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Key Findings

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Transparency is key in building trust. The following 'Key Findings' from more than 70 Bible studies conducted by this ministry are not a set of theses, but transparently and vividly show us topics that should either confirm or challenge our acquired interpretation of the Word of THEOS. Each finding is made accessible through the respective link(s) for the reference and deeper study.

   1    Convictions 
  2    Creation
  3    Sabbaths
  4    Laws
  5    Genealogies
  6    Flood
  7    Israel
  8   Evangelium
  9    Salvation
 10    Spiritual Discipline
 11   Spiritual Gifts 
 12    End Times 
 13    Miscellaneous

1 · Principle Convictions

1.1 Romans 14 describes our freedom in eating and drinking according to our convictions. What are other topics (Levels of Doctrine / Theological Triages) believers should not divide - or should indeed divide on?

A) DIVIDE on issues directly related to the 10 commandments, such as Abortion [#6, murder], Adultery [#7], Blasphemy [#3], Covetousness [#10], Deceit [#9], Idolatry [#2], Theft [#8] and (logically but counter culturally) even the Weekly Sabbath [#4]. The Assembly of Jerusalem (not a council) also specified in Act 15:28-29 the Eating of Blood and Unchastity / Fornication (slightly lesser weighted than adultery because previously not condemned through death) as divisive issues (while all other laws of Moses expired, except the Moral Law which preceded Moses by ~4100 years). Further topics include Divorce & Remarriage, Eschatology / End Times (only Hyper-Preterism which denies the Second Coming of CHRISTOS and Eternity), Heresy, Homo***uality (a biblically highlighted sin), the public abuse of Spiritual Gifts (e.g. illicit use of tongues in the church or false prophets), Sorcery / Witchcraft and Women serving as elders / pastors / overseers (while women are absolutely essential to serve as deacons / ministers / servants; deacons don't teach or exercise authority but they assist those in authority and minister to the needs of others). And yes, women are allowed to speak in churches, see 'Interpolated Verses'.

B) DO NOT DIVIDE ON, BUT SERIOUSLY CONSIDER topics such as Baptism at or timely after conversion (commandment of CHRISTOS), Cigarettes (not stipulated but harmful), Creation (Progressive Creation / Theistic Evolution vs. Old Earth-Young Creation in ~5500 BC), Drugs other than alcohol, Drunkenness through alcohol, Gambling, Gluttony, Gossip, the active fulfillment of the Great Commission, extremes in Hair length of men / women, Halloween (depending on activity), Head Coverings during prayer times, Incest, Laziness, Pornography, Surgeries not being medically required and Women in authority over men (church and family only - the Bible does not teach that ALL women must submit to ALL men, nor that women ought to work at home only).

C) DO NOT DIVIDE on Alcohol (in moderation), Clothing (excluding transgressions such as bikinis), Eschatology / End Times (e.g. Pre- vs. Mid-tribulation), Exercise, Fasting, Food (e.g. meat vs. vegetarian), Friendships with unbelievers, Giving, non-heretical Books, Movies & Music, the following of Principles based on the abolished 600+ Laws of Moses (e.g. no incest), the personal following of Special days (former Ceremonial Sabbaths / Feasts such as Passover, referred to in Rom 14:5 and Col 2:16), Surgeries, Tattoos (excluding transgressions) and Women as deacons or in (extremely) rare instances as prophets.

1.2 Inerrancy of Scripture. All Scripture in its original languages is inspired by THEOS. This includes the 22 (modern count 39) Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. 

The Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical / Pseudepigrapha are not inspired by THEOS and should never be printed nor purchased in between the 'two covers' of THEOS' Word. The woman caught in adultery (Joh 7:53 - 8:11) and the longer endings of Mark 16 are not inspired by THEOS and had been retroactively added. The story of David's victory over Goliath (1Sam 17) had been significantly decorated. 

The Old Testament in Modern Hebrew (Masoretic text; most modern translations such as AMP, ESV, KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT, ...) had been manipulated in the 2c. AD in some decisive passages (Begetting ages in the genealogies; prophecies pointing to CHRISTOS; Chronology of Noah's Flood ...), meaning that most of our Bibles are not perfect, although the original Word of THEOS (as found in the Paleo-Hebrew and in the Greek Old Testament) is absolutely perfect. It is of no service to Christianity that scholars, theologians and pastors, who often know of the manipulation of the Masoretic texts through Rabbi Akiva (see #13), hide this knowledge in the assumption to not generate a roadblock to seekers, or confusion in the church. But we cannot continue to print manipulated Bibles and a historical reappraisal would rather increase than decrease the credibility of the Bible, although this process will not be quick nor easy.

Every word, teaching and story in the Bible is true. This includes the creation account being literal (7 literal days); Jonah in the big fish (not whale!) being literal; the Flood being literal & global; et al.. References to biblical inerrancy are found in Psa 12:6 'And the words of KYRIOS are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times', Psa 18:30 'The word of KYRIOS is flawless.', Psa 19:7 'The law of KYRIOS is perfect', Pro 30:5 'Every word of THEOS is pure', 2Tim 3:16 'All scripture is THEOS-breathed', Heb 4:12 'The word of THEOS is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword', 2Pet 1:21 'All prophecy from THEOS' ...

1.3 Moses wrote Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, except the last pages after his death (Deut 31:9 until Deut 34). He finished the book of Deuteronomy at the age of 120 years, meaning in ~1406 BC. His authorship is proven through the verses Deut 31:9, Luk 24:27, Mar 10:3-9, Mar 12:26, Joh 1:45, Joh 5:46, Act 7:22, Act 7:37, Act 26:22-23, Act 28:23, Rom 10:19, 1Cor 9:9 .

It is an irrelevant argument supposing that Moses did not write everything, because he did not experience everything. The prophet Samuel also writes about events related to the journey of the Ark of the Covenant in the land of the Philistines, which he could not know - probably not even from hearsay. But the SPIRIT can give special knowledge to humans, as we know already well from the construction of the Tabernacle and the Ark (see Exo 31:3) and numerous other examples in the Bible.

1.4 A short study of languages in the biblical context reveals the follow picture:

Old Testament (mainly Aramaic, no mention of Hebrew!!!):

  • Aramaic / Syrian (3x, OT only) G4948, ϹΥΡΟϹ, suros: Syrian. References in 2Kin 18:26, Ezr 4:7, Isa 36:11.
  • Jewish / Judean (2x, OT only) G2451, ΙΟΥΔΑΙϹΤΙ, ioudaisti: Jewish. Probably not a separate language and rather an adjective describing the language spoken in the time of writing (not Aramaic, because contrasted in 2Kin 18:26). References in 2Kin 18:26, 2Chr 32:18 and Neh 13:24 [G2454]

New Testament (mainly Greek, some Hebrew words pointed out):

  • Greek (3x, NT only) G1676, ΕΛΛΗΝΙϹΤΙ, hellenisti: Greek. References in Joh 19:20, Act 21:37, Rev 9:11.
  • Hebrew (10x, NT only, not OT!) G1447, ΕΒΡΑΙϹΤΙ / ΕΒΡΑΙΔΙ, hebraisti / ebraidi: Hebrew. References in Joh 5:2, Joh 19:13, 17, 20, Joh 20:16, Act 21:40, Act 22:2, Act 26:14, Rev 9:11, Rev 16:16.
  • Latin (1x, NT only) G4515, ΡⲰΜΑΙϹΤΙ, rhomaisti: Latin. Reference in Joh 19:20.

Many translators and scholars erroneously use ΕΒΡΑΙϹΤΙ (Hebrew) to refer to both Aramaic and Hebrew, without distinction. But the fact that the Greek OT specified the term ϹΥΡΙϹΤΙ for Aramaic, and therefore differentiates between ϹΥΡΙϹΤΙ and ΕΒΡΑΙϹΤΙ, should already exclude such an undifferentiated application. Josephus also distinguished between both Greek terms with casual precision, so we know that Hebrew and Aramaic existed at that time distinctly from one another.

It is also important to note that the Bible does not consider Hebrew as language (!), but distinctively as a 'dialect' [G1258,ΔΙΑΛΕΚΚΤΟϹ, dialektos]: Act 21:40 "... he [Paul] called out in the Hebrew dialect, saying ..."; Act 22:2 "And hearing that he called out to them in the Hebrew dialect ..."; Act 26:14 "... and saying in the Hebrew dialect: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?". Meanwhile, the Bible uses for the term 'language' always the word 'glossa' (G1100 as found in Gen 11:7, Neh 13:24, Jer 5:15, Eze 3:5, Dan 1:4, Dan 3:29, 1Cor 14:2-27, Rev 13:7, Rev 14:6).

1.5 The term Judaism is neither found in the Greek OT nor in the Hebrew OT, and it has done more harm than good to divide the true faith into two separate religions. Every Christian is a spiritual Jew, and every Jew is a Christian if he does not deny the fulfillment of the countless prophecies in IESOUS CHRISTOS.

Christianity started essentially when CHRISTOS created the earth and created the first human beings, and equipped them with laws Joseph and others followed long before Mt. Sinai. Christianity was in the ears of the people when they read the countless prophecies pointing to the First Coming of CHRISTOS. Christianity is not a religion that came suddenly into being at Pentecost, it existed from minute 1 of humanity.

See also below the different denominations of Mainstream Judaism today.

2 · Creation

2.1 The FATHER (THEOS), the SON (IESOUS CHRISTOS) and the HOLY SPIRIT form the Trinity. It is a man-made definition, but is scripturally based on the Greek term 'THEOTES' found in two expressions (THEIOTES in Rom 1:20 and THEOTETOS in Col 2:9), and its concept is extensively described in the Bible. It is a huge fail of biblical scholarship that we experience since centuries discussions about the validity of the term 'Trinity', while not even having noticed the biblical definition which had always been there right in front of our eyes.

  • THEOTES (The head of the Trinity) - 3 divine characters.
  • The FATHER (THEOS), SON (IESOUS CHRISTOS) and HOLY SPIRIT have an interpersonal relationship.
  • All are deity, equal in essence and dignity, but play different roles.
  • The FATHER sent the SON into the world (Joh 3:16) and He returned later to the FATHER (Joh 16:10, 27-28). IESOUS is THEOTES, but not the FATHER. See also Mat 24:36, Mar 14:36, Joh 6:46, Joh 14:9-13, Joh 5:19, Joh 11:41, Joh 15:16, Joh 17:1-5, 1Cor 8:6, Eph 5:20, Php 1:2, Php 2:11, 2Joh 1:3).
  • The FATHER and SON sent the HOLY SPIRIT into the world (Joh 14:16-17). The HOLY SPIRIT is THEOTES, but neither the FATHER nor the SON with regard to personhood. See also Mat 28:19, Mar 1:10-11, Act 1:4-5, Act 2:33, 2Cor 13:13, Gal 4:6-7, Eph 2:18, 1Pet 1:2, Joh 16:7-14, Rom 5:5-6, Rom 8:9-10, 1Cor 2:10-11, Eph 1:13-14 .
  • It has to be noted that the concept of the Trinity is insufficient to describe the other forms THEOS did take throughout history and might take again ('Christophanies / Theophanies'), such as the appearance through angels which adds sometimes a fourth person to the Trinity (e.g. Exo 3:2, Exo 4:24-25, Exo 14:19, Jos 5:13, Jdg 6:11-14). THEOS is several times in His Word directly equated with an angel / messenger and CHRISTOS is called in Isa 9:6 the 'MESSENGER OF GREAT COUNSEL', using the same very word used for 'Angels' (ΜΕΓΑΛΗϹ ΒΟΥΛΗϹ ΑΓΓΕΛΟϹ · Megales Boules Aggelos · Messenger of Great Counsel). Gen 48:16 confirms that CHRISTOS is the Angel of KYRIOS " ... the G-d who continues to feed me from my youth until this day, the ANGEL [Ο ΑΓΓΕΛΟϹ] who delivers me from all evils ...". Mal 3:1 then eliminates any doubts, by stating: "Behold, I send forth my messenger [John], and he shall survey the way before me: and KYRIOS, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into His temple, even the ANGEL OF THE COVENANT [Ο ΑΓΓΕΛΟϹ ΤΗϹ ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗϹ], whom ye take pleasure in: behold, He [CHRISTOS] is coming, saith KYRIOS Almighty. 2 And who will abide the day of His coming? or who will withstand at His appearing? ..." Let us therefore give less weight to terminology and more weight to actual content. We simply cannot put THEOS in small boxes, however good our intentions may be.

2.2 The order of Divine and Human Beings:

  • THEOS the FATHER (Psa 8:1, Isa 64:8, 1Joh 3:1).
  • CHRISTOS the SON (Joh 8:58, Act 2:22, Act 2:36, 1Cor 11:3).
  • Morning Stars (IESOUS in 2Pet 1:19-20, Rev 22:16-17).
  • Morning Stars, Fallen (Satan in Isa 14:12, Luk 10:18).
  • Angels (Gen 16:7-15, 2Sam 24:16, Zec 1:9-14, Act 5:19-20, Rev 7:11-12).
  • Hosts of Heaven (Psa 24:10, Isa 40:26, Amos 4:13, Luk 2:13, Rev 19:14).
  • Sons of THEOS  ·  Angels in the OT (this 'interpretation' is proven through Heb 1:6 which is a quotation of Deut 32:43 (Greek OT), where the word 'sons' is interchangeable with 'angels / messengers'; see also Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 38:6-7, Dan 3:25).
  • Sons of THEOS  ·  Fallen Angels in the OT (Gen 6:1-4, 2Pet 2:4-10, Jud 1:6-7).
  • Sons of THEOS  ·  Human beings in the NT (Luk 20:34-36, Rom 8:14).
  • Human beings in His image (Gen 1:27, 1Cor 11:3, 1Cor 11:7-9).

2.3 The name 'God' is not biblical, but man-made. It did not exist before the 4-6th c. AD, when it was first documented in the Codex Argentus.

His name is predominantly 'THEOS' (Strong's Greek G2316; 3121x OT + 1313x NT = 4434 occurrences including 'gods') and 'ΚΥΡΙΟϹ' (Strong's G2962; 7350x OT + 721x NT = 8071 references including the vocative use as 'Sir'; usually translated with 'Lord', 'Master') and I urge the church to ~go back~ to His name. We do not translate the name of IESOUS, so why do we feel the constant need of translating the name of THEOS, which generated and still generates endless discussions, while not even the Jews are clear which one to chose. 

The solution is very, very simple. 'THEOS' is the name handed over to us through the Greek OT & NT, it was predominantly used by the church at least until the 4th c. AD, and it is not an accident that so many terms are associated with His holy name (Theocracy, theodicy, theology, theophany ...). Rom 10:13.

See the study The Name of 'G-d' with a detailed discernment.

See the study Trinity with a detailed list of His names:

trinity · FULL STUDY

2.4 WISDOM is personified in IESOUS CHRISTOS. This becomes clear through Luke's quotation in Luk 11:49-51 from Mat 23:34-36. Because the speaker is IESOUS, so WISDOM is He. See 1Cor 1:24 for the confirmation.

WISDOM assisted the FATHER in creating the world (Pro 8:22-31).

WISDOM is also personified in the HOLY SPIRIT. See Eph 1:17.

2.5 Sincere believers know that (Theistic) Evolution is not true and that a biblical creation day was not millions of years long -between one morning and its respective evening-, but very close to the 24 hours we measure today. THEOS Himself framed a day through 'mornings', 'evenings' and 'nights' (see Gen 1:5). He could not have been more precise, but we are still looking for loopholes. 

Humanity is less than 10 000 years old and had its origin in 2 divinely created people, namely Adam and his wife Eve. No humans or animals existed on Earth before the biblically specified creation account, as long as the HOLY SPIRIT hovered over the waters.

2.6 The estimated creation date is not ~4000 BC, but ~5508 (5554 BC Gregorian Calendar) - based on Abram commonly agreed having been born in ~2166 BC and subtracting the respective begetting ages provided in the Greek Old Testament:

Adam 230 years (true age he became a father; not 130 years) + Seth 205 (not 105 years) + Enosh 190 (not 90 years ...) + Kainan 170 + Mahalael 165 + Jared 162 + Enoch 165 + Methuselah 187 + Lamech 182 + Noah 502 + Shem 100 + Arphaxad 135 + Cainan 130 + Shelah 130 + Eber 134 + Peleg 130 + Reu 132 + Serug 130 + Nahor 79 + Terah 130 years when he begot Abram = 3388 years + 2166 = 5554 years).

Those begetting ages are confirmed by many historical (re-) sources, such as:

Most notably, the Byzantine Calendar, used by the Eastern Orthodox Church at least until the 18c. AD, placed the date of creation at 5509 years (Julian calendar) before the incarnation of IESOUS CHRISTOS.

The manipulated begetting ages are reflected in the Book of Jasher (not authentic), Jubilees, Samaritan Pentateuch and the Masoretic text, all sources easily accessible and to be manipulated by second century Jewish teachers.

2.7 Both Old Earth Creationism (OEC) and Young Earth Creationism (YEC) miss the mark - and only deepen the split by assuming two extreme and unbiblical positions.

The Bible actually teaches us what I would coin as Old Earth-Young Creation (OEYC) - with the foundation of the earth pre-existing since an unknown time, being furnished in ~ 5500 BC in a spontaneous and divine act within 6 literal days with the first animals, humans and plants, while engineering the existing waters the HOLY SPIRIT was hovering over, into an intelligently designed water cycle.

Source: Logos Bible Software

The proof for this is found in the wording 'in the beginning' (ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ, arche, Greek G746), and only by comparing the OT and NT in the same language (see comment on Hebrew below).

The beginning in Gen 1:1 is equated in Joh 1:1 with the Word of THEOS, which on the other hand is equated in Pro 8:22 with Wisdom (= IESOUS, see Luk 11:49-51 quoting Mat 23:34-36) that existed before our age (eon) and before the making of the land (abysses, spring waters and mountains. Heb 1:10 then makes the differentiation between the land and the earlier foundation. This is clear poof for the time jump between Gen 1:2 and 1:3 .

As if that wasn't proof enough, we find in Rev 3:14 one of the names of CHRISTOS being 'The Beginning of THEOS' creation'. We certainly all agree that CHRISTOS did not come into being in, or shortly before the creation week.

Rev 3:14 "And to the messenger of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of

The Amen,

The Faithful And True Witness,

The Beginning of THEOS' creation.


Why do we have all that confusion in between Hebrew and Greek texts?

