The understanding among the christian community is best expressed by Paul, the apostle, in his first letter to the Corinthian brethren, Chapter eight, verse six, in which he states; "But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Paul and Clement both understood and taught that there is only one God, and that Jesus had an exclusive relationship with the one whom he called his God.

He was the Son of His God. Jesus himself pointed out this singularly historical relationship, in John the twentieth chapter, verse seventeen;

Jesus saith unto her, "touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to MY GOD and your GOD."

Paul based his life on this understanding. Clement based his epistle to Corinth, upon this understanding.

Paul warned the early church, in his own day, that some of the leaders in the church would become ambitious, and overcome the weaker elements of the church, establishing themselves as, somehow, "superior" in the faith, with a goal of developing a following. This had already happened, at Corinth, but Paul was there to strike it down. The people at Corinth had attempted to diversify Christianity by dividing their loyalties between Paul, Apollis, Peter (Cephas), and Christ. This developement was a precursor to a modern mind set leading to denominationalism. It was wrong in Paul's day; it is wrong today.

Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Acts 20:29 "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."

The original leaders of the flock were spokesmen for the people, after the example of Acts 6, wherein the Apostles gathered the people together to provide a way to care for the unfortunate, in the daily ministry of the group.

1Timothy 4:1-3 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; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. And in verse 6; If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

Paul says a good minister will remind the people of these dangerous doctrines, and calls it "words of faith" and "good doctrine" to do so.

In the 111th Psalm, verse 9, the author says of God, "Holy and reverend is his name." Men take it upon themselves to apply this word to their ministers, preachers, and etcetera, as though to bestow a special loftiness to their representatives from God. A study of "Glory" will show that man takes upon himself most of the glory that God had reserved for himself. Jesus was raised from the dead by God, and made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36) and Paul told the church at Phillipi that this was done to the glory of God the father. Man gives the glory to the son, not the father, and elevates him to a position of equality with his father. God recognized this possibility in the long ago, when he raised the question, "to whom will ye liken me, that we may be equal..." (Isaiah 40:25;) "...and compare me, that we may be like..." (Isaiah 46:5). But Paul says that Jesus was elevated to the position of Lord of all to glorify God the father. Phil 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When God is in charge, (Psalm 19:1) says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." When man, speaking for God, is in charge, strange things happen. The heavens declare the glory of man. Ptolemy; Astrologer, Geographer, Mathematician; so say the historians. Actually, he was a collector of other men's works, other men who dabbled in the sciences, those who were cut off from any chance of real discovery by Ptolemy's adept mind. By his hand alone, science was set back fifteen hundred years; and it had the full backing of the church; those who "speak for God..." spoke out against reality, against faith, against truth. There is no record of this man's youth, no credentials, no pedegree, yet he appears suddenly upon the scene as an "authority" among men of science, men of learning, scholars if you please.

Ptolemy attempted to "prove" that the earth is the center of the universe, by multilying the numerical solutions of his predecessors, by decimal values which tended to verify that which was already the general concensus of opinion among scientists and scholars. For fifteen hundred years his "findings" were accepted as "scientifically accurate." and of course, no one thought to question this "thinker," this "giant among peers." Nobody "verified" his work, for he was, after all, the "Authority."

Galileo Galilei, born at Pisa; Mathematician, Astronomer, Physicist. Made three distinct contributions to the founding of modern science.

1. He it was who first used a telescope in the study of the skies, proving that the earth is NOT the center of the universe.

2. His pioneer work in gravitation and motion, combining experimentation with analysis, has brought to him the title "Father of modern mechanics and experimental physics."

3. He re-established mathematical rationalism against Aristotle's Logico-Verbal approach. He was an innovator of the first magnitude, a Logician, a far-sighted thinker in his own right.

Galileo's work with the telescope brought him to the attention of the "religious right" of his day. Papal Rome tried him by inquisition, for Heresy, found him guilty, sentenced him to house arrest for life, banned his books from public review. Pope Paul condemned him as heritic and "spoke for God," thus giving the stamp of "Authority" from the perceived church.

In 1829, Pope Leo XII removed the books from the "purged" list, and allowed the catholic world to read them, some 213 years after the deeds were done.

Thus did the heavens declare the glory of man..."center of the universe...," when man was in charge.

Modern man sends telescopes on satellites, and into the universal void, thinking to "look on the face of God..." They think they will "see" all the way back to the "big bang" and know how the universe began. God already told us how it started.

Real Glory for man is to be in the son of God, so that God will be glorified therein, and the fellowship of the saints is to glorify God. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

All that we do is to glorify God, not segregate us into differing denominational groups. This divisiveness does not glorigy God, it defies the Holy Spirit of God, which dwells in us. 1 Cor 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Even our gratitude for God's blessings is a source of glory to God. 2 Cor 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

By 325 A.D., men had so elevated themselves, that they no longer spoke for the people, but now present themselves as speaking "to" the people; but they speak "for" God. They move on to a new era, the beginning of "councils" wherein the perceived "leaders" vote upon what is accepted doctrine. It no longer has to be "Scriptural" in content, just "acceptable, i.e., what everyone knows..."

An example, is the concept of "homo-ousian," a word first heard at the Nicean council in 325 A.D., a word which means "same-substance," and first applied to Jesus, as being the "same substance" as the Father. The church split over the use of words which were "extra-scriptural" to explain things which were scriptural. Thus began the origin of the Greek Orthodox, and the Roman Catholic, Concept of Christianity.

