TEST YOUR BIBLE KNOWLEDGE

THE FOLLOWING QUIZ IS FOR THOSE WHO:

-CONSIDER THEMSELVES STUDENTS OF THE BIBLE

-CARRY THEIR BIBLES TO CHURCH

-PROFESS TO GO ONLY BY THE BIBLE AND NOT THE TRADITIONS OF MEN

-Where in the Book of Acts do we read about a congregational form of church government or independent congregations not accountable to any hierarchy?

-In what book of the New Testament can we find someone who wanted to be saved being told to bow his head, say a sinner’s prayer, invite Jesus into his heart and then on the basis of this being assured that he now has eternal life?

-Where in the Bible do we read about an invitation at the end of a service where people are invited to come to an altar or come shake the pastors hand to be saved or to join the church?

-What verse or verses in the Bible tell us that the Bible contains all there is and all that is needed for the Christian to know and practice?

-Where in the Bible do we read about the age of accountability?

-Where does St. Paul teach that the Lord’s Supper consists of crackers and grape juice?

-Where does the Bible teach that the bread and wine only represent the Body and Blood of Christ?

-Where does the Bible teach that baptism is merely symbolic and should be practiced only as a witness to the world or an act of obedience and should be limited to an age of accountability?

-Where does the Bible teach that different churches can hold different beliefs and practices and still all be considered one Church?

-Where in the Book of Acts or any of the epistles do the apostles teach that the Church is invisible?

- Where does the Bible teach that in the Church each individual Christian is autonomous and that private/personal interpretations are a good or acceptable thing?

- Which version of the Bible did the Church use for the first 300 years after the apostles?

PRINCESS DIANA – THE MOVIE

            I heard there is a movie in the making, if not already released, about Princess Diana.  I can understand why Hollywood and the world would glorify her and want to perpetuate her memory.

What I don’t understand is why anyone who claims to be a Christian would do the same or be interested in seeing such a movie or in any way lending credence or credibility to her fame.  In years past, her actions would have won her a place in the slut category.  She was a horrible example of a mother, a wife, a woman and a public figure.  She should not be glorified or held up as an example for anyone and Christians, of all people, should not perpetuate, encourage or promote her glorification in the world.  “But don’t we all have our sins, failings and shortcomings?” someone will ask.  Of course we do.  But there is a big difference between someone who falls and turns with repentance and remorse and is ashamed for their sins, determined to forsake them, and someone who exhibits no shame and no remorse but persists and seems to revel in and enjoy a life of immorality, unfaithfulness and flaunting of their sins, which they don’t even recognize as sins.  "But isn't God a forgiving God?"  Yes, He is but people reject His forgiveness when they reject His commandments and persist without repentance.

St. Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, speaks of those who find pleasure in the sins of others by which they themselves become guilty.  If Christians took this seriously how many TV shows and movies would be turned off in favor of some spiritually profitable reading or prayers?  Probably most.

DOGMA – The Enemy of Contemporary Christianity

So as to guard the right path of faith, The Church has had to forge strict forms for the expression of the truths of faith: it has had to build up the fortresses of truth for the repulsion of influences foreign to the Church.  The definitions of truth declared by the Church have been called, since the days of the Apostles, dogmas.   In the Acts of the Apostles we read of the Apostles Paul and Timothy that as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees (dogmata) for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem (Acts 16:4; here the reference is to the decrees of the Apostolic Council which is described in the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Acts).  [Here we see in the early Church there is no concept of independent churches or congregational autonomy.  Everyone was not doing their own thing. All local churches were subject to the decrees of the apostolic council.]  Among the ancient Greeks and Romans the Greek word dogmat was used to refer a) to philosophical conceptions, and b) to directives which were to be precisely fulfilled.  In the Christian understanding, “dogmas” are the opposite of “opinions,” that is, inconstant personal conceptions.

Excerpt from Orthodox Dogmatic Theology by Father Michael Pomazansky published by St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NUMBER SEVEN IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

Every prayer that we pray in the Church of Christ ends with an entreaty to and declaration of the blessedness of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit which then ends with the words “unto the ages of ages, Amen”.  These are not just meaningless or filler words.  As with all the words spoken by the Holy Spirit in the Church they teach us some important salvific truth.   These words remind us that there are seven ages.  So we end our prayers declaring the blessedness of the Holy Trinity in this age and the age(s) to come.

The earth was created in six days and God rested on the seventh, i.e. Saturday.  The Church teaches us that these seven days represent the seven ages of the earth.   After the seventh day will begin the “Eighth Day” which is the day of eternity that has no end.  It is generally held that the seventh age began at the time of Christ’s Resurrection which represents the symbolic thousand year reign of Christ on earth, i.e. the reign of peace and righteousness in the Church, not a materialistic and wordly reign on earth as taught by chiliasm or millinnialism.