— The 're-activation' of the Hebrew text through the Roman Catholic Church in ~405 AD had been a colossal victory of the enemy

(in form of Jerome, who began to work with the Greek Old Testament, but suddenly broke all traditions and foisted in Rabbi Akiva's manipulated Modern Hebrew ~original~, which only centuries later turned out to not be the original, a fact very rarely admitted by today's scholars),

having since significantly complicated biblical exegesis,

whereas CHRISTOS had previously given us the whole Bible in one Greek language (it should be obvious that the curse of Babel did not apply to His Word; He is the Word and there is 0% of confusion in Him), being used as such -PREDOMINANTLY- for ~550-650 years (Greek OT written in ~250-140 BC).

It is very inconsistent to think that CHRISTOS invited in the 1st c. AD other nations (often called 'Gentiles') to become His followers, but would have believers in all over the world forced to learn 3 (!) languages in order to begin to understand His Word. CHRISTOS enabled the Good Message to spread, by coming in a very specific time when one language was spread wide enough, and when His Word was created in its entirety (OT) in that specific language. If CHRISTOS would have come only a few decades or centuries earlier, the Good Message would have had little chance to spread.

2.8 The creation of the foundation of the earth is therefore clearly -not- part of the creation account. 

Genesis starts with an existing Earth, which was 'void' (or 'a desolation', 'desert', 'without form').

This earth is now covered by the first worldwide flood (before Noah's flood which is technically the second-, and as promised the last flood) and the HOLY SPIRIT is hovering over the deep waters, before THEOS speaks anything into being in Gen 1:3. Neither the creation of those deep waters nor of the earth's mantle is found anywhere in the first chapters of Genesis, and we should abstain from injecting something so fundamental into the biblical account.

The most common argument against the 'gap' is the claim that the first 2 verses are a summary of the following verses 3-31. But this argument falls instantly flat, when pondering why THEOS would flood an earth He created just hours, or -if really considering a summary- 6 days ago. Even the most biased and stubborn person has to acknowledge at this point that such a work order of THEOS would be ridiculous.

There is no way around the fact that the first two verses of Genesis show the state of the earth immediately before Day 1 of the creation account.

But we have no information about the time THEOS created the planet Earth itself. Nor is this relevant for the history of humanity. Our task is to preach the Good Message and to fulfill the Great Commission (and the teachers amongst us to correct the manipulated begetting ages in our Bibles, in order to get away from the 4000 BC scheme which is a major stumbling block for many searching for THEOS).

2.9 Mr. Hubble recognized already in 1929 AD that the universe was expanding. Today, most astronomers acknowledge that the universe is expanding with a rate of expansion of 73 km/sec/megaparsec (see also the Documentary 'G-d of Wonders'). This also agrees with the Bible which says that THEOS stretches out the heavens like a curtain (Psa 33:6, Psa 104:2, Isa 40:22-23, Isa 42:5) and will roll them up in our End Times (Isa 34:4, Psa 102:25-26, Heb 1:10-12, Rev 6:14).

2.10 A biblical day does not start at sunset (Mainstream Judaism), nor at midnight (Pagan World), but with the light at sunrise (Gen 1:5; Proof texts are 1Sam 19:11, Exo 29:39, Lev 22:29-30, Num 11:32, Mat 28:1, Mar 27:45, Joh 20:19, Act 4:3 et al.). 

1Sam 19:11 made it clear to the Jews: "Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to guard him and to kill him in the morning, but Michal his wife told David, saying, "If you do not save your life tonight, then tomorrow you will be killed!"

Act 4:3 makes it crystal clear: "And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening."

2 out of 7 Sabbath of Sabbaths (Annual Feasts / High Sabbaths / Extraordinary Sabbaths / Ceremonial Sabbaths) are stated to begin at sunset (Passover according to the timing of the Exodus as specified in Deut 16:6 and Num 9:5 , and the Day of Atonement specified in Lev 23:32). We do not know if this rather implied only those 2 -, or if all the 7 Sabbath of Sabbaths, but it is absolutely certain that this timing did not affect the Weekly Sabbath or any weekday. 

Similar to other exceptions in the Bible, we should be careful to not blindly follow and idolize customs of Jewish Mainstream which are often based on the Word, but sometimes applied incorrectly.

And yes, THEOS obviously worked before the evenings described in Gen 1:5 ff :
[1. THEOS worked during the day] And [2. then] there was evening and [3. then] there was morning, [marking] the [end of the] first day.

And last but not least, all biblical times of a day are counted from sunrise, not from sunset:

1st hour of the day = 6-7am (sunrise)

3rd hour of the day = 9am (Mat 20:3, Mat 27:45, Mar 15:25, Mar 15:33, Act 2:15)

6th hour of the day = 12m (Mat 20:5, Mat 27:45, Mar 15:33, Luk 23:44, Joh 4:6, Joh 19:14, Act 10:9)

7th hour of the day = 1pm (Joh 4:52)

9th hour of the day = 3pm (Mat 20:5, Mat 27:45-6, Mar 15:33, Luk 23:44, Act 3:1, Act 10:3, 30)

10th hour of the day = 4pm (Joh 1:39)

11th hour of the day = 5pm (Mat 20:6, 9, the last worker still gets a wage)

3rd hour of the night = 9pm (Act 23:23)

2.11 A biblical year also starts with the light and new life, consequently in spring with the New Month of Abib (Aramaic / Syrian / Babylonian name 'Nisan'; modern March / April).

2.12 A calendar year (was) not 370 days long as the Masoretic texts suggest through the Flood account, but exactly 360 days divided into 12 months of 30 days each, as the Greek Old Testament (LXX) proves through the correct Flood dates (the Flood began with Gen 7:10-12 and ended with Gen 8:14-16, from 27/02 until 27/02, not from 27/01 until 27/02 as per Masoretic texts). 

360 days are also clearly proven through the specification in the Book of Revelation (1260 days / 42 months = 30 days). 

"And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days [1260 / 3.5 years = 360 days] ..." Rev 11:3 

"... speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority to act was given to him for forty-two months [42 x 30 =1260 days (3.5 years)]." Rev 13:5

2.13 The Garden of Eden is not located in Southern (Lower) Mesopotamia or in Africa, but in Northern (Upper) Mesopotamia, where it has been localized by this ministry in June 2021. The most important hint is the water source - not being a river "that flowed out from Eden", but more accurately translated with 'that came up out of Eden'. 

Topography changed through the flood, but not enough to erase decisive leads (the soil to cover certain areas had to come from other areas; not all areas were hidden under thick layers as it is often wrongly generalized). Not only do the Euphrates and the Tigris still exist ~7600 years later, but certainly also the Gihon and probably also the Phison river. All 4 rivers originate in one single location, the spring of the Karaca Dağ Volcano.

2.14 Job lived in the time of approx. 1750 / 1700 BC as framed in the addendum of Job 42:17ff in the Greek Old Testament.

This also implies that dinosaur-like creatures still lived in that time in areas such as the Negev and the former Jafr Lake. See also the study 'Creation' with more details.

3 · Sabbaths (Including Feasts)

3.1 The Bible teaches us about the Weekly Sabbath and namely the 'Sabbath of Sabbaths' (= High Sabbaths; precise wording only found in the Greek OT; generally translated with 'Extraordinary Sabbaths' Lev 23:32-33 - Annual Holy Days), and we should be very careful to distinguish those accordingly when we read the word 'Sabbath' in a verse.

3.2 The Gregorian equivalent to a Weekly Sabbath is Saturday, not Sunday. 

If your local church celebrates Pentecost on Sunday, then it already affirms the Saturday Sabbath (see Lev 23:16 'the day after the Sabbath'). 

Topics such as circumcision or foods offered to idols were readily challenged by early Gentile Christians in the church (Assembly of Jerusalem in 50 AD). If there would have been a switch from the Sabbath to the First Day of the Week, then the controversy amongst the Apostles would have been more explosive than any other topic. 

The Sabbath Day was already instituted by THEOS Himself through the creation week (Gen 2:3, Exo 20:8-11, 20), in the very same way all the other 10 commandments - prohibiting murder (Cain), lying (Cain), adultery (Joseph was tempted and called it an evil), covetousness (Adam & Eve) ... - came into force with or directly after Creation (see also Gen 26:5 and #4.1 with further references). 

Israel as a name or nation did not even exist for the first 3500 years of human history (Jacob lived ~2006-1859 BC), and it is an abstruse thought that for 3500 years people would have worked 30 days a month and 360 days a year, without any rest. The '6+1 day week' had been undoubtedly instituted with creation, not at Mt. Sinai as many believers and teachers of our times state, in order to justify the Protestant 9/10 obedience, while Catholics obey even less, 6/10 commandments (as the Jesuit film production 'An Interview With G-d' confirms).

The Israelites failed the Sabbath test already several months (= 4 Bible chapters) before the laws had been formalized on Mt. Sinai (Exo 16:22-30). It took more than 4000 years (~5500 until 1446 BC; more than half of the time humanity currently exists!), until this commandment found its way into the written Moral Law.

It would never occur to us to permit murder based on the fact that it was only codified as sin after ~4000 years, so why are we doing the same for another Moral Law?

3.3 IESOUS consistently observed the Weekly Sabbath before-, and did not abolish it through- the cross.

Luk 4:16 'And He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read.'

Luk 4:31 'And He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And He was teaching them on the Sabbath ...'

The Sabbath is (one of) the main reason(s) why IESOUS had been persecuted (see Joh 5:16, 18)! Without the Sabbath, there would be consequently no cross.

CHRISTOS demonstrated that the Sabbath is not broken in cases of necessity or by acts of charity (by opposing the Pharisee Laws which added many rules THEOS never instructed; such as: no sex on a Sabbath; no war on a Sabbath; no spitting on a Sabbath; no swatting of a fly on a Sabbath; not allowed to look at a reflection in the water (mirror) on a Sabbath; no carrying of clothes out of a burning house on a Sabbath, except wearing those in multiple layers ...).

Many Christians are sadly not aware of those differences between biblical and unbiblical laws (see study 'Laws' for details on the 3 groups of laws; Moral-, Old Covenant- and Oral Law), and erroneously assume that CHRISTOS watered down the Sabbath. Nowhere in Scripture is healing on a Sabbath disallowed.

His followers obeyed the Weekly Sabbath after Golgotha:

  • Mat 28:1 and Luk 23:55-56 [~33 AD] The 2 Marys kept the Weekly Sabbath immediately before His resurrection holy, waited until the very minutes the Sabbath was over and used the very first opportunity to visit the grave.
  • Acts 1:12 [~33 AD] The 11 Apostles travelled within the limit of 'a Sabbath day's journey away'. [This is a very clear reference to the Weekly Sabbath being in full force in the New Covenant].
  • Acts 13:27 [~48-49 AD] When Paul taught about CHRISTOS, he spoke about 'the voices of the prophets that are read on every Sabbath' [Greek Participle 'anaginoskomenas' = continuous action from the perspective of the speaker!].
  • Act 15:21 [~50 AD] This verse once again states that 'he [Moses; see also Deut 31:24] is read aloud in the synagogues [where also Gentile believers initially met; see study 'Church'] on every Sabbath' [Same Greek Participle as previous verse].

3.4 Paul not only observed the seventh-day Sabbath himself, he taught Jews and Gentiles / Greeks / 'Worshiping Proselytes' on the Weekly Sabbath day at least on 11 occasions (Act 13:14, 27, 42-45, Act 16:12-13, Act 17:2, Act 18:4-11). Decisive is the fact that this most often happened outside of Israel. This is especially remarkable when considering that he left the new converts in Ephesus behind, when he had to hurry back to Israel for celebrating Ceremonial Sabbaths such as Pentecost.

Act 20:7 does not imply a regular Sunday teaching: "And on the first day of the week, when we had assembled to break bread, Paul began conversing with them, because he was going to leave on the next day [extraordinary teaching, because Paul was leaving the next day as clearly stated in verses 11-13; no indication for a First-Day Sabbath on the "First Day of The Week"], and he extended his message until midnight ... when he had eaten and talked for a long time, until dawn, then he departed."

3.5 The Bible also includes various future references (Mat 24:20, Isa 66:22-23, including the commonly misinterpreted passage of Hebrews 4:1-11 which includes very specific terms such as the 'seventh day', a 'certain day' and a 'Sabbath rest' in an affirmative context, but is nevertheless watered down - not only by Antinomians).

Last but not least - the seventh day is numbered like the other days in the creation account, and we have therefore no allowance to accommodate its duration to particular doctrines, where some claim that the 7th day is longer than 24 hours, only based on the missing marker of morning and evenings.

After all, we should ignore the 60+ rules added by the Pharisees and keep the Sabbath simple (7th day, morning-morning rhythm, keep it holy, rest, worship of THEOS, no work, no shopping or restaurants, share meals with believers and stay local following the example of the disciples after the ascension; Act 1:11, 12). 

3.6 The term behind 'Lord's Day' in Rev 1:10 occurs only once in the entire Bible and is simply an unfortunate translation of (ΚΥΡΙΑΚΟϹ, kuriakos; adjective, not a noun!), literally meaning 'pertaining to the Lord'. It simply describes the Weekly Sabbath (modern Saturday) through an adjective.

John, who wrote the Book of Revelation and the Evangelium of John, never called the First Day a Sabbath, but constantly used the term 'First Day of The Week' (Joh 20:1 and Joh 20:19) for referring to a Sunday.

The term 'Lord's Day' applied to Sundays is a human tradition that had initially nothing to do with the Weekly Sabbath, but had been celebrated as a separate memorial day dedicated to CHRISTOS, who rose the day after the Weekly Sabbath, on a Sunday.

sabbaths  ·  full study

3.7 Let us also bring an end to the debate on the former Jubilee year and Pentecost. A Jubilee Year had been

  • Announced in the year before the Jubilee Year (Day of Atonement).
  • Announced in the 49th year after the Sabbath Year preceding the previous Jubilee Year.
  • Celebrated in the 50th year after the Sabbath Year preceding the previous Jubilee Year.
  • Celebrated every 49th year, always in the year following the 7th Sabbath Year (7-14-21-28-35-42-49).

The exact same pattern applies for Pentecost. It is celebrated on the 49th day after the First Fruits which occurs 1 day after the Weekly Sabbath, therefore on the 50th day after this Weekly Sabbath immediately following the Passover week. The Jubilee Year occurs in the first year after the 7th Sabbath Year, while the Pentecost occurs on the first day after the 7th Sabbath Day. 

3.8 Although the term 'Easter' is used in English translations such as the Tyndale Bible of 1534 or the Coverdale Bible of 1535 interchangeably with the term 'Passover', the early Christians and church fathers did not celebrate Easter as understood today. 

The modern Easter is not a biblical concept, but only loosely based on the biblical Feast of Passover usually occurring around the same time. The date of Easter is always defined by man, while Passover is dated based on the Bible (First New Moon after Green Ears + 15 days).

If we chose to celebrate Passover (which is not endorsed by this ministry), we should also consequently follow the precise 7 (8) days. But as Col 2:16 says in reference to special days related to food, there is no right or wrong in following or not following those Extraordinary Sabbaths that were once a part of the now abolished Old Covenant Laws.

3.9 IESOUS provided the ultimate atonement for our sins and made therefore obsolete the Day of Atonement. 

The other 6 Sabbaths of Sabbaths cannot be celebrated anymore - due to the following reasons:

  • Under the Laws of Moses - specifically the former Ceremonial Laws.
  • The temple is now absent, required for the animal sacrifices being an integral part of those feasts.
  • Everyone who ate leavened bread during Passover, was put to death (Exo 12:15).
  • No uncircumcised foreigner (any national not being a Jew) was even allowed to eat the Passover (Exo 12:43-49).
  • Passover was always an Internal festival (Domestic & Inbound Tourism, only in Jerusalem according to Deut 16:5-6), not an International or Global festival. The only time it was kept outside of the land of Canaan, was on the evening when the Israelites were about to leave Egypt, but the biblical account makes it clear that the festival week itself starts on Abib 15, the precise day the Israelites left Egypt. "And if there should come to you a stranger in your land, and should keep the passover to KYRIOS, he shall keep it according to the law of the Passover and according to its ordinance: there shall be one law for you, both for the stranger, and for the native of the land." Num 9:14
  • Paul even left his church plant behind and traveled to Jerusalem to partake in the Pentecost (Act 20:16). He was not joined on this trip by the new converts. If there would be an obligation for Christians to follow this day, then Paul would have either shown the believers in Ephesus how to celebrate it or would have invited them to join him in Jerusalem. None of both options occurred. It is therefore clear that local Jews might still be free today to follow those specific days, but that there is no instruction for believers of other nations to do so.
  • Most references quoted by SDA's or Messianic Jews include references prior to CHRISTOS' death & resurrection (Mat 26:2, 17, Mar 14:12-16, Luk 2:41-42, Luk 22:1, Joh 2:13, Joh 6:4, Joh 7:1-14, Joh 13:1-30), to communion erroneously being equated with Passover (1Cor 11:23-29), strictly metaphorical references (1Cor 5:6-8), extremely vague references (Act 18:21, Act 27:9), or future references where the sole mention of a trumpet call is suddenly a proof for the continuation of the Feast of Trumpets (Mat 24:30-31, 1Th 4:16-17, Rev 11:15). 
  • Correct references include Act 2:1-21, Act 20:6, Act 20:16, 1Cor 16:8, but those celebrations were -NEVER- held outside of Israel. On all missionary trips, we find numerous references of obeying locally the Weekly Sabbath, but not once of obeying a Ceremonial Sabbath locally.

3.10 Christmas is not a Christian, but (rather) a Catholic festival, most certainly arranged with the winter solstice and the birthday of the Roman sun god, as explicitly confirmed by the Philocalian Calendar (336 AD), Chrysostom (386 AD) and Bishop Bar-Salibi (1170 AD).

