Hi
Firstly I thank God for this oppurtunity to discuss by
email. I thank God for Joynet and this mailing list. I
thank God for our friend from New Jersey who has
criticised me. I Thess.5:18(In everything give
thanks).
I started off writing that the Bible is the word of
God, Bible doesn't ask us to follow traditions and
traditions are human made. Nowhere in my mail I spoke
about Church.:
Now Saji wrote :- ). 'The Bible took its shape in
her (church's) lap. And the church the one who is
tells us Bible is the word of God. If any of us take
the book and renounce the church that is foolishness.'
Well my friends always try to refer to the Bible as
'Bible' and not book. I don't renounce the Church and
so I call the above accusation (foolish) as a mistake.
Let me write about Church here. The word 'Church'
comes from the Greek word 'Ecclesia' meaning 'to call
out from'. Christians are called out from the world
system to be 'in Christ'.
The word Church can refer to a local group of
believers. Philemon 2; Col.4:15. This visible Church
consists of those whose names are on local Church
rolls, all earthly Church denominations and sects.
The invisible Church is made up of those whose names
are written in the Lamb's book of life. Rev.21:27.
God put all things under Christ's feet and gave him to
the Church as supreme Lord over all things. The Church
is Christ's body, the completion of him who himself
completes all things everywhere. Eph.1:22-23.
Hey today is Teacher's day in India. I wish all
teachers out there a blessed day. So praise Jesus who
is the teacher of all teachers. 'One night he
(Nicodemus) went to Jesus and said to Him, "Rabbi we
know that you are a teacher sent by God. ..." John3:2
Dear friends you may or may not agree with me, but I
only say that following tradition is not important.
Following Christ and His teaching is however very
important. Even as its teacher's day today, reflect on
the teachings of Christ (Matt.7:21-23).
If we keep on hanging to 'handed down' traditions
Christians will continue to be divided, with each
Church/sect/denomination having their own say. Go
ahead and sling mud on me if you want. Whatever I
wrote above is to give God glory. Amen.
Jesus Reigns.
Nick.
Saji wrote:
Dear brothers and sisters,
We don't need to defend the authority of Word of God.
Because everyone and everything, exist in it (Him).
However I don't think that all of God's Words can be
put in to a book. There is no doubt that Book is Word
of God. Our God is a living God, who speaks to His
people through all generations. (I am not telling that
He is not going to contradict His written word some
point of time). The Bible took its shape in her
(church's) lap. And the church the one who is tells us
Bible is the word of God. If any of us take the book
and renounce the church that is foolishness. Bible is
one of the greatest gifts that the church offers the
world (Word of God in a written format). Jesus did so
many things and said to his disciples, lot of things
that any books can_t contain. What was written were
written so that people may believe that Jesus is Son
of God. So those were not the only things he said.
The Church is the sacrament that makes Jesus (God)
available to all the peoples; she exists with all
Authority given by her master. Jesus tells her she
would do greater things than He did while he was in
the Middle East 2000 years back.
The richness of the wisdom of 2000 years of Christian
life (a life listening to the Holy Spirit and acting
accordingly) is unimaginable. Those who are fighting
against the church and its traditions (which the way
of life and a culture), is knowingly or unknowingly
joining with enemy to deprive us of those glorious
richness.
Those who can_t love his church (that makes Him
visible) can_t love him.
With lots of love and prayers
Saji Sebastian, NJ, USA
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