ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY vs CULTS

[Bro Jake]

I was web surfing last night when I ran into this little article online:

Essential Doctrines of the Christian Faith
In his book, “Unmasking The Cults” – which addresses cults of Christianity (as defined by theology), Dr. Alan W. Gomes writes,

a."Central doctrines" of the Christian faith are those doctrines that make the Christian faith Christian and not something else.
1.The meaning of the expression "Christian faith" is not like a wax nose, which can be twisted to mean whatever the speaker wants it to mean.
2.The Christian faith is a definite system of beliefs with definite content (Jude 3)
3.Certain Christian doctrines constitute the core of the faith. Central doctrines include the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith. These doctrines so comprise the essence of the Christian faith that to remove any of them is to make the belief system non-Christian.
4.Scripture teaches that the beliefs mentioned above are of central importance (e.g., Matt. 28:19; John 8:24; 1 Cor. 15; Eph. 2:8-10).
5.Because these central doctrines define the character of Christianity, one cannot be saved and deny these.
6.Central doctrines should not be confused with peripheral issues, about which Christians may legitimately disagree.
Peripheral (i.e. non-essential) doctrines include such issues as the timing of the tribulation, the method of baptism, or the structure of church government. For example, one can be wrong about the identity of "the spirits in prison" 1 Peter 3:19) or about the timing of the rapture and still go to heaven, but one cannot deny salvation by grace or the deity of Christ (John 8:24) and be saved.

7.All Christian denominations — whether Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant — agree on the essential core. The relatively minor disagreements between genuinely Christian denominations, then, cannot be used to argue that there is no objectively recognized core of fundamental doctrine which constitutes the Christian faith.
- Source: Alan Gomes, Cult: A Theological Definition, excerpt from "Unmasking The Cults" Zondervan Publishing Company (May 11, 1995)

Web Source: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/158-essential-doctrines-of-the-chri...

*****************************************************************

It does not surprize me that Zondervan would produce such tripe as the following:

"Central doctrines include the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the bodily resurrection, the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and salvation by grace through faith. These doctrines so comprise the essence of the Christian faith that to remove any of them is to make the belief system non-Christian." — Zondervan

Satan always buries a lie in the midst of truth to make it more palatable and readily acceptable to the novice. This has been his game from the beginning. Without the Spirit of Christ (the Father) the Person of Christ (the Son) would have no deity. Jesus said, "I and my father are one." He meant that literally. He wasn't just speaking figuratively. They are one Spirit. They are one Person. They are one Father. They are one GOD in Spirit and in truth. Without the body of Christ there would be no bodily resurrection for any. The atoning work of Christ on the cross and salvation by grace through faith is accomplished through one GOD, one Father, one Spirit, and one Person, even Christ. The Father is in Christ and Christ is in the Father. The very Blood of the Almighty was shed upon that cross to atone for our sins. Think about it: What begotten son does not have the blood of his father coursing through his veins? This is the reason Christ told Philip, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake." Now, to address the lie...

"Trinity" is not a doctrine central to the original Christian faith. If trinity were indeed an essential doctrine central to the Christian faith, then it would also be found in scripture. The word "trinity" is found nowhere in scripture. This should be our first clue that it is in fact, an invention. All essential doctrines are found in the scripture. How can any doctrine be called "essential", "central", or even "biblical" when it isn't even found in the scripture? The scripture literally declares all true doctrine. Anything that is not found in the scripture cannot be called true doctrine. If it were otherwise then Christianity would be an "anything goes" religion because anyone could add anything to it that is not written in the volume of the book and call it "orthodox". Sadly, that is precisely what it is becoming because people fail to correctly divide the word of truth, but rather add extra, man-made doctrines to it.

Friend, trinity IS strong delusion.

The scripture does not declare the false doctrine of this Roman Catholic invention commonly called "trinity". GOD is not divided. Beside GOD there is no secondary Saviour... There is no secondary Messiah... There is only His Person sitting at the right hand of His power, His glory, and His majesty. That is it. There is no second or third person in the GOD head and to say so is blasphemous. GOD does not suffer from a multi-personality disorder. GOD does not have split-personalities. GOD is a Spirit, first and foremost, inhabiting a resurrected Body (called Christ). The Body of Christ is the Body of that Spirit. The Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father. The simplicity that is in Christ Jesus can be staggering to some. Little children are generally more able to receive it than most adults. Christ Jesus is the WORD made flesh. This is the Alpha and the Omega and there is no other. GOD is one in every way and there is no way wherein GOD is not one. Trinity is not central to true Christian doctrine. It isn't even in the Bible. . . It's an invention of the fleshly mind.

