Acts 26:
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and
then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great,
saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:23 That Christ should suffer,
and that
he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and
should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
I don't believe religious traditions like creating images of God after the likeness of some long haired men's hair shampoo model or observing ancient religious High Days or "Feasts unto the Lord" or creating your own Sabbaths, or lack there of are "Works worthy of repentance". It didn't work for the mainstream preachers that killed Jesus and the Prophets, I don't believe it will work for todays mainstream preachers.
I must admit, I didn't think about using an "s" after one word in Matthew, who didn't even acknowledge the repentant criminal, to create or consider a whole doctrine of "death bed conversion". I'm not back peddling, I have considered it and realize how ridiculous it is to create or believe a doctrine that ignores everything we know about salvation, based on one letter at the end of a word spoken by a man that didn't even acknowledge the story to begin with. And I find it even more astounding that you would carry on as if you have no idea what I'm talking about.
LOL, OK, read the highlighted portion. You and your religion do preach that the Pharisees were trying to obey the "letter of the Law". This lie infects your entire religious doctrine.
As a result you preach it wasn't the traditions and doctrines of man that the Pharisees preached as Law, that was the problem, it is God's Laws that are against us.
Matt. 15:
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men.
Rom. 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
It is a lie to preach that Jesus rejected the Pharisees because they were trying to follow God's Instructions "to the letter". If they had "Tried to follow God's Instructions" they would have known God as Jesus promised.
John 14:
21 He that hath my commandments,
and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,
and will manifest myself to him.
This is another perfect example of your man made religious preaching. When did God ever instruct people to "Fast twice a week"? This Pharisee is no different than those in Matthew 7:23. This man had created his own religion, then boasted about it. The other man understood the truth about all mankind. Why is that? Why did Jesus manifest Himself to this man and not the Pharisee? Jesus just answered this question in John 14. This humble man followed God's Instructions (sayings) not some ancient religious tradition, and therefore Jesus gave him the truth.
It's not a straw man argument and it goes to the very heart of this discussion. Since you preach the Pharisees were trying to earn salvation by following God's Laws and not their own, you believe it is God's Law that is bad, not man made doctrines. So in Col. 2, when Paul is warning about.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
You imply be your preaching that this is referring to God's Laws, not "Commandments of Men" as it was intended..
So when you get to the cross.
14 Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way,
nailing it to his cross;
You preach this wasn't the Law created and pushed on the Jews for centuries by the Pharisees, you preach this is talking about God's Instructions that you preach the Pharisees were "obeying with pride". This lie leads to another.
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Since you preach this was God's Laws that were against us and nailed to the cross, you must also preach Jesus "spoiled" God as the principality and power that killed Jesus. That Jesus exposed God and made a show of Him openly, since you preach it was God's Laws He nailed to the cross. You must then preach that Jesus "Triumphed" over God on the cross.
Of course this preaching is a lie. The scripture says Jesus triumphed over "them" in it. He is, of course, talking about the "traditions of men" and the "rudiments of the world" that the Pharisees had preached as Law for centuries. "THEY" are the ones Jesus triumphed over. It was
their Laws that condemned Jesus, not God's. "We have a Law, and by o
ur Law He should die". Even you must surely know God did not condemn Jesus in His Word. Surely you must know that.
So it isn't a straw man at all. It is to the heart of "Your gospel" that contradicts the Gospel of Christ.
As Jesus said, "MANY" call Him Lord, Lord. Which means "MANY" will claim to know Him, to have an intimate relationship with Him. But as it is written,
Matt. 7:
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
I do not believe preaching falsehoods about God's Word, creating images of God in the likeness of man, observing ancient religious, man made "Feasts unto the Lord" or creating our own Sabbaths
is Faith in God/Jesus. Like the Pharisees, I believe people who do these things are deceived and their foolish hearts have been darkened.
Not from some preacher I can cut and paste sermons from, but by trusting the great God and His Son for Salvation.
Yet, you preach falsehoods about God's Word.
Another perfect example of subtle, cleaver lies about God's Word. where did God ever deny Gentiles to come to Him? It wasn't God's Laws that were against the Gentiles, it was the mainstream preachers of that time who had promoted "Commandments of man" as Doctrine for centuries. Even Peter was swept away with this false doctrine.
Acts 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
It wasn't God's Law that cause the separation between Jew and Gentile, it was the Law the Pharisees had created. The Doctrines they created from the "Commandments of Men".
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews;
as touching the law,a Pharisee;
Ex. 12:
48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee,
and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
41 And
that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies;
if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:
42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither
is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he
is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision
is that of the heart, in the spirit,
and not in the letter; whose praise
is not of men, but of God.
Eph. 2:
11 Wherefore remember, that ye
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;
12 That at that time ye 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:
When was this? Whose Laws said Gentiles were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel? Not God. He just said if they observed the Passover (Believe in Jesus) and be circumcised (repent from the heart) they would be considered as one people.
Eph. 2:
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one,
and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity,
even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;(Whose Laws? Not God's Laws, but the preachers of that time) for to make in himself of twain one new man,
so making peace;
So Jesus made a show of "THEM" openly. The only source of God's Word on the planet was the Pharisees. God sent prophets which they killed, then he sent His Son, and they killed Him according to their Law. but whose Law stood? God's Law? or the Law the Pharisees used to condemn Him? So who did Jesus Triumph over?
What difference does it make if I repent from a lifestyle that "transgresses the Commandments of God" by personal traditions, to a religion that "transgresses the Commandments of God" by their man made doctrines and traditions?
What if Jesus is right?
Maybe, but I just don't believe I honor my Savior by teaching man made doctrines and blatantly rejecting and preaching against His Instructions. So as Paul instructed in Col. 2 I will not let you or any man "judge" me in respect to choosing God's Instructions over man's religious traditions.
1
