3/25/2012
published 著
3/30/2012
revised 修正
主耶稣並没有叫我们建立教会组织
Lord
Jesus did not mean to tell us to build a church organization
摘引Dust的话：神沒有要我們在這世上建立全備的國度而是要我們做祂的見證，這些事不是需要靠組織(與組織內建的問題)，要靠的昰聖靈給的能力（徒一8）。我們得打破這個組織的迷思，不是組織讓人接受福音，是聖靈，是耶穌，是神的救恩！不是組織，不是組織！
我想我完全明白Dust兄從圣经例子观察到的观点。我也相当同意我们必须打破教会组织的迷思。然而我原有的心意是想從圣经里寻找更具体的理由，看是否能找出主耶稣有没有命令我们要建立教会组织或不要建立组织？如果没有真理的根据和了解，我尽可能避免参与辩论，去探讨什么才是一个健全和良好的组织？比如说，我们应该凭什么样的基础标准去分辨，共产主义，或资本主义，或社会主义，哪一个主义比较好呢？这些主义都是人哲学思想的产品。人的思想都会有不完全的地方，因为大部份人想出来的或推论出来的主义，都是從一个还没有被证明的假设里推论出来的，並不是從一个定律里推论出来的。假设既然不能被证明，那從假设里推论出来的结论也只是个没有被证明的结论，不是吗？
让我再摘用Dust兄的另一句话：“創造人的主都給人自由意識去選擇”。因此在你还没有决定同意任何一个结论之前，请仔细查看呈现在你眼前所有的事实和证据，看看这结论是否是從一个没有被证明的假设中推论出来的。
我没有发表对【教会组织】不满的意见原因是主耶稣在马太福音说的一句话：【马太福音16:18
我还告诉你，你是彼得，我要把我的教会建造在这磐石上，阴间的权柄，不能胜过他。（权柄原文作门）】如果教会是主耶稣所要建立的，即使因为人为的因素或管理不得当（不是用最好的方法），我也会勉强接受，顶多尽自己的力量尝试去影响它朝向比较好和透明的组织架构，就好像同灵们在这论坛里所盼望的。
但我如今找到一位学者对“ECCLESIA”这希腊字的词源和文字随着历史上时间上慢慢的改变的意义。这原有文字的意义，也直接改变我对马太16：18节的思想和了解。
让我重覆之前说过的：
“ECCLESIA”的词源
马太福音16：18节原文的字不是“教会，church”，而是希腊文“ecclesia”。“Ecclesia”的意思不是“教会”。
希腊文“Ecclesia”定义为：“被呼召出来（者）” [ECC = 出来out; KALEO
= 呼召call]。可以说其定义是“被呼召出来聚集在一起的（集会，议会）”。
在Wikipedia网络百科全书，希腊文“Ecclesia”的定义（http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesia），是古代雅典黄金时期雅典人民的主要集会。
大英百科全书也记录希腊原文“ECCLESIA”【相同】的定义，“被呼召出来聚集在一起的”；是古雅典人民的一个聚会。
牛津字典也记录了相同的定义，“ECCLESIA是，聚会，教会”是從母词“呼召”演变出来的词语。
文字会随着时间而更改。但你可以看到，在主耶稣的时代，“ECCLESIA”这字的原本意思是，聚会，
或集聚，或被呼召出来的人民的集会。原文的意义，並不是好像今天我们所说的“教会”的意义一样。
圣经里有三处“ecclesia”翻译正确的地方
使徒行传19:32 聚集的人，纷纷乱乱，有喊叫这个的，有喊叫那个的，大半不知道为什么聚集。
使徒行传19:39 你们若问别的事，就可以照常例聚集断定。
使徒行传19:41 说了这话，便叫众人散去。
NKJV英文翻译本，都把以上三个经节的“ecclesia”翻译为“assembly（聚集）”。
從这三个经节呈现给我们一个证据，足以证明圣经学者也了解“ECCLESIA”这希腊字的意义。因此圣经学者，是昧着良心，把其他地方的“ECCLESIA”转换成完全不一样的字的。他们根本没有任何籍口可以为自己洗脱这“明知故犯”的罪名！
“教会，church”这字的词源和原意
“教会，church”是從古老英文和德文“kirche”演变而来。在苏格兰，被称为“kirk”.
