Is Christianity in the Bible?

[Richard Aberdeen]

That's major deception right there.

The main subject by Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2 about the great falling away is regarding the coming false-Messiah to JERUSALEM to set himself up as God in a new stone temple. That event is still in the near future to us, so the great falling away Paul was talking about isn't here yet today.

According to the Bible, the "last days" have already begun. The last days of this era have existed for 2,000 years and may exist considerably longer, we do not yet know what lies ahead. But Jesus tells us to "watch", carefully going by the signs. We can learn from prophecy that some of the signs are already here.

 

[amigo de christo]

Amen, Brother,

​

Thier blood be not upon me , for i have not shunned to delcare JESUS
and warn all to g et out of anything inclusive ecumeincal intefaith NOW . but unto all
who made and loved a lie of a god called the incluisive god
Their blood b e upon their own heads . And any and all who were co helpers to a lie
to the darkness , their blood shall be upon them as well .

 

[amigo de christo]

Amen, Brother,

​

many around the world and within christendom now love a god
who has unified them all under a lie . THEY love the idea all religons serve the same GOD
and they love their sin too . they have loved the inclusive god as though he were their father .
FOR he corrected not their sins and he exposed NOT their unbelief . THEY LOVED A LIE .
Not this sheep . JESUS dont get downplayed on my watch . I EXPOSE this great ecumeincal Harlot and her
intefiath interreligious lie . I expose it all . ONLY JESUS saves . ONLY JESUS saves .
AND TO BE saved ONE MUST BLEIEVE ON HIM . budda is of satan , islam is of satan
as are all other false religoins . THEY are t rapped in darkness just as i once was .
ONLY JESUS SAVES . HEAR THIS o great and mighty lovers of a lie of the ecumeincal harlot .
JESUS SAVES and ye must repent and BELIEVE ON HIM .
So lets allow JESUS own words and later johns words to sum it up .
JESUS told them , HE who RECIEVES HIS TESTIMONY has set to HIS seal that GOD IS TRUE .
HE who bleieves NOT the testimony that GOD gave of THE SON , CALLS GOD A LIAR .
SO THERE IT IS . for all to see . HE WHO BELEIVES THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST , THE SON OF GOD , calls GOD TRUE
but he who does not , calls GOD A LIAR . there it is . THEY DO Not serve the same GOD we do .
THEM RELIGOINS call OUR GOD A LIAR . SO i expose that ecumeincal interfiath interereligous dialgoue
FOR THE LIE THAT IS IT and THAT IT BE OF ANTI CHRISTS not GOD . NOT HIS PEACE PLAN , ANTI CHRIST PEACE PLAN
is all it is .

 

[Davy]

According to the Bible, the "last days" have already begun. The last days of this era have existed for 2,000 years and may exist considerably longer, we do not yet know what lies ahead. But Jesus tells us to "watch", carefully going by the signs. We can learn from prophecy that some of the signs are already here.

Sorry, but that's more signs of being deceived. Jesus showed us what to 'watch' leading up to His future coming. That's what His Olivet discourse SIGNS are about which are the SEALS of Revelation 6. He even gave the order of events for the end to include when He comes to gather His faithful Church, so that none of His have an excuse to be caught off guard. The great falling away Apostle Paul was revealing is about one of those major SIGNS of the end which Jesus gave, the coming of the pseudo-Christ to Jerusalem that many will say, "Lo, here is Christ, or there," and Jesus said to believe it not, because it will be a fake. Then those of us who refuse to believe it and do not 'fall away' to that false Messiah will be delivered up to give a Testimony against the beast for Jesus, with allowing The Holy Spirit to speak through us (per Mark 13). Not many brethren are prepared to do this, and will instead fall away to the "strong delusion", the coming false-Messiah they will think is Jesus.

 

[Marvelloustime]