  • 1-3 c. AD  ·  No celebration of Christ-mas in the Christian Church.
  • ~180 AD  ·  Irenaeus and Tertullian do not show a Feast of the Nativity on their lists of Christian celebrations, but Irenaeus later opened a can of worms when he calculated March 25 as spurious conception date, based on an assumed birthday of John the Baptist on the Day of Atonement (Month 7, Day 10) and adding the 6 months difference (=Month 1, Day 10, Selection of Lambs), plus assuming 9 months of pregnancy. This is rather wild-west-theology and simply ignores the time-lapse between the annunciation through the Angel and the conception as described in Luk 1:24 through the wording 'And after these days', which excludes any possibility for a precise date. This term 'and after these days' adds several days, weeks or months between the annunciation and the conception, and de-facto excludes a same-day-conception. Hippolytus later copied the error of Irenaeus and the disaster took its course very soon after:
  • 198 AD  ·  Clement of Alexandria reported that some celebrated CHRISTOS' birthday on ~April 19 / 20 and others ~May 20. Basilidian Christians held to January 6 and 10. Clement himself calculated November 18. Other Alexandrian and Egyptian Christians adopted January 4 or 5. The regions of Nicomedia, Syria and Caesarea celebrated CHRISTOS' birthday on January 6. In short, there was no consensus, but a very great chaos.
  • ~200 AD  ·  Julius Africanus assumed like Irenaeus March 25 as the conception date.
  • 243 AD  ·  The work 'De Pascha Computus' proposed March 28 as either birthdate or conception (not clearly specified).
  • 274 AD  ·  The birthday of the official sun god of the late Roman Empire, Sol In***tus, is celebrated on December 25, 274 AD. Aurelian, the Roman emperor from 270-275 AD, was the first to introduce this deity, the Sol In***tus, to the Romans, after he claimed the favor of that god at a battle in 272 AD. He then erected a huge temple to this sun god in the Campus Agrippae and attempted in his last year of his reign to make this worship the principal religion at Rome.
  • Constantius Chlorus, the Roman emperor from 305-306 AD, followed Aurelian in the veneration of the sun. But the one who made this god popular - and especially within a 'Christian' context, was Constantine, the Roman emperor from 306-337 AD. He included Sol In***tus on coinage and many artistic representations such as a statue of self wearing a radiant crown of sun.
  • 313 AD  ·  The true birth of the Roman Catholic Church occurred, when Constantine had 3 visions of the gods Apo**o, Vict**a and lastly of a 'Christ', ~converted~ to Christianity and merged state and religion. Now the Roman Catholic Church began to rapidly expand under their suddenly unlimited possibilities and the financial support by the Roman government. Just as it was not a coincidence that only a few years later (321 AD) the RCC declared the Sun-day as sacred for Roman Catholics, so it is not a coincidence that the RCC dedicated yet another day to the Sun (386 AD; see Chrysostom below), precisely the birth of our Savior.
  • 336 AD  ·  The Chronography / Philocalian calendar used in Rome, includes opposite of the birthday of the sun god ('Natalis In***ty; December 25) the phrase 'VIII kaali ian natus Christus in Bethleem Iudea', which reads '8 January was born Christ in Bethlehem of Judea (either meaning 8 days before January = December 25, or actually January 8).'
  • 386 AD  ·  Chrysostom (6th RCC doctor - therefore to be considered official doctrine) wrote in his work 'De Solstitiis et Aequinoctiis': "Our Lord, too, is born in the month of December ... the eighth before the calends of January [25 December] ... But they call it the 'Birthday of the Unconquered [sun god / Natalis In***ty]'. Who indeed is so unconquered as Our Lord? Or, if they say that it is the birthday of the Sun, [we may say] He is the Sun of Justice."
  • ~400 AD  ·  Augustine (3rd RCC doctor): "For he is believed to have been conceived on March 25 , and also suffered on this same day ... But according to tradition He was born on December 25." In a late fourth-century sermon, he clearly related CHRISTOS' birth to the Winter Solstice: "He was born on the day which is the shortest in our earthly reckoning and from which subsequent days begin to increase in length. He, therefore, who bent low and lifted us up chose the shortest day, yet the one whence light begins to increase".
  • 567 AD   ·  The Council of Tours called the 12/13 days btw. Dec 25 and Jan 6 a festival season.
  • ~1170 AD  ·  Bishop Bar-Salibi [looking back to the 4c. AD]: "It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries, the Christians also took part. Accordingly, when the [Catholic] doctors of the church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnised on that day."
  • 1223 AD  ·  First creche and nativity pageant by the Catholic St. Francis.
  • 1647 AD  ·  English Puritans forbade the celebration of Christmas by an Act of Parliament (!).
  • ~1835 AD  ·  Introduction of Christmas trees

3.11 The very first celebration of 'All Hallow's Eve' (Hallow-een = Holy Evening before All Saint's Day), occurred in the year 609 AD, when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the virgin Mary.

Pan-theion = [Temple of] all gods.  

 Much more could be said about this particular day and this author has read much about it, but this particular information should suffice as clear warning to stay far away from any association with this day.

3.12 It is offensive to THEOS to celebrate extrabiblical feasts such as those included in the Jewish, Orthodox and Roman Catholic calendar. 

"But now, because you have come to know THEOS, or rather have come to be known by THEOS, how can you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental spirits? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again? You carefully observe days and months and seasons and years." Gal 4:9-10

"Then he built the houses on the high places, and he appointed priests from all walks of life who were not from the sons of Levi. Jeroboam also inaugurated a religious feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month [not stipulated by THEOS], like the religious feast which was in Judah [...] He inaugurated a religious feast for the Israelites, and he went up to the altar to offer incense." 1Kin 12:31-33 

"O house of Israel [...] 3 Ye who are approaching the evil day, who are drawing near and adopting false sabbaths; 4 who sleep upon beds of ivory, and live delicately on their couches ..." Amo 6:3

4 · Laws

4.1 No, the Moral Law did definitely not originate with Moses or in his time, as commonly assumed. Adam and Eve coveted and stole (Gen 3:6, 17), Cain was greedy (he did not divide the sacrifice as stipulated in Deu 14:29, and committed the sin of sacrilege repeated by Ananias and Sapphira in Act 5:1-4), killed and lied (Gen 4:8-9, 13), Ham dishonored his father (Gen 9:25), Abraham lied (Gen 20:2), Jacob's household committed idolatry (Gen 35:1-4), murdered and stole (Gen 34:27), the prohibition of murder was already specified within the Noahic Covenant (Gen 9:6; some 1850 years before Sinai), Pharaoh (time of Moses) and his people had other theos (Exo 10:16), and adultery was already described more than 600 years before Mt. Sinai as a great sin condemned through severe plagues (Pharaoh vs. Abram & Sarai in Gen 12:17), condemned through barrenness (Abimelech vs. Abraham & Sarah in Gen 20:9, 18), feared by kings (Abimelech vs. Isaac & Rebekah in Gen 26:10) and leading to false accusations (Joseph in Gen 39:9).

Matthew 5:21 makes it also clear that the Moral Law had not only been given to any 'ancients' or any 'people of old' -as commonly translated while lacking definition-, but more precisely to the very first humans - the word ΑΡΧΗ (arche, Greek G746) always expressing an absolute. A better translation is therefore 'first men'. 

The wording ΕΝ ΑΡΧΗ ("in the beginning") is also prominently being used in Gen 1:1 and Joh 1:1, and even more prominently in Rev 22:13 'I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning (ΑΡΧΗ) and the End.'

Furthermore, the Weekly Sabbath had been formalized with the adjective 'to remember' what was instituted at creation (Exo 20:8 and Gen 2:3); the Israelites worshiped a golden calf before (!) the people received the tablets (Exo 32:1), and Abraham, Jacob and Joseph already obeyed commandments, statutes and laws (Gen 26:5). Moses judged already before Sinai 'the ordinances of THEOS and His law' and his father-in-law even encouraged him to delegate this task (Exo 18:15-16)!

Even some of the 600+ Old Covenant Laws, such as the Levirate Marriage (the brother-in-law having s*x with the childless widow) commanded in Deut 25:5-10, had already been stipulated as law (Gen 38:8) some 450 years before Mt. Sinai.

4.2 No, Law is not Law. We have the 10 commandments, written by the finger of the Angel of KYRIOS (most probably the pre-incarnate IESOUS, because no one has ever seen the Father > Joh 1:18, Joh 5:37, Joh 6:46, 1Joh 4:12 < and He himself confirmed later to be 'THE I AM' > Exo 3:13-14, Joh 8:58 <). The Angel wrote those commandments on the top of Mt. Sinai on 2 stone tablets, and stored those inside the Ark of the Covenant. This 'perfect' and 'life-giving' Moral Law ("of Liberty") is for us (Eze 20:11, Act 7:38, Jam 1:25).

One the other hand 'we' had 600+ Old Covenant Laws (also outmost logically categorized -by man- as Ceremonial / Civil / Sacrificial Law), spoken to Moses inside the Tabernacle, written by the finger of Moses in a book and stored on the outside of the Ark of the Covenant (Deut 31:24-26), being ambiguously against the Israelites (Col 2:13-15).

The Old Covenant Law had been sprinkled with blood - the Moral Law not (the scroll only, see Heb 9:19-22). 

Romans 7:22- 8:2 differentiates between the 'Law of the SPIRIT' and 'Law of Sin'. 

Today, we see all too often the two fundamentally different sets of laws being thrown into one category - with the intention to simply eliminate those and create a 'light' Good Message without the Weekly Sabbath rest. But it is not complicated to differentiate between a book that perishes and stone tablets that do not perish (IESOUS is our eternal rock and corner-stone-!), and between law written by THEOS and laws written by Moses. Knowledge of Scripture (Gal 3:10) is essential to counter false teachings.

4.3 No, the word 'fulfill' (Mat 5:17-19) has rather an affirmative than a finite character. All too often we hear teachers proclaim the opposite, but this directly contradicts the very obvious meaning of Rom 13:10, where 'love is the fulfillment of the law' - having obviously not a finite character. See also the baptism of IESOUS, the very act that 'fulfilled all justification / righteousness' (Mat 3:13-17) and still does so today to all who claim it. We should not interpret Scripture selectively!

IESOUS did not abolish the 10 commandments but affirmed every single one repeatedly (I-Mat 22:37; II-1Joh 5:21; III-Mar 3:29; IV-Luk 14:3; V- Mat 19:19; VI-Luk 18:20; VII-Mat 5:27-28; VIII-Mat 15:19; IX-Mat 15:19; X-Rom 13:9) and even added dozens of Laws (of CHRISTOS).

And no, He did not contradict His FATHER by despising the 600+ Old Covenant Laws, but simply abolished them in their effect of condemnation. 

CHRISTOS actually despised - from the very beginning- the ~1500 Fence / Oral Laws added by the Pharisees - a very important differentiation where teachers regularly fail.

4.4 Yes, we are still fully 'subject' to the Law of CHRISTOS (1Cor 9:21; including the Moral Law and probably all New Covenant Laws given by CHRISTOS and the Apostles), but not 'under' the Law (1Cor 9:20), what means not to be under the weight of the Law, not to be under the condemnation of the Law, not to be cursed by the Law and not to suffer the death penalty for certain transgressions of the Law.

It is a sad reality that we regularly cherry-pick the word 'under' while ignoring the meaning of being 'subject' in the very next verse. Context is essential.

Many of us have become Antinomians - people who take the principle of Salvation by faith and divine grace to the point of asserting that the saved are not bound to follow the Moral Law contained in the Ten Commandments. Now Rev 12:17-18 and Rev 14:12 should be a constant reminder that practicing Antinomians will rather not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

4.5 No, we -who are not farmers and herdsmen- were never supposed to financially tithe 10% of our income, but we are instructed to give by heart, to people in need, to our local church and to ministers of the Good Message. Not even one Christian church practiced tithing in the Americas before 1873 AD - it was initially conceptualized to support the poor and soon later abused by a rapidly increasing number of greedy churches we still see today.

And no, the book of Malachi (Mal 3:8-10) is not part of the New Covenant, was written approx. 460 years before CHRISTOS died and is specifically directed to priests as indicated at the beginning of the chapter of Mal 2:1 .

And IESOUS did not affirm tithing in Mat 23:23, but rather ridiculed the Pharisees giving a tenth even of their garden herbs, exhorted them to focus on the essential matters and clearly associated tithing with a past activity - "it was necessary".

Churches could generate much more givings if they would be faithful to the Bible and would not lay a legalistic and pharisaic burden on believers by generating their own (by)law. Find the detailed study on Giving vs. Tithing here.

4.6 No, biblical love is not a feeling, it is a CHRISTOS-like attitude that can even include proper judgment for the ultimate good of a brethren. Do I have to mention that we should not judge outsiders (unbelievers), but that we have the obligation to judge the visible and significant sin of an insider (believer)? The enemy has achieved a tremendous victory to give us the false notion of avoiding correction inside churches, with significant and ramified consequences we experience today.

Most believers base this attitude on a selective reading of Mat 7:1 'Do not judge', but once we continue to read until Mat 7:5, we clearly see our obligation to have first a clear conscience in order to then 'remove the speck from the brother's eye'. The biblical definition of righteousness (Eze 18:5-9) also includes a call to righteous judgment (Eze 18:8) and further clarifications are given in Zec 7:9, Joh 7:24, 1Cor 5:1-3, 11, 12.

4.7 No, the love and grace of THEOS do not trump all other attributes including His holiness and justice (and occasional wrath!). The modern teaching of the Evangelium is strongly unbalanced and the rise of the Internet reinforces this tendency (founded by the former Anglican and Unitarian / Universalist John Berners-Lee), by promoting teachers that speak what the people want to hear (ticklers, people pleasers).

5 · Genealogies

5.1 The First Historical Adam brought sin, while the Second Historical Adam (CHRISTOS) brought redemption.

5.2 The Masoretic texts are proven by this ministry to be decisively manipulated (although less than 1% of Scripture). Only the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) text is the entirely inspired Word of THEOS (excluding the Apocrypha which had been 'part' of both texts for ~1500 years, included in ~393 AD by Augustine & Pope Damasus, and only excluded in 1885 from the King James Bible).

The OT of the most ancient surviving Christian Bible manuscripts - Codex Vaticanus (4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (~350 AD) and Codex Alexandrinus (5th century ?)- are all Greek texts. The Old Latin Bible (Vetus Latina, ~350 AD) had not been translated from Hebrew, but from the same Greek text. For 5-6 centuries (2/1 c. BC - 5/6 c. AD), the Greek Old (and New) Testament was the undisputed Bible text read by the Greek-speaking world, until Jerome -who at first worked from the Septuagint- established a precedent for later translators by using the Hebrew texts.

  • 250 BC  ·  Septuagint  ·  Greek OT
  • 100 AD  ·  New Testament  ·  Greek NT with 90% of quotations of the Greek OT
  • 350 AD  ·  Sinaiticus  ·  Greek OT & NT
  • 350 AD  ·  Vetus Latina  ·  Latin OT & NT (OT translated from Greek)
  • 4th C.  ·  Vaticanus  ·  Greek OT & NT
  • 405 AD  ·  Jerome's Vulgate  ·  Latin OT & NT  ·  (translated from Modern Hebrew OT & Greek NT)
  • 5th C.  ·  Alexandrinus (A)  ·  Greek OT & NT
  • 550 AD  ·  The Madaba Map quotes directly from the Greek OT
  • 1455 AD  ·  Gutenberg Bible  ·  Modern Hebrew OT & Greek NT

It is also worth mentioning that not even Moses would be able to read any Hebrew word of the Bible we erroneously consider to be the original. Only the Samaritan Pentateuch is written in the original language (unvocalized; Paleo-Hebrew Alphabet), while the Jews, who came from the region of Aram (see #7.2 below), used consequently Aramaic, which was then developed into the Modern Hebrew Alphabet.

5.3 Several of the begetting ages in the Masoretic texts had been manipulated. 100 years have been deducted here and there, and the ages suddenly match the Greek Old Testament again when e.g.  Noah's father and grandfather logically must have died before the flood. All of this shrinks the genealogies and leads to a creation date of ~4000 BC instead of the correct 5508 (5554 BC Gregorian). 

5.4 No, Shem did not outlive Terah, his great-great-great-great-great-great grandson in the 8th generation nor meet Jacob (11th generation). 

·  Arphaxad did not outlive Terah (7th generation) nor meet Abraham (8th generation).

·  Shelah did not outlive Terah (6th generation) nor meet Isaac (8th generation).

·  Eber did not outlive Abraham (6th generation) nor meet Jacob (8th generation).

The Masoretic texts are clearly manipulated.

5.5 'Cainan' (not the son of Enoch) came in the 12th generation after Adam, as the son of Arphaxad and the father of Shelah. The Greek Old Testament includes Cainan in Gen 11:13 and 1Chr 1:18, while the New Testament also includes him in Luk 3:36. Gen 11:13 of the Masoretic text lacks the mention of his name.

  • 1c. AD  ·  The second Cainan continued in all the Greek and Hebrew copies to the Christian era and the end of the first century (see source).
  • 2c. (100-150 AD)  ·  Manipulation of the Hebrew OT as documented by Justin Martyr in 150 AD (see source), and exclusion of Cainan.

Why did the Jews remove Cainan from their Scripture? Because he was the father of the Samaritans as plainly stated in the Alexandrian Chronicle (5-6c. AD; see source).

The fact that the Samaritans came from Cainan and even have an older heritage than the Hebrews (Cainan was born 2 generations before Eber, the father of the Hebrews), provides an overwhelming justification for Jewish scholars having excluded precisely his name. It is well known and described in the biblical account that the Jews had a deep aversion of the Samaritans (Joh 4:9). The inclusion of Cainan in their own writing must have been a thorn for centuries. 

More details in the study 'Septuagint - Biblical Proof For Superiority Over Masoretic Texts'.

5.6 'Admin' does not belong to the 77 generations in Luk 3:33. The name 'Admin' is not found in any Old Testament text and is inserted in Luk 3:33 in the Amplified Bible, Berean Study Bible, English Standard Version, International Standard Version, New American Standard Version, New English Translation, New Living Translation, New Revised Standard and Weymouth's New Testament.

It is not included in the American Standard Version, Apostolic Bible Polyglot (the most important reference), Christian Standard Bible, Darby Translation, Geneva Bible (1587), King James Version (1611), Lexham English Bible, Literal Translation, LXX (Alfred Rahlfs), LXX (Greek Orthodox), LXX (HS Augsburg), LXX (Kata Biblon), LXX (NETS) Bible, Miles Coverdale Bible (1535), New King James Version, New International Version, Wesley's New Testament (1755) and Young's Literal Translation.

5.7 The following overview shows us the harmonization of the generations mentioned in Matthew 1.

6 · The Flood

6.1 The Bible calls out those who deny the flood - as scoffers. The address of those hard words include believers.

"... in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, following according to their own desires [...] it escapes their notice that [...] the world that existed at that time was destroyed by being inundated with water. 2Pet 3:3-7

6.2 We can say with certainty that the landmass before the flood had been more extensive. This map now shows the most conservative extension with all landmass at 55 meters below the actual sea level (scientists estimate up to 150 meters). 

Bering / Beringia (land bridge Russia-US) would already be connected at 45 meters below sea level and Doggerland (land bridge Great Britain-Europe) would be connected as shallow as ~35 meters below sea level, where also mammoths, lions and a few prehistoric tools and weapons had been found.

