This evening, while at work, I was listening to one of the local almost Christian radio stations (We don’t actually have any all Christian stations in the NYC metro area that I’m aware of, just unreasonable facsimiles.) In between the half hour infomercials, the con artists, money lenders, snake oil salesmen, and other assorted worshippers of Mammon, you get to hear the odd radio ministry of a sound expositor of the word of God, (but they have to pay dearly for the air time so there aren’t many.) This evening I was quite shocked and somewhat angered to hear the “wisdom” of one well positioned individual, teaching that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is an angel. I thought that this was probably one of the dumbest things that I’d ever heard come out of someone’s mouth, when my only other coworker on the evening tour, also a beloved brother in Christ, reminded me that this was a main stream doctrine of the cult that he was raised within prior to receiving the truth of the gospel and being born again by the Spirit of the living God.
I don’t expect to win anyone over by argument; only the Holy Spirit can convince a man of sin and give them new life through faith in the son of God, but I need to comment on this foolishness for the benefit of new believers and those who don’t take time to study the word of God, or only possess a New World Translation, or equally bad version of the scripture..
In the Old Testament scriptures, there are appearances of “the angel of the Lord” which are typically referred to as Christophanies, (? I’m unsure of the proper spelling) and these appearances are understood by some (including yours truly) to be appearances of the pre-incarnate Christ. Jesus was born into a human body about 2000 years ago, but He always existed and made appearances in a form that wouldn’t cause the immediate death of the people he came to see, as with His visits to Abraham, Manoah, Moses, etc.
We find one such appearance in the book of Daniel and in chapter 10. The description of this “Angel” is quite like the one of the “Alpha and Omega” described in the book of the Revelation. If we can accept them to be one and the same, then He clearly isn’t Michael: "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. NKJ Daniel 10:13
The last verse doesn’t prove conclusively that Jesus isn’t one of the angelic ranks and a created being, but this notion is a very old heresy dating all the way back to the writing of the New Testament scriptures, as the author of the book of Hebrews felt it was necessary to compare Jesus to the angels in the very first chapter of the epistle: 1 God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You''? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son''? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him.'' Hebrews 1:1-6
This is largely the cause of the offense of the cross. The anti-christ Mohammed wrote in the Koran, “Those who say ‘The Lord of mercy has begotten s son,’ preach a monstrous falsehood, at which the very heavens might crack, the earth break asunder, and the mountains crumble to dust, That they should ascribe a son to the Merciful, when it does not become Him to beget one.” From the chapter entitled “Mary”. It is an offence to the world to say that God became man and then suffered death on a cross; Let it be anyone other than God, and that’s just fine. The New World translation was created by another anti-christ determined to expunge the divinity of Jesus from the scriptures. The scholars of the JPS Tanaach English translation are guilty of the same sort of editing, but a bit more honest in that they at least use footnotes to explain where the meaning of the text is uncertain which are always verses used by New Testament authors to show how Jesus fulfilled prophecy or support Christian doctrine (I do however enjoy reading that particular translation; already knowing the Truth I can enjoy the Jewish style of prose.)
I make no apologies for the scripture. The apostle John tells us what the spirit of antichrist is: Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. NKJ 1 John 2:22
If you deny the Son, you also deny the Father. This doesn’t mean that men can’t be saved from such teachings. Being a Muslim, a Jew, etc., doesn’t mean that a person has received the mark of the beast, only that they’ve been taught to believe a lie. Like everyone else, only the Holy Spirit can deliver them. The gospel is for those who can receive it, and that isn’t by the work of man, but through the preaching of the Word of God and the power of Holy Spirit.
The fact that this teacher on the radio was teaching gross error is not the greatest problem, as those who belong to Christ will not hear the voice of another. However, it is a huge problem that this individual is part of a worldwide “evangelistic” mission, and if the mission is carrying the same doctrine, we dare not support it in spite of any good works it might be doing. When I was young in the faith, I would invite door to door proselytizers of one such cult into my home so that I could sit and point out their error and share the gospel with them. They always left with doubts in what they’d been taught, but would come back once they’d been coached on how to respond. After a few such visits, I came under conviction of the Word: 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. NKJ 2 John 1:9-11
Please note that this verse doesn’t exclude talking to or eating with such individuals for the purpose of the ministry of the gospel, but rather has to do with welcoming and receiving such into your home (and by implication, your church.) This last verse should be reason enough to avoid membership in universalistic congregations or societies, as greeting such “brothers” brings a burden of sin with it, regardless of your personal motive.
