Marcion and the Lie*

Professing Christians continuously fall prey to animosity towards the Jewish people. We at Everlasting Covenant have always taught the Jewish roots of our Christian faith. Therefore, it is always surprising to see how far the Church has ended up from those roots, and how easily believers get caught up in false doctrines concerning those Jewish roots. The separation from our Jewish roots started early in Church history. Although the apostles labeled him a heretic, the teachings of Marcion of Sinope encouraged antisemitism and the removal of Jewish roots from the Church. Some of the false teachings included the doctrine that the God of the Old Testament was not the Father of Jesus, and Jesus did not come in a human body, but was a spirit. Like the contagious variants of the COVID virus, these false doctrines spread through the Church even today like a spiritual virus. As always, we look to the scriptures for truth. Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn. 8:31-32). We are to abide in HIS Word. In the Word, we are warned repeatedly that various false prophets and false teachers will teach lies, with iniquity abounding, and the love of God growing cold. Jesus said to "take heed that no man deceive you" (see Mt. 24:4-5, 11-12, 24). In the same passage, Jesus prophesies of ethnic groups rising against each other (v. 7). Though the world has become violently divided by race and creed, as Jesus prophesied, the Church should not be drawn into antisemitism, racism, or prejudice. These deceptions will be so powerful that even the elect would be deceived. The apostle Paul wrote that a great falling away from the faith will occur before the Lord's return (2 Thess. 2:3). We are certainly seeing that today. Paul also said that the antichrist, the son of perdition, will be able to exalt himself to be God, sitting in the temple of God (v. 4). It will not be difficult for people to be deceived if the same lie invades the Church that the God of the Old Testament is not the same Father of Jesus spoken of in the New Testament. Paul continued regarding the antichrist: "Even him, whose coming is after the work of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a (the) lie...who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess. 2:9-12). The original lie of Satan is still operating in the earth among those who walk in unrighteousness. It is the lie that asks, "Hath God said...?" In another place, Paul wrote regarding lies and the latter times: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron." (1 Tim. 4:1-2). We see the condition today among many, that they do evil and they have no conscience about it. However, believers, are called to the love of the truth: "...you, brethren beloved of the Lord, ...God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ....Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work." (2 Thess. 2:13-17, excerpt). Paul makes clear in the above verses that we were chosen for salvation by God from the beginning. This is the God of the Old Testament, the One from the beginning. As for the denial of the Father and the Son, John wrote: "...no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." (1 Jn. 2:21-22). It is the prophetic plan of God to join the Jewish people and the Gentile people into one inseparable unit, rather than separate them. He gave the vision to His prophet Ezekiel, in which two separate sticks, one with the name of Judah and his people Israel written on it, and the second stick with the name of Ephraim and his people Israel written on it. Ephraim was the son of Joseph with his Egyptian, or Gentile, wife. The two sticks are held together in the hand of the prophet, and in the hand of the LORD, becoming one (see Ezek. 37:15-20). The LORD also promised to bring the people represented by these two sticks, that are made one, into their own land from among the heathen. The LORD said of this unification: "And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall no more be two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all." (Ezek. 37:22). We are here to bring the good news to the Jew and also to the Gentile. For this reason, I believe I have been called to write several books on the Shroud of Turin, including "NAZAH-White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling", which testifies to the Jews, as well as the Gentiles, of Messiah. Jesus is returning for a Bride without spot or wrinkle, a Bride who has made herself ready. Receive forgiveness of your sins, and turn away from sin in all its forms. It is those who have pleasure in unrighteousness who are given a delusion to believe the lie. However, we have been chosen by God from the beginning to know, believe, and speak the truth. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 7/11/21 message to the church. To contact: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com.

Simplicity in Christ- Pt. 2

 

Seeing and hearing today's headlines, leads us to look again at the simplicity of the Gospel, the simplicity of Christ. The teaching of lies, and the current turning away from this simplicity of truth seems to be the order of the day. We are all aware of this trend in our secular society, but the danger lies in the rejection of scriptural truth, and the words of Christ in many of our churches, as well. The apostle Paul writes about this very thing with great concern to the church of Corinth:

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."  2 Cor. 11:3

In these verses, Paul is concerned that they are weak enough to accept "another" Jesus, and "another" gospel, if someone should come to them preaching those falsehoods (v. 4). He warns that those who teach such lies are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ, even as Satan is able to transform himself into an angel of light (v. 13-14). Though these men brought a false gospel, the church rushed to believe them, even letting themselves be abused and taken advantage of by these false apostles (v. 19-20). Though Paul has gone through great hardships and dangers to bring the life-giving truth of the gospel of Christ to them, the church ran to these smooth talking counterfeits for the lies that they offered (v. 23-33).

What are these lies that so easily draw even the church away from the truth of the Gospel of Christ? Paul tells us in v. 3 above, that it is the same lie the serpent used to beguile Eve: "Hath God said...?" (Gen. 3:1). The foundation of those tempting lies being so quickly received by the church is the same as from the beginning- questioning and ultimately rejecting the Word of God, the Word of truth.

The church today may wonder how they are rejecting the truth of God. Everyday, churches are teaching the opposite of what the Word of God clearly holds. They are rejecting these truths because society has rejected the truths. Unscriptural definitions of marriage, abortion, and other sinful choices are being accepted, and even sanctified by the church. Foundational truths regarding Jesus, His birth, His ministry of healing and miracles, His uncompromising teachings, His death as our atonement for sin, His bodily resurrection, and His return, are no longer taught in fullness. Instead of leading men into truth, the church is following men into lies. The Word of God, like God, does not change (Malachi 3:6, Rev. 22:18-20).

Paul warned that before the person of the antichrist would be revealed, the faith of many would cease:

"...the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."  2 Thess. 2:2-3

In these end times, a falling away from the truth will set the stage for the manifestation of the son of perdition. It is not the secular world that "falls away". It is the church, falling away from the gospel of Christ, from the Word of God. This son of perdition who comes rejects the headship and lordship of God, taking that authority for himself (v. 4). Those who should have been faithful believers in Christ will have led the way for that, as they also, reject the truth and authority of God, spoken in His Word. Because these believers abandoned the truth, God sends a strong delusion upon them, so they will readily believe and accept the lying wonders and signs worked by Satan through this son of perdition (v. 9-12). As we can see, it is a dangerous time to fall away from the simplicity of Christ.

God did not choose us from the beginning for us to fall away and prefer the lie:

"God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ."  2 Thess. 2:13-14

Paul concludes by beseeching and instructing us to "hold fast" to this truth that we have learned (v. 15).

Jesus commands us to continue, to abide in His word (Jn. 8:31), and by so doing, "... ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (v. 32). It isn't the lie that sets men free, it is the simple truth of Christ. To those who do not accept His truth, Jesus says:

"...And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe Me? He that is of God, heareth God's words: ye therefore, hear them not, because ye are not of God."  v. 46-47

It is that simple. We cannot say that we believe Christ, yet choose not to believe His words. All scripture is made up of His words, because He is the Word of God from the beginning (Jn. 1:1, 14), and He held and taught all scripture as truth.

The Word says of God:

"Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.

For the word of the LORD is right;

And all His works are done in truth."   Ps. 33:3-4

 

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