95 Thesis ......500 Years Later

A Disputation on the Purity and Faithfulness of the Bride of Christ

Out of love for the truth and a desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be debated, calling the Church to examine whether she has made herself a holy Bride, fit for her heavenly Groom, Yeshua Christ. We pray that those who cannot be present to debate orally may do so by letter.

In the Name of our Lord Yeshua Christ. Amen.

1. When our Lord and Master Yeshua Christ calls us to be His Bride (Revelation 19:7−8), He wills that our entire life be one of repentance and purification, for a bride must make herself ready for the wedding feast.

2. This readiness cannot be understood as a mere verbal profession of faith, for even the demons profess His name (Mark 1:24). It is a turning from the filth of the world to the holiness of the Groom.

3. The modern Church, however, preaches a gospel of comfort, not of repentance, behaving as a betrothed who believes the marriage contract alone makes her beautiful, regardless of her harlotry. (James 2:19)

4. They preach the doctrines of men who say the Bride is beautiful while she is covered in the sores of gluttony, sloth, and disobedience. She is commanded to be without spot or wrinkle,(Ephesians 5:27) yet her leaders stand obese in the pulpit, decrying the speck of wine while ignoring the plank of their own excess (Matthew 11:19).

5. The Bride is called to be holy—that is, set apart. Yet she adorns herself in the fashions of the world, speaks the language of the world, and pursues the ambitions of the world, seeking to impress men rather than her heavenly Husband. (1 Timothy 2:9)

6. She has forgotten that friendship with the world is enmity with God (James 4:4). Therefore, the Bride who is a friend of the world is an adulteress.

7. They preach that the heart is the seat of faith, telling the people to "follow your heart." This is the counsel of fools, for the prophet testifies that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9).

8. The true Bride does not follow her own treacherous heart; she allows the Word of her Groom to pierce it, judge it, and remake it. (Acts 2:37)

9. Our sanctuaries have become places where the Word of God is starved. Pastors offer but one verse as a pretext for an hour of self-help philosophy and ear-tickling fables, leaving the Bride weak and malnourished. (Galatians 5)

10. Worse still are those who scour the Holy Scriptures not for truth, but for a scrap of a verse to justify the fleshly desires they have already chosen to pursue, making the Word of God a servant to their sin. (Galatians 5)

11. To condemn other religions for their ignorance of Scripture while we ourselves do not read, study, or obey our own holy book is the height of Pharisaical hypocrisy. (Micah 6:8)

12. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:15-21), yet we quench His every movement. We call the prophets mad, the dancers foolish, and the gift of tongues a devilish chaos, preferring a worship that is sterile, predictable, and dead.

13. The Lord, our heavenly Groom, declared certain things an abomination to eat (Leviticus 11). Why does the Bride, who claims to love Him, delight in eating from the world’s abominations, consuming that which her Husband calls unclean?

14. To say that the wealth of the Groom makes clean what He has called defiled is a perilous twisting of grace, like a betrothed woman who continues in her harlotry, claiming her husband’s forgiveness makes it permissible. (Romans 3:31)

15. The Groom has declared our bodies to be a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) and has forbidden markings of the flesh associated with the pagans (Leviticus 19:28). Why then does the Bride scarify her skin with tattoos to appear more like the world she is supposed to have forsaken?

16. The Bride is commanded to honor her parents and the elders in her midst (Exodus 20:12). Instead, we see a brawling wedding party, where the young show contempt for the old and division runs rampant before the Groom arrives.

17. Our Groom asks us to dress in a certain way for Him, with reminders of His commandments (Numbers 15:37−41). Yet the Bride cries, "I must be true to myself!" choosing her own attire and showing contempt for His desires.

18. Our Groom set apart the seventh day, the Sabbath, as a holy convocation and a sign between Him and His people forever (Exodus 31:16−17). By what authority has the Bride forsaken her weekly appointment with her Beloved for a day of her own choosing?

19. If an earthly fiancé asks for a dinner date on Saturday, a loving bride-to-be does not offer him a microwaved meal on Sunday. She delights to meet him at the time and place he has appointed. (Hebrews 4:1-13)

20. He likewise commanded a Sabbath for the land every seventh year as a testament of faith in His provision (Leviticus 25). Yet the Bride scoffs at this rest, trusting more in her own ceaseless toil than in the promises of her Provider.

21. The Groom commanded the trumpet to be blown on the Feast of Trumpets as a herald of His return (Leviticus 23:24). The Bride has silenced the trumpets, forgotten the feast, and is now asleep, unprepared for His coming (Matthew 25:5).