Compilation: Thomas Lorenz; Attribution: © FloodMap.net, OpenStreetMap contributors, Mapzen
Compilation: Thomas Lorenz; Attribution: © FloodMap.net, OpenStreetMap contributors, Mapzen

We also have to challenge our understanding of the biblical definition of the East, especially when it comes to the interpretation regarding the kings coming from the East, which could well include the Americas! The biblical map is certainly not connected through 'air castles' in the Atlantic, but through a solid connection within a Pacific-centered point of view.

This could also lead us to the 4 biblical corners of the earth (Job 37:2-3, Isa 11:12, Eze 7:2, Rev 7:1), and goes hand in hand with the 4 winds described elsewhere (Jer 49:36, Eze 37:9, Dan 7:2, 8:8, 11:4, Zec 2:6, 6:5, Mar 13:27; Rev 7:1) in the Bible. The terms '4 corners' / '4 winds' / '4 ends of heaven' describe the outmost limits of our continents, and comprehensively include all the landmass. While those who lived before Peleg would have easily understood this term while looking at a still united world, it was for a long time difficult to understand until the so-called 'New World' was 'discovered', but Satan soon after caused our world maps to be divided in the Pacific, which has once again confused humanity so as how to define a biblical world map.

6.3 The Bible mentions the flood (Greek kataklusmos) several times throughout the books of Genesis (Gen 5:29, 6:13, 6:17, 7:6, 7:7, 7:10, 7:17, 9:11, 9:15, 9:28, 10:1, 10:32, 11:10), Samuel (2Sam 22:14-16), Chronicles (1Chr 1:4), Job (Job 36:30, 38:8-11, 38:16), Psalms (Psa 29:10, 33:7, 104:6-8), Isaiah (Isa 54:9), Ezekiel (Eze 14:14-20), Amos (Amo 9:5), Matthew (Mat 24:38), Luke (Luk 3:36, 17:27), Hebrews (Heb 11:7) and Peter (1Pet 3:20-22, 2Pet 2:5, 3:5). 

Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Peter and Paul all affirm this catastrophic event being literal and real. IESOUS also mentioned the flood several times (Mat 24:37-38, Luk 17:27) and we would directly contradict Him if we would deny the flood.

6.4 It most probably rained in the 2200 years before the flood. While we cannot prove that there was rain before the Flood, to insist that there was not, stretches Scripture beyond what it actually says. See also 1Tim 1:4.

  • Gen 2:5 is directly equated with 'no man to cultivate it'. It is clear from further context that Adam and his sons had very soon been commanded to cultivate the earth (Gen 3:23), meaning that the content of this verse (rain + cultivation) was fulfilled not only after 2200 years, but probably in the very first year of creation. 
  • The consecration of the element 'rainbow' does not really say anything about the moment of its first appearance. We read too much into the Bible, when assuming that a rainbow appeared for the first time after the flood. 
  • It is more, a detailed analysis of the original text shows clearly that THEOS gives in Gen 9:12 the sign, which He had according to Gen 9:17 already created [Past Tense]!!
  • The existence of springs (Gen 2:6) or mist in the first days of creation does not imply the absence of rain. Springs are still found today all over the world - active simultaneously with rain.
  • Noah would not have had any building materials for his ark if it would not have rained. He required hundreds or rather thousands of trees, and we can hardly assume that he planted and manually watered those for decades with spring waters, nor did THEOS indicate at any point to plant trees which require years or decades to grow to a size suitable for a gigantic ark. 

6.5 No, the vast majority of flood waters did not come from rain, but from the abyss, the waters from the 'storehouses' inside the earth's mantle.

The hydrological cycle is -as its name already implies- a cycle which cannot suddenly multiply its volume of total water contained. Vaporization played a very insignificant part in covering the earth with water. It is abstruse to assume that the majority of flood waters was hanging for ~2200 years somewhere over the clouds, and we should not add in our minds the possibility that the water came in a supernatural manner through space. Let us stay true to the Bible and fully believe even things that are hard to believe (the abyss).

6.6 No, Noah did not take 2 of each animal with him as commonly interpreted through the plain reading of the text and very often mistranslated as 'pairs', a word that does not appear in the original text. 

He took 2 pairs = 4 of each kind of animal. In the same way the Bible does usually not count female humans, so the Bible consequently does not count female animals.

This pattern becomes apparent when it comes to the second command to take 7 of each animal (Gen 7:2-3). If we would assume it to be 7 individual animals and not 7 pairs, then this would result in 3.5 males and 3.5 females.

A horse kind e.g. included horses, zebras, donkeys et al. In addition and included in the number 7, Noah took probably animals for sacrifice, and a basic post-flood livestock.

6.7 Yes, even the timeline of the flood had been manipulated for unknown reasons, pretending to make a calendar year 370 days and not 360 days long, and including a mysterious extra month of waiting, while the Greek Old Testament perfectly matches the no-return of the last dove with the 1st day of the new year.

6.8 It can be concluded with a reasonable certainty that even the constellations of the sun, moon and earth slightly changed through the Flood (significantly different height of mountains and of the sea level causing a minor change in gravitation), as we know by the different length of a solar year and lunar month (365 days and 29.5 days), compared to the original 360 days and 30 days. 

THEOS created the world in a perfect balance with one language, but human sin brought unbalance, brought physical, spiritual and geographical separation and many languages. More details are found in the study 'The Flood'.

6.9 The location of the landing of the ark was probably the same as the location of the Garden of Eden (not the land), clearly identified in June 2021 by this ministry. In December of the same year, Creation Ministries Int. (no partnership) then identified at the very same location a remarkable footprint (yet to be excavated!), with additional evidence such as 8 geoglyphs in close proximity to Karaça Dag, with 4 of them precisely pointing to the peaks of Karaça Dag.

6.10 If the construction date of the Egyptian pyramids was indeed ~2550BC, then those following the Masoretic texts generate a flood date (~2350 BC) colliding with the pyramids. Once we accept the authority of the Greek Old Testament and the resulting flood date of ~3298BC, unbelievers will have less excuses to find CHRISTOS. But if we continue to support a Bible text retroactively manipulated by some Rabbis who currently still wait for another messiah to arrive within the Messianic prophecy, we generate a roadblock for unbelievers and will be judged for teaching such untruths if we are aware of the differences.

Flood · full study

7 · Israel

7.1 Neither the birth town of Abram, nor the former Babylon / Tower of Babel are located in Southern / Lower Mesopotamia, but clearly in Northern / Upper Mesopotamia. This is proven by the following facts:

  • The Bible clearly states that the location must be NORTH of Tyre. Eze 26:7 "For thus says KYRIOS: "Look! I am bringing to -TYRE- Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon from the north, the king of kings, with horse and with chariot and with horsemen and his assembly and many people." The traditional location has nearly the same latitude as Tyre (= not North, but actually 82.2 kms south), and is therefore clearly wrong.
  • The city of Hillah (traditional localization of the Tower of Babel) has an elevation of 34m (112 ft = practically sea level) and is therefore certainly not a candidate for a tower that would at least in a minor sense 'reach heaven'. Gen 11:4 "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top reaches to the heavens." Meanwhile, the region in Upper Mesopotamia has at least an elevation of 498 m (1,634 ft), and overlooks the vast plain of Lower Mesopotamia.
  • The city of Mambre in Canaan is described as a city in the plain, when directly compared to the birthplace of Abram: Gen 35:26-27 "These are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria. 27 And Jacob came to Isaac his father to Mambre, to a city of the plain; this is Chebron in the land of Chanaan, where Abraam and Isaac sojourned." Nearly all Canaan has an elevated altitude as it is well known, while a supposed birthplace of Abram in Southern Mesopotamia is practically at sea level. In simple words, the birthplace of Abram is located higher than Canaan. Considering the biblical overall context and the importance of high places, it would be abstruse to assume that THEOS had Abram born at one of the lowest places possible.
  • The previous verse included in the Hebrew Old Testament the term 'Aram' as the birthplace of Abram, and had been translated in the Greek Old Testament to 'Mesopotamia in Syria'. It is well documented that the biblical Syria was located North of Canaan (as it is today) and had its northern border defined by the Euphrates, the precise location of Abram's birthplace.

  • Other than the relatively clumsy argument that there is a desert in between, scholars and Bible map editors had rather not been able to present strong reasons why Abram and his descendants would have repeatedly travelled the route Canaan-Northern Mesopotamia-Southern Mesopotamia (approx. 1420 km) and not the direct route Canaan-Southern Mesopotamia (approx. 900 km), or as now concluded, simply the route Canaan-Northern Mesopotamia (approx. 740 km).

Source: Life Application Study Bible, 'Fair Use' for the purpose of criticism.
Source: Life Application Study Bible, 'Fair Use' for the purpose of criticism.

  • In reality there had been at least 2 more direct trade routes between Canaan and Lower Mesopotamia, and a vast system of rivers and lakes. We should never make conclusions based on today's conditions. The more we go back in time, the more splendorous the earth had been.

The equation of Damascus (Amos 5:27 as quoted in Acts 7:43) with Babylon (Acts 7:43):

The definitive proof for the traditional mislocalization of Babylon is found when looking up the source text for Paul's quotation in Act 7:43, which is 

  • Amo 5:25-27 "... the figures that you made for yourselves. And I will remove you beyond Damascus .." 25ΜΗ ϹΦΑΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΘΥϹΙΑϹ ΠΡΟϹΗΝΕΓΚΑΤΕ ΜΟΙ ΕΝ ΤΗ ΕΡΗΜⲰΤΕϹϹΑΡΑΚΟΝΤΑ ΕΤΗ, ΟΙΚΟϹ ΙϹΡΑΗΛ? 26ΚΑΙ ΑΝΕΛΑΒΕΤΕ ΤΗΝ ϹΚΗΝΗΝ ΤΟΥ ΜΟΛΟΧ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΑϹΤΡΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΥΜⲰΝ ΡΑΙΦΑΝ, ΤΟΥϹ ΤΥΠΟΥϹ ΑΥΤⲰΝ, ΟΥϹ ΕΠΟΙΗϹΑΤΕ ΕΑΥΤΟΙϹ. 27ΚΑΙ ΜΕΤΟΙΚΙⲰ ΥΜΑϹ ΕΠΕΚΕΙΝΑ ΔΑΜΑϹΚΟΥ ... "
  • Act 7:42-43 "... the figures that you made to worship them. And I will remove you beyond Babylon." 42 ... ΜΗ ϹΦΑΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΘΥϹΙΑϹ ΠΡΟϹΗΝΕΓΚΑΤΕ ΜΟΙ ΕΤΗ ΤΕϹϹΕΡΑΚΟΝΤΑ ΕΝ ΤΗ ΕΡΗΜⲰ, ΟΙΚΟϹ ΙϹΡΑΗΛ? 43ΚΑΙ ΑΝΕΛΑΒΕΤΕ ΤΗΝ ϹΚΗΝΗΝ ΤΟΥ ΜΟΛΟΧ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΑϹΤΡΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ [ΥΜⲰΝ] ΡΑΙΦΑΝ, ΤΟΥϹ ΤΥΠΟΥϹ ΟΥϹ ΕΠΟΙΗϹΑΤΕ ΠΡΟϹΚΥΝΕΙΝ ΑΥΤΟΙϹ, ΚΑΙ ΜΕΤΟΙΚΙⲰ ΥΜΑϹ ΕΠΕΚΕΙΝΑ ΒΑΒΥΛⲰΝΟϹ."

The first variance is between 'ΕΑΥΤΟΙϹ (for yourselves)' and ΠΡΟϹΚΥΝΕΙΝ ΑΥΤΟΙϹ (to worship them / to bow before them). This is a typical and minor variation often seen in quotations, but it should also be recognized as intensification. Amos wrote that you made them, while Stephen/Paul emphasized that your people not only made them, but even worshipped them.

A) This could mean that Stephen also used intensification when changing Damascus for Babylon. While Amos wrote that THEOS would send them beyond Damascus, Stephen heightened this to mean not only beyond Damascus, but even beyond Babylon. This requires that both locations are roughly in one line, implying Babylon to be North of Damascus (modern Upper Mesopotamia localization of Babylon, not the traditional Lower Mesopotamia localization).

Other interpretations which lean more towards a strictly literal reading and interchangeability of both names:

B) This could imply that the region of Babylon in Upper Mesopotamia reached at least for a certain time period further south and eventually bordered Damascus (= effectively overlapping with Syria which was closely related to Babylon in regards of religion and their gods, culture and customs, and even spoke the same language).

C) It could even mean that Babylon and Damascus were identical at one time. In other Old Testament quotations where one location is replaced by another name, this usually means that they are identical. But knowing that Babylon was rather a region, interchangeability would rather point to option B, meaning that the region of Babylon reached at one point to Damascus at its most southern border.

Although we can only speculate what the change of name means, it is crystal clear that this equation excludes any possibility of Babylon being located in Lower Mesopotamia.

7.2 The spiritual heritage of every Christian is not only Jewish, but in its root Aramean!

A short history lesson: Noah's son Shem was the father of Aram, whose descendants became the people known as Arameans (1Chr 1:17). Abraham, the 10th in the direct line of Shem, was an Aramean. His son Isaac married Rebekah, an Aramean (Gen 25:20). His son Jacob married Leah and Rachel, both Arameans (Gen 28:5) and he spent 20 years in his homeland for this sole purpose. 11 sons of Israel were not born in Canaan (Israel), but in (Paddan-) Aram. Only Benjamin was born when entering Canaan.

The official Aramean-Syriac flag -worth to have a look at- because of what it stands for:

"The eagle stands for strength and power. The flame symbolizes the HOLY SPIRIT and the Christian heritage of the Arameans. The four stars represent the rivers in the Aramean homeland: Tigris, Euphrates, Gihon and Pishon" (see Gen 2:10-14, Wikipedia and the study Eden).

7.3 Many Bible translations make the heretical interpretation that the River of Egypt is the Nile. But the true River / Brook of Egypt is found on the Sinai Peninsula (either Wadi el-Arish or rather even Nahal HaBesor next to Gaza) and marks the former border with the Promised Land.

  • The Sinai Peninsula has been under the control of Egypt from before the exodus in 1446 BC down until the Romans annexed the Sinai in 106 AD. Israel gained its control with the Six-Day War (1967 AD), but returned it already in 1978 AD to Egypt.
  • Num 34:3-5 [Description of the Southern border of the Promised Land:] "And your southern side shall be from the wilderness of Sin to the border of Edom, and your border southward shall *extend on the side of the salt sea eastward. 4 And your border shall go round you from the south to the ascent of Acrabin, and shall proceed by Ennac, and the going forth of it shall be southward to Cades Barne, and it shall go forth to the village of Arad, and shall proceed by Asemona. 5 And the border shall compass from Asemona to the river of Egypt, and the sea shall be the termination."
  • Jos 15:4 "And they go out to Selmona, and issue at the valley of Egypt; and the termination of its boundaries shall be at the sea: these are their boundaries southward."

This means that the land of Goshen was most probably located on the Sinai Peninsula and therefore generates a different starting point for the Exodus. It is therefore also no surprise that the locations of Goshen and other adjacent cities have never been identified when scholars searched in the wrong location.

7.4 The Crossing of the Jordan river is the most underappreciated miracle in the Bible.

There was no tide, no elevated seabed and no strong winds, that could have 'facilitated' the previous miracle of crossing the Red Sea partially in a natural way. As if the place would not have already enough relevance, the Bible relates the following events to the very same point of the crossing:

  • John the Baptist baptized there.
  • IESOUS and His disciples had been baptized there.
  • IESOUS' disciples baptized there.
  • Elijah and Elisha parted the waters of the Jordan there.

7.5 Speaking of the Prophet Elija (who lived more than 500 years after the Exodus), it is worth mentioning that he certainly did -not- precede CHRISTOS in going to the Heaven of THEOS (Joh 3:13) when he was carried away (2Kin 2:11). This beloved Sunday School lesson has serious theological ramifications, when the plain reading is applied and context is neglected.

  • Elijah had a history of hiding in undisclosed locations (Brook of Cherith in 1Kin 17:2-6; Wilderness & Mt. Sinai in 1Kin 19:3, 8) and he was regularly searched for (1Kin 18:10).
  • Elijah was known for having experienced teleportation beforehand (1Kin 18:11-12), in a manner similar to Ezekiel (Eze 3:12, 15) and Philip (Acts 8:39-40).
  • The event had been announced 3-4 times (2Kin 2:3, 5, 9, 10).
  • Elisha, who 'played the second fiddle' to Elijah by e.g. pouring water on his hands (2Kin 3:11), would now start his ministry through THEOS' punctual removal of Elijah's authority over him.
  • 50 men, who witnessed the whole scene, considered the possibility of Elijah being 'thrown on one of the mountains or into one of the valleys' (2Kin 2:16) as so tangible that they searched for 72 (!) hours for him.
  • Elijah, clearly being the same person based on the descriptor 'The Prophet', sent at least 4 years after this event (~852 BC) a prophetic letter to King Jehoram (~848-843 BC; see 2Chr 21:12-15).

In summary, Elijah was taken by a storm / rumbling (Strong's G4952) / whirlwind into the sky (Strong's G3772, ouranon, singular = the 'sky' of the earth; see also the word study 'Heavens') and was moved to another unknown location on earth. Early thinkers such as Josephus and popular Jewish sources affirm the same and contradict therefore our modern interpretation.

8 · Evangelium of Iesous Christos

8.1 Many prophecies pointing to IESOUS had been watered down in the Masoretic texts. But still, both the Septuagint and also to a lesser degree the Masoretic texts show a remarkable set of prophecies pointing to every stage of CHRISTOS' life, death & resurrection, and Paul affirms in Act 26:6-7 that all those prophecies indeed pointed to IESOUS CHRISTOS.

8.2 IESOUS came in the 77th generation outgoing from THEOS the FATHER (of Adam, the first human and 2nd in the genealogies, not the first!), not in the 76th generation (in Bible texts that removed Cainan, the patriarch of the Samaritans).

8.3 Followers of the Old Covenant asked for forgiveness of their sins through animal sacrifices and prayers of repentance (Isa 44:22, Num 12:9-10, Psa 25:7).

Followers of the New Covenant claim forgiveness without sacrifices, but only through prayers of repentance (sometimes combined with fasting). The shedding of IESOUS' blood was the perfect and final sacrifice for all our past and future sins (Act 13:38, 1Joh 1:9, 1Joh 3:9).

8.4 Joseph and Mary are often assumed to have been very young parents (average of 13.5 years in the generations surrounding them).

