Monday, October 15, 2018

Q561: OBEY/FOLLOW A MAN (Or Church), ONLY IF HE FOLLOW CHRIST



St Paul also said: Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17).  

RONALD M. CRISS
MA in THEOLOGY, XAVIER University



Ron, you quoted Hebrews 13:17 to justify the RULE and AUTHORITY of Church Leaders. But God also said in Jeremiah 5:30-31:
  • A horrible, terrible thing has taken place in the Land. The PROPHETS PROPHESY FALSELY, and the  PRIESTS BEAR RULE BY THEIR MEANS; and My People Love to Have It So: and what will ye do in the End thereof?  (Jer 5:30-31 KJV) 
From Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible:
My people love to have it so - False teaching lightens the yoke of God's Law, and removes His fear from the conscience: and with this, man is ready to be content. -- BARNES

From Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible:
The prophets prophesy falsely - The false prophets predict favorable things, that they may please both the princes and the people. The priests bear rule by their means - The false prophets affording them all that their influence and power can procure, to enable them to keep their places, and feed on the riches of the Lord's house.
 
And my people love to have it so - Are perfectly satisfied with this state of things, because they are permitted to continue in their sins without reproof or restraint. The prophets and the priests united to deceive and ruin the people. The prophets gave out false predictions; by their means the priests got the government of the people into their own hands; and so infatuated were the people that they willingly abandoned themselves to those blind guides, and would not hearken to the voice of any reformer. False prophets and worldly priests have been in all ages the bane of religion, and the ruin of many souls. When profligate people stand up on behalf of profligate priests, corruption must then be at its height. -- CLARKE

From Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary (JFB):
bear rule by their means — literally, "according to their hands," that is, under their guidance (1Ch_25:3). As a sample of the priests lending themselves to the deceits of the false prophets, to gain influence over the people, see Jer_29:24-32. -- JFB

From Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary:
The degeneracy of such a people, so privileged and advanced, was a wonderful thing, and to be viewed with amazement. How could they ever break through so many obligations? It was a horrible thing, a thing to be detested and the consequences of it dreaded. To frighten ourselves from sin, let us call it a horrible thing. What was the matter? In short, this: 

(1.) The leaders misled the people: The prophets prophesy falsely, counterfeit a commission from heaven when they are factors for hell. Religion is never more dangerously attacked than under colour and pretence of divine revelation. 

But why did not the priests, who had power in their hands for that purpose, restrain these false prophets? Alas! instead of doing that they made use of them as the tools of their ambition and tyranny: The priests bear rule by their means; they supported themselves in their grandeur and wealth, their laziness and luxury, their impositions and oppressions, by the help of the false prophets and their interest in the people. Thus they were in a combination against every thing that was good, and strengthened one another's hands in evil. 

(2.) The people were well enough pleased to be so misled: "They are my people," says God, "and should have stood up for me, and borne their testimony against the wickedness of their priests and prophets; but they love to have it so." If the priests and prophets will let them alone in their sins, they will give them no disturbance in theirs. They love to be ridden with a loose rein, and like those rulers very well that will not restrain their lusts and those teachers that will not reprove them.  
-- HENRY
So, the Bible is saying that we should obey the Church's religious leaders, and yet at the same time, we are told NOT to follow them! How do we reconcile the two contradicting verses? What is the MEASURING ROD? The Measuring Rod is the TRUTH about the genuine JESUS CHRIST.