22. The Groom commanded a day of affliction for the atonement of sins (Leviticus 23:27). The Bride refuses to deny her flesh, choosing instead a gospel of comfort that requires no self-denial.

23. The Groom commanded we dwell in temporary structures for the Feast of Tabernacles, to remember our sojourn and His faithfulness (Leviticus 23:42). The Bride prefers the permanence of her mortgaged homes, having forgotten she is but a pilgrim here.

24. Thus, the sacred calendar of our Groom is cast aside for pagan festivals. We scorn His resurrection feast of Passover, yet we celebrate a fertility goddess with swine and rabbits, calling it "Easter" (Isaiah 66:17).

25. We ignore the commands of our Lord, yet celebrate His birth on the day the pagans honor the birth of their gods, adorning our homes with their idolatrous symbols. There is no scriptural warrant for this practice.  (Deuteronomy 12:29-32)    (Link for pagan Christmas)

26. The Prophet Daniel warned that a false power would "think to change the seasons and the law" (Daniel 7:25). The Bride has willingly followed this power, trading her Groom's appointed times for the world's holidays.

27. They err who teach that the Lord’s Supper is a mere ritualistic crumb of leavened bread. Our Lord commanded a Passover feast (Luke 22:15), a full meal of remembrance with the bread of affliction, which is without leaven, signifying the putting away of sin (1 Corinthians 5:8).

28. To consume leaven during the Passover is to make a mockery of it, professing to remember the removal of sin while partaking in a symbol of its pervasive influence. (Leviticus 23:6)

29. Baptism is for the remission of sins through repentance (Acts 2:38). Why then do we perform this sacred rite on infants who have no sin of their own to repent of, turning a profound act of faith into an empty tradition?

30. Our Lord speaks of a baptism of water and of the Spirit (John 3:5). The modern Church is content with a splash of water but is terrified of the consuming fire of the Holy Spirit.

31. They preach a false gospel of ease, crying "Lord, Lord!" but doing not what He says. Christ Himself declared the path to be narrow and difficult to find (Matthew 7:14), yet our pastors have made it a broad road of simple profession.

32. They preach that we are "not under the law" as a license for sin. But Paul teaches that the law is a tutor for the immature (Galatians 3:24). A Bride who disobeys her Husband's every command shows herself to be an infant, and thus is still very much under the law.

33. To be "free from the law" is not to be free to lie, cheat and steal. Yet we lie, cheat and steal from other members of the bridal party and to our Groom Himself, believing grace excuses our deceit. (Romans 7:1-12)

34. True freedom from the law is found not in its abolishment, but in its fulfillment by the Holy Spirit, who writes it upon our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). One who is led by the Spirit has no need of external constraint, for their desires align with the Groom's.

35. Christ Himself declared He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them, and that not one jot or tittle will pass away (Matthew 5:17−18). Who then are these pastors who with a wave of their hand dismiss entire books of Scripture?

36. If a wife were to tell her husband, "I have been unfaithful, but it is acceptable, for I am not legalistic in my view of our marriage vows," would he not have cause to issue a decree of divorce? So it is with Christ and a Church that uses "grace" to excuse her harlotry with the world. (1 John 2:15-17)

37. God divorced Israel for her unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 3:8). Let the Church not be arrogant, but fear. If He did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare her if she continues in disobedience (Romans 11:21).

38. The Bride who permits homosexual relationships within her walls makes a mockery of her Groom, who defines holiness. By what authority does she permit this, but not, say, sex with animals, which is condemned in the same chapter? (Leviticus 18).

39. To claim we are "covered by grace" while continuing in rebellion is to trample the Son of God underfoot and to treat as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant (Hebrews 10:29).

40. Christ forbade us to call any man on earth 'Father' or 'Teacher' in a spiritual sense, for we have One Father in heaven and one Teacher, the Christ (Matthew 23:8−12). Yet we adorn our leaders with these titles, elevating them to a place reserved for God.

41. We call our lusts and cravings "addictions" and "diseases," as if they were external plagues. This is a devilish lie. Scripture calls them idolatry and commands us to flee from them (1 Corinthians 10:14), for God provides a way of escape.

42. We seek counsel from the dead, from spiritualists, from cards, and from stars. The Bride, who has a living Groom to speak with, should not be caught consulting the tombs and trinkets of the occult. (Leviticus 19:31)

43. The Lord commands the firstfruits of our increase to be brought to His house (Exodus 34:26), a measure of faith. Yet pastors have twisted this into a legalistic tithe of money, a command given to the Levites (Numbers 18:26).

