Keys Promised to Peter

by David Vaughn Elliott

He who holds keys controls entry. Is Peter standing at the gates of heaven, deciding who enters? No, that is just sacrilegious joke material. Well then, will Peter be standing at the gates of a future millennium reign of Christ, deciding who enters? I never heard of any premillennialist teaching that. 

What, then, is Jesus telling Peter in Matthew 16:18,19? "I will build My church... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven." Notice 1) In practically the same breath, with no hint of changing subjects, Jesus speaks of the church and the kingdom, apparently equating them. 2) Peter would use the keys to bind "on earth," thus it was to be done during his lifetime. 

Since Jesus does not fail, His promises amount to prophecy.  Thus this is a prophecy about the kingdom. The prophecy says that Peter will open the way into the kingdom and that he will make binding decrees regarding the kingdom. Even futurist-premillennialists apply this prophecy to Peter's earthly ministry beginning on the day of Pentecost. Thus they inadvertently confess that the church is the kingdom and that the kingdom of God began on the day of Pentecost in the year 30 A.D. 

Since Jesus promised Peter "the keys of the kingdom," it is no coincidence that Peter was the leading spokesman on the day of Pentecost. Keys open doors. Once open, others can enter. Thus, Christ designated Peter to unlock the doors, telling people how they could enter the kingdom: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). The doors of the kingdom have been open for 2000 years. Those who listen to the holder of the keys are privileged to enter. 

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SCRIPTURES THAT OFFEND   BY STEVE FINNELL

1. Romans  16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. (NKJV)

The name church of Christ offends people enough, that some churches remove that name from from their building, they do not want to be identified as a church of Christ.

2. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one on you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)

Acts 2:38 offends those who deny water baptism is in order to the forgiveness of sins.

3. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJV)

John 14:6 offends believers in Christ who believe in universal salvation. Some believe it is arrogant to assert Jesus is the only way to heaven.

4. Genesis 1:1-31.......31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good . So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (NKJV)

Genesis 1:1-31 offends those who believe in theistic evolution or claim it is too difficult to understand that God created the heaven and earth in six days, in a twenty four hour day.

5. Galatians 5:4You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace. (NKJV)

Galatians 5:4 offends men who teach one in grace always in grace.

WHO BELIEVES WATER BAPTISM IS ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION?    BY STEVE FINNELL



THERE ARE MEN WHO BELIEVED OR BELIEVE THAT WATER BAPTISM IS ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION AND THERE ARE THOSE REJECT THAT REQUIREMENT.



THOSE WHO REJECT WATER BAPTISM AS A PREREQUISITE TO SALVATION.

Max Lucado
T.D. Jakes
John MacArthur
Charles Stanley
Billy Graham
Joel Osteen
Rick Warren
Jimmy Swaggart
Chuck Colson
Charles Swindoll
Jerry Falwell
Joyce Meyer
And all "Faith Only" preachers.

THOSE WHO BELIEVED WATER BAPTISM WAS AND IS ESSENTIAL FOR SALVATION

The Apostle Peter
The Apostle Andrew
The Apostle James the son of Zebedee
The Apostle John
The Apostle Philip 
The Apostle Bartholomew
The Apostle Thomas
The Apostle Matthew
The Apostle James son of Alphaeus
The Apostle Simon the Zealot
The Apostle Thaddaeus
The Apostle Matthias
Jesus the Christ

Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren,what shall we do?" Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

All twelve apostles believed water baptism was essential to the forgiveness of sins.
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Ananias believed water baptism was essential to be saved.

Acts 22:1-16.....10 And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me , 'Get up and go on to Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do'........12 "A certainAnanias .....16 Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized,and wash away your sins, calling on His name.

Ananias, a spokesman for Jesus, told Saul to be baptized to wash away his sins.
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The Apostle Paul believed water baptism was essential for the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 2:12-13 having been buried with Him in baptism, ......13 ....He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

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Jesus, the Son of God, believes water baptism precedes salvation.

Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; ........

Shall be saved does not mean already has been saved.

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If you are looking for answers about faith and practice of Christianity under the New Covenant, should you look to Ananias, the apostles, and Jesus or should your spiritual guidance come from men who deny that water baptism is essential to forgiveness from sin? Do you really want to follow the teaching of men who say you can be saved before you are baptized in water? THERE ARE NO DRY-CLEANED CHRISTIANS! 

U.S. Presidents on Islam

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

“You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention.”1

“While we are zealously performing the duties of good Citizens and soldiers we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of Religion. To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian.”2

THOMAS JEFFERSON AND JOHN ADAMS

“We took the liberty to make some inquiries concerning the grounds of their pretentions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury, and observed that we considered all mankind as our Friends who had done us no wrong, nor had given us any provocation. The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners; and that every Musselman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.”3

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

“In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar, the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an impostor, proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth. Adopting from the sublime conception of the Mosaic law, the doctrine of one omnipotent God; he connected indissolubly with it, the audacious falsehood, that he was himself his prophet and apostle…. [H]e declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind…. The precept of the koran is, perpetual war against all who deny, that Mahomet is the prophet of God.”4

BARACK OBAMA

“Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism—it is an important part of promoting peace.”5

ENDNOTES

1 George Washington (1779), “Speech to the Delaware Chiefs,” in The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745-1799, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick, 15:55, emp. added, http://preview.tinyurl.com/Washington-G-1779. The author assumes that Washington’s belief in the priority of the Christian religion would apply to the Muslim as well as the Native American.