牛津字典列出词源：
词源：英文cir(i)ce, cyr(i)ce; 荷兰文kerk;德文 kirche；都是從中世纪希腊字kurikon，kuriakon“主的家”，kurios“主人，主”演变而来的。
Kuriakos的词源是kurios，意思是“主”。Kuriakos的意思是“与主有关系的”。因此“教会，church”的意义应该是指“与主有关系的，或属于主的”。
马太福音16：18节原文的字不是“教会，church”，而是希腊文“ecclesia”。“Ecclesia”的意思不是“教会”。这是非常可怕的错误，直接控制住读者的思考和了解。
最大的翻译误差
從文字的词源，你可以看出，圣经学者並没有遵照基本翻译规矩。其实，他们不是在翻译“ECCLESIA”这字，而是昧着良心，把它换成“KURIAOKOS”另一个不同意义的字。
知道这翻译的错，我们应该在读或研究圣经时，除了上面提到的三个经节之外，都应该把“CHURCH”换回原来的“ECCLESIA”， “一个主耶稣呼召出来，集聚的集会”。
主耶稣並没有叫我们建立教会和教会组织
你可以看出希腊字“ECCLESIA”的意义不同于“KURIAKOS”。
研究圣经原文的词源和意义的改变，很清楚的告诉我们，主耶稣並没有要们徒建立教会或教会组织。或许，主耶稣把属于祂的人，從他们所处的地方，呼召出来，聚集在一起，在磐石上聚会。肯定的，彼得不是一般的磐石。彼得这磐石认识主耶稣是谁？彼得会传讲神要他说的话。我想磐石还有一个特点，那就是真理的所在地。（请参考：主耶稣要把他的教会建在磐石上）
主耶稣呼召的意义
如果你從历史事件和主耶稣呼召，整个画面一起看的话，你可以体会主耶稣【呼召】的重要意义。或许主耶稣是想把属于祂的人，從罗马帝王的统治下呼召出来，成为一个独立的，自由的，可以自己决定重新选择【基督为王】而不是【罗马帝王为王】。这虽然是一个假设，但根据使徒们事工上的遭遇，这假设是有根有据的。让我们详细观察发生在使徒们身上的一些事件。
这是发生在保罗身上的事。（使徒行传17:6 找不着他们，就把耶孙和几个弟兄，拉到地方官那里，喊叫说，那搅乱天下的，也到这里来了。 17:7 耶孙收留他们。这些人都违背该撒的命令，说另有一个王耶稣。 17:8
众人和地方官，听见这话，就惊慌了。）
保罗和巴拿巴到底做了什么事情竟可以【把天下搅乱了】？是不是因为保罗叫他们建立教堂？是不是保罗向他们收钱？都不是？是第七节说的，是因为保罗向他们传达【另有一王耶稣】的信息所造成的。因为这信息使到凯撒大帝非常不安，因为如果这些人听信保罗的信息，这些人就不会再遵凯撒为王，他就会失去对这些人的控制，命令和统治他们的权力。凯撒的地位是受到这信息的威胁。
同样的，你我看到的YM事件，当YM宣布说是【耶稣王】救了我们，YM是顺從主耶稣的吩咐真理，却因此触犯了教会的教条。YM这样的信息在罗马时代会使凯撒大帝不安，在今日也同样使到【教会王者】【教会最高组织】非常不安。因为如果我们听信这呼召，选择【耶稣王】为我们的王，那么教会组织就没有统治我们的力量。如果我们的眼睛变的明亮，看到【耶稣王】才是我们的王，我们就不会【眼睛盲目】地遵照遵奉【教会最高组织】立下的条规。教会组织的地位也同样受到威胁，不是吗？
耶路撒冷的会议“ECCLESIA”
我相信耶路撒冷的会议是“ECCLESIA”的一个最好的例子。当时他们对“割礼”的实行起了很大的争论（使徒行传15章）。使徒和长老聚集在一起讨论这件事。这是一个聚会，不是吗？你可以從文中看到他们凴着真理在理论，真理的磐石上！每一个人都是同等的，没有一个人是高过另一个人的。唯一最高者，就是他们所信的神！
你说，如果我们中间有什么纷争，耶路撒冷的聚会，是不是我们可以仿效的最好例子？
使徒保罗所说的【ECCLESIA，集聚集会】的特点
（提摩太前书3:14 我指望快到你那里去，所以先将这些事写给你。 3:15
倘若我耽延日久，你也可以知道在神的家中当怎样行。这家就是永生神的“ECCLESIA”，真理的柱石和根基。）
有如使徒保罗的形容，我们是【永生神呼召集聚的一个集会】。换句话说，我们这集会不是凯撒大帝呼召的集会。在使徒保罗的眼中，这不是一个普通的集会。不是雅典人的集会。不是凯撒的集会。这是属于永生神呼召的集会。一个集会之所以能符合【永生神的集会】这称呼，至少这个集会一定要是属于永生神的，所侍奉的不是其他的王，而一定是【耶稣王】。
更加要知道的是，我们的集聚，是响应主耶稣的呼召组合而成的。这集聚的集会一定要建立在磐石上。这集会被称为【真理的柱石和根基】的原因如下：
(1)这集会是一根【高举主耶稣真理】的柱石。
(2)这集会是一个【主耶稣真理】扎根生长发扬的地方。
换句话说，如果这集会只遵守人的条规，条文和传统，那么这集会顶多只能配被称为【人条规的柱石】或【人条规的根基】。
这集会如果是单一独立的一个集会，是没有什么存在的价值的。因为单一的集会，本身並不是真理或神。这单一的集会，本身不能赐给任何人【永生】。只有神才能赐给人永生。阿门！
