Babylon, 1Peter 5:13 “The Church of Babylon“
Click on underlined to reference please comment if you agree or disagree.
What if you were born into a tribe that had no connection with the world? What if you were introduced to Jesus by the Gospel of John? What if you heard Peter speak live, like Acts 2? What if the copy of the original author’s letters was translated into the language you use today? No additional writing, comments, commentary notes of explanations devised by councils, doctors or reverends are known by you at this time. You and I have Pauls’ letters with his commentary, plus all the disciples, ones that knew Jesus in the flesh and walked with him like his brother James, in the letters they wrote to the Ekklesia to confirm the commands of Jesus to His followers.
We are all products of our traditions, environment and family connections. We can use online study tools to read the different translations to discover what the original authors meant when they said: “ekklesia” and we can discover how the translators changed the word to “church” when King Jimmie had a bible printed to suit his church people. We can discover where the change from a dynamic, active gathering of followers to care for one another and study the Apostles doctrine morphed into the modified doctrine of a static, fort mentality. We can read where Jesus said he would build his “Church” on the foundation of “the Chief Cornerstone” according to Peter we are the living stones. You can believe Peter is the “Rock” but that metaphor and play on words equals a domineering leadership and ranks of evil people with a lust for power and control. Google it! We can go deeper with our study and discover the Greek the original writers used and what the word meant when they wrote the first time. By setting the study to the King James Version we can use Strong’s Greek Lexicon to read for ourselves what the words mean. Click on the highlighted text and find the word meaning and where the word is used in the text. If you trust the KJV of 1611 to be an accurate translation, can you tell of the mistakes and added texts, words that mean naught to us today? Wot Not!! The meaning of some of those words and all the jargon we don’t use. “Wot!” Shakespeare is a very beautiful language but we don’t use the words or use them that way.
It is amusing that the founder of Mormons used King James Version idioms and words to write the Mormon Bible that was inspired or delivered by an angel (supernatural being). Do you recall what Paul said about the delivery of messages that change the Gospel by angels? How many times does God have to speak to be heard? What do words in the bible mean? Like “Gopher https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Mormon_and_the_King_James_Bible Wood” that Noah was to use on the Ark. No one knows what that was. Do we care? Why not? Cause we don’t have to build an ark. We do have to save our souls by believing in Jesus. What else did Jesus say for us to do exactly? Do words matter? Would the Ark have floated if?
We have wonderful tools of technology to use today to discover what the early followers of the Way did in daily life. By studying the history of the world at the time of the Apostles we find that people died young from many childhood diseases, people dealt with many things we Americans, unless we visit a third world will not see because of our healthcare and standard of living is so much better than what was available even 100 years ago. Imagine a world where food is your main concern. No promise of healthcare, freedom, safety or your next meal. If you followed Jesus you would be an outlaw or worse until the rise of the anti-Christ and the social-political mother church in 300-400 ce.
The Roman world functioned because of conquest, slaves, and wars on weaker tribes. The moral law was summed up in the “Gold Rule, He who has the Gold rules! ” The Jewish Nation at that time was in turmoil, God had left town over disgust of the religious leader’s neglect of the widow and orphans. The desecration of the Temple was least of the sins of the leaders and rulers. Jewish warriors became terrorist to the Roman occupation army after throwing off the Syrian/Greek invaders in the time of the “Hammer”. The system in place when Jesus became flesh to be the new King was political/religious and very corrupt. The Roman leadership was despicable during this period.
Romans regularly crucified thousands as punishment and terror tactics. Jesus was not the first or last to die. Jesus is the only survivor to rise from the dead after a full treatment Roman execution on a cross as described by secular writers outside of the gospels.
The country of Israel was in rebellion to Roman rule, the Jewish kings were puppets. The religious rulers were desperate to hold onto power and control of the people via the Temple. God had left the sanctuary way back, some say before Babylon captivity when the temple of Solomon was destroyed by the invaders. God had moved out way back when the covenant was broken by the Jews. Now the only hope for anyone is the Messiah, Jesus the Christ!
Where was the Church? The Ekklesia that Jesus built? Where is it? We can read the writing of the early followers before the age of the Apostles was done and the second-hand information begins. Many of these common people wrote of the “Ekklesia” and the heresies that began to creep into the gatherings. Just as today, men seek power, control to gain wealth, and rule over others. The Anti-Christ is diametrically opposed to everything our Savior is. Jesus never used the word “church” as in building or denomination. Jesus used buildings and shelter as often as hillsides and boats. His “Church” is where he is loved and obeyed. I would love to go for a boat ride or fishing with Jesus, have breakfast of the beach and enjoy the day. If that is not Church then what is missing? No traditions, please. I can invent my own BS cult or religion as good as any fool can.