2 George Washington (1778), “General Orders, May 2, 1778,” George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, emp. added, http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mgw3&fileName=mgw3g/gwpage003.db&recNum=181. Again, it is assumed that, if Washington considered being a Christian a person’s highest glory, being a Muslim would not be so considered.

3 “American Peace Commissioners to John Jay” (1786), The Thomas Jefferson Papers Series 1. General Correspondence. 1651-1827, Library of Congress, March 28, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mtj.mtjbib001849. The letter refers to Jefferson and Adam's meeting with the Ambassador from the Muslim country of Tripoli.

4 Joseph Blunt (1830), The American Annual Register for the Years 1827-8-9 (New York: E. & G.W. Blunt), 29:269, emp. added, http://www.archive.org/stream/p1americanannual29blunuoft.

5 Barack Obama (2009), “Remarks by the President on a New Beginning,” The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, June 4, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-cairo-university-6-04-09.


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IF YOU FORGIVE THE SINS...?  by steve finnell

Did Jesus give Peter and the apostles the authority to forgive individuals of their sins before and after they became Christians? Do contemporary pastors and priests have the authority to forgive Christians of their sins? The answer is no, no, and no.

ONLY GOD FORGIVES SINS

Mark 2:1-7....... "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone.(NASB)

Jesus was God on earth, He had the authority to forgive sins. The apostles were not God on earth. Contemporary pastors and priest are not God on earth. For anyone other than God to claim they have the authority to forgive sin is blasphemous.

Isaiah 43:15-25 "I am the Lord, your Holy One.....25 "I even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins.(NASB)

No preachers, pastors, apostles, nor priests can wipe out  transgressions. Only God forgives sin.

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like You who pardons iniquity...(NASB)

The apostle Peter nor any apostle had the power to pardon sins. There is not an example in the New Testament Scriptures where any apostle said to an individual nor a group of people I forgive you of your sins.

Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 16:9) Jesus not give Peter and the apostles the authority to grant forgiveness to men. Only God forgives sin.

Peter used the keys on the Day of Pentecost. The keys were faith, repentance, and immersions in water. (Acts 2:22-41)

Peter did not say  I or we the apostles forgive you of your sins against God, nor did he say that to anyone Christians subsequently. [Terms of pardon:FAITH John 3:16, REPENTANCE Acts 3:19, CONFESSION Romans 10:9, IMMERSION IN WATER Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16]

There is no Scriptures that teaches that apostles, preachers, pastors, priests, nor the church as the power of absolution. Only God forgives sin.

1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;(NASB)

The apostle John did not tell those in the body of Christ to ask for absolution for theirs sins by asking the church, the priest nor the pastor to grant them forgiveness from their sins against God.

ONLY GOD FORGIVES SINS!

We know that, John 20:23, does not mean the apostles, priests, pastors, nor the church has the authority to forgive men of their sins against God.

Teaching the gospel plan of salvation to men does not mean the teacher has the authority to forgive sin.

Praying for fellow church members does not mean that the one who prays has the authority to forgive sins.    

     

 

GOD'S COMPLETE REVELATION! BY STEVE FINNELL


We have God's complete revelation to all mankind, it is called the Bible. There are sixty six books. There are no more books. God's direct revelation to mankind was finished, completed with the death of the last apostle. The church of Christ had all the information it needed to preach the gospel, teach the church about faith in Jesus Christ, and to instruct men to obey God's commands.

Jude 1:3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity  to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Jude wrote in his letter, in about 65 A.D., that Christians already had a common salvation. He said contend for the faith which had been handed down once for all. The faith was not being added to nor were parts of the faith being deleted by new revelation. Jude knew nothing of so-called new revelations being written in books of catechisms nor were there any  extra-Biblical books of so-called new revelations from God.

There is no 21st century  new revelation, new prophecy, nor new knowledge. We already have the completed Scriptures, the BIBLE.

1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

Direct prophecy and special knowledge from God have ceased. There is no more prophecy or knowledge that is equal to Scripture. The Bible was completed long ago.

1 Corinthians 13:10 But when what is complete comes , then what is incomplete will no longer be used. (God's Word Translation (1995).

We have a completed Bible. We do not need new revelation. We do not need modern-day apostles nor prophets.

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

The apostle Peter said, in about 66 A.D., that Christians already  had true knowledge. What kind of knowledge are the modern writers of catechisms, or other of the so-called modern-day apostles, and prophets disseminating? A question that is worth pondering.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God  that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

The apostle Paul said their word was God's word. For men today to claim that the catechisms they write, and, or, the so-called new books of revelation, are directly from God; is at best, a case of self-delusion. The worst case scenario is willful deception or purposeful ignorance.

