:16

    It’s pretty serious business:

    However, the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will wipe him out of My book. But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you; nevertheless on the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”

    Exodus 32:33-34 NASB20

    — a chosen citizenry created in the image of the LORD against whom they turn (again and again)

    שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד׃

    “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

    Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:4 :: WLC; 6:5 NASB20

    Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the LORD, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you.

    Exodus 34:10 NASB20

    — the LAW of the LORD our God (broken again and again)

    “Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.

    Exodus 34:12 NASB20

    — covenant, solemn promise after solemn promise (broken again and again)

    “For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they eat and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant.

    Deuteronomy 31:20 NASB20

    AND even in the New Testament

    — an often apostate church continually asking, “DID GOD REALLY SAY?“

    I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

    Paul’s letter to the Church at Galatia 1:6-7 NASB20

    Did Scripture really say..?

    Second Letter of Paul to Timothy

    3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

    YES, God — JESUS — really did say, CHURCH.

    Scripture — spoken by the LORD, written in the Law and the Prophets, preached by the Lord Jesus Christ, taught by the Apostles — Scripture affirms Christ’s Church already built by HIM and in no need of tearing down out of a lack of faith.

    All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man [messenger] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

    2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

    Why do you ask?

    "Did God really say, Church?" is our first post for a NEW TalkofJESUS.com SERIES, addressing philosophies and questions underlying intentional deconstruction of the 21st Century Church.

    Talk of JESUS . com

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