同样的，这一个集会（团体，身体）如果不是高举基督和基督所赐的真理的话，这集会就不配被称为【主耶稣的身体】。阿门！
因此，各位弟兄姐妹们，让我们在一起聚集集会时，使我们不要成为一根无用的柱石，但要成为真理的柱石。（这柱石，是真理支持者）（这根基，是真理扎根发扬的地方）（一个传扬【耶稣王】的地方）
建立“ECCLESIA，【主耶稣王】呼召的集聚集会”遭到破坏
回观历史事迹，我们可以看到凯撒大帝想以杀害基督徒的方法去阻止基督教运动失败了，不能因此而瓦解这聚会。罗马帝王君士坦丁比较聪明，他收拢基督徒成为基督徒的一份子，以罗马帝国的组织制度，把【聚会】组织成【教会】，【教皇成为基督徒的王】。教会的王不再是【耶稣王】，君士坦丁一手破坏了主耶稣的呼召。
或许在教皇的统治下，表面上我们还是听到他们在传讲【信耶稣才能得永生】这句话，是的，这是一句永恒的真理。但是我们发现到，有很多天主教的教义是人定下的，根本不符合圣经里的真理。历史也告诉我们，那些传讲和教义不同的圣经道理的一些人，都被逼迫和烧死。
因此我们可以明白【教会】有很多理由和动机（受到天主教势力的影响），把【ECCLESIA，集会】更改为【KURIAKOS，教会】。是什么原因呢？因为这样，教会就名正言顺的成为一个合乎圣经的机构了，不是吗？这样【教皇】就永远是世世代代的基督徒的教皇。從那时起，基督徒被骗臣服在教皇之下，而不是耶稣王之下了。基督徒被骗，以为服从教皇的命令，无论是错的，这就是在服从基督的命令。
因为【ECCLESIA】被取代，我们读圣经的理解被另一个字的意义绑架了，不得要领。在加上历来教会把信徒洗脑，让信徒相信我们得救全靠教会。不知不觉的，信徒的直觉上以为【教会】就是【神】，不去教会就等于是遗弃神。大多数的基督徒【问问题的能力】无形中被剥夺掉，已经不懂得问：神真的是只出现在教会吗？【无所不在的神】不是充满万有和与我们同在，在我们的心中吗？我们不是以心灵和诚实敬拜神吗？那些心中遵神为王的人，无论你身处何方，无论你是养尊处优，或是上刀山入火海，无所不在的神都与你同在，你的王不离你左右，不是吗？那不是在挟制你的王，那是在扶助你的王，在神之下人人都是自由平等，不是吗？
你可以看到從古至今的教会，都是以【教皇制度】组成的。所以你我看到的【教会最高组织】，在形式上也一样的【成为我们的教皇】。教会的最高组织一直在弃绝神的真理，他们高举的只是人所定下来的教会的教义。或许我们今天的教会比较仁慈，只是严禁信徒查考和教义有关的圣经经节。有谁提出和教义相反的理解，教会並没有把他处死，只是好意的叫他离开。他们只欢迎那些盲目遵奉他们的，不向他们查问为什么所传讲的道理不符合圣经的真理的信徒。所以不管是【天主教皇】或【教会最高组织】，他们所作所为都会耶利米书二章提到的【虚无的神】一模一样。
每个教会的组织都是循着这帝王制度组织成的，所以你我看到的就是君王的权力斗争；秀山或莆田，再加上韩国的开会停职事件，实质上就是权力斗争孵化出来的几场戏，是不是？
现在是否是建立【永生神呼召集聚集会】的时候？
基本上，我只能把一切的资料列出来，让你查考，让你自己做决定，你要为主耶稣做什么事？
你是否愿意一起建立【主耶稣呼召集聚的集会】，一个只侍奉【耶稣王】的集会？
你是否愿意继续保留【依照君士坦丁所建立以教皇和教会组织为王】的教会？
以我所见，使徒保罗提到的奥秘已经向我们显明。在不信的人的眼中，这奥秘是愚拙的！在信的人的眼中，这是神的智慧！当你亲眼看到祂时，你知道祂就是【耶稣王】！我们能得着生命，是因为基督为我们死！
以我所见，神和主耶稣的全部真理，已经向我们显明和记载在圣经里。除了启示和主耶稣没有时间向门徒传讲的真理之外，只要你不遗漏有关联的经节，你就可以明白主耶稣的真理。唯一想提醒一下的，请大家千万不要断章取义，一定要看前后文和整幅图画，那真理的意义就在其中。我这样的提醒，是因为我发现到，在我们教会环境中，很多时候很多人传讲【不完整】和【断章取义】的真理而不自知。
求神赐给我们，把神的智慧和聪明，放在我们心中，也放在我们的脑海中！阿门！
Quote from Dust’s article:
“Lord God did not want us
to establish perfect kingdom in this world, rather Lord God want us to be
witness, to do this we don’t need organization (and the inherent problem it
brings), what we need is the power given by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), we need
to break free from this organizational myth, it is not the organizational allow
people to receive the gospel, rather it is Holy Spirit, it is Jesus, it is