1. But a look at the biblical genealogies clearly contradicts this. Zerubbabel was born 20 generations before CHRISTOS (Luk 3:23, 27) in between 587 and 539 BC in Babylon, what provides us an average begetting age (although not always firstborn) of 28 years (562 BC - 2 BC / 20 = 28 years) between Zerubbabel and CHRISTOS. We have to remember that the vital records in the bloodline of IESOUS have rarely been typical.

2. In addition, Mat 1:19 speaks of a 'just' (man) who had mature thoughts of not making a public example of Mary. Children under the biblical Age of Accountability of 20 years can hardly be labeled as 'just' - according to THEOS' Word they do not even 'know good or bad' (Deut 1:39).

3. Any person under the age of 20 was not included in a census, but Luk 2:3-4 makes it clear that Joseph and Mary travelled to a census. With the census being Roman in nature, the minimum age could have changed, but the fact that an unmarried couple travelled without their parents to a census and intended to 'book' an inn, indicates already the age of an adult - at least of Joseph.

8.5 The fig tree started to wither up on the first day (Mar 11:12-14), and was withered up on the second day (Mar 11:20-21). The account of Matthew 21:18-21 summarizes both events. No contradiction is found.

8.6 No, IESOUS did not remain 2 nights, but 3 nights in the tomb (Mat 12:40). As the Bible states. It is not an euphemism as generations of scholars such as Habermas wrongly claim(ed).

  • Most Bible verses are indeed -NOT- conclusive when it comes to the question if the 'nights' are literal nights or simply part of an expression of 'days and nights' with the possible allowance of neglecting the count of nights (Gen 7:12, Exo 24:18, 1Kin 19:8, Job 2:13, Jon 1:17, Mat 4:2, Mat 12:40) or when it comes to the question if the third day is inclusive or consecutive (Gen 42:17-18, Est 4:16 - Est 5:1), but 
  • We find a handful verses that are perfectly conclusive when it comes to the question if the third day is inclusive or consecutive (Mat 27:63-64 with the keyword 'after' and 'until', Mar 8:31 with the keyword 'after', and Luk 24:21 with the keyword 'since').

8.7 No, IESOUS did not suffer a fast-track-trial & crucifixion, but died on day 6 of Passover. This might be the boldest claim you have heard in a long time and words such as 'heretic' might come to your mind, but upon a study of the paper you will quickly see the following conditions leading to this precise conclusion.

  • IESOUS 'taught every day in the temple' (as per Luk 19:47 = the often overlook term 'every day' implies at least 3 times from Abib 11th; Abib 10th with a brief visit only).
  • IESOUS ate the Passover Lamb in the evening of Abib 14th (Mat 26:20, modern Friday).
  • Extrabiblical: The 3 non-Jewish trials could not be held on the idolatrous day of 'Ides' on Abib 15th, when political and judicial activities were strictly prohibited for both Pilate and Herod.
  • Extrabiblical: At least one -full- night must have legally passed before the death sentence was carried out.
  • IESOUS died on a biblically specified 'Day of Preparation' (for an 'important day' = not a Weekly Sabbath; see Joh 19:31) - either on Abib 14th (Friday) or 20th (Thursday).
  • IESOUS died after Judas (see below).
  • IESOUS remained 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb. This time spans 2 immediately consecutive Sabbaths (first the Extraordinary Sabbath in Joh 19:31 and then the Weekly Sabbath in Luk 24:1-21).
  • The women purchased burial spices after the Extraordinary Sabbath (sunset-sunset as per exception) was over (markets opened in the evening) and prepared those in the hours before the second (Weekly) Sabbath started the next morning. Only the Day-6-Crucifixion can solve this contradiction which puzzled scholars for centuries.
  • IESOUS resurrected on the third day 'since' the crucifixion (Luk 24:21), on a Sunday = the first day after the Sabbath (Luk 24:1-21).

8.8 No, the Wave Sheaf Offering (First Fruits), which is the starting point for the count to Pentecost, did not occur during Passover, but according to the narrative thread of Leviticus 23 / Deuteronomy 16 immediately after Passover, on Abib 23:

  • The narrative thread in both chapters advances from the beginning to the end of the year. Lev 23:8 includes Day 7 of Passover, followed by Lev 23:9-15 with the Wave Sheaf Offering, and then continues with the later feasts.
  • The offering occurred on 'the day after the Sabbaths' - the original text uses plural (Lev 23:15). A plural 'Sabbaths' can hardly refer to a singular Sabbath at the beginning of Passover. The Passover Week involved 2 Weekly Sabbaths and 2 High Sabbaths.
  • Barley was still green at the 7th plague in Egypt (Exo 9:31-32) and therefore at the beginning of the month of Abib (Exo 13:4, Strong's H24), and could only be harvested weeks later (usually ~4 week between green and golden heads), earliest after the Passover Week.
  • The Israelites did certainly not begin their harvest during the Passover feast, when most people traveled to and from Jerusalem. The harvesting operation still requires today many hours of overtime, being the busiest season of the year for a farmer.
  • It would interrupt as a day dedicated to bread the partial fasting of leaven!!
  • IESOUS died in the time of the unleavened bread and resurrected when leavened bread was eaten again (Abib 23th), being the First Fruit and the -absolute- bread of life. It would not make any sense if IESOUS would have been resurrected during the time of unleavened bread. Read also Lev 23:14 and Mat 9:17. This commonly accepted schedule is nonsensical and takes away significance from His greatest sacrifice.
  • The most evident point is the fact that CHRISTOS would have impossibly risen and resurrected in a time biblically declared as time of affliction. He died in the time of affliction and resurrected immediately after this time. Deut 16:3 says: "You shall not eat with it anything leavened; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread of affliction [Strong's G2561 KAKⲰCEⲰC; depression, that is, misery: - afflicted (-ion), trouble, ill-treatment, oppression.], because in haste you went out from the land of Egypt, so that you will remember the day of your going out from the land of Egypt all the days of your life."

8.9 No, Judas did definitely not die after IESOUS, meaning sin directly related to IESOUS' atonement would have been literally rotting in the world after IESOUS washed all (past and respectively confessed future) sin away.

8.10 Formerly, priests made atonement through sin- (purification) and guilt- (reparation) offerings (while burnt-; fellowship-; grain-; peace- and wave- offerings rather served for communion with / devotion to THEOS and the church). IESOUS the High Priest (Heb 10:11-12) made atonement for all believer's sins and did not only abolish sacrifices and sin offerings, but also Old Covenant Laws such as circumcision. 

Let us have a look at the parallelism between the yearly day of Atonement and the ultimate Atonement done through CHRISTOS:

  • The Day of Atonement was the -only day- of the year, when only one specific person -the high priest- could enter the Holy of Holies. IESOUS is the ultimate high priest (Heb 2:9-17).
  • The high priest went alone inside the Holy of Holies, making atonement. In a very similar way, IESOUS also 'went' alone into the grave making atonement for all humanity (Heb 9:6-7). 
  • Both the ordinary High Priest and IESOUS entered with blood, offered on behalf of (1) Himself and (2) for the people (Heb 9:7). 
  • Both the High Priest (Aaron) and IESOUS took off their beautiful garments and left simplistic garments consisting of linen in the Holy of Holies / the tomb (Lev 16:23 and Joh 20:5-7). 

8.11 Even extra-biblical sources such as Tacticus clearly affirm that "Christus, from whom the name (Christians) had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus." 

8.12 The Messenger who rolled away the stone of the incarnated IESOUS, was most probably the divine IESOUS CHRISTOS Himself. 

"And behold, a great commotion occurred, - for, a Messenger of KYRIOS [ΑΓΓΕΛΟϹ ΓΑΡ ΚΥΡΙΟΥ = aggelos gar kuriou; erroneous translation of the Greek word 'ΓΑΡ' which cannot mean 'of', but only: 'as', 'but', 'even', 'for indeed', 'no doubt', 'seeing', 'therefore', 'verily', 'yet' (see Strong's G1063); proposed translation: 'a Messenger, even KYRIOS'], descending out of Heaven, and coming near, had rolled away the stone, and was sitting upon it. Now His appearance was like lightning and His clothing white as snow. And the guards trembled from the fear of him and became like dead men." Mat 28:2-4

Terms which point to IESOUS CHRISTOS:

  • White as wool - ΧΙΟΝΑ ΛΕΥΚΑΝⲰ (compare Isa 1:18)
  • White as snow - ΕΡΙΟΝ ΛΕΥΚΑΝⲰ (compare Isa 1:18, Dan 7:9, Mat 28:3)
  • White as wool, as snow - ΕΡΙΟΝ ΛΕΥΚΟΝ ⲰϹ ΧΙⲰΝ (compare Rev 1:14)
  • White as light - ΛΕΥΚΑ ⲰϹ ΤΟ ΦⲰϹ (compare Mat 17:2)
  • White, exceedingly - ΛΕΥΚΑ ΛΙΑΝ (compare Mar 9:3)

While the author of this ministry requires a good portion of faith to see the divine IESOUS CHRISTOS having rolled away the stone of the incarnated IESOUS, and having pointed the women to search for the incarnate IESOUS, it is a conclusion which inevitably imposes itself when studying the mentioned verses in the greater biblical context.

It would be a greater stretch to apply this very specific description to ordinary Angels, although they could have certainly taken any shape and are also sometimes dressed in (rather unspecified = ordinary) white.

The decisive term for the identification of this Messenger as the divine IESOUS CHRISTOS:

  • Appearance of lightning - ΟΡΑϹΙϹ / ΕΙΔΕΑ ΑϹΤΡΑΠΗϹ (Dan 10:6 Probable Reference, Mat 24:27 Second Coming, Mat 28:3 Resurrection)
  • White, gleaming as lightning - ΛΕΥΚΟϹ ΕΞΑϹΤΡΑΠΤⲰΝ (compare Luk 9:29)

9 · Salvation

9.1 In Biblical theology, the categories are

  • Nominal Christians (Rev 3:1) versus True Christians (2Cor 5:17) and
  • Immature Christians (Luk 8:13) versus Mature Christians (Rom 5:3-4, Heb 12:1, Jas 1:3) and 
  • Milk = Infant = Unacquainted (Heb 5:13) versus Solid Food = Maturity (Heb 5:14)

We know that we are born-again children of THEOS, if we

  • Are being disciplined by THEOS (Heb 12:8),
  • Are being tested from time to time (Psa 11:5, Psa 139:23-24, 2Cor 1:6, Rom 5:3, Jas 1:12, Rev 2:3),
  • Are noticeably being hindered from committing sin and feel bad about committed (but not yet confessed) sin (1Joh 3:9),
  • Confess that IESOUS is the Son of THEOS (1Joh 4:15),
  • Deny ourselves and accept our role as spiritual slave (Greek 'doulos' G1014) to the MASTER (Mat 16:24, Mar 8:34, Luk 9:23, Joh 12:25),
  • Grow in Works of Faith (Rev 2:19),
  • Keep willingly His commands and do His will (1Joh 3:24, 1Joh 5:3-4, Rev 14:12),
  • Love especially our Christian brothers (1Joh 3:10),
  • Practice Righteousness (1Joh 3:10),
  • Realize the Great Commission (Mat 28:19),
  • Receive the Word with joy (Luk 8:13) and
  • Strive after holiness (Act 26:18, Rom 6:19, Php 3:12, 1Tim 2:15, Heb 12:14). 

We should actually test ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2Cor 13:5).

9.2 Repentance is a one-time step going hand in hand with the confession of past sins and -also- leading to Past Salvation (being born again). Not less importantly, repentance is also a continuous process (Mat 3:8) based on the confession and thorough removal of present sins we are aware of, or the HOLY SPIRIT makes us aware of. His grace of making us aware of present sins depends on the closeness of our walk with THEOS (the closer we walk with Him the more probable it is to be made aware and to actually become aware of those sins).

No, 'just' because IESOUS died for our past, present and future sins, this does not mean that we can leave present sins as they are. Taking e.g. Communion without previous repentance from sins, can even lead to sickness or death (1Cor 11:27-32 spoken in the context of the New Covenant).

Simon, the former magician (Act 8:9), who had been baptized in Act 8:13, was called out by Peter in Act 8:22 to repent of his wickedness.

9.3 Baptism connects to a wonderful symbolism - precisely to the former circumcision, the crossing of the Red Sea, the Flood and to the Jordan River as the baptismal site.

9.4 There is no instance in scripture about an infant being baptized. Infants are incapable of expressed faith and should therefore rather not be baptized.

But it is very important to bless a newborn child according to the biblical instructions (Mar 10:13-16; secondary references found in Deut 6:6-7, 1Sam 1:27-28, Pro 22:6, 2Tim 3:15, Eph 6:4) and to bless children on important 'waypoints' in life (a rather informative example is found in Gen 27:25-27).

Generally speaking, we see in the study that baptism is related to repentance, to hearing the Word, to receiving the Good Message and to believing. While it could be true that an infant does not need to repent of any sin, it is apparent that those conditions as a whole (repent + hear + believe) are rather not applicable to infants and small children.

But we should not commit the error of using the prerequisite of having faith as an argument to rule out infant baptism. Firstly, no denomination has a proper and settled definition of faith - the more 'denominational' it gets, the more our concept of faith is actually being blurred. Secondly and when looking through the lens of THEOS, we can rather assume that a small child who believes in Him, has an infinitely more pure, and more 'native' faith than the majority of adults will ever have with all their theological constructs in their head. We should also not commit the error of equating circumcision in the Old Covenant with baptism in the New Covenant (although there are definitely some basic parallels):

  • Only boys were circumcised, but baptism includes both genders.
  • Everyone needed to be circumcised, it was not a faith-, but a national and especially holiness issue.
  • Circumcision occurred per command independently of faith, while baptism is a free-will decision and should never be institutionalized like e.g. in the Orthodox or Catholic Church, in order to artificially increase the number of church members. Making disciples is at times hard work, but we should not bypass that process under the disguise of 'church' tradition.

9.5 No, baptism is possibly not required for and can succeed a Past Salvation (being born again). 

But it is the biblically stated norm for entering the ultimate Kingdom of THEOS through Future Salvation and to teach otherwise is directly contradicting the Word of THEOS, especially Mat 3:15 and Col 2:11-12 (see also Joh 3:5, Rom 6:2-4, Gal 3:26-27, 1Pet 3:20-22). THEOS may grant exceptions from this norm, but it is not up to us to teach an optional baptism theology (usually based on the previously mentioned 'Single-Tense-Salvation' lacking the differentiation btw. Past, Present & Future Salvation, and often under the spurious comparison of baptism with Works of the Law (Old Covenant!) which have nothing to do with each other, except of being an 'act' of something which is essentially clutching at straws and would even disallow communion Joh 6:53 or to lay hands on during a prayer when considered as 'Works of the Law').

And no, the thief on the cross was not such an exception, being clearly part of the Old Covenant. What does it help us anyway to have such pointless discussions that aim to make baptism optional in the minds of humans? "... GO ... baptizing them in the name of ..." (Mat 28:19-20) is one of the clearest commands ever given.

Why do we spend thousands of dollars on the betrothal with a human and at the same time perform a mere and paraphrased lip service for something infinitely more important?

A look at Mat 3:16 also reveals to us that after IESOUS had been baptized, the Heavens were opened. Do we want to risk that the Heavens will open for us one day?

9.6. Baptism is biblically described as per full immersion (see Joh 3:23 and Act 8:36-39). Alternative methods had been discussed by the Apostolic Fathers, but methods such as pouring water over the head 3 times, or sprinkling the head with water, have no biblical authority and are rather associated with highly problematic denominations and religions. Even the Roman Catholic Church immersed for more than 1000 years, until the Council of Ravenna exchanged immersion for pouring in 1311 AD.

9.7 The Baptism in Water is for repentance (Present),

 the Baptism in the HOLY SPIRIT is for life (Present Gifts & Future Glorification),

and the Baptism in Fire is for perdition (Future only).

9.8 The baptism of fire has nothing to do with the 'fire' on the day of Pentecost and will occur in the future:

Mat 3:11-12 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the HOLY SPIRIT and fire. His winnowing fork [=Our end times] is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

Luk 12:49-50 "I came to cast fire on the earth [=Our end times], and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!"

Mal 3:1-4 "... And who will abide the day of His coming? or who will withstand at His appearing? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to KYRIOS. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to KYRIOS as in the days of old and as in former years."

It has 2 functions: 1. It will burn up the chaff (wicked), and 2. It will purify those vessels of honor (of gold and silver) for His Holy purposes.


9.9 Salvation has a beginning, middle and an end. The start- and finish line is not the same. We find in the Bible the very important differentiation between PRESENT and FUTURE tense in regards of 'Salvation', and also in regards of 'Justification'. Terms such as 

  • Past Salvation (you had been saved from the condemnation of past sin; being born again),
  • Present (or Progressive) Salvation (you are being saved from the power of ongoing sin over us; progressive sanctification) and 
  • Future (Eternal) Salvation (you will be saved from the presence of sin in the world; glorification after Judgment)

are not specifically mentioned in the Bible (same principle as Trinity), but plainly described as regards content through the respective use of past, present and future tense. Read the Word with the respective focus.

9.10 PAST Salvation is available for everyone who comes to IESOUS, but FUTURE and definitive salvation will only be achieved by a fraction of those who once came to IESOUS and did not shipwreck their faith (1Tim 1:19). And therefore - despite the eternal security promised in a general context- we can definitely fall away from faith and lose a wrongly perceived Salvation. 

What I would coin as 'Single-Tense-Salvation' (lacking the differentiation btw. Past, Present & Future Salvation) - commonly leading to the 'Once-saved-always-saved' dogma, is one of the biggest heresies taught in the last centuries. 

It is a teaching which is clearly opposing the Word of THEOS spoken in the Good Message Mat 3:10, Mat 8:12, Mat 22:14, Mat 24:12-13, Luk 8:13, Luk 20:35, Luk 22:31-32, Joh 6:66, Joh 9:39, Joh 15:2-6, in Acts 14:21-22, Act 20:29-30, in Paul's letters to the churches Rom 11:20-21, 1Cor 11:32, Gal 1:6, Gal 5:4, 1Th 3:5, 1Tim 4:1, Heb 2:1-3, Heb 3:12-14, Heb 4:1-11, Heb 6:5-6, Heb 10:38-39, in the 7 epistles Jam 5:19-20, 1Joh 2:28, 1Joh 5:16-17, 2Pet 1:10, 2Pet 2:20-21, 2Pet 3:17, Jud 1:5, Jud 1:20-21 and in Rev 2:5. See also the warning in Eze 33:17-20.

