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Chapter 4.
The Doctrine of the Apostles Exposes Church Tradition!
The simplest definition for the word tradition is the WAY things were done in the past has been passed on to the children.
So the real question is not so much as “what” is church tradition, but HOW did all of the many different church traditions in the many different church denominations get STARTED?
For you see, every church denomination has DIFFERENT church traditions as to HOW each church denomination understands the Scriptures.
So then, the simplest definition of “church” traditions is HOW each individual church denomination “INTERPRETS” the Scriptures.
Now, the Roman Catholic Church has by far the most church traditions of any other church denomination.
But before we get into how each individual Roman Catholic tradition started, let me give you a list of church traditions with a brief description of that church tradition.
#1. The tradition of Calvinism.
Hints of Calvinism can be found in many different church denominations, but the man-made TRADITION of God being responsible for EVERYTHING that happens is only found in hard core Calvinistic churches.
Briefly, Calvinism teaches that God ordained everything that happens whether good or evil and nothing happens without God ordaining it to happen.
So, HOW did this traditional Calvinistic belief get started?
The belief in “predestination” as interpreted by Calvinism or REFORMED Theology actually started before a man named John Calvin began gathering followers of what he came to believe.
You can do your own research on Calvinism, but for now, I want to focus on HOW different church traditions START.
EVERY church tradition begins with man’s own PERSONAL interpretation of the Scriptures.
It becomes “TRADITION” when a church denomination uses their own church tradition OVER the Scriptures.
Now the irony of Calvinism is that John Calvin was a “reformer” who protested the church traditions of the Roman Catholic Church.
This is important to see and understand. For you see, when Christians seek the TRUTH the enemy of God can come along and deceive them with ANOTHER deception.
So, while John Calvin was “reforming” his beliefs by exposing the arrows of “interpretation” made by the Roman Catholic Church, Satan deceived John Calvin and many others to INCORRECTLY interpret the meaning of the word “predestination” in the Bible.
So please know and understand that almost all church traditions BEGIN with an INTERPRETATION of the Scriptures on a specific topic or subject that is indeed found in the Bible.
But that “interpretation” is NOT what the Bible ITSELF teaches in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
You see, the Calvinistic or Reformed Theology “traditional” meaning of the word “predestination” found in the Bible is that EVERYTHING that happens was ORDAINED by Almighty God to happen whether good or evil.
But the SOUND Biblical definition of predestination is what is WRITTEN in the Scriptures, as PROPHECY, is what is ORDAINED to be fulfilled by God performing what He has SPOKEN to His prophets to prophesy and record in the Scriptures.
Again, HINTS of Calvinism can be seen in many church denominations that do NOT consider themselves to be Calvinistic.
To read more on WHY Calvinism is NOT Biblical Christianity please read all of the studies under the heading called **Cc-0. Is Calvinism Biblical?**
But for now, let us move on to church tradition number 2.
#2. The tradition of keeping the weekly Sabbath DAY.
HINTS of keeping the weekly Sabbath DAY, as a day of OBLIGATION lest one breaks the fourth commandment can also be found in many different church denominations as well.
In other words, the keeping of one DAY a week as a DAY of rest as being the “Will of God” can be seen in many church denominations.
However, the keeping of the “seventh” day of the week as the only true Sabbath DAY is ONLY found in Sabbath-keeping church denominations.
So, HOW did this particular church TRADITION get started? It started by Christians who INCORRECTLY interpreted the Scriptures related to the topic or subject on the Sabbath.
To read why the seventh DAY of the week Sabbath-keeping TRADITION is NOT Biblical Christianity please read all of the studies under the heading called **Dd-0. What is the TRUE Sabbath?**
But for now, let us move on to the third church tradition.
#3 The tradition of being saved by grace ALONE.
Again, this church tradition of being saved by grace ALONE can be found in almost every church denomination.
This tradition, like Calvinism, started at the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
The Protestants or the protesters against the Roman Catholic Church TRADITIONS desired to reform their beliefs to what the Apostles of Jesus taught in the New Testament WITHOUT all of the Roman Catholic Church TRADITIONS that they found as CONTRADICTING what the Bible ITSELF teaches.
But again, Satan came along and deceived them as well through their INCORRECTLY interpreting the Scriptures.
For you see, the Roman Catholic Church wrongly taught that doing the WORKS as defined by the church were required to be saved.
Works like attending Mass on Sunday and other DAYS of OBLIGATION as defined by the Roman Catholic Church.
Again, you can do your own research on Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation.