The next developement was again, a word from outside of scripture, "theotokos," assigned to Mary as "God-bearer;" Thus Mary was perceived as the "Mother of God."

From there it went downhill. Men who had thoroughly empowered themselves, now began to slaughter other men in their insatiable appetite for more power. Wars were fought, kingdoms raised up and thrust down at the whim of supposed "Vicars of Christ," whose only agenda was self-agrandizement.

As the Jewish high priest, in giving Saul of Tarsus authority to persue to the death, those who followed Christ, He set himself up as an authority which went beyond that which was given him of God. As high priest, he was the legitimate spokesman for God, to his fellow countrymen. In John 11:47, when Caiaphas, the High Priest, uttered his prophecy that Jesus should die for the nation, the account states, "And this he spake not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;"

So, when the king, or the people, wanted to enquire from God about a matter, they went to the high priest, who would make enquiry on their behalf. The people understood him to be speaking for God. When he issued warrants to Saul of Tarsus, to arrest Christians, putting them to death, Saul had no way of knowing that the order did not come from God, because it came through the high priest of the Jews. The confrontation between Saul of Tarsus, and Jesus of Nazareth, upon the road to Damascus, was inevitable. Saul was enlightened, converted, and became Paul the Apostle, a stalwart champion of the doctrine of God, about his son Jesus Christ.

This method of "speaking for God" was not lost on those who would later emulate the high priest, both in this manner, and even to the borrowing of the "priestly garments," and many of the "priestly customs." Thus was born the "traditions of men" as being equal with the gospel of God, as pertains to doctrine, and its developement.

Look at Paul's warning, that one would set himself up in such a fashion, that whatever he speaks, will be considered as "explaining" or "clarifying" that which God has said. 2 thessalonians 2:3 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; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The first "spokesman" for God, was destroyed when the city of Jerusalem, and the temple, were destroyed, at the death of the high priest. Those men who pretend to know what God "meant," whenever their doctrine differs from what God SAID, would do well to pause for reflection. God will not be mocked forever. The simple answer to the one who seeks to know the truth, is, stick to the simplicity of the Gospel. The gospel of God is not complicated. Doctrines of men complcate.

Jesus did not come as a spiritual being from heaven, to be incarnated. He came in the flesh, just as do all the children of men. The doctrine that Jesus did not come in the flesh, had ALREADY STARTED in the time of the Apostles.

1John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 1John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and EVEN NOW ALREADY IS IT IN THE WORLD. 2John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Many are the doctrinal issues which only serve to separate men, but the gospel of God was designed to bring men together in harmony, and love. Men separate themselves, and insist that other men follow them into their separation, as being somehow "superior" to other men who do not see it their way.

God loved his creation, and his creature, man. He does not love some of the things that men do. And men who say that they love God, cannot hate their fellow man. Yet the churches are leaders in the endeavors to separate, segregate, manipulate, elevate, and desecrate men.

Man separates himself by "elevating" his own form of doctrine above that of God, and then vilifies his fellow who may not see it as he does. So we have denominationalism. John the Baptist never started a church, but said "He that comes after me is mightier than I, speaking of Christ. Yet some call themselves, like the corinthians of old, after the imaginations of men. Presbuteros, Episkopos, elder, Bishop; all Greek terminology dealing with various offices within the new testament church, corrupted by the self-elevation of small men who show no understanding whatsoever as to the word of God pertaining to such matters. The church of Christ was built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, to the glory of the Father. Churches today, have traditions of men, and doctrines of demons, to replace the gospel of God, and their foundation is to be found in men.

Calvinism's concept of "once saved, always saved; and Hereditary total depravity" are alien to scripture. Roman Catholicism's Hierarchy of priests and popes is alien to scripture. Baptists, Episcopaleans, Methodists, all manner of separationists, who think they are superior to other men in their relation to God, fail to understand that that relationship DEPENDS upon their relationship to their fellow man. The Church of Christ (The Denomination)believe that they are the only one's with the truth. yet they hold to the traditions which were developed through centuries, by the very men whom they deny. And they deny the gospel of God, preaching instead, their own peculiar brand of "me-ism." They think they are the "one true church," yet they broke off from the earlier "one true church," the Disciples of Christ, who split off from an earlier "one true church," the Christian Church; all of whom sprang from the movement once known as "Campbellites" after Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander. All denominations of men share a similar story, about their roots, their doctrines, their goals, and every aspect of living. It is either in agreement with scripture, or it is not.

I stand ready to enter into debate with any man who thinks he has a somehow "superior" doctrine, or who thinks he has an inroad to God, that is apart from all other men.

Will the real Jesus please stand up! Look around you people, you will not find him in your solemn assemblies, for he is among the downtrodden, the refuse of the earth, those whom you would not allow into your buildings.

He is among the sick, the poor, the sinners of the world, forgiving, not judging; healing, not making public display of the frailtys of others, and teaching God's word, not promoting some popular doctrine of men.

Jesus would be as unpopular today as he was in his own day, for his message is an alien one; LOVE. FORGIVE. LOVE. FEED. LOVE. CLOTHE. LOVE. SHELTER. And oh! by the way, don't forget to LOVE. For you are dealing with the image of God.

I have privately published a book on the subject of the pre-existant deity of Christ, fact or fiction? I will be glad to study this theme with any serious bible student. Theophilus Book

Go to PART IV - CHRONOLOGY OF THE GOSPEL OF GOD

Return to Chapter and Verse