This makes no sense in the light of Scripture.
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” 1Tim 3:15 The pillar and foundation of truth is far more than a collection of people with a specific purpose. Paul tells us Christ established his Church.
And how would you make sense of the following?
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Mat 81:15-18
Where do you take your concerns? Makes no sense whatsoever without the visible Church Christ established with teaching authority, and the power to loose and bind. Christians can’t even agree on what the meaning of the word “is” is.
The Church of the apostles was definitely one: "There is one body and one spirit," Paul wrote, "just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all" (Eph. 4:4-5). Paul linked this unity to the Church's common Eucharistic bread: "Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of one bread" (1 Cor. 10:17). Jesus had promised at the outset that "there would be one flock, one shepherd" (John 10:16).
Think about it. Would Christ establish his Church – to teach the way, the truth – and allow thousands of interpretation as to what is the truth? If the Church doesn’t teach the Truth, Christ is a liar. If He would allow multiple versions of Truth, he’d be an idiot. I don’t believe He is either.
The consequences of their prideful interpretation of scripture is the tens of thousands of independent churches throughout this nation each addicted to their own need to desecrate the word of God. Is this what Jesus prayed for?
YHVH doesn't intercede in pagan practices, neither does HE force HIS children into covenant. It is a personal choice, always has been always will be. And that is why immorality & corruption is at an all time high “IN THE CHURCH” as we know it to be according to modern theology of man.
Yah’shua Messiah came to put His Father's House(ecclesia) in order, not to establish a new church.
The foundation of YHVH’s Covenants remains the same, “TORAH” which has been since the beginning. Torah is the conerstone on which HIS ecclesia was founded. It is just that the position of High Priest was taken away from man & placed back were it was always meant to be, with the Spirit, not with the blood.
Since the inception of Temple Service at Mt Sinai, the red ribbon/banner at the Temple door had always changed from red to white as a sign that the sacrifices the High Priest brought were accepted and thus the sins of the ecclesia were forgiven. After Messiah died those sacrifices, although they continued, were never again accepted as the the ribbon/banner never again turned white. Why? Because Messiah was to be the final blood sacrifice for sin. Just as it was prophesied to be.
Yha’shua is the cornerstone, the foundation Rock which is Torah and in Him only rest atonement for sins. The book of Hebrews is entirely about Temple service & the High Priesthood which atones for sins of the ecclesia. This ecclesia is nothing new as it existed in the desert at Mt Sinai when the priesthood was established since the people refused to come to the mountain, but instead had Moses go up as a mediator. Moses was the 1st High Priest who was given the authority to atone for the sins of the ecclesia.
It has always been YHVH’s intention to have personal relationships with HIS children without the aid of a mediator/priest. And that is why Yah’shua Messiah had to die. To remove the priesthood of the flesh who had added all kinds of oral law/leagalism to the the TORAH.
Think about it. When did sacrifices for sins 1st appear in Scripture? In Genesis when YHVH killed an animal in order to make coverings for Adam & Eve who had sinned. The next example we see is in the story of Cain & Abel. And the list goes on. The Mosaic laws were nothing new, the Covenant laws were held on a personal basis between YHVH & the individual. It wasn't until the people refused that personal relationship at Mt Sinai that the Covenant Laws were written down in order for the High Priest of the flesh play mediator between YHVH & HIS people. From the beginning, it has always been the intention of YHVH for HIS Torah to be written in the hearts of HIS children rather than in ink.
And that is why Yah’shua Messiah said in Jn 5:46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
To separate Messiah from Torah is to say that the 1st ecclesia formed at the base of Mt Sinai was for naught thereby cutting our Messiah in half and casting half of Him off as irrelevant. When one separates the WORD from the SPIRIT, one is ultimately rejecting that which He is because without the WORD the Spirit has no purpose.
In 2 Timothy 3 Paul said 16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; 17 thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.”
The NT did not exist in the times of the Apostles, thus when Paul said All Scripture he was only talking about the Torah & the Prophets, not about letters they were writing to the different ecclesia & Apostles. So if one is going to define anything that is written in the NT, it must be done by using only that which the Apostles had to teach from, not from modern theological doctrine which was & is well known for misleading & misinterpreting the Scriptures in order to validate their transgressions.
1 Jn 3:2 "Dear friends, we are God's children now; and it has not yet been made clear what we will become. We do know that when he appears, we will be like him; because we will see him as he really is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in him continues purifying himself, since God is pure. 4 Everyone who keeps sinning is violating Torah - indeed, sin is violation of Torah. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. 6 So no one who remains united with him continues sinning; everyone who does continue sinning has neither seen him nor known him. 7 Children, don't let anyone deceive you - it is the person that keeps on doing what is right who is righteous, just as God is righteous. 8 The person who keeps on sinning (rejecting Torah) is from the Adversary, because from the very beginning the Adversary has kept on sinning. It was for this very reason that the Son of God appeared, to destroy these doings of the Adversary.
Romans 3:27 "So what room is left for boasting? None at all! What kind of Torah excludes it? One that has to do with legalistic observance of rules? No, rather, a Torah that has to do with trusting. 28 Therefore, we hold the view that a person comes to be considered righteous by God on the ground of trusting, which has nothing to do with legalistic observance of Torah commands. 29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Isn't he also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is indeed the God of the Gentiles; 30 because, as you will admit, God is one. Therefore, he will consider righteous the circumcised on the ground of trusting and the uncircumcised through that same trusting. 31 Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah.
So FatherofFove, might I suggest you try taking your house rules, throw them out and let each child do as they please according how they think the house should run & see how much harmony & unity remains? How many different doctrines do you think will come forth when the foundation, the Rock, the cornerstone, that keeps the house in harmony & unity is removed? And how long will it take for you to intercede to bring your house back into order?
Yes indeed, our Father in Heaven is most patient, loving, kind & merciful. Full of Grace & full of Truth.
If the Church doesn’t teach the Truth, Christ is a liar. If He would allow multiple versions of Truth, he’d be an idiot. I don’t believe He is either
There are over 1500 denominations under the umbrella of Christianity “IN The US” and there are over 38,000 globally; all who have differences on Scriptural interpretations & practices. Therefore, I know the problem is not Yah’shua Messiah who never taught against or did anything against His Father's Torah. The problem is man interpreting YHVH’s Scriptures by starting in the back of the book and not the front because they think they are smarter than YHVH. Well, YHVH said I have prophesied “In the beginning - - - The End”.
Indeed, The End.