CHRIST AND PAUL WARNED THE TRUE CHRISTIANS AND JEWS ABOUT THE COMING OF CHURCH LEADERS WHO WILL DECEIVE PEOPLE USING CHRIST'S NAME AND OFFICE
  • And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  (Mat 24:4 KJV)
  • For MANY SHALL COME IN MY NAME, saying, I am Christ; and SHALL DECEIVE MANY.  (Mat 24:5 KJV)
Christ's warning was repeated by the Apostle Paul, even with tears, because many Christians and Jews will fall victims to these prophesied deception! Speaking at a Ministerial Conference of the original, Apostolic Church, Paul warned the Pastors and Ministers: 
  • Therefore take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God which He has purchased with His own Blood.  (Act 20:28 MKJV)
  • For I know this, that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  (Act 20:29 MKJV)
  • Also MEN SHALL ARISE FROM YOUR OWN SELVES, speaking perverse things in order TO DRAW DISCIPLES AWAY AFTER THEM.  (Act 20:30 MKJV)
  • Therefore watch and remember that for the time of three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.  (Act 20:31 MKJV)
HOW DOES A PERSON DESIRING TO OBEY AND FOLLOW CHRIST ESCAPE BEING DECEIVE? 
  • He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and FOLLOW ME.  (Luk 9:23 HNV)
  • My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. (Joh 10:27 HCSB)
FOLLOW A MAN, ONLY IF HE FOLLOWS CHRIST! 
  • Be ye FOLLOWERS OF ME, even as I ALSO OF CHRIST.  (1Cor 11:1 KJV)
IF YOU FOLLOW ONLY A MAN OR MEN, YOU ARE STILL CARNAL. And You Are Stunted In Your Spiritual Growth and Development.
 
The Apostle Paul scolded the Christians and Jews wanting to just follow a man. The church at Corinth was split up into contentious little groups, each claiming to "follow" or "get behind" their particular leader whether it was Paul, Apollos or Peter. It was because of these contentions and splits that Paul said he could not talk to them of the Messianic Kabbalah Wisdom -- the deep spiritual matters. He could only talk to them on a physical, human, or carnal level. They were mere babes in Christ and could only be fed with milk and not strong meat (1Corinthians 3:1-2). 
  • And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to fleshly, as to babes in Christ.  (1Cor 3:1 MKJV)
  • I have fed you with milk and not with solid food, for you were not yet able to bear it; nor are you able even now.  (1Cor 3:2 MKJV)
  • For you are yet carnal. For in that there is among you envyings and strife and divisions, are you not carnal, and do you not walk according to men?  (1Cor 3:3 MKJV)
  • For while one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are you not carnal?  (1Cor 3:4 MKJV)
  • Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as The Lord gave to each?  (1Cor 3:5 MKJV)
  • I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  (1Cor 3:6 MKJV)
  • ...I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let every man be careful how he builds on it.  (1Cor 3:10 MKJV)
  • For any other foundation can no one lay than the one being laid, who is JESUS CHRIST.  (1Cor 3:11 MKJV)
DO NOT GLORY OR BOAST IN MEN. GLORY AND BOAST ONLY IN GOD! 
  • Therefore let no one glory in men...  (1Cor 3:21 MKJV)
  • Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:  (Jer 9:23 KJV)
  • LET HIM THAT GLORIETH GLORY IN THIS, that HE UNDERSTAND and KNOW ME, that I AM THE LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the Earth: for in these things I delight, saith The LORD.  (Jer 9:24 KJV)
It is God and Christ that we are to look to, not the human leaders of the Church. If we focus on God and Christ, we will then, and only then, be able to leave the carnality behind and move on to the strong spiritual meat (Messianic Kabbalah). If you are still carnal your spirituality is stunted, and you resists God's Messianic Kabbalah Wisdom.

YOU ARE CURSED IF YOU BLINDLY FOLLOW AND TRUST A HUMAN LEADER IN A CHURCH!

Following a MAN is a CURSE. 
  • Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.  (Jer 17:5 HNV)
  • They are BLIND LEADERS of the BLIND. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.  (Mat 15:14 MKJV)
The Churches of God are all divided up into smaller groups. Many are contentious, each following their own particular human leader. As they "follow" their own particular man, these Christians end up acting carnal.

Another aspect of this trap of carnality shows up when God allowed to destroy their particular church. Members of the destroyed Church think that their current leader is very wrong and corrupt. They leave the fellowship of this church and join another church or group ruled with a new leader. Many of these people then extol this new leader. Again, they are now following a man, but not sure whether they are following Christ or not.

For more explanations, go to: Q64: ARE YOU FOLLOWING CHRIST, OR ARE YOU FOLLOWING YOUR CHURCH'S HUMAN LEADERS? Be Sure Where You Stand, and Know The Dire Consequences of Following A Man!

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