Eph 5:6 'Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of THEOS is coming on the sons of disobedience.'

9.11 Does the possibility of shipwrecking someone's faith contradict Eternal Security (1Cor 1:8-9, Eph 1:13-14, Php 1:3-6, 1Joh 5:13, 1Cor 6:9)? Not in the least as we see when we analyze the use of the word 'forever' in the Bible, which is often used by THEOS in the context of an eternal promise, but has regularly a temporal outcome.

In the same way that THEOS promised an eternal Temple in Jerusalem (1Kin 9:2-5, 2Kin 21:7-8, 2Chr 6:20 and 2Chr 33:7-8), but retracted from His promise and left His House for destruction after His people had rejected Him (2Kin 21:13-15, Jer 15:6, Jer 16:5, 14, 15), so we have Eternal Security from which THEOS only retracts if we reject him through sins we are aware of, but do not repent of (see also Jdg 2:20-23, where THEOS reduced the area of the Promised Land).

Eternal security is the promise that the SPIRIT dwells eternally in our Temple (body), but we can clearly shipwreck our salvation.

9.12 THEOS is responding to our decisions and choices. He might change His posture, but never His mind. 

9.13 We are initially justified (Past Justification) and declared righteous through IESOUS (from past sins, and from ongoing sins upon repentance), but will achieve Future Justification and receive the Crown of Righteousness only on Judgment Day.

  • Mat 12:37 affirms that Justification will happen on Judgment Day,
  • Rom 2:13 reads 'you will be justified',
  • Rom 3:4 excludes a concluded action,
  • Gal 2:16, 17 reads 'seeking to be justified' from the perspective of a born-again believer (Gal 2:18 'for if I build up again these things which I destroyed'; see Barnes' Notes),
  • Jam 2:24 includes 'Works of Faith' which precede Future Justification; obviously no Works of Faith before Past Salvation.

Then not a preliminary (Past Justification), but a definite Justice (Future Justification) will be done through the great judge (G1348 dikastes, same root word as Justification), sheep (true believers) and goats (false-, un-believers) will be separated, rewards will be distributed for ultimately saved believers, and ultimately unsaved believers will be condemned together with unbelievers.

Romans 2:5 includes even the term 'The Revelation of the Righteous Judgment' (G1341 dikaiokrisia), which occurs only once in the entire New Testament and clearly affirms the future character of Justification (identical root word in Greek for Righteousness (G1342 dikaios and G1343 dikaiosune) and Justification (G1344 dikaioo)).

9.14 The PRESENT Kingdom is here, but obviously not yet fully. The FUTURE Kingdom - to be instated with Trumpet #7- will be in no comparison to the PRESENT Kingdom - it will 'blow us away'.

9.15 Yes, we do not earn our Past Salvation (being born again) through Works of the Law nor Works of Faith.

Works of the Law (Atonement, the 7 Ceremonial Sabbaths, Clean Food, Sacrifices, Tithing, et al = Works to get right with THEOS; see Gal 2:16 and Gal 3:2, 10 for the definition of 'Works of Law'; see also Mar 12:33, Rom 3:20, Rom 3:27-28, Eph 2:8-9, 2Tim 1:9, Heb 9:13, 14)

are not required anymore in the New Covenant, but 

Works of Faith / of Love (Giving, Helps, Hospitality, Service in church & society = Works after being right with THEOS; see Jam 2:14, 18, 22, 24, 26, Gal 5:6, 1Th 1:3, Heb 10:24, Act 9:36, 1Tim 3:1, 1Tim 5:9-10, Heb 6:10, Heb 13:16, Jam 3:13, Rom 16:12, 1Cor 15:58, Gal 6:4, Php 2:12, Tit 3:1-8, 1Pet 1:17, Rev 2:19 )

are a clear indicator if someone walks on the road of sanctification leading to Future Salvation - or not. The absence of Works of Faith is visible through the absence of fruits and generally means the absence of faith itself (believe only - even the devil believes in THEOS), and consequently the absence of Future Salvation by lacking the prerequisite of sufficient, saving faith.

Definition of the term 'Works of Faith' found in 1Th 1:3 ,

and in 2Th 1:11 .

9.16 A commonly misinterpreted verse is found in Isaiah 64:6:

"We all have become unclean, all (our) righteousnesses are (like) a filthy rag ..."

Many teachers interpret this passage in this way: "Even our most exemplary works are nothing but filthy rags before a holy and righteous THEOS." This is an overzealous intend of trying to distance Protestants from Catholics, by injecting the word 'deeds' / 'works' into this verse, which clearly refers to the abolished Ceremonial Law, as the Old Covenant term 'unclean' already indicates (Mar 7:19). This interpretation applied to the New Covenant is nothing short of heresy, because THEOS makes it over and over very clear that Works of Faith / of Love are essential and will be rewarded in Heaven - contrary to filthy rags which would rather stand for works that will be burned up (1Cor 3:15). If all works would be filthy rags, then all works would be burned up. 

The proposed interpretation of this verse is to say that our (intend of) righteousness compared to the perfect righteousness of THEOS is worthless.

9.17 The doctrine 'Faith Alone' is not only clearly opposed in the Bible (Jas 2:24) - Martin Luther (strong discernment required concerning his person and theology) also warned against it in his commentary on Galatians 5:15 (although his exclusion of the book of James contradicts his commentary blatantly):

"Both subjects, even faith and works, ought to be diligently taught and urged; yet so that each may remain within its own limits. For if works alone are taught, as is the case in the Papacy, faith is lost sight of; if faith alone is taught, immediately carnal men imagine that good works are not necessary."

What actually saves a person (Past Salvation) is THEOS' grace, love, mercy and resurrection, together with our hearing of the Word, believing in IESOUS and His resurrection, having faith, repenting from being a sinner and confessing with your mouth, usually expressed in an immediate baptism. Present Salvation further includes the regular taking of communion, denying of yourself, putting everything else second to THEOS, obedience & discipline, growing of faith, making disciples and becoming holy. 

It is tempting to break those instructions down to a war cry of 'Grace & Faith Alone' in order to supposedly make Christianity more attractive, but no Apostle ever used this simplified technique to make disciples. We do not have the authority to take away from THEOS' Word and to reduce it to random shoutings.

9.18 Spiritual Self-Sufficiency / Age of Accountability is a very important concept rarely taught in our churches.

No, children who die before the age of 20 years will not be condemned. The decisive principle is found in Num 14:29, where THEOS excluded children under the age of 20 from the condemnation of their respective tribes (spies for Canaan lying to their people). This passage is paralleled in Deu 1:39 - with the very important addition that those children 'do not know good or bad' (see also Isa 7:15-16 and Jon 4:11, with further explanation of left and right in Ecc 10:2 and Mat 25:33-34). Children are also described as 'innocent' in Jer 19:4-5. If THEOS excluded in 1446 BC children under the age of 20 from condemnation, then He will do so especially after the First Coming of IESOUS CHRISTOS. It would be abstruse to assume the contrary.

Passages such as 1Cor 7:14 saying 'they are holy' and Mat 19:14 stating 'to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven', make it clear that children who will have died until the age of 19, will be part of the New Jerusalem. Joseph was also described as 'young' / 'youthful' (G3501, NEOC) at the age of 17 years (Gen 37:2), and the ages of 18 and 19 are not classified in the Bible.

9.19 Foreknowledge, Election and Predestination are a big deal in the Word of THEOS - nearly as important as the better known concept of Free Will. It is more, Foreknowledge and Free Will even go hand in hand. The Bible shows us several verses that include both principles at the same time.

Predestination (more precisely 'Previous Election') is the result of the bridegroom having foreknown our decision and perseverance. Free Will is the faithful virgin deciding to come to the wedding celebration of the lamb. Just as earthly marriage requires the individual consent of both man and woman, so the heavenly marriage requires the individual consent of both the Father and a child of THEOS.

Calvinism follows the Bible in its initial approach, but then downplays our individual consent to a secondary formality ("man is not even able to respond to THEOS") and propagates the 'Once-Saved-Always-Saved' theology (enriched by perseverance); Hyper-grace; IESOUS came to save the elect only; a believer cannot reject the grace of THEOS; THEOS hates unbelievers - a belief system which is strongly unbiblical (see discernment).

9.20 Is Double Predestination (Predestination to Hell) biblical? 

Not in the sense that people are predestined to hell, but that THEOS foreknows our decisions, as we can see on the basis of the story of Pharaoh. He was raised for the role of the oppressor (Rom 9:17), but the hardening of his heart was not a product of random selection as e.g. Calvinists would claim. It was a product of the pre-existence of professional witchcraft already at the time of Joseph (Gen 41:8). 

Only after Pharaoh responded to the first miracle with witchcraft (he directly commanded it!), his heart was instantly hardened (Exo 7:13, foreseen in Exo 4:21, 7:3). He then successfully repeated the first 3 miracles through witchcraft (Exo 7:11-12, 7:22, 8:7). While the magicians had already surrendered ('It is the finger of THEOS', Exo 8:18-19), Pharaoh's heart became harder and harder while clinging to witchcraft.

Though Pharaoh was raised for the role of the oppressor, he did not come into condemnation without deserving it. He had the choice before his heart initially hardened. THEOS foresaw this from the beginning of the world. He did not predestine him to witchcraft, but foresaw his condemnation after he would actively commit witchcraft.

Foreknowledge is THEOS knowing beforehand what we can only know after we will make the respective free-will decisions. It is perfectly just (Eze 33:17-20).

9.21 The 'golden chain' of Foreknowledge - Predestination - Calling - Justification - Sanctification - Glorification is often seen as automatism for born-again-believers, based on the missing awareness of the differentiation between Past and Present Tense, even amongst highly regarded scholars.

Romans 8:28-30 :

[Present Tense - speaking to the church in Rome and consequently our generation] And we know that all things work together for good for those who love THEOS, for those who are called [G2822, ΚΛΗΤΟΙϹ, kletois: invited, appointed] according to His purpose,

[Paul now changes intentionally to Past Tense - most probably to explain / provide the pattern how Old Covenant saints had been saved before CHRISTOS rose] because those whom He foreknew [G4267, ΠΡΟΕΓΝⲰ, proegno: to know beforehand (from prognosis)], He also predestined [G4309, ΠΡΟⲰPΙϹΕΝ, proorisen: predetermined] to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He [=clearly CHRISTOS] should be the firstborn among many brothers [=CHRISTOS resurrected before Paul wrote to the Romans; the Old Covenant saints in Mat 27:52-53 did not leave their graves and enter the Holy City until CHRISTOS was risen = born first].

And those whom He predestined, these He also called [different from the 'calling' used initially in the Present Tense section (also commonly overlooked); G2564, ΕΚΑΛΕϹΕΝ, ekalesen: call aloud], and those whom He called, these He also justified, and those whom He justified, these He also glorified [Past Tense = all happened before Paul wrote those lines].

We see in conclusion, that we are called in the sense of being invited, to go through a very similar process the Old Testament saints such as Abraham or Moses previously went in their successful sanctification, before the image of His Son appeared on the earth. Although the principle of this golden chain can be applied to us, we are not guaranteed to go automatically all the way, just because people in the past did so.

See also this video with a very similar conclusion.

9.22 Yes, there will be eternal suffering in Gehenna ('eon' being a defined time, but the wording 'eons of eons' in Rev 14:11 rather meaning 'eternal'; the adjective 'eonion' [G166 ΑΙⲰΝΙΟϹ, aionos] in Mat 25:46 and 2Thes 1:9 definitely means 'eternal').

But we who either fight against and some for Annihilationism, commonly base our position on the false imagination that the same physical bodies we have today, will suffer eternally in Gehenna. This is short-sighted and unbiblical.

While it is true that we will all resurrect, it is apparent that not a single soul will be resurrected in the same bodies with the same sensation of pain we feel today. We will have fundamentally different bodies. While we can conclude that saved believers will have real bodies (analogous to the resurrected IESOUS who was touched by Thomas), we can also conclude that resurrected unbelievers -although probably being resurrected with physical bodies for the time of judgment (see Act 24:15) - will have no more physical bodies as soon as they are thrown into Gehenna. A clear indication for this is found in Mat 10:28 (He who is able to destroy both soul and body, meaning only their spirit remains).

In essence, we can conclude that there will be active and eternal suffering with 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' (Mat 13:40-42, including the sensation of pain but without literal teeth), but that it will be in the spiritual world. A physical body would be instantly consumed in the furnace, but a spiritual body will be able to be tormented forever and ever. It is a concept hard to grasp, but so it is with the current spiritual world - us not being able to perceive angels right now.

10 · Spiritual Discipline

10.1 The biblical definition for spiritual completeness (perfection) is found in Mat 19:16-20, 21 . It means to obey the 10 commandments, and as decisive differentiation to sell the possessions and to give the gain to the poor. This does not mean that we are obligated to sell our possessions, but that we are not able to become fully complete without doing so (definitely affecting rewards, but not necessarily salvation).

10.2 No, we are not told to only love one another and forget about the rest, as mainstream Christianity often wants us to teach. We also ought to do the uncomfortable part including to accept (Rom 12:16, Rom 15:7), bear (Rom 15:1, Eph 4:2, Col 3:12-13), comfort (2Cor 1:3-5, 2Tim 4:16), confess (Act 19:18, Jam 5:16), encourage (Pro 16:24, Rom 15:5, 1Th 5:11, Heb 10:24), exhort (Pro 27:5, Mat 18:15-17, 2Cor 7:10, Gal 6:1, Eph 4:15, 25, 2Th 3:14, 2Tim 4:2), forgive (1Kin 8:50, Mat 6:15, Luk 17:3-4, 2Cor 2:10, Col 3:12-13, Psa 30:5, Eph 4:26), give (Mat 5:42, Mat 6:3-4), honor (Rom 12:10, 1Cor 12:26, Eph 6:2, 1Tim 5:3, 1Pet 2:17), instruct (Pro 1:8, Pro 27:17, Rom 15:14, Col 3:16), invite (Act 2:46, Rom 12:13, 1Pet 4:9), sometimes even judge (Zec 7:9, Mat 7:5, Joh 7:24, 1Cor 5:1-3, 1Cor 5:11, 1Cor 5:12-13), pray (Eph 6:18, 1Tim 2:1, Jam 5:16), reconcile (Mat 5:24, Act 7:26, 1Cor 7:11, Phm 1:10-18), serve (Mat 20:26-28, Joh 13:8, Gal 5:13, 1Pet 4:10), share (Eph 4:28, 1Tim 6:18, Heb 13:16) and submit (Eph 5:21, Eph 6:1, Php 2:3, Heb 13:17, 1Pet 5:5) (to / with) one another (2Tim 4:1-2). 

And no, we should not despise, judge unrighteously, kill, mislead, provoke, show partiality and slander one another. More in the study 'One Anothering'.

10.3 Yes, homo**uality is still the same severe sin it had been in Old Covenant times, with the only but decisive difference that CHRISTOS proactively atoned the related death penalty and is offering free forgiveness upon individual repentance. Followers of CHRISTOS ought to respectfully invite and welcome such people to our churches, but should also have an eye on a timely conversion away from sin and towards IESOUS CHRISTOS. If a change is not obvious after some months, the person has to be exhorted and in the last instance treated as an outsider (Mat 18:15-17).

10.4 No, sex is not sinful according to the Bible and is to be enjoyed, as described in great detail in Songs of Solomon. But always within marriage. 

And no, adultery and fornication are not the same as regularly mixed up. Fornication (sex before marriage - never related to death penalty) is a sin lesser weighted by THEOS than the sin of adultery (sex with or by a married person - formerly leading to the death penalty). But both unrepented adultery and unrepented fornication might exclude someone from entering the Kingdom (1Cor 6:9). Timely repentance is key. More in the study 'Sexual Discipline(s)'.

10.5 Divorce is biblically distinguished from separation (1Cor 7:12-15 differentiates between 'no divorce' and 'let him leave'), in the same way Israel is currently only separated from THEOS (Isa 50:1) and will be taken back by Him in our end times (Isa 49:5, Jer 3:12, Jer 4:1, Jer 30:3, Hos 3:5, Hos 14:1).

  • A separation is only allowed through the initiative of the unbelieving spouse; for any reason; no remarriage allowed before the unbeliever dies.
  • The word 'ΔOYΛOⲰ, douloo' [G1402] in 1Cor 7:15 is often mistranslated with 'not bound', but is mainly being used as 'being enslaved to evil / being under bondage' of an evil unbeliever, and is significantly different from a marriage bond [G1210, ΔEⲰ, deo] which would in turn justify a divorce. It can also mean 'not to serve / no power over the body / no due benevolence, a concept described only a few verses earlier in 1Cor 7:2-5.
  • Divorce was only allowed by special concession from ~1445 BC until ~30 AD, when IESOUS unquestionably annulled Moses' concession (Mat 19:9), which was however only part of the Old Covenant Laws abolished through CHRISTOS' death.
  • Adultery does never justify divorce and much less remarriage (Hos 3:1, Heb 13:4, Mar 10:11-12, 1Cor 7:11)!
  • Divorce is only permitted if the wife is found to have lost her chastity (Mat 5:32 and Mat 19:9), a concept well described in the Bible. 'Sexual immorality' is an imprecise and watered down translation of the umbrella term 'porneia'). The common interpretation 'except on the basis of adultery causeth her to commit adultery' is an oxymoron / duplication.
  • Remarriage is only permitted in cases of unchastity or if the spouse has died.
  • Abuse does never justify divorce, but a separation if the spouse is classified by the elders of their church as unbeliever, based on ongoing abuse and absence of repentance. No remarriage is allowed.
  • IESOUS can even forgive adultery upon sincere repentance (see David).
  • More details in the study.

10.6 No, sin is not sin, nor is every sin weighted in the same way. To teach otherwise is to directly contradict the Word of THEOS, which shows various examples of differentiation between sins in the New Covenant, the clearest examples being Luk 12:47-48, Joh 19:11, 1Joh 5:16-17 and Heb 9:7 .

This principle becomes also clear by the death penalty in the Old Covenant not being associated to any-, but only to very specific sins.

10.7 No, alcohol is not from the devil and is sometimes even encouraged by the Word of THEOS. But everything in moderation, and better not for those who struggle.

10.8 Yes - and still today: women should cover their head during private and public prayer. No cultural context can be applied because Paul proactively gave several specific reasons. 

  • Angels (1Cor 11:10, Luk 1:13, Rev 8:3-4).
  • Authority. It is principally not to oppress women, but to the contrary, to give them authority (1Cor 11:10).
  • Biblical Tradition (1Cor 11:2).
  • Creation Order (1Cor 11:7-9, Gen 3:16, Psa 8:5, 1Cor 11:3, 1Cor 11:15).