many around the world and within christendom now love a god
who has unified them all under a lie . THEY love the idea all religons serve the same GOD
and they love their sin too . they have loved the inclusive god as though he were their father .
FOR he corrected not their sins and he exposed NOT their unbelief . THEY LOVED A LIE .
Not this sheep . JESUS dont get downplayed on my watch . I EXPOSE this great ecumeincal Harlot and her
intefiath interreligious lie . I expose it all . ONLY JESUS saves . ONLY JESUS saves .
AND TO BE saved ONE MUST BLEIEVE ON HIM . budda is of satan , islam is of satan
as are all other false religoins . THEY are t rapped in darkness just as i once was .
ONLY JESUS SAVES . HEAR THIS o great and mighty lovers of a lie of the ecumeincal harlot .
JESUS SAVES and ye must repent and BELIEVE ON HIM .
So lets allow JESUS own words and later johns words to sum it up .
JESUS told them , HE who RECIEVES HIS TESTIMONY has set to HIS seal that GOD IS TRUE .
HE who bleieves NOT the testimony that GOD gave of THE SON , CALLS GOD A LIAR .
SO THERE IT IS . for all to see . HE WHO BELEIVES THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST , THE SON OF GOD , calls GOD TRUE
but he who does not , calls GOD A LIAR . there it is . THEY DO Not serve the same GOD we do .
THEM RELIGOINS call OUR GOD A LIAR . SO i expose that ecumeincal interfiath interereligous dialgoue
FOR THE LIE THAT IS IT and THAT IT BE OF ANTI CHRISTS not GOD . NOT HIS PEACE PLAN , ANTI CHRIST PEACE PLAN
is all it is .

@amigo de christo

 

[Davy]

Those not well studied in God's Word probably aren't going to like this.

What Apostle Paul said in Acts 16:31 is true, believe on Jesus Christ and one will be saved. The question is though, the WHEN, literally, physically, and I mean being established in Christ's future Kingdom at His future coming.

Not all believers on Christ Jesus can sit upon the 12 thrones Lord Jesus promised only to His elect chosen Apostles (Matthew 19:27-30).

In the next Matthew 20 Chapter, Lord Jesus addressed this matter of rewards in His future Kingdom...

Matt 20:20-23
20 Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping Him, and desiring a certain thing of Him.

21 And He said unto her, "What wilt thou?" She saith unto Him, "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand, and the other on the left, in Thy kingdom."

22 But Jesus answered and said, "Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They say unto Him, "We are able."

23 And He saith unto them, "Ye shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father."
KJV


Per Ezekiel 44, only the ZADOK priests, which represent the faithful followers of Christ Jesus that remain in Him and His Word all the way to the end, only those will be allowed to approach Jesus in His future Millennium Kingdom and serve at His table. It shows the Levites who erred when Israel fell away, will still be in charge of the future Millennial temple duties, but they won't be allowed to approach Christ in that future time.

We indeed are saved only... by Faith on Jesus Christ, through God's Grace, unmerited favor we could never earn ourselves. However, our 'works' in Christ do follow us to Heaven, as written...

Rev 14:12-13
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, "Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."
KJV

I do not recognize my 'works' in Christ Jesus as being anywhere near... many Christian brethren that have gone before me. I will feel lucky just barely... being saved by our Lord Jesus Christ to be in His future Kingdom. I know I am not worthy to sit upon a throne to reign with Him either, nor do I ask like those two sons of Zebedee whose mother wanted Jesus to promise they would sit upon Jesus' right hand and left hand in His future Kingdom. If Lord Jesus saves me from my sins remembering me in His future Kingdom, that will be good enough for me. I hope I will be counted faithful by Him when He comes, and will be able to serve Him at His table, or at the least be one of His priests, but like He told the mother of Zebedee's two sons, it is The Father's decision to decide who will do what in His future Kingdom.

Now my main point in this:

Remember the "unprofitable servant" in Jesus' Matthew 25 parable of the talents? That servant did nothing with what he was given, showing that he just believed and that's all. He buried the one talent he was given, and when his master returned, he gave that one talent back to him; didn't even bother to put the talent to work to draw interest. Jesus showed that servant will be cast to the "outer darkness" when Jesus returns. All the others Jesus gave talents to was according to their ability, and they each produced 100% fruit. But not that one given only the one talent.

We are to learn a lesson from this. Our works do follow us to Heaven, but we are not saved by our works. However, Lord Jesus showed lack of works in Him can... place a believer in His future Kingdom in a precarious spot, because that "outer darkness" represents a place of shame, in separation from Jesus when He comes. It does not mean that servant won't eventually be saved in Christ; but it does mean that one will stand in judgment throughout Christ's "thousand years" reign with His faithful elect. And how much worse will it be for those brethren that 'fall away' to the coming false-Messiah that appears first in Jerusalem, thinking he will be our Lord Jesus?

This is why Apostle Peter said the following...

1 Peter 4:16-19
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
KJV

 

[doctrox]

From the OP:

CHRISTIAN: Paul never once refers to himself as a 'christian', while at least five times in the New Testament he refers to himself as a follower of "the way".

and

This is why Apostle Peter said the following...

