Christianity Under Fire

Distortions of the Resurrection
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Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!


Lyrics: William and Gloria Gaither

This Easter let us be on our guard against those that would distort the meaning of the Resurrection.

Hyper Preterism denies an essential of the faith.

"Hyper-preterism denies the latter (a bodily and physical resurrection of all Christians, within space and time on the earth), therefore, it cannot have the former. An explicit denial of the future bodily resurrection of the saints is an implicit denial of a past resurrection of Christ, in the logic of Paul, which is God's. Hear Paul on the matter: "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen." (1 Cor. 15:13) The "resurrection of the dead" throughout the context is a resurrection patterned after the first fruits, Christ (1 Cor. 15:20, 23). Since Christ's resurrection was bodily and physical, within space and time on the earth, then so will be that of all Christians. According to Paul, if it is true that all Christians do not rise from the dead bodily and physically, within space and time on the earth, then Christ Himself did not rise from the dead bodily and physically, within space and time on the earth, and our faith is futile and we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15:13-19). Denying the bodily and physical resurrection of the saints ends up being a denial of the resurrection of Christ! The veracity of one depends upon the veracity of the other."

http://www.preteristarchive.addr.com/CriticalArticles/barcellos-richard_ca_01.html

 

 

Easter can be a time of remembering the resurrection of Christ, which is the foundation of the Christian faith. (1 Corinthians 15), and taking note of those that deny this essential truth.

JW's deny a physical Resurrection of Christ.

They believe that Jesus was raised only in spirit.

Possibly one verse they refer to is in Peter which says,

'18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but QUICKENED BY THE SPIRIT: 19 By which also he went and
preached unto the spirits in prison;' (1 Peter 3)

The New World Translation says, 'made alive IN the spirit'

The NWT is the JW's distortion of the truth.

Now what the JW's have done is mix up what happened during the three
days Christ's body was in the tomb with what happened after those
three days;

'39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and
see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42 And they gave him a piece of a
broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43 And he took it, and did eat
before them.' (Luke 24)

AND

'Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my
hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be
not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto
him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because
thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.' (John 20:27-31)

Notice that Thomas said, 'My Lord and My God' after he saw the
PHYSICALLY resurrected Lord, and Jesus said he was blessed.

Anyone that says that they believe in a physically resurrected Jesus
but deny his deity is denying what should result from that belief.

Scriptures teach:

1) The Physical Resurrection of Jesus

a) which affects the view one has of their own
resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20)

2) Jesus is God almighty. (John 1:1;8:58;20:27-31)

Have you ever noticed especially during Easter, the deemphasis of the resurrected Lord and the emphasis on Mary being at the foot of the cross (as Cynthia noted of Catholics), a baby in the arms of Mary, a limp saviour with Mary holding him close, or a saviour that is still nailed to the cross.

Just look at a Catholic crucifix and you see a saviour that never moves on to the resurrection.

Granted they speak of a resurrection, but in relation to everything else it seems to be an afterthought and take a back seat to everything else.

What happens when a group does what the Catholics do?

We can find our answer when we look at what Peter said to the Jews:

"36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom YE HAVE CRUCIFIED, both Lord and Christ.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, REPENT, and be BAPTIZED every one of you in the NAME OF JESUS Christ for the REMISSION OF SINS, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2)

Though, in this chapter Peter brings up calling on the Lord and the resurrection of Christ, in relation to what the Jews needed to do to be saved, he brought up their guilt in relation to the crucifixion of Christ, THEN repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 2; 1 Thessalonians 2)

So in other words Peter brought up the crucifixion of Christ by the Jews, to condemn them, including works as an expression of their faith AND repentance.

This is what the Catholics have done.

They have taken what was spoken to the Jews who crucified the Lord Jesus and applied it to Catholics, minimizing the resurrection of Christ.

To emphasize the cross for salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18), and the resurrection of Christ as the foundation of our newness of Life, would mean that Catholics would have to give up their idea of faith plus works that they teach today.

This is why the gospel according to Peter, is incomplete and in need of the whole counsel of God that Paul had. (Acts 20:27;1 Corinthians 15: 1-5ff)

To not do so results in an incomplete message that now contradicts the Rrrrrrrrrrrrrest of the story and keeps people in bondage.

Paul to us:

"17 For Christ sent me NOT TO BAPTIZE, but to preach the gospel: not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none
effect. 18 For the PREACHING OF THE CROSS is to THEM THAT PERISH
FOOLISHNESS (SILLINESS); but UNTO US which ARE SAVED it is the POWER
OF GOD." (1 Corinthians 1)

Compare to:

Peter to the Jews:

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God
hath made that same Jesus, WHOM YE CRUCIFIED, both Lord and Christ.

37 Now when they heard this, they were PRICKED IN THEIR HEART, and
said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren,
WHAT SHALL WE DO? 38 Then Peter said unto them, REPENT, and BE
BAPTIZED every one of you in the NAME OF JESUS Christ for the
REMISSION OF SINS, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

How one cannot see a difference in these messages is beyond me.

One is to Jews the other to All

One speaks of the cross as a condemnation the other the cross as
salvation

One preaches baptism the other says he wasn't sent to baptize.

Catholics believe baptism comes before salvation those that believe
the whole counsel of God don't. (Acts 20:27)

Anger, depression and apathy would be understandable if those that believed in the Resurrection were proven wrong,

'if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, YOUR FAITH IS VAIN; ye are yet IN YOUR SINS. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men MOST MISERABLE.' (1 Corintians 15)

Being miserable would be the case if Christ was not raised and we are not going to be raised.

Another group of miserable ones would be those that deny the resurrection, because only in believing this will they have hope and life eternal. (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

What is hard to figure are those that claim to believe in the actual physical resurrection, which did happen, leading a life of depression, apathy and anger.

Something isn't what it should be.

Concerning those that are angry and apathetic:

We love him, because HE FIRST LOVED US. 20 If a man say, I love God, and HATETH HIS BROTHER, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4)

And What is Love?

' In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM.' (1 John 4)

This is the Love that was FIRST shown to us and if Jesus isn't living (resurrected), then we cannot live or love through him.

Yet because he lives i can Live and Love others. To not do so would be calling into question ones own faith in this Divine act of Love for us.

Concerning Depression:

How can one that claims to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ be continuously depressed?

5 Have this mind (ATTITUDE) in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient [even] unto death, yea, the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore also GOD HIGHLY EXALTED HIM, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; (Philippians 2)

This brings to mind an old song that I used to sing in Church which says,

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!


Lyrics: William and Gloria Gaither


 

 

 

 




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