God’s salvation! Not organization, not organization!”
I fully
understood Brother Dust’s viewpoint drawing from the biblical examples which he
had observed. I do agree we need to break free from the organization myth. However,
I am trying to seek a more concrete justification from the Bible and to find
out whether Lord Jesus had told us to organize or not to organize? Without such
basic information, I try not to involve in lengthy debate arguing that what
kind of organization is better than the other. For example, on what basis we
can argue whether which of the ideas, communism, or capitalism, or socialism is
the best? Those ideas are derived merely from human’s philosophical thinking.
Human’s thinking always contains flaw because it is most likely developed from
an unproven hypothesis and not from a proven law. If the hypothesis cannot be
proven, then the conclusion drawn from this hypothesis is also unproven. Isn’t
it?
Let me quote Brother Dust again: “The God who
created man allowing man to have the freedom to make his own choice”. Therefore, before you decide to
agree with any of the conclusion, please make sure to look at all the facts and
evidences presented and to see that such conclusion is not drawn from an
unproven hypothesis.
I abstained
from opining against having a church which commonly means [church organization]
because of what Lord Jesus had said in [Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you
that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail
against it. NKJV] If church is what Lord Jesus wanted, even if there is human
factor and flaw in running the organization (not the best method), I will live
with it but just trying to influence it heading towards a more proper and
transparent structure, as many brethren had opinionated in this forum.
But since I
have found the work from someone who had traced the etymological meaning of the
word “ECCLESIA”, the original meaning of the original word used in Matthew
16:18, it has greatly impacted my thinking and understanding of what Lord Jesus
had tried to tell us in this verse.