1 Peter 4:16-19
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf....
KJV

"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

First of all, keep in mind this is the one and only place in the entire scripture this word is used by any man of God. Secondly, Peter did not label the followers of Christ a "Christian" in the passage. Read it again, very carefully. He said they were to be "as a Christian." This is very important. The word as means "like or similar to," but it does not mean one is that word. For example:

1. Genesis 49:9, "...he couched as a lion," does not mean Judah was a lion when he couched!
   
   
2. Exodus 15:5, "...they sank into the bottom as a stone," does not mean they were a stone when they sank.
   
   
3. Matthew 17:20, "...If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed," does not mean faith is a mustard seed.
   
   
4. Matthew 23:37, "...gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens," does not mean God's children were chickens.
   
   
5. Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ," does not mean husbands are Christ when they love their wives.

And, therefore:

1 Peter 4:16, "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian," does not mean man is a Christian when they suffer.

When someone is "as" something else, it does not mean one is that something. It means we are similar, in some way, to that name, but we are not literally that name. You see, the heathens are the ones who called the followers of Christ "Christians" (Acts 11:26; 26:28). When Peter was referring to the title "Christian, " it is in the context of suffering, and is in reference to the name as imposed upon them by their enemies, because our enemies want us to suffer.

From the OP:

Is Christianity in the Bible?​

Paul spoke against "-anity's" and "-ism's" because such divisions aka denominations divide Christ and introduce a party spirit.

 

[Anchorite]

"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

First of all, keep in mind this is the one and only place in the entire scripture this word is used by any man of God. Secondly, Peter did not label the followers of Christ a "Christian" in the passage. Read it again, very carefully. He said they were to be "as a Christian." This is very important. The word as means "like or similar to," but it does not mean one is that word.


1 Peter 4:16, "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian," does not mean man is a Christian when they suffer.

When someone is "as" something else, it does not mean one is that something. It means we are similar, in some way, to that name, but we are not literally that name. You see, the heathens are the ones who called the followers of Christ "Christians" (Acts 11:26; 26:28). When Peter was referring to the title "Christian, " it is in the context of suffering, and is in reference to the name as imposed upon them by their enemies, because our enemies want us to suffer.

“Suffer as a Christian” — It does mean they are a Christian, and that is why they are suffering. Christian was the label and the reality.

This is simply the common usage of language.

“as” = Role or Capacity (Preposition): Indicates the function, character, or capacity of someone or something.

Example:

“My father was employed as an architect.”

Means: he was an architect.

 

[doctrox]

“Suffer as a Christian” — It does mean they are a Christian, and that is why they are suffering. Christian’s was the label and the reality.

If any man suffer as a Christian... Man is the subject of the sentence - not "Christian." Means: he was a man.
"Christian" is the DO (Direct Object) - "indicating function, character, or capacity of" man.

“My father was employed as an architect.”

Father is the subject of the sentence - not "architect" Means: he was a father.
"Architect" is the DO (Direct Object) - "indicating function, character, or capacity of" father.

as is a simile - a figure of speech used to compare things.

“as” = Role or Capacity (Preposition): Indicates the function, character, or capacity of someone or something.

Yes. And that "someone or something" remains: man and father - not "Christian" and "architect."

 

[Gottservant]

Does Christianity need to be in the Bible, for the Holy Spirit to believe it?

 

[doctrox]

Does Christianity need to be in the Bible, for the Holy Spirit to believe it?

It is not intended that "Christianity" would be in the Bible (the absence of which allows the Holy Spirit to move with greater authority).

 

[Gottservant]

"Christianity" is not in the Bible (which allows the Holy Spirit to move in holiness and purity).

Absence of a word, enables?

 

[Anchorite]

If any man suffer as a Christian... Man is the subject of the sentence - not "Christian." Means: he was a man.
"Christian" is the DO (Direct Object) - "indicating function, character, or capacity of" man.


Father is the subject of the sentence - not "architect" Means: he was a father.
"Architect" is the DO (Direct Object) - "indicating function, character, or capacity of" father.

as is a simile - a figure of speech used to compare things.


Yes. And that "someone or something" remains: man and father - not "Christian" and "architect."

You scramble meanings because you do not understand language.

In “My father was employed as an architect”, as is not a simile.

The meaning is not “as if he was an architect”. He actually was an architect.

In “suffer as a Christian”, the meaning is “suffer because of being a Christian”.

Your hostility toward the words “Christian” and “Christianity” indicates a bad attitude toward the faith.