May JESUS, the only wise GOD, bless you in the knowledge of full Bible truth.

[APOSTOLIC ARBITER]

It would have been nice if the guest had not deleted his post addressing the matter of trinity vs. oneness but clearly there was no contest.

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. (Jude 1:3)

It seems fitting to begin with the Epistle of Jude in this reply as I ended my former reply with the same. I am prepared to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Trinity was never delivered unto the saints from the Hand of GOD. Even trinitarians are aware that GOD was not referred to in this fashion until centuries later. GOD is one GOD and GOD is one Person. The Person of GOD is Christ Jesus, the Son of man. First and foremost, GOD is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth... That leaves the Father, even the Ancient of Days, whom we also know is a Spirit, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him, says the scripture. We worship one GOD and one GOD only, even His Person.

Now we know that that which was conceived in Mary is of the Holy Ghost and that this same Spirit is the Father of Christ Jesus. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of GOD. Yet we plainly read how that the Son of man ascended unto the Father in spirit and in truth, in a corporeal body. The empty tomb is the evidence of his ascension. His blood was shed on the cross. The blood of the Son is the blood of the Father and all things that are the Father's are the property of Christ. The LORD JESUS said, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have"; but the Blood of the Lamb was shed for remission of sins. We who are His, will ascend unto the Father in the same manner and we too, will be given similar corporeal bodies. Nonetheless, flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of GOD.

I apologise for any offence I may have caused, but I do not apologise for the Gospel. I will earnestly contend for the original faith. We have been so lied to by the denominations and doctrines of this world. I love the LORD and I have much to learn. To whom much is given, much is required. Now I fully agree that there is distinction between the offices of the Godhead; but this does not make them "separate" anymore than the front face on a coin is separate from the back... The whole of the coin is one. I think that to say that these offices are separate is also misleading. Distinct, yes. GOD has made Himself distinct in many ways, but in each and every way GOD is one. One Person, One Spirit, One Body, One GOD. . . And on and on it goes. I verily believe that GOD is one in every way and that there is no way wherein GOD is not one. Even these offices that you mention (which some use to support the doctrine of modalism) are all one in the Spirit of the LORD. The distinction is made for our sakes, that Christ should draw all nations and kingdoms unto the Father.

Trinity doctrine declares that GOD is three people and that by default these three people are God, making them gods; but Christ made the distinction clear to the doubting Thomas that a spirit hath not flesh and bone. GOD is a Spirit. So where does that put us? For them that believe, this makes us joint heirs with Christ, friends and brethren of the Body; but GOD is one. Seeing then how that man was first made in the image of the Everlasting Father, so is each of us only one Person.

The prophet Daniel saw in in a vision, the theophany of the Father, the Ancient of days, and the Son of man, the physical embodiment of the Father in the Son. This is why the twain are identical in appearance as depicted in the Book of Revelation; but where is the right hand of a Spirit? Wherefore we can only conclude that the Son of man is the Person (singular) of the Almighty GOD and there is no other. For the Father was manifest as a man even in the earliest days, appearing to Adam and also to Abraham in much the same way. And this was done for our sakes that we might know that man was made in the image of GOD and His Person.

The Apostle Paul, did say: "For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better." (Hebrews 7)

From this allegory we learn that the High Priest abideth for ever, after the order of Melchisidec, and we ought to know who this High Priest is; for we are not called to the Levitical priesthood which is waxed old with the using and abolished, but rather we are the children of the free, liberated in JESUS, Who said, "All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 15:16) Think of what a profound statement this is! The only way our human minds can effectively fathom such a thing is if we embrace the understanding that GOD is a Spirit and that the Son of man is His Person.

I readily confess that although I have lived at least as many decades as I can count on one hand, that I also squandered much of my youth pursuing the world and the things that are in it; but GOD was gracious to me and heard my cries when I despaired over the injustice and wickedness of this present world, its pastors, its false teachers, and its churches. Not all desire to think that they are right and everyone else is wrong. Some desire what is right even in spite of their own flesh. Alas, these are the last days and there are not many saints left in the world willing to declare the full gospel truth anymore. If they did, the churches that they lead would empty because the numbers of dedicated saints are just not there anymore. Church, for the most part, has become more of a social club and a hype session than a place of worship. Our nations have been conditioned to serve the flesh and their churches are taught to worship a divided GOD. The truth has never been popular in this world, but if we receive the witness of men the witness of GOD is greater. We are to be pleasers of GOD rather than pleasers of men. May JESUS, the only wise GOD, bless you in the knowledge of full Bible truth.