God instructed Moses to place a candelabra in the Tabernacle with seven lamps,  revealing the significance of the number seven that typifies the seven ages and the seven gifts of the Spirit.  Seven is the number of completion or perfection.  Thus, we are to forgive, not merely seven times, but seventy times seven.  

The seven churches of the Apocalypse represent the seven ages of the Church and show the condition of the Church throughout these ages battling indifference, luxury and wealth, heresies, lukewarmness, etc.  The ages are not clearly distinct but seem to overlap through the centuries with some of the problems showing up in each age but being predominate in a particular age. 

There are seven heavens.  “In my Father’s house are many mansions.”  Thus, the “Our Father” prayer says, “Our Father which art in the heavens…”.   In the Creed we say of the Saviour, “who ascended into the heavens…”.  St. Paul was caught up to the third heaven. 

There will be different rewards in heaven with some occupying different levels or different heavens, as it were.   When the Saviour ascended back to the Father He ascended through all the levels of heaven.  The angels are assigned to the different levels or different heavens.  Only the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones (first rank of the nine ranks of angels) are in the seventh heaven around the throne of God crying Holy, Holy, Holy day and night as they cover themselves with their wings and guard the throne.   Thus, when Christ ascended and passed into the third heaven, the angels did not recognize Him since they had only seen Him as the invisible Word before His incarnation.  Now, He is ascending as the Incarnate Word.  So the angels in the second heaven herald out the words of the Psalm (XXIII) to the angels in the third heaven, “Lift up your gates, and be lifted up, O you eternal gates, that the King of glory may enter in.”  And the angels in the third heaven wondered and replied, “Who is this King of glory?”  To which the angels who had already seen him replied, “The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.”

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

THE TEACHINGS OF THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH CONCERNING CALVINISM AS PRESENTED IN THE ACTS AND DECREES OF THE SYNOD OF JERUSALEM OF 1629

We believe the most good God to have from eternity predestinated unto glory those whom He hath chosen, and to have consigned unto condemnation those whom He hath rejected; but not so that He would justify the one, and consign and condemn the other without cause. For that were contrary to the nature of God, who is the common Father of all, and no respecter of persons, and would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth; {1 Timothy 2:4} but since He foreknew the one would make a right use of their free-will, and the other a wrong, He predestinated the one, or condemned the other. And we understand the use of free-will thus, that the Divine and illuminating grace, and which we call preventing grace, being, as a light to those in darkness, by the Divine goodness imparted to all, to those that are willing to obey this — for it is of use only to the willing, not to the unwilling — and co-operate with it, in what it requireth as necessary to salvation, there is consequently granted particular grace; which, co-operating <115> with us, and enabling us, and making us perseverant in the love of God, that is to say, in performing those good things that God would have us to do, and which His preventing grace admonisheth us that we should do, justifieth us, and maketh us predestinated. But those who will not obey, and co-operate with grace; and, therefore, will not observe those things that God would have us perform, and that abuse in the service of Satan the free-will, which they have received of God to perform voluntarily what is good, are consigned to eternal condemnation.

But to say, as the most wicked heretics do and as is contained in the Chapter answering hereto — that God, in predestinating, or condemning, had in no wise regard to the works of those predestinated, or condemned, we know to be profane and impious. For thus Scripture would be opposed to itself, since it promiseth the believer salvation through works, yet supposeth God to be its sole author, by His sole illuminating grace, which He bestoweth without preceding works, to shew to man the truth of divine things, and to teach him how he may co-operate therewith, if he will, and do what is good and acceptable, and so obtain <116> salvation. He taketh not away the power to will — to will to obey, or not obey him.

But than to affirm that the Divine Will is thus solely and without cause the author of their condemnation, what greater calumny can be fixed upon God? and what greater injury and blasphemy can be offered to the Most High? For that the Deity is not tempted with evils, {cf. James 1:13} and that He equally willeth the salvation of all, since there is no respect of persons with Him, we do know; and that for those who through their own wicked choice, and their impenitent heart, have become vessels of dishonour, there is, as is just, decreed condemnation, we do confess. But of eternal punishment, of cruelty, of pitilessness, and of inhumanity, we never, never say God is the author, who telleth us that there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. {Luke 15:7} Far be it from us, while we have our senses, thus to believe, or to think; and we do subject to an eternal anathema those who say and think such things, and esteem them to be worse than any infidels. <117>

WHAT WAS THE SIN OF ADAM AND EVE?

The essence of their sin was to resort to the autonomy of the individual which allowed them to interpret God's Word according to their own desires and understanding.  In choosing their individual autonomy they turned from faith and obedience towards God and became slaves to their own passions.  

The essence of the sin in the garden and its results are seen everywhere in society, in government, education, science and even in Christianity.  All of Western Christianity and all who have embraced the Ecumenism of the World Council of Churches exalt the autonomy of the individual which allows each person to create their own brand of God, Christianity and morality.  

It is most interesting to ponder the fact that the autonomy and competency of the individual in relationship to God was the foundation of the Reformation and is the foundation of contemporary Christianity.