So remember, that not all which calls itself “Christian” genuinely is, and it would always be a good idea to examine doctrine before lending your support or trust to some organization. Try to keep in mind that fear is used to sell things. The fear of God (not dread, but awe) is a good thing, but love is transforming in it’s power, and there is no greater love than that which God has demonstrated in His Son, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
I don’t expect to win anyone over by argument; only the Holy Spirit can convince a man of sin and give them new life through faith in the son of God, but I need to comment on this foolishness for the benefit of new believers and those who don’t take time to study the word of God, or only possess a New World Translation, or equally bad version of the scripture..
In the Old Testament scriptures, there are appearances of “the angel of the Lord” which are typically referred to as Christophanies, (? I’m unsure of the proper spelling) and these appearances are understood by some (including yours truly) to be appearances of the pre-incarnate Christ. Jesus was born into a human body about 2000 years ago, but He always existed and made appearances in a form that wouldn’t cause the immediate death of the people he came to see, as with His visits to Abraham, Manoah, Moses, etc.
We find one such appearance in the book of Daniel and in chapter 10. The description of this “Angel” is quite like the one of the “Alpha and Omega” described in the book of the Revelation. If we can accept them to be one and the same, then He clearly isn’t Michael: "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. NKJ Daniel 10:13
The last verse doesn’t prove conclusively that Jesus isn’t one of the angelic ranks and a created being, but this notion is a very old heresy dating all the way back to the writing of the New Testament scriptures, as the author of the book of Hebrews felt it was necessary to compare Jesus to the angels in the very first chapter of the epistle: 1 God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You''? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son''? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him.'' Hebrews 1:1-6
This is largely the cause of the offense of the cross. The anti-christ Mohammed wrote in the Koran, “Those who say ‘The Lord of mercy has begotten s son,’ preach a monstrous falsehood, at which the very heavens might crack, the earth break asunder, and the mountains crumble to dust, That they should ascribe a son to the Merciful, when it does not become Him to beget one.” From the chapter entitled “Mary”. It is an offence to the world to say that God became man and then suffered death on a cross; Let it be anyone other than God, and that’s just fine. The New World translation was created by another anti-christ determined to expunge the divinity of Jesus from the scriptures. The scholars of the JPS Tanaach English translation are guilty of the same sort of editing, but a bit more honest in that they at least use footnotes to explain where the meaning of the text is uncertain which are always verses used by New Testament authors to show how Jesus fulfilled prophecy or support Christian doctrine (I do however enjoy reading that particular translation; already knowing the Truth I can enjoy the Jewish style of prose.)
I make no apologies for the scripture. The apostle John tells us what the spirit of antichrist is: Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. NKJ 1 John 2:22
If you deny the Son, you also deny the Father. This doesn’t mean that men can’t be saved from such teachings. Being a Muslim, a Jew, etc., doesn’t mean that a person has received the mark of the beast, only that they’ve been taught to believe a lie. Like everyone else, only the Holy Spirit can deliver them. The gospel is for those who can receive it, and that isn’t by the work of man, but through the preaching of the Word of God and the power of Holy Spirit.
The fact that this teacher on the radio was teaching gross error is not the greatest problem, as those who belong to Christ will not hear the voice of another. However, it is a huge problem that this individual is part of a worldwide “evangelistic” mission, and if the mission is carrying the same doctrine, we dare not support it in spite of any good works it might be doing. When I was young in the faith, I would invite door to door proselytizers of one such cult into my home so that I could sit and point out their error and share the gospel with them. They always left with doubts in what they’d been taught, but would come back once they’d been coached on how to respond. After a few such visits, I came under conviction of the Word: 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. NKJ 2 John 1:9-11
Please note that this verse doesn’t exclude talking to or eating with such individuals for the purpose of the ministry of the gospel, but rather has to do with welcoming and receiving such into your home (and by implication, your church.) This last verse should be reason enough to avoid membership in universalistic congregations or societies, as greeting such “brothers” brings a burden of sin with it, regardless of your personal motive.
So remember, that not all which calls itself “Christian” genuinely is, and it would always be a good idea to examine doctrine before lending your support or trust to some organization. Try to keep in mind that fear is used to sell things. The fear of God (not dread, but awe) is a good thing, but love is transforming in it’s power, and there is no greater love than that which God has demonstrated in His Son, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