Further reasons include: 

  • Biblical function of coverings and the direct connection to the communication with THEOS (Exo 25:22, Exo 24:15).
  • The mention of men in 1Cor 11:4 ("Every man who prays or prophesies while having something on his head dishonors his head") also flies in the face of those trying to explain those verses away by declaring it to be a custom related to prostitutes.
  • Higher priority than the 'Lord's Supper', because it is mentioned first (compare order of 10 Commandments):

And no, there is no indication to cover the head of a woman even outside the prayer times, as many religions have brought it to the extreme. And last but not least - men are sinning (not my, but Paul's words) by wearing any form of head covering during prayer (1Cor 11:4-16). Do we really want to live in rebellion to THEOS by trying to argue those easily implemented commands away?

In the end it boils down to a few minutes of prayer, when the man should have nothing on his head, but the woman should have something on her head (handkerchief, hat, scarf ...). To call it fundamentalist, legalistic or a burden to honor THEOS in those few minutes (or mostly seconds) of prayer by quickly covering the head, is simply showing that we do not honor Him sufficiently.

10.9 Another unpopular, but biblical topic: men should not have long hair (1Cor 11:14) and women should ideally have long hair (Song 4:1 and 1Cor 11:15). And no, the few exceptions in the Bible (e.g. Samson who took the Nazirite Vow; Jdg 13:5) do not form a general pattern, in the same way that Isaiah having walked naked for 3 years, is surely not a pattern for us. Let us simply obey, instead of excusing our actions.

10.10 No, the modern Daniel fast is not part of the Bible and we are not better than the Pharisees if we add randomly a long list of foodstuffs copied from the Internet (which is nothing different than adding our own laws = repeating the very same religious behavior). The biblical Daniel-10-fast simply excludes special bread, meat, wine and ointments. The vast majority of biblical fasts lasted 0.5 to 3 days and we do not become more holy when we fast 20, 30 or even 40 days. Intention & heart should come before duration. Many churches enter today into the realm of superficial religiosity (the term 'Works of the Law' could indeed be applied here) by emphasizing duration and often providing only a generic, but not a specific and tangible purpose for a corporate fast. Focus - and don't do it for simply doing it.

10.11 No, the Bible does not state that religion is bad per se as pronounced over and over, but even shows one positive example in between all the exhortations about false religiosity (Jam 1:26-27). Christianity is biblically described as a religion.

10.12 Legalism includes the following areas:

  • Pursuit or Instruction of the 1500+ Oral / Fence Laws of the Pharisees.
  • Pursuit of any extrabiblical condition for achieving righteousness.
  • Instruction of extrabiblical conditions (no Alcohol, no Animal By-products, no Cigarettes, no Meat ...).
  • Instruction of the 600+ Old Covenant Laws to others.
  • Instruction of Works of the Law (7 Ceremonial Sabbaths, Clean Food, Sacrifices, Tithing = Works to get right with THEOS).

Legalism does -NOT- include the following areas:

  • Pursuit and Instruction of the Moral Law (Love THEOS and your neighbor, no Abortion, no Adultery, no Blasphemy, no Covetousness, no Deceit, no Idolatry, no Theft, yes to Weekly Sabbath).
  • Pursuit and Instruction of New Covenant Law (e.g. Communion, no Divorce, no Eating of blood, no Fornication, Gender-specific hair length and clothing, Head Coverings for prayer, no Homo***uality, no Witchcraft).
  • Pursuit of some important principles of the 600+ Old Covenant Laws (e.g. being convicted that incest is wrong, personal following of Pentecost, personal conviction for exclusion of pork meat ...).
  • Pursuit and Instruction of Works of Faith / Love (Giving, Helps, Service in church & society = Works after being right with THEOS).

10.13 No, biblical meditation is not about silence; nor about emptying our minds; nor about physical postures.

If you focus on yourself and empty your mind, you open yourself to demons (New Age meditation).

If you focus on THEOS and fill your mind with THEOS' word, you open yourself to the HOLY SPIRIT

(Biblical meditation).

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth [clear reference to speaking], but you shall meditate [hebrew 'hagah', meaning to utter = reading the bible aloud; or greek word 'meletao', meaning to practice, to study] on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do ['doing' is again contrary to empty meditation] according to all that is written in it." Jos 1:8

10.14 Laziness is severely condemned in Scripture (Pro 6:6-11, Pro 13:4, Pro 15:19, Pro 19:24, Pro 20:4, Pro 21:25-26, Pro 24:30-34, Pro 26:13-18, Tit 1:12, Mat 25:26, Rom 12:11, Heb 6:12). But Christians often do not see it as sinful and apply two different standards e.g. when it comes to judge drunkenness and to rarely judge laziness.

10.15 Gluttony is another severe sin which is regularly not handled according to the Word of THEOS. Biblical passages include: Deut 31:20, Pro 23:1-3, Pro 23:20-21, Eze 34:16

10.16 No, prosperity is not evil (Jer 22:15-16) and can be a blessing from THEOS. But we should abstain from teachers who make prosperity and blessings their regular teaching subject and especially from those who manipulate others for their own gain, often through the works-based and legalistic theology of tithing (you do - so you receive; but we ought to give by heart without expecting worldly rewards).

A follower of CHRISTOS can be rather poor (Pro 28:6, Pro 23:4, Jam 2:5-6), as so many Old- and New Testament figures. Or he or she can be rich, but this might cause other significant problems (2Sam 12:1-6, Mat 19:23-24, Mar 10:25, Luk 18:23-25, 1Tim 6:17-19). An honest and balanced Christian will never create a setting, where either prosperity, or poverty for the sake of holiness is being preached. Poverty can be a blessing or a curse (Pro 21:17). Prosperity can be a blessing, a test or a disguise by satan, leading you away from CHRISTOS. 

THEOS is the one who leads us through life. We ought to follow the biblical principles and then deal with either poverty, a normal life or prosperity He individually and often temporarily assigns to us. There is no 'one fits it all' approach in the Bible (Pro 22:1-2). Everyone who preaches the contrary, is teaching a different message that is not from THEOS.

10.17 Each church has to consist of a plurality of elders / overseers who shepherd the flock (the proof for this is found in Act 14:23 and Jam 5:14). Nowhere in Scripture do we find a single pastor for one local assembly. 

The words 'PRESBUTEROS' (Elder), 'EPISKOPOS' (Overseer), 'POIMAINO' (Shepherd / Pastor) all refer to the same office.

Overlap of overseers & shepherds: Act 20:28; of overseers & elders: Tit 1:5-6, 7; of elders & shepherds: 1Pet 5:1-5

10.18 Women are not allowed to serve as elders / pastors / overseers, but are absolutely essential to serve as deacons / patrons / assistants (1Tim 3:1-15, Mat 27:55, Luk 8:3, Rom 16:1-16) who naturally don't teach or exercise authority, but are highly regarded in their specific roles as patrons.

1Tim 2:11-15 "Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12I do not permit a woman to teach [G1321, ΔΙΔΑϹΚⲰ, didasko, to teach] or to exercise authority over a man [G435 ΑΝΗΡ, aner; a man, fellow, husband, sir]; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15Yet she will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control."

1Tim 3:1-15 "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer [G1984 ΕΠΙϹΚΟΠΗ, episkope, superintendence, bishop, elder, inspection, oversight], he desires a noble task. 2Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one woman, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the church of THEOS? [...]

8Deacons [G1249 ΔIAKONOC, an attendant, a waiter, deacon, minister, servant] likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.

11Women [not 'wives' in this case, G1135 ΓYNH, gune] likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. [VERY OFTEN OVERLOOKED: this verse is not included in the description of an overseer between verses 1 and 2, but in the description of a deacon only!]

12Let deacons each be the husband of one woman [or wife, G1135 ΓYNH, gune], managing their children and their own households well. 13For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in CHRISTOS IESOUS. 14I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of THEOS, which is the church of the living THEOS ..."

Rom 16:1 "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant [G1249 ΔIAKONOC, an attendant, a waiter, deacon, minister, servant] of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in KYRIOS in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron [G4368, ΠΡΟϹΤΑΤΙϹ, prostatis, patroness, assistant, succorer, supporter] of many and of myself as well ..."

11 · Spiritual Gifts

11.1 No, Spiritual Gifts are not a thing from the ancient past. Those can be gifts for you and me.

If gifts would have ceased, we would have no one with the gift of teaching (Rom 12:4-8), no one who leads, shows mercy, or who gives in an extraordinary manner. We should not reject gifts that make us uncomfortable or that are abused by others. Gifts are assigned in the timing and proportion the HOLY SPIRIT desires.

Consider all gifts, not only those who seem desirable and elevate the reputation, but also gifts that could potentially harm your reputation (e.g. discernment and exhortation), and use every gift you might receive well.

11.2 No, Cessationism is not a biblical doctrine, and jeopardizes the fundamental functions of the church of CHRISTOS (see the master study 'Continuationism vs. Cessationism'). Often, a noble thought of criticizing the abuse of Spiritual Gifts is associated with the rejection of Spiritual Gifts, but this is a fundamental error, because the reference for THEOS' truth can never be evil (abuse), but always His perfect will (correct use). We are to judge and correct those brothers and sisters who abuse Spiritual Gifts, but we quickly assume a heretical and almost blasphemous position if we try to assume the role of the ultimate judge by intending to abolish certain uncomfortable principles and elementary functions of His church. 

11.3 The passage of 1Thes 5:19-22 warns us to not quench the Spirit. While the majority of those using today the title 'Apostle' are rather problematic teachers, we fall into sin by rejecting the gift of apostleship per se. 

Most of us are not aware that the Bible mentions at least 78 (!) apostles aside from the 12. This includes the 72 appointed and sent out (see Luk 10:1; clearly distinguished from the 12 and most probably referred as 'apostles' in 1Cor 15:5-9), and furthermore Andronicus (Rom 16:7), Barnabas (Act 14:14), Epaphroditu (Php 2:25), Junia (Rom 16:7), Paul (Act 14:14, 1Cor 9:2, Eph 1:1) and Titus (2Cor 8:23).

We ought to imitate today a similar principle, to make disciples of CHRISTOS and send them into the world. But it is unclear if we should call those missionaries 'apostles'. We should definitely not use the term for a stationary pastor who rarely leaves his church building for extended mission trips. Such a person is simply 'being called', but not 'being sent'. More in the study 'Spiritual Gifts'.

11.4 No, speaking in tongues does not define if you are born again. And yes, speaking in tongues includes both 'foreign languages' and an 'ecstatic / heavenly language' (see 1Cor 13:1 with the clear differentiation btw. A) tongues of men and B) tongues of angels who obviously do not primarily speak earthly languages; and 1Cor 14:2 with the remark 'no one understands' the 'mysteries in the Spirit'). Let us not imitate Pharisees and their intellectual legalism when it comes to object the slightest sign of supernatural things, a behavior we find today closely associated with Calvinism. 

Speaking in tongues serves as A) Communication with, and impression of unbelievers (Act 2:1-15, 1Cor 14:16, 22), B) Edification of the church (1Cor 14:5-6, 12, 24) and C) Edification of yourself (1Cor 14:4, 27-28). Tongues spoken in public must be interpreted (1Cor 12:10, 1Cor 14:2, 11, 13, 27-28), but we see this almost never being practiced in today's churches. More in the study 'Spiritual Gifts'.

12 · End Times

12.1 We live in the last days / this present age / this (set of) generation(s).

The term 'generations of generations' is defined through the verses Deu 32:6-9 (Greek OT only - the Masoretic text is very vague), Exo 3:15, Psa 72:5, Isa 58:12, Isa 60:15, and is equated with an 'eon' [G165 AIⲰN, aion = eon] in the verses Isa 34:17, Isa 51:8-9, Joe 2:2 and Joe 3:20. This important knowledge also solves the dilemma of interpreting Mat 24:34 and Mar 13:30 "Truly I say to you that this [set of] generation[s] will never pass away until all these things take place"):

Age 1  =  Adam to First Coming (Old Covenant) (see Deu 32:6-9, Heb 1:1-4, Heb 9:26)

Age 2  =  First Coming to Second Coming (New Covenant)  ·  Last Days (see Act 2:17, Heb 1:1-4, 2Tim 3:1-6, 1Pet 1:20) / This Age (see Mat 28:20, Eph 1:21, Heb 9:26) / This Generation (see Mar 13:30, 1Pet 2:9)

Age 3  =  Eternity (Eternal Covenant) (see Luk 18:29-30, Eph 1:21, 1Pet 4:7)

See also the study 'In The Beginning, Ages, Generations and The Last Days'

The highly problematic teacher C.S. Lewis went in his ignorance of Deu 32:6-9 so far as to publically (!) state that IESOUS was mistaken about the timing of his Second Coming: "And he [IESOUS] was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else. It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible."

12.2 The noun 'eon' [G165 ΑΙⲰΝ, aion = eon] is often mistranslated with 'forever' or 'eternal', but it always means a specific period of time(s), with a beginning and an end (an age; except for eternity which is also framed as an age but will have no end). The proof for this is found in Mat 28:20, which we would also never translate with "behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the forever". Translators can use different words for one Greek word, but it is obvious that very unfortunate choices had been made when using almost always a wrong translation as 'forever' instead of 'age', and today's translators widely copy from previous translators. The Apostolic Bible Polyglot (ABP) is a beautiful exception.

But the adjective 'eonion' [G166 ΑΙⲰΝΙΟϹ, aionos] means eternal (Mat 18:8, Mat 19:16, Mat 25:41, Mar 3:29, Mar 10:17, Mar 16:20, Luk 10:25, Joh 3:15-16, Joh 6:40 et al. His name is also ΘΕΟϹ ΑΙⲰΝΙΟϹ · Theos Aionios · Everlasting THEOS, see Gen 21:33)

The Bible also speaks of 'eternity' in other terms, e.g. through the wording 'the last enemy to be abolished is death' in 1Cor 15:22-25, 26, the wording 'at all times' in 1Thes 4:17, or the wording 'eons of eons' in Rev 14:11.

12.3 Although very often assumed, the book of Daniel does not point to the end times of the New Covenant, but of the Old Covenant. I analyzed this book and am able to clearly prove this in the short and concise study 'The Book of Daniel and Common Misinterpretations'. The only brief reference to our end times appears in the closing chapter of the book (Dan 12:1-3).

  • The decisive passage is the mention of the 'continual ascending-sacrifice' / 'regular burnt offering' and the 'sanctuary', which clearly excludes an application for our future, because IESOUS abolished regular burnt offerings, and a physical sanctuary (temple) does not exist anymore (Dan 8:13-19).
  • The book of Ezekiel is also a clear example that the 'time of the end' and the wrath of THEOS do not automatically refer to our end times, but to those of ancient Israel (Eze 7:5-8).
  • The smoking gun: The 'time of the end' described in Daniel 8 is already past because we can read the formerly sealed scroll now in the Bible (Dan 8:26 and Dan 12:4). A sealed scroll cannot be read (Isa 29:11). If the book of Daniel would apply to us, then we would not yet be able to read this book. We can now read 100% of it.

12.4 No, the book of Revelation is not a self-service shop for those who want to modify the chronology, assuming their highly unlikely presence and hypothetically avoiding (part of) the tribulation. The study 'End Times' includes biblical clarification about the prevalent question 'Will End Times-Believers Experience The Tribulation', as found in passages such as Rev 6:6, Rev 9:4-11, Rev 13:10, Rev 14:12 and related passages such as Gen 18:25, Exo 9:22-23, Exo 10:23, Psa 9:9, Isa 26:20, Luk 17:31-33.

12.5 The 24 elders (Rev 4:4) are definitely not

  • a high order of angels, mediating spirit or saints, or 24 unidentified elders of Christian churches as sometimes assumed. It does not make sense to know that THEOS will ultimately save (the tribes of) Israel, but will ignore the leaders of the respective tribes by only including Gentile elders.

They can only stand for:

  • the 12 chosen leaders of the tribes of Israel - namely Asher, Benjamin, Gad, Issachar, Joseph including Ephraim's and Manasseh's portion, Judah, Levi instead of Dan, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun and
  • the 12 chosen leaders of the church of CHRISTOS - namely Andrew , Bartholomew Nathanael, James son of Alphaeus, James son of Zebedee, John son of Zebedee, Matthew Levi, Matthias, Philip, Simon Peter, Simon the Zealot, Thaddaeus Judas (not Judas Iscariot!), Thomas Didymus.

12.6 No, not all ethnical Israel will be saved (Luk 3:8 · Luk 13:1-3 · Luk 16:22-31 · Joh 3:4-5 · Joh 14:6 · Rom 2:9 · Rom 2:28-29 · Rom 4:11 · Rom 9:6-13 · Rom 9:27-28 · Rom 10:12 · Rom 11:4 · Rom 11:7 · Rom 11:25 · Rom 11:31 · 2Cor 3:12-18 · Gal 3:6-7).

Verse 6: Some copies read, "who are Israelites"; and the Ethiopic version, "they are not all Israel who came out of Egypt". Gen 50:24, Exo 2:24, Exo 6:8, Num 32:11, Deut 29:13, Deut 30:20 and 2Kin 13:23 make it clear that the initial promise was given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and although the following generation had been included in the covenant, they were subject to blessings and curses (Deut 28); to be expulsed from the Promised Land = not salvation (Deut 29:19-22).

12.7 No third temple will be built. We can conclude that it was THEOS' plan to have the 'Abomination of Desolation' (that is in plain sight the Dome of the Rock) standing in its place, also in order to prevent Jews from diminishing the importance of the ultimate sacrifice, which CHRISTOS did in order to replace once for all the previous animal sacrifices. Nothing will accelerate the time CHRISTOS will come back, when He will finally free the Jews from their current veil and deception, and craft them once again into the same olive tree His church is crafted in.

Verses commonly quoted to 'prove' a third temple:

  • Dan 9:27 = not our future, but fulfilled before 70 AD (see also the study on the Book of Daniel). The 70 weeks cannot simply be split into 69 weeks + 2000 years + 1 week (> a widespread wild-west theology). 
  • Joe 1:14 - This prophecy was delivered before the captivity of Judah (see Clarke's Commentary).
  • Joe 2:15 - a trumpet can be blown, and an assembly can be held without a temple. 
  • Isa 56:5, 7 - we do not give anymore sacrifices (verse 7). 
  • 2Thes 2:4 - rather means that he will sit in the midst of the body of believers - we being the temple. 
  • Isa 66:6 - Verses 1-6 do not speak about our future, but clearly of the past 'the one who slaughters a lamb for sacrifice' (Verse 3). 
  • Rev 11:1 - appears to speak of a third temple, but its measurements are well known, and it can only refer to taking an accurate estimate of the size of the true church of THEOS (Commentary Barnes). 
  • Hag 2:9 - the contrast is between two things, either the temple in that its former estate, and this its latter estate after the captivity, or the two temples of Solomon and Zerubbabel. There is no room for a third temple. (Commentary Barnes). 
  • Zec 6:13 - refers to Zerubbabel, who built the second temple.

