Allan Svensson
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 Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 2:46 pm Post subject: Jesus is the Lord of the Mission |
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Jesus is the Lord of the Mission
Matt.28:18-20
To understand this article, you must observe that the churches are
not the Body of Christ. It is an essential difference between an
organization and a living organism. With "the Assembly of God"
I mean all true Christians, the Body o Christ. According to 1 Cor.
12:12-31. This is no church and no denomination. Please, read the
article "30. The Assembly of God".
There is scarcely any Christian activity today which has no special
name. Either are the Christians connected with a church or else have
they made special names for their activity, but in the Bible there
occur no such names. It is importantly that we do not place any other
name besides the name of the Lord when we speak about the work
of God. Exodus 20:3.
When the apostle Paul came to Corinth, then he did not come as a
representative of "The Apostolic Mission" or any such name. "For
I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus
Christ and him crucified." 1 Cor. 2:2. It was not "The Apostles
Pioneer Mission" that had sent him, but he was an envoy of
Jesus Christ. "Now then we are envoys for Christ, as though God
did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled
to God." 2 Cor. 5:20.
(In the English Bible they have written "ambassadors for Christ",
but it is not correct. This world has not acknowledge the kingdom
of God and there is no diplomatic connection between the world
and the kingdom of God. Accordingly, the apostles were no
ambassadors and they did not appear as ambassadors. For the
apostles and for all Christians this world is a hostile country and
we have no Christian embassy here. Anyone who chooses to be a
friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4).
Perhaps you think, but that was the apostles. But who has said that
we other Christians have right to use other names instead of the
Lord's name when we serve him? Shall we represent Jesus Christ
or anything other? The disruption of the Christians in many
different churches is in the reality caused of idolatry. They have
raised up other names besides the Lord's name when they really
ought to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Please, compare Genesis 11:4.
To reach the real Christian unity about which the Bible tells,
we all Christians must leave the churches and confess that we
belong to Jesus alone. For in him we have salvation and all
blessings of God. Eph. 1:3. For there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12.
The Lord is perfect and his name does not need be completed
with any party labels.
It is a usual argument that we must have a name that separates
us from others. Then the question is, from which would we
become separated? The one name that we can accept as "separate-
name" is Jesus Christ. His name separates us from those who do
not belong to him. However, many use the Lord's name and mean
that they are Christians though they are not, but then they take
the Lord's name in vain. Though it is forbidden in law that anyone
takes the name of the Lord in vain, Exodus 20:7, there is no other
name that they so abuse as just the name of the Lord. The churches
have made all their evil deeds "in the name of God."
Concerning the Christian mission, it says that the missionaries
are sent out of churches and denominations. Nevertheless, if the
Christians had not been divided in several churches and
denominations, still more missionaries could have been sent out.
Then they had been able to preach a more biblical gospel, without
church traditions, and still more had been won for Christ. Then
the missionaries had been sent out, not of any church, but of a
united Body of Christ. The money swallowed by luxurious
church buildings could instead have been used to the mission.
The churches have been obstacles to the Christian mission and
shall not take any glory for what has been won through the
Christian mission.
Churches and denominations are against every tendency to
revival. When any members want to leave church they get the
question: Do you think leave the Christian fellowship? But
leaving church or a denomination is not the same as to leave
the Christian fellowship. Instead it is the churches and
denominations that have destroyed the Christian fellowship.
Those who are most eager to quote Hebr. 10:25 are those who
have abandoned the Christian fellowship for the church
fellowship. We must make a distinction between Christian
fellowship and church fellowship for it is not the same. The
church fellowship we can leave for it has no support in the
Bible.
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together: as the
manner of some is." Hebr. 10:25. On that time when this was
written some had this habit, but now the whole assembling of
the Christians has been destroyed. The Christians are now split
in several churches, denominations and religious sects. And the
boundary between the Body of Christ and the world is very
unclear. Believers and unbelievers belong to the same
denomination and go to the same church.
Denominations and churches do not demand conversion to the
Lord and baptism. The membership has nothing to do with
Christian faith. For the sake of ecumenicalism, also the
Pentecostal Movement has given up the demand of conversion
and baptism and can have alliance-meetings with other churches
and even with Catholics.
Allan Svensson
Do you want to read the continuation of this article
or if you have any questions
Please, visit my Web Site
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/CONTENTS.HTM
(Article 32) |
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