Let me
quoted again what I had said:
Etymology
of the word “ECCLESIA”
The original
word is not the word “church” in the verse Matthew 16:18. It is the Greek word
“ECCLESIA” which does not mean “church”.
In Greek,
ECCLESIA means [ECC = out; KALEO = call].
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecclesia），Ecclesia means the principal assembly of ancient Athens
during its Golden Age.
Britannica Encyclopedia: Ecclesia, Greek Ekklēsia, (“gathering
of those summoned”), in ancient Greece, assembly of citizens in a city-state.
Its roots lay in the Homeric agora, the meeting of the people. The Athenian Ecclesia, for which exists the most detailed record, was
already functioning in Draco’s day (c.
621 bc). In the course of Solon’s
codification of the law (c. 594 bc),
the Ecclesia became coterminous with the
body of male citizens 18 years of age or over and had final control over
policy, including the right to hear appeals in the hēliaia (public court), take part in the ...
Oxford Dictionaries: Ecclesiastic,
Origin: late Middle English: from French ecclésiastique, or via
late Latin from Greek ekklēsiastikos,
from ekklēsiastēs
'member of an assembly', from ekklēsia
'assembly, church', based on ekkalein
'summon out'.
Therefore you can see that the
word “ECCLESIA”, at the time when Lord Jesus used it, carries the meaning of an
assembly, or a gathering or a meeting of the people who have been called-out or
summoned-out. The word does not mean a church as we perceive today.
The three
places where “Ecclesia” was translated correctly in the Bible
Acts 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing and
some another, for the assembly （ecclesia）was
confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. NKJV
Acts 19:39 But if you have any other inquiry to
make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly（ecclesia）.
NKJV
Acts 19:41And when he had said these things, he
dismissed the assembly（ecclesian，ekkleesian）. NKJV
The information tells us that at least the
Bible Scholars who had translated the Bible knew the meaning of the Greek word
“Eclessia”. Whatever reason they might have to replace all other “ecclesia”
with a different word “kuriakos, church”, it was done with a conscientious
mind. I believe the translator might not have any good excuse for misled the
readers.
Etymology
of the word “church”
The word
“church” comes from the Old English and German word “kirche”. In Scotland, it
was called “kirk”.
The Oxford Dictionaries (online
version) stated that the origin of the word church as follows:
Origin: Old English cir(i)ce,
cyr(i)ce, related to Dutch kerk and German Kirche, based
on medieval Greek kurikon, from Greek kuriakon (dōma) 'Lord's
(house)', from kurios 'master or lord'. Compare with kirk
You can trace that the
meaning of "ku-ri-á-kos" is understood by its root:
"kú-ri-os," which means "lord." Thus, "kuriakos"
(i.e., "church") means "pertaining to the lord." It refers
to something that pertains to, or belongs to, a lord.
The Greek
"kuriakos" eventually absorbed into the Old English form as
"cirice" (kee-ree-ké),
then "churche" (kerké),
and eventually it evolved into the word "church" in its traditional
pronunciation. A church, then, is correctly something that "pertains to,
or belongs to, a lord."
The big
translation mistake
Hence you
can see that the Bible scholars did not observe the basic rule of translation.
Actually, the translators were not translating the word “ECCLESIA” according to
its meaning. They had replaced the word “ECCLESIA” with another different word
“KURIAKOS”.
So what we
have read in the Bible translation, all the word church should be replaced by
its original word “ecclesia” or “an assembly formed by people who had been called out by Lord Jesus”.
Lord
Jesus did not mean to tell us to build a church organization
You can see
that the meaning of the Greek word “ECCLESIA” is not the same as the meaning of
another Greek word “KURIAKOS”.
