Paul's Passing Thoughts

A reader posed a question yesterday that has prompted me to take a train to Minneapolis instead of driving or flying. Getting on a long train ride is a great way to focus on a project away from any distractions. The time has come to hammer out a detailed alternative to the institutional church. Here is his question:

BTW, how do you think that scientific realism complements our theology?

I think our first conference answers that question best. Hence, I will be posting the conference at the end of this article. However, it brings up the larger issue of whether or not we know much of anything at this time because of what we do know: Protestantism is a false gospel; therefore, ALL orthodoxy that has flowed from it for hundreds of years is fruit from the poisonous tree. I believe most Christians in our day are brainwashed in varying degrees, including myself.

I am presently diagraming the project, and one of the circles, and probably a chapter, follows: “The Apostles are Dead.” The apostles constitute the only horizontal authority the Assembly ever had, and arguments for apostolic succession by anyone cannot be taken seriously. What then? Christ said to go and make learners, or disciples. This is interesting; He didn’t say to go and make saved people, He said to go and make learners. Even when the authority of the apostles was necessary to build the foundation, their authority NEVER exceeded the assumed ability of God’s people to understand the Scriptures for themselves. That’s why another chapter circle is titled, “Bereans.”

The apostle Paul said the ability of the believer to understand and follow Christ is the final authority: Follow me as I follow Christ; If I or anyone else preaches another gospel to you, let them be accursed. All of the books and letters of the Bible were written to the Assembly of God’s people, and those gifted with leadership have no other revelation. The apostle Paul called on every believer to follow Christ only, and leaders who are judged by said believers to do so truthfully. John’s way of stating that was, “You have no need for anyone to teach you.”

Authority is vested in our ability to understand and follow Christ. Period. The Protestant institutional church has no authority. They are usurpers of Christ’s authority over every believer—they are blind guides.

Any disciple who wants to become a learner cannot do so in the Protestant church were Calvin’s orthodoxy is the only thing to be found in the 1point, 2point, 3point, 4point, and 5point flavors. There must now be a way to come out from among them and be true learners. All views on election, freewill, justification, sanctification, metaphysics, and anthropology must be learned from Christ Himself, and not from men who have never repented of their murderous ways. A tree is known by its fruit.

Please pray for me as I seek to challenge believers to free themselves from the shackles of Protestant orthodoxy and find their true calling. That calling will be found in the fellowship of believers where the Holy Spirit gives gifts and the authority to practice them, not the cultist academia of our day. God’s people need to take back true discipleship from the traditions of men.

paul

The 2012 Conference on Gospel Discernment and Spiritual Tyranny