gospel

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Imagine that a first-century Jew lived in Spain and was righteous before God. During this person’s life Christ was crucified, buried, and rose again but the person died before any missionaries could tell him what happened. He was consigned to hell in spite of being a true worshiper of God. Do you see the implications here? It makes no sense.

A lady forwarded me a copy of John Fenn’s “Weekly Thoughts” for Feb. 14, 2009. If you don’t know who John Fenn is, technically, neither do I. I think he must be from some Charismatic offshoot, but I have been out of that loop for a long time. He writes things that consistently ring true with me, though.

He covered illogical assumptions about our on-again/off-again salvation as described above and balanced those against the opposite extreme of universalism, so popular today. He reveals that God is marvelously consistent, not given to some trickery that leaves us dangling in mid-air. Fenn does a better job than I could probably do, so I take a lot of license in quoting so liberally from his e-newsletter. [See his entire thought here .] It is fantastic.

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FENN’S E-NEWSLETTER (excerpt):

… The subject of Universalism is important to have settled in your heart because our society is becoming more and more “if you’re a spiritual person you’re OK”, and if you don’t know what the Bible says you could end up talking in circles with someone, or worse yet, giving them incorrect advice on eternity. …

Unfinished business
…
Paul makes an interesting statement in Romans 5:12-14 where he says death came into the world by sin, and sin has been passed to all men for all have sinned, then he says in verse 13: “For until the law (Moses’ law) sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed (no account is kept) when there is no law.”

Previously in Romans 4:15b he said “”where no law is, there is no transgression.” …

I’ve long been fascinated by Romans 1: 14-16: “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law (non Jewish people groups who are ignorant of God’s requirements), do “by nature” the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which “show the work of the law written in their hearts”, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another: (Gk interlinear) This will take place in the day God will judge the secrets of men’s hearts.

They are a law to themselves not as an island doing whatever they want, but demonstrating “the work of” God’s law in their hearts, their actions and lifestyle bound by that internal law, and that’s how (Paul says) they will be judged.

What’s interesting is that Hebrews 10:15-17 says God has written his law in our hearts and minds – the born again experience – and here Paul is saying there are people ignorant of God in the detail we know him, yet worship him and follow his law which God wrote in their hearts.

An example
I’ve mentioned in this space before about the Choco Indians of Panama, who I’ve had the pleasure of spending some time among. When missionary friends told them of Jesus many of the Choco’s willingly received Jesus immediately. This is because in their folklore when they became a distinct people, a being in white appeared to their forefathers and told them to worship the God who created the forest and gave them good things to eat, and to love and do good to one another. So the message of the gospel neatly fit, and they recognized that being to have been an angel.

What’s really neat is that for those who followed those instructions through the centuries, even into the 1990’s when I met them, their tribal culture was led by unseen hand in many scriptural areas. This included the family unit and order, husbands laying down their lives for their wives and honoring each other, monogamous marriage, and many other things – all without having a chapter and verse to read nor ever having heard of Jesus. Many expressed love for the Creator, but they didn’t know His name.

They had God’s law written on their hearts, which accused or excused them until they heard of Jesus, and this is how they will be judged when the secrets of hearts are revealed. …

Many Native American tribes have in their history the pure worship of the Great Spirit, before darker spiritual things set in, similar in some ways to the Choco’s of Panama.

If you study world cultures you’ll find that all ancient cultures had the basic elements in place, including judgement, eternity, heaven and hell, a basic moral law to follow, and so forth. The cultures who had all these elements range from ancient China to Babylonia to Egypt and Africa, to the Incas, and Mayans. All were aware of the basic core eternal realities as set forth in the Bible long before it was written.

But notice that within Egypt’s understanding of the above, God sent first Abraham and later Joseph to bring revelation of the True God. To Babylon He sent Daniel, Esther, and others. But it is clear God reveals Himself more fully to those who are truly searching. Paul said in Acts 17:27 that God spread mankind across the world “that they should seek the Lord; if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us…”

He meets the desire with opportunity. When there is opportunity to reveal Himself to ignorant people groups, God has a record of moving His people to them to bring that revelation. Thus the continued need for people to ‘go into all the world’ to bring life to whole nations. …

In Paul’s day
Do you realize where Paul traveled? We know Jerusalem and Damascus, and we know of his journeys throughout what is now Turkey, but did you know he said he had “fully preached the Gospel of Christ” in Illyricum, which is modern Albania stretching to Croatia, and had plans to go to Spain. (Romans 15:19, 24)

In all the countries he preached Christ that we have recorded in Acts, in all the religions he encountered, at no point did he tell them they were just fine as they were, that they would all be reconciled one day to God.

His message was consistent, that the times of ignorance God overlooked, but he now commands repentance. We could do mental gymnastics at this point. There is provision for those who don’t know of the historical Jesus, but know God only through nature and do the things God requires, God bearing them witness by putting his law in their hearts, and due to that ignorance that is how they will be judged. But at the same time when Paul brought the message of Jesus to them, they now became accountable for this sins, their ‘covering’ of ignorance dissolving as they learn that Jesus brings eternal life.