By studying the origin of a word and the historical development of its
meaning, it becomes crystal clear that Lord Jesus did not mean to ask His
disciples to build a church organization. Perhaps, Lord Jesus was calling His
people to come out from where they were, to assemble together and to meet on
this rock. Absolutely, Peter was not an ordinary rock. He was the rock that
could recognize and know who Jesus was? He would say what the heavenly Father would
want him to say. I think most importantly it is the rock that the Truths
dwelled. (Please refer to the article: 主耶稣要把他的教会建在磐石上)
The significance of Lord Jesus’ calling
When you consider both the historical event and the timing of
Lord Jesus’ calling together as a whole, the calling carries a very significant
message. Lord Jesus must have wanted to call His people out setting them free
from the rule of the Roman Empire, to be independence and to have the ability
to decide whether they would like to be rule by King-Jesus instead of the
Roman-king. This hypothesis has a strong basis in conjunction with the
apostolic works. Let us go into the details with one of Apostle Paul’s incidences.
You can see
what had happened to Apostle Paul when he tried to preach the same message in
the book of Acts chapter 17. (Bible Quote: Acts
17:6-8 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to
the rulers of the city, crying out; “These who have turned the world upside
down have come here too. 7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting
contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king — Jesus."
8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these
things. NKJV)
What did
Paul and Barnabas did which turned the world upside down? Was it because Paul
asked them to build a church building? Was it because Paul had collected money
from the believers? None of the above! It was stated in verse 7. It was the
message that Paul preached that “there is another King - Jesus” that got him
into the big trouble because such message had troubled King Caesar. King Caesar
was trouble by the fact that if the people did not recognize him as their king,
he would lose control and command over the people; he would not be able to rule
them anymore. King Caesar’s position was being threatened by the message.
Similarly,
when YM declared that it is King-Jesus who saves us but not the church-king, he
was obeying the truths given by King-Jesus but not the church’s rules and
regulations. Such message which had trouble king-Caesar has trouble the
church-king, the supreme organization. If we decide to choose King-Jesus as our
king, the church organization will not be able to rule over us. If our eyes
become clear and see King Jesus as our king, then we cannot blindly obey and
conform to the rules set by the church supreme organization. The
church-organization’s position was being threatened by the message.
The Jerusalem ECCLESIA
I believe
the Jerusalem meeting was the first example of the “ECCLESIA”. There were
disputes and misunderstandings about circumcision. (Acts 15) The apostles and
elders came together to consider this matter. It is an assembly, isn’t it? You
can see that they were reasoning out the differences basing on the principle of
the Truths, the rock! Everyone was at equal level and no one was higher than
the other. The only highest or supreme figure was God.
This should
be the best example for us to be called out, assemble and reasoning out if
there is any dispute amongst us, isn’t it?
The
important characteristics of an ECCLESIA as described by Apostle Paul
(Bible Quote: 1 Tim 3:14-16 These things I write to you,
though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that
you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is
the ECCLESIA
of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. NKJV)
As Apostle
Paul had described, we were the assembly of the living God. In other words, we
were not an assembly of the Roman King. So in the eye of Apostle Paul, it was
not just a typical assembly. It was not an assembly of Athens. It was not an
assembly of king-Caesar. It was the assembly of the living God. Therefore for an
assembly to be fit to be called as [the assembly of the living God], at least
such assembly must belong to the living God and must serve no other King except
our Lord God.
Furthermore,
we were the assembly formed by the calling of Lord Jesus Christ. The assembly
was to be built on this rock. The reasons the assembly were being described as “the pillar and ground of the
truth” were as follows:
(1) This assembly must be the pillar which
was exalting the Truths given by Lord Jesus.
(2) This assembly must be the ground
where the Truths given by Lord Jesus strive.
In other
words, if the assembly upheld only man-made rules and regulations and
traditions, then the assembly at most would be called [pillar of men’s rules]
or [ground of men’s rules]!
The standalone
assembly by itself has no value. The assembly itself is not the truth or God. The
assembly itself cannot give eternal life to people. Only God can give you
eternal life. Amen!
Similarly,
the assembly is not the body of Christ if the body (as assembly) does not uphold
Christ and Christ’s commandments. Amen!
Therefore,
brethren and sisters please let us assemble together but let us make sure we
will not become a useless pillar. Let us ensure we will become the pillar of Truth.
(The pillar, which supports the Truth) (The ground, which the Truths rooted and
spread out) (Preaching the message of King-Jesus)!