44. By demanding a tenth of money instead of the first of the harvest, they rob the people of a true test of faith and replace it with a calculated, manageable religious tax. (Proverbs 3:8-10)

45. The Bride is commanded to care for her own family (1 Timothy 5:8). Why then does she charge interest to her own brothers and sisters in Christ, placing yokes upon them that our Lord came to break (Luke 6:35)?  (Deuteronomy 23:19)

46. Our Groom commands that all debts be released in the seventh year (Deuteronomy 15:1−2). Yet the Bride enslaves herself and her children to bankers for fifteen, or even thirty years.

47. If we say to our Groom, "I cannot serve you today, for I am a servant to my mortgage," we have plainly declared who our true master is (Matthew 6:24).

48. The job of the Husband is to provide for His wife. When the Bride rejects His rest and provision, instead chooses to toil for eighty hours a week to provide for herself, she shows a profound lack of faith in Him. (Genesis 22:14)

49. He commands us not to make for ourselves graven images (Exodus 20:4). Yet the Bride fills her sanctuaries and hangs about her neck the very image of the instrument of her Beloved’s torture, the cross, often preferring a symbol of Him to direct communion with Him.

50. The Bride is called to pursue justice and mercy, for only then will truly know her Groom (Jeremiah 22:15-17). A church that is silent in the face of injustice is a church that does not know God.

51. When our Groom comes, will He find widows and orphans suffering among His bridal party? Or will He find a family of loving brothers and sisters who bear one another's burdens? (James 1:27)

52. The Bride is called to take care of her own. The rich in the church should not give handouts to the poor as a show of charity, but learn from them how to live in true community and dependence on one another. (James 2:15-17)

53. We use the Groom's holy name as a common curse word or a flippant exclamation. This is to profane the sacred covenant of our betrothal and shows a heart that does not truly fear, honor and revere—Him.  (Philippians 2:12)

54. The Bride is filled with gossip, slander, and unforgiveness. With the same tongue she professes love for her Groom, she speaks words that kill the members of His body. (2 Corinthians 12:20)

55. We are warned that we will be forgiven only as we forgive others (Matthew 6:15). A Bride who holds grudges against her sisters is asking her Groom to hold her own sins against her.

56. When the Holy Spirit speaks to the heart of a believer, but the pastor, citing a few words from a single verse, says otherwise, whom shall the faithful Bride obey? The voice of her Groom, or the voice of a hired hand? (Luke 12:11−12)

57. A true Bride longs for her Groom with a holy fire and desire (Psalm 63:1). Where is this passionate pursuit of Christ in the lukewarm, comfortable, and self-satisfied Church of today?

58. Is there any evidence in our thoughts, words, and deeds by which our neighbors could possibly know that we are betrothed to the King of Kings? (Matthew 5:16)

59. Are we teaching our children, the next generation of the Bride, what it means to be faithful to the Groom? Or are we teaching them how to be religious members of the world? (Deuteronomy 6:6-8)

60. Have we, as the Bride, made promises to our Groom in moments of passion that we have failed to keep in times of testing? This is stealing from God. (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5)

61. If the Bride is to hear the voice of her Shepherd (John 10:27), why do our churches place so many mediators—pastors, worship leaders, books, and programs—between the soul and Christ?

62. When we pray, do we thank our Groom in advance for His provision, trusting that He knows what is best? Or do we merely present a list of demands, treating Him as a heavenly servant? (Mark 11:24)

63. They have invented complex doctrines like the "Trinity," a word found nowhere in Scripture, which confuses the simple truth of the one God and His Son. If Christ is the Groom and the Church is the Bride, how does this man-made formula account for this holy union? (Luke 22:41-44)

64. To follow a false prophet or a teacher of ear-tickling doctrine is spiritual adultery. A spotless bride cannot be led by a blemished shepherd.(2 Timothy 4:3)

65. The freedom our Groom gives is not the freedom to be a lazy, fat, and cheating wife. It is the freedom to become a willing, beautiful, and obedient Bride, clothed in the fine linen of righteous deeds (Revelation 19:8).

66. We profess to trust our loving Groom, yet our true faith is in our mortgages, our retirement accounts, and our own works. We are like the foolish virgins, with no oil in our lamps (Matthew 25:1−13).

67. To say "I believe in Jesus" is no great accomplishment. The demons do the same and shudder (James 2:19).

68. To say, "I am saved," is to beg the question: saved from what? If from sin, why do you continue to live in it and defend it? (John 8:11)

69. All who claim that faith alone, without the works of obedience that are its fruit, is sufficient for salvation, preach against the Apostle James and the whole of Scripture (James 2:26).