IESOUS CHRISTOS sits already in the heavenly temple (Heb 8:1-3).

12.8 No, IESOUS will not return imminently in the sense of coming at any given moment. Many events of the tribulation will have to precede His second coming. 

We might know approx. the year of His coming once the tribulation will have started, but nobody knows the hour, nor the day, and not even the month of His coming. Neither Mat 24:36 nor any other part of the Bible implies that we cannot know the year of His coming.

12.9 No, we will not live in Heaven for eternity. Heaven (the New Jerusalem) will come down on a renewed planet Earth and its size roughly fits the Arabian Peninsula (Gen 15:18-21, Zec 14:8) as a possible location. Learn in the study more about the respective references found in the Bible.

12.10 The wording 'Kingdom of G-d > THEOS' is rarely used by Matthew, who wrote to the Jews and was very cautious to not take the name of THEOS in vain, thus replacing THEOS with 'Heaven'. 

It was actually much more often used by Mark and Luke. Meanwhile, Mark and Luke do not use the wording 'Kingdom of Heaven' at all, while Matthew uses it 36 times.

  • Matthew  ·  Kingdom of THEOS (4x), - of Heaven (36x).
  • Mark  ·  Kingdom of THEOS (14x).
  • Luke  ·  Kingdom of THEOS 31x).

12.11 The fig tree prophecy connected to our human generation is based very on dubious theology:

Miscellaneous

Theological Traditions of Men

What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos [replace it with Calvin, Luther, TB Joshua or the Pope]," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christos."
Is Christos divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 1Cor 1:12

We are now 500 years into the Reformation - since the Bible became readily available for ordinary pastors and the body of CHRISTOS.

But those who denominate themselves Protestants have to be careful to not make a religion out of Luther's 95 warnings to the Catholic Church. Luther was not trying to start a new religion, but simply tried to push the RCC (Spirit of Antichrist, read 'Foxe's Book of Martyrs) to biblical standards and away from extra-works such as purgatory and indulgences. 

  • But despite of his partial achievements, we have to clearly distance ourselves from his exclusion of the books of Hebrews, James, Jude and Revelation from the biblical Canon (separate section similar to the extra-biblical Apocrypha) and his heretical pronunciation of the book of James as "Strohpost" (= epistle of straw). Luther feared that those books undermined his doctrines of sola fide (by faith alone) and sola gratia (by grace alone). He disliked James (an attitude which is still strongly felt today amongst Protestants), in particular, for its emphasis on works.
  • Luther gave his blessing to have Anabaptists executed, simply based on their correct opposition of infant baptism.
  • Luther also maliciously expressed in his works anti-Judaistic views, calling for the expulsion of Jews and burning of synagogues. Based upon his teachings, the prevailing view among historians is that his rhetoric contributed significantly to the development of antise... and the N**i Party.
  • Luther was an Augustinian by training, and he continued to practice many of the core tenets of that version of Catholicism - after his excommunication and for the rest of his life.

Calvin on the other hand went as far in his hate he accumulated over many years of exchange of letters, that he had arrested his theological opponent (Servetus) when he arrived at Calvin's church, single-handedly provided the points of the indictment, and repeatedly visited and put the screw upon the Council during the weeks leading to his execution. It might be true that Calvin had contemplated a mitigation of the sentence (sword instead of slow burning) - but only if Servetus were to purchase this mitigation by a spiritual sacrifice, by a last hour recantation to Farel, the friend Calvin sent to the place of execution (recantation of the 'most abominable sin', of Modalism, the second charge was his righteous opposition against infant baptism that caused the RCC to persecute him).

Calvin justified this killing with Lev 24:16, boasted of the deed before his congregation and spelled out his theologically reinforced vengeance towards his opponents in a personal letter: "I am persuaded that it is not without the special will of G-d that, apart from any verdict of the judges, the criminals have endured protracted torment at the hands of the executioner." - Calvin's letter to Farel.

A bitter truth rarely covered in our Protestant circles today. Both Luther and Calvin are far away from being leaders to be followed 500 years after their death - to the contrary. Nonetheless, the popularity of Calvin, Luther, Wesley & others seems to be used to yield credibility in this day. We have to chose which 'theos' we want to serve and we do not need to replace one intermediary g-d (e.g. the Pope) with another intermediary g-d (e.g. Calvin) in order to achieve a reformation. True reformation starts by going back to the FATHER, SON and SPIRIT, who are and is the only true and sufficient THEOS.

Those late reformers sought to return the church to early Christianity (following vaguely the lead of the more respectable Waldensians), but they actually brought it back to earlier heresies because they didn't go beyond some of the greatest heretics in Christian history, namely Augustine and Mani. Rather than returning the church to early Christianity they actually resurrected the gnostic Augustinian doctrine (Luther was an Augustinian Monk and stated in 1535 AD: "Augustine was the ablest and purest of all doctors" and Calvin quoted Augustine 4119 (!) times in his works).

Let us therefore resist the urge to promote a certain brand of theology / denomination and to commit intellectual idolatry with former or current Christian leaders (1Cor 3:4-7, 21). Let us -primarily- go to the Scriptures and follow THEOS and His more than sufficient teachings.

In a very similar manner we still see modern Jewish Mainstream as authoritative source, which does struggle with basics such as the rhythm of a biblical day (sunrise-not sunset) and the biblical New Year (first month in spring, see Exo 12:2 and Deut 16:1 -not the seventh month in winter; only Beta Israel / Ethiopian Jews continued to celebrate the first month in spring). Not even the meaning of the word 'Shelah' was preserved (74x in the OT and no one knows the meaning today) - showing that even the most basic Bible knowledge was lost between true OT Jews and Modern Judaism.

Other discrepancies include the continued application of Old Covenant Law, Oral Law and extrabiblical feasts (except Beta Israel / the Ethiopian Jews who do not celebrate Purim or Hanukkah because they had already historically moved away from the center of Ancient Judaism before these holidays emerged), the erroneous counting toward Pentecost (once again except Beta Israel / the Ethiopian Jews who correctly count 50 days from Abib/Nisan23 to Ziv12) and sometimes even uncertainties regarding the rhythm of the former Jubilee Year as seen before. 

It is also well known that most branches of Judaism practise 11 months of 3 daily prayers for dead relatives (see source 1, 2). While we rightfully criticize Roman Catholics, we constantly close our eyes to the same practice of purgatory held by Jews already centuries earlier!

Ancient Judaism (and consequently Christianity in some areas) has been significantly corrupted in the 2 c. AD by Rabbi Akiva and his disciples (Aquila translated and Yose ben Halafta standardized the Proto-Masoretic text in 160-180 AD), who was well known for hating the Evangelium, for having gone as far as to proclaim another messiah (named Bar Kochba), for having frequently used the book of Sirach and Ecclesiasticus (Apocrypha, long before the Catholics ...), for having taught purgatory; and his disciples having materialized through the creation of the heretical Talmud and Mishnah what had been inspired by this great anti-Christ Rabbi Akiva.

  • 64% of the genealogies had been manipulated in the Hebrew Old Testament (= our Bibles).
  • Some of the flood dates had been manipulated in the Hebrew Old Testament (= our Bibles).
  • Prophecies pointing to CHRISTOS had been manipulated in the Hebrew Old Testament (= partly our Bibles, while Christian scholars silently reversed some of the more obvious manipulations).
  • Concealment of Cain's sin (which reflected also the sin of the Rabbis -greediness- as called out by IESOUS in Luk 11:39, and especially the sin of sacrilege as condemned to death in Act 5:1-4). The Greek OT clearly states that Cain brought the sufficient sacrifice of the first fruits of the field, but did not share it. Gen 4:7 reads: 'Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him.' The manipulated text reads: 'If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.'.
  • Concealment of the identity of the Angel of KYRIOS, being the pre-incarnate CHRISTOS. He is called in the uncorrupted text of Isa 9:6 the 'ANGEL / MESSENGER OF GREAT COUNSEL' (AΓΓEΛOC MEΓAΛHC BOYΛHC · Aggelos Megales Boules · Messenger of Great Counsel). Gen 48:16 confirms that CHRISTOS is the Angel of KYRIOS and Mal 3:1 eliminates any doubts. See also the separate study.
  • The patriarch of the Samaritans, Cainan, had been deleted from the Hebrew Old Testament, for reasons we are all familiar with, when we read the New Testament (see also above).

It has been and still is a colossal error by generations of scholars to generally take Mainstream Judaism as a means to come closer to the Word, and to have a blind reverence for them. When we want to get closer to the Word of THEOS and its historical application, we have to look at e.g. Beta Israel and other groups of Jews which had rather not been corrupted by certain movements and destructive theologies in Israel.

And we have to remember that biblical Israelites, although many of them being 'brothers-on-hold', are -not yet- grafted into the Kingdom.

It is also time to not blindly trust modern institutions and teachers which / who repeat teachings such as Antinomianism, Arianism, Modalism and even add modern heresies such as Cessationism, Ecumenism (reducing biblical truth to the lowest common denominator for the sake of a false unity and superficial peace), Egalitarianism, a Metaphorical Hell, Once-Saved-Always-Saved, Optional Baptism, Remarriage without Repentance, what I coined as 'Single-Tense-Salvation' ignoring the 3 tenses of Salvation, the Theory of Evolution, Tithing and the systematic downplaying of Works of Faith by confusing it with Works of the Law.

We must rethink theology without any biases, denominational constraints or cultural influences, based on the unfiltered Word of THEOS. This is the teaching mission of this ministry.

Open-Air Churches

Today, we -who sit in our comfortable pews- rather see open-air preaching and public Bible reading (2Chr 17:9) as something exotic, and indeed it has become so. But from a biblical point of view, we rather require a defense for services within buildings than for worship outside of them. Open-air churches were throughout Bible history the most prevalent places of teaching and worship. "A preacher who has never preached beyond the walls of his meeting house, would need very potent arguments to prove that he has done his full duty" (Quote from a teacher I do not endorse).

CHRISTOS was a street preacher (Pro 1:20-33, Pro 8:1-10, Mat 5:1, Luk 6:17-49, Joh 7:28, Joh 7:37), so as Amos (Amos 5:10), Ezra (Ezr 10:9-14, Neh 8:1), Isaiah (Isa 29.21, Isa 58:1), Jeremiah (Jer 2:1-2, Jer 7.1-2, Jer 11:6, Jer 17:19-20, Jer 36.10), IESOUS' disciples (Luk 9:5-7, Act 3:11-26), John the Baptist (Mat 3:1-2, Mar 1:4), Jonah (Jon 3:4), Paul (Act 17:17, Act 17:22-34, Act 19:9) et al.

The Biblical Canon

Paul is the author of 14 (2 x 7 also agrees with biblical numbers), not of 13 books of the Bible, as explicitly confirmed by early historians and scholars such as Amphilochius, the writers of the Apostolic Canons, Athanasius (Alexandria), Augustine (Hippo), Cyril (Jerusalem), Epiphanius, Eusebius (Caesarea), Jerome, John (Damascus), the Council of Laodicea and by Nazianzus.

1. Romans • 2-3. Corinthians • 4. Galatians • 5. Ephesians, 6. Philippians • 7. Colossians • 8-9. Thessalonians • 10. Hebrews • 11-12. Timothy • 13.Titus • 14. Philemon.

Jerome (4c. AD; discernment regarding his person required): "This must be said to our people, that the epistle which is entitled 'To the Hebrews' is accepted as the apostle Paul's not only by the churches of the east but by all church writers in the Greek language of earlier times, although many judge it to be by Barnabas or by Clement. [...] If the custom of the Latins does not receive it among the canonical scriptures, neither, by the same liberty, do the churches of the Greeks accept John's Apocalypse. Yet we accept them both, not following the custom of the present time but the precedent of early writers, who generally make free use of testimonies from both works."

Only Tertullian, Gaius of Rome, Hippolytus and Origen ob- and rejected the authorship of Paul (possibly also the Cheltenham List which is not reliable because it omits Jude and James). We must not fall into the same trap as many scholars and well-known book authors of our day still do, who often reference Origen without any discernment, although it is well known that he was a false teacher (Self-ordained Priest, a very important factor for the inclusion of Apocrypha, Genesis to be allegory, Preexistence of souls, Purgatory, Ransom-Theorist, Universalist, named after an Egyptian falcon-headed deity). The book of Hebrews deviates in style from Paul's other books, but this and Origen's opposition are not enough of a basis for rejecting his authorship, when contrasted by the overwhelming majority of early scholars affirming it.

The Ecclesiastical Books (commonly called Apocryphal writings but not hidden) are simply historical records and should remain decidedly outside the biblical canon. Contrary to common belief, they had not been included in the original Septuagint nor was the Catholic Church first to include it (although they affirmed it as counter-reaction to the reformation and included it from early on in their doctrine).

  • ~250 BC  ·  Seventy Jewish elders translated the Pentateuch from Paleo-Hebrew into the Greek language, and created those texts which dominated the Greek-speaking world for 5-6 centuries. This would still be the textual basis today, if Jerome, commissioned by the RCC, would not have suddenly broken with all tradition.
  • Until ~130 BC  ·  Further, unknown translators completed the Greek OT canon of 22 (modern count of 29) books. All groups except the Samaritans (and naturally certain sects) had the same canon.
  • 2-1c. BC  ·  The Apocrypha is being created.
  • 1c. AD  ·  CHRISTOS and His disciples read and quoted from one canon, from the Greek and Aramaic / Hebrew OT.
  • 1-3c. AD  ·  Christians adapted the same canon, with many of them accepting apocryphal books as profitable for reading. It also became a part of the liturgy in many churches, especially after Origen (~240 AD) vehemently pushed the Apocryphal Books, which he indiscriminately used with those of Scripture as sources for dogmatic proof texts. He cited as inspired / Scripture: Baruch, Judith, Maccabees (plural), Tobit, Wisdom (of Solomon). He also defended Bel and the Dragon, Sirach and Susanna, in sum exactly the 7 books the Catholic church would adopt ~140 years later. It is probably safe to say that without him there would not have been an Apocrypha in any of the codices.
  • 382 AD  ·  Pope Damasus and the Council of Rome defined the Roman Catholic canon including 7 of the apocryphal books.
  • 2-4c. AD  ·  The Apocrypha is now 'officially' accepted as profitable for reading by Origen, Eusebius of Caesarea (~324 AD), Cyril of Jerusalem (~350 AD), Cheltenham (~360 AD), Nazianzus (~360 AD), Council of Laodicea (~363 AD), Athanasius (~367 AD), Apostolic Canons (~380 AD), Epiphanius (~385 AD) and ultimately -APPROVED AS CANONICAL- by Augustine of Hippo (Council of Hippo in 393 AD), as summarized by the Council of Carthage (397 AD) and re-confirmed by Pope Innocent I (405 AD).
Taken from The Canon of Scripture by F. F. Bruce . Copyright (c) 1988 by F. F. Bruce. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA. www.ivpress.com
Taken from The Canon of Scripture by F. F. Bruce . Copyright (c) 1988 by F. F. Bruce. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA. www.ivpress.com
  • 4-5c. AD  ·  The Christian mega-codices (Sinaiticus-Aleph, Vaticanus-B, Alexandrius-A) followed the lead of those 2-4c. thinkers and the church customs, included apocryphal books in their canon of Scripture and created a precedent for all future translations.
  • 4-5c. AD  ·  Vetus Latina (Greek OT), Jerome's Vulgate (Hebrew OT)  ·  Apocrypha included, merged
  • 1455 AD  ·  Gutenberg Bible · Apocrypha included, fully merged.
  • 1524 AD  ·  Zwingli's Zürich Bible  ·  Apocrypha included, fully merged in between OT books.
  • 1534-1592 AD  ·  Luther Bible, Matthew's Bible, Myles Coverdale Bible, Geneva Bible, Clementine Vulgate  ·  Apocrypha included, separate section.
  • 1611 AD  ·  King James Bible  ·  Apocrypha included, separate section, excluded only in 1885 AD for reasons related to print and costs.
  • 1979 AD  ·  Good News Bible  ·  Apocrypha included, separate section.

We should never add nor subtract from the Word of THEOS (Deut 4:2, Deut 12:32, Pro 30:5-6, Joh 10:35).

We should not give too much credit to 'councils' (G4824, ϹΥΜΒΟΥΛΙΟΝ, sumboulion = counsel or maybe council; not to be confused with ekklesia which stands for an ordinary assembly). The Bible uses this word without exception in a negative way (related to Pharisees in Mat 12:14, Mat 22:15, Mar 3:6; related to chief priests and elders in Mat 27:1, 7, Mat 28:12, Mar 15:1; related to the Romans in Act 25:12). Today we commit the fundamental mistake to consider 'councils' as to feature special credibility, but we do not even find in Act 15 (which is commonly used as justification for extrabiblical councils), the definition of a 'council', but of an assembly.

Biblical Numbers

No, numbers -if interpreted with wisdom - are not a construct of cloudy or mystical origin, but are powerfully used by THEOS to show the significance of certain events and persons, wonderfully underlining the authority of Scriptures that are perfectly interwoven on the level of testaments, books, chapters, verses, words, symbolism, types, numbers and more ... The Bible also repeats the phrase 'according to the number' 44 times. 

But we should never spiritualize numbers, especially when it comes to eschatology. Biblical numbers are not meant to be used by us, but by THEOS only! It is very important that sound teachers teach the truth on biblical numbers and do not simply leave the field to abusers who then have an easy game because of the nearly complete absence of 'white' teaching. 

The numerical pattern of 1 Day = 1000 Years is often abused, but it has clearly only a symbolic-, and not a literal meaning. Psa 90:3-4 and 2Pet 3:8-9 make this perfectly clear, by showing us the fleeting nature of human life compared to the eternal perspective of THEOS.

Meanwhile, the numerical method of 1 Day = 10 Years is to be taken literally, as shown in Num 14:34 and Eze 4:6.

A literal pattern is also found in Gen 29:27-28, where Jacob serves for several weeks, each week being 7 years long and providing the basis for the correct interpretation of Daniel 9.

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