Post by Les Brewer on Jun 3, 2021 22:10:09 GMT
PROTOCOL
“Occupy until I come” means we must take a spiritually motivated and militant approach to our time on earth: prayer, faith, and action that tears down strongholds! Until it is our time to be raptured we must believe God is going to do revival again: he’s the God of restoration and is animate about the preparation of the Bride of Christ. Why would he give us a reprieve? So that we will purpose to win souls into the Kingdom of Christ! Also to prepare people for his coming in these last of the last days!
When I read prophetic Old Testament scripture today; it makes me more confident in my analysis concerning how much end time teaching has a lot of inference which is interpretation by eisegesis which literally means to infer or put one’s own ideal or read into the scripture that which is not there concerning the context of the text verses exegesis which is to bring out the literal interpretation. Eisegesis can be used concerning facts and logical conclusions. However; inference can be used when; a fact reasonably implied from another fact. In other words it is a logical consequence of the implication. Yet generally it is the former inference which is applied not the latter more logical. Many interpret scripture injecting their own ideal or personal belief into the text. We must also realize that when people fail to account for everything said in context concerning the end times whether it is Old Testament or New Testament; their analysis will fall short of a comprehensive result and bring more confusion than clarification.
Many end time scenarios are the hypothesis or hypothetical assumption of the interpreter hence rendering it more of a theory than an absolute fact or true interpretation. If one is going to derive a position on end times using the text of the Major and Minor Prophets and elements of the Psalms shouldn’t one follow through with the totality of the context of the text which they’re using to present their position! If we hold to Sola Scriptura as the sole means for authority over fallible man; yet Christians from the past used means like reason, experience, and tradition to formulate doctrines which govern the Church for practical Christian living. If we use scripture alone to interpret scripture we must learn the hermeneutics or the art of interpretation to arrive at logical grammatical conclusions.
Students need to learn when a passage is spiritualized or literal; is also involved for which one should only need the basic grammar tools in distinguishing between the two. I believe that we shouldn’t demand a certain position concerning the end times or the rapture as a tenet of our faith which legitimizes the salvation of a person. There are so many people who are dogmatic about their particular beliefs that they damn others to hell because they don’t believe the same way as themselves. There are doctrines which are derived from the Old and New Testament scriptures which have been formulated into doctrines of the faith. My tenets of faith are on my website to be seen by anyone who peruses the site. I have arrived at my doctrinal beliefs through study of the scriptures using hermeneutics and not just taking some preacher or teacher’s word for it and I always challenge people to study to show themselves approved unto God rightly dividing the word of God.
Many times the accepted doctrine is flawed and truly lacks a full analysis of scriptural references to carry the weight it should. Then there are those who insist that if you don’t receive their particular theory that you’re a heretic or heretical teacher or preacher. When it is clear; scripture does not mandate that particular belief as a means to salvation. In fact; just because there is a consensus on a particular subject being taught as canon as a means to be part of the body of Christ doesn’t mean the theology is scripturally correct. Brethren when I hear or read that I must believe a particular position on the rapture to be saved; whether I believe it or not; it is not a heaven or hell issue! Why? Because Jesus was specific; he said “if I go I will come again”, he did not say I had to believe in pre, mid, or post rapture theology to go to heaven with him when he comes; he just said to be ready for he is coming at a time we think not.
I will not set idly by and watched people bullied into believing something that is not required in scripture to believe in order to be saved. In fact there are many false doctrines out in Christendom which are preached and taught; which once studied to the logical conclusion; they do not meet hermeneutical standards for doctrines of the faith. When I read or hear someone exclaim that something is unbiblical and I hold a different view I immediately refer to and review the scriptures which support or discredit their claims. When it comes to an issue it is my duty not someone else’s to find the truth of the matter. I therefore must research the scriptures to know when a doctrine is essential to my salvation and when it is not.
Just because something is widely accepted as Biblical doesn’t mean it is actually true biblical doctrine. The First counsel of Nicea which developed what would henceforth be called the Nicene Creed included 300 Bishops which had opposing views concerning the deity of Christ. Which; concluded that Jesus was indeed the eternal Logos of God which became flesh for the redemption of mankind. This was highly debated during the counsel and the heretical view that Jesus was only human which was taught by a priest named Arius the author of the heresy called Arianism, which, is the view that Jesus is a finite created being with some divine attributes, but He is not eternal and not divine in and of Himself. The wonderful thing about the first Counsel of Nicea was the fact that scripture became the authoritative mandate to come to a conclusion on a biblical doctrine. There are denominations today that do not accept these conclusions and preach a different gospel which leads to heresy and apostasy.
MY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
If we declare that something is Biblical or unbiblical; it should be based upon scripture which has a thread of correlation which builds upon scriptural references and not personal inference or personal belief. If a doctrine is essential to our salvation there will be substantial unity within the scriptures themselves. The gospel I understand teaches that we have been bought with a price and that we are no longer in possession of our own lives; hence we have yielded our lives to Christ as he sees fit and that we are commanded to pick up our cross and follow him. What does that mean? First it means we abandon ourselves and embrace him. Second it means that he directs our paths we don’t direct him to direct our paths. Third it means we pray as if we are in the Garden of Gethsemane praying not my will but thy will be done. Unfortunately many hold a hypothetical view of Biblical Christianity and have fallen into the false imperatives which are centered more around their own wellbeing than the call and commission of God on their lives. Hence when the bible is interpreted with personal preference in mind the end will be self-sufficing, self-sustaining, and self-absorbed lifestyles which are the opposite of the selfless life of Biblical Christianity.
Shalom, Agape, & Amen!