70. They preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is a future reward for the dead. This is a damnable lie. Christ Himself taught that the Kingdom of God is within us, here and now (Luke 17:21). The wedding feast has begun for those who are properly clothed.

71. The Bride who says she is predestined for the wedding, and thus her actions matter not, is like the man who was cast into the outer darkness for not wearing the proper wedding garments (Matthew 22:11−14). Predestination does not negate responsibility.

72. We are called to be His bride now, to be married now, to enter His Kingdom now. It is not a post-mortem inheritance, but a present, living reality (Luke 18:29−30).

73. The Bride says she is in the Kingdom of Heaven, which is like a wedding feast. Why then is her life characterized by anxiety, depression, and strife, rather than the joy of the feast? (Matthew 22:2-4)

74. A true believer dies to themself, so that Christ might live in them (Galatians 2:20). This is not a suggestion, but the very definition of being joined to our Groom.

75. Our Fiance died for us while we were yet His enemies. Is the Bride not willing to die to her addictions, her ambitions, and her fleshly desires for Him who gave everything for her? (Romans 6:2-14)

76. Do we truly partner with our Groom in His work, taking up our cross daily to follow Him (Matthew 16:24), or do we merely ask Him to bless our own independent ventures?

77. Don't we think our Groom would love to "do" life with us, inviting His Holy Spirit into our every decision, from the mundane to the magnificent? (Acts 13:2−5)

78. Do we, as a local body of the Bride, know our Groom well enough to collectively pursue His specific plan for our community? (Acts 13:2−5)

79. And does the worldwide Bride know her Groom well enough to pursue Him with one voice, with a strong fire of devotion and love? (Philippians 2:10-11)

80. Does the Bride see her heavenly Fiance as a "sugar daddy" or "Santa Claus", whose purpose is to grant her earthly wishes? Or does she see Him as her Lord, to whom she owes submission and obedience? (James 4:3)

81. If an earthly spouse is unfaithful, absent, and silent, how long before the faithful partner gives up? How long will our Groom put up with a Bride who ignores Him? (Isaiah 50:1)

82. Our Heavenly Groom loves us, but which Church will recognize His true presence? The one that is actually pursuing, obeying, and loving Him, or the one that cheats on Him daily? (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

83. We are called to be clean physically, spiritually, and in our actions, so that we are not ashamed when our Groom appears. (Revelation 3:5)

84. Are you, as a member of the Bride, a critical part in helping her become holy? Or are you a source of her blemish? (Ephesians 5:27)

85. The Church today makes it so easy to enter the Kingdom. Jesus said it is very difficult, like a camel passing through the eye of a needle (Luke 18:25). Who is telling the truth?

86. When your fiancé, Yeshua, tells you directly how to "be saved" by selling all you have and following Him, why do you listen instead to a pastor who tells you to simply say a prayer? (Matthew 19:21)

87. Our Helper in this daunting task is the Holy Spirit, who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). The Bride who feels no conviction is a Bride with whom the Spirit is not.

88. Who will help us become this Bride? Only the Holy Spirit, whom the Groom sent to be our counselor and guide. To reject His conviction is to reject the Groom's own provision for our holiness. (John 14:15-18)

89. Even if the Bride were to fulfill every one of her duties, she would not earn a special reward. For she has only done what a faithful wife is required to do. Her reward is the intimate relationship with her Husband (Luke 17:10).

90. The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12). This is not the violence of swords, but the violent, passionate war against our own sin, our own comfort, and our own pride.

91. Let every soul who calls themselves part of this Bride examine themselves. Are you holy—that is, set apart from the world? Or are you merely a religious reflection of it? (1 Corinthians 11:31-32)

92. The true test is this: are we staying clean so that we are proud to show our Groom what we are doing when He shows up? (Matthew 24:45-47)

93. In sum, the modern Church has sought to make herself attractive to the world, rather than to her Groom. She has traded obedience for relevance, holiness for comfort, and the fire of the Spirit for a self-help seminar. 

94. For we must all remember that even if we were to accomplish this entire list and fulfill every letter of the Law, we are still unprofitable servants. We are not worthy to be His Bride, and it is only by His unmerited grace that we are invited to the Wedding Feast at all.

95. But true grace does not leave the Bride in her filth. It cleanses her, clothes her in righteousness, and creates in her a burning desire to please the Groom who bought her with His own blood. This is the mark of the true Church. This is the mark of the beloved Bride of Christ.