Acts 20:27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

The apostle Paul declared the whole purpose of God to the Ephesians. How could Paul have declared the whole purpose of God in the first century if modern day prophets and apostles are still being given new purposes from God today? There are no new, direct revelations, from God that are equal to Scripture.

John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative , but whatever He hears, He will speak; and will disclose to you what is to come.

Jesus said, to the twelve apostles, that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. The apostle heard all the truth. THERE IS NO NEW TRUTH TO BE ADDED! The Bible is completed, it is finished.

Ephesians 3:3-5 that by revelation there was made know to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

The mystery of Christ was revealed to the apostle Paul as well as the other apostles and prophets. It is not continually being revealed, it was revealed. We have that revelation, it is in the Bible.

We have God's completed word. We have the BIBLE!

HOW MUCH PRIDE WOULD IT TAKE FOR MEN, TODAY, TO CLAIM THAT THEIR WORDS ARE, IN FACT, EQUAL TO SCRIPTURE?

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Does the meaning of  God's word evolve over time? The apostle John wrote the book Revelation about 95 AD. Do men have the authority to add to or take away from God's word? NO, they do not.

The Legs of the Lame are Not Equal

George L. Faull

One of my favorite professors was Burton W. Barber. He was a champion debater. He used to always quote Proverbs 26:7 when he had proven the lame reasoning of an opponent's argument.  It says, "the legs of the lame are not equal." That always humored me.

Most evangelicals today are always quoting Paul's letter to the Ephesians "for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast." They make two great mistakes when they explain this passage.

First, they argue that faith is the gift of God, which is not true for it is salvation that is the gift of God, not faith. The gender of the word faith does not agree with the word "that". It is salvation that agrees in gender and salvation is what is the gift of God.

Second, they assume that "not of works lest any man should boast" refers to any action that a person may do to receive salvation. If you must do anything at all they insist salvation would be of merit and not grace. This is why evangelicals jump to the conclusion that baptism is not necessary to salvation because baptism is assumed to be a work, and therefore can not be any part of salvation.

The evangelicals maintain that all that is necessary to be saved is to “believe”, or “repent” or “say the so-called ‘sinners prayer’” or “ask Jesus into your heart”. Anything more than these they call "works salvation."

I find this truly ironic, inconsistent and surely a lame argument.

A simple study of grammar would show the silliness of such an argument. We all know that a sentence must have a subject and a verb.

Simply put, the subject would be the noun and the verb would show the action of the subject. That is, the subject will be doing some action shown by the verb.

That being said those taking the above theological view say that if one is baptized he is a doer of a work. On the contrary, the person being baptized is having something done to him. The one baptized is passive.

Read this sentence. "Bill baptized Jim." Who is the subject of the sentence? Bill. What did the subject of the sentence do? He baptized Jim. What action did Jim do? Nothing as he was totally passive. 

In Scripture, what does the one being baptized represent? He is as a dead man being buried. When a dead man is buried what action is he taking? None! When one is baptized, is the baptizer or the one being baptized doing a work? Obviously it is the baptizer not the one being baptized that is performing an action.

To say that baptism is a good work and included in the statement, "not of works, lest any man should boast" is absolutely ludicrous.  A dead man working!!!

Ironically, these evangelicals swear that one need not take any action or do anything to receive the grace of God. They claim it is all of grace and there is not anything that needs to be done to be saved. They ignore the fact that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, but he needed to build the ark to save his house.

When those in John 6:28 spoke to Jesus they asked this question, "What shall we do that we may do the works of God?" Jesus’ reply in verse 29 is an eye opener. "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

What did Jesus say they must DO? Believe. What does Jesus call faith? “The work that they must do.” JESUS CALLS FAITH A WORK! How can this be?  It must be obvious that evangelicals have misunderstood about not having to do anything at all to be saved. One must believe and it is specifically said to be a work.

But that is not all. What is a verb? It is a word that shows action or a state of being. What about the following verbs? Do they not denote that something is done?

Ê   Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. (Acts 8:33) But believe is a verb that shows action.

Ê   Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. (Romans 10:13) But call is a verb and shows action.

Ê   Bring forth works worthy of repentance. (Luke 3:8) But Repentance is a verb and requires works to prove it is real.

Ê   Pray the sinners’ prayer. But pray is a verb that denotes action.

Ê   Ask the Lord to come into your heart. But asking or inviting are both verbs and requires one do something.

So, these commands are all verbs!!!

Verbs show action.  Yet they will say that baptism is a work even though no action is done by the one immersed, but rather by the one who is doing the baptizing. Philip baptized the Eunuch. Philip was the active, one not the Eunuch. When one is told toBE baptized it is something that is done to him, not something that he himself does.

Isn't it sad how men get all mixed up due to accepting the pet knee-jerk theology of Zwingli who was running from earning salvation by works of the Roman church? They call black, white and white, black. They demand that men believe, repent, confess, call, ask, and pray as acceptable means of acquiring salvation but insist if one who is as passive as a dead man when he is baptized, is said to be trying to earn his salvation by works.

Professor Barber was exactly right. “The legs of the lame are not equal.”