The plan
to build an ECCLESIA ruled only by King-Jesus had been destroyed
Revisiting past history, we can see that Emperor Caesar failed to wipe
out the Christian movement by martyring them. Emperor Constantine was smarter.
He absorbed them by becoming one of them and helped to organized them following
the Roman Empire structure so that Christians were ruled by another King-Pope
instead of King-Jesus. As such, the ecclesia was not an assembly of the living
God but it had become an assembly of King-Pope. Therefore, Roman Emperor
Constantine had singlehandedly destroyed Christ’s calling.
Perhaps,
under the rule of the King-Pope, you still hear the message “those who believe in Lord Jesus
have eternal life” as the opening statement in any of their sermons. Yes,
this statement is an eternal truth. However, we found out that many of the
Catholic doctrines which were created by men were not from Bible Truth. Then we
learn from the history that whoever had come out with a biblical understanding
which was different from church doctrines would be persecuted and burned to
death.
Therefore
there must be a very good reason and motivation for church (influence by the
power of Catholic Church) to replace “ECCLESIA” to a totally different word “KURIAKOS”
reflecting “CHURCH” in the Holy Bible. Why? It was to make them appeared as a
legitimate biblical organization so that King-Pope could still be your
King-Pope in the foreseeable future. Since then, Christians have been made to
live under different kingship instead of having Lord Jesus as their ONLY-KING. Christians
have been cheated to think that by obeying whatever the king-Pope tells them to
do irrespective it is right or wrong, they are obeying Christ’s command.
Therefore our understanding of the truth had been kidnapped by the
wrong Bible translation. In addition, historically all churches had brainwashed
the believers that church was the one who saved you like the God. Unwittingly,
our gut-feeling tells us that [church] is [God]. Therefore if you do not go to
church means you have rejected God. Most of the Christians have been robbed of
the capability to ask sensible questions. Is it true that God only appears in
church? Isn’t it that the omnipresent God filled all in all and He is also in
your heart? Don’t we worship God in spirit and truth? For those preserved God
as their King, no matter where you were, whether you were enjoying your life,
or whether you were suffering and afflicting with transgressions, the
omnipresent God were with you always. Isn’t it? God is not the King who
controls you. God is the King who assists you. In the name of God, all are
equal and free, isn’t it?
You
can see that all the various churches formed in the past were evolved from the
same King-Pope model. Similarly, the church organization structure which
you and I have seen has become our King. The church organization continues to
reject God’s Truths and they would only exalt the truths (church-doctrines) established
by man. May be our church is kinder. Church-organization has just forbidding
members from research into church-doctrines. Whoever comes out with biblical
understanding which is different from church-doctrines will not be physically
persecuted but will be suspended and asking to leave the church. They only welcome those who would blindly obey them and would not question them especially when they were not telling the Bible truth. Hence irrespective
whether it is the Catholic Pope, or our supreme church organization, both are
similar to the [idol] mentioned in the book of Jeremiah chapter two.
Therefore you can see that every church organization structure is
formed in the image of the Roman Empire system. The struggle we saw was a
typical political power struggle; [the incidence in 秀山],
or [the incidence in莆田], in addition to YM’s suspension through the meeting
conducted in Korea, in reality were the dramatic culmination of political power
struggle, right?
Is it the time to form the assembly of the
living God?
Basically, I show you the facts and you decide yourself what you will do
for Christ?
Do you want the assembly called out by Christ which serves King-Jesus?
Do you want the church formed with the help of Emperor Constantine
which serves King-Pope and King-Organization?
To me, there is only one mystery which has been revealed to us. To the
unbelievers the mystery is foolishness! To the believers the mystery is wisdom
of God! When you see him, you know that he is King-Jesus! We live because He
had died for us!
To me, all the Truths from God and Lord Jesus have been made-known and recorded
in the Bible. Except those apocalyptic passages and those Truths where Lord
Jesus did not have time to disclose to His disciples, all the other Truths
given by God can be understood by reading them within their context. Perhaps we
should be careful that we should see a complete picture before we decide we
have obtained a good understanding of God’s words. I would only emphasize this
particular caution because I have noticed that out of context interpretation
has become a norm in our church.
Pray to God that He will put the wisdom and understanding in our heart
and in our mind! Amen!