Some would say it would be better for them never to have heard if they could stay in ignorance and end up in heaven, but that misses the point. If they already know God through nature and are doing that things God requires because He put His law in their hearts, when they hear His name is Jesus they will receive him like the Choco’s did. That of course is the opposite course of action the people in Romans 1 took “who did not like to retain God in their knowledge” so their heart was darkened. …

If all go to heaven except the most evil, then why did these people need to hear of Jesus, and why is God bringing Buddhists and Muslims to Him through the knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Why not just let them be if heaven is their ultimate destination?

Indeed, why did Jesus issue the Great Commission if all religions lead to Jesus and ultimate reconciliation? …

Universalism just doesn’t stand the test of the Word and what God is doing in the world today. Yes babies who die go to heaven. And yes there seems to be or has been provision for the truly ignorant. But all over the world people of all religions, especially those where missionaries and Christians are not allowed, are having Jesus appear to them in dreams and visions as they seek to know the True God. He is not telling them to go on in their religion, rather that “He” is the way, the truth, and the life. Amen!

Some of my thoughts to stir your thoughts,
Blessings,
John Fenn

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Check out his two sites: Interactive Faith Home and Church Without Walls International.

Here we go again as I drag my readers through yet another wickedly ragged jaunt to learn the fine points of how the Church departed from the gospel. The Church got a lot of things right — we must confess. It isn’t the broad brush strokes that take us off on wrong trajectories, though. It’s always the small things that do us in — didn’t Jesus say the little foxes spoil the grapes?

Recently, I have run into some who marginalize the scriptures as a guide to knowing Christ, citing instead the indwelling spirit as being all that is needed. Ironically, they would not have known Him had the written account not been preserved. Minimizing the scriptures’ importance has taken the Church in two opposite directions — that of licentiousness or that of overbearing authority. Neither can be dealt with without taking into account scripture and the revealed nature of God.

If any us lack wisdom, we must go to God who pours out liberally that these things may be opened to us. (James 1:5) Now for my part, I believe that scripture opens things of spirit and spirit opens things of scripture. When the key to what we seek is found, we must open the door and pass through.

I see that there is much disunity regarding church authority, what it is, who holds it and what they have authority over. This question has perplexed many, many saints who have cast off church authority for good reasons or have stayed and served in spite of much wickedness. I thought some clue might be found by comparing the subject matter of the Council of Jerusalem with that of the Councils following.

I was miserably and reluctantly prepared to spend weeks poring over the particulars of each instance when I discovered the simplest pieces of evidence that seemed to unlock the whole thing. Judging the question “by what authority?” is nigh impossible on the basis of how long a line of authority has been in place. Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for an answer.

Paul’s account of the Jewish-Gentile matter came when he confronted Peter in Antioch about the matter of Judaizing. Paul wanted a pure gospel — one that truly set free. He established that point in the letter to the Galatians. The author of Acts, writing from a Gentile perspective, credited the decision by the Council of Jerusalem. In any case, the matter was resolved in such a way that no heavy burdens were placed on the Church, and the saints “rejoiced for the consolation”. The following six Councils bogged themselves down with the most hairsplitting doctrines concerning the nature of Christ. “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” characterized the decisions that came out of these.

Jesus never addressed the issue of how His humanity and divinity co-existed. That He is both God and Man seemed to be enough for the gospel according to John and was accepted by the other Apostles as best we can tell. No Councils were ever called to dispute this. Paul talked about heresies, winds of doctrines and “itching ears” many years earlier, yet no Council was ever called for such things! Instead, it was called over the matter of keeping the Law. This is not to say that there weren’t many strange doctrines troubling the Church, but isn’t it interesting that Paul and the other Apostles are not recorded as having violent arguments over any of them? From this, I think we can gather that putting the Law into perspective was more important, as it maintained the fundamental truth that the Gospel was truly “good news” at its core.

The matter of preserving the faith was addressed in the local bodies to whom Paul and the other Apostles wrote their epistles. Jude writes:

Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Paul had previously written letters addressing certain cases of immorality or heresy. Those who called themselves “brothers” ought to be confronted by various means within the church in a city and possibly put out of the assembly in extreme cases. The Church did not waste its efforts hunting down preachers of strife and heresies, but put them out of its homes, leaving them to their own devices. Only after 325 A.D. did Councils take matters into their own hands and enforce uniformity as a matter of rule.

A sea change occurred in the Church beginning at 325 A.D. when Constantine unified the empire and called for a Church Council. From that point, the Church (as it was defined ever since) placed weights and burdens on the Body, developing ordinances and laws of its own.

Constantine summoned the bishops at imperial expense to Nicea, 30 miles from his imperial capital in Nicomedia. Here they were to settle their differences in a council over which he presided. ["Seven Ecumenical Councils", Peninsula Bible Church Cupertino]

How does an emperor summon the Church of Christ and then preside over its Council? How do Church leaders cast their crowns before a world leader? Unbelievable! Didn’t Jesus say, “My kingdom is not of this world?” There can be no doubt. The Church had been converted into one of the kingdoms of this world. The leaders bound themselves as well as the Church Body to the world system. That explains everything. There is no reason at this point to even consider any Council that has ever been convened since.