But for now, I will briefly explain HOW the Grace ALONE Christians have incorrectly “interpreted” Ephesians 2:8,9 out of its CONTEXT.
Ephesians 2:8,9.
“For By GRACE are you SAVED through faith; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:9. Not of (Or NOT by doing) WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
Now, when a Christian FOCUSES only on these two verses of Scripture, then it would seem like the Bible is teaching us that we are saved by grace ALONE and NOT by any kind of WORKS to earn our salvation.
But these two verses of Scripture are NOT the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
Even the very CONTEXT in verse 10 teaches us that the reason for why we are saved is to DO good WORKS.
So it is not the good works that God has ORDAINED us to walk in that Paul is teaching against.
But rather, it is the WORKS of the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES that Jesus ABOLISHED on the cross that cannot save us.
Let us read Ephesians 2:8,9 again being left in its CONTEXT.
Then you can see how to CORRECTLY interpret the INTENDED meaning of being saved by grace through faith and NOT saving yourself through the works of the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES.
Ephesians 2:8-20.
“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:9. Not of (Or not by doing) works, (Speaking of the works of the Law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES, according to the CONTEXT in verse 15) lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:10. For (Or BECAUSE) we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS, which God has before ORDAINED that we should walk in them. (So then, the very reason for God giving us grace through faith in God’s plan of salvation is for God to work in us to do GOOD WORKS and CEASE from the WORKS of the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES that Jesus ABOLISHED on the cross)
Ephesians 2:11. Wherefore, remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (Here we see the Apostle Paul speaking directly to the Gentile Christians who were wrongly being subverted by a CERTAIN SECT of Jewish Judaizing Christians to keep the WORKS of the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES in order to be SAVED, according to Acts 15:1-24.
It was WHEN God turned the preaching of the Gospel of salvation to the Gentiles that the Holy Spirit REVEALED that salvation is a GIFT of God by His GRACE that is received through FAITH and NOT by doing the WORKS of the Law of Moses.
For you see, BEFORE God turned to the Gentiles the Gospel was preached ONLY to the Jews, according to Romans 1:16, Romans 2:9,10, Acts 2:36, Luke 24:47, Acts 26:20, and all of the first shall be last and the last shall be first Scriptures)
Ephesians 2:12. That at that time (Before the God turned the Gospel to the Gentiles) you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (You see, ONLY to the children of Israel was the Law of Moses given for THEM, the children of Israel to keep throughout THEIR generations UNTIL the promise SEED came, according to Galatians 3:19 and Exodus 31:16)
Ephesians 2:13. But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:14. For he is our peace, who has made BOTH one, (Speaking of God making both the Jews and the Gentiles ONE people by their FAITH in His Son Jesus Christ) and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (Speaking of the Law of Moses contained in ORDINANCES that separated the Jews from the Gentiles)
Ephesians 2:15. Having ABOLISHED in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (The simplest definition of the word “ordinances” in this context is the INSTRUCTIONS that were written in the Law of Moses concerning how to keep the commandments of God.
In other words, ALL of the ceremonial commandments were FULFILLED and thus ABOLISHED by Jesus on the cross.
And it is the WORKS of doing or keeping the Sabbaths that do NOT save neither the Jews nor the Gentiles)
Ephesians 2:16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (Again, the enmity is the WORKS of keeping the ceremonial commandments defined in Colossians 2:14-17 as being SHADOWS pointing to Jesus as the body of those shadows.
And this was not completely revealed to the Jewish church which was first composed only of saved Jews until beginning in Acts chapter 9 with the vision of Saul being called to be an Apostle to the GENTILES.
And at the same period of time in Acts chapter 10, God gave visions to the Apostle Peter revealing that God cleansed all manners of meat that were called unclean under the FIRST Covenant that is now called the OLD Testament or the Old Covenant written in the Old Testament of the Bible)
Ephesians 2:17. And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Ephesians 2:18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Ephesians 2:19. Now therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Ephesians 2:20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;”
This brings us to church TRADITION number four.
#4. The church tradition of ETERNAL salvation.
There is a huge difference between a Christian learning to become fully persuaded in their own heart and mind that they will never give up PRESERVERING to keep their faith with the help of the Holy Spirit from the FALSE church TRADITION that a Christian can never lose their salvation.
To learn the sound Biblical meaning of BEING saved and ENDURING unto the end to be saved, please read the studies under the headings **E-0. What Must I Do to be Saved?** and **F-0. Can We Lose ETERNAL LIFE?**
But for now, let us move on to church tradition number five.
#5. The church tradition of UNIVERSALISM.