What if somewhere in the history we got the ekklesia wrong? What if the mission was simple? The commands, few, easy to follow? The orders direct from Jesus with no other mediator, lawyer, doctor, reverend, father or angel/demon that has the authority to change the smallest letter of His everlasting Word. What if every move of the Apostles, every word preached by the elders and deacons, every word that was spoken and recorded by the early Church is filtered and refined by the Fire of Jesus’ Word. What if the “One another’s” of Jesus’ teaching is followed with the best of your ability? What else is required? Morning formation? Rules and rituals, temples, altars, tithes, Control? Power? Might as well join a country club as belonging to a religion. You will have more fun on weekends. What you have to ask is; The Gospel is solid our Faith is “Once and for all delivered unto the Saints” I believe this statement? yes or no
What if we are to love our neighbor, forgive our enemies? What if we are to care for one another? What did Jesus mean when He said “The least of these”? What did Jesus mean when He said”A cup of water“?
When one loves Jesus with a passion from the heart that is so intense the obedience is unquestioned for it is complete in Jesus and the disciple. We become one with the Father, our worship is Spirit. How can our heart be bound by space-time or death if Christ is our focus?
https://www.firstchristianmonticello.com/beliefs/We believe in one God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
MATTHEW 5:16, 45; 6:1,4,8,9 // JAMES 1:17 // JOHN 1:1; 14:9 // GENESIS 1:2 // JOHN 4:24; 14:16-20 // 2 PETER 1:21
We believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible.
GENESIS 1:1 // ACTS 17:24-28 // HEBREWS 11:3
We believe in Jesus Christ
- God’s one and only Son, my one and only Savior.
JOHN 1:14 // 1 JOHN 4:9 // JOHN 3:16 // 2 PETER 3:18
- Who was born Jesus of Nazareth, both fully human and fully divine, conceived of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.
MATTHEW 21:11 // JOHN 19:19; 1:14 // ROMANS 5:15-17 // COLOSSIANS 2:9 // 1 JOHN 1:1 // MATTHEW 1:18 // LUKE 1:26-38
- Who suffered and was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
LUKE 23:1-46
- Who died and was buried, and Who rose again bodily from the dead on the third day.
LUKE 23:44-24:8 // JOHN 20:24-29 // 1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-8
- Who ascended into Heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father.
LUKE 22:69 // ACTS 1:1-9 // COLOSSIANS 3:1
- Who will return to earth to judge both the living and the dead.
MATTHEW 24:36-42 // JOHN 14:1-3 // ACTS 1:10-11; 10:39-42 // 1 PETER 4:5
We believe in the Holy Spirit.
- Who is an active and operative part of the triune God.
JOHN 16:5-15 // ACTS 1:7-8 // ROMANS 8:26-27
- Who indwells every Christian.
1 CORINTHIANS 3:16; 6:19 // 2 TIMOTHY 1:14
We believe in the Bible
- God’s Holy Word, Scripture. We believe God inspired the autographs (original writings) of the Scripture and those autographs were consequently without error.
MARK 12:36 // JOHN 14:26; 16:12-15 // ACTS 1:16 // 1 CORINTHIANS 2:12-13 // 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-16 // 2 PETER 1:20-21
- We accept the Bible as the final authority for all matters of faith and practice.
ISAIAH 40:8 // MATTHEW 5:18; 24:35 // ROMANS 15:4 // HEBREWS 4:12
We believe the Bible teaches that man, created by God, willfully sinned against God and is consequently lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ.
ACTS 4:12 // ROMANS 3:23
We believe the Bible teaches that salvation – the forgiveness of sins – is only by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.
MATTHEW 26:28 // ROMANS 5:9 // EPHESIANS 2:8-9 // 1 PETER 1:18-19 // 1 JOHN 1:7
We believe the Bible teaches that one receives God’s grace by putting faith in Christ, repenting of sin, confessing Christ and being immersed into Christ.
ROMANS 5:1-2 // LUKE 24:45-47 // ACTS 3:19; 17:30 // 2 PETER 3:9 // MATTHEW 10:32 // ROMANS 10:9 // PHILIPPIANS 2:11 // 1 JOHN 4:15 // ACTS 2:38 // ROMANS 6:1-7 // GALATIANS 3:27 // COLOSSIANS 2:12 // 1 PETER 3:21
We believe in the Church of Jesus Christ, founded on the Day of Pentecost and consisting of all Christians everywhere.
MATTHEW 16:13-18 // ACTS 2:14-47
We believe the Bible teaches that the Elders are to exercise authority over the local congregation.
ACTS 20:28 // PHILIPPIANS 1:1 // 1 TIMOTHY 3:1-7 // TITUS 1:5-9 // 1 PETER 5:1-4
We believe in essentials unity in non-essentials liberty. Your choice of worship, music, a location should not divide us. If a thing being practiced does divide it is of satan.
Homestyle, the kind Jesus likes to visit. 
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