D. Ray Ritchie (The Bish)
“Occupy until I come” means we must take a spiritually motivated and militant approach to our time on earth: prayer, faith, and action that tears down strongholds! Until it is our time to be raptured we must believe God is going to do revival again: he’s the God of restoration and is animate about the preparation of the Bride of Christ. Why would he give us a reprieve? So that we will purpose to win souls into the Kingdom of Christ! Also to prepare people for his coming in these last of the last days!
When I read prophetic Old Testament scripture today; it makes me more confident in my analysis concerning how much end time teaching has a lot of inference which is interpretation by eisegesis which literally means to infer or put one’s own ideal or read into the scripture that which is not there concerning the context of the text verses exegesis which is to bring out the literal interpretation. Eisegesis can be used concerning facts and logical conclusions. However; inference can be used when; a fact reasonably implied from another fact. In other words it is a logical consequence of the implication. Yet generally it is the former inference which is applied not the latter more logical. Many interpret scripture injecting their own ideal or personal belief into the text. We must also realize that when people fail to account for everything said in context concerning the end times whether it is Old Testament or New Testament; their analysis will fall short of a comprehensive result and bring more confusion than clarification.
Many end time scenarios are the hypothesis or hypothetical assumption of the interpreter hence rendering it more of a theory than an absolute fact or true interpretation. If one is going to derive a position on end times using the text of the Major and Minor Prophets and elements of the Psalms shouldn’t one follow through with the totality of the context of the text which they’re using to present their position! If we hold to Sola Scriptura as the sole means for authority over fallible man; yet Christians from the past used means like reason, experience, and tradition to formulate doctrines which govern the Church for practical Christian living. If we use scripture alone to interpret scripture we must learn the hermeneutics or the art of interpretation to arrive at logical grammatical conclusions.
Students need to learn when a passage is spiritualized or literal; is also involved for which one should only need the basic grammar tools in distinguishing between the two. I believe that we shouldn’t demand a certain position concerning the end times or the rapture as a tenet of our faith which legitimizes the salvation of a person. There are so many people who are dogmatic about their particular beliefs that they damn others to hell because they don’t believe the same way as themselves. There are doctrines which are derived from the Old and New Testament scriptures which have been formulated into doctrines of the faith. My tenets of faith are on my website to be seen by anyone who peruses the site. I have arrived at my doctrinal beliefs through study of the scriptures using hermeneutics and not just taking some preacher or teacher’s word for it and I always challenge people to study to show themselves approved unto God rightly dividing the word of God.
Many times the accepted doctrine is flawed and truly lacks a full analysis of scriptural references to carry the weight it should. Then there are those who insist that if you don’t receive their particular theory that you’re a heretic or heretical teacher or preacher. When it is clear; scripture does not mandate that particular belief as a means to salvation. In fact; just because there is a consensus on a particular subject being taught as canon as a means to be part of the body of Christ doesn’t mean the theology is scripturally correct. Brethren when I hear or read that I must believe a particular position on the rapture to be saved; whether I believe it or not; it is not a heaven or hell issue! Why? Because Jesus was specific; he said “if I go I will come again”, he did not say I had to believe in pre, mid, or post rapture theology to go to heaven with him when he comes; he just said to be ready for he is coming at a time we think not.
I will not set idly by and watched people bullied into believing something that is not required in scripture to believe in order to be saved. In fact there are many false doctrines out in Christendom which are preached and taught; which once studied to the logical conclusion; they do not meet hermeneutical standards for doctrines of the faith. When I read or hear someone exclaim that something is unbiblical and I hold a different view I immediately refer to and review the scriptures which support or discredit their claims. When it comes to an issue it is my duty not someone else’s to find the truth of the matter. I therefore must research the scriptures to know when a doctrine is essential to my salvation and when it is not.
Just because something is widely accepted as Biblical doesn’t mean it is actually true biblical doctrine. The First counsel of Nicea which developed what would henceforth be called the Nicene Creed included 300 Bishops which had opposing views concerning the deity of Christ. Which; concluded that Jesus was indeed the eternal Logos of God which became flesh for the redemption of mankind. This was highly debated during the counsel and the heretical view that Jesus was only human which was taught by a priest named Arius the author of the heresy called Arianism, which, is the view that Jesus is a finite created being with some divine attributes, but He is not eternal and not divine in and of Himself. The wonderful thing about the first Counsel of Nicea was the fact that scripture became the authoritative mandate to come to a conclusion on a biblical doctrine. There are denominations today that do not accept these conclusions and preach a different gospel which leads to heresy and apostasy.
MY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
If we declare that something is Biblical or unbiblical; it should be based upon scripture which has a thread of correlation which builds upon scriptural references and not personal inference or personal belief. If a doctrine is essential to our salvation there will be substantial unity within the scriptures themselves. The gospel I understand teaches that we have been bought with a price and that we are no longer in possession of our own lives; hence we have yielded our lives to Christ as he sees fit and that we are commanded to pick up our cross and follow him. What does that mean? First it means we abandon ourselves and embrace him. Second it means that he directs our paths we don’t direct him to direct our paths. Third it means we pray as if we are in the Garden of Gethsemane praying not my will but thy will be done. Unfortunately many hold a hypothetical view of Biblical Christianity and have fallen into the false imperatives which are centered more around their own wellbeing than the call and commission of God on their lives. Hence when the bible is interpreted with personal preference in mind the end will be self-sufficing, self-sustaining, and self-absorbed lifestyles which are the opposite of the selfless life of Biblical Christianity.
Shalom, Agape, & Amen!
D. Ray Ritchie (The Bish)