The church tradition that is called “universalism” wrongly teaches that every single human being will EVENTUALLY be saved.
They wrongly teach that the lake of fire is to PURIFY the wicked that will be cast into it on the final Day of Judgment.
It is when we get to the more EXTREME church TRADITIONS that most Christians can see that they are NOT Biblical teachings.
For example, most Christians know and understand that the following three church TRADITIONS are NOT Biblical Christianity.
#6. The church tradition known as Mormonism.
**Y-0. Mormonism is Not Biblical**
#7. The church tradition known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
**Z-0. JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES is Not Biblical**
#8. The church tradition of the earth being FLAT.
**Ff-0. Does the Bible teach a Flat Earth**
But when it comes to church traditions concerning PROPHECY and the second coming of Jesus, the different church traditions concerning WHO Jesus is in relation to the Father, and many other church doctrines, then it is not so CLEAR to many Christians as to which church doctrines are the truth.
So I suggest starting with the studies under the heading called **D-0. The Biblical Jesus! The Biblical Unitarian VIEW of Jesus!**
And then, for more in-depth studies please read all of the studies under the heading called **N-0. Who is JESUS According to the Bible Itself?**
Or you can simply continue reading on this subject on the controversy among Christians during the third century through the fifth century.
So let us read that quote again.
Here is a quote from another website explaining what the council at Chalcedon in 451 AD was all about.
“The Council of Chalcedon was called in 451 CE by the Roman Emperor Marcian (r. 450-457) to settle debates regarding the nature (hypostases, "reality") of Christ that had begun at two earlier meetings in Ephesus (431 CE and 439 CE).
The question was whether Christ was human or divine, a man who became God (through the resurrection and ascension) or God who became a man (through the incarnation, "taking on flesh"), and how his humanity and divinity affected his essence and being, if at all.”
In other words, ALL Christians at that time in history agreed that Jesus was DEITY or had divine NATURE.
But the question or DEBATE was HOW was Jesus Deity? When was Jesus Deity?
And did the Son of man, Jesus, become deity after the cross and resurrection?
Or did a pre-existing God become a man who remained fully God during the days of his flesh having BOTH natures at the SAME time, one Divine and one human, DURING the days of his FLESH?
So then, in chapter 2, we learned according to the very first Gospel message that was preached by the Apostle Peter and recorded by Luke in the Book of Act chapter 2, verses 22-42, the TRUE Gospel clearly teaches us that the Son of MAN, Jesus, BECAME a God under and subject to his God and Father AFTER the cross and resurrection.
For you see, church TRADITION says yes, God sent His already pre-existing Son down from HEAVEN to become flesh.
But what does the Bible ITSELF actually teach us? The TRUTH may surprise some Christians.
And to find the links to ALL of the chapters please click on the link ** C-0. The TRUE Foundation of the Church!**
And here is the link to my NEW book 9, which led to NEW book 10, and I am still working on NEW book 11, and I am on chapter 5 presently.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
Once Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even atheists understand the REASON that Yahweh CREATED the Son of MAN, Jesus, was to have DOMINION over the work of Yahweh’s hands.
And after you understand that the REASON that Yahweh did that is to STILL His ENEMIES, Satan and the fallen angels.
Then you can understand that God made His human Son to become “a” Lord, “a” King, and “a” God, under and subject to his God and Father in order to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels.
For a deeper understanding of this WAR that Lucifer and one third of the angels waged against the throne of Almighty God, please read the studies under the subject category called ** Q-0 Why Are We Here? Is God at WAR? **.
More studies are coming in this SHORTER Biblical Unitarian view of who Jesus is according to the WHOLE word of God.
If you have a PARTICULAR verse of Scripture that you would like to know the sound Biblical Unitarian meaning, then please email me at MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail.com and let me know.
For further and more in-depth studies on this subject of Jesus being created to STILL the enemies of Yahweh, please read the studies called D-25. A NEW LOOK at JOHN 1:1, In the BEGINNING!
And also read the study called D-28. The PRE-ADAMIC LUCIFERIAN FLOOD!
At the top of my homepage, there are subjects or categories which contain compiled lists of ** ALL Studies! ** I have written on that particular subject. So, if a link within a study is broken, then click on ** ALL Studies! ** to find the suggested study.
Or you can scroll down to the MORE dropdown menu list to find those studies as well.
Thanks again for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God.
And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus.
And again, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading ** D-0 The BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of Jesus! **
And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading ** C-0 The TRUE FOUNDATION of the Church! **
This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century.
So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
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