A Third Class – Part II

Let us quickly summarize what we have discovered thus far.  In our initial examination of Romans 8:1, we determined that there appeared to be two groups, those who where in Christ Jesus (the believers) and those who were not in Christ Jesus (the non-believers), even though the passage only mentions one group.  We also placed these two groups or classifications on a finite line with two extreme endpoints, with those in Christ Jesus to the extreme far right and those not in Christ Jesus to the extreme far left.  We placed everyone else somewhere in between, depending on their association to the two extremes.  We also determined that Satan would go after those toward the extreme far right; them who be in Christ Jesus, the believers because them toward the extreme far left had already committed themselves to him.

We re-examined Romans 8:1 to discover that there are some who are in Christ Jesus that believe there is nothing they can do to lose their salvation and be plucked from the hand of Christ.  They live a lifestyle of their choosing and regardless of what they do; they believe they will always be forgiven as long as they get on their knees and confess their sins.  The phrase, carnal Christian was coined to define the believer who confesses and believes in Christ Jesus, but lives a lifestyle that does not appear to glorify God while claiming the forgiveness and acceptance of God.  Could this be that other group, that third classification we discussed earlier?

A Third Class

Many years ago, we read a passage that forever changed how we viewed and accepted those facts surrounding the one everyone claims to know and worship.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (Matthew 24:24).

According to what we have just read, we see that false Christs will rise up and the false prophets will rise up as well.  We see that these false Christs and false prophets will show great signs and do wonderful miracles.  In doing these great signs and wonderful miracles, which will be so realistic that if it were possible, they, the false Christs and the false prophets would deceived, tricked, or even seduced the very elect.  This means that whatever these great signs and wonderful miracles be, they be good enough to fool the very elect, if that were possible.  And since that is not possible, then what is possible is for these great signs and wonderful miracles to deceived, tricked, or even seduced everyone who is not one of the very elect.

So the question that you have to ask yourself is; Are you, by definition, one of the very elect?  We suggest that you think very carefully before you answer this question, because this could be a matter of life and death.

A Contract

Have you ever entered into a contract? Did you thoroughly read the contract before you signed it? Did you understand all the conditions, terms, and provisions of the contract? Did you read through all the fine print of the contract? It seems that everything you try to do involves some type of contract. Whether it is verbal and written, you enter daily into some type of contract. There is a contract every time you make a purchase or a trade of any kind. There is a contract whenever you have something built or repaired. Almost any time there is money involved; there is a contract that is attached.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, a contract is defined as a formal or legally binding agreement, e.g. one for the sale of property, or one setting out terms of employment; a document that records a formal or legally binding agreement; to make a formal or legally binding agreement with somebody to do something, especially work; an agreement or arrangement, either written or verbal and sometimes enforceable by law; and a situation in which everyone accepts the same terms or has the same opinion.

The Church, The Bride, And You – The Conclusion

Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy:  for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ (II Corinthians 11:1-3).

We have also heard this passage used to support the church is the bride ideation.  Because of what Paul stated, many believe the bride (the body) is betrothed to one husband and is to be presented a chaste virgin to Christ.  Paul is speaking about himself, speaking about what he has done, and speaking about what he wants to do.  Paul betrothed the church at Corinth to Jesus when he converted them and taught them about the gospel of Jesus.  Paul wants to present them as pure, natural, and clean in thought and deed to Christ, not having their minds corrupted with false doctrines by false teachers.  He is truly concerned that they may lose that which they have received from him and their minds could be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ by one preaching another Jesus (II Corinthians 11:4-33).  Basically, Paul wanted the Corinthians to be true to their first love; Jesus like a chaste virgin should be to her future husband.  Since we, being the bride, do not fit this example, then who or what is the bride?

The Church, The Bride, And You

God has made Christ the supreme head of the church.

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23).

The church represents the body of Christ.  When you look at human anatomy, you find the head attached to the body and the body attached to the feet.  The head (Jesus) is attached to the body (the church) which is attached to the feet.  But what is the body of Christ?  Just as the human body is comprised of many parts working together as one, so it is with the body of Christ.  In fact, the members are baptized by one Spirit to form one body, nourished by the same Spirit so there is no disunion in the body.  You are the body of Christ and member of the body, individually.

A Different View Of An Old Classic (concluded)

Now, we would like to share one more substitution.  With this substitution, we would like to combine all that we have discovered thus far.

In the beginning was the Word (the Logos, the Son, and the one called Jesus), and the Word (the Logos, the Son, and the one called Jesus) was with God (the Father), and the Word (the Logos, the Son, and the one called Jesus) was God (the Father).  The same (the Word, the Logos, the Son, and the one called Jesus) was in the beginning with God (the Father).

As you can see, this substitution makes for a very complex interpretation of the Word, who has been label the Logos, the Son, and the one called Jesus.  While the Trinitarians are not the only ones who have made this passage the cornerstone of their belief system, the substitutions appear to present more questions than answers.  It would appear that we are no closer to solving the mystery than before.

A Different View Of An Old Classic (con't)

Recently, we examined two very controversial verses.  At the center of the controversial verses is the interpretation of the phrase, the Word, translated from the Greek word logos.  We have been taught that this Greek word logos, which was translated into English as the Word, was later made flesh (John 1:14) and came to be known as Jesus the Christ.  However as the Strong’s Complete Greek and Hebrew Lexicon pointed out, this Greek word was first used by a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus.  At the end of the 6^th century B.C., Heraclitus made the word logos a central concept of his Greek philosophy where he believed the term was the underlying substance of the universe, the power behind the order in the world, and the order itself.  He was the first to believe that this logos or a rational divine intelligence gave life to the world.  He believed this rational divine intelligence, which today is referred to as being the mind of God in some scientific circles, produced the order and pattern in the things we encounter every day.  He believed this divine force was similar to human reasoning where no man had a soul of his own, but each shared in a universal soul-fire.  He even believed his own thoughts partook of this rational divine intelligence.  He became famous for his doctrine of change being central to the universe and the unity of opposites where existing things were characterized by pairs of contrary properties.  He believed that all things existed in accordance with this logos that was the coordinator of the changing universe.