The Church was snatched by one not Her Father. It does not matter whether Constantine had converted or not. He had no right to preside over the Church and do it a “favor” by making it uniform. The headship of Jesus Christ was effectively replaced by a man with great ideas for what he could do with it, however sincere he might have been. It was not taken, however, but willingly handed over by weak men. The authority that God gave to His servants did not need to be strengthened by the state. At that moment, if there was an Apostolic succession in the beginning, there surely was a bait-and-switch into a succession determined by the interests of a conflicting kingdom. And so the glory of the Lord departed, rarely seen in its former power since.

The Church became a servant of this world and attracted many strange creatures under its cloak. In the process, it became an unholy mixture and lost a good part of its identity. The deception has gone on for so long that even its ministers do not know they are living in a bubble. One scarcely knows where to begin to unravel the truth unless the Lord reveals it.

The deception has clouded the understanding of the institutional church ever since so that practically all its ministers are unconsciously affected. They continue to spread the infection of the mixture and do not know why the Church runs in circles to this day. Or why they can serve so faithfully only to be beaten up by thieves and left in the road like the stranger traveling to Jericho.

The Didache gives us the earliest glimpse into Church matters after the times of the New Testament canon. In fact, it has a section on recognizing spiritual trainers and apostles-prophets, mentioning nothing about ordination papers.

11:1 [A] Whoever, then, should train you beforehand in all these things said beforehand,
receive him/her.
11:2 [B] If on_the_other_hand, the one training,
him/herself, having been turned around,
should train [you] in another tradition
[1] for the destroying [of things said beforehand],
do not listen to him/her;
[2] but, [if it is] for the supplementing of justice
and knowledge of [the] Lord
receive him/her as [the] Lord!

11:3 And concerning the apostle-prophets,
in_accordance_with the decree of the good news,
act thus:

11:4 [A] (And) every apostle coming to you,
let [him/her] be received as [the] Lord:
11:5 [1] he/she will not remain, on_the_other_hand, except one day;
[2] (and) if ever there be need, also another [day];
[3] (but) if ever he/she should remain three [days],
he/she is a false prophet.
11:6 (And) going_out,
[1] let the apostle taking nothing except a loaf
[that he/she needs to tide him/her over]
until he/she might lodge in another [courtyard],
[2] if, on_the_other_hand, he/she should ask for silver,
he/she is a false prophet. [from The Didache, trans. by Aaron Milavec]

If one finally understands that the fault lies not with the individuals working out of the institutionalized church it is easier to forgive knowing that they also labor under the same “heavy burdens” that we are throwing off. We can understand why believers oppress other believers and think they are serving God (we have done this ourselves). God intended us to discern His ministers by the spirit instead of by their papers. Jesus told us:

Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

The time has come for me to defend a few things about Christmas. Recently, I “swiped” a Christmas ad from another fellow’s site. Within a couple of hours I received emails (probably in response to the Wise Man on the camel in the picture) correcting the perception that the Wise Men ever appeared at Jesus’ birth. I know that. God, do I know that!

But that’s not the point. Just who do they think they are talking to? I grew up in a house divided over the topic of Christmas. My mother was against it, my father kind of liked it secretly. Consequently, we had a fun German-American Christmas at our grandmother’s house ever year on Christmas Eve when we opened presents and an austere Puritanical nothing at home. (My mother softened in later years.) My mother made tremendous to-dos over there being no Wise Men at the birth of Jesus, at His being born at some other time of year. I could write an anti-Christmas book myself. The years I had no Christmas, most of these people were lapping it up.

I could defend Christmas with the notion that at least people hear the gospel once a year. (Though of course, it’s a messed-up gospel, being so full of popular mythology.) But that’s not the point. The point is that people are going to think about that holiday. And the ones who hate Christians are going to tell us we can’t say “Merry Christmas” or have a Christmas nativity scene because they don’t want to hear about “Christ.” Were it not for pagans and Christians clashing in the first place, they would have no holiday at all! Heavens, there’s no end to it.

But….before I die, there are a few things I’d like to do. If people are going to run themselves silly buying presents they don’t need, why not consider giving something to a cause bigger than themselves? Why not clean water for people whose governments won’t let them build wells or create a decent economy for themselves? I know I preach a great deal against the Social Gospel. I’m not against doing for others; I’m against letting the Social Gospel eclipse the Salvation Gospel. I’m against being used as the slaves of those with a sense of entitlement. But what about about loving our enemies, doing good to those who despitefully use us, caring for those who may never live long enough to hear the Gospel? What about giving with no strings attached and what about bringing back the concept of the Good Samaritan in all our dealings?

Before I die…I want to build wells and provide clean water for those who have none. I want to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the marginalized and unwanted. I want them to know I care so that when they hear about Jesus they will not think of the Western Crusaders but they will think of the Son of Man who lived, died and rose again — with them in mind.